My Kit! Where's my kit?!

(OOC: takes place after this topic and this topic)

"Leopardstar!" the abnormally small leader yowled with a mix of panic and almost indignation in his tone as he padded into ThunderClan's camp. In all his life, besides getting his clan's attention at gatherings and such, he'd never had to yell in such urgency for another cat, in which his loud yowl even surprised himself. He hated having to sound so serious and exasperated, for he wasn't one to ever be truly angry towards some-cat, but unfortunately, at this point, he didn't know what to feel or think anymore.

A sunrise or so ago, his sick daughter, Leafkit, had gone suddenly missing. Having frantically sent out patrols to search for the scrap of a kit, his clanmates had traced the scents back towards ThunderClan's borders, so here he was, in SkyClan's neighboring forest, searching for his lost kit. He couldn't understand why they would take his kit or how she'd even gone missing, but whatever had happened, he wasn't leaving today without her.

While leaders usually visited clans with some warriors accompanying them, Tinystar had decided to come alone, solely to make the point that he meant no ill will in this meeting of sorts. Waiting for Leopardstar, the white and grey tom glanced around as ThunderClanners began to approach him in curiosity. Hopefully, they’d be able to tell that he meant no wrongdoing in waltzing into their camp unannounced. All he wanted was his kit and hopefully, they wouldn’t make her return to him difficult.

Leopardstar, who had been listening to a patrol's report in the shade of the Highrock, jumped slightly, deeply startled by the abrupt entrance of an unknown - but familiar sounding - visitor.  His heart pumping a little faster than normal, the large golden-pelted tom whipped around to see what had happened, hazel eyes widening as he caught sight of, of all possible cats, Tinystar.  What in StarClan...?  Why is that midget‒ the leader of SkyClan here?  Are they in trouble?  Have RiverClan and ShadowClan ganged up on them...or have those escaped Regime cats returned?  Please, I'm not ready for another battle...  His neck fur bristled, alarmed instead of aggressive, as he pushed through the gathering crowd to face the short-legged tom.  Never before had he ever heard this generally peaceful cat sound so...desperate.  It put him slightly on edge, yet he was able to compose himself a bit into his usual serious demeanor before addressing the neighboring leader.  "T-Tinystar, why are you here?  Is everything okay?"

Turning head to see Leopardstar approaching, Tinystar dipped his head out of instinct. It was the spotted tom's camp he'd suddenly encroached on, so the least he could do was pay his usual respects. Lifting his head, he looked up, met the larger tom's worried hazel gaze. He regretted arriving and sounding so fearful, seeing as though every-cat's pelt seemed to be ruffled by his urgent call, but to him, this such matter was of urgency.

"My apologies on the sudden intrusion," he began, still holding onto the frown that sat on his muzzle as he shook his head. "And I wish I could say so," the small leader mewed with a clammy, panicky feeling itching through his pelt. "Last sunrise, my youngest kit, Leafkit, went missing and my warriors traced her scent to your borders. I respect you and you clan, Leopardstar, and I trust that your warriors wouldn't take a kit with any ill intentions, which leads me to hope that she was simply brought here to be taken care of," the tiny leader spoke, trying to keep his tail from lashing back and forth from nervousness. "So, if ThunderClan has my kit, I would like her back so that I can return her to her rightful mother and clan," Tinystar finished, standing up a little straighter and keeping eye contact with the taller leader. While he didn't want to sound too demanding, he couldn't risk simply asking for his kit back, for that gave Leopardstar the option to say no, in which he wouldn't have accepted no for an answer anyhow.

Falconpaw looked in curiosity as Tinystar padded into camp, and she bounded over to check it out. She listened to the two leaders speak from a short distance away, and let out a small gasp when she heard about a missing kit. She hadn't heard any news of another kit being brought to camp, but then again she wasn't always the best informed. "A kit?" The lithe brown tabby asked, hoping her silent question would be answered by Leopardstar or somebody.

As Tinystar spoke, all the tiny, shattered pieces of confusion and speculation rapidly fell into place...and Leopardstar's heart dropped into his stomach, a nauseous sensation fueled by dread bubbling in his throat.

