Chapter 58
Snowkit's POV
The bright morning sun hit Snowkit's eyes as it penetrated through the nursery walls. Snowkit got up to stretch her bushy, snow-white fur. She let a yawn escape her mouth and looked over her shoulder to her mother. Lilyheart was lying peacefully with Snowkit's siblings tucked at her belly. Honeykit and Stormkit took slow deep breaths, and Larkkit's seemed gentle. He must be getting better, Snowkit thought. She crept to the entrance to the nursery and sat, watching the sky turn from a gentle pink to a vibrant orange. A sound came from behind her, Snowkit jerked her head and and looked over her shoulder. A blue-gray tom-kit was trying to sneak up on her.
"Awww, I thought I could get you this time," Stormkit said standing up from crouch position.
"You know that you can never surprise me. I have the best hearing in ThunderClan," Snowkit boasted.
"But you can do everything!" Stormkit complained as he came to sit beside her. "You are the fastest, sneakiest, and strongest kit, and now you have great hearing."
"I am not as good as you claim! I might be the best in games, but I don't have to be, nor am I, good at everything," Snowkit said, looking at her brother with a surprised but also sympathetic face. Then Snowkit yawned, and her long fangs sparkled white in the brilliant light.
"You even have long fangs! The big cats say it is twice as large as a normal kit's teeth. I bet you could slice a cat in half with them!" Stormkit pushed.
"It's fine. I like them anyways," Snowkit said and squirmed her tongue between her teeth.
"I'm sorry," Stormkit said, looking down at his paws.
"For what?" Snowkit questioned with curiosity.
"For overwhelming you with facts you already know. For being jealous. I was being a little pushy that you're good at everything," Stromkit said, laying his head on Snowkit's feathery soft shoulder.
"It's all right," Snowkit replied, leaning her head on Stormkit's head.
"Snowkit! Stormkit! What are you doing up so early?" A familiar voice called from behind.
"Sorry Mama!" The kit's chorused. "I just woke up early, that's all" Snowkit said innocently.
"She woke me up," Stormkit complained.
"You two are coming back to sleep. Both of you will be very tired today if you don't come and get plenty of rest," Lilyheart said and made space for her kits to slip in beside her.
"Sorry Mama," Snowkit said again to her mother, hanging her head. Lilyheart softened her eyes and licked a ruffled patch of fur on top of Snowkit's head.
"It's okay, Snowkit. I am just concerned about you," Lilyheart sighed. Snowkit knew what Lilyheart was thinking about. Snowkit glanced at Larkkit, and for a second he looked still.
"Mama! Mama! Larkkit!" Snowkit yelped and ran to her brother's side and started to awaken him.
"What is it?" he moaned. Snowkit breathed a sigh of relief.
"What was that all about, Snowkit? Don't disturb your brother!" Lilyheart yowled.
"Sorry! I thought he was not breathing. He looked still," Snowkit whispered the last part and stared at him. Suddenly, something flashed in her eyes, and she saw her mother being clawed by another cat that looked like a dark shadow. Screeching cats filled her ears. Then suddenly she saw herself, full-grown, on the ground with a dark cat on top of her as he sliced her throat. Snowkit screamed as she saw her future self hang limply between her murder's paws. Then a tom cat with silvery-gray fur appeared from nowhere and hung his head.
"I love you… and that you came to SkyClan to help with the battle. I will miss you..." Then, a female voice boomed in her ears.
"This will or will not be your fate, whether you survive the upcoming war or not," the she-cat said the last part coldly. "You must help, as every group of cats are in trouble, and you will be in the middle of it all. Survive with your might and you will one day live peacefully, or you will die in the claws of the dark cats. You must make a journey to the land of SkyClan and help defeat the darkness.
"Let your senses guide you on the day you become apprentices to SkyClan, the forgotten SkyClan. Take your darkest Storm, your drop of Honey, and your mighty cry of the Lark to help defeat this perilous war of the Clans. Bring also with you the Jay's sharp eyes and the gentle Dove's wing," The voice paused. "You must go alone on this journey with your helpers. May Starclan light your path."
"Wake up," a soft paw pad swiped her face. Snowkit opened her bleary eyes and saw Honeykit's fur was waving in the breeze.
"Come on sleepy head, let's play," she said excitedly. Snowkit got up from her mother's side. Other than Lilyheart and Cinderheart, who looked tired, there was no one in the nursery, as all the kits were playing outside. Snowkit looked warily at the place where Larkkit slept, and then turned her head, shocked with wide eyes, towards Honeykit. Honeykit did not notice Snowkit's look of shock.
