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Nov 17, 2021

Some baby Tansybloom “episodes”

from the perspective of baby Sprucepelt

“Did Lilypond have her kits yet?” Sprucekit chirped, nearly tripping Merlelight as she slipped out of the nursery. The tortoiseshell muttered a curse under her breath, not even acknowledging the wiry black she-kit.

Sprucekit wouldn’t let herself be ignored.

“What’s happening? We’ve been kicked out of the nursery for hours! It’s getting cold out!”

Merlelight froze before slipping into her den, her fur bristling. Sprucekit’s blood ran cold as the old cat’s head jerked back towards her, fury burning in her green eyes.

“There’s a problem. She could die.” Merlelight spat. Sprucekit shrunk back under her gaze and watched as the medicine cat padded into her den.

Rather than still remaining in the same spot when Merlelight came back out, risking another verbal lashing, Sprucekit stood up, sniffing the air for Nightpetal, hoping her mother might have a better explanation.

Her mother was sitting with her father near the freshkill pile. Mintkit and Turtlekit, Finchwing’s litter, a few moons older than Sprucekit, wrestled nearby, seemingly unconcerned about Lilypond’s situation keeping them out of the nursery.

“Nightpetal!” Sprucekit mewed as she padded up to her mother, bumping her chest fur with her head. “Nightpetal, what’s taking Lilypond so long? She’s been having her kits since sunrise! I’m getting cold, and sleepy!”

Nightpetal bent down, licking her daughter on the head.

“I don’t know, fluffball.” She said, gently. “Lots of things could go wrong. You’re big enough that giving her space isn’t going to hurt you.”

“Besides, it’s good for you to get some fresh night air.” Her father, Lightningfire, a golden tabby tom added. “You won’t become a strong warrior staying warm in the nursery.”

Sprucekit shot her parents a pouting look, and glanced back at the nursery. Swifttail, Lilypond’s mate, had returned from the patrol Merlelight had sent him on as a distraction, and was now standing half in the nursery entrance, only his tail and back legs visible.

“I can go ask Swifttail!” Sprucekit exclaimed, mostly to herself. Her parents meowed in protest, but before they could grab her scruff, the black kit was running back.

“Honestly, Swifttail, your panic is doing nothing but annoying me.” Merlelight’s angry yowl rang out from inside the nursery. The spotted ginger tom slunk back out, nearly running Sprucekit over. He was shaking like a leaf, and he seemed scared.

“Swifttail, what’s wrong?” Sprucekit asked. “Is Lilypond OK?”

Swifttail blinked, as if Sprucekit’s shrill voice had interrupted a trance. For a moment, he stared wide-eyed at the kit, as if words were failing him. Then, he shook his head.

“The kit is very big. It seems to be stuck.” He finally stammered.

“Stuck where?” Sprucekit asked, but before Swifttail could answer, she felt teeth gently grabbing on to her scruff, as Nightpetal grabbed her. Lightningfire was by her side, giving Swifttail a reassuring look.

“Starclan is watching over her.” said Lightningfire. “She’s strong. It will be alright.”

Swifttail smiled weakly, but his gaze wandering towards the ground, as if he seemed unconvinced.

Nightpetal carried Sprucepelt over to where Mintkit and Turtlekit were playing. She placed her daughter near them, nudging her towards her friends with her muzzle.

“Now, Sprucekit, I don’t want you near the nursery until I come and get you. Play with Mintkit and Turtlekit.”

Sprucekit sighed, still curious about what was happening with Lilypond, but before she could glance back, Mintkit pummeled into her, knocking her over. With a laugh, she swiped at Mintkit, and soon the three kits were frolicking throughout the camp, as if all their cares had been forgotten.

————————-

Sprucekit, Mintkit, and Turtlekit laid asleep in a pile near the apprentice den when they were awoken by Nightpetal and Finchwing. The sun had long set and the camp was dark, all warriors having returned to the warrior den by now.

“We can go to the nursery now.” Nightpetal whispered in Sprucekit’s ears. “Lilypond’s kits have arrived.”

Sprucekit yawned, but was immediately at the alert when she heard the news.

“Really? Are they cute?” She chirped in her mother’s grip.

When they entered the nursery, Swifttail was sitting lovingly over Lilypond, who was curled around two orange tabby kits. Sprucekit immediately began to squirm in her mother’s jaws, until Nightpetal let her go, and she ran straight for the ginger and white queen.

Lilypond smiled at Sprucekit as she sniffed at the two new arrivals, and then looked questioningly back at their mother.

“What are they? What’s their names? Why did they take so long?” Sprucekit had about a thousand questions.

“Well, it’s strange. Merlelight hadn’t seen anything like it, not in all her moons.” Lilypond sighed, gazing at her kits lovingly. “They came out two at once, together.”

Sprucekit tilted her head.

“Out of what?” She asked. Her question went ignored.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Lilypond.” Said Nightpetal. “I can see why it was difficult.”

“Do they have names?” Sprucekit asked. She looked at the two kits. They seemed to be exact copies of each other, both orange tabbies with wide, blotchy stripes.

