It was three sevensuns and a day before the kits were born on a stormy night. The thunder and lightning crashed, lighting the old tumbled down barn. Dancingsong wailed, her flanks heaving. And, with a final push, the last kit out of four was born. She lay there, snuggled into the old straw, panting. Pain glazed her sky blue eyes and she gasped out a request to Fleetdust.
"I'm . . . going, soon, my love." she gasped out, struggling for breath. "We need to . . . name them." blood welled at the side of her mouth and Fleetdust crouched down, panic growing in his eyes. Tears filled his amber eyes as he realized she was right. Lily sat with her head bowed, silent. Fleetdust growled suddenly, narrowing his eyes.
"This isn't fair!" he wailed, throwing his head back as rain beat on the tin roof. Lily looked up, her own amber eyes saddened at the tomcat's grief.
"Go to Dancingsong and name your kits." she murmured, nodding at the dying she and the squirming new-borns. He growled once more, the sound of it almost lost in the crack of thunder that drowned out the monsters wheels and the ever ending murmur of the strange lines that ran over the old barn. He was crouched by her, stroking his tail along the silvery she's cheek when she whispered the first name.
"Petal . . . just Petal. For the cream and brown she." Dancingsong coughed, her time was now limited.
"And Rush, for the brown tabby tomkit." Fleetdust licked her cheek, love in his amber gaze.
"Willow . . . for the silver she. And Jay, for the gray tabby she." Dancingsong murmured, her head lying limp, cradled in his paws.
"And the last's name is Song, my love." After you, he thought, his eyes blurring with tears. They fell upon his now gone mate. Her spirit rose, gave him a lick on the forehead, murmured words of love to her wiggling children and ascended to the final place of rest.