Please Enjoy~
THUNDERCLAN
~ Tigerkit ~
"C'mon, Whitekit, you slow slug!" Tigerkit yipped as he raced out of the nursery. A moon or two had passed since their birth and the kits were growing quickly. Whitekit was close behind, Bluekit following closely. The kits scuffled for a moment, squeaking playful taunts rolling in the dust.
"For ThunderClan!" Four bundles of fur tackled the three siblings into the dirt, shrieking in delight. Tigerkit lay motionless, stunned and the airless as he tried to regain his ability to breath.
"What was that for?!" Whitekit complained, shaking out his now brown pelt.
"It's an ambush, you stinking ShadowClan cats!" Smokekit hissed, his paws battering Tigerkit's underbelly. Tigerkit heaved the gray tom off of him, using his weight to his advantage. The tabby tackled the littler kit, pinning him beneath him.
"Well if we have to be ShadowClan warriors, then we're not going down without a fight! Right, Bluekit?"
"Right!" Bluekit nodded, clouting Ashkit's ears with her paws. Ashkit let out a mock yowl, kicking the she-kit away from her.
"Can I be RiverClan?" Whitekit mewed.
Eaglekit stared at him, both disgusted and confused. "Why would you want to be a fish-breath?"
Whitekit licked his chest, embarrassed with his suggestion. "I thought it would be more fun to have another Clan battling."
"Well I think that's a great idea," Ashkit pulled away from her fight with Bluekit to stand by Whitekit's side. "We'll be RiverClan and you and Smokekit can be ThunderClan."
"And you two can be dumb ShadowClan warriors," Eaglekit meowed, flicking his tail in Tigerkit's face. Tigerkit snatched it from the air, pulling his denmate towards him. They quarreled in a mass of dark brown fur, the only thing distinguishing them apart was the flash of Eaglekit's white underbelly and Tigerkit's tabby stripes.
Smokekit separated the rivals, dragging his brother over to his side. "Goldenkit, you're WindClan."
"Cool!" Goldenkit mewed. She dug a line in the dirt with her claw, making four connected squares big enough for each "Clan" to patrol around. "Okay, take your Clan. But I'm warning you that I may only be one warrior but I'll claw your ears off if you cross my border!"
"Whoops," Tigerkit teased, stepping his paw over the ShadowClan border into WindClan territory.
Using her powerful hind legs, Goldenkit coiled and sprung with a battle cry. Tigerkit slipped to the side, dragging a paw down the golden tabby's side. Goldenkit pivoted, using her large hind legs to balance upon. She crouched and launched herself at Tigerkit again, pinning him to the ground. In retaliation Tigerkit pumbled her underbelly with his own hind paws, once again using his weight to flip his opponent over. Goldenkit laid limp between his paws. Tigerkit relaxed, his grip slipping now that the tabby was defeated. He turned to get off when Goldenkit's eyes flashed open, her hind legs sending the tom flying through the air.
Exhilarated, Tigerkit rushed back into battle. He dug his claws into the ground, stopping just in time before he ran into a new WindClan warrior. A larger version of Goldenkit stood at the line in the dirt, his whiskers twitching and his eyes glowing. The only difference between the golden tabbies were the eyes: the tom's were amber and the she-kit's green.
"No fair!" Tigerkit managed to screech before Lionblaze knocked him away with a strong paw. Tigerkit tumbled, coughing out dirt. Lionblaze purred, turning to Ashkit and Whitekit who had also crossed the border. They leaped upon Lionblaze and soon Eaglekit, Smokekit, and Bluekit all joined in, contributing to the heap of wriggling kits. Goldenkit turned on her father with a squeal and Tigerkit jumped in.
"You look like you need some help," Dustpelt said, padding up to the playing felines.
"Call for backup! The ambush is too strong!" Lionblaze urged.
Dustpelt let out a mmrrow of laughter before helping Lionblaze free himself.
"That was fun!" Whitekit squeaked after the fray broke up.
"Hey, kits, want to see something even more entertaining than tackling Lionblaze?" Dustpelt's eyes glitter mischievously. "I learned this trick from Mousefur before you were kitted."
