Pineshade's Loss

Chapter 36

"Pineshade!"

Pineshade turns his head to spot Acornfall dashing over to him.

"Pineshade! It's Milktail!" Acornfall meows, breathing heavily. "We're losing her! There's little time for you and the kits to say goodbye to her, if you would like," he meows shakily.

Pineshade starts to feel like his world is ending, but he tries his best to stay calm.

"I-I'll go get them," Pineshade meows weakly, slowly heading over to the nursery as his vision begins to blur. He pads into the nursery, where he is instantly greeted by his beloved daughters.

"Pineshade!" They squeak happily, dashing over to him.

"Did you come to play with us again?" Smokekit asks her father excitedly.

"No, I'm afraid not," Pineshade meows sadly, but being greeted by his kits cheered him up a little. However, he feels bad that he's about to bring his kits' hopes down.

"What did you come here for then?" Duskkit asks, tilting her head a little.

"I'm going to take you two to go see Milktail," Pineshade meows.

"Really?! Is she all better now?!" Smokekit asks cheerfully.

"No, we're going to go say goodbye to her. She's about to go to StarClan," Pineshade meows to his kits, his heart breaking at the words.

"Oh.." Smokekit meows, her ears lowering and she looks down at her paws. Duskkit begins to whine as her tail tucks beneath her.

Pineshade then takes a moment to look over at Icewhisker and Ivycloud. Both are healthy, but are looking over at Pineshade and the kits with sad gazes. Applekit is asleep beside his mother, but Cloudkit is wide awake, her wide blue gaze focused on Duskkit.

"Let's go you two, we don't have much time," Pineshade meows to his kits as he begins to pad out of the nursery. Duskkit and Smokekit follow closely behind him, their paws sinking in the snow once they step outside.

"It's so cold," Smokekit whines.

"Stay close to me," Pineshade tells his kits, and they do what they are told.

Once the father and daughters enter the medicine cat, they spot an alive but dying Milktail laying in her nest. Her gaze saddens even more at the sight of Pineshade and the kits.

"You two have grown so much since the last time I saw you," Milktail meows emotionally.

"Don't leave us!" Smokekit meows, dashing over to her dying mother. Duskkit just sits at the entrance of the medicine cat den, staring at her dying mother.

"Come on, Duskkit," Pineshade meows, giving her a light tap with his tail.

"No, I don't want to," Duskkit whines shakily. "It's too hard, I don't want to see her like this! I don't want to say goodbye to her! I want her to stay with us forever!" She wails, almost unable to stay on her feet as her oddly purple gaze stares at Milktail and Smokekit, who is curled up next to their mother and whining.

"Come here, Duskkit," Milktail manages to meow. "You too, Pineshade, my love." The two cats obey Milktail's wishes and pad over to her.

"Goodbye," Milktail meows weakly, interrupted by a cough. "I don't have much time left. I just want to remind all three of you that I love you all very much and I will always be watching over you."

"No, don't leave me," Pineshade meows as Duskkit curls up next to her mother as well.

"There's nothing I can do about it, my love," Milktail meows. "It's my time."

"No it isn't, it shouldn't be!" Pineshade meows frantically. Acornfall just watches sadly from the other side of the medicine cat den.

"I'm sorry, Pineshade. I just can't do it any longer. Take good care of our kits, okay? Make sure they grow up to be good, strong, and kind-hearted warriors like you. Make sure they have a normal kithood, okay?" Milktail meows, losing her breath.

"I will, I promise. You don't have to talk anymore, okay?" Pineshade meows, tears growing in his eyes. "Just relax. I love you more than you will ever know."

"See you again in StarClan, my loves," Milktail meows one last time, before all of the life finally fades from her body. Once the kits realize that their mother is now gone, they begin to cry out for her.

"It's too late, Duskkit and Smokekit. She's gone," Pineshade meows.

"Vigil will be held for Milktail tonight," Acornfall meows sadly. "She will be greatly missed by the rest of the Clan."

All of a sudden, Icewhisker bursts into the medicine cat den, her eyes wide.

"Ivycloud is having her kits!" Icewhisker announces, clearly worried about her sister. The grief of Milktail's death was interrupted by good news and new life. That day, Ivycloud gave birth to two healthy kits, Ashkit and Marshkit. The arrival of the new kits helped cheer up Pineshade and the kits a bit, but Pineshade knew that nothing will ever be the same for him again. The only thing keeping the the dark gray tom from falling into a deep depression is Duskkit and Smokekit, who he had promised to take care of.

I won't disappoint you, Milktail. Pineshade thinks.