Distant Sun: Flashing Lights - Faded Sky

Chapter 10

"Whitestar, we need to talk to you about something," Rocktooth meows as she pokes her head into the nursery.

Whitestar's brow furrows. Her kits, the oldest in the den, all look up at her with their eyes wide. Jadepaw can tell the young cats want to hear what the medicine cats have to say.

"Alright, we'll go into my den," Whitestar meows. "Are we involving Darkstep?"

"He's waiting for us in your den already," Rocktooth meows.

"Aw, Mom!" Glacierkit whines, running up beside her mother. "Can't you just talk about it in here? If we're gonna be great warriors, we should–"

"Great warriors listen to their leader," Whitestar meows. "And your leader says to stay here and make sure no one can get in here and hurt Ravenkit and Pebblekit."

Glacierkit pauses but nods. She rushes off to join her brothers again. Jadepaw fights a smile, remembering her sisters being like that every time Darkstep or Rocktooth entered the nursery to talk to Whitestar about something. Rocktooth and Whitestar push their way out of the nursery, Jadepaw on their heels, and walk across the clearing to the High Rock where Whitestar's den is hidden. Darkstep stands and holds the vines aside for the leader and medicine cats to enter the den. Jadepaw is amazed at how neat the den is. There are a few artistic scratches in the shape of stars on one of the walls, which Jadepaw recognizes as being representations of leaders past. The nest that would usually be in here is missing, possibly because Whitestar sleeps in the nursery for now. There's something else in the den. A white she-cat with glowing two-toned green eyes. Jadepaw looks at Whitestar and realizes quickly that this is Whitestar's mother.

"What is it?" Whitestar asks, sitting down and looking at Rocktooth.

Rocktooth takes a breath and begins. "We received a prophecy at the half-moon meeting before the most recent one. We discussed it and hoped to gain more information before I had to tell you about it, but SpiritClan seems just as confused as we are."

"A prophecy? That feels ominous," Darkstep meows.

"What was it?" Whitestar asks.

"Fire must blaze across the rowans, willows and birches so that the Clans can become one," Rocktooth recites. "We're unsure if it means a real fire or a cat whose name is related to fire, such as Firestorm, Firepelt, Coalwing, and the like. All of the medicine cats are hoping that it's a cat with a fire-like name and not an actual fire."

Whitestar frowns and tucks her tail over her paws. "Alright. Then keep learning and thinking about this prophecy and let me know the information you gain."

Rocktooth nods, gets to her paws and turns to leave. Jadepaw scrambles to follow her mentor out of the den.

"What now?" Jadepaw asks breathlessly.

"Back to work," Rocktooth meows. "Go check in on Ravenkit and–"

But Rocktooth is interrupted. A patrol enters the camp and a commotion erupts. Greymoon, Barknight, Patchheart and Gullpaw are quickly surrounded by all of the cats in camp the moment they realize that each cat is holding a tiny kitten.

"Move, we need to see the medicine cats," Barknight meows firmly.

The patrol pushes their way out of the crowd and approaches Rocktooth and Jadepaw. Jadepaw looks at the kittens and then at the ground. She almost sighs with relief when she sees that there are no kitten spirits pawing at the paws of the cats carrying them.

"We found them abandoned on the border," Greymoon meows. "And one we found by the river and her mother dead not far away from the hanging rocks."

"Right, bring them into my den. We'll check them for sickness," Rocktooth meows.

The patrol follows Rocktooth and Jadepaw into the rock den. The kittens are placed in one of the spare nests and all but Greymoon leave. She stands not far off and watches as Jadepaw and Rocktooth sniff around the kittens for sickness. One of them, a small blue-grey she-kit, places a paw on Jadepaw's nose and she smiles.

"Are they alright?" Greymoon asks. She shifts her weight anxiously and looks between the two medicine cats.

"Nothing seems wrong," Rocktooth meows. "But they'll be hungry. I'll go ask Fallenbra–"

"I'll go ask her! " Greymoon interrupts the medicine cat and slips out of the den.

Jadepaw looks at her mentor, brow furrowed. "What's up with her?"

Rocktooth smiles a little. "I have a feeling she's thinking of taking these kits as her own with Fallenbranch. And I also have a feeling it's going to happen."

Jadepaw looks at the four kittens and smiles a little. "Well, they definitely need parents, so I suppose those two will be the best for these kittens."

Greymoon comes sliding back into the den, a smile clear on her face. "Fallenbranch is willing to take care of them."

Rocktooth smiles at Jadepaw knowingly and scoops up a ginger she-kit. Jadepaw grabs one, a white tom-kit, and watches as Greymoon picks up the blue-grey she-kit and the ginger tom-kit. They exit the den and walk towards the nursery. The Clan watches them cross the camp and Jadepaw can tell they know exactly what has happened with these kits. In the nursery, the queens are chatting quietly and look knowingly at the trio of cats carrying kittens. Fallenbranch's expression tells Jadepaw everything as she sets the white tom-kit down at the pink-ish-red she-cat's belly. Fallenbranch and Greymoon both look happier than they had been in a long time.

"Jadepaw and I will come in from time to time to check in on these four," Rocktooth meows.

They both nod, but it's obvious they aren't paying any attention. Their eyes are only for the four kittens laying at Fallenbranch's belly.