This is my fanfic about Cinderheart and Lionblaze's kits! This is after the Great Battle; StarClan vs. the Dark Forest, where Lionstar leads. There's a lot of…unexpected stuff happening in this story, but it won't be very long. It may just be a whole books worth of chapters. But anyways, read, and PLEASE REVIEW! Or else my army of flying monkeys will eat you….MWAHAHAH! Enjoy! =P btw I didn't make allegiances; I was too lazy.
Her shrieks of pain would forevermore echo off of the camp's stone walls, always in his mind. Nothing could erase the fact that their kits had caused her more pain than any she had ever had in her life.
The nursery was havoc. The other queens stood huddled in the corners, away from the queen in labor, and Jayfeather stood over her. His sightless blue eyes seemed confused, as he felt his way along the queen's stomach, helping the kits. Lionblaze could only watch and comfort his mate through her time of need.
As he settled down next to her, he noticed she was breathing very heavily. Her stony gray pelt was rising and falling rapidly, and the moss in front of her was already dry. "Cinderheart," he murmured to her, and she feebly looked up at him. Her blue eyes were clouded for pain. All he was able to do was lick her face before she cried out in more pain.
"Can't you give me some poppy seeds for the pain?" She exclaimed, her voice tightened as she struggled through the pain.
Jayfeather looked amused. "Only you would know, Cinderpelt." He murmured to himself, so not even Lionblaze could hear.
"What?" She said, picking her head up. Jayfeather just shook his head.
Jayfeather braced his paws, and meowed, "The first kit is coming now. Be ready, and start pushing." He instructed Cinderheart, and she nodded through all the pain.
After what seemed a moon's worth of pushing, the first kit plopped out onto the soft nursery bedding. Jayfeather started tending to it, but Lionblaze was too focused on Cinderheart to notice what his blind brother was doing. After a moment's worth of silence, Jayfeather said, "It's a dark brown tom."
How did he know? He's blind! Lionblaze mused to himself. Not wanting to find out, he just shook his head and barked out to a cat passing by. "Hey! Poppyfrost! Get us some water here for Cinderheart!" He called out to Poppyfrost, who was Cinderheart's sister.
Immediately she took off to Jayfeather's den.
The other kits sounded much less painful, since Cinderheart wasn't gasping in pain as bad as the first kit. In the end, Cinderheart ended up having four kits, three toms and one she-cat.
The she-cat was a light brown color, almost like her father, the other two toms looked nothing like her. The smallest of the litter was silver with darker silver stripes going down his back. The other tom was a pale white tom, almost pinkish looking.
The sun had set and the moon had rose by the time Cinderheart had settled down with Lionblaze and their kits. The two mates were taking turns licking each kit, while the other three played.
Suddenly Lionblaze froze. He pricked his ears, and noticed that the she-cat and the darker brown tom-both pressing their pelts up against each other-were frozen too. They were looking up to the sky.
In the distance, in the middle of the warm green-leaf night, they heard a pack of wolves, howling their odes to the moon and the night. The she-cat stood up suddenly, and, with her kind blue eyes locked up onto the moon, sat back down, threw her head back, and pretended to howl like a wolf, except no sound came out. The darker brown tom went on all fours, crouched, chook his tail high in the air, and threw his head back and yowled too. Then, he jumped on top of his sister.
The she-cat let out a squeak of shock, then started wrestling with her brother. Cinderheart and Lionblaze watched, their eyes locked onto their amusing and adorable kits. Then an idea popped up into Lionblaze's mind.
"Why don't we name the she-cat Howlkit? And the tom Wolfkit?" Lionblaze suggested. Cinderheart nodded her approval.
"And, the silver tom with the darker stripes could be Streakkit, since he's streaked." Cinderheart said, and her mate agreed. Only the pale tom was left.
Before the pair could respond, Jayfeather can a great idea for a name. "Name the other tom Lightkit!" He told them, and they murmured that it was great. Before Jayfeather left the den, he noticed the kit he named, Lightkit. Lightkit wasn't squirming against his mother; instead, he was sitting, just staring. Jayfeather felt that he would become a good warrior.
The pale morning light seeped into the nursery, shrouding all the queens and kits in the sunlight of the morning. Two moons had passed since the birth of Cinderheart's litter of four; the whole clan was thriving in the newborn peace. Lionblaze was really enjoying everyday; watching the clan get up every morning, do patrols and hunt, and see normal clan life unfold. There were no arguments or skirmishes from the other clans, at least, not that Lionblaze knew of. The clan was doing great, leaf-bare really wasn't that harsh. It was mid-green-leaf, the trees and all the foliage turning green. Jayfeather still didn't have an apprentice, since he was still young. But, in truth, only Lionblaze knew the real reason. His brother didn't want an apprentice, because it reminded him that he may be getting old. That was Jayfeather's one fear and weakness-his horrible fear of getting old.
