So I’ve been thinking a lot about Lakesmoke, (Sunsplash’s dead mate), and how Sunsplash isn’t taking his death well. And I’ve also thought on how Lakekit and Smokekit are named after him. And soon, a little story started to play out in my mind and I decided to write it. SO here goes!
Lakesmoke purred as he watched his kits. “I still can’t get over how beautiful they are.” Sunsplash nodded and licked the smoky gray one’s head.
“They are beautiful.” She said quietly. Lakesmoke licked his mates head lovingly.
“They get it from their mother.” He said. She smiled at him, then back to the kits.
“They still need names.” She reminded her mate. The big dark brown tom frowned. She was right. They were almost a week old yet remained nameless.
“I know. But they have to be perfect.” He said firmly. “Don’t worry; it’ll come to us soon.” Just then, the dark brown kit stirred from his sleep and looked up at his father, blinking his hazel eyes.
Sunsplash nudged him gently and he mewed as he fell down. Lakesmoke laughed and licked his sons head. The kit purred and rolled on his stomach, closing his eyes in pleasure as Lakesmoke nosed his soft stomach gently.
Sunsplash watched them proudly. “We couldn’t ask for better kits.” She meowed quietly and Lakesmoke murmured his agreement. Then the smoke colored kit awoke.
He blinked open his amber eyes, and took in the things around them. Though the kits had opened their eyes the day before, they were still fascinated by the nursery.
Sunsplash licked her gray son as well and he purred under her smooth tongue. Then, seeing as his brother was getting all of their father’s affection, he walked wobbly over to Lakesmoke and feebly nudged his muzzle.
Lakesmoke purred with amusement and looked at Sunsplash. “He’s a strong one.” He commented.
Sunsplash didn’t say anything as Lakesmoke nuzzled his gray son.
The pair poured their affections on their kits until a yowl from outside the nursery brought back their attention. “A clan meeting?” Sunsplash asked, puzzled. Lakesmoke shrugged and trotted out.
Sunsplash stayed behind in the nursery, caring for her now sleeping kits. Lakesmoke came back soon looking grim. “Sandclan has been stealing prey. Shadowstar has announced that we are going to attack. He put me on the second patrol.”
Sunsplash curled around her kits tightly. “But what about the kits?”
Lakesmoke said, “I’ll come back. My patrol isn’t needed unless the first patrol needs back up. I most likely won’t be in the battle. And were not leaving just yet.” Sunsplash sighed, though not completely comforted.
“Just come back.” She said. Lakesmoke nodded.
He licked his kits head, and then curled around his ginger mate, and nuzzled her neck.
“I love you.” He said, his amber eyes full of affection for her. She purred.
“I love you too.” Lakesmoke smiled and then thoroughly groomed his mate, calming her down. She purred the entire time and felt herself falling asleep.
And all too soon Lakesmoke had to leave. He stood up and with one last lick to his kits and his mate; he walked out of the nursery.
As he followed his patrol though the woods he couldn’t help but worry. What if something did happen to him? Sunsplash was almost too young for her to have kits, and the birth had been hard. She might not pull through if he didn’t come back.
Lakesmoke shook his head. Sunsplash was strong. She would be fine. And he would come back.
***
Sunsplash stared, horrified at the dead cat sitting in front of her. She was vaguely aware of the cats around her, morning and offering her support. But she didn’t care. Before her laid her dead mate. Lakesmoke.
It wasn’t fair. He had kits! He had a mate! He said he would come back!
And he would have come back. But the fight just wasn't fair. Sandclan had known about the battle and had loners and kittypets help fight.
She felt the tears running freely down her face but didn’t try and stop. Didn’t try and stay strong. Didn’t act like she wasn’t hurting.
In truth, if she didn’t have her kits or her brother, she probably wouldn’t hesitate to join Starclan with her mate.
But she did have her brother, and she did have her kits. ‘Her kits!’ She would have to explain to then why they would have to grow up fatherless, and why daddy was never coming home.
“I’ll do it.” Her brother offered. Sunsplash shook her head.
“I have to Redshadow. Their my kits.” Redshadow nodded and licked his sister cheek.
