Chocolate's POV

Chocolate stalked through the trees, her heart beating rapidly. She watched her feet closely, trying to keep herself from tripping. She looked up, hearing the quiet squeaks of a mouse. It's scent was strong, and she spotted it, rummaging in the leaves for some food.

"Aha, Got you." She whispered, crouching down to stalk it.

She moved forward, her paws making almost no sound on the bare forest floor. The brown tabby made careful work to avoid the leave piles, as she didn't want to make noise.

The former loner stalked forward, forgetting to try and control her paws. She stepped on one of her front paws, causing herself to trip and fall into leaves when she tried to lift it up.

"Oh! Darn it!" She growled, watching the mouse pad away.

The chocolate tabby curled her lip, padding back to the thrush and the small shrew she had managed to catch. She grabbed them, her eyes filled with frustration.

'I can't do anything right!' She thought, lashing her tail.

Chocolate padded back through the forest, reaching the cracked thunderpath, its once perfect stone now cracked and broken. It had been broken a bit before the twolegs disappeared, but the disaster had caused several large cracks through the path.

She padded across the thunderpath, shivering at the unusually quiet place. She reached the other end, her pelt bristling. The dark brown tabby padded into the clearing, spotting Gemma staring at Cosmo, who was standing up, his eyes wide open. The morning was surprisingly silent, the birds not even making a single sound. It was as if all the was asleep, no sound uttering from them. A dense fog surrounded the clearing, and one was barely able to see past the other end of the grassy opening.

"Cosmo! You've opened your eyes!" Chocolate exclaimed, padding over to the mother and kits. "And now we wait for Briony and Twist!"

As if on cue, Twist started to wiggle around her hind paws, placing them under her body. She lifted her head, her wide, diluted blue eyes opened toward her mother.

"Twist!" Gemma purred, licking the gray and white she-kit's head. "You've opened your eyes!"

"Mama?" Twist mewed, her voice hardly more than a squeak. "Are you my mama?"

"I am your Mama! That's your brother, Cosmo!"

"C-cosmo?" She squeaked.

"Yes, Cosmo, my dear." She purred, licking her kit's head. "That is Cosmo."

The small she-kit bounced around a bit, trying to gain her balance. She fell once, and whimpered, but got back up, her nose covered with dirt. "Mama, I falled!" She whined. "My nose is covered with dirt!"

Gemma chuckled, motioning for the small kit to come over. As Twist arrived, she crouched down, her nose scrunched up. The gray she-cat lapped gently at her kit's nose, cleaning the remnant of the dirt from it.

"There you- oh!" Gemma started, interrupted by Briony trying to stand up, but falling onto her mother's flank. "Oh, darling! You're awake!"

Briony nodded, her bright blue eyes wide with excitement. She opened her mouth, a small yawn escaping her opened jaws. A happy chuckle came from the entrance, where Henna sat, two thrushes sitting at her paws, her pregnant stomach bulging out awkwardly.

"They're beautiful, Gemma," the brown tabby purred, padding over. "Hi, Briony, Twist, Cosmo!"

The expecting mother crouched down in front of Cosmo, her green eyes meeting Cosmo's diluted blue ones. "I named you! I'm Henna. It's nice to finally talk to you, bud."

"Hi, H-Henna! Where did you come from?" The blue-gray tomkit responded.

"The forest, sweetheart. I caught some prey for your mother," she purred, licking his head.

The expecting mother padded over to the thrushes, picking one up. She brought it over to Gemma, who had stood up, and was stretching her legs. She let out a yawn, blinking. "Oh, thanks Henna," she mewed. "It's nice to finally be up!"

The blue gray she picked up the prey, settling down in a corner, quickly eating the bird. She finished it, burying its remains. She padded back over, licking her jaws.

"That was good, Henna. Thanks." She mewed, crouching down. "Do you three want to meet your father?"

The three kits bounced around, huge smiles on their three little faces, their diluted eyes shining in the sunlight, glimmering happily.

"Oh, yes! I want to meet Papa!" Briony cried happily. "Can we meet him now? Please, mama!"

"We have to wait for him to come back. He's hunting now, sweets. But he'll come back soon, and he'll bring more of the prey. But you guys are too young for prey," she mewed, smiling slightly. "Anyway, let's calm down a bit, okay? Your father wants to see you three calm and dignified."

"Okay, mama! I'll be calm and dignified! Is that okay?" Twist promised, chasing her tail. "What is calm? I don't know!"

Gemma sighed, placing a paw on Twist's tail, knocking it to the ground. "Sit down, sweetie. Curl your tail around your paws, like this," she demonstrated, sitting up straight. "Look forward, don't turn your head, at least until Thistle gets here, okay? And also, quiet."

The three kits tried to imitate her, sitting with their tails over their front paws. Cosmo had his tail curled over his back paws. He looked at his sisters, and chose to imitate Briony, who was looking straight up. Gemma snorted, pushing the two's heads down.

"Don't look up, look forward." The blue-gray she-cat purred playfully, happiness radiating through her tone. "To me."

