(Cat above is Petalkit)

Petalkit was awoken by a paw nudging her in the side. She opened her eyes to find her brother, Marshkit, looming over her.

"Wake up, you dormouse!" He meowed, his yellow eyes flashing with impatience. "I want to go outside but Meadowlight says I can't by myself. I have to go with you!"

He sneered the last part and Petalkit knew exactly why. Her brother didn't like her. She didn't understand why. The elders liked her, her father liked her, the apprentices liked her, and the other kits in the nursery did.

"Okay, I'm coming." She mewed, leaping to her paws and scrambling out of the nursery.

She trotted into the clearing with Marshkit behind her. All around them thier clanmates were scurrying off to their duties or sitting out and enjoying the newleaf weather.

"Let's go see the apprentices!" Petalkit suggested, bouncing on her paws.

Marshkit dug his claws into the dirt. "No. Let's go see the warriors."

"But Leafshade says kits aren't allowed in the warriors' den." Petalkit objected. Their father had already gotten on to them once for going into the warriors' den.

Marshkit rolled his eyes. "We won't go in the den, we'll talk to the warriors sitting outside the den."

Petalkit looked to the warriors, den then back to the apprentices' den. "Well, you can go. I want to go see Tabbypaw."

"Suit yourself." Marshkit meowed as he bounded off.

Petalkit watched him leave before racing off. A light tabby was lying outside den, his tail wrapped neatly around him. Petalkit ran at full speed and lowered her head and barreled into the tabby's side.

The tabby looked up and let out a mrrow of amusement. "Petalkit, what are doing?"

"Hi, Tabbypaw!" Petalkit sqeaked. "Just visiting."

Tabbypaw sat up and gave himself a quick shake. "Where's Marshkit?"

"He's visiting the warriors."

"You didn't want to go with him?" Tabbypaw asked

Petalkit shook her head. "I wanted to see the apprentices' den. I'm five moons old."

Before Tabbypaw could respond, a black tom came racing up to them.

"Tabbypaw!" He cried.

"What's wrong, Nightpaw?" Tabbypaw mewed, scrambling to his paws.

"Hawkflight and Bluemist said we'll do our warrior assessments soon!" Nightpaw exclaimed.

"Really?!" Tabbypaw meowed with disbelief.

Nightpaw nodded. "They just told me. They said sometime tomorrow."

Petalkit could sense that the two toms' hearts were nearly bursting with ambition. They were the oldest of the apprentices. She was about ask more but then Marshkit came padding up to them.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Tabbypaw and Nightpaw are doing their warrior assessments tomorrow!" Petalkit exclaimed.

"Cool." Marshkit replied. "I've got news too. While I was talking with the warriors, Coalfoot said he would ask Gorsestar if he could mentor me."

Petalkit felt her ears and whiskers drop. Coalfoot's one othe best warriors in the clan. Now I wish had gone with Marshkit.

"That's nice." She meowed. She tried to make it seem like it didn't bother her but she knew Marshkit could see right through her.

She said goodbye to Nightpaw and Tabbypaw and slowly began to walk around the camp. Suddenly she was yanked above the ground by her scruff.

"Hey!" She squeaked, flailing her paws behind her to hit the cat's muzzle. She looked up a saw the brown and black pelt of her father, Leafshade.

Her father set her down. "What's got you so down?"

Petalkit sighed. "Marshkit was talking to the warriors and he said Coalfoot would ask Gorsestar if he could train Marshkit. And Coalfoot's one of the best warriors in the clan." She paused for a moment. "Besides you."

Leafshade let out a purr of amusement. "I'm sure Gorsestar will give you an excellent mentor."

"Like who?" Petalkit asked.

"Well, you can get Appleshade or Softcloud or Ravenfeather-"

"Ravenfeather!" Petalkit exclaimed. "He's an amazing warrior. I'm going to go ask him."

Before her father could reply, Petalkit dashed off to the warriors' den. She spotted Ravenfeather sitting with Softcloud and Whitepath.

"Ravenfeather." She meowed.

"Hello, Petalkit." Ravenfeather greeted her. "Do you need something?"

Petalkit nodded. "You're a great warrior. Do you think tou could be my mentor? Please? I want to be a great warrior like you."

Ravenfeather smiled. "I think I can get Gorsestar to arrange that."

"Yes!" Petalkit exclaimed. "Thank you, Ravenfeather!"

She quickly bounded away, heading for the nursery where Marshkit was bragging about Coalfoot to their mother, Meadowlight.

"Hey, Marshkit." She meowed, boldly. "I just talked to Ravenfeather and he said he would mentor me."

Marshkit scoffed. "So? I have Coalfoot. I'll be a better warrior."

"No. I will." Petalkit retorted, her voice becoming more stern. "Every cat knows Ravenfeather is a better warrior. I'll be the best warrior in the clan."

Marshkit barred his teeth and leapt at his sister. Petalkit squealed in pain as Marshkit batted at her back and side with his claws. Suddenly they were separated when Meadowligh pushed Petalkit away from Marshkit.

Petalkit looked up and down Marshkit. He didn't have a single scratch unlike her.

"Petalkit, stop attacking Marshkit." Meadowlight scolded. "You going to hurt him and ruin his glossy fur."

Petalkit met her mother's eyes. He attacked me! She saw him do it!

"But Marshkit attacked me." She protested.

"Oh, Marshkit are you alright!" Meadowlight purred and licked Marshkit's head, ignoring her other kit. Marshkit cast Petalkit a smug look before looking back up at Meadowlight.

Petalkit's ears dropped as she walked over to the medicine cat's den. "Hello?" She called.

From the back of the den, a light brown tom with several white patches padded up to her.

"What's up, Petalkit?" Morningpaw asked. He then noticed her scratches. "What happened to you?" He turned and grabbed a bundle of dock leaves.

"Marshkit attacked me and Meadowlight didn't care." Petalkit explained as Morningpaw treated her scratches. "She said I attacked him."

For a few moments Morningpaw didn't speak. Once he finished treating her scratches, he sat beside her and wrapped his tail around her.

"Marshkit's just full of himself and Meadowlight does nothing about it." He meowed. "You two are opposites. You care for your clanmates and want what's best for them. Marshkit cares about himself and wants what's best for him."

Petalkit knew he was right. Marshkit tried to be better than everyone, be first for everything, and he bragged all the time.

"If he's like this as a kit, just think about how he'll be as an apprentice." She mewed.

Morningpaw smiled and rose to his paws. "Don't worry. Everything will get better."

Petalkit smiled and exited the den and entered the nursery. As soo as she did, a tortoiseshell tom kit came bounding up to her. "Hi, Petalkit."

"Hi, Tawnykit." Petalkit greeted him.

Next to Tabbypaw and Morningpaw, Tawnykit was one of her best friends. They did everything together. Tawnykit's siblings-Mintkit and Featherkit- came running after him.

"Where did you get those scratches?" Featherkit asked, her green eyes were wide.

"From Marshkit."

"He attacked you?" Meowed Mintkit. "That's why we don't like him."

"You don't like Marshkit?" Petalkit inquired.

"No one in the nursery does besides Meadowlight." Tawnykit answered.

That doesn't surprise me. Petalkit meowed to herself. If Marshkit thinks every cat likes him, he's wrong. Just he watch, I'll make him see that he's no better than me.