first chapter of the DARKNESS WITHIN series... enjoy!

NIGHTKIT

Nightkit lowered her body into a crouch and slowly stalked her prey. She carefully stepped over a twig and then she felt the moment was right, so she pounced. She landed right on top of a small ball of honey-colored fur.

"Nightkit, get off of me!" The ball of fur mewed.

"Sorry Honeykit," She meowed as she tumbled off, "I was pretending to be father again"

"Well congratulations, you caught the tiny, whiney prey called Honeykit," yawned a voice, that she recognized as her brother, Buzzardkit's voice. Honeykit glared at him with her yellow eyes for a moment, and then stood up to lick off the dirt on her pelt. Buzzardkit got up and stretched them meowed again "Anyway, even if you tried Nightkit, you'll never be as good of a hunter as Father"

"don't be such a doubter Buzzardkit" Honeykit mewed as she ran between Buzzardkit and Nightkit, who were two paw lengths apart, glaring at each other ready to fight.

Honeykit squeezed inside of that space, she was only half of her brother and sisters size so it was not that hard.

"Good morning" their mother, Scarredfall, grunted as she carried a mouse into the nursery.

Nightkit and Buzzardkit quickly forgot about fighting as soon as they saw the mouse and ran over to Mother, trampling Honeykit in the process.

Nightkit pounced on the mouse then took a bite. Then Buzzardkit pushed her out of the way to get a mouthful as well.

"Isn't today the day that Oceanpaw and Foxpaw become warriors?" Honeykit asked as she was, once again, licking the dirt out off her fur.

"Yes," Mother meowed, surprised, and then asked, "How do you know?" Nightkit and her brother both turned their heads at Honeykit and waited for an answer as well.

"I overheard Berrystripe and Dapplewing talking about it" Honeykit mewed in her cute little kitten voice.

"Honeykit, you know it's not alright to-"

"All cats of ScratchClan come join me under the Watching Cliff for a clan meeting" Lizardstar yowled, interrupting Scarredfall.

I can't believe that Honeykit got out of trouble again, Nightkit angrily thought.

All three kits tumbled out of the nursery and into the clearing with their mother not far behind. Nightkit sat next to her brother and sister with their mother and father, Copperstone, sat behind them. She looked at the cats at the front of the group. There was Steeltail and Whiteleaf, Oceanpaw and Foxpaw's parents as well as Mintwater's, smiling from ear to ear. Mintwater was sitting proudly next them waiting for her kin to become warriors and get their warrior names, and join her and their parents in the Warriors den. Behind them was the medicine cat, Dapplewing, and her apprentice Berrystripe.

"Cats of ScratchClan, it is time for two apprentices to gain the rank of Warriors," Lizardstar yowled with Foxpaw and Oceanpaw sit next to her. "Foxpaw," he flinched as his name was called first, " and Oceanpaw," Oceanpaw looked up at Lizardstar with her big, round eyes, "you have trained hard these past few moons and it is my great pleasure to give you two your warrior names."

"Oceanpaw, do you swear to protect your clan even at the cost of your life?"

"I do" Oceanpaw meowed, breathless.

"By the power of Starclan, your new warrior name shall be Oceaneyes, the clan admires your curiosity and intelligence"

Because of her bright blue eyes, Nightkit thought.

"Foxpaw, do you swear to protect your clan even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Foxpaw meowed, puffing out his chest.

"Then by the power of Starclan, your new warrior name shall be Foxwhisker, the clan admires your bravery and encouragement in battle,"

"Oceaneyes! Foxwhisker! Oceaneyes! Foxwhisker!" the clan chanted.

Nightkit and her siblings charmed in with the clan, but Nightkit suddenly stopped as she saw a pair of yellow eyes staring at her through the bushes. She froze and stared at the yellow eyes. She could see a mouth of sharp teeth and claws as well as a brown tabby pelt, almost like a tiger. The cat smiled at her and meowed, "come with me Nightkit,"

"Who are you?" she whispered, but just before he answered her Buzzardkit bumped her.

"Who are you talking to?" he asked.

She looked back at the bush and found that the mysterious cat had vanished. "No one," she sighed and shook her head. Impossible, she thought, there's no way that is possible.

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