"Sure!" Ashkit agreed. The elder led the mob of kits over to the warrior's den, motioning for them to lay down.
"You see the cracks under the brambles and brush?" Dustpelt whispered. Tigerkit nodded in anticipation, wondering what could be more fun than play fighting.
"Tigerkit, I want you to peek under there and tell me what you see."
Tigerkit obliged, scooting up before he craned to check under the leaves. "Tails."
"Swat at the closest tail to you like it's a WindClan cat. All of you reach under and grab whatever tails you can reach."
The kits set to work, quietly mewling at the naughty new game. Tigerkit batted at a golden brown tabby, catching Brackenfur's tail tip between his paws. There was some scrambling and Brackenfur let out a cry of fright. Tigerkit purred loudly, his body rumbling with growls of laughter. Brackenfur spotted the kit's paws, his own two paws reaching under and hitting theirs. Bluekit was snatched up in his grip and Tigerkit jumped on the bigger paws, refraining the warrior from pulling his sister under. Whitekit sat next to Tigerkit, batting at Brackenfur's front legs. Eaglekit caught Berrynose's tail and the cream tom let out a loud complaint before his mate's paws appeared underneath with a noisy purr.
When Poppyfrost and Brackenfur left for a patrol, the game ended with no other sleeping victims in reach. Now that there was no other warriors to play with (Dustpelt had left after the first few swipes) the kits sat, wondering what to do.
"Let's explore!" Tigerkit told the other kits, leading them around camp as they discovered every crook and cranny of the camp. By the time the sun was fading they came down to the final spot they had not yet seen-a cave above high ledge.
"What do you think is in there?" Goldenkit uttered. "Do you think...?"
As an answer, their Clan leader stepped out of his den and into the sunlight. "What are you kits doing up here?"
"Exploring!" Goldenkit mewed. "We to know everything inside our camp so when we're warriors we'll know the best places to defend it from!"
"I enjoy your enthusiasm, but-" his sentence was suddenly lodged in his throat when he spotted Tigerkit. Amber met amber and the two toms looked at each other, Bramblestar's in astonishment and Tigerkit's in curiosity. Tigerkit squirmed under the smoldering amber gaze, unsure why his leader looked so angry.
"One day, I'm going to be Clan leader!" Bluekit stepped forward, commanding Bramblestar's attention.
"No, I am!" Eaglekit protested. "You can be my deputy!"
"But I want Whitekit to be mine!"
Tigerkit watched as Whitekit ignored them, his blue eyes locked with Bramblestar's. Tigerkit pressed closer to his brother.
'Why is he staring at me like that?' Tigerkit thought uncomfortably. 'What did I do?'
"Kits!" Dovewing and Cinderheart were pounding up the path towards their kits, exasperated.
"My apologies, Bramblestar," Dovewing dipped her head to her leader. "They're unpredictable at this age."
"Take your eyes off of them just long enough to eat a piece of freshkill and they're gone," Cinderheart meowed, gathering her kits together. Tigerkit was pushed back to Dovewing by her tail.
"Dovewing..." The pale gray she-cat noticed the leader's sullen stare and glared back. Tigerkit fought to stay on his paws as the two queens lead them quickly back down to the hollow. They barely had time to give out a good scolding before Bramblestar addressed his Clan.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather below the high ledge for a Clan meeting!"
"Mother, can we please watch?" Tigerkit begged. "Please?"
"Oh, please, Mother?" Bluekit pleaded. "We'll go straight back inside without a complaint if you just let us hear what he has to say!"
Dovewing sighed. "All right, all right!"
Tigerkit and his brother and sister cheered, moving to sit back with their denmates as the Clan gathered below their leader.
"I have called you here today for a special announcement. May Lilypaw and Seedpaw please step forward?"
The two apprentices padded out of the crowd, looking bewildered.
Bramblestar leaped down, landing before the two apprentices. He looked to the sky with warm eyes.
"I, Bramblestar of ThunderClan, call down upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in turn," Bramblestar recited. He glanced back down at the two quivering she-cats.