Lionblaze was now lying on the rocks in the camp; sunning himself. He saw familiar tabby fur go by him through the tiny slit between his eyelids, Bramblestar. Yes, Bramblestar. The tabby had lived the Great Battle, and received his nine lives after Firestar. He was a great leader; after one cycle of seasons since the Great Battle, the clan was doing great. Lionblaze reflected the cat who made the great choice to make Bramblestar his deputy.
Firestar was a great leader, his legacy would last probably forever, living on in the tales of the elders. Speaking of elders, that's hat the former leader was. Firestar had surrendered his name to StarClan, and stepped down to become an elder, to be known as Fireheart. Along with him stepped down the four senior warriors; Sandstorm, his beloved mate, Graystripe, his best friend, and Dustpelt, the loyal warrior.
And when the time came for Brambleclaw to pick his deputy, he shocked Lionblaze by his choice. Bramblestar had picked him, Lionblaze. The cat whom he thought was to be his son, and was proud to have raised him believing so, even though he was not. There was no favoritism in Bramblestar's choice; he truly knew that Lionblaze would make a great deputy.
And Lionblaze strived to do so. With a part of the clan gone from the Great Battle, there was much filling in these cats hearts to do. Lionblaze recalled the fallen cats in his head.
Thornclaw had betrayed his clan and went to the Dark Forest, Tigerstar had found Thornclaw's thoughts that Firestar should be overthrown, that the clans had grown out of touch. That had caused his death.
Ferncloud too; the ThunderClan queen had been silenced by a RiverClan warrior during a raid on the camp. Dustpelt was lost for a moon, his mate gone.
Blossomfall, the pretty she-cat, had also been killed. Lionblaze always felt a true pang of sadness when he remembered her; she was a great cat, and pretty too. He recalled who killed her, and dug her claws into the stone below him.
Breezepelt had always been under the mentoring and influence of the Dark Forest. He had murdered Blossomfall, and Lionblaze recalled the terror in her eyes when he had. Lionblaze regretted that; he wished he had acted sooner upon Breezepelt. After the WindClan tom had killed her, Lionblaze had launched himself at Breezepelt. Together they had writhed in a swirling mass, but, Lionblaze got the better of him. He had killed his half-brother. Just like Brambleclaw.
Daisy had gone too; but instead of being killed in battle, she died protecting the kits of ThunderClan. She would be forever remembered in StarClan.
The youthful black and brown tom, Spiderleg, had also died. Lionblaze was sad about that as well; the young tom had promise for his clan, but his life was cut short by a Dark Forest cat.
Even though the thought was harsh, Lionblaze was surprised that Ivypool had lived also. Dovewing's sister had betrayed her clan, leading them into a fatal battle, and was in alliance with the Dark Forest, along with Breezepelt and Tigerheart. Her heart had been twisted by the shadows from Tigerstar and Hawkfrost, exposed to evil, and became a part of it. But, during the battle, she had put up to fight her own sister, but Hawkfrost, to prove her loyalty to the Dark Forest. Dovewing had a true look of sorrow in her eyes, and, as much as Ivypool most of the time hated her sister, she let her go. Ivypool turned onto Tigerstar and Hawkfrost, sending them away. Thus, she embraced StarClan, and was accepted back into the clans. But not lightly. Although Ivypool was still in the clans, her past would never be forgotten. The spilled blood she caused should and will forever haunt her, every night of the rest of her night. It is only up to StarClan to decide whether she belongs in StarClan or the Dark Forest. Ivypool had done all that she could to redeem herself, judgment is up to the stars.
And, although he was not of ThunderClan, his life will be forever remembered by ThunderClan. WindClan honored him as well. Lionblaze's father's death was especially sad; he had died after the wounds had been given, with his family by his side. Lionblaze recalled the scene in his mind…
They were in a part of the lake excluded from the inner part, somewhere by the Moonpool. Leafpool, with the help of Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt, had dragged Crowfeather to it, away from the fighting. With him was Leafpool, Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt, Stormfur, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf. Lionblaze could sense that there was a presence of a StarClan cat there as well.
Crowfeather had claw marks all down his pelt, stretching across his belly. He was all bloodied, his smoky gray-almost black-pelt was stained with dark red. Leafpool was crouching over him, her face twisted in the agony over her broken heart. She kept murmuring his name. Almost everyone was bearing marks of the battle-it was a horrible one. Only Lionblaze didn't yet have his own blood shed, for use of his power.
