The Birth of A Pearl (OPEN, I GUESS, BUT MAINLY FOR SMOKEDCLOUD AND ICESTORM)

Slushfang sat in the nursery, her new home. She enjoyed it, kits running around, watching how fun it would be to become a mother. She smiled and looked at her belly, which grew larger each passing day. She missed Barrenpaw, but at this point she didn't know who's kit this was- she didn't care, she didn't remember, everything before the last quarter moon was a blur besides her sisters return and her brother's death. So she sat alone in the nursery while everyone played outside. And then it happened. The contractions. She screamed in pain and fell to the ground, shivering in how much it hurt. "Wisteriapaw! Willowpaw! Troutstep! Whitefoot! Someone help me!" She screamed as she withered in pain. The kit was ready to come- and fast.

Willowpaw heard her sisters scream and ran out of the apprentices den. She was afraid they were being attacked. "Oh my! Flushing hold on um bite this stick and if you feel the urge to push then plush, ill be right back and go get you some herbs for the pain." She meowed giving her a stick and then running off to Wisteriapaw's den. Darn empty! She thought as she looked for the right herbs that their father had taught her. Running back she pushed the bundle of herbs over to her sister. "Here eat these it'll help you with the milk and the pain and birthing. Dad taught me that." She choked on those last words. Their father had recently died on what seemed like rat poison from the smell of his body when she had found him. She had secretly been getting lessons from Moonlight so that she would be able to help her clan mates just in case. "I added Thyme to calm you down." She meowed and gently licked her sisters head comforting.

Slushfang felt tears welling in her eyes. "I-I... Okay..." She quickly gobbled up the herbs, but the pain still stood, but lessened after a few moments. She breathed deeply, then calm. she grabbed the stick. At first, there wasn't much to do, as nothing besides regular pain occurred. But then, she felt the most stinging, aching pain she ever felt, worse than receiving her scar. The kit had come. She felt it slide onto the grass. "M-My kitten..." She said, full of aching pain. She attempted to turn her head. "O-Ow!"

"Slushfang! Hold on ill get it." The calico meowed gently and picked the kit up and nipped the sack and stimulated its breathing. Willowpaw placed the kit next her sisters belly. "Its a girl! What's her name?" She asked her sister looking at the white kit.

The soon to be Pearlkit mewled and started to suckle. When the kit was gone she let a big yawn out and then promptly curled up and fell asleep purring.

"Thank you s-so much, Wi-Willowpaw..." She purred. She loved her sister so much and was glad to have such a talented one at that. As she stared at her kitten, she smiled. All the pain was gone now, washed away by love. "Pearlkit, because of how beautiful and how much of a treasure she is to have during such a dreadful time. No doubt s-she will be a glimmering, shining star one day... I can see it in her..." Slushfang said, going on about how she was so amazing to have during such a difficult time for the clan.

Sadly, Pearlkit wouldn't know the sadness that was to come in the close future, or her mother's depressing past. But in the far future, great things would aspire from her. She purred, wrapping her tail around her kitten, trying to get her close enough to suckle when she awoke, but careful to not actually awaken her. She smiled at her sister.

Willowpaw smiled. "Pearlkit is a perfect name for a perfect kit. Slushfang I'm sure you'll make a wonderful mother." Oh how she wished she knew what was to happen in the next few weeks or so.

Pearlkit stayed asleep but was she was named a kind of spark went on inside her and she settle down purring.

She nuzzled her sister, so thankful for her. She looked at her kitten, which looked exactly like her, and smiled. She licked her head a few times before falling asleep herself.

Troutstep, hearing his named called as he walked into camp from hunting, ran over to the nursery. "Slushfang! Are you o..." He stopped mid sentence when he saw the tiny kit. "I'm an uncle?" He said, barely a whisper. Do I deserve this? And now, niece and uncle bonding time, begins! (actually really excited about how Pearlkit is gonna change Troutstep, more or less XD)

Slushfang blinked awake. "Oh, yes, this is Pearlkit. You're an uncle now, I guess. Now hush, you'll wake her." She mewed, one eye open.

Willowpaw purred. "Ill let you rest Slushfang. If you need me call me and ill be here faster than you can say fish." She purred and padded out leaving her older brother and her literate with Pearlkit.

Pearlkit woke up when another scent entered the den, she mewled in protest when she heard yelling. "Mew?" She asked although she couldn't form words.

Troutstep took a step forward and sat his rump down. He placed a paw near the kit, gently feeling its' damp, but fluffy coat.

Slushfang watched him carefully. As she blinked, blue waves circled her vision. She felt her sins crawling up her back and she breathed heavily. She then stopped as Pearlkit awoke. Oh no, I must've woken her up. She watched Troutstep, seeing that he was feeling her fur. She purred a bit. Hmm... I wonder if he'll play with her sometimes. He never did with me when I was a kitten.

Pearlkit purred and nuzzled the fluffy object, also known as her uncles paw. She fell asleep again comforted by the scent of her uncle and her mother and the faint scent of Willowpaw.

Troutstep, enjoying the time with his niece gave a sigh. "Slushfang...I'm sorry about how I treated you as a kit." He said quietly, surprised he even said it.

Slushfang blinked, and turned away. "It's fine. You hated Salmonstripe for her bearing so many, many kits, and in turn, I was one of them." She said quietly, licking down a patch of her ruffled fur.