Oh...oh StarClan...no...

...how am I going to tell him?

"L..Leafkit...was she...is she a tiny calico?"  He tried his best to hide the way his paws shook uncontrollably, but his face reflected such a deep level of anguish that it was clear to all that the leader was utterly shaken.  His face fell from Tinystar's gaze to the dusty ground, eyes searching as if he would find something hiding in the earth below to help him, or maybe the terrain itself would be willing to consume him right there and then, saving him from having to continue this inevitable devastating conversation.  Yet, he found nothing, except his aching soul.

"If so...we found her just without our borders...but..."  His voice failed, and he tested a look upward, to see the short tom's face.  I have to look a father in the eye...and tell him that his daughter, his small, frail, precious daughter...is dead.  Grasswhisker...I don't know if I can do this...

The death of the tiny kit hit Ridgepaw hard. The older apprentice was curled up in her nest, her claws and chest ached from raking up ground to bury the fragile little scrap. She wondered at what the kit must have been thinking... did she just want to see the world as Ridgepaw longed to do? The little kit must have had hopes and dreams... but none of them could be realised in the cold embrace of earth. StarClan had shone bright last night. She wondered if it was because they were welcoming their new tiny member.

It was her fault. She wasn't fast enough, didn't get help quick enough. The kit faded because of her own incompetence... it was a bitter thought. It stuck like crowfood in her throat, a taste not far from mousebile in her jaws as she rested her head on her paws. As cats glanced at her in concern, she twitched her tail in silence to ignore them. Until the small white leader clamoured into camp. Her hazel eyes lit up slightly with curiousity, her stomach lurching at his words. Leafkit, that had been her name. A sharp breath stabbed her chest as she realised... the kit had belonged to Tinystar. To SkyClan, to their leader.

Without thought, Ridgepaw rose to her paws. She padded out of the apprentice den, past Marshstorm who looked on the scene with a horrified expression as she whimpered, paused and forced words out of her lungs as they threatened to close.
"I-I'm so sorry." The words broke as they tumbled out of her mouth. "S-she was-... I tried to help her... I just wanted to help her." The young she-cat didn't dare look up at the smaller leader. "I wish I had been... fast enough..."

---

Marshstorm padded silently up behind Leopardstar as Tinystar entered the camp. The question sent a jolt of familiarity into his spine. So... the tiny she-kit had been SkyClan? He looked down at his white-tipped paws. Dirt covered some of the whiteness. Upon finding out about the kit, he had felt his own measure of guilt that such a fragile creature was forced to pay a heavy price... but it was the nature of living that sometimes, cats died. It was always painful, it'd never be easy, but he looked at that truth squarely in the eye.

Yet, as he watched Ridgepaw confess her own guilt, he understood that Tinystar might not take the news well. He stepped to the side a little, not threatening, but able to watch Tinystar a little more carefully. He glanced towards Leopardstar, amber eyes glittering with a sadness of their own before he watched the leader once more.

Nodding his head as the ThunderClan leader began to speak, his spirits rose with hope. So they had found her! While a slightly down-stricken aura seemed to rest around the spotted tom, a smile began to form on Tinystar's muzzle, that is, until an apprentice joined the conversation. Tilting his head in curiosity as she spoke, the world seemed to come to a halt around them.

All of the sudden, his heart felt as if it was going to drop out of his chest at any moment and a sinking feeling in his stomach made him want to puke. The way that the she-cat spoke... it was obvious something horrible had happened, but even so, he didn't want to believe it. His kit, his more pure, innocent, and precious kit couldn't be gone, she just couldn't. She was supposed to grow up to become a warrior with her litter-mates, to protect and serve her clan... to see the wonders of SkyClan's territory. No. She couldn't be gone. Maybe she was just very sick, which was usual for the tiny kit, seeing as though she was born sick. Yeah, that was it. She was just very ill, which was nothing Mintwhisker and Amberpaw couldn't handle back at camp.

