Warriors: Duskmoon and Dawnsun #3

Dawnsun curled her tail anxiously.

“Are you okay?” Duskmoon purred. The gray she-cat had agreed to rename Dawn to Goldenkit so it would leave out the confusion.

“I’m nervous, that’s all,” Dawnsun said. She had recently found out she was expecting kits, a moon after she and Duskmoon came back.

Dawn with the rising sun, falling a beloved one, past is the future now, remember what Firestar meowed, Dusk falling with the bright full moon, a gathering night she shall come through, but now the past is past until Dawn comes again.

That’s what the prophecy said, anyway.

It already happened though, Dawnsun thought to herself. I rose by finding Dusk. And the last part of my name is Sun...so...but falling a beloved one? I think that must be Duskmoon’s old mate, Sliver. Past is the future means the past when Duskmoon was here...now...she’s back. But Firestar’s meow? I remember Whiteclaw saying that Firestar delivered the prophecy. Dusk falling must mean that Duskmoon is back. And she came back on gathering night. Now the past is the past, which obviously means that it was behind us. Until Dawn comes again? That was that Dawn had arrived. And a new day started when Duskmoon returned.

“Deep thoughts?” She heard a purr from the entrance of the nursery.

Dawnsun jumped and looked at the entrance, where her mate, Gingkoroot, was standing.

“Gingkoroot!” She purred with delight.

“Hello, Dawnsun,” The brown-and-black tom mewed. “How are you?”

“Uncomfortable,” Dawnsun admitted. “And hungry.”

“I’ll get you a rabbit,” Gingkoroot says. “And some water.”

And with that, the young tom raced off.

“If you’re uncomfortable,” Duskmoon said. “Try shifting your weight. Eating and drinking will help. If not, you should see Whiteclaw.”

Dawnsun shifted her weight a little and ate the rabbit that Gingkoroot gave her. She drank little water and sank into a deep sleep.



“ThunderClan! Attack!” She heard a voice holler.

Dawnsun lifted her head and noticed it was dark, and there were dark cats all around her.

She blinked her eyes in fear. ShadowClan! She thought with panic. Goldenkit let out a mew of horror as two cats started to tear at the roof of the nursery.

Duskmoon’s eyes widened, and she hissed.

“Get off!” She growled. “Does ShadowClan have no use of the code? It is against it to attack queens, elders, and kits!”

“The Dark Forest doesn’t use the code,” A ShadowClan warrior that Dawnsun recognized as Shadeleaf spat.

Duskmoon leaped to her paws and stood on her hind legs, then let out a flurry of swipes at Shadeleaf and the dark silver tom.

“Those are no ThunderClan moves!” The tom said.

“And you’re no true warriors!” Duskmoon spat right back. She knocked the tom off the roof and bit Shadeleaf’s paws until they got off the roof and went into a fight with warriors.

Shadestar yowled warnings to the ShadowClan leader, Moonstar, and glared as they engaged in battle.

“Forward ShadowClan!” Moonstar yowled.

“Defend ThunderClan!” Shadestar hissed. “They’re mouse-brained and fox-hearted to attack us in our own camp!”

And dangerous, Dawnsun added to herself.

Suddenly, she felt a tug in her belly. She let out a moan and Whiteclaw raced over to her.

“My kits are coming!”

“Duskmoon!” Whiteclaw yelped. “I need you to help Dawnsun!”

Duskmoon nodded and brought Dawnsun into the medicine cat den.

“Lie down,” Duskmoon ordered as she grabbed a stick. “When the pain comes, bite the stick.”

She thought about getting herbs, then remembered they were all out where the two Clans were battling.

“Don’t I need herbs?” Dawnsun groaned as if reading her sister’s mind.

“No,” Duskmoon growled. “Queens have been kitting for moons without herbs. It’s the reason.”

Before Dawnsun had a chance to reply, a powerful ripple spasmed throughout her body. “Get Gingkoroot...” She murmured.

On cue, Gingkoroot raced into the medicine cat den. “Is she okay? Does she need water? Prey? Does she-”

“Shut up you stupid furball!” Duskmoon spat. “She just needs some water and space!”

Gingkoroot clamped his jaws shut and raced out to get water.

