Silvershy's POV:

Twolegplace was strangely quiet.

Bathed in the eerie orange light, the five felines made their way back to The Nest. Java took the lead, as expected, with his siblings flanking him. Spectrum took the rear, leaving Silvershy firmly in the middle, protected.

A dog barked in the distance, it's cries sending chills down Silvershy's spine. Spectrum murmured softly. "It's far away. It can't harm us."

The silver she cat nodded, but she didn't relax until the relentless barking faded away into nothing.

"How much longer?" She found herself asking, her green eyes drooping tiredly.

"What's wrong?" Stump sneered. "Too weak to keep up?" The silver and brown tom glanced at the several tail-lengths of bare ground between his siblings and Silvershy.

The silver warrior bit her lip to stifle a growl, her tail twitching. "I'm the one carrying a litter of kits here. It's hard to keep up on a long trip like this."

"Oh, poor you." Stump muttered, turning away from her.

"And try not to dump your kits on your way out." Java meowed, not looking at his mother. "Because there's no one to look after them this time."

Silvershy flinched at the hostility in her son's voice, her head dipping in shame. He was right to feel that way, all three of them were. Silvershy glanced at Spectrum to see a hint of sympathy shining in the Promethean's pale green eyes, but she said nothing and didn't look directly at the silver tabby.

The rest of the journey was made in silence. The group encountered no threats at all; just a few passing monsters that paid no attention to them. They arrived back in The Nest by moonhigh, where Silvershy and Spectrum were given a place to sleep outside the dens, under the starry sky.

It was cold, laying out in the open. The two she cats had been given some twoleg pelts to sleep on, but they were nowhere near as soft as moss. Silvershy already felt her body ache as she tried to get comfortable on the itchy fabric. Spectrum sat rigidly beside her, her black fur brushing against Silvershy as she rhythmically breathed.

"You should sleep." Silvershy murmured, looking up at the Promethean with tired eyes.

Spectrum didn't answer, her gaze travelling over the night sky. She held a solemn expression on her face, her ears twitching back and forth to listen for danger. The black she cat appeared to be in a state between focused and distracted. While her eyes were gazing upwards in wonder, the rest of her senses were glued to their surroundings. "The sky is beautiful tonight." She mumbled suddenly, not looking away from the sky above.

Silvershy glanced up at the darkness that loomed overhead. She had to admit that even by first glance, the sky was stunning. There were so many stars.. And the moon was so bright. StarClan was watching over them and keeping them safe that night. It made the silver warrior feel much safer given the circumstances.

"We're safe here." Silvershy whispered, letting her head fall onto her paws, her eyes drooping closed. "Sleep." She told Spectrum, her voice firm.

"You're lucky I like you." Spectrum sighed. "Otherwise you'd have been punished for speaking to me in that tone."

Silvershy giggled softly, feeling Spectrum slowly settle down beside her. The black she cat curled around her, shielding the silver tabby from most of the cold. The LightClan warrior smiled, grateful for the warmth her friend provided.

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Cinderkit's POV:

An awful wail sounded in camp, echoing down the nursery tunnel. It sent chills through the nursery residents, and the sounds of crying kits met Cinderkit's ears. "What's wrong?" The grey she kit asked, frightened. "Is someone hurting?"

Blossomfur pushed her further into the nest, hiding her. "I'm not sure." The cream furred she cat murmured, looking away from her litter and at the nursery tunnel entrance. "It's probably nothing."

"But just in case." Flowerstream meowed as she gathered her kits into a tight ball and covered them in moss. "Be ready for an attack."

"Attack?" Flare muttered, rising to her paws. "Do you think Zeye is back?"

Flowerstream shrugged. Bluestorm mumbled. "Hopefully."

"I'll go check it out." Flare sighed, glancing at Blossomfur as she strode past. "Watch over my kits please."

