Challenge for CharlieClan.

Enjoy, readers!

HHHHHHHHHHHH

"Look, Littlekit! A tunnel!" Redkit bounded over to her brother, pointing her tail to an abandoned mole burrow on the edge of the WindClan camp. Redkit grinned wildly, russet fur bristling. Littlekit raised his head, green eyes nervous. "But we can't go there! It's not safe!" He flicked his fluffy gray tail and shook his head.

"Aww, come on Littlekit! It'll be fun. Mother, Father, won't even know! Please, come with me!", Redkit begged, but when she saw he wasn't going to come, she tried something else. "Okay, fine. I'll just go have fun by myself, while my scaredy-kit brother stays here." She sighed dramatically and turned towards the mole burrow. Littlekit ran to catch up. "Okay, okay! I'll come with you. But we are gonna be in so much trouble." Littlekit worried the whole way there.

"So...Who wants to go down first?" Redkit asked, as she stood at the edge of the hole, excited. Littlekit gasped. "You want to go down there!?" He backed away from the edge, but Redkit stayed, peering into the dark.

"Redkit, you really shouldn't go down there." Littlekit feared for his sister. But Redkit payed no heed to his words, boldly padding around the entrance. Unfortunately, it had rained not too long ago, and the ground was loose. Little bits of dirt crumbled beaneath Redkit's feet. Littlekit fretted. Oh no! I knew we shouldn't have come here.

Redkit crouched, readying to jump down into the burrow. "Watch this!" She landed with a thud at the bottom, little sprays of dirt cascading down. Littlekit rushed over. "Redkit?!" He peered down and saw his sister wave. "See? No problem, you mouse-brain! But it's really cold and smelly down here. I'm coming back up."

She ran and clawed at the crumbly dirt, trying to haul herself up. But her efforts only caused more dirt to erode, weakening the burrow. Her happy expression turned to one of horror when she realized she was stuck. "LITTLEKIT! Help! The ground is too slippery!"

Mere seconds after she spoke, the whole surrounding area broke away, tumbling into the hole. Redkit screamed, forced deeper into the burrow, and Littlekit stepped back, crying out in fear.

"Littlekit! Help me!", Redkit yowled, as she pawed at the sinking earth, but it was too much. The ground swallowed her whole, blocking the exit and trapping her in the burrow system. Her muffled cries could be heard beneath the surface.

Littlekit pounded at the earth, trying to dig his sister out. But the dirt had completely blocked the burrow up.

His sister was stuck underneath.

Littlekit ran back to camp, horrified and shocked. His mother, father, as well as the medicine cat and leader calmed him down until he could recount the terrible event.

Stormstar and the kits' father, Brackenleg, rushed to the scene with Yarrowfall, the medicine cat. "If we can dig her out, she might be safe. But we have to hurry." Stormstar declared as he yowled for more cats, and soon the whole Clan was there, excluding the kits and queens. They dug furiously, determined to save one of the only kits they had.

xxx

Littlekit stayed back, curled up next to his mother, Breezefeather. He closed his eyes, crying for his sister. "Shh, little one. Your sister is strong. She will survive." His mother licked him and he fell into a troubled sleep. If only we stayed back. Oh, Redkit.

xxx

Much later, WindClan had finally dug to the bottom. But a cat would have to go in and find Redkit. They would have to be extra careful, as the ground was even looser now.

"I should go.", Yarrowfall volunteered, "If Redkit needs immediate attention, I should be there. Should anything happen to me, Birdpaw is ready." She looked to Stormstar, who grimly nodded his consent. The rest of the Clan stepped back, and Yarrowfall clambered down.

Yarrowfall called for the kit, her yellow eyes scanning the dank, dark tunnel. She treaded carefully, stepping on small piles of earth, listening for any sound.

Finally, she heard a faint mewl. "Anyone...?", it called.

Yarrowfall rushed towards the source of the sound. Her gaze came to rest upon a small, dirty, wet kit. Redkit. She gasped and rushed to the small cat, gently licking Redkit's shivering body. A tremble in the tunnel reminded her of the dangers of staying down too long. Picking up the kit in her jaws, Yarrowfall hurried back to the surface. It wasn't a good feeling, being underneath.

There was a slip-up, and Yarrowfall, as well as Redkit, almost fell back in, but their Clanmates hauled them out before the dirt caved in again. A collective sigh of relief was breathed, but it wasn't over yet. Yarrowfall and her apprentice, Birdpaw, rushed Redkit to the medicine den.

xxx

"Is Redkit gonna be okay?" Littlekit nudged his sister as Birdpaw cleaned her up. "I hope so.", the cream apprentice mewed, his eyes sad. Yarrowfall dropped a bundle of herbs at Redkit's side, and padded to her parents. She spoke in a hushed tone. "She was down there, exposed to the cold and damp for hours. She may catch white or greencough. She may not. It's hard to tell. But I'll do my best to heal her."

Breezefeather smiled sadly. "Thank you, Yarrowfall. For saving my kit, and everything else." Brackenleg nodded, and the two warriors left to speak to Stormstar.

Yarrowfall nosed Littlekit. "You should go back to the nursery. You've had a tough day."

Littlekit shook his head. "I want to stay with her. It's my fault she fell. I didn't warn her."

The medicine cat narrowed her eyes. "It is no ones' fault. It could have happened to any one. But if you feel you need to stay, then do so." She nodded toward another empty nest.

Please, StarClan. Don't let these cats suffer.

xxx

True to his word, Littlekit stayed with his sister for days, even when her russet body was racked with cough and fever. The wet, damp conditions of the abandoned burrow had taken their toll on the enthusiastic, bold kit. Yarrowfall was worried that Redkit wouldn't make it.

A few afternoons past the tunnel incident, Redkit began to cough uncontrollably. Her eyes watered and her chest heaved. Littlekit jumped up form his best and ran to her. "Redkit! Redkit!"

He panicked, not knowing what to do. Yarrowfall hurried over, wearing a grim and worried expression. "Littlekit. I don't think I can do anything now." She looked down at Redkit, who was gasping for breath. Yarrowfall squeezed water into her mouth, and rubbed a poultice on her chest, but it was in vain. StarClan was calling for the kit.

Littlekit cried. He'd almost lost his sister once, and now she was dying. "Redkit! I love you...you silly mouse-brain. Why did you go in the hole!?" He pressed his nose into her fur.

Redkit gasped for air, coughing out phlegm and words. "I...l-lov-ve y-you too...scare-d-dy k-kit. I-I always w-wonde-red wh-what it wa-as like i-in a m-mole den." With that, she coughed a final time, and her chest stilled. Littlekit cried harder and slumped beside his sister, gray pelt shaking with horror and sadness.

His sister who was killed by what was underneath.

Oh moons above. WHY ARE THESE SO SAD AND DARK?!

Littlekit seems very wise. Redkit? Well, she is more do than think.

I really have to pick happier challenges.

Whelp, hope you enjoyed! R and R!

Horridly, Clearly