Left To Stay

Prologue - Wishing - Bubbles
I lay down, looking at my beautiful kit. She had sleek black pelt - just like him. Today I had found out that her eyes were amber - just like his' - the way I had known they would look. The same look in their faces. She would always be a memory of him, for me.

A memory that I loved. I had always pictured myself living in the forest as a rogue, with a mate that loved me and a kit that looked up to me and him. But this life hadn't turned the way I wished when i was younger.

My mate was a clan-cat. But he loved me - and I loved him. I had a kit, that I knew would row to look up to me, but she hadn't met her father. She wouldn't be able to look up to him, and wish she would grow up to be stronger, brighter, smarter and faster than him. She wouldn't.

I felt a rush of anger inside me. I felt frustrated with myself for not being able to give my kit what I've always wanted to - what I wished I could.

''She's going to meet him some day. ''I told myself. And when that day comes, we will be the happiest family I could ever imagine. We would be an inseparable threesome. Living in a clan - like he wanted - happily. Nothing would tear us apart.

And she, Sunny, would be proud to look up at both of us. Her parents. She will.

When she meets him.

Chapter 1 - Accepting - Hiddenkit
"Hiddenkit!! Hiddenkit!" I woke up startled by the voice crying my name. I covered my ears annoyed and tried to get back to sleep. Suddenly I felt a paw nudge me from side to side.

"Wake up! What's wrong? You're always the first one to wake up!" I stretched and opened my eyes to see the figure of a gray tom with brown paws. His blue eyes starred at mine and I blushed imediately, figuring that I was starring.

"Maybe I'm tired because you kept me awake all night yesterday because of your hurt paw." I meowed back. I looked down at his paw that had been hurt yesterday, but it seemed perfectly fine - as if his little climbing-a-tree-mischief had never happened. "Fairheart cured it?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"Yup! But that doesn't matter. I have better news and nobody knows it - except some warriors. Not even Muddykit!" he meowed exitelly, and it surprised me that he hadn't told whatever he was exited about to Muddykit, his sister. They told each other everything.

"Must be really good news for you not to tell her. What is it th-?" I asked, but he interrupted me before I could finish.

"Our apprentice ceremony!!!!" he meowed which seemed like almost a scream.

"Oh My Spiritclan!!! Seriously? Yes!!" This was the most exiting thing ever! This meant that I was getting closer to making Strike and my mother proud by becoming a warrior. Each time, I took a step closer. "But when?"

"I heard them we were going to become warriors a few days after Wolfkit and Bearkit have their apprentice ceremony - and that's today!" Wolfkit and Bearkit - Arcticmask's and Starwatcher's kits. Nice, but spend most fo the time play fighting or getting into trouble - more trouble than Kestrelkit, who was getting himself hurt all the time eavesdropping!

"You were eavesdropping!" I mewoed at him. "Didn't Echocave said that if you went ousied the nursery without permision one more time, you're apprentice ceremony would be slowed down?"

"I know, but this was different and important. It's our apprentice ceremony!" he meowed with his exited voice again, this time, he was bouncing up and down.

"I guess it is a good reason... But if you get caught - don't tell me I didn't warm you!"

"Fine. Fine - don't worry. I won't!" he meowed and leaped at me playfully. I rolled on my belly, crushing him and then punced on him, making him jump.

"Hey!" he meowed. He hissed playfully and then leaped at me. This time I was ready, and quickly got out of the way, tripping him with my tail. I turned around with one quick movement and saw him crashing into the wall of the nursery.

"Beat that!" I meowed happily, but soon one word came into my mind. Strike.

He had taught me that move. He had taught me many things. And I missed him so much - he was like the father I never had. It was as if he had been sent to me by SpiritClan.

"Hiddenkit? You ok?" I came back to reality and realized that a few tears were now coming from my eyes. "Another memory?" he asked.

I nodded, and cleaned off the tears with my paw. Every since I've been here, once in a while I would get memories from before that would get me sad and unfortunately crying - which was a great oportunity for Littlekit and her friends to bother me. Kestrelkit knew me too well...

I smiled at the thought.

"Hiddenkit!" I heard Vinecloud's call. She rushed inside the nursery.

