Distant Sun: Flashing Lights - Shimmering Stars

Chapter 19

The next morning, Jadepaw slips into the nursery. Her thoughts had lingered on Bluesong's warning all night despite not wanting them to, so she feels exhausted. Jadepaw sits down as the kits surround her, begging her to play with them.

"I'm not here to play," Jadepaw meows apologetically. "I'm just here to do check-ups. Bluekit, you can go first."

"Why do I always have to go first?" Bluekit whines, but she plops herself at Jadepaw's paws.

Jadepaw goes through the motions: checking Bluekit's nose to ensure it was still wet, her pelt for fever, her eyes for signs that sleep could be keeping them shut and so on. As soon as she's done, she shoos Bluekit and has Knotkit sit at her paws. This would be a little different to Bluekit, but mostly the same. The only extra step would be to ensure Knotkit had not bit his tongue due to his crooked jaw. Once she's checked Knotkit, she pulls Ravenkit towards her and does a thorough check of the fur around his back legs to ensure there were no nicks that he hadn't noticed due to being paralyzed. Nothing big, so she returns to her normal checks. Soon, she's had all the kits checked for sickness and was getting up to leave when Pinefur speaks up.

"Wait, Jadepaw."

Jadepaw looks at the older queen, who was sitting with Fallenbranch, and tilts her head questioningly. Pinefur beckons Jadepaw over and she follows the older she-cat's request.

"Is something wrong?" Jadepaw asks, sitting in front of the two older queens.

"We... we have been told about your power from your mother," Pinefur meows, her tail flicking anxiously. "And we were wondering..."

"Wondering if you could speak to our kits?" Fallenbranch finishes for the older she-cat. Her voice fills with emotion as she adds, "at least can you let us know they're happy and being cared for by someone who loves them?"

Jadepaw feels her heart go out to the two she-cats, who had lost so much in the past few moons. She can't imagine what this feels like for them. "Well, I should let you know that they will have the chance to grow up in SpiritClan. Blackpaw and Coalpaw have warrior names in SpiritClan and Fallenbranch's kits will get the chance to train as well."

Pinefur's eyes well up with tears and she chokes out, "what are their full names that SpiritClan chose?"

Jadepaw smiles at the older she-cat who had helped care for Jadepaw as a kit. "Blacklight and Coalleap. When I asked them the other day, they said Willowstar himself held the ceremony."

Pinefur nods, a smile forming on her lips. Fallenbranch still looks a little uneasy. "And... and Featherkit and Mistykit?"

Jadepaw is briefly confused until she realizes that those are the names Fallenbranch had given Flickerheart for her kits. "I believe Snowflower is taking care of them as they grow. I don't see much of SpiritClan outside of my guides when I visit the Moon Cave, but I could ask Lilytail about how they're grow..." Jadepaw trails off as her eyes are caught on movement behind Fallenbranch. There, two kits and a pretty black and white she-cat are standing with smiles on their faces. The black and white she-cat, Snowflower, nudges the kits forward and they both run up to their mother, pressing their bodies into Fallenbranch's thick fur.

"Jadepaw?" Fallenbranch questions.

"I... uh..." Jadepaw stammers. "They're... they're here right now."

Fallenbranch's amber eyes go wide. "They are? Do they look okay? Is someone with them?"

Jadepaw stares at the kits, still snuggling close to the mother they never got to know, and then blinks at Fallenbranch. "They look fine. I think Snowflower brought them here to visit you." Snowflower, behind Fallenbranch, nods as if to confirm Jadepaw's assumption.

"They know Greymoon and I love them, right?" Fallenbranch asks more quietly. "That even though we adopted these kits, we still love them?"

"Of course they know that," Jadepaw meows. Her eyes dart down to the kits, who were purring contentedly, and then back at the pink-ish-red she-cat. "They... uh, they both love you two very much, despite the circumstances."

Fallenbranch nods, though her eyes betray the emotions she is clearly feeling. Jadepaw dips her head to Fallenbranch and Pinefur and takes her leave. If the whole Clan finds out about Jadepaw's power, will this keep happening, Jadepaw wonders. Will she have to continuously tell cats who have lost loved ones that their kin love them still? The idea makes Jadepaw feel sick, so she hurries back to the medicine den.