Welcome to Rising Dawn! This was the second major story that I dared to put onto , but it's the only that I've managed to finish. Keep in mind as you read that most of the chapters are largely unedited and that I'm in the process of going through each chapter. If you see any mistake while browsing through, feel free to review or PM me. It'll help when I'm scrolling through all of the documents I have. However, I hope you enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I certainly do not own Warriors or any of its characters, but I do own those you don't recognize here ;)

Allegiances

ThunderClan

Leader Firestar-ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt

Apprentice Redpaw

Deputy Brambleclaw-dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice Berrypaw

Medicine Cat Leafpool-light brown tabby she-cat

Warriors

Dustpelt-dark brown tabby tom

Apprentice Hazelpaw

Sandstorm-pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice Honeypaw

Cloudtail-long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Apprentice Cinderpaw

Brackenfur-golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice Birdpaw

Sorreltail-tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice Dawnpaw

Squirrelflight-dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Thornclaw-golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice Poppypaw

Ashfur-pale gray tom with darker flecks and blue eyes

Spiderleg-long-limbed black tom with a brown underbelly

Apprentice Mousepaw

Brook Where Small Fish Swim (Brook)-brown tabby she-cat

Stormfur-gray tom with amber eyes

Apprentice Bravepaw

Whitewing-white she-cat with green eyes

Birchfall-light brown tabby tom

Apprentices

Berrypaw-cream-colored tom

Hazelpaw-small gray and white she-cat

Mousepaw-gray and white tom

Poppypaw-tortoiseshell she-cat

Honeypaw-light brown tabby she-cat

Cinderpaw-gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Dawnpaw-golden tabby she-cat with green eyes

Redpaw-dark ginger tom with amber eyes

Birdpaw-tortoiseshell she-cat with a white underbelly, chest, and muzzle

Bravepaw-brown tabby tom with green eyes

Queens

Ferncloud-pale gray she-cat with darker flecks and blue eyes; mother of Dustpelt's kit (Robinkit)

Brightheart-ginger and white she-cat; expecting Cloudtail's kits

Daisy-long-furred cream she-cat

Elders

Mousefur-dusky brown she-cat

Longtail-pale tabby tom with black stripes

ShadowClan

Leader Blackstar-large white tom with jet black paws

Deputy Russetfur-dark ginger she-cat

Medicine Cat Littlecloud-very small tabby tom

Warriors

Oakfur-small brown tom

Rowanclaw-ginger tom

Apprentice Ivypaw

Smokefoot-black tom

Apprentice Owlpaw

Snowbird-pure white she-cat

Queens

Tawnypelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Elders

Cedarheart-dark gray tom

Tallpoppy-long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

WindClan

Leader Onestar-brown tabby tom

Deputy Ashfoot-gray she-cat

Medicine Cat Barkface-short-tailed brown tom

Apprentice Kestrelpaw

Warriors

Tornear-tabby tom

Apprentice Harepaw

Crowfeather-dark gray tom

Apprentice Heatherpaw

Owlwhisker-light brown tabby tom

Whitetail-small white she-cat

Nightcloud-black she-cat

Weaslefur-ginger tom with white paws

Elders

Morningflower-very old tortoiseshell queen

Webfoot-dark gray tabby tom

RiverClan

Leader Leopardstar-unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

Deputy Mistyfoot-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice Dapplepaw

Medicine Cat Mothwing-dapple golden she-cat

Apprentice Willowpaw

Warriors

Blackclaw-smoky black tom

Voletooth-small brown tabby tom

Apprentice Minnowpaw

Reedwhisker-black tom

Apprentice Pouncepaw

Mosspelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice Pebblepaw

Beechfur-light brown tom

Rippletail-dark gray tabby tom

Queens

Dawnflower-pale gray tabby tom

Elders

Swallowtail-dark tabby she-cat

Stonestream-gray tom

Prologue

Morning light filtered through the thorny branches that were wound together to form the den that the ThunderClan cats called their nursery. Inside, Squirrelflight blinked open her bright green eyes and yawned widely, stretching her stiff legs out in the nest of moss and thrush feathers. Pulling herself slowly into a sitting position, she lapped at her ginger chest fur with vigorous licks of her tongue.

The entrance to the den rustled slightly and Squirrelflight looked up frozen in mid-lick. As her tongue retreated back into her mouth and she straightened in the nest, a tabby warrior pushed inside with a plump sparrow clamped tightly in his jaws. Squirrelflight purred a greeting to her mate and Brambleclaw set the bird onto the ground before he rubbed his muzzle along her cheek.

"Good morning, Brambleclaw," a tortoiseshell she-cat meowed, nestled in her nest with her tail wrapped around her sleeping three she-kits. Nodding to the sparrow she asked, "Is the prey still running? I haven't been out of the camp for a while."

