Loyalty is What Matters

Prologue ~ Scourge/Moon
Scourge sat, watching his daughter, Moon, as she suckled her kit. A small she-cat, who looked exactly like him was kneading Moon's belly. "What will you name it, Moon?" rasped Scourge.

"Twilight."

Scourge nodded, but his daughter continued. "I will take her to a clan...ThunderClan."

"No! ThunderClan is nothing but a clan of traitors!"

"This is my kit, and my decision is final!"

"What about you?" he spat.

"I'll stay with her!" retorted Moon, and with that, she picked up her kit and ran toward where ThunderClan's camp is.

"Moon!" he yowled after her, but she was already gone.

Chapter 1 ~ Twilight
Twilight woke up in a green forest. She saw her mother was still asleep, and decided to explore a little. Soon, she came upon a strange scent, but didn't have much time to investigate before a rustling in the bushes made her bristle. She ducked down and watched as a gray tom stepped out. A brown tabby followed. "Wow..." she breathed, but it was enough to make the gray tom look in her direction.

"I'll be right back, Brambleclaw." meowed the gray tom. He trotted toward her. She hissed as the gray tom picked her up. "Put me down!" Twilight let out another annoyed hiss when he did not put her down. Instead, he seemed to be searching the area. Probably for my mother, thought Twilight. The gray tom plopped her down. "My name is Graystar," came his deep mew. "What are you doing in ThunderClan's territory?" ThunderClan...I've heard my mother talk about it... "I...uh---" Just then she heard a terrified wail. It was her mother. "Twilight!" came a wail. Twilight then spotted a smoky gray she-cat darting toward her.

Moon hissed at Graystar, then turned her attention to Twilight. "Why did you come out here?!" Twilight cowered between the two larger cats. "I...I woke up early...and...I was...bored..." she explained. Moon nodded, warily. She then turned back to Graystar. "I'm sorry for trespassing, but I was wondering if we could join your clan..." Twilight felt her mother's tail wrap protectively around her as she waited for Graystar's reply. "Where do you come from?" he asked, eyeing Twilight suspiciously. "The--The Twolegplace..." stammered Moon. Graystar nodded, and called the tabby tom. "Brambleclaw!"

Brambleclaw bounded over to Graystar and the two loners. His gaze darted straight toward Twilight. "She looks so much like Scourge..." whispered Brambleclaw into Graystar's ear. The gray leader nodded. Twilight felt as if the world would collapse between her paws. She hated being so tiny. "I suppose they could join ThunderClan," meowed Graystar, who turned his attention to Moon. "Tell me, have you heard of a cat in Twolegplace named Scourge?" Moon's fur bristled, but she forced it to lie flat. "Yes," she mewed. "He was my father."

Chapter 2 ~ Twilight
Twilight saw Brambleclaw's fur prick. "Your father?!" Moon nodded, and Brambleclaw turned to Graystar. "They won't be loyal!" Twilight's eyes narrowed. What was wrong with Scourge? "Give them a chance." meowed Graystar. Moon picked Twilight up, and they headed toward the ThunderClan camp. Once in camp, Graystar showed Moon the nursery. Twilight spotted a gray she-cat with darker flecks nursing three kits. Her mother led her to a nest, and sleep overcame her.

When Twilight awoke, she spotted two of the kits play-fighting. They were both she-cats. The tom was still sleeping. She peered farther back and saw another she-cat nursing a cream colored tom. Moon looked up. "Twilight, why don't you go explore the camp?" she suggested. Twilight scampered out of the nursery. She spotted a white tom glaring at her and shrank back in her pelt. "Don't worry..." murmured a voice near her. She spun around to see a pale ginger she-cat sitting behind her. "Cloudtail's always grouchy..."

Twilight looked at the pale ginger she-cat. "W-Who are you?" she asked.

"Sandstorm. Can I ask your name?"

"Twilight..."

Sandstorm cocked her head. Her eyes flashed with confusion, then realization. "You're the loner's kit. Graystar told me of you."

Twilight sighed. It was normal for cats to think of her as the loner's kit. She walked back into the nursery, and saw the cream tom-kit was beginning to stir. He looked up, and his blue eyes were gleaming as he saw her. "Who are you?" he asked. She quickly told him her name and asked his. "My name is Milkkit," he answered. Just then a yowl sounded outside the nursery.

Chapter 3 ~ Twilight
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock for a Clan meeting!" yowled Graystar. Twilight peered out of the nursery. "As you all know, two loners came to join us. I shall give them their new Clan names!" By then, Moon had been up and already sitting outside the nursery. Twilight scampered to her mother's side as Graystar continued. "Moon," he flicked his tail for her to come forward. She hesitated but walked until the leader told her to stop. "Do you promise to give your loyalty to ThunderClan?"

"Yes."