“Come back once you told them and we’ll sit vial together.” She didn’t respond as she walked mutely to the nursery.
Once she got there, her kits looked up at her sadly. “He’s g-gone?” The gray kit asked.
Sunsplash sighed as she tried to hold back a sob. They had probably already heard from a cat passing by. She nodded.
Once she did her kits started wailing and it took all Sunsplash’s strength not to join them. She got in her nest and curled around her kits, licking their heads and whispering to them. “He isn’t really gone. He’s in Starclan. He watches over us.”
“But he should be here with us!” The dark brown tom cried.
Sunsplash licked his head. “I think so too. And every cat misses him. But you’ll see him again one day. But for now you just have to be great warriors and make him proud.”
The smoke colored kit stopped crying a little. “I-I mi-miss him.”
Sunsplash nudged him. “I know.” And as she looked at her kits, she only missed him more. They both looked just like him in their own way.
The dark brown kit had almost the exact same pelt as his father. Dark brown with faint strips.
And the smoke colored kit, was big like his father and had his beautiful amber eyes.
And that’s when it came to Sunsplash. “But I know something that might make you feel better. I have your names.”
The kits stopped crying as much to listen. Sunsplash nosed the dark brown kit. “You’re Lakekit.” Lakekit stayed silent as she went on and nosed the smoke colored kit. “And you’re Smokekit.”
Smokekit tilted his head. “A-are we named after Lakesmoke?” He asked. Sunsplash nodded.
Lakekit stopped crying and yawned. “I like it.” He meowed, barely above a whisper.
“Me too.” Smokekit meowed, curling up into
Sunsplash. His brother did the same and soon they were snoring.
“I love you.” She whispered to her kits. Suddenly, a scent wrapped around her. She knew instantly who it belonged to.
“I love you too. And I’ll always be here for you, watching over our kits.” Whispered Lakesmoke. Sunsplash purred and for the first time since his death, her tears stop.
Lakesmoke was in Starclan. Watching over them. Watching over her.
She stood up and quietly walked out of the nursery to sit veil for her fallen love. Redshadow would be there, ready to sit by her and keep her warm though the cold, leaf-bare night.
She stopped half way there and casted a look back to her sleeping, beautiful kits and smiled.
Lakekit and Smokekit.
Lakesmoke purred as he watched his kits. “I still can’t get over how beautiful they are.” Sunsplash nodded and licked the smoky gray one’s head.
“They are beautiful.” She said quietly. Lakesmoke licked his mates head lovingly.
“They get it from their mother.” He said. She smiled at him, then back to the kits.
“They still need names.” She reminded her mate. The big dark brown tom frowned. She was right. They were almost a week old yet remained nameless.
“I know. But they have to be perfect.” He said firmly. “Don’t worry; it’ll come to us soon.” Just then, the dark brown kit stirred from his sleep and looked up at his father, blinking his hazel eyes.
Sunsplash nudged him gently and he mewed as he fell down. Lakesmoke laughed and licked his sons head. The kit purred and rolled on his stomach, closing his eyes in pleasure as Lakesmoke nosed his soft stomach gently.
Sunsplash watched them proudly. “We couldn’t ask for better kits.” She meowed quietly and Lakesmoke murmured his agreement. Then the smoke colored kit awoke.
He blinked open his amber eyes, and took in the things around them. Though the kits had opened their eyes the day before, they were still fascinated by the nursery.
Sunsplash licked her gray son as well and he purred under her smooth tongue. Then, seeing as his brother was getting all of their father’s affection, he walked wobbly over to Lakesmoke and feebly nudged his muzzle.
Lakesmoke purred with amusement and looked at Sunsplash. “He’s a strong one.” He commented.
Sunsplash didn’t say anything as Lakesmoke nuzzled his gray son.
The pair poured their affections on their kits until a yowl from outside the nursery brought back their attention. “A clan meeting?” Sunsplash asked, puzzled. Lakesmoke shrugged and trotted out.
Sunsplash stayed behind in the nursery, caring for her now sleeping kits. Lakesmoke came back soon looking grim. “Sandclan has been stealing prey. Shadowstar has announced that we are going to attack. He put me on the second patrol.”