"Hey Vinecloud!" I meowed greeting her and padding up to her. "What's up?"

"Littlekit went to visit Orangemask and Skylight. Want to come with?" she asked. Orangemask and Skylight - Vinecloud's parents - were always fun to visit in the elder's den. Them, Vinecloud and Darkbranch - her mate - made me feel as if Ii was truly part of their family.

"Sure!" I meowed, already getting ahead of her and saying 'bye' to Kestrelkit. I got out and padded faster. The different smells of camp amazed me and I looked at the clearing. There were a few cats there; Darkbranch, Stormstrike, Talonpaw and Brindlefang. The three warriors were discusing patrols by the look of it but Talonpaw just looked bored no to be doing anything.

He looked up when he heard me coming. "Hey Hiddenkit! What's up?" he meowed, dropping the prey he was eating and giving me one of his cute smiles.

"Hi Talonpaw! Going to see Orangemask and Skylight!" I meowed while running inside the elder's den. Inside, I saw Softstep eating a vole that an apprentice had brought him - I assumed. Farther inside were Orangemask and Skulight playing with Littlekit.

"Hello!" I meowed happily and leaped at Skylight, ignoring Littlekit's annoyed face - whihe she gave me each time I came.

"Hey Sunny Hiddenkit!" Skylight meowed. Skylight always had a name for us. Littlekit was 'Llittle Littlekit' and I was 'Sunny Hiddenkit'. Even if his name could sometiems be weird at first, you get used to it and it makes you fee like you belong. And you knew he said those names with love and it warmed up your heart.

"I have something to tell you!! But guess first!" I meowed at them.

"You...umm...brougth me a mouse?" Orangemask meowed jokily.

"No...We're going to become apprentices in a few days!!" I meowed looking at Littlekit.

"Yes-!!! Wait, how do you troublekit know?" she asked.

"I have my ways. Some trouble-free ways." I told her and she just looked at me without saying a word.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Hightree for a Clan meeting!" I heard Freedomstar's voice from outside. His loud voice echoed throught the elder's den's roots-wall.

"I guees that's our cue. C'mon kits, let's see what's this about." Vinecloud meowed to Littlekit and me, and we both followed her outside. I saw the whole clan gather around teh huge tree taht lay in teh middle of the clearing. The tree that holded still the ceiling of our camp. Freedomstar was seated on one of teh lowest branches - his usual spot. Most cats were murmuring and I knew thsi was Bearkit's and Wolfkit's apprentice ceremony.

"Wolfkit. Bearkit." Freedomstar meowed to the brothers and I saw them leaving from theire parent's side, Arcticmask and Starseeker, to go Freedomstar. They carefully climbed the tree and sat on teh same branch as our leader.

"Wolfkit, from this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Wolfpaw. I ask SpiritClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior. Netteltangle, you will be mentor to this apprentice. You are a true and trusted warrior, and I hope you will pass this knowledge to your new apprentice." Netteltangle, climbed up the branch and now him and Wolfpaw touched noses.

"Wolfpaw! Wolfpaw! Wolfpaw!" the whole clan shouted and called.

"Bearkit, from this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Bearpaw. I ask SpiritClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior. Brindlefang, you will be mentor to this apprentice. You are a true and trusted warrior, and I hope you will pass this knowledge to your new apprentice." Brandlefang, climbed up the branch and now she and Bearpaw touched noses.

"Bearpaw! Bearpaw!! Wolfpaw! Bearpaw! Wolfpaw! Bearpaw!" we all started chanting again. I looked over at Arcticmask and Starseeker and saw their proud faces.

Someday, I'll see my mother's and Strike's faces with the same expression.

Chapter 2 - It Hurts - Hiddenkit
"I can't wait to be an apprentice! It's going to be soo cool!" I meowed, thinking about how Nettletangle and Brindlefang had taken their apprentices out right after their apprentice ceremony. I padded to the nursery, like Vinecloud had tolds us when she went to get something to eat.

"I can't wait ot become an apprentice!!" Kestrelkit surprised me from behind. I made a shriking noise and almost jumped, blushing in embarrasment.

