Fragile Dreams

Cinderkit yawned and stretched her legs as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes. She glanced up to meet her mother's gaze, whose concern shone clear in her eyes.

"Good morning!" She purred innocently. Her mother still stared and she knew something had happened. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Sorreltail asked. Cinderkit shook her head.

"No, why?"

"You were kicking at my sides and mewling in your sleep. You would tell me if-"

"Of course I would, Mom. I'm fine. Where's Jaykit?" She demanded.

"Outside with the others. Squirrelflight is out there, but make sure you don't get under any cat's paws"

"Okay!" She chirped, relieved that Sorreltail didn't press the subject any longer. She didn't like lying to her mother.

The grey she-kit pranced outside the nursery to find her best friend watching their brothers' play-fight. The orange tabby was clearly winning, although he was having a hard time dodging her brother's clumsy bulk. This was a daily thing and she didn't know why she expected anything different. Lionkit and Molekit always tried to outdo each other.

A large brown tabby with ice-blue eyes watched the mock-fight from the young she-kit's side.

"That kit could go far with the right training." He meowed in reference to Lionkit.

"Molekit too!" She mumbled softly in defense of her brother.

"Don't talk!" He hissed. "The others can't see me, remember? Only you and the blind kit."

"Jaykit." Cinderkit meowed softly.

"Don't talk!" The tabby hissed, causing Cinderkit to flatten her ears.

But it's his name!

"Yeah, sure… Jaykit. I say keep those two close to you. They have skills that can help you one day."

Okay.

"Jaykit!" She called out to the silent grey cat. The blind tom twitched his ears toward the sound of her voice and scented the air. He got to his paws, checking the air again before padding over to her without bothering to open his eyes. It wouldn't have made any difference.

"What?" He muttered.

"Hi." She purred.

"Is that all you wanted to say?"

"Hawkfrost says hi too." She murmured.

"Did he say anything else?"

"He wants me to stick with you and Lionkit."

"Lionkit might be able to help us keep the Dark Forest cats away… if he doesn't believe them."

"He's too good for that."

"For now."

"Spar with me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"You're going to be a warrior, remember? Warriors have to know how to fight."

"He can't be a warrior!" Molekit sneered, bounding over from his match with Lionkit.

"Yes he can! He can do whatever he wants!" Cinderkit huffed.

"He's blind, mousebrain. How is he going to catch prey or know who to fight if he trips over his own paws and can't see his prey?"

"I'm blind, Molekit, not deaf. I can hear and feel everything from your mother's breathing in the nursery to Brambleclaw giving out patrols."

"Yeah, sure. The prey will probably smell you coming a mile away and you'll be sloppy. Better start reciting those nasty herbs now, because you'll never be a warrior."

Lionkit snarled and unsheathed his claws. Molekit barely had enough time to move before Cinderkit barreled into her brother. She dug her unsheathed claws into his shoulders.

"Take it back!" She and Lionkit chorused. Jaykit rolled his eyes. He could fight his own battles.

Lionkit crouched beside Molekit and hissed in his ears.

"I said, take it back." He growled.

Molekit unsheathed his back claws and pushed up, yanking grey fur off of the she-cat's belly. Cinderkit cried out and landed beside him in a small grey heap. Molekit got to his paws, only to find Jaykit in his face.

"Move, you worthless piece of fox-dung!" He spat.

"You and Lionkit will take her to the medicine den. Now." Jaykit snarled.

"I don't listen to stupid blind kits that let she-cats fight for them." Molekit sneered.

"Then maybe you'll listen to the leader, who is very capable of delaying your apprentice ceremony." A bright orange tom with jade-green eyes stormed over to the nursery, flanked by his daughters. Squirrelflight, recognizing that this was beyond her control, got Firestar to intervene and Leafpool to check on Cinderkit. Molekit was stubborn and she didn't want to disturb Sorreltail from her well-deserved nap, so she got the next best cats.

"A real warrior can fight his own battles." The brown tom snorted.

"A real warrior doesn't attack his own Clanmates!"

"You-"

"Jaykit is right, Molekit. Warriors don't attack each other unless we have a reason. You know this and the fact that you went on anyway…. I am very disappointed in you." Brackenfur growled.

"He made Cinderkit attack me!"

"Cinderkit made her own choice. You don't throw her above our heads just because she pinned you down. She could die from that, foxbrain!"

"She's not going to die, Jaykit." Leafpool told him. She just has some aches and a few bruises. She'll be okay as long as you're not rough with her."

"Thank you, Leafpool"

"What do you say," Brackenfur prodded his son away from the blind kit.

"Thank you, Leafpool." Molekit scowled.

"Can I talk to you?" Jaykit asked. The tabby medicine cat nodded and flicked her tail. Jaykit followed her into her den, where Cinderkit was sleeping. Jaykit curled up beside her and stared at the light brown she-cat.

"Make sure you don't wake her."

"I won't." He assured her.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Is there any way I could become a warrior?"

Leafpool seemed thoughtful, pausing before she responded.

"Cinderkit was right. You can do whatever you want to."

"That doesn't answer my question. Molekit was right too."

"There was a warrior in our Clan called Stormwhisker. He looked a lot like you, now that I think about it."

"Was he blind?"

"Yes, but you wouldn't know it. He walked around just like every other cat, brought in prey, could fight if he needed to. He preferred hunting and helping his Clanmates to fighting, though, and Firestar told me that he would've become a medicine cat if Cinderpelt hadn't protested it."

"Why didn't she let him?"

"When I asked she said that he had to become a warrior. I think she didn't want a cat to be forced like she was because of her leg, but he went on to become the greatest warrior in the forest. He's the reason we have peace with ShadowClan."

"Why? What happened?" Cinderkit wondered, blinking sleep from her eyes.

"You should close your eyes if your head still hurts. You can still listen." Leafpool assured her patient.

"What did he do?"

"He died on the Great Journey because a ShadowClan apprentice fell over the edge and Stormwhisker was fast enough to rescue him."

"But he couldn't get back up, could he?"

"No, he couldn't. He tried his hardest but the cliff was too steep and the rocks were too loose. He was just out of reach of Blackstar's paw when he fell."

"That's so sad…" Cinderkit murmured. "How did Cinderpelt take it?"

"Why?"

"You said he almost became a medicine cat, so he must've spent a lot of time with her, even if he was a warrior. She would've been sad."

"She didn't speak to anyone for a while, except for me but that was only to care for the Clan. She would snap at any cat who talked badly about him and she hated Firestar for the longest time."

"What did Firestar do?" Jaykit wondered.

"He kept her from helping Stormwhisker. Not that she could've done much good. At least she was the last thing he saw."

"That's sad… but they're together now right?" Cinderkit chirped.

"What?" Leafpool looked shocked. Jaykit laughed softly.

"Mousebrain." He snorted. "They weren't mates."

"Because they couldn't be, not because they didn't love each other." She yawned. Jaykit rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure. They were in love. Now go back to sleep."

"Leafpool," She mumbled.

"Yes?"

"Can Jaykit stay?"

"If he wants to and you don't move then sure. I have to go check on my herb stock but if anything happens then tell someone and I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Okay. Thank you."

Leafpool padded out of the den and quickly found Brambleclaw. The large deputy was focused solely on Squirrelflight before his mate's sister blocked his path.

"Can you watch Jaykit and Cinderkit? I wanted to restock my herbs so I'd have enough and-"

"Sure, Leafpool. You don't have to explain to me."

Brambleclaw padded over to his mate and quickly explained where he would be and the couple padded to the medicine den. Leafpool sighed in relief. They could handle it if anything came up.