Talk:Nursery/@comment-24317997-20131124230224

Yellowshade licked her kits, making sure each one of them was cuddled safely in her fur. She didn't want any of them to run away in leaf-bare, and the only way they were allowed to leave the nursery was by asking for her permission- which wouldn't be all that easy. She wrapped her tail around Asphodelkit and watched Cherrykit, who was nearing apprenticeship, pad up.

"Come on, Cherrykit, you don't have to run around like that when it's so cold," the queen mewed to the kit. "Leaf-bare is a harsh season. Many cats have died in the past. I don't like it." She made sure Asphodelkit wouldn't run off. Cherrykit twitched an ear. "But I like leaf-bare," she protested. Yellowshade blinked. "Even though it has caused the deaths of many? Even though the snow freezes at touch and encases you in frozen pain? I don't under-"

Cherrykit looked down, feeling anger rise up in her chest. She interrupted the queen's sentence, and spoke. "Snows are like stars! T-they can hear us, like they're StarClan. Leaf-bare... leafbare has been giving us a wonderful gift, and we've been ignoring it the whole time." Yellowshade stared as Cherrykit went on. "Leaf-bare may be cold and dark, but that doesn't mean there isn't any good to it, no! Maybe leaf-bare is cold because almost nobody likes it. We can have a happy leaf-bare if we look upon it as good luck..."

Yellowshade was now entirely quiet as Cherrykit continued. "We all see Newleaf, Leaf-fall, a-and Greenleaf as happy seasons. Can't Leaf-bare be happy, too?" She raised her voice, pain in her eyes. "Winter is important and I know it! Even if it seems useless, it can give us amazing things, so..." The kit trailed off, unable to say anything more without breaking down.

The queen gazed at the kit in a mix of shock and surprise. How could Cherrykit, the stuck-up, bratty, self-absorbed kit say something like this? She felt a hint of admiration for the kit. Maybe there was more to her than just ego and stubborn pride. "You know... I take back what I said," Yellowshade mewed, a hint of a smile on her face.