Reedlight's Realization

Brightstripe shoved stick under Reedlight's nose. Reedlight bit down, another spasm shaking her body. "Aaaaah," she gasped. Brightstripe pressed paw on her belly.

"It's fine, you are doing great!" she meowed to the pale ginger queen. Reedlight pushed and one single golden she-kit came out. Brightstripe sighed.

"That's it," she told her. She gazed at the small she-kit.

Reedlight looked at her daughter. "That's all?" she asked, shock on the edge of her voice. Brightstripe sighed.

"Yes, that's all. But look, you have beautiful daughter you can raise," she purred. Reedlight nodded.

"I will call her Amberkit," she meowed, licking Amberkit's golden fur. Brightstripe smiled.

"Shall I call Stormwind?" Stormwind was deputy of RiverClan, Reedlight's mate and father of Amberkit.

"Alright," meowed Reedlight. Brightstripe brought Stormwind inside. When he saw Amberkit, he looked at his mate.

"Is this all?" he asked her.

"Yes, it is. This is Amberkit," meowed Reedlight. Stormwind tilted his head.

"But I wanted a son," he meowed in dismay. Reedlight pricked her ears.

"But look! We have Amberkit. We don't need a son," she assured him. Stormwind glared at Amberkit.

"But I wanted a son. Not this Amberkit! Why couldn't I have a son?" he hissed. Reedlight exchanged glances with Brightstripe.

"We can always hae more kits," she meowed.

"But we have to wait over 6 moons until this is apprenticed!"

"Stormwind, calm down. This is your daughter and your mate. You don't feel anything?" asked Brightstripe.

Stomwind growled. "If I feel anything? I don't feel anything to 'my daughter'!" With that, the dark gray tom stalked off. Reedlight looked after him with sadness.

Brightstripe sighed. "He's just shocked, don't worry."

Reedlight nodded, curling around her kit.

~

Sun was setting and Reedlight was sleeping in te nursery. Little did she know Amberkit was in grave danger.

Stormwind quietly padded to the nursery, hoping not to wake up any queens. Dusksun, Silverspark, Spottedclaw and... Reedlight. He padded to her. Amberkit was lying next to her, her golden fur glossy.

Stormwind smirked. Not for any longer. He came to Reedlight and picked Amberkit up by her scruff. The tiny golden kit let out a wail. Stormwind quickly took the kit and darted out of the nursery.

He carried the kit through the territory to the gorge where his last apprentice, Dapplepaw, lost his life. If the water was wild enough to drown trained apprentice, it was enough to drown a helpless kit.

He padded to the edge of the gorge, Amberkit dangling in his jaws. The kit let out a pitiful wail. It wanted Reedlight. Stormwind dropped the kit between his paws, gazing down to the wild gorge.

He flexed his claws, his mind swirling. He could get rid off Amberkit so easily. But could he? He looked up the starry sky.

"StarClan!" he roared. "I wanted a son! But you gave Reedlight a single daughter! Now you will pay!"

He picked Amberkit up. The kit gave a loud wail that turned Stormwind's blood to ice. Control yourself! He slowly opened his jaws.

Amberkit fell out, falling to the gorge and landing on the water with a loud splash, and disappeared bellow. Stormwind gazed after her, waiting to see more golden fur. But nothing appeared. Only wild water.

~

Stormwind padded back to the camp. Everything was in rush. Brightstripe ran straight towards him.

"Where have you been?" she yelled. "Ashstar lost him final life!" Stormwind stared at her.

"How...?"

"Greencough."

Stormwind nodded. "Fine. I will go to Moonstone tonight."

~

Stormwind touched Moonstone with his nose, the chills running down his spine. He then fell asleep.

He appeared on starlit meadow. Stars were everywhere. On the sky, even in the forest around him. But most important, there were nine cats in front of him. Their eyes shone with stars and and their pelts were rippled with silver.

With a pang, he realized that none of the cats were those he knew or expected.

