Two moons had passed, and ever since that night, Bloodkit felt happier about his life. He spent his days playing with Swiftkit, despite the cold looks Poisonedsap and Stonekit gave him whenever he went near the other kit. He and Swiftkit had made up more games since. In addition to moss-ball, they had tag, pounce, and frogs.

But that wasn't the only change in the nursery. Last moon, Diamondrain had given birth to a couple of kits: Mistykit and Coldkit. The kits looked very similar. Both wore silvery gray pelts and darker points. However, Coldkit was a bit darker than his sister. They didn't do much but squirm around their mother and suckle. Their eyes hadn't opened yet. Bloodkit was glad that he wasn't the youngest kit in the nursery anymore.

"Got you!" Bloodkit caught up to Swiftkit and poked him in the shoulder. "You're it!"

"You'd better watch out!" the black and white kit yowled playfully, and Bloodkit yelped, rearing back before the white paw could touch him. He raced toward Bloomfire, and she gasped as the two kits leaped over her.

"Great Starclan!" Poisonedsap hissed, lashing her tail as she watched the kits, her amber eyes no more than narrow slits.

"Watch out for Diamondrain's kits!" Bloomfire added warily. "They're too young for such rough play."

"It's alright," The silver queen assured her, curling her silky tail over her kits. "I'm keeping an eye on those rascals," She purred.

Bloomfire let out a purr. "Wait until yours are that age. They do nothing but cause trouble."

Bloodkit paused, skidding to a halt and looking over his shoulder. "Hey!"

His mother let out an amused purr, her green eyes glowing with affection. Swiftkit suddenly barreled into him, pinning him on his stomach. "Got you!" He yowled triumphantly.

"That's not fair!" Bloodkit exclaimed in dismay as Swiftkit stepped off of him. "Bloomfire distracted me." He sat up and shook out his dark red fur.

Stonekit sat near Poisonedsap, watching his brother through narrow yellow slits. He lashed his thick white tail. "I'm bored," He complained.

"Yes, Swiftkit, come play with your brother!" Poisonedsap growled. "You do nothing but play unproductive games with Bloodkit." Bloodkit twitched his ear. Unproductive?

Swiftkit hesitated, casting him a look. "But-"

Poisonedsap let out a warning growl.

"O-okay," Swiftkit took a wary step back from Bloodkit. "We'll play again later, okay?"

"Okay." Bloodkit sat down near Bloomfire, flicking the tip of his tail over his paws. It was clear that Poisonedsap didn't approve of his friendship with Swiftkit. But he didn't think about it anymore. I like Swiftkit, and Swiftkit likes me. He thought. We aren't harming anyone! If she has a problem with it, that's-

"Rrrahh!" Stonekit lunged at Swiftkit, who let out a startled squeak as he was pinned.

"Great attack, Stonekit!" Poisonedsap praised, watching her kits eagerly. "Now go for his belly."

Swiftkit let out a shriek as the larger white kit raked his claws across his white belly fur before he swung a black forearm at his brother, catching his ear. Stonekit let out a cry as his ear was torn open, rearing back from Swiftkit, who launched his own attack.

"Good, Swiftkit!" Poisonedsap purred.

Bloodkit could only watch in horror as Stonekit and Swiftkit fought, drawing blood and sending tiny tufts of black and white fur across the den, while their mother watched intently, encouraging them. They can't do that! Bloodkit thought anxiously. You're not allowed to unsheathe your claws in training. And they aren't even training! They're supposed to be playing!

Bloodkit felt his fur bristle as he watched the two brothers "play", shrieking and snarling in both pain and fury as they fought with teeth and claws. He saw blood on their pelts. Unable to watch anymore, he looked back at his mother anxiously. "Do something!" He begged. "Make them stop!"

Bloomfire looked uncomfortable, her white tail tip twitching. She exchanged a nervous look with Diamondrain, who dropped her head to lick her kits.

Bloodkit looked from Bloomfire to Diamondrain in disbelief. Why aren't they saying anything? Why aren't they doing anything? He looked back to the fight and tensed as he saw Poisonedsap looking at the two queens, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Did she say something to them? Bloodkit wondered. He heard Swiftkit shriek and froze, snapping his attention to the kits.

Swiftkit pulled himself away from his brother, tufts of black fur falling to the ground. He limped on his front paw, and Bloodkit noticed one of his toes damp with crimson. Did Stonekit rip one of his claws out?! He saw a few scratches on his muzzle, and several nicks in his ears.

Stonekit growled softly, his tail lashing fiercely. Blood trickled from a cut above his eye. He began to circle his brother. "Why don't you play with me anymore? I'm supposed to be your best friend!"

Swiftkit whimpered and cast his injured paw a brief glance, as if he wanted to study the damage. He looked at his mother anxiously. Poisonedsap watched Swiftkit, her expression giving nothing away. She clearly had no intentions of stopping the fight. Stonekit looked more angry than ever and definitely wasn't finished with Swiftkit. He let out a snarl, preparing to attack.

