"The night is so beautiful." Paledove murmured, leaning into the shoulder of her mate.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Stonetail sighed. "Leafbare's skies are always so clear, the stars shining down with the smallest flakes of snow like fallen stars." Paledove purred and Stonetail pulled her closer. As they gazed up at the sky together, Paledove instinctively curled her light silver tail around her slightly swollen belly. Her mate noticed and chuckled. "Are you thinking about them again?"

"Of course." Paledove replied. "I always do." She bent down and touched her nose to her stomach. "Hear me, little ones? I love you, and always will. Forever and always."

EPIC LINEBREAK

"They're coming!" Rosedust cried, running into the medicine cat den. Shyfawn raised her head quickly.

"Are they? It's too early!" She gasped. As she stood, she prodded her apprentice, Goldenpaw, in the side sharply. "Wakeup! Paledove's kits are coming!" Goldenpaw leaped up, shaking the sleepiness out of her fur.

"Really? Isn't it too early?"

"Of course it's too early! Grab the borage, and some thyme. Don't forget a poppy seed just in case!" Shyfawn called over her shoulder, hurrying out of the den after Rosedust. Goldenpaw snatched up the herbs and rushed out after her mentor. Upon entering the den, all three she-cats were greeted by wails of pain. Paledove lay in her nest, straining and crying out for help. Three pairs of glowing eyes peeked at her from over the edge of the nest beside her's. A small dark orange kit mewed,

"Mother! What's wrong with Paledove? Why's she so upset?" The kitten asked anxiously.

"Paledove is kitting, love. It's very hard. How about you come out and ask Sharpcloud if he will play with you?" Rosedust smoothed her small children with soft-spoken words. "Come now."

"Alright. Come on, Graykit! Sharpcloud's the best moss ball player in all of Moonclan!" The orange kit mewed to her brother.

"Alright." A fluffy gray and black tom said, padding after his sister as she bounced out of the nursery.

"Wait for me!" Squeaked the last kit, a tiny dusty-brown she-cat. "Wait up!"

"We'll catch up to them together Mothkit." Rosedust purred. She cast a final look over her shoulder, only to catch a glimpse of Goldenpaw, who ran a paw lightly over Paledove's flank while Shyfawn's black and amber shape sat huddled next to the kitting queen. Paledove moaned.

"It's alright, everything's going to be okay." Shyfawn said strongly. "Now Goldenpaw, on the next contraction I want you to push right…. here! Now! Go!" Goldenpaw quickly thrust down on the place her mentor had touched, and with a grunt of exertion from herself and a high pitched shriek from Paledove, a small kit slid out onto the moss. Goldenpaw licked it fiercely, trying to warm it up. Paledove shuddered as the next contraction wracked her tired body, and Shyfawn shouted, "Push!" Another little life was brought into the world. Shyfawn and Goldenpaw placed the little sisters next to the belly of their mother. The medicine cats watched the kittens nurse for a few moments and then, satisfied with a job well done, they left.

Stonetail was pacing furiously outside the den, he had been distraught with the pain-filled wails of his mate. He looked up as the medicine cats exited.

"Well?" He asked, pausing in his rapid steps for a moment.

"You have two adorable daughters!" Goldenpaw smiled.

"Thank you!" Stonetail purred. He then hurried to the nursery to greet his new family. The dim, warm, milky atmosphere of the nursery greeted Stonetail as he stepped inside. Paledove slowly raised her head, and smiled weakly at the sight of her mate. Stonetail hurried to her side, pressing his face into her fur and then looking down upon his two sweet daughters. One was white, with swirling lines of pale silver running through her soft pelt. The other was slightly larger, her fur a thick, fluffy white. Stonetail purred loudly.

"What should we name them?" Paledove asked sleepily. "Well, Whitekit for the bigger one, obviously. But what about my darling little first born?" At first Stonetail was taken aback by his mate's blatant disregard for his second-born daughter, but pushed it away, thinking,

She's tired. She isn't thinking clearly. Of course she loves both of them equally. Why wouldn't she?

"What about Swankit?" He suggested, licking the top of his little kitten's head. Paledove purred.

"That's perfect! A prettier name for the clearly prettier she-cat. Oh, my precious love," Paledove cooed, "You are the perfect daughter." Stonetail sat, still as the rocks he was named for.

Could my wonderful mate truly not love our second-born? My little Whitekit! I will always love you, and your sister, as much as any father would.

I promise.