I just got and read The Sight (in one day. I was excited, okay?) and now my brain is feeling weird because that story has no resemblance to my fanfic at all, but OH WELL! So Book Three might be kind of strange because I am trying to write this while I am thinking about The Sight. But it will still be good and I will just ignore The Sight. So forget I said anything.
Words were echoing back to the rusty tabby, words he had heard in his dreams long ago. And now he remembered, as he looked up at the young apprentices with the stars burning over them, feeling something like relief mixed with shock wash over his body and mind.
There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of stars in their paws.
And, finally, it was true.
Jaypaw was watching the cats with a look in her eye like all the fires of the stars were in her soul. She could tell without looking that Hollypaw and Lionpaw were the same, and they sat calmly above the frozen fighting.
Leopardstar was the first to move. "Great StarClan…" she whispered.
And with that the camp erupted into frantic murmuring. ShadowClan cats were slinking back, then, and running to their territory. Soon RiverClan and ThunderClan were alone.
"T-thank you," stammered Firestar. He looked up, not believing what he saw.
Jaypaw nodded with the aura of a she-cat who was much older than her. "Yes."
She looked down at the disheveled cats. For some reason her eyes met Lilypaw's, the new RiverClan apprentice. Lilypaw blinked and cowered back in fright behind her mentor.
"W-we must go," Firestar meowed shakily. He stood and padded out of the camp.
The other warriors stopped, and waited. Jaypaw realized that she, Hollypaw and Lionpaw were supposed to go ahead of them. They stared in awe as the three apprentices. Suddenly the peaceful feeling drained from Jaypaw, and she stumbled awkwardly towards Firestar, feeling self-conscious and a bit embarrassed. Hollypaw and Lionpaw padded after her.
Brambleclaw, Ashfur, Cloudtail, and all the other ThunderClan warriors followed. They walked in a strange silence all the way back to camp.
Squirrelflight was waiting for them at the thorn tunnel. "Well?" she demanded. "What happened?"
She noticed the uncomfortable quiet, and her tail fur bristled. Brambleclaw looked up, and then it was like the patrol was released from a trap; they padded through the tunnel and into the camp while Brambleclaw relayed the fight to his mate.
Squirrelflight listened intently, then looked up in surprise at her kits. As she padded into the camp, Jaypaw's eyes met her mother's. To the apprentice's surprise Squirrelflight shrank back as though Jaypaw had taken a swipe at her.
Great StarClan, will they all hate us now, after what we've done?
Lionpaw brushed against her. "We did what we had to," he murmured, although his tone suggested that even he had no idea really what power they had used. Hollyaw gave silent agreement.
"What now?" asked Jaypaw. Cats were appearing and staring at them as the patrol spread its news around ThunderClan.
Lionpaw flicked her with his tail. Jaypaw looked where he pointing. Firestar was bounding onto the Highledge, calling the summons for a Clan meeting.
Cats slunk to the center of the camp. Firestar glanced down at them. "The cats who went to RiverClan today have already told you of the battle," he meowed. "Blackstar is feeling the need for more territory. We must be ready in case he decides to attack."
There was muttering around the clearing.
"But," Firestar continued. "We have something happier to celebrate. Jaypaw, Lionpaw and Hollypaw are the reason we helped win against ShadowClan today with RiverClan. I think, and I'm sure many others do to, that Lionpaw and Jaypaw should be made into warriors."
There was whispering, and then it swelled into a yowl of approval. Jaypaw stared around, and then voices were urging her on, all the warriors, even Cinderpaw and Poppypaw, although they were much older and should have been made into warriors first. Ashfur and Berrytail, their mentors, were on their paws cheering. Jaypaw stood, and Lionpaw was beside her with his eyes wide in surprise. Hollypaw pushed them forward cheerfully. "Come on, before we all die of old age!"
Jaypaw padded forward, half in shock, until she stood right under the Highledge. Firestar stared down at her and her brother. "I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." He paused for a heartbeat. "Jaypaw, Lionpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to defend and protect it even at the cost of your life?"
Excitement was bubbling in Jaypaw's body now, and it rose to her mind, threatening to overflow. She and Lionpaw answered in perfect unison. "We do."
"Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Lionpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Liontail. StarClan honors your courage and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."
Firestar leaped down from the Highledge and rested his muzzle on Liontail's forehead. The warrior gave the leader a respectful lick. Then Firestar turned to Jaypaw. She stared with happiness.
"Jaypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Jayfeather. StarClan honors your strong spirit and your skill, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."
Jayfeather quivered with joy. She stepped forward to give Firestar's shoulder a lick a he placed his muzzle on her head.
"Liontail! Jayfeather! Liontail! Jayfeather!" The yowls were loud and encouraging. Jayfeather raised her head proudly.
"Soon the moon will be high. In the tradition of our warrior ancestors, Jayfeather and Liontail must sit in silent vigil until dawn, and guard the camp alone while we sleep."
"Wow, warriors!" squeaked one of the new kits, a silvery-gray she-cat who was watching from the nursery entrance. Her mother was Ferncloud, and her name was Ghostkit. Jayfeather met the kit's eyes and the little she-cat ran back into the nursery.
Liontail and Jayfeather padded to the thorn tunnel as the cats went back to their dens. They pushed through the prickly barrier and sat outside the camp in a gleeful silence as the moon climbed higher into the sky and the stars shone down like bright, watchful eyes.
Jayfeather yawned as a pale pink showed over the trees. It merged into a faint yellow, and then gold as the sun rose into the sky.
"Dawn," breathed Liontail. "We can talk."
"And sleep!" joked Jayfeather. "I could rest for a moon!"
"Well, now's your chance," announced Spiderleg, stalking from the tunnel. "Go and sleep. I'm the guard next."
Jayfeather thanked him wearily, and she followed her brother into the camp. They headed straight for the dens. "I suppose we sleep in the warrior den now!" Jayfeather meowed.
Liontail purred, and they padded into the shelter of twigs and bracken.
Jayfeather scented out an unused patch of moss. She curled in it as Liontail settled down next to her. "Warrior," she sighed contentedly and warm darkness washed over her.
She opened her eyes and jumped up. The new warrior stared around. She was standing in the middle of a forest, not part of ThunderClan territory. The stars were even clearer than they were when she was at the RiverClan battle.
"Greetings, Jayfeather."
The whisper came from all around. Jayfeather turned to see a small tortoiseshell she-cat watching her. A proud blue queen was next to the tortoiseshell.
"Bluestar," Jayfeather gasped.
"Yes," meowed the tortoiseshell. "And I am Spottedleaf."
Jayfeather stared at the StarClan cats. A fiery prickling feeling was spreading through her paws and along her spine.
"Welcome, young warrior," Bluestar mewed. Her eyes gleamed bright blue, and the light breeze made her fur shift slightly. The former leader's tail was curled around her paws.
"We have been waiting for you."
Ah! Cliffie ending! Well, you better watch for Book Three then! evil grin
-Pinefur