Trails that End in Light

This is about two cats, Treekit and Whiskerkit. They are brothers, and best friends. But they don't know of the prophecy in store for them.

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Chapter 1

Treekit yowled and pounced on top of his brother, Whiskerkit. Whiskerkit kicked out with his back legs that pushed Treekit off of him.

Their mother, Jumpleg, flicked her tail and purred in amusement before she meowed, "Don't play too rough, little kits. It won't be too long before you become apprentices."

"But," Treekit began reproachfully, "I can't wait a half moon! I want to be a apprentice now!"

"Yeah!" Whiskerkit agreed.

Treekit flicked his tail. Why does he always copy me?

"Now, kits, Bouncekit and Yewkit are sleeping." Jumpleg mewed. "You don't want to wake them, do you?" Bouncekit and Yewkit were Mouserush's kits. They sleep way too much! When will they ever be old enough to play with us?

"Shhh!" Mouserush quieted. "They're waking up! They must be hungry!"

"Treekit, why don't you go get a mouse for Bouncekit and Yewkit?" Jumpleg suggested.

"Okay!" Treekit was happy to leave the nursery. He wanted to be alone for a while. He exited the nursery quickly and started to head across the clearing, looking around at his unfamiliar surroundings, trying to find the fresh-kill pile. He had been out of the nursery before, but only to play, never on a mission as important as this. I must succeed! His mother had always fetched the fresh-kill for them, and it was always mice.

"Hi, Treekit!" Treekit turned to see the Clan deputy, Crowpelt, padding towards him. "What are you doing so far from the nursery?" Crowpelt asked.

"Trying to get a mouse for Bouncekit and Yewkit." Treekit replied. "But I don't know where the fresh-kill pile is!"

Crowpelt flicked his tail, amused. "It's over there." he mewed, flicking his tail towards the center of the clearing. "I'm going to visit Bouncekit and Yewkit." Treekit remembered vaguely that he was their father. "Are they awake?"

"They were just waking up when I left." Treekit replied.

"See you in the nursery, then!" Crowpelt mewed brightly. He padded off in the direction of the nursery.

Treekit looked in the direction of the fresh-kill pile. There it is! He ran over, and he felt his jaws fall open. There were so many other kinds of prey! There were birds, dead ones, and voles, and rabbits. Treekit ran eagerly back to the nursery with the mouse Jumpleg had requested, and when he got there he laid it quickly down next to Bouncekit and Yewkit. They pounced eagerly on top of it and started to play.

"What was it like out there?" Whiskerkit asked eagerly.

Treekit started to describe what he had seen in his adventure to the fresh-kill pile, excluding what he had seen in it, wanting to keep it a secret. "You have to come with me to see!" he meowed eagerly.

Whiskerkit turned to Jumpleg. "Can I?"

"Yes, but eat your piece outside!"

Treekit bounded off, eagerly followed by Whiskerkit. This time, Treekit did not stop to look around, he knew exactly where he was going. They made it to the fresh-kill pile in record time and they each chose something. Treekit grabbed a heavy rabbit and Whiskerkit grabbed a vole.

They heard pawsteps behind them. "Don't take both of those, the rabbit is enough for both of you!"

It was Volestar. "Take the rabbit- the elders are full. You can carry it back to the nursery on your own, right?"

"Yes, Volestar." Treekit mewed obediently. Whiskerkit nodded his head.

"Good." Volestar meowed. "Is this the first time eating a rabbit?"

"Yes." Whiskerkit meowed.

"Don't eat the fur. It's nasty!" Volestar moewed, and she padded away.

"You heard her! Don't eat the fur!" Whiskerkit squeaked.

"Let's get this back to where we can eat it!" Treekit squeaked excitedly.

And so the two kits began the what-seemed-impossible task of getting the rabbit back to the nursery. They tugged, one at a time, until they realized that it would take a very long time. "Lets pull together!" Whiskerkit suggested. And so they did, working much faster now. They finally got it back to the nursery. Whiskerkit eagerly tore the dead rabbit open and dug in. Treekit eagerly followed after seeing Whiskerkit's eyes light up at its taste. It turned out his eyes were right. The rabbit tasted amazing, smelling of the forest that they dreamed of, and the WindClan scent that warriors had carried home after battle ("I hope I never smell like that!" Whiskerkit commented reproachfully), and then it smelled like something completely different, the grass of the moorland that had been carried from so far away by the wind. It tasted juicy, with the slightest tinge of something that Treekit had never tasted before, but that made it taste even better. The two kits shared the rabbits, taking turns biting off a piece of the wonderful meat.

Then they walked into the nursery, and cuddled into their mother's warmth, and fell asleep with full stomachs.

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Chapter 2

A half moon had passed. Treekit and Whiskerkit were now ready to become apprentices. Treekit was dreaming about fighting alongside Whiskerkit as a warrior, while Whiskerkit wanted to take a separate path as a medicine cat. Treekit was extremely annoyed, and he couldn't help but think that Whiskerkit did something did something else then Treekit wanted him to just to annoy him. But then, he has his own right to sere his Clan in any way he wants to. I can't control him.

