Here is the end! It's a bit soon after the other chapter, for me, but this chapter was pretty brief and easy to write. I love all you guys who have reviewed recently! Ivypool and Dovewing plushies al around! I hope you enjoy this conlusion to Never Fall in Love, and also I hope that you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it!
Ivypool POV
Owlkit growled playfully. He unsheathed his tiny, needle-like claws and sank them into Toadstep's tail, giggling. Nightkit slid underneath Toadstep's belly and began pommeling his soft stomach with her little, dainty black paws.
"Yow!" Toadstep shouted, cringing. "Owlkit, keep your claws shea- Hey! Stop that, Nightkit! Ouch!" The long-legged black and white warrior had to work hard to unlatch the tom-kit from his tail while at the same time trying get off of the jet-black she-kit before he accidentally sat on her.
"We got you, WindClan warrior!" Nightkit squeaked, wrapping herself around her father's front leg and closing her jaws around its width.
"Ow! Quit that!"
Ivypool purred in amusement as she licked a paw and drew it back over her forehead. "Kits, play nicely with your father, or you'll have to come back inside the nursery!" she warned good-naturedly.
"Yes, Mother!" the two kits chorused. The distraction gave Toadstep just enough time to wiggle away to safety. But his son and daughter quickly realized his absence, and caught him before he could escape.
Ivypool purred again, shifting the bracken in her nest so that it didn't poke into her side. Lilypaw appeared just in time with a mouthful of fresh moss. The tabby and white she-cat set it down in front of her and began to separate it into multiple smaller clumps.
"Thanks, Lilypaw!" Ivypool mewed gratefully, standing and pawing the moss into her makeshift nest atop a sunning sone. It would be much more comfortable now. "Oh, and congratulations on acing your final assessment. You'll be an amazing warrior!"
Lilypaw laughed, grinning warmly at the queen. "Thank you, Ivypool! And you're welcome for the moss!" The apprentice bounded happily away to Mousewhisker, her susbsitute mentor since Dovewing had been in the nursery. Ivypool smiled after Lilypaw. She couldn't wait until the day when she could train her very own apprentice.
Dovewing padded by, leading Beekit and Beaverkit, followed by Brightheart with Amberkit and Dewkit. The three tom-kits and one she-kit raced away from their mothers to join Ivypool's kits' play, as Dovewing nestled in beside Ivypool, and Brightheart joined Cloudpelt over with the other warriors.
"You don't mind if I share this comfy nest with you, do you?" Dovewing asked. Ivypool nodded, scooting over to allow room for her sister. Dovewing's belly was already starting swell from her second litter of kits. She and Bumblestripe were thrilled, though it was a bit early. The kits might be born even before Beekit and Beaverkit were apprenticed. Even so, Ivypool was immensely happy for Dovewing and her mate.
"When did Jayfeather say they were due?" Ivypool inquired, knowing that Dovewing would automatically know what she was talking about. Dovewing exhaled deeply.
"Not for another two moons, which luckily leaves enough time for Beaverkit and Beekit to leave the nursery," she murmured. "I don't think that I could manage taking care of two litters at once."
"Oh, I think you could, if you had to," Ivypool mewed, winking. Dovewing grinned at her.
Molenose and Seedpaw walked past them towards into the nursery, carrying between the two of them a very long bramble tendril. The nursery needed to be expanded because of all the of the queens and kits.
Aside Ivypool, Dovewing, and Brightheart and their six kits, Icecloud was pregnant with Mousewhisker's kits, Blossomfall with Thornclaw's and Squirrelflight with Bramblestar's. Out in the woods, baby birds called, and rodents peaked their sleepy faces out of their dens. The new-leaf buds were appearing on trees, and the previously frozen streams and lake ran thick with snowmelt. The forest was bursting with new life.
Toadstep managed to sneak away from Nightkit and Owlkit, now that they had four more playmates. Sighing happily, he sat down next to Ivypool's, pressing his pelt against hers. Ivypool licked his ear affectionately.
"I don't know if I'll be able keep this father thing up for much longer. It's waring me out!" he crowed, more humorous than serious. Still, he sounded worried. Ivypool leaned her head against his shoulder to comforting him.
"Oh, don't worry, Toadstep. You're the very best father any kit could have, and I know you're getting better every day," she assured him. Toadstep purred his gratitude. Side by side, they watched the two kits in their care play, making sure to remember every second.
Nightkit was thin with long, spindly legs. She was built like a bird, and could leap and run like a rabbit. She was as black as nightshade berries, with white ear-tips and a white dash on her chest. She looked like Toadstep in every way, except she had a bit more black than white in her pelt, and her eyes were dark blue, like Ivypool's.
Owlkit was a lot stockier, with large paws, broad shoulders, and a wide forehead. He had rather strange coloring, with mottled pale gray and dark brown tabby patches sculpting his shape, and brilliant amber eyes that matched Tigerheart's.
Ivypool had heard that she-cats could have a single litter with kits from two different toms, but she hadn't been sure whether to believe if it was possible then. But now, Ivypool was certain that Nightkit was Toadstep's daughter, and Owlkit was Tigerheart's son. And she loved both of her kits with all the might of her heart.
Ivypool allowed her eyes to water and a few tears to slip away as she thought of Tigerheart. It had been five about moons since when he left. She had taken to making sure to embrace her true feelings, instead of hiding them or trying to change them. She missed Tigerheart, but she was perfectly content with her life.
Bumblestripe emerged from the camp entrance, flanked by Cloudtail and Whitewing. The striped gray tom carried two mice, a water vole, and a ptarmigan in his mouth. Upon seeing his mate and kits, he dropped the mice and vole on the fresh-kill pile, and carried the plump white bird over to Dovewing, and deposited it down before her.