The two nodded their heads, imitating their mother. They put their heads straight forward, looking at their mother's legs, since they were too small to see much higher. "Good. Now, stay that way," Gemma mewed commandingly, joining Henna and Chocolate, who were watching with laughter in their nearly matching gree  eyes.

"That was pretty impressive, I have to say, Gemma," Chocolate broke the silence, ending with a laugh. "I wish I could do that!"

Gemma shook her head, laughing. Henna soon followed, her deep laugh contrasting to the lighter tones of Chocolate and Gemma. She stopped laughing, hearing Willow entering camp, stepping on branches.

"Oh, and they're back!" She purred, tapping her paw on the ground. "Welcome back, you two!"

"Hey," Willow growled, setting down his crow.

"Impressive catch, Willow!" The light brown tabby mewed, padding to the cream tom. "How did you do it?"

"I can hunt! Even if I can't see, I can hear and smell!" He hissed, padding off. "And are the kits' eyes open, their scent is all over my sh-"

"Yes, they are!" Henna snapped, stopping the tom. "And they aren't deaf, either!"

"Okay," he responded, curling up in his nest.

"Listen, Henna, do you know where Thistle is?" Chocolate asked, looking put through the entrance. "Gemma is trying to keep the kits calm."

"No, he's not my mate! Why should I have to know where everyone is!" Henna hissed. "He should be here!"

As if on cue, Thistle padded into the camp, lugging a huge pheasant behind him. He grunted, placing it down next to Willow's crow. The gray and white splotched tom stopped, looking at Gemma and his kits.

"Gemma? Kits?" He panted running over. "You've finally opened your eyes. I'm so happy! You're all beautiful!"

"Are you Papa?" Twist asked innocently, her blue eyes round. "Mama said you were coming!"

"I am Papa, Twist! I'm so happy that you've finally opened your eyes!" He purred, licking her fur back. "Mama and I have waited!"

"Oh, okay Papa!" Cosmo purred, standing up. "I love you, Papa!"

"I love you, too, Cosmo!" The splotched tom replied, curling his tail. "I'm just glad you're finally awake!"

"Me too, Papa!" Briony laughed, her voice bubbling with excitement and happiness. "You're pretty, Papa! Pretty like me!"

"Thanks kits," Thistle purred. "All of you are pretty. But you know who's the prettiest? Your mama!"

The father looked up to his mate, nuzzling her head. He let out a purr. "How about letting the kits try the pheasant? They'll be fine!"

"One bite each," Gemma smiled, craning her neck with Thistle's. "That's all!"

Chocolate padded over to the kits, smiling. They were lucky to have such amazing, loving parents. She curled her tail over Twist's back, chuckling. "Try a bite. It'll be delicious! I've only ever had pheasant once, when I lived with my brother. He taught me everything I know." She purred, taking a small bite of the bird. "Try some, it's amazing."

Twist shrugged, leaning her head forward, taking a small bite out of the piece Chocolate had. She moved out of the way, her chocolate brown pelt rubbing against itself. She cringed uncomfortably, licking her rosy pink nose. She watched as Twist pulled her head back, her white muzzle spattered with the blood of the pheasant, her pink nose hardly visible.

"That was interesting..." She murmured, licking her nuzzle gingerly. "I don't want any more, just mama's milk, please."

"Picky kit," the brown tabby purred jokingly, licking the kit's muzzle gingerly, enjoying the taste of the bird's blood. Suddenly realizing that was weird, she pulled her head back, scrunching her nose. "All clean, Twist!"

The gray and white she-kit smiled, jumping up happily. "Gee, thanks, Chocolate!" She purred. "I wish I could have a mother like you!"

"Your mother is a much better mother than I am, Twist! I don't even know how to be a mother!" Chocolate joked, smiling warmly at the kit. "Just be happy you have such loving parents! I only had my mom."

"Oh! That's cool, I guess! I mean, I think it's nice, having two parents! I've only had my eyes open for a bit, but I think so!" Twist laughed, tilting her head up. "I mean, what do I know? I'm a kit!"

The dark brown tabby chuckled, flicking her tail into the gray and white she-kit's rump. "You better get back to you parents, they look worried!"

Chocolate flashed a glance at Gemma and Thistle. They looked happy as clams, but whatever. They would always enjoy the company from their daughter. She smiled, turning away, flicking her tail dismissively. She looked to Henna, who was with Willow, the two talking. They looked happy, too.

A sudden sense of loneliness dragged at her chest, a sort of broken feeling. Tears threatened to exit her eyes, but she refused to let them pass. She wasn't going to show her feelings in front of her new friends. They didn't need to know how low she felt, she was okay, keeping it to herself. She was fine.

Her whole life, that was what had been said, and that was what she would say. Forever. Because it would never get better, so she was fine.

Here we are! Chapter five! I'll try to update more quickly, as I'm on Summer break! Finishing out at JUST UNDER 1800 words! Hope you enjoyed it! ((Also, we got some spicy stuff next chapter))