Time for Change Part 2

It was late at night in the Cloudclan camp as Echolight left her nest inside her den walking towards the nursery. She hadn't rested at all as her decision now weighed heavily on her mind but she didn't see any other choice which made the decision all that much harder and heart breaking for her.

Carefully and quietly she picked her around the sleeping queens and kits until she reached Lilacshimmer's old nest where Oakkit, Tigerkit, and Robinkit all shared together.

Looking down at their sleeping and peaceful bodies Echolight sighed wishing things could be different for them. That they could stay in Cloudclan forever but that would only put them and her clanmates in harm's way and that was something she could not allow to happen again. not after losing her mentor, her parents, and her best friend Lilacshimmer.

She gently nudged Tigerkit and Oakkit awake with her nose.

"Huh? What's going on?" Tigerkit asks yawning.

"Echolight? Is something wrong?" Oakkit asks as well.

Out of all three of the kits Oakkit was the one that always seemed to see right through Echolight and who she got along with the best.

"No little ones but I need you both to follow me. I want to show you something...try not to wake anyone though.." Echolight whispered.

Tigerkit looked suspicious but said nothing as she and her sister got out of their nest and began following her outside the nursery.

Feeling cold without her sisters' body heat next to her Robinkit woke up to see one last look at her sisters following Echolight. 'Goodbye....I'll miss you guys...' She thought sadly as a silent tear went down her cheek knowing she would never see her sisters again.

Echolight led them to the warriors den telling them to wait outside for her before going inside to get Nettleflight knowing the she cat would never forgive her for not waking her to come with them.

She prodded Nettleflight with her paw hard knowing that Nettleflight wouldn't wake up if she didn't.

"Why did you wake me up? I was having a good dream." Nettleflight hissed grouchingly not liking to be woken up.

"It's time." Was all Echolight whispered to her before leaving the den while Nettleflight quickly followed her out knowing what she meant exactly.

Just as they were going outside the camp entrance with the kits Netteflight and Echolight turned hearing pawsteps quickly following them to find the source of it to be Riverpaw.

"What are you doing here?! Go back to bed!" Nettleflight hissed.

"Not until you tell me where you're going." Riverpaw challenged her glaring.

"I don't have time to explain right now just follow us and find out for yourself." Echolight told him before continuing on leaving him to follow them.

"Are we gonna see something amazing? Like where you go to see your warrior ancestors?" Oakkit tried to guess.

"You're too young to go there." Riverpaw pointed out to her.

"No we aren't!" Tigerkit objected.

"You are too. You're not even apprentices yet." Riverpaw told her.

"So." Tigerkit replied not caring.

"One more peep out of you two and I'll cuff your ears got it?" Nettleflight threatened getting annoyed with the younger cats' constant chatter.

Tigerkit's eyes went wide but she quickly clammed up while Riverpaw rolled his eyes not saying a word.

They didn't talk for the rest of the way until they reached the twoleg place at the end of their territory.

"Why are we going there?" Tigerkit asks her nose scrunching up in disgust.

"You'll see." Echolight told her forcing her voice to remain steady. The closer she got to saying good-bye to the kits made it harder and harder for her to continue going but she knew she had too.

They walked on with complete caution for any signs of trouble as they entered the twoleg place.

"We're being watched.." Nettleflight whispered to Echolight.

Echolight immediately looked up to see an older female cat sitting on the top of a fence looking down at them with curiousity.

"How long have you been spying on us?!" Riverpaw hissed up at her his tail lashing angrily ready to fight if necessary.

"Not long but now I have a question for you, what are you cats doing so far from your home?" The older cat asked with suspicion.

"None of your business!" Nettleflight growled up at her.

Echolight didn't say anything instead she was staring at the older cat as if she could see something the others couldn't. Her blue eyes immediately clouded over completely as she felt a sharp sting go up her spine but didn't fight it knowing that she was recieving a vision from Starclan.

