Warriors: The Return Of The Greatest Heroes

58. Half Alive, Half Dead

"What do you want to name him?" Brackenfall asked, looking at Hollyleaf.

She thought for a moment, "Flamingkit," she eventually decided.

"Do you think he is-" the medicine cat didn't have to finish the question.

"I'm not sure." the black she-cat started licking her kit fiercely, "But if he was, well, we got our old names. Why wouldn't he get his?"

"Because you didn't give him that name." Brackenfall came up with a logical answer.

"But our current parents didn't know about this either. They might have given us our past names because they felt it was right. They might have felt like we already had names. I did not feel that for Flamingkit." she answered truthfully.

"Then maybe he isn't reborn." the medicine cat assumed.

"Perhaps he isn't." Hollyleaf looked at her newborn son. "But that doesn't mean he can't be one of the bravest and best warriors in all of ThunderClan,"

Brackenfall sighed. Queens always thought that their kits were the best; he was mouse-brained to believe that Hollyleaf would be any different, even though she was a reborn. He quickly evacuated the nursery to not only escape Hollyleaf's ranting, but also to spread the news to the clan. The two stillborn kits would have to be buried, and Flamingkit's name would also have to be announced.

In all, though, the medicine cat was quite relieved. ThunderClan has not had a good season for kits; there seemed to be so few nowadays.

Kits were the most important part of the clan; they were the clan's future. If there are no kits, there is no future.

And if ThunderClan didn't have a future, Brackenfall would not be able to stand looking down at the lake when he finally joined StarClan.

"How is she?" Shimmerfire almost pounced on the medicine cat as he left the nursery.

"Hollyleaf is very healthy and happy right now. She doesn't even seem to be tired from giving birth to her kits." Brackenfall reassured the black she-cat.

"What about her kits?" she added on.

The medicine cat seemed to grow somber. "Two of hers were born dead. I believe she is happy because one survived. One tom she named Flamingkit."

Shimmerfire seemed to grow many moons older as soon as she heard that some of her daughter's kits were born dead. "Can I see her?"

"I don't see why not."

And at that the black she-cat fled into the nursery.

-

Fallen Leaves couldn't believe it. He had failed. The body of the young kit that had been born to Hollyleaf was claimed by two cats who were no longer alive. He didn't know what would happen; part of him had left him.

He was only a half-spirit now: half alive, half dead.

It felt horrible; with a sudden sense of dread, he realized that he would live two lives for the rest of eternity, or, at least, as long as his spirit remained.

But one of those lives he had to share with another, another cat who was also living the double life Fallen Leaves was living right then.

He didn't know him that well; he had hardly even seen him during his time in StarClan. He had left for his old residence in the tunnels before he had really gotten to know him.

He was a stranger in his own body. Well, it wasn't his own; he shared a body with a total stranger.

He didn't even know his name, but he expected it to have something to do with fire or flame, after his half alive counterpart named Flamingkit.