Flashback
Squirrel growled as the Twolegs finally brought herback to the nest her and Jocelyn had started sharing. She felt a little relieved at least knowing that she could begin plotting against Bramblestar's mate Gemlight for ruining her life.
"There's many rogues in the Twolegplace here if you haven't noticed." Jocelyn meowed. "Getting a home with Twolegs is hard to come by."
"What's your point?!" Squirrel snarled indignantly.
"You shouldn't be sulking when you're in a secure home, being well-fed." Jocelyn replied. "Why are you sulking?"
"I didn't want to be a kittypet!" Squirrel cried. "I...I was a Clan cat. I was deputy even, but then a wretched kittypet and her friend joined the Clan. My pushover dad always let in kittypets, but I didn't oppose him as it didn't affect me too badly. I could still serve my Clan."
"But this kittypet Jessy was different, she actually wanted more than what was given to her spoiled paws." Squirrel growled. "She wanted the leader to be her's, and I wanted him back. Yes, we were mates long before this and then we split up-"
"Why'd you two split up then?" Jocelyn asked.
Squirrel's heart dropped. What should she tell her? That she raised her sister's kits and lied to Bramblestar that they were their own kits? That she had done such a terrible thing?
It hurt as she realized that Jayfeather was the only one left of Leafpool's kits, and even she was gone. She'd have to keep it vague when she tells Jocelyn, at least for now.
"Um, we argued too much." Squirrel lied. "But I always love him."
She hoped for Jocelyn to be endeared but instead the grey she-cat looked at her like she was crazy. Squirrel decided to leave and went through the cat door, hoping to gain allies in the rogues that roamed the Twolegplace.
She saw several cats roaming including a black and white she-cat holding a orange kit in her jaws.
"Excuse me?" Squirrel asked the cat. "What is your name?"
"Do you know Webster? I'm his sister, Debbie." The she-cat replied. "What brings you to Ziggy's area of Twolegplace?"
"I came to talk to him, I've been wanting allies to plan a vicious strike on one of the Clans in the forest." Squirrel explained. Debbie gave her a cautious look.
"Do you know how I had my kit Bruno here?" Debbie asked. "He's a wonderful kit, but he's the offspring of my own deal with Ziggy. I needed a place to stay after my Twolegs packed up and left, and Ziggy offered his at the expense of my..."
"Oh." Squirrel whispered. Maybe she should try to talk to another leader in the Twolegplace, but they must've demanded deeds be done for them too. "Well...I still want to talk to him."
"Oh, so you're a floozy too then." Debbie meowed. "Ziggy is napping near the fourth Twoleg home down."
"Thank you." Squirrel blushed at what the mother had said, that a toy for toms is what she was becoming. She told herself that it was for a good cause before she took off in search of the tom.
Present
It had been two moons since the incident, and now Stumpykit was becoming an apprentice along with her siblings and her cousins.
Blizzardpaw had never seen Hollypaw and Sorrelpaw happier and she realized it was because they could continue something they've missed for quite some time, training to be warriors. She had heard that they were knocked up by a tom that was banished from ThunderClan after the deed.
And then I heard their father is dead, and my Mom was mates with our leader...and he is my father. What the heck happened then?
And Gemlight had broke up with Stormcloud after the Gathering Blizzardpaw had found out Bramblestar was her father. She never felt so upset at her mother, and Twigpaw and Goldenpaw were happy that he was their father.
I'll show them, Stormcloud has raised us wonderfully and I won't take it for granted.
Blizzardpaw had been very attentive to the heartbroken tom and even still called him her Dad. He thought she was only doing it out of pity, but she reassured him that he would always be her father.
After all, the only other cat that helped Stormcloud back on his paws was Milkpool, who was a very generous warrior. Even though Blizzardpaw heard she was a pretty rotten apprentice.
Silverpaw had made a smooth recovery as well much to Briarlight's frustration, eagerly following her sister and brother to the ceremony Bramblestar was holding.
Bramblestar looked at his firstborn daughter, knowing that she was the only kit having a tough time with the news. He flicked his tail gesturing her to come forth and her hackles raised in anger.
