Devastated

Stormfur licked the ThunderClan scent off of Flamekit's pelt thoroughly before looking back up to Squirrelflight. He let out a surprise mew as he realized she left already. Gently, he picked up Flamekit and carried him towards RiverClan camp. What will I say? He thought sadly. I can't just say it's my kit! Leopardstar will want to know who his mother is. Holding back a frustrated hiss he put one paw into the river that surrounded camp and slipped in, careful not to get the kit's head wet.

As Flamekit's paws drifted in the water he let out a terrified high-pitch wail. Stormfur raised his head higher but Flamekit still let out sharp cries.

"What's going on?" Mistyfoot stuck her head out of the camp entrance. Her eyes widened when she saw the ginger kit, but they quickly softened as it yowled out again. "Where did you get it?"

Stormfur's ears fell back, he hoped he could slip in with the kit and go straight to Leopardstar. Once he crossed the river and set the kit, he answered, "In the forest."

Mistyfoot looked over him for a moment as if she didn't believe him but she turned around and headed back inside, flicking her tail for him to follow. Stormfur picked up the shivering kit and followed after her. "I'll tell Leopardstar," Mistyfoot mewed. "You see if a queen will care for it."

Padding towards the nursery, he wondered if any queen would care for the poor scarp. As he slid into the nursery, Flamekit still mewling pitifully, Mosspelt looked up. Her eyes looked as big as moons as she asked, "Where did you get that?"

Stormfur set Flamekit down, wondering if he should tell her the truth. She was the only queen now that Dawnflower's kits became apprentices, so she would have to be his foster mother. "Well, he is my son." Mosspelt pricked her ears but said nothing. "And his mother is Squirrelflight from ThunderClan."

Mosspelt's pelt bristled with anger as she hissed, "A ThunderClan cat! You're half RiverClan and ThunderClan and she's half kittypet and ThunderClan! This kit is Half-Clan, mostly ThunderClan."

Taken aback by her hash words, Stormfur held his tongue. However, she was done talking. "Please," Stormfur meowed at last. "Don't tell."

Mosspelt glared at him but her eyes betrayed a sense of softness as she murmured, "I won't. I will take him in as my kit but when you are ready and when he is ready. I expect you to tell him that you are his father and Squirrelflight is his mother."

"Thank you!" Stormfur yowled, his heart lifted with happiness. "I will give you extra fresh-kill every day! His name is Flamekit too." Mosspelt nudged the kit closer to her but said nothing.

xoxoxo

Squirrelflight took a sad, deep breath before she dashed through the entrance of camp. "My kit!" she yowled with a heavy heart. "Where is Flamekit?"

Firestar heard her and ran up to meet her, giving her a comforting nudge. "Brambleclaw, Cloudtail, Dustpelt, and Birchpaw check the camp," he yowled. "Ashfur, Rainwhisker, Thornclaw, and Spiderpaw check outside of camp." Squirrelflight left Firestar and dashed back to the nursery to check on Rainkit. She was curled up and sleeping next to Sorreltail, who was asleep too. Brambleclaw made her jump.

"Come on," he mewed. "Tell me what happened." Squirrelflight nodded and told Brambleclaw very quickly that she has given up Flamekit to Stormfur. Once, she had told Brambleclaw, he nodded quickly before he slipped back out to search for the kit he knew they would never find.

xoxoxo

Four moons after Flamekit's disappearance, the Clan was back on their feet. The loss of Flamekit devastated Firestar but there was nothing Squirrelflight could do. Rainkit was playing with Squirrelflight's tail again but Squirrelflight was feeling tried. "Rainkit," Squirrelflight purred. "Why don't you see if the elders will tell you a story?"

Rainkit stop and dashed off toward the elders' den without saying a word. Rainkit's favorite think to do was to listen to the elders talk about the old forest and the Great Journey. Squirrelflight curled up in her nest and drifted into an uneasy sleep. Her dream was filled with battle. Cats fighting, snarling, and killing. Squirrelflight saw Firestar leap at Hawkfrost. Brambleclaw chasing a RiverClan tom. Then she saw Rainkit, a fully grown warrior, her gray pelt had turned silver under the moonlight. Flamekit was fully grown too, chasing out a ThunderClan warrior Squirrelflight couldn't recognize.

Fear gripped her throat as Rainkit let out a shriek and leaped onto Flamekit, ripping her claws down his back. "Rainkit!" Squirrelflight yowled as she dashed forward desperate to stop the two cats.

She woke up to find herself in the nursery, lying on her side with Rainkit not far away sleeping. Squirrelflight sighed when she realized it was a dream. But what if it comes true? That answer Squirrelflight didn't want to know.