Nightkit's P.O.V

I woke up, warm and nestled in between two other squirming balls of fluff. I tried to stand and fell. My mother looked at me with irritation. "What do you think you're doing up?" She hissed. I wagged my tail, purring. "I want to explore, Mother!" I mewled. She growled at me and flicked her tail in irritation. "Whatever." She growled. I tilted my head in confusion.

The nice housefolk let us out and I scrambled into the yard, playing with my littermates, purring. "Hey Night! Watch this!" Light called to me. I looked at her and watched her rear up and catch a butterfly. "Good job Light!" I complimented. She wagged her tail. "Thank you!" She purred. I nodded and walked over to Mother and Red. I looked up at her. "Mother did you see what Light caught?" I asked. She looked at me and scoffed. "No and quite frankly I don't care." She hissed. I flinched and padded back to Light with my tail down. She pounced on me and I purred at her, play fighting with her while Red and Mother glared at us.

I curled up to Mother and she pushed me away angrily. "Go play with Light. Leave me alone." She growled. I flattened my ears. "Yes Mother..." I left her alone and went to find Light. I found her and pounced on her. "Light wake up!" I mewed enthusiastically. I got in front of her, her amber eyes glazed over. I whimpered. "Light..?" I whispered, nudging her. Our housefolk came in and saw Light, picking her up with care. I yelped at him and whimpered, standing on my hindlegs. "Light!" I mewled. The housefolk looked down at me with pity and stroked my head, taking Light outside. When he came back he didn't have her with him. I whimpered and jumped up at him. He noticed and picked me up, stroking me softly. Mother came up to him and started crying at him. Maybe she wants to be fed. I wondered. He looked at her and shook his head, words I didn't understand coming out of his mouth.

It's been two moons since I saw Light and I go outside everyday, trying to catch a butterfly like her. Mother called me inside and I scrambled inside, not wanting a scolding. She glared at me and we sat in front of the housefolk. He picked me up and made a cooing noise. I purred at him, flailing my tiny paws. Another housefolk came in the door and looked at Red and I. She picked me up and handed something green over to my housefolk. I tried to sniff it and I was carried out of the den. I wagged my tail, thinking we were going to meet another cat before being put in a cage. I whimpered and pawed at the human. She cooed softly at me and put me next to her as she started something big and scary. I whimpered and lifted my leg. She noticed and took me outside immediately. I looked up at her with curiosity. I mewled softly and she picked me up. She got back in the monster and took me with her, starting the scary thing up again. I whimpered and flattened my ears to my head. I sniffed the air.

When I got to the next den, the housefolk walked in, two other cats padded up and looked at me. I was set down and the other two cats started sniffing me curiously. "What's your name Kitty?" The tom-cat asked. "Night!" I wagged my tail. "What's yours?" I asked. "I'm Shimmer, this is my mate Dusk." The she-cat answered. "It's nice to meet you!" I purred. She nodded. "It's nice to meet you too Night!" I purred. "You're much nicer than Mother!" I wagged my tail. She looked shocked and licked my cheek. "I'll be your mother then little one." She purred. I widened my eyes. "Really?" I leapt around. She nodded. "Oh thank you!" I purred.

I stretched, fur shiny and silky. "Shimmer! Dusk!" I called. They padded around the corner. "Yes Night?" They asked. I wagged my tail. "Are you having another litter soon?" I asked, tilting my head. They looked at each other with sorrow. "Yes..." They whispered. "What's the problem?" I asked. "Well... Our owner takes them from us when they're old enough." Shimmer looked away. "It's hard to watch them go..." She whispered. "Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring that up!" I whispered. She shook her head and bounced over. "It's okay Night! You didn't know!" She licked me between the ears and I purred in response. I wagged my tail and a stinky scent filled the air. "What's that smell?" I asked, rounding the corner. A big flame was on the stove. I widened my eyes. "Shimmer, Dusk! Get out!" I yelped, running over and trying to wake up my housefolk. The fire spread and the smoke got in my lungs. I coughed and my eyes watered. Teeth gripped my scruff and hauled me away, shoving me out of the cat door.