After a few moments of going over the possibilities in his head for what felt like a hundred times over, he turned his now despondent gaze up to Leopardstar as the cold, hard truth of the apprentice's sorrowful words began to soak through his pelt and hit him like a monster racing down the Thunderpath. Tears welling up in his light blue eyes, the small leader tried to speak, but his first attempt gave nothing more than a pathetic squeak. "L-Leopardstar..." he choked through the lump that had grown in his throat. "Where's my kit," he said in nothing more than a whisper, for that was all he could muster up. 'Oh StarClan, don't let it be so,' he begged silently as he awaited an answer.

The tom had assisted in the burial of the young kit they'd found on patrol. Ridgepaw did not need to have the burden fall on her any more than it already had. A lump had formed in his throat as he remembered the frail creature's tiny frame. It had clung to life only by tiny claws of desperation, a futile battle that had been lost with the aid of leaf fall's chill. Beartooth's claws were still reminiscent of the previous dig. With a brief, bitter thought, he considered that perhaps digging was the special skill in which these monstrosities were to prove useful. It was a short-lived idea as he rose to his paws at the sound of Ridgepaw.

He'd longed to lay next to her, provide some comfort in his presence. Knowing the troubles that plagued her mind over this situation, the tom had wanted to offer some space in his nest, or let his paws take him back to the apprentice's den. Neither was proper, not something the clan did. So he had resigned temporarily to his nest. An attempt as sleep had been futile and pointless. Beartooth had merely laid awake waiting for something to happen. That time appeared to be now. As he left the den, the bulky tom quickly padded to the side of Blizzardshine's daughter. His coat pressed against hers, more than willing to take the weight in case standing became too laborious in the face of such tragedy. It was with a mild interest that he noticed the Skyclan leader was there.

Beartooth's eyes reflected the sadness and pain that his neutral expression did now. With a low dip of his head to the tiny leader who did not even reach his shoulder, the warrior displayed respect and sympathy without having to say anything. All of his many claws unintentionally sunk into the earth, steadying him so he could better support the apprentice. After a moment of silence, a low meow rumbled in his chest, "We did what we could for her. Ridgepaw... there was nothing more to be done."

As Ridgepaw had burst through the camp's entrance with a kit in her jaws, Hailpaw had been out in the forest oblivious. She was the kind of cat that liked to spend as little time as possible within the walls of the sandy ravine. Imagine her surprise and dismay when she had returned to find out what had transpired in her absence. Staring at the small, still bundle of fur that had been a living kit, she found herself surprisingly unfeeling. A bit of sadness, perhaps--it was a life that had been extinguished just as it had barely begun to flicker. A trace of sympathy--if the kit had lived, what adventures would she soon be up to? Would she grow into a strong warrior? Yet, there was an emptiness in her heart. She had never known or seen the kit before, so she found it difficult to muster up the grief for its death. Ridgepaw and Pricklepaw seemed to have been hit the hardest. Both believed that they had failed, that they shared part of the blame for its death. In comparison, was there something wrong with her, to feel the way she did? Had even Beartooth been able to feel the sorrow that she could not? The thought unsettled her, and she kept it in the back of her mind.

Ridgepaw lay moodily in the moss now, only the tip of her tail twitching. Hailpaw, who had the nest right next to hers, watched her silently. She had the temptation to pad over and lie by her side, but she had no idea if her sister would appreciate the gesture. The pale calico's desire for solitude looked quite clear. There was only one thing she could do, and that was to keep Ridgepaw company from afar until the other felt like talking. Being the straightforward cat that she was, she wouldn't know what Ridgepaw wanted until she was told. Why is she still depressed? Hailpaw wondered, frowning slightly. Her sister had done the most that she could. How long was she going to spend thinking of the kit she couldn't save? A new day had come, and the weather was pretty great outside. Normally, Ridgepaw would be out of the den in an instance and ready to explore new territories. The sad, sullen Ridgepaw weighed down Hailpaw's own mood. Absentmindedly prodding the moss of her own nest, the stocky she-cat pondered over the kind of cat her sister was. It's probably because she's so kind... What did that say about herself, then?

There couldn't be anything wrong with the way she felt. If she had known the kit even for a little why, she would have a different reaction towards her death. Was she expected to grieve for a total stranger just because they were so young? This time wasn't like Leafstorm's or Beepaw's deaths.

