Hello, and welcome to my newest fanfic! This, as you can see from the title, is Darkest Ebony, Lightest Ivory. What does that mean, you ask? Well, stick with me and you'll find out! Now, on with the story :) R&R!

Prologue

The silver moon gleamed down on the silver and white she cat. All was silent, and not even a mouse stirred. Then suddenly, the silence was broken... The silver and white she cat, glowing in the moonlight, fell to the ground a few tail-lengths away from a den which, judging by the female's swollen stomach, could only be the nursery. A single, shrill wail pierced the silence, and almost at once, cats were out of their dens and gathering around the she cat, who was now writhing in sheer agony.

"Everyone, back off, give her some space for Starclan's sake!" Exclaimed a pale golden tabby she cat, who was followed by a smaller, brown tabby tom. The golden she cat helped the pained silver cat off of the ground and supported her on one side, the brown tabby tom on the other. They slowly led her back to the nursery, disappearing inside. The brown tabby tom, having only just become a medicine cat apprentice, was sent outside to keep the she cat's mate out of the nursery during the kitting. Inside, the golden she cat was mewing words of encouragement.

"That's it. You're doing great, Swansong! Now, push hard!" She meowed, pressing her paw down onto the kitting queen's flank. Swansong pushed as hard as she could, heaving with the effort as a black kit slipped into the nest beside her. The medicine cat paused to nip open the sac and groom the kit's fur backwards to warm it and stimulate it's breathing. After doing this, she placed the kit at her mother's stomach to begin to suckle and turned her attention back to the queen. She placed her paws lightly on the female's heaving flank once again.

"See, you're doing great! Just keep breathing, steady breaths. In, out, in, out. Now, push again!" She instructed, once again pressing her paws down onto the gorgeous she cat's flank. Swansong let out a thin screech of pain as a second kit slipped out into the world. The golden she cat repeated the process with the second kit, this one white, before placing it at it's mother's belly next to it's littermate.

"Let me in, Thornpaw! She's my mate and she's in pain!" Growled the tom outside the nursery, giving the medicine cat apprentice an order.

"Barkheart, you know I can't do that! Goldenfrost told me not to let you in until she was done delivering Swansong's kits! Do you really think a panicking tom cat would help Swansong deliver her kits?" Thornpaw mewed clearly to the dark brown tom, known as Barkheart.

"Fine, but as soon as she's done, I'm going in there. Clear?" Barkheart gave in. Thornpaw nodded and sat in front of the nursery entrance, watching Barkheart pace back and forth. By now, most of the clan had gone back to their nests, happy to go back to their peaceful sleep.

"One more, Swansong, you can do it!" Goldenfrost meowed, feeling the tired queen's flank once again. "Now, I need you to push as hard as you can, now!" The golden tabby ordered, pressing down forcefully on to Swansong's flank as the exhausted queen pushed as hard as she could, her body nearly giving out with the effort. The final kit slipped into the moss nest that the queen was laying in, and Goldenfrost repeated the same process with the last kit as she had the other two.

Swansong let out a weak purr as she gazed lovingly down at her three kits, licking each one on the top of the head.

"Three healthy she kits. Congratulations! Eat these herbs, they will help your milk come." Goldenfrost purred, nudging some borage leaves towards Swansong, who lapped them up, wincing at the slightly bitter taste. Goldenfrost padded out of the nursery, flicking her tail at Thornpaw. "You have three healthy she kits, Barkheart. You can go in now." She mewed to the anxious tom before going back to her den with Thornpaw, both curling into their emerald green mossy nests.

Barkheart rushed into the nursery and glanced at his beautiful mate and their perfect kits. "They're perfect, Swansong! You did great." He purred and nuzzled Swansong.

"I already have ideas for names." Swansong purred tiredly.

"What are they?" Barkheart questioned thoughtfully.

"Dovekit for the silver and white one that looks like me, in honour of my mother, Paledove. Darkkit for the black one and Lightkit for the white one." She meowed softly.

"I love them." He purred, licking his mate's cheek.

The two cats curled up together with their kits, the sound of their purring emanating throughout the nursery.

Swansong awoke to the mewling of her kits. Their fur had dried overnight and Dovekit's fur was sleek and shiny, though both Lightkit and Darkkit's fur was fluffy and soft. She hushed them softly and began to softly sing a lullaby that her mother sang to her when she was a restless kit. Barkheart had left for the dawn patrol, and then a hunting patrol at sunhigh, and it was just after sunhigh. She sang with a sweet, lilting mew. She looked up as she heard purring, in time to spot her sister standing above her. She glanced at her fluffy, blue grey littermate.

"Hey, Swansong. Your kits are so adorable!" She purred.

"Thanks, Rainwing! Do you think you and Tigerflame will be expecting anytime soon?"

"That's actually what I was about to tell you! Goldenfrost just told me!"

"Oh My StarClan!" Swansong exclaimed, looking at her sister with joy in her eyes. "They can be friends!"

"I bet they will! Anyway, I should make my nest and get settled in, Goldenfrost told me to move in right away!" Rainwing purred, grabbing some plush emerald moss and making a nest near Swansong. She curled in it and purred along with her sister.

"Riverclan, ATTACK!"

Thanks for reading the prologue of my new chapter. Sorry if it sucks but it's 3:27 in the morning as I type this. I hope you enjoy this and any encouragement will be appreciated. R&R Please!