A/N

Two chapter in a row? Stolen readers must be very upset with me. I'm sorry! I hope this fills the gap in the meantime.

Chapter 1: Missing

"Skykit!" A familiar voice rang loudly in her ears. Skykit rolled over.

"Skykit!" The yowl came again, and Skykit jumped out of her nest with a start. Her neck fur prickled with irritation.

"Don't scare me like that, Dovekit," Skykit sighed, licking a paw and rubbing her over her face.

"I have something for us!" Dovekit squeaked, her voice high with excitement. Skykit smiled to herself. Dovekit's surprises were always wonderful, be it a soft feather or a cool scented fern.

Skykit heard something drop at her paws and the smell of fresh prey filled her nostrils. She scrunched her nose in reluctance.

"What's wrong?" Dovekit had clearly noticed Skykit's hesitation. "Grassblade says we can eat real prey now! C'mon!" Skykit felt nauseous as she heard her sister tear into the flesh of the prey and gulp it down.

"You gotta try some of this, Skykit!" Dovekit mumbled through gleeful mouthfuls. Skykit lowered her ears.

"I like Grassblade's milk, what's wrong with that?" Skykit muttered, scuffing her paws on the ground. Her pad found a stray pine needle and she soon found herself playing with it aimlessly.

"There's nothing wrong with nursing," Grassblade's voice came from a few mouse lengths away, but Skykit heard her paw steps coming over to them. "But you can't nurse forever."

"Why not?" Skykit squeaked, turning her head up to where she heard Grassblade's voice coming from.

"Because your teeth are getting sharp, and it hurts," Grassblade explained. "Bluekit and Ashkit have started to eat prey as well."

"You still let Poppykit drink milk!" Skykit grumbled, scanning the flooring with her paw to find the pine needle again.

"His teeth don't hurt. Yet. Poppykit is just a late bloomer," Grassblade purred as Dovekit licked her whiskers clean. "It seems your sister enjoys the taste of prey."

"Yes!" Dovekit burped, then chuckled sheepishly. "Mouse is fantastic!"

"Wait till you try frog and lizard," Grassblade laughed, her chuckle ringing in Skykit's ears like a taunt. She frowned and swished her tail back and forth.

"I can't wait till I'm an apprentice!" Dovekit squealed. Skykit felt Dovekit's eyes on her. "Don't you, Skykit?"

"I guess so?" Skykit's answer was unsure. She had her doubts about becoming an apprentice beside her sister and adoptive littermates. Even without seeing Dovekit, she could feel the pity burning in her sister's eyes.

Skykit scowled. She felt Grassblade's thick tail rest on her shoulder. "You'll be training with Dovekit in no time, just you see." Skykit felt a growl rise in her throat, but she held it back. She knew Grassblade didn't believe her own words. She could sense the flicker of doubt ripple through the queen's pelt.

"Why don't you go play with Icekit and Snowkit?" Grassblade suggested, unknowing that Skykit had sensed the doubt of her mother. "They're only a moon older than you after all."

"Okay," Dovekit agreed. "But they're so hard to tell apart!"

"Perhaps when their eyes change, it'll be easier," Grassblade purred. Skykit scrabbled after her sister as she heard her rise, Skykit laughing to herself.

Skykit could easily tell Icekit and Snowkit apart; Icekit held herself higher and spoke quicker and louder, while Snowkit slouched slightly, spoke softly and tended to be more skittish.

Skykit purred as the brambles tugged through her fur, like when her sister groomed her fur. Luckily, the barbs weren't sharp enough to prick her. Skykit inhaled deeply as the exited the nursery, the air crisp and frosty, but she felt the sun's warmth on her pelt.

New-leaf was just finally arriving, after what seemed like an eternity of snow and sickness. Skykit remembered with a pang the painful coughing of Gorsepetal, until the elderly queen finally passed a moon ago.

