Chapter 5-

Being told you are hated doesn't sting nearly as much as Sagekit would guess. Ivykit's eyes remain challenging, like daring him to tell, but he won't. And she knows that, it seems.

"Why?" Sagekit breathes as he hears Snapstar make a rude comment about Ferretsqueak being useless at hunting. Ivykit squints.

"It's obvious, isn't it? Your father is..." the she-kit trails off, locking her worried gaze on her mother.

"Mom, I'll just go. I'd like to know another kit. We can walk together," the mew sounds so innocent, but Sagekit grumbles at the blatant lie. Ferretsqueak looks visibly relieved, huffing.

"You two can play moss ball, then," Ferretsqueak flicks her tail at her two tom-kits, "Out now, out of the den." The two toms grin, speeding away. Ivykit is right after them, not talking to Sagekit about any of it. So fine. He'll go.

Sagekit trails after the white and black she-kit, who is surprisingly quick, out of the den.

The sun shines, wrapping everything in warmth. The hot rays send Sagekit purring instantly, pelt twinkling in sunshine. The sand steams, sprouting bristles of green. Some hold flowers. Others sway in the wind. Sagekit stands taller, reaching toward the sun, but it doesn't get any closer.

Ivykit's bony shoulder nudges the tom roughly, sending his purrs away quickly. Sagekit glares at her while she grimaces for a few seconds.

"Your father is a mouse-brain," the she-cat twitches her pelt, speaking lowly, "Did you see him? All big and mighty, all nice and playful, until he doesn't get what he wants. And then he is huge and mean and threatening. And you're going to be just like him."

Sagekit pauses to take this in, pelt bristling with each more and more aggressive word. He can't think of anything strong to say, an argument to make, so he stays quiet. Ivykit lashes her tail, eyes deadly.

"He has to decide if we live, you know? He has to bless kits," Ivykit spits, tone no more softer than last time, "I was marked for death. He marked me to die."

The words seep into Sagekit slowly, mixing with rage, pure rage. "He likes you though!" the tom says unconvincingly, "You're a promising kit, he said. That's why we should be friends, he said-" Ivykit sneers, snorting disdainfully.

"You will be like him! He controls who you're friends with, now? When will you grow up? All of this clan but you know! Even your littermates, for Starclan's sake!" Ivykit's words finally start to sting, and Sagekit bares his teeth.

"What did they say?" he breathes, curiosity clawing him. Ivykit rolls her eyes.

"That they miss you," she spits, "and Snapstar's made you power hungry." Power hungry? How?

"How?" Sagekit breathes, "I don't want power, I just want Snapstar to not view me as a runt. They don't care enough. They're just jealous they won't matter when they grow up. They'll be known as my littermates and nothing else!" The words slip out of his bared teeth, to the dismay of Ivykit.

