"Come oooonn, Featherkit... Moonrunner won't let me go outside without you, but I wanna es'plore," a small white tom kit complained, kneading his sister impatiently with his light grey paws.
"But,..." Featherkit started, but she was interrupted as her mother leaned over and softly groomed between the small kit's ears.
"Go on. It's a nice day out. I'll come with you if you want so we can explore as a family," purred Moonrunner, nudging her tiny kit with her muzzle.
Featherkit sighed and reluctantly nodded, looking at the nursery entrance and slowly standing up, nervous to leave the comfortable den, but unable to deny her curiosity as to what lies beyond the branches of the nursery entrance. She shakes her fur out as Snowkit excitedly bounces out of their feathered nest.
"We get to go outside! I can't wait," he crowed excitedly, practically bouncing off the walls in anticipation.
Moonrunner stood up and nosed Featherkit gently out of the nest after her brother. "The Clan will be happy to see you both. It'll be good for all of us to get out into the sun for a little bit. It's been a while," she mewed softly.
Featherkit remembered how Meadowstream told them how hard their kitting had been. Moonrunner had kitted a total of four kits, including she and Snowkit, but the other two didn't survive, the firstborn son joining their ancestors in StarClan immediately after birth and her only sister joining their ranks two moonrises later.
"They will be delighted to see you all," Meadowstream murmured from her nest. Featherkit looked over at her nest, the quick movement knocking her off her paws and looking up in time to see a dark silhouette walking over to Moonrunner. "Don't do too much and stay in the clearing for now. You likely don't have your energy or strength back yet," the black she-cat warned softly.
Moonrunner licked her friend's ear gently. "Thank you, but I'll be alright. It's been almost a full moon since they were kitted. We are all much stronger now." Before Meadowstream could respond, the light grey queen leaned down to nudge Featherkit back to her paws.
Featherkit blinks and looks between the two queens, concerned that there is something they aren't telling her, but she eventually just shrugs and looks away. She stands and stretches her tiny legs out in the cramped space before following her brother.
"Come on, come on, come onnn," whined Snowkit, pacing at the entrance.
"You have no patience," Featherkit teased, trotting to his side and lightly swatting his ear.
Moonrunner shook her head, purring in amusement, interrupting their play fight with a gentle reminder as Snowkit turns and lifts a paw to swat his sister. "Are we ready to go out?"
Before Featherkit can say anything, Snowkit hops away and runs out of the small entrance, instantly forgetting what he was doing and squealing with excitement. The smaller she-kit jumps in place slightly, feeding off of his energy, and bounds after him, stumbling slightly, but soon emerging into the camp clearing.
Featherkit mewls in surprise as she trips and stumbles to the ground beside her brother who had stopped immediately outside the entrance, his eyes open wide in amazement at the busy camp around them.
"I'm here," Moonrunner murmured in her ear, having instantly responded to the tiny kit's cry and is now kneeling beside her. "It's alright, I'm here for you. Did you hurt yourself?"
Featherkit stood up quickly, shaking her fur out as she replied, "I'm fine. Just didn't expect him to stop." She leans down to lick her chest fur, slightly embarrassed at the whole ordeal.
"She'll be fine. Kits are tougher than you think," soothed Meadowstream, following Moonrunner out. Featherkit looked up at the beautiful black she-cat as she continued. "My two were always tripping over their own paws, but kits have a tendency to get right back up and continue on as if nothing happened. It's just a part of figuring out the world around you."
Featherkit stood up straighter, determined to prove her right and bounced over to where Snowkit was still standing. At the sound of the kits, several Clan cats had started over to meet them, murmuring happily. Featherkit stood prouder as they welcomed them out, but Snowkit seemed to shrink into his fur, overwhelmed. A dark brown tom padded slowly up to them and Featherkit watched his black paws get closer, realizing just how small she was as she craned her neck to see his smiling face.
"Well, who do we have here," he asked with a slight chuckle. "These couldn't possibly be our newest warriors. You're too little."
At his words, Snowkit backed up further so his fur melted into Featherkit's and Moonrunner stepped up to stand behind them defensively, bristling slightly. Before she could speak, a plump tawny she-cat padded up beside the tom and rubbed against him, entwining her tail with his.
"Hush, Sablefur," she murmured in a voice as soft as silk. "They're just young. They have plenty of time to grow."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. After all, Sparrowpaw was small too at first," he conceded, watching her warmly as she leaned down to study the two kits closer.
