Mistpaw's Kitting

[Swimfast]

A single snowflake drifted from the sky, and danced toward the tree, where Mistpaw lay. It landed softly, and quietly on the ground.


Mistpaw's eyes shot open, and she yowled, "The kits!"
A ripple of pain rolled through her body, and she heaved against it.
Nightpaw gasped, and looked at sharply at Rivertail, "I thought you said that Swiftshadow was going to get help!" His tail lashed, and his ears flicked back as another yowl of pain came from Mistpaw.
Rivertail sighed, "I did! I told him to go get Dawnlight! He should be here by now...." His eyes narrowed as he thought of what could have happened. "I don't know-"
"It doesn't matter where he is now! Mistpaw is kitting! And there is no medicine cat here to help us!" He whipped his tail against Rivertail's shoulder, and added, "I have no clue what to do."
Rivertail blinked, "Don't look at me, I'm not a medicine cat."
Mistpaw gasped, as a ripping feeling pulsed through her, and her body went numb.......
"Mistpaw! Mistpaw can you hear me?" Nightpaw rubbed his paw along her side, and looked at the wet bundle of fur laying behind her. "Rivertail! The first kit!"
Rivertail meowed, "Okay, you talk to Mistpaw! I'll lick the kit!" He bent to rasp his tongue across the small furball's head.
Mistpaw gasped as her senses began to come back. "Mistpaw?" She could hear Nightpaw calling her, but she couldn't respond. Her body was sore, and pain throbbed in her stomach. "The.... the kit..."
Nightpaw picked the kit up, and laid it by her head, "Here, it's a she-kit. Can you see her?" He nudged the kit closer as Rivertail proped her head up.
Mistpaw sighed, "She's.... Beautiful... Her name, her name.... Will be.... Ma- Maplekit." Her breath began to come in rasps again, and Nightpaw jumped. "Mistpaw? Are you okay?" She swallowed, "A-a... Another kit...." She yowled, and pushed. Her body trembled as the next kit slid out. Her vision blurred, and her heart throbbed.
Rivertail began to lick the kit, and in between licks he murmured, "Another she-kit."
Nightpaw pushed Rivertail's head out of the way, and grabbed the kit by it's scruff, "Give me my kit!" He laid it by Mistpaw's head, and mewed, "Here, look at the next one. Can you open your eyes? Mistpaw?"
Mistpaw blinked her eyes open, and waited for her vision to blur together. Then she saw her kit, as lovely as the first. Her stomach shook, and she quickly murmured, "Lightkit." A ripple of pain rolled over her body, and she heaved, "Night-" A sharp cough broke her sentence, and she gasped to get her sentence out before her vision went black again. "Nightpaw... I-I..."
"You're going to be okay, Mistpaw. You're doing great, just... Just keep...."
Rivertail meowed, and reached behind Mistpaw, when his head came up, a wet kit was hanging from his mouth.
Nightpaw snatched the kit from Rivertail, and put it next to Mistpaw, "Here, the next kit. It's a tom."
Mistpaw flicked her ears, and forced her eyes open. An adorable little tom laid in front of her. She whispered, "Eaglekit.."
Rivertail stepped closer to Mistpaw's face, and his eyes glazed over. "Is she...."
Nightpaw snapped, "She's fine, she'll be better once the kits are all out." He swallowed, and licked his mate tenderly.
Mistpaw meowed, "Kit-" Her voice became rough, and her body tensed.
Nightpaw jumped behind her, and grabbed the kit before Rivertail could even bend his head. He set it next to Mistpaw, and murmured, "It's a tom, my love. Look."
Mistpaw sighed, "Graykit." She heaved again, and gasped. A great pain surged through her body, and the last kit slid out. Mistpaw quickly meowed, "Songkit." Then, everything went black, and a starry sky filled her vision.


A starry shape whirled around Songkit, and a soft whisper came from it's mouth. Songkit glowed for a moment, then the cat disappeared.

[padamay]

Maplekit started to cry. Everything was dark and she could not open her eyes yet. She took her first gulp of air and started to claim down. She let the repeating licks from a cat above her make her tried.

