She's In Your Heart by WyldClaw
Plot: this is I how I think Leafstar explained to her kits about lichenfur's death after the flood in the beyond the code magna. It is seen through Firekit's POV. I am putting Firekit, Harrykit and Stormkit's ages at about a moon and a quarter so they speak a bit like toddlers. I don't own anything mentioned. It Happens before the after the flood magna begins.
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Plunkity plunk.
Plunkity plunk.
Wind Howling.
Plunkity plunk,
Wind howling.
Plunkity plunk,
Wind howling.
That was all we SkyClan cats could hear as we waited out the storm in the senior warriors' den. We had been trapped in there for what seemed like moons because of the horrible storm that flooded the camp. "When's this rain going to end?" my gray brother Harrykit asked.
"I'm scareded." I mewed.
"Me too, Firekit," my ginger and gray sister Stormkit agreed. We were huddled in a little nest that our mother Leafstar had made for us. We were doing our best not to get under anyone's paws while she watched the storm. It wasn't easy since even with the daylight warriors gone home- including our father Billystorm- there was still over ten cats in the somewhat spacious den.
"What if the storm never ends? What if we got to stay up here forever and evers? And-"
"Don't be frightened Firekit." Bouncefire meowed as he and his light colored half-sister Honeypaw came over to the three of us and sat down. The ginger tom assured us. "It's just a storm. There's nothing to be scared of. "
"Do you want to play a guessing game? It will get your mind off the storm?" Honeypaw asked us.
"Yeah!" all three of us chimed. We loved games.
She began. "Okay. I'm thinking of a SkyClan cat who is tortishell and white with green eyes..."
Harrykit's eyes widened. "Oooh! I know who it is! It's Cherrytail!"
Honeypaw's whiskers twitched. "That's right. Now you pick one."
"Um. O-okay." he closed his eyes for a few minutes and then reopened them. " I got one. I'm thinking of a cat with soft light brown fur with a white tummy-"
At the same time Stormkit and I said, "It's Clovertail!"
The two older cats chuckled. "I guess Clovertail is pretty easy to identify." Honeypaw commented and her half-brother chuckled.
.
This game went on for a bit. When we couldn't think of any more cats to name, Bouncefire started telling us stories of how SkyClan got formed. With the sound of the rain and the ginger tom's soothing voice it wasn't long before Harrykit, Stormkit and I were fast asleep.
"…Firekit wake up." I felt someone poking my fur.
I sleepily opened my eyes, yawned and saw Stormkit in front of me. "Wh-What's going on?"
I heard Leafstar and Harrykit pad over- well my brother bounced on his paws- and their scents engulfed us. She bent down and licked us. "Good morning, my darlings." she purred.
"Hi Mama!" We all replied at once.
"Did you sleep well?"
I nodded. "Bouncefire was telling us stories an' we fell asleep."
"He's got a great story-telling voice," Stormkit added.
Her whiskers twitched with amusement. "He's such a great tom and asset to SkyClan. He will make a wonderful father someday. He's already a great older brother to Sandypaw, Birdpaw and Honeypaw."
"Guess what! Guess what! Mama says we can go home!" Harrykit beamed. I jumped up to my paws.
"Yay!" I mewed.
The three of us bounced around our brown and cream mother's paws. "Now, listen my dears. When we go out of this den, I will need three big strong warriors to help you down. You have to listen to what they tell you. You're really young and your muscles haven't developed yet too jump far. "
"I can do little jumps, mama," Harrykit stated.
"Us too." Stormkit and I added.
"I've seen you practicing."
"Watch this." I jumped up a few inches but tripped over my tail and fell on my side. I saw my Clanmates watching me. " Ooops."
My mother purred in amusement –as did the other cats- as she nosed me to my paws. "That's okay Firekit. You're still young – it takes time to get jumps right but that's a big leap. I don't want any of you to end up in Echosong's den. Do you understand?"
"Yes, mama" we chorused.
She got up and beckoned us with her tail to follow her as she made her way to the front of the crowd near the entrance, where the rest of the Clan was waiting with hopeful expressions. "Members of SkyClan", she started. "The rain has stopped so we shall return to the gorge. I shall jump down first followed by Sharpclaw and Echosong. Plumwillow, Sparrowpelt and Waspwhisker will take Firekit, Stormkit, Harrykit and the rest of you will follow."
Sharpclaw and Echosong walked up to Leafstar and they jumped from the opening of the den to the ground.
"Come on Firekit." Plumwillow beckoned me over with her tail. I padded over to the dark gray she cat. "I believe the best way to get down would be to carry you in my mouth."
"'Kay." I agreed as she gently scooped me up in her mouth and walked to the edge. As we got to the opening I felt sunshine on my fur.
Plumwillow leapt and for a few heartbeats air flying through my fur as she jumped to the ground. "Wheeeee!" I mewed.
As soon as she put me down on the ground I noticed something was wrong. Harrykit and Stormkit were standing stock still looking at something ahead- their jaws hanging. There was a semi-circle of cats around a body- a familiar gray mottled body. "LICHENFUR!" we all ran over to her and started nudging and prodding her.
"Wake up, Lichenfur" Stormkit mewed.
"Why are you still sleeping?" Harrykit prodded her.
