Lightningstar's Destiny

This is a story by Snowstripe

Note: This takes place many, many moons after Bramblestar's Storm ends and after the sixth arc that's going to come out soon. So it's kinda a pre-sequel. Anyway, this story is in the Lake Territories, as it should be. This goes out to the Erins and all the Warriors fans out there who stuck with them through their long, strange and complicated story about cats. Who knew that a book series on cats could get so complicated?

Allegiances

ThunderClan

Leader - Flamestar - a thick-furred ginger she-cat with green eyes

Deputy - Willowheart - short-furred she-cat with dark ginger fur and blue eyes

Medicine Cat - Darkfang - thick-furred, dark-gray, battle-scarred, tom with bright-orange amber eyes, a broad, flat face, ragged, torn ears, and a long scar running down his flank

Warriors

Badgerstripe - bulky, yellow-eyed gray tom with a white head and underbelly and his face striped like a badger's

Smudgefur - lean, white tom with yellow eyes and black patches

Timberpelt - huge, brown tom with amber eyes and a white tail-tip

Snowstorm - deaf, short-furred white tom with blue eyes

Honeywhisker - pretty sandy-furred she-cat with white paws and tail-tip

Hawkfeather - dark ginger tom with amber eyes

Reedheart - old, thin white she-cat with blue eyes and a graying muzzle

Braveheart - thick-furred golden-ginger tom with pale green eyes, and thick fur around his neck, like a lion's mane

Sprucetail - black tom with gray chest fur and yellow eyes and a bushy tail

Queens

Firetail -thin, long-legged short-furred ginger she-cat with green eyes and mother to Lightkit and Songkit (deceased)

Fernwing - soft, thick-furred black she-cat with deep green eyes and mother to Brownkit, Moonkit, Swiftkit, Sagekit, and Nightkit

Kits

Lightkit - thin, soft-furred ginger tom with green eyes and a long tail

Songkit - dark brown she-kit with green eyes and a white tail-tip

Brownkit - wiry white tom with sky-blue eyes, dark-brown splotches and a brown tail-tip

Moonkit - soft, thick-furred, long-legged black she-kit with deep green eyes

Swiftkit - pale ginger she-kit with green eyes and tabby stripes

Sagekit - black she-kit with pale green eyes

Nightkit - black tom with sky-blue eyes and a white throat, paws, and tail-tip

Elders

Tornear - plump, gray-blue tabby tom with one torn ear, oldest tom in ThunderClan

Heatherwing - wiry white she-cat with sky-blue eyes, dark-brown splotches and a brown tail-tip, oldest she-cat in ThunderClan

Thicket - pretty, sandy-furred she-cat with white paws and tail-tip, former rogue-turned-warrior, mother to Honeywhisker

Whiteflower - thin, white she-cat with blue eyes, sister to Reedheart

Dawnstorm - dark-gray she-cat with blue eyes and white paws

Kestrelfeather - light brown tom with amber eyes and a gray muzzle, half-brother to Hawkfeather

ShadowClan

Leader - Tinystar - small black tom with icy blue eyes and one white paw

Deputy - Greenmoss - dark brown tom with yellow eyes and a graying muzzle

Medicine Cat - Nettlecloud - gray tom with white paws and blue eyes

Medicine Apprentice - Graywhisker - light gray tom with yellow eyes, unusually gray muzzle and whiskers

Warriors

Nightfur - black tom with yellow eyes and a graying muzzle

Shortfur - short-furred brown tom with amber eyes

Appleclaw - golden-brown she-cat

Brownstripe - pale ginger she-cat with green eyes and shredded ears

Apprentice - Dirtpaw

Skyleap - dark brown tabby tom with white spots on flank

Apprentice - Fogpaw

Longfang - gray she-cat with yellow eyes and unusually long fangs

Duststripe - wiry black tom with yellow eyes and a limp due to an accident as an apprentice