The day was finally there, the day that Treekit and Whiskerkit would become apprentices. Each kit was excited in their own special way, and both shared the same excitement as well- becoming known as Treepaw and Whiskerpaw. But Treekit was unsure about his brother's future as a medicine cat. He tried to convince Whiskerkit to become a warrior once or twice before, and today was his last chance. He turned to Whiskerkit. "So you're actually going to be a medicine cat?"

"No." Whiskerkit answered.

Treekit blinked, surprised. "You're going to be a warrior?"

"Yes." Whiskerkit meowed. He turned away from Treekit.

Treekit walked around to Whiskerkit's face and continued his investigation. "I thought you wanted to be a medicine cat!'

"Friskfoot doesn't want me to be her apprentice." Whiskerkit moaned. He looked up into Treekit's face. "Do you want to be her apprentice?"

Why would he think that? "No!" Treekit mewed. "Never! I was born to fight!"

"Are you sure? Were you born to fight warriors, or injuries from the warriors?"

"The warriors!" But Treekit was unsure. Ever since he had been old enough to think about Clan life, their mother had always told them that they were born to fight. She wasn't very specific!

Whiskerkit nodded his head.

Volestar yowled from across the clearing. Both kits looked up. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey may join the Clan under the Highledge for a meeting!"

"It's time." Treekit meowed.

Volestar continued. "That will include two more cats today. Treekit and Whiskerkit, please join me." Volestar leaped down from the Highledge, and Treekit and Whiskerkit padded slowly to her.

"These two kits have reached their sixth moon." Volestar began. "It is time for them to become apprentices."

Treekit and Whiskerkit listened eagerly, ears pricked to absorb every sound, eyes wide to absorb every sight. I'm going to remember this moment forever.

"Whiskerkit." Volestar beckoned with her tail to bring him forward. "From now on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Whiskerpaw."

Whiskerpaw's tail shot straight up.

One down, one to go!

"Your mentor will be Featherwhisker." Volestar continued.

Whiskerpaw ran forward to touch Featherwhisker's nose.

"Featherwhisker and Whiskerpaw," Treekit muttered under his breath. Sounds alright!

"Treekit!" Volestar called. Treekit padded forward slowly. What will I become! He answered his unspoken question. A warrior! What else? And again he answered. A medicine cat.

"Treekit, from now on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Treepaw."

I'll go practice my fighting skills as soon as possible.

Volestar continued. "And your mentor will be Friskfoot."

WHAT? Treepaw slowly padded forward to touch his nose to Friskfoot's. But he paused for an instant. Is this what I want to become?

Yes.

Treepaw touched his nose to Friskfoot's, and turned away. Better go start sniffing some herbs and learning their scents.

The ceremony wasn't over. Volestar called, "Treepaw!"

Treepaw turned.

"You'll be a wonderful medicine cat. You have all the qualities of one, even though you refuse to believe. Friskfoot studies all the kits from birth and you were the one she and StarClan chose. You will be great. I know it!"

"Well, somebody from StarClan better prove that to me," Treepaw growled, "or I'm not sure even StarClan will believe."

A cat in the crowd hissed, but Treepaw couldn't make out who it was. A puny Friskfoot believer. Watch me heal their greencough!

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Chapter 3

Whiskerpaw stood and watched his brother walk away. It's what's best for the Clan! Why doesn't he understand?

"Whiskerpaw, why don't you find a nest in the apprentices' den?" Friskfoot suggested quietly.

"Only with Treepaw!" Whiskerpaw meowed stubbornly. I feel so alone without him already!

"He can't sleep with you." Featherwhisker meowed. "He sleeps in the medicine den with Friskfoot."

"Don't deny it." Friskfoot mewed. "It will only make it worse. You know that."

Whiskerpaw lowered his head. "I guess you're right." He had a sudden idea. "But can he get some moss with me? Out in the forest?"

"No." Friskfoot meowed sternly. "I have to start his training. There is much more to being a medicine cat then to being a warrior. You fight injuries, and you must learn how to fight with tooth and claw, as well."

Whiskerpaw blinked. That's a lot? He nodded his head. "I guess I'll go find a spot, then."

Friskfoot and Featherwhisker nodded, and Whiskerpaw walked away. I better learn to enjoy it, walking into that den without him!

"Hey, Whiskerpaw!" Whiskerpaw turned to see the only other warrior apprentice, Moosepaw, running over. "I know a good spot!"

"Can you show me?" Whiskerpaw asked.

"Sure!" Moosepaw meowed eagerly. "Let's go!"

As they raced off to the den, Whiskerpaw couldn't help but notice Treepaw staring sadly at them from the mouth of the medicine den. Whiskerpaw turned his head away. I can't think about that. We're taking seperate paths now!

Moosepaw showed Whiskerpaw a spot to sleep not far from where he slept, and Whiskerpaw couldn't find anywhere better. He piled some moss there from behind the medicine den.

Moosepaw settled down on his own moss. He looked up at the sun, high up in the sky, causing all of the heat this greenleaf. "This greenleaf is hotter than usual, don't you agree?"

"I don't know to agree or disagree." Whiskerpaw meowed.

Moosepaw flicked his tail. "Neither do I," he purred, "but it is hot."