Chapter 29: A life never lived...

Lionblaze crouched, his tail lightly brushing a crispy leaf as he waved it slightly. His ears were pricked, intent on his prize. His amber eyes were tiny slits, concentrating on the target. The wind suddenly changed direction, now was the time. With an almighty leap he flew several tail lengths, it was times like this Lionblaze really believed he could fly. His claws found the target, a grey squirrel, he snapped it's neck and gave a prayer of thanks to Starclan. He sniffed the air, the new scent of mixed clans that was becoming the Darkclan scent wafted up his nostrils. Their new territory was not far and they had marked their territory strongly. No one knew where the camp was, but the smell of Darkclan was strong near his hunt. It was defiantly Leafbare now, the wind howled at night and prey was growing scarce. Lionblaze was lucky to have caught such a big squirrel. He took a glance at Tigerheart, who had managed to catch a tiny mouse, it was a clumsy catch, he had actually sat on it rather than caught it. Dovewing was very distracted, Lionblaze noticed while the two were with him on the same patrol, that she had kept stealing glances at the former shadowclan warrior as he hunted. Lionblaze had seen Tigerheart do the same to her. Lionblaze rolled his eyes, they had to concentrate. It was Leafbare and if Tigerheart wanted to prove himself he had to catch plenty of prey.

Greystripe and Sandstorm had both joined the elders den, Lionblaze felt happy for them, after all their adventures they could now rest peacefully. However it took Sandstorm lots of persuasion from Greystripe for her to agree.

Also Cinderheart was late, her kits should have been born by now, but it seemed they weren't going to budge. Lionblaze was worried, really worried.

He looked back towards the camp, hoping, praying that his dreams would not come true. He decided to do more hunting to keep his mind off it.

It was sunset by the time he, Tigerheart and Dovewing had finished. Tigerheart was carrying his mouse and a sparrow. Dovewing was more successful, she had a rabbit, and a vole. While Lionblaze had his squirrel and a thrush. They contented walked down the path to the camp, excited to let the rest of their clanmates see their great catches. Lionblaze purred, seeing Dovewing so happy with Tigerheart, they walked into camp. However the cheery atmosphere faded when they arrived. Lionblaze was looking into a anxious Foxleap's eyes as he crashed into him, sending the prey into the air. Lionblaze glared at the young warrior. "Thanks Foxleap! Now the preys covered in dirt!" he hissed.

Foxleap didn't seem to care. "Lionblaze...its Cinderheart..." he whispered.

Lionblaze's eyes widened and he dropped the prey to the floor and pelted to the nursery. What has happened... please Starclan please don't let them be dead...He reached the entrance panting and peaked in. Cinderheart was screaming, her legs thrashing around in agony. Leafpool gave her a stick to put in her mouth, and Jayfeather placed a clump of wet moss by her for her to lick.

Lionblaze padded in, and collapsed beside her, shocked at how much pain she was in. Jayfeather shoved some herbs into her mouth, Lionblaze growled at him, angry at how forceful he was being. Jayfeather ignored him and felt Cinderheart's belly. Lionblaze licked the top of his mate's head; she was shivering, and covered in sticky sweat. "It's going to be alright Cinderheart... don't worry."

"Don't lie to her! You know as well as I do, that this is not a normal birth!" hissed Jayfeather.

Lionblaze shouted at his brother. "Shut up! Just SHUT UP!" Lionblaze knew his toleration for his fox dung of a brother was growing thin. Why did he have to say what was already on Lionblaze's mind, he should just shut his mouth and do what he had trained to do. Deliver the kits safely.

Cinderheart let out a cry of pain and Lionblaze continued licking her head, in a vain attempt to cool her down.

"There're coming!" whispered Leafpool.

Cinderheart's stick was cracking under the pressure she was applying. Her belly contracted and a small sack slipped out of Cinderheart. "Get it out" snapped Jayfeather to Leafpool.

Leafpool nodded and nipped the sack. She pulled out a small white kit. Lionblaze purred when he saw his kit, she was small, white with thin grey stripes. She looked so defenceless, fluffy and small. He glanced to see Cinderheart smile then be gripped by more pain. He swelled with pride. His heart lurched when Leafpool shook her head. "It's dead..."

"No..."whispered Lionblaze, the ground fell beneath his paws. My dream.. it's coming true... His beautiful kit, gone forever. Never to see the sunlight.

The kit was skinny and underdeveloped. It was never going to be alive, it had died inside Cinderheart, it was still born.

Cinderheart cried out again and another kit was delivered. Leafpool carried out the sack removing process and pulled the kit out. This kit looked more developed, its ears tiny flaps and with tiny, stubby legs. This kit was the spitting image of Lionblaze, with a long golden pelt and darker gold stripes, it had a tiny white chest too. However it too had died inside Cinderheart. It was placed beside the other one.

Cinderheart was now crying, Lionblaze shot a glare at the sky, why would Starclan do this? Cinderheart going through such pain, only to deliver dead kits. For Lionblaze the reality hadn't quite sunk in yet.

Another kit was born, Lionblaze waited in dread, not even daring to breathe. Leafpool stared at the kit for a long time, and then rubbed her paws gently on it's chest. It was a black she cat, she didn't have any white patches. To Lionblaze's delight the kit coughed and started to mew. "Cinderheart..its alive!" Lionblaze whispered to his mate. Cinderheart briefly smiled, then yowled consumed in pain again.