"Do you, Lilypaw and Seedpaw, promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and serve your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," Lilypaw promised.
"I do," Seedpaw muttered.
"Then from this day forward you will be warriors. Lilypaw, in honor for your loyalty you shall be known as Lilyheart. Seedpaw, in honor of your integrity and devotion to your Clan, you shall be known as Seedfur. ThunderClan honors you for everything you have worked and trained for and will do in the future. StarClan, I condemn them to you as full warriors of ThunderClan."
"Lilyheart! Seedfur!" Brightheart and Cloudtail began the chant. The rest of the Clan joined in.
"Lilyheart! Seedfur!" Tigerkit yowled, overjoyed as he pictured himself in their position one day. He saw himself as a strong brave tom, wielding his battle scars with pride as he passed on his knowledge to his future apprentice.
'Maybe I'll be called Tigerslash for my fighting skills!' The kit thought with a burst of delight.
"Now, my little ones, you are going inside," Dovewing said. Bluekit started to groan but disguised it as a sneeze.
"You four also," Cinderheart grumbled. "You won't be exploring for awhile, disturbing Bramblestar like that!"
Tigerkit's jubilation sunk as he was herded back to his nest in punishment for disobeying their mother. As he settled down, bored and sleepy, he thought back to the day occurrences.
'Why did Bramblestar look at me like that? I got the same reaction from the elders my first day out and I can see how the others stare at me, even if Dovewing tries to hide the suspicious looks. Sure, Bluestar and Whitekit get some side glances, but why does it seem like everyone is so angry with me? What did I do wrong?'
The tom sighed. 'Oh well. I'll have to congratulate Lilyp-Lilyheart and Seedfur when mother lets me leave the den again. She'll get tired of our restlessness eventually...'
~Bramblestar~
"What's gotten into you lately?"
Bramblestar glanced up from his barely eaten mouse to find Squirrelflight before him. His deputy gazed at him, her green eyes boring into his amber one's. With a pang Bramblestar thought back to his old mentor and past leader, Firestar.
"I have things on my mind," Bramblestar chose his words carefully as he tried to hide the caution from his voice.
"Mousedung. Don't be heedful with me, Bramblestar."
Bramblestar sat up, licking his chest to hide his embarrassment. It was impossible to hide anything from Squirrelflight, he should of remembered that. Squirrelflight padded closer before she sat down and wrapped her tail around her paws. Bramblestar quickly mimicked her.
"I'm worried about...about the new kits."
Squirrelflight rolled her eyes. "They're bound to get into trouble sometime so don't fret over them. Dovewing and Cinderheart are good mothers."
"I'm not worried about that," Bramblestar mewed quietly. Squirrelflight cut the sarcasm at his hesitant tone, her eyes glimmering with concern.
"What is it then?"
Bramblestar swallowed hard. "Dovewing's kits. They're...they're...they don't look like Bumblestripe or Dovewing."
"Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze didn't look like their parents either. Leafpool doesn't look like Sandstorm. Many kits don't." Squirrelflight's ears twitched. "But you're not worried about that part, are you?"
"Part of that part. It's who they look like, Squirrelflight. Particularly the tabby tom Tigerkit."
Squirrelflight's eyes widened. "Are you suggesting-"
"I'm not sure what I'm suggesting. But isn't it odd that he looks like me? Like my father?"
'Will the ghost of Tigerstar ever leave me?' Bramblestar thought miserably.
Squirrelflight stood up, nuzzling her former mate reassuringly. "It might only be a coincidence, or it may mean something much more. We'll have to see the fate StarClan has laid out for little Tigerkit as it happens. I know we may not have what we had before, but I am your deputy. You can come to me for anything, Bramblestar."
His eyes found Squirrelflight's once again. "Maybe we could."
Squirrelflight flicked his muzzle with his tail before turning and trotting away. Just before she exited the cave, she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes intense even though her whiskers were twitching.
"We'll have to see."
That's the chapter! Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews-I can't wait to get some more excellent feedback!
~Illumini
