[Jaden Wolf]

Lilac [Hydro], Stag [Hydro], Coral [Borealis], Friday (Spectra), Aquatica (Tick), Painbrush (Paint), Flavour (Flay)

Paint sat in the middle of the clearing, surveying his new family. This was the first time the two of them had brought the kits out, now that they were able to walk about. They'd even developed their vocal cords...well for kits, since they couldn't yet speak, just mew. But they could understand the language of their feline base...the first step for all kuhnas, though some (or many?) forgot that language upon learning speech. They were developing abnormally fast however, and combined with their strange and dangerously familiar behaviours, he was starting to worry. He could tell Tick was too, but hasn't had the time to talk to her, since she's so busy managing them. When at home, at least Berry tries to help, since she's the only other kuhna mother, but her own kits, although grown, are still a handful. Paint hoped his kits wouldn't be so...time-consuming when they were older. He could see that two of them probably wouldn't be...but the other two...

He watched his mate pacing nervously as she watched the kits exploring the area, yelping or jumping whenever something moved in the trees or when one of the kits aproached something she considered dangerous. Who would have thought Tick would be a fretting mother? Perhaps maternal instincts were too strong, even for her. He smiled as he heard a playful hiss, and turned to see Friday pouncing at a butterfly. Behind her, Coral batted Stag over the head for trying to climb a tree. Frowning, Paint looked around for the youngest kit, and relaxed as he spotted her sitting calmly under a tree, watching the others. He noticed her glance at Tick, a look of discomfort on her small face. Paint wondered if it was a good idea to name the young female after Tick's mother, Lilac the First. Or if that would have even had an effect on the fate of the kit. He shook his head gently, dispelling the thoughts.

~~~
Flavour ran through the forest, not really noting how alone she was, since she was so excited. Siblings! Well sure, they weren't blood or anything, but since Paint and Tick raised her since she was a kit, they were sort of her parents. Any kits of theirs...would be her siblings, and now they had four! Flay gave a little bounce as she dodged a tree. Ah, why did she have to be sent off when everyone knew Tick and Paint would be having kits? She never got to see them, and she's their sister! Suddenly, she found herself in a clearing and spotted Tick pacing just ahead of her.
"Momma! Momma!" she squealed, not seeing the four kits in the field turning to look at her before resuming what they were doing. Tick turned and relaxed, smiling at her.
"Flay! How are you? Come on, little ones, come say hi!" she greeted Flay then turned to the clearing, calling her kits. Stag perked his head up as Coral stopped scolding him and trotted over obediently, eyeing Flay curiously. He quickly followed his sister, giving Flay a small grin as he approached. Then he paused, seeing Friday completely oblivious, chasing the butterfly farther and father away. Before he could move, Paint walked up behind Friday and scooped her up by the scruff of her neck, carrying her to her mother. As he came closer, he gestured to Lilac to come, and reluctantly, she obeyed.
Flay watched them in awe. SIBLINGS!
"They're so CYUTEE!" she squealed, silencing Friday, who was mewing piteously, probably about being taken from the fleeing butterfly. The kit stared at her older sister with her eyes wide. Then as she was set down, she bounced over and climbed onto Flay's back.
"That's the oldest, Friday...she's a Spectrakuhna like Shiver and Kaguroi at home." Paint said with a smile as Tick started to groom each kit. Stag shoved Coral forward, making a face as he did so.
"That...is Stag. He's a Hydro like his mother. The one he's hiding behind is Coral, a Borealis. The last one is Lilac, another Hydro. Kits, this is your big sister, Flavour." Paint said kindly. Flay rolled her eyes.
"You guys can call me Flay...well, when you can." She grinned, and quickly caught Friday as the kit rolled off her back.

[Jaden Wolf]

As Flay set Friday down, the kit pounced on her brother, gaining a swat on the head from Coral. The kit mewed at her sister in such a way that anyone could tell she was scolding her. The three older ones smiled as they watched the three, Friday bouncing around, Coral fretting and scolding, and Stag trying to calm Coral.
As the six of them interacted with each other, Lilac limped off to a rock bathed in sunlight. Flay noticed and tilted her head curiously.
"Momma? Why does Lilac limp? Did she get hurt?" she asked, turning to her mother. Tick gazed at the kit, curled up in the sunlight for a nap, and sighed. Paint, seeing that she couldn't quite bring herself to answer, gestured to Flay and the two walked off to talk.
"Flay...we don't actually know why she limps but...we think...well...do you know who the kits are named after?" he asked, his paws shifting nervously as he sat down. Flay sat down and tilted her head.
"No...not really. Well, Friday was your mom right?" she trilled, her ear twitching as she thought.
