"Mom, can I be an apprentice now?"

"You still have three more moons to go Sunkit, wait." Squirrelflight meowed as she placed a pigeon in front of the three kits. Gingerkit eagerly took a bite out of the bird with his tail lashing. He was eager to get to Leafpool, seeing that she promised to secretly teach him about a new herb. He just had to wait until she came back with Jayfeather.

"But mama!" Sunkit whined.

"Hush Sunkit!" Flamekit hissed. "The first step to being a warrior is to be patient." She said, then tilted her fuzzy head as if listening to someone. "Being too eager will get you nowhere."

"And just what would you know about patience?" Sunkit retorted. "You were trying to practice those moves Cherry was teaching Brightheart and Briarlight the other day!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Flamekit, you snuck out of the camp?!" Squirrelflight shrieked. The she kit hung her head guiltily.

"Yes..."

"Flamekit, didn't Bramblestar tell you that training is not for kits? You have to wait sweetie. Take your own advice, a great warrior is one who is patient."

A snort made the family look behind them and Squirrelflight's fur stand on ends. Cinderheart was lounging on her side while slurping up the last of a mouse she has eaten, its tail. "My kits won't be as bloodthirsty as your kits, that's for sure."

"My kits are no such thing!" Squirrelflight hissed. Cinderheart sneered and narrowed her eyes.

"Your kits want to grow up too fast and watch warriors train; on top of that they clearly listen to those Moonclan cats more than you or your clan mates. They are Moonclan warriors in the training."

"You take that back right now Cinderheart," the bright ginger queen growled lowly, eyes livid and sparkling.

Cinderheart only snarled. "It's true!"

"It is not!"

"It is true..." Both she cats turned to Longclaw, who was stalking into the den. A feral glow shined in her eyes. "Those are the signs, the signs of a Moonclan kit. They are more eager to grow up and fight than the other kits. I know because I watched Whitethunder grow up as a kit, or rather for four measly days I did. Those four days showed me enough though."

"You know nothing," Squirrelflight said quietly. Her tail as wrapped protectively around her wide eyes kits.

"I do. I was held captive because Moonclan need catmint for green cough and my clan held a lot of it. I wasn't the only one though, my friend Brushwhisker was there as well. Starrīdā demanded catmint from Darkclan or she would have one of us killed. Saberrīdā refused, and Brushwhisker paid the price."

Longclaw was quiet for a while, apparently mourning.

"He was a nice tom, dark brown with blue eyes. I looked up to him so much because he was my mentor and the most cunning cat I knew. He was my idol and he was teaching me his ways. Instead he became a thing to show my clan that Moonclan weren't playing around. They were desperate, that I remember, their cats were dying, but they didn't have to kill him..."

Amber eyes closed tightly as the rusty red she cat pulled herself together.

"I watched as it happened. The whole clan toyed with him, then Whitemoon went for the kill. And as Brushwhisker died Whitekit walked up to him. His eyes were watching my mentor's as they dimmed, and then he slashed at his cold nose and declared that he couldn't wait to be an apprentice. Silverclaw told him that a great warrior had patience, a day before our clans went to war and she died protecting her rīdā, the day Whitekit became an apprentice. I will always remember that...remember the ruthless cat Whitekit has become. His very name strikes fear in the hearts of many."

Cold amber eyes latched onto shocked green ones. "Keep your kits away from those murderers!" She hissed. "Otherwise they will be just like them!"

Sunkit whimpered and backed away. Flamekit didn't whimper though, she bristled. "I will become a great warrior and you will fear me!" She declared.

Hot anger laced through the older cat. "You sound just like him."

"Enough! Leave this nursery now!" Squirrelflight yowled.

Cinderheart stood and glared at her. "Why? Because the truth hurts doesn't it? You know your kits are being influenced, admit it! You are more of a danger to the clans than I ever was!"

"Silence!" Squirrelflight snarled. Flamekit was now backing away with her sibling; all braveness was gone now that her mother was going to fight Cinderheart again.

"What's going on?" Icecloud snapped as she trotted inside the nursery, Mousewhisker close behind. He instantly ran to his mate's side and soothed down her bristled fur. Icecloud shot him a look, but he paid her no mind. Squirrelflight could wait, his mate was in distress.

"Mousewhisker, take Squirrelflight out on a walk would you?" Icecloud asked. Mousewhisker turned to growl at her, but her cold look told him otherwise. It was clear what she meant: 'do what Lionblaze assigned you to do or get maimed.' Grudgingly he motioned for the other enraged queen to follow him, and when she didn't move he groaned.

