Another sickening shriek cut through the air like a blade, sounding above even the loud crackle of thunder and drops of rain as it hailed down on the clearing, turning the sand under the grass to mud. The harsh winds shook the dens and sparsely growing trees as it carried throughout camp, ruffling the fur of the clan members. "Is she going to be alright?!" A strongly built, dark grey tom with blue eyes growled, his voice concerned and angry at the same time.
"I'm doing the best I can." A medium-haired light gray she-cat with blue eyes meowed urgently to the leader, her father, as she paced outside the nursery, blocking others from getting in while her mentor was dealing with the queen. "Father, she's going to be fine, she's giving birth, that's what happens. You'll see, we'll have our heir soon enough."
These words didn't sooth the leaders temper, he needed to know that his mate was okay and he desperately wondered if he was going to have a tom like he needed. "She'd better be!" The leader snapped, it was all he could really say to his wise daughter, she was perfect and would make the best medicine cat, now they just needed the perfect male to become the next leader.
After a long wait that seemed like hours, it very well might have been, an auburn colored tom popped out of the den, he had emerald green eyes. "Is she alright?" The leader ran up to the medicine cat, needing to know after the shrieks and then deathly silence that his mate was alright.
"Ebonyfang!" the medicine cat ignored his leader and bounded over to the queen who sat huddled beside her kit. The she-cat was a light ginger color with misty green eyes and her kit was a tom with a pelt of the brightest almost crimson ginger and blue eyes. "You're needed, come with me." The medicine cat continued and bounded back into the nursery. Ebonyfang followed with her kit hanging from her jaws, wide eyed and curious.
The leader let out a hiss. "Let me in!" He growled to a strong built brown tabby with black stripes and a white she-cat that was dappled with light brown patches. "Rustletail, Muddapple; let me through!" The leader snarled, first turning to the tom, Rustletail, then to the she-cat, Muddapple. Both warriors held their ground in turn, keeping their eyes on the leader intently, they were ready for him to try and push through.
Nonetheless, the headstrong tom ran at the two cats who simply pushed him away with a great heave, their strength combined outweighing the leaders. "I'm sorry Hollowstar" Rustletail began. "but we can't let you through, let the medicine cat do his work."
Muddapple nodded in agreement. "Attacking us will only make matters worse." she meowed, sympathy layering her tone though her emerald green eyes were narrowed with determination. While she respected the leader this was one thing she couldn't allow, the medicine cat couldn't have a cat breathing down his back, he needed to concentrate.
"It'll be alright." Hollowstar looked down at hearing the small meow and nodded at the medicine cat apprentice.
"I hope so Softpaw." He murmured uneasily to his daughter, staring at the outside of the nursery walls with desperation as he waited to be able to see his mate again. The unease was killing him, was she alright? Was their kit alright? Finally after another few painfully slow minutes, or hours, Hollowstar didn't really know how long it had been, Firebramble padded out of the nursery.
"One kit!" He announced. "A tom!" He meowed loudly. This caused the clan to cheer, they had their new leader at last.
"And how's Glistenspark?" A golden dark brown, mottled she-cat with icy blue eyes who Hollowstar recognized as Heathershade piped up, her voice celebratory and happy as she heard the news about the kit.
Firebramble didn't even have to say it, the grief-stricken look in his eyes said it all. Nonetheless he raised his voice and meowed. "Glistenspark is dead."
"What?" One cat, a ginger tom with darker ginger stripes and brown eyes meowed breathlessly, this tom was Rippleblaze.
"But she was perfectly healthy!" Sharprose, a black she-cat with icy blue eyes and a cream underside, neck, and hind paws yowled, her tone filled to the brim with confusion and grief.
Stunfur, a ragged brown tom with brown eyes, and a white muzzle and underside let out a yowl that struck silence through the camp. "It's a bad omen!" After a few moments of the storm being the only sound cats began to talk amongst themselves. "We have to kill it!" Stunfur growled, his fur bristled. It caused other cats to nod and bristle, murmuring his words as they began to head to the nursery.
Hollowstar let out a loud yowl. "Nobody will touch him!" The grief-stricken leader snarled and ran into the nursery. Rustletail and Muddapple letting him pass now that it was over. Not believing it until he saw it Hollowstar stared at Glistenspark who was laying in her nest, cold and stiff. The leader buried his nose into her and let out a loud whine before a thought struck him. Where was his kit? Whipping his head around Hollowstar spotted a small blue bundle laying at Ebonyfangs belly, next to Flamekit.
"Is-is that him?" The leader whined, glancing back at his mate. Ebonyfang nodded and glanced down at the small blue tom. Hollowstar took this into account and glanced back at his mate, turning and dragging her out into the clearing where he lay next to her, his fur slicked back by the never-ending torrent of rain. When Jaggedpaw, a strongly built blue tom with dark blue eyes began to pad up to his aunt Hollowstar jumped up and snarled at him, causing the apprentice to back up, eyes wide with bewilderment. The leader did the same to all of his clanmates, snarling and chasing them away from his mate if they dared come close, he wasn't going to let them touch her. The only cat he allowed to come over was Softpaw, he let her nuzzle her mom lovingly, her eyes glazed with grief as she sat vigil, nose pressed to Glistensparks side.

Dawn came and went, Hollowstar watched the elders carry his mate out of camp and come back in at sunhigh with no body, Glistenspark was buried. The camp was damp and muddy after the night of rain and the new leaf sun beat down on the camp, warming it slightly though cats still had to wad through the thick mud. Softpaw padded up to the leader, dipping her head respectfully before speaking. "Come with me!" She meowed. "You still need to name him!" Hollowstar sighed and let himself be dragged to the nursery where he soon stood over Ebonyfang, Flamekit, and his kit who lay unnamed, its eyes still closed.
"What are you going to name it?" Flamekit squeaked excitedly, looking from the small blue bundle to Hollowstar and back.
"Bluekit." Hollowstar meowed bluntly and turned, beginning to head back out.
"What? You're not even going to give it any thought?" Ebonyfang asked, her gaze holding a concerned look.
"Why should I?" Hollowstar asked bluntly. "It's a bad omen, I shouldn't waste my time on it." And with that the leader left the nursery, not even looking back.