A/N: Hello again! Here's challenge number #3!
Next thing Storm knows, she's falling down. Chunks, pebbles, and dust from the light grey stone twolegs used to build things rain down around her.
"Storm!" Comes the shouts, one of which she can never not recognize. Grey Wing! She lifts a head feebly. "My... Kits..." Storm whispers.
She's panicking. She can't move. Where are her kits? Are they safe? They have to be safe! She sees two figures come closer. Two! Did Grey Wing bring Clear Sky? How could he? Didn't he know that she didn't want him in her life?
"I'll get the kits, you can take care of her," comes a female voice. Storm would sigh in relief that it wasn't Clear Sky if it weren't for how painful just breathing was. Black spots appear, lining the edge of her vision which had already been clouded with red, and it makes it hard for Storm to see.
The silhouette of Gray Wing was visible anyways, and he crouched down near her.
"No, fool," she croaks, "My kits."
Grey Wing nods. "Turtle Tail is already on it. I have to keep you alive."
Storm shakes her head, adamant. "No, my kits. Save them first."
Grey Wing seems even more stubborn. "No. What use is saving kits if they have no mother?"
That shuts her up. It's more the fact she's tired and it hurts like hell to speak, but what he says still makes a bit of help.
Storm coughs, and blood comes up. Grey Wing stands up. "I have to go for a minute," He says, his voice rising. "Please take care of her, don't let her die!" And like that, he runs off.
Storm is alone. She knows that Turtle Tail is nearby, but she can't see her. "My kits!" She croaks. "Where are they?"
Turtle Tail lets out a breath. "Storm... I'm so sorry."
She panics, bolting up and screeching as her trapped legs gets wrenched and her muscles scream. "No!" Storm screams, tears running down her face. "They can't... Be... Dead!" Her words are chopped up by sobs, and Storm collapses. She might as well die now.
"Wait!" Turtle Tail says, causing Storm to gasp. "There's one who's alive."
Storm tilts her head up, fighting the pain. "Please! Be telling the truth!" A tear runs down her cheek. "Bring... Them to me... All... Of them..."
One by one, the kits are brought over, and Storm fights her pain, just so she can see them. The still ones are brought first. Storm asks Turtle Tail to press them to her cheeks.
Storm leans her head on each of them, coddling them one last time. She quietly whispers their names and love into their ears, saying good-bye and giving them luck.
Turtle Tail brought the last one forward, the one who still lives. He's squirming, and crying. Storm feels heartbroken she can't help. "Thunder..." She whispers, before she stops fighting, passing out.
-
Several moons has passed. Storm is now fully healed and her kits are older. She had been taken into the moor group for now, and she's sitting on a tall rock out on the Wing approaches.
"Have you made your decision?" He inquires.
Storm nodded. "Yes. I'm going to leave."
The gray cat behind her bows his head. "Alright then. I will respect your wishes." He turns to leave.
"Wait," Storm says, turning to face him. "I'm going to be living nearby. I'll visit every now and then. But Thunder is staying. I'm letting him do what he wants, and he made up his mind long ago."
Grey Wing is ecstatic. "That's great!"
Storm walks forward and nuzzles him. "We'll see each other a lot. But..." She looks down at her paws. "I'm not ready for a mate yet. Especially not you. Do you understand?" She looks back up.
Gray Wing nods. "Yes, I do."