"From this day on, you will be known as Moonshine!" His yowl echoed around the clearing. The cats around murmured her new name. "Twilight, step forward." She scampered to the clearing and stopped. "Do you promise to be loyal to ThunderClan?" She nodded and he continued, "Twilight, from this moment on, you will be known as Twilightkit." Her name was murmured around the clan before they let out a weak yowl of congratulations. She sighed. What was wrong with her? As if reading her thoughts, Milkkit walked up to her and whispered, "It's probably because you aren't clanborn..."

She curled into her nest after the meeting was finished. "The Clan will never trust me..." she mewed and shut her eyes, trying not to fall alseep.

''* Epical Time Skip because I'm out of ideas for this part :D. At her apprentice ceremony...*''

"Twilightkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed." Graystar glanced around the clearing before continuing, "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Twilightpaw. Your mentor will be Brambleclaw. I hope Brambleclaw will pass down all he knows to you."

"Twilightpaw! Twilightpaw!" Some of the clan called out her name, while the others mumbled it.

Twilightpaw sighed and touched noses with Brambleclaw. Anger seemed to be pulsing off of him. Of course I get the mentor who wants nothing to do with me, she thought. "Come on," he meowed. "Let's go train with Whitepaw and Brackenfur." She spotted the snowy white apprentice sitting with her mentor and padded over to them. Brackenfur dipped his head to Brambleclaw, and led the way out of camp. Whitepaw and Twilightpaw trailed behind the two senior warriors.

Chapter 4 ~ Twilightpaw
Twilightpaw looked at Whitepaw and meowed, "This seems like a long way away."

"They've taken a longer route by the looks of it, though I've never been this way before..."

Brackenfur glanced toward them. "We're almost there." Twilightpaw nodded and looked toward Brambleclaw, for the slightest bit of encouragement, but there was none. He just grunted and trudged onward. Twilightpaw rolled her eyes and realized that she had fallen behind. She darted to Whitepaw's side.

As they approached the training hollow, Twilightpaw could see Whitepaw bouncing with anticipation. "She's probably happy to have another apprentice to train with, since Shrewclaw became a warrior," murmured Brackenfur in her ear. She nodded and trotted to the opposite side of the hollow. "What should I do?" asked Twilightpaw, turing to Brambleclaw.

He just grunted, turned to Brackenfur, and meowed, "We should demonstrate."

After battle training, Twilightpaw was worn out. She panted as they trudged back to camp, taking the long way again. "Why...are...we...going...this...way?" she asked, breathlessly.

"I really don't know," mewed Whitepaw. "Perhaps giving you a chance to explore the territory."

"Perhaps," Twilightpaw reluctantly aggreed.

Brackenfur gave the two apprentices a sympathetic look and turned to Brambleclaw. "Perhaps we should let them rest," he suggested gently. Twilightpaw looked at her mentor, hopefully, just as he meowed, "We're not too far from camp." Her head drooped and she trudged back to camp, her pelt getting splattered with mud as the rain began to fall.

As Twilightpaw pushed her way into camp, her paws wobbled, and she heard her mother gasp from across the hollow. Stifiling a sigh, she heard Moonshine scrambling over to her. Moonshine's tounge rasped over Twilightpaw, attempting to clean the mud from her paws and pelt. "Let me do it myself," hissed Twilightpaw. She twisted away from Moonshine and walked over to the apprentice's den to clean herself. Twilightpaw saw light blue eyes---almost sky blue---staring at her from the nursery.

Chapter 5 ~ Twilightpaw
As soon as Twilightpaw saw the eyes, she recognized Milkkit. He was 5 moons old, and soon she'd be sharing a den with him again. Brambleclaw was talking to Moonshine. She could see it out of the corner of her eye. Pricking her ears, she heard some of what he was saying. "...You should take your daughter and leave the clan..." Her ears instantly flattened against her skull and she hissed angerly. Heaving herself to her paws, she stalked over to them, and stood in front of her mother. "What...did you say?" she growled.

He kept his cool and meowed, "You should leave the clan. It's obvious that only some cats trust you--barley half the clan!"

"That never stopped you from staying," came a sharp retort. As soon as she said that, Twilightpaw knew she'd said the wrong thing. Uh-oh, she thought.

"What?"

Moonshine stepped protectivley in front of her. "Just go," turning to Twilightpaw, she meowed. "I'll be asking Graystar about a new mentor for you."

Twilightpaw said nothing and nodded. She darted toward the apprentice den and dived in the entrance. "Cool it," mewed Whitepaw. The white apprentice was sleeping. Or at least trying to.

"Sorry." With that, Twilightpaw curled up in her nest for the night.

Twilightpaw awoke the the prodding of a paw in her side. Whitepaw was looking down at her expectantly. "Are you bound to your nest or something? Wake up, you lazy, lump of fur!" purred the apprentice in amusement. Twilightpaw purred along with her until she shook her pelt and got up. "Moonshine's gotten you a new mentor. Er, Cloudtail's volunteered himself, actually."

