AN: Wow! Two chapters in one day? I never do that! Welp, the next few chapters are mostly filler, since this is kithood. There will be some romance and such, so these boring fillers are crucial!
BY THE WAY! Some of these cats are based off of my favorite anime characters from a different show. Kudos to whoever can guess that show, the cats, and heck, even which cat is which! (I made it pretty obvious with certain things)
Reviews would be loved :3 And I have another story (Key To A Heart, a Kingdom Hearts fic) if you guys wanna read that sometime [shameless advertising].
Anyway, enjoy! -Hawkshadow, out.
Chapter One
Warm leafbare sunshine filtered in through small gaps in the nursery walls, dappling the small gray she-kit with beams of light. She shifted in her sleep, her green eyes flickering open. Using her white paws, she rubbed at her face and ears as her sleepiness wore off. The kit yawned, rolling over and bumping into her brother. His black fur was soft and downy, almost inviting her back into slumber. She almost did, until she realized that a cat was talking to her.
"Are you awake, little kit?" The she-cat mewed. The tiny gray kits eyes widened as she looked up at the white queen and at her light green eyes. 'Do I have green eyes too?' The kit wondered and sat up. Rosefoot purred, "Welcome to NightClan, little kit. I'm your mother, Rosefoot." The gray kit flicked her ear. "R...Rose...foot?" She tried mewling. The queen nodded. "Very good!"
The nursery entrance rustled, and the gray kit stared as a black tom with two white paws entered. His blue eyes were bright and kind. "So, these are the new kits?" He purred. The she-kit shakily stood on all fours and stared up at the tom, "Who'er you?" She squeaked. Rosefoot bent down and licked her ear, "This is Ebonynight, your father." She explained. Ebonynight sat down next to his mate's nest, his sleek black tail wrapping around his paws. "I talked to Moonstar and Duskpelt." He mewed softly in Rosefoot's ear. Her green gaze was once again painfully sad as she recalled the two kits buried in the forest, gone to StarClan before they could truly live. Ebonynight licked her ear.
Meanwhile, the gray kit pawed her littermate. "Wake! Up-up!" She pestered. The tom rolled over with a whine, which was meant to be a growl, and opened his clear blue eyes at his little sister. "What...?" He mewed sleepily. Not bothering with an answer, she pounced on her brother. "Wake up!" Startled and still half asleep, the black tom and gray she-kit rolled around in the nest. Rosefoot wrapped her tail around the two and seperated them with a ginger paw. "Now now, you two. We need to give you names." She said.
The two kits looked at each other. Ebonynight looked at the two. Sure, they weren't his kits, but he would raise them like any other fine warriors of NightClan.
"We shall call you, Nightkit." He mewed, his tail resting on the black tom's shoulder. Nightkit blinked up at him. "Night...kit?" He flicked his ear. "Can't I have a cooler, stronger name?" He asked. "Nightkit makes me sound like a kit."
Ebonynight stifled a purr of amusement, "That's because you're still a kit. When you turn six moons old, you will become an apprentice and after you complete your training, you'll get your warrior name." Nightkit's sister bounded up on weak, trembling limbs, "What about me?" She squeaked. The black tom looked to his mate. "You should name her." He mewed.
Rosefoot thought for a few heartbeats, staring down at the gray kit. "How about...Hawkkit?" she mewed at last. Ebonynight's black tail wrapped around her pure white shoulders. "I like it. Nightkit and Hawkkit."
The nursery barrier rustled again and Moonstar came in with Duskpelt. "My, the nursery is quite crowded this season." Moonstar commented, "So many kits being born! I just hope we can find enough prey to feed all these soon-to-be warriors." Hawkkit stared up at the gray she-cat. Something was familiar about her...right? "What are the newcomers' names?" She asked. "We decided on Nightkit and Hawkkit." Ebonynight said, pointing to each one with his tail. Duskpelt looked at her mother, "Fine names for these two." Rosefoot agreed.
"Speaking of soon-to-be warriors, isn't it about time for Barkpelt's kits to receive their apprentice names and start their training?" Ebonynight asked. "Who's Barkpelt?" Hawkkit mewled. She was ignored. "In another day or so, yes. Although I worry for Silverkit. He's so different, I wonder if anyone will accept him. Even Barkpelt had some doubts about his apprenticeship." Moonstar sighed. "Lightningkit, however, will make a fine warrior." Ebonynight gave his chest a few swift licks. "Lightningkit would make an excellent Clan leader." He agreed.
