Monarchkit snuggled closer to her mother's warmth, letting out a sleepy yawn. She stretched her wings, and decided to open her eyes. And just like that, her eyes were open. I did it! Lights and sounds and smells... Everything was better with her eyes open. She was almost blinded by the light reflecting off rainbow fur, shining from the horns on all the queen's foreheads. We have horns? She toke in the faces of her mother and the other she-cats, wondering what else she missed when she couldn't see. She looked over her shoulder to glance at her wings.

Orange and black! Not the same as my mother's. She looked at everyone else's wings. They're all different too! She looked at her sleeping sisters. Have they opened their eyes yet? Which one is which? It was hard to tell when they haven't spoken yet. Neither have I! Can I speak? "Hello?" she quietly mewed.

Azuredusk looked down at Monarchkit. "Ahh. You've opened your eyes. Green. What a great color." Monarchwing looked at her mother's eyes. Blue!  And mine are green! What color are my sister's?  She glanced at their sleeping forms again. I guess I'll find out when they open their eyes.

Swanfeather leaned over from her nest to get a better look at her. She could tell it was Swanfeather by the scent of milk that was not her mother's, because Cobwebflight's kits haven't come yet. "Hmm.... Fine, I guess. Not as good as my kits. You might want to check on the other two. If they haven't opened their eyes yet, they might be dead."

Azuredusk stiffened. "I think I would know if two of my kits were dead, thank you very much."

"Of course, of course, just saying mine opened theirs a bit sooner." Swanfeather replied.

Suddenly the bracken and feathers at the entrance to the nursery quivered. A large tom pushed his way through the tunnel, wiggling his broad shoulders to get through. Who is it? Monarchkit thought. But then the tom spoke, and Monarchkit recognized him instantly. Ripplefeather! My father!

"I was on dawn patrol this morning, no sign of trouble at the borders," Ripplefeather said, nuzzling his mate.

"No foxes? No badgers? Nothing?" Azuredusk inquired.

"Yes, nothing worrying at all. You and our kits are safe." He turned around. "Oh! One of our kits has opened her eyes! That's great! I'm sure the others will open theirs soon, too."

Just then, one of the kits yawned and stretched, her wings flaring, almost knocking Monarchkit over. Her eyes popped open. "Cynakit! Her eyes are open now!" Azuredusk cried. So that one's Cynakit. That means the other one is Sweetkit.

"Hmph." said Swanfeather. "So she might be alive."

Monarchkit watched Cynakit look around wonderingly, remembering how she felt the same way when she opened her eyes. Seconds after Cynakit, Sweetkit did the same thing.

"So maybe none of them are dead. Doesn't matter." Swanfeather looked away.

"Great!" mewed a voice from Swanfeather's nest. "Now that all of their eyes are open, we can go play!" Monarchkit recognized the voice. It was Sparrowkit, currently the only tom in the nursery.

Monarchkit tried talking again. "Can we, mother?"

Azuredusk looked at her with a kind gaze. "I don't see why not." she mewed. "Just remember: don't try to fly. Your wings are not meant for flying, only for decoration."

What? Monarchkit thought. Why would we have useless wings? She glanced back at her orange with black striped wings. They LOOK strong enough to carry me, though I suppose looks might be deceiving. Besides, I trust mother. At that moment, she didn't care. She was going to see the camp, and meet her Clan!