[Fawn]

Appleshade,

76 Moons, TreeClan, Queen

I dare you to let me be your one and only

Her dreams had been strange, lately. The anxiety of her impending kitting was playing havoc on the new queen's psyche. As much as she was loath to admit it, Appleshade was getting on in moons. It had been many seasons since she'd gained the rank of senior warrior - but was it too many?

The trouble with pregnancy was that every queen who had kitted before her had advice or a story to tell. Fernspots was cheerful and warm, but hadn't been able to keep her mouth shut about her mother's own difficult kitting and other such horror stories.

These last few days of restlessness had started after the Gathering (she'd stayed home, of course), and the subsequent fussing from Falconstorm both soothed her frazzled nerves and catered to her affinity for theatrics. Why is he being so fussy? Is he worried? Are my kits in danger? She knew her age was a problem. She knew, but she also put her faith and hope in Falconstorm. He'd delivered his fair share of litters - right?

Being in Falconstorm's den the past few days gave her some peace of mind. In here, she had easy access to everything he could possibly need if something went wrong. Apprentices were bringing her moss soaked in snowmelt, and her mate - her beloved Skyfall - was so frequent a visitor (often bearing gifts; fresh-caught prey or even a few feathers for her nest) she was certain Gorsetail was getting tired of pulling him away for patrol.

On this particular morning, however, Appleshade found herself alone, curled up in her nest in the medicine cat's den, limbs drawn tight to her heavy, swollen belly to preserve warmth. The she-cat fidgeted in her sleep, worries and hopes taking shape in her unconscious mind.

Maybe that's why Appleshade dreamed of Camelliablossom, a complicated chapter of Appleshade's life that still left her with more questions than answers. Frost, her father, flitted through her dreamscapes alongside more familiar, more welcomed faces like her beloved Skyfall, and siblings Sprucefur and Lichenfrost.

Wait, come back... Appleshade mewed at the fluffy tail of a retreating figure. She tried to keep up but her paws felt so heavy, belly bulging with kits. She felt like she was full of rocks. Rocks that pressed against her ribs and made breathing a little more of an effort. Rocks that were suddenly painful.

Appleshade woke with a groggy cry, breath strained from the deepset discomfort in her belly.
"Falconstorm? Falconstorm?" Hints of fear were not hard to detect in the new queen, her tail bushing out and a thousand thoughts racing through her mind at once. "Skyfall! I think the kits—" she broke off with a pained whimper. Oh StarClan, please let me deliver them safely. Please, please, please.

463 Words || Notes || Justice

BlooRey DVD Taxx williams (kits have arrived! Please get those bios finished so they can be accepted before the next inevitable ban xD)

Note for Bloo: Justice and I are gonna post back and forth a bit before Skyfall can come in. I'll let you know when!

[Justice]

An anxious queen-to-be with kits close to coming was always a nerve wracking experience for him. He fussed mercilessly, as was his nature, moreso because of her age. Honeysong was a prime example of why he worried, she'd had kits only a few moons younger than Appleshade was having hers now, and he'd nearly lost her. So he was extra vigilant, not letting his worries show through as he groomed, rearranged the nest to her whims, and fussed over the expectant queen when she'd come to his den to await the birth of her kits.

All the while smiling at her and telling her frequently that everything would be alright, that she was in good paws and he wouldn't let anything happen to she or her kits.

He had only been in his herb stores, making sure he had everything he needed for the impending kitting when she called out for him. Training kicked in and he gathered what he needed onto a leaf and drug it into the area with the nests in it before coming over to touch his nose to her swollen belly to check and see if she were in labor.

The medicine cat made a soft humming sound, sweeping his tail along the queen's side to soothe her before he stood up straight. "Congratulations, Appleshade, you are in labor. I want you to take a deep breath and calm down while I get you the herbs you need to help you through this. Then, if he's not here by then, I'll go fetch your mate for you."

Or well, he'd bellow for him as he had when Honeysong had been birthing. He did not regret bellowing across the camp for their leader to come to his den, and he certainly wasn't above threatening to skin Skyfall if he didn't get there in due time.

Fawn

[Fawn]

Appleshade,

76 Moons, TreeClan, Queen

I dare you to let me be your one and only

"Don't leave," Appleshade pleaded. "I'm sure an apprentice can find him for me!" Despite his efforts to keep her calm, it was clear that the words needed a moment or two to settle into the she-cat's being; the pain was distracting, the prospect of something going wrong was even moreso. Appleshade breathed as deeply as her body would let her, suppressing another whimper as her belly rippled, seeming to twist and warp as her insides rearranged without her permission.

"I can do this," she whispered to herself. "She-cats have been birthing litters for a thousand-thousand moons." Why shouldn't this go well? Her thoughts grew disjointed, whiskers bristling in effort as another contraction squeezed her. Hardly a quiet cat even without the addition of pain and stress, Appleshade didn't bother trying to silence herself; she was bringing new life into this world - if she woke up half the forest, that was too bad!

The pretty she-cat squirmed, nerves on fire as she felt dampness near the base of her tail. Appleshade sucked in a breath, speaking through close-set teeth. "I-think-they're-almost-here!" Where was Skyfall? Appleshade craned her neck towards the den entrance, but couldn't look long. She really couldn't afford to divide her attention between her mate who had yet to arrive and the kits who simply wouldn't wait for him.

Appleshade prayed StarClan would send him a sign, put some fire in his paws that would carry him to her side in time for their birth. Maybe it was selfish to need him right now, when the pain felt like too much but she knew she had to grit her teeth and bear it. Maybe it was selfish to make him see her in such pain, but Appleshade couldn't imagine isolating herself, not when what she needed most was emotional support.

"Appleshade?" A worried voice called from just outside the den. It was her brother, Sprucefur.

Appleshade forced her tongue to form words. "Go get him. I need him. Get Skyfall."

There was the brush of fur against bark, and she knew she could trust her littermate to find him. For now, all of Appleshade's attention had to go to what was happening right now - which was the arrival of the first kit, a damp, squirming bundle that lessened the pressure on her belly.

Appleshade tried to peek around her swollen side to see the first, but the combination of her own semi-full belly and Falconstorm's considerable fluff made it impossible.

410 Words || Notes: Birchkit, then Snowkit, then Asterkit last! || Justice BlooRey DVD

[Justice]

"The furthest I'd go would be to the entrance of my den to bellow at him, calm down Appleshade." He told her soothingly, nudging the herbs closer to her. "Eat those, they'll help." And he already had moss balls at the ready filled with water for her to drink. though given how fast this labor was progressing he didn't think it'd be that long.

Falconstorm positioned himself near her tail, using his own to rub along her belly soothingly as he calmly cheered the new mother on as she yowled and told him the kits were nearly there. "Alright now its time. Breathe and do as your body tells you, don't fight it. You know what to do, believe that. Let me handle the rest." His voice remained calm and gentle, though he really wanted to see what was taking the she-cat's mate so long to get here. The first kit was here, and Falconstorm quickly checked it over, cleaned it until it squirmed and mewled for its mother, then moved it to lay against Appleshade's belly.

He was ready for the rest of the litter, and when they were all here he'd carefully move Appleshade to a clean nest with her kits and make some apprentices clean out the messy ones. And see if he had any dried lavender to soothe the new queen's nerves some.

Fawn
BlooRey DVD

Notes : Skyfall can arrive any time now