"Fine," Ivykit wheels her body around, tail flicking, to join her brothers in their game. Sagekit is left alone, seemingly not welcome anywhere.

~~~

Sagekit hobbles along the camp walls, fur being poked by various sizes of brambles. He barely feels the little snags, focusing on the sun-warmed sand and the heavy feeling in his chest. How could his littermates speak in such a way? They are so wrong, so wrong. Just jealous. Just jealous.

The little orange and white tom stops at a large winding crack in the stone. Through the crack is a whole new camp. Sagekit pricks his ears curiously, peering through the slit.

It seems like a whole new world behind the towering stone walls. Cats work silently, making no sound except mutters and shuffles of paws. The felines are thin, some looking like scrawny elders as they shuffle around. The kits don't play. They sort things, moss, prey, gems, rocks. The adults work on their walls, eyes tired. It looks like a prison.

Sagekit watches from the crack, hearing only the din from his camp. No cat sees him from the tiny crack. No cat turns from their designated jobs. Why is no kit playing? Sunning, talking? Why do they all look so sad?

"Shh."

The voice shocks him, making him not want to 'shh.' In fact it makes him want to call for help, as a paw is placed over his mouth. The tom freezes, eyes wide, as the scent of fear emitting from his own body washes over him.

"Walk forward," a different voice says, "close your eyes and walk forward." Sagekit does so instantly, shuddering as he shakily puts his paws, one at a time, in front of the other.

"Open."

Sagekit opens his eyes to a whole new world. A new world grayer than Thunderclan camp. A brownish red she-kit stands in front of him, blue eyes gleaming with anger.

"What did you see?" the kit questions angrily, tail lashing. Sagekit stares stupidly. Through the crack, she means? About her? Maybe he should ask.

"I don't know... I saw your camp?" Is this her camp? It's so bleak and sad.

"Good," the kit wrinkles her nose, "Tansykit, Lilykit, here now."

Two more kits shuffle into view. One is a tom, a handsome black bengal cat. His eyes bore into Sagekit's, hateful and serious. They are a dull green. This must be Tansykit. He has big ears and short stubby fur. "You're Thunderclan." His voice resembles his appearance. Deep and grim.

Lilykit looks much more chipper. An almost-wilted purple flower hangs loosely from behind her pricked ears. Her pelt shines orange, white, and black, a beautiful splash of each. Her face isn't one of hatred, but one of curiosity, like Sagekit is some new creature. Her mouth is frowning, but in a thoughtful, not quite sad, way. Her tail flicks back and forth silently. "No dip, Tansykit."

The reddish brown cat is clearly the ring leader, looking much older. In reality, Sagekit is probably their age. But they seem so much more aware, so aged. But then again, maybe you have to be in a new world. An alien planet. Is that what this place is?

"How old are you? A moon?" The kit asks, "You're tiny. And stupid." Sagekit bristles, a retort bubbling up inside of him. But somehow it is pinned there, inside of him, by the she-kit's prying gaze.

"Not a moon," Sagekit somehow squeaks, trying to buy time, "care to guess?" Tansykit shakes his head, exasperated.

"He is stupid," the tom sighs, tail flicking, "Look, we don't usually take hostages but-"

"And that won't change today," the unidentified she-kit hisses, "I just need to make sure he saw nothing."

"I didn't see-"

"I saw him look," Tansykit's voice is hate-laden and suspicious. Sagekit sighs. How can he convince them he saw nothing when he did?

He had seen something. Nothing much. Nothing important. Well, since they are making a big deal, maybe it is. Sagekit battles with himself.

"And so what if I did?" he finally decides, trying to keep his tone neutral "What would I care?" Tansykit narrows his eyes and laughs. A kind of cackle, only more restrained and quiet.

"You're the leader's son! Do you think us dumb? How can we let you go if you know-"

"Terrified for his life, that's how," Lilykit smiles wickedly, almost evilly, and Sagekit finds himself already fearing for his life and much more.

"Let me go," Sagekit hisses, wanting desperately to duck behind some cat's leg, "I didn't see anything. Please." Begging seems useless, and his theory proves correct.

"Come on, let's move closer in," the reddish brown she says quickly, glancing around, "before some cat sees us." Lilykit nudges Sagekit to his paws, who then follows hesitantly along the stone walls. Out of reach of the stone crack. It is true. No cat will see him here.

"Okay," Lilykit nods, "explain this to the kit, will you?" Tansykit looks annoyed. The reddish brown she-cat nods. Sagekit is starting to think she's not a kit at all.

"I'm Scarletkit," she starts, "This is Windclan, ruled by Voidflicker. But really Voidflicker is ruled by Snapstar and Aloestar. You know this, correct?" Sagekit nods stiffly, pricking his ears for more information.

"Well, about us, we are seven moons old. You have to prove yourself before apprenticeship. You will be our ticket to that." Sagekit feels something in his stomach knot. That whole sentence feels sick.

"Get it? Good," Tansykit says, a smug grin slipping onto his face, "we're taking you to Voidflicker now."

~~~~

finally done with this! a day after christmas T-T

well this wasn't supposed to come this late at night, but that's okay! enjoy this chapter. it was fun to write in theory but super exhausting too. but I like how it turned out! have a good day/night everyone!