[strawberry kiss]

Squirming like any newborn kit. she let out some high-pitched kit cires looking for a source of warmth. Lightkit couldn't feel warmth around her right now as she kept as alert as a newborn kit could to find a warm area.

[Swimfast]

Nightpaw continued licking the kits, rasping his tongue across their tiny backs.
Rivertail sighed, "She's still not moving, Nightpaw... I think-"
"No!" Nightpaw yowled, "She's probably just... Asleep, her body must be exhausted." He swallowed, and rubbed his tongue across Maplekit's head, "Hush, my love."
Rivertail meowed, "Their hungry, and probably cold..... We should take them to Riverclan, and get a queen to nurse them."
Nightpaw's eyes flashed, "Riverclan! What about Thunderclan! Remember where I came from!" He lashed his tail, and stopped licking the kits. "Mistpaw, will wake up. Until then, I'm going to stay here with the kits." He laid down, and curled around the kits.
Rivertail sighed, and laid next to Mistpaw. His eyes glowed with sadness, and he murmured, "Oh Mistpaw..."

[padamay]

Maplekit squirmed into a cats belly and searched for something warm and milky smelling. She started to cry, this was not her mother. There was no milk. She tried to grow to get the cats attention.

[Swimfast]

Nightpaw sighed, and nudged the kits closer to him, "Be quiet, please."
Rivertail snorted, and flicked his tail, "Nightpaw, I told you, they are hungry. You're not helping them, by keeping out here, away from what they need." He swallowed, and looked at the unmoved body of Mistpaw, "If Mistpaw were here, wouldn't she want what's best for them? Nightpaw... They need a mother."
A growl rumbled in Nightpaw's throat, "That's Mistpaw! She'll be able to take care of them when she wakes up!" He arched his neck, and looked at the his mate, sprawled on the ground. A flood of sadness filled his voice, "And she will.... Wake up."
Rivertail rolled his eyes, and whispered, "So stubborn..."
Mistpaw suddenly took in the slightest breath, and sounds, and feeling began to pour into her. Swiftshadow? No..... I hear kits.... Mine! I'm alive! Oh thank you Starclan!
Rivertail gasped, and yowled, "Nightpaw! I think she's alive!" He laid his paw on her chest, and could feel the slight beating of a heart. And the faint rise and fall of her stomach, as she breathed.
Nightpaw carefully squirmed away from the kits, and leaned toward Mistpaw. Her eye began to open slowly, and she swallowed.
Mistpaw took in a breath, and the slightest, faintest, whisper could be heard. "Nightpaw?"
Nightpaw nestled his head against hers, and smiled, "I'm here, Mistpaw. I'm here."
Rivertail's mouth dropped open. She was so still....Was she even alive? Or did she... Did she see Starclan? He licked her neck, and meowed, "Mistpaw, were you..."
She smiled, and answered, "I was in Starclan. I.... I talked to Swiftshadow.."
Rivertail gasped, "What?"
Mistpaw nodded, "He was sick, and he ran to get Dawnlight.... But he.... Collapsed, on the way. And woke up in Sarclan."
"So that's why he no one ever got here..."
Nightpaw laughed, and pressed himself closer to Mistpaw, "I'm so glad you're here, Mistpaw. I love you, so much."
Mistpaw purred, "I love you too, Nightpaw. Where are the kits?"
Nightpaw jumped, "Oh yes!" He turned around, and nudged them close to Mistpaw's belly.
Mistpaw gasped, and curled around them, "Their so beautiful! I love them! Eaglekit, Maplekit, Graykit, Lightkit and... Songkit. Why isn't that one mewing?"
Rivertail leaned over Mistpaw, and sniffed the silent kit. "She seems to be fine. But I haven't heard a single sound come from her yet..." He suddenly realized something. "Mistpaw... You're.... Young, to have kits. Both of you." He looked into Nightpaw's worried gaze, "I think.... There might be something wrong, with some of them. Maplekit is the only one I haven't seen act strange.."
Mistpaw looked over each of the kits, "We'll take them to Dawnlight, and let her look at them."
Nightpaw smiled, "Stay here, tonight. We'll go to Riverclan in the morning, you need to rest, and they need to eat."
Mistpaw nodded, and laid her head down. She felt Nightpaw curl himself around her, and their kits squirming by her belly.