I touched her fur- she was wet and cold and wasn't moving. There was a strange scent that I'd never smelled before in her- something like the smell of crowfood in the stories that leafstar, sharpclaw and the other former loners told us. Tears were in my eyes. I turned to Leafstar and Echosong, "mama, Echosong, she's not moving or breathing"
Leafstar motioned us with her tail to come over to her. She led us a few feet away from Lichenfur. "What's wrong, mama?" I asked.
She sat down a little ways away and we followed suit. "Here isn't an easy way to tell you this but ... Lichenfur has left us"
Harrykit looked at her with his amber eyes. "Did she go hunting?"
She shook her head. "No dear. Remember how I told you about StarClan?"
I nodded. "Isn't that the place where there's lots and lots of prey that never runs out? And it's always pretty? "
"And there are no rats or yucky twolegs" Stormkit put in.
Harrykit was quiet for a minute and then spoke. "Isn't that where you told us Grandmama is? With the StarryClan cats."
"Yes dear".
The reality-sunk in. "is that where Lichenfur is?" I asked. "In StarryClan?"
She nodded and all three of us buried our faces in her fur and cried. "Why mama?"
"Are the StarryClan cats mad at us?"
"We n-never g-got to say g-g-goodbye," I sputtered.
"It's hard when you lose someone without saying goodbye. I should know. "Mintfur's soft voice fluttered over to us. We looked up and saw her next to us. My littermates and I got out of Leafstar's fur and walked over to her. "My brother Sagefur, my mother Petalnose and I never said goodbye to Rainfur before the first battle with the rats"
I looked down at my paws. "We'll never see her again."
Leafstar licked my cheek. "Not so, baby. She's watching over you from StarClan at night. Remember how I told you about Silverpelt? Each star there represents a fallen warrior-"
"Or 'pprentice or kit, too, right mama?" Harrykit interjected.
"That's right." She nodded.
"Now there is one for Lichenfur" Mintfur added. "She'll be able to watch over you as you grow like Rainfur watched over Sagefur and i. Her body might be gone but her spirit and memory lives forever right here. "The grey tabby warrior poked my chest with a sheathed paw.
"In my chest fur?" I asked.
She smiled. "In your heart."
"You're wise Mintfur. How come you're not a medicine cat?" my brother asked.
"I felt that it would be better to honor my father's memory to fight for SkyClan against intruders with my claws and teeth as a warrior." She explained...
Leafstar smiled at the gray she-cat. "Rainfur would be proud of you."
The young she cat looked to the sky for a heartbeat. "I know he is. He's watching us from StarClan right now. "She waved her tail to the clouds." Hi Rainfur. I miss you a lot. I was wondering if you could watch over Lichenfur for us. "
"Will he?" Harrykit asked.
Mintfur licked his head. "I'm sure he will."
"If Lichenfur visits Echosong, Frecklewish her in dreams or in the whispering cave we can tell her about how much you are growing" Leafstar told us.
"Mama, do we have to stay up for the- the um" Stormkit couldn't think of the word.
"Vigil, dear. No, you don't have to if you don't want to,"
I took a step forward and looked up at them. "I do, mamma"
"I wanna stay up too" harrykit added.
"Then I will too." Stormkit put in.
"That's very kind of you three to do that." Mintfur remarked.
"I feel bad for disturbing her nap that one time" I admitted.
"Mama...I'm sorry for disturbing her," Harrykit added.
"She was a hero, right? She saved us from those meanie foxes that Sol brought in." I added.
For a second Leafstar's eyes darkened at the mention of sol's name but then they softened. "You're right Firekit. She was a hero and a noble warrior"
"Can we do anything to help Echosong?" I asked. "I don't wanna be underpaw."
"Yeah." Harrykit nodded. "I wanna make her look pretty."
Stormkit gazed up at our mom. "Please mama? Pretty please with fresh kill on top?
Mintfur laughed. "What polite little kits you have there, Leafstar."
She purred as we all got to our paws. "How can I say no to those faces? Since you asked so politely then yes… I'm sure Echosong will like the help."
We cheered. "Yeea!" we bounced at her heels as we walked back to the others.
There was a twinkle in her eyes as she looked at Mintfur. "Would you three like to help me, Frecklewish and Echosong pick herbs for the burial?" the gray cat asked us.
"Sure" Harrykit and Stormkit agreed.
"Can I help pick flowers for her body?" I asked. "Didn't Lichenfur say that she loved to smell flowers in newleaf?"
Leafstar licked my head. "Of course you can dear. I think Lichenfur would really appreciate that"
My siblings and Mintfur left but I saw Leafstar just staring into space. "Mama? What's wrong"?
She looked down at me. "Just thinking sweetheart."
I looked down at the wet earth under my paws. "Are –are you mad at me cause I mentioned Sol?"
She licked my head. "Great StarClan baby, why do you think I could be mad at you? "
I looked up and sniffled. "Well, I take lots of your 'ttention away from the Clan. "
"I'm not mad. I'm both a leader and a mother. I have my paws quite full but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm not mad at you for saying his name. I'm mad at him for endangering the lives of my Clan. "
"He's a meanie mousebrain," I stated and she purred with amusement as she got up.
"That he is. Come on, sweetheart. Would you like to say a few words about lichenfur in front of your Clanmates? Things like how special she was to you?"
I got up as well. "I think she'd like that."
The End.
Author's note: sorry it ended like that. I couldn't think of a better way to end it. Aren't Leafstar's kits so innocent and cute?