Sleepless Night

[Blue]

All was quiet in the middle of camp, the stars were shown up high in the sky. A small bulky kit looked up at the stars. Wondering what the warriors of Starclan were doing, were they hunting? Could they hunt up there in silverpelt? Musing over this he rolled on his back looking at the stars.

Tigerkit couldn't fall asleep tonight. He stayed of the nursery when that happened. Lately sleepless nights were what he was encountering. Ever since the queen who'd been looking after him left him to be a warrior again because he was old enough now to be without milk, and she did not want to take care of a kittypet any longer, he couldn't sleep. He wished he could remember his mother, but all he felt was rage towards her.

How could she leave him in this place? Why did she just dump him off? Didn't she know what he would be facing? He was proud to be part of Needleclan but...why did it have to be so hard?

The rusty red and black striped kit yawned and rolled on his stomach again. He wished there was something to do. He saw a small pebble across the camp. He pretended it was a mouse, he got into crouch and began stalking it with his rump in the air. Green eyes blinking rapidly as the wind blew down upon him.

Leaping into the air after a butt wiggle he landed ont he grey pebble and growled at it. "Hah!" He whispered carrying it in mouth to the beginning of the nursery and dropping it on the ground. He pawed at until he grew bored and sighed flopping down on the ground, his eyes half lidded.

[*Mosswater~]

Suddenly, a dark shape of a cat moved towards him. "What are you doing out of bed, Tigerkit?" It was only Preystar, awakened by the rustling. Her green eyes glinted mischiviously in the moonlight. Obviously, she still acted a bit like a kit; always on the move and ready for challenges. "It's not like kits to be awake." Preystar mewed gently.

[Blue]

Tigerkit looked at Preystar. He frowned, he didn't want to get the leader angry. "I couldn't sleep. So I came out here to play, the the rest of the queens are asleep. There's no one to bug for games." He pointed out sitting up straight trying to make himself look dignified, his green eyes having a smile of their own at Preystar's gentleness. He hadn't seen much of that and he liked that in their leader.

[*Mosswater~]

"Well, I'll keep an eye on you while you play out here. But, if you're too loud, you need to go back to bed." Preystar meowed as she turned around and padded to her den. She then leaped upon the brach watching little Tigerkit play. "What a kit." Preystar said to herself. She tossed a ball of moss to Tigerkit and lay down.

[Blue]

Tigerkit grined and sitting up shivering with excitement. The leader was going to watch him to play? He felt honored for the leader to take time out of the night just watch him. The striped kitten watched as Preystar leaped on a branch and tossed him a moss ball. He pounced into the air trying to catch the ball, but ended up missing and rolling on the ground. Pretending the ball was another clan cat he growled and sprang back into action, "Take that Trickleclan mouse brain!" He swatted at the ball and bit into it growling and playing hissing. Then he remembered Preystar's warning. He would have flinched but his pride didn't allow him to do so. "Sorry," He said, growling lower this time batting and chasing the ball around the nursery vicinity.

Looking up at Preystar suddenly he sat down and asked, "What was your favorite game to play when you were a kit?"

[*Mosswater~]

Preystar smiled. "Well, I used to play sneak out of camp and end up on the mangrove game. Every early morning, I used to sneak out and swim to the mangrove in Clear Pool." She sighed. "That was before my father died. I didn't even get to have him at my warrior ceremony." Preystar smiled sadly. She shooked her head as if to shake off a memory. "But it's different. Now I don't trust anyone near there. But back then, everyone was allowed. I loved that water. Until it turned against me."

[Blue]

Tigerkit sat down and looked up at Preystar while she spoke. Wow, she used to sneak off! He found that fact amazing and sounding fun... He shook off his mischevious ideas involving the Clear Pool. The young tom nodded as the leader spoke about her father. He realized they were somewhat alike. He wouldn't have any family to watch him become warrior. His mother who had given him up to the clan would never witness his most important moment in his life. He knew how Preystar must have felt. "I'm sorry," he mewed frowning up at his leader. "That must have been hard. I know how you must have felt." Tigerkit shut his mouth not wanting to overstep his boundaries.

His eyes wandered back to the mossball and he prodded it gently as Preystrar went on. "what happened at the Clear Pool? How did it turn against you?" He listened intently, and decided he should be up on the branch too to sit and talk with Preystar and tried to leap onto the branch as well, but he kept falling off. He tried climbing up the hollow tree but to no avail, he kept sliding back down. Swishing his tail angrily he was unable to admit to defeat so he tried climbing one last time, but also failed that time. He sat down with a major frown on his face. He had to be stronger. He was only a kit, he knew this, but he wanted to be able to the strongest cat ever.

