It feels like being trapped (open)

[Redkit]

Redkit sat there in the nursery on his lonesome, unsure of what to do. He hated it here he didn't understand why he was stuck here but here he was. Why hadn't his father helped him? In fact why did his father even taken him out there? There were other kits at the time that were taken too with him, though they were all playing together. He hadn't been allowed to play with em back in Thunder Clan so why would they play with him now? There were other kits too but they smelled odd, from different places that is. The other clans? Why where they here? None of this made sense.

They day was slow and steady, though the nursery just felt dark to the kit. It didn't feel anything like the one back home. Even though he wasn't able to play with anyone back home, it still felt nice and warm, comforting and inviting. This? This just didn't feel like any of it, it just felt so...empty even when the other kits were in it. Rising to his paws, he headed for the entrance of the nursery. No more staying here it was time to go home and get some answers from his father.

[Cedarflame]

"Hello, new recruit," Cedarflame's voice was deep as he stepped into the nursery and greeted a red-brown tom, "and just where might you be going?" The leader sat down , wrapping his tail around his paws. He was a massive cat, others often being intimidated by his size alone, and his pelt was a very dark brown with black, jagged stripes all around. Cedarflame's eyes were a deep green, and they were almost always narrowed.

Four warriors had recently gone out to collect this moon's batch of kits from each Clan, and being how young this kitten looked, Cedarflame guessed he was indeed from the latest collection. "Let's see, what Clan are you from?" The tom took a few steps forward, leaning down to take in the kitten's scent. After a few moments of consideration, Cedarflame sat back and spoke again, "I'm guessing you're either a ThunderClanner, ShadowClanner, or RiverClanner. I smell a bit of water on you, but that could be from anything, so ThunderClan or ShadowClan, young one? And what is your name?"

[Redkit]

Redkit came to a halt as a large form was in front of him, a tom he had never seen let alone smelled before. Ears twitched as his dark brown gaze looked up at em though they soon slanted. This tom was huge! THe kit was the average size for one his age and probably would be just the average size as a adult too, course there was noway to know about it.

Recruit? What's he mean by that? Redkit thought in his head.

"Out, it's too dark in here and I don't like it." Redkit explained as he stood there.

Aye Redkit was from the most recent batch, hence why he disliked the feel of this place. It was very new to the youngster course he had no intentions of staying. When the large torm leaned down, Redkit crouched down. His fur bristling a bit as he didn't know just what this tom was doing. Course a confused expression came to his young face when they seemed to know about the clan.

"I'm from ThunderClan! And I'm Redkit, who are you?" Redkit requested.

[Cedarflame]

Cedarflame purred for a few moments, amused by the boldness of little Redkit. When he spoke, he did so with the same honey-coated voice he used on all kits when he was irritated with them (apprentices received the normal coldness, whereas warriors received sharpness and hostility), "Well, Redkit, I'm Cedarflame, the leader of the Dark Hearts. You'll soon learn that you are to never ask questions about me, though. If I wish to tell you about myself, I will, but otherwise, keep your nose in your own business, little one." He took a paw and tried gently patting Redkit on the head, then began laying down, settling his paws under his chest. If it was one thing that Cedarflame found difficult, it was talking to kittens. He had to use simple words and phrases with a sweet, cutesy voice. There was something about being around kits that Cedarflame found completely revolting, and he could not comprehend how any cat could enjoy spending time with the hyper little brats.

"You know, I think it's better to stay in the nursery, at least for now. I realize it's dark in here, and you're probably not used to that, right? Well, when new kits come to us, I tell them about this. I usually do this in front of the whole Clan, but I'll make a special exception for you because you seem very curious, okay, Redkit?"

"Where you're from, ThunderClan, is probably still on your mind right now, I'm guessing? Well, Redkit, I'm sorry to say that this will not be the case for very long. You see, you have been specially chosen by us because you are a strong kit. You're going to grow to be a very good and powerful warrior, yes? Before I continue, I have to know: did your parents or any other ThunderClan cat ever tell you about StarClan?"

[Redkit]

Well someone didn't like to be asked things, at least it just felt that way to Redkit. The youngster's ears twitched as he stood there. At least he knew what their name was though what was the Dark Hearts? That was something he never heard of before. When Cedarflame said to stay in the nursery, ears lowered as a unhappy expression gripped the youngster's face. Why? He hated it here! They even saw what the issue was with how dark it was.

"Right, I don't like it. It feels very uncomfortable." Redkit explained thought his ears perked as he tilted his head.

Make a exception? So he was finally gonna get some answers?! IT was about time and it was clear that Redkit was listening, he had been wanting answers for a long time. When asked about Thunder Clan, a nod left the kit. Though what did they mean by it wouldn't be that way for very long? That was a odd thing to say.

"Strong? How can you tell that?" Redkit asked confused. "Yeah they mentioned it before. It's where all cats of the clans go to when they die so long as they didn't break the code and were good, Star Clan watches over the clans."

[Cedarflame]

"Every kitten we choose is strong. We have been doing this for a very long time, so you must put some faith into our choices, Redkit." Cedarflame answered, willing the tom to just stop asking questions. The more questions Cedarflame had to answer, the long he had to stay in the same area as this naive brat, and the longer he had to stay near Redkit, the more likely he was to explode and smack the little tom upside the head.

