Death Night

By Nightfern. Part of the Moonlight Series.

Chapter 1~ Amberheart
Amberheart padded to the fresh-kill pile and chose a plump thrush. She chose to eat near the ferns by herself. As soon as she sat down, Bramblefur, a fellow warrior, came over and sat next to her. His golden-brown pelt shone like moonlight and his pelt rippled across his wide shoulders.

"Hi," he said. Amberheart looked at him and answered "Hello Bramblefur. What brings you here?" A warm feeling tingled across her body as she looked to his young amber eyes.

"I wanted to talk. Will you be going to the Gathering tonight?" asked Bramblefur. Amberheart nodded.

"Do you think Shadestar will blame Streamstar for stealing their prey?" asked Amberheart.

"Why would Riverclan steal prey from ShadowClan? They are to fat and slow to catch even a frog. They'll just sit on it till it surrenders!" scoffed Bramblefur. Amberheart let out a meow of amusement. Bramblefur was really funny! Amberheart finished the last of her thrush and stood up.

"Do you want to go hunting with me?" blurted Bramblefur suddenly. Amberheart stared at him curiously. Bramblefur scuffed the ground with his paws in embarrassment.

"Sure, Bramblefur." said Amberheart slowly. "Let's go to the stream near Fourtrees. We'll probably find lots of mice for Spottedstripe and her kits." added Bramblefur. Amberheart nodded. As soon as they passed the gorse tunnel, the smell of fat mice overwhelmed her. Soon, she spotted a mouse and stalked it. As soon as she was close enough, she sprang and dispatched it with a quick blow to the head.

"Nice job!" purred Bramblefur. "We should eat to keep our strength up. There's enough mice here to feed the whole Clan." Amberheart silently agreed. They shared a mouse together, their pelts barely brushing. When they finally stood up, a putrid smell drifted pass their noses. Amberheart wrinkled her black nose.

"Eww, what is that?" she spat. "I think it's... ShadowClan!" hissed Bramblefur. Amberheart was furious.

"Let's get those fox-hearts of our territory!" she snarled.

"But we are all alone!" hissed Bramblefur in disbelief.

"I don't care!" spat Amberheart. Bramblefur looked at her with hurt in his amber eyes.

"Sorry," muttered Amberheart. "But let's go," she added. Bramblefur sighed and nodded. "There's no stopping you, I suppose." Amberheart purred and touched his flank.

"We'll be fine." Bramblefur nodded, looking more confident. Amberheart silently leaped through the undergrowth and almost immediately saw the ShadowClan cats.

"Let's go!" hissed a dark tortoiseshell she-cat. "The squirrel's not worth it. We're on ThunderClan territory now!" "No! It's probably still here!" snapped a black tabby tom with a white chest and face as he spiked himself on a thorn bush. "Come on Whitethroat," complained a tawny-colored she-cat. "We're going to be caught any minute now!"

"You sure are!' snarled Amberheart as she leaped and fell right before Whitethroat. Bramblefur followed, unsheathing his sharp claws.

"Oh, I'm so scared!" mocked the tortoiseshell. "Tawnyfur, why don't we get that squirrel?" asked Whitethroat to the tawny-she cat.

"Oh, why not?" murmured Tawnyfur. "It's only 2 cats verse 3!" added the tortoiseshell.

Yowling a challenge, Amberheart charged to Whitethroat, spun around, and slashed his face. Shrieking in pain, Whitethroat fought back, but blood dripping down his ear blinded him. Unsheathing her claws, she finished him of with a scratch to remember her by on his flank. Bramblefur fought Tawnyfur; as Amberheart watched he snarled and pounced on her back, screeching in victory. The she-cat fled to the safety of ShadowClan. Cornering the tortoiseshell, Bramblefur and Amberheart advanced on her.

"Don't. Ever. Come. Back. Again." spat Amberheart as she let her paw fly. Blood splattered all over the she-cat's face. She turned tail and ran. Amberheart collapsed on the ground, panting. Bramblefur loomed over her, looking horrified.

