"I've got it!"

"Oh, yeah?"

He sat in the corner of the den, watching his denmates uncertainly. Stonekit pounced on Swiftkit, who let out a squeak as the bigger kit sank his claws into his brother's pelt.

"Ow!" Swiftkit cried, pulling free and scrambling away, his black tail fluffed up. "Poisonedsap, he clawed me!"

Their mother twitched her ear in irritation. "Don't be such a mouse-heart," She snapped. "How are you ever going to be a real warrior if you run away the moment a claw touches your pelt?"

"Yeah, Swiftkit!" Stonekit sneered. "I'm going to be the best warrior in ShadowClan!" He lunged at his brother, who yelped as he was rolled over. "You'll have to be a medicine cat!"

Swiftkit bristled. "No way!" He swiped his claws across his brother's ear.

"Bloodkit?"

Bloodkit jumped a little at his mother's voice and turned his head. Bloomfire lay behind him, gazing at her kit sympathetically. "Why don't you play with your denmates?"

He hesitated, shifting closer to her. "They play so rough," He meowed quietly. "They probably won't like me anyway."

"Don't be silly." Bloomfire leaned down and swiped her tongue over his head. "Of course they'll like you. Go on and say hello."

Bloodkit watched as Swiftkit and Stonekit circled each other, tails lashing. What if he got hurt?

"Go on," She murmured, gently nudging him with her nose, and he hesitantly padded over to them.

"H-hello," Bloodkit began.

"Ha!" Stonekit swiped a black paw at Swiftkit, who reared backwards in response, and Bloodkit quickly leaped back just before the black and white kit bumped into him.

"Hello!" Bloodkit stammered.

Stonekit paused, flicking his yellow eyes to Bloodkit. "Oh, it's him." He grunted. "We don't want to play with him. Hawkfeather said-" Poisonedsap let out a warning growl behind them, and the big kit said no more.

What did Hawkfeather say about me? Bloodkit's red tabby tail drooped. Great, even the clan medicine cat hates me! For as long as he could remember, every cat in the clan behaved differently when he was near. Some outright ignored him or cast him cold glances, while others looked at him with a great deal of sympathy in their eyes. Bloodkit couldn't understand why, and constantly tried to think of what he had done to make his clan act so strangely around him.

Swiftkit looked at his brother sharply, then stepped toward Bloodkit. "Nevermind him," He meowed. "You can play with me."

"I can?" Bloodkit blinked at him in surprise, and behind him, Bloomfire purred.

"Of course!" Swiftkit waved his tail happily. "We can play moss ball."

Bloodkit bounded toward the tom kit eagerly. He hadn't played with another kit since Stripedpaw, Mottledpaw, and Creampaw had left the nursery. Now that they were apprentices, they never seemed to want to play with him. Of course they would rather focus on their training than waste time with a lonely kit.

"Not in here, you won't!" Poisonedsap lashed her tail. "I've been hit in the head with moss balls far too much! Go into the clearing."

"Okay." Swiftkit picked up the moss ball with his teeth and turned, racing out of the nursery. "Come on!" He mumbled. Bloodkit hesitated, staring out at the camp clearing uncertainly. He didn't like to leave the nursery. It seemed like every time he did, some cat would look at him funny or murmur a strange comment.

Swiftkit poked his head into the nursery, dropping the moss ball. "Are you coming?"

Too afraid of facing the clan, he was about to refuse when he noticed the amount of friendliness in the kit's blue eyes. Only Bloomfire and his father had ever looked at him with such acceptance. He had always been wary of Poisonedsap's kits before. They always played so violently and they seemed mean. Stonekit certainly was, but Swiftkit seemed very friendly when he wasn't around his brother.

Finally, some other cat likes me! Bloodkit thought happily. "Yeah!" He bounded out of the nursery, and Swiftkit spun to race him. Bloodkit felt the summer sun warm his pelt as he dashed into the clearing. He followed Swiftkit to the side of the clearing where the kit spun around and tossed the moss ball at him. "Ha!"

Bloodkit immediately shot up on his hind legs, reaching up and batting the ball of moss back to Swiftkit, feeling a rush of satisfaction. I think that was a good hit!

"Wow, you're good!" Swiftkit exclaimed. He leaped into the air and swat the ball back to him.

Bloodkit dove forward to catch it, but the moss hit the ground before he could. He fell awkwardly onto his side and squeaked, scrambling to his paws and shaking pine needles from his pelt. "Sorry."

"Don't be!" The black and white kit nudged the moss toward him.

He carefully scooped the moss up in his paw and flung it at Swiftkit, who laughed as he swat it back to him. Bloodkit bat it back, letting out a happy meow. He wasn't sure if he'd ever felt so carefree and happy before. He was always so self conscious about what his clanmates thought of him.

