Tree's Roots/Chapter 2

==Chapter description==
:Earth jumps to his paws at Moonlight's yowl. The other kits complain, but Earth doesn't care and pushes his way out of the nursery. He calls his mother's name. He hears cats calling to each other, but can't see any of them. Stream comes out of the nursery. His fur touches Earth's briefly, and he says he will look. Earth tells him to stick together, but is cut off by a crack of lightning and a rumble of thunder. Earth blinks, but does not see Stream.
:Moonlight yowls at the Sisters to come to her. She spots Earth and asks him why he is out of the nursery. She doesn't give him a chance to answer, and calls for Ice, Sunrise, and Haze. The three kits tumble out of the nursery, huddle together, and hunch their shoulders. Moonlight asks Earth where Stream is, to which Earth replies that he doesn't know where he is, and points his tail to a hill, saying that Stream went there, and that he had tried to stop him. Another bolt of lightning lights the clearing. Moonlight brushes her tail along the kits' backs, and guides them to the edge of the clearing. Earth follows his mother, rain pattering on his face. Other panicked voices call across the camp. Moonlight tells the kits to stay while she helps the others. The kits protest that they can help, but Moonlight tells them that they can help by staying put. She disappears into the darkness, saying that she needed to help the rest of the sisters. 
:A faint yowl sounds, and Earth recognizes that the yowl was Stream's. He dashes off to save his friend, despite Sunrise telling him not to, since Moonlight had told them to stay put. Earth does not listen to her, and rushes towards his friend's yowls. He slides backward in the mud. Mud splatters all over his pelt. He tries to get up, but the mud pulls him back. Earth asks himself how he upset the land. Earth keeps on slipping on the mud, but he is slowly making progress.
: He reaches the top of the hill, with Stream directly in front of him. Stream apologizes, and Earth accepts, reassuring him that they will go downhill together. As more lightning strikes, Earth points out that that the two can dig their claws into the rock under the mud, and hopefully it'll hold on. Lightning strikes once more, this time, much closer to the two kits. Something rolls past Earth in the dark. Earth realizes that it is Stream, and he goes after his friend. He locates and sniffs Stream, realizing that his scent was there, but it his fur was really hot. Earth gasped, grimly realizing that his friend is dead.
:Two days later, Earth notes that the destruction was still visible, and that Sunrise's friend Haze had died as well. Moonlight notices Snow, Haze's mother, entwining her tail with Sunrise, and comforts her. She tells her that the Sisters will sing for Haze. Earth runs after his mother. Moonlight asks if Earth is going to help her search for herbs, but Earth asks why they were singing for Haze and not Stream. Moonlight explains that as a tom, Stream was destined to return to the earth. Moonlight tells Earth that she was full of grief when she returned to the kits and saw that Earth was missing, noting that he was far too young to be taken up by the land. Moonlight parts with her son, telling him that she is going to look for herbs.
: As the sun sets, Moonlight begins the ceremony to honor Haze. After the ceremony, ghosts of the Sisters appear to the others, but Earth cannot see them. He hears Petal talking to Stream. Later, Moonlight tells Earth that Stream was there. Earth states that he couldn't see Stream, or any other ghosts. Moonlight comforts her son, but Earth sees the concern in his mother's eyes. After Moonlight leaves, Earth wonders what would happen if Stream was still alive, but comes to the conclusion that he will always be alone.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Novellas
Category:Tree's Roots