Prinklekit above! ;)

Amberkit opened her eyes to find herself, once again, in the Starclan meadow. "Ugh. Why do I always end up here when I dream?"

"Because, Amberkit, I call you here."

"You're just going to tell me to get over Frostkit's death again, aren't you, Skystar?"

"Yes. In fact, he's here to tell you himself." Skystar mewed.

Frostkit padded out behind Skystar and dipped his head.

"Frostkit!" Amberkit cried with delight. She dashed over to him and touched noses with him.

"Amberkit! It's so good to see you." Frostkit said, sounding much older than he actually was. "Listen, you've been trailing around in the dust for over a moon now. You need to understand that you have a great destiny ahead of you. I will always be with you, Amberkit. I will help guide you through the hard times in your life."

"Okay, Frostkit," Amberkit mewed gently dipping her head. "I promise I'll try harder to be the kit I was before...you know..."

"Thank you Amberkit. Remember, I will always be here with you, may StarClan light your path."

Amberkit awoke, feeling much better after her talk with Frostkit. She scrambled out of Cloudmist's nest and bounded out of the nursery and across the river to the fresh kill pile. She chose a fat vole and dragged it to a sheltered spot by the river. She heard the sound of tiny claws on wood and looked up to see Fernkit climbing up onto the tree bridge to cross the river. She also heard the faint flapping of a bird's wings and looked up to see a Heron.

"Fernkit!" Amberkit screeched, "Watch out!"

At that exact moment, the giant bird swooped down, stretching out its talons, getting ready to seize its prey. Fernkit shrieked in surprise and tried to race to the other side of the tree, but slipped and fell. She landed with a splash in the river and the Heron just dived right after her, keen on getting what it wanted.

"Fernkit!" Amberkit shrieked. She watched as the Heron flew up out of the water, making cold droplets fly everywhere. In it's talons was a small heap of tortoiseshell fur flailing desperately. Feeling more alive than she had in moons, Amberkit sprang to her paws and raced after the bird. She wasn't allowed out of camp since she was only a kit but right then, she didn't care one little bit. She ran after the Heron and Fernkit as fast as she could, glancing up a few times to make sure she was still following it. She ran and ran. The blood pounding in her ears was drowning out Fernkit's shrieks. Suddenly the thought of losing another littermate gave her an extra burst of strength and she pulled ahead of the Heron, who was still firmly gripping Fernkit. She raced faster than she had ever run before, maybe even than she ever would again, until she reached a tall tree. She leaped and landed a few fox-lengths above the ground. She swarmed up the tree like a squirrel, her surroundings blurring. She reached the highest branch that could hold her weight and gazed around. She spotted the giant bird heading straight at her. Perfect. She thought. When the Heron was close enough, she pounced. She felt like a bird and willed herself not to look down. She landed on the Heron's back and clawed the life out of it. She could feel it growing weaker by the heartbeat as they steadily floated toward the undergrowth below them. The Heron let go of Fernkit, who, screaming, fell to the ground with the wind whistling around her. Squirreltail, Bellaleaf, and Macgyver were on a hunting patrol and they all glanced up where Amberkit was clawing the bird, they didn't notice Fernkit falling to the ground. Amberkit and the bird swirled down closer and closer to the ground until they landed with a thump in the middle of a juniper bush. She climbed off the bird, which was now dead, and dragged it from the bush.

"Caught some fresh-kill!" She joked.

"That'll feed us for a moon!" Macgyver exclaimed.

"Stop joking around!" Squirreltail snapped. "We need to get this kit to Fidgetfoot."

Amberkit suddenly dashed off.

"Hey! Where're you going?" Bellaleaf yowled.

Amberkit returned a few moments later with a mouthful of marigold. "I saw Fidgetfoot use this to treat scratches once."

Squirreltail snatched the leaves from her and chewed them up, squeezing the juice into the wounds the Heron had made.

"Ow! It stings!" Fernkit wailed.

Suddenly the ferns around them rustled. Every cat in the clearing froze, then shook with relief when Blazestar and Fidgetfoot stepped out.

"What happened?" Blazestar's deep mew rang out.

"This Heron took me and Amberkit raced after it and saved my life." Fernkit mewed.

"Is this true?" Blazestar asked Squirreltail.

Squirreltail dipped her head, "Yes, Blazestar. Amberkit was very brave to stop the Heron mid-flight."