[*Mosswater~]

"Well, one day right after my vigil ended, I swam in Clear Pool to see what it was that killed Rainshadow I felt this sucking motion in where my father fell like a current. Then it was as if something was dragging me down. It was scary, then something happened something was pulling me out of the water." Preystar shook her head. "After I became deputy, I went again. It was mystierious. Then I went as leader. I made it to the mangrove, but then something happened, something that has to do with kits." Her green eyes looked at Tigerkit "Can I trust you with something?" Preystar meowed as she picked Tigerkit up and put him down on the branch she was on.

[Blue]

Tigerkit nodded his eyes intent, listening to Preystar's story. The young kit was surprised their leader almost drowned. She seemed invincible. "Who pull you out? ... or what?" He shuddered his kit's imagination taking over him. He shifted anxiously from side to side. He tried climbing again, but felt Preystar's mouth clamped around his scruff, and was lifted to the branch. "Awesome," he mewed looking down at the ground, "I'm so high!" He struck a pose and giggled, realizing he was acting kit-like he immediately straightened up and and looked serious. "Yeah, you can trust me Preystar!" He said lifting a paw placing a paw over his heart.

[*Mosswater~]

"Well, I had a prophacy that said, 'To find the truth, you must confide in four kits to help you discover the mystery'." Preystar meowed as she recalled the words of the prophacy. She thought of how strong little Tigerkit was. "I don't know who pulled me out but, you're lucky you have a leader who understands you. You know that?" Preystar looked at Tigerkit with her green eyes. "Would you like to sleep in my bed tonight?" She meowed.

[Blue]

A prophecy? Tigerkit put on a puzzled look at Preystar. "What's a...prophecy? Is it like telling what's gunna happen, like what you just said?" He didn't understand the concept of prophecies he never heard of it before. He got the gist of it though. Four kits huh? Am I one? Could I be...special? His mind started to whirl, his head got ahead of him, if he was special then he could easily become a warrior. He shook his head and settled on one goal, to become a warrior. "Why did you choose me to tell Preystar...?"

The young kit tilted his head to the side, "Whoever pulled you out, I'm glad they did." He said his eyes beaming. Tigerkit unsheathed a claw and pecked at the wood of the branch, "You understand me? Sometimes I feel like no one understands me, since...I'm of kittypet scum." He whispered kittypet scum and then looked up his eyes shining when Preystar offered for him to sleep in her den tonight.

"Really? I can sleep in your den? Why?" He was surprised and taken a back by the gesture, and suddenly, being 'kittypet scum' didn't seem to matter...Preystar made him feel warm and welcome, loved even, it was strange to him - foreign, but he liked the feeling and hoped to keep it somewhere safe, and never lose it.

[*Mosswater~]

"I do think you are one of those kits. That is why. You might have a dream tonight." Preystar gently licked the top of his head. "I don't think it matters if you're a kittypet. You're a kit who just might figure things out." Her green eyes stared into his. "That is what makes a good leader. Remember, Clear Pool may be more dangerous than you think." She yawned and closed her eyes. Preystar padded into her den and lay down.

[Blue]

Tigerkit looked amazed up at Preystar. One of those kits? The young kit blinked confused. She thought he was special enough? He didn't know what to do. Tigerkit nodded. "A dream? A special dream?" He asked his leader. At her kind words about him being a kittypet, he smiled. "Thank you Preystar. When she told him a good leader understands her clan mates, he knew he had to strive to be understanding. He woudl stay clear fo clear pool, but he would always wonder what was down there, what it looked like. Padding after the she-cat he looked around, "Where do you want me to sleep?" He asked, unsure of what his next move should be.

[*Mosswater~]

"Any spot. But the enterance is colder." Preystar meowed as she drifted into sleep. Her eyes opened to a cloudy blue place. Her former leader padded towards her. "Correct, Preystar. You'll find the other three soon enough." He meowed and fadded away. "No, wait!" It was too late. Water filled her mouth and lungs and she couldn't breathe. She was sucked into a whirlpool and blackness took over. Her eyes snapped open. Preystar could breathe. She looked worriedly at Tigerkit. What could happen to him?