Welcome again and thank you for deciding to drop by this humble story! I'm backk! After disappearing for quite some time, I'm back! And I promise I will try to update sooner, as soon as I can, yeah.
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Now, on with the chapter!
"I'm sorry for letting you see...a disgrace of my brother, Swallowkit." Whitekit grunted as she and Sparrowkit hauled the unconcious grey kit into the nursery with some difficulty. Runningkit was snickering quietly while Archkit just shook his head at his friend's attitude. "So, he fainted because of a warrior named Blackstorm threatening him about being his mentor?" Stalktail nodded weakly. "I'm sorry, anyway." Runningkit snickered some more while Archkit just shrugged. "It's all right. I doubt Rainkit would hold a grudge against you. So no worries." The ginger and white warrior sighed with relief, before he returned to talk with the queens. Leaving the kits alone again.
Sparrowkit turned to her after he and Whitekit finished laying Rainkit in the nest, smiling dryly. "So," He begun, coughing slightly. "This is Rainkit. Whitekit and Runningkit's littermate." Swallowkit smiled back at Sparrowkit, but her mind was still ringing with suspicion. Rainkit...with a pelt like that...is it...don't get your hopes up, what if he's not him? "Who is he in his past life." She found herself asking blankly, despite her internal dilemma.
Whitekit and Sparrowkit shared a confused glance once, before Whitekit answered. "Rainwhisker of Thunderclan. Why, do you know him?" Slowly, she gave a weak nod. "We're friends on the great journey..." Whitekit smiled absentmindedly. "That's good. You've got to have friends here, or else the underlying depression in you is going to rear it's ugly head, and you're going to plummet deep until you can't see the light of day." That's pretty poetic. Sparrowkit seems to read her mind, for he asked the same question as the silent one in her head. Whitekit just shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't want to lose my artistic abilities. These things need to be used from time to time, or else it'd get rusty." Then, Whitekit hummed in thought. "But I guess staying with Rainkit pretty much require enough strategy to exercise my mind."
Rainwhisker's pretty nice last time she saw him, which is actually a long, long time ago. But still, she wondered why would Whitekit say that. But without waiting for her to respond, Runningkit piped in. "It's not that complicated. It's just you've got to have wit and guts." Really? Last time she remembered, she was pretty fine chilling and relaxing with Rainwhisker. The memory brought a familiar sharp pang of wistfullness in her chest. Just like when she heard Rainwhisker died. But he's here, now, sleeping. He'll be fine, he's fine.
Perhaps Runningkit noticed her confused face, because she grinned and immediately explain. "It's fun being with Rainkit! It's about finding ways to keep the stress from getting to his head." She narrowed her eyes, the sound of Rainwhi - Rainkit stressed up doesn't really go quite right in her mind. "Is there something wrong? He's not the type of cat to get easily stress up." She hastily added. "Last time I recalled, I mean."
But before she could get her answer, the queens have returned to the nursery. Littlemoss instantly went to examine Rainkit, before she heaved a sigh and pushed the grey tom kit next to her. Sparrowkit glanced around the nursery, with Flowerheart quickly approaching the rest of the kits, he quickly whispered. "Meeting dismiss!" After did he said that, he quickly bounded to Flowerheart and mewled hungrily. Whitekit heaved a sigh in a same manner as Littlemoss at the sight of Sparrowkit's antics. She then beckoned Runningkit and both returned to Littlemoss, leaving her and Archkit standing somewhat in the middle of the nursery.
After a short while of queens settling in their nests, Archkit nudged her. "Do you want to take a walk outside? I know you have just barely opened your eyes, but," Lowering his voice, he continued. "I expect you to be quite curious of the Thunderclan camp." That's true, she'd never really knew about Thunderclan's camp much, she only heard it's an old hole dug long ago by twolegs. She wondered often how would it feel, to be living inside a hole that could become a deathtrap if they were overpowered by their opponent, such as the event of the badger attack when they first settled around the lake. Wait, Sootfur, Rainwh - Rainkit's former brother died here. So it's really a deathtrap afterall.
Despite her thoughts, she nodded enthusiastically, her kit instincts was powerful this time around, it seems. Archkit smiled, satisfied. "That's good to hear. I've been looking forward to some bonding time with you, afterall, our new brother doesn't look really sane." She let out a little giggle, the newfound discovery of Archkit's dry humour was comforting to her, in a way. Together, they padded out of the nursery, not forgetting to give a quick shout to Flowerheart that they're going outside.
