Off to Spring(Badgerstep, Kits)

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Ahhh!

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Moonspirit dragged herself into the secret part of the Crooked creek surrounded by unusual brush. She had dragged herself all the way from camp after waking up with unbearable pain. She screeched in agony and twisted through the sand, sending up dust clouds. But she was far away enough from camp that no one could hear her. Her breathing was heavy and she was panting. Her eyes were dull and her movements were getting weaker and weaker as she choked in the dust and her energy failed her. The moon was supposed to be out but it was covered in dark storm clouds so it was pitch black out. She staggered over to the water and lapped some up. It was cool and refreshing, unlike the dirty, dripping water that created something less than a puddle in her den that was used for wetting moss that she had been drinking. She hoped Badgerstep had seen her absence and come here, she needed him now more than ever!

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The black and white warrior hadn't exactly known what was happening, but he had seen a flash of white fur disappear from the camp just as he was heading to his nest for the night. Badgerstep had just assumed that they had set up a meeting and he'd forgotten. So he had waited a few minutes, giving enough time to hide up suspicion.

But once he had followed her scent trail to the source, the tom stopped in his tracks, and his heart began to pound louder. Something was wrong. He could tell. Badgerstep raced over to where his mate was stationed beside the creek and looked at her with eyes full of worry. "Moonspirit? What's wrong?"

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Heath is the absence of Pain, Pain is the absence of Heath.

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Moonspirit was regaining her breath, she leaned into him, her love. His strength ebbed to her giving her the power to mewed. "They are coming." she whispered. Then gasped in pain and collapsed to the ground.[/color][/center][/font]

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Badgerstep's eyes widened even more than they had as he looked down at his mate before she collapsed. Great StarClan! he prayed. He knew nothing about kitting. "O-okay," he mewed with a stutter, licking her cheek quickly. "Just relax. Everything will be okay. I'm here." At least, he hoped that it would be enough.

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End of the tunnel

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Moonspirit shuddered, her fur standing up. She realized she needed to calm down, but pain was blocking her senses. She laid on her side, breathing slowly until she could push the balls of fur out. After a while several kittens were being licked by Moonspirit and Badgerstep. They could stay here for a while before the kittens had to go with Smallheart and Greypool.[/color][/center][/font]

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Badgerstep closed his eyes in relief as he laid down to begin licking the last kitten. That made four of them, each a perfect combination of their parents. As he looked down at the little bundles of fur, a deep and steady purr rose in his chest. "They're beautiful," he purred, and leaned over to give Moonspirit a lick on the cheek. "Four wonderful kits. The she-kits and a tom-kit."

But then he began to remember what they needed to do, and that these kits would soon be someone else's. Now that he was looking at the kits in front of him, it felt so much worse than before. How could they possibly surrender their lovely kits to another pair? Doing so felt both wrong and impossible. But they couldn't possibly keep the kits, either. They'd be found out and banished for sure. The black and white warrior couldn't bare to bring that down upon his family.

He set his teeth firmly together for a heartbeat as if to settle the matter in his mind. He had to make this moment worth everything. The tom reached out and gently pawed the only tom-kit toward him- a black and white cat who looked much like himself, only perhaps with a tinge of silver- and gave him a few more licks. "Do you think we should name them?" he asked, a little less enthusiastically.

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Four

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Moonspirit closed her eyes, this was the one moment she had suffered for, lived for, risked for, sacrificed for... but it didn't feel real until she could complete their birth. She leaned over to the first kit. Her scent seemed to smell of flowers. One in particular crossed her mind. "Violetkit. Her name should be Violetkit.

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Badgerstep gave a small, contented smile. "Violetkit," he murmured, looking down at the little she-kit. She looked like a greyscale calico, with her patches of white and grays. "I think that suits her perfectly." The warrior then glanced around to the three others of the litter. There was another she-kit who caught his eye. She looked a lot like Moonspirit- a little darker but still had a pelt patched with silver. "And how about this little one?" he mewed, nodding towards the lightly colored kit. "What do you think of Brightkit?"

