Shining of the Four

Chapter 20

            Ripplekit looked down at her paws uneasily, as if she were going to be sick.

            "You all right, Ripplekit?" Goosekit tapped his sister.

            "I-I know Spiritheart is the new medicine cat," Ripplekit spoke softly.

            The former medicine cat, Sandheart, retired less than a moon prior. 

             The position was open for a new medicine cat apprentice, though Lifekit had guessed no cat would take up Spiritheart as a mentor for awhile.

            "I sometimes watch him work," Ripplekit admitted.

            Lifekit came back to the present and turned, facing Ripplekit.

            "What?"

            "You know. Those times when Blueocean makes me leave the den to get some air, I head over to the medicine cat den," Ripplekit explained. "I usually watch from a distance as Spiritheart tends to the cats."

            "Why watch a boring old medicine cat?" Marshkit complained.

            "I-I want to be a medicine cat," Ripplekit said quietly.

            Lifekit's ears pricked. "Is that true, Ripplekit?" She slowly felt her heart sinking. She wanted to encourage Ripplekit to go live her dream, but at the same time, she didn't want to train without her friend.

            Ripplekit nodded slowly.

            "Giving up a warrior life to tend to cats?" Marshkit asked. "Why?"

            "It's just something I want to do!" Ripplekit snapped.

            "Leave her be, Marshkit. She's only three moons!"

            "Almost four," Ripplekit argued.

            "She still has lots of time to think," Lifekit argued, but in her heart, she was secretly praying Ripplekit decided to leave behind the whole medicine cat idea.

            The four remained silent for a few seconds before Goosekit eventually sat down. The others sat down beside him, watching as cats went by.

            "I heard Springpaw caught her first piece of prey the other day," Marshkit said as the dark brown tabby she-cat padded by. She and her siblings had recently become apprentices, and to be honest, Lifekit was relieved they had left the nursery.

            "That's ridiculous! She's been an apprentice for over a moon!" Goosekit snapped.

            "That's just what I heard," Marshkit replied.

            "Is it true they're half-MoonClan?" Ripplekit asked quietly.

            Lifekit nodded slowly, remembering as a young kit when her father had lectured her on not judging her clanmates by their background. It was hard to though. Tasha was a former kittypet who became mates with a MoonClan tom, and their kits didn't even possess any SnowClan blood. Just MoonClan and kittypet. Though, as she thought about it, the kittypet blood didn't seem as bad as the MoonClan blood.

            "Why are they even in this clan?" Marshkit whispered. "Only SnowClan cats should be in this clan."

            "Tasha is a SnowClan member," Goosekit explained.

            "But she was a kittypet."

            "Why does it matter?"

            "It just does."

            Lifekit tried to ignore their arguments, but she too felt the same with Marshkit. They didn't belong in the clan and neither did their mother, even if she was a SnowClan member.

            "Cloudstar just wasn't a good judge of cats," Marshkit continued to rant.

            "Shush!" Lifekit spoke at last.

            "What?" Marshkit asked.

            Lifekit spotted her father in the crowd and turned to face the three. "I see my dad. I'll catch up with you three later."

            "Bye, Lifekit," Ripplekit waved as Lifekit ran off. She ran to her father's side, watching as he padded by the warriors den.

            He turned, facing her. A small smile lit up on his face.

            "Hey!"

            "Hi!" Lifekit squeaked. She had grown closer to her father, though many times he did turn down with playing with her. She had new friends now, and he claimed it was better for her if she stick with her friends instead of playing with her father. She knew Graytail and Stormnight still kept an eye on her, but even Mousestripe didn't visit as often. Maybe once every few sunrises.

            "Are you excited to become an apprentice soon?" Patchfur asked awkwardly, as if he were trying to make up some conversation.

            Lifekit nodded. "Yeah, it'll be great! Do you think Shinypelt will attend my ceremony?"

            "Shinypelt is dead," Patchfur replied with no emotion.

            "I mean in spirit," Lifekit continued. "StarClan cats watch ceremonies, don't they?"

            Patchfur shrugged. "Maybe."

            "Shinypelt is a StarClan cat, right?" Lifekit asked.

            Patchfur hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Lifekit. She gave her life for the clan. Of course she's in StarClan."

            "Are those other cats who died in battle in StarClan too."

            "Every cat who died fighting for their clan is in StarClan," Patchfur repeated.

            "Well, why does Shinypelt get all the credit? How is she more special than the other cats who died?"

            "What?"

            Lifekit sighed. Her father never understood her.

            "I mean, why do cats always talk about her dying in battle more than the others?"

            Patchfur frowned. "I've got a patrol now, sweetie, but go run off with your friends. I'll get Mousestripe to share a squirrel with you later, okay?"

            "But—" Lifekit began, sighing as her father padded off. Why had he avoided her question? She guessed it didn't matter. It seemed like all her questions about her mother were stupid.

            She didn't even know that much about her mother. She knew she looked like her, she knew she died in battle, she knew she was a bit popular among the cats, but no cat ever talked about her too much. She never heard stories about her mother's kithood, and not so much about Stormnight and Graytail's either.

            Lifekit never commented on their pieces of missing fur. Once, she had asked her father, and he had told her not to ask about it. She had continued though, and finally, he spoke of a fire that had burned off their fur. Lifekit another time had asked why their pelts did not resemble Mousestripe's or their father's that she sometimes heard about, but Patchfur would just shake his head and pad off.

            Sometimes, Lifekit would hear others whisper "Moonstar" when they walked by, but she was unsure why. The clan definitely treated them differently, though she didn't understand what some pieces of missing fur from a fire had to do with anything.

            Lifekit sighed and padded back into the nursery, deciding to let go of the questions and just focus on her future.