A/N Aaaaannnddd... chapter 2 of "Cherryfeather's Gift" is out! Whoooo! /throws random glittery streamers into the air while dancing retardedly. Enjoy, and please review! I'd greatly appreciate it! :D

Chapter 2 – The Nursery

Cherrykit snuggled further into the warm curve of her mother's belly. Beside her, her littermates were stirring as well. The rhythmic breathing of her parents were the only sounds that could be heard in the nursery.

Warm sunlight filtered into the nursery through the fronds of ferns arranged neatly at the entrance. Cherrykit blinked open her eyes and squinted at the light – she had never seen anything so bright before. She turned and looked at her family. Her father, Tigerstripe, with his sleek, shiny ginger pelt striped with black like a tiger. Her mother, Stormflower, a beautiful pale gray she-cat, leaned against Tigerstripe, snoring gently. Her littermates, scruffy Cinderkit; a slightly bigger but nevertheless untidy Emberkit; and lastly, tiny Hollykit. She hesitated before poking Cinderkit who was the nearest to her. She was excited to start exploring now that she had opened her eyes, but didn't want to disturb her littermates. They were about to wake up anyway. Cherrykit reassured herself, digging her paw into Cinderkit's ribs. Cinderkit awoke with a yelp, and opened his eyes. He stared at her, taking in his sister's appearance for the first time. Cherrykit noticed that his eyes were blue. What about mine? I wonder how I look to him. Cherrykit wondered, tilting her head sideways.

This sudden movement of Cinderkit's had awoken the rest of her family. "You've both opened your eyes," a soft mew sounded behind her. Stormflower was looking at them both with kindness and love in her gaze. "W-what's going on?" Emberkit muttered from the curve of Stormflower's belly, where he still lay, rubbing his muzzle sleepily with a golden paw. He glanced around, his eyes as green as the ferns surrounding them. Only little Hollykit did not stir. "Wake up, sleepy-head." Cherrykit tickled her nose with her tail. Hollykit grunted and turned over. "You don't want to miss the fun, Hollykit. Your brothers and sister are going out of the nursery for the first time." Tigerstripe teased, running his paw over Hollykit's small body. Hollykit awoke with a start. "No-one told me!" she whined indignantly, snapping her eyes open. They are the same green as Emberkit's, thought Cherrykit.

Taking advantage of the fact that they were now awake, Stormflower gathered them towards her and passed her tongue over each of them in turn, smoothing out their fur. "I want you to look your best when you meet the clan for the first time," Stormflower explained, licking Cherrykit, who flinched. She didn't need to be fussed over! "Come on!" she mewed to her littermates after they had received the same treatment from their mother, before scampering out of the nursery.

A/N Ho-okay, maybe that was a bit boring. But I thought it would be better to write on what Cherrykit thought of her family when she saw them for the first time. Anyway, happy reading, and may StarClan light your path! ^^