Takes place in the Old Forest Territories.

She never had a voice, nor did she have a person to share it with. In which she cries and for the first time, he's there to wipe them away. Echokit had struggled through her kithood, and barely survives to breathe another breath after her apprenticeship. "She's weak, useless, disappointment. I should had killed her when I had the chance, then perhaps, my own kits would be alive." Amberfoot hissed, and lunged toward the kit before she could twitch a whisker.

Note: Thank you for the reviews (and tips), and I sincerely apologize for my grammar. I don't know, but I like writing everything in past tense, and it's confusing and strange but, I'll try to fix it later on.

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Farce: Echo's POV

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"Welcome back, Echokit. For a moment there, I thought you had already gone to Starclan." Robinpaw, the young black and dark ginger medicine cat apprentice, said sarcastically.

I giggled, and realized my throat hurt a lot as he offered me a turn in the small water pool that was present next to his supply of herbs. I nodded, and crawled toward the pool, and lapped the water. I purred softly at the cold, relaxing liquid and went back to my own moss nest next to several empty ones.

"How long was I out?" I ask simply, completely ignoring my injuries and what had happened since I blacked out.

Robinpaw shrugged, "Two sunrises. Your father, Fallensky, visited often. And. . . well, Amberfoot? Not so much."

"She didn't visit at all, did she?"

"I'm sorry, Echokit."

I nodded, and greeted the entering old medicine cat. Oatmilk smiled warmly at me, and had goldenrods dangling from his jaws.

"Glad you're awake, dear." He replied shortly after setting the herbs down. "I'm need goldenrod on your scratches. Where were hiding in a thorn bush again?"

"I fell through a bramble bush." I muttered.

"Close enough, I believe my eyes are getting too old to tell the difference." Oatmilk rasped, beginning to chew the plant.

I sneaked a look at Robinpaw, and saw his ears were perked up at the announcement and his pelt fluffed―probably buzzing from excitement.

Obviously, Oatmilk noticed, too, and snarl teasingly. "I'm not that old, you still have a long way ahead of you."

Robinpaw muttered a few unintelligent words that I didn't catch, but knew I probably wouldn't want to hear about anyways.

"I'm going to get some air," I said as they worked. Oatmilk nodded, signally me it was okay for me to walk despite my broken left paw and aching chest.

As I escaped outside of the medicine cat den, I started toward the fresh kill pile. Before I could take a pawstep, a set of jaw pulled me into a bush. I was graceful that the bush was thorn less, and that the set of jaws belonged to no one other than Hollowkit.

I lied, about the second part of that. I was graceful that the bush was thorn less, but was deeply scare and worried about being in a hidden bush with a tom twice my size that was known to pierce my skin before.

"Echokit." He breathed, his green eyes bewilder.

"Ummh. . . mm. . ." I managed as he pinned me down with his paw wrapped tightly around my throat.

He released me from the cuff, but still stood above me. "They're going to question you."

"W-what?" I coughed.

"Whitestar. He's going to ask you.. questions about your.. trip in Riverclan territory."

"And?"

"Don't tell him about Petalkit pushing you. It would only bring bad deeds." He said, eyes darkening.

I blinked, and wonder if he was warning me from danger. "Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't. But, would you like me to threaten you instead? Or peacefully alert?"

I couldn't help but rolled my eyes, "This is what you call peacefully alerting? Psh. . ."

"Don't tell him about Petalkit." Hollowkit hissed, and pushed me out of the bush before vanishing into the nursery himself.

I frowned, and went back in the medicine cat den, completely forgetting my goal toward the fresh-kill pile.

I was watching Oatmilk and Robinpaw making the poultice and sorting greens when I heard the clan's deputy calling my name.

"Echokit, Whitestar would like to speak to you now." Brightswirl popped her head inside the medicine cat den, and almost causing Oatmilk to choke on a mouth full of herbs he was chewing on to make a poultice.