"Join me for a mid-day meal?" he asked, sitting down beside her. Dovewing nodded, and wordlessly drove her muzzle into the fat piece of prey, famished. Bumblestripe beamed at Dovewing's kits. Every cat in the clan knew that he loved them like his own sons, and would continue to love them just the same when his blooded kits were born. "Can you believe they're already five and a half moons old?" he whispered.
Dovewing only grunted in response, too engaged in the ptarmigan to reply.
"I'll go get something for us to eat," Toadstep announced, padding towards the fresh-kill pile. Ivypool couldn't remember a time when there had been so much to eat. She hadn't felt so well-fed in ages.
Ivypool's mate returned with a lark and a squirrel. Ivypool tucked into the lark, inhaling the bird in mere seconds. Since when had she been so greedy for prey? It must come from having more than enough prey, Ivypool thought.
Brightheart returned, scowling at her kits. "Amberkit, Dewkit! I just finished grooming you for your apprentice ceremony, and you're getting all dirty! Come over here, I half to clean to all over again!" she scolded, tapping her paw on the ground irritably.
"But, Mother-" Dewkit protested, his blue eyes bulging.
"No buts!" Brightheart objected. Dewkit submitted, and allowed his mother to lick away the dust that had collected in his gray pelt.
Beaverkit broke away from the other kits and toddled up to Bumblestripe. "Father, Amberkit and Dewkit are gonna be apprenticed today. Me and Beekit are gonna be apprenticed now, too, right?"
Bumblestripe chuckled. "Just slow down, there! You have another half moon before you're six moons old, Beaverkit. But don't worry, the time will pass before you know it!"
Beaverkit looked down at the ground, crestfallen. "But I'm ready now! Why does it have to take so long?" Bumblestripe laughed again.
"When you're an apprentice, you'll probably spend a lot of time wishing that you were still a kit, and got to play all day instead of work and train!"
Beaverkit ran back over to the his friends, mewling, "Hey, let's play fox fight!"
In the recent moons, Molepaw had earned his warrior name, Molenose. Lilypaw and Seedpaw were soon to be warriors, and Amberkit and Dewkit were about to be apprenticed. Beaverkit and Beekit would be apprentices in one half moon, and Nightkit and Owlkit would be apprentices in two and a half moons.
All was well for ThunderClan. The entire clan was at ease. The promised revenge from ShadowClan seemed to have been forgotten, though the matter was far from resolved. Every element of their lives was in the right order, and Ivypool refused to take that for granted.
You go through some pretty hard things in life, but if you work to make things right, everything will fall into place in the end, she thought to herself, and then shook her head. No, this is not the end, she corrected herself. This is the beginning. The beginning of something new and wonderful.
Ivypool, Toadstep, Dovewing, and Bumblestripe watched their kits idly play. A state of simplicity had fallen upon their viewpoints. Every sound, every scent, every sight, had a sense of poetry to it. Everything was made to fit into everything else.
If only it could remain that way for always, Ivypool thought, curling up closer to Toadstep.
"All cats of ThunderClan, gather beneath Highledge!" Bramblestar yowled, mounted above his den. "Dewkit, Amberkit, step forward!"
"Mouse dung, you're still filthy!" Brightheart cursed. She gave both of her kits each a swift last lick. "Oh well, it'll have to do."
Ivypool rose from her seat, as did Toadstep, Dovewing, and Bumblestripe. "I wonder who will mentor Amberkit and Dewkit," she pondered. at she began towards the center of the stone hollow.
"C'mon, kits!" Dovewing called, arousing the six young cats still deeply indulged in their tussle. "Let's go see Dewkit and Amberkit receive their apprentice names!"
Owlkit and Nightkit ran ahead of the other two. This was the first ceremony they had ever been permitted to watch. At the others, they had been too young. "I can't wait till we get out warrior names! Can you Owlkit?" Nightkit asked as she bounded forward, carried by her longer legs.
Owlkit picked up his pace to match hers. "I can't either!" he chimed. The two bounded forth, carrying with them hopes, dreams, and innocence.
Never lose those things, my children, Ivypool mewed mentally. Remain as you are, if only you can!
Writing this story was an amazing experience! It's the longest one I've ever written, even though it's not even more than twenty chapters. I started it more than a year ago! Mostly it took so long because of my laziness, and five month break in the middle. But, its now over, and I want to thank all of my readers who have supported me through writing this story!
A shout-out to all my reviewers: Twistedstep, Rising Sun in Winter Sky, Fawnspots, Dawnsky, samredlamb7, Senora Sapphire, DeaththeKidKat, A Jaded Wallflower, Diamond the Cat, FanficReader, Looking for Something New, Fawneh1395 of AC, Lilyspots, xXCherrydawnXx, Erin Hunteress, Moondust, Kooky Kit, Spottedclaw21, Captain Amber of AC, Rosie, TEDDYBEAR, Lil Mil, Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If, Mossystar, Nalasleafheart, XXWarriorsFrenzy, EnnieBunnie, Rainfire, frostcloud123, Evanna23, Cinderheart22, Nazo no Shojo16, DovexBumble, Flight of the Snowy Owl, YourWorstFear, xSplashPuppyx, Leostar1999, Rosefur of thunderclan, Invisia, and Pumpkinfur, and also all other the unnamed guests who contributed your opinion! You guys are all completey awesome! You've made it so that this story has 73 reviews! That's completely awsome!
Jez D. W., over and out!