"You're going to get into trouble for eavesdropping! And I bet you're wrong about our apprentice ceremony!" I heard Littlekit's voice meow at me.

"Well prepare to lose your bet." I meowed at her, and saw her mad face. Her eyes looked annoyed and full of revenge-hungry. I looked away, not wnating to make her any more madder than she was, just because she knew I was right for once. I padded into our small nest. I layed down there, hoping to get some rest.

I could hear some giggling and laughing from outside the nursery. I tried to ignore it, but it got louder and louder each time. I tried covering my ears with my paws, but I was too tired to keep holding them in that position. ''Who am I kidding? There's no sleeping during the day.'' I stood up madly and bothered that I had not been able to sleep, and fastly padded to the entrance of the nursery to see who was laughing so hard.

When I neared, I saw two cats lying beside each other, flirting. One was a white she-cat with black flecks all over her pelt and the other was a brown tabby tom with gray paws. Littlekit and Kestrelkit! How could they! They were flirting and laughing as if they had been friends for a very long time. I felt a pang of sadness crushing my chest and I couldn't breath for a second. I was just starring at both of them, and I told myself not to cry.

I started backing away, and saw Littlekit's eyes on me. She smiled, and I knew this was her revenge. Littlekit didn't like him. She had known I liked Kestrelkit, and now this was a way for me to pay. I ran back inside, not wanting to stay there, looking at them for another second.

I wasn't going to let anybody else hurt me. For the past moons I had lived, all I learned was not to get too close to anybody, because somehow, someway, someday, they'll just break your heart.

I padded out of the nursery. It had been a few days since the incident with Littlekit, and I was doing my best at just trying to act normal. I tried letting go of what I felt for Kestrelkit, now that he spent more time with Llittlekit. They seen to start becoming very good friends and that got me jalous.

I want towards Vinecloud, who was talking with Darkbranch and sharing a vole. They looked happy. I wondered how a love so powerful could exist. So far, it hadn't worked so great with me...but maybe someday, when I get older, things will change and I too, will have an oprtunity.

"Hey Vinecloud! Hi Darkbranch!" I meowed at them, sounding more cheerful tha the past few days. They both greeted me back and told me to get a small mouse since Littlekit had already eaten and shared hers.

I took a mouse and sat down, eating it slowly. Suddenly I saw Wolfpaw and Bearpaw coming from the entrance. Practicing. I figured. They neared the fresh-kill pile and only Bearpaw had prey hanging from his jaw. I guessed Wolfpaw had been practising fighting and Bearpaw had been on a hunting patrol.

"Hey Hiddenkit!" Bearpaw meowed dropping his prey into the pile and getting a fat sparrow. He sat beside me and started eating. His brother joined him, bringing himself a fat mouse. I looked surprised at how much, such young apprentices, could eat.

"Starving aren't you! Looks like you haven't eaten in moons. Didn't know being an apprentice required so much energy and starvation!" I joked.

"You have no idea!" Bearpaw meowed. "Takes spacial sorts of apprentices to make it through."

"You're eating like you've been an apprentice for such a long time! And you're only a few days older than me!" I meowed. I saw Wolfpaw laugh a bit.

I saw a black tom approaching us with Lionpaw; his apprentice. I remembered the black tom because he was Darkbranch's best friend and they spend a lot of time talking and on hunting patrols. He sat down infront of us and looked up. "Hello Everyone!"

"Hi Blackrock!" "Hey Blackrock!" "Sup Blackrock?" we all greeted him.

"How are you all going? Being an apprentice good so far?" he asked both brothers.

"Awesome!" Bearpaw meowed.

"Since you've alreday brough the subject." Wolfpaw started, "Heard you're becoming one of us soon. True?" he asked lookign at me.

"I certainly hope so..." I answered. I didn't wnat to stay in the nursery anymore. Each time I went inside, I felt trapped in memories and a lost friendship.

"What's wrong?" Bearpaw asked, suddenly changing his funny tone of voice into a serious one which was weird for the two brothers.

"Nothing. I'm good!"