Squirrelflight sniffed the prey and she hungrily started to eat. Brambleclaw shook his head and with a flick of his tail he replied, "Not exactly. This is the first decent catch I've had in a while. It looks like the snow is about to fall soon."

"Then it will have to wait," Ferncloud yawned, lifting her head wearily off her paws. "Squirrelflight's kits will be born any day now and we wouldn't want the little mites catching the sniffles so early on."

Squirrelflight's looked up from the bird and her ears twitched. She leaned down to nuzzle her round belly affectionately with her nose, sweeping her tail around her paws. Brambleclaw licked her ear, but his eyes contained a bittersweet gleam. The thought of his kits being born into ThunderClan at any moment joyed him endlessly, but when he imagined the small bundles of fur catching greencough before having the chance to hunt or feel the adrenaline of racing into battle broke his heart.

"They'll be fine," Sorreltail assured with a tender gaze set on the troubled expectant mother. "Especially with both a mother and father so strong, no doubt they'll inherit Firestar's courage as well as his talent for attracting mischief and the strength Goldenflower must have had to raise her kits without a father to lend a paw."

Brambleclaw blinked at her, hardly surprised that she dodged the subject of Tigerstar and instead deposited praise in Goldenflower's memory. However, the tortoiseshell queen was correct. Brambleclaw knew of Firestar's—as well as the whole Clan's—suspicion in him as a young cat and Tawnypelt, too. Only Goldenflower had been there for him and Tawnypelt. She had put her entire faith into her kits and despite Tigerstar's infamous betrayal, she loved them unconditionally.

A sharp intake of breath from Squirrelflight brought him from his reverie and Brambleclaw turned his head sharply toward her with wide amber eyes. "What is it?" he demanded worriedly. "Is it the kits? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Squirrelflight silenced him with a blow to his ears with her tail. Ferncloud had risen to her paws when her denmate had gasped and Sorreltail had pricked her ears interestedly. "It was only a kick."

But just as the words had left her mouth, Squirrelflight flinched and she groaned softly at the spasm of pain. Brambleclaw turned his head to Ferncloud and the experienced she-cat leaped from her nest and raced out of the den. She called back over her shoulder as she hurried into the clearing, "I'll get Leafpool!"

Sorreltail rose from her nest and moved slowly so she didn't wake her kits. Padding to Squirrelflight's side, she nosed Brambleclaw away and helped the ginger she-cat to lie in her own nest, stretched out with her belly as prominent as ever. Her chest heaved as her breathing quickly escalated and she gritted her teeth tightly as a contraction rippled through her.

"I'm here!" Leafpool exclaimed, although slightly muffled by the herbs she carried in her mouth. She skidded to a stop as she pelted into the den with Ferncloud right behind her. Sorreltail backed away to the wall of the den, nudging her daughters awake. Ferncloud led Brambleclaw from the nursery, despite his insistent mew that he was staying. Grumbling, Sorreltail's kits stirred and were ushered into the clearing to leave room for the medicine cat to do her work.

"It'll go quickly," Leafpool mewed to both Squirrelflight and Sorreltail, who had returned and was seated beside the light brown tabby medicine cat. Squirrelflight twitched her ears to show that she had heard and gritted her teeth, screwing her eyes shut at the intense pain as her belly rippled. When it had passed just as quickly as it had come, Squirrelflight panted heavily. "When?" she gasped.

Leafpool didn't reply at first. She placed one her white forepaws against her sister's bulging belly, ignoring as Squirrelflight growled threateningly at her. After a few heartbeats, Leafpool pulled her paw away. "Soon. Be ready for when I tell you." She turned to Ferncloud behind her. "Can you fetch some water for her, please? There is fresh moss in my den you can use."

With a nod, the pale gray queen left the den. Sorreltail swept her tail across Squirrelflight's flank soothingly as she wailed pitifully at the pain of another contraction. Leafpool crouched beside her sister and Sorreltail moved away to give her room.

"Oh StarClan—" Squirrelflight was cut off and she moaned miserably.

"It might be best if you didn't speak at the moment, save your strength for when you will need it the most," Leafpool told her calmly. Squirrelflight shot her sister a reproachful glare but said nothing more, seeing as she was too preoccupied with her rapid breathing.

Ferncloud padded back into the den with wad of soaking moss hanging from her mouth. She set the moss beside Squirrelflight, and the kitting queen licked up and swallowed the water provided eagerly. Leaning back against the feathers and moss of her nest, she barely had enough time to rest before Leafpool announced that it was time for her to begin pushing. Squirrelflight tensed and her claws scrabbled at the ground in front of her, raking up the dirt.