"Amberheart? Are you OK?!" he wailed. Amberheart leaped up and playfully cuffed his ears. "Of course I'm fine, mouse-brain!" she purred. "Amberheart... I wanted to tell you something..." began Bramblefur, looking embarrassed. Amberheart pushed her muzzle against his. "It's okay, Bramblefur. I love you too." Amberheart gently twined her tail with his and pushed her muzzle to his flank. Bramblefur looked delighted.

Chapter 2~ Nightfern
1 moon later

A delighted yowl sounded from the warriors den. Nightfern looked up, surprised. What was so great? Had Snowpaw been granted 9 lives by StarClan? But she padded on to the warriors den. She was curious. Inside, her sister Leafblossom was purring and rubbing her check against her other sister, Amberheart. Bramblefur, Amberheart's new mate was jumping around, his golden paws trembling.

"What's going on?" asked Nightfern. Amberheart looked up at her sister, her amber eyes bright and joyful. Her body quivered.

"I'm having Bramblefur's kits!!!" she yowled delightedly. Nightfern was thrilled. Purring joyfully, she passed her mother, Icefur, who was looking at her daughter with shining green eyes, and her father, Stormpelt, looking as proud as Bramblefur. Goldenflower, her best friend, appeared against Nightfern and meowed,

"Congratulations Nightfern!" Nightfern looked at her sister clearly for the very first time. Her dark tabby belly was gently rounded, and her scent smelled more of warm milk and flowers that forest and fresh-kill. Cloudclaw, Featherfoot's mate peeked inside and said,

"I'll go tell Featherfoot. She'll be delighted. It's only her, Spottedstripe and Willowfern in there now." Even Hollystar and Stormfall purred at the news of new kits. They needed new apprentices to feed the elders now. Amberheart moved to the nursery, and everyday looked more and more plump. Nightfern was pleased.

Chapter 3~ Pantherkit (By Ottersplash)
Read Twilight Series for complete understanding

Pantherkit was galloping around the nursery trying to find his friends. He was practicing his scenting skills.

"Meadowkit, Duskkit, guys were are you?" Pantherkit lifted his muzzle into the air and opened his tiny mouth and sniffed the air around him, he caught the strong scent of Duskkit,

"Duskkit! Are you here?" meowed Pantherkit. Everything was silent when Duskkit's little bracken-colored pelt jumped out and attacked Pantherkit. Pantherkit tumbled to the ground and let out a

"Hupm" as he thudded the ground.

"Got you," smirked Duskkit. Pantherkit got up and shook himself.

"Now we need to find Meadowkit." explained the long haired gray tom. The two kits looked everywhere for their friend until Duskkit lifted his head and opened his mouth,

"I can scent her in the nursery." exclaimed Duskkit. The two young kits trotted over to the nursery entrance, "Where can she..." all of a sudden the little tortoiseshell and white body popped up from the entrance and pounced the two toms,

"Did I or did I scare you out of your pelts! Ha ha!" Meadowkit laughed.

The three friends started to play-fight when Featherfoot and Willowfern came out, "You kits are just always rough-and-tumble aren't you?" asked Featherfoot in an amused voice. The kits looked at each other and meowed,

"Yes Featherfoot, we're always ready for anything!" yowled Meadowkit in amusement. The young she-kit got into a hunters crouch and pounced on Pantherkit. The two kits play-fought until everyone was laughing. Spottedstripe stepped out,

"Can you two queens come back to the nursery? I need help to change the moss but the kits are in the way," Featherfoot and Willowfern nodded and said their good-byes and entered the nursery. The three kits stayed outside and played a little more. When Meadowkit started to get weaker, Duskkit and Pantherkit looked up. Pantherkit wanted to know if it was still light outside, but when the two toms looked at the sky, the clouds were gray.

"Maybe we should go inside," suggested Duskkit. Pantherkit and Meadowkit looked at each other, "Well, we want to stay outside," explained Pantherkit.

