Skykit woke up to stinging pain all over her body. Opening the one eye that beast hadn't slashed, she peered around her unusual surroundings. She was in a tree root den, which was clearly not Shadowclan's . She painfully opened her mouth to better scent where she was, a fishy slimy smell tinged with cat entered her mouth and she started coughing.

Darkkit raced to her side saying eagerly," Your up!"

Skykit glanced once more around and asked her brother in a croaking mew , "Where are we exactly?"

Darkkit replied with fake enthusiasm in his voice," The Riverclan medicine cat den. They saved us from that thing. Actually you fought a fox! It could've killed you!" He sobbed out the last part and buried his nose into his younger siblings fur and whispered," Don't ever scare me like that again."

Skykit suddenly realized how close she'd come to dying and shuddered at the memory of the fox's cruel eyes. Leaning forward, though it caused pain to shoot up her shoulder as if it was set on fire, she licked her brothers ear and murmured soothingly," Its okay. I'm okay."

Darkkit snapped," No your not! Mothwing said its pure luck that the fox didn't take your whole eye out!"

Skykit stared at him with the eye she could open and then lifting one of her paws touched the other side of her face, which was thickly covered in cobwebs, poultices, and leaves. She started trembling again as she remembered when the fox had lashed at her. How so much blood had dripped down her face…so much pain…

Darkkit scraped his claws on the den floor, snapping her out of her trance. He said quietly, "Mistystar's sent a patrol to go and tell Blackstar what happened." He looked pitifully at Skykit and mewed," Do you think he'll be mad at me?" Shame was burning in his amber eyes and he ducked his head .

Skykit gaped at him in shock," Why would he be mad at you?" She was the one that wanted to go after the Riveclan patrol not him!" If anyone is to blame it should be me!"

Darkkit replied with his head still down," But I'm your big brother. I'm supposed to take care of you."

Skykit purred," But you did try to protect me." Darkkit glanced at his sister's cobwebbed covered face and mewed sadly," But that wasn't enough to stop you from getting hurt." With that said he turned tail and fled from the den.

Skykit sighed and rested her head in her paws. What was she going to do with that idiot?

Just as she was thinking that a gray kitten with white patches about two moons older than her poked his head into the den and asked snottily," So I guess the brave Shadowclan kit has woken up."

Skykit hissed back," Who are you, fish-breath?"

The arrogant furball lifted up his head highly and replied," Future leader of Riverclan, Cloudkit."

Skykit snarled," Yeah well, Cloudbrain, your looking at the future leader of Shadowclan."

Cloudkit padded up to her, shoved his ugly mug into her face and snarled back," A runt like you as leader? That's ridiculous!" Skykit(though in immense pain while doing so) lifted up an unsheathed paw and raked her claws deeply into one of Cloudkit's ears.

Cloudkit reared back, yowling in pain. Skykit snorted and said mockingly," What's wrong can't handle a little scratch from a runt like me?"

Cloudkit turned to look at her , fury etched into his face when all of a sudden Darkkit jumped out of nowhere in front Skykit and snarled at Cloudkit," You touch my sister and you die."

Skykit blinked and thought, he has been spending way too much time with Papa.

It was then that a very bubbly and hyper voice called from the opening of the den, "Heeeyy. Whatcha guys doin in here? How come Cloudkit's ear is torn? Why is there Shadowclan kits here? Can I come in? Well, actually, I can cause Momma said I could. She also said something about getting out of everyone's fur for a few minutes. I don't know what she was talking about but, oh ,well."

By now Cloudkit, Darkkit, and Skykit were staring blankly at a silver tabby she cat with sparkling blue green eyes who was around the same age as Darkkit and Skykit. Next to the hyper she cat was a brown and white tom cat ,who was about the same age as Cloudkit, that was glancing around warily with dark green eyes.

Cloudkit said arrogantly," Go back to your mom Leafkit. I don't need you to get attacked by these savage Shadowclan cats."

Skykit was still trying to comprehend what the kit called Leafkit had been yammering about.

The brown and white tabby tom looked at the two younger kits and said calmly, "Cloudkit their kits like us. What do you think their going to do to full grown warriors? Kitten eye them until they surrender?"

Cloudkit flicked his tail grouchily and snapped disdainfully, "Hawkkit, I don't need your useless advise about these Shadowclan scum."

Skykit tried angrily to stand up and pounce on Cloudbrain's back to box his ears, but a thunderbolt of pain shot up her shoulder as she tried to stand. Skykit yowled in agony.

All at once, a beautiful golden tabby she cat with dark brown tabby stripes and huge amber eyes appeared and snapped," What is going on in here?"

Leafkit padded forward and said brightly," Well…Cloudkit says I should leave the Shadowclan cats alone and to go back to Momma, Hawkkit says that they won't do anything except kitten eye the warriors until they surrender, Momma said that I can come in here, and also to stay out of everyone's fur for a few minutes. Which I have absolutely no idea what she's talking about. I have not bothered anyone-"Mothwing placed her bushy tail over Leafkit's mouth and said smoothly," Any kit that is not seriously injured please leave my den now."

With that Cloudkit , Hawkkit and Darkkit left. Leafkit sat down(completely ignoring Mothwing's order) looked at Skykit and asked curiously, "Who are you? My names Leafkit. I'm the daughter of Mistystar and Scarheart." Leafkit said the last part proudly.

Skykit responded calmly, "My names Skykit. Me and my brother Darkkit are Blackstar's kits."

Mothwing pushed Leafkit to the front of the den and said, "Go attack Scarheart and please stay far away from my den."

Leafkit blinked up at her and said," Okay, but I'm not sure if he'll like that," and then disappeared out of the den. Mothwing sighed in relief ,as if a great weight of stress had been lifted off of her shoulders.

Skykit blinked and asked ," Is she always like that?" Mothwing glanced at her and said," Pretty much."

Mothwing had just gone to sleep and Skykit was trying to get comfortable. The smells and sounds in Riverclan were unfamiliar to the comforting Shadowclan nursery. Skykit sighed and wished she hadn't left Shadowclan to go after the Riverclan patrol.

The sound of a twig snapping made Skykit lift up her head to gaze into a silver tabby face with sparkling blue green eyes.

Leafkit mewed excitedly," I snuck out of Mistystar's den to come and see you. Cause I think we could be good friends." Leafkit tipped her head to the side and asked," You don't mind being friends with me do you?"

Skykit stared at Leafkit. The silver tabby kit was maybe just a little bit larger than Skykit herself .Leafkit hyper, bubbly, appeared to be a bit dim witted, but for whatever reason Skykit wanted the she kit as a friend.

Skykit purred ,"Of course I'll be your friend." Leafkit was practically jumping up and down in excitement, "That's great! I'll sleep next to you tonight so that way you won't be so lonely."

Leafkit carefully climbed into Skykit's nest and curled up next to the blue gray she kit.

Sleepily Leafkit murmured," Goodnight, Skykit."

Skykit yawned,"Night Leafkit." Before Skykit was fully asleep she glanced at Leafkit's face and prayed to Starclan that their friendship would last forever. She had a feeling she was not going to regret her choice of a best friend.