"Mama? Where are you going again?"
Flamekit rested his head on his paws, and let out a deep, long sigh. Redsong lowered her head, and her wet nose met her son's. "Well," the red she-cat stuttered. It wasn't so easy to explain what's a battle to a kit, especially when the kit is your own son. Moreover, Redsong didn't want to hurt her innocent kit. Flamekit sighed again, and his shoulders drooped. "You are going to leave, right?"
Redsong hesitated for awhile. Her heart ached when Flamekit looked up, and locked eyes with her. His eyes were of the brightest shade of blue, and in them were full of hopes. Redsong's ears flattened as she heaved in a deep breath of the morning breeze. The wind ruffled the two cats' pelt, as the sun rays gently touched their coats. Redsong flicked her tail dismissively, and tried to push her son into the nursery. "Come on, get into the nursery. Its time for you to take a nap."
Flamekit growled slightly, and muttered something under his breath. "What?" Redsong flicked her ears, and inched closer to her son. "Come on." She lowered her head and slowly picked up her son with her jaws. Flamekit wriggled, and struggled to escape the grasp of her mother, but it was no use; his mother is way stronger than him.
"Don't change the topic, Redsong!" Flamekit squeaked, his tail hitting his mother's chest. Redsong snorted and continued padding into the nursery, ignoring her son's protests. She prodded the nest with her left paw, and hooked a dried leaf out. The leaf dropped onto the floor without a slightest bit of sound.
"Flamekit!" Redsong dropped Flamekit into the nest. "Where's your manners?" The queen's face was twisted with anger. "Is that how you treat your mother?" Flamekit badly wanted to have the courage to face his mother and look into her eyes, to reason with his mother and discover what was going on around him. The tom kit jumped out of the nest, and batted the dried leaf on the floor. "Why?"
"Flamekit, be a good boy and stay inside the nursery, okay?" Redsong pleaded, looking back at Stonestar, who was on the Highrock with cats gathering under it.
"Cats of WindClan..." Stonestar was yowling what Redsong dreaded to hear- the announcement that they were going to battle ThunderClan. Redsong turned back and was slightly surprised to see her son bare his sharp, yellow teeth at her.
"I don't want that answer! Tell me the reason!" Flamekit's kit fur fluffed up, making him look twice as big. "The reason!"
Redsong searched for an answer in her head desperately. "Um... Flamekit, I need to go now, really." Redsong padded out of the nursery, and sent an apologetic glance at her son. Flamekit grunted, and looked away. He curled into a ball shape and closed his eyes. "Bye." Redsong mewed in a low voice, unsure if Flamekit heard it or not. It might be the last goodbye from me... Dear Flamekit. I wish I could stay by your side, always, but WindClan really need me now...
Redsong slowly lunged herself out of the warm den, and joined in the group of cats gathering under the rock. The cats were all starving so badly. Their once sleek fur was ruffled and rough, their ribs could be shown through the thin layer of skin. Despite their twisted faces, excitement could be seen dancing in their eyes. They are mad already...
"We will battle ThunderClan, now!" Stonestar announced, and was greeted with yowls of approval.
"Humph!" Flamekit snorted when he saw his mother and the battle group charged out of the camp, leaving behind an eerie silence.
"Flamekit?" Pinekit staggered forward. "Don't be sad, your mama will come back soon."
Flamekit just twitched his whiskers, silently thanking his dark brown den-mate for her comfort. For awhile, the flame-coloured tom thought Pinekit was still there, staring at him in a weird way she always had. Flamekit's left eyelid lifted a little, and he was surprised to see Pinekit not there. "Finally some peace..." He mumbled. Pinekit had been clinging to him like a burr ever since she was born. At first, Flamekit felt good to have a sidekick by your side, but later, he found Pinekit annoying.
"Flamekit?" A milky scent hit the tom and he lifted his head.
"Sootstorm," Flamekit greeted the pregnant queen respectfully, and wondered why the queen was there.
"I understand the feel of not having your mother by your side," Sootstorm paused, looking down at Flamekit with such sincerity that the tom found it hard not to listen to every word she say. "You need to understand..."
"Understand what?" Flamekit's fur spiked up.
"It's tension time, kit. Does that answer your question?"
Flamekit thought for awhile. "No, it doesn't," he looked up. "It just give my question a name. I can still us why it is tension time, can't I? Now, I beg you to tell me, what exactly is tension time, and why exactly is my mama always in the medicine den after going out?"
"Tension time is a time when two clans are at war, and everyone is nervous. We don't know what choice is right, and how many deaths it will lead to," Sootstorm explained, making herself comfortable in the moss nest. "And your mother is hurt after a battle, it's normal, dear."
"Well," Flamekit placed his let paw on the dried leaf. "Then why are we battling against another clan? Why can't we live in peace? You aren't giving me an answer, Sootstorm. You are just giving me more questions." His right paw rested on the dried leaf too, and the leaf was crushed.
That's right, I am starting a new fanfiction, and this one will be about a kit constantly wonders why his mother is always in the medicine cat's den and why wasn't her by his side. Like what the summary says, Flamekit will meet another clan cat from another clan, and as you can guess, it will be a forbidden love happening between the two. Special thanks to Silkbreeze-of-ThunderClan for letting me adopt this story plot. Don't forget to click the box below and type in some words!
Yours sincerely,
Stuffed Watermelon.