Meadowkit nodded, "YOU can go inside," exclaimed Meadowkit. Duskkit shrugged and walked inside the nursery and went over to kis mother in their moss bed. Willowfern licked her son on the head. Meadowkit and Pantherkit looked away and started to play,

"I want to play with the apprentices, you know, the newly made ones." Pantherkit explained. Pantherkit and Meadowkit started to walk over to the apprentices den to play with Mistpaw and Crowpaw since Ripplepaw and Sorrelpaw were out training with their mentors, Cinderfur and Fernpelt. Pantherkit and Meadowkit were just getting ready to go to the apprentices den when Goldenflower and Nightfern came up to Pantherkit and his friend,

"There's going to be a storm young ones," explained Goldenflower, whom was also Pantherkit's mother's sister. "We were just going to play with Mistpaw and Crowpaw, it won't take long! I promise!" protested Pantherkit. Nightfern sighed, "You have to go inside now, or do you want to catch a cold?" Pantherkit opened his mouth to protest, but when he looked at Goldenflower, she was looking very worried.

Pantherkit closed his jaws and looked at his friend, "Come on Meadowkit. Our mothers will be worried. Meadowkit looked as if she would have liked to protest but followed the dark gray kit and followed. Pantherkit looked back and grinned at Goldenflower ran back and licked her leg. "Thanks for caring for me as if you were my mother Goldenflower." Goldenflower nodded her head and turned around to the warriors den with Nightfern and entered the den. Pantherkit stared, not knowing that Meadowkit left, and sat down watching his birth-clan as everybody went inside their den. The thunder rumbled in the sky. Pantherkit looked at the dark sky and went inside the sheltered nursery.

Chapter 4~ Nightfern
Nightfern looked worried as she watched the nursery. Her sister's kits were due any day now, and a huge storm was brewing over the trees. Nightfern heard prey scatter as they ran for shelter. Goldenflower, Nightfern's best friend padded up to her.

"I hope Amberheart's kits don’t come now," she murmured.

"I hope not either," agreed Nightfern. The grey sky was darkening to black, and thunder rumbled above.

"Let's go check the nursery," decided Nightfern. "I want to check on Amberheart." Goldenflower looked at Nightfern and said,

"OK, I'll see you around Nightfern," she meowed. "I have to check on Greenflower."

Nightfern watched her friend bound to the elders den. She found herself walking to the nursery, as if a unnatural urge had told her to. 'Go, see Amberheart...' whispered the voices, lost in the shadows.

Featherfoot's pretty tortoiseshell and white fur was gently rising and falling as she dozed in the corner with her single kit, Pantherkit. She was Nightfern's brother's mate. Pantherkit sighed as he covered his fuzzy grey paws over his eyes and slept. Spottedstripe was curled up against Hawkkit and Ivykit.

Hawkkit's chocolate brown tabby did not blend with Ivykit's silver and white tabby pelt or Spottedstripe's beautiful black-and-gold tabby. Only Hawkkit's snow white underbelly matched Ivykit's. Ivykit's soft white muzzle and paws twitched constently as she dreamed. Probably about catching a mouse, thought Nightfern, stifling a meow of laughter. Willowfern snuggled beside Meadowkit and Duskkit, her pale grey coat covered by Meadowkit's tortoiseshell and white fur and Duskit's bracken colored pelt.

The whole camp was sleeping, thought Nightfern. Only Amberheart, laying in the darkest corner was awake, looking exhausted. Her swollen dark brown tabby belly was extended and matted. She seemed to struggle for breath.

"Amberheart, what's wrong?" gasped Nightfern. "I'm fine, sister." rasped Amberheart.

"I just think I'm due for kitting soon," she added. Nightfern curled around her rather large sister and licked her dark tabby pelt until it shined. She felt herself falling asleep until, alas, she was gone into darkness. An agonized yowl awoke her sometime later.

Chapter 5~ Nightfern
"Brackenheart!" hissed Nightfern. She rushed out into the storm. Hard raindrop pellets smashed into her beautiful silver coat. She could see a blurred, golden shape under a fallen tree trunk near HighRock. Letting out an alarmed yowl, she rushed into the warrior's den and shrieked,

"Brackenheart is under a fallen tree trunk!" she yowled. All thirty-one warriors jumped up and rushed into the rain. Bramblefur was almost crushed as Stormfall's sturdy body crashed into his. Lionleaf, Stormfall, Flamefoot, Cinderheart, Hollystar, and all the apprentices were struggling to move the tree as it slid under the mud. In a split second, Nightfern understood what had happened. Brackenheart was out hunting. He had spotted a squirrel in the tree and climbed up to reach it. A slice of lightning had hit the tree, knocking it over with Brackenheart clinging for his life. The ground, muddy with rain, was sucking up the tree. Brackenheart hit the ground, and was struggling to keep his muzzle free of the life-taking mud. Nightfern rushed to the edge of the dirty mud and grabbed Brackenheart's scuff and heaved. His once-shining golden pelt was slicked with dark mud, and as Nightfern gave one last effort, he flopped to the ground, nearly lifeless. A bloody scar ran from one side of his head to the other. His amber eyes were filled with pain.