"Where's Larkkit?!" Snowkit asked.
"He came to play! Isn't that exciting!" Honeykit squealed and turned her head to point her nose in his direction. "Stormkit and Larkkit are playing Chase the Mouse, and Larkkit is the mouse!" Honeykit said, watching her brothers play. Snowkit turned her attention to her brothers. Stormkit was haring, panting, to what look like a black streak against the background. Larkkit was running like a hare.
"He has never come to play, and never like this. I have never seen him run this fast, no, I have never seen him run at all!" Snowkit said, shaking her head.
"I know! Come on, let's go outside!" Honeykit mewed, and together the two sisters went outside to join their brothers in a game of Chase the Mouse.
"Hey Snowkit! Honeykit! Want to play chase the mouse with us?" Stormkit asked.
"I'd rather play hide-n-seek! I'm exhausted after all of this running!" Larkkit panted.
"What do you want to do, Snowkit? I want to do both, I can't choose," Honeykit asked.
"I want to get a badger ride from Snowpelt!" Snowkit exclaimed as she noticed the white warrior coming back from the border patrol. All four kits ran to their father, taking him by surprise and knocking him over.
"Ah! You scared me! you kits are going to become great warriors!" Snowpelt mewed from under the kits. Snowkit noticed that Larkkit looked down, away from his father's gaze, but Snowkit quickly dismissed it.
"We are! We're going to be the best warriors in the history of ThunderClan!" Stormkit yelled.
"I bet you will be the best," Snowpelt said puffing his chest as his kits surrounded him. "Larkkit! Look at you! You look as fit as your siblings!"
"Yes, Papa." Larkkit muttered.
"And Snowkit, your fangs are a great weapon! Stormkit, you have wonderful muscles and Honeykit, you have determination!" he praised.
"Yes, we do!" Honeykit mewed.
"We're the best!" Stormkit cried.
"Kits! Do you want to hear a story?" Purdy asked as he came out of the elders den. "Let's give your father a break from all that patrolling."
"Yes! Tell us the one about Firestar!" Larkkit begged.
"Oh, if you want that story, you've got to ask Graystripe," Purdy mewed, turning back shaking Graystripe awake from his nap.
"Huh?" Graystripe muttered. "What?"
"These young-un's want to hear the story of Firestar. Tell 'em!" Purdy mewed.
"But I was captured by Twolegs. Let Sandstorm tell one," Graystripe muttered his lame excuse drowsily as he went back to his nap.
"Okay then, so which story?" Sandstrom asked the kits. "You're too young for the BloodClan story, so don't ask for that one."
"Aww! I wanted the BloodClan story! Please tell us it! Lilyheart won't mind!" Stormkit begged.
"Can we please have the story of when you moved from the old forest to the lake?" Larkkit asked politely.
"Yes you may, Larkkit. It was a very long time ago, when Squirrelflight and Leafpool were just apprentices…" Sandstorm began.
"Wow! That must have happened at least seasons ago!" Honeykit mewed, interested.
"Yes, it was a very long time ago, Honeykit. And it was a strange time. Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight , who was Squirrelpaw back then, had disappeared for a while…" Sandstorm said, adding suspense to keep the kits entertained.
"Bramblestar was a warrior back then?" Snowkit asked.
"Yes, he was one of the new warriors that time. And Firestar was the leader," Sandstorm answered.
"And I was the deputy," Graystripe interrupted, awake from his nap.
"You were the deputy?" Stormkit asked in disbelief. Snowkit took a good look at Graystripe and noticed his gray muzzle and graying fur. Just then Patchpaw and Clawpaw came in holding sticks with wet moss in their jaws.
"What's that horrible smell?" Larkkit cried.
"It's mouse bile," Clawpaw mewed.
"We came to search for ticks," Patchpaw mewed.
"Let's go play hide-n-seek! I will never ever be able to listen to a story with that horrible smell!" Honeykit cried as they raced out of the den.
"Honeykit! Stormkit! Larkkit! Snowkit! Time for your nap!" Lilyheart cried.
"Aww!" they said. Snowkit felt worn out when she came to the nursery to find Lilyheart waiting for them. She was all snuggled up before she realized that she forgot to tell some cat about her nightmare. Or was it a message? A prophecy? Before Snowkit could ponder this question any longer, sleep overcame her.