brighter than the sun

Leopardsun stretched herself out on the rocks of Highstones, keeping watch over her kits. She wasn't sure what she'd expected- two, or three, or maybe just one; she'd been an only child, and so had Vixenpaw, and while Echomist had several siblings she hadn't been entirely sure which their kits would take after. Much like she hadn't been sure of their names, but Echomist had helped with that (something she hadn't particularly expected, but more than welcomed).

Asterkit (a flower name, for the conversation she'd had with Russetrye some days ago) looked perhaps the least like either of them, solid black and white.

Meanwhile Badgerkit (a strong name, for a kit Leopardsun hoped would grow into a strong cat) was the most obvious mixture of her parents: Leopardsun's grey with distinctive spots, with orange and black markings that were also quite reminiscent of Echomist.

Cinderkit (a memorial name, for the Cinderkit they'd lost that she still hoped would return) and Batkit (that one was Echomist's suggestion, and Leopardsun considered it a good name- a ShadowClan name, something that felt needed when they were still separated from their home) took after Echomist the most out of all of them, though more faded and more orange.

Dawnkit (a hopeful name, and one for the sun; because ShadowClan lived most of their lives at night but she maintained a soft spot for the day) was near-solid gray, not at all like his namesake; but then did Leopardsun reflect the sun? With time, she thought, he would grow into it. They all would, given the chance.

And lastly there was Moonkit (a night-sky name, something she happened to like; and one suitable for kits born so near the Moonstone, regardless of whether she cared for the ancestors it represented), who looked much like herself; or at least what she would imagine she looked like as a kit. Instead of spots her fur was striped, but otherwise there was a strong resemblance.

There were six of them. And she was happy, and she wouldn't give them up for anything, but- well. Even one or two kits could be difficult to keep track of. Thankfully, Leopardsun was no stranger to difficult tasks. For the first time in a long time, she was grateful that much of her responsibilities were in someone else's paws for the time being.

As far as she was concerned, so long as the kits were alive and well, that was the important part. And perhaps she fussed over them a little more than most would have expected of her (or perhaps it was entirely expected, that her fretting over ShadowClan would so easily translate into fretting over her family), the worries she'd had for them before feeling far more real now that the kits they applied to were more than just imaginary.

The small bundle of fluff that was Asterkit stretched out on the rocks of Highstones, copying her mother. She felt mildly bored- but not bored enough to pester Mama. Instead, she looked over at her siblings- none of which resembled her as much as they resembled each other, which was a sore point she’d never admit to,- waving her tail to hopefully get their attention. “You know what we should do? Spar. Not playfight. Spar. Like alla the warriors do. Then we’ll be apprenticed extra soon.” Satisfied that her argument would have quelled any resistance, Asterkit leapt to her paws, choosing her closest sibling as her target, and leapt forwards with a small growl, cannoning into the other small kit. Not using claws, of course. Asterkit knew enough to know that using claws was strictly prohibited in ShadowClan spars, and if she wanted to get apprenticed extra soon, she would have to show that she knew the rules. Which, of course, she did. She even knew to use the word “spar” instead of “playfight”. Surely that was very grown-up of her.

The rocky landscape around them was something that Moonkit had quickly discovered she disliked immensely. The rocks were cold beneath her paws, the wind sharp and biting at the best of times, it seemed. It was made tolerable however, by the warmth of her siblings and mother so near to where she'd stretched out, eyes closed, a small purr rumbling in her throat. Leopardsun, the kit had no doubt in her mind, would protect them all from it. She was their mother, and the clan's deputy. Which, in her mind, was no different than being leader. If all the cats in Shadowclan listened to her, then surely the incessant winds would, too. Of all her family, Moonkit thought she resembled her mother the most; and that clearly meant that she was also the favorite.

Pale green eyes opened, blinking up at Asterkit upon hearing her voice. The other kit's words hardly had the time to register before Asterkit had launched forward. "Hey!" Moonkit's yowl almost sounded like a complaint, and maybe it would've been taken that way if she hadn't immediately leapt to meet her sibling with a playful, sheathed paw of her own aimed at Asterkit's shoulder.

Badgerkit had taken refuge beneath her mother's tail - a common sight for her when they were so often in the open with so many strange cats around. For as strong as her name was - there was no denying that the young kit was a very timid sort. There were a few cats that Badgerkit wouldn't dive behind the safety of her family upon their approach, cats that had clearly earned her parents' trusts and they had managed to coax her into trusting. Everybody else thought...

Badgerkit watched as Asterkit launched herself at Moonkit, paws flexing a little with interest to join but she couldn't... It wasn't safe. There was still so many cats around, she... She sank to the ground, shifting to better hide herself under Leopardsun's tail as she chose to simply watch her sisters play fight. Her stomach twisted and turned, feeling silly for her inability to step a paw out from her mother's tail but she couldn't - her body just wouldn't listen to her. So she remained, a sad huff escaping from her.

A nasty wind blew past Batkit making his little body shudder, and his lips curl in disgust. He hated the cold sharp rocks and biting wind. He pushed further against his mother, not interested in leaving the comforting warmth she provided.

He wouldn't join his siblings, but he would watch them. Fools, the lot of them. Playing in this weather? Getting dirty? No thank you.

___

Harrierpaw, however, held interest in getting to know her new ste-siblings. "Battling, are we? Can I join?" Harrierpaw at first reached a big paw out to nudge at the kits, but opted against it when she remembered her claws were too long and could hurt them by accident. So instead she turned her wrist to them. She purred. Kits were always so amusing to her.

Snowfoot, seemingly appearing from nowhere, chuckled. “Seems like you’ve got you paws full,” she remarked to Leopardsun. “Though between Marshmallow’s litter and yours I think the whole of ShadowClan has its collective paws full. How’ve you been doing?” Snowfoot couldn’t deny her maternal tendency to coo over kits, but Harrierpaw was providing more than enough attention right now, and Snowfoot knew from experience that it’s hard sometimes when kits come along and suddenly nobody checks on you anymore.

Cinderkit had been dozing lightly, waking only upon hearing the scuffle between her littermates. Small pink mouth opening wide in a yawn, she briefly considered jumping in but quickly decided against it - Moonkit and Asterkit were already into their spar, and it wouldn't be honorable of her to jump in. Besides, whose side would she take? She loved her siblings very much, she couldn't possibly choose one over the others. Letting her gaze wander further, it landed on another of her sisters Badgerkit. Rising with a stretch, she padded over to plop next to her sister and give her a small grin. "Let's watch them fight so we know their patterns to use against them next time, shall we Badgerkit?"