"You sure?" Blackrock asked, suddenly his amber eyes on me. I just nodded.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Hightree for a Clan meeting!" Freedomstar's voice startled me. I quickly stood up, exitement now building inside of me taking all of my other feelings away. I knew exactly the reason why we had to be gathered around.

"C'mon Littlekit! Hiddenkit! It's your big day!" Vvinecloud meowed, hurryign us to go outside. Everyone was gathered around the Hightree. I sat down eagerly, moving my tail back and forth from excitement.

"Cats of MysteryClan! We are gathered here today to celebrate an apprentice ceremony." he meowed. He signaled Littlekit, Sweetkit, Muddykit, Kestrelkit and me to step forward.

"Littlekit, from this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Littlepaw. I ask SpiritClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior. Swiftstorm, you will be mentor to this apprentice. You are a true and trusted warrior, and I hope you will pass this knowledge to your new apprentice." the big gray tom and Littlekit, now Littlepaw, touched noses.

The ceremony went on with the other three kits getting their apprentices names; Sweetkit unexpectedly becoming the medicine cat's apprentice. Finally, it was my turn - the wait was over.

"Hiddenkit, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" he asked.

I hesitated for a moment, knwoign that from up in teh sky, my mother was lookign at me proudly. "I do." I answered.

"Then by the powers of SpiritClan, Hiddenkit, from this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Hiddenpaw. I ask SpiritClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior." He meowed, I felt so excited that nothing could describe what I was feeling. But his next words took me down.

"Wildpanther, you will be mentor to this apprentice. You are a true and trusted warrior, and I hope you will pass this knowledge to your new apprentice. Be sure to follow her every step of the way." Freedomstar meowed the last sentence a little lower, so only Wildpanther and I could hear. Wildpanther dipped his head in acknowledgement. Finally, Wildpanther neared me and we both touched noses.

"Hiddenpaw! Hiddenpaw! Hiddenpaw!" My clanmates cheered. I looked all around, pride inside of me. My sun-like eyes went through all my clanmates. From Vinecloud to Skylight. From Cindersky to Bearpaw and Wolfpaw. Their eyes shinning, and their cheers overherad from the crowd.

Chapter 3 - Apprentice - Hiddenpaw
"Are we going hunting? Patrol? Practising? What are we doing?" I asked Wildpanther as everyoen started going off to their own business aroudn camp. Wildpanther was heading out, so I figured we woudl be doing something exciting.

"Actually..." he meowed very slowly as he turned aroudn to face me. "I have a plan for you to do on your own." he finished.

"Oh! Is it exciting? What is it?" I asked really fast.

"Oh...It is very exciting and I really want you to do it properly." he meowed, and for a seconf I thought he was going to be a great mentor.

"Check the elders for ticks using mousebile and then, clean their nests."

"What!? But everybody else is going out! Visiting the territory and everything!" I insisted. He flicked his tail and I stopped. "Fine..." I meowed sadly, going to the medicine cat's den. "Lilacmoon?" I called the clan's medicine cat.

"Hello? Who is it?" I heard a voice, which clearly wasn't Lilacmoon's. A pale ginger tabby she-cat appeared. "Oh, it's you!" I loooked at Sweetpaw, and yet couldn't believe she had chosen the path of becoming a medicine cat apprentice.

"I just need some mousebile, Sweetpaw." I mewowed and she laughed.

"Searching the elders for ticks? Wowwww! Must be horrible to be you!" she meowed, still laughing.

"Are you going to give me mousebile or not??" I meowed and she gave me a dirty look. She grabbed the mousebile and passed it to me. I smelled the horrible foul smell. Eww...I padded out of the medicine cat den, through the camp and into the elders' den.

"Hello Hiddenpaw! What brings you here?" Orangemask asked and then looked at what I was carrying, now understanding. "Oh." I nodded. Well, here goes nothing.

''Finally! ''I padded out of camp. At least I had something to do...Some apprentices barely had anything to do and spend most of their time just lying down in camp. I looked around while I padded to the small pond. Newleaf was here. Flowers were bursting out of their leaves. Trees were green again. The forest was alive.

