One night, when Duskkit met with the old badger again, they walked to a starry pond and sat under a beautiful weeping willow together. Duskkit sniffled quietly, drawing a paw across her long snout to wipe her tears away. Midnight noticed this, and rumbled at her in a low, questioning voice. "Why do you hurt, little flame? What causes pain that makes you cry so?"

Duskkit looked up at her with glittering, sad eyes. "Frondshiver snapped at me today for accidently swiping my tail across her nose when I was playing, an' when I said I was super sorry, she hissed at me and told me to go play somewhere else. An' when Twistedkit and Crystalkit opened their eyes today Twistedkit wailed at me an' hid behind Iceflower. Mama shooed me outside, an' when I got outside, Long-ear was there." Duskkit punctuated her sentences with little sniffles, and at the mention of Long-ear, she almost burst into sobs.

"Long-ear's eyes went all wide when he heard Twistedkit's wailing, an' he rushed into the nursery, an' when he came back out, he glared at me really really hard. His eyes were all narrowed and his ears were half back, an'-" Duskkit's husky voice broke, and big tears started to roll down her nose as she sobbed into Midnight's huge shoulder. Her voice was raised an octave, muffled and slurred with tears, as she tried to finish her story. "He jus' turned his back, an' flicked his tail, and stormed off to the other side of camp. He hates me! He hates me, an' I don't even know why!"

Midnight gazed sorrowfully at the young kit. Wrapping her thick, starry tail around the trembling, crying kit, she just laid there silently and comfortingly. Waiting until Duskkit's tears abated, she hummed a deep, soothing hum. "Dear little warrior. Walk into their dreams, I would, and slap once across their faces. Say to them, 'What harm could little kitten do to camp? When has Duskkit been mean?' For you are sweet child, and fools they are if they cannot see that. Set aside heavy worries now, little one, and tell me good things of today. Surely, it help."

At this Duskkit's ears perked up. "Crystalkit's eyes are pink!" she burst out. "The color of mama's nose! An' her fur is whiter than white! It's so cool! An' I caught two butterflies today. My claws have started to get sharper and bigger, an' I'm almost as tall as mama now, if ya' count my ears." Midnight chuckled at the kit's newfound excitement. Duskkit grinned a wide, toothy grin and went on happily. "I'm almost old enough to eat fresh kill now, mama told me so! An' Sugarpaw told me it's the tastiest thing in the world!"

Suddenly, like a hummingbird changing its course, Duskkit asked something completely unexpected. "Midnight, why don't I ever see you around other cats from Starclan? Do they all sleep at night, or something?"

Midnight, taken aback, hesitated. Her eyes grew distant, and her long muzzle hung open a little bit. Duskkit gazed at her expectantly. Then, shaking herself, the old badger looked down at her. "Dear flame, daylight is near. Time, it is, for you to go back to Sister and Brother." She stood up, and, as her starry black body began to fade, she touched noses with Duskkit. "Until next time, little redfur," her voice echoed softly.

"Wait! Midnight!" Duskkit cried as she realized she was waking up. "No, Midnight, wait!" Duskkit awoke to an abrupt shove from Bearkit. Suddenly, her mother's face jerked towards her own. "What did you say?" Sweetblossom inquired, alarming Duskkit with the intensity of her voice. Eyes wide, she stuttered, "Um, M-Midnight, mama. Sh-She's the old badger who walks in my dreams."

Sweetblossom stood abruptly and raced out of the tunnel to Daisyfern's den. What on earth is the Stargazer doing in Duskkit's dreams? Although she thought she knew the answer, she did not like it. Midnight was preparing the little fox-kit for a hard life in the Clan- and for the shocking changes being a fox would bring.