Sunsplash curled around her kits tightly. “But what about the kits?”
Lakesmoke said, “I’ll come back. My patrol isn’t needed unless the first patrol needs back up. I most likely won’t be in the battle. And were not leaving just yet.” Sunsplash sighed, though not completely comforted.
“Just come back.” She said. Lakesmoke nodded.
He licked his kits head, and then curled around his ginger mate, and nuzzled her neck.
“I love you.” He said, his amber eyes full of affection for her. She purred.
“I love you too.” Lakesmoke smiled and then thoroughly groomed his mate, calming her down. She purred the entire time and felt herself falling asleep.
And all too soon Lakesmoke had to leave. He stood up and with one last lick to his kits and his mate; he walked out of the nursery.
As he followed his patrol though the woods he couldn’t help but worry. What if something did happen to him? Sunsplash was almost too young for her to have kits, and the birth had been hard. She might not pull through if he didn’t come back.
Lakesmoke shook his head. Sunsplash was strong. She would be fine. And he would come back.
***
Sunsplash stared, horrified at the dead cat sitting in front of her. She was vaguely aware of the cats around her, morning and offering her support. But she didn’t care. Before her laid her dead mate. Lakesmoke.
It wasn’t fair. He had kits! He had a mate! He said he would come back!
And he would have come back. But the fight just wasn't fair. Sandclan had known about the battle and had loners and kittypets help fight.
She felt the tears running freely down her face but didn’t try and stop. Didn’t try and stay strong. Didn’t act like she wasn’t hurting.
In truth, if she didn’t have her kits or her brother, she probably wouldn’t hesitate to join Starclan with her mate.
But she did have her brother, and she did have her kits. ‘Her kits!’ She would have to explain to then why they would have to grow up fatherless, and why daddy was never coming home.
“I’ll do it.” Her brother offered. Sunsplash shook her head.
“I have to Redshadow. Their my kits.” Redshadow nodded and licked his sister cheek.
“Come back once you told them and we’ll sit vial together.” She didn’t respond as she walked mutely to the nursery.
Once she got there, her kits looked up at her sadly. “He’s g-gone?” The gray kit asked.
Sunsplash sighed as she tried to hold back a sob. They had probably already heard from a cat passing by. She nodded.
Once she did her kits started wailing and it took all Sunsplash’s strength not to join them. She got in her nest and curled around her kits, licking their heads and whispering to them. “He isn’t really gone. He’s in Starclan. He watches over us.”
“But he should be here with us!” The dark brown tom cried.
Sunsplash licked his head. “I think so too. And every cat misses him. But you’ll see him again one day. But for now you just have to be great warriors and make him proud.”
The smoke colored kit stopped crying a little. “I-I mi-miss him.”
Sunsplash nudged him. “I know.” And as she looked at her kits, she only missed him more. They both looked just like him in their own way.
The dark brown kit had almost the exact same pelt as his father. Dark brown with faint strips.
And the smoke colored kit, was big like his father and had his beautiful amber eyes.
And that’s when it came to Sunsplash. “But I know something that might make you feel better. I have your names.”
The kits stopped crying as much to listen. Sunsplash nosed the dark brown kit. “You’re Lakekit.” Lakekit stayed silent as she went on and nosed the smoke colored kit. “And you’re Smokekit.”
Smokekit tilted his head. “A-are we named after Lakesmoke?” He asked. Sunsplash nodded.
Lakekit stopped crying and yawned. “I like it.” He meowed, barely above a whisper.
“Me too.” Smokekit meowed, curling up into
Sunsplash. His brother did the same and soon they were snoring.
“I love you.” She whispered to her kits. Suddenly, a scent wrapped around her. She knew instantly who it belonged to.
“I love you too. And I’ll always be here for you, watching over our kits.” Whispered Lakesmoke. Sunsplash purred and for the first time since his death, her tears stop.
Lakesmoke was in Starclan. Watching over them. Watching over her.
She stood up and quietly walked out of the nursery to sit veil for her fallen love. Redshadow would be there, ready to sit by her and keep her warm though the cold, leaf-bare night.
She stopped half way there and casted a look back to her sleeping, beautiful kits and smiled.
Lakekit and Smokekit.