Crowfoot - aging dark gray tom with dark green eyes and a mangled back leg

Apprentice - Newtpaw

Apprentices

Dirtpaw - small brown tom with green eyes

Fogpaw - light gray she-cat with yellow eyes

Newtpaw - ginger tom with amber eyes and tabby stripes

Queens

Dovefeather - light gray she-cat with amber eyes, mother to Oakkit, Treekit, and Thornkit

Tallflower - huge, long-legged gray she-cat with blue eyes, white underbelly, paws, and tail-tip, mother to Silverkit, Stonekit, and Ravenkit

Sagestripe - short-furred black she-cat white tail-tip, mother to Blackkit and Dawnkit

Kits

Oakkit - dark-gray tom with amber eyes

Treekit - thick-furred black tom with yellow eyes

Thornkit - light-gray she-kit with amber eyes

Silverkit - solid gray she-kit with blue eyes

Stonekit - light-gray tom with white paws, underbelly, and tail-tip

Ravenkit - dark-gray tom with dark green eyes

Blackkit - black she-kit with white tail-tip

Dawnkit - dark-brown tabby tom with amber eyes and white spots on his flank

Elders

Stormpelt - thick-furred dark-gray tom with amber eyes, with a broad, flat face

Strongtooth - elderly, bony, light-gray tom with white teeth and yellow eyes, oldest tom in ShadowClan

Scorchedfur - once-handsome, black tom with scars and burn marks from a forest fire when he was a young warrior, second-oldest tom in ShadowClan

Robinsong - black she-cat with white underbelly, back paws, and throat, mother to Nightfur, oldest she-cat in ShadowClan

Blueflower - light ginger she-cat with hints of gray on her muzzle

RiverClan

Leader - Silverstar - strong, aging silver tom with yellow eyes

Deputy - Stormfin - dark-brown tom with amber eyes

Medicine Cat - Swanfeather - white she-cat with black paws and legs and yellow eyes

Medicine Apprentice - Whitepaw - pale ginger tom with a white tail-tip, amber eyes and tabby stripes

Warriors

Thrushfur - sandy tom with tabby stripes

Littleclaw - broad-shouldered pale ginger tom with small claws compared to other cats

Streamheart - dark-gray she-cat with green eyes and a white tail-tip

Lilyfur - brown she-cat with amber eyes

Bankpelt - very long-furred sandy she-cat with pale green eyes and tabby stripes

Stormcloud - thickset, long-furred gray tom with yellow eyes and tabby stripes

Apprentice - Bluepaw

Raventail - black tom with green eyes

Apprentice - Frogpaw

Turtleshell - tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentices

Bluepaw - short-furred blue-gray tom with yellow eyes

Frogpaw - gray she-cat with tabby stripes

Queens

Rainfoot - pale ginger she-cat, expecting kits

Elders

Bassclaw - bulky ginger tom

Smallfoot - white she-cat with yellow eyes and a bad leg

Rocksplash - short-furred brown tom with pale green eyes, retired early due to poor hearing

WindClan

Leader - Redstar - very dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Deputy - Hawkflight - young blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Medicine Cat - Rockfall - dark-gray tom with yellow eyes

Medicine Apprentice - Pebblepaw - white she-cat with blue eyes

Warriors

Rabbitleap - white tom with amber eyes, is rumored to have SkyClan blood due to his ability to jump extremely high

Thrushwing - pale ginger she-cat

Juniperleaf - huge, very long-furred tortoiseshell and white tom

Cinderclaw - gray she-cat with white paws, underbelly, with icy blue eyes

Squirreltail - reddish-brown tom with amber eyes and a gray muzzle with age

Tallpine - black and white tom with yellow eyes

Whitefur - pretty, muscular white she-cat

Queens

Songbird - pale ginger tabby she-cat, expecting kits

Graytail - gray she-cat with amber eyes, expecting kits

Smalltail - brown she-cat with unusually short tail, expecting kits

Elders

Tallears - white she-cat with black spots, and unusually tall ears

Leia - soft-furred white she-cat, former kittypet-turned-warrior, now retired due to bad leg

Cats Outside the Clans

Holly - black and white she-cat with amber eyes, loner

Buttercream - old creamy yellow-white she-cat, kittypet

Hazel - white she-cat with brown splotches, rogue

The Blurb

ThunderClan has brought forth many great leaders, such as Bluestar, Firestar, and Bramblestar. The new leader, Flamestar, shows great potential. The future looks bright.

