Hello all!

Sorry about this chapter, it's a little shorter than usual. I was going to add in more, but if I wanted to upload it today I'm afraid it's going to have to stay on the shorter side.

On a more positive note, I'm happy to say this story has reached 50 reviews! -hugs all- Thank you so much for all your support, it really means a lot!

QLKwriter: Yeah, that's basically what happens in the books... though of course Ravenkit and Rowankit wouldn't know about that. If they did I'd have to have some words with them about breaking the fourth wall.

Leopardstar: For a moment I thought you were suggesting Toby killed them. XD That would've been pretty dark...

Shadow: I'm trying to update this in the morning so maybe you can have the same experience. ^^ It's probably too late by now though. I'm glad it made your morning better!

Cosmicjade: Hmm, yeah that probably wouldn't have happened to all four kits at once. I've never heard of something like that happening before!

SK: It's fine! ^^ I don't mind if you miss a review or something. That would be pretty plausible.

SoWW: 50th review! :D -extra hug- Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the stories, I'll try to put in a couple more in the future, maybe. :3

Willow: It's fine! :) I actually enjoy late reviews, they remind me to write and update faster.

Claws dug into my tail and I whipped around, spitting angrily. Of course I'd forgotten to defend my hindquarters; I always forgot.

Rowankit's dark green eyes laughed up at me as he rolled, dragging my tail with him and pulling me off balance. I staggered backwards and tried to sit on him, but missed.

"Okay, okay, enough," Toby chortled. He glanced at Thalia, who sat beside him along the edge of the alleyway, her features partially hidden in a stripe of shadow. "What did you think?"

Thalia waited as Rowankit released my tail and I wrapped it quickly around my hindquarters, out of harm's way. "You were creative, I'll give you that," she said brusquely. "However, you were both slow and clumsy. You need to work more on precision."

"They're kits!" Toby protested, swiftly coming to our defense. "How are they supposed to have any sort of coordination yet?"

I wasn't sure which side to take. Toby was right; no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop tripping over my paws and I still had trouble aiming at moving targets. But as much as I wanted to wallow in self-pity forever, I knew I enjoyed fighting. That rush of adrenaline I felt when Rowankit grabbed my tail heightened my senses, turning my vision clearer, sharper, and sent blood rushing through my body faster than a speeding car, as though it wanted to burst free and drown my opponent in a wave of scarlet saltiness. I wanted to practice and practice until I was the best fighter in the world, and Thalia could help me accomplish that.

Rowankit didn't seem torn at all. "Yeah, I can't seem to move as quickly as you say I should. It's like… it's like my fur's drenched from a rainstorm or something." He bit his lip. "I… I wish I could be faster, but I don't know how!"

"Then we practice and get fast, silly!" I cuffed him playfully around the ear and he jerked away, growling in retaliation. He crouched, wiggling his haunches as he prepared to leap.

"No!" Thalia called, stalking forward. "Rowankit, quit wriggling around like that. Now Ravenkit knows you're about to leap on her. The trick of battle is surprise."

The trick of battle is surprise, I repeated, trying to engrave it into my memory. Surprise… surprise…

"But I was just playing!" Rowankit grumbled, pouting at the dusty ground. "I wasn't practicing my fighting moves!"

"You need to always practice your fighting moves," Thalia insisted. "Do you know how many cats are killed in this place every moon? You're lucky to have made it to two moons!"

"Two and a half," I corrected her, though keeping my voice soft so she wouldn't turn her frustration on me.

"What would you do if…" she broke off momentarily, coughing. As soon as she recovered, she fixed Rowankit in her glare again. "What would you do if some rogue attacked you?" she challenged him.

"I'd…" He quailed under her flaming stare. "I'd, um… run?"

"And so you should," Toby meowed, coming up behind Thalia and casting a worried glance her way. "Thalia, are you sure you don't need something? You've been coughing like that for at least a quarter moon. I'm sure my housefolk—"

"I'm fine," Thalia huffed.

Toby gave her a hard, calculating stare before glancing down at Rowankit again. "You're only two moons old, there's no way you'd be able to fight a fully grown cat yet. They'd kill you in about three heartbeats. Until you're older and Thalia or I say you're ready, you're not allowed to get involved in a real fight. That goes for you too, Ravenkit," he added, glancing over at me, his eyes lighting up with amusement at my crestfallen expression. "No fighting allowed."

"But… but we can still play-fight, right?" I burst out.

Toby laughed. "Play-fighting isn't real fighting, so yes, play-fighting is allowed."

"Good." I grinned at Rowankit as he crouched, ready to pounce again, though with a half-glance at Thalia he stilled his waggling haunches. I mirrored him, preparing for his attack.

Rowankit leaped and I dove out of the way, Thalia's earlier instruction coming back to me. But as I dodged, my forepaw couldn't quite make it over the top of a stone and I almost fell, catching myself at the last minute and somehow staying on my feet. My distraction gave Rowankit enough time to recover from his failed attack, however, and he leaped onto my back before I had a chance to turn around.