"Help me..." he gasped. "Fawnpelt, QUICK!" shrieked Snowpaw, her blue eyes filled with horror.

Fawnpelt scampered out of the medicine cat den, Featherpaw at her heels. "Here, eat this, Brackenheart!" Featherpaw begged his former mentor, when he had trained as a warrior. Nightfern could not watch more, and as she turned away, ANOTHER pain-filled yowl greeted her broken heart.

"Amberheart!" she hissed. Bramblefur cast one more anguished look at his almost-dead friend, turned away, and rushed to the nursery. Nighfern followed. The queens were encouraging Amberheart as she wailed. The kits stood in one corner, looking horrified. Nightfern knew this kitting was far more dangerous than Featherfoot's. Amberheart's breath had been reduced to ragged gasps, her shining coat was no more. Scarlet blood seeped all over the floor, out of the nursery.

The scent of death hit Nightfern. Spottedstripe turned to Nightfern, her pretty green eyes filled with terror.

"I don't know what's wrong!" she hissed. "She's bleeding to much!"

Amberheart's amber eyes were wild and unnaturally bright, filled with execrating pain. Nighfern expected her to yowl or shriek, but the pain was so intense she couldn't even yowl.

A strong ripple passed from her ear tips to the end of her striped tail. She did not shriek or wail, she screamed. The chilling, bloodcurdling scream made Nightfern shudder. Nightfern felt her pain as strong as if it were her own.

"Help her!" she begged the queens. The medicine cats were outside trying to save Brackenheart, Another strong spasm passed through Amberheart, and her legs twitched. A black kit fell into the moss.

"Lick, Lick!" ordered Willowfern. Nightfern frantically licked the little she-kit as well as she could, but she was too late. She was dead. Gone to StarClan. Nightfern's heart froze.

Amberheart wailed again, and more blood poured out when another little black tom plopped into the moss. He did not move. He was already dead. Spottedstripe licked and licked, but it was too late.

Spottedstripe's eyes were filled with regret, but she continued to lick the little tom as if she could keep his memory alive. Bramblefur let out a wail.

"No, No, No, No!!" he whispered. Amberheart's eyes were already starting to close.

Suddenly, Amberheart's eyes snapped open as she screamed again. And again. And she continued to scream. A powerful ripple passed through Amberheart, and she let out a heave.

Finally, a tiny little black she-kit fell gently into the moss. Her dark blue eyes were already half-closed. Determined not to lose this one, Nightfern pushed the little she-kit into her long furred silver pelt for warmth. She licked the kit quickly, making sure the fur was going the wrong way to warm her up.

Amberheart let out a sigh, and whispered softly, "Nightfern, let me see my kits."

Nightfern forced herself not to cry. "Amberheart, there is only one." she whispered.

"There can't be," Amberheart whispered in that same sing-song voice. "There were 3 a minute ago."

Nightfern pushed her kit into Amberheart to suckle. And then Nightfern saw that she was not a totally black she-kit. Her pelt was jet black, but her paws, muzzle, and the area around her eyes were pale silver. Moonlight hit her pelt, turning it liquid silver.

"She is beautiful..." breathed Nightfern. "Nightfern, you name her," said Amberheart suddenly said.

"Her name will be Moonkit, in honor of her beautiful moon-colored pelt.” announced Nightfern suddenly.

"The dead tom will be Shadekit, and the dead she-kit Nightkit, in honor of their night black pelts."

Nightfern could not be their any longer, and she blindly stumbled out of the nursery, out of the scent of death and pain. All the warriors stood around a golden shape, their heads dipped in grief. Icefur padded near Nightfern and whispered,

"Brackenheart didn't make it." Nightfern's slender head was drawn in horror. The warriors, apprentices, and elders called, "How is Amberheart?" Hollystar looked at Nightfern and murmured,

"Tell them, Nightfern." She nodded and leaped onto Highrock. Her voice cracked with grief.