But when an abandoned rogue kit is found and taken into the Clan, many cats wonder where it's loyalties will come to lie.

Lightningkit, as he has been named, has heard their whispers and muttering with one another. He knows he now must prove himself to his Clan, his leader, and even to StarClan.

Prologue

Flamestar walked through the woods with Badgerstripe, Snowstorm, and Honeywhisker. The four were on patrol through ThunderClan territory, and so far, there was no suspicious scents or noises.

"Peaceful day, isn't it?" she said to them.

"It is. It does my paws good to not be chasing out rogues or trespassers." Badgerstripe replied. Without warning, Snowstorm took off into the brush.

"What does he smell this time?" Badgerstripe said as he rolled his eyes and took after him. Honeywhisker and Flamestar followed them. Snowstorm, was deaf, as most white kits born with blue eyes are, and he communicated with the other cats through signals.

"Flamestar, get here quick!" Badgerstripe called. As they got closer, they heard desperate mewling. When they got there, Flamestar looked down. There, before her, was a small black kit with blue eyes. It looked like it was just a three days old.

"What do you make of it?" she asked the other three cats.

"Must be a rogue." Honeywhisker said analytically."I don't smell ShadowClan, WindClan, or RiverClan."

"Why would any mother leave her kit out here to die?" Flamestar asked.

"Who knows? The question is, what should we do with it?" Badgerstripe answered. Snowstorm sniffed the kit, and his ears twitched. "Well, we can't leave it out here to die, that's for sure." Honeywhisker said.

"Right, Honeywhisker. I say we should take it into the Clan." Flamestar suggested.

"But which queen should we give it to?" Badgerstripe asked. "The only queens we have are Fernwing and Firetail."

"But Fernwing's got a full litter, and Firetail and Timberpelt are grieving over the loss of one kit." Honeywhisker added. Flamestar recalled her sister giving birth to two kits: Lightkit and Songkit. Songkit was in critical condition when she was born, and although Darkfang did as much as he could, the kit died.

"Give it to Firetail." Flamestar replied while picking up the kit. "She'll need something to take her mind off of her lost kit. Snowstorm, run ahead and tell the others of our arrival." The ThunderClan leader flicked her tail in the direction of camp. The white tom flicked his tail and ran off.

"Come on now, you two. We need to get this kit back to camp." the ginger she-cat continued. With that, they went back to camp.

Back at camp, the group rushed the kit to the medicine den. Darkfang, the current medicine cat, inspected the black kit closely. "Yes, it's definitely a tom all right." he said while looking at the kit's legs."A little on the thin side, but overall fairly healthy."  

"Are you done now, Darkfang? we really need to get him to the the nursery." Flamestar said quickly.  

"Oh, by all means yes. He'll need some cat to take care of him." Flamestar hurriedly picked up the kit and rushed him to the nursery. There, Firetail lay watching Lightkit sleep.  

"Firetail, could you look up at me?" she asked.  

"Yes, what is it, sister?" Firetail said, still with grief in her eyes. Flamestar dropped the kit by her sister. "This kit needs someone to take care of him. And you're the only one who can, with Fernwing nursing a whole litter. And I thought it might take your mind off of your grief. Please, Firetail, do it for me?" she asked hopefully.  

"Alright, sister, I will. But I don't know what Timberpelt will think about it." she replied. "Oh, don't worry, I'll tell Timberpelt." Flamestar said. 

Later that night, as Firetail was watching Lightkit and her new kit, rain started to fall. Before any cat knew it, it was storming, lightning and all. Timberpelt came into the nursery. "I heard we now have a new son." the huge tom said.

