Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited! :D Nobody guessed correctly, (only one guess) but... you'll see.
A small group of cats was gathered just outside the medicine den, speaking in hushed tones.
"Oh Dawnkit…" sighed Cinderheart, "What are we going to do with her?"
Lionblaze shook his head. "She'll grow out of it… She has to! I mean… what else is there to do but keep trying?"
Jayfeather give him a pitying look, somehow staring straight through him with his sightless eyes. "I'm sorry, Lionblaze… this just doesn't seem like something she'll grow out of. I know how hard it must be to see your daughter like this… Especially after Kestrelkit-"
"NO! You're wrong!" Lionblaze snapped, eyes flashing with pain and fury, "You don't understand! She has to move past this, she just has to! There have been weak kits in Thunderclan before, but with the right amount of hard work and training…"
Jayfeather shook his head. "It's not just that, Lionblaze, and I think you know it. Dawnkit isn't just weak, she's…" he trailed off uncertainly. How did one explain the kit's predicament?
"What?!" he growled, "What then, Jayfeather?! What's keeping my only remaining kit from ever growing up to be a warrior?!"
Jayfeather frowned, thoughtfully. "I… I don't honestly know, but there's something…"
Now Cinderheart was glaring at him, blue eyes blazing like fire. "What, Jayfeather?! How is this even possible?! Her father is invincible, how is it even possible that she can't ever even hope to participate in a battle?!"
Everyone was silent after that. Nobody had been particularly comfortable with stating the problem so bluntly. It had just… slipped out.
Suddenly, Bramblestar leapt up by the den beside them, followed by Squirrelflight. "I… hate to bring this up, but honestly, what are we going to do with Dawnkit?" he asked, awkwardly.
Meanwhile, inside the den, Dawnkit finally came to, pale green eyes blinking open to the dim interior of the small cave.
She was shocked to hear the conversation going on just outside.
"I mean, she obviously can't ever be a warrior…" Bramblestar continued.
Dawnkit winced, hurt, looking down at her paws. Wolfkit was right. What was going to happen to her?! She had no apparent value to her clan.
"She's only three moons old!" Cinderheart snapped, "You can't be sure of that!"
Jayfeather's voice drifted in next. "Normally, I'd agree, but something serious is going on here."
Dawnkit gave a start. What did he mean by that? What was wrong with her?!
"What do you mean?" asked Squirrelflight's voice outside.
"Well… I don't think Dawnkit's problems with fighting all stem from physical issues," Jayfeather admitted, "However, I'm having some trouble with determining the outlying force."
"Do you want me to take a look?" Cinderheart asked quietly.
There were a few scattered gasps. Cinderheart rarely acknowledged her past life as the Thunderclan medicine cat, Cinderpelt, especially now that she had given up the role to take Lionblaze as her mate.
"I… don't think that you'll have any more luck than I did. As I said, it's not a medical ailment as far as I can tell." Jayfeather sighed, sounding frustrated.
Dawnkit shuddered. What was it then?
Cinderheart sounded disappointed, but didn't argue. "I'll take your word for it."
"But… if Dawnkit can never fight…" Squirrelflight murmured.
"Or hunt!" Bramblestar interjected, trailing off as he noticed the disapproval of the others. "Sorry," he muttered, "It's true though."
Squirrelflight sighed at her ridiculous mate and continued, "Well, yes. She can't be a warrior."
Lionblaze winced. "But how could we ever tell our kit that? It would break her heart! And besides, what else is there?!"
Dawnkit felt a wave of despair overtake her. What am I going to do?! They're going to… to… exile me! Make me a kittypet! Or KILL me, just as Wolfkit said!
"I guess there's always the elder's den…" sighed Bramblestar, "Or she could just stay in the nursery, like Daisy…"
Jayfeather stiffened at the mention of the elder's den, suddenly feeling very sympathetic and protective towards the kit. After all, nobody had believed he could do anything as a blind cat. It was just wrong to deny Dawnkit a place in her clan!
That was when a small sob broke the air. The small crowd of cats turned in shock towards the entrance of the den. How long had Dawnkit been listening?
Jayfeather nodded to the others. "I'd better go in there…"
Lionblaze nodded back, looking pained. "Take care of her, Jayfeather."
Jayfeather nodded again, stepping quietly into the cave.
"Dawnkit?" he asked, uncertainly, turning towards the sound of her crying.
The kit sniffled, and then looked desperately up at him. "What's wrong with me?!" she wailed, "Why can't I just be a warrior like everyone else?! I- I'm a FAILURE!"
Jayfeather shook his head, furiously, laying his tail comfortingly around the kit's shoulders. "No, Dawnkit, you're not a failure, you're just… different, that's all."
Dawnkit shrugged him off, angrily. "No! You'll never understand! You've never been so pathetically helpless your clan doesn't want you! You've never had to be the extra mouth to feed that nobody knows what to do with!"
Jayfeather stiffened, and Dawnkit slumped a bit, sheepishly, as she looked up into his sightless blue eyes. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, "That was really thoughtless of me… I-"
Jayfeather shook his head. "No, I understand. I've been in your position, and it's one nobody so young should ever be faced with."
She shuddered. "What's going to happen to me now?"
He smiled, weakly. "Well, for now, let's just get you some herbs. That was quite a little battle back there."
Dawnkit winced, but straightened slightly. "What kind?" she asked, eyes sparkling with genuine curiosity.
Jayfeather purred. It was nice to see his patient being a little less morose and acting more her age. "Well," he explained, "I was thinking some poppy…"
"For the pain," Dawnkit piped up, "And… um…"
"Yes?" Jayfeather asked, surprised that she knew.
"Uh… Shock?" she guessed.
He nodded, shocked himself at her knowledge. "Well done. Yes, you'll need it."
"Anything else?" she asked, sitting up a little straighter yet.
He shook his head. "As you may have heard, I don't believe your problems are entirely physical. Wolfkit's tough, but she didn't do much damage."
Dawnkit nodded, thoughtfully. "What is wrong with me, then? Besides my size, I mean."
Jayfeather frowned. "I was hoping you could help me with that. When you were battling Wolfkit, what exactly stopped you from striking?"
She shrugged. "Nothing unusual, I suppose. I was worried I would fail again, and I'm so much smaller, and weaker, and… Oh."
"What?" Jayfeather demanded.
"Well… It was no different than any other time, just, you know…" she squeaked.
"No, I don't know!" Jayfeather snapped irritably, "What is it?"
"Just… the visions." Dawnkit mewed quietly, more than accustomed to his temper after her many visits to the medicine den.
That stopped Jayfeather in his tracks. "Visions?!"
"Yeah," she whispered, "With the blood and the death and… and Kestrelkit, and all those cats yelling at me…"
A thought suddenly came to Jayfeather. "Those cats… they didn't have stars in their fur, did they?"
Dawnkit was alarmed. "Why, yes! How did you know?!"
"Dawnkit…" Jayfeather said in stunned disbelief, "I think you've been receiving visions from Starclan!"
That's a bit of a game changer... any thoughts? Please review and I'll update as soon as I can! (Although I have several other stories I'm writing at the moment as well...) (;
Happy Belated New Years Everyone! :D Thanks so much for reading!