I don't care what they think. He decided. Swiftkit, Flameheart, and Bloomfire like me. Maybe that's all I need! He hesitated as a worrying thought came to him. But what if Depthstar doesn't like me? Then he won't make me a warrior! An even more horrifying thought. What if he refuses to let me train as an apprentice? Maybe he'll make me become a medicine cat. But Hawkfeather doesn't even like me.. What will I- He snapped out of his thoughts as the moss ball bounced off his head. "Oh!"

"Hey, how'd you miss that?" Swiftkit purred in amusement, waving his tail.

"Sorry." Bloodkit hesitantly looked around the camp for the first time since he'd come outside. Two senior warriors, Ashcloud and Rosebreeze, sat a few fox lengths from him, watching. But as soon as Bloodkit caught Rosebreeze's gaze, she looked away, and Ashcloud twitched his tail awkwardly.

"What do you think of him?"

Bloodkit's heart skipped a beat as he overheard some cats murmuring behind him.

"He's a harmless kit, Crowmask."

"No, he's bad news. I've known from the day he was born."

He hung his head, trying to block out the murmuring, but he couldn't. He padded over to the edge of the clearing and sat under the bushes, hiding himself in their shadow. He curled his tail over his paws.

"Hey." Swiftkit padded over to him, the happiness fading from his blue eyes. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Bloodkit shook his head, longing to push himself deeper into the bushes. But some of the branches were studded with thorns. He didn't dare move any closer to them. Swiftkit hesitated, looking over his shoulder at the other cats in the clearing. "You... You don't know that they were talking about you."

"Of course they were," Bloodkit muttered. "Who else would it be? They're always talking about me behind my back." He lashed his tail. "I don't understand," He choked, feeling sadness overwhelm him. "What's wrong with me? What did I do wrong?"

Swiftkit sat beside him. "I don't know," He meowed. "I was born only a moon before you. I can't remember a lot about the first few weeks after you were born. I was so young, and my eyes were just opening. But I doubt you did anyone any harm when you were a newborn kit."

"I must have done something."

Swiftkit tilted his head thoughtfully. "Have you asked Bloomfire?"

"She says I've done nothing wrong," Bloodkit meowed quietly. "I don't believe her."

"Do you really think your mother would lie to you?"

Bloodkit thought about this. "No," He admitted. "She would never lie to me. Or Flameheart." He felt a pang of comfort. He put a lot of trust into his mother and father. No matter what, they would always give him the truth.

"So then, the clan is a bunch of mouse-brains," Swiftkit nudged him playfully. "There's nothing wrong with you. You'll show them one day when you're the greatest warrior ever!"

Bloodkit felt some of the weight lifted from him. But he still worried about Depthstar's approval. "If Depthstar makes me a warrior." He said.

"Of course he will!" Swiftkit meowed. "And if he's mouse brained enough not to, I'll follow him all day throwing moss balls at that big furry head of his." Bloodkit let out a purr of amusement, imagining this.

"Come on, let's finish our game!" Swiftkit urged, turning and racing further into the clearing. He looked back at him. "Or I win."

"Oh, yeah?" Bloodkit purred and started toward him.

"But you have to catch me, first!" Swiftkit ducked his head and grasped the moss in his teeth, racing away.

"Hey!" He laughed and bounded after the kit. All of his sadness and uncertainty had been washed away. I need to focus on the good things! He realized. I'll never get anywhere being sad.

Swiftkit dodged a warrior who grumbled at him in annoyance. "Sorry, Cougarfoot!" He called over his shoulder. Bloodkit purred in amusement as he followed the kit past the golden furred tom, feeling the warm air flow between his whiskers. Swiftkit suddenly made a sharp turn by the warriors den, and Bloodkit gasped as he skidded on the pine needles and rolled toward the bushes near the den. He let out a yelp of pain as a thorn jabbed into his side.

Swiftkit looked over his shoulder as he ran. "Come on, slow slug!" He purred. In his path, Depthstar was padding out of his den, speaking with Cobratail. Whatever they were talking about, it seemed important, because they were so focused on their conversation they didn't look in Swiftkit's direction to see him coming.

Bloodkit looked at him and tensed. Oh no! He's going to crash into the clan leader and deputy! He'll be in trouble! "Swiftkit, look out!" He gasped, bounding forward, ignoring the pain that shot through his side.

"What?" Swiftkit looked ahead and squeaked in alarm, trying to stop, but he skidded onward on pine needles. Bloodkit grunted as he leaped into him, pushing him out of the way of the leader and deputy. "Ow!" Swiftkit shrieked out, and Bloodkit froze.

Oh, no!

He'd pushed Swiftkit right into the wall of thorns. The black and white kit stumbled forward, whimpering. Thorns stuck out of his pelt, and he limped.

"What in the name of StarClan-" Cobratail began.

