[I]Brokenstar?!
Nightkit's pelt shook as the name echoed in her ears. Stories of the notorious ShadowClan warrior had been whispered among StarClan since he'd been made leader. He was a kit killer and breaker of almost every rule in the warrior code. A cat Nightkit would have been glad never to meet. She buried her head into the dirt, praying that her new friend's tail would be enough to conceal her.
"Strange meeting you here," the brown tabby murmured, his voice soft, but unafraid. Though she could not understand it, Nightkit thought he almost seemed to welcome the ShadowClan cat's presence.
"Yes," Brokenstar replied. "I was under the impression that it would be impossible for two paths to cross."
"As was I." There was a moment of silence, and Nightkit heard the soft crunching of dirt, as the ShadowClan leader walked up to his acquaintance.
"I recognize that tone," he said. "You know something I don't. What is it, Tigerclaw?" Nightkit flinched, her fear of Brokenstar dissipating, as her mind suddenly filled with endless questions. Of course! How had she not realized it before?!
"It's Tigerstar, I think you'll find it," Tigerstar replied with an air of cocky pride.
"What?!" Brokenstar snarled.
"Who do you think took over after Nightstar?" Tigerstar said with a small purr of amusement at his predecessor's shock.
"Bah!" Brokenstar spat, his tail lashing violently against the ground. "Trust ThunderClan to stick their noses into every cat's business. If you're the kind of cat I should expect to meet here, I think I should prefer having the forest to myself."
"Well then I thank you for gifting me with your company," Tigerstar said, dipping his head mockingly as the bent tailed cat stalked off. "I always take pleasure in our little talks." Once Brokenstar was gone, Tigerstar waited a few moments before lifting his tail from Nightkit's face.
"You're Tigerstar?!" she cried, her pelt burning with confusion and shock.
"Yes," he replied, solemnly.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she shrieked. "Mouse-brain!"
"As I remember, you were looking for TigerCLAW," he pointed out with a shrug. Nightkit was at a loss for words. "Besides, you never introduced yourself."
"Nightkit!" she mewed. "Why did you say you were the leader of ShadowClan?!"
"I had no reason to lie."
"You mean you were really the leader of ShadowClan?" Nightkit murmured, looking up at him with wide eyes. She couldn't help feel the slightest tinge of awe mixed with betrayal at the revelation.
"Is that wrong?" he asked, a soft, mocking curiosity filled his tone.
"Of course it is!" Nightkit protested. "If you're a ThunderClan cat, you have to be loyal. You can't just become the leader of another clan!"
"And why not?" Tigerstar questioned. "Don't all the clans live as one in StarClan?"
"Well, yes, but—"
"Then what difference does it make which clan I chose to be apart of in life?" he said. "ThunderClan was my birthclan, but not where I belonged. So I left."
"Then why are you here?" Tigerstar didn't replied right away. Nightkit wondered if he was keeping something from her, or if he just didn't know the answer.
Finally he said, "They were all too foolish to see what was good for them. I could have lead them to greatness, but change frightened them, so they rejected me."
"That doesn't seem fair," Nightkit whispered.
"There's very little about life that's fair," Tigerstar replied. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be here as you are." Nightkit looked down at herself in silence, which gave Tigerstar the chance to continue.
"I guess I was wrong about Leopardfoot sending you here," he added. "Why were you looking for me?"
"I wanted to see you. In StarClan no one would say much about you, so I wanted to see for myself what you were like... before I disappeared," she confessed. "And I wanted to ask you something."
"And what's that?"
Nightkit stared at her brother standing before her. He was big, and powerful. He had lived and trained and done everything she couldn't do. But now was her one chance. She straightened herself up and puffed out her chest.
"Teach me to fight!"
"They haven't taught you to pounce on moss in StarClan?" Tigerstar said, his brow raised in amusement. "What enemies could you possibly need to fight?"
"Mouse-brain," Nightkit's muttered. "I wasn't with ThunderClan long enough to learn to hunt and fight. I died before I could do anything for my clan. I can't change that, but if I'm going to disappear, I want to be a real warrior when it happens!"
"You said you wanted to see me before you disappeared," Tigerstar replied coolly. "So will warriors also, eventually disappear?"
"Yes. But that's—"
"I see. Come back here next sunset, we shall begin training then," he said. "Go now." Nightkit's nearly leapt out of her pelt, but she kept herself calm and only offered a small dip of the head.
"Thank you!"
As she turned her back on the foggy trees, her paws felt refreshed and she bounded uphill, out onto the moor. It already nearly sunrise when she made it back to camp. Leopardfoot still wasn't back and most of the other dens were empty.
Mosskit and Mistkit were sitting together, batting the squirrel tail from the night before with bored expressions. Both of them sprung to their feet as they spotted her approaching.
"You're back!" Mistkit cried. "I knew you weren't mouse-brained enough to go!"
"Bluestar and everyone else are still busy, but they should be back soon," Mosskit reported.
"I did go," Nightkit said. "Now I'm back."
"What?! How?" Mistkit exclaimed. "Was it really the Place of No Stars? Did you get lost?"
"Did you meet any dangerous warriors?" Mosskit asked. Nightkit nodded.
"Brokenstar," she whispered. Mosskit and Mistkit stared at her in silent shock.
"You're lying," Mistkit cried. "He would have eaten you in one bite!"
"Well he didn't!" Nightkit proclaimed. "Because—" She paused, wondering whether she should mention Tigerstar. Undoubtedly, she'd see him again, but if Mistkit thought so, it might make it harder for her to go.
"Because what?" Mistkit asked. Nightkit shrugged.
"He just didn't notice me I guess," she said.
Before Mistkit could ask any more questions, the body of a large rabbit was dropped in between the two of them. Nightkit looked up to see Leopardfoot standing next to her. The she-cat pulled her close and began cleaning her pelt furiously.
"You're all wet. Did the RiverClan apprentice push you in again?" she cried. "You have mud all over your paws!"
"A little mud never hurt anyone," Patchpelt assured her. He dropped a vole beside their rabbit before adding jokingly. "You've been here longer than I have, but you're still as tense as ever, Leopardfoot. As if the fate of all the Clans were on your shoulders."
"Are you suggesting we become kittypets in StarClan?" Leopardfoot bit back. Nightkit's ears twitched at the word.
Her father had been a kittypet. Leopardfoot always said it was the worst betrayal possible for a warrior. Pinestar didn't come to StarClan much, but even when he did, her mother would never allow her and Mistkit more than a few glances before her hisses chased him away. She had always told Nightkit that kittypets were fat and lazy, and depended on twolegs for everything. They were cowards who had never used their claws and teeth for battle or caught their own prey. Nightkit had been born a forest cat, but she could help seeing herself as one of those lazy tabbies.
Patchpelt let out a small chuckle before sighing. "As always, you exaggerate, dear sister," he mewed affectionately. "StarClan's role is to watch over the Clans. If we're too troubled by our own problems, how can we guide them in pulling through their's? Our duty now is not to ourselves, but all those who come after."