A/N: Oh em gee. Who's excited for Skyfeather's kits? I AM!
Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, a sharp pain throbbed up Skyfeather's side. She yowled out in pain as Icepool and Moonflower quickly rushed to her side.
"Moonflower!" Icepool yowled. "Her kits are coming!"
"Oh, now of all times," Moonflower hissed under her breath.
"Mrr-ow!" Skyfeather shrieked as more pain coursed up her sides. Her belly ached like no tomorrow, and she thought she was about to die.
"Moonflower, I don't know what to do," Icepool whispered, clearly in a panic. "Leafstripe never taught me what to do when a she-cat is having her kits!"
Skyfeather couldn't hear what Moonflower's response was. She was concentrated on the task before her. She could feel the individual kits inside of her belly, and she could tell they were coming.
"Um, Skyfeather, push!" Icepool hollered, obviously taking blind guesses.
Suddenly, a loud yowl filled the clearing above all the noise from the tussling cats. Skyfeather jolted open her eyes and pricked her ears toward the source of the yowl. Relief and excitement flooded over her senses when she recognized the call:
Cherrypaw.
"Moonflower, it's Cherrypaw!" she mewed weakly, unable to contain her excitement. She was about to say more when more pain stabbed her sides and she shut her eyes tight, preparing for a severe pain.
Suddenly, the noise in the clearing outside doubled, and Skyfeather could scent Snowstorm, Frostfur, and Dustcloud. She could even smell Whitepaw amongst the clamour. But another scent was tingling her nose. They were cats, but she wasn't quite sure if they were rogues, Clan cats, or kittypets. She guessed that was because of the pain she was experiencing at the moment.
"What is that?" Icepool hissed in disgust. Apparently the new scent was rather pungent.
"Icepool, concentrate!" Moonflower snapped, and Skyfeather heard a hard thwack as she hit him over the head. "My daughter is having her kits!"
Icepool made a grunting noise. "Sorry," he meowed. "But I don't know what to do, Moonflower! I don't know what herbs to use, or anything!"
"Skyfeather?" Skyfeather couldn't open her eyes, but she scented Snowstorm entering the nursery.
"Snowstorm…" she mumbled through the dense pain.
"Don't speak," Snowstorm shot back. She looked at Icepool. "Why are you just standing there? Do something!"
"I can't!" Icepool whined. "Leafstripe never taught me how to care for a delivering queen!"
Snowstorm made an exasperated noise before leaning over Skyfeather. "I'm only guessing, but you should probably get some yarrow and a few poppy seeds."
Suddenly, Skyfeather's nose picked up a stronger scent of the unfamiliar cats. "No," the she-cat meowed firmly as she came into the nursery. "Let me handle this."
Snowstorm took a step back. "Of course, Speck."
Moonflower hissed angrily. "Who is this cat, thinking she can just barge in on my daughter delivering her kits?"
"My name is Speck," the she-cat responded, "and I've done this many times before in Coal Pack."
"Coal Pack?" Moonflower snarled. "What are you talking about? What's going on?"
Snowstorm calmed the steaming elder. "It's okay, Moonflower. Speck is a good cat. Skyfeather will be fine."
Grateful for the reassurance that Icepool and Moonflower had failed to give her, Skyfeather rested her head down on the nursery floor and tried to ignore the pangs of pain.
"Where is your Clan's medicine cat?" Speck suddenly hissed.
"Icepool here," Snowstorm meowed, pointing with her tail to the white tom.
"Do you have juniper leaves?" Speck asked urgently.
"Juniper leaves?" Icepool echoed incredulously. "How will those help—"
"Just do as you're told!" Speck growled, sending Icepool hurtling through the nursery entrance and reappearing with the leaves.
"Thank you." Speck took the leaves and chewed them up thoroughly. When she was finished she spat the poultice out onto a leaf and nudged it toward Skyfeather's muzzle. "Eat it, Skyfeather. You'll feel much better."
Skyfeather didn't bother asking the unknown cat how she knew her name and licked up the juniper leaves. Like Icepool, she didn't know how juniper leaves would help, but she lapped them up, throwing all of her trust at this she-cat named Speck.
Almost instantly, the pain stopped. Well, it didn't stop, it just simply ebbed away to a dim throbbing.
"It's coming!" Moonflower yowled, unable to hide her excitement. "The first kit; I see it!"
