Elements Rise: Earth's Last Stand

Chapter One

Flamestar smoothed his pelt out as Moonclaw padded towards him. The Clan didn't trust the black she-cat just yet, but most of Moonsong's friends could tolerate her. "What is it, Moonclaw?"
Moonclaw glanced to the side uncertainly. "Well, I thought since me and Moonsong both have the same prefix," she paused, "it would be less odd for my name to be different."
Flamestar looked surprised. She was giving up the name ShadowClan had given her, just because another ThunderClan warrior had a similar name. If that wasn't loyalty, he didn't know what was. "What were you thinking?"
Moonclaw glanced to the side. "Well, I thought maybe Lilyclaw?" Her eyes glittered with hope.
Flamestar nodded. "You can have your name changed along with Whitekit and Smallkit." He screwed up his nose. "We are having a big ceremony this twilight." He waved his tail.
Moonclaw blinked in delight. "Thank you!" She cried. "Just wait until I tell Moonsong!" She darted away and Flamestar made a face.
In the warriors' den, Vixenleap and Meadowleaf were pointing claws at each nest, and adding more fluffy moss to every one. "Oh, hey Moonclaw," Meadowleaf meowed casually, then muttered something into his brother's ear.
Moonclaw lashed her tail. "Hello," she replied coldly. "And call me Lilyclaw."
She swept her tail across the ground and padded away with her chin held high. "Moonsong, guess what?"
"What is it?" The gray she-cat yawned and blinked open her eyes.
Moonclaw sat down. "I'm changing my name," she said excitedly. "I will be Lilyclaw as of tonight!"
Moonsong tilted her head. "Aww, Moonclaw, that's so thoughtful," she nuzzled her sister. "Well, I have got to go hunting now that I'm up." She stretched out of her nest, leaving Moonclaw alone with the almost-warriors and sleeping senior warriors.
Moonclaw shivered and ran out of the den just to run into Cliff. "Oh, hello," she flattened her ears embarrassingly.
Cliff murmured something as he pressed a paw to his forehead, which was bleeding.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She mewed. "Are you okay?"
Cliff nodded wearily. "I'm fine, thanks."
Moonclaw watched sadly as he walked away, wincing.
Foxhowl bounced up to her, the scar on her eye prompting a recoil from Moonclaw. Foxhowl frowned at her, then started to walk away.
Moonclaw bit her lip. She shouldn't have shied away. "I'm sorry," she growled. "I keep making mistakes."
Foxhowl turned to her with an ashamed look on her face. "Well, it does take a while to get used to," she admitted. "It took my foster siblings a while, too."
Moonclaw sighed in relief. "Okay," she breathed. "Nobody likes me," she added. "So you don't have to, either." There was irony in her mew.
Foxhowl gave her a look. "But I do," she meowed bemusedly. "I like you."
Moonclaw lifted her tail happily. "Thank you!" She mewed cheerfully and skittered off.
It was a long day of waiting and sitting around ( Moonclaw was only allowed by Frogsuave to go hunting once ) but finally, the time came at moonhigh for the biggest ceremony Flamestar and Moonclaw had seen.
Flamestar cleared his throat before speaking. "There has been a request for Moonclaw to change her name," several cats glanced at her, and she blushed, "to Lilyclaw!"
To her surprise, the Clan cheered her name. "Lilyclaw, Lilyclaw!"
Lilyclaw drank them in, their warmth making her forget how many of those cheers were halfhearted.
Flamestar continued; "There are many kits that need to become warriors," he yowled. "Smallkit and Whitekit!"
The two small kits padded forward. Smallkit had become muscular, and Whitekit looked very neat with her paws crossed.
"Smallkit, your mentor will be Lilyclaw, and you will now be known as Smallpaw!"
The tom frowned. "I want to be Smallkit," he mewed plainitively. "I don't want to be Smallpaw."
Flamestar looked skeptical, but nodded. "Very well." He turned to Whitekit. "I presume you want to stay as Whitekit as well?"
Whitekit puffed out her chest. "No, I want to be Whitepaw."
Flamestar glanced pityingly at Lilyclaw as if to say I'm so sorry he is your apprentice but nothing could ruin the chance to be a mentor for Lilyclaw. "Well, then you shall now be known as Whitepaw," he motioned towards a gray tom. "Your mentor will be Leavestail."
Leavestail widened his eyes. "You're sure?"
Flamestar nodded, and the tom touched noses with Whitepaw.
"Yay!" Smallkit cried as Lilyclaw stumbled forward to touch noses with him.
"Smallkit! Whitepaw!"
After the cheers died down, the Clans began to file into their dens for the night, but Lilyclaw padded over to where Wingfeather and Foxhowl were sitting next to each other and sharing secrets. The two she-cats had become close in the past moon, since they had been warrior and medicine cat.
"How are you doing?" She asked, settling beside them.
Both she-cats dipped their heads warmly. "Can I tell her?" Wingfeather asked quietly to Foxhowl.
Foxhowl nodded. "So long as she doesn't tell anyone."
Wingfeather flicked her tail and her gaze then focused on Lilyclaw. "Do you promise not to tell?" She mewed, a warning tone underlying the acceptance.
Lilyclaw tilted her head but nodded. "I won't," she swore.
Foxhowl shifted her weight. "I'm expecting kits," she whispered excitedly.
A wave of shock passed over Lilyclaw. "You're sure?" She asked, wide-eyed, even though the first question was obviously; 'who's the lucky tom?'.
Foxhowl nodded. "I am!" She insisted.
Wingfeather nudged her affectionately. "Leave us alone now, will you?" She said to Lilyclaw.
Lilyclaw twitched her ear, but inside she was shocked that Foxhowl and Wingfeather trusted her enough. It was clearly a big secret, if Foxhowl wasn't even ready to admit whom's they were.
She felt her eyelids droop, and remembered that the moon was high in the sky. Lilyclaw slid into her nest next to Moonsong's fur- sticking out every which way.