"Cloudtail? Isn't he your father?"

"Yes..."

"Anyone will be better than Brambleclaw."

"Anyway," mewed Whitepaw. "Cloudtail's taking us both out, since Brackenfur twisted his paw on the way back from the hollow."

Twilightpaw nodded. She got out of her den and padded over to where Cloudtail was sitting, sharing tounges with Brightheart.

Chapter 6 ~ Twilightpaw
Twilightpaw swallowed hard. She was probably about to ask her mentor the worst question ever. But in the end, she thought. ''it will have been worth it. Maybe.'' "Cloudtail," she mewed. The white warrior stopped licking his mate, got up, and looked at her. "Yes?"

"Can I ask you about someone?"

"Er...who?"

"Scourge..."

His ears flattened against his skull, and he sighed. "I suppose I should tell you.." He settled down, as if the story would take too much energy for him to stand. "Tigerstar--you've heard of him? Good.--brought Scourge to the forest, thinking he could convince Firestar and Tallstar to join his joint clan. They wouldn't listen to him." Cloudtail paused as Whitepaw settled down from where she had gone to the fresh-kill pile. Brightheart shifted closer to her daughter. "Of course," he began again. "That didn't stop Tigerstar. He ordered BloodClan to attack, but Scourge told him that they'd attack under his command only. Scourge then killed Tigerstar with one blow. Er, I think that's enough," he added as Whitepaw's eyes widened with terror and Brightheart tensed. "Let's go train."

Sighing, Twilightpaw followed Cloudtail and Whitepaw out of camp. She heard a mouse scuttling around, and crouched to catch it. She sprang and clumsily landed on the mouse. Twilightpaw killed it and dropped it at Cloudtail's paws. "We can start the pile here," she announced. He looked at her, his head tipped sideways. He looked thoughtful, and eventualy nodded. "Of course. Now off you two go," he meowed. Whitepaw nodded and waved her tail for Twilightpaw to follow.

Twilightpaw carried her prey home. She had caught a mouse, two voles, and three chaffinches. Whitepaw had caught a mouse. Whitepaw had offered to help carry the voles, and one chaffinch, and Twilightpaw agreed at an instant.

Chapter 7 ~ Place of No Stars Cats
"Tigerstar," meowed Darkstripe. "I think I know a cat that we could get to join us."

"Who is it?" Tigerstar asked, his voice sounding intrigued.

"A cat named Twilightpaw, from ThunderClan. It's easy to tell that most of the clan doesn't trust her."

"Hmm...Fetch Brokenstar, Snowtuft, and Mapleshade. They'll want to hear about this."

Darkstripe dipped his head and dashed away, while Tigerstar settled.

A few moments later, Darkstripe returned, with all three Dark Forest cats. "Well," growled Brokenstar. "What do you want?"

"Darkstripe?" Tigerstar gestured to the tabby tom.

"Well," he began. "there's a ThunderClan cat, though," Darkstripe added before Mapleshade opened her jaws to speak. "she wasn't born in ThunderClan. Actually, she's Scourge's grandkit. ThunderClan, or at least most of ThunderClan, doesn't seem to trust her. That'd make her an easy target."

"What's her name and what does she look like?" asked Snowtuft.

"Twilightpaw. Black she-cat, one white paw, blue eyes. Quite easy to recognize."

"I think that Snowtuft should train her," admitted Mapleshade.

Snowtuft looked at Mapleshade, then nodded. "Of course," he growled. "It would be my honor."

Chapter 8 ~ Twilightpaw
Twilightpaw woke up in a dark and dreary forest, where she found a skinny white tom. He dipped his head and walked over to where she layed. The white tom circled her, his gaze sweeping over her, judging is what it seemed like. "Hmm...You look strong for a she-cat," he taunted. Twilightpaw's eyes snapped fully open and she sprang to her paws. "You're asking for a fight, are you?" she growled.

"Now, what would make you think that?"

Without thinking, Twilightpaw yowled and leapt at him, but he slithered away before she had the chance to land.

"You've got potential," he noted, then straightened up. "I hear your clan doesn't trust you."

"W-who are you?" she mewed.

"Don't fret. My name is Snowtuft. Now, does your Clan trust you or what?"

"No..." Twilightpaw hung her head. "They don't."

"Well, you've done nothing wrong," he began to circle the black she-cat. "I think I can help you regain their trust - train you as a warrior almost as great as Tigerstar."

"Tigerstar?" Twilightpaw whispered the name, trying to recall any nursery stories. ...that bloodthirsty fox-heart wanted nothing but power... She heard the voice of Frostfur, speaking of the dark brown tabby. She swallowed and nodded. "Train me, please!" she meowed, her voice caught in her throat.

Chatper 9 ~ Twilightpaw
She woke up the next day, her ear torn. What a practice, she thought.