Just as both take their first step outside, a cold gust of wind crashed into them, making both shivered. She was the first to croaked out, her voice shaking, but it was also warm. "They're welcoming us, I guess." "Welcome. Yeah, welcome. More like cue for snow, it's leaf-bare soon after all." Archkit grunted, shaking himself. Both watched each other for a bit, before they burst out laughing and padded to the camp center.
Archkit was quick to changed his role into that of a host the second they reached the fresh-kill pile, which looks slightly less in quantity than yesterday, as said by Archkit. "So as you know, our den is the nursery." He used his tail to point it out. "It doesn't looks that different from the Riverclan's nursery." She commented and inspected the den quickly. Which Archkit hummed in response. "It doesn't looks that different from the Shadowclan's nursery, too." And he cleared his throat. "Moving on." He then marched away, gesturing Swallowkit to follow.
"That's the warriors den and apprentices den. It looks similiar to each other, but one den is obviously bigger, you probably could guess which is which." Barely did Archkit finished speaking, an apprentice peeked their's head out, before their eyes landed of Archkit and Swallowkit. "Kits! Are one of you by any chance Littlemoss' kits?" She tilted her head in confusion, but shook her head. "No, why?" The apprentice shrugged. "They're almost apprentices now, I want to meet them of course! By the way, I'm Thrushpaw."
She timidly smiled. "I'm Swallowkit." "And I'm Archkit." Archkit added calmly. Thrushpaw chuckled. "Your sister's cute. I like her. Hurry and become an apprentice soon!" Swallowkit felt her face heat up and she spluttered an incoherent reply while Archkit had that funny look on his face. Suddenly, Thrushpaw turned to look behind him, and another apprentice popped out to look at them. "Hello, I'm Mistlepaw. Thrushpaw's brother." Mistlepaw introduced herself, while Thrushpaw continued to talk to someone in the den. "My guess is you are Swallowkit and Archkit?"
Archkit nodded tiredly, and he grumbled to Swallowkit. "Tell me, how many times do I have to introduce us? If I remembered right, in my time every cat in my clan knew a kit's name in the span of one night." She smiled, thinking the same, but she didn't mind it much. Rather, she thinks it's a show of fellow clanmates affection; to asks for a kit's name, how sweet is that.
Absentmindedly, she then caught a pair of the most vivid forest green eyes she has ever seen gazing at her from the inside of the apprentices den. Her heart quickly picked up pace when she saw the similarity between the apprentice and Rainkit. Slowly, she approached the owner of that pair of eyes. As mirroring her actions, the unknown apprentice poked their head out. And what she saw left her awestruck. Sleek cream tabby fur, the noble but gentle posture, and the same vivid forest green eyes, he was so similar to Rainkit. She gazed at the apprentice for what felt like a moon, so lost in her own thoughts that she'd almost miss out his introduction. "I'm Birchpaw. Hello, Swallowkit."
Luckily, Archkit nudged her just in time for her to respond. "H-hello." She stuttered, and immediately all she wanted was to claw herself. Great job Swallowkit, just the way to embarrass yourself in front of such an apprentice. Despite her inner turmoil, Birchpaw beamed widely and was about to speak more, if he was not interrupted by Thrushpaw and Mistlepaw. "What, are you shy?" Thrushpaw snickered while Mistlepaw stifled a smug grin. Which did nothing but elicit a indignant cry from Birchpaw. Archkit sighed. "Wow, you're pretty popular, I guess." Archkit deadpanned, but there was something upsetting in his eyes, Swallowkit noted nervously to herself but said nothing about it.
Mistlekit, who was done teasing her lovely brother, faced them again. "Now that reminds me, I've been wanting to ask about Whitekit, Runningkit and Rainkit. Mind giving me tidbits of their personality?" Archkit was about to calmly nod, however his face all of a sudden twisted into an evil smirk. He cleared his throat, before starting in a very - she meant like, really, very - silky voice. "Runningkit was a unique one...let me tell you why..." Wow. He still hold a grudge. She wants to heave a really exasperated sigh, but at this point no one will even know why anymore.
