A/N: Hi! This is Aemi and Skylar again! This is our 2nd chapter of our newest fanfiction, I hope you enjoy! For more information about us, the story, etc., go visit our profile! Follow the story for updates, or follow our profile for updates to all of our [future] stories.

~Aemi & Skylar

Chapter 2

Dawnkit's POV

I woke up to the fresh smell of dew and snow in the morning. With leaf-bare coming soon, the weather was getting colder. I yawned, to the side of me, Snowkit and Ashkit had wide eyes, resting their heads on their paws, while Stonepaw snored peacefully.

I stretched and looked outside. To my surprise, a small layer of white, fluffy snow coated the earthy ground.

"Snow!" I quealed squealed, shaking Snowkit "Snowkit, there's snow!"

"What?" Snowkit meowed, drearily, rubbing her silver paws across her rich green eyes. I raced out to the nursery, with my wide amber eyes, skating around the white snow that seemed to replace the dirt.

"Oh my StarClan!" Snowkit exclaimed in awe, "So this is what snow is like?" She murmured, shoveling her paws down to grab a paw full of white fluff, "Just like white dirt, but cold?"

"I'm stepping on you!" I joked as I stomped down on a thick clump of snow, laughing. I turned around and tried to see what it looked like outside of camp when I felt snow bury my back legs and tail. I growled, knowing it was Snowkit.

"Mrroow," Snowkit giggled and threw another clump of snow on my head and pelt. I glared at my sister playfully.

Grabbing a large pawful of snow, I aimed it at Snowkit, accidentally hitting Softfeather instead. "Oops…" I sighed, knowing that we had woken her up.

Softfeather opened her eyes to the sunlight, drowned by clouds and snowflakes, hitting the ground softly. She sighed, and half glared at us, "The apprentices will be waking up soon, you know. They'll need help. Wake Ashkit and Snowkit. I heard that some of them are having a day off," she said calmly, waving her tail then closing her eyes.

I gave a resigned sigh and padded into the nursery to wake my brothers. "Ashkit, Stonekit, wake up, you lazy furballs," I shook each of them, and they groaned, murmuring on how they wanted more sleep. I sighed, and turned around to look for Snowkit.

"Hi, Lightningpaw! Hi Amberpaw!" Snowkit greeted the two apprentices as they came out of the den, looking around the camp.

Amberpaw nodded, "Snowkit, Dawnkit," she smiled, "I heard about your legendary attempt to catch a mouse," she teased. "Don't rush. You'll be apprentices before you know it! Maybe even the other apprentices can teach you. Duskpaw, Thornpaw, Tigerpaw, Lightningpaw, Wolfpaw, and I have the day off. We've been working our pelt off since the last moon. Dapplestar told us we deserved some rest."

Snowkit and I nodded. "Ashkit, Stonekit, and us have to go to the apprentice den. And help serve you as 'peasants'," Snowkit sighed.

"Mrrooow" Amberpaw laughed, "I'll go wake those sleepy-heads. Go to the den and see where you can help out."

I nodded and padded into the den. To my surprise, all the other apprentices were sleeping. I chuckled, and poked my white paws to the nearest apprentice, a long-haired dark grey tom, Nightpaw, I believe. "You're sure sleepy! Waking up later than a kit," I prodded my paw against his muzzle, and he groaned.

"Huh?" He rubbed his eyes open, "Dawnkit?"

"Yeah. Uhm… Well, me and my littermates have to take care of you lazy furballs for five entire sunrises," I set myself down on the slightly chilly floor, about 5 cat-whiskers away from him, curling up. "Do you need any help, Nightpaw?" I asked.

A flash of confusion struck across Nightpaw's face, as he looked deep in thought, then hurt across his eyes. I instantly felt bad for whatever I had said wrong. "Uh. My name's Duskpaw," he corrected awkwardly.

"Oh… right! Sorry. I was thinking about Nightkit. Sorry!" I mewed, more embarrassed than he was. Mouse-brain! I scolded myself. How could you get an apprentice's name mixed up with a kit's?!

"Right. Anyways, I don't need any help right now. Uh… your sister seems to be fine helping Lightningpaw right now, Ashkit helping Amberpaw… and your other brother helping Tigerpaw. You could ask Wolfpaw if she needs any help," Duskpaw murmured. Expecting him to drift back to sleep, he surprised me by getting up and leading me to Wolfpaw.

