Marked Sky: A Warriors Fanfiction

1.0 - Pumapelt ☽

EclipseClan

Pumapelt stood at the entrance to the nursery, shuffling his paws. The mouse he had caught still lingered on his breath, even though he had tossed it uneaten into the fresh-kill pile. Missingpaw, the toothless medicine cat apprentice, had been sent to fetch him while he was returning from a hunt, bringing the news that Lilydream had just kitted.

Pumapelt gave a nervous sigh. He remembered when his little sister and brother were born, so tiny and fluffy, blue eyes sealed shut. He remembered their apprentice ceremony, how excited Lilypaw was when she found out her older brother would be her mentor. He remembered his sibling's first hunt, their first gathering, when they finally received their warrior names. And of course, he remembered when Lilydream told him she was in love with Porridgefur. Of course he remembered, how could he not? He was the first one she told, even before she admitted it to Porridgefur.

And...he remembered her plans. He remembered them so vividly, as she would happily chatter on and on to him and Porridgefur with a squirrel gripped between her fangs, dreaming about her and Porridgefur's future kits, speculating which of the kits in the nursery would be her apprentices... how he missed those hunts.

But this moment was nothing but joy, he reminded himself firmly.

Nothing but joy.

His heart fluttered nervously as he stood outside the nursery entrance. His skinny tail twitched, as a sudden flood of bliss overcame him. His sister was a mother. He was an uncle.

As he slipped under the bush that hid the nursery, he was sure this was a moment that would remain forever etched in his mind along with the rest of the precious memories he shared with Lilydream.

Nothing but joy.

If only that were true...

-{}-

The moment Pumapelt stepped into the burrowed entrance of the nursery he knew something was wrong. The room felt...stale. There was no contented purring of mother and kit and- oh no, was that...blood?

It was a small smear, only about a kitstep in length, but Pumapelt's heart sank deep, deep into his chest. Tearing his gaze away from the smear, he continued on.

He spotted Lilydream and his spirits lifted. She was okay! She was napping on the ground, curled up with her tail around her. He couldn't see the kits, but he assumed her long fluffy tail was hiding them from view. Pumapelt stepped forward with a smile.

But when Lilydream pulled back her head from her paws, Pumapelt's heart dropped. His little sister's face was full of despair, her sage-green eyes carrying more sadness than he had ever seen in his life.

"L-Lilydream?"

The lilac she-cat's head sprung up, and a small, saddened smile spread across her face. "Puma."

Pumapelt swallowed. "Is everything okay? Are you okay?"

"Of c-course." She brought her paw to her face to muffle a short sniff, her eyes not meeting his.

A moment of silence passed. And then-

"I-I had two stillborn kits, Puma..." Lilydream gave a sob.

"Oh, Lily... I'm so sorry," Puma said, now holding back tears himself as the shock hit him...Lilydream wasn't going to be a mother...he wasn't going to be an uncle. As he came closer to Lilydream to comfort her, he felt a stir of anger in his chest. It was these moments that he doubted StarClan's supposed infinite wisdom... how could they do this? Lilydream already lost her sense of movement, her chance at being a mentor, now this? Her motherhood? Why must StarClan take everythi-