Lost Hope: Book 4: The Darkest Shadow

Chapter 2

Violetkit's eyes popped open as a paw jabbed her in the side. She cast her gaze upward and glared at the blue pair that stared back at her.

"Wake up and play with us!" Sapphirekit squeaked.

Violetkit groaned. It was one of those days where Starfur's kits slept in the nursery instead of the medicine den with their mother. Honestly, Violetkit preferred when she wasn't being woken by poking paws and loud squealing voices who thought they could force her to play anything just because she was younger. It was getting quite tiring.

"No thanks," she said with yawn. Her mother had insisted she add the 'thanks' part, but she wasn't entirely sure why it was necessary.

"Aw, c'mon!" Amberkit protested. "We need three players and Forestkit's being mean!"

Violetkit rolled her eyes. "Go poke her instead of me," she suggested dryly. Forestkit was often in the medicine den with her mother, and Violetkit couldn't really blame her. She knew she'd do the same if she had Sapphirekit and Amberkit for littermates.

"Weird eyes!" Amberkit stuck out his tongue and stalked away.

Bristling, Violetkit stood up, already preparing to leap at the arrogant furball. "Don't say that!"

This 'Weird Eyes' thing had only started recently, and Violetkit might tear Amberkit's own eyes out for it. It was because she didn't resemble her parents at all, who were both brown with green eyes, but Violetkit was dark gray with blue eyes. Her mother told her it was because her other relatives were gray, but the other kits—including herself—still thought it was odd.

"What's going on?" Violetkit's mother, Burrowpelt cam into the den, holding a couple mice by their tails.

Sapphirekit was quick to rat on her. "Violetkit won't play with us!"

"I—"

"Violetkit, is something wrong?" Burrowpelt set the mice down and stared at her daughter.

"No!" Violetkit said, flicking her tail in annoyance. "Amberkit called me Weird Eyes again." She had him this time!"

Burrowpelt turned her attention back to the other kits. "Well, now you see why she won't play with her, because you called her a name. Apologize and I'm sure she'll forgive you."

Yeah, right!

Amberkit's face took on that of solemnity, something that would fool her mother, but Violetkit didn't buy it as easily. "I'm sorry, Violetkit, I won't do it again. Will you play with us now?"

"Please?" Sapphirekit added, playing along with her brother, putting on a whole show for Burrowpelt.

Violetkit wanted to bite her. But she went along as best she could. Forcing a smile, she said, "Sure. . . ."

"Great!" Amberkit grabbed a moss ball. "We're playing Mouse in the Middle. You get to be the mouse," he told Violetkit.

She was familiar. Every time they played this game, she had to be in the middle. It involved the other two players passing a ball over her head. If she could catch it, she would take on of their places and they had to be in the middle. She placed herself between Amberkit and Sapphirekit, ready to grab the flying moss.

"Ready?" Amberkit asked, and Sapphirekit nodded enthusiastically. "Alright, here we go!" He jumped and tossed the ball high over Violetkit's head. Sapphirekit expertly caught it between her paws.

"Too slow, Violetkit!" She smirked.

You little— Violetkit wanted to scream, but her mother was watching them, oblivious to Violetkit's anger. Forcing down her emotions, she didn't reply to Sapphirekit's snarky remark.

Sapphirekit was already tossing the ball up again and Violetkit leaped for it, missing dramatically, and stumbling on the ground as she landed, allowing Amberkit to claw it towards himself.

This went on for some time, the ball being thrown up, higher than Violetkit could reach, and inevitably missing. She stopped trying after awhile. Burrowpelt finally said, "How about you three come try these mice? They're still warm."

Thank StarClan. Violetkit immediately padded away from the other kits and took a mouse, retreating behind her mother with it, much preferring to eat a mouse than be one. She knew she couldn't finish the whole thing by herself, but she hated having to share food with the other two. I will be so relieved when they move out and into the apprentice den, she thought spitefully.

"Oh, Violetkit, your father's back from patrol." Burrowpelt drew her daughter toward her and began to groom her tabby pelt.

Sapphirekit let out a little snort from where she sat eating her mouse with her brother. She must look ridiculous.

"Dad won't care how I look!" Violetkit protested.

"Maybe," Burrowpelt said between licks. "But I care, I want my kit to look presentable." She smiled to herself. "I used to hate it when my mother groomed me too."

Is that supposed to make me feel better? Violetkit wanted to squirm out of reach, but she let her mother run her tongue over every spot on her pelt, making it sleek and nice.

"Burrowpelt," a voice from the den entrance said. "Are you torturing our daughter again?" It was Sparrowfeather, Violetkit's father.

"Define torture," Burrowpelt said, grinning at the sight of him.

"How's my little girl?" Sparrowfeather crouched down in front of Violetkit as she wriggled away from her mother to greet him.

"As good as I can be, I suppose," Violetkit said.

Sparrowfeather seemed to sense her displeasure. Lifting his head, he said to the other kits, "Amberkit, Sapphirekit, I'm sure Forestkit wants to play with you. You can go see her in the medicine den." The littermates eagerly bounded away.

"What's wrong?" Her father asked when they were alone.

Violetkit glanced at her mother briefly before shrugging. "Amberkit called me Weird Eyes again." She looked up at him and asked earnestly, "Why don't I look like you or mom?"

Sparrowfeather seemed a little startled. "You're not weird," he told her firmly. "They're jealous. You're perfect just the way you are. Besides, Burrowpelt has a lot of gray cat relatives, you get it from them. You should be happy that you look so different. Sapphirekit, Amberkit and Forestkit are practically clones of their parents."

Violetkit's laughed a little. Her dad could always make her feel better.

"Be careful," Burrowpelt said, chuckling. "If Darkmoon hears you saying stuff like that. . . ."

Sparrowfeather whipped his head around to stare out the den behind him, as if expecting to see the deputy turn the corner. Violetkit laughed again.

Sparrowfeather turned back to her, grinning. "In all seriousness though, don't let them get to you, okay?"

"Okay," she promised.