𝘼 𝙃𝘼𝙒𝙆'𝙎 𝙍𝙀𝙏𝙍𝙄𝘽𝙐𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉, warriors

──── 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞.

     The bushes parted, and the molly bared her teeth as a small, brightly-lit cat tumbled out, huffing in annoyance.

     Narrowing her eyes, she twitched her ears, an expression of surprise flashing in her dull eyes.

     It was a kitten.

     A StarClan kit, by the looks of those stars which dappled its coat.

     The molly snorted as the kit sorted itself out and climbed to its paws. It was a tom, with a glowing brown tabby pelt and pale green eyes. He didn't look very happy.

     He shook out his fur, scattering starlight everywhere, and then looked up at the she-cat who was standing a few paces away. His eyes instantly grew wide and he stepped back. "Who are you?"

     The dark cat snorted again. "I could ask you the same thing, kitten. This is my home, not yours."

     "I'm Crackedkit." He bristled slightly at her tone.

     "Stars, mothers will give their kits any name these days, won't they?" The faded warrior rolled her eyes.

     Crackedkit narrowed his eyes. "What about you?"

     "What about me?"

     "What's your name?"

     She tilted her head, ruffling her fur. "My name isn't important. You wouldn't know it. You're too young."

     The little brown kit huffed. "How do you know?"

     Instead of answering him, the molly was already on her way to return to her den. "Run back to where you came from, kitten. If you stay here too long, you'll lose your stars."

     He glanced down at his star-dappled paws. "Where is . . . here?"

     She rolled her eyes. "No place for kits."

     "It's so dark and . . . "

     "Sad?" The molly interrupted, swishing her tail. "Yes. I'm well aware of this fact."

     "Lonely." He said instead, looking up at her with big, starlit eyes. "Are you the only one here?"

     She turned her head back toward him, narrowing her eyes. "There are others here, but I don't see them often."

     Crackedkit blinked, flicking starlight from his ears. "So you're alone all the time?"

     "It is my fate."

     "Why?"

     The brown tabby she-cat huffed, her gaze sharpening. "You sure do ask a lot of questions, kitten."

     He shrugged. "I'm curious."

     She snorted. "Curiosity is what killed the cat. Don't you know anything?"

     "It isn't the reason I died." Crackedkit protested, flattening his ears as his starry fur started to bristle.

     "Do enlighten me then, kitten."

     His brown fur puffed out. "I fell."

     The brown molly twitched one ear, tail slowly swishing back and forth. "Is that so?"

     "My mother accidently kicked me off the cliff that makes ThunderClan's camp." Crackedkit mewed softly, crouching where he stood. "I was born at the top and she knocked me down into the camp."

     The molly spared him another glance, before looking away. "Your name is making quite a lot of sense now."

     He scowled at her. "You still haven't told me yours."