The dream by WyldClaw

Summary: how did Whitestorm know he'd die in the BloodClan battle? This story takes place the night before the battle. Don't own anyone or I would have made Snowfur live. Italics mean a dream. Enjoy! Remember i live off of reviews

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The sun was setting over the ThunderClan camp, basking the forest camp in a firey orange glow. Whitestorm looked around the camp as he walked over to the nursery to see Willowpelt, his mate. Cats were silently sharing tongues with one another or asleep in their dens. He knew that all of ThunderClan was nervous about the upcoming battle with BloodClan the next day.

"Wh-Whitestorm?" he saw a little pale gray she-cat with darker flecks and pad up to him. His heart sank as his own yellow eyes meet docile Fernpaw's pale leaf green ones. She looked so much like her mother Brindleface.

The white warrior took in the young apprentice. " yes, little one?"

"um. I'm… I'm worried about tomorrow. I don't want to lose to those B-BloodClan cats. I know it's silly to be scared of the battle .."

he shook his great head. "it's not silly Fernpaw-even I'm nervous about the battle."

She blinked. " but you're so wise and the Clan deputy. How can you be scared of anything asides from that terrifying dog pack?"

His whiskers twitched in amusement. "I'm still a regular cat . The BloodClan cats terrify me slightly more than the dog pack. Don't worry- im sure the rest of the Clan feels the same way. " he touched the tip of his tail to her cheek. He knew she still felt the recent loss of her mother. " I know it hurts Fernpaw. but you have to remember she's looking down from StarClan with your siblings . and she still lives in you and Ashpaw in your heart and in your dreams." He noticed she looked exhausted. "get some sleep, young one. You will need your strength for tomorrow."

"Thank you Whitestorm. " The young she cat nodded and dipped Her head in respect. He watched as she padded off to join her brother in the apprentice's den.

The white muscular thick furred warrior sighed. At that particular moment he felt seasons older than his tru age of sixty six moons. In his long life he had seen many dangers -his evil murderous father Thistleclaw, the fire that had claimed Yellowfang, Halftail and Patchpelt's lives and even the terrible dog pack. But they were but minuscule mice compared to the looming threat of BloodClan. Fear nagged at his pelt. 'What if LionClan is unable to defeat BloodClan? What will happen to us? What will become of all the forest cats? '

He wondered but he was tackled to the ground by three bundles of kitten fluff . He looked up and saw the eyes of his tortishell daughter, Sorrelkit looking up at him. Her brother Sootkit was playing with his tail and Rainkit, his other son was on his left flank. "Hi." Rainkit meowed.

Firestar, the clan leader, chuckled as he walked by, Sandstorm at his side. "If BloodClan gets past us, these three will surely scare them off," the pale ginger she-cat said.

"You trained them well, Sandstorm," The white warrior said to his former apprentice as he tried to get up. "They even got me! Me, their own father! What kind of a deputy am I if a trio of kits can overpower me? Are you sure they aren't pint-sized warriors posing as kits, Firestar?"

The cats that were sharing tongues near let out mrrows of laughter. Everyone knew how much Whitestorm was trying to make light of the impending battle. And no cat could deny how much he loved his kits.

"Did we scare you?" Sorrelkit asked him, amusement in her tiny eyes as she jumped off her father's fur and he got up to his paws. She had just gotten over a near-fatal deathberry poisoning and the Clan cats were glad to see her back to normal.

"I was very surprised, yes. " he said as they walked to the nursery, Sootkit and Rainkit bouncing at his heels and Sorrelkit was walking ahead. "Did Brightheart teach you that?" he asked Rainkit as Sorrelkit mewed goodnight to the cats as they passed.

"Yup. She's a great teacher." The young tom replied.

"Hi Willowpelt" Sootkit said they came to the front of the nursery and saw their pale gray mother.

Willowpelt was waiting outside for her kits calmly washing her tail. She stopped when she saw them. The three kits brushed themselves against her gray pelt. "Hello my little darlings " she purred and then went up and gave Whitestorm a lick on his face.

"Ewww. " Rainkit and Sootkit looked away in disgust while Sorrelkit sighed at the affection.

Her kits spoke at once:

"Did you see our pounce?"

"Was it good?"

"I want to have Brightheart for my mentor"

Willowpelt looked over at her children. "Yes I saw it, Sootkit. Rainkit don't pounce on your brother's tail when he's not looking. Sorrelkit, you know that Firestar chooses your mentor. "

The she-cat ducked her head. "I know"

Willowpelt motioned with her tail to the nursery. "Come on little ones. Bed time."

Sootkit pouted. "Do we have to?"

"We're not even a b-bit -" Rainkit yawned. "Sl-sleepy."

"Yes you are, son" the white deputy herded his sons in the directory. "Come on Bed time. Into your nest." The kits murmured good night to their father as they went into the nursery.

..

As they saw Sorrelkit disappear inside the nursery the white deputy felt a pang of anger. " What will I do if I have to face Darkstripe tomorrow?"

Willowpelt saw a look of hatred cross her mate's face. She padded up to him. "What's wrong?"

They headed to towards the warriors den. "I'm just thinking about what I will do if I face Darkstripe"

She gave him a look. "that's : Claw his sorry hide! After what he did I'd shred his pelt off if it were me."