I sighed, and leaped onto my paws. Well, on most of my paws―I had broken my left front paw when my beloved sister, Petalkit pushed me off a rock cliff, through a prickly bush, and into a rough-drifting lake. I hastily licked my mottle chest with my tongue before limping toward the deputy.

I bet I looked horrible, I had only awoken several heartbeats ago and haven't ate anything in two sunrises. Brightswirl didn't seem to notice to appearances as she let me lean on her as we walked toward the leader's den. I shivered at the thought of talking to the massive, battle-scarred tom with empty eyes.

On the way, I caught Spottedkit's familiar gray calico pelt. I glare, though my practice in throwing mean scowls were worst by far, and I picture myself as threatening as a rabbit.

He met my eyes for a heartbeat. Only, a heartbeat. I frowned, Spottedkit didn't seem to notice as he turned his head back toward two large apprentices. Tinypaw and Sharppaw, I have never met them officially beside the fact of Tinypaw being my father's apprentice and only knew that Sharppaw had his mind hell bend on making my life a living Dark Forest nightmare.

Though, I couldn't let Sharppaw take the fault of hating me. Unlike others, he had an actual reason. When we were kits―I was hardly a few sunrises old, and Sharppaw was Sharpkit being almost 6 moons old―and I was running aimlessly to explore the camp as my first breath was taken, when Vinekit had tripped me into a pile of dirt. At that time, Sharpkit was eating a starling and just so happen to be directly where the dirt that I tripped onto had landed.

He was taking blame of wasting prey, and his apprenticeship was held back three more sunrises after he turned 6 moons old. His sister, Darkpaw, was apprenticed alone much to her dismay, and too, didn't like me.

I shook my head at the memory and blinked forward as Brightswirl and I enter the leader's den. I gasped at the large cave, and the claw marks pressed onto the flat, gray walls. On my right, a large nest was present with the only one Whitestar beside it.

"Hello, Echokit." He said, and flickered his tail for Brightswirl to leave them alone. She shook her head understandingly, and disappear outside of the leader's den view.

I gulped, "Hi."

"I believe we have much to talk about, don't we?" Whitestar lifted his eyewhisker, questionably.

I nodded, and muttered, "Yes. We do."

"Mhm," He hummed. "Let's begin with the morning when you left Thunderclan's camp."

"Okay. Yeah, okay." I said, and my mouth suddenly felt dry and I tasted salt.

"Well, I was playing moss ball with Bluefeather's kits. Moonkit was passing the moss toward Snowkit, when my littermates came. " I paused to take a small breath.

"Vinekit and Petalkit asked me if I wanted to play with them. I.. I said I wanted to, because, they were my.. littermates, and had never asked me to play with them before. I felt bad, because Moonkit and Snowkit would be short with one player but I wasn't thinking that at the time." I curled my tail over my front paws, and frowned disappoint at myself.

"Continue?" Whitestar's voice startled me out of my thoughts, and I mumble a quiet "sorry, and okay."

"Well, I left them there to play moss ball by themselves. Petalkit and Vinekit took me back into the nursery, and it was empty because all the queens were outside sunning their pelts or eating their breakfast. In the nursery, Hollowkit and Spottedkit were there.. eating a sparrow." I quirked my eyewhiskers, and closed my eyes. I try to inhale the scene again, remembering the details.

"Vinekit told them they were 'heading out' and that they were taking me with them. Spottedkit and Hollowkit said they wanted to come too, and after that.. Petalkit told me that we would be 'going outside' during moonhigh. I didn't realize they met outside of camp, and went along with it." I breathed, slowly down my words to remember the rest of the story. It was hard, having being unconscious for two whole sunrises without a meal or a snack.

"Anyways, at night when all the queens were asleep and it was too dark for the warriors to see us moving through the night, Spottedkit woke me up. We went through the dirtplace, because cats were guarding the camp's entrance. Then, I followed them under a fallen, hollow tree." Whitestar nodded, and urge me to go on.

