Chapter Text
So blah blah this is when twig and violet are kits. Alderpaw is ooc and does not enjoy being a medicine cat apprentice. Needlepaw is fed up with trading and doesn't like violet paw being so alone.
Ignore ts I'll write the rest in notes or sum then copy and paste
The night was woven with secrets and starlight, the air thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. Needlepaw, a sleek silver streak against the shadows, twitched her ears, listening intently. Beside her, Violetkit, a little ball of nerves, shuffled her paws.
"Are they coming?" Violetkit whispered, her voice barely more than a rustle of leaves.
Needlepaw rolled her eyes, though a hint of shared apprehension flickered in her green gaze. "They'd better be. We didn't trek all this way for nothing."
A moment later, two small forms emerged from the undergrowth: Twigkit and her ThunderClan escort, Alderheart. The SkyClan kits they'd found and brought back to the lake territories, separated by Clan allegiances, were longing for each other yet again. Despite the tensions between their own Clans, Alderpaw and Needlepaw had become their escorts.
"Twigkit!"
"Violetkit!"
Alderpaw breathed, relief flooding his voice as the kits scampered forward, their pelts gleaming faintly in the moonlight.
Twigkit, always the bolder one, bumped her head against Violetkit's, a happy purr rumbling in her tiny chest. Violetkit, more reserved, rubbed against her sister, her tail twitching with quiet joy.
Needlepaw watched them, a rare softness in her eyes. "You two better make this quick," she warned, her voice gruff but not unkind. "We can't stay out here all night. Not with patrols everywhere."
Alderpaw nodded, his gaze darting. "And don't make any noise! If any cat finds out, we'll all be in serious trouble. Especially you two."
The kits, however, were too engrossed in their reunion to pay much attention. They shared whispered stories of their days, of the prey they’d tasted, and the lessons they’d learned. Twigkit recounted chasing a squirrel – though Alderpaw distinctly remembered it being a particularly stubborn leaf. Violetkit, in contrast, described the peaceful quiet of the ShadowClan camp. They spoke of the differences in their new Clans, the ways their Clanmates acted, and their deep longing for each other.
Needlepaw paced the edges of their small clearing, ever vigilant, her ears swiveling to catch any sound. She knew the risks. If Rowanstar or Bramblestar discovered their secret meetings, it would be a hug problem. But looking at the two small sisters, huddled together as if to make up for lost time, she couldn't bring herself to regret it. It might be wrong by the warrior code, perhaps, but it felt right in her heart.
Alderpaw, meanwhile, sat hunched, a nervous energy radiating from him. He kept darting glances at the shadows, imagining angry Clan leaders and furious Clanmates leaping from the bushes. Yet, he too felt a pang of satisfaction. He knew how much these stolen moments meant to Twigkit and Violetkit.
"Alderpaw?" Needlepaw's voice was soft, drawing his attention. "When I said keep alert, I didn't mean look terrified." She purred. "You look like a scared mouse."
Alderpaw groomed himself in embarrassment. "I knew that. I'm just... looking out for us. It's what friends do, right?"
Needlepaw plopped down next to him. "Yeah." She then turned her attention to the kits, a thoughtful frown crosssing her face. "Do you think they'll ever find true happiness in different Clans, Alderpaw? I mean, sneaking out here a few times a moon clearly isn't going to be enough. And when they become proper apprentices, they'll be busy with their mentors." Alderpaw's only reply was a quiet flick of his tail, his gaze distant.
"It's nice seeing you again, Needlepaw," Alderpaw shifted on his paws, a hint of shyness in his voice. "I missed our journey to find SkyClan." He looked at her, his eyes warm. "How's your apprenticeship going?"
Needlepaw paused, considering. "Boring. Reedclaw barely teaches me anything. What about yours?"
"It's fine... I mean, it's really repetitive. All Jayfeather has me doing is sorting and learning herbs. Sometimes he lets me collect them, but other than that, I just play with Twigkit." Alderpaw continued to ramble on about Twigkit, his eyes glistening with fondness.
Needlepaw found this cute, a warmth spreading through her chest. I wonder if he talks about me that way? She quickly pushed the thought away. She was a ShadowClan cat, and he was a ThunderClan medicine cat. So many rules in the warrior code were against this. But the warrior code is stupid, remember? She flicked that thought away as well. After all, she didn't have a chance with him.
Then, as her mind filled with thoughts of him, she realized the time. "Alderpaw, it's almost sunrise. I think it's time we went back to our camps." Her mew had a hint of longing in it, but Alderpaw didn't seem to notice.
"Oh? Is it?" Spending time with Needlepaw made him forget his anxiety and worries. He wished he could stay longer with her. Needlepaw licked his scruff in a soft goodbye, relishing his scent.
"Time's up. You need to go back," Needlepaw signaled, though her voice held a quiet regret.
The kits whined, their joy dissolving into reluctant acceptance. With one last, lingering nuzzle, Twigkit and Violetkit separated, each heading back toward their different Clans, their tiny forms swallowed by the night.
Alderpaw let out a long breath. "That was close," he murmured.
Needlepaw gave him a sideways glance, a faint smile playing on her muzzle. "It always will be. But they needed this. Every cat needs to know where they belong." She paused, then added, almost to herself, "Even if it's with a sister on the other side of the forest."
As they padded silently back towards their own camps, the vast, silverpelt seemed to hold their secret close, a silent promise of future.