Featherkit sat down tall and proud as she sniffed Snowkit, who squeaked at the strange cat and ran back to hide behind their mother's paws. When the she-cat chuckled and turned to Featherkit, she tried to sit up even taller to prove she could be braver than her brother. Closing her eyes and holding her breath while the she-cat studied her, she did not move until the other cat's warm breath no longer stirred her chest fur.
"This one seems to take after her father," she mewed curiously, not so subtly hinting around her father's identity. "There isn't a tortoiseshell tom in SwiftClan quite like her. Their father must be small too with her size..."
"If Moonrunner wanted their father to be known, she would tell us on her own," Meadowshine interrupted, glaring at the she-cat. "It is the queen's right to keep the father's identity secret, Owlwing. You should know that especially well." As she speaks, she glowers towards Brownstripe, Sablefur's father. The dark brown tom had never told the Clan who kitted Sablefur and Stagsplash, though it had been strongly rumored to have been a certain StormClan queen by the name of Eagleclaw. Brownstripe looks away nervously and walks towards the freshkill pile with a snuff.
Owlwing huffed slightly, obviously not satisfied with Meadowshine's words, but she said no more, turning towards the freshkill pile herself. Sablefur had paused a few steps away to study the kits and Featherkit held his curious gaze without flinching until he finally turned away to join his mate and father.
Featherkit looked around at the other cats that were gathered around her and she noticed that most of them were also murmuring amongst themselves and studying her, some more suspicious than others. The tortoiseshell kit licked her white chest fur self-consciously, realizing that the she-cat was right and there wasn't a single cat amongst them that had the same fur pattern as she did. Moonrunner noticed and she laid down, wrapping her tail around the kits to hide them from the view of their onlookers under her soft belly fur.
"Don't listen to them," she murmured softly. "You are perfect just the way you are and not one of them can change you, nor should they. Their curiosity will fade with time and you will grow to be the biggest, strongest warrior of them all. Just ignore them." She soothed softly, smoothing her ruffled pelt with long, gentle licks.
"What about me?" Snowkit asked, bouncing over to join them, seeming to forget about his discomfort with the other cats. "I'm a big, strong warrior too!"
Moonrunner chuckled and pulled him closer, a single sweep of her fluffy grey tail easily enveloping Snowkit so it was hard to see where her fur stopped and his started. "Yes, you both are. You already make me so proud." She looks down at them both as they settle against her belly. "My brave little kits," she purred, blinking warmly.
Featherkit curled into her soft fur happily, still thinking about the comments the other cats were making. Why did it matter that her fur was a different color? And was she really too small to be a warrior? She had to admit she was even smaller than her brother, but if she was too small to be a warrior, then what could she do?
As if she could sense her thoughts, Moonrunner started softly licking her ears to distract her. Featherkit leaned further into her mother's fur and let herself be soothed by her soft purr, putting the thoughts out her mind. After all, she probably WOULD grow and then all the worrying would be for nothing. She started to relax, completely oblivious when Snowkit started restlessly twitching as he watched the spectators return to their tasks. Eventually he couldn't resist the urge to go explore any longer and turned to Moonrunner.
"Can we go explore now?" he begged. His paws prodded their mother's side eagerly awaiting a response. "Pleeeease? We haven't seen the camp yet..."
Featherkit stretched the worries from her paws and looked around, sharing her brother's excitement to explore their new freedom. The young kit looked up at Moonrunner hopefully as she blinked slowly, looking hesitantly around at the other cats.
"I suppose..." She agreed slowly. "Be careful and stay out of the way. I don't want to hear that either of you disturbed any of the cats who are trying to get stuff done."
Before she had finished speaking, Snowkit had bounded away, squealing excitedly. Featherkit purred in amusement and nodded to Moonrunner.
"I'll keep him out of trouble," she mewed, starting to walk away. "I promise."
Moonrunner purred as the tortoiseshell bounded after her brother and watched them go, eventually letting Meadowshine lead her to the sunny clearing next to the nursery. Featherkit runs to Snowkit, but loses her footing with a huff and she stumbles to the ground. This time, she didn't let it stop her and she got right back up without a peep. Snowkit had turned back to wait for her, tail lashing. Featherkit launches herself forward to pounce into his side, but she has to evasively duck under him because he leapt into the air and she takes the opportunity to pass him.
Featherkit sees a huge fallen tree in front of them and races to get there first, but she skids to a halt at the base of the huge fallen tree when she sees the mud below it, instead craning her neck to try to see the top. Snowkit mewled in surprise as he ran into her, sliding on the mud and throwing them both into the side of the log and coating their plush pelts in mud. Featherkit shook her fur out with a groan in disgust and she launched herself onto her brother in revenge.