If no one else is going to stop this, then I will! I can't let Swiftkit get hurt! OR Stonekit! "No!" Bloodkit ran between the two kits, looking from Swiftkit to Stonekit anxiously. "You have to-" He shrieked as Stonekit shouldered into him, knocking him aside and swiping a black paw at his face. Bloodkit ducked on instinct and let out a startled shriek as Stonekit's claws met his ear, sending pain bolting through it.

"Hey!" Bloomfire leaped to her paws and pulled Bloodkit close with her paw. Stonekit bared his teeth and started toward him, but Poisonedsap growled and he stopped.

"Are you alright?" Bloomfire wailed, covering Bloodkit with fierce licks. "Oh, your ear!" Bloodkit felt frozen with shock. His ear stung and felt wet. I'm bleeding!

"Hawkfeather!" Bloomfire yowled anxiously, ignoring Poisonedsap's glare. "Hawkfeather, come quick!"

Dewstorm poked his head into the den. "Hawkfeather went out to look for catmint. What's-" He broke off, his yellow eyes widening. "What in StarClan's name happened?" He shot into the den. "Why are the kits bleeding?"

"I told them not to play so roughly!" Poisonedsap cried. "The stupid furball's wouldn't listen!"

"What?" Bloodkit exclaimed. "You-" Bloomfire swept her tail over his muzzle before he could finish. I don't understand!

"You three should know better!" Dewstorm exclaimed. "This is serious!" He turned away. "Come to my den, all three of you." Bloodkit nervously followed Swiftkit and Stonekit to the medicine den, Poisonedsap and Bloomfire following. His legs felt shaky and weak. He'd never been in a real fight before. It was terrifying.

"Sit down," Dewstorm urged as the cats filled into the den. He quickly clawed some cobwebs together and dabbed at Stonekit's scratches. The kit noticed Bloodkit watching and lashed his tail. If I hadn't ducked in time, he would have blinded me. Bloodkit realized. He must hate me so much for being friends with Swiftkit. He looked beside him. The black and white kit was lapping at his wounded front paw. His other injuries didn't look too bad.

"Are you okay?" Bloodkit mewed.

Swiftkit licked his paw for a moment longer before responding. "I'm fine." He didn't look at Bloodkit. "Your ear doesn't look so good, though." He let out a raspy purr. "Depthstar might have to call you Bloodear." He knew Swiftkit had meant that as a joke, but he didn't look like himself. He looked very... uneasy.

"What happened?" Maplefur poked his head into the den and gasped. "Stonekit!" He shot to his son's side, touching his pink nose to his ear. "What happened?" He demanded, then spotted Swiftkit. "Your paw!" He brushed past Poisonedsap, who growled lowly as he began lapping at Swiftkit's fur.

"They were playing and got a little carried away." Dewstorm told him as Swiftkit stretched his arm out, and he began wrapping cobwebs around the kit's paw. "They have some nasty cuts, but they'll heal."

Maplefur bristled, glancing at his mate. "Playing, eh?" Poisonedsap's eyes were fixed on him, her tail lashing back and forth slowly.

"Poisonedsap, a word?" He growled, twitching his cream striped tail as he left the den. The golden brown she-cat rose and followed him out, her ragged tail dragging behind her.

Bloodkit stared after them curiously. He saw that Dewstorm was still busy with Swiftkit. He wouldn't get to his injuries for a while. He hesitated before padding over to the mouth of the den, peering out into the clearing. Poisonedsap and Maplefur stood a few fox length's away, tails lashing.

"I told you, I don't like them fighting like that," Maplefur meowed quietly. "They need to keep their claws sheathed."

Poisonedsap lashed her tail fiercely. "If they're going to be strong warriors, they need to know how to use their claws!" She snapped. "When they're apprenticed, StarClan knows their mentors will make them battle train like a couple of declawed kittypets!"

Maplefur looked stunned. "So you'd rather have this?" He lashed his tail toward the medicine den. "You're lucky they weren't seriously injured!"

"Injuries are a part of life," She retorted. "It's best they learn that sooner than later."

"No," He growled. "They are kits! They are not supposed to suffer like this!"

"It's training!" Poisonedsap retorted. "And they need it. Especially Swiftkit. All the time he spends with that-that Bloodkit has made him weak."

"No!" Maplefur stepped toward her aggressively, and she narrowed her eyes. "You'll stop this cruel training of yours at once! And if anything like this happens again, I'll tell Depthstar what you're doing, and you can be a rogue again."

Poisonedsap was a rogue? Bloodkit was stunned. That explains why she's so mean... But how did she join Shadowclan?

The golden she-cat studied him calmly. "You know better than that, Maplefur." He held her gaze and for a moment, the two cats were silent, tails lashing. Are they going to fight? Bloodkit wondered.

"I don't like seeing my kits like this." Maplefur growled.

"Then don't see them." Poisonedsap raised a black paw, beginning to lick her claws clean. "Don't see them ever again."

Maplefur's pale yellow eyes widened. "What? They're my kits, too!"

"They're my kits, as far as I'm concerned." Poisonedsap growled. "They don't need a father. You only weaken them."

"Poisoned-"

She let out a snarl, her neck fur bristling. "Don't ever come near those kits again, Maplefur," She growled. "Or you'll be sorry." She spun around, and Bloodkit shot back into the den before she saw him. Maplefur stared after her.