With a gasp from Squirrelflight, a small and wet bundle plopped into the nest. Leafpool leaned forward and nipped the sack with her sharp teeth. Dragging the kit closer to her, she lapped gently at its damp pelt with the small body wriggling under her vigorous tongue. As Leafpool placed the kit at its mother's belly she murmured softly, "A she-kit."

Squirrelflight craned her neck to see her daughter and she opened her mouth to say something, but her jaw snapped shut and she hissed, closing her eyes tightly. Sorreltail and Ferncloud both crept forward for a closer look at the new arrival, the she-cats' ears pricked with a soft expression in their eyes.

"A tom this time!" Leafpool meowed a few heartbeats later and she set the male kit next to his sister, leaving him to suckle alongside his sibling while the medicine cat prepared for the next kit.

With a strangled cry from the strained ginger queen, the third kit was born. The first thing Leafpool realized that the kit wasn't breathing, the usual rise and fall of the chest nonexistent. The light brown tabby nudged it with her nose and lapped at it fiercely with her tongue, but it remained still as a stone. Squirrelflight leaned forward, curious as to why the kit wasn't crying, and her gaze clouded with sorrow at the sight of her kit.

"He's dead, Squirrelflight. I'm so sorry," Leafpool whispered, her voice laced with a sadness that was echoed in her dull amber eyes. Setting the kit's body aside, Leafpool pulled the fourth and last kit to her. Freeing the kit, it squirmed almost immediately, bringing a sigh of relief from both the birthing queen and her sister. "Another she-kit," Leafpool murmured and the kit's mewls were silenced as she began to feed.

"I'll tell Brambleclaw," Sorreltail murmured.

With a flick of her tail, the tortoiseshell she-cat left the den. Squirrelflight, exhausted, rested her head on her paws and nestled her bushy tail around her kits. Blinking her eyes open and closed, she felt the weariness dragging at her consciousness, lulling her gently to sleep. But she willed herself to stay awake, just until Brambleclaw came inside to receive both the good and the bad news. Her throat suddenly seemed clogged as she thought of the kit that never had the experience of taking his first breath. Squirrelflight's gaze swiveled to the limp bundle of brown tabby fur and a silent wail escaped her.

The nursery walls trembled and Brambleclaw burst inside, his amber eyes wide as they found Squirrelflight curled around three kits. With a softened gaze, the ThunderClan deputy crept forward hesitantly and he peered into the nest. The quiet mewls and squeaks of the newborn kits brought a delighted glimmer to Brambleclaw's eyes and he purred, washing his mate's face with licks.

Leafpool slipped by him and left the den with a glance back over her shoulder, leaving the herbs behind her with Squirrelflight. The other cats missed the longing in her gaze as she looked at her sister and her mate, and their kits. She had chosen to come back after leaving the Clans with Crowfeather and she had never regretted it, but the thought of what could have been and the kits she and the WindClan warrior could have had made her wish that she had stayed with him. Shaking herself lightly, Leafpool turned away and she continued into the clearing where the rest of ThunderClan was surely to be waiting. Sorreltail followed after her, likely going to find her rambunctious kits.

"They're beautiful," Brambleclaw murmured, his unusually warm amber gaze captured by the three kits at Squirrelflight's belly. He leaned down and touched each of their heads with his nose. Suddenly, a puzzled crossed his face. "Sorreltail said that there were four."

Squirrelflight resisted the urge to wail her loss to StarClan and she unwound her tail from her kits and gestured to the small lump of fur lying pitifully still on the ground. Brambleclaw's excitement was marred and his eyes widened sorrowfully as he gazed at the kit. He stepped forward warily and nosed it, as if expecting the kit to respond.

With a gasp, the kit shuddered and Brambleclaw pulled away in surprise immediately. Ferncloud leaped to her paws. She raced from the den, all the while calling out for Leafpool. Squirrelflight's breaths came in short bursts as she watched the kit stumble blindly. "He was dead," she whispered with wide, shocked eyes.

The kit gave a high-pitched cry and Brambleclaw blinked, his initial shock starting to fade. He sniffed the kit, recoiling as a tiny paw struck his nose. Squirrelflight managed a twitch of her whiskers and she touched Brambleclaw's tail with hers, gaining his attention. "He's hungry," she mewed softly and Brambleclaw nodded, grasping the kit's scruff with his teeth. He dropped him softly at Squirrelflight's belly and the kit burrowed into the fur there, pressing his paws into her as he suckled.

"I think he's fine," Squirrelflight purred and she rasped her tongue over her son.

"What happened?" Leafpool asked as she reentered the nursery. Approaching her sister's nest, she gazed inside and her eyes widened considerably as she spotted the supposedly dead kit. "I don't understand," she murmured, confused. "The kit was dead when I left, I'm sure of it."

