"If you learn to fight, and fight hard, you can defeat anyone. Trust me, dear Eclipsekit, anyone..." Her eyes shined.
Eclipsekit's eyes glowed with longing.
"Anyone? Even Venomstrike?" he asked, stepping toward her.
Hollyfern's eyes widened in surprise. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she smiled slowly. "Yes, my dear. Especially Venomstrike. And I can teach you how to defeat him...you just have to promise me one thing. And you cannot break your promise," Hollyfern meowed seriously, focusing her wide amber eyes into his.
Eclipsekit nodded furiously, grinning. His heart was pounding with excitement; he'd get his mother back after this. He would kill Venomstrike and he'd have Amaranthblossom as his mother again, without the cruel tom's presence terrifying him. But he had to think, would he want her back? All she cared about were those stupid, scrawny kits that mongrel of a tom and her produced. He then lowered his head, staring at his paws, mumbling to himself in confusion.
"Look at me, Eclipsekit," Hollyfern hissed, staring at him. "I promise that I will help you become strong to enough, but you have to promise me, that whatever happens, you will always be loyal to me and only me. Always. No matter what. Promise me that!" Hollyfern meowed seriously.
"I promise." Eclipsekit mewed, scooting a bit closer to her.
"Good," Hollyfern smiled. 'This is a good start,' she thought. 'I must start recruiting some cats to help me fight against Lionstar to help me become leader, and kill the cats that get in my way...'
"Aunt Hollyfern, how am I gonna kill him?" he asked quickly, in a hushed tone. He wanted to get it over with; he could barely stand living with the tom, and he wanted to be rid of him as soon as possible.
"Well, first, you're going to have to get him to give you some of his venom," Hollyfern murmured. "Then you will be immune to it."
"But he will kill me. And...and mama won't even care..." he murmured, sorrow clouding his gaze. "All she cares about are those dumb kits of his...she doesn't even pay attention to me."
Hollyfern's eyes widened at his words. She suddenly felt a sudden pang of affection for her little nephew. "I understand completely..." she whispered, feeling nostalgic.
"You do?" Eclipsekit asked, surprised. His hazel eyes widened a bit, and he curled his tail over his paws.
Sandkit finally spoke, being behind them the whole time.
"What?" She poked Hollyfern in the back with a paw, curious. Hollyfern's head snapped up, peering at Sandkit.
"What do you want?" she hissed automatically, glaring at the kit.
"No. . . nothing. . . " She stumbled over words, her tiny tail twitching. "I-I was just wondering. . . because my daddy never visits me." She looked at the ground.
Hollyfern's eyes widened at Sandkit, once again thrown off-guard. She hesitated, and her gaze softened for once. She looked away, thinking of her past. "My parents never loved me. They never cared about me...no one did. Everyone loved my siblings..." Her gaze turned cold again. "Shadowdream, Eagleblaze, and..." She glanced at Eclipsekit. "..your mother...were just SO amazing to everyone. But no one ever saw ME. No one ever saw MY potential...but they will. Trust me, they will. I'm going to lead the clan one day, one day very soon, and everyone will see that I'm more than Shadowdream, Eagleblaze, and Amaranthblossom's sibling..."
Eclipsekit nuzzled his aunt's leg comfortingly, feeling his own eyes well with big tears.
"Birchkit doesn't like me...Hailkit is scared of me...Venomstrike hates me...Mama doesn't care...and Blizzardkit hates me and so does all of those other dumb kits..." he hissed, biting his teeth together. He felt his chest swell with hatred for those cats, nothing like he had ever felt before.
Hollyfern closed her eyes, feeling angry at the cats who hurt these poor kits. "We'll show them. We'll show them all that we are the best." She smiled at them. "We just have to stick together, and nothing can stop us!" she murmured.