Littlelight had been overworked with the greencough, running around like crazy without an apprentice to collect all the catmint and chickweed she could. She had done her best, but she'd lost Gorsepetal, Reedpelt, Leafpaw, Scorchkit, Specklekit, Talonflight and Mintpaw.

Littlelight would be thankful when Poppykit is old enough to apprenticed, as he wanted to train and learn medicine under her. Skykit briefly wondered if Littlelight could take two apprentices. As much as Skykit strived to become a warrior, she knew she probably never could.

"Skykit!" Dovekit's call pierced through her thoughts. "Keep up," she teased with a giggle.

Skykit dipped her head, dashing forward to her sister's voice. She raised her ears, observing her clanmates around camp. She heard Sunhawk and Frostygrass sharing tongues beneath the Tallrock, the steady lapping of their tongues like water dripping from a rain-soaked leaf.

Skykit turned as she heard two pairs of paws running towards her. She purred as the scents of Fallenleaf and Shadygrass bathed her tongue. They had become warriors soon after Skykit and Dovekit had joined ShadowClan.

"Wassup, runts?" Fallenleaf crowed teasingly. Shadygrass chuckled beside her. Skykit heard his tail whisk back and forth in the air with laughter.

"Hello, Fallenleaf!" Skykit greeted her, tipping her head. Dovekit darted in front of Skykit, her pelt brushing against Skykit's face.

"What's the juicy warrior gossip?" Dovekit cackled, and Skykit felt Fallenleaf's breath on her whiskers, leaning in close. It smelled of lizard.

"I'll tell you," Fallenleaf whispered, her voice tinged with mystery. Skykit felt Dovekit's fur spike up in excitement beside her.

Fallenleaf sat down beside Skykit, her thick ashy grey fur warm against Skykit's somewhat shorter pelt. Shadygrass plopped down beside Dovekit, stretching out on his back and groaning in delight as the sunlight warmed his belly.

"I heard the senior warriors talking about a family of badgers moving into that den we found you two in," Fallenleaf explained, her tongue lapping against her pelt. Skykit could smell soil and dried bits of leaves in her friend's fur.

"Wow, really?" Dovekit sounded scared and in awe at the same time. Shadygrass snickered between picking out what seemed like burrs from his pelt.

"The older warrior still think us apprentices," Shadygrass grumbled. He spat out another bramble. "We've been equals for three moons now."

"They respect Snowlion," Fallenleaf pointed out, her voice rumbly like she was bothered by it. "He can be so prideful."

"They like Snowlion because he's big and can win a good fight," Shadygrass huffed. Skykit could practically feel the jealousy from his voice in the air like a clump of earth.

"What about Goldenrain?" Skykit wondered aloud. "She's nice and everyone seems to be lighter around her. She always smells like daisies and warmth."

Fallenleaf purred and laughed. "Goldenrain has a bubbly personality and it just brightens up everyone else. So I suppose she makes everyone happier."

Skykit yawned, her back arching as she stood. She sat back down, wrapping her tail over her paws. She drew her tongue over her paws and perked her ears to listen to her clanmates.

Thornfang was sharing a rabbit with Gingerbreeze, their one day old daughter suckling sleepily on the fluffy queen's belly. Skykit noted that the rabbit smelled like soil and grass.

Bluekit and Ashkit were tossing a lizard about, chasing the prey around camp. Skykit wrinkled her nose at the musty smell; the lizard was clearly stale. Cloudheart, Starkwing, Berryclaw, Redpaw and Mudpaw had just returned from a hunting patrol, their paws heavy on the ground from weariness. Skykit breathed in the smell of the bountiful catches, the scent wafting around camp. She could sense her clanmates hungrily perking up at the smell.

Cloudheart's paws steadily padded towards Icekit and Snowkit, her muzzle brushing against them with a loud purr. "I have to go report to Nettlestar, I'll be back my dears." Cloudheart assured her daughters.

Skykit lost all interest in her other clanmates, her senses focused on Cloudheart's paws confidently walking towards Nettlestar's den.