"What are you doing?" A voice scared me and I realized I had stopped padding. Bearpaw, was just lookign at me with question in his eyes. Lilacmoon had told me that I could only leave camp with someone else and not alone. Bearpaw had been the only one not busy and he already knew the whole camp.

"Sorry...Just thinking..." I meowed. He looked at me and then started laughing. "What?"

"There...There's a.." he meowed the words in between laughs. "There's ...a butter..butterfly on your nose!" I tried looking at my nose, and saw a pair of flapping colourful wings. I backed away, but the butterfly stayed there. I sat down and with my paws, shook off the butterfly. Suddenly I felt a sour taste in my mouth.

"Eww!!!" I meowed trying to make the taste go away, but I made it worse as my paws touched my mouth. I heard Bearpaw still laughing. "Urgh!!" I ran as fast as I could until I reached the small pond. I washed my paws as best as I could and then tried washing my mouth. The taste was soo sour! i heard Bearpaw's laugh behind me.

"This just keeps getting better and better!! You've just made my day!" he meowed still laughing.

"Hahaha! Glad you're enjoying my pain!" I meowed furious. He looked at me and stopped laughing.

"Sorry. You just...you should've seen yourself! Eww! I can't believe you actually tasted mousebile!" he teased and almost laughed again.

"Thanks to you!" The taste wouldn't go away. I felt so stupid! Mousebrianed butterfly! Mousebrianed Bearpaw. I sighted. So far, this day couldn't get worse.

"I'll make it up to you." he meowed.

"Really? How do you plan on doing that?" I asked him, surprised and yet sure he couldn't and wouldn't make it up to me. Unless, of course he made the taste magically disappear.

"Yeah. Sure. I'll show you around the territory. I heard you haven't seen it yet." he meowed. What?

"What?"

"C'mon. You have no idea what lies hidden. You'll never guess! C'mon. what are you scared?" he teased.

"No! But Wildpanther would get soo mad!" he looked at me.

"Scaredy cat!! Hiddenpaw is a scaredy cat!!" he teased and started bouncing around me.

"Fine! I'll go! Just stop it!" I meowed. He smiled and flicked his tail for me to follow him.

"Our territory is the best!" Bearpaw meowed as he padded faster. I was a bit annoyed by his change of paste. It went frm fast to slow, from slow to fast. I tried to hurry up the paste sometimes, worried that Wildpanther would get suspicious or mad that I was taking so long! So far, he had shown me most of the terriotry. I had seen the Apprentice Hill, the Aqua Pond and the deep part of the forest called Green Woods. Everything had been great and I was learning a lot.

"Yeah!" I agreed with him. The territory was big and it made me appreciate MysteryClan more. I learned more about their ways and traditions; like their full moon hunt. Each night after the gathering, they go on a hunt under the moonlight.

Now I could feel the breeze growing stornger and cooler. It felt good against my short pelt, especially now that new-leaf was here. I looked yp at teh sky, the sun shining hard above.

"Where are we going?" I asked him. We had been looking around all since sunhigh and the sun was going to set any time soon. Wildpanther was going to kill me!

"I saved the best for last!" he simply meowed. I could now see a dim light through the thick trees infront of us. I coudl heard a sound growing louder of some kind of water. Crashing and flowing. I also heard some huge splashes. Water? I asked myself. I hurried, getting past Bearpaw.

Finally the light blinded me as I left the pine trees behind me. I couldn't believe my eyes. Infrotn of me was a huge body of water. Bigger than anything I had ever seen. It was so big that no land could be seen on the other side. Waves of all sizes were crashing on the land. The small breeze wa scausing them.

I padded down from the small hill where I was standing. Now the ground was soft and warm. I looked down at where my front paws were.

"It's sand. This is called a beach and that's an ocean or sea." Bearpaw meowed coming from behing me. I kept my eyes focusing on the ocean and the beach. A little far away, huge black and white fishes were swimming and jumping on the water. They were the biggets fish I had ever seen.

"They're whales. Huge fish." he meowed. All I did was nod, and I shut my mouth realizing it had been opened from my gasp this whole time.

