The last chapter was supposed to be chapter 1, this is chapter 2 xD Sorry for the confusion!

Chapter 2: Lightstar's kits

Black ominous shadows were everywhere, covering the terrain for as far as the eye could see. She struggled to escape, escape the invisible force that threatened to swallow her whole and kill every piece of good inside of her. It wanted to rip her apart until she became completely submissive to it. It was…The Haunter. It was back again. It was going to...

Vibrant green eyes flashed with fear as they opened to observe the waking world. A diminutive female feline huddled before a mossy nest layered with feathers and other natural nesting materials. She let out gasps of breath as she came to realize her nightmare had only been so. She collected herself together and stood, shaking out her fur. She glanced around the crowded nursery and then stumbled outside. The sun was shining and it was already past sunhigh. She wondered how long she had been sleeping. The ruddy kitten glanced around and then advanced forward, her stomach growling. She was about to head to the Fresh-kill pile when she was attacked by a flash of golden fur. She squealed with surprise and then glanced up into the amber eyes of her littermate.

"Gotcha, Rootkit!" the she-cat growled playfully, her chest inflated with satisfaction. Rootkit struggled to throw her sister off but to no avail. Every kit was stronger than she and Rootkit despised it. Just because she had been born a runt it wasn't fair for her to be smaller and weaker than anyone!

"Get off, Maplekit," Rootkit whimpered, using her past knowledge to sugar coat her sister. She knew Maplekit couldn't stand that desperate little face Rootkit made. Her charms were probably her only advantage on others, besides her smallness. Maplekit sighed and let her up. Rootkit thought about jumping at her this time but thought better of it. Maplekit suddenly flanked her and the two walked off together, swinging their tails. Even if Maplekit was a pain sometimes she was a good sister.

"Where's Oakkit?" she suddenly asked, glancing around for the dark mahogany tom.

"He's watching Crowpaw and Rabbitpaw show them some battle moves. They think they're all that just because they're dumb apprentices!" Maplekit grumbled. "We'll be apprentices soon enough!"

"Apprentices aren't dumb, and I'm glad we don't have to be them now," Rootkit mumbled under her breath. Maplekit caught her words and looked at her sympathetically.

"I know you think you're not good enough but trust me, you'll be great!" she promised.

"No I won't! Do you see everyone else? I'm too small to do anything! I'll probably get my apprentice ceremony pushed back because I'm too small," Rootkit sighed as she trotted away. She hated being small. No one understood her! Gingerflame kept Rootkit from playing with the others most of the time because she said that Rootkit wasn't strong enough to play with them. The thought made her frown sadly. Suddenly she got a mouthful of fur and she let out a squeal. She jumped back in shock and glanced up at a large tom kit. His silky tangerine fur glistened in the sunlight and his sage green eyes shone with kindness as he glanced down at her.

"Oh. Hello! My bad," he snickered, holding a paw up to his chest. "You're Rootkit, right? I see your brother and sister all of the time, how come you don't play?" he asked. "Oh, and I'm Sedgekit!"

Rootkit gathered herself together and stood as tall as she could, but she knew she could never intimidate this large tom. "Yeah, that's me. I don't play because Gingerflame says I'm not strong enough to play," she hissed slightly, her brows furrowing in disapproval as she once more thought of her conceited mother.

"Oh, well that's not nice," he rasped with a slight frown. "Well, you'll be strong someday. You're just a little brown mouse right now," he chuckled, ruffling up her hair fur with a paw. Rootkit jumped back a little.

"I'm not a mouse, flea-brain," she teased. Suddenly both heads turned as the sound of a yowl came from across the clearing.

"Not like that, mouse-brain!"

Rootkit followed Sedgekit over to where Crowpaw and Rabbitpaw stood. Crowpaw was bristling while Rabbitpaw and another kit stood giggling. Sedgekit leaned in towards her and pointed at the other kit.

"That's my littermate, Heatherkit. She follows Rabbitpaw around a lot." Rootkit nodded and watched the interaction between the two.

"Relax, Crowpaw! You're so dramatic," Rabbitpaw snorted. Crowpaw glared at him and let his fur lie flat.

"If we're going to be the best warrior's we have to do this right. In a battle if you mess up you won't be able to correct it! Next thing you know your fur is flying!" Crowpaw hissed. Rootkit got a little shaky beside Sedgekit as she stared at Crowpaw. He was larger than all of them and even though Rabbitpaw was pretty big Crowpaw was more muscular. He had a pure black pelt with icy amber eyes and white ears. He stood with a glare that could pierce anything.

"Crowpaw, we've been apprentices for only about a moon. We have time," Rabbitpaw sighed as he got to his paws. Rootkit recognized at once that Rabbitpaw looked a lot like Lightstar. He had the same creamy brown pelt, blue eyes, and big white paws. He looked like a younger version of the Clan's superior.

They must be his kits! Rootkit thought. Sedgekit seemed to sense her shock, for he leaned in to her ear.

"Crowpaw and Rabbitpaw are Lightstar's kits. Mousepaw is their sister but she went out hunting a while ago. Crowpaw tries to act like he rules the Clan and he has to be perfect or he'll never be a great warrior." Heatherkit overheard them and turned to Sedgekit with anger in her gaze. She bounded over to them and growled at Sedgekit.

"Crowpaw will be a great warrior, and the Clan needs someone like him! Rabbitpaw and him will be the best," she insisted as she made room for little Oakkit who came scampering into the circle.

"Crowpaw and Rabbitpaw are great! I can't wait to train with them!" he smiled, eyes shining with excitement.

"If we train with them," Rootkit reminded him. "We're only two moons and they could be warriors before we get our chance to train with them."

Oakkit merely shrugged and bounded off to play with Maplekit who was building a small fort near the elder's den. Heatherkit also left to go talk with Rabbitpaw. Sedgekit and Rootkit were then left alone with the agitated Crowpaw.

Sedgekit hushed his voice to a quiet whisper as he turned and crouched beside Rootkit so he could reach her. "It's always about stupid Crowpaw. I never really liked him, not even from the start. He would always push Heatherkit and me around, telling us that we were too young to do apprentice work. He always made himself leader in those old kit games too." Rootkit observed the sable tom; her pretty ruddy coat glistening as the sunlight ever so gently caressed it.

"He looks mean, but maybe he'll just make the Clan better in the future," she mewled. She really had no grudge with the tom. He was a bit scary, yes, but he was a clanmate just like everyone in camp.

"Yeah, I hope so," Sedgekit mumbled. He turned his large head at the sound of Birdsong's call and he let out an exasperated sigh. "She's a bit protective of us. She calls us in a lot... Well, bye Rootkit!" he smiled as he bounded off. Rootkit watched him go and once more she was alone. Her bright green gaze scanned the clearing but there were few cats in camp. Many were out on patrols. The sudden sound of paw steps caught her attention and she glanced up, shocked to meet amber eyes. Crowpaw stared down at her, his pupils shrunken to small slits.

"Don't get your hopes up, kit," he hissed, his voice laced with venom. Rootkit began to tremble as he leaned in a little. "You'll never be someone," he rumbled. Then as quickly as he had been there he was gone. Rootkit was too shaken to recall where he had bounded off too. She let herself swallow the lump in her throat before she slipped back to the nursery, fear streaked across her eyes.

What if he's right?

As we can tell, Crowpaw seems to be a big jerk. xD He's pretty important so watch him!