(OLD, UNEDITED) Warriors: Faded Shadows

Chapter One

Applekit poked her red head outside the Nursery. Her glowing green eyes explored the ThunderClan territory. She was already a whole three moons old, but her mother, Berryleaf wouldn't let her out of the Nursery. She assumed it was because her mother was hesitant. At the sunrise of her birth, two of the her litter-of-three died, and the third, Applekit had barely survived. Berryleaf had almost died that day. Now she wouldn't let the kit enjoy her days outside in Greenleaf, her motherly instincts wouldn't permit the young kit to explore.

"Berryleaf." Applekit said, turning to look back inside the Nursery at her pale brown mother. The queen lifted her white muzzle off her paws, "Applekit, I've already told you, you need to be four moons to go outside the Nursery."

"That's not fair!" Applekit protested, her paws were literally itching to go explore the camp. She had no company in the Nursery, except for Snowmuzzle who was expecting Flashfire's kits. Her stomach looked like it was about to explode, and Snowmuzzle's kits would be born any day.

"How is it not fair?" Berryleaf snapped, Applekit flinched at her mother's harsh words. But she understood her mother's stress.

From the other side of the nursery, Snowmuzzle lifted her black specked muzzle, "Berryleaf, Applekit's halfway on her road to becoming an apprentice, she wouldn't like to spend her first days exploring camp instead of the outside forest."

Berryleaf's gaze hardened as she turned to look at her denmate, "She's safe in here, as she will always be." Berryleaf looked away from both Applekit and Snowmuzzle. The white queen only sighed.

"I'll take her outside in camp." She declared. Berryleaf's head shot up and her ears became as perked as a fox's snout. She whipped her face to look at the white queen who was slowly beginning to heave herself off her paws. Applekit couldn't ignore the excitement creeping up her paws.

"Snowmuzzle! Have you got bees in your brains? You're one day away from kitting and you wish to go walk around camp?"

"Yes. I want to enjoy the moment as much as I can, I probably won't be able to exit this den for the next moon!" Snowmuzzle said as she stretched her feet one by one to prepare. Berryleaf glared at Snowmuzzle, "She'll be fine, Berryleaf, I'll watch her."

Giving up, Berryleaf muttered, "Only if you watch her."

Excitement began to explode all over Applekit, she was going outside, into the real world! A yelp of joy escaped her mouth as she dashed towards the entrance, breaking free of the prison she was forced to live in her entire life. Snowmuzzle purred in amusement and followed her closely.

"It's so big." Applekit breathed. She had heard stories of all the wonderful things in the forest and in camp, she also had the occasional peeks outside. But nothing was any greater than what she was looking at now. Green trees towered around her head all over, forming a small circle around the clearing. Her gaze fell upon a big pile of fresh-kill.

She ran over to it, kicking up dust as she sprinted over, Snowmuzzle gave a snort and scampered after her, panting with effort. Applekit looked at the pile of prey in amazement. Warriors hunted these animals... And caught them? That was amazing! Applekit vowed that when she was older, and she'd have the opportunity to catch a piece of prey, she would, and carry it back to camp proudly.

She reached out a paw to jab a fluffy squirrel, who's body was drooping over the edge of the pile. Only to be stopped by Snowmuzzle, "Young one, you shouldn't touch things without asking."

"Than can I touch it?" Applekit asked, wanting to feel the squirrel's fur under her paws.

"No, little one, prey is meant for eating, not poking." Snowmuzzle said gently.

"Indeed." A deep voice spoke behind Applekit, who leapt over beside Snowmuzzle in surprise. She tilted her head and saw a big orange tom standing in front of her.

"Flashfire! Don't scare the poor kit! It's her first time out of camp." Snowmuzzle said, unable to keep her bemused feelings out of her words.

Applekit saw Flashfire roll his yellow eyes than nuzzling Snowmuzzle, who responded quickly. Applekit wrinkled her snout, promising herself she'd never do that with a tom. "Applekit..." A small voice hissed at her ear. Applekit spun around. She saw two beaming yellow eyes and a thick black furred tom hissing her name behind a den.

Applekit shot a quick look at Snowmuzzle and Flashfire, who were still nuzzling each other before bolting towards the odd tom. When reaching him, Applekit could've sworn she could see a faded outline of what was behind his pelt. "Hello!" Applekit chirped.

"Quiet, I don't want anyone hearing us!" The odd tom whisper-hissed. He quickly checked his surroundings, making sure no ThunderClan cats were coming. Applekit nodded, wide-eyed. This tom didn't look like an average warrior size. "Applekit, I am Shadepaw... Of StarClan. I was instructed to bring you here to warn you about a prophecy that one of the other members of StarClan will send you tonight in a dream!"

Applekit gave a quiet gasp, she had her own prophecy! She was special! Maybe if she told Berryleaf, her mother would let her explore the forest, even- The black tom, Shadepaw, interrupted her flooding thoughts, his ears were on the verge of being perked and his tail twitching constantly, "Listen, there is an outrage going on in StarClan- a rebellion, and some of this... Rebel are sending a fake prophecy, to show the non-rebellers that StarClan doesn't need to- and won't guide them step by step, they're using the prophecy to test it

Applekit couldn't resist the sadness engulfing her excitement, so she wasn't special, StarClan just wanted to use her to test something for them. Well it's not happening! Applekit thought furiously. But it left one question unattended. She looked at Shadepaw who had gotten up onto his four black paws and was beginning to pad away.

"Shadepaw?" Applekit meowed to the to, Shadepaw turned his head to face hers, his ears twitching impatiently. "Why are you helping me?"

Shadepaw hesitated before answering, than looked at her with his beaming yellow eyes with such intensity that Applekit had never experienced before, not even with Berryleaf. "Because I'm different." He replied, "And I always will be."