Warriors - The Leopard's Apprentice

-Faded Memories - Alone in the Dark-

         Flamestar looked towards her measly kit in disgust, Smokestorm's body sat lifelessly beside the grey kit. Blood spilled out of Smokestorm's rib cage and and his neck was slit open the pools of blood surrounding the clearing. The kit whom she hadn't named crawled towards her squeaking almost begging her to feed him. Her mouth curled into a snarl and her fiery eyes looked at Smokestorm's deceased figure and than the kit who had now accidentally dipped his front paws into the pool of blood. Without another thought Flamestar angrily lifted the kit by his scruff and jumped into the lake swimming towards the other side; Forestclan. She sat the kit down by a clump of moss and a few trees, Flamestar looked to see Bearstar sitting on one of the branches of The Oaktree her ears perked to hear him "From this day forward you will be known as Timberheart! Forestclan honors your bravery and strength. Lilypaw please step forward-"

Flamestar didn't listen to much else as she walked back towards the lake - she could if she wanted to kill all those filthy Forestclan cats but then again how could she possibly kill them there were so many. With a final look at her mewling kit, Flamestar jumped into the lake and began to swim towards the Lakeclan border; she did after all need to appoint a new deputy, Nightpelt would do fine. The mews of the kit were soon forgotten and the kit was alone in the forest, his eyes closed in the darkness. "Silverlake! Where are you going!" Moonfang cried as the beautiful silver she-cat slipped out of the camp her eyes in tears. She was running though she had no idea where; her kit, Mothkit had just died and she thought it had been her fault.

"Silverlake!" she pushed the voice out of her head as she ran through the forest. Suddenly she stopped, she tilted her ears to hear the faint mewling of a kit and her motherly instinct ran towards it. Her tears blocked some of her vision so in an instant she wiped them away with her tail the only thing worrying her was the cries of the kit. And then she saw him.

Silverlake's heart dropped at the sight of the kit. He looked just like Mothkit; His fur was a beautiful grey color and his paws had small hints of darker grey. He was considerably fluffy unlike her kits but he was beautiful nonetheless. "Hello." She breathed as she stared at him. The kit did not respond and instead still sat mewling begging for milk. She instantly sat down beside the kit, her tail pushing him towards the milk. Hungrily he began to drink, "y-you look just like Mothkit." she said tears forming in her eyes. Silverlake heard a tiny purr and her heart stopped wherever this kit came from she promised him she'd be a mother he never had. "Let's go home." she said with a smile as she lifted the now sleeping kit towards camp.

"Silverlake! Thank goodness you're alright!" Moonfang said as soon as she had carried the kit back into camp. "I was worried sick about you... wait is that a kit?" he asked her quizzically. Silverlake couldn't answer because of the kit in her mouth so she clumsily nodded. When she entered the nursery, Boulderleap looked in surprise "Is that Mothkit?" she asked. Silverlake sadly shook her head, "I found him near the border." she mumbled. Shadowkit and Burntkit looked at the kit in fascination "Mom can we play with him?" Boulderleap chuckled "In the morning if he wants to." The kits grumbled something and went to sleep. "What are you going to name him?" Moonfang asked once Dandelionkit and Snakekit were asleep.

Silverlake shrugged, "I'd feel like i'm replacing Mothkit if I name him Mothkit, I think his name will be-" Silverlake paused her head felt as though it were spinning and a voice whom she had never heard before whispered to her "Smokekit." Silverlake shook her head and looked around in disbelief had she been visited by Starclan? She shook the thought away for a moment and looked at the fluffy grey kit "Smokekit, his name will be Smokekit." Moonfang purred "that's a lovely name." Silverlake looked towards Smokekit with love in her eyes.

"Yes, yes it is."

Flamestar leapt off the Great Palm and swam towards Forestclan once more deeply hoping that her pathetic excuse of a kit had died. When she got to the clearing she had abandoned him in she saw no sign of the kit and put her nose to the ground opening her mouth to scent the kit. She caught one strong scent as she smelled her kit and Forestclan. She leapt towards the Forestclan camp and looked into the nursery in disgust a silver queen sat nursing her kit. Flamestar entertained the thought of maybe killing the queen and the kit she had worked hard to dispose of but thought better of it and ran back towards the border.

Flamestar was back in Lakeclan and closed her eyes, when she opened them she was in a dark looking forest with no trees and no stars in the sky. A rabbit leapt towards her and then ran right through her. Flamestar had no other thought of where she was; The Dark Forest. "Flamestar." came a voice that she could never forget; Smokestorm. His dark pelt looked exactly like her kit and she cringed at the resemblance, "Flamestar, I know you want to kill him but Smokekit is in Forestclan now - I have a better idea." he said with a smirk "I traveled to Silverlake the she-cat nursing him and gave him the name Smokekit." Smokestorm put in seeing Flamestar's confused face.

"Smokestorm, what's your plan?" she said a smile curving around the corners of her mouth. Smokestorm purred and sat next to his living mate his tail wrapping around her pelt. "When Smokekit is an apprentice travel to him, I shall convince him to exit camp and meet you, I want him to believe you are his loving mother and Silverlake stole him from you or something or another." Smokestorm continued. Flamestar nodded "we crush them from the inside." she said with a small smile. Smokestorm nodded and Flamestar could see Poisonstar across from the cats with a triumphant smile on his face, "Brilliant." he said his green eyes twinkling. Brilliant indeed. She thought.

Flamestar awoke from her sleep as the sun began to rise an evil malice tinted her eyes and her tail held high "Don't worry Smokestorm I'll make you proud." she said a crazed grin spreading across her face.