A/N: Hello, fellow fantiction-ers! It has been forever (though no one, sadly, would notice) since I last wrote for FanFiction. That isn't to say I haven't been on. I've been on everyday. I just have had no inspiration- who am I kidding? I've just been too absorbed in the stories you guys have been writing to actually write anything myself. *Smiles sheepishly* But, in case you were wondering, (you probably weren't) I've had a lot on my mind lately. Broke up with my boyfriend about a week ago. *Sighs*
Dedicated to my little sister, Spottedtail.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Warriors Series by Erin Hunter.
It had been a relatively normal afternoon. Or, as normal as a mother of three annoying, loud, too-curious-for-their-own-good kits could have. Don't get her wrong, Dawnheart loved the little fur balls, but Snowkit, Flamekit, and Shadowkit were as annoying as their father, Runningshadow, when he finds that he was scheduled to go on patrol just before dawn. He finds the need to wake Dawnheart and half the cats in the nursery, just to tell her to save him a piece of fresh-kill.
You'd think Dawnheart was use to all this, right? After all, she puts up with it every day. Surely she could handle it.
Well, dear friends, if you thought yes, in any way, shape, or form, you are wrong. Dawnheart was prepared to rip off her ears, and feed it to a pack of wolves. No joke. Every day there was playing too rough, screaming, fighting, crying, or all together chaos. And today was no exception.
It started out like a perfect day, Dawnheart dozing peacefully outside the nursery, curled up beside Runningshadow. The white with black spots tom was grooming her pelt to perfection. A couple tail-lengths down from them, but still within eye sight, were their devilishly wonderful kits.
Snowkit and Flamekit were desperately trying to pin each other to the ground, biting and clawing one another using soft paws and teeth. Shadowkit was having a very sophisticated conversation with her best friend, Ivykit, over whose ears were fluffier than whose. Unable to come to a conclusion, the two kits padded over to where their two supervisors were laying.
Shadowkit spoke first. "Mom! Mom...!" the small kit prodded the dozing queen sharply on her flank.
Dawnheart looked up, annoyed because she had been having the most wonderful dream where her kits were NOT bothering her.
"Yes?" she meowed, her voice laced with sleep.
"Whose ears are fluffier- mine or Ivykit's?"
Dawnheart inner-ly purred at their innocence, but growled at their pathetic behavior. She blinked tiredly and meowed, "Ask your father," while placing her head on her paws.
Runningshadow had a thoughtful look on his face. He carefully examined both she-kits ears. He purred and said, "You do," to Shadowkit, flicking his tail lazily at the kits nose.
Runningshadow looked proud of himself. His daughter, on the other hand, looked as though someone had kicked her, thrown dirt at her, and called her dirt-face.
"I-I- what?" Shadowkit stumbled over words.
At this time, Dawnheart opened one eye slightly. She saw her little black kit poofed up twice her size, fur sticking in all directions. Runningshadow seemed to be oblivious to his daughter's shock.
"Of course, I mean, look at them! They're like miniature clouds! Oh my Starclan!" the tom laughed.
Shadowkit looked ready to explode. She glared daggers at her father. If looks could kill... Dawnheart thought.
The gray tabby queen knew she had to stop this before it got any worst. Almost reluctantly, she lifted her head and opened her lips. But before she could get one word to form, Shadowkit burst.
"How could you!? I-I'm running away to find a dad who loves me!"
Runningshadow now wore an expression of confusion on his face. "But I do love you, Shadowkit," he meowed.
The kit didn't listen. Shadowkit turned and fled behind the, for once, well-stocked fresh kill pile. She disappeared from view. Runningshadow ran after her, Dawnheart and Ivykit (who was, for the record, absolutely beaming) close behind.
Naturally, Runningshadow was the first to get there. It was actually quite unfortunate for him, seeing as when he peeked slowly behind the food, Dawnheart heard a tiny voice shriek, "Get away from me you stupid furball!" and a small black paw darted out.
It struck the unsuspecting tom on the nose. It shouldn't have hurt, but Runningshadow leapt ten tail lengths back from surprise, Dawnheart assumed. Despite the situation, the queen couldn't help but laugh at how silly her mate looked, one paw hanging in midair in front of him, his fur poofed out in all directions and his eyes like small moons. Dawnheart then looked at the fresh kill pile. She prepared herself and leaped into the scene... ...only to find it completely abandoned.
Dawnheart sat down, glancing at her clan-mates. Surprisingly, none had seen. They were all too busy eating their own prey and sharing tongues. Dawnheart looked back at the spot Shadowkit had been in before she disappeared.
"Shadowkit? Oh, Shadowkit!" The tabby queen whispered sharply sniffing the ground.
A spot of black fur caught her eye. She smirked, leaping at the twitching tail. The queen caught it in her front paws, waiting for a squeaky voice to yowl in surprise.
Dawnheart did in fact get the yowl she was expecting. But not necessarily the squeaking voice she thought would create the screech. The cat leaped into the air, pelt standing on end. Dawnheart's heart flew into her throat when she realized who she had managed to frighten half to death.
Quailfeather, the Lightclan deputy, glared at her. "What were you doing?" he hissed.
"Uh... nothing, why?" Dawnheart looked at the dirt floor, embarrassed beyond belief.
She was well aware of the Lightclan leader, Ashstar, behind her, sniffing around the prey. His ears were pricked, listening to their conversation with an amused expression on his face.
"Oh, I see," Quailfeather growled. "I assume acting like a mere kit is nothing-"
The black and gray tom was cut off by Shadowkit's yowl. "I thought I told you to leave me ALONE!"
Dawnheart turned around just in time to see a black kit dive out of the pile of prey, and onto the Lightclan leader's face.
The gray tom yowled and stumbled backwards in surprise. He shook his head fiercely, trying desperately to throw the kit off. But Shadowkit seemed to have an iron grip. Ashstar's fight with Dawnheart's kit attracted, of course, a lot of attention. Practically the whole clan came to see what was going on. Even the cranky elders were watching with clear excitement on their faces.
Ashstar finally had enough. With one final shove, he threw the black kit off. Shadowkit rolled for a few tail lengths before jumping onto her feet.
Ashstar stood panting in the middle of the clearing. A furious squeak sounded from Shadowkit's direction. The kit wasn't finished yet. She ran full speed at Ashstar, green eyes gleaming with revenge. Ashstar, extremely surprised at the kit's behavior, turned tail a fled from the camp. The kit stopped her advance, staring out the entrance.
Dawnheart was... speechless, to say the least. Her kit, barely two moons old, had chased their leader out of camp.
Shadowkit yawned, suddenly looking sleepy. "Well, I'm going to take a nap. What's everybody starin' at?" She asked, just now noticing the crowd.
No cat dared to speak. Shadowkit shrugged her tiny shoulders and headed towards the nursery. All cats stared wide-eyed after her as she disappeared behind the bracken walls.
The cats broke up once again after she left.
Dawnheart was heading back to the nursery when two voices ran stopped her.
"Mom! Mom!" Screamed Snowkit, Flamekit's voice echoing hers.
"What?" Dawnheart growled.
"Whose claws are longer?" Snowkit demanded.
Dawnheart changed directions and ran out of camp, following Ashstar.
A/N: I know, I know, it's short. I tried to edit this so that it was easier to read. Sorry about that, really!
It's based roughly off my little sister and myself. She has a sort of... attitude that I find both funny and exasperating.