'Let all the cats old enough to hunt gather to listen to me!' Smokekit looked at the clan with delight. Amberstar's gaze rested on Sunglow. The Tom gave the kitten a crooked smile. 'From now on you will be known as Smokepaw and your mentor will be Sunglow. Train him well, just as you trained your other apprentices.' said the leader respectfully, nodding and bowing her head. Smokepaw walked over to his new mentor and gave him a nose.

Smokepaw enthusiastically ran to his littermates who had also been named apprentices. 'Smokepaw! Zebrapaw! Purplepaw! Webpaw!' the cats of the SunClan chanted the names of the new students. He heard Rainpaw cheer the loudest at his own name. He started purring, now was he finally an apprentice! Smokepaw's mother Flowerstream came running. 'Oh how proud I am of you!' she purred and looked back quickly to see if she saw Clawtail. Purplepaw smiled confidently. The black and white tom grinned and wagged his tail. 'I think I'll go to sleep.' he yawned and walked with tired eyes to the apprentice den. This would be his first night in the den! Hopefully the moss would be nice and soft and maybe it would be nice to sleep without his mother for once! Smokepaw closed his eyes quietly.

Startled, Smokepaw awoke. Chills ran down his spine as he adjusted his gaze to the darkness. Mist swirled around his legs and before him all kinds of dark trees with smooth trunks loomed before him. 'W-where am I?' he asked, stammering, his hair standing on end. 'Welcome kitten.' whispered a voice in his ear. Smokepaw looked around warily. Over there. Behind him stood a red-brown cat with a white ear. She had a little blood on her right front leg. 'Who are you?' Smokepaw asked cautiously. 'Squirrelgray.' replied the cat simply and looked at him intently with her green eyes with blue flecks in them. 'What am I doing here?' he asked, surprised and a little frightened. 'I've come to tell you a prophecy.' replied the cat, looking at him mysteriously. 'And that is?' Smokepaw looked around impatiently. 'When you spot a cat with gray and white fur, you have to partner up with her and love her, so give her all your love. Then you become immortal.' meowed Squirrelgray with a serious look. 'What? But- How can I partner up with someone I've never met and love someone else now?' the cat rattled and looked at the cat confused. Squirrelgray ignored him and slowly faded away. In amazement, Smokepaw saw the Dark Forest fade too.

Bright sunlight shone through a crack in the pupil's den, Smokepaw blinked at the bright light. Finally the sun shone instead of rain. Beside him Rainpaw yawned and looked at him with a smile. 'Good morning sleepyhead!' she joked, purring, crawling over to him and licking his soft fur between his ears. Smokepaw closed his eyes with a purr. When she had stopped, the tomcat opened his eyes in protest. 'Hey, love birds, can you turn it down a bit?' Purplepaw asked irritably and Zebrapaw grinned next to her. Webpaw tried to hide his grin. Rainpaw gave a shy and sweet smile. 'We are not-.' she began, but Smokepaw interrupted: 'It's none of your business yet.' Growling, he turned his head and cupped the gray-striped female cat next to him. 'I think Sunglow is looking for me.' he meowed and slipped out of the hole. His mentor was indeed waiting for him outside the cave. 'Hey Smokepaw.' he meowed cheerfully, his tail swaying softly. 'What are we going to do first?' asked the tomcat curiously. 'Explore the territory and tomorrow you will clean the elders' nests.' replied the gold-red tom, and turned and walked out of the camp. Smokepaw followed him and looked at the beautiful ground for a moment. It was green and now and then there were leaves that had fallen from the trees. He thought back to Squirrelgray's prediction. Wouldn't he be destined with Rainpaw?
'Hey? Smokepaw? Are you still there?' Sunglow woke him from his thoughts. 'Oh sorry, I uh-.' stammered the hangover. 'Oh never mind, it doesn't matter. Well, look: we are now at the border with the MoonClan.' explained the gold-red, wagging his tail and pointing to the boundary with the Moonclan. 'Wow, cool and beautiful!' meowed Smokepaw excitedly. 'Yes, it may look nice and cool, but they are our enemies.' Zonneglow explained calmly. 'Yes I know!' said the black and white tom. His mentor punched him in the left shoulder. 'Do you want to go even further to the FireClan and the NightClan?' asked the tomcat focused again.
'Yes of course!'
'Well, okay then. Come along then!' smiled his mentor and walked along the border to another place. Smokepaw followed him obediently.

'Pff! That was fun!' purred the black and white tom, exhausted and enthusiastic. 'Tomorrow we're going to clean the nests of the elders, so it's not always a party, is it.' Sunglow winked at him and turned. 'I'll go to my nest.' his mentor meowed and walked toward the warrior's den. 'Bye see you tomorrow!' Smokepaw called after him, and he turned and walked towards the prey heap. There was a mouse on it, the tomcat looked at him intently and then remembered that he forgot to get his mouse when he went hunting with Rainpaw. He lay down and put his paw against his head. 'Wow, wow. How smart I've been again.' he grumbled to himself. Smokepaw finally grabbed the mouse from the prey heap and started nibbling on it.

Authors note:
Hi! Here is chapter four! :)