A crisp wind ruffled your wet fur. Soft grass swayed along your face. Someone's cool tongue lapped at your ears.
"Wake up, (Y/N)." They whisper into your ear.
Your eyes twitch open an you see a vast array of hills and trees.
"Wha-?" This wasn't the camp of Hailstorm .
"You're in Starclan, my dear."
Starclan?!
"Am I dead? Is Hailstorm ok?"
"You're fine." The soothing voice said.
You look up at the cat beside you, it was Nettlestrike.
"Nettlestrike! My mate!" You push your face into his reassuring thick fur.
He lapped your forehead. "Hello."
"Why can't I say with you?"
His glamorous green eyes stare into yours.
"The cats back home need you. You must defend them. Protect them with the cost of your life. Lead them to victory."
Wait, is Hailstorm dead?
The thought broke into your mind. "Where's Hailstorm! I can't be leader yet!" You jump to your paws.
"Honey, he's not with us yet." Nettlestrike's tail rested on your shoulder.
"Yet?" Suspicion clouded your eyes.
"He hasn't awoken for days. Neither have you."
"What? Who's leading the clan- I mean group?"
"Lilypad, she's been doing splendidly."
"Lilypad."
The thought of your daughter leading the group and protecting your friends and family warmed you.
"Is Redpaw ok?"
"I'm here." Redpaw walked from behind a tree. "I didn't make it past the second night."
"You're dead?!"
"Yes, but I need you to know that if you leave at the next half moon and go beyond the trees, past the MoonCave, and into the ravine, you'll find something to replace me. Now go, lead your group."
Nettlestrike and Redpaw faded away.
***
Though cloudy, your vision came back as you peered open your eyes.
"She's awake!" A tiny voice squeaked in your ear.
Paws and vibrations echoed around you.
"Softkit! Give her space!" Princess's familiar voice growled lightly as she scooped the kit away.
Truffle and Cupcake quickly began grooming your fur.
"That includes you Truffle, Cupcake! Stop treating her like a kit!"
"I need to go to the ravine." You manage to whisper quietly.
"I wanna go too!" Softkit bounced back toward you, jumping over your sprawled out body like a horse.
"You're not going anywhere until you clean up your mess in my den!" Truffle snorted.
"So what if I made dirt in your den!"
A snicker escaped your mouth.
Truffle stomped out the den, Cupcake followed.
"Sorry." Cupcake mouthed.
Windkit came bolting into the hollow tree. He was so fast it was just a blur to you.
"I've beat Poppykit in four races!"
Poppykit came panting heavily after Windkit.
(Name)kit also came into the den. His fluffy, thick fur bounced up and down as he took each step.
"Actually it was six." He stated.
"I was going so fast I lost count!" Windkit was spinning in blurry circles.
"Who took care of me?" Curiosity pricked your pelt. Redpaw wasn't here so who was it?
"I did, I saw some of those Twolegs preform some simple procedures. I also got a few lessons from Redpaw in Star-." Princess said.
"I know, he's gone."
Princess's shoulder looked relieved.
Days had passed. You were all better but Hailstorm still hasn't woken up.
Tonight would be the half moon. It would be time to go to the ravine.
But you started thinking, maybe you didn't need to go to the ravine. Princess was a just
fine medicine cat.
Yesterday night though, Redpaw said some cat needed you there.
But who?
The half moon was showing brightly in the sky. Lilypad was staring up at the moon with you.
"I'll need to be going soon." You say.
"I'll go wake Duskfur, Juicy and Pebbleshade." Lilypad rose to her paws and walked off.
The she cat had insisted on bringing on a few cats with you.
"Be back by tomorrow night."
You nuzzled your daughter.
"I will."
Duskfur led the way through the forest and through the moor. As you reached the MoonCave, he stopped.
"Ready to go on?" Everyone was catching their breath.
After a few moments you took the lead.
Behind the MoonCave was another vast open field but beyond the tall grass you could just make out a thin black line.
"I can see the ravine!" Pebbleshade bounded off.
"Last one there's a piece of prey!" Juicy bolted ahead.
You looked over the edge of the ravine. It was dark. Too dark.
"We should sleep the night here before going down there." Duskfur suggested.
You nodded and settled down beside your friend, Pebbleshade.
The sun was shining above you. Yawning a stretching your legs and back, the scent of prey caught your nose.
"We caught prey!" Juicy was chowing down on a baby rabbit.
Duskfur was still fast asleep.
Pebbleshade was slumped over an adult rabbit looking down on it.
As she heard you rustle the grass, her head bolted up.
"Oh! I was waiting for you."
"Thanks!" You tear off the fur and top off the two hind legs to save for Duskfur.
"Hey I'll have the foot!" Juicy quickly bit off the foot of the rabbit.
"Why?" You ask.
"I'll be my lucky rabbits foot."
He sets the foot next to him.
As Duskfur finished his share, you scouted out a path down the ravine. It was jagged and steep but doable.
The tough rock touched your paws as you reached the bottom.
A yowl rang through the ravine.
"That's a cat!" Duskfur bolted off. You and the others followed.
Duskfur stopped in horror. A dead cat was laying in an awkward angle. The she cats eyes were glossy and cloudy but wide open. It looked as if she had died in pain. Her claws extended and tail looked bitten several times.
Six kits lied at her belly. They looked small and new but at least two days old.
The she cats rump was drenched in blood. She must've been in so much pain or too wounded to clean herself.
The golden colored cat had gorgeous white tabby stripes and light blue eyes.
There were two golden she kits that looked identical to each other and their mother. One white tom kit had a dark red tail. Another white tom kit had dark red paw tips. Two other she kits had white bodies and patches of their mothers golden and white stripes, while their paw tips and tail where like their brothers.
"We must take them back to the group. They'll die out here."
After having a proper burial from the mother of the kits. You grabbed the tom kits by their scruff, one on your back and one in your mouth.
Duskfur got the identical she kits. Juicy got the she kit with golden and white tabby patches with red, and Pebbleshade grabbed the other.
You reached camp as the sun was setting.
Lilypad had many questions.
The next day, you jump up onto the stone slabs and call the group for a meeting.
"Yesterday me, Duskfur, Juicy and Pebbleshade went to the ravine as Redpaw told me and found six kits lying next to their deceased mother. We took them back home and here we are, with six new kits. "
You jump back down and Lilypad takes over.
You sit to the side and lay down.
Lilypad goes on with her talk.
"Who would like to mother these kits?" Lilypad announced.
No one volunteered.
"Six kits? That's a lot of work." Princess whispered.
"I'll take them." You say.