"Guess what time it is?" Applekit sang loudly and off-tune as she skipped into the nursery. The rest of the kits looked up from their game to see the fluffy brown she-cat bounce inside. "It's Christmas time!"

"Christmas isn't for another 14 days!" Pigeonkit protested.

"But that doesn't mean we need to celebrate for it!" The tom shot back.

"It's never too early to celebrate for Christmas!" Pikekit argued against the gray tabby. "We should decorate the nursery!"

"Does anyone notice that our parents aren't here?" Cloverkit asked worriedly. "I'm sorry!" Applekit glanced over at Swiftkit. The white she-cat shrugged at her.

"Who cares?" More fun for us!"

"As long as it's fair," Applekit pointed out, standing up taller and puffing her chest fur out. "We're gonna celebrate by singing Christmas songs!"

"I love Christmas songs!" Troutkit jumped up in the air excitedly. "They're so much fun!"

Furzekit looked up from his spot in the nursery and slowly broke out a wide grin. "This sounds fun!"

"Now, to make things fair, one will go at a time. Swiftkit?" Applekit asked.

The energetic she-cat didn't need to be asked twice. She was already  to sing her heart out wide. "Jingle bells! Jingle bells! Jingle all the way! Oh what fun it is to ride, on a one horse open sleigh, hey!"

"Jingle Bells is classic!" Pikekit retorted with a wrinkle from his nose. "This is a real Christmas song!" The tom kit shoved Swiftkit to the side and took the stage. "Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la, la la la la!"

"Lame!" Applekit shoved Pikekit over. "Here's a real song!" The author didn't realize she went out of Applekit's personality for this one sentence as the she-kit began to sing. "Rocking around, the Christmas tree! Let the Christmas spirit ring! Later we'll have, some pumpkin pie and we'll do some caroling!"

"My turn!" Troutkit shouted, jumping on top of Applekit.

"Hey! That's not fair!" The she-cat hissed, trying to shove off the other kit. Troutkit didn't budge and began to sing over top of Applekit.

"Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, throw cares away. Christmas is here, bringing good cheer, to young and old, meek and the bold. Ding dong ding dong. That is their song, with a joyful ring, all caroling."

Furzekit got up and began to sing over Troutkit slowly. "Uh..." The tom frowned, pondering what song to sing next. The rest of the kits looked up at him. Swiftkit was ready to sing again before the slow kit finally figured out his choice.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year..." The tom kit titled his head trying to remember the name. "Uh... With the kids jingle bells... and everyone telling you be of good cheer..." Furzekit banged his head on the ground to remember the last lyric. "It's around here somewhere..." Swiftkit and Pikekit rolled their eyes at him. "Aha! It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

"Is it my turn? Sorry..." Cloverkit mumbled shyly from behind. "Uh... if so..." Every kit in the nursery twisted their head toward the light gray she-kit. Cloverkit swallowed the lump before singing. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. Just like the ones I used to know. Where the treetops glisten and children listen. To hear sleigh bells in the snow."

"My turn!" Pigeonkit screamed, jumping over Cloverkit. "Have a holly jolly Christmas! It's the best time of the year! I don't know if there'll be snow, but have a cup of cheer! Have a holly, jolly, Christmas!"

"Kits?" Rushnose, the deputy, poked his head into the nursery at their song. "Come out, it's time."

"Time for what? We don't need it!" Pigeonkit squeaked. "Say hello to the friends---"

"Come on, you've been waiting for this," Rushnose said, prodding Cloverkit out of the nursery. The she-kit looked back at the rest of her friends.

"Wait!" Swiftkit sprang forward and tackled Cloverkit to the ground. "On the first day of boredom, my playmate said to me, let's race to the river now!"

Pikekit joined in. "On the second day of boredom, my playmate said to me, let's play Clan, and let's race to the river now!"

Applekit frowned before breaking into a wide grin. "On the third day of boredom, my playmate said to me, roleplay fun, let's play Clan, and let's race to the river now!"

Troutkit, for once figured out what to say confidently began to sing the next verse. "On the fourth day of boredom, my playmate gave to me, a prophecy, roleplay fun, let's play Clan, and let's race to the river now!"

The author uses her magical powers to make Furzekit smart for this one time so the song can go well. Furzekit opened his jaws to sing. "On the fifth day of boredom, my playmate gave to me, five Pokemon!" He waited. "A prophecy, roleplay fun, let's play Clan, and let's race to the river now!"

Cloverkit shyly spoke up from behind Rushnose. "On the sixth day of boredom, my playmate gave to me, soccer for the kits, five Pokemon, one prophecy, roleplay fun, let's play Clan, and let's race to the river now!"

Pigeonkit finally got the trend and jumped in front of the deputy and screamed the next song. "On the seventh day of boredom, my playmate gave to me, minutes a sleeping, soccer for the kits, five Pokemon, a prophecy, roleplay, let's play Clan, and let's race to the river now!"

Swiftkit, realizing they were out of kits jumped in again. Rushnose didn't seem to mind the kits goofing off anymore. Besides, they'd done it for the last few months now, causing chaos around the camp. "On the eighth day of boredom, my playmate gave to me, a big triathlon, minutes a sleeping, soccer for the kits, five Pokemon, a prophecy, roleplay, let's play Clan, and let's race to the river now!"

Pikekit jumped back beside his sister. "On the ninth day of boredom, my playmate said to me, sneaking into dens, minutes a sleeping, soccer for the kits, five Pokemon, a prophecy, roleplay, let's play Clan, and let's race to the river now!"

