A Different Path

New Life

Mapleshade's heart was bursting with love for her kits. She let the fluffy ginger and white fur curl around her sleeping kits, the four were promising, Larchkit and Birchkit were unusually big and strong for newborns, much like how Birchface was. Patchkit was smaller than his brothers, the average size of a newborn like his sister, his soft fluffy fur fluffed up as the kit stirred which caused Mapleshade to instinctively licked the top of his tiny head to comfort him. Petalkit was a pretty she-kit, the lightest of the three tabby kits but was still no doubt Birchface's kit.

Oakstar's rumbling voice cut through Mapleshade's thoughts. The leader's mew was hushed as he spoke, "May I come in?" He asked.

"Of course Oakstar." Mapleshade dipped her head in respect to the ThunderClan leader.

The bug dark brown tabby tom looked at the kits with a smile, his eyes sparkled with love and hope, "They're all so promising." He breathed but then looked away, his features softened even more with grief, "If only Birchface was here to see them."

"He's watching from StarClan." Mapleshade's meow was husky with grief.

Oakstar turned to her with a weak smile, "You're right." He let out a weak purr. The leader seemed to become a little more cheerful as he continued, "What are their names?"

"Birchface and I had already picked names out for three of them. The she-kit is Petalkit, the ginger and white tom-kit is Patchkit while the second darkest tabby tom-kit is Larchkit." Mapleshade used her tail to point at each of them, "However the eldest kit, the tom-kit that looks most like Birchface is named Birchkit, after his father."

Oakstar's smile grew as he stared at the kits, "They all do truly look like him." The leader purred.

Frecklewish padded into the nursery, a big plump finch in her jaws, "I got you the first pick in the freshkill pile." She said proudly.

"Thank you." Mapleshade was grateful for all the help Frecklewish was giving her. Just the other day the speckled golden she-cat had replaced the moss from Mapleshade's nest and added feathers to make it even softer and every day she would bring Mapleshade prey along with soaked moss to drink from so that Mapleshade never had to leave her precious kits.

Frecklewish sat down next to her father, clearly having trouble containing all of her excitement, "Oh aren't they so cute? They all look so much like Birchface!"

Mapleshade smiled and turned to her kits however the more the Clan compared her kits to Birchface the less and less she takes pride in hearing that. She wanted her kits to be seen as themselves too, not just seen as Birchface's kits. As she thought Mapleshade begun to regret naming her darkest tabby kit Birchkit, he was now burdened with Birchface's legacy, unable to have on of his own.

"Is something troubling you?" Oakstar asked, clearly he had noticed her worried expression.

"I just hope they won't just be known as Birchface's kits and will be able to be their own cat, to be known as themselves, not just for who their father is." Mapleshade answered.

"I have no doubt that they will make their names known, to create their own legacies. All four are promising kits and I'm sure they have greatness in store for them." Oakstar's confidence reassured Mapleshade that her kits won't be forever in the shadows of their father.

"Thank you Oakstar." Mapleshade purred, watching as Birchkit crawled onto her paw.

Oakstar soon left with Frecklewish close behind him, leaving Mapleshade alone with her kits. The queen smiled as she groomed her newborn kits.

Soon the kits started to move around the nursery, somehow being all around the nursery and at her belly at the same time. The kits walked around blindly, their eyes still tightly shut as the stumbled around, their tiny noses in the air and their stubby tails high in the air.