"Yes, yes we do. He's sleeping now." the ginger queen replied.

"I can't believe it's raining." the brown tom replied. "What if the lake floods over? What if we have to evacuate the camp, how will we get you and the kits out of here?"

"I've always said, you worry too much. Let's stop thinking about the storm and think of a name for our new son." Firetail said quickly.

"Very well. How about Bramblekit, after your ancestor Bramblestar?" Timberpelt suggested. "No, maybe Bluekit, for his eyes?" Firetail said.

Suddenly, the rain started to fall even more, and lightning flashed. The kits started to stir. Timberpelt calmed them down by gently touching them with his white tail-tip.

"Maybe Lightningkit?" she suggested, looking into her mate's amber eyes.

"I thought we weren't supposed to think about the storm." Timberpelt said jokingly.

"I'm not thinking about it, I'm just letting it inspire me." she said.

"Very well then. Lightningkit, welcome to ThunderClan." he said, and the two curled up around their kits and went to sleep.

Chapter One

Lightningkit opened his eyes. His brother, Lightkit, had been begging him to do so for the last few days. It was a bright world out there, compared to his small, dark, warm world he lived in before now. He looked up at his mother, and pawed at her chest. She looked down on him. "What is it, Lightningkit?" she mewed softly. "I want to see Lightkit. I want to see what he looks like." he replied. "I've been separating you two with a paw so you could sleep and open your eyes naturally without Lightkit to bother you." She lifted her paw and Lightkit came bounding towards him.

"Lightningkit! You finally opened your eyes!" his brother said happily. The two kits started to walk around each other, trying to get an idea of what the other looked like.

"What color are my eyes, Lightningkit?" Lightkit asked. He stepped a bit closer to the ginger kit, trying to get an idea of what color they were.

"They're green." he finally replied.

"So that means I look like our mother! My fur is ginger, and my eyes are green! Let me see what color yours are, Lightningkit." he said gleefully. Lightningkit tried not to blink, so as not to ruin his brother's concentration. After a few minutes, the ginger tom stepped back and shook his head. "I don't know what color they are. Sorry." he said glumly. Turning to his mother, Lightningkit cleared his throat and asked her, seeing as she must know what color they were.

"Mother, what color are my eyes?" he asked. "They're blue, dear." she said quickly, as she was in the middle of a conversation with Fernwing about something they didn't understand.

"Oh. They're blue." he continued. He then looked down at his fur. It was black, he had known that color for a while now. After all, he ad been born with his eyes closed, like any kit.

His thoughts were interrupted by Lightkit. "Does that mean we can go outside and explore the camp now, mother?" the ginger tom asked, his eyes brightening up like fireflies.

"Oh, well I suppose. Just don't leave the camp, and definitely don't leave the territorial border." she said. "The last thing I need is to have my kits snatched by some ShadowClan freaks."

"We don't even know what that is, mother. We just want to look around." Lightkit said.

"Let them go, Firetail," Fernwing said. "If they don't get out there now, they never will." After this, a black she-kit with green eyes got really excited. "Ooh, does that mean we can go too?" she asked hopefully. "No, Brownkit still has to open his eyes. Then you can go." her mother replied.

At this the black she-kit was disappointed, and lay back down, waiting impaiently for her brother to wake. Lightningkit hardly noticed he was staring at the she-kit until Lightkit came and tapped him with his tail. "Come on, are we gonna go or not?" Lightkit said while walking off out of the den. Lightningkit followed his brother. He took one last look at his mother, whom he now assumed was named Firetail, and walked off.

"Ooh, let's look at this place first!" Lightkit said in an orderly fashion. Lightningkit was slightly annoyed at how his brother assumed command of where the went.

The two kits stepped into the place, finding big, full-grown cats, all laying down and talking with one another.

"Well, who do we have here?" said an elderly white she-cat with brown splotches. "Looks like two little kits, straight out of the nursery."