"Swiftkit!" Poisonedsap bounded across the clearing, lapping his forehead. "Oh, my poor kit!"

"Hawkfeather!" Depthstar called. "Come quick!"

Bloodkit stared at Swiftkit anxiously. He saw tiny drops of blood in the white areas of his fur. "I'm sorry!"

The tabby medicine cat bounded over with a wad of cobwebs in his mouth. He sat by the injured kit and set down the cobwebs. "Don't you worry, Swiftkit, it's just a few thorns. Nothing serious." He began plucking thorns out of the kits pelt with his teeth, and Swiftkit yelped. "Ow!"

"Don't be so weak, Swiftkit!" Stonekit grunted, sitting by his mother and curling his white tail over his black paws. "It's just a few thorns! You've gotten worse out of my claws."

For a heartbeat, Bloodkit was tempted to push the big kit into the thorns and see how he liked it.

"What happened?" Hawkfeather prompted.

"W-well, I-" Swiftkit began.

"It was Bloodkit!" Poisonedsap suddenly snarled, swinging her head toward him. "He pushed Swiftkit into the thorns!"

"No!" Bloodkit stammered, stepping back, startled by the queen's sudden fury and the hatred burning in her eyes. "I-I didn't mean to- I was just-"

"No excuses!" She snarled. "I saw it myself!"

"So did I." Ashcloud put in. Bloodkit froze, turning around. It seemed like the whole clan was surveying the scene.

"Yes, Bloodkit pushed him." Rosebreeze meowed.

"H-He was going to run into Depthstar, and-" Bloodkit felt his pelt burn with shame under the eyes of the clan. "I didn't mean for him to end up in the thorns!" He started toward Swiftkit. "Swiftkit, you know-"

Poisonedsap hissed and Bloodkit whimpered, scrambling back with his tail between his legs. "You stay away from my son!" She bared her teeth at him. "You're nothing but trouble to this clan!"

Depthstar was watching Bloodkit, not giving away any emotion. Bloodkit whimpered, lowering himself to the ground. Everyone is looking at me! Everyone thinks I hurt Swiftkit! I wouldn't hurt anyone!

"What's going on here?"

Bloodkit had never been more relieved to hear his father's voice. The ginger tabby stepped in front of him, glaring at Poisonedsap. "Don't talk to my son like that!"

"Your son, Flameheart," Poisonedsap echoed, her eyes gleaming. "Your son just pushed Swiftkit into the thorn bushes!"

"Bloodkit would never do that," Flameheart retorted. "He's a good kit."

"He's a worthless hairball, that's what he is," Poisonedsap sneered. A growl rose in Flameheart's throat, and his tail lashed. Poisonedsap unsheathed her claws.

"Enough!" Depthstar stepped between the two warriors. "We all saw what happened." He looked behind Flameheart. "Bloodkit, what do you have to say?"

Bloodkit's heart pounded. "B-but I didn't-"

"Bloodkit," The clan leader's meow hardened, and Bloodkit tensed. "There's no call for harming your clanmates. Even if it was just a game. Causing unnecessary injuries and wasting Hawkfeather's herbs is unacceptable. Apologize."

Bloodkit pressed himself harder to the ground, wishing a hole would open up beneath him and swallow him, hiding him from the world. The cold gaze of the strong black tom made him feel worse. The clan leader really hates me now! "I'm sorry," Bloodkit whimpered. He meant it. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I pushed him. I'm sorry none of you like me. I'm sorry I was born...

"Good." Depthstar nodded, and the clan began to dismember.

"Let's take him to the medicine den," Hawkfeather meowed to Poisonedsap. "He took a lot of thorns. I'll just give him a couple poppy seeds."

Poisonedsap nodded and carefully picked up Swiftkit by his scruff. She glared down at Bloodkit, her tail lashing. Hawkfeather followed her gaze for a moment. "Keep an eye on that kit, Flameheart," He murmured before leading Poisonedsap to his den.

Bloodkit was too scared to move. He felt like if he dared step out from under Flameheart, some cat would attack him. Especially Poisonedsap. I'll just stay here. He thought. Flameheart will protect me. But his father stepped back, looking down at him. Bloodkit hesitantly looked up at him. "Do you believe me?" He whimpered, expecting to see anger or disappointment in his eyes.

But instead, Flameheart looked nothing but sympathetic. "Of course I do," He promised. "You would never harm any cat. Let's go to the nursery. Your mother will be waiting."

Anxiety swarmed through his stomach like bees. "Will she be mad at me?" Bloodkit asked.

"No," He promised. "You can tell us both what really happened." He swiped his tongue over Bloodkit's ear before picking him up by his scruff. Bloodkit would normally object to being carried like such a young kit. But today, he just let him. I might stay a kit forever anyway, if Depthstar doesn't want to apprentice me. He thought miserably.