Everything about this place was amazing and beautiful. It was strong with it's huge crashing waves, and yet peaceul with teh sun set and the flying birds. The breeze in your fur and the sun in your face. It was the perfect combination. The sun's refelction on the ocean. With my paws relaxing on the soft sand, I closed my eyes. I listened to the sounds. Every sound already had a picture in my head. I had never felt to at peace and relaxed.

"You like it?" Bearpaw suddenly asked, looking at me face and I opened my eyes seeing for the first time how bright his piercing ice-blue eyes were.

"Yes. I never imagined such a place could exist." I meowed at him.

"Yeah, and it's only newleaf. Wait until greenleaf!! That's really hot in here, and some cats come here all the tiem to relax and get their paws wet and some come with their mates and kits. Some even swim!" he shuddered. "I hate swiming!"

I laughed. "Why?"

"I don't know. I guess it's just me..."

"I loev swimming. You're you is weird." I teased playfully pushing him to the side with my paw.

"Hurry! Hurry!" I meowed behind me. I was running as fast as my legs would let me. I had lost track of time and sunset had already passed. ''He's going to kill me! ''I thought. I hadn't even been out with my mentor once and I was already going to get into trouble!

I felt Bearpaw rigth behind me and I coudl tell he was getting very tired. We coudln't stop now. Not when we were so close to camp! Bearpaw had shown me exactly how the territory was, that I could find my own way back. The scents were now familiar.

Almost there!! I ran faster, now being able to see the entrance to camp. I came to a halt and padded quickly inside. I looked aroudn, trying no to breath so heavily that everyone could tell I had been running. Where was he? Wildpanther was nowhere to be seen.

"Hiddenpaw!" I jumped and turned around to see redfoot make his way towards me. "There you are!"'' Oh no!! He's going to get mad at me! he's going to ask where I was! And he's going to pusnih me and-''

"Could you tell Wildpanther that Freedomstar wants to see him when he comes back?" Sweetpaw's father asked me politely.

"W..whe..when he comes back?" I asked. From where?

"Didn't he go to explore camp with you?" he meowed. Ooh!

"Y...yes he did. He told me to go back, but as soon as he comes back I'll give him the message!" I lied. I just hope he didn't notice my absence!

Chapter 4 - It's back - Hiddenpaw
''I was running away from something, but my mind wouldn't tell me what it was. All knew is that I couldn't let anyone see that I was here or that I had heard anything. I had to run back to camp, hopefully nobody woudl notice me along the way. I had to get away from here. I ran faster with each step, but it wasn't enough. Behind me I could hear fast footsteps and I knew I was being followed. "I know you're there!" The voice from the cat following me meowed and I knew running had become useless. I stopped and turned around to face the cat.''

I woke up. Calm down...It's just a dream, I told myself.

"You okay Hiddenpaw?" I turned aroudn to see Kestrelpaw standing up and stretching. He was getting ready to go out training, I thought.

"Nothing. I'm good." I answered quickly. He looked at me with confusion in his eyes. We hadn't been talking a lot lately and our friendship was tearing apart. It hurted me, but I wasn't going to take the risk of getting close to him when I was just getting over him. Our friendship was just not meant to be.

I looked away and herad him getting out of the apprentices' den. I sighed. Most apprentices were out today. Only Wolfpaw was still sleeping. It wasn't fair. I was never going to become a warrior like this! Why did I have to get Wildpanther as my mentor?!

I stood up and padded outside. The sun was hidden between the clouds making it's light dim.

"Hey Hiddenpaw! How's being an apprentice going?" Vinecloud meowed to me. Her eyes showing care and I didn't want for her to worry about anything.

"Awesome! There's no words to explain how I feel!" I told her. Half of it was true, half wasn't. She didn't look very convinced but just nodded and wished me good look for training. Suddenly I saw a black tom with white paws leaving camp. He looked as if he was sneaking out. ''Wildpanther! He's not leaving me here this time!''

I followed him carefully, almost reachign the entrance. "Hiddenpaw! Where are you going?" Brindlefang asked me before I coudl get out. I saw Bearpaw, her apprentice, behind her.

"I'm going out with Wildpanther. He just left." I told her.

"Alright. Just making sure." she meowed, nodded and headed to the warrior's den Bbearpaw looked at me and gave me a look that said 'I-konw-what-you're-doing.' I ignored it and left.

