Requested by IceheartThePhanteon

Rushing padded through the boggy pine forest, the ground squishing between her paws. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. A strange, yet comforting smell reached the gray tabby's nostrils. What's that? she asked herself.
Rushing thought she heard squelching paw steps behind her, but the musty smell covered up the scent, and when she turned around, nothing stirred. Feeling as if she was being watched, Rushing sped up into a trot, anxious to get away from the invisible burning eyes that seemed to look at her from every shadow.
Suddenly, something large and heavy bowled into the she-cat, and she let out a yelp of surprise. "Why are you on Shadowclan territory, rogue?" a voice spat in Rushing's ear. "Shadowclan?" she asked, her voice muffled due to the fact that her muzzle was pushed into the dirt.
    The other cat scoffed. He got off her, and Rushing sat up. She spat out dirt, and turned to the attacker. He was a dark brown tabby tom with thick patchy fur, orange eyes, and a broken-looking tail. "I don't know anything about your 'Shadowclan'..." Rushing told him. The tabby tom didn't show any emotion on his flattened face. He smirked and chuckled slightly. "Of course you don't!" he purred, circling her. "A measly little rogue couldn't possibly know of the mighty Shadowclan!"
    Rushing realized that there was surprisingly no scorn or anger in his voice. He seemed as if he was teasing her in a friendly way. Odd... Rushing thought, eyeing the strange tom. "That little blue collar... where'd you get it?" the tom asked. Rushing looked down at the tattered piece of cloth. "I was a housecat once." she explained. "Why?" The tabby smirked. "Well, it makes you look very pretty," he complimented, purring. Rushing blushed.
"Can you tell me about Shadow... Shadow..." she asked, trying to change the subject but forgetting the name. "Shadowclan?" the tom finished. "Of course. A pretty little thing like you could be a useful addition to us." he purred, then added, "I'm Brokenstar, by the way."
    "Rushing." the she-cat introduced with dip of her head. Brokenstar nodded. "Shadowclan is one of the four Clans made up of wild cats in this forest. This is our territory. There are three other Clans, Thunderclan, Windclan, and Riverclan. But out of all of them, Shadowclan is the best." he explained boastfully. "Where do you get such odd names?" Rushing asked. Brokenstar shrugged. "It's just been that way, ever since the time of our warrior ancestors. The -star at the end of a name indicates that a cat is leader--which I am."
    Rushing nodded. "That's neat." she meowed. "Well, I guess I'll be on my way,"
    "Wait!" Brokenstar called. Rushing looked at him. "Yes?" Brokenstar shuffled his paws. "Um, well, I just wanted to ask if you might want to meet again tomorrow?" he asked shyly. Rushing smiled. "That would be nice," she purred. Brokenstar perked up. I guess I've just seen the soft side of this tough leader. Rushing joked silently at the tom's enthusiasm.

***

    Rushing padded through the pine forest. The territory was familiar now. Rushing and Brokenstar had been meeting for a few seasons now, and they had developed feelings for each other. Rushing waited for the tabby tom at their usual spot under a small dead pine. She heard the paw steps of Brokenstar and turned her head to look at him.
    His brown tabby pelt seemed to be sleeker, as if he had groomed it, and you could hardly see the hairless patches. His orange eyes shown with affection for Rushing, and he brushed his muzzle against hers. "Hello, Rushing." he purred. Rushing licked his ear. "Hello, Brokenstar."
    Rushing pulled away from him. "Brokenstar, I need to tell you something." she announced. Brokenstar looked at her with an anxious and curious expression. "I... I'm expecting your kits." Rushing mewed. Brokenstar looked almost worried. "What's wrong?" Rushing asked. Brokenstar lashed his tail. "I have bad luck with kits..." he muttered. Rushing gave him a sympathetic look. "Don't fret, Brokenstar." she soothed. She felt Brokenstar's stiff body relax when she brushed against him.
    "Rushing, I've been wanting to ask you something," Brokenstar started. Rushing gazed at him. "And that would be?"
    "Well, I want you to join Shadowclan. And now that you're expecting kits, I think it would be a good time to live with us." he continued. "You'll have shelter, protection, food, anything you'd like!"
    Rushing thought for a second. Then she smiled, and purred, "I'd love to come live in Shadowclan."