"How dare you crash into me! Now I'll have to make you regret that," she warned gleefully. She pushed him into the mud and leapt away before he could counter her attack. Turning to face him, Featherkit fluffs her fur out and play-hisses as he crouches, waggles his hind-quarters, and jumps toward her. She squeals and leaps high in the air, avoiding the attack as he had done earlier, instead landing on his back and jumping away easily, lashing her tail playfully. "I got here first so this is my log now! I'm the new leader of LogClan and no one can disrespect the leader like this!!"
Snowkit sat up and looked over at her. "That wasn't fair," he whined. "You can't just leap away... And you can't name yourself the leader. You have to be appointed by your Clan."
"Well, I just did," she retorted. standing as dignified as she can, her tiny legs trembling with the effort. "I am the leader of LogClan and there is nothing you can do about it."
"We'll see about that!" Snowkit yowled as he launched himself at her, bowling her over.
As the two kits tussled, a lithe rose she-cat had emerged from a hidden den among the roots of the tree. "That looks like a fun game," she mews, scaring them both. The she-cat stepped back and dipped her head as the two scrambled apart to look at her with wide eyes and bushed out tails. "Sorry little ones, I didn't mean to frighten you. I was just coming to explore the commotion. I didn't realize I was being blessed with the presence of the leader of LogClan." As she speaks, her whiskers twitch and her eyes glisten with amusement.
Featherkit stood taller at the cat's words, ignoring her brother's snort, and studied the strange cat for a moment before leaping onto a tree branch to stand above Snowkit. "All should bow in my presence!" she squeaks proudly. "I have claimed this log in the name of my Clan and I will protect it at all costs! No one dares cross me!!"
"I dare," Snowkit squeaked, tackling Featherkit again and pinning her down in the mud. "Give in for I have defeated you and now it's my turn to be the LogClan leader! You boast too much anyway." He waves his paw through the mud and sends it flying everywhere.
"Hey!" she squeaked indignantly, blinking the mud away. "I do not! Besides, you're boasting now. This isn't fair..." Featherkit squirms under him before getting an idea of how to escape and falls completely still, pretending to be defeated.
Thinking he's won, Snowkit yowls his victory and excitedly barrel rolls, attacking his tail and hind legs in glee and thereby releasing Featherkit. She rolls to her paws and barrels into him, sending mud everywhere and she lightly swats at him a few times before releasing him and crouching a tail length away, ready for his attack. The rose she-cat purrs and steps back to avoid getting splashed with mud again, wiping her face clean with an orange paw.
Snowkit yowls fiercely and jumps towards Featherkit, who ducks under him, flipping onto her back and sending him flying harmlessly past her with a push of her hind paws. She then scrambles to her paws and runs past him off to a different corner of the clearing, purring as she overtakes him. Featherkit springs up a big rock buried along the edge of the camp clearing and looks back at Snowkit, waving her tail behind her triumphantly. He follows her, squealing in delight and scrambles up to join her, pushing her out of the way to climb higher up the rock. Featherkit chases him, but falls behind as she can't move as quickly as him on the uneven surface. Snowkit reaches the top ledge of the rock and turns quickly to boast about winning the unofficial race when an ear splitting yowl echoes off the trees around them.
"Watch out!!"
Just as it sounds, the rocks beneath Snowkit's back paws give out and crumble to the ground, giving him very little traction on the rock. As his eyes widen in terror, Featherkit launches herself the rest of the way up the rock face to her brother's side and grabs his scruff, scrappling backwards to lift him onto higher ground, not listening to her mother's terrified yowls.
A dark brown tabby tom not much bigger than them runs up the rock face to help as Snowkit struggles a grip on the rock and starts to haul himself up. Featherkit, relieved by the apparently mended situation, moves slightly closer to the edge to push him up from behind. Taking care to avoid going too near the perilous edge, she pushes Snowkit up from behind and the tom takes his scruff. Together, the pair finally drag the shaking kit back to level ground away from the edge. Featherkit sighs in relief when she sees the rose she-cat bounding over and she looks over to her mother as the frantic queen races closer. Just as the tortoiseshell kit starts to call out that everything is fine now, the rocks under her begin to shift and they send her over the edge without any warning without enough time to react before she is thrown over them, grappling at the rock wall to no avail. She watches as the dark tom and Snowkit disappear from her sight as she tumbles down the rocks.