I'd have to listen to him, he's my leader.
Blizzardpaw smiled at the five kits anticipating to become apprentices, Stumpykit especially. And she knew it was because she had a extreme crush on Twigpaw.
"We are here for a wonderful moment, where Hollypaw and Sorrelpaw will resume their training and their kits will become apprentices as well." Bramblestar announced. "Patchkit, come forth."
The black and white tom was renamed Patchpaw and given Dewshade as his mentor, Rubblepaw was given to Pebbleflank, and then Lionesspaw was given to Milkpool.
"Stumpykit, you are now Stumpypaw. Squirrelflight, hopefully you won't take this second chance for granted." Bramblestar almost growled.
"Thank you so much Brambly!" Squirrelflight pretended to gush and gave a loud purr, to which many cats rolled their eyes. Stumpypaw trotted over to her and touched noses with her and looked at Twigpaw with hardly contained excitement.
"Graykit, you are now Graypaw. I wish to give you to a wonderful she-cat that hasn't had the honor of mentoring yet. Gemlight, I hope you learn the joys of being a mentor and be happier than you've ever been." Bramblestar purred.
Squirrelflight's ears flattened and she lashed her tail in obvious anger and backed away into the crowd.
"And...Brackenfur, do understand where I'm coming from. But I wish to make Gemlight deputy again, after all her kits are apprentices now." Bramblestar announced.
"Um, I'd be honored leader." Gemlight meowed, looking away shyly.
The news received mixed reactions as cats like Ivypool and Millie looked pleased while a lot of other cats like Spiderleg didn't take it well.
Squirrelflight's reaction was in a category of it's own: she was livid.
Twigpaw and Goldenpaw looked like they were going to burst into happiness at the prospect of their parents leading side by side again, but Blizzardpaw made her hostile reaction obvious.
Bramblestar's tail fell and Blizzardpaw felt satisfied, but still needed to cool off outside of camp.
She sighed and walked past all the ThunderClan cats and outside of camp, enjoying the wonderful silence that never gave her bad news. It only gave her peace that she had never be able to have in camp for the past two moons.
She sprawled out under a tree and relaxed to the sound of birds and didn't know how long she was there till she scented a cat coming near: it was Squirrelflight.
"Oh? Hey Squirrelflight." Blizzardpaw meowed. "You seemed upset that Gemlight-"
Squirrelflight growled over her and Blizzardpaw got up, but Squirrelflight was quicker. The orange she-cat leaped and slashed her claws down Blizzardpaw's back, and knocked her head with one strong paw.
Blizzardpaw was not prepared at all and didn't even try to keep herself from falling over, and instantly gave in when Squirrelflight stood over her and sank her claws into the white she-cat's shoulders, her eyes showing that she wanted to savor this.
But Blizzardpaw had no idea why she was going to kill her.
"Why...?" Blizzardpaw whispered.
Squirrelflight's eyes widened as she realized Blizzardpaw wasn't fighting for her life, and that she wanted to die. All the savoring she was enjoying swept away and she felt nervous in her own fur.
"You...don't care if I kill you..." Squirrelflight finally said. "What happened?"
"Stormcloud...I wish he was my father." Blizzardpaw whimpered. "But no, it had to be that stupid smug leader Bramblestar. Things have been meaningless ever since, everything I knew was a lie."
Squirrelflight lifted her paws off Blizzardpaw but the apprentice put her paw on Squirrelflight's.
"No, please kill me." Blizzardpaw sighed. "Please."
Squirrelflight couldn't handle anymore of her tearful begging and sliced her neck while looking away, she felt waves of guilt wash over her as she dragged Blizzardpaw's body towards the lake.
This was not at all what I had planned! She was supposed to beg for her life, and I was supposed to go on about my troubles! Losing my Brambly! But no, none of that mattered to her. She didn't want that handsome tom as her father, she wanted to be dead...
Squirrelflight never thought she'd feel this guilty during her first murder, she thought she would be proud and smug keeping the secret that she killed Gemlight's kit. But for the first time, it crossed her mind that this might not be the way.
She shook off the thought and dropped Blizzardpaw's corpse in the lake.
