Thorn among the Roses
Chapter 1: Birth of a Legend
The full moon. A sign of great blessing for MoonClan. The night where the Moon Flowers bloomed to bask in the silver moonlight.
Flutter, a light golden tabby she-cat sat at the edge of the nursery. Staring up at the cloudless night sky. Warriors of MoonClan were still abundant in the clearing. Large ruins of an ancient structure made up the MoonClan camp. With trees growing out of large, stone hollow dens, roots and moss growing on the ancient looking homes.
The warriors who remained were too apprehensive to go to sleep. Waiting for their Clan mates to return from the Gathering. Yet in MoonClan hardly any cat slept when a full moon shone.
But tonight was special, Flutter could feel it. Tonight a fellow Queen was kitting. Kits on a full moon, were a great blessing. They are said to hold great meaning and beauty.
That was why no one really slept, they wanted to see if the rumours were really true.
Of course Flutter wasn't a Clan name. Flutter wasn't Clan born, so she didn't know what she really believed. Kits were kits to her, all the same, with as much care, potential and love as any other kit. They all needed the same things yet some more than others. She understood this.
Flutter wasn't a Warrior, a Medicine Cat or even an Apprentice. She was a permanent Queen. She was a Kittypet once, then a Rouge when her House-folk died. She came to MoonClan territory carrying kits and was helped by the permeant Queen Dapplecloud.
Flutter remembered how Dapplecloud heard her cry when the kitting began and waved down a patrol to carry back the kits. And because Flutter had kits with her and that was an attractive young she-cat, she was allowed to stay. MoonClan had a thing for beauty.
Dapplecloud died six moons ago from problems during kitting. This effected Flutter very much. Dapplecloud was her greatest friend and she only knew her for no more than a couple of moons. Two of Dapplecloud's kits died with her. But the third had survived.
Flutter cared for Dawnkit along with her own kits, Sootkit, Bluekit and Dewkit. They were all Apprentices now. Flutter smiled to herself at the thought for her growing kits, and what a good life they are making for themselves in MoonClan.
MoonClan had a rather strange obsession over beauty. Every cat born to MoonClan was beautiful. Flutter was mostly aloud to stay because if her own beauty.
An old nursery tail of MoonClan is about the first leader, Moon. She was a fair, firm and very forgiving leader. Until she became obsessed with a certain flower that only grows in MoonClan territory. The Moon Flower. A flower that only blooms with the full moon.
But Flutter figured that she would save the story for the kits when they were born. They will be born on a full moon after all.
"Okay Shimmerheart," said a clam voice from within the nursery, "you're doing great, not long now. I can see the first one." Flutter tore her amber eyes away from the silver moon and rushed into the nursery, pushing the brambles aside so the moonlight could shine in and calm her fellow Queen.
Two she-cats were silhouetted by the moonlight. One was a pure white, with calm, reassuring blue eyes. The other she-cat was lying in a nest of messy moss. She had a light grey pelt with spots of white and silver that shone in the moonlight.
Flutter knelt beside Shimmerheart as the she-cat winced in pain. "Your beautiful kits are nearly here Shimmerheart," she reassured, placing a golden paw on the Queens shining pelt. Shimmerheart replied with a pain filled cry, biting down hard on the stick in her mouth. Worry instantly hit Flutter. This couldn't be a repeat of Dapplecloud, cloud it?
Yet before she was allowed to panic even more the pure white Medicine Cat, Featherbreeze, called her; "Flutter, the first kit is nearly here, I need you to lick it when I give it to you okay?" Featherbreeze asked in a calm voice. Flutter could only nod. She knew what to do.
She had kitted herself no more than eight moons ago, and had helped in Dapplecloud, Finchwing and Laurelstep's kittings. Yet it seemed to never get any easier. She didn't know how Featherbreeze could be so calm. She didn't look too much older than Flutter was.
A shriek and the sound of teeth grinding against wood broke Flutter from her thoughts. She saw Featherbreeze help a little, sleek silver-grey and white bundle slide into the nest. Featherbreeze picked it up instantly and passed it to Flutter, who didn't need instructions yet Featherbreeze gave her some anyway. "Lick the kit quickly," she commanded, before returning to the still kitting Queen's side.
Flutter instantly started to lick the kit the wrong way fiercely. It didn't take to many licks until the small bundle of fur started to stir and mew for its mother. A little she-cat. Flutter thought to herself and smiled down at her. The moonlight made the light grey, silvery, white bundle of fluff shine just like her mother's did. What a beautiful kit.