"May I come in, Nettlestar?" Cloudheart asked, almost sassily. Skykit briefly wondered why she was so teasing until he replied.

"Of course, my love," Nettlestar rumbled. They were mates!

"Whitelight's border patrol went to track down the badgers and drive them out, but they told us they'd be needing reinforcements," Cloudheart reported, her voice sharp and clear. Skykit imagined she had a very strict face and eyes.

Skykit's hearing was drowned out by a shriek coming from the clearing. She angled her senses towards the cry.

"Th-the badgers," a voice mumbled. Skykit recognized it as Flamepaw. His paw steps staggered and Skykit felt the ground thump as he collapsed heavily.

"Littlelight!" Pinepelt cried out, crouching to his bloodied son. He frantically rasped his tongue over Flamepaw's wounds, his tail waving in the air back and forth worriedly.

"Move, move!" Littlelight's paws pittered across the ground, her stubby legs trudging hurriedly.

Littlelight did a swift exam, worry flowing off her in waves. Blood and badger stink overwhelmed Skykit's nostrils. "Bring him in my den," Littlelight ordered, her voice somber.

Skykit could her Pinepelt's paw steps were shaking, pausing every once in awhile to regain his composure.

Skykit raised her nose, a breeze carrying badger scent and blood. Alarm pounded in her chest. She could feel the rumbling, lumbering steps of badgers in the ground through her paws. She could hear the snuffling of their noses and low moans of communication.

"They're coming!" Skykit yowled, trying to warn her clanmates. She turned to Fallenleaf, biting at her foreleg. "The badgers! They're here, they're here!"

"What?" Fallenleaf's voice changed to cautious. "How do you know?"

"I smell them!" Skykit panted. "I feel them and hear them! They're almost at camp!"

Fallenleaf stood, her body rigid and fierce. She gave Shadygrass a jab and they darted away. "Prepare yourselves!" Fallenleaf hissed loudly, her voice echoing from the base of where Nettlestar gave his announcements.

"The badgers must've have followed Flamepaw here," Fallenleaf growled. Skykit could sense her clanmates growing tense.

"How can you know that?" Blacktooth snapped at the young she cat. Skykit heard Fallenleaf contain a snarl.

"Skykit can hear them," she explained. "Her hearing is the keenest of all of us, along with her nose."

The ShadowClan cats murmured low agreements. Skykit smirked to herself as she heard Blacktooth huff in defeat. The thorn tunnel shook, the rustling sound of leaves ringing in Skykit's ears.

The clan cats all screeched a battle cry as the badgers trampled over the thorn tunnel. Skykit felt Dovekit press against her. Skykit felt dizzy, her ears pounding with screams and hisses and growls and fur tearing. Her nose was burning with the scent of blood and the foul, earthy badger scent. Her paws were unbalanced, feeling the ground shake and rumble with cats and badgers alike falling to the ground and the dens collapsing around them.

Skykit gasped as she felt a warm, wet stream fall down her cheeks. She curled into herself, sobbing and sniffling. She suddenly heard her sister cry out, and her thick fur was torn away from beside Skykit.

"NO!" Skykit screamed, staggering to her paws. She whipped her head around, trying to focus her senses on where her sister went. "Dovekit, come back! Where are you?!" Skykit shrieked, her chest heaving.

She unsheathed her claws, using them as traction as she maneuvered around her camp. "DOVEKIT!" She cried, failing to pinpoint her sister. She stopped, feeling a hot breath on her neck. Skykit gagged on badger scent, scrambling away.

Skykit grunted as she rammed into one of the fallen walls of the thorn tunnel, brambles clinging to her pelt and digging into her flesh. She crawled through the thorns, blood trickling down her pelt.

Skykit bumbled about, panting as tears and blood dried on her face. She heaved over a fallen log, shrieking as she fell into a gap in the top. Bugs and dirt surrounded her within the safety of the timber. She curled within herself, making herself into small circle.

