The ferocious fox crept quietly around the corner. Pricking her ears, she listened intently to an unsuspecting snake swerving back and forth. The fox could already taste the sweet reptile's flesh as she crept closer… and closer…

Wheeeeeee!

Duskkit landed abruptly on her mother's weaving tail. Sweetblossom jumped, and, facing her wayward fox-kit, heaved a sigh. "Duskkit! You scared me!" Duskkit tumbled onto the floor in a fit of laughter. Wheezing for breath, she waved her paws in the air. "You-" she wheezed. "-should've seen yourself!" After another bout of laughter, she went on. "You flew up-" tears streaming down her long muzzle, she giggled. "-Two foxlengths high!"

Crystalkit and Twistedkit begain to mew loudly. Iceflower jerked up from her nap and quickly began to soothe her newborn kits. Bearkit and Brindlekit appeared from around the corner, also in a fit of laughter. "Duskkit, look what you've done! Now my tail's in a mess, and the new kits are upset!" Sweetblossom scolded. Barely managing to sober up, Duskkit looked up long enough to see Iceflower giving her a sharp glare. Duskkit shuddered. If looks could kill… she thought to herself.

Iceflower turned her glare to Sweetblossom. "If you ask me, your kits are getting too big for the nursery, Sweetblossom. They must learn to play outside," Iceflower nearly spat. Sweetblossom looked at Duskkit. Then she sighed. "Iceflower, they're only two moons old. They still have a while to be apprenticed," she murmured.

They both looked over at Duskkit. The young fox-kit was already thrice the size of her siblings, and was beginning to grow long claws and sharp teeth. Sweetblossom was surprised that she hadn't guessed the truth about herself. Duskkit still had no idea that she wasn't a cat. She didn't understand how her size and strength would make her different from her friends and fellow clanmates.

Perhaps Iceflower was right. Maybe they did need to learn to play outside, if only for the smallest kits' sakes.

"Alright, children, I've had an idea. Hush now, listen up Duskkit," Sweetblossom mewed. Duskkit sat up. The three kits huddled closer to hear their mother's soft voice. Sweetblossom looked at them. "How would you all like to take an adventure outside of the nursery? Just the four of us." She had a twinkle of amusement in her eyes as her kits squealed with excitement.

"Really, mama?"

"Do we get to go in the forest?"

"We get to see the clan!"

Sweetblossom lifted her chin and flicked her tail for silence. "Alright, warriors, here's our mission:" The three excited kits sat straight up, pretending they were "DarkClan Warriors" Their mother continued. "We must spy on ThunderClan camp without being seen. Find where their medicine den is, look for their Highledge, but stay hidden, and follow me at all times. No messing around or looking for crowfood; this is an important quest. Now, lets move out!"

They all answered in unison, "Yes, Sweetstar!" and put their right paws forward, as was their made-up show of respect.

Sweetblossom huddled them closer with her fluffy tail, and, moving towards the entrance, dropped into a mock stalking-crouch. Flicking her tail again to signal for silence, she stepped through the entrance.

The kits followed her "quietly" from behind. Exiting the nursery, "Sweetstar" stalked around it with her belly close to the ground. The three "warriors" tried to imitate her movement. They moved through the underbrush at the sides of the camp, twisting their heads this way and that, and Brindlekit's tail stuck straight in the air. Slowly, they moved towards the medicine cat den.

When they got close to the mouth of the stone den, Sweetblossom halted. "I must go inside to see if its safe: When I give the signal, follow me in." The three kits nodded, and Sweetblossom went inside. Immediately, she stood up and greeted Daisyfern, the medicine cat. "May I ask why you were stalking around the camp with your kits?" Daisyfern inquired. Sweetblossom laughed. "This is their first time out of the den. We're playing Darkclan. Currently, we're on a quest to learn about the enemy, Thunderclan's, camp. Do you mind if they have a look in the den?"

Amused, Daisyfern nodded. Then she went on sorting through her herb supply, as if nothing had happened. Sweetblossom tried to imitate an owl, which really sounded more like a sick dog, and the three kits came racing into the den, colliding right into their mother.

Sweetblossom went around the den, and Daisyfern ignored them. Finding the bitter-smelling yarrow, she grabbed it and showed it to the kits. Brindlekit's face puckered up, Bearkit gagged, and Duskkit tried to eat it. Sweetblossom smacked her long muzzle lightly. "This stuff will make you sick!" she hissed. Duskkit rubbed her nose poutily.

After looking at a few herbs, and the kits were getting bored, Sweetblossom brought them back outside. Just as she started heading to the elder's den, she spotted a large, stocky black and brown tom coming through the entrance to the camp. His muscles rippled as he turned to the fresh kill pile, and his bobcat-like ears pointed straight up to Starclan.

"Long-ear!" Sweetblossom called to him. His hard gaze softened as he turned to her, and sparkled curiously when he saw their three kits. Padding over to them, he mewed, "Decided to come out of the nursery today, did we?" Brindlekit and Bearkit ran over to him excitedly, while Duskkit held close to her mother. Long-ear had never liked the adopted fox kit, for obvious reasons, but Duskkit still had no idea why. She just knew he wanted her to stay out of the way.

Long-ear turned his head to look over at Duskkit. His eyes turned to stone again when he mewed gruffly, "About time, too. It's a wonder the younger kits were never trampled by you."

Sweetblossom flicked him with her tail. "Long-ear!" she hissed. Duskkit looked away, ashamed. With her tail in the dirt, and her head low, she trailed back to the nursery sadly. Not looking back, she entered through the thorny hole and flopped into Sweetblossom's nest. Why don't you like me? She whispered silently. I'm still your kit. Why do you think I'm so bad?

Sweetblossom entered the nursery silently. Lying down next to Duskkit, she wordlessly began licking her between her long, black ears. They sat there for awhile, and then, lulled to sleep by the constant rasping of her loving mother's tongue, she drifted into sleep, where she met the old badger, whom she talked to, and who listened to her, in her dreams. You will understand, someday, young cousin. But for now, rest in peace, the badger would whisper to her.

Sleep well, little one…