me: Bloodstar, no one ever thought of how you became the treasonous murderer you are today. How does that make you feel?

Bloodstar: Murderous. (he looks to me and I back away slowly)

Please R&R!

Chapter 1

Bloodkit slit his eyes, gazing intently at the rising sun. His brother, Duskkit, was fast asleep with his mother in the nursery, and the other warriors were just starting to stir in their nests.

The milky light of the dawn warmed his brown tabby fur, and he closed his eyes in contentment. For a moment, the world was at peace, and only the slightest breeze stirred the reeds beneath his feet.

A slight rustle behind him made Bloodkit's eyes snap back open, and he heaved a great sigh as Leopardpaw exited the medicine den.

"Hey, Bloodkit. How's that bellyache of yours? Feeling better?" Leopardpaw asked in her sweetest voice, and Bloodkit rolled his eyes. Leopardpaw always treated him as if he were a newborn kit.

He turned toward her a forced a kind, "I'm fine now, thanks." and padded away before she could say another word.

Skullpaw and Juniperpaw were just emerging from the apprentices' den, bouncing and skipping toward the warriors' den to fetch their mentors.

"Come on, the dawn patrol's about to leave," Skullpaw urged, and Reedclaw and Bluefrost sleepily staggered out into the clearing. Bloodkit felt something flutter inside him, which he only knew as envy.

How come I can't be apprenticed yet? I have more sense than they do. Yet Bloodkit knew that it was only part of the warrior code.

Now, the camp was fully awakening, the patrols of the day being organized by Waterstorm and Hailstar.

"Bloodkit? Where are you?" Wildflower's call alerted Bloodkit, and he trotted over to her with bright eyes.

"Mother? Can you tell Duskkit and I a story?" Bloodkit asked hopefully, and Wildflower's green gaze softened. She licked her kit between the eyes.

"Of course, my love," She purred, "But why don't you wait until your brother wakes up first?" Bloodkit nodded, but he kneaded the ground with his paws impatiently. He glanced longingly at his brother, and Duskkit stirred. His ears pricked up, and his green eyes blinked open sleepily.

"Good, You're up; mother's going to tell us a story." Bloodkit nudged his brother, making him squeak in protest. Wildflower instructed the kits to sit, and started to speak with her tail wrapped around her paws.

"Have you heard the story of Runningbrook?" The kits shook their heads. Wildflower continued to tell the story of a brave young she-cat who went on many strange adventures, and told of how she belonged to the once great SeaClan. SeaClan had lived by the sun-drown-place near the Twisted Willow. She told of many daring escapes and truths, and she told of how the great Clan fell and scattered until all thoughts of it were lost.

Bloodkit's crimson eyes glittered. "How can a Clan fall, mother?"

Wildflower shifted uncomfortably. "If the leader, or Clan, is weak, and if the attackers are strong, then a Clan…could fall." Wildflower's gaze clouded, her mind distant.

Ambition glowed in Bloodkit's eyes, and his tail lashed. Would he ever become that strong; strong enough to take over an entire Clan?

Duskkit looked at his mother expectantly. "Is that the end?" Wildflower nodded slightly. Duskkit cocked his head. "Why is the ending so sad?"

"Because," Wildflower mewed, "SeaClan never had a happier ending." Clearly disturbed by the thought, Duskkit lowered his head; seeing the kit's disturbance, Cloverwillow, the only other nursing queen, meowed quickly, "Come along now, why don't you play outside?" Bloodkit caught on, and he nudged his brother outside into the morning air.

By now, the whole camp was up and moving, and Bloodkit and Duskkit had to avoid the stumbling paws of the warriors as they padded around the clearing.

Bloodkit stopped and turned toward his brother. "What do you think about that story? I want to know more about how they fell."

Duskkit shrugged. "I think it was sad. But," He cocked his head to one side. "Why do you want to know how they fell?"

Bloodkit snorted, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but didn't answer. Instead, he picked up some leaves and threw them at his brother's face.

"Bet you can't catch me!" He squealed, and Duskkit's gray tail shot into the air. He streaked after his brother

"Bet I can!" He yowled, and he chased Bloodkit around the clearing. Bloodkit swerved in every direction, trying to shake off his brother. "I am Bloodstar, leader of MistClan; you can never catch me!" Bloodkit taunted his brother as Duskkit skidded along behind him.

"Well, I'm Whiteclaw, the most dreaded warrior in GhostClan!" Duskkit squeaked; he tore off the end of a ravaged leaf and stuck it on his ear, imitating the tag on Whiteclaw's ear. "Rarr! I'm coming!" He grumbled in a deeper voice, and Bloodkit chuckled as Duskkit tumbled into him. The kits rolled on the ground for a moment, too distracted in their tussle to notice that they had rolled out of camp.

Bloodkit swatted his brother with a paw, purring. Suddenly, his ears perked up and he sniffed the air. A strange, foul scent washed over him, and he crinkled his nose.

"What is it, Bloodkit?" Duskkit whispered, clearly smelling it too. There was a rustle in the reeds and a splash in the river.

Curious, Bloodkit padded over to the reeds, parting them slightly to see what lay beyond. He almost gasped out loud.

A fox lay on the riverbed, attempting to catch a fish. It growled in frustration as the silver scales slipped through his paws, and Bloodkit heard him murmuring to himself.

"Stupid fish, how come a cat can catch you and not myself? Frenzy can't catch his food to save his life." Bloodkit's whiskers quivered. Had this fox cub spoken cat?

"Duskkit did you hear that? That fox just spoke cat." Blookit breathed, and Duskkit nodded in bewilderment.

