LostHope's Path

Chapter 4

publishing issue so chapter 3 won't publish! so srry. just a filler kinda

The mountain stream spilled over the cusp of the silver rock, tumbling over the cat's paws, and she giggled at the frosty bubbles of cold that crept up her paws. A dark sky swallowed the stars above her, but she saw enough by the little eddies of icy water to gaze around. She didn't know where she was, but it made her feel weird...

Suddenly, the dark bracken in front of her split open and a tiny wisp of a white she-cat whispered through, her wide silver eyes searing the other kit's fur. The she-cat let out a tortured cry and sank to her paws.

"W-what's wrong?!" Whimpered the kit to the other.

"Get away from me!" cried the white she-cat, convulsing again, then disappearing into the ferns again, shrieking. "Mama! Mama! The scary cat is freaking me out! She's going to claw me out!"

The tiny kit stared at her front paws, at least, trying to, for only one actually was still intact. A great emptiness billowed and screamed inside of her, aching and sobbing as the white cat's cries died away.

She knew inside she wasn't bad, she wasn't scary... but of course, no one'd care about that...

A silver strand of moon flared the pool, mirroring it like ice, but the kit didn't even care about it's beauty and she stood shakily, seeing a flash of dark red fur on the pool's surface and realizing it was her.

She was hideous. She was a monster.

Her dark red fur framed her twisted face, her chewed ears were dipped in honey-colored fur, her scarred chest a dash of creamy tan, and a mangled stump next to her other, perfect black-and-ginger patched paw. Her eyes were gaunt and sunken from the pain of the past, but a quiet, perfectly evil fire burned straight into her reflection.

She was hideous. She hated it.

"So what, if I'm like this." mewed the kit softly. "I am strong. I am brave. I am so ridiculously awesome the world will never...even...know..."

"My name's Honeykit. And I will become the greatest warrior in all the Clans!"

And the little kit sank back into the inky kingdom that claimed to be sleep

***

"If you don't wake up, I'll put thorns in your moss!"

"If you don't wake up in another moon I'll eat all your fresh kill!"

"I'll tell Frozendrop that you are pregnant!"

"C'mon open your eyes, Honeykit, you're no fun."

Honeykit blinked up, and saw her friend's face peering earnestly at her.

"Why'n't you wake up before?" Thunderkit squealed in annoyance.

"I'd have more time not to look at your ugly face, kittypet." Honeykit grinned sleepily.

"You're the cripple." whined Thunderkit.

"Kittypet."

"Cripple."

"Thunderbutt."

"Goody-one paw."

"Uh, what...?"

"I don't even know."

Honeykit heaved herself up. It felt like she'd slept for moons.

"You're up." grunted a familiar voice Honeykit didn't think would ever sound so... mean.

"Frozendrop! Hi..." squeaked Honeykit, bewildered at her mother's sullenness.

Frozendrop sighed, her disgusted sigh that made Honeykit stare at her paws in shame. "Groom your fur, for StarClan's sake, you're going to be apprenticed today."

Honeykit and Thunderkit both bounced on their paws. Why didn't Frozendrop seem excited?

Never mind! They were to be apprentices!

Puddlestream, Thunderkit's, Thrushkit, and Dustkit's mother swept Honeykit next to her. "She is just grieving about Fawnkit."

"Oh." Honeykit's pretty sister still hadn't awoken, though her breathing was steady and her heartbeat normal... every cat secretly thought of her as dead.

"She'll be fine. Just when she wakes up, she'll still be a 'kit not a 'paw for a while."

Honeykit sighed in relief. At least Puddlestream cared. Honeykit shot a sideways glare at her mother.

"Let all cats big enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Tall Pine!" echoed Wolfstar's yowl.

It's finally happening! Honeykit wriggled. I'm going to be an APPRENTICE!

But she didn't know, deep inside, the troubles that would make her life miserable forever.

A/N Sorry this chapter is short and a little boring for such a long wait for it. hang in there~