An old blue-gray tom turned towards the two. "Well, there's Timberpelt and Firetail's kits. Of course, they should know they aren't foolin' anyone, it's as obvious as clouds in the sky that this black one doesn't belong." he said condescendingly.

"Tornear!" a white she-cat scolded.

"What? I'm just saying, if I was leadin' the Clan, I would've left him to the foxes." Suddenly, a voice came from behind the two kits.

"But you're not the leader of the Clan, and for good reason." the voice belonged to a huge brown tom with amber eyes and a white tail-tip. He dropped a thrush down between the white she-cat and the one with brown splotches.

"Still, it would've been at least somewhat convincing if you gave him to Fernwing." the blue-gray tom replied.

"We're not trying to hide him, we're trying to care for him!" the brown tom said.

"It's not gonna work - once a rogue, always a rogue. You should know that by now - after all, we taught you that, Timberpelt."

"That's enough, Tornear."

"If he really were to fit in, why didn't StarClan tell us?"

"I said that's enough, Tornear!" After this, all were silenced, except for a sandy she-cat, who was just woken.

"Is the vole I requested coming, Tiimberpelt?" the sandy she-cat asked.

"I'll have one of the other warriors bring it to you, Thicket." the brown tom said. "Come on now, you two." Lightningkit and Lightkit followed.

As they came out of the elder's den, which is what Lightningkit assume it was.

"I think I'll show you around from here. I'm Timberpelt, your father." the brown tom told them.

"What was that one cat talking about?" Lightningkit asked.

"Oh, that's just Tornear. He was just grumpy because he didn't get his nap in yet today. Come on, I'll show you to the warrior's den.

The three cats came into a den, much like the last one, but bigger. It had full-grown cats of all sizes. One of them, a gray tom with a face striped like a badger, came up to them.

"Well, it's nice to see we've got some strong young kits. they both look like they'll be great hunters." he said.

"Hello, young ones. I'm Reedheart, a very experienced warrior. In fact, I'm as old as Willowheart." a white she-cat said. Lightkit introduced himself and Lightningkit, and a dark ginger she-cat came up to them.

"I heard someone say my name." she said and looked down upon the two kits before her.

"Yes, we did." Timberpelt said to her. "Mother, meet your new grandsons."

The dark ginger she-cat stooped low to see them. "Hello, little ones. I'm your grandmother, Willowheart. I'm also the Clan's deputy." she said.

"Lightningkit looked up at her. "We're gonna be the best warriors in all the Clans!"

"I expect nothing less. Maybe one of you may even become deputy like me." Willowheart replied.

"We can talk later. I'll show you the apprentice's den, and then the medicine den." Timberpelt said.

They came into a den slightly smaller than the warrior's den, but it was empty. "That will change," Timberpelt said promisingly. "once you're apprentices."

They then came to the medicine den. "Darkfang is usually busy, so you don't want to other him too much." their father reminded them.

"Darkfang? I came here to show you my sons. Although you've undoubtedly see them already, I wanted to show how they have grown." the brown tom said. The old dark-gray cat turned around.

Lightningkit was almost frightened. The old tom had thick, dark gray fur, and it was ragged and matted now. He had tired, yet bright, orange-amber eyes, and scars everywhere on his body. The largest one was a long one, running down his flank. He voice was gruff as he spoke.

"Hello there, young ones. Do we have a few dangerous warriors seeking some healing attention?" he said in a low, rough voice.

Lighkit, however, was not fazed in the slightest at this old cat's appearance. He was just mesmerized by the smell of catmint, coltsfoot, and other such herbs.

"Come in, come in. You two can help me sort herbs." Lightkit came in happily, and plopped down and took a pile and separated it into distinct parts. Lightningkit was confused by many of them, as they had the same color, size, shape, and smell. After a while, Timberpelt interrupted them.

"I better get these two back to the nursery, Darkfang." he said, and Lightningkit was almost relieved.

Lightkit, however, was not too happy to leave. He had come to like this ragged old tom.

