Crossed Paths

Chapter 1: Twilightkit

I felt something beside me. It wasn't a littermate, no, couldn't be that. It was my mother's tail, gently stroking my head. I squirmed closer to her, desperate to find warmth. 

"Shh," Nightflower whispered. "Go back to sleep." But I didn't want to. I opened my eyes and looked around. I was back in the Wishclan nursery, looking up at my mother. 

"Hi Nightflower," I squeaked. "Where's everyone else?" Nightflower looked around. 

"Spiritfire's right over there darling," she meowed softly, pointing at another queen at the far end of the den. "Her kits are out playing." I jumped up excitedly. More kits to play with! I had no littermates then, so I was pretty lonely. "

Can I go play with them?" I asked. "Please?" Nightflower was looking at someone else so I jumped on her tail playfully. My mother sighed. 

"Oh fine," she meowed. "But don't get into trouble!" I barely heard the last part before I dashed out of the den. I wanted to surprise Spiritfire's kits, so I went and hid in a bush, waiting for the perfect time. I saw four kits playing. One was a fawn she-cat with amber eyes. I saw a ginger and white tom kit with green eyes, and a grey tabby tom with blue eyes. The last was a black tom with green eyes. He met my gaze slowly. I hid my face, making sure he couldn't see me anymore. But he came towards me. "

Hello?" he called. I peeked out of the bush. 

"Oh, hi!" I meowed quietly. The black tom kit let out a little laugh. Clearly he wasn't surprised that I was here. "I'm Twilightkit," I mewed shyly. I wondered if he was nice. And I wondered if his littermates were nice. 

 "Hi Twilightkit," he mewed back. "I'm Nightkit. Do you want to play with us?" Nightkit looked at me expectantly. His black tail twitched back and forth. His green eyes gazed at me with a thousand stars. 

 "Sure," was all I meowed. 

 "Do you have any littermates, so we can make the teams even?" He asked slowly. I frowned, and shook my head. 

 "Only me. My mother is Nightflower by the way." He nodded, and led me over to the rest of the kits. "Hi!" I meowed to them shyly. For now, Nightkit was the only one I'd met before. 

 "This," Nightkit began, pointing at me, "Is Twilightkit. She would like to join our game." The fawn she-kit pushed through the two other tom kits who looked at me. The she-kit looked nice. She waved her tail in greeting. 

 "Hi Twilightkit!" The she-kit mewed. "I'm Amberkit!" "Hi," I mewed. The other two tom kits came to greet me. The grey tabby was named Streamkit, and the ginger and white tom kit was named Dewkit. What fine names. 

 "Hmm," Streamkit mewed. "We don't have enough players. You could be the scorekeeper, if you like," he told me. I shrugged. I was going to go along with them, because, me, I was the new cat. They had known each other for their whole lives. I had hid away in the nursery with no littermates. All I had was my mother. 

 "Wait," mewed Amberkit. "She could be on me and Nightkit's team." Streamkit let out a little whine. 

 "But that's not fair, you would have more players!" He protested. 

 "But I'm smaller than all of you!" Amberkit mewed back at him. "It would be fair. I'm barely a scrap compared to the rest of you." She licked her chest fur in embarrassment of telling the rest she believed she was small. 

"Oh fine," Streamkit sighed. 

 "Come on Streamkit!" Dewkit mewed with a smile. "Let's go strategize!" Streamkit scampered after his brother.

"So, Twilightkit," Nightkit mewed when Amberkit had joined them. "What's your plan?" I just stood there looking dumb while they waited for me to anwser. 

 "I- I don't know," I admitted. "You two must be the pros!" They both laughed at that. 

"Okay, Nightkit, you'll start with the mossball," Amberkit whispered, making sure Dewkit and Streamkit didn't hear her. "I'll tackle Dewkit, and Twilightkit, make sure Streamkit doesn't stop Nightkit from scoring." Me and Nightkit both nodded. 

 "Streamkit! Dewkit!" Nightkit called, grabbing the moss ball. "We're starting!" The two brothers were discussing tactics when they heard the shout. They turned around, ready to fight. "Go!" Nightkit yowled. I raced to the center of the clearing and jumped on Streamkit, who was making for a beeline for Nightkit and the mossball. I pawed him in the stomach and pinned him down. He pushed me off, trying to get to Nightkit. I wasn't gonna let him. Meanwhile, Amberkit was tustling with Dewkit. Dewkit was winning, because Amberkit was smaller. But before he could break free Nightkit ran and threw the mossball at the target. "Score!" he shouted. 

 "Noo," Streamkit complained. "They only need two more points to win!" Dewkit helped Streamkit get up. 

 "We'll get one this time!" he declared. Amberkit raced over to her team excitedly. 

 "Nightkit! I'll hold Streamkit down and you can hold Dewkit down while Twilightkit scores this time!" she squeaked. Nightkit nodded in agreement. "Go!" Dewpaw and Streamkit started with the moss ball this time. Streamkit had it in his mouth, and he was racing for the target. Nightkit pounced on Streamkit while Amberkit barreled into Dewkit. She grabbed it out of his grasp and flung it into the air, yowling, "Twilightkit! Get the ball!" I caught it out of the air and raced for the target. Streamkit struggled under Amberkit's hold. He broke free, but I had already reached the target. She tossed it, and scored. Amberkit and Nightkit whooped with a grin and ran over to me.

"Great job!" Nightkit mewed.

"Yeah!" Amberkit mewed. "For your first time, that was pretty good."

"Only one more point to win!" Nightkit squealed. I grinned.

"I'll try and score now," Amberkit whispered. "You stop those two. Go!" She raced over and picked up the mossball, dodging around Dewkit who came barreling into her.

I raced up to Dewkit, and jumped on him, locked in a tussle. Nightkit grabbed Streamkit and the two of them fought fiercely. Amberkit ran as fast as she could, tossing the moss ball into the air as she scored.

"Yay!" I cheered, running over to Amberkit.

"We won!" she squeaked, jumping up and down excitedly. Amberkit rushed over to help Dewkit. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"He looks fine," murmured Nightkit. "But yeah, Dewkit, are you okay?" Dewkit nodded, getting to his paws quickly.

"Well, good game, I guess," Streamkit sighed.

"Sorry Dewkit, did I jump on you too hard?" Twilightkit asked with a worried look.

"I'm fine," Dewkit mewed. Just then, Spiritfire came padding over. It seemed as if she had been watching the whole time. Then again, queens to that to their kits, I reflected.

"Kits," Spiritfire sighed. "It's time you were going to sleep. Look how dark it is already." I glanced up at the sky. It was getting dark. Stars dotted the sky, and twilight colors faded in. "I'm sure you'll be able to play again in the morning."

"But-," Nightkit began.

"Aww, it's okay," I mewed. "I'm going to sleep too." Spiritfire beckoned for her kits to come. Amberkit, Streamkit, and Dewkit followed, but Nightkit stayed with me for a second.

"Night," he mewed. "I'll see you in the morning."

I nodded. "Bye Nightkit."

"Bye Twilightkit," he replied. Nightkit padded over to the nursery, but

looked back at me for a quick second. He turned around and slipped in.

I sat there for a moment, looking up at the starry sky. Then I resigned to my nest.