Warning : Prepare for tears.

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😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😣😣😣😣😣😣😣😣😣😣😣😣😣
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💟Mist💟

"Tonight,we celebrate the lives of Ryan, Taz, Elm and Dustin, who,along with the other Groups,who sadly also lost warriors this night,fought for a place here,to live and grow here and now,I commend their spirits to walk the stars."

I heard wailing from the gathered cats.

Mostly from Connie, who was mewing in denial,shaking her head,her kits sobbing beside her.

Zane, who suffered a twisted forepaw and a permanent  scar on his right shoulder and who grieved for his lost Trainer,tried to comfort the Queen and her kits,but it was no use.

Peck came limping slowly into the darken,sober clearing,
scars on display,missing patches of fur and now,blind in both eyes.

My heart ached as I took in the others wounds,not all of which could be healed with herbs.

I retreated into my den and let the others grief.

Stone was still tending to Honey, whose four kits decided to come just as we left for the Gathering so I had no comforting words to soothe my aching heart for now.

Their names were Echo, Thunder, Daisy and Lily.

Cute things,really, but,I'm afraid that they'll grow up in troubled times, especially with so few cats in camp now. Oh, stars above, why did you take away my best warriors so soon?

The next morning,we buried the bodies, fixed up any gaps in defense, hunted, patrolled, but nothing would ever be the same again.

That I was most certain sure of.

😿Rain😿

The night was a frenzy of pure madness as I announced our dead.

"The warriors who gave up their lives to defend our right to live here are our Lead Hunter, Spider,Sap,
Quill and Erin. All gone too soon, but will never forgotten."

Berry demanded answers, her claws digging into the ground, tears streaming down her muzzle.

I padded over to her and whispered in her ear, "Spider told me that he didn't mean to leave you... And your kits."

That made Berry sob louder.

Cinder and Wasp, both suffering wounds of their own, wailed, their shoulders shaking as they huddled next to their slain friend.

Ace limped over to press his muzzle to his Newbie's fur and say goodbye.

Flint snarled, eyes blazing with fury and grief.

"My sweet Erin... No...Why now? We...We were expecting kits... I-I'll kill those fox-hearts!"

I looked at the dark gray tom in horror as I turned his words over in my head.

Then why didn't Erin or you say anything?! She won't have to go the Gathering if you had only said something!

I turned away from the vigil to sit alone in my den.

"But, Berry. You have to move into the nursery immediately. Kits don't exactly come willingly you know. They take time."

She sniffed.

"Alright, Kaci. I'm coming. I just want to stay here with S- Spider a bit longer."

My Second sighed.

"Alright. I'll check on you in the morning."

The days seemed to fly away like a startled thrush as I padded through the small forest and decided to take a nap beside the river....

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I was back in the meadow, listening to the babble of the brook.

"I know you feel so helpless now, Rain, but things will get better. You'll see."

At first, I thought it was Spider or perhaps Sap, mewing encouragement due to their usual soft voices.

But, then, I spun around to meet the familiar amber eyes of Erin, shining bright in the now new-leaf sun, but smelling of leaf-bare, like Spider...

I blinked, looking at the two bundles of fur curled around her white tail, one the spitting image of her, but with Flint's eyes.

They blinked up at me and I nodded, smiling sadly.

"Meet Flintkit and Dawnkit. I regret not telling you about them, but fate is a funny thing. I know I'll see Flint again someday, but that is up to the paws of fate as of when that will be... But I'm here now to wish you good luck with the rest of your leadership. I know RainClan will be a name to fear."

I looked at her, confused.

"RainClan?"

Erin nodded.

"I can tell you no more. Good luck, Rain."

I yowled at her to wait,to tell me more, but soon, she , like Spider, vanished before I could know more...

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"Rain! Rain, wake up!" I heard a cat yowl.

I rose to my paws quickly and turned to face the voice.

"What is it?" I demanded.

James panted.

"It's Jax. He's gone missing."