He wove around bramble tendrils and ended up next to Wolfpaw who was lazily picking at a thrush. "Dawnkit, this is Wolfpaw. Wolfpaw, this is Dawnkit. Wolfpaw, Dawnkit wants to know if you need any help" Duskpaw meowed.

Wolfpaw turned her slim gray head and stared at me. Her eyes were a stunning blue color, flecked with a green. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by Duskpaw.

"I'm cold," Duskpaw complained, "Move over, fatty!" Duskpaw climbed into Wolfpaw's nest and snuggled up against her. Wolfpaw snarled and stood up, turning around and finished eating her thrush.

I felt a jolt of an emotion I could not place. Anger? Sadness? Envy? But why would I be any of these.

Wolfpaw rolled her stunning eyes, pushing Duskpaw out the nest. "I'm Wolfpaw, as you know," she quietly mewed to me. "For now, I think I'm fine. Maybe just entertain this mouse-brain to get him out of my pelt."

"Hey! I'm right here, you know!" Duskpaw whined, "Come on, Dawnkit. Lets get away from Wolfpaw. She's usually a lot nicer, she must have a furball stuck somewhere." Wolfpaw growled and turned away pointedly.

I chuckled, as Duskpaw pushed me away. "So, how many moons 'till you're a 'paw?" Duskpaw meowed curiously.

"Just half a moon, I suppose. I can't wait! I wonder who my mentor will be," I ranted, talking more to myself then Duskpaw in reality.

"Dawnkit!" I turned around to find Snowkit trotting through the snow to find me, "Dawnkit! Lightningpaw wants to patch up the apprentices den, wanna help? You don't look like you have much to do there," Snowkit pointed with a paw at me and Duskpaw.

I nodded an okay. I turned to Duskpaw, and on his face lay disappointment. I immediately felt bad I would be hurt too if Duskpaw ran off with Tigerpaw to do something. "Duskpaw can you help us too?" I invited.

His ears immediately perked up and his once disappointed look wiped off to show excitement. He nodded and bounded next to me, our pelts slightly brushing in a comforting way. Snowkit raised one of her green eyes, and I felt my ear tips turning hot and shook my head. We had a "sister telepathy" kind of relationship.

I had always like to compare myself to Squirrelflight and Snowkit as Leafpool, though we both liked Squirrelflight better. I remembered fondly of all the stories Sweetfur had told us about the 'Fire Duo', as she like to put it. My favorite was—

"Hellooo?" I was interrupted as Duskpaw meowed, waving his tail in my face, "You just spaced out there. It was kinda creepy. Kind of weird too. It was funny though, I mean we stopped talking and stared at you and you didn't even notice. Your tail was curled around you paws and you were like-"

"We've heard you enough. Stop rambling on every detail you've noticed about Dawnkit," Snowkit rolled her green eyes, chuckling.

I blushed deeply. "Oops," I averted my eyes to Snowkit. "So Lightningpaw wants us to do what..?" I desperately changed the subject.

Snowkit sighed and said, "As I said, for the third time, Lightningpaw wants us to patch up the apprentice den."

"Oh. Okay. Let's go and find some moss, Duskpaw." I said, glad to change the subject.

A voice rumbled behind me, "Hello." I froze and turned around slowly. A handsome black tom with yellow marking and stormy yellow eyes stood in front of me. I was so startled I jumped behind Snowkit. Though he was a good looking tom, his eyes were intimidating, a type of cat that I would never take an interest in. He was even scarier up close. The first time I saw him was from the nursery as he was taking prey. He never noticed me but from the moment I looked at his eyes, I immediately grew terrified of him. "Snowkit, would you mind if I took you to get some branches?" He smiled at her. I felt an odd sort of glow in me. I realized, with a jolt, that our 'sister empathy' was taking place. No! I inwardly cried my sister likes that creep? He's so scary!

As if he heard my thoughts, he looked at me with those intimidating eyes. I softly squealed, so softly that I barely heard myself, and edged behind Duskpaw who seemed to notice my unenthusiastic attitude towards Lightningpaw. That was an understatement.

"Lets go Dawnkit! We can't stand around chatting all day," my hero in shining fur. I felt as if the world lifted off my shoulders.

