Rain rushed into the bracken of the camp, his paws pounding on the grass. Immediately he dropped the prey on the ground to see LilyMeadow running towards him.

"Thank starclan your back! SorrowedSky is having your kits! We have just brought her to FogWhisper's den! You stay put, we'll bring you in when they are born."

Rain could tell that LilyMeadow wanted to lecture him, but wouldn't, so she wouldn't add more stress then what was already happening down on his paws. He gasped, a mix of emotions and thoughts racing through his mind.

As the yowls got louder, he grew more panicked, and immediately rushed toward the medicine den. "Is she alright!? SorrowedSky!?" When clustered meows from the medicine den that he couldn't decipher began, he pushed past the two queens peeking in.

SorrowedSky lay on her side, breathe heaving as she yowled louder in pain. "Someone take Rain out of here, we don't need more stress on SorrowedSky." FogWhisper meowed sternly, whiskers twitching.

He pinned his ears back as CanineClaw nudged him out of the den, and sat beside him. As Rain began pacing restlessly, he hardly heard the meow escape CanineClaw's scarred maw, "when LilyMeadow had her first litter, I was just like you. I remember when I fought off MothStar to see her, that was when he was only MothSpeckle."

Rain's breath hitched as he looked at CanineClaw, the scarred brown tom was much larger than him. He was one of the older and wiser warriors, 'strong enough to fight off a pack of dogs' is how Rain used to refer to him as a measly apprentice.

CanineClaw didnt wait for a response, he just continued. "I thought she wouldn't survive, I thought I would have to raise them on my own." Rain stopped pacing, and looked at the older cat, who had his tail wrapped gently around his two paws, and his eyes gazed up at the moon, causing them to shine beautifully.

"Did she?" Rain asked, nervously, his tail twitching. CanineClaw sighed, and glanced at him, his head still risen to the moon. "Are you flea brained? She's in the nursery right now! Helping your mate."

Rain lowered his ears sheepishly, in embarrassment,  "oh, yeah." He whispered, settling down beside CanineClaw. "Well, once FogWhisper called me in..." He paused, and Rain saw him close his eyes and let out a soft purr, as if he was there all over again.

"...i knew she was alright, and PoppySpeckle, Frostpaw, and RussetWing were beautiful." He meowed, his tone saddening when he spoke the name of his kits who had died of Green-cough. Rain flinched, but felt a pang of sympathy flash through him.

"I always loved playing with Frostpaw, and he always looked forward to going on hunting patrols with me." Rain meowed quietly, feeling grief alongside CanineClaw.

"It's alright, he is the best hunter in Starclan now, I'm sure of it." CanineClaw whispered, quietly as if he didn't want to speak about it any longer.

Urgent pawsteps interrupted them, and Rain immediately turned to see LilyMeadow trot out, relief, and joy in her eyes. "You have two she's and a tom! They are so beautiful, wonderful little kits! FogWhisper says you can see them now!"

Without question, Rain stood up, and pressed his muzzle shortly onto LilyMeadow's pelt in thanks, before rushing into the medicine den. SorrowedSky lay there, breath slower now and more relaxed, four kits may at her stomach. One was pure gray, except one paw, wich was black. The second looked just like SorrowedSky, black and white, fluffed ears. And the last one gray, just like Rain, but patched black, like it's mother.

Immediately, he lapped at his mates fur, nuzzling her joyously. "They are wonderful! Like young stars of our image!" He mewed, purring quite loudly.

"They are so beautiful, what do you suppose we name them? The little gray one with the black paw is a tom, the other two are she's." SorrowedSky meowed, her voice hoarse and rasped.

He turned to the tom first, his tail flicking over the moss in the den. "Well.." he thought for a moment "what do you think of Petalkit, for him?" He meowed softly, nuzzling the little kit gently.

"It's beautiful! The black and gray she...her tail is as long as a vine! What about Vinekit?" SorrowedSky mewed quietly, her head resting lightly.

"That is beautiful!" He looked to the side, to the very last kit, who mewled quietly, tiny ears and paws twitching. "Shinekit, for her beautiful energy she carries within those tiny paws."

SorrowedSky nodded drowsing off, and Rain leaned toward her ear and quietly whispered "you are a wonderful mother, my dear." He purred, flicking his tail as he sat next to the young kits, watching as they started the beginning of their long lives.