"At first you give me daughter and now there isn't even my mother to greet me!" he yowled at the StarClan cats. "Why are you so cruel?" he growled.

The first tom was brown tabby with broken jaw. "My name is Crookedstar," he meowed. "I was once leader of RiverClan. My mother neglected me as kit because I broke my jaw and renamed me to Crookedkit. I later lost her, my father, my brother, my mate and all of my kits."

Stormwind was stunned. How would any cat do that? Second cat, a blue-gray she-cat came to him. "My name is Bluestar. I was once leader of ThunderClan. I fell in love with Crookedstar's brother and had three kits with him." Her gaze darkened. "But I had to help my Clan by brcoming a deputy. So I gave up my kits to Oakheart and RiverClan. One of them died."

Stormwind felt ancient pain from Bluestar, one he will never be able to forget. Another, beautiful tortoiseshell came in front of him. She was the most beautiful cat he'd ever seen. "My name is Spottedleaf. I fell in love with Fireheart when I was ThunderClan medicine cat. But I died early. Fireheart later became leader and fell in love with warrior Sandstorm. But I never gave up on trying to help him. I will love him forever."

Stormwind felt his heart pang for her. Fourth cat was dark gray she-cat. She padded straight to him. "My name is Cinderpelt. I was at first warrior apprentice, but I was ran over by a monster that crippled my leg. I was never able to become a warrior, so instead I became a medicine cat. However, I was always in love with Fireheart, but he didn't know. I never stopped dreaming what I could have with him if things were different."

Cinderpelt's words pierced Stormwind's heart. Next cat was old, ragged gray she-cat with orange eyes. "My name is Yellowfang," she meowed. "I was medicine cat of ShadowClan, but I broke the code and had kits. Two of them died, but one survived. The one was named Brokenkit. I gave him to a different queen, who was however not fond of him. I had to watch him become the cruel monster he is and when the time came, I had to kill him. For everything he did."

Yellowfang killed his son. Just like Stormwind killed Amberkit. The next cat was another tortoiseshell with petal-shaped white patches. "My name is Blossomfall. I was a ThunderClan warrior. When we were apprentices, my sister was crippled. She broke her spine and couldn't use her hind legs. Our mother seemed to forget about me and my brother afterwards. I don't think she loved me anymore. I guess she loved only Briarlight - my sister. Briarlight died soon after."

Blossomfall closed her eyes and turned away, padding back to her place. "Did she apologize?" asked Stormwind. No answer came.

Next cat was white she-cat with ginger patches. She was pretty, althrough not more than Reedlight. She sat in front of him and curled her ginger tail around her paws. "My name is Brightheart. I was warrior of ThunderClan. When I was apprentice, I was attacked by dogs and half of my face was ripped out. Bluestar," she pointed with her tail to the leader, "named me Lostface. But the next leader gave me new name."

For a heartbeat, Brightheart's face changed. Half of it was ripped out and showed pink skin. One eye was closed forever. One ear was also ripped out. But then, it changed again. Stormwind bit down a scream.

Finally the last cat came. It was a flecked gray she-cat. "My name is Ferncloud," she purred. "I was queen of ThunderClan. I always lived being around kits." Her gaze darkened. "But in harsh leaf-bare, two kits I was nursing died. And my other son who was apprentice died too." She closed her eyes and padded back.

Stormwind stared at the cats. All of them had horrific fates. Suddenly, Amberkit plopped in his mind. Oh StarClan... What have I done? He stared at the cats. Cold realization struck him.

"Where are my nine lives?"

The cats exchanged glances.

"And do you deserve them?" asked Brightheart bitterly. "You killed your own daughter and broke Reedlight's heart."

Stormwind realized she was right. What will Reedlight do? Crookedstar came to him.

"You won't be the next leader, Stormwind. Salmonstream was always supposed to be leader. Tell her that we want her as leader."

And darkness swept over Stormwind like a wave.