Prologue
There was a rustle in the bushes, slight, but there. Had he not been paying attention, Darktail may have even missed it. But as soon as he heard it, Darktail spun around, his fur on end and his fangs bared. The bush rustled again, but this time something, no, someone emerged from them. Darktail let out a deep breath.
"Wishfur, you scared me," He stood still, allowing his fur to lie flat again. "Had it not been you, I probably would have attacked."
A beautiful silver tabby she-cat with a fluffy tail chuckled.
"How typical of you, Darktail." She meowed in her rich, smooth voice. Darktail moved closer to Wishfur, wrapping his tail around her.
He stared into her liquid blue eyes. She stared into his obsidian black eyes.
"Is this…" He began. "Is this what you want, Wishfur?"
She nodded and beamed. Darktail smiled and moved even closer to her.
"Your wish is my command."
Two moons later
"Hey Darktail!" A cheery meow sounded from behind the gray cat. He cursed under his breath. The tom managed a smile and turned around to face his leader.
"Yes, Clearstar?" He looked at the fluffy white she-cat.
"Could you possibly grab a few cats for a hunting patrol?" Then she glanced over at a few of the playing apprentices. "Take Rowanpaw and Inkpaw, will you? I can tell they've got a thing for each other." She winked and started giggling.
Darktail nodded as Clearstar turned around.
"I hope we'll have enough prey to last us this leaf-bare," She muttered, walking off. "StarClan knows we need it."
Darktail looked at the two 'paws Clearstar had mentioned. The two definitely looked adorable with one another.
He smiled and thought of a certain ThunderClan cat.
"Rowanpaw!" He called to the dark ginger tom. "You and Inkpaw will be joining me on a hunting patrol. Fetch your mentors, will you?"
The apprentice nodded furiously, shared a goofy look with Inkpaw, and the two ran off to find their mentors, Fallenrain and Shadeclaw.
At what seemed like record speed, the patrol was already off and catching prey.
"We've been out here for ages, Darktail. Are you losing your touch?" A voice sounded from behind the dark tom.
Darktail spun around and found himself face to face with his brother, Shadeclaw. He was smirking as he looked at Darktail's paws. He hadn't caught a single bit of prey the entire time.
"There's nothing around here," He quickly recovered. "I'll go check by the border. Maybe there's some more prey over there." The tom dropped into a hunter's crouch to make it look like he was actually doing something useful. When Shadeclaw was finally satisfied, he bounded off to help his apprentice.
Darktail rolled his eyes and continued to move towards the border. The tom was low to the ground, ready to playfully pounce on Wishfur when he had the chance. He knew she would be here because they always meet up around this time, every other day.
He flicked his ears forward, listening for the beautiful white she-cat failing to be quiet. Typical ThunderClan cats, he thought. Suddenly, Darktail heard panting.
"Wishtail?" He called quietly. "Are you there?" There was an almost silent meow on the other side of the border.
"Darktail!" It was faint, but there. Without even hesitating, the tom leaped over the border and followed the sound of his name being called out.
"What are you doing?" He heard Shadeclaw ask from behind him. Darktail didn't stop running until he found Wishfur.
She was leaning against a tree, exhausted and out of breath.
"Darktail, I'm kitting," She whispered. "Please… help!" She gasped out.
"Inkpaw!" He called. "Go get Mintleaf! Tell her it's an emergency." The black she-cat jumped, but instantly ran back in the direction of camp. Rowanpaw ran after her.
Shadeclaw stepped across the border and glared at the she-cat.
"Why are you helping a cat from ThunderClan. She's their problem, not ours."
"Darktail…" Wishfur groaned and convulsed. A rippled went through her stomach and suddenly there was a kit.
Shadeclaw transferred his glare from the queen to his brother.
"Darktail, how does she know your name…?" He asked cautiously.
Darktail ignored Shadeclaw and began to lick the little tom's fur to get him breathing. He let out a little sneeze and began mewing immediately. Darktail pushed him gently towards his mother's belly.
He heard footsteps from behind him and saw Mintleaf and her apprentice, Sunwhisker. The tom reluctantly stepped back and watched the medicine cats get to work.
Shadeclaw hissed at Darktail.
"You've been seeing that she-cat haven't you?" Darktail said nothing, but Shadeclaw wasn't done yet.
"So that's where you've been all this time. Sneaking off to see some worthless ThunderClan queen." Darktail spun around and cuffed his paw hard across his brother's face.
"That ThunderClan queen has a name. It's Wishfur and she most certainly is not worthless. She was there for me when even you weren't. I'd stop talking trash about Wishfur if I were you, and focus on your own life."
Darktail rushed to his mate's side as soon as Mintleaf started assuring her that it was over. Darktail looked sadly at his exhausted queen and her kits. Only one had survived. He was the firstborn tom. The other two, both females, were stillborn.
"It's going to be okay," Darktail began to lick Wishfur soothingly. She was crying. Only a few heartbeats later, was she passed out from exhaustion.
Mintleaf looked up at Darktail.
"I don't…" She began. "I don't know if she's going to make it. I'll do the best I can, but if her body wasn't able to keep the stillborn kits alive, then I'm sure it's very sick. Can I feel her stomach?"
Darktail nodded, occasionally transferring his soothing licks from Wishfur to the little tom.
Mintleaf suddenly gasped and Darktail's head shot up instantly.
"What is it? What's wrong?" He demanded.
"I think there's another kit in there." She stated. "I need to get it out now. Sunwhisker, start massaging her belly. Darktail, I suggest you look away, this can get pretty nasty."
The tom took her advice and closed his eyes. After what seemed like forever, a tiny mew broke the silence. Darktail opened one eye and saw Sunwhisker licking another kit. It was very, very small, and it barely responded to the licking. Darktail looked hopefully at Mintleaf.
She looked like she was about to say something good, but she suddenly dived forward. Wishfur had started shaking crazily. Sunwhisker grabbed the other kit and forced Shadeclaw to lick him.
When Wishfur finally stopped shaking, Mintleaf looked back up at Darktail.
"I'm sorry Darktail, but…" Mintleaf paused, trying to recall the queen's name. "Wishfur now walks with StarClan."
The tom nodded, holding back his emotions.
"Take the kits back to camp." He glanced at his mate, lying peacefully in a patch of grass. "I'll bury her."
The medicine cat hesitated, but Sunwhisker and Shadeclaw were already walking. Mintleaf dipped her head sadly and turned around, walking back in the direction of camp.
Back at camp
Mintleaf entered the nursery first. There were two queens, each with three nursing kits. Roseleaf was a pretty golden-brown she-cat with two toms and a she-kit. Nightfall was long-furred she-cat with all toms. She had more of an attitude, though. It'd probably be best to ask Roseleaf to take care of the new kits.
"Roseleaf?" She asked quietly, careful not to wake her kits up. "We found a kitting queen by the border today. I know this is a lot to ask, but will you please take care of these two?"
The golden-brown she-cat opened one green eye and looked at the meweling tom and she-cat. Instantly, both eyes were open and staring lovingly at the two.
"Bring them here," She murmured. The tom found his own way there, but the small she-kit was having a lot of trouble.
Mintleaf gave her a gentle push. "Go on, little one."
As soon as her paw touched the kit's fur, though, something happened. It was a sudden flash. She shook her head. Probably nothing. It's been quite a long day.
When she touched the kitten again, nothing happened. She glanced at her one last time to make sure she had successfully found Roseleaf's belly, and made her way out of the nursery so she could go sleep in her den.
But sleep didn't come easily to her, because that same flash haunted her dreams all night.