"Cats of ThunderClan, Amberheart's kitting was a difficult birth. The nursery needs to be cleaned of blood. I don't know if Amberheart will make it. Amberheart gave birth to a black she-kit, who did not live. A black tom did not survive. But a beautiful little black she-kit survived. She has pale silver paws and on her muzzle, and the area around her face. We have had 3 deaths today. We hope StarClan honors them." The Clan looked horrified.

Chapter 6~ Nightfern
Nightfern woke up to the scents of a beautiful morning.

Nothing should be beautiful! thought Nightfern angrily. Her nephew and niece had died last night, and Fawnpelt and Featherpaw were struggling to save Amberheart and her single surviving kit, Moonkit.

Stretching sadly and lifting her paws high to avoid the other warriors, Nightfern padded to the medicine cat den. Fawnpelt was sleeping soundly, and Featherpaw was urging Amberheart to eat borage leaves. Moonkit sucked, her tiny silver paws kneading Amberheart's dark belly fur.

Amberheart was laying down in the corner, her amber eyes glazed with grief for her 2 dead kits.

Bramblefur was licking her ears. "What can I do to help?" asked Nightfern. Fawnpelt yawned and opened her eyes. "Oh, hi Nightfern. Can you bring some fresh-kill for Amberheart?"

Her sister looked up at the sound of her name and rasped, "Nightfern...can you... bring back... Shadekit... and Nightkit?" Her voice was desperate.

Nightfern knew every since the death of Brackenheart and her 2 kits, Amberheart had been experiencing horrible flashbacks of her difficult birth. Nightfern swallowed painfully but did not answer. Featherpaw shooed Nightfern out of the den.

"Hurry! Bring back some poppy seeds, catmint, watermint, and some mice! Oh, and if you find some nectar, that would be great too!"

Nightfern bounded out of the gorse bush, and gracefully climbed a tree. Under her, 3 deer mice and a sparrow plucked at some fallen seeds, oblivious to the danger above them. It was to late. Snarling, Nightfern snapped each prey's back like a twig and proudly dug a hole for them to come back later. She walked around the lake, and found some catmint and watermint growing lazily along the border to ShadowClan. She quickly grabbed some mouth-watering stalks and dashed back into ThunderClan territory. She caught scent of delicious bee nectar, silently dropped the mint plants, and saw the huge cone of nectar.

"This will be great for Amberheart!" she thought. "I bet it will heal her broken heart!" she breathed. Bees flew in the air, and amazingly, Nightfern leaped into the air, her powerful back legs pumping, snatched a cone, grabbed her mint plants, and flew back where the prey was buried. A bee stung her on her tail, and she galloped faster still. Finally, she lost the bees. Digging the mice up, she stuffed the mint under her chin and held the nectar and prey gently in her mouth. She took the path lead her to the camp, and walked through the gorse bush. Bramblefur and Lionleaf had taken two border patrols each, and all the mentors were out in the training hollow with their apprentices. Cinderfur, Nightfern's other best friend had taken Snowpaw out for the day. Nightfern walked into the medicine cat den and dropped the mints on a shard of flat rock.

"Oh, no, bring the catmint and nectar here please," came a soft, gentle voice. Spottedstripe was in the corner calming Amberheart.

"Fawnpelt and Featherpaw had to go to the Moon Rocks. I think they are going to StarClan to see the kits and Brackenheart," she murmured.

Nightfern nodded. She snatched up the mint and padded up to them. "Here, eat this," she encouraged Amberheart. Amberheart took a mouthful of catmint and swallowed. Her whole body relaxed, and she sighed. She licked all the nectar up and ate 2 mice. She purred. "Nightfern, thank you." Moonkit purred in agreement. Amberheart yawned and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. Spottedstripe sighed happily. "They will live, but I need to get back to Ivykit and Hawkkit. I bet a moon of dawn patrols Hawkkit already knocked over Pantherkit!" she meowed, and stalked out of the den. Nightfern gave a sigh of relief. Her sister and niece were safe and happy.