Lily laid outside in the forest, warming her swollen belly in the sun. She glanced over at Daisy, her also pregnant friend, who was sleeping near her.

Any day now Lily's kits would come, but she couldn't help but feel the whole moment to be bittersweet. It would be a joy to raise them, but she missed Stone desperately, and longed for his return. She wished he could be there for the birthing, but she knew this couldn't be. The male foxes were hunting, and it was best that she wait patiently for her mate's return and raise her kits as best as she could.

She stretched her tired legs when a sudden pain shot through her body. She let out a shrill yelp, waking Daisy beside her.

Her friend's amber eyes widened. "Are they coming, Lily?" she asked.

Lily nodded through the pain.

Chase, her mother, rushed over to her side. She gently pressed her ginger tail to her daughter's stomach.

"Can you move?" Chase asked.

"I think so," Lily replied, slowly standing to her feet. Each step felt like stepping on sharp rocks, but she finally made it inside her den and collapsed on her warm nest.

"You can do this. I'll be here with you," Chase promised. Daisy stood near the entryway, watching her friend.

Lily breathed deeply and slowly let nature take its course.

"You'll have to push now," Chase spoke quietly.

Lily let out a shriek of pain as the first kit was born. A furry brown kitten sprawled onto her nest.

"A boy!" Chase announced.

The pain went on for what felt like hours. Lily bit through nearly every stick Chase gave her until she gave one final push.

"A girl!" Chase exclaimed. She felt her mother press her dark paw to Lily's stomach once more.

"You're done," she told her. "Good job, sweetheart."

Four newborn kits suckled at Lily's belly. There were three boys and one girl, all lovely and healthy.

"What will you call them?" Daisy asked from outside. Lily's heart warmed to know her friend had been with her the whole time.

"I'll call the darkest male Hazelnut," she decided, licking the little one's head. She turned to the next one sucking at her belly. "And this will be Heat."

The third tod was the smallest in size, and his gentle face reminded her somewhat of Stone. "I'll call him Bumblebee."

Lastly, she turned to the only vixen of the bunch. Her coat was lighter than the rest. "I'll call her Honey."

"Lovely names," Chase told her. "Why don't you rest? You deserve it?"

Lily grinned and watched as her mother and friend departed. A new love had stirred within her. She had never felt so much love before looking down at her four kits. Oh, it would be a joy when Stone got to see them...

Days passed, the kits slowly opened their eyes, began to hear, and were beginning to grow. They were still quite young, and incapable of speech, but it didn't matter. To Lily, they were perfect.

One afternoon, she heard the thumping of feet. She was curious as to who was nearby, but her kits were sleeping, and she didn't want to disturb them. From inside, she could hear deep voices murmuring, and she swore she could hear the voice of her father, Rock.

Suddenly, Daisy let out an awful cry, waking Lily's kits. Lily stood up, worried. The kits mewled, but Lily peeped her head out of the den, wondering if Daisy's kits had come earlier than they were supposed to.

She was surprised to find Rock standing beside the fallen Daisy who was weeping at the ground. Rock and the other male foxes stood beside her, comforting her.

Both Rock and her mother seemed to stare downwards at the ground in sadness.

A sudden grave feeling took ahold of Lily. She slowly took a step forward.

"Mom? Dad? What's going on?" she asked, glancing at her weeping friend and the other male foxes.

"Why are you back? Why is Daisy crying? Where's Stone?"

Her father turned and looked at her, his eyes glazed with tears. "Stone is dead."

Similar to Daisy, Lily collapsed to the ground, her eyesight become fuzzy. Her vision began to fade, and all she could hear were the loud cries of her kits, waiting to be comforted.

Lily continued nursing her kits and caring for them though the days seemed bleak. Both Stone and Arrow had been killed by hunters, and now she and Daisy were left alone to care for their kits without their mates. Daisy still would not give birth for a while, but Lily couldn't imagine the shock she must've felt.

The kits were growing and beginning to walk now, muttering a few words here and there. For the first few days after the announcement, Lily had been too sick and tired to care for them properly, and her mother even had to step in for some time.

She spent much nights weeping, saddened Stone would never get to see his beautiful children. But eventually, she realized that her mate would've wanted her to raise his kits properly, and now, she was only focused on one thing-caring for them. She redirected her love of Stone to that of her kits and would do anything now to make sure they survived.

One morning, Hazelnut slowly awoke. "Hi," he said, glancing up at his mother. He glanced over at Heat and giggled. "He's lazy."

"You're adorable," Lily muttered, licking his head.

"I'm not cute! I'm deadly! Roar!" cried Hazelnut.

Lily giggled a little. "You remind me of Stone."

"Stone? Who is he?"

Lily felt her heart drop. She had not yet told the kits about their father. They were just being introduced to the world, and while they knew all kits had mothers and fathers, they had not yet questioned where theirs was.

"He's your father," she explained.

"Cool! Is he deadly like me?" he asked.

"No, but I see him in each of you, and he'd be very proud of you."

"Oh," Hazelnut replied.

There was a pause, and then Hazelnut spoke again.

"Why can't I see him?"

"He's...not here anymore," she explained.

