Crimson Heart

This is a story written for Cinder's Contest written by Robo

Prologue
The kit squealed as Berryfrost frantically began to lick it. Her mother was panting heavily as Ravenpaw stuck cobwebs onto her several wounds. Cherrydapple let out a wail as she felt her shoulder sting.

"It's okay," her mate, Scarletheart whispered softly into her ear, "You will survive."

"It hurts," she whimpered, and another kit slid out and she cried in pain. Berryfrost was at it right away, but had to hand it to Scareltheart to lick the kit, as he was already occupied.

Ravenpaw was still trying to cover up the she-cats wounds as she let out another whimper, feeling a third kit about to arrive. "What were you thinking, leaving camp right before you were due to have your kits?" he asked her scoldingly.

"Ravenpaw," Berryfrost looked up from the kit he was licking, "Don't go too hard on her, she is in enough pain already."

His apprentice dipped his head as another kit, the final one slid out and the black cat was licking it right away. Berryfrost turned to Scarletheart who had stopped licking the kit. When he noticed the medicine cat's gaze on him he shrugged, "dead."

Ravenpaw dropped the other kit in front of Berryfrost and he realized it wasn't moving, "It was dead before it even left the mother's stomach," the apprentice explained, "The fox must have killed it."

Scarletheart had left the medicine cats and was now standing beside his mate, "Please don't leave me!" he begged and she shook her head sadly.

"I can't deny Starclan's call," she whispered, "I am so sorry I snuck out of camp. I never thought that..." she stummbled, "I never thought that a fox would attack me. I am sorry I killed all of our kits because of my rash mistake."

"They're not all dead," the ginger tom whispered sweetly, "There is a beuatiful new kit in Pineclan!" he tried to look happy.

"Can I see her?" she rasped and Berryfrost brought the kit up. The queen purred.

"Looks just like you," she sighed and Berryfrost realized it wasn't long, "I'll name her Foxkit, in honor of the fox she survived, I hope she will continue to posses the same strength as she grows into a warrior. My last present to the clan."

"No!" Scarletheart cried as the she-cat gasped and went limp. Berryfrost felt a stab of pity and he looked down at Foxkit, who seemed horrified as if she knew exactly what happened. Scarletheart didn't leave his mate's side to comfort his kit, and the medicine cat looked down at the kit and pointed to her tiny heart.

"She's still in there," he whispered, "Don't make her sacrifice be in vain."

Her eyes glittered as she looked down at where he had just placed his paw, at her chest, covered by her ginger pelt.

Her crimson heart.