Ah, two weeks behind! School, I love you. But here it is! Also, TW warning for the ending of this chapter. To da reviews:
puppydogs68: I love writing it *holds arms out* this much! (heh heh, most of the time, anyway) I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for reviewing!
Mintflight0245: Yeah Flakewhisker was really fun to write, I'm glad you liked her! Yes, hopefully by the end that question will be answered... *waves arms in an attempt to be mysterious* Thanks for reviewing!
JustToTalk: Oof I know, right? And you continue to inspire me. An insane asylum for cats? Brilliant!
Lithuanian Longtail: Oh wow, the last scene wasn't a show reference or anything, but I could be wrong. If you know what show it's from, I'd love to know! I'm glad that last chapter was one of your furavorites! Thanks for reviewing!
And of course, thanks to all who are reading, and for suggesting that Flakewhisker be the previous narrator of the chapter. Switching POVs in this fic has been a pretty interesting and fun experience.
The sun was setting upon the circle of cats, casting long shadows in the WindClan camp. Brackenleg twitched his tail, blinking slowly.
"And now the story resumes a few moons later, at the beginning of leaf-fall. The clan had grown. There was forgiveness and unforgiveness, friendship, and romance. It was that time of year…" Brackenleg paused, taking a deep breath and opening his mouth to announce something he was clearly excited about.
The Creamcloud shoved her tail into Brackenleg's mouth.
"The most romantic time of the year!" Creamcloud mewed loftily, in an exaggerated breathy and seductive tone. "Ah, leaf-fall, am I right, Brackenleg?"
Brackenleg choked on the she-cat's fluffy tail, giving her a death glare through watering eyes. With a wet splat he spat out her tail, wiping his mouth with a paw.
"Yes, Creamcloud. The infamous season of romance for the clans." Brackenleg rasped, still coughing a little.
"Ooh, romance?" Firekit mewed excitedly. "I love romance!"
"That makes one of us." Rosekit pouted. "Romance is boring. And gross!" She stuck out her tongue.
"No it's not. Firekit protested, then he turned to Brackenleg hopefully. "Please continue the story! I'm so excited!"
Brackenleg nodded with half-closed eyes as he thought of what came next. "Of course."
"You should be." Creamcloud added. "Brackenleg is a real heartthrob when it comes to romantic stories."
Brackenleg rolled his eyes.
Birchtail's POV
"Moss! Birchtail! Get me moss." Flakewhisker said in exasperation.
Birchtail stood at the entrance of the nursery, dumbly holding some borage. Right herb, wrong time. He flinched and dropped herbs as if they were a bundle of snakes.
"S-sorry." He stammered, and whisked away to fetch some moss. His heart pounded, but not just with anxiety, but with a little excitement as well. This would be the first time he'd delivered kits! Pansyheart was finally giving birth, the early pains beginning a little before moonhigh the previous night. Now it was early morning, and the kits should be arriving any moment now.
And I can't miss it this time! Birchtail thought desperately. Flakewhisker- He stopped himself before he could complete the thought. Flakewhisker was old, but she wasn't going anywhere any time soon. Right?
After snatching the moss, and dipping it in the small puddle in the medicine den, Birchtail rushed back to the nursery. He passed Sleetfur, the father of the incoming kits, who was trying to remain calm by the freshkill pile.
He looked fine until another loud moan came out from the nursery, and he paled, looking ready to dash over to the nursery until Bronzefoot stopped him.
"It'll be fine, Sleetfur." The brown tom comforted. He smiled at Birchtail. "I trust my son to take care of her."
Birchtail beamed at Bronzefoot, and nodded reassuringly at Sleetfur. The nervousness on the gray tom's face didn't disappear, but he was at least stopped from interfering.
And he didn't need to know that this was also Birchtail's first time delivering kits.
Flakewhisker muttered her thanks as Birchtail dropped the moss next to her. "The first one is about to show." The old tortoiseshell told Birchtail. "Place your paw on her belly."
First Birchtail looked at Pansyheart for permission, and through heavy breaths the queen nodded. Birchtail was amazed. Her stomach was rippling with contractions, and after a particularly large ripple Pansyheart gasped, and let out a long groan.
"Here it comes." Flakewhisker mewed, sounding very bored. It was like the she-cat had no emotion for the proper occasions sometimes. Birchtail would never understand it. "Get ready to nip the sac and bring it to its mother. Pansyheart, get ready to push."
Pansyheart strained, panting heavily, and then a kit slid out onto the nest. Birchtail carefully nipped the sac, and nudged the tiny thing toward Pansyheart's belly. It was blind and weak with ears sealed shut, but somehow it had the strength to crawl all the way around to snuggle with its mother. Pansyheart tenderly began licking the kit clean. Then she groaned as the next wave of pain hit her.
