Lightning's Storm

Prologue: A Prophecy

"You're doing great, Leafstar!" Echosong meowed encouragingly.

The silver tabby bent over her leader as Leafstar panted laboriously, her belly rippling with contractions. Frecklewish stood at Echosong's side, shifting from paw to paw in excitement. As Leafstar gave a quiet grunt of pain, the apprentice medicine cat stilled, but her body still trembled with energy like it was taking all of her power to keep herself from moving.

"Alright, push now," Echosong said, her voice soothing but firm.

Leafstar cried out and obeyed Echosong's command. A small, wet bundle fell to the ground. Frecklewish quickly bent her head to scoop the kitten up. The kit began crying almost immediately as Frecklewish set to work licking it clean, ruffling the dark pelt in the wrong direction to dry and warm it. Leafstar lifted her head, straining to see her kit.

"It's a tom!" Frecklewish announced in a high-pitched voice, placing the now clean, black-furred kit at Leafstar's belly.

A loud purr burst from Leafstar's chest. She gazed at her son with wonder in her blue eyes as he quieted and nestled into her fur.

She had never seen a more perfect looking kit.

Leafstar felt a wave of powerful, protective love, stronger than any feeling she'd ever felt before as she stared at her kit. While Leafstar was distracted by her new kitten, Echosong laid her paw on Leafstar's stomach, probing carefully.

"One more left, Leafstar," Echosong mewed.

"Alright," Leafstar murmured, unable to take her eyes off her kit. "Where's Brackenstorm?"

"Waiting just outside the den," Echosong replied.

Leafstar nodded, managing to tear her eyes off of her kit to look up at Echosong.

"Good. Don't let him in until—" Leafstar yowled in pain before she was able to finish her sentence as another contraction gripped her in its claws.

Her side rippled under Echosong's paw.

"The second one is coming!" Echosong meowed. "Ready, Leafstar?"

Leafstar nodded in reply, her teeth grinding. She strained, then the second kit was born.

Echosong moved forward to pick this one up. The small bundle wriggled strongly as the medicine cat cleaned it off, revealing a female, much lighter colored than her brother. The kitten began to cry, her small paws flailing.

"A she-cat," Echosong purred, placing the now mewing kitten next to her mother and brother.

Leafstar's eyes were ringed with exhaustion, but her purr was loud and powerful as she circled her tail around her kittens, bending her head to lick the both of them.

She's just as beautiful as her brother, Leafstar thought, gazing at her kits with shining eyes.

Her heart thrummed with happiness as Leafstar bent her head to continue grooming them.

Their damp fur was starting to dry, showing their true colors. The male was a large, handsome, mostly black kitten with white paws and ears, a grey nose and already broad shoulders. The female was slimmer than her brother and had a more unique coloring. She was a predominately orange tabby with white and light brown tabby patches in a striking, tortoiseshell pattern.

"You need some borage for milk and strength," Echosong murmured softly to Leafstar as to not disturb the now resting kits.

Leafstar nodded, but again she didn't raise her eyes from her kits to look at her medicine cat.