As Flare left, Cinderkit attempted to climb out and follow the Enforcer, but her mother tugged her back into the nest. "Oh no, you're staying here." Blossomfur instructed, resting her tail around her three kits. "I'm not letting any of you get hurt." The pale she cat glanced at Flare's two kits, beckoning them over. "Come here, you two, so I can keep an eye on you."

"No need." Flare suddenly appeared in the nursery again, trotting through the den and back to her nest. Her orange fur was still sleek and shiny, her wings unruffled and resting neatly against her back. There was no sign of a fight on her.

Cinderkit climbed over her mother's tail to get a better look at Flare, asking. "What made that noise then?"

"NoName." The golden she cat smiled slightly. "She's kitting."

The whole den relaxed. Bluesnow even dared to mutter, "What a drama queen. It's only some kits."

Leaping to her sister's defense, Flare growled. "Watch your mouth, Bluesnow. I'm still on duty, even while I'm stuck here. Don't forget your place."

The blue she cat immediately backed down, suddenly becoming very interested in grooming her own chest fur. Cinderkit sensed fear and embarrassment pulsing from the LightClan she cat in waves. Redleaf's murder was still fresh in everyone's minds.

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Shadeheart's POV:

"Shut up NoName." Strike whined, his paws covering his ears as he rolled around her den floor. "You're being too loud."

"Leave then!" The small red she cat snapped, her teeth gritted and her white eyes creased in pain. "I'm trying to kit here!"

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Tyler sighed, sitting calmly near the back of the den.

"I've never-" NoName's wide gaze travelled over Shadeheart for a split second and her voice faltered, her expression turning to a look of panic for a heartbeat. "I've never kitted like this before. This birth is different," was all she muttered, letting out a soft cry into the floor as she spasmed.

"Dime will be here with the medicine cats soon." Shadeheart promised, his heart thumping in his chest. Fear clawed at him as he watched his mother writhe in her nest, her face screwed up in pain. He couldn't do anything to stop her suffering, all he could do was watch tensely.

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Strike sighed as NoName cried out again, her thick tail curling. The red she cat sent her brother a glare before reaching out to sink her claws deep into his forepaw. The red and black tom wailed and pulled away in surprise. "Ah! That hurt!"

"Amplify that by a bit and you'll come marginally close to what these wretched kits are doing to me." NoName hissed, her voice hoarse from all the yowling. Dark blood was visible on the edge of her nest, soaking her tail.

Strike whimpered, nursing his bleeding paw. "You're mean."

"We're here." Dime rushed into NoName's den, quickly followed by Shinewing and Wrenpaw. The two medicine cats soon got to work, pawing at NoName's belly to judge how the birth was going. A rush of relief surged through Shadeheart as the tension in the den faded slightly. He felt a lot safer with the medicine cats tending to his mother.

"Make sure they don't feed her deathberries." Tyler murmured to Dime. "You never know what they might try."

As Dime nodded and took a closer position to his mate to observe the medicine cats, Shadeheart felt a shiver of disgust stab through him. They would never be so heartless! Kits' lives are at stake! It would go against all their morals to murder NoName here!

"This is going to be a long kitting." Shinewing meowed softly, not looking at any of the leaders in the den. She knew if she stepped a fraction out of line, she would pay. "I suggest we give her some raspberry leaves to ease the pain."

Dime nodded, allowing the golden she cat to give NoName the herbs. The red she cat gobbled down the leaves, panting and heaving. Shadeheart blinked when he saw an immediate change in his mother- she had relaxed almost completely. It was impossible for the herbs to have taken affect already.

Seeing his confusd expression, Wrenpaw whispered to Shadeheart. "The herbs have given her closure." She grinned softly. "They take effect without even taking effect in the first place."

"But, these do help her right?" Shadeheart whispered back, looking at the apprentice.

"Oh, yes." She nodded quickly. "Yes they help gradually."

The black tom smiled. "Thanks for helping her." He turned back to watch his mother to see she was letting out only soft whimpers now, barely moving. The spasms had appeared to ease off slightly. Were the kits okay?

NoName's sudden screech answered his question. The kits were definitely still on their way. They just had to wait a bit...

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