Book: Ivyleaf's Destiny/Chapter 2

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*"Lilykit? Lilykit! Lilykit, wake up!" Leafcloud's* urgent mew sounded in Ivykit's ear. Half a moon ago, Lichenfern declared that Lilykit had greencough. By then, Rainpelt had already moved back into the warriors' den and Leafcloud took care of them along with her own two kits.
"Darkkit!" Leafcloud mewed again. "Fetch Lichenfern!"
The young black tom scampered off t a necessary pace, and Ivykit stared at her littermate. "She'll be alright, won't she?" Ivykit whimpered.
"I don't know." Leafcloud sighed.
"But she's not even a moon old!" Birdkit mewed. The brown tabby she-cat was standing outside the nest, fur fluffed up. Her brother, Larkkit, was beside her, his gray-black eyes shaded with worry.
The ferns shielding the nursery swished open and Lichenfern padded in with Honeypaw, the medicine cat apprentice, behind her. Briefly she massaged Lilykit's throat.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Lilykit's gone."
"No!" Ivykit wailed. "Lilykit, come back! Don't leave! Come back!"
"It's no use, Ivykit," Leafcloud mewed gently. "She was always sickly. It was her destiny to die."
"But not right now!" Ivykit buried her muzzle in Leafcloud's brown-and-cream fur. "She's so young! What will I do without her?" she continued, her voice muffled by Leafcloud's long fur.
"We'll be alright, Ivykit," Darkkit mewed, pressing against his sister. "We've got each other. But now we need to tell Rainpelt and Owlfeather."
"Darkkit's right," Larkkit piped up. "You can grieve for her in your own time. She won't leave you, she'll be in StarClan."
Ivykit nodded and padded out of the nursery. She opened her tiny mouth wide to try and scent her mother or father.
"Owlfeather!" she called as she ran to the tom. "Owlfeather!"
The ThornClan deputy stopped and turned to the kit. He bent down and licked her on the head. "What's the matter?"
"It's Lilykit," Ivykit wailed. "She's dead!"
Owlfeather's yellow eyes darkened. "Fetch Rainpelt," he snapped as he ran towards the nursery.
Darkkit led the way this time, past the fresh-kill pile and behind a huge stone. "Rainpelt!" he called urgently. "Rainpelt!"
The dark gray she-cat padded slowly out of the warriors' den, rubbing her eyes with a forepaw. "What is it?"
"Lilykit's dead!" Ivykit mewed. "Lichenfern couldn't save her."
Instead of dashing to the nursery, Rainpelt sighed and padded slowly out into the clearing. "Oh StarClan, please take care of her," she mewed softly.
"Will she *go* to StarClan?" Darkkit asked, looking up at his mother with large blue eyes.
"Yes, she will," Rainpelt answered, gathering him and Ivykit close with a sweep of her long tail.
"Will we get to see her?" Ivykit squeaked, batting her brother's tail away from her eyes.
"Someday." Rainpelt sounded distant as she looked over the clearing. Her bright amber gaze stopped at the nursery as Owlfeather padded out from beneath the ferns with a limp bundle of tortoiseshell fur in his jaws. His golden gaze met hers and he set Lilykit down.
Rainpelt swept her tail away from her two remaining kits. "Go and say goodbye to your sister," she murmured, nuzzling them in turn. Ivykit nodded mutely and dashed off to the small bundle of fur.
"Goodbye, Lilykit," she mewed. "I will never forget you. I'll always be here for you if you need me. You know where to find me."
"Goodbye," Darkkit added, choking on his mew. "I will miss you Lilykit."
The two kits buried their muzzles in their littermate's cold fur. Ivykit breathed in her sister's scent for probably the last time.
Chapter 3 —>