It's been four long years, but I finally got around to working on this sequel to IWAB!
Firestar and Longtail sat, tails entwined, as they watched four young kits play together. All four were healthy and growing well, though the white kit with gray splotches was still very small. The two mates were still very thankful to Ferncloud and Brightheart, who took the kits in to nurse without question when they brought them back from Princess' yard at couple of sunrises old.
The smallest kit slipped out of the mess of his playing siblings and sat off to the side, his siblings not even noticing he left. The small kit watched them continue to rough house.
Longtail got up and padded over to his son, worried, and Firestar followed at his tail. "Swiftkit, why did you stop playing with your siblings?" he asked gently.
"Bluekit, Flamekit, and Stormkit were getting rough and I didn't like it," the kit mewed.
Longtail shared a look with his mate, a silent message sent between them that they would have to tell the other kits not to play so rough with Swiftkit.
"Well, if you don't want to play how about a story?" Firestar asked.
Swiftkit's eyes lit up, he loved stories and would frequently visit the elders to be told one.
The other three kits paused in their play at the word 'story,' for they too held a great love for stories like their brother. They came tumbling over each other to their fathers and brother.
"A story?" Flamekit meowed as he plopped down next to Swiftkit.
"I'd love to hear one," Stormkit said as he settled down by Longtail.
"Only if it's a story about a battle," Bluekit mewed as she sat next to Firestar.
Firestar let out a mrrow of laughter at the kits, only they would stop whatever they were doing for a story. "Swiftkit should decide what story should be told as he was the one that didn't want to play anymore."
Swiftkit looked nervous at being put on the spot, but manage a small mew, "What about when you two first met?"
"Yeah! We haven't been told that one yet. Good suggestion, Swiftkit," Flamekit meowed, a soft purr in his voice.
The other tow kits agreed that they too wanted to know the story.
"Well it all started some time ago when I came to join ThunderClan. I had been a kittypet named Rusty," Firestar began.
"You were a kittypet?" Bluekit exclaimed, her blue eyes wide with shock.
"Of course he was a kittypet, Bluekit. Our birth mother is his sister and she doesn't live in the Clan," Stormkit said matter of factly.
Bluekit moved to pounce on her brother, but Firestar's paw came down on her tail, preventing that.
"Rusty," Flamekit murmured to himself, trying out the foreign name.
"Yes, Firestar was born a kittypet and when he was brought to camp after accepting Bluestar's offer to join ThunderClan, many cats didn't want him to join, including myself at the time. You have to understand that at the time most of us were raised to hate kittypets and all other outsiders. So I challenged him to a fight and he was up for the challenge," Longtail said, taking over telling the story.
"You two hated each other?" Flamekit mewed in surprise. "But then how did you two come to love each other?"
Swiftkit was staring at Longtail, specifically his torn ear. "Is that when you got your ear torn? You've told us about how you had gotten most of your scars, but not that one."
"Yes, Swiftkit, that was the fight that resulted in my ear getting torn," Longtail meowed. "And how we fell in love is a story for another day, Flamekit."
"Can we get back to the story?" Bluekit groaned. "I want to hear about the fight."
Firestar gave a purr of amusement. "We're getting there, Bluekit, calm yourself."
"Firestar and I fought and during the course of the fight, Firestar's kittypet collar broke, ending the fight. It was StarClan signaling that Firestar had cut off his kittypet roots and was free to join ThunderClan," Longtail continued.
"Then did you fall in love?" Flamekit pressed.
"No," Longtail meowed. "I was bitter about fight for quite a while afterwards. And I told you that is a story for another day."
The small white and gray kit yawned which set his siblings' own yawns off.
"I think it's time for a nap, little ones," Firestar announced.
"No! I want to play some more!" Bluekit exclaimed, hopping to her paws.
"You always want to play," Stormkit complained. He yawned again and blinked his eyes sleepily, "a nap does sound good."
"Come along kits, back to the nursery," Longtail called, getting to his paws and starting toward the entrance of the nursery. The kits followed their father, the blue-gray she-kit more reluctantly than her brothers.
Firestar watched them go, purring to himself. This was family he had always imagined and he wouldn't have it any other way.
This is the lighthearted sequel, I'm working on a more serious sequel that follows the kits as apprentices. For that I'm working on filling out the allegiances for the other three Clans. You can enter a character by PMing me a description and what Clan you wish them to belong to.