Swifttail and Lilypond glanced at each other.

“The trouble is, they’re hard to tell apart. Merlelight says that they’re one kit, split in two, and I couldn’t tell you which kit was which.” Lilypond answered. “I can just tell that I love them both, very much.”

“Are they toms? Or she-cats?” Sprucekit asked. One of the kits turned its head, squeaking at the sound of her voice.

“You should call that one Squeakkit.” She said. Lilypond purred with amusement.

“Toms.” the queen answered. “Merlelight said that when kits are born like they were, it’s as if they’re the same cat. So they’ll always be the same sex.”

Sprucekit fell quiet, trying to digest what she’d been told. Before she could ask another question, Nightpetal had picked her up again, and carried her to their nest, where her mother curled around her. Sprucekit yawned, though she felt hundreds of more questions circling around her brain, seemingly more than she could ask. Maybe she’d talk to Merlelight in the morning.

——————————-

“Merlelight says you’re the same cat.” Sprucekit mewed, crouched on the camp ground, ready to pounce. “So why are you so mean when your littermate isn’t?”

She sprung, landing right on the orange tabby kit across from her, who let out a furious yowl. He swiped at her, and she jumped back in pain.

“Claws sheathed! Claws sheathed! For Starclan’s sake, I’m only playing!” The black kit yowled as she backed off. The tabby kit jumped to his feet and snorted, a smug look on his muzzle.

“That really wasn’t very nice.” The other tabby kit mewed at their littermate, watching the pair from the side. Lilypond’s kits had grown fast, and while they were two and a half moons younger than Sprucekit, they nearly matched her in size.

As soon as the two kits could express themselves, it was clear that one was going to be Sprucekit’s good friend: they were patient, kind, and level-headed, where their sibling was kind of annoying and a hot head. She wished Lilypond would give them a name already, but she knew it was still hard to tell them apart - too many times she’d jump on one thinking it’s Friendkit, when it was really Meankit, who always took his claws out when they were playing despite the queens scolding him.

Shaking her head, Sprucekit padded over to the friendly kit, lying down with her pelt pressed against theirs.

“Did Lilypond name you guys yet?” She asked. The kit shook their head.

“Nope. She said it will come with time.”

“Well, you have to find the difference between yourselves!” Sprucekit mewed.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Meankit growled, walking over to his littermate and Sprucekit. “I’m the tougher one, and I’m going to be a fiercer warrior than anyone in Lionclan!”

“And I’m going to be Sprucestar!” Sprucekit laughed. Meankit furrowed his brow, raising his hackles.

“I’m gonna have kits, and then I’m going to help all the kits of the clans grow up.” Friendkit purred, playfully rolling onto their back.

“You can’t do that.” Meankit laughed. “Not any more than I can.”

Friendship frowned, rolling back onto their stomach, curling into themself a bit. Sprucepelt bumped them reassuringly.

“You can do whatever you want!” she purred. Meankit, regretting his words, loosened his body.

“Sorry, I meant, you’re probably not going to have kits, because, well-“

Sprucekit glared at him, causing him to hold his tongue.

“Well, I’m gonna be a good warrior, and that’s all I really want!” Sprucekit purred. A friendly meow echoed across camp, and the three kits looked up to see Mintpaw bounding towards them. Sprucekit stood up, greeting the white grey tabby-spotted she-cat with a friendly head bump.

“Sprucekit! Snakestar’s gonna make you a ‘paw!” Mintpaw squealed. Sprucekit’s eyes widened.

“What? Did he say that?” She asked her old friend.

“Puddlestone said he did! You’re six moons old, it’s your time!” Mintpaw cheered. “We’ll be den mates again!”

As much as Sprucekit loved the twins, she dearly missed Finchwing’s litter, especially Mintpaw. Her heart fluttered at the thought of being an apprentice alongside her.

“But then we’ll be alone in the nursery! It’s not fair!” Meankit growled. “I’m tough. Snakestar should make me an apprentice early.”

“Sunnystripe is going to have a litter soon.” Sprucekit reassured. “You won’t be lonely.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Meankit grumbled. Friendkit stared happily at Sprucekit.

“We’ll still be clanmates. Sprucekit will still be right here.” They purred.

———————————

Sprucepaw coughed. Though her fever made focus difficult, she barely sensed Merlelight stuffing more catmint in front of her muzzle. In the nest next to her, Lilypond’s nicer kit wheezed and coughed, her littermate snoring a tail length away. Turtlepaw was doing the worst out of all of them, and Finchwing was regularly in the medicine den, fretting over her daughter, who Merlelight didn’t seem to have much hope for.

“Merlelight.” The kind orange tabby kit mewed weakly. “Will Turtlepaw be alright?”

“I don’t know.” Merlelight answered curtly. Sprucepaw winced. Mintpaw would be so sad if Turtlepaw died. She would be sad if Mintpaw was sad.

