truly a miracle; the way it all cracks [closed - Red x Sienna kits]

A hush fell over the she-cat. The questions piping up from little mouths, innocent tongue that knew little more than soft life their mother had always lived. None of them knew the fulfilling and feral life their father was born into, and the way it had so touched her soul. As much as every ounce of her screamed for it to not be true, Redfall was right; the sooner these kits returned to life with their father, the better. It would be more cruel to rip them away when they were older and would remember her. Sienna froze at the thought. Her through caught on what felt like stone. She so desperately longed to soothe the anxious questions that rang through the air and prickled her pelt like those little thorn claws her kits possessed.

Her maw parted in an attempt to form words but her tongue was stunned. Gingerkit, named in the same breath, pressed his head to her chin. Teeth clenched together as she tried to suppress the quiver that went through her body. This was such a perfectly horrible moment. The warmth of her kits, a mixture of herself and Redfall, and the tom she had falling so deeply in love with surrounded her. A wailing broke the silence as her little russet-pelted she-cat rushed to leave the den. Immediately, the housecat shook away her frozen state to dart out a soft paw and catch the kitten. There came a soft whimpering from her own chest which too was choked back. The kit was pulled to her chest, tucked underneath her, "Shhh, my little kit. Everything will be okay. I will be with you always, right here." One paw pressed to the kit's chest as she dipped her head to lick between her offspring's ears, "My little Maple... Maplekit. You will grow big and strong as a tree, sweet as one too, I'm sure of it."

Gaze drifted to the pale tom. He'd drifted close to her with more curious questions. The thought of his eagerness brought a bittersweet smile to her maw, "You, my little flower, will be Daffodilkit. I think that suits you just fine." Sienna tilted her head to touch his nose and let out a low titter of laughter, which was dulled by the exertion of her emotions. There was one more to name. It would be her farewell to the kits she bore, perhaps into a forever without. A selfishness ran through her and for a moment, she considered dashing away back to the den and tucking away in her comfortable nest with all five kits wrapped around her. But sensibility told her that would only lead to them eventually being sent away with other upwalkers and rob them of the natural life they were born into. Flicking her tail back and forth, the she-cat took a deep breath before she could steal away enough resolve to speak again.

"H-honeykit, my darling. Your soul reminds me of honey, as does your coat." There came a finite twitch of her whiskers and her head bowed. Sienna looked to the pair that had been named by their father and offered a nod and a wavering smile, "You were both perfectly named as well. Even if Redfall will never say he put more than a momentary thought into it." In an effort to lighten the mood, she bumped her head into the burly tom's chest. This was goodbye. These were the final moments of her perfect forever. Another shaky breath fractured the air. This would all be tucked away, something to cling onto and remember. If this was the last moment she ever lived, it made every one before it worth it. Her tail gathered the kits, sweeping them up in the plume.

When the were drawn together, underneath her, Sienna drew Redfall close and pressed her face into his neck. They truly had created something special; a family. A low sob wracked her chest and she allowed the tears to freely prick at her eyes. Seconds passed before the sound transformed into a joyous laughter. Such a beautifully perfect world and something more amazing was waiting for her kits, she was sure of it. Broken rays of sunlight cut into the darkness as she took in the sight of her legacy before her; perfect.

"There are so many great things waiting for you beyond this world... things I could never hope to see. Your father will keep yourself and show you all the many things I never could. Life is at your paws, kits, live it for me. I love you all... I love you, Redfall."

ooc;; next topic! loner iniko is going to help reunite redfall and kits with skyclan: https://warriorclancats.forumotion.com/t42418-guiding-pawsteps-closed#476624

The newly-named Honeykit watched as each of her siblings got their new names. Tigerkit, Daffodilkit, Gingerkit, Maplekit and me. Honeykit.As her mom swept them all together with her tail, the she-kit felt a sense of dread filling her. "S--Sienna's not coming with us..." For the first time since she was born into this world, Honeykit wanted to cry. No. Im not going to cry. I--I'm the eldest. Puffing out her chest bravely, Honeykit nosed into Sienna's fur, identical to her own, down to the black tail-tip. "Momma? I'll protect them. Someday, I'll be as fierce as Dad is. Then I'll come find you. I'll bring you back to SkyClan, 'kay?" The tiny she-kit engraved the promise into her heart, turning towards the rest of her siblings, yellow-green eyes alight. "We'll all come find you."

Her mum’s soft golden paw darted out to catch the would-be runaway, and as mum pulled her close and tucked her under her chest, the kitten felt the whimpers mum was choking back and sadness stabbed at the little kitten’s chest, making it feel like it was cracking. Of course their mum still loved them all as she always had. The little russet she-cat didn’t understand, but she let her mum comfort her, knowing this would be the last time, and her wails subsided. If mum said everything would be alright, it would be.

She’d never forget her mum, she decided determinedly, holding on to the way the soft golden paw had pressed against her small fluffy chest. And I will be big and strong as a tree, she promised silently, letting a tentative smile curl her maw at her mum’s parting gift.

She pressed quietly into her mum’s soft fur as all her siblings were named. Tiger, Ginger, Daffodil, and Honey. What’s the kit bit for? she wondered vaguely. As mum bumped her head affectionately against Redfall’s chest and then let out a shaky breath she realised, mum loves him too. And any cat mum loves can’t be bad in even a whisker of his body, she thought hopefully.

Mum brought all seven of them close, the first and last time they would be all together as a family. A sob turned into a joyous laugh as mum promised them the world, all the many things their mum could not show them and would never see, a special life at their paws. What if everything she ever wanted had been here, with mum and Aida and the up-walkers and all her siblings? It felt as if the world had been cracking and now it had split and she was falling into the crack, falling and cracking too, breaking.

Then her sister, Honey, spoke and she felt a warmth fill her. Honey was promising to protect them, she must want to cry too but she was so strong. I have to be strong too, thought the little russet she-cat. Her leaf-green eyes lit up as she met her sister’s shining golden-green ones. The siblings would never forget who their mum was if Honey was with them. “I promise I will too!” she squeaked.

Maplekit, as he was now named, huffed. “Why can’t Momma come with us?” He asked petulantly. He didn’t understand why sienna was going to leave them with this cat, even if he was their father.