Warriors Fan Fiction Organization

Hey Maple! Here’s my entry to your contest! Sorry it’s not that good, but I did my best. 🙂

Milky Memories

I felt like I was floating.

I was wisping over a moorland. The grass was waving in the breeze, moving swiftly and buffeted by the wind. The sun was glinting high in the sky. I wondered if I was able to go lower, so I simply thought about it, and I drifted down to the ground.

I walked slowly, my paws not even seeming to connect with the ground. What was happening here? I closed my eyes, startled by the familiarity of it all. I breathed in deeply and my eyes snapped back open.

I smelled cats. Lots and lots of cats.

I shivered. What was happening? How was I floating? I didn’t feel alive, and yet I did at the same time. But even stranger, I could tell that I was full grown, maybe even old, but I couldn’t recall a single day from my life.

I felt warmth wash over me and I looked over my shoulder. My eyes widened. A pale ginger tom stood behind me, amber eyes watching me closely.

“Um…” I took a step away from him. “Do I know you?”

Sadness flashed through his eyes. “Yes. You do.”

“Oh,” I still felt uncomfortable. “Then… Then why don’t I remember you?”

He stepped back and flicked his tail. “Follow me, “ he instructed.

I took a wary step after him and he shot up a hill, running off. I gasped and ran after him as fast as I could. Even without my memories, I felt as though I shouldn’t be able to run this fast. I should have been tired. But I wasn’t.

I saw the tom stop ahead of me and ran up to him, skidding to a stop. I looked down and gasped.

A dip in the moor was before me. It looked like a giant cat chose to scoop out a pawful of the ground. But that wasn’t what shocks me. It was the cats.

Cats were walking here and there and everywhere. A tall rock sat in the clearing. Dens were sprinkled around the edges, made of different things. There were cats eating and talking, some were sharing tongues. A dark brown tom was sitting outside of a small hollow, poking at leaves and berries. A small gray she-cat was sitting below the tall rock. I couldn’t breath for a moment.

Then my memories came rushing back like a flood.

I gasped and stumbled forward, sliding into the hollow of cats. I turned slowly, watching my home. I remembered everything…

I remembered my time in the nursery, right over there. Right there! I whirled around. There were the Hunting Stones! I’d climbed them as a kit. There, the Tallrock! The Meeting Hollow! It was all here! I took a deep breath, and now the scent of all the cats was comforting is was Windclan’s scent. Then I froze. That cat. That pale ginger cat. It was…

“Sandgorse,” I breathed, and his scent washed over me. I felt his breath beside me, his tail resting on my shoulder.

“Now do you remember?” he whispered. I nodded and turned to look at him. My dear, dear Sandgorse. His amber eyes met mine, and i couldn’t look away. “I’ve missed you, Palebird,” he said softly.

I closed my eyes. I remembered everything about him. I remembered when we’d both been apprentices… Oh, he was a lot of fun then, always getting into trouble. He always managed to drag me into the trouble, but he was always there to take the blame. I remembered his vigil. He’d become a warrior and I was… So jealous. He comforted me and told me he would come check on me when it was time for my vigil. I remembered us hunting together. Us in the tunnelers den. I remembered our kits. The way his amber eyes glowed more when he was underground, which I’d forgotten when I was alive.

When I was alive.

I gasped and took a step back. “If I’m with you, then… I’m in StarClan?”

He nodded, sadness in his eyes. “It was selfish of me, but I was excited for you to join me.”

I felt a purr rumble in my throat. “I don’t mind. I’m glad to see you too. Only…” My thoughts shifted to a certain black and white tom. My gaze traveled across the clearing, searching, until it settled on him.

“Woollytail,” Sandgorse whispered. “Only Woollytail.” I nodded.

I stepped toward him. My mate. He was staring at the ground, his yellow gaze empty. I knew he was thinking of me.

I turned back to Sandgorse. “So, what do StarClan cats do all day?” I asked quietly.

He seemed to consider the question. “Well, we have our hunting grounds. Always prey running there. We usually just hunt, share tongues, talk. But some of the newer ones-like us-we come down here and we watch the ones we love. We try not o do it too much. Makes us feel like we’re missing out on something, but we come down here every once in a while. I came down to see you. And… And Talltail.”

My heart lurched. “So you’re proud of him? For becoming deputy?”

His gaze traveled past my shoulder. “Of course. I just wish I could tell him.”

I turned to where he was looking and saw my son. His black and white pelt looked sleek and strong. His tail twitched slightly. He was talking to a group of cats. My ears pricked forward as I listened, and everything else around me faded away as I watched him, pride warming my pelt.

“Hickorynose, lead a hunting patrol. Take Brackenwing, Stagleap and Mudpaw.” the four cats dipped their heads and turned, walking out of camp. Talltail turned to the others. “Ryestalk, lead a border patrol with Redclaw, Tornpaw, and… Woollytail, do you think you can go as well?”

My dear mate. He looks startled but nods and stands, following ryestalk and the others out of camp. My eyes linger in the spot he disappeared from, before turning back to Talltail.

“Larksplash, lead another hunting patrol with two or three other cats. You pick.” The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat nods and calls out to a few clanmates.

“Talltail?” a mew calls out. My son turned to Dawnstripe, stepping out of the elders den. He padded over to her. “Perhaps you should rest today. I assume you’re upset about Palebird…” I purred. Dawnstripe loved him like a mother, and took care of him. I wondered how he would respond.

He dipped his head. “I grieve Palebird, but my clan needs me right now.”

I purred. He always thinks of his clan. Ever since he came back from his… journey, he has cared for his clan with everything he has. But a pang enetered my heart. He wasn’t even grieving for me. Was I that bad of a mother to him?

Dawnstripe smiles. “I’m proud of you. My apprentice, clan deputy, and future leader.”

“Heatherstar’s not dead yet,” a voice called out. Reedfeather poked his head out of the elder’s den.

Dawnstripe rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s why I said future leader.”

Talltail turned away from the bickering elders and padded out of camp. I glanced over at sandgorse who nodded at me. I found myself trailing after him, up a tall hill. He sat down at the top, curling his tail over his paws. I sat next to him.

His eyes had lost their amber glow, and his head hung.

“Palebird,” he whispered softly. “Palebird, are you… Are you there?”

My breath caught. He was grieving for me. He did care. He missed me. Once he had done his duty for his clan, then he had come here to grieve. I brushed my tail along his shoulder. “I’m here, my kit,” I whispered.

He froze and his head shot around, startling me and I pulled back my tail. His eyes went right over me. He couldn’t see me, but it looked like he knew I was there.

“Palebird?” he asked.

I fought back tears. “I’m here.”

I don’t think he could hear me. But he simply turned his head up to the sky. “Don’t leave,” he whispered.

“I won’t,” I said softly. My little kit. We were separated by a great divide. But I knew.

I’ll always be here.” I said quietly.

I knew in my heart that it was true.