A/N: Well, I don't have much to say about this chapter, but thanks to tanglepaw, this chapter's for you.
When Lionblaze walked into camp, he couldn't decide what to do first. Check on Dovewing, or let Cinderheart know he was okay?
He decided to see Dovewing, because he wanted to make sure she was going to be alright, even though he knew Cinderheart wouldn't be happy with him.
He changed his course and headed toward the medicine den. Dovewing was laying on her nest, which was filled with brand new moss and feathers. She didn't look conscious, and he turned to leave, but he could just barely hear her mutter, "Wait." He turned back to her.
"Thanks. For… saving me, I guess," she said. He nodded and licked her ear.
"Go back to sleep. You'll need it."
She barely nodded and then closed her eyes again.
Lionblaze found Jayfeather in the back of the den. "Will she make it?" he asked. Jayfeather nodded.
"It's deep, but it will heal. Crowfeather barely missed her soft spot. She's a lucky cat," Jayfeather reported. Lionblaze nodded his thanks and left.
He went to the nursery to find Cinderheart. She was awake, but breathing hard. He licked her frantically.
"Cinderheart? Are you okay?" he asked her, concerned. She nodded repetitively.
"Lionblaze! Ugh! KITS!" she yowled. His eyes widened and he ran back to the medicine den.
"Jayfeather!" Lionblaze mewed loudly. "Cinderheart's having her kits! Come quick!"
Jayfeather nodded calmly, grabbed some herbs, and together Lionblaze and his brother padded to the nursery where his mate was waiting for him.
L
Cinderheart was still breathing hard when they arrived. Lionblaze raced to her side, licking her ears comfortingly. Ferncloud and Daisy were mewing softly, trying to calm the first time queen down.
Jayfeather was putting his paws here and there, patting her belly and waiting for the first kit to come.
"How many are there?" Lionblaze asked.
Jayfeather felt around here and there, and finally replied with, "A lot… maybe four? Three? I can't tell exactly…"
A convulsion passed through her body, and a tiny wet bundle fell onto the soft feathers, struggling for its first breath. Ferncloud began licking it, and Lionblaze watched as his first kit took its first breath. He felt as though he would burst with pride.
"It's a tom," Jayfeather announced. Lionblaze looked at his little kit, a small, very light golden brown tom with bright white paws. He licked it once, and the newborn bundle of fur mewed a tiny protest. He purred. He like this little kit, his son. He was proud of him.
Another ripple passed through his mate, and yet another bundle of fur hit the ground. This time Lionblaze licked its sac off, feeling rather fatherly and proud of himself. The second kit was even smaller than the first, and was a light gray all around, except for a tiny white spot on the very tip of its neck.
"She-cat," Jayfeather paused to say before going back to work with Cinderheart. She was looking tired. Lionblaze paused from washing his new kits and turned back to his mate.
He licked her head continuously. When a third ripple passed through her body she gasped, and Lionblaze licked her harder.
The third bundle of life thudded onto the ground. It thrashed around madly, breaking its own sack, taking a breath on its own. Lionblaze paused from his mad licking to purr faintly. Jayfeather turned momentarily to the kit, examining it closely. "She-cat," he decided finally, and turned again.
The third kit was slightly larger than her sister, but smaller than the male. She was beautiful. Her fur was a light tortoiseshell and bright gold. Her paws were a faint gray. Lionblaze looked at her with amusement. He could see how strong she already was. She'd broken her own sac! He felt pride well up in him all over again.
The largest convulsion yet passed through Cinderheart's warm body, making her gasp in pain. But there it was, a fourth kit, lying on the ground. Daisy licked its sack off, and it gasped for breath. It was a white and black tabby, obviously a tom.
Cinderheart didn't seem to have calmed down though. She was still gasping rapidly for air. Lionblaze turned to his brother. "What's happening?" he asked. Jayfeather shook his head.
"I don't know, she should be calming down…" Suddenly another pulse ran lightly through Cinderheart's gorgeous fur, and a fifth sac filled with life fell out. Cinderheart took a deep breath, looking relieved.
Daisy licked the sack off, and looked surprised. Her tail twitched in distress. She looked up at Lionblaze and Jayfeather.
Lionblaze came to inspect the final kit. It was another tom, almost solid black with some golden patches. It wasn't moving. It wasn't breathing. Lionblaze couldn't believe it. His fifth kit was dead. He closed his eyes, and leaned down to his mate, trying to hide his grief. "You gave birth to four healthy kits," he told her. She looked confused.
"I thought I had five." She told him. Lionblaze shook his head. He couldn't lie to her.
"The fifth one… didn't make it," he admitted.
He helped Daisy and Ferncloud push the kits toward their mother, and all four of them began drinking. Lionblaze took the fifth kit outside so it could feel the air one time before he buried him. He decided he'd call it Spottedkit. He licked the kit, wishing he would stir. It didn't.
Lionblaze went outside the camp to bury him.
L
When he returned to the nursery Cinderheart asked him what they should name the kit. He turned to the she-cat who'd broken her own sac first. He told Cinderheart about how the little she-cat had taken her first breath. His mate smiled.
"We should call her Tanglekit," Cinderheart said. He purred, nodding enthusiastically. It was perfect.
"What about the golden brown tom?" he asked. The two of them thought about it.
"How about…?" Lionblaze thought. He didn't realize this would be so hard.
"Juniperkit?" Cinderheart suggested. He nodded. Two down, two to go.
Lionblaze turned to the gray she-cat with the white spot on her neck. She was mewling pitifully as she tried to push past her larger siblings and get to the milk. Lionblaze gave her a small shove, causing her to both mew more and to get the milk. Lionblaze began purring again.
"Smokekit," Lionblaze said, proud of finally coming up with a name. Cinderheart agreed.
Finally they had only one kit left to name. Lionblaze was ready for this one though. It was a black and white tom, and looked as though he were smiling, waiting for his name to be chosen.
"We should call him Falconkit. Look how vicious he already is!" This was somewhat funny of Lionblaze to say, because Falconkit was the smallest, but he was thrashing around madly.
Cinderheart purred in amusement and agreed.
Finally, he was a father of four kits. Smokekit, Juniperkit, Tanglekit, and Falconkit. What a lot of trouble they're going to cause, Lionblaze thought to himself, purring with delight.