Disclaimer:

I do not own Warriors.

Wingsoul gasped awake as she felt somebody pounce her swollen stomach. She turned to see Freezekit on her stomach, mischief gleaming in his amber eyes. "And what are you doing?" Wingsoul purred, laughing at the young kit's innocence.

"You and Snowbird were asleep, and I wanted to play," he explained.

Wingsoul only gave a small laugh. "You're lonely, aren't you? Why don't you go see if Cederheart will tell you a story?" she asked.

"No, I don't want a story. I want to play," he groaned. "When will your kits get here?" he asked. "Then I'll be able to play with them!

"I don't know Freezekit," she smiled. "It's for them to decide, not me. And you'll need to wait away, they'll still be small, not ready to play with such a big kit like you. How about you go get a moss ball, and I'll toss it around with you?"

"What's a moss ball?" the white tom asked. Wingsoul's eyes widened. This kit had never played with a moss ball before!?

"Only one of the most fun games to play. Now, go collect some moss, and don't take any from the nests or go out of camp." Wingsoul instructed. The young kit smiled, and hopped out of the nursery. Snowbird's white body began to stir.

"Freezekit?" she murmured, lifting her head, her eyes still looking drowsy. "Where is he?" she looked over to Wingsoul, her eyes still heavy.

"I asked him to go get some moss. I'm teaching him to make moss balls," she explained. Snowbird gave a rugged purr.

"I miss moss balls. They were so much fun. Then we just stopped playing with them, and none of the queens gave a second thought. I remember playing with them as a kit. I've all but forgotten about them. That will keep him busy for a little while." Snowbird smiled. "I wish the ShadowClan cats weren't so fussy now. If they were a little more carefree, things would be so much better." she sighed.

"Oh, I don't know. ThunderClan could be carefree, but that usually got kits in more trouble." Wingsoul smiled. She began thinking of playing with her own brothers and sister. Her heart began to ache. She did sometimes wish that she could go back to ThunderClan, only for a visit, but she knew that it was against the rules.

Snowbird smiled, and curled back to sleep. Wingsoul yawned, and then she felt one of her kits push her stomach, hard. She flinched, and then it went away. She wished that her kits were out. Then came another one. She flinched, and suppressed a groan. Where her kits play-fighting inside of her? Soon the pains began to press against her harder, in a rhythmic motion.

"Snowbird!" she cried out, just as Freezekit jumped into the nursery, a small clump of moss in his jaw. Snowbird stayed still, oblivious to the noises her denmate was making. "Freezekit, wake Snowbird," she ordered through a hiss of pain. Freezekit froze in fear. "Move!"

Freezekit bounded over to his mother is worry, forgetting about the moss. He nudged her, hard. "Snowbird! Snowbird wake up! Please!" the young kit begged. Wingsoul felt as another roll of pain bounded over her. She groaned. Out of her blurred vision, she could see Snowbird's white pelt beginning to stir.

"What is it Freezekit?" she whispered softly. Another wave came over Wingsoul. As quick as lightning Snowbird had disappeared from view.

"Wingsoul, what's wrong?" Freezekit's small mew came. But the she-cat couldn't answer, the pain was overwhelming. She grunted her reply in pain.

Then two figures appeared. Wingsoul smiled, she knew it was Flamefur and Littlecloud. She tried to smile, but another wave of pain swiped over her, and she cringed. Flamefur looked to his mentor, and the two nodded. Even though the blood was pulsing through her ears, she heard more rustling. This time, she could make out a blurry brown figure, and a whisper came to her, "It's alright my love."

"Tigerstripe, move away," Littlecloud's cold rasp came from above. Wingsoul felt more pain come. She then gave a cold glance toward the medicine cat, why couldn't her mate stay?

"I'm not leaving her," Tigerstripe's meow came. Wingsoul smiled, and then flinched away in pain, this is why she liked her mate. Stubborn, but gentle as well.

"I don't care-" she stopped for a contraction, "if he leaves or stays."

"Just let him stay," Flamefur's argue came. "My brother should see his first kits being born."

"I don't want him to interfere. Go on a hunting patrol, when your back they'll be born," Littlecloud persisted.

"I'm not leaving her," Tigerstripe snarled.

