Baby Mine (closed)

Snowfoot sat quietly in camp with her boys. She’d called them together for an important discussion, one she realized she probably should have started sooner. Her paws shuffled a little. How would this go? She’d never had to have this conversation with Froststar, after all. She was already old enough to remember at the time. Snowfoot wasn’t all that prepared, but she hoped this wouldn’t change anything.

Sablepaw sat beside his mother, tail lashing impatiently as he waited for her to begin. There was still a lot to do in camp, even if most of the rebuilding was done, and something told him they weren't out here to hunt. Am I turning myself into Leopardsun? He had been restless since becoming an apprentice is a desperate attempt to impress Nightstar. He loved learning so much from the others, but he didn't want to neglect his health like she did. Forcing himself to relax, he leaned into Snowfoot. "So, Nightstar put you on his council, congratulations."

Burnkit sat next to Sablepaw sensing his impatience. Burnkit was impatient also. Couldn't his mother just say why she brought him and Sablekit out here?


"Why did you bring us here?" Burnkit asked.

“Thank you, Sablepaw,” Snowfoot replied simply. Now that both of her boys were here, she could say her piece. “I brought you two here to have a little talk. I had this talk with Lightpaw when she was about your age, and now it’s your turn. It’s the story of how our family came to be, and it begins with Froststar, your grandfather. Froststar was a gentle cat with a big heart, but he and his mate Webshadow couldn’t have kits because they were both toms. So Froststar decided to take in kits whose parents died, or went missing, or otherwise couldn’t take care of them. That’s called ‘adoption’, and you may have heard that word a bit lately since your Auntie Swiftheart adopted Batkit. I was one of the kits Froststar took in, although he was still Frostgaze then. I was actually born a loner. My mother died when I was about three moons old, and I wandered onto ShadowClan territory, where he found me. I decided, to honor both him and my mother, that I wanted to do the same myself. My first opportunity came with a situation much like mine, and that’s how I came to be Lightpaw’s mother. And then there’s you boys. Your birth parents, both loyal warriors of ShadowClan, by the way, didn’t make it when our territory flooded. Nightstar informed me and I took you in without a second thought. And that’s how life is, family isn’t made of blood, it’s made of love! I love you and Lightpaw more than anything in the world, and I don’t regret a single day of being your mother. And even though Froststar never had any biological kits, his love legacy still lives on. Not just in me and you and your sister, but also in your aunts Dappledlight and Marshmallow. And Leopardsun! You didn’t know this, but her father was my brother Sootwhisker. And your Auntie Swiftheart, I don’t just call her that because she’s like a sister to me. Her first mate, Ratrunner, was my brother too, so your cousins Murkyhope and Crowspirit carry Froststar’s legacy too.”

(OOC: No mention of Slug because his topic isn’t finished)

The mention of Froststar had Sablepaw listening intently to his mother. As she went on, however, he started to feel uneasy. The revelation that Snowfoot was not a blood relative of Froststar hit hard. It was a joke, a poor joke, not even funny. He waited for a punchline that never came, the reality of her words sinking in as she continued, dropping another unexpected truth on him. Sablepaw remained silent long after Snowfoot was finished, mulling over what he had just learned. So what if she wasn't his real mother, she had cared for him and loved him as if she were, and stars he loved her back. He loved their little family, and that would never change, even if his understanding of their relationship had. The truth that he shared no blood with Froststar was far more threatening. Sablepaw felt hollow. He had lived his life thus far under the assumption that he was destined to become a great leader like his 'grandfather' before him. He had even believed that Starclan themselves had blessed him by making him the apprentice of Shadowclan's current leader. How naive was he? All of his efforts to prove himself felt foolish; how much time had he wasted trying to live up to the shadow of a dead cat? I'm such an idiot.

"Why did you hide this from us!" Burnkit exclaimed at Snowfoot. Anger and sadness swelling up inside him. He never got to meet his birth parents and never would be able to until he joined StarClan. At the same time he was grateful to Snowfoot that she had raised him and Sablepaw as her own. She had always been caring toward Burnkit and Sablekit.

Snowfoot was glad to see she had the full attention of her sons as she spoke. Their expressions had her a little concerned, though. After all, Lightpaw had reacted much more positively, and she herself had nothing but gratitude for Froststar! Still, she knew this kind of thing could shake one up a bit. The boys had just learned something about their identity they never saw coming. And she wasn’t blind. She knew Sablepaw wanted to be exactly like Froststar when he grew up. Perhaps he’d put more stock in the blood tie than she’d realized. Gently, Snowfoot put a paw around Sablepaw and beckoned with her tail for Burntkit to join the embrace. And then Burntkit spoke up. “I never meant to hide anything,” Snowfoot said. “I just wanted you two to have a normal kithood, and not to have to worry about being different from everyone else. But perhaps you’re right. I should have said something sooner. I actually meant to have this conversation with you boys quite some time ago, but every time I think I’m going to something comes up. I hope you can forgive me, and from now on I’ll answer any questions you two have, as long as I know the answer.”

Burnkit's outburst shocked Sablepaw from his stupor. He listened to Snowfoot's explanation, curious himself as to why she had kept them in the dark about this. As she finished, Sablepaw only had one question for her. "What were they like? Our real parents, I mean." He didn't mean to make it sound like he didn't think of her as his mother, but the mental shock of the entire situation had him speaking his mind freely.

OOC: Sorry, I forgot it was my turn to reply