Almost on cue, a light brown she-cat came bursting in, her dark brown eyes irritated and slightly panicked. "Have either of you seen Silverkit? I can't find him anywhere." She growled. Rosefoot gave a small mrrow of amusement, "Silverkit's gone off again, Barkpelt? No, we haven't seen him." Barkpelt paced around the small area near her nest, muttering lowly to herself. Hawkkit noticed that her tail was bent awkwardly, like it was broken. "That kit will be the end of me!" She sighed, then went back outside to look for her troublesome son.
Nightkit pawed Rosefoot and squeaked, "Can I go outside and play?" Hawkkit stumbled over next to her brother. "Me too! Me too!" she squealed. Rosefoot gave them a stern look. "I don't think so, not today. You two are too small to be playing with the other kits."
Duskpelt stood up, "Rosefoot, if it makes you feel better, I will watch them for you. I'm sure Moonstar would like to speak with you two in private, and it would do the kits good to meet the rest of the Clan. Besides," She tilted her ear to the two kits who were giving their mother a look, begging to go outside, "They are my little brother and sister now."
Rosefoot sighed, her tail tip twitching. "...Alright, fine. But watch them closely!" She called as the two kits raced out the bush entrance. "I will, mother." Duskpelt mewed over her shoulder and padded after her adopted siblings.
Nightkit and Hawkkit bounded outside and looked around the camp with wonder. NightClan camp was located in a stone hollow. Pine trees surrounded that gaping mouth at the top of the gorge. The dens, with the exception of the nursery and another den across the clearing, were made of large piled up stones. There were some shrubbery scattered here and there, but most of the camp was caves, carved-out hollows, and stratiegically placed boulders and stones. A small, but deep, hole was dug in the center of the clearing. It was filled with clean drinking water. All around, cats were sharing tongues, practicing, or doing another task.
"Whoa! Look at all the cats Nightkit!" Hawkkit squealed. Nightkit nodded, just as impressed as his little sister was.
"These are your Clanmates." Duskpelt said from behind them. She pointed with her tail at two older cats laying down in front of the other den made of woven branches and large leaves. "That's the elders den, where warriors who are too old and tired to serve the Clan retire too. The cats you see there are Harestep and Lightflower, Moonstar's parents." The golden she-cat, Lightflower, was grooming her mate, Harestep. A small white and ginger tom padded up to them and they began talking. "Who's that?" Hawkkit asked, pointing with her ear. Duskpelt purred, "That is Spottedkit, my new apprentice. At the next halfmoon, he will travel with me to the Moontree and become a medicine cats apprentice. He will also receive his apprentice name."
Across the clearing, near the pool of water, were some kits playing with a ball of moss. Two brown toms were hitting the moss ball back and forth to each other. The lighter brown tom kept turning to a blue-gray tom, who was quite large for a kit, and the tom would shake his head each time.
"Who're they?" Hawkkit parroted. Duskpelt purred, "Why don't you go over and play with them?" Nightkit was already making his way over. Hawkkit hesitated. "Go on." The medicine cat urged, nudging the kit with her black paw. Slowly and cautiously, Hawkkit made her way over to the group of kits.
"I told you! I don't want you playing with him!" The darker brown kit was wailing to his lighter brown twin. They really did look a lot alike. "Aww, but why not Sharpkit?" He whined.
"Because, Swiftkit, he's a brute who'll end up hurting you!" Sharpkit hissed.
"But...Lightningkit has always been nice to me!"
Lightningkit just sat there next to the pool, watching the two brothers argue.
"And who are you?" Sharpkit hissed at Hawkkit and Nightkit. Swiftkit and Lightningkit both looked over at the two new kits. "Ohh! You're new! Hello!" Swiftkit mewed happily, bounding over to Hawkkit. "I'm Swiftkit! Who are you?" Lightningkit and Sharpkit also went over to the gray and black kits.
"I-I'm Hawkkit..." The tiny gray kit mewled, hiding behind her brother. "And I'm Nightkit." Her brother said with much more confidence.
Swiftkit bounced up and down, tail twitching like crazy. "I love making new friends! This is my big brother, Sharpkit, and my best friend, Lightningkit. My other big brother, Dapplekit, is around here somewhere...oh! And of course Lightningkit's big brother Silverkit too!" The light brown tom let out a high pitched squeal, "There are so many kits to play with!"
Sharpkit swatted his brother's darker-colored ear, "Swiftkit! Please, for StarClan's sake, cool it with the talking! You're giving me a headache."
"S-Sorry Sharpkit..."
Lightningkit went over to the cowering Hawkkit. Compared to the two kits who were only two day old, this six moon old kit was very large and intimidating. "Hello, Hawkkit. How do you like it in NightClan so far?" Lightningkit mewed deeply. Hawkkit flattened her ears and tucked her tail underneath herself. "G-Good..."
"That's good. If you ever need help with something, don't hesitate to ask me."