Whitestorm was surprised. "He's your son!"

Their former deputy had been sick in the head and forced himself upon her while she had brought him out of the medicine cat den to get fresh air. This meeting produced Darkstripe. She turned her intense blue eyes on her mate. "After what he did to sweet Sorrelkit- he's no son of mine."

"I don't blame you dear" he agreed.

They reached the warriors' den and she gave the older warrior a lick on his cheek. "Get some sleep, you're worked up about tomorrow. You'll do great, deputy. My handsome deputy" she added in a purr.

He gave her a lick of his own before she walked back to the nursery. The white tom silently made his way to his familiar nest. As soon as he sat down sleep washed over him.

He was stalking an unsuspecting squirrel. The big (for its size) animal was so intent on eating a nut that it did not know that it was being hunted. Just as he jumped in the air the creature turned its head and let a shriek of terror but it was too late. With a fierce yowl he jumped on it and delivered the killing bite.

"Well done," a voice in front of him said. He stopped and looked up and saw a familiar thick furred blue-eyed she-cat with gray tipped ears and a fluffy tail. He couldn't speak- it had been so long many seasons since he'd seen he had only been a young kit when she passed into StarClan. But he never forgot her voice.

Whitestorm felt his throat go dry. "M-m-mother." He raced over to her, the dead squirrel and formalities forgotten. He rubbed his pelt against hers, breathing in her beautiful scent. He was only a kit when she died but in his heart and memory he never forgot her.

She licked his ears. "Oh my little kit... You've grown up so handsomely, Whitestorm. I saw you grow from an apprentice to a warrior to a wonderful mentor and now deputy." she purred kindly and Whitestorm blushed, "but in my eyes you will always be my little whitekit"

"Snowfur, what are you doing in my dream? I thought StarClan only came to medicine cats and Clan leaders"

She sighed sadly. "Come," she beckoned him with her tail. They walked in silence until they reached a certain clearing- in fact the very clearing where the BloodClan battle was due to take place.

"Th-that's the sight of the battle for tomorrow! But-"

Snowfur cut him off as she silently waved her paw in front of it. The ground became red. Whitestorm could hear the yowls of cats fighting and there was a single cat in the middle.. The warrior recognized the figure-A thick-furred, long-bodied white cat with tufted ears covered in red lines that lay still as a frozen rock at once: himself.

The white warrior stared at his mother- apparently it was his destiny not to come back from the battle. "Oh..."

Snowfur waved her paw in front of it again and the noise, blood and image of the cat disappeared. "I'm sorry .my son" She turned to him. "I thought you should know."

"Wh-why aren't you telling firestar this? Or Cinderpelt?" he asked.

She smiled. "They have enough on their minds. You saw how easily Scourge ripped Tigerstar apart?"

Whitestorm shuddered at the memory. "Yes. It was horrible

"It reminded you of your father, didn't he?"

He nodded. He hadn't thought of Thistleclaw- his power hungry evil father- in seasons upon seasons. But he remembered how vicious and cruel he was. Luckily he'd had inherited not a shred of his cruel streak or evilness but all of Snowfur's goodness. "Thistleclaw didn't join you did he?"

She snorted. "He'd be left at the border for all eternity if he did."

"So I won't make it out of the battle alive. So soon after firestar appointed me deputy. "He tried to change the subject as they began walking back but felt he couldn't.

"It is not your fault Whitestorm. Even StarClan can't change a cat's destiny if they are destined to join us"

"I feel bad though. Willowpelt and my poor kits..."

She purred. "Do not worry. You can still watch over them from StarClan. Even after I died I still watched over you. They are beautiful kits. That little Sorrelkit is going to be a pawful"

He felt his cheeks burn. 'Thanks. I wonder who firestar will chose to be-"

Snowfur laughed – oh what a beautiful sound. "Can you not guess?"

He smiled-of course he knew which cat... the one cat who had befriended Firestar from the very start... "Graystripe. He and Firestar are as close as littermates."

She sighed. "Speaking of Firestar, he can't know that you will be coming to join us. It would truly hurt him. "

"I understand Snowfur". He nodded. "I shall hold my head and tail high as I go into battle tomorrow. I will look those BloodClan scum in the eyes as I take them down. I will not let my impending death slow me down. I will fight For ThunderClan and the forest for I know StarClan will be my guide. This is our home and we must protect it."

Snowfur looked like she was blinking back tears. "My son, my beautiful kit. I have never been prouder of you than at this moment. You have turned into such a wonderful warrior and an incredible asset to ThunderClan. You have made me so proud to be your mother. Brightheart and Sandstorm are so lucky to have been mentored by you. Sootkit, Rainkit and Sorrelkit are lucky to have you as a father, no matter how short a time you had with them. I can tell you will be a wise member of StarClan"

He ducked his head in embarrassment. Snowfur and the surrounding forest were starting to fade, which probably meant he was starting to wake up. "Good bye Snowfur and thank you... for everything. I'll see you soon. "

Whitestorm opened his eyes and found himself in the warriors' den. Snowfur's scent was still around him and he knew what awaited him on the battlefield. But like he told her, he would hold his head high as he entered the battle. After all what better way to serve your Clan than by fighting for it until your last breath leaves your body?

The end

Author's notes: well what do you think of it?