"Roll!" Thalia called. I immediately dropped to the ground and pushed myself onto my back. Rowankit couldn't get free in time and was squashed beneath me, the breath huffing out of his lungs, rushing past my ear. Oh, that's a cool move! I grinned, but worry for Rowankit's breathing ability forced me to release him, rolling back onto my paws and letting him suck in a breath. Before he could push himself upright, I planted my paws on his side and held him there with my body weight.

"I won!" I crowed, grinning down at Rowankit.

"Good job, Ravenkit!" Toby congratulated me, stepping forward. "Rowankit, do you think you can get out of her hold?"

Rowankit struggled to find his paws. I leaned onto him, doing my utmost to keep him down. Finally, he gave up, coughing a little under my weight. I quickly released some pressure, though not enough to let him up. "Nope," he groaned.

"This is the standard pin," Toby explained. "One paw on the shoulder and the other on the ribcage effectively holds a cat in a helpless position and names a victor."

I hastily adjusted my paws. "Bam! I'm the victor!" I let out a triumphant yowl, leaping into the air and prancing around Rowankit as he pushed himself into a sitting position, laughing as I saw the dust caking his fur.

"Now Ravenkit, what would you do if you were caught in that hold?"

I grew quiet, thinking. While pinning him, I'd fought to keep him down. My mind was filled with different ways of keeping him pinned, but I couldn't think of a single way for him to get free. Finally, I shrugged. "I… I'm not sure."

"Rowankit?"

Rowankit didn't take any time for deliberation before immediately shaking his head. "No. I could not get out of that thing."

Toby's eyes gleamed. "There is a way, though it's probably not what you were thinking. Thalia, can you help me show them?" He turned to our foster mother, who shrugged and nodded.

"Fine. As long as they pay attention." She shot us a meaningful look as she moved to stand beside Toby. "But I'm not getting pinned, mind. It was your idea."

Toby chuckled as he settled himself on the ground. "Very well, your Majesty."

Thalia playfully smacked his nose before pinning him. "As you see, I'm pinning him just as Ravenkit pinned Rowankit." She glanced over at us. Watch carefully."

I leaned forward, letting my tail hang in the air behind me to keep me from toppling forward onto my nose. For a moment, Toby didn't move. Then, all of a sudden, he started struggling. I watched each flailing paw, memorized the way his claws dug into the dust and the patterns of his writhing tail. But after several long moments, he still seemed to be trapped. Had something gone wrong?

Confused, I watched as he collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. Did it work? A triumphant grin flashed across Thalia's face and for a heartbeat I saw her claws flex, her hold weaken in her moment of victory. Suddenly, I understood.

Propelling himself upward from pawholds found in the cracks between the stones, Toby pushed Thalia off, reversing their positions and pressing her into the ground instead, his paws firmly holding her down.

"Okay, that's enough, they get the idea," Thalia muttered, and Toby released her. She pushed a paw at his chest in retaliation as she stood and shook out her dusty fur. "No need to use such f—" She began coughing again.

Toby watched her worriedly as she tried to recover twice, failing both times. "Are you okay? We can go back to my housef—"

"It's just the dust," Thalia meowed between coughs. Finally, she was able to quieten herself, looking up at her mate. "Honest, I'm fine."

"I still think you should come back with me tonight," Toby insisted. "What if you have another attack like that in the middle of the night and need help? The kits won't know what to do."

Thalia rolled her eyes, but sighed all the same. "Oh, fine."

Toby pressed his muzzle against her neck fur. "Thank you," he smiled. "I just worry about you, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah." Thalia glanced down at us. "You two saw what Toby did there?"

Rowankit and I nodded. "He went limp, like he was defeated, but then tricked you and pinned you down instead!" I exclaimed, almost bouncing into the air but restraining myself. Real cats didn't bounce.

"But isn't that… isn't that dishonest?" Rowankit asked uncertainly, looking from me to Toby.

"The Twolegplace is dishonesty," Thalia meowed. "Barely anyone tells the truth. It's how we're able to survive."

"Have you ever lied?" I asked.

"Oh yes, many times," Thalia shrugged. "It's how Toby and I have lived this long. Well, how I lived this long. Toby's housefolk protect him even if he tells the truth."

"How does telling lies help you survive?" Rowankit asked, confused.

"If you tell another cat the truth you open yourself up to them," Thalia explained. "You start to trust them. Cats only trust outsiders if they have a death wish, believe me. The second you turn your back they'll attack."

I blinked. Rowankit's eyes grew huge. "B… but…" he stumbled. "But… h-how do I know… to trust anyone? How do I know to trust… you?"

Thalia smiled. "Well, Toby and I did raise you. If we wanted you dead we'd have left you on a Thunderpath when you were a moon old. And you can trust each other; siblings are your best ally in this world. You know the other will always have your back."