I watched my den burn down. "Dusk is still in there!" I kept arguing with Shimmer. "He'll get out on his own!" She hissed. "But what if he doesn't?!" I growled. "Then I'll go in after him!" As soon as she said that, the rest of the den blew up in flames. She gasped and before I could stop her, she dashed back in. "Dusk!" I could hear her calling for her mate. "Shimmer please!" I called. A few heartbeats later she came out, pulling Dusk with her, coughing and weak. I grabbed her and pulled her away first. "Take care of your unborn kits!" I growled, racing back for Dusk and pulling him with me. I watched the den fall and crumple under the hungry flames. I whimpered. My housefolk still hadn't come out. I tried to go towards them but jaws clamped onto my tail. I looked behind me, Shimmer stood there, her eyes pleading. She raced into the house and I yowled. She didn't come back out. I looked down, Dusk wasn't breathing and Shimmer didn't come back. I whimpered and backed up, scared. I hopped over the fence and ran. I'm sorry Shimmer! I'm sorry Dusk! I kept repeating that in my mind, coughing. I came to a river and drank, my throat burning at first but then cooling down. I laid by the lake and fell asleep.

I woke up, strange faces staring down at me. I leapt up, fur bristling. They watched me and a single cat stepped forward. "I am Brownstar, leader of WindClan." He introduced himself. "Who are you and what were you doing on WindClan territory?" He hissed. I whimpered. "I'm... I'm Night..." I whimpered. The leader sized me up. "Redfang." He called. An orange furred cat stepped forward and stared at me. "I am Redfang, deputy of WindClan." He introduced. "Goldleaf!" He called forward. A beautiful black she-cat stepped forward along with a timid brown cat. "I'm Goldleaf and this is my apprentice Hawkpaw. I'm the medicine cat." She introduced herself and her apprentice. I waved my tail in greeting. "Hi..." I whispered. "Goldleaf what should we do?" Brownstar asked, turning to her. "I think we should let him stay." She answered. Redfang intervened. "I don't think he should, look at him. He was a kittypet and he can barely groom himself." He hissed. "That's no fair! Don't you smell the smoke on him?!" Goldleaf leaped to my defense, bristling. "Why can't you just be nice to him?" She turned to Brownstar. "Brownstar please let him stay! He could be an asset to our Clan!" She pleaded. He seemed to think about it for a few heartbeats. "Alright fine, he can stay, Larkfeather would you train him?" He asked. An orange she-cat padded up to me and nodded. "Of course." She looked at me. "Don't worry little one, I'll take care of you." She purred. I purred at her, standing a little taller. "First let's get you cleaned up." She mewed. "Wait. He can't go by JUST Night." Brownstar stopped her. "If he's going to be an apprentice to WindClan he has to be Nightpaw." He said. Larkfeather snorted, waving her tail. "Yeah okay whatever you say Brownstripe. Oops. I mean, Brownstar." She teased. Brownstar looked at her, his gaze soft. She led me down to the river and had me wade into the water, after I did as she asked she had me run around to dry off and then she had me run to the hollow and back to where she was. She nodded in approval.

I yawned and got up, stretching. Duskpaw shoved past me and didn't apologize. I sighed, head down and walked out to meet Larkfeather. She looked at me and then Duskpaw. "Don't worry about him Nightpaw. He's just got a burr stuck in his pelt since he was born and I don't think any cat can pull it out." She looked at me, her eyes glinting mischievously. I purred and we padded out of camp together. She took me to the racing track and had me run a few laps, and when I had completed that, we went hunting together. A shape flashed in front of us and we stopped. Larkfeather widened her eyes. "Nightpaw I need you to get reinforcements. Now!" She yowled. I scrambled back to camp and got a patrol ready, we raced down back to where Larkfeather was, a deep scratch above her eye. Brownstar raced ahead and leapt onto the great big beast. "Nightpaw don't just stand there! Help us!" He urged. I growled and raced in, leaping on the beasts back and clawing at it.