"Come on!"

"I'm not leaving my kits here with her!"

"Then leave them with Sorreltail." He grumbled.

Squirrelflight wrinkled her nose at him before ushering her kit to apprentice den. "Autumnspot, could you watch them please? They aren't allowed to leave this Den."

"Uh, sure." He mewed in surprise. "Where's Bramblestar?"

"He's patrolling." She told him before following Mousewhisker outside of the camp.

~ooo~

They walked for a while, and for that while Mousewhisker's mind was in turmoil. What was he suppose to do? Had it been Cinderheart he would've know instantly, but Squirrelflight?

'Why did this have to happen?'

He glanced back at Squirrelflight. She wasn't really supposed to leave the clan, but she needed to. He had overheard the story Longclaw told and was shocked. Whitethunder sounded like such a bad kit, and now Longclaw told Squirrelflight that her kits were going to be just like him. 'Flamekit has been a little bold lately ' he worried silently. Maybe she was too influenced by the Moonclan cats.

"You believe her? Of course you would believe her; you'd believe anyone who would confirm what your mate has said." Squirrelflight sneered.

Mousewhisker turned to her with a growl. "I'd rather believe her than you, you attacked her!"

"That was a lie and you know it!" Squirrelflight yowled. "You are just too gullible to believe it!"

Mousewhisker froze, that was the same thing he admitted to last night. He huffed and walked back. "We are going back to the clan. You have apprentice duties to do."

"How could you support her?"

"She's my mate," Mousewhisker said weakly.

Squirrelflight sneered at him. "Really mates wouldn't do something evil and force her love to cooperate." With that she turned and left to the clan.

~ooo~

It was perfect, and they didn't even suspect her. Icecloud took her for a walk, and Cinderheart begged her to walk a little farther. Icecloud wouldn't concede without another cat going, and even though she was a little puzzled when Cinderheart suggested Sakura she still allowed it. Now the three were walking, right to where she wanted to walk.

'Not far now,' she thought. 'Only a little closer.'

"Icecloud, I'm thirsty." She mewed. Icecloud sighed and turned. "I'll fetch some water. Sakura, watch her."

Sakura nodded and watched the other run off. Once Icecloud was far enough away Cinderheart turned on the red she cat. "You think you are so slick don't you?" She snarled.

Sakura looked bewildered. "What?"

"Mousewhisker is mine!" She hissed. "He is my mate and I won't let you take him from me!" She advanced, fangs bore and claws out.

Sakura stepped back. "I don't want him!"

"Lies! You are always around him, flirting with him, tricking him. I saw you two last night!"

"He only wanted to talk!" Sakura reasoned. She kept stepping back as the other advanced, unknowing of the hole.

Cinderheart stopped advancing. A crazy gleam was in her eyes. "You are also a traitor. You want to get rid of me?"

Sakura looked around frantically. No one was there, good. She turned back to the other with a glare. "Yes, I do. You are a danger to the clans."

"Well that's too bad, because I am getting rid of you first."

Sakura wasn't prepared for what happened next. Cinderheart shoved her, hard, making her fall back. The leaves behind her gave way to a large hole, and she felt with wide terrified eyes, paws flailing as she yowled. Cinderheart watched with satisfaction and turned away, grinning as the yowl was cut off. "One down," she muttered. She then opened her mouth. "HELP! SAKURA FELL DOWN A HOLE! ICECLOUD HELP!"

Icecloud was muttering to herself over a mouthful of wet moss when she heard Cinderheart's cry. She ran quickly and found the terrified queen trembling by a hole. "S-Sakura, she fell in there!" Icecloud looked inside and gulped. There was nothing but black and...

"What is that?" She whispered. There were spikes, something wet was on it. Icecloud's eyes widened. It was blood. "No..." She whispered and backed away quickly. She looked around, she was sure dawn patrol had passed through. "Help! Someone help!"

"Icecloud!" Both she cats turned to see Brackenfur and Cloudtail walking over to them. Molepelt wasn't far behind. "What's wrong?!"

"Sakura..." Icecloud choked.

Cloudtail narrowed his eyes and walked past her to the hole. His eyes widened. "Dear Starclan... Molepelt, find Brightheart. Both of you go back to the clan and get Whitethunder." Molepelt turned and ran.

Cinderheart frowned. "Why get Whitethunder?"

"Because he is Sakura's father. He needs to be the first to see this..." He dipped his head. Icecloud and Brackenfur followed his lead. Cinderheart watched them with a sneer. But she was happy, her plan worked. Sakura was no more.