"We stayed there till light was visible in the sky. I remember nothing else beside my sister telling me the 'plan' and 'directions,' we flee toward Riverclan territory when I knew something was up. But, I didn't want them to think I was.. scare or anything, I went with them. Into the enemy's land." I said, and pictured the reeds and fish-smell.

I paused, and skipped the part of going into the tunnels. I predict that Hollowkit, Spottedkit, and my littermates wanted that as a secret to themselves. I, too, want to keep them a secret. It would be useful to the clan, and I'm being selfish keeping that from the leader himself, but I am what they say me to be. A coward since birth.

"...Then we went to the stream and was founded by a Riverclan patrol. I-I slipped on a rock, and fell into the lake." I breathed out, eyeing my broken paw sadly. I kept asking myself, why can't I just say it was Petalkit that pushed me into the lake or off the small rock cliff? Hollowkit's just making me paranoid!

"Thank you, Echokit. Though, I had spoken to the Riverclan patrol that brought you back―your littermates were not classify as one of the unsubs that went into the territory. They had only told me about you, and that you had slipped into their territory and got hurt." Whitestar said after I finished my 'testimony'.

I grinded my teeth, and wonder if they had escaped with notice or Amberfoot had covered their tracks.

"Up to date, Hollowkit and Spottedkit were found at the entrance of Thunderclan and were punished of a sunrise of apprentice duties. Nothing else farer, since they are not enough evidence. I'm sorry, Echokit, but you are punished with two sunrises of apprentice duties, after your paw heals, since you went farer out of campsite than Harewhisker's kits." He sighed, and brushed his tail on my shoulder to dismiss me.

I nodded, and walked out of the den slowly.

I didn't do anything for the rest of day beside limping around to get a piece of fresh-kill, visit the medicine cat den for tips on walking with 3 paws, swatting at bugs flying around me the best I could, and napping alone in my own moss bed.

Oatmilk had told me it would help heal my paw better, since I have littermates that sleep next to me might tear off the cobwebs on my paws. Moonkit and Snowkit helped me build my nest after I apologized to them about ditching them for my littermates. They said it was fine, much to my surprise.

"Hey, where are my littermates, anyways? I haven't seen them the entire sunrise." I asked Snowkit, because Moonkit had gone to find more moss.

"Whitestar let Amberfoot take them out as long as Fallensky went with them. He did," She said quietly.

"Oh, really? I thought kits weren't allow out of camp till they're apprentices." I frowned.

Snowkit shrugged, "It was a award for.. not leaving the camp, like you."

"Wow, but they went, too! That's not fair. . ." I sighed, and pawed the semi-stable bedding we made.

"I know. Amberfoot probably covered their tracks, unlike Harewhisker."

"Harewhisker is actually nice and loyal―she wouldn't lie to her own clan just to save her kits' tails." I mewed, wondering how two devilish kits were related to such a gentle she-cat.

"Speaking of Harewhisker; Birchfur and her aren't mates anymore." Snowkit announced, between the grooming of her silky white pelt.

I gasped, "Why?!"

"She told Bluefeather this morning. Apparently they got into a fight and decided to separate, though, Harewhisker is still taking care of Spottedkit and Hollowkit."

"So, you were listening in." The sudden voice of Snowkit's mother ringed behind him as she entered the nursery with white and silver tabby she-cat by her side.

"Mom! N-no, maybe?" The sisters rambled.

I watched awkwardly as they made up random excuses, and Bluefeather also amusingly smirked.

"..Harewhisker told us. . ."

". . .Birchfur was ranting so loudly!"

"..Rumors spread quite fast, don't you think so?"

Bluefeather shook her head and laughed softly before pulling Moonkit and Snowkit into a side hug with her large tail.

"It's alright, this time. Don't spy anymore, okay? You might end up hearing something you don't want to." She warned, licking their foreheads.

They nodded, and Moonkit finally gave me the rest of the moss I needed to finish my nest.

