"Wow! Cool!" squeaked Emberkit. "So that's why my name is Emberkit?"

"Yes, dear," mewed Silvernight. "You were named for the fire."

"But wasn't I named for my eyes?"

"No, dear," replied Silvernight, purring. "Even though you opened your eyes a little early, when a kitten opens its eyes, they are blue."

Emberkit looked down at the puddle the moss had left on the floor of the nursery. She looked at her copper-orange eyes curiously. They used to be blue?

Rainkit joined Emberkit at the puddle as well. Emberkit could not believe Rainkit's green eyes used to be blue as well!

"I don't remember having blue eyes," Rainkit mewed.

"You did," assured Silvernight. "But you also couldn't see very well with them. You were so young, I doubt you remember."

Emberkit turned to her littermate. "What is the first thing you remember?"

Rainkit scrunched up her face and flicked her ears uncertainly. "I think..." She paused, then glanced at Emberkit. "I think I remember a cat hissing at us. Is that right?" She looked back at Silvernight for confirmation.

Silvernight sighed. "Yes, that was Smokerise."

Rainkit frowned. "Isn't he the medicine cat? Why would he hiss at us?"

Silvernight sighed again. "After the...fire, I think some smoke got in his brain. He sees 'omens' everywhere...and he saw one in you two."

"What do you mean?" asked Emberkit.

"Well, you know how I mentioned earlier that you opened your eyes a little early? You opened yours about seven days after birth, which is a bit early."

"So what omen did he find?" Emberkit was nearly jumping up and down in excitement.

Silvernight looked up at the roof of the nursery, trying to remember the exact words. "Well, first, his voice 'changed' and he looked at you two and said, 'I see the curse upon you two. Fate is cruel. Their eyes have opened too soon, and they see the truth too late. But follow your hearts. They are always right in the end. . .' " She paused. "It was nonsense, of course, and I told him so. He'd been giving prophecies left and right! Of course it wasn't real! But supposedly he had 'no memory' of it."

Ooh, spooky! thought Emberkit. "Did he really not remember?"

Silvernight huffed. "I doubt it. He just wants attention."

"Oh," mewed Rainkit, disappointed.

"What?" purred Silvernight. "Did you two want a prophecy?"

Emberkit licked her chest. "Well, maybe," she admitted. "They seem cool!"

SIlvernight purred again, although a little more sadly. "You don't want a prophecy. Prophecies are more trouble than they're worth." She looked out, lost in a memory. "But enough of that," she mewed suddenly. "Your father is coming!"

Rainkit and Emberkit looked toward the entrance. "Duststar!"

"Hello, little ones," he purred, looking down at them affectionately, his tail swishing from side to side.

Emberkit hissed and jumped on his tail. "I caught a mouse!" she squeaked.

Rainkit ran to join her. "No you didn't! That's a RiverClan invader! Get back to your own camp, fishbreath!" Rainkit tried to climb unto her father's back, getting partway up before sliding back down.

Emberkit let go and hissed at her father. "Yeah! Sunningrocks is OURS!"

Rainkit suddenly tackled Emberkit. "No it's not, mouse-brain! I'm a RiverClan warrior, and I'm taking it back!"

"Argh! Get off me, mouse-brain!"

The two rolled of toward the corner of the nursery.

Duststar twitched his nose in amusement. "Lively ones, are they?"

Silvernight purred. "They weren't this lively before you came in!"

The two twined tails and turned to watch the kits, who were now holding a mossball.

"Bet you can't catch it!" taunted Rainkit, tossing the mossball high in the air. Emberkit leaped but missed it, the moss hitting Duststar on the muzzle. He shook his head, bits of moss flying everywhere. His nose twitched in amusement.

"Come over here, young ones," he mewed.

Emberkit and Rainkit scampered over to their father. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to tell you something."

"What is it?" asked Emberkit and Rainkit excitedly.

"Your apprentice ceremony is coming soon."