I sniffed the air, searching for his scent. I suddenly found it and began the pursuit.

I followed him for a long while, wondering why he was going to MysteryClan's border to the Lost Territory.

"It's almost time." I heard a meow and came to a halt. "We just need to wait a little more."

I hid in a bush and suddenly saw two other cats talking to Wildpanther. What is he doing?

"Fine. We'll wait. But onyl for two more moons or less!" the whiet tom meowed.

"And the deal is still on right?" the huge cream one meowed. Wildpanther nodded.

"Cindersky will soon become a queen. Freedomstar will ahev no choice but to make me deputy. And the rest is your job." Wildpanther meowed.

I remained hidden. ''What was he planning? Becoming deputy?'' And then what- No! I couldn't bring myself to believe it. The rest was their job. What were they going to do. Was he trying to get Freedomstar killed? Did he want to be leader.

I had to tell Freedomstar. I slowly backed away from eth bush and started running as fast as I could back to camp. I couldn't let him do that without warning Freedomstar. I couldnt' let them hear me or know that I had been there, listening to their conversation. I coudl feel my legs burning form running. I was running my fastest, but soon realized it wasn't fast enough.

Behind me, I could hear pawsteps approaching really fast behind me. Oh no! 

"I know you're there!" a loud voice meowed behind me and I knew it was useless to keep running. Why coudlnt' I run faster? No! The dream!!

"What are you doing here?" Wildpanther asked as he padded infront of me.

"Oh hey Wildpanther! I was just looking for you...I mean I wanted to get some training and yeah." I meowed quickly trying to cover up.

"Yeah and hedgehogs can fly! I'm not mousebrained and I couldn't not only hear you but smell you! You little liar!" he meowed, now fury in hsi voice. I remained silent. "You better keep this and not open that big mouth of yours. You wouln't want Vinecloud or even Skylight hurt wouldn't you?" No!

"No! You wouldn't!"

"Care on trying? Just watch me!" he meowed and I scarely nodded.

"Alright. Now let's go back to camp. We were exploring the territory right?" he meowed to me and I nodded again. Right.

Chapter 5 - Lying - Hiddenpaw
I couldn't wait to get back to camp. Just being withy my mentor was a nightmare. He was tryign to kill Freedomstar! How could he? Why would he? Wasn't he one of the most trusted warriors in the clan? What would power do to him? Why did he need it? All the questions swirled through my mind that I didn't noticed that Wildpanther was looking at me.

"I know exactly what you're thinking about. And you better stop!" His voice made me jump and I didn't dare to look at him. It was like he could read minds. He had known I was psyign on him and now he knew what I was thinking.

"Wildpanther? There you are! And I see your apprentice found you!" Redfoot smiled at me. "Freedomstar want to see you right now in his den." Wildpanther nodded and padded to the leader's giving me one last harsh look.

I gulped and padded to the apprentices den. This day sure had been something! "Hey Hiddenpaw!" I looked up to whoever was calling me and ended up starring at a gray tom with brown paws and blue eyes that were starring at me. Kestrelpaw!

"Oh. Hi. I was just going to get some sleep." I meowed really fast. Talking to Kestrelpaw wasn't really the best thing ever. It was talking to the tom who broke my heart. And I hated him for it. I tried my best to avoid him so it could make the pain stop, but he would always find a way to find me.

"Sure! There's an empty nest beside mine, want to use it?" My heart stopped for a second and I coudl hear the friendlyness in his voice. But I couldn't accept. He had hurted me really badly, even if he didn't know it. And accepting this was a risk I didn't want to make. Not again. I was sure that I would certainly fall for him if I started hanging out with him again and this time it would hurt me way more than before.

"Sorry. I'm going to sleep in the nest beside Bearpaw and Wolfpaw." I meowed and padded deeper into the den to the empty nest beside them not giving him enough time to answer me. Like always, those two brother were still awake and whispering to each other''. Did they ever sleep? ''"Hey!" my meowed surprised them. "Could I use that empty nest?" I told them, looking at it.

