Icegaze was numbly sinking her teeth into a thrush.

A whole two moons had passed since the prophecy. It was destroying her, and there was nothing she could do.

"Let all the cats old enough to understand our difference's, join beneath the Willow Tree for a Clan meeting!" Burningstar yowled.

"Today, we celebrate a two warrior ceremonies. Spiderpaw, Ravenpaw, step forward".

The two apprentice's eyes lit up from where they sat, and ran up to sit under the Willow Tree.

"Spiderpaw, Ravenpaw do you promise to uphold the name of the warrior code, and protect and defend NightClan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Spiderpaw blushed as his reply came out as a squeak.

"I do!" Ravenpaw echoed.

"Then, by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior names! Spiderpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Spiderleap. StarClan honours you hunting techniques and ability to climb swiftly, and we welcome you as a full warrior of NightClan!"

Burningstar shifted her fire like eyes so they landed on Ravenpaw. "Ravenpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Ravenheart. StarClan honours your courage and strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of NightClan!"

"Ravenheart! Spiderleap!" Icegaze found herself cheering strangely loud for her former apprentice, even though she only trained him about a moon.

Pain suddenly clenched at her stomach, and she suppressed a yowl. "Icegaze?" Softwing padded towards her slowly. "Are- Are you okay?"

Icegaze opened her mouth to say she was fine, but than gasped as her legs fumbled and she fell to the ground.

"Jungleflame! Secretpaw!" Softwing wailed. "I think Icegaze is kitting!"

The two medicine cats were beside her right away. "Already? But she isn't due for another moon!" Secretpaw murmured through her mouthful of herbs.

"Yep, she is kitting alright! Softwing, help me move her to the nursery!"

Icegaze let Softwing and Jungleflame half drag half carry her to the nursery.

"I-Icegaze?" Frozenkit shrieked as her foster mother twitched in agony. "Hush, Frozenkit, I will be alright"

Silvereyes swept the other four kits out of the nursery.

Icegaze bit hard on the stick Secretpaw had placed in front of her.

StarClan help! She thought miserably as another shooting pain stabbed at her side.

Suddenly, a familiar, sweet sent wrapped around Icegaze, filling her with memories.

Puddlefoot? Icegaze's mother had died a few moons ago, saving Jungleflame, Junglekit back then, from a badger.

Yes, my sweet daughter. I know it hurts. Take a deep breath, it will be over soon.

Icegaze swallowed up the air and let it out her mouth, trying to continue, only for tears to well up in her eyes.

Almost there, good job, Icegaze.

With a final yowl, Icegaze glanced down to see the first kit… It was calico.

I did that for nothing, Puddlefoot! One of he other Clans is going to take her! She was numb with exhaustion, and none of it even mattered.

No, you didn't do it for nothing! If you can hide behind a camp with a kitting queen, you can hide this kit! Make the right choice, my dear.

Her mother's sent vanished, leaving Icegaze curled around her kit… wondering what to do next.

"No other Clan cats are here to take her so we have to give them to whichever Clan you choose" Jungleflame meowed softly.

"No. The reason they aren't here is because my kit wasn't due for another moon" Icegaze snapped.

"Which Clan are you going to give her to?"

Icegaze suddenly thought back to the night of the banishment… What had Troutstar said… Any queen who gives birth to non-Cursed kits shall give them to a Clan of her choice.

That was it. The answer was right at her nose the whole time.

There hadn't been a NightClan back when that rule was made. There had been no possible way to have kits stay with their mothers if they weren't black.

But now there was a way, because now, there was NightClan. Now, there was hope.

"NightClan" Icegaze meowed solidly. "I choose NightClan".