A Fractured Fallow Joy [open;; medicine cat(s) needed!]

Fallowstripe hadn't expected her belly to balloon so much. She thought that it was the excess fish that she had been consuming, but it turns out that the craving was simply a byproduct of the pregnancy that had been emerging. Now, she lay down, and she hadn't expected what was coming next. A massive pain in her side sliced through her, and she yowled. "H-Help!" screamed Fallowstripe, quivering. "Fracturedhawk, what is going on!?" Fallowstripe howled. She tried to regulate her breathing, but it just grew faster and heavier. "Ohh, help me, StarClan..." prayed Fallowstripe, right before she convulsed with the next contraction. Her eyes narrowed, and she heaved, trying to figure out what was wrong.

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Bouncepaw jolted awake, hearing the yowls. He looked at Cloudstone, his eyes wild with fear. Was this to be his first task? He prodded the black tom in the side, not wanting to waste his voice. It seemed urgent, so his conjured up all he could. "Cloudstone," he said silently, shuddering. "Fallowstripe is hurt!" Bouncepaw had knowledge of the sandy-brown molly from the fact that his mother, Morningfog, was her mentor. He looked over his glittering golden shoulder, then back at Cloudstone. He felt his breathing quicken with terror. Was Fallowstripe dying? Or was it one of the kittings that often occurred when he was a kit in the nursery? He guessed that it was the latter. The ordeals did certainly provoke a yowl or two.

Fracturedhawk jolted up. He had been laying beside Fallowstripe in the nursery, where she had been put since well, she was carrying kits. The warrior went wide eyed the moment he heard her wails.

"Fallowstripe!?" He called back, overly worried at the sounds she was producing. He didn't know what to do, the tom just stood there and stared for a moment, dumbfounded. He snapped himself from his trance and crouched down, looking over his mate. Fracturedhawk licked a tuft of out of place fur soothing. "It'll be alright," he reassured in a smooth tone.

The first, and only, kit was relatively small, so it did not take much time before she dropped onto the soft moss. Eyes and ears sealed closed, the gray tabby she-kit began to mewl and sniff the air. Sensing the milky scent of her mother, she began to slowly crawl towards Fallowstripe.

Fallowstripe felt another jolt of pain ride up her flank, as the bundle slid out. She never thought such agony was possible. As Finchkit was born, her scared eyes met Fracturedhawk's. "I—I'm okay... it's over... right?" Fallowstripe asked, as Finchkit crawled towards her. She looked down, wondering what happened. When she caught sight of the leaden-silver she-kit, her mouth gaped. "Fracturedhawk... did I just... give birth?" she questioned, thoroughly shocked. Yes, she had tried everything—including pushing—which may have lead to said outcome. She craned her neck, feeling a motherly love and protection rush over her. "Oh... what should I name her..." wondered Fallowstripe aloud.

Fracturedhawk smiled, gazing in wonder toward the newborn kit. Odd, she doesn't really have either of our colors, he thought, but shrugged it off as he went to give Fallowstripe another lick of affection. "A name? Oh I'm not sure..." He paused, trailing off, thinking of a name for the little newborn. He stole another glance down at the little kit, "Perhaps Finchkit could do?"

"Yes! Perfect," purred Fallowstripe, but upon noticing the same thing—the fact that she had an odd-looking pelt—she stated this. "Her fur's a little different," she said, shrugging, "but I'm sure it's fine." Fallowstripe coddled and cosseted the newborn kit, brushing down her coat with her long, banded tail.

Finchkit purred as she felt her mother's tail brush her slick body, and she continued to crawl until she reached her belly. Latching on, she fed hungrily as the warmth began to quickly dry her pelt, showing it's true long length and fluff.

ooc: Sorry about the colors :/ I forgot to think about genetics

Fallowstripe purred at her, resting her head. She gave a gaping yawn, until she looked up at Fracturedhawk. Fortunately for her, the birth had gone smoothly, and she had... she had a kit. "I'm tired," she whined, not used to kitting. She moved her paws in front of the slope of her nose.


ooc;; it's fine!

Smokeface heard the commotion in the nursery, and as used, made his way fast in there. He loved seeing kits, for one, and he had a lot of them to speak of, but even other kits were nice. The smokey tom smiled widely as he spotted the former apprentices of himself and Morningfog. He couldn't help but adore the coincidence. He flicked his tail with a wide smile to his first apprentice, Fracturedhawk, whom he was proud of as a warrior, and he smiled warmly to Fallowstripe, the always curious and never put. The warroir's glowing eyes fell on the kit sucking hungrily from her mother, and his heart grew. "She'll make a fine warrior on day." he purred.

"Indeed she will," agreed Fallowstripe warmly. She remembered herself skipping alongside Morningfog, just after her apprentice ceremony. She was always so loquacious, often agitating the two cats. Thus, they had become mates, and then, she had taken a deep interest in Fracturedhawk. She was glad to have birthed his kits. She smiled at Smokeface. She had almost forgotten how the smokey grey tom had entered.

"Ah, sorry, greetings, Smokeface!" exclaimed Fallowstripe, in a surprised mew. No matter how tired she was, she would always take note of the feline's arrival. She grinned weakly up at him, through her fatigue, endearing dimples forming on either side of her maw. "She's Finchkit... by the way..." she said.

Squirreltuft brushed by her father, poking her head into the nursery and calling, "It's about time—camp has been gossiping about what your kits will be like moons." The pale tabby rolled her eyes good-naturedly, muttering to herself:

"I never want one of those squealing things." But it was too low for the couple to hear, and she'd already flicked her tail in goodbye, sending a grin towards Smokeface.

Morningfog noticed the small gathering of cats and padded over to the nursey, peering inside, she smiled softly. The tiny newborn stole her attention as well as everyone else. She chuckled. "I didn't think my apprentice would settle down enough to raise a kit.. Perhaps you'll lose that energy with your little kit." She half-joked.


Ooc: morning is still ultimate mom.

Fallowstripe looked at all of them, slightly bewildered. Her fur prickled but then fell flat, and she nodded to all of them. She blinked at Squirreltuft. "O-Oh?" she stammered. Everyone already knew about it. Huh... she shrugged. She glanced at Morningfog with laughing eyes. "Maybe," said Fallowstripe, "but I sure will try..." she sighed, her eyes tugging themselves to be shut.

Finchkit by now had stopped feeding, and let out a big yawn. Cuddling deep into her mother's soft fur, she began to doze off. Before long, she was asleep.

Fallowstripe purred at her. This was her kit. And she would raise her to be the best she-cat that she could be. Her little... Finchkit.