Author's Note: WARNING! I have never read a Warriors book in my entire life so I might get a few things wrong. Don't worry though I've looked up (and am still looking up) all the information and terms I need to know. If I miss anything, or you just wanna state your opinion on my story, feel free to post a review/comment!

*

The nursery den was abuzz with life and excitement as she-cats and toms young and old crowded around a group of cats.

"They're beautiful." Gingertail tiredly said her soft emerald green eyes having bags under them and her normally kept ginger fur messy and mattered with sweat, as she laid on the nursery den floor. Gingertail smiled softly admiring the beautiful kits she had just bore into the world. The first she-kit was skinny having fur as white as snow, the second she-kit had fluffy bright ginger fur that matched the color of fire, and finally the last kit was a tom as he had ginger fur just like his sister but had black stripes along his body as he drank his mother's milk.

"What are you going to name them?" Skytail asked, his ginger fur having bits of grey in them from age as his river blue eyes simmered with happiness.

"Oh I can't name these little angels without Loststar." Gingertail said, giving the snow white kit an affectionate nuzzle.

"You don't have to worry about that dear, our son won't mind at all." Cherrywhisker said with a reassuring grin, her cherry red fur having bits of grey in it matching her mates.

"Well okay….I'm going to name you Frostkit, Emberkit, and Tigerkit." Gingertail said nuzzling each kit as she named them, and not a moment after she did that did a tomcat run into the den the crowd of cats making a path for him as the tom took a break to gulp down as much air as possible. The medium-sized tomcat had a white pelt and pale yellow cream-colored face, ears, tail, and paws, with whiskers hanging from her face, dark blue eyes, and had white cobwebs wrapped around his front and back legs.

"Loststar!" Gingertail said with a tired smile,

"I….I am so sorry…that I'm….that I'm late…one of the medics had to tell me something and it took awhile. Is everything alright?" Loststar said managing to catch his breathe,

"Everything is fine, my son, come you have to see your kits." Cherrywhisker said motioning Loststar over, the leader straightened his posture and complied walking over to the three kits nestled by his mate.

"You name them yet?" Loststar asked as he sat down in front of Gingertail and his kits,

"Yes, I have, I hope you don't mind." The queen she-cat replied.

"Of course I don't mind." Loststar said,

"Told ya!" Cherrywhisker exclaimed making Skytail and a few other cats snicker.

"Anyway, what did you name them?" Loststar asked with a chuckle,

"Frostkit, Emberkit, and Tigerkit." Gingertale replied.

"Those names are beautiful." Loststar said with a comforting smile,

"Thanks, Losty." Gingertale said as she laid her head on the ground.

*

Loststar walked out of the nursery den giving his mate and kits affectionate licks.

"Congratulations Loststar!"

"Welcome to the father club man."

"Your kits are so cute!"

"Your surprised? They have his blood after all!" The cats said as Loststar left the nursery den for his own den. Loststar made sure to smile, wave, and give short replies to the cats he passed eventually making his way to his own den. Once he got to his den Loststar blushed as he saw a soft boulder made of soft cotton and green fabric at the back of his den. The soft boulder had been stolen and given to him by a group of kits and apprentices during his first season as leader. Loststar honestly found it a bit much but he hadn't been able to deny the gift and it was a really comfortable throne (though Loststar would never admit that openly).

With a contempt sigh Loststar walked over to his soft boulder and allowed his haunches and tail to sink into the spongey and soft cotton that was stuffed in the soft boulder. Loststar sighed and curled up allowing his body to finally relax, his den was the only place he could really be himself or wind down when he needed to. The only cats that we're allowed to enter his den without permission was his deputy Lightningspark, his parents, mate, and now his kits. Unfortulently though Loststar hadn't come to relax he had needed space to think about the omen the medic Healingrose had told him about, but a few seconds (or minutes) of pure relaxation and mental clarify wouldn't hurt. Loststar just felt so tense all the time, the only time he didn't feel stressed was when he was alone on his soft boulder, telling the young kits or apprentices a story, and when he was—

"Hey Loststar." A voice called out shattering Loststar's calm. The leader tom groaned and lazily rose his head as Lightningspark ran in. Lightningspark was a large tom that had light ginger (or electric yellow) fur with white fur on his muzzle, the tip of his tail, and his underbelly his fur was widely unkempt always jutting and sticking out in old angles almost as if the cat had been struck by lightning. And finally Lightningspark's eyes were covered by an extra amount of fluff covering his fur.