Everyone here had their presence requested by Crowfeather himself. In the heat of the battle, Squirrelflight had run up to the three, and told them to follow her, sadness in her eyes. They obliged, only to find their dying father. And they brought him here.
And, right in front of him, was his dying father. Lionblaze felt something tweak in his heart: even though he hadn't known until recently that this cat was his father, he still had feelings for him. After all, it was his one and only father. And, to see your father dying before you, it drew out emotions Lionblaze never thought he had for the smoky WindClan tom.
Beside him, Hollyleaf was lying on the ground, her nose buried in Crowfeather's fur. She made the occasional whimper, her eyes clouded with sorrow. Jayfeather's blind eyes seemed distant, but still covered with shock. His father dying. Brambleclaw looked really sad too, his eyes also covered in what may be tears. He was about to lose a cat he didn't really get along with, but a cat he had journeyed with, a cat he had saved the clans with, and a cat who, together, they raised what could have been called both of their kits.
Squirrelflight seemed equally flabbergasted as Brambleclaw. Her jaws were down, her eyes filled with only pain and memories as she looked upon her dying friend. She was leaning upon Brambleclaw's tabby shoulder. Stormfur wasn't in such pain as Squirrelflight or Brambleclaw, but he seemed still filled with grief. Occasionally Stormfur licked Squirrelflight's ear to comfort her, but his gaze was still fixated upon the dying warrior.
Leafpool was the one who was most affected by it. She was silent a lot, her pelt pressed up against her mate's. Her grief was so much that even Lionblaze could sense it, not just Jayfeather.
Then, even though he was weary and dying, Crowfeather spoke. "Thank you all." He croaked at first.
"Thank you, you all are here because you each affected my lives somehow. You were a big part of it, and the ones I will miss when I am… gone." He seemed to choke on the last word. "Leafpool." Murmured the tom, turning his gaze to the light tabby. "You were not my first love, nor do I wish you were. To-to be honest, I had always favored Feathertail over you, and it pains me to tell you…" His voice broke off, but Leafpool's eyes were full of only comfort and understanding. "And I am also proud of the kits we have, proud to call myself their father." He focused on the three, and they shifted their paws to the awkwardness.
"Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, Jayfeather. You know I am your father, I can only imagine how horrified you were to find out. But I have always been proud to call you my kits, my only kits. Breezepelt is nothing to me, just a mistake. No, he is not my son. I disowned him the moment he chose the Dark Forest, the evil. And Nightcloud, I have no feelings for her. I only took her as a mate to prove my loyalty to WindClan, so they may once again trust me after running away with you. This is my true family. I have always loved them, not Breezepelt and Nightcloud." Crowfeather's eyes were filled with sorrow and regret; Lionblaze felt a stab of pity for his father. Being the only apprentice on a dangerous quest, having no friends on it, but falling in love with the RiverClan cat, and then, she died before him. Then falling in love with Leafpool, and the pain of betraying his clan once more. The pain of leaving her. And, the pain of having to watch Breezepelt grow up, knowing he was a mistake, and having to be with Nightcloud. And figuring out that the three ThunderClan cats are his, once again exposing his betrayal to his clan, and thus showing Breezepelt to the darkness. And the pain of having to ignore Leafpool, even though she had begged for forgiveness when he first found out.
"Breezepelt was always a mistake in my mind, I should have never mated with Nightcloud. But what choice did I have? I needed to show my clan I was loyal. But, now I see. If I had been born in ThunderClan or RiverClan, everything would've been different. Maybe even in ShadowClan. But, I have brought a monster upon the clans, named Breezepelt. He is tearing apart the clans with his hatred and alliance with the Dark Forest, and it is my fault. It is all my fault. I fell in love with Leafpool, had to deny her, then had to prove myself worthy and mate with Nightcloud. And gave the clans this monster, Breezepelt." Crowfeather shuddered, horrified with himself.
Leafpool looked horrified at him. "That's not true!" She told him. "You also gave the clans these three blessings; Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze! Without them, we would be hopeless. You know it." Her voice was high pitch as she tried to persuade him. He believed her.
"Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, Stormfur.." croaked the dying tom, and the three he called stood a little bit taller. "It was an honor to travel with you. Especially as an apprentice. The journey was worth the pain, even though it was a lot of pain. But, the pride of saving the clans was what kept me going. I do believe I had a good life, yet I have some regrets." Crowfeather's voice started getting softer, with less breath in it. Leafpool licked his face one last time.
"Feathertail, I missed you…" His voice wasn't the hoarse mew they just heard; instead, it was as sweet as honey. His eyes seemed distant, and then his blue eyes closed forevermore.
Leafpool let out a yowl of grief. Everyone else was silent.
Far above, a crow cawed, and flew away overheard, across the moon and stars, into the sky.