"He should stay," Flamefur snarled. Wingsoul gave a soft growl, for both their bickering, and for pain.

"I'm sorry to interfere with your... arguing, but I'm still having kits over here!" she yowled. Tigerstripe bent over and gave her a quick lick over the ear.

"Alright, stay," Littlecloud finally gave in. "Tigerstripe, move over close toward the entrance. You can help clean the first kit." Tigerstripe gave a soft purr in triumph.

It seemed like seasons had to have passed. Finally, after what had to be moons, she heard the faintest, plop. The pain began to ease, but it was just as furious as before. She saw Flamefur pad away, and then shout to the Clan, "The first kit has been born, it's a tom!" She looked around, trying to see her kit. She saw Tigerstripe bent over, licking something. She smiled, she couldn't see it very well, but she knew that it blended in with her mate's fur. Then Tigerstripe brought the small kit over to her belly. She felt the small warm body push against her body. And then she heard, again, a plop. The pain ended, and she saw Littlecloud place a small gray body in front of her.

Wingsoul began to lick the newborn the wrong way, and she heard it gasp it's first breaths of air. She purred, and moved they young she-kit to her belly. She purred, and then felt a tongue move over her ear. She looked up to see Tigerstripe purring. "They're beautiful," he purred.

Wingsoul licked his chin, because that was all that she could reach. She looked to them. The tom was a pale tabby tom, with two white back paws, and then the she-kit was pale gray tabby. Wingsoul purred, and licked the two kits. The tom squirmed underneath her tongue, and the she-kit gave a loud squeak. Flamefur and Littlecloud had left the den, Snowbird was outside keeping Freezekit entertained, and Wingsoul looked to her mate seriously.

"What about Russetstar?" she whispered. "She said she'd know when to attack." She saw Tigerstripe's face drop for only a moment.

"Don't worry, I'd fight through StarClan to keep these kits safe. As I know you would. There is no way Russetstar is going to touch our kits." Tigerstripe whispered. He looked out to the clearing. "It's late, I need to go get some rest," he explained.

"I've been kitting all afternoon?" Wingsoul gasped.

"Most of it," Tigerstripe laughed.

Wingsoul smiled. She listened to the satisfied purrs of her two kits. Wingsoul curled herself around her kits, and began to sleep. As she began to drift off, she whispered, "Sleep well, Stripekit and Graykit."

A figure, ragged and disfigured, moved toward the nursery. It went toward the nursery, and surveyed its surroundings. In one corner, two white cats were sleeping close to each other. Another small group was in the other side. The strange cat smiled, and moved forward.

It grasped the two kits that was sleeping next to their mother, and started moving away.

Wingsoul awoke, from a sudden shift in heat, and looked around. She saw a dark ginger she-cat, holding her two kits in their jaws. Wingsoul froze for a moment, and then snarled. "Drop my kits Russetstar."

"Oh Wingsoul, it seems you've found me out." the ex-leader hissed through kit fur. "To bad I'm not going to be obeying you," she yowled, and dashed out of the nursery.

"Stop!" Wingsoul yowled, and chased after the she-cat. She saw Snowbird move out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't care. She knew that Russetstar was faster, but she was begging that Wingsoul had more endurance. She sprinted out the entrance, and saw Russetstar's tail turn. She moved forward, she couldn't let her get away.

Suddenly she heard a loud annoyed squeak. Wingsoul looked around, trying to find out where it came from. She ran forward into the dark, and tripped over a rock. A painful squeak came from the rock. She looked at the rock, and noticed it wasn't a rock, but Graykit. She looked at her daughter, and licked it gently. Then a small group of warriors arrived. Tigerstripe was among them.

"Wingsoul, what happened?" he asked.

"Russetstar took the kits. She must have dropped Graykit, but she still has Stripekit," she explained.

"Which way did she go?" Tigerstripe snarled.

"I don't know, I lost her when I heard Graykit mewl," she whispered. "I'm sorry." Wingsoul put her head down in despair, she couldn't believe Russetstar was back. And she did get revenge. She got her kit.

Tigerstripe gently gave Wingsoul a lick over the ear, and stayed with her as the other three warriors moved on, trying to track the rouge.