The first kit: dark grey like his father.
"Oh, he looks just like his father…" Moonflower mumbled through the chaos.
The second kit: light grey with darker paws.
"Oh, Skyfeather, they're so beautiful," Snowstorm put in, trying to calm the silver queen.
The third kit: light grey and dark grey tortoiseshell with a white tail tip.
"So cute," Snowstorm mewed again. "Hey, where's Tawnys—"
"Don't," Moonflower hissed, thrashing her tail up to silence Snowstorm. "We'll talk about it later."
The fourth kit: lightly dappled grey tortoiseshell with brown flecks.
"You're all done, Skyfeather," Speck meowed cheerfully. "They're all out, and they're very healthy-looking toms."
Congratulations on your four healthy toms.
Skyfeather let out a breath of relief and satisfaction. She peeked open her eyes to see four cats standing above her, and the starlight of Silverpelt shining through the dense brambles.
The pain was gone, and Skyfeather was a mother.
"May I see them?" she asked groggily, as she scented borage dropped at her muzzle.
"Of course," Speck meowed, helping Skyfeather shift positions to see her kits.
"Oh," Skyfeather let out breathlessly. She felt her heart tingling with joy at the sight of her newborns. They were magnificent, and she couldn't wait for Stormstar to see them.
Then she was reminded about the battle occurring outside. "You must help them," she muttered, wrapping her tail protectively around her four kits. "Moonflower, Icepool and I will stay here in the nursery."
"Skyfeather, they're hungry," Icepool murmured as the two cats disappeared outside of the nursery and launched themselves into the tussle.
Skyfeather nodded and allowed the four beautiful kits to suckle on her belly. Every now and then, she brushed her tail over them, or leaned down and licked the blood off of their wet pelts.
"You must be hungry," Moonflower meowed. "I was after I gave birth to you."
Skyfeather nodded, chuckling softly. "I am, but it can wait. The Clan is in danger."
A loud yowl pierced the air as the scent of rogues began to fade.
"They're leaving!" Moonflower rejoiced. "They're retreating."
Skyfeather nodded, but she couldn't take her eyes off of her wonderful kits. She rasped her tongue over their pelts protectively and whispered little things, like, "You're home, boys," and "Your father will be so proud."
Suddenly, the nursery was alive with activity. Skyfeather's eyes grew in horror as she saw a black she-cat plunge through the brambles and glare down at the four kits, followed by another black tom.
"Well hello," the black tom murmured. "What a happy little family of cats. Who's the father?"
Skyfeather attempted to get to her paws but failed miserably. Instead, she retreated to covering her kits up with her body. "Leave us alone," she spat.
The black tom chuckled. Skyfeather assumed he was supposed to be Midnight. "I don't think so," Midnight meowed deeply. "MidnightClan will need a lot more apprentices, and your beautiful kits will be perfect."
"What?" Skyfeather growled incredulously. This blood-thirsty rogue wouldn't be so cold-hearted as so steal her newborn kits, would he? "No! I won't let you take them!"
But the black she-cat was already poking around, trying to find the kits.
Moonflower yowled and pounced on the rogue. "No you don't!" she hissed. "Those are my grandchildren!"
While the two cats tussled on the nursery floor, Icepool decided to take on Midnight.
"No, Icepool, don't!" But it was too late. Midnight had flung the medicine cat across the small clearing and into the brambles.
"Now where are those beautiful kits?" Midnight questioned darkly. He chuckled before batting out a paw and thrusting Skyfeather off her paws.
"No!" she screeched as Midnight grabbed one of her kits by the scruff.
But Moonflower was quicker. She snatched up the other three kits and stormed out of the nursery.
"Follow her!" Midnight ordered.
The black she-cat pelted after Moonflower, heading straight for the rushing elder.
Skyfeather leaped at Midnight, regaining her strength from the adrenaline coursing through her veins. But Midnight dodged her attack and darted out of the brambles and through the boundary wall.
"No!" Skyfeather yowled, clawing at the wall.
"Skyfeather?" Skyfeather didn't have to turn around to know who it was. Stormstar was padding up to her. She felt a small bit of happiness that he was all right, but that happiness was smothered with anger and fear for her kits.
"Skyfeather, your belly isn't swollen," Stormstar observed.
Skyfeather flipped around. "Of course, mouse-brain! Midnight and the other rogue…they…our kits…"
Stormstar wrapped his tail around her shoulders. "Skyfeather, speak in full sentences."