Skykit cried into her paws, forcing her imagination to feel Dovekit's warmth around her and her nose to scent her essence. The sounds around her seem to face and get farther away. Her senses dulled and she let sleep engulf her.

…

Skykit slowly came to, sounds blurred and mashed together.

"I can't find Skykit!" One voice called out, a she cat. Her voice was trembling. "Where is she?!"

"I can't find Dovekit either!" Another voice hollered, a tom. His pawsteps were spread out, indicating he was running around. "Where could they have gone?"

"I found Skykit's blood in the thorns here!" The she cat whimpered. Her paws galloped towards the log.

"Did the badgers take her?" The tom fretted, his paws getting closer.

The she cat sighed in relief. "No, she's here." Skykit went limp in the she cat's jaws as she was picked up from inside the log. Dead moss, soil and bugs clung to her fur.

"Is she okay?" The tom asked. His breath was warm on her face and his cool, earthy scent calmed her. Skykit lolled in the she cat's jaws, the feel of her soft fur soothing the kit.

Skykit grunted quietly as she was placed down onto a thrush-feather lined bracken nest. She breathed in the spicy scent of Fallenleaf, and the chilled, soily scent of Shadygrass.

Skykit frowned. "Where's Dovekit?" She whimpered, feeling Littlelight's tail scan her over.

"She's gone, Skykit," Fallenleaf's meowed bleakly. Skykit froze with terror. Her chest felt empty and her stomach was knotted. Her paws were heavy like storm clouds and her throat was dry.

"Dovekit's dead?" Skykit choked out the words like prey bones. She could feel Shadygrass and Fallenleaf tense around her, not answering. Skykit slumped and dread washed over her. If it took that long to answer, then she knew the answer.

"Dovekit left me," Skykit mumbled, her voice shaking at the start of crying. "And now she's dead." Skykit buried her muzzle into her paws, sobbing. "She's gone…"

Fallenleaf curled up beside Skykit comfortingly. "She's in StarClan, Skykit." Her whisper was warm and soft.

"Did you find her?" Skykit squeaked. "I wanna say good-bye."

"We didn't find her anywhere," Shadygrass spoke up, his voice low. "Only scraps of her fur."

Skykit sighed shakily. "Dovekit…" She whispered. She felt something soft drop at her paw pads. "What's this?" She twirled it in her pads. "It feels like fur."

"We found this in your and Dovekit's bedding," Shadygrass explained. "Something to remember your sister by."

"It smells like her," Skykit sighed. "She always smelled like mint and honey."

"Look towards me," came Littlelight's voice from behind her. Skykit turned to the direction she heard the medicine cat's voice from. She felt the cobwebs fall from her eyes and peel away.

Liquid dribbled into both Skykit's eyes, and she blinked as Littlelight told her to, to mix in the medicine. "See anything?"

Skykit blinked again, then frowned. "No," she sighed. Littlelight seemed to grumble under her breath.

"Let's try a stronger dose this time," Littlelight meowed, the juice trickling into Skykit's eyes again. "Blink." She ordered. Skykit rolled her eyes around, blinking repeatedly.

"Well?" Littlelight asked almost impatiently.

Skykit looked about, then gasped. "Yes! There's a warmth!"

"A warmth?" Littlelight sounded confused. "Describe it to me."

"I don't know how to," Skykit confessed. "It's different than what I always see."

"It's not black?" Littlelight's voice perked up.

"No," Skykit shook her head. "Well, I don't know. I don't know what black is."

"Pretend it is a sound or smell," Littlelight suggested. "Then tell me."

"Hmm," Skykit sighed. "If it was a smell it would be bleak. If it was a sound it'd be dull."

"Grey!" Littlelight gasped. "You're seeing grey, Skykit!"

Skykit smiled widely. "I'll be an apprentice? I can be a warrior?"

"Yes," Littlelight cheered. "The treatment for your blindness is working, Skykit."

A/N

AAAH! That last part was very difficult to write, since if you're blind you don't know colors. Reviews for next chapter please!