Lionblaze brushed his tail along her side, trying to comfort her. But she was too consumed in the pain. She cried out, and her tail flicked madly. Two more kits were born. Finally her pain was over. She closed her eyes, exhausted.

Cinderheart laid panting, she greedily licked at the wet moss, grateful for its cooling liquid. Jayfeather gave her some more herbs. However, Cinderheart's kits were not placed beside her like other normal births. Leafpool was franticly rubbing the chest of one kit, and Jayfeather was roughly licking the other two's pelts backwards.

Leafpool stopped rubbing the kit's chest then looked at Jayfeather and shook her head. Jayfeather bowed his head and continued licking the kits. Lionblaze decided he would look at his kits after the other ones were determined dead or alive.

Cinderheart didn't even watch, she would face the brutal wall of grief with him. Leafpool looked at Lionblaze, her eyes lit up. "It's heart beat is stable. Lionblaze, Cinderheart.. you have a daughter."

Jayfeather looked up also. "You also have a son."

Lionblaze looked at Cinderheart and grinned. "Two..we have kits!"

Cinderheart blinked. "We should have five." She sighed.

Lionblaze looked up at Jayfeather. His brother looked disappointed. He knew what his brother was thinking.. that the five in the prophecy were his kits but three had just died, and now the prophecy was over, never to come true. Lionblaze doubted that. However he knew that Starclan wouldn't send them a prophecy that was destined to never come true. He pinned his ears back and hissed at Jayfeather quietly. "If you don't mind, can we be left alone." Lionblaze growled, it was a question but he made it sound like a order.

Jayfeather flicked his tail irritably, narrowed his eyes then flicked his tail at Leafpool. The two cats left the den. Lionblaze picked up the two kits and placed them beside Cinderheart, they immediately started suckling. Lionblaze purred with pride. He looked at the she cat, she was light brown, Lionblaze realised with a jolt that she looked like Leafpool but a lighter brown, with darker brown tabby stripes. She had two white forepaws, and a slash of white on her chest. She had short fur, unlike her parents, with a skinny tail. She reminded him of his father Crowfeather. "She's beautiful." Sighed Cinderheart. "She looks like your mother." Cinderheart looked up at him, waiting to see if his reaction would be bad.

Lionblaze shook his head, it didn't matter. Lionblaze purred when the kit made a small burp.

He then looked at the tom, he was a light grey, like slightly stormy clouds, he had slightly darker tabby stripes. All his paws were white and he had long fur like his parents. He had a partial white belly and chest. He was the copy of Jayfeather.

"What should we call them?" Lionblaze asked.

Cinderheart looked fondly at her newborn kin. "The tom...Wolfkit?"

Lionblaze nodded, he knew the kit would love that name, all toms loved being named after a strong animal, that's why he took his name with pride. He was named after the strength of a lion, his son would be named after the swiftness and endurance of a wolf.

"I have a name for the she cat." Lionblaze ventured.

Cinderheart nodded.

"Swiftkit" he mewed.

Cinderheart looked fondly at her daughter. "I think she will love that!"

Lionblaze purred. Now it was time to name his dead kits. He carried them nearer to Cinderheart. There were three in total, he felt their lifeless bodies swung heavily from his jaws. He felt broken, after all this effort, that amount of life.. wasted. They could have been so much, their futures, the endless possibilities, ripped away and thrown into a tormented river. A life never lived. Three lives never lived.

Lionblaze felt his throat tighten, he couldn't cry, he had to be strong for Cinderheart. He knew she was in the middle of a emotional war. Glee for her new kits, but endless grief for the ones that were born dead. They would never know the joy of catching their first prey, the rush of adrenaline when fighting a enemy.

There was a white she cat with light grey stripes. Also a golden tabby tom. Finally a completely black she cat. "You name them" Cinderheart whispered. "I can't do it."

Lionblaze nodded. "The white she cat...Flowerkit. The dark grey tom...Sootkit... Cinderheart...can you name the last?" he stuttered.

Cinderheart closed her eyes, for a long time she laid saying nothing. Then she fixed her crystal eyes on him. "Hollykit."

Lionblaze felt his legs weaken. His dead kit. Named after his dead sister. It was all too much, why did this happen? WHY!? He felt confused, why did his kits have to be taken from him. All that excitement, all dissolved. He could have been a great father, now over half of his kin had died inside Cinderheart.

He suddenly felt a fierce ferocity of anger and love. He would protect his remaining kits, he would lay his life down to defend them. He would always be there for them, he would do what his parents never did for him. Be a father they would look to for protection and guidance, care for them, watch them grow with pride and respect for the warriors they would become. He would protect them from the evils of the world, will be there to comfort them when needed and will unsheathe his claws to guard them... Forever...

AWWWWWW... (cries waterfalls of tears) poor lion and cinder! Poor kits! If you haven't worked it out, not all of lionblaze's kits were supposed to be the five, so the prophecy has not ended its only beginning! Not all his kits were destined to be one of the five, so the fact that the majority of them died does not mean that the five will never come... however it does leave you with a tear to be shed, I'm so evilllll! I killed off three kits!

Best wishes!

Don't forget to review and stuff!

Neon xxx