Culprit



''Episode 7 of Crime. Near the end of Season 1. AAHHHH!''

Smokedapple shuddered as she remembered the rose pit that contained a former scent of Glorykit. What was she doing there? It wasn't likely for a kit to be there. Wait. Was that her hiding spot? Is that where Dustwhisker and Prettypaw had hidden her? Smokedapple walked out of the warriors den over to the center to hear Dashstar. So that's where she'd been the whole time?

"STORMCLAN!", Dashstar shouted. Everyone looked up. Smokedapple noticed Crystalblaze and Dreamshadow's tail tips twitching. Everyone was thinking about the moonlight ball. "I WANT A MASSAGE!", Dashstar yowled. Classic "FROM...", his gaze scanned the clearing and his eyed narrowed."Smokedapple." The gray she cat held back a gulp. Then sighed and walked over to the leader den.

He was waiting, spread out in his nest like a lounge lizard. Smokedapple hissed, then placed her paws and his hard pelt, and pressed. She regretfully massaged him, and suddenly he spoke. "So Prettypaw's dead", he grunted. Smokedapple looked up. "Wonder who the murderer could be" Smokedapple continued massaging carelessly. He smirked. "You were one of her friends. You know what happened to her." Smokedapple rolled her eyes. "As if. Blame Dustwhisker next", she scoffed. Dashstar glared at her. "You're being sassy", he observed. "Leave.", he commanded. Smokedapple shrugged and went out, trying not to seem like she was running.

Outside, everyone was staring at her. She scowled, and they all shrank back. Suddenly, Featherstream rushed forward. "Um...Smokedapple dear, please put this moss in the nursery?", she quickly ran away. Smokedapple huffed with disgust. But something glowed inside her. Dear. That's what Featherstream always called her...ever since Smokedapple's mother died. She suddenly felt a large raincloud over her head.

"Eek! You stepped on my tail", Topazkit squealed. "I didn't see you there", Glorykit huffed. Arrogant as her mother., Smokedapple thought bitterly. "You're a bad example! Just like your mother!", Amethystkit squeaked, repeating her thoughts. Glorykit bristled."What?", she shrieked. "Yeah you are! I bet you'll have kits as an apprentice. And DIE! I bet your mother died because of YOU but Smokedapple won't say so!", Marigoldshine's kits taunted. "That's enough!", Nightsparkle yowled. "How dare you speak to her like that!", the kits shrunk in fear, and just then, their mother came. "NIGHTSPARKLE! How dare you say that to my kits? Leave them alone!", Marigoldshine screeched. Nightsparkle flinched. "And plus", the golden queen went on, "They are right. This filth will become horrible one day too. Sorry to say it but I pity you for raising her. No matter what you tell her, she won't listen and pretty soon you'll lose her too. Let's see who raises the new kit! Or better yet, maybe she'll have kits before she becomes an apprentice! I'd be so disgusted I'd leave the clan!", the she cat stalked away, her kits following pompously. Glorykit started crying, and so did Nightsparkle, and the two huddled close. Smokedapple padded away silently, before her threat of tears could overpower her.

"Smokedapple. Smokedapple? Open your eyes, sweetie." "Huhhh?", Smokedapple opened her eyes and saw a starry landscape. Was she in StarClan? had someone killed her in her sleep? "Sweetie. It's me, Whisperflight." Smokedapple jumped to her paws. "Whisperflight? Mother?" "Yes", now she could see a gray and white she cat in front of her. This was their first meeting. "Oh mother, am I...dead?" "No, no", she giggled. "You have so much time but...-"Is Prettypaw there?"

Whisperflight sighed. "Oh dear...I'm afraid I can't answer that." Smokedapple's tail drooped. "But I have a message for you...you can't keep on going on like this...find the truth, the correct one, and make wrongs right."