The fox suddenly sniffed the air, and a snarl erupted on his lips. "Someone is eavesdropping on Frenzy, are they not?" He whipped around, his sharp yellow gaze trained on Bloodkit's hiding place.

The kits froze, not daring to breathe as the fox prowled toward them, its long snout twitching as it sniffed the air.

Duskkit suddenly darted out of the reeds, and the fox, snarling, followed in hot pursuit. "Duskkit, no!" Bloodkit wailed, and he dashed after his brother, behind the fox.

A squeal and a thud alerted Bloodkit, and he saw that the fox had caught up to his brother. A wail from Duskkit was abruptly cut off as the fox bit down hard.

Bloodkit skidded to a stop, tears welling in his eyes. Rage and grief overcame him then, changing him forever.

A loud hiss came from the undergrowth, and Bloodkit watched as Bluefrost lunged at the fox, teeth bared. The fox staggered in surprise as Bluefrost leapt onto its back, tearing viciously at its throat. Nightpaw, his apprentice clawed at its flanks, making it screech in pain. Bloodkit watched the battle through glazed eyes, unaware of the danger he was in.

Finally the fox fled to the river, whimpering. "Why hurt Frenzy? Frenzy so hungry." The fox whispered, and Bloodkit noticed how frail the cub looked as if he had not eaten in days.

Bluefrost heaved a ragged sigh, finally spotting Bloodkit cowering only tail-lengths away. "Bloodkit! What are you doing? You should be in camp." Bloodkit padded forward, tail drooping, toward his brother.

Duskkit lay still on the ground, a deep bite in his throat. His breathing was ragged, and was growing fainter with every breath. Bloodkit stood above him, his head rested on his brother's hardly rising flank.

"Bloodkit," Duskkit whispered, and Bloodkit strained his ears. "Tell…mother…wasn't your…fault." Duskkit sighed a ragged sigh, and lay still. Bloodkit buried his muzzle in his brother's cold gray and white fur, pain and sorrow piercing his heart. How could these warriors let him die, standing not far away with unreadable faces? Rage rose like bile in his throat, never threatening to leave.

Bluefrost attempted to lay his tail on Bloodkit's shoulder, but Bloodkit hissed and nudged him away. Bluefrost stood another minute, then gently picked up Duskkit in his jaws and carried him back toward camp.

Hailstar bowed his head, mourning for the loss of such young life. "I am sorry, Wildflower. We shall all grieve for the loss of Duskkit; so young, and already he has joined the ranks of StarClan." He rested his brilliant green gaze on Bloodkit, now alone in his Clan. Bloodkit turned away, not wanting his leader to see his tears.

But Hailstar only stared at him with sympathy. "It is alright to weep openly, Bloodkit, for weeping can clear the heart so love can fill it through." Wildflower nodded, grief clouding her soft green gaze, and kit and mother settled in to wait through the night.

All through the silent vigil, Bloodkit dozed, only to be awakened by the memory of his brother wailing as the fox finished him off. He also wondered how the fox had learned to speak cat, but the thought was like a fly buzzing near his head, easily swatted away.

Soon, the warmth of a new dawn entered the camp, promising a fresh start. Bloodkit stirred near his mother, who was crouched over her kit without moving.

Bloodkit felt bitter, hard and cold as stone. His brother's death had instilled a need for revenge against those who opposed him or his Clan.

I can never feel for anyone or anything so strongly again; power is the only healer of pain and sorrow. Bloodkit thought coldly. He realized with a pang that this was the day that he and Duskkit were to receive their apprentice names.

Wildflower groomed Bloodkit's pelt slowly, grief weighing her every movement. Bloodkit felt sorrow gnawing his own stomach, but he forced it back; he could no longer show weakness. That is what brought Duskkit to his death.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Reedledge for a Clan meeting," Hailstar yowled, and the MistClan cats emerged from their dens.

"Despite the sudden death of Duskkit, Bloodkit will become an apprentice, on schedule," Hailstar mewed, and Bloodkit made his way toward his leader. He saw Leopardpaw and Juniperpaw staring at him with sympathy, but Skullpaw only looked ahead without a glance toward the kit.

Quickpaw shifted next to Skullpaw, and for a second shared a glance with Bloodkit. Bloodkit leapt onto the Reedledge, a dull ache in his heart.

"Bloodkit, from this day until you are done with your training, you shall be known as Bloodpaw. Sweepwhisker, you shall mentor Bloodpaw and teach him your patience and skill."

Bloodpaw held in a snort of sarcasm, and went to touch noses with his new mentor. Sweepwhisker gave him a sympathetic glance, but Bloodpaw ignored it.

Skullpaw and Juniperpaw padded up to him, light in their eyes. "Hey, Bloodpaw. Why don't we show you the apprentices' den? We made you a nest." Bloodpaw didn't respond, just grunted and followed them inside.

A small voice inside his head whispered temptingly, Come now, Bloodpaw. if you're such a grouch all the time people will be suspicious. Bloodpaw heard this, and forced a smile at Juniperpaw. "I love this, really guys. I was just a bit…" he trailed off, eyes clouding. He remembered the story his mother told him about Runningbrook and SeaClan.

"Why don't you leave him alone for awhile, apprentices? Bloodpaw has been sitting vigil all night." Juniperpaw gave him one last sidelong glance with mourning gray eyes, but then followed her brother outside.

Bloodpaw curled up in his new nest, feeling comforted by its warmth. He fell asleep almost immediately, the song of the birds lulling him into unconsciousness.

And so it began...please review, second chapter comin' soon!