Mosskit Book 3: SnowClan

Chapter 28

            The morning sun had begun to rise, and Mossheart yawned as he awoke. He planned on playing with his kits today, just like he had been doing for the past few weeks. They were nearly two moons now, growing very fast. Mousestripe's kits were to be due any day, and Mossheart was relieved that his kits would have playmates soon.

            As for Tawnyheart, she had become a warrior, her daughter, Sandpaw, taking over the position as medicine cat apprentice. He had hoped she would do well.

            Tinykit's vision had not declined, and he assumed she would only be colorblind, never fully blind. This brought him joy, making up for the guilt he felt with Tawnyheart.

            As he got up, he stretched and yawned, relaxed as a light snow fell over the camp. His kits had enjoyed playing in the snow, and he knew they would be even more excited when new-leaf came.

            Just as Mossheart was about to pad out the den, an ear-damaging scream came from the nursery. He assumed it was Mousestripe, ready to give birth, but something was different about this scream. It was as if a cat was about to kill another cat.

            Curious, Mossheart stood up, padding outside. He found Fernbranch with the kits, shaking in fear.

            "What? What's going on?" Mossheart asked.

            Fernbranch hid the kits behind her and pointed to the nursery. All the other queens and kits had exited, and inside was the screaming Mousestripe. Her nest was a bloody mess, and she let out another scream.

            Suddenly, Mossheart noticed a cat appear. She had silver-blue fur, white teeth as sharp as claws, and her eyes seemed to glow red. "It is complete now," the she-cat whispered.

            "Moonstar," Fernbranch whispered. Mossheart suddenly remembered the tales he had heard of the she-cat who had attempted to overthrow the clans.

            No cat even dared to move. It all felt wrong. Smokestar and Reedtail rushed in, hearing the terrifying scream.

            As a white and black tom was born, Mossheart watched in horror as his white and black fur began to shimmer and change into silver-blue fur like Moonstar's, and his eyes turned a bright green.

            "YES!" Moonstar yowled. Smokestar had his claws unsheathed, ready to attack, though it seemed Moonstar did not care.

            "I thought she was dead," Mossheart whispered to Fernbranch.

            "She is. She's a Dark Forest cat now," Fernbranch replied, the kits still hiding behind her.

            "Perhaps you should take the kits out of here," Mossheart told her.

            "No, we won't leave you," Fernbranch replied.

            Mousestripe let out a scream again as a brown tabby tom was born, though his pelt began to shimmer and change, just like the last tom.

            "STOP!" Smokestar hissed, leaping at Moonstar. She laughed, slitting his throat with a simple slight. Smokestar fell to the floor in pain.

            "Smokestar!" Mossheart yelped. He moved, only to be pulled back by Fernbranch.

            "Father," Mousestripe gasped, a tear sliding down her eye.

            "Good luck," he whispered. His eyes looked unseeing at Mossheart, and suddenly, a sickening thought spread throughout him. Smokestar wasn't waking up. He had just lost his last life.