"I can't wait to have kits." Spidermoon purred. "Knowing that me and Brownpelt are not only mates but best friends, it fills me with such joy that we get to share this together. And you and Flyfur can play with the kits. Just imagine it, you'll be Aunty Redblossom."
Spidermoon gave a teasing grin at Redblossom and she blinked in shock before regaining her composure.
"That...that sounds great Spidermoon." Redblossom replied, walking away quickly. Spidermoon looked at me with confusion.
"She's probably just worried sick about the threat, it could come any day now." I reminded her. Why wasn't Spidermoon worried? I was worried for my mate and adoptive daughter who meant the world to me.
Voletooth was holding a feather in her teeth and playing with Spottedkit nearby, moving away every time Spottedkit tried to take the feather. I felt more relaxed until I saw Flyfur approach his sister, and I feared that he'd be angry at her for living her life happily after their mother died, with her not forgiving Amberfern.
But there was a sad and defeated gaze in his eyes.
"I think Mom would want us to forgive each other." Flyfur admitted. "I miss her so much, but I also miss you. For the sake of the Clan, we should have each other's backs."
"Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't have cut off my relationship with my mother, but that's in the past." Voletooth agreed. "I miss you too."
Flyfur briefly touched his nose to his sister and pulled back, his tail moving from side to side.
"Do you want to walk to the Gathering together? We have a lot to catch up on." Flyfur asked. Voletooth glanced at me and nodded.
"Don't worry, I've got a lot of things to tell Redblossom and Spidermoon too." I purred. "It's great to see you two getting along again."
We all went to the Gathering except Darkpuddle, who got sent back to camp for attempting to rape Redblossom. Stonestar intervened, but we all knew that Redblossom was ready to kick his ass if she needed to.
Redblossom and her father revealed the upcoming threat to all of the Clans, and then we saw the huge flying monster hanging over us. And she had revealed that the threat would kill her, our dear friend...
"I have to go now. Goodbye everybody, I love you all." Redblossom gave a bittersweet purr, and me and Voletooth looked at each other in shock. She was serious, StarClan actually told her that she was going to die saving us. My eyes started watering when I buried my face into Voletooth's shoulder. She didn't cry, but I could feel her shaking.
Flyfur gave a desperate cry and ran onto the tree-bridge, determined to see if Redblossom made it safely to the flying monster. Brownpelt and Spidermoon stared at the whole scene with shock until Stonestar stood in front of us.
"We must hurry and get to the dens where we'll be safe." Stonestar ordered. The four of us followed our leader, and I picked up the pace when I saw the beast falling from the sky.
Spottedkit...I'd rather get torn apart by Twolegs than let anything happen to her!
I picked up Spottedkit mid-run and ran into the Nursery, not letting go of her.
"Momma, what's wrong?" Spottedkit meowed. My heart warmed at the name, but I couldn't let my focus waver. Voletooth stood protective over the Nursery, determined to keep my family and Spidermoon safe.
The explosion shook the entire forest, and Voletooth didn't waver or run away. Her back was turned to me, but I knew that she had a stone-still look of anger and determination. It was one of the most beautiful looks that I've ever seen on her face.
After several moments of worrying silence, Stonestar signaled us to come forward.
"I heard the explosion, so most of you can come with me, but some of you need to stay." Stonestar explained. "Just in case anything happens."
Stonestar lead us past the half-bridge and we continued walking until we found the destroyed monster in the outskirts of our forest territory. Twoleg blood, parts, and the black blood of the monster caked the broken creature that attempted to kill us.
"Um, Stonestar?" The WindClan leader meowed. "...we found Redblossom."
Bathed in the monster's blood was Redblossom, the blood pouring from her mangled body mixed with the monster's blood. Oh StarClan, this is disgusting...
I wanted to leave, I really did. But all the Clans seemed settled in for a full vigil for the Crimson Heroine that we missed so much. Voletooth let me use her shoulder to literally cry on again, and I reminded myself that the time of grieving would be over eventually. My daughter would become a warrior, Flyfur would move on with his life, and the Clans would quickly return to everyday life.
But that night of crying and loss felt like never-ending torture. And when the sun finally rose again, Voletooth and I walked back to get some much needed sleep.
8 1/2 Moons Later
"Wish that we could be with Spottedpaw at her second Gathering." I sighed.
"Well, she really wants to experience things without us constantly hovering over her every move." Voletooth pointed out. "At least we got to go to her first Gathering right?"
"Yeah, but I already miss raising kits. Is that weird? I love having kits, but there's no normal way to have them that I know of." I explained.
