Long chapter today! You're welcome.


Third pov

"Uh, having this chat is nice and all, but it sounds like the fight is stopping," Puffkit says. The six kits all stop and listen, just noticing the yowls have started to become quieter and less frequent and whimpers could be heard.

Deadkit turns to Fluffkit, Puffkit, and Whitekit. "C'mon. Let's head back." Then he turns to Skykit and Badgerkit. "Good luck getting back to your camp, but we better head back too. My dad will go insane if I'm not there," he says. Then he turns and jumps through the ferns, the other three following one by one.

"You are so lucky I ran into them when they were following you and the fox. Do you have any idea how hurt we could've gotten?," Badgerkit asks.

"I know. I know. Let's just head back before the clan gets back to camp or someone notices we're gone," Skykit says.

"Pinefoot? Where are you going?," a sudden voice asks.

"I thought I heard Skykit," Pinefoot's voice says. Skykit and Badgerkit look at each other and then run in the direction of the camp.

Pinefoot's head appears from behind a tree, the rest of the cats padding back to camp a ways off, and looks around. Once he sees nothing he turns and runs back to the group.

A bit of a ways off, Skykit and Badgerkit continue to swerve around trees. They get to the camp and sneak through the small gap they found in the back that is right next to the nursery. They go around the wall and settle into their nests, and only a minute later Featherstep looks through.

"They're in here!," she shouts, relief in hee voice, and the two kits stir, pretending to be woken up. "Where have you two been? We've all been worried sick!"

"Well, we were hiding in the bushes surrounding the camp to work on our stalking skills. Then we got tired and came in here," Skykit lies.

Badgerkit glares at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Yeah. Right. That's what we were doing," she says, then looking at the queen with big and innocent eyes.

"Could you tell us next time? Everyone thought you left the camp."

"But if we told you we wouldn't know how good we were," Skykit says.

"You could've told one of us and stalked another cat. We worry. Ease our minds from now on, please," Featherstep says, licking the top of his head. He nods.

"Everyone is back!"


"Oh Firetail! Are you okay?," Spottedfern asks, running up to her littermate. Deadkit watches with the other kits, them all having made it back before the battle patrol came back.

"I'll be fine," Firetail says, his tail flicking. He looks around and sees Deadkit, and then looks back at Spottedfern. "I'd like to speak to my kit. Alone."

"Oh. Of course. Deadkit! Come here please!," she yells. Deadkit freezes, looking at his father and his sister and then back at the other kits.

"Go Deadkit. Whatever Firetail says, we'll be here," Needlekit says. Deadkit nods, standing and turning back to Firetail and Spottedfern.

"Coming," he says, padding over. "What is it?"

Firetail looks as Spottedfern, who gets the message and pads away to their last literate, Whiteblaze. Firetail flicks his tail again, then turns and pads toward the entrance. "Come with me," he says over his shoulder.

Deadkit looks back at all of his friends before running after his father.


"I'm not supposed to be outside of the camp," Deadkit says nervously. He gives a huff of amusement before turning around and looking at his kit.

"Funny to hear you say that. By the way. Where did the fox fur in your front claws come from?," he asks, knowing the answer already.

"Sorry," Deadkit says.

"You know you can't leave the camp. You could've gotten hurt."

"Not like you would care," Deadkit mumbles, looking at the ground and sitting down. Firetail sighs and sits next to him.

"Deadkit. I do care about you. I haven't talked to you because... well, something happened and I didn't want to make it worse. It's not because I don't care about you."

"Then why'd you leave me to be comforted by the other queens when Frostpelt disappeared?! If you cared you wouldve been there!," Deadkit shouts, jumping up and turning his body to his father

"I was hurting too, you know. She was my mate," Firetail sighs.

"I just miss her," Deadkit says, turning back and sitting down with a thump. Firetail pulls Deadkit closer with his blazing orange tail and sighs.

"I do too. Let's face it together, okay? I'm tired of not talking to you. I want to change that, but only if you'll let me," he says. Deadkit nods.

"In other news, my torn claw is killing me, so after I get it treated how about you and I settle down for a meal?," Firetail asks.

"Sure!," Deadkit says. "I'll race you back to camp!" He jumps up and starts running, and Firetail chuckles and runs after him.


"Blackspot. For the last time. Stop trying to jump from the flimsy branches of the trees," Lilystream sighs. Blackspot, Mousebelly, and Hailstorm just got back from a hunting patrol, and the medicine cat noticed Blackspot's limp immediately.

"I had to get that squirrel though. It was the fattest one I've ever seen!," he says.

"And you'll be getting fat if you don't stop hurting yourself. You need to think about the physical health of the clan and more than just whether we're hungry or not. "What use would you be if we were attacked and you couldn't help?"

"Hey. Kits can't help either!," Russetkit hisses from where he was watching with the other kits and queens, and they look over.

"This doesn't involve you, Russetkit," Dusklight says, pulling him closer with a paw. He looks up at her.

"But it's true! Kits aren't allowed to fight, no matter what. When was the last time kits helped with anything? Oh yeah. Never!"

"Hush. In one moon you'll be an apprentice and can help in battles all you want as long as you're chosen to be. Until then, you'll have to wait with the rest of us."