    "From this moment forward, you shall be known as Rushingstream!" Brokenstar called from the rock. Rushing stream held her head up proudly as her new Clanmates called out her new name. "Rushingstream! Rushingstream! Rushingstream!"
After the ceremony, Rushingstream moved into the nursery. She thought of what had happened that day. This morning, she thought. I was Rushing the loner. Now, I will go to sleep, knowing that I am now Rushingstream of Shadowclan.

***

Rushingstream watched in horror as Brokenstar backed away from the fiery ginger Thunderclan apprentice, spitting threats. The former leader and his followers turned tail and fled into the shadows, disappearing into blackness. No! Come back! Our kits need you! Rushingstream screamed silently, tears filling her eyes.
Rushingstream knew that many cats did not support her mate, but even so, she loved him. The tabby she-cat looked around her. No one was watching. Unnoticed, she slipped away in the direction Brokenstar had left. She tasted the air. Brokenstar's scent was already fading. "I must find you..." Rushingstream told him, knowing he wouldn't hear.
Rushingstream searched and searched, but she could not find her beloved Brokenstar. "Hey, who are you?" a voice asked, making Rushingstream jump. She turned and saw a scrawny young white she-cat with kind yellow eyes. Rushingstream then realized that she was off Shadowclan territory. Instead of pine trees, there was oak trees; and the ground was no longer squishy and muddy. "Oh, I'm... Rushing..." she replied, thinking fast.
If I am no longer with Shadowclan, I must strip myself of the name. Rushing thought. The white she-cat smiled. "I'm Snowflake." she meowed. "You look tired and hungry; I could lead you to some food and take you to my home." Snowflake offered.
Rushing then realized how hungry she was. My kits need food!
She nodded. "That's very kind if you," Rushing told Snowflake. Snowflake shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm here to help traveling cats, and you seem like you're in need of help." she replied. "C'mon, I'll show you to my den," And she padded off.
Rushing followed, and when the two cats reached a hallow log, Snowflake stopped, and Rushing did the same. "Here we are. You can find some moss and make yourself comfortable, I'll go get you some prey." Rushing nodded. "Do you mind if you get extra? You see, I'm expecting kits, and--"
Snowflake silenced her with a flick of her tail. "No problem," she purred, and stalked off. Rushing gathered some moss and padded into the log. She made herself a soft nest and settled down in it, and Snowflake returned later with a couple of plump mice. Rushing smiled at her. "Thank you, Snowflake. You've been very nice."
Snowflake returned the smile. "It was no trouble at all," she insisted. The white cat set the mice at Rushing's paws and curled up in her nest. Her steady breathing told Rushing that she was asleep. Rushing ate the mice in a few ravenous bites, and she soon started drifting off to sleep.
But she suddenly felt a ripple pass through her body. She let out a yowl of pain, and Snowflake was on her paws immediately. "I think they're coming!" Snowflake told her. "Just try to stay calm while I get some herbs," And she was off.
Rushing's claws scraped the floor of the log as her body convulsed. Snowflake came back with a stick. "Okay, Rushing, bite down on this Stick when the pain comes," she instructed. Rushing grasped the stick between her jaws. "Just push and breath. Push and breath." Snowflake repeated to her.
Rushing felt a spasm pass through her, and she chomped down on a stick as a tiny body slid out. Snowflake nipped the kit's birth sac and licked its fur. She then nudged it to Rushing's belly. This happened two more times, and finally, Rushing had three tiny kits suckling at her belly. Rushing looked down at her kits, still panting. She had two sons; a gray tabby with a flattened face, and a light brown tabby. Rushing also had a daughter; a dark brown tabby with a kink in her tail.
Snowflake licked Rushing's ear. "You did great, Rushing." Rushing smiled. "You helped me. Without you, I might not have made it." she meowed. Snowflake blushed in embarrassment. "It's not too hard," she mewed modestly, then looked to the kits. "They're beautiful." she complimented. "What're you gonna name them?"
Rushing looked at her kits. "I'm going to name the gray tabby River." she decided, thinking of her warrior name. Rushingstream. "And the light brown tabby Dust." Then she looked closely at the last kit. She looked so much like her father. Finally, she purred, "And this one is Kink."
Snowflake smiled. "Those are wonderful names. Now, I can see that you're tired, I'll leave you alone for now and go out to hunt." she meowed, and padded out of the log.
Rushing looked at her kits. Then she thought of Brokenstar. Oh, how she wished he was here! Our kits and I will wait for you forever, my love... Rushing told him, hoping he could hear her.