“Okay, when I say push...” Duskmoon said. “Push!”

Dawnsun pushed hard, and she could see that. The first kit slid out onto the ripped bedding.

“Water!” Gingkoroot chanted when he came in and dribbled a few drops into Dawnsun’s mouth.

“Thank you, Gingkoroot,” She said. She vigorously licked the young kit to keep it alive, but not before the next kit slid out.

Gingkoroot hesitantly licked the next one.

“How many are there?” Dawnsun whimpered as the third kit slid on out.

“One more,” Duskmoon promised.

Suddenly, a shriek came from the corner of the camp.

Whiteclaw fell to the ground, dead.

“Whiteclaw!” Goldenkit cried.

Duskmoon licked the third kit and ran out next to Whiteclaw.

“Duskmoon,” Whiteclaw rasped. “It is my time. But you must be the acting medicine cat.”

And at those words, Whiteclaw went limp.

Duskmoon suddenly became aware of her surroundings.

Shadestar was losing a life.

Six warriors lay in camp, dead.

Whiteclaw was dead.

The former queen, Icefly, was dead.

Two elders, Maya and Fallowfalling, were killed.

ShadowClan was truly terrifying.

“In conclusion, we should keep away from ShadowClan,” Goldenkit told her mother.

“Very good, Goldenkit,” Duskmoon said.

“Can I play with Blossomkit, Applekit, Seedkit, and Aloekit now?” Goldenkit begged.

“We should wait for their eyes to open,” Duskmoon said as she licked Goldenkit. “Besides, I’m training you for your apprentice ceremony tomorrow.”

Goldenkit groaned. I’ll never get to be a kit again, she was upset. “Can you at least tell me a story?” She begged.

“Fine,” Duskmoon said. She put away the borage she had been sorting and curled around Goldenkit.

“Once upon a time, there was a young apprentice named Duskpaw-” Duskmoon started.

“I want a barn story!” Goldenkit whined.

“It is,” Duskmoon promised. “Just listen.”

“Once upon a time, there was a young apprentice named Duskpaw. It was a time of battle with ShadowClan. She ran away because of fear and hate. She ended up at a barn and met a kit named Frosty, who told her friends at the barn about her. Duskpaw became Dusk soon enough and mated Sliver and gave birth to the most beautiful kit in the world, Dawn,” Duskmoon said.

“Was Dawn Dawnsun?” Goldenkit asked with wonder.

“No, my little Dawn,” Duskmoon purred. “It was you.”

“Good morning,” Sharkpaw said as he hopped into the medicine cat den. “Duskmoon, I have a thorn in my paw.”

Duskmoon gave Goldenkit an apologetic look and got the thorn out of Sharkpaw’s paw.

“Sharkpaw? Why was there a war?” Goldenkit whimpered.

Duskmoon gave Sharkpaw a warning look, which he didn’t seem to see.

“ShadowClan wants to take of ThunderClan to become DarkClan,” Sharkpaw explained. “They are inviting the Dark Forest to possess them and walk among them.”

“Don’t talk about that in front of a kit!” Duskmoon hissed.

“Just a few heartbeats ago you said I was closer to an apprentice than a kit!” Goldenkit huffed.

Sharkpaw walked over to her. “Want to come with me?” He purred. “We can train.”

Goldenkit’s eyes sparkled. “Yes please!” She chirped excitedly as she ran after Sharkpaw.

Goldenkit knew Sharkpaw used to be Shark and lived at the barn with his mother Echo.

She would never have left the barn.

“That should be enough training for today,” Sharkpaw said. “You’re really good.”

Goldenkit felt her fur grow hot. “Thanks,” She whispered at the taller tom.

“...so then we’ll attack here,” She heard a dark, musty voice from the bushes. She looked at Sharkpaw who shrugged, and the pair leaped into the bushes.

“What was that?” A tom with stripes along his body hissed.

“Probably nothing,” A ginger she-cat who Goldenkit recognized as Burningleaf meowed. “Continue, Tigerstar.”

“Isn’t Tigerstar a bad cat?” Goldenkit whispered.

Sharkpaw nodded.

“And our own clanmates are learning from him.”