A New Beginning: The Lost Hope

Prologue

It was both the perfect time that the kits entered the world, yet also the worst time.

The entirety of Thunderclan awoke to the sound of a Queen's screech of pain one moon into a cold Greenleaf. All of the cats that had heard the screech (the elders weren't light sleepers, and they had slept through the scream) padded hastily outside their dens.

The moon cast a shade upon the ground, as if predicting something terrible about to happen. But when Finchwing darted out of her den, Fruitpaw close behind her, no one could deny that when the moon shone down on their fur they truly looked heroic.

Finchwing was the medicine cat of the clan and Fruitpaw was her apprentice.

The two of them rushed in to the nursery quickly to see which Queen was giving birth to kits, and when they saw Mossheart lying on the ground moaning loudly, the other two queens (Mistyflight and Cherrysnow) trying to calm her down, Finchwing went into immediate action.

Mossheart was crying out for Acornfur, her mate. Finchwing ignored her desperate pleas, and shooed away the restless Queens.

"Acornfur... I need..." Mossheart panted, until Finchwing shushed her. She needed all the energy she could get.

"It's alright Mossheart," Finchwing soothed, "you should let him sleep. It's been a tough Greenleaf trying to get prepared for one of the most brutal Leafbares yet, and he's been working so very hard. He needs the rest."

Fruitpaw came in, carrying a bunch of herbs. She asked, "will any of these help?"

Finchwing dashed over to the pile, allowing Cherrysnow to go over to Mossheart and place a paw on her chest as she moaned in some desperate attempt to calm her.

On the pile, Finchwing saw borage leaves, chervil, and raspberry leaves. She smiled when she knew how perfect her apprentice really was as a medicine cat and how skilled she was at memorizing herbs.

Suddenly, a figure burst into the nursery, carrying a stick. "I heard what was going on! Where is she?" Acornfur yelled.

"She's over here, Acornfur," Mistyflight mewed.

Before Mistyflight had even finished, the brown tom had already jumped to his mate's side, placing a stick within her mouth.

"Are there any kits yet?" Acornfur asked.

"Not yet," Finchwing replied.

Then silence and Mossheart's muffled screams reigned over the nursery for a bit until Acornfur asked, "how about now?"

Fruitpaw shushed him immediately and whisper-shouted, "be patient, Acornfur!"

Neither medicine cat could blame him for being scared and nervous though, it was their first litter.

Then Cherrysnow yelped, "what is that!?"

Finchwing looked down, and saw a kit being birthed in front of her eyes. "There's one! A reddish-brown she-cat!"

Acornfur, extremely curious, started to walk over to where Finchwing was standing, before Fruitpaw stopped him.

She sassed the older tom, "you mousebrain! Leave the medicine cat in peace!"

The tom foolishly nodded and sat down exactly where he was standing moments before. Just waiting patiently and nervously for the task to be finished.

Then, Mossheart moaned in pain, and Acornfur could hear Finchwing shout, "a light-brown kit!" He then watched as Fruitpaw carried the crying kit away to Cherrysnow, asking her to lick the kit to keep it warm. Mistyflight already had the reddish-brown she-cat in front of her, licking it clean of blood and keeping it warm as told to do so.