Indeed, Archkit was badmouthing Runningkit. Swallowkit inwardly confirm to herself after a short while of listening to Archkit. And now it's her time to intervene before things got any more similar to a tirade. "Whitekit is nonchalant and absentminded kind of cat, she's also adventurous and calm, unruffled to be precise." She interupted, which quickly summon a smile on Mistlepaw's face. "She sounds nice." She nodded. "She's really nice. Now, about Rainkit..." She trailed off uncertainly, memory flashing vividly in her mind like yesterday. Yet, she still felt like they were strangers, despite what they've been through together, then again, it was probably her fault. I gave up on our possibility when we've arrived at the lake, I destroy it all. Her nose tickled at the memory.
"Rainkit, he's...nice. And modest." She began. "He's very selfless, and understanding. He treasures his loved ones and family dearly. On occasions he might seems reluctant, but he'll fight if it's to keep others safe. He's very loyal, to Starclan and back." But the more she speak, the more she found herself describing his personality very easily, perhaps straight from memory. "He's very respectful and hardworking. He's very dedicated, too. He's also never rude nor aggressive, but of course there's the occasional indignant and exasperate protests. He might be slightly timid, but he's very truthful and is a mediator. Sometimes he'd be annoyed about it though, but he mean no harm. I wonder how he could be so -" But her own speech was cut off by a speechless Archkit, and a wide eyes Mistlepaw and her littermates. She quickly blushed.
Quirking his mouth, Archkit teased her, happily so. "You didn't even talk to him yet technically, but look at you, seems like you know him pretty well. What are you, his lover?" She's got to thanks Archkit for keeping this conversation only heard between the two of them, however she blushed harder. Yes. "N-no..." Tears slightly pricked her eyes. Oh, how would you know anything, Archkit, when me and Rainwhisker go way back. She wanted to tell him, she always longed to find someone to confide with for a long time, but she can't, their relationship is better off being known between the two of them. She could only stay silent helplessly as she watched Archkit joked around with the apprentices. She's not Swallowtail anymore, nor is Rainwhisker's his past self. She could only hope that in the end, she'll be happy, in many senses.
Just a short while of her wistful reminiscence passed before Sparrowkit suddenly came bounding to them, his smile plastered on his face since when he saw his littermates. "I thought you two might want to know, Rainkit's up again." He informed idly. "I don't know, in case maybe Swallowkit might want to see him?" That made her wild awake from her stupor. "Rainkit's up?" She founded herself keenly voicing out her thought unintentionally, and it made her blushed in embarassement. However the two toms next to her notice nothing, and instead, the trio ushered themselves to the nursery, with herself feeling the racing of her heart in her ribcage uncontrollably.
"Come, Swallowkit." Whitekit said kindly the moment her eyes laid on Swallowkit, who nodded nervously as she followed Whitekit. Now in front of her, she saw Littlemoss fussing over the tiny grey tom she still loved and care for so much, even if he has shrinked greatly from his original size. Catiously, she approached the mother and the kit, unknowingly letting her ear tips getting redder and redder every heartbeat.
Rainkit noticed her immediately when she approached him, and she was not sure whethe its her eyes playing trick on her, but she saw that his eyes were glimmering. And her heart picked its pace. Rainkit jumped down from the nest, before slowly, he padded forwards her. She increased her pace, and ended up in front of him. Both blushing, but happy. She can still remember his gentle gaze, and his musty forest scent. And he seems to can still remember her. Finally, he broke the silence. "Hello, Swallowkit. I..." He lowered his voice. "I missed you." His words snapped something inside of her, and she almost practically shout back, but she instead leaned forward, nuzzling him. And her voice instead came out as a mere whisper, but it was very loud between their silence, and that was enough. "I missed you too. Rainkit."
Swallowkit's and Rainkit's past will be reveal in later chapters, but I think you can see where this is going, especially with me who ship RainSwallow to the core of my very being. :P
Also, should I do those question of the day or a fact per chapter? I see other authors doing this, and I thought maybe would you like me to do it?...or not? Please tell me your thoughts, will you? Oh, I almost forgot; hello Shelly! Thank you so much checking on my humble story here. QwQ Anyway, thank you so much for reading this little story so far! Every review, favourite and follow is greatly appreciate!