CotS #2: A Brighter Future (currently being rewritten)

Chapter One

Rainkit watched as Lightningkit animatedly chatted with their mother, Silverdusk. Silverdusk was said to used to be an older cat, but Rainkit never understood that nonsense and she loved her mother and father for who they were. Silverdusk was quite a chatty she-cat, but she was quieter at times, and she was a great listener. Hiveclaw was quite chatty all the time. Rainkit preferred hanging out with Silverdusk than Lightningkit or Hiveclaw because Silverdusk knew to be quiet when Rainkit was around. Rainkit's sister and father would decide to start a conversation when Rainkit wanted silence. That tended to be annoying, and tended to end with Rainkit stalking away, upset, and her father and sister having no idea what happened.

Rainkit was to become an apprentice any day now, and the prospect delighted her. Now that she was older, Silverdusk took her and Lightningkit to the shallower stream, every single day, so they could practice swimming. Rainkit loved the feel of the water on her fur, and sometimes she wanted to swim way longer than Lightningkit could handle. Rainkit thrived in the water, while Lightningkit would do it as a mere hobby.

"Rainkit! Did you want to play hide-and-seek?" Lightningkit demanded of her.

That was something Rainkit could never turn down, and her sister knew it. Rainkit was already bored of moss-ball and preferred watching apprentices now, but the only kit-game the two of them still played was hide-and-seek, because the river warriors were always expanding the camp and rebuilding it and whatnot so there were always new places to hide. Rainkit had given up hiding behind Silverdusk already. Lightningkit knew that hiding place way too well. Besides, although their fur matched, Rainkit had two much kit fluff and though Silverdusk's eyes were purple too, she didn't have bright violet at her back.

Rainkit smiled ruefully. "Yeah, I do," she meowed.

Lightningkit beamed. "Okay! But I don't wanna find you anymore. Silverdusk, how about you find us?"

Silverdusk's gaze glittered with mischief. "Sure thing," she smiled evilly. "You two have five seconds to hide!"

Both of them let out squeals of terror and dashed away to hide. Silverdusk was obviously playing with them, as she counted down slowly from twenty the moment they were out of her line of sight. Silverdusk did that to them, but they only pretended to be terrified of her, and she knew it.

The shallow stream led into their camp, and Rainkit decided to hide among the pebbles. She had to flatten her fur to pass for a pebble, and she did that, while keeping her mouth above the water to breathe. It was actually quite fun. She longed to swim but knew she had to stay still.

"No fair!" Rainkit heard Lightningkit complain from around the apprentices' den. "You sense of smell is enhanced!"

Rainkit heard Silverdusk say, "Lightningkit, you hang around your father too much, and I'm way too used to his scent."

Lightningkit huffed, "Gotta stop hanging around Dad!"

Rainkit suddenly heard cats crossing the pebbles. Great StarClan, Lightningkit and Silverdusk were headed her way! She forced herself to remain calm and still, a stationary pebble in the stream.

She suddenly heard Silverdusk purr, "Rainkit, my dear pebble, you forgot to take out that rose I put in your head fur."

Rainkit got out of the water. True enough, a pretty red rose was still in her head fur. She'd forgotten to take it out! Silverdusk must have realized there was a rose in the stream that was molded inside the pebble. Rainkit let out a huff of frustration.

"Ugh," Rainkit muttered. "I always forget something."

"Two things, this time," Lightningkit teased, and Rainkit saw her tail was sticking straight out of the water.