Jkitty (x2): Thanks, and no problem!
Okay guys, here goes the first chapter. Mostly just cute kit fluff after the rocky beginning. I tried to get Beekit's personality to show with this chapter, tell me what you think.
Also, I'm afraid this will turn into another one of those stories where main character is a kit, then an apprentice, love interest, issues with training, becomes a warrior, becomes mates with said love interest, blah blah blah. That's why my stories always have multiple POVs. But I really don't want this story to turn boring, so please tell me any ideas you have. I most likely will need to use them at some point. Thanks!
"Nobody likes playing this game, Beekit," Morningkit sighed, staring at her sister with a frown. "Every time we play, you're always the leader."
"And you're always the deputy," protested Beekit, stamping her small paws on the ground. "I don't see what the problem is."
Morningkit closed her eyes and turned away, shaking her head. "Of course you don't," she whispered. "You don't understand, do you?" She started to pad away, back into the nursery.
Beekit groaned. She hated the nursery! It was stuffy, and way too milky for her liking. She and Morningkit would be weaned in a moon, but if Beekit still had to smell that infamous newborn-kit-scent then, she would throw a fit for sure. "I just said I don't get it!" she called, following her sister.
Morningkit's thin silver tail disappeared into the large den, and Beekit snarled in defeat. She shouldered past the seemingly endless rows of nests and ended up at the ruffled mossy bedding she shared with her sister and their mother, Dovewing. Morningkit was now curled up directly in the middle, eyes still shut as if she were asleep.
"Come on, I know you're awake," Beekit squeaked, nudging her littermate. "I wanna play. Please? For me?"
"For you?" Morningkit growled, head shooting straight up so she could glare at Beekit. "Everything's for you, Beekit. If you were a normal kit, you would offer for me to be leader in your silly game when you hear me say that I never get to be that rank. But no, you insist on everything going your way."
Beekit's shoulders sagged. "I… I guess I just never think about others too much. I always thought that others were okay when I made myself leader."
"Well, they're not," her silver-furred sibling replied testily. "At least, they're not fine with it when you do it every single time."
"I'm sor-"
"Just get out of here," Morningkit hissed, fed up.
Beekit, unable to think what to say anymore, trudged out of the den, past the empty nests. She emerged back into the clearing, weaving through the patches of chilly shade until she reached a toasty stretch of earth baking in the sunlight. She settled down, heaving a breath. As with most days, hers started with a fight with Morningkit. They had hardly been alive long enough to take two breaths, and already it seemed like they were mortal enemies. Considering there was always an argument around the corner when Beekit saw Morningkit, the gray tabby found herself grateful when she could rest and observe the goings-on in the camp.
According to her mother, a lot had changed since before the infamous but recent flood. When the Clans returned to their home after the lake-check patrol confirmed it was safe, they found they had lost their only elder, as well as a large chunk off the tip of the Highledge. Beekit had never seen the high-up meeting rock at its full former glory, but cats seemed used to its new appearance now. The large rock that had been broken off by the floodwater as easily as snapping a twig was now a place for sunbathing, since it was flat on one side, and sometimes where Squirrelflight organized patrols and such.
The Clan's newest warriors were Lilyfern and Seedspeck. Beekit eyed the two sisters, who were sharing tongues by the fresh-kill pile, enviously. I bet they never had problems with each other.
Just then, two huge toms scuttled by her, their paws moving faster than mice fleeing from a predator. Beekit gritted her teeth as a large breeze stirred her pelt once they passed. The two newest apprentices, Smokypaw and Larchpaw. Beekit's father, Bumblestripe, apparently mentored one of the brothers: how he handled the wily apprentice she had no idea.
The nursery was jam-packed. The oldest kits were Icecloud's, Oakkit, Puddlekit, and Bloodkit. At first Beekit was terrified of the pink-eyed tom, but, like the cats with the Highledge, she became accustomed to his startling gaze. Second-oldest were Cinderheart and Lionblaze's kits, Honeykit, Flintkit, and Stonekit. They were nice enough. Then came Beekit and Morningkit; but just a sunset younger than them were Ivypool's two sons, Lakekit and Fogkit. Dovewing and Ivypool, sisters, had discovered they were expecting kits near the same time and spent their days as expectant queens gossiping about what they would name their kits. Ivypool ended up giving birth just one day after Dovewing, and the only difference between families was that no one knew who Lakekit and Fogkit's father was. Finally, at the bottom of the nursery food chain was Blossomfall, who moved in recently at the news of her Mousewhisker's kits-to-be. The funny thing was, Blossomfall was Beekit's father, Bumblestripe's, sister. So right now a lot of her kin was in the process of expanding the family.
The elders' den was quite full, too: Thornclaw, Spiderleg, Millie, Brackenfur, and Sorreltail all resided there currently. Beekit knew all their stories, being a very good listener when something interested her:
Thornclaw never had a mate or kits, but he had been very loyal to ThunderClan for countless moons. He was the slightly younger brother of Brackenfur. In fact, they almost looked like twins. The only difference was Thornclaw's green eyes and Brackenfur's amber eyes.
