Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter

Epilogue

Fawnfur blinked away the images swirling in her mind. The nursery and its occupants took shape in her eyes. One or two of the young cats had fallen asleep, but the older two, as well as Cloverkit, stared at the medicine cat apprentice with wide eyes.

"Is any of that true?" Black-kit asked. They'd heard tales from "ancient" history before, but this was something recent. No one had ever heard this tale. Even now, as the storm clouds fought over head, did StarClan fight the Dark Forest?

"Stop scaring the kits," Lightningwhisker meowed. The black and white queen bristled in the darkness. "Dark Forest cats invading StarClan? Do you really want them to believe there is no refuge from cruel cats? That we can die again after reaching what should be a peaceful afterlife?"

"I apologize," Fawnfur meowed.

"You apologize for that mouthful of nonsense?" the queen continued.

Frostshine hushed her. "Thank you Fawnfur for spending time with us, but I think it is time for the kits to get some sleep."

Fawnfur bowed her head. Perhaps she had frightened the kits. At least those who had remained awake. The three stared at her silently, glancing at their mothers. She wished she could only find the light-hearted stories for them.

"I didn't mean to scare any kits," Fawnfur meowed, "But I hope you don't see this as a tale to be frightened of, but hopeful. We can all find redemption, eventually. No matter how far we might have gone."

At least that was how she saw it. But even amiable Frostshine was hesitant to agree.

"My tale is done, for now," Fawnfur promised. "I have things to do, duties to attend. Good day. I'll send some prey up for you. The apprentices may have to get wet today after all."

The medicine cat apprentice made her way out of the den. The ginger-brown she-cat shivered and looked up at the dark sky. The rain streaked down into Fawnfur's eyes and she blinked them away. The clouds fought with each other. Could it be true? She'd never Seen such recent history. Could StarClan still be fighting above? Or was this grief of all that had been lost—every StarClan cat and Dark Forest warrior mourning those who had moved beyond?

Fawnfur shivered. Perhaps her story was not meant for the young ones after all.

Later that evening Fawnfur sat in the medicine cat den, sorting through her herbs seeing what they would need before leafbare set its claws into the lake territory. Jayfeather had gone to visit the elders on account of a few coughs and she was alone when a sudden brilliant light chased away the shadows at her paws. Fawnfur looked up, head twisting to the entrance of the den. A familiar face greeted her.

"Sunstorm," Fawnfur gasped. She ran to her sister and they lightly touched each other's noses. Then the medicine cat took a step back.

"Oh, Sunstorm," Fawnfur repeated. "I'm so sorry."

Sunstorm's fur was torn and there was a healing wound on her paw. For a moment the StarClan warrior looked confused then she gave a chuckle. "I should have known you'd know what happened."

"I saw enough," Fawnfur meowed.

Sunstorm sighed. "I want to go after her, Fawnfur. I want to look for her. I know Morningsong doesn't deserve StarClan, but maybe we could work things out in the Changing Lands. She could get better. See things differently. We could join LightClan at the edge of the territory."

"Maybe," Fawnfur meowed. Her heart hurt. Though she would love if Sunstorm's words could be true, a part of her doubted it. Morningsong was too bitter to change quickly.

"But I can't go looking for her," Sunstorm continued.

Fawnfur looked up, surprised. Sunstorm met her eyes, "I am not leaving StarClan again, Fawnfur. You need me. I am not making the same mistake twice. I will be here for you, sister. I failed with Morningsong, but I am not leaving StarClan again while you still live."

"I'll be fine, Sunstorm," Fawnfur protested.

"I know," Sunstorm sighed. "You were always the most steady. But in case you need me, I want you to be able to find me. Talk to me when you feel uncertain."

"Even with what StarClan has ruled?" Fawnfur questioned, a little amused. As far as she knew they still hadn't lifted their decision that StarClan had to limit their interaction with the living Clans.

"Let them have their rules," Sunstorm snorted. "If you need me, just ask for me, okay? All medicine cats need a guide, and I'm willing to be yours, no matter what the leaders or medicine cats say. They've said a lot of things, but cats are realizing they don't have to obey anymore."

Fawnfur could only hope Sunstorm derision for StarClan leader ship did not extend to her when Fawnfur's own time came to join the starry ranks. She would be one of those hated medicine cats if things didn't change.

For a moment they sat silently, the rain trickling softly outside the den. It was nice to be near her sister again, Fawnfur thought.

"H-hey, Fawnfur," Sunstorm meowed hesitantly.

"Yes?" Fawnfur meowed.

"If you could change the past, what would you change?"

Fawnfur considered the question. What would she change had she the ability to affect what she Saw. Sunstorm probably could think of a few instances. One choice that would have kept Morningsong from the Dark Forest. Or from even dying.

"How far back would you go?" Fawnfur asked.

Sunstorm looked at her in puzzlement.

"The path we are on now, the steps we took, our paws were set here long ago," Fawnfur meowed. "Would we prevent your death? But then you would have never found the Dark Pool to seal it, and our Clans would have perished. Would we keep Eveningbreeze from ever find the Pool? Or preventing her and Fernstripe from doing evil deeds? Stop Hollyleaf from killing Ashfur and running into the tunnels in her self-imposed exile? How far back do we go to correct the ills in life, Sunstorm? They are endless.

"If we followed any other path, we might not even be here," Fawnfur looked at her sister. "The story would not be our own. The world would continue without us, probably very similar, but different. We cannot change the past, only the future by doing the best we can now. We have to accept all the mistakes and all the good that came from these choices."

Sunstorm stared at her, her ginger chest rising and falling. Finally her golden eyes closed. "I suppose you are right, but I still wish it could have gone differently."

Fawnfur nuzzled her sister's head. "I wish Morningsong could be here too."

For a time the sisters sat together, basking in their misery. Fawnfur thought over the events that had played in her head and the words Sunstorm had shared with her this night. Sunstorm thought she had to be there for Fawnfur, but the medicine cat apprentice had a feeling it was the other way around. It was Sunstorm who wanted the companion, someone who could understand the agony of losing her sister. Someone who felt as betrayed, but sorrowful at the betrayal instead of enraged.

"You know, if you ever need to talk to anyone," Fawnfur meowed. "You can come and talk with me."

"I will," Sunstorm promised.

Soon the she-cat faded from sight, the glimmering stars the last to disappear. It wasn't complete darkness when she departed. As Fawnfur blinked her eyes, she realized there was light coming from outside the medicine den entrance. The ginger and brown she-cat stepped to the opening in the rock and peered upward to the sky. The clouds were breaking up, streaks of blue in the gray. The storm was over. As Fawnfur breathed in the fresh scent of the rain fall, other cats appeared from the bushes.

The warriors and apprentices came out to stretch their legs, planning patrols before darkness set in. There was joyful shouts as the kits were escorted from their den. They tumbled into the puddles and splashed each other like RiverClan kits. Fawnfur looked at her Clan.

She wouldn't change a thing.

Farewell until another story. Ill Medicine, a story about a medicine cat who kills and which is set in WindClan before Firestar's era will come sometime this year. I hope to get it done in a short time and not over a year so when I write it all out then I'll start posting. (I also hope to get my original story published too but more on that later.)

Keep writing your own stories!