"It's not weird at all, it's a perfectly reasonable thing to want." Voletooth purred. "StarClan will give us another opportunity, I'm sure of it."
"I'm so glad things have returned to normal." I purred, nuzzling Voletooth's shoulder. "But I sure miss-"
"Voletooth! Songpool!" We heard Antpad shout. We left the warrior's den, only for me to be tackled by our daughter.
"The Crimson Heroine has returned!" Spottedpaw purred.
"Oakpaw and several apprentices had visions from StarClan to go to the Mountains." Antpad clarified. "Come see it for yourselves."
We walked out of camp and onto the tree-bridge, only to hear growling between two time. Voletooth froze just as we were at the end of the bridge.
"It's Stormclaw." Voletooth hissed. "I hear him fighting about something."
Instead of turning back, I felt a spark of pride as she leaned forward, waiting for the right time to make her appearance.
"Shut up about my mom, Stormclaw. You're lucky Voletooth isn't here yet to claw you a new one." Flyfur growled.
"You mean that mouse-brain that's 'mate' is another she-cat?" Stormclaw retorted. Voletooth leaped off the tree-bridge, her stance intimidating.
"Yes that's who he means. Except I'm not a mouse-brain and Songpool is my mate." Voletooth corrected him. "We heard Redblossom is...back?"
"She was reborn in the mountains." Oakpaw repeated. "But we must go."
The Clans and families finished their goodbyes to the apprentices leaving to find the reincarnated Crimson Heroine, and Flyfur turned back to his father.
"What is wrong with you? Did you really expect me and Voletooth to want to see you because you mated with our mother?" Flyfur growled. "You seriously need to get over yourself, because Amberfern is never coming back. And we're never going to love you."
Stormclaw's hurting so much, he's acting like this because his own kits are pushing him away
"Flyfur..." Suddenly, everyone's eyes were on me, and I froze. I even saw my mother and Echoleap in the crowd, my fear of speaking up skyrocketed. I wasn't even sure if Voletooth wanted me to speak my mind about this.
She's not in charge of every little thing you do, and she's made that clear. She loves you, and she won't hate you...
"I think Amberfern would want you two to stop being angry at Stormclaw. What good is that going to do? He never asked you two to join his Clan, or to even visit him. He loved Amberfern, and he only wanted love from you two." I sighed. "It's too late to change the past, Amberfern already lost the deputy position by having his kits, but I'm sure looking back on it, she wouldn't have wanted it any other way."
"Maybe you're still angry with us, but I just needed to say that." I told Stormclaw. "I'm sorry things with Amberfern didn't end the way you wanted them to, but it's not too late to mend your relationship with your kits."
Stormclaw looked at me in shock, and then he shook his head.
"I was wrong to judge you, you're a kind she-cat." Stormclaw sighed. "But those two are dead to me. They wouldn't stop pushing me away, and all I did was try to love them. Is that against the code? Wanting the best for my kits? Amberfern was even worse, cutting me off after I 'ruined her chances of being deputy.' How was I supposed to fucking know that she'd get knocked up? I was a reckless young tom that was in love. I didn't even think of that. And then she pretended that I didn't exist, and took that Clovertalon cat as a mate."
"I was full of love, and they spat in my face." Stormclaw pressed his shoulder into his new mate's shoulder. "Now I got a family in WindClan to be proud of, and to truly love. I don't need their love anymore."
"I didn't expect anymore from you Stormclaw, and you shouldn't have either." Flyfur muttered to me. "I'm leaving."
Stonestar signaled for the rest of RiverClan to follow, and Voletooth joined my side.
"You're so brave for speaking up, but I think it was too late to save any relationship with him." Voletooth explained. "How terrible am I? I ruined my relationship with both of my parents. And here you are, trying to fix things. What did I do to deserve you?"
"You're not terrible, I just didn't want you and Flyfur to hate your father. But it's his own choice to push you two away, no matter how angry you were at him." I told her. "Are you still angry with him?"
"No, it's like you said. I realized that my Mom wouldn't have wanted it any differently. But that doesn't mean I love him. Sorry, but that's my honest answer." Voletooth admitted.
"It's a big improvement from how you felt as an apprentice." I reassured her. "I'm proud of you, I really am."
"Are you kidding? We should be proud of you!" Voletooth purred. "You hardly spoke when you first joined RiverClan, and now you just spoke up in front of all of the Clans! And there's still time for Stormclaw to change his mind. And if he doesn't, I still have all of you."
I pressed my nose against her nose and felt mature, happy, and much stronger with RiverClan. Stronger than I could ever feel in ThunderClan. It was practically fate that stole me away to my current Clan.
And when Redblossom came back, RiverClan was complete once more.