The photo to the side is Lionkit. I know the picture is really terrible, I sowwey. XD

~Gingerr

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Lionkit had made several friends since his mother had taken him to PineClan, up in the mountains. His best friend was Swiftkit, who was his size but only half his age. She always defended him from his bully of a brother Darkkit, who used to be called Shadow. She also kept the secrets Lionkit didn't want to tell his mother, and she kept him company when he was lonely.

Leopardcry was starting to withdraw herself from them, only interacting with her kits when needed. They were only four moons old, and needed her, but she herself didn't respond most of the time when they called her name. This upset Lionkit greatly, but it wasn't like he could ask her why she was acting this way.

His sister Lavender, now Lavenderkit, was deathly afraid of everyone and everything and had died shortly after they'd arrived in the clan. Lionkit was sad, and missed her, but didn't really know her well and felt guilty for being less upset than he should by her death.

His other brother, now dubbed Skykit, was shy and almost heading down the same path at Lavenderkit did. This worried Lionkit, and he often tried to change this with the help of Swiftkit.

At present the two were out exploring the camp, and talking to other clanmates. Lionkit wasn't very social but Swiftkit, the social butterfly, always dragged him along on her long social walks.

"I need to make dirt." Lionkit lied to get away from the conversation. The deputy of PineClan. Oakstare, was questioning him about his father and that made Lionkit extremely uncomfotable.

"Liar." Swiftkit scowled. "Fine. Go be by yourself. You'll end up like your sister." she hissed, then padded off.

Lionkit felt terrible for upsetting her, but was angry she didn't understand him. She didn't know how uncomfortable he was with talking about his family, nor how awkward he was at making conversation, since he and her got along just fine and he never showed her the other side of him. In some ways she'd never understand him, and he knew that, but he wished she'd at least try.

"Hey Lionkit. Why so blue?" a warrior of PineClan, Redleaf, asked him.

"I'm fine." the kit answered, averting his eyes from the older warrior's.

"I know you're lying. Just tell me the truth, you'll feel better." Redleaf encouraged.

"No. Leave me alone." Lionkit flattened his ears, his anger burning inside of him. Redleaf was only making it worse without even meaning to, but of course the warrior didn't know that just yet.

"Lionkit, it's bad for you to bottle it up." Redleaf touched his muzzle to the kit's shoulder in an attempt to comfort the kit. Lionkit, however, would not be consoled. He hissed and violently lashed out at Redleaf, bloodying the warrior's muzzle with his tiny razor sharp claws.

"Lionkit!" Leopardcry yowled from across the clearing, rushing over. "I am so sorry..." she murmured to Redleaf, licking his wounds. Lionkit hissed and tried to pad away, but his mother pulled him back. "Apologize." she demanded.

"No." Lionkit's fury was diplayed clearly in his amber eyes.

"Apologize or I'm going to tell Maplestar and she'll delay your apprentice ceremony a moon." she continued to press Lionkit to apologize, but she didn't realize Lionkit didn't know he did anything wrong. Lionkit thought this was the appropriate response, having learned to do this when his father was around.

"Do it, I don't care." he hissed at his mother.

"I will." Leopardcry smacked her kit and stalked off to the leader's den.

Tears welled up in Lionkit's eyes but he couldn't cry in front of Redleaf, or any of the warriors in the clan. He padded to a large boulder in camp where he knew there was a crack. He was just small enough to fit inside the crack and it was large enough to conceal his entire length and then some. There he let himself cry.

He wasn't sure how to feel about his mother anymore. He though he loved her, and that she loved him too, but lately she'd been cold to him. That's partially why he was not in the mood to socialize. There was also Swiftkit, who certainly wouldn't talk to him until he apologized, which he wouldn't. He didn't believe there was anything to apologize for. He didn't know it was wrong to be rude, or to use force against someone. All he'd ever known was violence, and all of this sudden pacifism was confusing to him. He didn't know how to properly adjust.

His brothers seemed to have adjusted just fine, Darkkit was leader of the group of kits in the nursery, and Skykit was usually close behind him. The two of them had adjusted just fine, but Lionkit just didn't get it like they did. Oh how Darkkit tortured him for it, too.

Darkkit was still a bully to him, and was still bigger, even though both had grown considerably since they first left their father. All the she-kits were after Darkkit too, which Lionkit didn't mind, but he was surprised.

"Lionkit!" The voice of the clan leader drifted to Lionkit's ears. He hissed, drying his tears. He bravely padded out to stand in front of the leader. His mother stood beside the leader, looking extremely worried.

"If you're going to punish me, just do it already." Lionkit huffed. He almost pitied Maplestar for having to deal with him, for having to be a leader. 'Wouldn't want to be like her,' Lionkit thought. 'I'll never be a leader," he vowed in his mind. Maplestar's glare intensified the more the moment of silence between the cats stretched on. "I don't care what you do to me, you can't change how I feel or act."

"You are nothing but a detriment to this clan." She shook her head sadly. "Leopardcry, get out of here. Take your kits and leave before I formally exile you." Maplestar padded away from them, leaving both Leopardcry and Lionkit in shock.

"You are not my son." Leopardcry hissed. She swatted her kit and stalked away from him, leaving him all alone, at the mercy of the warriors of the clan they were no longer welcome in.