Chapter 1:
"I'm hungry!"
Lake shivered as Night wailed again. He had been born the smallest of the litter and six moons later, he was still undersized.
"Then catch something." Sugar retorted.
"I'll find you some food." Storm promised Night. Sugar hardly ever bothered to care for her kits. She said it would be easier if their father was here, but Lake didn't know her father. The only information Sugar had shared was that she had grown up with him.
Lake yawned and stretched her legs out in front of her.
"Ow!" Snow's head bolted up.
"Sorry." Lake apologized.
"Sugar said she had something special planned for today." Snow meowed excitedly.
"What?" Lake pricked her ears. All her mother ever did was mope.
Snow shrugged. "I don't know." She admitted.
"Oh well." Lake twisted her head to groom her fur. She wanted to look nice if her mother had a surprise.
A little after sunrise, Sugar called all four of her kits over. "For past moon now, I've been going to see a human. This human gives me food and he sometimes lets me in his nest."
"You've been stuffing yourself with human food while we starved?" Storm seemed to be choking on his outrage.
Lake felt fury rising inside her. Why couldn't Sugar have at least shared some with them?
"Today, I'm moving in with that human." Sugar continued.
Lake leapt to her paws, noticing her mother said 'I' not 'we'.
"If any of you want to come with, feel free. If not, then I have arranged for another she-cat to look after you." Sugar licked her sandy tabby fur.
"You left alone each day to fend for ourselves." Storm lifted his chin. "If you want to go, fine. I'm staying here."
"Me too." Lake added, going to stand beside her brother.
"And me." Snow joined them.
"I'm staying." Night decided.
"Very well." Sugar sighed. "I figured you would say as much. The human lives in the house beside the stable if you ever want to come find me."
"Like we ever want to see you again." Storm sniffed.
Sugar dipped her head. "I will go find Luna. She's the loner that will look after you." She stood up to go.
"Don't bother." Storm growled. "I'll look after us."
"Don't be silly. Luna's waiting by the raspberry bush." Sugar snorted.
Storm curled his lip back but did not protest further as Sugar disappeared.
"I can't believe she's leaving." Snow broke the silence.
"I cn." Storm lashed his tail.
"Where do you think this Luna will take us?" Lake murmured.
"Nowhere good." Storm retorted
Sugar reappeared a few moments later with a silver and black tabby she-cat.
"This is Luna." Sugar angled her ears to the newcomer. "Lake, Storm, Snow, and Night." She flicked her tail to each of them in turn.
"Greetings." Lune greeted them formally. None of the siblings responded.
"I'll be taking you to a Twolegplace." Luna continued.
"Fabulous." Storm flexed his claws.
"It's not so bad." Luna turned to the dark gray tom. "There are a few alley cats but they're pretty harmless."
"I don't like Twolegs." The fur along Night's spine was lifting.
"You'll get used to it." Sugar rolled her eyes. "Now behave for Luna and visit me often." She shot one last glance over her shoulder before the ferns swallowed her up.
"You wish." Lake muttered under her breath.
"We shoulder get going if we want to reach the Twolegplace by dark." Luna meowed after a moment.
"If you say so." Storm narrowed his eyes.
Luna flattened her ears and trotted off. Storm glared after her for a moment before following with Lake, Snow, and Night behind him.
~*O*~
"I don't like it here." Snow lifted one paw as a large rat scurried past.
Luna followed her gaze. "They're actually quite tasty. An acquired taste though."
"Great." Lake shuddered.
"You said there were alley cats here?" Night glanced around.
"They'll be sleeping by now." Luna assured him. "Now, you can come see my home."
"Probably the highlight of my day." Storm hissed quietly.
Lake forced herself not to wince as she stepped in a puddle of greenish liquid. "What's this?" She flicked it off her paw.
Luna glanced back at her. "Probably nothing to worry about."
"I feel so much better." Lake grumbled.
Luna led them to a cardboard box. "Make yourselves comfortable." She invited.
Storm leaned forward to give the box a sniff before lying down beside it.
Lake and Snow curled up beside their brother while Night flopped down where he stood.
Luna sighed heavily and padded inside her makeshift den.