Squirreltail... is somehow once again here...

[[(GR@YL3@F)]]

Squirreltail huffed as she tumbled into the nursery. Her brown paws were stumbling around her, right now every other cat was at the gathering, but Silverkit and Moonfire were here she kinew. She knew this feeling she was pregnant again. She lay down and breathed heavily. She hadn't felt this anytime earlier. Why was it suddenly starting to hit her now, she had notice her stomache swelling. It seemed as she was 2 moons pregnant... 'Soon' she thought to herself and whinned a bit.

[{-Ambereye-}]

Moonfire looked up from playing with Silverkit--soon to be Silverpaw as she was very overdure for apprenticeship--and looked at Squirreltail. She mewed something to Silverkit, and the silver she-cat nodded, sitting down. Moonfire rushed over to Squirreltail. "What's wrong, Squirreltail? Did something happen?" she asked anxiously. Silverkit bounced over, not able to stay where she was for anxiety for her cousins' mother. She sat down beside her mother, but stayed quiet.

[[(GR@YL3@F)]]

She cringed in pain. "No it's just..." she mewed. her words were disorted, woulds these kits come sooner than she wanted them too? A startled mew came from the brown, sluffy-tailed queen.

[{-Ambereye-}]

Moonfire gasped. "Silverkit, get back!" she meowed in distress. Silverkit backed up, susprised and scared.

"Squirreltail. Squirreltail, lay down, please," she mewed softly, but her voice was full of panic. Squirreltail was going to have her kitting much too early.

[[(GR@YL3@F)]]

Her breathing became heavier, and the voice of her friend was a roar in her ears, she yowled out, sure that StarClan could hear her. Soon she felt the pressure she had felt once before, she was going to be kitting, much to early.

[{-Ambereye-}]

Moonfire was very worried now. She was no medicine cat, but she could tell that these kits were going to come.. now. And much too early. If only everyone wasn't at the Gathering. Her own mate, Cinderfoot, would be here to help her if he wasn't at the Gathering...

No time for regret now. She had to focus on the crisis now. "Squirreltail," she mewed more softly. "Lay down. Please, Squirreltail."

[[(GR@YL3@F)]]

She fell down, breathing fast and hard. Pain struck her open eyes, all she could see was black though. A hideous yowl came once more....

---time skip---

The body of the brown SkyClan queen sat limply on her nest that she had made mooons ago when kitting Amberpaw, Adderpaw, and Pixelpaw. Her eyes remained open, but the breathing had stopped minutes ago. A small fur-less brown kit lay next to her, it's mouth opening and closing, it was extremly small, and seemed as though he couldn't meow. His mother was dead... and even the blind kit could figure that out.

[{-Ambereye-}]

Moonfire lay with her head on her friend's limp body, grief overwhelming her. They had stayed in the nursery together, been in the nursery when both their litters were still living there, and one of her kits had been apprenticed with Squirreltail's litter. She lay there, silently mourning her dead friend, then remembered that the SkyClan queen's single kit was there next to her, trying to mew. Then it struck her. The kit was mute! She picked the kit up by its scruff, beckoned with her tail to Silverkit for her to follow, then settled down in her nest with Squirreltail's kit. She guided it to suckle, then looked up at the sky. "Take good care of Squirreltail, StarClan," she meowed quietly.

[[(GR@YL3@F)]]

The nameless kit lay softly against the queen, struggling to mew. Even with his shut eyes, one could know that he himself was mourning over his mother, even if he hadn't known her at all.

[{-Ambereye-}]

Moonfire leaned her head down to nuzzle the kit. "Should I name you?" she asked, herself mostly. She knew that even if the kit could speak, it would be too young to think of speaking. "Oh, Squirreltail, help me name this kit of yours," she said to the sky.

[[(GR@YL3@F)]]

A whisper of mews flooded the nursery. As if flooding withthe presence of Squirreltail. An image of sorrow-filled golden eyes came and went, and the whispered stopped. The kit nuzzled against the queen and suckled.

[{-Ambereye-}]

Moonfire stared at the place where the image of the golden eyes had been for several moments. Then it struck her as if Squirreltail had sent the name to her from StarClan. "Whisperedkit. That will be your name," she whispered to the kit. "Whisperkit."

[[(GR@YL3@F)]]

Cinderfoot quickly tumbled in, immeadently he looked at his mate, he rushed over to her and muzzled the silver-red she-cat. "Are we okay? Is everyone okay?" he mewed quickly and caringly. Adderpaw rushed in behind, her mind flooding, instad of looking at Silverkit and Moonfire, she saw the limp body of her mother. Her eyes flooded with worry. She tumbled over to the limp body and licked her mothers shoulder in respect. "Mother... Squirreltail... You've gone to hunt with StarClan..." she murmered.

[{-Ambereye-}]

Amberpaw was already there. She sat next to her mother, her head hung. "She's gone...," she mewed quietly.

Moonfire shook her head and and flicked her tail in the direction of the limp body of Squirreltail. "She's.." Moonfire couldn't finish. She turned away and licked Squirreltail's kit.

[[(GR@YL3@F)]]

Adderpaw closed her eyes and pressed against her mother's similair-looking body. It was like the kit version of Squirreltail sharing tongues with herself. Cinderfoot looked at the two apprentices and sighed. She looked down at the brown tabby kit that was pressed against Moonfire. "And who's this?" he asked sorrowfully.

[{-Ambereye-}]

Moonfire was awoken from her grieving thoughts by her mate's words, but she said nothingfor a long time. She couldn't speak for fear that she wouldn't be able to like Whisperedkit. When she finally opened her mouth to speak, she rasped, "Whisperedkit. He's Whisperedkit." She looked down at the dark pelted kit and licked him once before going on. "He's mute."

Amberpaw followed her sister's gesture and began to share tongues with her mother for the last time.

[[(GR@YL3@F)]]

Cinderfoot smiled. "Was he Squirreltail's last kit?" he asked in a wry tone. The small tabby seemed helpless, and being mute, he probably wouldn't be able to get attention from the others...

Adderpaw licked her mothers flank where blood stained her pelt. "We'll miss you, mother," she mewed.

[{-Ambereye-}]

"Very much," Amberpaw added. She rested her muzzle on her mother's and closed her eyes to pay her last respects to her mother.

"Yes, Cinderfoot. He was," Moonfire responded with a sigh. "I'll miss her, Cinderfoot." She laid her head on her paws after licking the kit once more.

[[(GR@YL3@F)]]

Cinderfoot sniffed and licked the small tom. Squirreltail probably wasn't realated to him, but he loved her like a sister. He licked his mate, who beamed at him happily in a warm smile. The tom then padded to the limp body of the brown queen and started sharing tongues with her.

[Featherstar]

Nightfeather and Cloudedpaw padded into the clearing and looked around. Cloudedpaws eyes fell onto Adderpaw. "Adderpaw!" he mewed and raced to her. "What happened? Why did you leave the gathering?" he asked then looked at the two boddies.

Nightfeather padded over to where Cinderfoot was with Squirreltails body. "What happend Cinderfoot?" He asked nudgeing his friend.