Shadderedheart's Life Story

The sun rose in SnowClan camp, lighting up the nursery. A Black queen ran her tongue over her largest kit, a tom with Black and White splotches. He may have been the largest, but his sister and brother already had their eyes open. A Black she-cat and a Grey tom nursed against her, but the Black And White Kit slept. ???I???m worried about Shadderedkit.??? A Black queen murmured.
???He???s alive, Hollyclaw.??? A white tom purred. ???You can see him breathing.???
???I know Snowstorm,??? Hollyclaw began ???But Featherkit and Mistkit have already opened their eyes and are starting to learn how to walk.???
As Hollyclaw talked, Shadderedkit flickered his eyes open. Unlike Featherkit and Mistkit, Shadderedkit had vibrant orange eyes. ???Mom??????? Shadderedkit squeaked. Hollyclaw stared at him in awe. She used her back leg to push Shadderedkit closer. ???Mom??? where am I???? His tried to push himself up on to his legs, but they buckled.
???You???re in the SnowClan nursery, dear. Go on, nurse, it will be ok.???

About two moons later---

Shadderedheart tackled Featherkit. ???Got???cha!??? He exclaimed as the little black she-cat squealed. ???Now you???re it!???
Featherkit looked at him scornfully. ???Fine.??? She raced after the smallest of the bunch, a Grey tom. ???I???m going to get you, Mistkit!???
???Ahhh! Featherkit is going to get me!??? He teased, running right to avoid Featherkit. As they ran, a group of cats filed into camp. They were bloody, scraped and hungry, grim expressions lined their faces. One of the toms padded into the nursery.
???What do you think is going on???? Featherkit whispered. Shadderedkit shrugged. Suddenly, an ear piercing scream echoed through camp. Shadderedkit felt his heart sink into his stomach. He had a bad feeling about this.
???Mom???? Shadderedkit asked, peering into the den. His mom was sobbing, leaning against the cat that entered the den just a few moments ago. Tears bubbled up in his eyes as he watched Hollyclaw bawl. ???Mom???? His voice was cracked.
???Oh Shadderedkit!??? She wailed. ???Snowstorm??? Snowstorm died!??? More tears rolled down her cheeks. ???He was killed by another cat in the war!???
???What!??? Featherkit screamed, entering the den behind Mistkit.
Hollyclaw embraced all of her kits. ???Snowstorm was a brave cat, always helping. He loved me, and I loved him. I can???t believe he died!???
???It will be ok, Mom.??? Shadderedkit tried to sooth her. ???It will be ok.???

A few days later---

Hollyclaw was running low on milk. She was depressed, and Featherkit was getting sick. She had been coughing for days, now they were more violent. ???Is she going to be ok???? Hollyclaw wheezed.
???She should be, but Whitecough is a tricky disease. She will need to stay with me for a little while.??? The Medicine cat reported.
???As long as she is going to be ok, she can stay with you.??? Hollyclaw sighed. ???It will be ok, Featherkit.??? She whispered.
As the medicine cat walked away, Hollyclaw sighed again. She laid down and closed her eyes. ???Mom, is Featherkit going to be ok???? He asked.
???She should be.??? She turned to face him. ???Shadderedkit, If I don???t wake up tomorrow, take good care of you???re brother and sister.???
???Don???t say that, mom. You???re going to wake up tomorrow. I know it.???
???I wish you were right, Shadderedkit.???
???But I really don???t think you???re going to??? die.??? He chocked on the last word.
???Go to sleep, you must be tired.??? Hollyclaw purred, pulling him close.

The next day---
Hollyclaw died that night. Shadderedkit cried, Mistkit cried, and Featherkit would have cried, if she wasn???t deathly ill. ???She??? she told me that she wasn???t going to wake up tomorrow. I didn???t think she was telling the truth!??? Shadderedkit sobbed to the Medicine cat, who told them the bad news.
???It looks like she did know. I???m sorry.???
Mistkit wiped the tears from his eyes. ???I wanna help bury her.??? He meowed bravely. ???She was my mom.???
???I don???t. Seeing her in the ground is too much for me.??? Shadderedkit replied. Mistkit did go with the elders to bury Hollyclaw. ???Bye!??? Shadderedkit cried.
???Bye!??? Mistkit yelled. That was the last word he ever said.
The horrible news came later that day. Shadderedkit was hungry. He still had to drink milk, and now that Hollyclaw was gone he had no food source. ???Shadderedkit???? It was the leader herself. Shaddderedkit looked up. ???Shadderedkit, I have bad news. Mistkit was killed.??? Shadderedkit gasped, tears bubbling up in his eyes. ???A fox got him while they were burying Hollyclaw.???
???I should have known!??? He wailed. ???What???s next? Is Featherkit going to die next????
???Unfortunately, yes.???
Shadderedkit whipped around. It was the Medicine cat. ???Wha??? What????
???Featherkit just died.??? She repeated. Shadderedkit cried all night long.

A few days later---

Shadderedkit was sitting in the medicine cat???s den, half dead. He was starving. The queens were desperately searching for someone who could supply milk. His life ebbing away, Shadderedkit began thinking about Feaherkit and Mistkit. Was he going to join them? Three members of his family, dead in one day. ???What now???? He whispered, hardly audible. ???What now????
???Shadderedkit! Please, stay awake! We found a queen!??? Shadderedkit didn???t open his eyes. He realize he was moving. Soon, he was laying by a new queen, and he began to suckle. It was a miracle that Shadderedkit didn???t die. Soon after his near-death experience, Shadderedkit learned how to eat normal food. He became an apprentice and life went on. Still, memories of Mistkit and Featherkit haunted him. His mother came to him in dreams. He was scared, seeing her figure. But he stood strong. Soon, he became a warrior. That???s when things went wrong.
Four leaders and who knows how many deputies pasted while Shadderedheart was a warrior. After being rejected every time, be began to fight to even smile. Soon, he met Boldmist, his only reason for staying alive. With a grudge against Tintedstar, and all of SnowClan, Shadderedheart fled, Boldmist bravely following him.
Shadderedheart flopped on to the hard earth, blood oozing from his deep gashes. His fight with WaterClan had ended in a bad loss for the WaterClan cats, while Shadderedheart and Boldmist walked away the winners. The river was in sight, now all they had to do was cross the icy water. Shadderedheart looked back at Boldmist and then waded into the bone-chilling water. He flinched as the water rose above his stomach fur, but soon he was on the other side, waiting for Boldmist to travel across the river.
???Shadderedheart???? Came a startled meow. Shadderedheart and Boldmist had traveled deeper into BlazeClan territory, only to meet up with old friends.
???Windstorm????Shadderedheart asked. ???Is that really you????
???It???s me alright. What are you doing here? We can???t have any visitors right now.??? He looked around, and then caught sight of Boldmist. ???We???re having some difficulties??? It would be better if you left.???
???Can???t you take us? We are loyal, strong and trustworthy!??? Shadderedheart argued. ???Why not?!???
???I can???t tell a former SnowClan cat. Just leave. Rushclaw, Adderfangs, let???s go.??? Windstorm snarled, disappearing into the ferns.
Fury boiled up inside of Shadderedheart, but it was soon replaced by sadness. The only clan they could go to was SnowClan. They were right back where they started. He sighed and motioned for Boldmist to join him. They were (Unfortunately for Shadderedheart ) Going home.