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Two

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Moonspirit nuzzled Badgerstep softly, "Violetkit and Brightkit." she mewed. Then she looked up to the sky. She couldn't see any of the Stars. There should be at least one star in the sky... she thought. She turned to another kit. His pelt seemed to glow even without moonlight. "Starkit." she mewed, "His name is Starkit."

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((OOC: Starkit was actually the tom of the litter. x3 ))

BIC: Badgerstep nuzzled her in return, picking up his purr again. "Starkit," he agreed, looking down at the little tom. He looked a good deal like his sister Violetkit in the matter of pelt coloring. But perhaps less grey and more black. His amber eyes then traveled to their fourth and final kit- a she-kit, with a pelt made up of black and white, similar to his own pelt. She was beautiful like her siblings, but the warrior couldn't think of a suitable name. "How about you name the last one?" he mewed, giving her ear a quick lick.

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Well...

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The last kit was a shimmering, glimmering black kit with thin, silver, metallic stripes. After a minute, Moonspirit mewed, "You mean Glitterkit?" she purred. She smiled and licked the last kit on the head. Just then she heard a snap of a twig from outside...[/color][/center][/font]

Severing

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Smallheart stumbled out from the thistle bush. She shook her paw and pulled out a splinter with her teeth. She jumped when she saw Badgerstep and Moonspirit. She was always very nervous out alone and away from camp. She walked over to the kits, and blinked. "Is she okay?" she mewed, her tail pointing to Brightkit, whom was acting oddly.

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Badgerstep beamed, pleased. "Yes. Glitterkit, Violetkit, Brightkit, and Starkit. Our four little loves." He rubbed his head against hers affectionately, but then pricked his ears in alarm at the sound of a snapping twig.

His claws had already slipped out before the tom realized it was Smallheart. The warrior relaxed a little bit before remembering what her arrival met for their family that had just come into the world. The black and white tom cast his eyes to the ground as his heart plummeted right along with them. But at her question, he glanced up against with instinctive concern. Immediately he thought to look to Moonspirit, but Smallheart's attention wasn't on his mate. Worry flaring, he followed the she-cat's gaze to Brightkit.

Badgerstep let his risen shoulders fall a little. "What do you mean?" he asked, twitching his whiskers. "I don't see anything the matter with her."

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Brightkit was nestled among her siblings, but had her ears very alert- tall and pricked. She even stretched a little higher as if it would help her hear whatever she was paying attention to. With eyes clamped shut like her sisters and brother, the pale she-cat let out a few squeaks. She thought she heard a very quiet voice, one that she couldn't place with a scent around her. Maybe more than one voice. She mewed out again.

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Sight for Severed ties

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Moonspirit's eyes narrowed, "What?! Don't be ridiculous Smallheart! All our kits are perfect!" she began licking them roughly on the head rapidly. Hoping to wash off whatever Smallheart saw.[/color][/center][/font]

Blushing Black

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Smallheart's ears bent back and she mewed, "Sorry! I didn't mean to offend you!" she squeaked. "But we must hurry back to camp before someone sees!"

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Badgerstep didn't want to hear those words coming out of Smallheart's jaws. It couldn't be time yet. It just couldn't. The warrior wanted this little moment of theirs to last forever. The matter of giving up their kits to another family was like a rip through his chest. Only just now had it become so real to the tom. And now he wanted to say that they'd changed their minds and would find a way to keep their kits.

But who was he kidding? The black and white tom looked away from his Clanmate bitterly, looking down at the kits he'd just met but loved more than anything in the world. To protect them, and give them a normal life as WindClan cats, they had no choice. It was all for the best... In some heart-twisting way. "Alright," he muttered, leaning down to nuzzle Moonspirit one last time. "I'll carry Violetkit and Starkit. You each can take one."

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Light to way of Lies

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Moonspirit nuzzled him back and picked up Brightkit, her eyes dull and exhausted. She walked beside Badgerstep with the kit in her jaws. Her paws treaded carefully and steadily. [/color][/center][/font]

Sorrows

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Smallheart picked up Glitterkit and walked behind them, trying to look exhausted as if just having four kits. Maybe one day she could have kits of her own...

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What?

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Violetkit shrieked and mumbled when she was lifted up. Her paws flailed in the air, trying to reach for something.

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