Moonkit, Snowkit, and I were finishing up a game of clanship 'Frostclan' when Bluefeather said it was time for them to take their nap.

"Snowstar, you'll regret this! Frostclan will be no more," Moonkit growled.

I laughed as she puffed up her chest and heard Snowkit response, "You'll never beat Frostclan, Moonlily. I hereby exile you from Frostclan."

"Echosplash, show this. . . traitor beyond our territories." Snowkit―Snowstar―said.

Frostclan was a fake clan we created, and Snowkit was the leader. We call her Snowstar, and Moonkit is named Moonlily because lilies were her favorite type of flower, and I was Echosplash.

It was a joke of how I fell into the stream, Moonkit said I must had made a huge splash because when the Riverclan patrol brought me back, I was soak entirely.

We were roleplaying a scene of a story the elders had told us about how the leader before Whitestar had to exile a traitor named Battail after he had killed his our mate.

"Timeout." Moonkit called out, standing up from her sitting position. "Okay, Echokit, this is the part when you become disloyal to Snowstar, and she dies! Hahaha," She laughs with fake evilness.

"Elders tell the weirdest stories. I mean, I believe most of them, but warriors turning on their own leader?" I questioned, and Snowkit nodded.

"It's true, though. Elders don't lie! Well, beside Ducktail, I'm not so sure about him. He's kind of cranky and all like 'step on my tail again and I'll claw your eyes out'."

"Whatever," Moonkit snorted. "Let's get back to playing, time-in!"

"Echosplash, didn't you hear me? Chase her out of Thunderclan territory!" Snowstar snapped, scowling at me.

"She's right, you know." I rasped, pretending to unsheathe my claws. "This is the end of Frostclan!"

"W-what?" The white she-cat's gasp was lost in her throat as Moonlily (Moonkit) and I lunged toward her.

"And. . . dead." Snowkit whispered, pretending to go limp.

"We will rule the forest!" Moonkit and I triumphed.

"Perhaps you'll rule the forest some other day," Bluefeather interrupted.

"Mom! We were playing," Moonkit sighed.

"It's time for your nap," She said, whirling her tail around Snowkit and her sister, and turned her gaze toward me.

"Amberfoot, Fallensky, and your littermates are back." I nodded, and left the grass clearing to find them.

It took only minutes to find them, they were sitting under a large oak tree with a few pieces of fresh-kill and Petalkit and Vinekit were tumbling over one another as they chase a brightly colored butterfly across the open field while dodging clan-mates walking by.

My eyes glisten as I find the well-known pelt of my father's brown and white trim, and I ran toward them. They didn't seem to notice me until I was directly next to Fallensky's face. He smiled warmly at me and licked my cheek.

"Welcome back, Echokit." Fallensky greeted with another grin as my littermates pause enough to see me.

I return the smile, and glance at Amberfoot. She snorted, "Hello, Echokit." and nudged a scrawny mouse at my front paws.

I sighed quietly, and sat down next to Fallensky. Most would see the giving of a mouse a motherly generosity, but I realize a blue gloom circling in her eyes, and the prey looked like crowfood.

"I already ate with Snowkit and Moonkit." I said, making a quick excuse.

Amberfoot stared at me, "You haven't ate anything for two days, dear. It would be wise to fill yourself up, don't you want to be useful someday?"

I bit my bottom lip, and shrink into a lower position―causing my small stomach to touch the grassy grounds. "I'm not hungry."

"You're wasting prey that hard-working warriors hunted hours for―" The cruel tortoiseshell she-cat was cut off, thankfully, by Fallensky.

He cleared his throat, "If she's not hungry, she doesn't have to eat. Don't want to fill her up too much, that could cause a stomach ach."

I nodded gracefully at my father and pushed the prey back toward Amberfoot, who was glaring intensively at me (though she was doing that anyways, or almost always).

"Hi, Echokit!" Petalkit squealed and pressed her pelt against mine.

I beamed, "Hello Petalkit. Hello Vinekit."