Russetkit huffs, annoyed, and stalks into the nursery. Pitchfur sighs and follows him.

"Russetkit. You need to stop this. Thunderclan cats don't complain about the smallest things. They are patient, and know when to do what," she says. Russetkit looks at her.

"That doesn't mean I have to be happy about it," he says, turning around again and laying down in his nest.

"At least try to hide it."

"What? Like Moonkit is half of the time? I'd rather be open with my feelings, thank you very much."

"Russetkit!," Dusklight hisses from outside. "If you don't stop this you are going to help with the elders until you become an apprentice. It's one thing that you complain, but I will not stand for you saying bad things behind cat's backs."

"Fine," he says, laying his head down. Pitchfur sighs and pads out of the nursery, and sees Dusklight standing there.

"I'm sorry about him. I don't know what got up his fur," she says, leaning forward to look inside before walking back over to the rest of the kits with Pitchfur. Pitchfur sighs.

"Not anything you did. His mentor is gonna have a pawfull though," she says. "I still can't believe all the kits are going to be apprentices in one moon."

"It's gone by fast," Dusklight says, watching Ravenkit and Redkit chase Moonkit and Nightkit around the clearing. The two being chased run behind Toadstep who was talking to Hazelstream and Molefur and hide. Ravenkit and Redkit run over and look around.

"Did you see where Moonkit and Nightkit went? We are playing chase and attack," Redkit asks.

"Sorry you two. I have no clue where those two went," he says. Nightkit laughs from behind him and Ravenkit runs around the elder, pouncing on Moonkit.

"I got you! I won!," Ravenkit yells.

"Not yet," Nightkit says, running away from the littermates and her sister. Redkit launches herself after Nightkit, ending up running into her and they roll into Jayfeather, who was dozing outside of the elders den.

"What do you two think you are doing?," Jayfeather asks, his blind blue eyes opening.

"We're playing a game! And Ravenkit and I won!," Redkit says. Then she squeals as she gets picked up by Dusklight.

"I'm sorry Jayfeather. I'll bring these two back to the nursery," she says.

"I may be old and may have saved the clans, but that doesn't mean that I can't be bothered. It's fine," he rasps. "Let them play together, while they still can."

Dusklight sees the grief in his blind eyes and sets Redkit down. "Just call out if they ever become too much."

Dusklight pads off, and Seedstar sighs, having seen the whole ordeal from the foot of the highledge. Lilystream pads up to her as Dusklight reaches Pitchfur again and sits next to her.

"You seem troubled," Lilystream says. Seedstar shakes her head.

"I'm fine. Just... watching Jayfeather and the kits reminded me of him and Lionblaze," she says.

"Lionblaze was a great deputy."

Seedstar nods. "Yes. He was. But so is Dewfrost. I just wish he could have lived to be an elder with his brother," she sighs.

"It is sad, but the greencough was too much. He was an old cat already, and with that wound he wasn't strong enough," Lilystream says.

"Squirrelflight passed just like Lionblaze, remember?," Seedstar asks, looking at the darkening sky. "Large battle, and then greencough."

"Yes. Jayfeather was silent for days," Lilystream recalls. Then she looks up at Seedstar. "But you were a good choice for deputy under Bramblestar's rule. I remember the shock you went through."

"That's true. I had just gotten my first apprentice, a season cycle after being named Seedbright as a warrior," Seedstar says. "Bramblestar was on his sixth life."

"The blizzard was his downfall," Lilystream remembers.

"Yes. I still feel guilty for letting him go out to hunt that night. He was far too weak from his wound."

"He was the clan leader, and could choose what he wanted to do. He may have fallen into the lake since he couldn't see where he was going and couldn't keep his grip on the ground, but he is with his mate and his family now. That's what we need to remember the most."

"Yes. Same thing for Lionblaze, Bumblestripe, our parents, everyone," Seedstar says. Lilystream nods, then standing again.

"I need to go make sure Blackspot is resting his leg. I'll see you later," she says, padding away.

Seedstar continues sitting there as the sky changes from blue to black and filled with stars, watching the warriors come back to camp and eat before going to the warriors den to sleep, as well as the elders, queens, and kits. When only a few warriors remain in the clearing, she looks up the hollow and through the branches of he trees, seeing the stars twinkling.

'I hope I'm doing you all proud,' she sighs, then lifts her chin more and closes her eyes as an odd wind goes through the camp.

'Sometimes, peace is unable to reach until there is a change.'

Seedstar opens her eyes, immediately recognizing the prophecy that was just shared with her. 'I'll tell Lilystream in the morning,' she tells herself. 'For now, it is time to rest.'

The leader stands, making her way up to her den and looking up at the star-filled sky one more time before entering her den, her pale ginger tail disappearing in the darkness.


I went just slightly overboard this chapter. But I hope you liked it!

I always thought that Seedkit would be named Seedbright as a warrior. I thought of the name a few years ago and it stuck.

Btw, I literally just thought of something while writing that last sentence. Did you want this entire plotline to be a small series or just one book? I have a spot it can end off at, and can think of a few more along the plotline. Let's call that the chapter challenge.

I also wanna say that I love the father-son thing between Deadkit and Firetail :D

Hope you liked the chapter. Bye!

Ttyl

-TheRealDigiGal