The Broken Remain Broken

“Sleetkit! Vinekit!” Jadesnow’s scream rang through the camp as the nursery collapsed on her two youngest kits. “No! My kits!” She threw herself at the rubble of what was left at the den and started violently tearing at it, her claws becoming bloody from tearing at the tough rocks and roots. The yowls of the beginning battle were drowned out to her, only the echoing scream of her kits and the blood pounding in her ears. Her vision blurred with tears and as the other queens ran to safety, Jadesnow stayed as she clawed desperately at what she refused to believe was a useless attempt to save her kits.

“Jadesnow!” Spiderstep’s voice broke through her haze momentarily only for her to be bowled over by an attacking warrior. The fall scattered her thoughts for a moment and she felt a sharp pain shoot down her abdomen. “Jadesnow! Stay down!” Jadesnow lifted her head as Spiderstep jumped over her and swiped his claws at the face warrior who attacked his mate, giving him only a small amount of time. “Jadesnow, get out of here! Hurry!”

“Spiderstep! No! I can’t! Sleetkit and Vinekit need me!” Jadesnow shakily got to her paws and headed back to the nursery, only for Spiderstep to get in her way. “Move!”

“It’s useless. They’re dead. You couldn’t save them. But you can save Wingkit and Clearkit. Run! Go!” Spiderstep nipped at her heels and pushed her towards the exit the other queens were taking before turning and returning to the battle.

The gray tabby queen blinked back tears before running over and picking up her two screaming sons and running out of the camp. Spiderstep’s battle cry rang in her ears and her kit’s dying screams still echoed in her mind.

---

Jadesnow set her two kits down on the creaky floorboards of the abandoned two-leg nest. Wingkit and Clearkit had fallen silent during the journey to their hiding spot, their tears dry on their fur and their throats raw. Jadesnow wanted to go back. She did. But Spiderstep had been right. Sleetkit and Vinekit were dead. There was no changing that. She scooped her kits in between her paws and furiously licked at them, calming them down as well giving herself a chance to realize that she still had two of her kits.

The small queen’s heart wouldn’t slow down and she could still feel the pain in her from when the warrior had thrown himself on her. Her breath was uneven and she was shaking. It was at this moment she realized something. The last battle she had been involved in was the one between FireClan and MoonClan when she had only been a kit. She had gotten separated from her brother and Spiderstep had been there to comfort her. But now she was alone. No brother, no mate. Just fear.

“Mommy?” Clearkit’s small voice broke through her haze and she looked down at her two kits will dull, tired eyes.

“What is it baby?”

“Mommy… you’re bleeding.”

Jadesnow’s eyes widened and she looked down at her side, her eyes widening. A long, deep gash crossed her abdomen and she was indeed bleeding. Heavily. The adrenaline of the battle had made her unknowing of the pain, but the sight of the wound shot her back to reality and she screamed.

Wingkit and Clearkit mewed in terror and ran behind Timidbreeze as their mother lay screaming on the floor of the two-leg place.

“Breezemoon!”

Mothpaw jumped lightly and ran over to her. “B-Breezemoon isn’t here. He’s at camp. I-I’m here though.”

“No… no… I need Breezemoon. I need my brother!”

“Jadesnow, please calm down. S-Someone, please. T-Timidbreeze, go get me cobwebs.”

“No… that won’t do anything. My kits. Save my kits. Please, Mothpaw.”

The small yellow tom blinked in confusion. “B-But Wingkit and Clearkit are fine.” His gaze fell on the two young toms huddling behind Timidbreeze.

“No. My other kits. O-Only Breezemoon knew! Please, you have to save them!” Jadesnow let out another wail of pain and Mothpaw flinched away.

“Kits? You’re having kits? Right now?!”

“The fall… they got hurt. Please. Last time I got hurt… Rabbitkit died. They can’t die. Please. Mothpaw.”

The yellow tom swallowed hard and looked around desperately before looking down at Jadesnow. The queen’s green eyes were desperate. With a nod, he puffed out his chest. “Okay.”

---

Three kits had been born, but Jadesnow was still screaming. Blood was everywhere and Mothpaw was beginning to shake in nervousness. “I-I still feel more. Please, Jadesnow. Keep going.”

Jadesnow’s eyes were going dull, but Mothpaw had promised and he intended to keep his promise. He was going to save these kits. After a few minutes, an extremely small kit was born and Jadesnow closed her eyes. “No more… I can’t do it anymore.”

“Jadesnow! You have to! One more, I promise!”

“No… I can’t. I can’t be a good mother to them. I let Rabbitkit, Sleetkit, and Vinekit die. I don’t deserve these kits. They deserve a better mother.”

“Don’t talk like that! Please, just one more.”

“I… I can’t…” Jadesnow’s breathing had gone shallow and her eyes were starting to drift closed.

“Jadesnow!” Mothpaw danced on his paws a few moments before the queen’s breathing stopped.

“Mothpaw!”

The tom jumped in surprise when Wingkit called out in fear behind Timidbreeze. “W-What, Wingkit?”

“One more!”

Mothpaw looked down to see Jadesnow had stopped breathing mid-kitting. If he did nothing, this kit would die too. He swallowed his fear and leaned down, pulling the kit out roughly and beginning to lick at it violently. His motions were panicked, but after a few moments he felt the kit begin to breathe and he sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. They all made it.”

Two toms and three she-kits. Mothpaw put the litter together and looked over at Jadesnow’s limp form. “This is my fault…”

Wingkit quietly walked over to Mothpaw and headbutted his leg gently. “Thank you…”

The apprentice looked down at the kit and frowned. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Mothpaw. You saved my brothers and sisters.”

Mothpaw nodded and looked at the five kits that were currently being taken care of by various queens. “Yeah… I did.”