"Can we talk to you?" Vinekit asked, and then turned toward Fallensky and Amberfoot before whispering in a low, quiet tone. "Privately?"

I gulp, but nodded and follow them. "What did you wanted to talk about?" I asked once we were inside an empty elders' den. They must be out sunning themselves, I thought internally.

"Echokit, I'm sorry I pushed you. It was by accident, I swear." Petalkit said. I stared at her, eyes widen in shock. I did a double-take over her face, and saw nothing double-crossed; though I was still wary―I was never the one to read emotions or body language.

"I'm sorry, too. For, like, leaving you." Vinekit confesses. "They were coming for us, and we couldn't get to you in time."

I smiled, "It's okay. I forgive you."

Vinekit and Petalkit suppress a uncommon smile. If you look at the right angle, they almost look normal and caring. Like Amberfoot, in a way.

"The sun's going down. We better get back to the nursery, the elders should be coming back soon." I nodded and walked side-by-side next to my littermates.

I woke up to a warm nest, with even warmer pelts surrounding me. I look up, thinking I would see Amberfoot or Fallensky, but only saw Bluefeather's half-snoring, half-drooling face sleeping soundly. On my right and left, Moonkit and Snowkit were bundled up into balls and pressing tightly into Bluefeather. What am I doing in their nest? I thought. Bluefeather must had carried me in.

I sigh, and stared up into the walls of the well-built nursery den. It was dark from the night's non-visible light, and the moon wasn't out glowing brightly like it did during full moons.

I glance over to Amberfoot's nest and saw it was empty. Vinekit and Petalkit were no where to be seen, and her scent trail was long gone. Though, a unknown, foul-smelling odor was present. No one else seem to notice the scent as I realize everyone was a heavy sleeper, and filled the den with their loud snores. Beside Spottedkit.

"Why are you awake, Echokit?" He whispered under his breath from his nest that he shared with Harewhisker and Hollowkit. I frowned, and avert my eyes to Bluefeather's soft fur instead of looking at him.

I heard a whimper and then felt the light thumps of pawsteps coming closer, and closer toward me. I turned, and was nose-to-nose with Spottedkit. He looked tiring, and concern. For me, which was a first.

I may had forgiven my littermates, but Spottedkit was a whole another story. He hasn't even apologize yet, and I expected to see him standing by my nest when I opened my eyes in the medicine cat den. Beside, Petalkit and Vinekit was blood. . . family, while he was not.

"You can't ignore me forever." He husked, and licked his front paw. I felt a small volt in my body, and a flare of angry boiled inside me. His paw. It was his left, and it was waving in front of me. I dropped my eyes down to my own left paw, the broken one.

I sighed, "You did. You never talked or even looked at me until the trip into Riverclan. . . where you left me!"

Spottedkit frowned and turned tail, walking back to his nest and went back to sleep before I could say another word.

I remember falling asleep after the confrontation of Spottedkit, and waking up to Bluefeather's warm blue eyes. Moonkit and Snowkit were already awoken and had went to the elder's den for their daily story from Ducktail and Wintergreen and the other elders. Petalkit and Vinekit were still resting with a snoring Amberfoot in their own nest and Harewhisker's kits were outside playing.

I yawned, and stretched as I exit the nursery and made my way to the fresh-kill pile. It wasn't crowded, and most of the warriors were already out of camp for patrols. I raced over to the pile and snatched up a large, chubby vole. My stomach was rumbling and the thought of my previous experience with voles disappear as I bit into the juicy prey. As I ate, I start to wonder where Fallensky or Dustbreeze had gone.

Where are they? I thought.

They both had patrols yesterday and today they were off, though the warrior's den held no ragged snores or nest rustling as they shuffle about in their beds. I was off in my own thoughts as I didn't realize the slow pawsteps behind me.

"They're in the leader's den." The owner of the pawsteps said, and I turned around to met the face.

I bit my bottom lip and managed a quiet tone. "What do you want, Hollowkit?"