She saw the old cat resting inside the twoleg nest in what looked like some kind of grey nest. Walking towards her with a small smile were three cats. One male and two female all of them young adults. Looking closer she saw the male was a grey tom and recognized him to be an adult version of Riverpaw. Looking over at the girls she recognized them to be adult versions of her daughters Oakkit and Tigerkit.

Snapping out of her vision Echolight asked "I know this is a lot to ask especially since we don't know each other well but will you take in these kits?"

This seemed to not only surprise the older cat but Nettleflight, Riverpaw, Tigerkit, and Oakkit as well.

"What?! Have you gone insane?" Nettleflight blurted out her fur along her back beginning to spike.

"We don't wanna go with the old kittypet." Tigerkit objected in a wail.

"We wanna go back home." Oakkit added wailing as well. None of them understood what was going on.

Echolight pulled Nettleflight aside. "I had a vision of them being raised here with the old cat and I believe this is the perfect solution. Mocking would be expecting them to still be in Cloudclan or one of the other clans or even them becoming rouges but he would never suspect them becoming kittypets nor could he reach them since they will be protected by the large twoleg den." She explained in a whisper.

"But kittypets are-" Nettleflight tried to object again but Echolight cut her off. "Good cats." before walking over to Tigerkit and Oakkit. "It won't be so bad I promise." She said nuzzling them.

"I can bring them inside but I can't make a decision for it. My housefolk choose whether or not they can stay or not." The old cat informed them.

"I understand, thanks." Echolight replied.

"But what about Robinkit?" Oakkit asked. "Are we ever going to see her again?"

"Yes." Echolight lied as she fought the tears that were now starting to come.

"What about me?" Riverpaw asks.

"What about you?" Nettleflight asks not seeming to care.

"I am an apprentice and yet before I could even start my training my mentor died in the flood and I haven't been assigned one since. If they are going I want to go too so I can keep an eye on them and make sure they stay safe." Riverpaw added.

"But what about your family?" Nettleflight asked. "You don't expect them to be happy about this do you?"

"No I don't but they will just have to accept it. I am not saying I won't miss them or anyone else in the clan for that matter because I will miss them all terribly but something tells me this is the right decision."

"So you're coming too I take it?" The old she cat asks.

"If you'll have me." Riverpaw replied.

"Very well. Come on then. My housefolk will be waiting for me by now." The old she cat said jumping off the fence into her backyard.

"Please can we go back home? We'll be good I promise!" Tigerkit and Oakkit begged.

"I'm sure you would be but this is where you will stay now.." Nettleflight said though she didn't sound too pleased.

She picked up Tigerkit by the scruff jumping onto the fence and down into the backyard following the old she cat.

"Why are you giving us away? Did we do something wrong?" Oakkit asks looking up at Echolight.

"No, you and your sister could never do anything wrong but please understand I am only doing this for you and no matter what I still love you." Echolight said her voice cracking as a silent tear went down her cheek before she picked Oakkit up by the scruff and followed Nettleflight with Riverpaw.

The old she cat led them to the back door of her housefolk den and began yowling loudly to be let inside.

"So long kits." Nettleflight replied before hesitating a couple seconds and licking them both on the ear and rushing off towards the fence.

"Goodbye kits. Goodbye Riverpaw." Echolight said sadly nuzzling them all. Why did good-byes have to be so hard?

"So long Echolight.....tell my family I still love them and will miss them...." Riverpaw replied nuzzling her back.

"I will." Echolight promised.

Tigerkit didn't say anything she was angry at feeling abandoned while Oakkit just looked scared and sad. Echolight licked them both on the head and whispered "Good luck." to them before slowly walking towards the fence.

Jumping on top of the fence she sadly watched as the door opened and the old she cat went inside and the twolegs happily petted Riverpaw, Oakkit, and Tigerkit carrying them inside.

'I will miss you....' she thought sadly before calling to the old she cat. "What's your name?"

"Rose." The old she cat told her before the door shut.

'Thank you Rose...take good care of them...' she thought to herself.

"Hey, are you coming or what?!" Nettleflight hissed up at her.

"Coming." Echolight replied before the two she cats raced off back towards the Cloudclan camp.