Spiderleg's mate had been Daisy, a cream-furred long-haired she-cat from the horseplace who died a bit before the flood. They had Rosepetal and Toadstep, two young but talented warriors. Unfortunately, their parents weren't very close at all, and Spiderleg appeared to loathe his family.
Millie lost her mate, Graystripe, in the flood, and was a former kittypet who refused to give up her name to become a warrior. She had been a little younger than her mate, and remained a warrior while Graystripe vegetated in the elders' den. But once he was gone, she felt she should retire, still being useful when dealing with her disabled daughter, Briarlight.
Brackenfur and Sorreltail were mates, the parents of several cats, including Cinderheart and Poppyfrost. They had retired together when Sorreltail became very sick suddenly. She was still recovering currently, so Beekit steered clear of the honeysuckle bush in case they were still remnants of Sorreltail's illness lurking.
Beekit was lost in thought until she registered a tap on her cheek. Spinning around, expecting it to be Morningkit, Beekit smiled like a mouse-brain until she recognized Honeykit, standing a bit taller over her at three moons. "Hey," Beekit mumbled, staring up at Honeykit in awe.
Honeykit smiled, flashing off her shiny white teeth. "Hey, Beekit. I was wondering if you wanted to join my brothers and I for a contest…?"
Beekit was shocked. "Y- you want… me?" she gasped. "Not Oakkit?"
"Nah, we thought we'd give you a chance, since you look lonely over here. So what do you say?"
"I say yes!" Beekit beamed. She scampered after Honeykit, feeling majorly dwarfed by the golden kit, but at the moment she didn't care. She felt every bit as big as them, being able to play with them.
Flintkit groaned from his place crouched next to Stonekit. "Aw, Honeykit! Don't cheat!"
His sister bared her teeth at him playfully. "How am I cheating?"
"You're adding someone to your team-"
"That's not cheating-"
"I wasn't finished," Flintkit cut in. "I was saying, you're adding someone to your team who is-"
Stonekit swept his tail in front of his brother's mouth before he could say any more. The ashen-colored tabby looked rather bored being here, like he'd rather be doing something else. Who would want to do something else besides a game? Beekit thought to herself, bewildered. The two things I do in my life are play or fight with Morningkit. She paused. And what was Flintkit gonna say?
"Anyway," Honeykit said sharply. "Let's get started." She turned to Beekit, her deep amber gaze warming the small gray tabby right up again. "Basically, the point of this game is to pin down your opponent. I try to take down Flintkit, and you Stonekit. We will both go at the same time, and whoever pins down their competitor first wins the round. The cat they beat is out. Then the other group goes again, and whoever wins that goes against the first champion."
She swiveled back around to face Flintkit, a determined smirk wrinkling her pretty features. Beekit ogled Honeykit out of the corner of her eye, trying to copy the stance the older she-kit was in. Beekit ended up in a slightly disfigured crouch, her rump in the air and tail waving. Her chest was nearly touching the ground, the grass blades tickling her chest fur. Beekit took a deep breath, and again focused on Stonekit. He still remained completely nonchalant, sliding down to a position similar to that of his siblings. Then, in a hushed screech, Flintkit announced, "Go!" He and Honeykit collided.
Beekit rocketed forward, landing herself squarely on Stonekit's back just as he slid under her, clearly aiming for her belly. Gently, he pummeled her stomach with sheathed paws, as Beekit whirled around, shaking her head back and forth with a clump of fur in her jaws. She would've grabbed skin, too, but this game obviously had a no-pain rule.
Before Beekit could try to get his ears, she heard a yowl of triumph. She spun, rolling off of Stonekit's backside as he straightened. Flintkit had his paw planted on Honeykit's chest, where there was a bit of extra fluff like a mane, similar to her father. "Ha! I win!" the ambitious gray kit purred. He blinked his cool blue eyes at Stonekit and Beekit. "Now you two."
Beekit gulped, unaware how loud it was. She could only think about beating Stonekit. Beating Stonekit. Beating Stonekit. It had to be possible. It was possible…
At Flintkit's "Go!", Beekit surged forward as fierce as a river after heavy rain. She imagined the churning water, and imagined herself within it. Strong, fearless, knocking down anything in her pain. She rammed her head into Stonekit's chest just hard enough for him to go oof as he toppled over onto his back, belly exposed. Instinctively, Beekit placed her paw where Flintkit had put his on Honeykit; then she twisted, relieved Stonekit wasn't struggling. If he had been, he might've overpowered her.
"Wow, Beekit!" Flintkit exclaimed, padding forward and swatting Stonekit's head as his brother hopped up, rolling his eyes. "Nice job. Guess it's me against you now."
Beekit hadn't even recalled the rules until now. Whoever wins the second round goes against the first champion. She winced and met Flintkit's glowing cobalt orbs. Uh oh.
Hope you liked! Again, ideas. You will learn about Ivypool's sons and Morningkit some more soon enough.