The fern falls...

OOC: This takes place after Swift goes to retrieve Fern's body and discovers she was still alive. He rushes her to the meddie den...

IC: Swiftstep crashed into the medicine cat's den with wide eyes. He had Fernfeather's body, still miraculously alive. "F-Featherlight! P-Please help me! F-Fernfeather is still alive! S-She lived!" he stammered as he gently placed the she-cat down. The brown warrior then began to pace around the room, heart thumping in his chest and his body shaking with dread. Fernfeather was so close to death. He hoped the medicine cat could help Fern and keep her alive!

Fernfeather wheezed desperately, her blood loss causing her to feel incredibly faint. It was getting so very difficult to breathe. She could just barely hear her beloved Swiftstep calling for their medicine cat. She knew Featherlight wouldn't be able to save her now.

All of a sudden, she let out a low moan of agony as a spasm shook her, her tensed muscles squeezing out more blood from the wound in the side of her neck. No! It was too early! Her beloved unborn kits... She was never able to tell Swiftstep that she was expecting his kits. But how could they be born now?

...At least Featherlight would be able to save someone else.

"S-Swiftst-step..." Fernfeather gasped in agony. "I-I have a conf-fession... I'm exp-pecting... y-your k-kits..." There, she said it before it was too late. Hopefully it wouldn't be too late for her kits to be born and saved...

(OOC: Some lousy time to have kits, eh? XD)

Featherlight froze. Fernfeather was alive. Just barely. And... She was having kits. Oh, StarClan. Featherlight wasn't ready for this. For a moment, she felt like newly-named Featherpaw, alone without any of the knowledge she needed to help her Clanmates. She wasn't ready to handle a normal kitting on her own, let alone a dying cat. Where was Mottleheart when she needed him to help? Frantically, she dug through the near-empty herb stores, running through names and effects in her mind as quickly as she could, producing a few raspberry leaves. "Chew on these," she instructed Fernfeather, hoping the warrior could still hear her. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can save her... I'm so sorry," she whispered to Swiftstep, her voice breaking. "I think I can save the kits, at least."

Trembling and panting heavily, Fernfeather obeyed, licking up the bitter herbs and forcing them down despite her body's ever-growing exhaustion. She would eat every last herb in the world if it meant her kit would be born healthy and safe. Please, Featherlight, save my kits...

(OOC: For Holly's convenience, Fernfeather's just having one she-kit :3)

Bump!
Fern needs to die and her kit needs to be born.

Swiftstep felt his heart drop to his paws. His kits?! He fell on his bottom with wide eyes. Featherlight had to save the kits! She had to save Fernfeather! "Featherlight please! I beg you! Save the love of my life! Save my kits. Please! I-I can't live without her! P-P-Please Featherlight...i-i-is there nothing you c-can do to save her? I-I would swim any r-river o-or go d-down any gorge for her. O-Oh Starclan! I beg you not to take my dear Fernfeather!" the tom sobbed. His sobs racked his body as he curled up next to his mate and pressed his head on her's. He looked up at the medicine cat with big watery, defeated amber eyes. If Starclan was to take Fernfeather, then his kits must survive. They were to be his number one priority in the next moons. He had two daughters already. Adopted but the happiness he needed to make it through. He had quickly told anyone close to Fern for them to hurry into the medicine cat den. They needed to be here. To support Fernfeather, him, and their kits.

(Sorry, I've been busy + irl stuff, which is also why this is probably trash)

As she worked, Featherlight slowly shook her head. "If there was anything I could do for her, I would do it in a heartbeat. But there isn't. The best we can do is make sure the kits survive."

~Like, two-minute timeskip~

"Here she is," Featherlight nudged the newborn kit gently. "I'm so sorry, little one."

(OOC: Well, Fernfeather's gonna die, so I suppose she'll just have to ask Swiftstep to deliver her message to her family and friends. XD)

Fernfeather raspily panted once the procedure was finished. She was feeling very weak now, and her blind eyes could barely stay open. Still, she needed Swiftstep to hear what she needed to say. She blindly felt for his paw, and once she found it she placed hers on top of his, forcing a soft, weak purr.

"Swiftstep... Thank you..." she wheezed. "You've made me s-so happy... I l-love you... Take c-care of our kit... T-Tell Quailfeather... no cat could've had a b-better mentor... Tell Softbreeze, Squirrelpaw, and Sandpaw that they were the b-best family I could ever have... I love you all..." A small, yet genuine smile crossed her lips as she closed her eyes, her head resting on the floor of the medicine den. Her paw slid lifelessly off of Swiftstep's, and she stopped breathing.

Just then, the newly-born she-kit began to stir, having been immobile before her mother's death. She squeaked and whimpered, waddling blindly to her deceased mother, searching for milk. The little kit had a fluffy light gray tabby coat, and her tail was longer than most. She nuzzled into Fernfeather's belly, searching for milk, but as the sweet delectable scent began to rapidly fade away she let out a wail for food.