Twilightkit's Storm

Chapter One

The relentless heat of Greenleaf radiated from the firey sun, beating down on the backs of the ThunderClan warriors. It was a steamy, lazy day, and even the kits only seemed to muster enough energy to lazily swipe at passing butterflies. The cats without patrols or tasks huddled in their shady dens - only a brave few sunned themselves in the middle of camp, much to Sunstar's amused annoyance. The warriors on patrol had happily trotted off, for the forest was cool and moist.

A certain kit was practically melted outside the nursery, batting half-heartedly at a leaf and feeling sorry for himself. He shot an icy glare at the warriors enjoying their cool dens. It wasn't fair for him to burn up under the sun while they were shaded, but Lilystream had kicked her kits out of the nursery for trampling nests. It hadn't been his fault, Twilightkit told himself. Stripekit was the one who'd chased him around to 'play'.

"Hey Twilightkit!" A cheery voice barely lifted Twilightkit's spirits, and he turned his despondent gaze to his bright ginger sister's smiling face. She flopped down beside him, her fur rubbing up against his pelt.

More heat... He inwardly sighed, but rolled over and batted at Robinkit's nose with his paw. "I don't understand how you can be so happy right now. I have the shortest pelt around and I'm burning."

"It feels nice," Robinkit purred, catching his paw with her own and pushing it away with a giggle. "Is Stripekit still bothering you?"

"No, but he's probably planning on it," Twilightkit replied bitterly, visually searching for his brother. Of course, there he was, by the apprentice's den. He was chatting with Flamingpaw and Grasspaw, whom Twilightkit despised. They acted like Stripekit was a great genius with his games of 'Catch Twilightkit's Tail' and 'Steal Twilightkit's Food'.

"Have you ever wondered if it's because you're such a sourpuss?" Robinkit smirked. "You're the grumpiest kit I know!"

"Besides Stripekit, I'm the only kit you know," The black and white tom said, but his sister had a point, he reluctantly admitted to himself. Frustratedly extending his claws in and out, observing the small, needlelike tips, he shook his head.

"There's no making peace with him," He said stubbornly, flicking a small pebble off across camp. "It's not like he picks on you."

"No, because he respects me! Maybe if you showed him you're not the biggest wuss of a warrior to ever exist, he'd be nicer," Robinkit reasoned, though Twilightkit could tell she was getting irritated. He didn't especially care, even wanted it, but he couldn't avoid the fact that the she-kit may be right.

Bravely he managed to say, "But maybe... I-I could try playing with Stripekit?" He said slowly, flexing his claws back in once more with a grimace. Even the sentence sent a certain feeling through his bones.

"There we go!" Robinkit grinned, shoving him so he rolled over once more. "Stripekit's not the worst, y'know. Now go!" She stood, prodding Twilightkit until he finally unstuck his pelt from the ground and shook the dust off.

"Fine, fine," Twilightkit grumbled, dragging himself to where Stripekit stood. He tried to keep his head and tail high, but as his brother's intimidating eyes suddenly locked on to him, Twilightkit felt his muscles try to force him back down. Taking a deep, nervous breath, he smiled at Stripekit. "Hey Stripekit... Uh, you wanna play?"

"Do I want to play?" He laughed, his muzzle curling back. Unable to tell if it was a grin, snarl, or both, Twilightkit could already feel himself shrinking. "Sure! You know what we wanna play?" He glanced back at his apprentice friends, who were looking at Twilightkit in such a way he almost wondered if he had turned into freshkill. "I want to play fox and kit! Ready?"

This was a terrible idea. Twilightkit barely turned to run before his brother tackled him, his huge build taking him in seconds. Twilightkit wasn't a small kit, but Stripekit seemed enourmous in comparison as he forced his muzzle into the ground. Twilightkit tried to push himself up, coughing as he inhaled desperately and received a face full of dust. Stripekit wouldn't let him up, keeping one paw on the back of Twilightkit's head. He thrashed, trying to toss Stripekit off, but it was no use. He couldn't yell through the coughing. He got a glimpse of the camp, and to his dismay, not a single warrior resided outside anymore. A hunting patrol had been sent out not long after a border patrol, leaving the place near empty. As his nose was pressed into the ground, he couldn't breath, his vain attempts just taking in more and more earth.

"What in StarClan's name are you doing?" A burning need for oxygen had begun boiling in Twilightkit's lungs. He tried, and failed, to throw the dark tabby off once again, his legs going weak, but the familiar voice of a she-cat finally sent relief shooting through every fiber of his being. "Stripekit! That's your brother!" The weight lifted from Twilightkit's frame, and he collapsed. His shoulders ached from the force having shoved them apart painfully. Twilightkit staggered up, gasping like a fish out of water for air. His tiny chest heaved in and out, and he began coughing, the combination of dust and oxygen deprivation. After what seemed like the longest time he began to recover, and still Stripekit with caution, he turned to his savior, a white she-cat. Her green eyes glared as they shot to the other two apprentices, who seemed mildly irritated. "You two know better. And getting a kit to do your dirty work? Really." Twilightkit almost laughed at this, a certain amount of his relief dissolving on the spot. Stripekit just looked away, a funny sound coming from the back of his throat.

"Alright mom," Grasspaw rolled his eyes, slipping back inside the Apprentice's den, Flamingpaw trailing behind him wordlessly. Snowpaw smiled gently at Stripekit, cuffing his ear.

"You know better than to get mixed up with rough apprentices! Don't let them pressure you," She reprimanded the dark tabby gently, as if it wasn't his fault. What a lot of mouse dung, Twilightkit seethed to himself, unaware of his muzzle twisting into a frightful scowl. Like he's so innocent-

"Twilightkit, are you alright?" The black and white tom almost jumped, having begun to envelop himself in his sorry thoughts. "Do you need to go to the medicine den?" Though he could hear a slight wheeze coming from his chest as he breathed, Twilightkit shook his head dismissively at the preposition. He had no desire to show any type of weakness to Stripekit, who's eyes were boring into him like fire.

"I'm fine, really. He didn't hurt me," The black and white tom insisted, turning away from Snowpaw's concerned self. He felt like his eyes were screaming his guilt, but still did his best to put on a brave face. "Really." Without another word, Twilightkit stood and padded away towards the nursery, feeling the fur on his spine rising consciously. Robinkit was nowhere to be seen, now, so Twilightkit could infer she'd been let back into the nursery - with a prick of jealously, for especially the black marking on his back burned with a scalding heat. Pushing his way into the bramble coated den, he discovered Robinkit curled up happily in a moss nest, sleeping off the heat. Figures.

"Twilightkit, my dear, Robinkit told me how you went and played with Stripekit today!" Once he came fully into view, the warm voice of his mother greeted Twilightkit instantly. He let out a breath of sheer happiness, by her side in an instant and rubbing his head against her soft fur. Lilystream was safe and kind. "How'd that go?"

"Fine," Twilightkit rolled his eyes, curling up under her paw. "I'm done now. And for a long time."

"Oh, I wish you two could get along," Lilystream sighed, giving Twilightkit's head a few quick licks. "Someday you'll have to look out for each other, though. What if something happened to me or your father? You, Robinkit, and Stripekit should be there for one another. You're family."

"Yeah right," Twilightkit huffed into her fur, closing his eyes. Purring, she pulled him closer in, curling around him in turn. He could've stayed there forever, with his mother protecting him, feeling the rise and fall of her breathing against his side. He felt truly safe with her, something he didn't with anyone else. Why can't it be like this forever...