Birchtail flattened his ears. She'd been so peaceful! Flakewhisker gave him a scrutinizing look, and Birchtail shook his worry away. She still had more kits on the way. He watched as Flakewhisker placed her paw on Pansyheart's side again. She nodded at Birchtail.
"Try to see if you can tell how many kits are left." Flakewhisker commanded, withdrawing her paw. Birchtail obeyed, lightly running his paw along Pansyheart's flank.
"I think… three more?" Birchtail guessed, tilting his head to the side.
Flakewhisker nodded approvingly. "Correct. That would be my guess too." Sunlight continued to grow brighter in the den as the birthing continued, Pansyheart's moans accompanied by the anxious pacing of Sleetfur outside.
The birthing of the kits lasted until a little after sunhigh, with reasonable breaks between each delivery. Now, the kits were nursing, and Sleetfur was finally allowed to come see his mate and newborn kits once Flakewhisker and Birchtail had cleaned up.
The gray tom purred at the sight, nuzzling Pansyheart gently. "They're beautiful, my love."
Pansyheart murmured incoherently in response, too tired to even look up. But her smile grew wider as she and her mate admired the four tiny kits at her belly.
Flakewhisker nearly shoved Birchtail out of the den, and he stumbled, feeling disappointed.
"What? We don't get to see what they name the kits?" He protested.
"They need space, mousebrain." Flakewhisker retorted, walking back toward the medicine den. "I'm sure you can visit later, but right now, it's family time." Then she turned around, looking thoughtful. "Isn't today also that leaf-fall love celebration or whatever you young cats call it? You should go celebrate."
"B-but I'm a medicine cat!" Birchtail replied, feeling abashed. "I'm not supposed to go looking for love!"
Flakewhisker's tone took on that wise, knowledgeable tone she usually only saved for the other medicine cats. "Love isn't just romantic, you know. Lots of cats celebrate the first day of leaf-fall with family, apprentices, friends, not just mates." Then her composure loosened. "Now get a move on!" She flicked her front paws at him in a shooing motion, then walked away.
Birchtail snorted. Apparently Flakewhisker was exempt? Well, no cat in their right mind would want to spend the day with her anyway. He walked around camp, suddenly feeling very awkward. He didn't want to look like he was trying to find anyone. His throat tightened. What if everyone chose a cat to spend time with already? I'd be left out! He sank to the ground, feeling the impending doom weigh him down.
This day was already going to be a disaster. He just knew it.
"Birchtail Birchtail! Omigosh Birchtail please I need you!" Redthorn yowled. She skidded to a halt next to Birchtail, prodding him with a paw. "Oh, please tell me there isn't some disaster happening. Did Pansyheart's kitting go wrong?" She pondered this briefly. "Because it didn't sound like anything was going wrong-" Finally she saw the mild irritation in Birchtail's glare.
"Okay I'll shut up. But seriously, I kind of need your help today." Redthorn meowed desperately.
Birchtail sighed in defeat. "Okay, what is it?"
"Two things." Redthorn told him. "First, do you want to spend the day with me as your sister and friend, and two-" She lowered her voice. "Is it just me or do you think Stormfang and Hailwhisker have been very close lately?"
Birchtail blinked, feeling flattered. Redthorn wanted to spend the day with him? "Th-thank you." He mumbled. "You're a pretty great sister."
Redthorn gave a pleased smile.
"No problem! We haven't spent time together lately anyway." She replied. "And what about-"
"Stormfang and Hailwhisker?" Birchtail answered, looking around for the two toms. "Well, I mean, yeah, but most of the time that was just by chance…"
"But today they went hunting together." Redthorn asserted. "By choice. And today of all days, Birchtail. That's not by chance."
"So you really think…" Birchtail started hesitantly.
"Yes." Redthorn finished, striking a suave pose complete with the romantic tone. "I think they are smitten with one another."
"Wow." Birchtail didn't know what to say. His brother, having a mate? He'd always seen Stormfang as stubborn and independent, his own ambitions outweighing the desire for a partner. And Hailwhisker, of all cats? He didn't understand how they could be getting along all of a sudden. This couldn't be right! Birchtail's mind felt ready to explode.
Noticing his confusion, Redthorn shrugged. "We don't have to focus on that, then." She sounded a little disappointed, but she didn't push it further. Instead, she paced around him. "So, it's the first day of leaf-fall, my lovely brother. What is it you'd like to do today?"
Birchtail stood up, noting the crisp and fresh air circling around camp. The wind ruffled his fur in a satisfying way, making his paws itch to move. "How does a run through the forest sound?" He asked, lightly bouncing on his toes.
Redthorn sighed. "Well, I do that every day, but…" She watched as Birchtail's face fell. "Of course we can do that."
Throughout the forest, Birchtail saw many pairs of cats spending their day together. This was celebrated among all the clans, so though patrols could still be sent out, deputies were much more lenient. He spotted Seedfur and Icefeather playfully climbing a willow tree, Seedfur laughing as Icefeather slid down, unable to climb quite as high as her.
