*ON HOLD* Our Rebellion (Sequel to Tigerstar's Apprentice)

Chapter 2

   "Where's Papa?"

   Echokit blinked in confusion at her mother. Violetbreeze had been crying uncontrollably since dawn that morning. Why won't she tell me where Papa is?

   The black she-kit mewled loudly. "Mother, I'm scared!"

   "Your father is dead."

   Echokit's head swiveled around the the entrance of the nursery. "F-firestar?"

   His ginger pelt gleamed in the moonlight. "Your traitorous father has paid the price for his crimes. You, however, cannot be trusted."

   "W-what?" The she-kit stiffened. She glanced over at her friend across the nursery, but Rosekit was no where to be seen. She must be playing outside.

   "I'll deal with you later," the leader spat on her muzzle. "You no-good piece of crow-food."

   Echokit whimpered as he left the den. "Mother, tell me he's lying! Papa's ok, isn't he? Is he out on patrol?"

   "No," her mother's usually cheerful voice was dark, and heavy with emotion. "Blackfoot is gone. I'm so sorry, he's never coming back."

   Echokit swayed on her paws. Papa? Gone? "D-did he go to StarClan?"

   Violetbreeze sighed heavily, suddenly looking no older than an apprentice. "Probably not, my dear. Your father... he wasn't the cat you think he was."

   "W-what do you mean?"

   "Your father was a murderer."

                                  ~~❤︎❤︎❤︎~~

Echokit sat staring at her measly mouse. She poked it with a paw and sighed. Is Mother right? Was Papa a bad cat? Blackfoot had always taken time out of his day to visit Echokit, often bringing her feathers or pretty pebbles from the river. Was it all just an act? How could he lie to me?

She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear her friend padding up to her. "Hey, Echokit."

The black she-kit heard deep emotions in Rosekit's voice, but she was too preoccupied to really pay attention. "Hi."

"A-are you ok?"

"No!" Echokit blurted out. Tears were welling in her eyes and quickly fall onto the green grass below. "Mother told me that my papa was evil, and that he killed cats for Tigerstar! And n-now he's dead, and Mother said that he isn't going to StarClan, so I'll never see him again!"

Rosekit was quiet for a moment, then opened her mouth to reply, but shut it almost instantly. "I'm sorry," was all she murmured, leaning in to nuzzle Echokit's muzzle.

Echokit sighed heavily, sniffing to dry up her tears. She wiped her eyes with a forepaw. I have to be strong, for Mother. "I-I'm ok. Do you want my mouse? I'm not hungry."

"Uh, sure," Rosekit hesitated for a heartbeat, but dove down and tore ravenously at the prey as if she hasn't eaten all day.

Echokit's whiskers twitched as the dilute calico she-cat finished. "Hungry?"

"Very," Rosekit purred. "I haven't eaten since last night."

She tipped her head to one side. "Why?"

   Rosekit shuffled her paws uneasily. "I-I had a bellyache.."

   Echokit could tell that her friend was lying, but she decided not to press her any further. She seemed upset, and Echokit didn't want both of them to break down crying in the middle of camp. She decided to change the subject. "How's Icekit?"

   "Good, I think," Rosekit meowed, her voice more steady. Echokit followed her gaze across the clearing to where Icekit was bossing around the two older ThunderClan kits, Vixenkit and Stormkit.

   "...and then Vixenkit, you be the mouse!" Icekit meowed loudly.

   "You should be the mouse, Icekit," the ginger she-kit sneered. "You're small and scrawny. You'd work perfect, and I bet you'd be easy to catch."

   Icekit bristled. "Nuh uh! I'm not small, and you'd never catch me!"

   "Then prove it!" Vixenkit yowled, leaping at her denmate. Icekit yelped in surprise before turning and darting across the camp.

   Echokit's whiskers twitched as Icekit bolted past her, Vixenkit and Stormkit hard on her paws. "Why don't we play with them?"

   Rosekit smiled at her friend. "You know what, that sounds like a good idea."