A Bittersweet Life

[~All I Need]

[glow=blue,1,000]The sun blazed ruthlessly down on the dusty ground, making some ShadowClan warriors grumble in dislike. But in the shade of the bramble nursery, all was quiet and cool unlike the busy camp. A blind she-cat was grooming herself, her name was Fireice. She had lived a tough life until love cured her bitter, mangled heart. Now, as proof, she pregnant and was living a life of happiness next to her mate, Tanshadow. Fireice stopped for a moment and listened intently to see if Tanshadow was back from patrol yet. His sweet scent made her purr with unmaskable joy.[/glow]

[Wolverineclaw]

Tanshadow broke off from the other cats that he had been on patrol with. He was glad that the leader trusted him enough to be out on patrol. Things were moving forward. He hurried toward the nusery. Already he could smell her sweet scent. He let out a long purr as he entered the nusery. "Fireice." He nuzzled her. "How are you doing? Is there anything I can get you?" He licked her ear.

[~All I Need]

[glow=blue,1,000]Fireice smiled and pushed her face into his neck fur. She inhaled his scent. It reminded her of the ocean and pine forest mixed together. Even as she thought that, a twing of pain for her sight would make her depressed for a moment. But the thought of having a family and mate would overcome that unhappiness. "I am fine, love. All I need is your presence." She sighed deeply and nestled comfortably in her moss bed. "I feel that the kits are about to enter this beautiful world," she mused.[/glow][/size]

[Wolverineclaw]

Tanshadow inhaled her scent deeply. He lay down beside her, his tail curling around her. Already he could hear tiny voices calling 'Mommy, Mommy' and 'Daddy, Daddy'. "That's wonderful." He let out a long purr.

[~All I Need]

[glow=blue,1,000]Fireice laughed but it died down into an uncomfortable silence. Her troubled, unseeing eyes focused on the ground in front of her. "Tanshadow." When she knew he was listening she went on. "What if they end up blind like me? What if they have kittypet," she spat out the word, "blood in them. And they won't like this life?"[/glow][/size]

[owly ✿]

The lithe grey tom's body sunk into the nursery. His emerald eyes looked around until he saw Fireice and Tanshadow. He stepped forward but then hesitated when he saw Fireice looking a little angry. Treasurepelt frowned but slid forward towards the two cats. His long, dark grey tail swished back and forth.

He looked at the ground but then flicked emerald pools up to Fireice. He glanced at her stomach. The kits would be coming soon he thought. The tom's maw opened then to let out some quick words.

I'm sure your kits will turn out fine, Fireice. I just wanted to visit you guys. Anybody want some food? He mewed in a kind voice.

[~All I Need]

[glow=blue,1,000]Fireice looked up at the sound of Treasurepelt's voice. She could picture his uncomfortable look in her mind's eye from the scent that rolled off of him in waves. She never talked to much other warriors except for some. She never really got to socialize with him--she was glad to know that her antisocial self could be easily forgiven. Since her sight left her, Fireice could discern the trueness of one's heart. And Treasurepelt was genuinely curious and wanting to help. "I would take some food if you don't mind. If that is okay with you. How about you take a rest and sit and chat with us for a while, it does get quite loney in here. I mean, I am the only queen at the time being." Fireice then sat up with a little effort and stretched, her swollen belly brushing the ground. "Hmmm. I think I'll go for a walk tomorrow. Those mice might take over the forest if there's not enough cats getting them," she laughed.[/size][/glow]

[Wolverineclaw]

Tanshadow never responded due to Treasurepelts interuption. He must talk to Fireice about that later. He had considered the fact that one or all of their kits could be blind, but it didn't bother him. He had seen how Fireice could move along and was all together confident that a blind kit could still be a great cat. He nodded at Treasurepelt. He had always liked the tom. Tanshadow brushed Fireice with his tail. "I'm sure the mice will run and hide when the here you coming." He purred.

[~All I Need]

[shadow=blue,left,300]Fireice yawned again. For some reason, she felt exhausted and unusually sore. A swift kick in her stomach made her flinch. She sighed and laid back down, putting her head on her paws. "Forget about the food. I'm going to try to sleep..." Her voice trailed off as she started nodding off. "Tanshadow," she whispered only for him to hear. "I love you." She breathed in his scent, trying to let that be the only thing she felt and noticed before she fell asleep. Unfortunately, she didn't know what was coming with the next dawn.[/size][/shadow]

[Wolverineclaw]

He heard her quiet whisper. "I love you to." He licked her ear. "I'll let you get some rest." He walked out of the nursery. Soon he was going to be a daddy. He couldn't believe it. He wanted the times like this to go on forever.