Birchtail was glad Seedfur had forgiven her mate for participating in the battle responsible for Flowerbloom's death. Orangeface hadn't been so lucky. His former mate, Ravendusk, and his two kits, Lilystorm and Lilacfall, still weren't speaking to him. In fact, Birchtail hadn't seen Orangeface today. He was probably grieving about the loss of his family's affection.
He and Redthorn arrived panting by the shore of the lake, the breeze causing its surface to ripple in interesting ways. The bright blue reflection of the cloudless sky looked distorted, as if Birchtail were viewing the sky of another world.
He stopped at the shoreline, lapping at the water. A wave rolled over his forepaws, chilly but pleasant after a long run. Redthorn joined his side, taking a nice long drink before looking up, muzzle dripping. She nudged him.
"Look at the apprentices." Redthorn laughed, pointing with her tail further down the shore. Birchtail looked over, smiling at the sight.
Mistypaw, Dewpaw, Brindlepaw, and Snowpaw were all playing around in the water, yowling when they got splashed. Snowpaw, surprisingly, was the most drenched out of all of them, rearing on his hindlegs as he brought his forepaws down for a particularly devastating splash. To his sisters' dismay, he was winning whatever kind of water battle they were fighting.
"If I didn't know better I'd mistake you for RiverClan apprentices!" Redthorn called, and the four apprentices looked up, bowing their heads guiltily. But instead, Redthorn rushed over, leaping into the icy lake, drenching all four of the apprentices. They squealed with excitement, and the water war began again, with renewed ferocity.
Birchtail hung back. He was completely satisfied with watching; he had no desire to get wet. He was just happy that apprentices seemed to be recovering somewhat, their sadness lifting so they could enjoy this day together. Soon the splashing died down, and the five cats were sprawled in a patch of sunlight, chatting. Birchtail began to zone out, mesmerized by the rippling of the lake.
"...and Invisiblepelt I think is with her today-"
Birchtail snapped out of his daze, then groaned inwardly. Why was he still reacting to Invisiblepelt's name like that? It was as if the name jumped out and bit him. He looked over at Snowpaw, who was speaking.
"I'm not sure if Invisiblepelt can hang out with StarClan cats, but it's just what I like to think." Snowpaw mewed, shyly staring at his paws.
Redthorn nodded politely, any hint of disbelief gone from her face, for Snowpaw's sake. Birchtail sighed. Invisiblepelt was Snowpaw's mentor, after all, so it would make sense for the young apprentice to talk about him. And it was a nice thought, Invisiblepelt spending this special day with Flowerbloom. It would be like him to do that. Looking at his paws, Birchtail pondered this.
He still wasn't sure if Invisiblepelt was real. He wondered all the time. Was Invisiblepelt's personality really what he imagined it to be? Could he stop imagining? He wished with all his might that he could just say he didn't believe. But the thoughts remained. Finally, he just resigned himself to just watching the conversation again, trying to forget about his problems. Redthorn and the apprentices talked of many other things, but Birchtail's treacherous thoughts still lingered on Invisiblepelt.
Real or not real?
With the sun setting on their backs, the group headed back to the ThunderClan camp, still talking. Birchtail even joined in a little. He appreciated how welcoming the apprentices were, even an awkward medicine cat like him.
Hm. They're probably just glad I'm not Flakewhisker. Birchtail thought, in a little bit of a bad mood ever since the conversation by the lake about Invisiblepelt.
All the other clan cats were starting to return to camp as well. As was tradition, the first day of leaf-fall concluded with speeches of appreciation from partners. Cats complimented one another on hunting skills, compassion, skill in battle, or simply for being themselves.
Out of the corner of his eye, Birchtail saw Stormfang and Hailwhisker sitting close. He smiled. Maybe one of them would give a speech tonight. Quiet murmurs filled the camp as cats awaited Silverstar, who still hadn't returned yet. Redthorn sat to Birchtail's right, with the apprentices nearby.
Some more time passed, and Birchtail couldn't help but feel worried. "Where's Silverstar?" He asked Redthorn.
She tapped her tail on his side reassuringly. "Don't worry, he and Glorymask went out together today. They deserve a break the most."
"He went out with Glorymask?!" Birchtail meowed in disbelief.
Redthorn rolled her eyes. "They're not mates, silly. Usually leaders choose cats they like as deputies. They've been friends for a long time."
"No, I mean is that Glorymask?!" Birchtail squeaked, staring in horror at the entrance tunnel.
Murmurs turned into shocked screeches and wails as the clan noticed the sight that lay behind them.
Nightstar, WindClan's leader, was supporting Silverstar, whose head was bleeding as he gazed blankly at nothing. A ginger WindClan she-cat behind them was dragging a heap of black and white fur. Glorymask.
"No…" Redthorn whispered, her voice catching in her throat.
Birchtail stood stock still.
This can't be happening. StarClan, why?