~Crippled~ an Amber and Blue Christmas Special

. Jadeheart

. Wolfkit- gray she-kit with green eyes

. Nightkit- black she-kit with pale blue eyes, one of which is blind (It's hard to tell which eye is the blind one as they're both pale)

. Echokit- white she-kit with black spots

. Redkit- black tom with amber eyes 

. Emeraldkit- gray she-kit with black spots and white paws and muzzle, blue eyes''' '''

Emeraldkit gazed outside of her nest, her mother, Jadeheart, curling her tail around her protectively. “I want to go and play in the snow, mother!” She squealed, blinking her large blue eyes up at Jadeheart.

Jadeheart sighed, thinking it over. But she couldn’t help thinking of her precious Sparrowflight, the cat who she’d broken the Warrior Code over to be with. He had the same glimmering blue eyes as Emeraldkit, and she had the same spirit of bravery and determination her father had.

“You can go,” Jadeheart said finally, “Just as long as you take your siblings with you, so that you all can watch out for one another.” Emeraldkit gave a loud mew of joy and sprung to her paws, turning on her sleeping brothers and sisters. “Nightkit! Help me wake the others, we can go play in the snow!” Emeraldkit exclaimed as she shook her sister awake. Nightkit flicked her black tail and blinked sleepily as she woke with a snort. “Oh-okay.” She grumbled, then widened her eyes as she realized what Emeraldkit had said. “Oh!”

The two sisters prodded the others awake then bounded out of the nursery, the whole crew following them.

“You are a very lucky mother, Jadeheart.” A singsong voice murmured from behind the queen. Jadeheart turned her head from the kits to see Noonjay smiling kindly at her, her long gray tail curled around her belly, which was swelling with kits of her own. It was the end of leafbare, and the new arrivals would probably come around early newleaf. That’s what Swallowtail had predicted, the Rain Clan medicine cat.

“Thank you, Noonjay.” Jadeheart replied, returning the smile. She remembered Noonjay being a pesky apprentice with a short temper and quick words. She had changed so much after mating with Leaftail, a young warrior she had met and noticed in her apprentice hood in Rain Clan.

“Mother!” A tiny voice from outside of the nursery made Jadeheart turn her head to see Redkit rolling a small snow ball towards her. Jadeheart stretched, padded out of her nest, and batted the snow back to Redkit.

Echokit snatched it from him and rolled it to Wolfkit. Redkit mewed happily and batted at Echokit’s tail. Echokit laughed and swiped at Redkit’s ears. When the snow ball rolled towards them, Echokit jumped into the air just in time before the snow rolled on top of her. Redkit didn’t move in time, and the snow ball knocked him over, and fell into pieces. Several landed on Redkit’s head and made him look like he had one of them Twoleg hats on.

All the kits laughed in delight at Redkit, including the young tom himself. Redkit shook himself, ridding the snow, and leapt to his paws. “Let’s play a different game!” He exclaimed. “What do you have in mind, Redkit?” Emeraldkit asked, cocking her head. “Well, there’s no moss in leafbare, so… we could practice climbing the fallen birch!” Redkit mewed, gesturing over to the fallen tree that had once been standing strong and tall near the dirt place and elders’ den.

Jadeheart remembered sitting under that tree with Turtleshell when they had first become warriors. And Turtleshell… he…

Jadeheart turned her head for a moment, the thought unbearable. He was gone now… he was with her dear sister Emeraldheart. Turtleshell had saved her from the falling birch a moon after they turned warriors. When Swallowtail had figured out that Jadeheart was about to have kits...

A loud high pitched yowl of terror and pain made Jadeheart jump to her paws, her amber gaze darting over to the birch. Emeraldkit was sprawled out on the snow, her back leg twisted in an abnormal way. “EMERALDKIT!” Jadeheart yowled, racing over to her fallen daughter.

The other kits were up on top of the birch, their eyes wide in fear. Wolfkit leapt down and ran over to her sister, prodding her gently. “Emeraldkit?” She asked in a small voice.

“Get back, Wolfkit!” Jadeheart growled, surprised at her tone being so harsh to her other daughter. “What happened?” A new voice cut in. It was Swallowtail, a few herbs muffling his mew. Jadeheart turned to her kits instead. “What happened?” She asked them, for her thoughts had kept her attention away from her kits and she didn’t know the answer to Swallowtail’s question. “We were all climbing up onto the birch, and Emeraldkit was almost to the top, when she slipped on a spot of ice and fell!” Wolfkit exclaimed.

Jadeheart hissed, to herself. If only she hadn’t been such a foolish mother and let them climb the birch! Now one of her kits was injured! Or worse…

Jadeheart dare not think of it, instead directed her gaze to Swallowtail who was currently examining Emeraldkit. “How bad are her injuries?!” She growled. Swallowtail didn’t answer for a moment, instead ran his paw along Emeraldkit’s side and stopped abruptly when his paw met her leg. Swallowtail’s face darkened.

“What is it?!” Jadeheart snarled. “I-I’m afraid… um… I’m afraid that Emeraldkit has… fractured a bone in her leg…” Swallowtail averted his gaze and laid his ears back. Jadeheart yelped and cried out, alerting the whole camp.

Once she had calmed herself down for a moment, Swallowtail spoke, “She’ll be crippled for only a week or two. Don’t worry Jadeheart. She’ll heal.”

Emeraldkit opened one eye and found herself staring up at three cats; Swallowtail, Jadeheart, and Wolfkit.

“I don’t want to be crippled,” She whined.

THE END

''But don’t worry, I have good news. Emeraldkit’s leg did indeed heal, but she gives the slightest limp to this day. She is alright now, and Jadeheart has learned her lesson; being careful and keeping a very close eye for her children.''