Hollystar started wailing as she felt the kits starting to come. She had moved to the nursery a quarter moon ago so she could wait until the kits came. Snowstorm was bent over her, checking her belly.
"There are four kits," Snowstorm meowed.
As the first kit started coming, Snowstorm gave Hollystar a stick, "Bite down on this when the pain gets stronger," she advised.
The stick snapped as Hollystar bit down and the first kit slid out. Nightfall, who was soothing her as she gave birth, guided the little orange she-kit toward her mother.
After what seemed like forever, the final kit squirmed out and pushed up to Hollystar and started suckling. Blackpelt walked in and looked at the kits, "Have you thought of names yet?"
"The orange she-kit is Firekit, the black and white Tom is Badgerkit, the pale ginger she-kit is Dawnkit and the light brown Tom is Oakkit," Hollystar pointed to each kit as she said their names.
"Beautiful kits," Snowstorm murmured.
"Just like their mother," Nightfall agreed.
Hollystar bent down to lick her kits and when she was done, she started to fall asleep.
***
"Are you mouse-brained?"
Hollystar spun around to see a StarClan cat she didn't recognise staring at her.
"Why did you have kits?" she demanded, "You're leader!"
"I didn't mean to!" Hollystar bristled, "But I'm not giving them up!"
The StarClan she-cat unsheathed her claws then sheathed them again and dipped her head, "I understand, but LightningClan needs its warriors to be strong-especially the leader."
Hollystar let her fur lie flat again, "Why?"
"I don't know," the cat admitted.
"Mothstar, it's time to go!"
Hollystar heard Silverstar's meow across the clearing as she started to wake up. She looked outside through the entrance to the den. Four shooting stars raced across the sky. Suddenly Snowstorm raced to the nursery.
"That was a sign!" she panted, "Four will save us."