"Midnight stole one of our kits!" Skyfeather snarled. "I swear by StarClan, I'm going to kill that hideous excuse for a cat!" She clawed angrily at the boundary once more, tearing out bits of fern and twigs.
"Skyfeather, stop!" Stormstar commanded, stopping the flustered queen. "When did you have your kits?"
"Just now!" Skyfeather hissed. "Moonflower ran off with the others… Stormstar, I can't believe this is all happening…"
"Shh," Stormstar calmed his mate. She cried into his side for a moment before Icepool trotted up to them warily.
"Skyfeather," he stammered, "you have to get into my den. I'm sure Moonflower will return safely with your kits."
"Would people stop trying to reassure me with lies?" Skyfeather spat furiously. She struggled to free herself from Stormstar's grasp, but eventually gave up when her legs grew too tired and her sides started hurting again. She let the two cats drag her into the medicine cat's den.
She lay her head down on her paws when she was curled up in the mossy nest just outside of Icepool's sleeping den. Stormstar stayed with her while Icepool padded outside with herbs to heal the injured cats outside in the clearing.
"How many were there?" Stormstar asked, trying to calm Skyfeather with questions about how beautiful the kits were.
"Four," Skyfeather replied. "Four toms. Oh, Stormstar, they're wonderful! You must see them!"
Stormstar nodded. "Yes, I'm sure I should," he meowed. "After all, they're our children."
Skyfeather nodded and nuzzled into Stormstar's side. They stayed that way for several moments before there was a rustling and Moonflower burst through the fern entrance, panting, kits in jaw.
Skyfeather dashed out of the medicine cat's den and sprinted up to her mother, Stormstar hard on her heels.
"Are they all right?" she asked, drawing her tongue over her trembling kits.
"They're fine," Moonflower meowed, staring down at the kits, pride and happiness gleaming in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Skyfeather. I couldn't find Midnight with the last kit."
Skyfeather immediately broke down into Stormstar's side. Moonflower rasped her tongue over her daughter and grandchildren before Skyfeather padded back to the nursery. She held one kit, while Stormstar and Moonflower held the other two.
When they got inside the nursery, Skyfeather almost broke down for the third time that night when she remembered Tawnyspot. She had expected to see the warm tortoiseshell queen waiting patiently, unhurt, in the nursery, but there was only a small trace of her scent.
"What happened to Tawnyspot?" Stormstar asked. "I couldn't see her anywhere."
"She was knocked out by that awful black she-cat," Skyfeather muttered coldly through a clenched jaw. "Probably because Midnight wanted more kits for MidnightClan."
"MidnightClan?" Stormstar echoed. "Is that what he said?"
Skyfeather nodded bleakly. She couldn't really think right now. She settled down in her mossy nest and let her kits drink her milk while she groomed them hastily. Stormstar stayed with her and they talked about names while Moonflower fell asleep on the nursery floor.
"I think the darkest on should be Oceankit," Skyfeather mumbled through a lick. "His pelt is dark like the ocean."
Stormstar nodded. "That's a good name." He paused, staring at the light grey tom. "I like Talonkit for that one."
Skyfeather nodded. "That's a great name. Ow! His claws are so sharp!"
Stormstar chuckled. "I guess Talonkit works well for him then."
Skyfeather sighed. She barely even got to see what her fourth son looked like when he was taken away. "How about the third one is Rainkit, since his pelt looks like rain."
Stormstar nodded. "That's a good name for him."
Skyfeather ran her tongue up and down her kits' pelts. Stormstar rasped his tongue over Skyfeather every now and then when she grew shaky thinking of her fourth kit.
"Did you have a name for the fourth one?"
"No…" Skyfeather replied. "But I'm thinking Scaredkit…"
Stormstar chuckled. "He's probably scared out of his wits."
Skyfeather thought of the helpless kit being forced to train at only four moons. She thought of him as tears started to well up in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Stormstar mumbled, pressing his nose to her forehead. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Oh, StarClan, please keep him safe, she prayed silently, staring up at the sky through the brambles. And, probably for the tenth time in her life, she saw a glistening, orange star winking at her.
A/N: I must be honest, I have no idea what happens when kits are born. They probably don't have any fur, but whatever. I wanted to name them. Also, I made Icepool really awkward...O.o Heh, reviews!