The beast finally decided to retreat and thank StarClan no cat had any serious injuries except for Larkfeather. Brownstar had a couple warriors help her onto his back and he raced back to camp as fast as he could, I followed as fast as I could, praying to StarClan she'd be okay.

A few moons passed and Tigerkit wouldn't leave me alone. "Tigerkit please, I need to do my duties." I pleaded. "No! That's no fair! Larkfeather said you'd play with me!" He whined. His brother, Ravenkit padded up and swiped him across the ears. "Come on Tigerkit I'll play with you. Let Nightpaw do his work." He dragged his brother away and I silently thanked him. I raced back over to Nightbreeze. "Sorry Nightbreeze, Tigerkit wouldn't let me leave." I said bashfully. He snorted. "I saw." He said, waving his tail as a signal. "It's time for the hunting patrol. Let's go." He said, leading me and the rest of the patrol out of the camp.

When we came back from the dawn patrol, Larkfeather was crouched in the middle of the clearing, a small body next to her. I widened my eyes and dashed over. "Larkfeather..." I whispered. She looked at me and hissed. "It's all your fault! If you'd played with him he wouldn't be dead!" She lashed her claws out at me and I leapt back, whimpering. Brownstar laid next to her, grief clear in their eyes. Ravenkit padded up to me and curled around my paw. "It's not your fault Nightpaw..." He whispered before going to his parents. I unsheathed and sheathed my claws repeatedly before soft fur brushed against me. I looked to see Goldleaf. "It's truly not your fault Nightpaw... Please come sit with me..." She whispered, leading me out of camp and sitting by the lake. "I know you didn't intend for anything to happen, Nightpaw. He was sick from the moment he was born but I just didn't have the heart to tell Larkfeather." She looked at me and licked my ear. "I promise it's not your fault. She's grieving." She assured me. I looked away. "I don't mean to hurt any cat... I've never wanted to..." I whispered.

"Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Brownstar asked. I took a deep breath. "I do." I looked up at him bravely. He leapt down. "I, Brownstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice, he has trained hard to understand your noble code and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn." He looked at me. "From this moment, he shall be known as Nightmare. StarClan honours your loyalty and honesty and we welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan." He touched his nose to my head and I licked his shoulder respectfully. "According to tradition, Nightmare will sit vigil tonight while we sleep." He declared. I nodded slowly and looked at Larkfeather from the corner of my eye, her pride and anger shining in both eyes.

I sat in the medicine den, trembling with relief. I licked her in between the ears. "Can we name him Tigerkit?" I asked. She nodded. "Yes of course we can." She looked up at me, her blue eyes glowing and dull. Hawkfeather walked in and licked her between the ears. "It's okay... Nightmare will take care of your son." He whispered. "Thank you, Hawkfeather... You were the best apprentice I've ever had..." She purred. I looked at her. "What do you mean? You can't die!" I widened my eyes, terrified. "I'm sorry my love... I lost a lot of blood for just one kit..." She purred, her eyes growing dull. "Goldleaf no... You can't..." I whispered. She purred and grew still. I widened my eyes and leaned over her. I could feel my heart breaking. Tigerkit mewled softly and I pulled him to me. "I'm sorry Tigerkit... It's all my fault your mother's dead... I promise I'll never hurt you again..." I whispered. The color in the world faded and all I could see was black and white. I picked Tigerkit up by the scruff and padded out of the den, padding over to Sandstripe and set him down. "I know you have your own kits to feed... But Goldleaf is dead..." I whispered. She grabbed Tigerkit. "His name is Tigerkit." I said quickly. She looked at me, eyes soft and nods, taking him into the nursery with her own kits. That's when I decided that I can't let myself get close to any other cat.