Hawkkit glanced up at the large tom. Though he was big and his meows were thunderous, Lightningkit didn't appear to be...as scary as when she first saw him. She nodded, and offered a small purr of thanks. Lightningkit attempted a purr back, but it sounded more like a growl.
"There you are! Silverkit, when I get my paws on you I will turn you into crowfood!" A yowl from the camp entrance startled the group of kits. A small silver-gray tom shot through the thick bushes, followed by a white and gold dappled tom. With break-neck speed, the silver tom flew past the kits, almost making Hawkkit topple over. "Lightningkit! Don't tell Browntail where I'm at!" He called back to his younger brother. A heartbeat later, a brown she-cat came through the tunnel. Panting, she skidded to a halt and frantically looked around the clearing. "Mouse dung! I lost him!" She looked down at the kits. "Lightningkit, have you and Swiftkit seen your brothers?"
"Oh! Oh! I saw them go that way!" Swiftkit squeaked, pointing in the direction of the warriors den with his brown tail.
Browntail gave her youngest son a swift lick behind the ear. "Thank you Swiftkit." With that, she dashed away.
Sharpkit scoffed, "Figures you would rat them out, Swiftkit. Always the favorite...aren't you?"
"Huh? What do you mean Sharpkit?"
"Who were they?" Nightkit asked, still looking in the direction that the two toms disappeared to. "Those were Silverkit and Dapplekit. Silverkit is my and Icekit's littermate and Dapplekit is Swiftkit and Sharpkit's littermate. The warrior you just saw was Browntail, Swiftkit, Sharpkit and Dapplekit's mother." Lightningkit explained. Hawkkit tipped her head to the side. "Huh?"
"Boring. Hey! Hawkkit! Wanna play?" Swiftkit mewed, picking up the forgotten moss ball.
"Oh! Uh, s-sure Swiftkit."
From a little after sunrise to sunhigh, the kits played multiple game. Hawkkit and Nightkit, being the two smallest and youngest kits, often had trouble keeping up with the older kits. Eventually, Nightkit passed out next to the pool and Hawkkit curled up next to a snow mound.
When Hawkkit awoke, she was in her nest with Nightkit and there was a conversation going on.
"I was just having some fun, is all! I'm going to be an apprentice soon!"
"Silverkit, Barkpelt wasn't too happy that you and Dapplekit snuck out of camp again. Didn't Moonstar say that there have been intruders recently? It's not safe!"
There was a snort. "Icekit, please, I can take care of myself! I'll show the whole Clan, I'll show everyone!"
Hawkkit uncurled herself and stretched. Nightkit was still sleeping. When Hawkkit looked up, she saw the same silver cat from earlier, Silverkit, and a new black she-kit and a white she-kit. "Uh...hello?" She mewed.
"Hm? Hey! You're the same cat I saw earlier!" Silverkit mewed loudly. The white she-kit flinched, her black tipped ears flattening. "Silverkit, you're so loud!" She complained. He snorted, "Get over it Snowkit! It's bad enough I got Icekit here harping on me, and the rest of the Clan pretty much hates me too." Hawkkit climbed out of Rosefoot's nest and waddled her way over on unsteady paws to the other kits. "Why do you say that? Why does the Clan not like you?" She asked.
Silverkit fixed Hawkkit with a piercing...red gaze? Red? "Because I'm different. I look different, I act different, and I'll never 'be like Lightningkit.'" With a sigh, the red-eyed tom flopped down in Barkpelt's nest to sulk.
The black she-kit hopped out of Barkpelt's nest and the white she-kit followed. They both went up to Hawkkit. "You must be Rosefoot's new kits that Lightningkit was telling me about." the black she-kit mewed. "I'm Icekit! This is Snowkit!." The white kit, Snowkit, nodded to Hawkkit. Icekit was the same size as Silverkit was. Snowkit was a tad smaller than Icekit, but not much bigger than Hawkkit.
"I'm Hawkkit, and my littermate, Nightkit, is still sleeping." She pointed to Rosefoot's nest where his black pelt just barely peeked over with his slow steady breathing.
Snowkit sat down next to her. Icekit looked back at her oldest brother, whom was still sulking. "Me and Silverkit will be apprentices soon. I can't wait!"
Hawkkit tilted her head. "Apprentice...everyone keeps saying that, but what is an 'apprentice'?"
"An apprentice," Snowkit said, "is a kit after they turn six moons old. They train and practice underneath a warrior, and once they complete their training, they earn their warrior name." Icekit puffed out her chest, "I'm gonna work hard to be the best warrior I can be!" The white she-kit purred, "I still have to wait a few more moons..." Hawkkit glanced back at her sleeping littermate. 'We have to try hard too!' She thought with a purr.