[~All I Need]

[shadow=blue,left,300]Fireice woke up, her fur soaked. The full moon was high up in the sky and Fireice could see...Wait...See?! She looked around the nursery, scared of the way everything looked in the cold light. She told herself that she was dreaming and started grooming herself. But the rustic smell of blood made her stop. The taste on her tongue was bitter and strong. Fireice realized that her pelt was coated in blood.
"Tanshadow! Help, somebody!"
Panic choked Fireice. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.[/size][/shadow]

[Wolverineclaw]

Tanshadow woke with his start. Fireice had called for him. He was sure of it. He dashed out of the warrior's den and ran into the nusery. "Fireice!?" Her pelt was soaked with blood.

[~All I Need]

[shadow=blue,left,300]

Fireice

One kitten. His body the color of flames. His paws the color of the beautiful soil.
Fireice stared at Tanshadow with a paniked look in her eye. A tremor of pain made her body clench and unclench. Fireice shivered and wailed a pained, mournful wail. She bared her teeth and shut her eyes tight, hoping...wishing that this nightmare would end. Everything just seemed too bright. She had grown so used to darkness that even the moonlight hurt. "Tanshadow," she gasped, trying her best to stay sane. "get the medicine cat. The kits!" She moaned and felt darkness slipping into the corners of her vision again. Fireice gave in and slipped under the black waters, letting it carry her restlessly.
"Magmakit," she whispered.[/shadow]
[shadow=orange,left,300]

Magmakit

The newly born kitten mewed pitifully. Nothing was familiar here, only the cold and the voices. A pain...No, not a pain...A hunger, blossomed in his stomach. The kitten with the fur of magma opened his mouth again, letting a little heart-breaking cry escape his little lungs. Oh, how he wanted his mother. He knew she was there, but her heart was weakening. The little kitten crawled over the moss and snuggled up against his mother, trying to comfort her.[/size][/color][/shadow]

[Wolverineclaw]

Tanshadow ran to the mouth of the nursery. "Someone, get the medicine cat!" He couldn't dare to leave Fireice. He dashed to her side in time to hear her name the kit. Magmakit. A good name. He stared at the little kit. He was a father. He licked Fireice's ear. "It'll be okay. I'm here."

[~All I Need]

[shadow=blue,left,300]Fireice
Second kit. A kit the color of a cavern's walls. His black stripes cover his pelt like dancing shadows. His nose black as night. His prematurely opened eyes are black as coals. Three red stripe on his forehead remind Fireice of her claw marks. She breathed in all of these frightening scents. The new kit smelled like the ocean, salty and windswept. She remembered that last night when she could see. That ocean cavern she stayed in before she had that nightmare that took her sight.
"Cavernkit..." her voice was getting weaker, blending into the background with the two kits' mewling, Tanshadow's promises that were fruitless attempts to comfort her, and her slowing heart. Fireice looked to the East, watching the sky turning pink with the Sun's rays. The third and last kit. It's eyes were a bright pink color. Her pelt was a light orange color, tinted with an almost unoticable shade of pink. That saying that you see your life passing before your eyes was cruel and a lie. At the last moment, Fireice named the kit her last Dawn. The only one unfortunate enough to end up blind.
"Dawnkit......"
And it was over. Her soul had been handed over to StarClan. Fireice's story ended here, but it would still live on with her kits, part ThunderClan and kittypet, and her mate, Tanshadow. As the wind tore her to the sky, she whispered to her loved ones. "I will walk with you when you are in the dark. I will be your eyes when you are blind. I will always love you, even after many moons pass. But I have passed my pain, my love, and my life on to you." And all that was left of Fireice was her cold body, the crying kits, and Tanshadow mourning with a new day.[/shadow]

[/color][/size][/center]

[Wolverineclaw]

Tanshadow stared at her body. He knew that she was dead. He felt it deep in his heart. "Fireice." He licked her ear. "No, no." He bent over the mewling kits. Dawnkit, Magmakit, and Cavernkit. They were all that remained of Fireice. "Hello, little ones." He lay down beside them, nuzzling them. He didn't know what to do. How could he take care of them. His heart ached to break. He wanted to run, but he couldn't. He had responsibility now.