I glanced at Rowankit. That sounded a lot like what Wasco and Asteria had told us. It seemed to be a common theme here; maybe it was true?

"Okay…" Rowankit said slowly. "But… what about the cats at the Enclave? They seemed nice enough."

Thalia sighed. "Honestly, when will you two drop that? It's been over a quarter moon!" She sighed. "The Enclave is exactly what I was talking about. Those cats appear friendly enough, sure, but in reality they're probably the worst bunch of traitors you've ever met. There's a reason you don't see them sharing tongues or lounging around, completely at ease with the world. You saw the way they all acted suspicious of others. It's because they expect others will be like themselves; traitorous and deceitful."

Rowankit shook his head faintly from side to side, unfocused eyes staring downward. I thought I knew what was going on inside his head, as the same thing circled in mine: But that doesn't make sense. They all seemed so kind, so friendly! But then again, it did make sense. Maybe they were just building up our trust so we'd spill our secrets to them, and then they'd turn around and attack us.

"Now, weren't we practicing our fighting moves?" Thalia asked, impatiently twitching her tail. I nodded and blinked away my thoughts. It was time to train.

I grumpily opened my eyes to see, yet again, a shadowy world, with only faint traces of flat, artificial light reflecting off the metal cans. For a moment, I considered trying Thalia's advice again: Roll over and go back to sleep. Except that only worked if you woke up in the middle of the night, not if you couldn't sleep at all. Besides, I'd lost count of the number of times I'd rolled over already; it obviously wasn't working too well.

Rowankit slept curled up with his back to one of the cans. I stared at him jealously for a moment, wondering how he could sleep so easily tonight. Maybe he'd been more worn out than me; Thalia had pushed him much harder than me that afternoon, trying endlessly to get him to master the Throat Kick. I'd gotten it in about three tries.

I hesitated a moment, wondering if I should really wake him up. But I was bored and my adrenaline was still up from earlier today and this was the first time Thalia had left us alone since our trip to the Enclave. It was time for an adventure.

It took five pokes to get Rowankit to open his eyes. With much grumbling, he finally lifted his head and yawned widely, his eyes still half closed and gummed with sleep. "Wha…?" he asked halfheartedly, yawning again.

I forced myself not to yawn, too. "Let's go on an adventure!" I insisted, kicking a rag at him. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"I'm… I'm tired!" Rowankit sleepily protested, ignoring the rag lying across his ear and letting his head fall back down again.

I was determined not to let this chance get away from me. "I'm going," I grinned. "I don't know about you…"

"Hey, not fair!" Rowankit grumbled. My heartbeat quickened when I heard him talking in a more normal voice.

"The city isn't fair," I shrugged, getting to my paws and making as though I was about to pad out of our den. "I guess I'm just a typical city cat, yeah?"

Rowankit pushed himself into a sitting position, yawning widely again and shaking off the rag. "Ugh. Fine." He glared at me a moment before quickly washing his face and getting to his paws. "Okay. I'm ready, I guess."

"Great!" I bounded into the alleyway.

Rowankit caught up with me. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"The Enclave," I said.

Rowankit stopped as though he'd run into a fence. "What?"

I turned, looking over my shoulder. "What?"

"That's what I asked you."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay… why did you say 'what'?"

"Didn't you hear what Thalia said this afternoon? The Enclave cats are going to… to attack us as soon as we turn our backs!"

"Then let's just not turn our backs," I suggested. "We can walk around with one of us facing forward and the other facing backward. We can wrap our tails around each other's."

"This isn't a joke, Ravenkit."

"Really? Are you sure? Are you absolutely, positively sure?" After noticing his expression, I sighed. "Okay, fine." Padding back toward him, I meowed, "We don't have to tell them anything. But I want to look around, see what life is like there. If we want to stay in the city after we turn six moons old, we should figure out what staying here would mean for us. You know, where we would sleep and where we'd get food and water and all."

Rowankit bit his lip. "I… I don't know. I just… I don't want to be around them. It's dangerous to go back; they could attack either one of us at any moment!"

"Rowankit," I rolled my eyes, "the city is dangerous. Our whole lives are dangerous! What difference does it make if we stay here or go to the Enclave?"

"But who would we see? We haven't grown up around any of them, so how do we know who to trust?"

"I bet we can trust Shaq. He basically raised us during our first moon, remember? Thalia said so in her story. If he wanted to kill us he could have done so then and just blamed it on that mentally deranged she-cat."

Rowankit appeared to consider my claim for a moment, then sighed. "Oh… fine."

I grinned. "So you're willing to go?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Great!" I spun around and began bounding along the alley again. Adrenaline began forming again, spreading from my paws up my legs into the rest of my body. We're going on an adventure!

It's their second adventure, I believe. :) Fingers crossed it won't turn out as badly as the other one did!

AOTD: This would be a spoiler so... ^^;

QOTD: What do you think is going to happen during their adventure?