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💞Winter💞

"I am deeply saddened to report that some of the cats who accompanied Owl and I to the Gathering tonight have gone to walk the stars. Those cats are  Lake, Hanna, Dusk and Temple. There was nothing we could have done to stop what
happened. I lay their spirits to rest and wish them good hunting."

I leaped down to see Tiger and Waverly comforting each other, both seemed too shaken from the whole ordeal to move.

Finch watched them hopelessly from their den.

Both of them have lost Trainers, but poor Yava... Losing a littermate must be like losing a leg or a paw. Forever.

Yava sobbed and screamed, shaking her head, muttering and cursing under her breath.

I sat looking up at the near dawn sky after we buried our dead, my mind burning with questions.

"Winter?" asked a tiny voice.

I turned to meet the amber eyes of Finch, who pawed the ground worriedly.

"Yes?" I asked.

He looked in the direction of the nursery, barely visible in the gloom.

"It's Zoey. She's been complaining of bad stomach pains since the Gathering yesterday. I think that her kits are coming."

Suddenly, a yowl split the air.

Owl came racing out of our den, herbs already in his jaws and Finch and I sprinted after him.

Zoey panted, looking at us gratefully as I put my paws on her belly, counting her breaths.

"It's going to be alright, Zoey. Winter and Owl know exactly what they're doing." I heard Finch mew calmly to the Queen.

Her blue eyes shone warmly through the pain.

"Thank you, Finch, dear."

I felt a ripple under my paw and Owl was instructed Zoey to breathe and relax.

I turned to the Newbie. 

"Finch. Go get Wes, a stick and more borage. Hurry!"

He nodded and sprinted back into the clearing.

"Make the pain stop, Winter!" Zoey wailed, her flanks heaving with strain.

I gave her some wet moss to drink from and Owl whispered, "It's ok, Zoey. We're going to in a few more heartbeats."

Then, he looked up at me pacing near the mouth of the den.

"You ok, Winter? You look a little sick."

I licked my jaws, my mouth suddenly dry and froze.

"I-I'm good, Owl. Just worried about Finch and what's taking him so long."

Owl nodded, but kept an eye on me as he continued to help Zoey.

"I'm here!" came Finch's muffled mew and I sighed in relief, seeing the stick and borage, along with a bit of willow bark and raspberry leaves in his jaws and Wes pacing outside.

I passed Zoey the stick and together, we delivered five, healthy kits.

Wes was overjoyed.

"My kits are here! Three toms and two she-cats!" He yowled for all the camp to hear and the other cats congratulated him as they padded sleepily out of their dens.

Owl beamed and I purred as Finch asked, looking down at the furry bundles.

"What are their names?"

Zoey purred, nuzzling her mate.

"The oldest tom will be called Fire, because of his pelt. The oldest she-kit will be called Snow. The second oldest tom will be called Swift, because he looks like a fast runner already. The second oldest she-kit will be called Shade and finally, the youngest tom will be called Mouse."

I purred, a thought blazing in my head.

"Those are excellent names, but perhaps maybe we should add something to them? How's about Firekit, Snowkit, Shadekit,
Swiftkit and Mousekit?"

Owl looked at the kits thoughtfully.

"If only they were born in peacetime." He mewed as he padded through the brambles of the nursery, leaving me with a chill in my bones colder than the icy wind around our stone home.

I turned to meet Zoey's eyes, hoping she wouldn't mind, but she had already fallen asleep, so I crept out of the den and saw Finch waiting next to Owl, their heads close together, deep in discussion.

"Then it's settled. You will join me at Half-Moon after I come back with Winter and the others at the Sunpool.We just need to have a word with your Trainer."

Finch nodded and padded back to his den.

I padded over to sit next to my Second.

"What was that all about?"

He smiled, moonlight gleaming in his eyes.

"Change, Winter.
Change."

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HMMM...

WHAT CHANGE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, OWL?

Ok.. I hope you enjoyed that and cried with me :'(

Until Chapter 8....

Peace!

🐾Moonshadow🐾