"Oh, that is stupid," Hazelnut remarked.

Lily nodded. Stupid indeed, she thought.

The others began to awake, and she led them out of the den. Heat rushed outside, shouting, "Hi, everyone!"

"Let's play a game!" Honey suggested.

"Okay. Tag, you're it!" Bumblebee said, tagging Heat.

Heat suddenly rushed to his mother. "Tag, you're it, Mommy!" he said, touching her with his small and bushy tail.

Lily laughed and rushed around, chasing her kits. She found Hazelnut and touched him with her paw.

"You're it, Hazelnut!" she called.

The game continued, and she watched from a distance as the four played with each other. It was getting about time for their nap, and she spoke up.

"All right. Let's rest a little," she announced.

"No, Mommy! We want to play!" Bumblebee protested, his ginger fur gleaming in the sunlight.

"Come on. We always nap at this time."

"No, Mom! Please!" Heat begged.

"Come on," she called, waving them forward.

"Aw..." Hazelnut complained.

As she led them to the den, she was suddenly hit with the realization again that Stone was gone and not returning. It hurt her that he would never get to play with them or sleep next to them. Her eyes began to water.

She took them inside, and before they slept, she sat them down.

"I have to tell you something," she said.

The four glanced at her in curiosity.

"It's about your father."

"Why don't we have a father?" Honey asked. "I see all the others with one!"

"Your father's name was Stone," she explained. "Hazelnut and I talked a little bit about this in the morning."

"Mommy said he isn't here anymore."

"Will he be back?" Bumblebee asked.

Lily began to choke on tears. "N-No. He-he's dead, sweethearts. He was killed before you were born."

"What?!" Heat exclaimed.

Hazelnut rushed up to his mother and rubbed his warm coat against her. "Mommy, it's okay," he said.

"We'll go to sleep now," Bumblebee promised.

She continued caring for them. The kits seemed to obey her orders well, but at times, she wondered if she was becoming too strict with them. Sometimes, she felt herself drift away, like she had done shortly after their birth. The thoughts often haunted her at night, and she was worried she wasn't being a good mother.

Hazelnut awoke one morning and coughed slightly. "I'm not feeling good," he said.

Lily inspected her son and pressed her paw to him.

"You seem fine," she said.

"No! You're my mom! Help me!" he shouted angrily at her.

Lily was taken aback by his sudden speech. She had known the kits didn't always like her rules, but Hazelnut evidently had something else going on.

"Hazelnut, there's no need to be rude. Go back to sleep."

"You're not acting like a mom! You're acting like we're no one," he shouted at her.

"Be quiet," Lily snapped. "You'll wake the others."

"NO!" he shouted, rushing out of the den. She went to follow him, only to find him running to Chase. She breathed in relief. He could stay with Chase for a little while. Maybe they could both calm down.

She distanced herself from the kits the rest of the day, giving them a bit of free will. As far as she knew, Hazelnut was with Chase, and that was what mattered. She spent some time with Daisy, who seemed to be improving. Her kits were due in a matter of days, and Lily was excited for their arrival.

Around evening, Lily returned to the den where her kits gathered. She felt somewhat guilty for neglecting them all day, but her mind was at ease again, and she hoped Hazelnut had cooled off some.

Hazelnut glanced at her angrily, then suddenly yowled in pain. This time, Lily did not believe he was feigning, and she rushed to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"My mouth is so hot!"

Lily became nervous. "Go outside and get a drink."

He obeyed, and as he walked back in, she noticed him shivering.

"I'm co-cold," he explained.

"What's wrong?" she asked again.

He began coughing now. "I don't know."

"What did you do today?" she suddenly asked. "Weren't you with Chase?"

"He went into the forest alone," Bumblebee suddenly spoke.

"Mommy, I ate something over there. It was green and mushy," Hazelnut whimpered. "I thought it was good to eat..I don't know."

Lily's eyes widened. "The moss!" she gasped.

"The what?" Honey asked.

"Listen very carefully to me, kits. There is a certain moss that sometimes grows around this time. It goes away for a few years, then returns. It was a big problem when I was a kit, and it's very dangerous and poisonous! Stay away from it!"

The other three nodded, suddenly frightened.

She turned to Hazelnut in worry.

"What happens when someone eats the moss?" Bumblebee asked.

"They die," she spoke quietly.

"What?! But I'm strong!" Hazelnut argued.

"Please, just rest," Lily begged. She didn't know what to do. This couldn't be happening. How could her son leave her so easily?

She put the others to bed and wept quietly near the entrance. Suddenly, she heard footsteps, and she turned around to see Heat.

"What's wrong, Mommy?" he asked.

"I think Hazelnut is going to die," she whispered.

"What?!"

"Let's go to bed," Lily decided..

She curled up next to her son, and when morning came, she found Hazelnut wide awake with gleaming eyes.

"H-Hazelnut?" she asked.

"I-I feel better now!" he exclaimed.

"But that's impossible! The moss-no one's ever been immune. You must be sick. I'm dreaming," Lily thought to herself.

"No, Mommy! Feel me! I'm warm!" he exclaimed. She touched him, and he was right. His body temperature was not flaming hot as it had been the night before.

