The Truth

Find out the truth about Firestar's family

The white picket fence sat diving the forest from the Twoleg place. Above, Silverpelt twinkled with the fallen warriors of the Clans. If you listened closely, their voices seemed to whisper secrets. As the wind picked up, and the night began to grow colder, two bright green eyes blinked through the underbrush. Out from the bushes appeared a lithe ginger tom. He held a torn collar in his jaws, and dropped it onto the muddy ground just in front of him, between the fence and his paws. "This is not my life…" He sighed to no one in particular. He lifted his chin to the moon and tears began to trickle down his orange cheeks. The pain of leaving his long-time twoleg nest was harsh, but he knew what he had to do. That life wasn't for him, not anymore.

"Jake…?" The tom heard a soft mew from behind him and whirled around with hackles raised. Standing in the forest behind him was a stunning young she-cat. Her light brown pelt shone silver in the moonlight, and her white paws were stained with mud. Jake studied her for a second, and noticing her kitty-pet collar, he sheathed his claws. Her blue eyes sparkled like diamonds, and mesmerized him.

"Do I know you…?" He asked politely, taking a cautious step forward. Jake could scent milk. This she-cat at recently kitted, and the kits were close by. A cold rush of air blew towards him, and he could make out, unmistakably, the six kits. Four males and two females.

The she-cat's eyes grew wide and sad, and then, blinking back tears, she turned her head away. "I wouldn't expect you to remember me…" She meowed. The sad look on her face nearly broke Jake's heart. Who was this cat? Another breeze carried her scent to him. Then he knew.

"Nutmeg! No, I do remember you," He purred as he proceeded forward to nuzzle her, "I just haven't seen you for some time!" Before his muzzle could touch her cheek, she hissed and pulled away. The new mother scoffed at him and glared with angry eyes.

"You left me," She growled, "And now I have your kits."

What! Jake couldn't help but think to himself. Jake had made a mate out of Nutmeg only moons ago, and here she is, standing in front of him with her beauty, telling him that he has more kits. After he left Nutmeg, he found another mate in quite a few other she-cats. He had watched all his other kit's grow from afar, never really seeing them again after their kitting, though he did stalk them from the shadows of the trees just to see how they were holding up.

Interrupting his silent mulling, a tiny ginger tom-kit came bundling out of the shadows in a tussle of fur and tiny claws with his brother. The other kit was a white tom with black spots here and there.

"Rusty, Barley, you two stop!" Nutmeg urged as the larger of the two, the black and white one, sat up and gazed at Jake. His eyes were silver with a hint of orange, and they shone curiously. The ginger tom, who Jake was assuming was Rusty, looked from Nutmeg to Jake, and back again. He was confused as to who this strange cat was, and why the two looked so much alike eachother.

Nutmeg's eyes softened as she looked behind her. "It's ok, kits," She purred lovingly, "Come out and meet your father."

Then he saw them. The two she-cats were the first to emerge. One a light orange tabby, and the other a light brown and white tabby, like her mother. The two other tom-kits trotted out afterward. They were both dark grey colors, and quite burly for kits their age.

"Jake, I'd like you to meet your kittens," Nutmeg said, lining them up. She gestured to the she-kits first. "This is Violet," She purred, twitching her tail to the light orange tabby, "And this is Princess." She gestured to the other she-kit. Then she moved to the twin toms. "And this," She said, licking the tops of their heads, "Is Jumper and Hoot."

Jumper snarled at his father. He was a bit larger then Hoot, and his fur was much shaggier. Hoot just glowered at Jake before stalking back behind his mother. Barley, the little black and white tom, walked forward and studied Jake.

"So you're our father?" He said in a high pitched mew. Jake felt his chest warm with pride. He nodded with a smile on his face, then turned his head back to Nutmeg.

"Darling, what are you going to do with this lot?" He asked in a hushed voice. Though he knew Nutmeg lived with loving Twolegs, he also knew that she wouldn't be able to keep her kits forever. Nutmeg shooed Barley, Violet, Rusty and Princess behind her to play in the hallowed out tree trunk that they had been hiding in.

"I don't know…" She began softly, scuffling her paws on the damp ground. Nutmeg had already temporarily left her Twoleg nest, only coming in when it rains. She had probably had her kits out in the forest, but even Jake knew that she wouldn't be able to care for them all out in the wild. And it wasn't her wish to return to her twolegs any time soon. Like with Jake, the forest beckoned to her. And Jake figured Nutmeg wouldn't want to let go of her kits. Because he knew her.

"I have to return home…" She sighed, nuzzling the tom. They sat silently together for a few moments, nothing but the sound of mewling kits surrounding them. And then, without another word, Nutmeg turned, and went to be with her kits in the tree, leaving her former mate in the darkness.