The brooding silence that had fallen over the two apprentices was broken by a sharp, unfamiliar yowl. Hailpaw stirred curiously but did not leave the comfort of her nest. Her ears pricked up, straining to make out the conversation beyond the ferns. What she heard was unexpected. The kit--the dead kit that had been buried on ThunderClan lands had actually been the daughter of the SkyClan leader. If she remembered right, he was the short-legged tom atop the Great Rock every gathering. Oooh, drama. She thought, intrigued. Then Ridgepaw stood, and Hailpaw quickly realized the effect that had been wrought on her sister.  "Wait, Ridgepaw--" She sputtered, but the other apprentice was already leaving the den. Jumping to her paws, she raced after her. She could predict with ninety percent certainty Ridgepaw's reaction at that moment. Unfortunately, she was right.

Ridgepaw's steps came to a stop in front of Tinystar. Trying not to let her wince show, Hailpaw could only listen as the guilt ridden molly apologized. Was Ridgepaw mousebrained? Instinctively moving forward to join Beartooth, she stood on the other side of her stammering sibling. Her thick pelt fluffed out just slightly, making her look bigger than she already was. She gazed upon the tiny leader, a quiet sort of intimidation in her eyes. Before the eyes of every cat present, SkyClan's leader teared up at the news. It was almost hard to watch, she had to admit. This was the love a parent had for their kit. When she thought about Blizzardshine, a pang of pain hit her stomach. She absolutely would not tolerate any sort of blame being put on Ridgepaw in this case.

Leopardstar jumped, deeply shocked when Ridgepaw ran up beside him with Beartooth and Hailpaw in her wake...and began apologizing in such a heartbroken voice he could feel moisture begin to form in the corners of his hazel eyes.  At that moment, he knew that this wasn't a blow that could be softened any more.  Such an innocent life, full of joy and promise being snatched away by the cold jaws of death...caused a wound he knew all too well could never be fully healed.  As he finally stepped forward, he could almost hear Cherrykit's twinkling voice ringing between his ears...urging him to be brave, no matter what may lie ahead.  Moving in front of the three siblings to block them from Tinystar's view, he firmly met the small tom's watery blue gaze and meowed in as gentle of a voice he would possibly manage.

"She...she's dead, Tinystar.  Shortly after Ridgepaw found her on the outskirts of our territory, she was taken to the medicine den to be treated by Pricklepaw...but before he could get there...she slipped away.  We buried her this morning...I can show you the way to her gravesite."

Not letting his gaze leave Leopardstar's, the small leader listened as he began to speak; every word feeling as though a life was being taken away from him. Closing his eyes and lowering his head in an effort to hold back the tears, at least for now, Tinystar stayed quiet as Leopardstar finished. Throat tight and heart throbbing, the white tom didn't dare speak, for he knew that all would escape his throat would be a sob. Waiting a few more moments for his roaring emotions to calm down, he took a deep breath and opened his baby-blue eyes to look back up at Leopardstar, trying his hardest to keep it together and not look like a complete fool in front of the entire clan. "Yes. P-please take me to her," he mewed softly, nodding his head slowly. He couldn't even begin to fathom why StarClan would do such a thing to him and his family, and while he'd never doubted them before, whatever their reason was for stripping Leafkit from his life, it had better been good.

Leopardstar nodded, breaking the eye contact between himself and Tinystar.  His heart ached for the short-legged tom, personal memories of Cherrykit's tiny grave flooding back over him like a tidal wave.  They were both so young, so vulnerable...and had so much to live for.  Grasswhisker, I hope they're safe up there, with you...  Clearing his throat, the large spotted tabby tom turned around and began to lead the way out towards the gorse tunnel, but paused for a moment in front of Ridgepaw.  Bending down, he gently touched his nose to her forehead in a comforting gesture, before moving on.  Seeing the young she-cat so distressed over a situation she couldn't have controlled made his stomach churn; with so many supportive cats around her - literally - he hoped that she wouldn't feel the need to blame herself; he knew from experience how destructive that mindset was.  With a wave of his tail and a murmured meow of "This way" the ThunderClan leader ducked into the bramble passage and began to guide Tinystar back up the ravine.