Applekit jumped beside the tom kit and let her eyes sparkle in front of the deputy. "On the tenth day of boredom, my playmate said to me, cooking in the camp, sneaking into dens, minutes a sleeping, soccer for the kits, five Pokemon, a prophecy, roleplay, let's play Clan, and let's race to the river now!"

Troutkit was already prepared to sing the next lyric. The author used her magical powers to make Troutkit not stutter for this song. "On the eleventh day of boredom, my playmate said to me, building a camp in campgrounds, sneaking into dens, minutes a sleeping, soccer for the kits, five Pokemon, a prophecy, roleplay, let's play Clan, and let's race to the river now!"

Everything relied on Fruzekit. Every kit looked at the slow tom to say that last lyric. They all watched with wide eyes as he opened his jaws to finish up the song. "On the twelfth day of Christmas, my playmate said to me, let's be apprenticed, building a camp in campgrounds, sneaking into dens, minutes a sleeping, soccer for the kits, five Pokemon, a prophecy, roleplay, let's play Clan," Furzekit saw as the rest of the kits gathered together and sang the last song.

"And let's race to the river now!" They all sang happily, chirping and hollering once the song was over and done with. Rushnose cheered for them, smiling at each kit separately.

"Amazing job, now are you ready?" Rushnose said, prodding the kits. Swiftkit tilted her head. "It's time for you guys to be apprenticed."

"Like our song!" Pigeonkit cheered.

"Wait, we're becoming apprentices?" Swiftkit asked, her eyes widening.

"B-but what a-about C-Cloverkit a-and the o-others?" Troutkit asked, returning to her normal self. Applekit rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Because it wouldn't be fair if we got to be made apprentices without them." Applekit stormed out of the nursery. "Come on! Let's get this going!"

"Wait so we're going to ignore all logic and move on to becoming apprentices?" Cloverkit asked. "Sorry!"

"I like grass!" Furzekit said, dumbly following the crowd of kits outside. Rushnose pushed the rest of the kits outside and Shatterstar stood on the highrock looking down at all of the kits.

The leader was ready to go. "Swiftkit, Pikekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Swiftpaw and Pikepaw. Your mentors will be Amberpelt and Doefoot." Shatterstar looked over as the two warriors trotted up toward the new apprentices.

"I got Amberpelt...?" Swiftpaw questioned, but got a tail slap from Pikepaw.

"Amberpelt, you will be the mentor of Swiftpaw and Doefoot, you will be the mentor of Pikepaw." Swiftpaw and Pikepaw froze up as their mentor touched noses with them.

"The next group," Shatterstar looked down at Applekit and Troutkit. "Applekit, Troutkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Applepaw and Troutpaw. Your mentors will be Sprucejump and Brindleswipe." Like before, Swiftpaw watched as they proceed to touch noses with the new apprentices.

"Furzekit, Cloverkit, and Pigeonkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Furzepaw, Cloverpaw, and Pigeonpaw. Your mentors shall be Dewgaze, Cherrystream, and Squirrelsight." Shatterstar watched as the remaining three apprentices touched noses with their mentors.

"Swiftpaw! Pikepaw! Applepaw! Troutpaw! Furzepaw! Cloverpaw! Pigeonpaw!" The camp cheered for their newest apprentices. All of the apprentices stared down at the camp and then looked at each other.

"Can you believe it? We're apprentices now!" Swiftpaw cheered, jumping up and down. "I can finally race the other warriors!"

"I can be a fish!" Pikepaw shouted.

"We still have to make things fair! Don't forget that!" Applepaw snapped but still smiled.

"I-I c-c-can't be-believe i-it!" Troutpaw gasped. "I-I'm so h-h-h-h-happy!"

"Food!" Furzepaw chirped, still oblivious to the world around him.

"Oh wow... I hope I can become a good apprentice... sorry! I'm just so happy!" Cloverpaw said quietly, staring down at the whole camp.

"We made it! We're finally apprentices! Even at Christmas time!" Pigeonpaw exclaimed, leaning forward. "Best gift ever!"

"You know what that means?" Swiftpaw asked, nudging her brother. Pikepaw broke into a smile, and like a river, every other apprentice was swept into the current. "We'll have so many adventures as apprentices! Hunting, battling, chasing rabbits, all of it!"

"But I'm going to beat you! I'm going to be a warrior before you!" Pikepaw declared, standing up tall.

"No, I am!" Swiftpaw said, about to attack. Troutpaw jumped in, along with Applepaw, held back the white apprentice. Swiftpaw settled down, her nostrils still flaring at her brother.

"Come on, we should celebrate," Pigeonpaw protested, "by exploring camp legally!"

"We already did that!" Pikepaw retorted.

"It'll get boring quickly," Cloverpaw murmured. "Sorry!"

"Hey! We have to be fair!" Applepaw snapped.

"One last song, come on! Then we can go a hunting all together!" Swiftpaw convinced them with a mischievous flash across her eyes.

"Fine," Troutpaw answered.

"Grass is fun!" Furzepaw replied.

"Okay kits!" Swiftpaw declared with a flick of her tail. "And a one, and a two, and a one, two, three!"

"Joy to the world! Joy to the world! Joy to the world!"

Written by Solstice, who, even though I haven't written a bunch of Not It chapters, I love every single kit and I love them all. I'm sad to see their adventure end, but, they will forever remain in this book.
Also, all means to republishing, '12 Days of Boredom' is strictly forbidden and if caught you will be fined 1,000,000 dollars 

Edited by Koi, who would like to tell Pikepaw that she is the greatest fish of them all. COWER IN THE MIDST OF MY WRATH-