"Yes, Friday is named after my Mother. Stag and Coral are named after my older brother and sister. Lilac...she's named after your Mother's Mother. We think...we think maybe the kits have the spirits of those kuhnas in them...and Lilac..." he trailed off, trying to think of the right words.
"Why doesn't she stick with Momma then? If Lilac has our Grandma's spirit in her, then shouldn't she love Momma alot?" Flay asked quizzically, turning to look at Lilac.
Paint sighed and also turned, looking also at Lilac, then at his mate, who was trying to groom the other three, two of them squirming uncomfortably.

[Jaden Wolf]

Paint turned back to Flay, noting the puzzled look on her face as the little gears in her head were spinning in overdrive, trying to think of a reason Lilac wouldn't like her mother. He chuckled.
"Don't hurt yourself, Flay. Lilac, that is, your grandmother Lilac, was...being beaten by your grandfather. That limp was caused by an improper healing of an injury he gave her. He also beat your mother, but not as severely. Ticka isn't even sure why her mother was so cold. She remembers her mom trying to keep her happy, yet she left her. Your mom had to run away shortly after that because of your grandfather's rage. Are you understanding this?"
Flay nodded slowly, staring at the ground as she processed it.
"If it's true, about them holding the spirits of their ancestors, then, that would be why she is so distant."
Flay nodded again, biting her lip. The two of them glanced up again and spotted Coral looking at herbs along the forest edge, and both jumped up when a large shape moved beside her. A large shriek split the air.
"Cor!" it screamed, drawing the attention of all the kuhnas in the clearing, as Lilac shot across the grass.
"Was that...?" Flay murmured, then realizing the danger, ran after the kit.
Just as she did, a large wild Taigra lept from the trees, barely missing Coral, who barreled into a tree in fear. Her tails slipping between her legs, she pressed against the wood, watching the Taigra with wide eyes.

[Jaden Wolf]

The Taigra began to turn on the small kit, when a bundle of spitting fur slammed into its leg and stuck there. With a snarl, the creature flung Lilac off, and she landed in front of her sister, facing their predator. Hissing, she slunk forward, her gait thrown off by her leg. The Taigra brought its paw down, but the claws never reached their target, as a light brown feline tackled it down. Claws and teeth tore at the Taigra's fur, though a few blows went the other way too. Jumping back from a backhand blow, Flay positioned herself between the kits and the beast.
"Touch my sisters and I'll see to it that you don't leave here alive." She curled up her lip with a menacing growl, and defeated, the Taigra glared at her, then backed up into the bushes and slipped away. Relaxing, Flay turned to the small ones as the other four ran up.
"Are you okay, guys?" she mewed, sniffing them for the scent of blood. They nodded, and Ticka, satisfied with the answer, started grooming the two of them over again.
"Lilac, did we hear you speak earlier? "Cor"? Is that what you said?" Paint looked at Lilac quizzically, and the kit lowered her head, glancing at her siblings. With a sigh, Coral nodded to Stag and stepped out from her mother's tounge.
"We can talk. Well, kinda. I talk best. Stag okay, Lac say names, and Day don't talk at all." She mewed, surprising the three older ones. After a moment, a grin spread on Flay's face, Tick set to cleaning them again, and Paint purred with pride.
"How long could you guys talk? Why didn't you tell momma and dad?" Flay asked, just as Tick muttered something about "doesn't" instead of "don't". Coral looked at the ground.
"Uh, Lac started this morning, Stag yesterday, and me night before. I knew we weird, so 'cause we talk too...I thought you'd worry more. I see you worry even before now." she looked up, blinking. Tick smiled and nuzzled her.
"Oh! No, we would be proud of you! Well...yes, we do wonder why you are growing up so fast, but we're proud of you!" she said, with a grin, and glared at Friday as she attempted to slip off, stopping the kit in her tracks.

[Jaden Wolf]

After managing to squirm away from her playful eldest sister, Lilac slunk off to another patch of sunlight in the clearing. Thinking, Coral slunk after, with Stag right behind her. Behind, her step-sister played with Friday as her parents watched. Reaching the spot where Lilac was curled up, she and Stag sat down next to each other.
"Lilac...why you act so funny around Momma?" Coral asked, tilting her head. Lilac glanced up, hesitated, then mewed. Coral and Stag nodded, still young enough to understand the mewling of their two sisters.
"Yeah. You like us. You talk...mrrr...Gramomma?" Stag said, stumbling over his words. Lilac, understanding, nodded. Coral nodded as well. They could sense the spirits of their ancestors behind them. Lilac the First, Stag the First, and Coral the First. Back with their parents, Friday too held the spirit of her father's mother. Yet they did not know whatever the others knew. Coral knew better than to pester Lilac for this information and walked away, hoping that Lilac would come to confide in her. Meanwhile she too had to learn to confide a dark secret to her sisters and brother.