When they had returned to the nursery, a young white-furred warrior with blue eyes was playing with Fernwing's kits. Firetail was watching them. Lightkit bounded over there to play. Lightningkit went over there too, and thought it would be polite to ask this cat what his name was.

"My names Lightningkit. What's your name?" the tom didn't seem to hear him, so he repeated his words, louder.

"My name's Lightningkit. What's your name?" he still didn't hear him, but before he could repeat his words, Firetail whispered in his ear.

"His name is Snowstorm. He's deaf, dear." she said.

"He's death?!" he replied, a bit too loudly.

"No, dear, deaf. That means he cannot hear anything or anyone."

"But then how does he talk to us and tell what he wants? He can't hear us, so he can't tell us, right?" he asked, very confused at how a cat can not hear anything.

"Well, he has white fur with blue eyes, and most kits born with white fur and blue eyes are born deaf. So, Spottedstar, who was leader at the time, decided to have his mother and Heatherwing teach him signals so he can use them to tell us things. When he wants us to follow him, he'll pat his left paw on the ground three times. When we want him to go in some direction, we motion over there with our tail. He we want him to hurry, we motion over there twice, when we want to tell him it's dangerous, we make a stabbing motion into the ground with our tail." Just then, another ginger she-cat, who looked much like Firetail, save she had thicker, longer fur.

"But just because he is deaf does not mean he cannot fight. He's one of my finest warriors, and his sense of smell is better than a fox's." she said.

"I am Flamestar, leader of ThunderClan. I am also your kin, because your mother is my sister. I opened my eyes first, which is why I'm leader." she said jokingly.

"You always say that, but we could say the same thing about how I have a mate, and you don't." Firetail retorted.

"Ah, well, I'm not called Flamestar for nothing. My fire can't, and shouldn't, be matched. Besides, kits and a mate would just get in the way. My Clan comes first."

Lightningkit had by this time gone off to play with Snowstorm, who was play-chasing Moonkit and Sagekit.

Three more kits joined them, they introduced themselves as Nightkit, Swiftkit, and Sagekit. They all soon started to chase Snowstorm, who purred lowly in joy. Once they caught up with him, they punced on him, and he pretended to fall over hard, and he rubbed his head against Moonkit's.

"How about they play 'Capture the Hawk'?" Timberpelt suggested. Fernwing nodded in agreement. Snowstorm turned around and started looking around the den as if he lost something. He turned back to them with a pebble in his jaws.

Fernwing explained to them what they do. "Now, you seven pretend to be warriors,and there is a hawk in your territory." she motioned toward the pebble with her paw. "You all have to catch it only with your paws, not your tail or mouths. Ready, get set, go!" The kits scrambled after the pebble. Moonkit and Lightkit bonked heads, Swiftkit tripped over it, and Brownkit and Nightkit couldn't even get their paws on it.

Seizing his chance, Lightningkit darted over to the pebble. Sagekit tried to get to it before him, but Lightningkit pushed her over with a paw and rolled the pebble over to the left, deeper into the den. Lightningkit went over towards it, but soon all of the other kits were up and after the pebble too. They all jumped on it, kicking, squirming, hissing, and pawing at one another trying to get it. Soon, all it was was a mass of kits piled on one another. Lightningkit was squished in between Nightkit, who was on his back, and Swiftkit, who was kicking his face. He pawed at the pebble, but to no avail. He pushed down until he could see it, then clapped his paws together, and kicked and squirmed until he emerged from the pile victorious.

"Good job, Lightningkit!" said a voice that sounded like his mother's. However, it wasn't. It was Fernwing. the beautiful black queen with green eyes seemed to be more of a mother to him than his own mother was.

"Mother! Mother! Didja see me get the pebble? I did it all by myself!" he said, trying to get Firetail's attention. She turned to him an spoke.

"Yes, yes I did dear." but they both knew she didn't. She seemed so empty-headed and sleepy all the time.

"Hey Lightningkit!" called Lightkit. "No fair! I almost had it! My paws were this close!!" he held up his font paws a half-til's length apart, to symbolize the distance.