The twins had been sick before Sprucepaw was, and were better off than either of the apprentices. Sprucepaw had grown accustomed to falling asleep to their voices driving Merlelight crazy with their questions every night. The mean kit’s voice was harsh, deep, brash - she knew instantly when he was talking, and when it was the softer, smoother voice of their littermate. Surely their differences were clear enough to give them names now, she thought.

Sprucepaw didn’t know she fell asleep, but her eyes blinked open once again. Kindkit’s nest was empty, and she recognized Merlelight’s harsh mew.

“Well, clearly you and your littermate are different cats.” Merlelight explained. “What I’m saying is, at some point, before you were born, you were the same. You broke apart from each other. Two cats from the same blood.”

“But we’re so different! He’s all about being a warrior and fighting, and I just want to help my clan!” Nicekit whined.

“I’m not saying - you know what, forget it.” Merlelight huffed. Nicekit sighed. A moment of silence, save for the crinkling of dried herbs.

“What’s that?” Nice kit asked.

“Tansy. It soothes coughs and prevents Greencough. I’m going to pass it out to the elders and the other young cats.” Merlelight explained.

“It smells nice!” Nicekit purred. “And it looks kind of like that one!”

“Not the same. That’s Coltsfoot. Going to give that one to your littermate to ease his breathing.”

Nicekit grew silent, and Sprucepaw began to drift off again, until an angry bark from Merlelight startled her awake.

“Kit! What in Starclan are you doing?”

“Sorry, it’s just - this, “tansy”… it’s very pretty, and it smells nice.”

Despite her sore chest and light breathing, Sprucepaw found herself giggling. Slowly, painfully, she rolled to face Merlelight and the kit.

“Hey! Sprucepaw’s awake!” The orange kit mewed, bounding over to the black she-cat. Sprucepaw purred

“How are you feeling?” The kit purred, sitting across from her friend.

“I think the catmint is working.” Sprucepaw’s voice was hoarse and weak, but before she couldn’t speak at all. “How’s Turtlepaw?”

Suddenly, Sprucepaw came to a realization: Finchwing was gone, and there was no sound coming from Turtlepaw’s nest. She turned her head, and her heart sunk when she saw that it was empty.

She knew, in her heart, that Turtlepaw hadn’t gotten better.

She turned back to the orange kit, who stared sadly back. Merlelight didn’t look up from her herb sorting, but Sprucepaw thought she saw the tiniest of sighs leave the tortoiseshell’s muzzle.

“She hunts with Starclan, now.” The orange kit mewed softly. Sprucepaw’s heart ached, and she hoped Mintpaw wasn’t too sad. She wished she could be with her friend.

Merlelight padded over to Meankit, a yellow flower in her jaws. She was chewing it into a pulp. Meankit was wheezing. Friendkit glanced over at her.

“That’s Coltsfoot.” Friendkit explained to Sprucepaw. “It eases breathing.”

“And that smell on you-“

“Tansy!” Friendkit squealed. “They look the same, but they’re different. Tansy smells really pretty. I want to roll around in it.”

“But you’ll ruin my stores, kit.” Merlelight grumbled.

The scent seemed to suit the kind kit, Sprucepaw thought.

—————————-

The next morning, Sprucepaw felt better. She could sit up on her chest, and spent her time talking to Friendkit, who was almost completely back to good health, but who was being contained in the medicine den out of fear of spreading Greencough around camp.

Meankit’s breathing had settled due to the Coltsfoot, and he kept complaining about wanting to leave the medicine den, causing Merlelight to spend most of the day bickering with and threatening the less polite orange tabby kit.

“Sprucekit, do you think you’ll ever have a mate, and kits?” Friendkit asked, pawing a mossball at their friend playfully.

“I don’t know. Probably.” Sprucepaw answered. “Not really with a tom though.” She paused. “No offense.”

Friendkit shot the black she-cat a confused glance.

“Why would I be offended? I’m no more a tom than you are.”

Sprucepaw stared back in silence, her eyes confused.

“But your littermate is, and you’re the same.” Sprucepaw said. Friendkit shook their head.

“Nope, I’m not though. That’s the main difference. He’s a tom, I’m not. I’m a she-cat. Like you, or Lilypond.” The kit explained. “Merlelight said Starclan said so.”

Sprucepaw didn’t really understand, but she also wasn’t about to disagree with Starclan. The orange tabby seemed to fade into thought for a moment.

“I think my name is Tansy. Tansykit.” She mewed. Sprucepaw tilted her head. Tansykit glanced towards her littermate.

“He can be… Coltsfootkit. Coltskit?” She continued. Her littermate was pouting in his nest, after having been thoroughly scolded by Merlelight for being insolent.

“They look similar, they’re both yellow flowers, but they’re different.” She purred. Then, her gaze turned mischievous. “But, Tansy, of course, is prettier, and smells better, and the choice is obvious.”

Sprucepaw gazed at her friend. Tansykit. It seemed to suit her.

“I think those names are great.” Sprucepaw said. “It’s nice to meet you, Tansykit.”

#Tansybloom #Coltsflame #Sprucepelt #Episodes

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