These are One-shots that are connected with the arcs I'm writing and will eventually be posted.
They won't all take place during the same time period or be about the same characters; however, some chapter might end up being multiple parts. Some chapters will be very long, while overs may be short.
{Streams, Lillies, and Rain. Part I}
Morningsong gazed lovingly at the bundles of fur prodding and suckling at her belly. It had been a hard kitting, and it pained her to remember the fourth kit who didn't make it. She glanced at the thick-furred, grey and white, tom who lied lifelessly next to her. Mapleleaf allowed him to rest with us for a while before his burial at moon-high. She wanted to grieve, but she had to be strong for her other kits.
"Morningsong?" She looked away from her son to see her mate standing at her nest with a nice plump trout. She purred as he took a hesitant step forward, she was starving! How does he always know when I'm hungry?
"Are you ready to meet your kits?" Icefang wasn't at her kitting, Mapleleaf wouldn't allow him in, but she could hear him panicking outside the nursery. His sister, Thunderfang, who had Minnowkit and Dovekit, also wouldn't let him in; which Morningsong thought was weird since she only allowed him in for her kitting.
"You don't mind?" He asked. He picked up the trout and placed it beside her, then turned towards the three remaining kits. "Mapleleaf told me about...our son." Icefang's ears drooped slightly as he stared at the kits.
"I... I know." Morningsong looked away, turning towards the trout and took a large bite. Why did StarClan have to take him?
"Have you thought of any names?" Icefang whispered. He gently lied next to Morningsong, giving her a comforting lick.
In truth, Morningsong hadn't thought of any names. She knew she wanted to name them after things that reminded her of the river, but she never actually thought about it before now. She gazed at her daughters, then leaned her head into Icefang's. "Why don't you name one first?"
"Me?" Icefang glanced down at their kits in thought, before nudging the small, silver she-kit with his nose. "How about Rainkit?"
"Wasn't that the-"
"Name of my mother? Yeah, I never got to meet Rainfeather, but everyone tells me that she was a strong and loving warrior. I... I hope it will make this little one a strong warrior." He leaned over and licked his cheek; sometimes Icefang was too cute.
"They already are," She purred, wrapping her tail around her kits. "All of them are, they'll be the best warriors in RiverClan."
"No, we will!" Morningsong flicked an ear as Minnowkit bounded towards them. "That's what Thunderfang says!"
"Hush, Minnowkit," Thunderfang scolded. The golden queen squeezed through the entrance with Dovekit following close behind her. "What did I just tell you?" The light-grey kit flattened his ears.
"To be quiet and go straight to our nest." The little kit huffed and slowly walked to his nest.
"Because?"
"Because Morningsong just had her kits and would be tired."
"That's right." Thunderfang curled up in her nest, making room for her growing kits. "Now, what do you say to Morningsong?"
"Sorry, Morningsong."
Morningsong couldn't help but chuckle at his apology. One day her kits would be like Minnowkit and Dovekit, always running around and getting into trouble. It even reminded her of getting in trouble by playing in the warrior's den when she was a kit. "Don't worry about it, Minnowkit. I know you were just excited."
"Sorry, Morningsong. I thought he would listen for once; I know I just wanted to sleep after these little mites were born." She let out a loud yawn. "So, have you named them?"
"Only one," I softly mewed. "One's Rainkit, but I don't know what to name the others." Again, the light mood was ruined and left Morningsong feeling anxious and confused. She didn't know what to name them, and she didn't want to give them any old name. Now, Rainkit had a symbolic name about Icefang's mother, so what could she possibly name the others?
"Well, don't worry about it. I didn't name these guys until two days after they were born. I saw some minnows in the pond and was reminded of Minnowsnout, do you remember him? And Dove is my favorite prey." Her kits have symbolic names too. Even Morningsong had a symbolic name, she was named after her mother's favorite flower. What if I give them the wrong name?
"Perhaps, but I should name them now," she replied. With that being said, glanced down at the three nameless kits. Maybe pelt colors?
Rainkit was silver and had a grey tipped tail, almost looking identical to Morningsong herself, and her other two kits had Icefang's pelt colors, except her eldest daughter had dark patches on her muzzle. Her son was white and grey, like her mother. I want to name them of something that reminds me of the river, but how can I make it have meaning?
"Anything you name them will be perfect," Icefang added. That didn't make her feel any better.
"W-well," she started. She stared at her eldest kit and tried to think of something important. "I remember back in the old territory, there was a stream that we would play with, only the apprentices would go. That's where I caught my first fish!" Morningsong purred as the memories of when she was an apprentice started flowing in. "Then I'll name you Streamkit." We had so much fun at that stream. So many of her clanmates were no longer with them, but Morningsong felt a rush of pride at these memories.
"Do you remember the journey to this territory?" Icefang asked.
"Yeah?" How could I not remember the journey? It wasn't too long since we've made a home here. She tilted her head with a sigh. So many of those cats have joined StarClan.
"Do you remember going through the marsh, when Pricklenose and Hollowpaw got stuck in the reeds?" It took her a moment to think about it before breaking out into a laugh. "How he came out with a huge lily that practically covered his body."
"He was so mad!" Thought of the grumpy warrior shaking the giant lily off was enough to lift Morningsong's spirits. I know! "I'll name you Lilykit." She nudged the second youngest kit closer to her belly.
"That's beautiful." Icefang nuzzled into her side. "Streamkit, Lilykit, and Rainkit; they're perfect names."
"And Mosskit." Morningsong glanced at her son, thinking about how soft and pretty the moss looked on Leopardstar's den.
"Mosskit?" Icefang tilted his head. "You're naming him?" Morningsong nodded.
She had heard that StarClan names dead kits, but she didn't want them to name her kits. StarClan may have taken him, but Morningsong wasn't going to let them name her only son. "I-It's beautiful, Morningsong."
She smiled warmly at her kits, then leaned into Icefang's side with a sigh. "Finally, we have our perfect kits."
Morningsong rested her head next to her kits, suddenly feeling exhausted. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, but she could have sworn she saw two cats leaving the nursery, one was large while the other was small.
Goodbye Mosskit. The tiny kit turned around as if he heard her but swiftly turned to follow the larger cat. I will always remember you and will always wish you were here. With those final thoughts, Morningsong closed her eyes, allowing herself to sleep.