Fidgetfoot dashed over to where Fernkit was lying on the ground, still damp from her splash in the river. He picked her up and started heading back towards camp. The clan leader and the patrol followed. Amberkit realized just how exhausted she was and almost fell over twice before Blazestar picked her up. "Thanks," She managed to gasp. The patrol steadily padded back into camp and Fernkit and Amberkit were rushed to the Medicine den.

Fernkit's wounds were treated and she was given a poppyseed to make her sleep before Fidgetfoot turned to Amberkit. "Who put marigold on her scratches?" He asked.

"I did." Amberit answered, licking her chest fur in embarrassment.

"How did you know to do that?"

"I noticed you using it one time."

"Interesting," He mewed thoughtfully. "Are you hurt at all?"

"No. Just tired from my race with the Heron," She answered, purring at her own joke.

"You seem more yourself these days." He said, half to himself.

"Yeah, that's 'cause Frostkit told me to get over his death and focus on my own destiny." She said, without thinking.

"What do you mean he told you?" He said, pricking his ears and leaning closer.

Before Amberkit could answer, a shadow fell across the entrance to the den.

"May I come in?" A familiar voice asked.

"Yes, yes, Parsleypaw. Of course." Fidgetfoot mewed.

"How are they?" Parsleypaw asked.

"Ask Amberkit herself." Fidgetfoot answered, "But Fernkit is sleeping. I'm going to have a word with Blazestar." He turned and padded out of the den.

"So, how are you," Parsleypaw began awkwardly.

"I'm fine." Amberkit said.

"Listen, Amberkit, I wanted to apologize for teasing you and your littermates the day I became an apprentice. I didn't want to hurt you or make you feel less." He said after a few moments.

"It's okay. It didn't bother me as much as it did my brother. And anyway, you tried to tone the teasing down, not make it harsher." Amberkit sighed, "So don't worry, I'm not mad."

"Okay, thank you." He said leaning down and licking her head between the ears.

* * *

"Let all cats, old enough to climb trees, gather to hear my words." Blazestar's yowl woke Fernkit up. She blinked and saw Parsleypaw and Amberkit talking quietly. She scrambled out of her nest and limped over to Cloudmist and Dewfrost. A few heartbeats later, Amberkit and Parsleypaw joined her.

"What's going on?" Amberkit whispered to Fernkit.

"I've not a clue." She answered. Fernkit blinked questionally at Prinklekit, but he only shrugged.

"Amberkit was very brave today when she ran after Fernkit and I can think of no better time to make her and her littermates apprentices." Blazestar mewed. All three kits looked surprised and excited.

"What!" Cloudmist's mew rang out, "But I haven't groomed them. Just look at their pelts! Amberkit's is all ruffled and flattened and Fernkit's is covered in herb poultices!"

"Don't worry about it, Cloudmist. Amberkit, Fernkit, and Prinklekit. Step forward please." Blazestar called. "These kits have reached their sixth moon! Prinklekit, from this moment on, you will be known as Prinklepaw. Mistfeather, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You will mentor Prinklepaw. Mistfeather, you have shown yourself to be a brave and efficient warrior. Do all that you can to pass on what you know down to Prinklepaw."

"Prinklepaw, Prinklepaw!" Fernkit's clanmates called out around her.

"Cat's of Skyclan, I have decided it is time for me to take on an apprentice." Fidgetfoot yowled, " Your next medicine cat will be..." Every cat held it's breath, Including Fernkit and Amberkit. "Amberpaw!"

"Amberpaw, do you accept the post of apprenticeship to Fidgetfoot?" Blazestar asked.

"I do!" Amberpaw cried, her bright green eyes shining.

"Amberpaw! Amberpaw!"

Fernkit glanced over at Parsleypaw, who looked hurt. What's he so sad about?

"Fernkit! Step forward." Blazestar called to her. "From this moment on, you will be known as Fernpaw. Skyheart, you have shown loyalty and courage as a warrior of Skyclan and I hope you do all that you can to pass those skills down to Fernpaw.

"I promise I will!" Skyheart mewed, stepping forward to touch noses with Fernpaw.

"Fernpaw! Fernpaw!" Fernpaw glowed with pride as she listened to her clanmates call out her name.

Once the clan meeting began to break apart, Fernpaw limped back to the medicine den and slumped down into her nest. She drifted into sleep with her clanmates voices still ringing in her ears.