Heat groaned beside her.

"Heat, what's wrong?" Lily asked.

"I heard him leave last night," Honey spoke.

"Heat, where did you go?"

"To the forest," he spoke, beginning to cough.

"You didn't eat the moss, did you?" she asked.

"No...I-I touched it!" he wailed.

"Heat! Touching or eating the moss produces the same effects! I-"

"He's going to die!" Honey gasped.

"No, I won't!" Heat protested, though unlike Hazelnut, he was too weak to even stand up.

Hazelnut laid down next to his brother. "I'm not leaving," he said.

"Neither are we," Lily promised, laying down next to her son. Whatever miraculous recovery Hazelnut had made would not be the same for Heat. One glance at the sick fox told her he was doomed.

"I'm so cold," Heat whimpered.

"I know, we're trying to keep you warm," Lily promised.

"Daddy...he coming back."

"No, darling. He's not."

"Trust me," Heat whispered, closing his eyes.

Lily watched as his breath became more shallow.

"Bye, bye, Heat," Hazelnut whimpered.

Heat opened his eyes and closed them slowly, letting out a cough.

Lily's heart broke, and she began weeping in front of him.

"Mommy, don't cry," Heat begged, coughing once more.

He opened his eyes one last time to look at her.

"Bye-bye, Mommy," he whispered. She licked his cheek, and felt the life leave from him. His breaths stopped, and she cradled the body of her dead son. Losing Stone had been one thing, but she could not bear losing a child.

It was Hazelnut who eventually got her to her senses. The death was announced to all the foxes, others were warned of the moss, and Heat was buried near her den. Lily and her remaining kits stood, looking at it.

"Good-bye, Heat," they all whispered quietly.

The remaining days were long and hard, and Lily let the kits go about as they pleased. She was tired of heartbreak and so desperately wanted an escape from this cruel reality.

One afternoon, Hazelnut rushed into camp, dragging Bumblebee with him.

"MOMMY!" he shouted.

Though she had ignored her kits for days, her senses were still alert, and she rushed to the two.

"What happened?!" she gasped.

"A mean fox took us and forced Bumblebee to touch the moss. He threw him on it!" Hazelnut exclaimed. Honey emerged from the den and began to weep.

Lily knelt down to Bumblebee, but it was no use. Whatever life remained of him was gone. His body was beginning to lose warmth, and no breaths echoed from his mouth.

"No! NO!" she shouted. "I need some medicine! Something!"

"No, Mom, he's gone!" Hazelnut exclaimed, trying to keep her from throwing a fit.

"Oh, cruel world! OH!" she shouted loudly.

"Mom!" Hazelnut shouted.

She froze, her mind suddenly focusing on an ancient ritual her mother had told her of years ago. Chase was a smart fox, wise with medicine and even a bit of magic.

"I-I can save him," she murmured. "I can save him."

"LILY! LILY, I'M BACK!" came a sudden call.

Lily froze. No, it couldn't be, but...

Stone burst out of the bushes, looking as healthy as the last time she had seen him.

She rushed towards him, sobbing into his fur. She wasn't sure if she was excited he was alive or if she was glad to have him to comfort her.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered, glancing up at him.

"I'm not," he told her. He glanced around. "Where are the kits?"

"That's-that's why I'm crying. Heat, Hazelnut, and Bumblebee touched the moss. Heat is...dead. He was buried a few days ago. Hazelnut survived. Bumblebee has just died." She collected herself and glanced up at him. Thankfully, I know a way to bring him back."

"Heat and Bumblebee?" Stone asked.

Lily shook her head. "It's too late for Heat. I can still bring Bumblebee back though."

"How?"

"I kill myself," Lily gulped. It was the only way to bring her son back. She couldn't risk losing another after Heat.

"No!" Stone shouted. "I traveled all this way to come back to you."

"I've lived my life," Lily said. "Bumblebee hasn't. You're here, Stone. You have to take care of them until they're adults. Promise me you will."

"I-I promise," Stone said. Her heart swarmed. He would be a better parent than she ever was.

"There's no way to change your mind?" he asked.

"No way," Lily said. "Mother, prepare the spell!"

Chase looked sorrowfully at her daughter, but she left to work. Not much later, an odd meal had been prepared for Lily to eat. The thought of death didn't frighten her though, not if it meant bringing Bumblebee back. And now Stone could care for them. They would not be alone.

"Stone, go get Bumblebee," Lily told him.

She watched as her mate carried his limp son toward her.

"It's done," Chase announced.

"So this is it?" Stone wondered, facing her.

Tears swelled in Lily's eyes. "I'm afraid so. Please take good care of them. I love you." Leaving him would not be as hard this time. She had grown used to his absence. She only wished he could cope with hers.

"I love you, too," he said. "I'll never forget you, Lily."

"I won't either."

She spent her remaining moments saying good-byes to her parents and Daisy, but the tears seemed to have vanished from her eyes, and she was ready more now than ever.

She bit into the food, her gaze falling onto Stone. Suddenly, pain seized through her, her limps collapsed in shock, and the world faded from her view. And thus one life was exchanged for another...