A Twisted Fate (Warrior Cats)

Chapter 1

 *Partially edited

"Birdkit, come forward please." Hailstar's confident meow rang out through the entire clearing. Birdkit, shaking free of Fernpelt's last licks, leapt forward excitedly and scrambled up the Fallen Log to sit, a tail-length away from the leader. She gingerly stepped forward, as though a bit nervous, but no cat could miss the barely suppressed anticipation that shone through her bright green gaze. She, Birdkit, was going to be an apprentice!

"From now on, you shall be known as Birdpaw, and your mentor will be Blacktail. Blacktail, you are a strong and noble warrior. Train Birdpaw to the best of your abilities." Blacktail, a muscular black tom, stepped forward, and Birdkit touched noses with him.

"Birdpaw! Birdpaw!" Fernpelt chanted, and the rest of the clan soon joined in with their yowls. As her gaze swept through the crowd, Birdpaw found Silverclaw watching her proudly, and the silver tom nodded approvingly. She suppressed a purr, for she was big, and soon will be the strongest warrior any cat has ever seen in the entire forest! Being much of a daydreamer, Birdpaw wanted to be leader someday too. She imagined herself, lean and strong, sitting up at the Fallen Log, calling her clan to a meeting, leading them into battle, being the most important cat in the entire clan.

As Birdpaw was still lost in her own world, a mew broke through her thoughts. 

"Birdpaw! Congratulations on becoming an apprentice at last!" Fernpelt, her foster mother, had padded up to her, and was showering her with licks. She paused mid-lick to add, "I know you've been waiting for quite a while now." the sandy queen's eyes shone with pride.

"You're an apprentice now!" Leafkit had bounded up to her, and her eyes were wide. "I want to be one too! Can I, mother?"

Fernpelt purred at the small she-cat. "No, you're not six moons old yet, but when you are, I'll cheer the loudest for you and your brother, just like I did today with Birdpaw."

Graykit, Leafkit's brother, had been listening patiently, being more laid-back than his sister. However, he also seemed unable to control his excitement, and mewed, "Whoa...being an apprentice must be cool! I envy you so much, Birdki- I mean, Birdpaw!"

Without warning, he pounced on her, and Birdpaw tried to throw him off by batting at him with sheathed claws. Leafkit jumped on top of both of them, and all three rolled over in the dust in a mock fight. Finally, after a few manuvers, Birdpaw managed to pin each kit down with one paw on the ground, and let out a little mock snarl, "Surrender, you two Iceclan ruffians?"

"No! We'll never surrender!" Graykit squeaked, and Birdpaw growled again, cuffing him on the head with her paw. "Okay, okay! We surrender!" Leafkit whined, and her brother nodded in agreement.

Birdpaw let the two kits go. "Good. Now- OOF!" Before she finished her sentence, both kits had turned around and pounced on her as one. "You liars!" she managed to choke out before disappearing under a writhing mass of fur and paws.

"We'll never surrender!" Leafkit squealed.

Birdpaw was the one pinned now, and she tried wriggling out of their paws, only to be pinned down again. Birdpaw was just trying to think about how to overcome this situation when a purr interrupted their game.

"What's this? An apprentice, being beaten by two little kits?" Silverclaw had been watching the three of them wrestle together, and was now purring nonstop. With a small gasp, Birdpaw suddenly realized the whole clan must have been watching them play fight. She looked around, and saw that everyone looked amused; even Hailstar was trying to fight back a small mrrow of laughter.

Birdpaw's new mentor, Blacktail, padded over to sit by Silverclaw. He licked one paw and drew it over an ear lazily before speaking.

"Looks like I have a lot to teach you now. Getting beaten by two kits, huh?" he teased with a flick of his tail.