"Oh, did I come at a bad time?" Lightningspark asked knowing fully well just how stressed Loststar was just by looking at him, it was a gift the deputy had ever since him a be Loststar we're kits.

"I'm fine." Loststar reassured,

"Are you sure? Cuz you kinda—" Lightningspark said only to get cut off as Loststar's left eye twitched and he snapped.

"I'M FINE!" Loststar bellowed, causing Lightningspark to flitch and causing a few warriors and apprentices that we're just about to go patrolling to stop and see what (or who) was upsetting their leader.

"Fatherhood hitting you like a monster?" Lightningspark asked in a soft voice blocking the curious warriors and apprentices from looking into Loststar's den,

"Yes! I missed their birth! What kinda tom misses the birth of his kits!" Loststar said feeling his dam of repressed and hidden away feelings burst. Lightningspark winced and quickly shot a glare at the curious a apprentices and warriors. When Loststar got like this, when the stress got to him and he made some sort of mistake or missed something important well….it was best there would be no witnesses. The curious apprentices and warriors shrank back and ran off to perform their duties knowing it was best to runaway while they still could.

"Loststar….." Lightningspark started quickly turning his head back to his friend and leader,

"I-I gotta…p-punish..." Loststar said his front paws shaking and twitching uncontrollably as his royal blue eyes glazed over.

"Loststar!" Lightningspark said taking tentative steps towards Loststar knowing what the tomcat before him was going to do, "Come on man, remember to breathe." Lightningspark said now in front of Loststar's throne to prevent the inevitable. And Lightningspark was just in time too as Loststar gritted his teeth a low growl coming from his throat as his right paw with sharp claws dug into his left arm. He began to claw into his flesh blood immediately spurting from the wounds staining the cobwebs wrapped over them. Lightningspark winced and lunged for Loststar and pinned him to the ground forcing Loststar's arms to dig into his chest.

"Loststar, snap out of it!" Lightningspark shouted into the cats ear, Loststar yowled in pain his ears going back at the loud sound invading his eardrums. But after a quick moment Loststar blinked shaking his head, when the cat reopened his eyes they we're back to normal. Lightningspark sighed and looked towards the den entrance, there was no one there, Lightningspark sighed in relief that was good if news of Loststar's issue got out there would be trouble. Loststar could lose his position as leader for not being mentally strong enough to handle the job (not that it would be the wrong assumption). And Lightningspark had promised Loststar he'd keep his secret and stop him from acting on his morbid urges as a friend and a deputy it was his duty help the leader in any way he could.

"I-I did it again did I?" Loststar asked in a quiet voice,

"Yeah, you did." Lightningspark said reluctantly getting off of Loststar.

"Did anyone….?" Loststar asked trailing off,

"No." Lightningspark quickly said not wanting anymore stress to weigh on his friend and leader.

"Thank you, you're the best friend and deputy a leader could hope for." Loststar said,

"Your welcome, and I think I know how you can work off your stress." Lightningspark said gaining an evil grin.

"Who?" Loststar said matching his friends grin,

"Fleetpaw." Lightningspark swiftly replied.

"Well isn't that sweet….why don't we and the whole clan 'congratulate' the kittypet?" Loststar said as he maneuvered out of his throne and swiftly walked towards the den entrance,

"May I help you 'congratulate' him?" Lightningspark said following after his leader,

"Pfff! Of course you can! It isn't as fun without you." Loststar scoffed.

Lightningspark chuckled, his grin growing.

This was going to be fun.