Brambleclaw shrugged as he entwined his tail with Squirrelflight's. "I think StarClan had other plans."

"You think StarClan had something to do with this? Bringing the kit back to life?" Leafpool asked, incredulous. She examined the kit quickly with the watchful parents watching over her. When she sat up, she seemed more confused than ever. "He's perfectly fine. Maybe you're right, Brambleclaw." Straightening, Leafpool made to leave. "Make sure you eat those herbs, Squirrelflight," she meowed over her shoulder as she left.

Brambleclaw shifted so that he was sitting near Squirrelflight's head. Giving his mate a swift lick to her ear, he meowed, "What should we name them?"

Squirrelflight was quiet at first. She stared down at each of them, looking over their various pelt colors and their features. The she-kits both had fluffy fur, just like Squirrelflight when she had been a kit. The first had golden fur with tabby stripes. The other was a tortoiseshell with a white muzzle, chest, and belly. "I like Dawnkit for the golden tabby she-kit. Her fur reminds of the sun at dawn. The tortoiseshell and white can be Birdkit."

The tip of Brambleclaw's tail quivered and he lowered his head, pressing his muzzle against her shoulder. "I like them," he meowed. Shifting his gaze to his sons, he turned his head to the side as he studied them. The broad shoulders of one, the dark ginger, were just like Brambleclaw's. The dark ginger tom was the biggest of the kits, while the smallest was the other tom, a brown tabby with a lithe build. "The dark ginger tom can be Redkit, and the brown tabby will be Bravekit, for showing that he won't ever give up, even in StarClan's paws."

"Perfect," Squirrelflight breathed. Sweeping her tail over each of them, she yawned and her eyelids drooped tiredly. Brambleclaw stroked his tail across his mate's flank and he licked her ear. "Go to sleep," he murmured softly, barely loud enough for her to hear and comprehend. "The kits will be here when you wake up and so will I."

Squirrelflight tucked her tail once again around her kits and she laid her head on the moss of her nest. Her eyes closed slowly and it was several heartbeats before her breathing deepened and slowed. Brambleclaw watched her for a few moments before looked at his kits again. Only Bravekit was still feeding while the other three had curled up together, resting against their mother's soft belly fur that provided a source of warmth that the chilly air outside denied them.

Brambleclaw looked up as Sandstorm entered the den, her pale ginger fur and green eyes shining. She dipped her head to the deputy before going to the edge of her daughter's nest, locking her gaze on the kits. A purr rumbled in her throat and she looked up at Brambleclaw. "They're all charming," she meowed. With an amused twitch of her whiskers she went on, "The little golden kit is so pretty, she looks to be as bright as the sun."

"Dawnkit," Brambleclaw told her, his eyes shining with newfound pride. He explained every name to Sandstorm and the pale ginger she-cat praised each one, especially Bravekit as they watched him curl up beside the fluffy Dawnkit.

"I'll leave you alone, then. Congratulations, Brambleclaw, and tell Squirrelflight that I visited," Sandstorm meowed and she waved her tail in farewell before sliding through the nursery entrance. As she left, Brambleclaw sighed, content with his surroundings. His mind was still racing, but he had quieted the worries long ago.

He suddenly felt a new presence in the air around him, in the nursery. Looking around, his eyes narrowed warily as he spotted the faint outline of a large cat sitting in the corner of the den. Gleaming amber eyes stared back at Brambleclaw and the black tabby stripes on dark brown fur was just visible to him. Brambleclaw growled a warning. "You won't have my kits," he hissed as the fur along his spine rose threateningly.

Tigerstar blinked and then faded into the familiar wall of the nursery. Brambleclaw forced his fur to lie flat and he sheathed his claws. With one last glance in Tigerstar's direction, Brambleclaw turned his back on him, shifting himself so that he was leaning protectively over his sleeping kits and mate. A sudden worry washed through him and he gazed down at his sons and daughters, wondering silently whether his father would penetrate their dreams once they became old enough.

Vowing to protect his kits from Tigerstar, and possibly Hawkfrost, Brambleclaw lay down beside Squirrelflight's nest, tucking his paws under him. Giving each of his kits a lick on their heads, he closed his eyes and set his head onto his paws. With the day's events whirling in his mind, Brambleclaw fell slowly into unconsciousness.

Edited on 6/30/2016. Well, looking back at this after approximately four years is bittersweet. I still remember writing it, haha. I fixed several grammatical errors as well as added a little bit here in there. It wasn't much, but it was enough. I also moved the Allegiances here. For some reason, I put them with Chapter 1, which, by the way, is so wrong. Nevertheless, I changed it.