After a litter of six was born to the Clan leader, WindClan were joyous. Their mother and leader, Lightstar, chose names for them. The eldest, the spitting image of his father; the clan Deputy, received the name of Mallowkit; followed by the second eldest, a leopard print she-kit, who was named Moorkit. No sooner were they clean, than they were suckling.
The two middle kits breathing was laboured, but they suckled. However; the youngest two, a dark brown tabby kit and a pure white kit, both she-kits, refused to move or suckle. They lay side by side, pelts touching, tails curled around their tiny bodies.
They were assumed dead upon birth by Lightstar, who yowled in grief. However, when their medicine cat, Eagleleaf, checked them over, she declared 'without a shadow of a doubt' that the kits were alive and well. Lightstar was so overjoyed; she licked the medicine cat with such vigour clumps of fur were falling out.
Two sunrises later, the two kits in the middle of the litter died. Eagleleaf knew it was to be, but did not divulge the information, as a queen is very sensitive that anything may be wrong with her kits. The other two kits, Mallowkit and Moorkit, had opened their eyes the sunrise after their birth. Skykit and Dawnkit still had not, however, it was "not a sign of weakness," their medicine cat soothingly purred.
When the two finally did open their eyes it was a great surprise as to what lay within. Lightstar's comforting brown eyes met passionate green orbs in Dawnkit, and a piercing electric blue gaze from Skykit.
"This… can't be…" breathed Lightstar. She licked each kit on the head, and asked Shrewspring, a heavily pregnant queen, to keep an eye on them. She headed off to the medicine cat's den. She needed some answers.
"Eagleleaf. Eagleleaf, where are you?" the leader meowed. "Coming," Eagleleaf mewed, and reversed out from under a crevice in her den. Her face was covered in soil. She shook her fur, and licked her face clean with her paw. "What do you need, Lightstar?" she asked quizzically. "Is there something wrong with the kits?" Worry clouded her face.
"Yes… and no. You have to see for yourself. No, you won't need any herbs," Lightstar meowed, placing a paw over her chest as she moved to her herb storage. "You just need to see something."
They both pushed through the gorse; Lightstar sat down, licking and nibbling her tail anxiously. Eagleleaf did not move for several seconds. "Is what I thought, is it… true?" the leader asked uneasily.
"…I'm sorry, Lightstar. Yes, it is."