"What? I can't talk to you, or something?" He grunted, and sat down in front of me; looking down to fix his cold, green eyes to my dull, aqua-blues. I couldn't help but hold back a sarcastic snort, and an eye-roll.

"Not really. Well, you don't talk to be that much, beside the insults." I replied in a causal volume tone.

I felt a uncomfortable shiver in my spine when I saw his eyes darken, and his claws came out.

"We should change that." He said. And I watch as his green eyes turn back to normal and his claws were hidden safely away. I stared at him, partly shock and partly relief. Shock because of the announcement, and relief because of the danger zone no longer exist. Or no longer visibly present.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why not?" Hollowkit mewed.

I stayed silent and hesitated. Because, I started thinking. You're not good, I thought.

"I'm not good?" He questioned.

I bit my lip; did I say that out loud?

"Yeah. You kind of did." He said.

"Hollowkit, I. . . well, you and I won't make good friends. We're different, like fire and water." I explained.

I didn't realize I closed my eyes until I opened them, staring directly at him. He, for once, almost looked hurt. And, like every other time, angry.

"Fine! I don't want to spend my time with a piece of dung, anyways." He growled, and stormed away.

"What was that all about?" Snowkit asked as I attempt to process the situation. I turned to face the two sisters as they dragged their own meal next to me, a feathery starling.

"Honestly, I don't really know." I admit. "It's confusing, and complicated."

"Don't think so much about it, your head might hurt." Moonkit giggled good-heartedly.

Snowkit rolled her eyes at her sister and bit into the bird, coming back up with a mouth-full of starling. "Anyways. Moonkit and I were in the elder's den and Wintergreen finished the story about Battail."

"I might ask her to tell me that story myself." I said. Moonkit nodded, "We could tell you. Wintergreen is already napping, again."

"Okay." I mewed, but my eyes finds their target of Hollowkit's disappearing tail inside the nursery.

"Hey, Echokit?" Snowkit nudged my shoulder. I shook my head and turn to face them. "Yeah?"

"Are you alright? You seem spaced out." Moonkit asked, concern filled her voice. I smile gracefully, and shook my head again. "I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About?"

"It's kind of personal. I'll tell you later. Beside, I would like to hear the tale of Battail!" I exclaimed.

"Did you just say tale and tail?" Snowkit laughed. I looked at her, confuse. "What?"

"Tale and Tail." Moonkit said, testing out the words.

"Never mind," Snowkit giggled again. "Anyways, Wintergreen. . ."

I listen closely, and picture the old, yet beautiful elderly she-cat with her glossy brown pelt and ageless-green eyes being awoken by two, troublesome kits; Moonkit and Snowkit. In a way, I was blood-related to the two sisters. Their uncle, Windfeather was mate with my grandmother, Wintergreen who was the mother of my father, Fallensky and my decreased aunt, Thinsky. Although, it made us half-cousins because Windfeather was Bluefeather's half-brother, from a earlier litter.

The suffix 'feather' in their name was to honor their decreased mother. Windfeather's litters were unnamed and died before opening their eyes, and Bluefeather was born with one now-also-believe to be dead sibling. Owlfeather, I remember the name as Oatmilk would talk about her a lot. It appears that Oatmilk was very close to her, though the reason to was unknown to me.

". . .Blood was spray across the field, and the fire ablaze! Then, a crack was heard. The trees were burning and falling down!" Moonkit finished the story, with many over-graphic scenes.

"Wow." I involuntarily shivered at the image implanted in my head. "What happens nest?"

"Wintergreen stopped after that. We have to wait until tomorrow!" They whined.

"Doesn't Ducktail and Weedstem know the story, too?" I asked.

"Yes. But, sadly, they don't want to talk about it."

"A memory that haunts their dreams, and creates a slate of ice blocking them between the present, future, and past. . ." Snowkit recited from Wintergreen's response.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"I have no idea. Elders are weird!"