the first time around (open birth topic)

Grasswhisker lay panting in nursery. Her face contorted in pain as she felt another spasm ripple through her body. She knew it was time. The kits were coming. The queen tried to roll over to her side as a yowl broke from her throat. She hadn't imagined the pain and desperately she tried to call out for help.
"Dreamleaf! Sparkpaw! Blazestrike!" Her cries echoed through camp as she called out for her mate and the medicine cats.

Blazestrike shot up in his nest and jumped out of it then ran out of the warriors den to the nursery. He grabbed a stick on the way and set it down in front of his mate. "Grasswhisker! Are you ok? Is it the kits?" The white and gray tom meowed his yellow eyes laced with concern.

"Yes... they're coming..." She panted through shallow breaths. Her breathing was laced with the pain of labor. Grasswhisker's paws scrabbled for the stick as she tried to take it in her mouth. Countless times before she had seen queens use sticks to bear with birth pains. Where are the medicine cats? Her mind flashed as she tried to stay conscious and not allow the pain to knock her out.

Blazestrike had remembered when Mothstrike was giving birth and the she cat had told him the details because he was curious so he knew what to do. "Ok Grasswhisker, when you feel the urge to push push!" He meowed encouragingly to his mate. He licked her head down to her shoulders in an effort to calm down the she cat and get her focused on birthing and nothing else or there might be consequences.

Sparkpaw rushed over as soon as she could hear the first signs of kitting, Oh, my first time helping a queen give birth! Breath, Sparkpaw, breathe.... "It's OK, Grasswhisker, I'm here. Just keep pushing as hard as you can, and keep biting down on the stick. I'll bring you some herbs to ease the pain. I'll be back in a flash." This was what she was meant to do, right? She sprinted off to the medicine cat's den and quickly grabbed some poppy seeds. She ran the short distance back as quickly as she could, not wanting to neglect the kitting queen. "Here, chew these," she meowed, pushing the seeds over to her.

Grasswhisker quickly spat out the stick in her mouth in order to chew up the herbs Sparkpaw had given her. When the medicine cat apprentice showed up, relief washed over her. While Sparkpaw was only the apprentice, the she-cat trusted her skills. As Blazestrike suggested, she pushed when another ripple of pain went through her body. Within a few moments, the first kit slid out. A tiny grey and white she-cat, similar to her mother. Grasswhisker longed to lick her first born and pull her close, but she knew this wasn't over and trusted her mate to take care of her. Shortly after, with much less labor than the first, another kit. This time the she-kit was a mix of both parents. She had a thick red and white coat. They're beautiful, She sighed happily for a second before the pain hit her once more. It broke her brief moment of peace, but the queen knew it would be done soon. Finally, the last kit was out. He was a handsome counterpart to his siblings. Donning the thick fur of his mother and mixture of her and Blazestrike's coats. Her sides heaved from the effort and she slowly slid onto her side. Whatever Sparkpaw had given her began to kick in and she was simply more exhausted than anything. Extremely tired and purely happy all in one moment. She shifted and feebly tried to pull the kits in towards her stomach.

"Oh, Blazestrike, they're perfect," She purred softly with her eyes half closed.

Blazestrike purred and licked each kit on the head. "What should their names be?" He asked his mate gently licking her ears and settling down to look at their kits.

"Goosekit, Rosekit and..." She flicked her tail towards each one softly in turn and paused before the last one, "And Dirtkit." The three were perfect as they huddled up close to her suckling and mewling softly as their little claws kneaded her fur. Grasswhisker let out a soft purr as she closed her eyes and rested next to her mate.

"Goosekit," said Goosekit to herself. She tried to percieved as many informations, as it was possible. She couldn´t see, be she could smelled things. She tried to remeber her mothers smell, and then a smell of  smaller cat near her. She tried to remember all things around her,big nursery, surrounded with plants. Loud sounds of different cats were coming through curtain,...

Dirtkit meowed when he was licked and snuggled up close to his mother and siblings. Not quite knowing anything not yet able to talk yet the tom just laid there in the safety of his mother and siblings.

Emberheart poked her head into the nursery, her belly swinging beneath her.

"They're…" she wanted to say perfect, but looking at the slimy, mewling newborns, the russet warrior couldn't bear to. She kneaded her claws into the ground to stop her nose wrinkling in disgust. "Er—cute."

She was in fact pleased that Grasswhisker and Blazestrike had finally had kits; the whole clan had been gossiping about the two, and she'd known both cats well. "Congratulations," Ember added quietly, dipping her head and tossing a friendly grin towards the young warrior tom. She didn't want to wake Grasswhisker. "What did you name them?"

Sparkpaw smiled, relieved her assistance had been successful. "They're beautiful," she mewed. Kits were just so innocent, and only for a moment, she wondered what it would be like if she had some of her own. The medicine cat apprentice shook the thought quickly. No - she decided - it would be far more rewarding to help others. The whole clan was her family. She knew she'd chosen the right path. "Get some rest, Grasswhisker. You'll need it."

Blazestrike looked over at Emberheart. "Their names are Goosekit, Rosekit, and Dirtkit." The tom meowed.