"Ah, now that's where you're wrong," Cedarflame started, purring comfortingly. "You see, your Clanmates told you that, but I'm sorry to tell you that they... well, Redkit, they lied to you. StarClan takes cats from their families. You're too young to remember SkyClan, even I'm too young to have met them, believe it or not, but StarClan let the twolegs take SkyClan's territory, and they let the Clans kill the homeless SkyClan cats and drive them away! If StarClan really was good and kind like the Clan cats tell you, would they let a whole Clan of cats be destroyed? What if your old home, ThunderClan, was destroyed, and StarClan let it happen? Would you say they're good then? Now, Redkit, I know you're probably scared, but I can assure you that we at the Dark Hearts will be good and nice to you. We may have a scary name, but that's only because we don't want the Clans to come and hurt us. In the Dark Hearts, we know that StarClan is bad, and the Dark Forest is good. After all, the Dark Forest was named by StarClan, StarClan doesn't like them, and the Clan cats follow StarClan, so the Clan cats are silly and don't know about the Dark Forest being a good place. When good cats die, they go to the Dark Forest, young one, not StarClan. Does that all make sense, Redkit?"

[Redkit]

He was the only kit in his litter so there wasn't a choice for his family. Hence why they hadn't really taken time to get to know, it was kind of a harsh thing. The long explaination began and the poor kit was honestly confused by all of it. What or who was Sky Clan? He had only ever heard his parents utter the names of River Clan, Thunder Clan, Shadow Clan, and Wind Clan. What was a Sky Clan? There was only four clans. Ears twitched as he sat there trying to grasp it. A confused expression further came to his young face as he tried to figure it out. IT was a lot for a youngster to take in and it wasn't sticking.

"No I....don't." Redkit replied. "What's a Sky Clan?"

[Cedarflame]

"SkyClan was a lot like ThunderClan. The only big differences were that SkyClan lived in a more open area and they did a lot of jumping and climbing. Their territory was being destroyed by the twolegs, who are big creatures that walk on two legs, hence the name, and all of the other Clans - ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan - destroyed SkyClan, and StarClan did nothing to stop them from breaking another Clan and killing its cats." Cedarflame twisted the story a bit, and after the words came out, he slightly regretted them. "The Clans didn't actually kill the SkyClan cats themselves, though. They didn't allow the SkyClan cats to live with them, so the SkyClan cats left and died off. Some became loners or rogues, while a few others stuck together and were never seen again. The most important part here is that StarClan actually allowed all of the Clans to let SkyClan die. Tell me, Redkit, do good cats let innocent cats die?"

[Redkit]

"Mom said that Star Clan can't always intervene. If they did then we wouldn't learn anything." Redkit said.

Well his mother hadn't said it to him exactly. He had woken up the night before he was brought here and heard his parents whisper arguing. The only thing he could make fully was that sentence.

"Well they don't but it depends on the leader. Dad said what leader says go and can't be change unless a new leader rises. So really the clans themselves weren't the issue, it was their leaders at the time." Redkit answered; at least according to his father's words and the kit's attempt to understand the question.

[Cedarflame]

Why couldn't this kit be dumber? Why couldn't this kit stop answering back to everything? Redkit was really aggravating Cedarflame, and the tom was beginning to feel a bit of frustration building up, making his paws tingle. If he lost his temper now, things wouldn't go so well. He had the power to kill the kitten, and even if he didn't, if Redkit was hit and remembered it, he'd certainly never believe what Cedarflame was telling him. The tom took a deep breath and put on a sorrowful face. "It is truly sad that the Clans teach you kittens these things. Redkit, please, give the Dark Hearts a chance. Try to learn our ways, and you'll find that the Dark Forest is so much more worth love than StarClan is. StarClan has power over the cats who believe in it, whether some cats like to think that they can't control everything or not. The truth is the truth, young boy."

[Redkit]

Redkit had nothing but time to think on his paws back in Thunder Clan. If you can't play then what else is there to do but let your mind tick and listen to other cat's conversations? Hearing Cedarflame's words caused the young kit's ears to twitch.

"Give the place a chance that took me away from where I was born huh?" Redkit asked. "Why would I do that when there are kits there who were in the nursery with me and are still there instead of here?! Truth is truth you say? Hard to see any truth in being stolen away!"

The poor kit had no idea what he was getting into.

[Cedarflame]

"Redkit, when I was a kitten myself, about your age, I, too, was selected to be taken from ThunderClan. The moment my recruiter came and chose me, I was happy as could be. I was an eager kit, a very curious one at that. I wanted to know what was beyond little ThunderClan, and when I was brought here, I felt at home. Maybe you don't feel that way yet, but I can assure you that you will. When the recruiter signaled me to follow, I never looked back, and eventually, you'll forget your past with ThunderClan and focus on the Dark Hearts, for what the Dark Forest offers in the afterlife is so much more than what StarClan could ever give." Cedarflame explained calmly, keeping up the sweet act for the little kitten while grinding his teeth and hoping that Redkit wouldn't push him much farther.

[Redkit]

Then it was clear that this tom cared not about his clan even at a young age. Despite the way his parents restricted him, he wanted to serve the clan. This? This wasn't his clan. He wasn't born into it and it wasn't his home. Ears slanted at the tom's words, not due to nervousness or anything like that but due to doubting their words. Without a word, the reddish brown kit spun round and walked away, clearly not wanting anything to do with Cedarflame's words nor this place still. Going to his corner, he sat down with a very unhappy expression on his face.

(Sorry it's short)