Another shriek rose from the kitting Queens mouth causing Flutter to remember her job and began to shelter the newborn kit. "Just one more kit Shimmerheart," Featherbreeze remarked. Just before Shimmerheart let out loud, pain filled, blood curling wail. As she bit down on the stick, breaking it in two. Before the last tiny bundle slid into the mossy nest.
Flutter snatched the kit up instantly and began to lick it just as fiercely as she did with the kits older sister. As Featherbreeze checked Shimmerheart over. She was breathing rapidly and shakily. Yet she was breathing. Flutter used her body to shield the squirming little kit beside her, as she licked the youngest kit. She allowed herself to sigh into her licks. It was all over. Everyone had survived this time.
Yet her calibrations where short lived. It didn't take long for Flutter to realise that the tiny kit she was licking wasn't responding atoll. Panic rose in her heart. No. This can't happen again!
"Featherbreeze!" Flutter shrieked to the Medicine Cat not caring how scared she sounded. The white she-cat was at her side instantly snatching the kit form her and began to check it. "It's not breathing," stated Featherbreeze a little too calmly in Flutter's opinion. Featherbreeze began to lick the kit so fiercely Flutter feared she might suffocate it, if it did begin breathing again.
Flutter's instinct told her to jump to the kits side and lick it to but she knew she couldn't leave the eldest kit alone. So despite what her gut and heart told her to do she stayed where she was, prying to StarClan that the kit would come back to them. Yet the kit still didn't stir.
Just as Flutter's mind couldn't get any more panicked, Shimmerheart let out a painfilled wail and began to thrash about. Featherbreeze stopped licking the kit and for a moment panic could he seen clearly in her light blue eyes. Before she bounded to Shimmerheart's side.
"Flutter, lick the kit!" Featherbreeze commanded "and lick it fiercely." Flutter knew she shouldn't leave the eldest kit but she would have to trust it can survive on its own for the time being. Featherbreeze began to force Poppyseed's into Shimmetheart's mouth to stop the pain that was causing her to act like this.
Yet it was up to Flutter to save this kit. She gritted her teeth and instantly bounded over to the kit and began to lick just as swift as she saw Featherbreeze do. She could hear the eldest kit wail and cry at the loss of heat yet she ignored it and focused on saving the youngest kit.
She licked till her jaw ached and her tongue was swollen yet still the kit didn't stir. The Poppy seeds that were forced into Shimmerheart's system by Featherbreeze, had taken effect not too long ago. Shimmerheart was now sleeping soundly. Featherbreeze had gone to fetch the eldest kit once her mother had calmed down and had placed the small light silver-grey and white kit by her mother's belly. She was now drinking milk from her knocked out mother and purring calmly.
Featherbreeze made her way over to Flutter. Yet Flutter refused to give up on the kit. This one wouldn't die!
Flutter felt a soft, white tail wrap around her yet tuck no notice of it. "Flutter stop," Featherbreeze commanded softly "it's over, the kit is with StarClan now." Flutter scowled deeply yet didn't slow down her licking no matter how much her jaw throbbed and tongue swelled.
She could barely hear Featherbreeze taking to her. "Flutter are you listening?" She asked "the kits gone there's nothing you can do for it now. She has gone to StarClan." Flutter found herself wanting to wail, the kit couldn't be dead. Not another kit dead!
Featherbreeze began to grunt and pull her away. Flutter yowled as she was forcefully pulled away from the kit and tried to grab her. Yet she just missed. She scrapped her paws across the floor as she was dropped on ground by Featherbreeze. "Flutter she's dead. A still born, there's nothing any of us, not even StarClan can do," Featherbreeze stated.
"I can't give up!" Yelled Flutter as she lunged for the still kit again. Yet was held back by the Medicine Cat's jaws and thrown back.
Flutter landed on her side on the other side of the cave. All her hope came crashing down with her.
Another one gone!
Another one dead!
"I'm sorry," Featherbreeze sighed heavily. "I tried Featherbreeze," Flutter chocked "I tried." Flutter let out a shaky wail, "why her life?" Flutter asked her whole body turning numb. "Yes, why her life?" Featherbreeze asked sitting beside Flutter and wrapped her tail around the younger she-cat.
All spirits, all hope was instantly lost from the nursery.
That was until a small stair caught their eye. And a sound of mewling caught the she-cat's ears and life was returned back to normal.