I nodded mutely and ran away as fast as my little paws could take me. I felt as if I had never ran so fast in my life. As I reached the camp entrance, I sighed in relief, letting go of a breath I didn't realize I was holding. The rules had slightly bended over generations. Kits were now allowed to go out of camp for moss or bedding, if accompanied by an apprentice, warrior, or medicine cat. Or, of course, a queen.

"Hey," Duskpaw meowed softly. I mewed a high pitched and quiet squeal. "Are you scared of Lightningpaw? Don't be. Even though he has a ugly scary pelt, he's a nice cat."

"It-Its not his fur. He looks… nice, no umm, quite… handsome," I blushed deeply at what I had just admit. Duskpaw let out a shaky breath and rolled his eyes subtly, some emotion, irritation possibly, passing over his blue eyes. "But, its his eyes. So dark, so emotionless, so terrifying." I didn't even realize as I pressed up against Duskpaw.

Duskpaw chuckled, and wrapped his tail around my pelt, pressing our pelts close together. It felt slightly awkward, as if being a kit cuddling with an apprentice was embarrassing enough, I had just admit that I think one of his friends were handsome. I subtly wiggled away, claiming I had an itch in my belly, which was slightly true.

"Okay," I meowed, "Moss."

As I flopped down on my feathery nest, completely worn out.

"I'm sooo tired" I complained.

"Hush" Softfeather murmured softly. "Don't wake your brothers. If you want to talk, go outside. Snowkit is there, I think." You think? What kind of parenting is that, when you 'I think' your kit's safety? I kept my thoughts to myself, immediately ashamed. Mother is just stressed and tired. Plus, there isn't much meaning in two words. I thought. "Keeping negative words to yourself will always protect others, though it may harm you," Sweetfur's selfless quotes she had whispered to me and my littermates when we were tiny still rang.

"Okay. Bye" I meowed, and hurried out.

"Dawnkit!" I turned around and saw Snowkit, once again, trudging through the snow to me. "I need to talk to you." She meowed. "Follow me." She led me to a pine tree near the warriors den. "Climb onto that rock" She pointed at a large stone, "And jump onto that branch." She demonstrated, and I quickly followed.

Once we were high enough to not be heard, Snowkit faced me and meowed, "I like Lightningpaw. Like, like like."

"I knew it!" I gasped, "I knew it," I laughed, roaring in her face. Snowkit gave me a questioning look. "Sister telepathy!" I replied cheerfully, glad I could almost read her mind.

"Oh," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Then, the reality of the situation set in.

"Wait… Holy StarClan what did you just say? You like that creep?" I meowed blankly. Snowkit stared at me, not understanding my abrupt change of attitude. "But-but-but."

Her eyes glittered with anger and she quietly shouted, "I know! You're scared of him! You think his eyes are creepy and his pelt pretty! I also know that you like Duskpaw, so you can't judge me! You are head over paws in love with him, and don't address it, and expect me to just sit and clap at the sidelines. Yet, when I have a little crush and call it what it is, you barge in and try to stop me!"

I stared at her. How does she know that? The only cat I told was Duskpaw. Was Lightningpaw spy- Holy StarClan, I like Duskpaw? No, of course I don't. Though he had a great personality, I always imagine him as my best tom friend. Besides, I talked to him once.

"I don't like Duskpaw. He's just a friend." I stated calmly.

"Yea, and that's why you were brushing pelts, and snuggling up, and curling around each other like lovebirds! I haven't even seen mother and father do that!" Snowkit retorted, her once anger-filled eyes reduced to a determined look, with a hint of amusement, and… jealousy?

I blushed furiously my cheeks puffing slightly. "That wasn't my choice. Duskpaw was the one doing all that! I was excusing myself for an itchy belly, mind you."

Snowkit snorted, "Then please explain to me the fur brushing? And why you pressed up against him?"

I realized I have a good comeback, "Then will you please explain to me how you know this?

"You're in love with Duskpaw," Snowkit teased. "From your whiskers to your claws, and from your ears to your tail tip!"

At this moment, two toms approached us from beneath. I groaned inwardly. Stonekit and Ashkit. Great. Stonekit growled softly. "Our little sisters have crushes, it seems?" I saw Ashkit holding his breath, trying to keep himself from breaking out in laughter, while Stonekit had a look of seriousness.

Hey guys, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) We're so sorry we can't upload really frequently, as we're constantly busy with school and other things like that :( However, there's definitely more to come (hopefully really soon) that we've already written or thought about, so bare with us ! :)

~Aemi and Skylar~