"Sure thing Hiddenpaw! You don't even have to ask." Bearpaw meowed and I smiled gratefuly at them. I lied on the next infornt of them, fixing some of the moss and makign it more confortable. "Did you get in trouble?"

Bearpaw's question surprised me. For a second I thought he knew about me spying Wildpanther but then I realized he meant about us two sneaking off to explore the territory. "No." I woudl have rathered gotten into trouble for sneaking off without my mentor than to learn what I learned today about him.

"Trouble? What trouble?" Wolfpaw asked curiously.

"I gave Hiddenpaw a tour of the territory so i could make it up for her." Bearpaw explained and then started silently laughing and I knew he was remembering the memory of me and the butterfly and then the mousebile.

"Make it up to her? What for?"

"You should've been th-" Bearpaw started, but I cut him off before he could start spreading my embarasing story.

"Nothing interesting." I spoke quickly. It looked like Wolfpaw wasn't convinced but he kept quiet and turn around on his back, and now he was facing the ceiling. I sloly moved near Bearpaw so Wolfpaw wouldn't see and whispered to him. "Don't ever speak of what happened today, okay?"

"Fine...But at least I'll remember it." he said, still laughing a bit.

I woke up early for some reason. I looked around, it seemed that every apprentice was sleeping. I looked over at Wolfpaw and Bearpaw, both of them snoring. I giggled a bit and then stood up stretching. I looked at the entrance and saw the sun rising. It was so beautiful and yet so bright.

"Hey! You up early!" I turned around to see a tortoiseshell she-cat padding towards me with tired eyes.

"Hey Shimmerpaw! Too early for you?"

"Kind of. Dind't get much sleep yesterday night." she said yawning. "Guess you're a morning cat, huh?"

"Kind of. Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Depends on I don't what." I smiled and sat on the entrance enjoying the warmth of the sun. She just nodded.

"So, how's being an apprentice so far?"

"Good, I guess. It's not like Wildpanther is much of a mentor."

"Oh. I thought he would be a great mentor. I heard you're his first apprentice. He's an awesome warrior and very loyal and trusted. I know he has bad temper but that's just him. I owe him my life. He save me from a fox attack, you know?"

Her words surprised me. She saw so much in him, just like everyone else. He was a role model.

"Yeah, well he's not the best. I haven't learned anythign yet..." I sighted.

"Aww...Poor you...Oh well, at least we know who's going to be the better warrior, don't we? the cat who doesn't complain all teh time and lives up to her life not all sad and stuff." Great! I knew exactly who's voice that was and it only meant one thing. Bad.

"Hey Littlepaw. Good to see you too. How was your morning? Mine was good thanks for asking...or even saying hi or whoever you say it these days." I meowed to her, trying not to get my anger out.

"Like you deserve a hi? Please. C'mon girls. Let's get somethgint to eat." She flicked her tail in signal for Muddypaw and Sweetpaw to follow. "Oh, Shimmerpaw, why don't you join us? I'm suer you're pretty hungry. I hear Starseeker will get here soon to take you out hunting. Ler's go."

I looked over to Shimmerpaw who gave me a smile, mouthign the words 'sorry' and then padding outside. Nobody can say no to Littlepaw now, could they? I looked down, not wanting to join that group of cats in the clearing.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Hightree for a Clan meeting!" Freedomstar's call startled me. I looked over to where he was standing and quickly padded into the clearing. "Cats of MysteryClan!! Most of you know about the very joyous news of our deputy, Cindersky, is expecting Nettletangle's kits." his gaze went to Cindersky who was sitting beside him and Wildpanther. "Cindersky will have to move to the nursery and I will have to find a replacement for her until she's ready to take her place as deputy again." he waited a few seconds before continuing.

Oh no! I knew exactly where this was going. It was what Wildpanther had been talking about. Cindersky will become a queen. He knew he was going to be made deputy! That's why he was sitting next to Cindersky. I looked over to him. He was looking normal. No expression on his face, but I knew he was all happy and proud. I looke dinto his eyes. They were burning amber.

"Cindersky and I have discussed it, and the new deputy of MysteryClan is...Wildpanther!"

The End ッ

Check out the second volume of Hidden Spirit Series : Secret To Keep.