Blessed-Cursed [Closed]

Starlingflare didn't expect to break through so soon. He had glimpses of their dreams and watched their lives as they grew up in Riverclan. A clan he didn't expect. He had hated that clan so much in life, but now that his kits lived there and weren't in Thunderclan so his position changed. Well his last moments impacted his stance as well, turning his ire against the clan he once called home.

The tom sighed. He was too impatient. He was ready to meet his family, his kits. He knew the first would show up soon. The very first. One he would consider the protector of the group aside from the older adoptive brother. And he couldn't wait.

Being an apprentice was a lot of work. Dovepaw had stumbled wearily into his nest what seemed like just moments ago, allowing his eyes to close for a night of respite. So why was it that now his eyes were open, and he felt ground beneath his paws? Why was the landscape around him coated in a thick fog that obscured his sight any further than what seemed like just in front of his nose? It smelled... strange. Not at all like RiverClan, nor even the faintest hint of scent that lingered in his most unconscious memory from the fur of his mother. He attempted to take a hesitant step forward, and nearly tripped over a gnarled root. But where did the roots lead? Was there a tree lost somewhere in the sea of mist?

Dovepaw felt his thick pelt prickling as he looked around. Whatever this place was... he didn't think he liked it. It must have been some strange dream. Strange that it felt so real. However, even as he wanted to turn and leave, he was unsure how. And some odd curiosity he'd never quite experienced kept him pressing forward. "...Hello?" he called out uncertainly, trying to keep his shoulders straight as he walked. "Where is this place?"

As soon as he heard the tom's voice, Starlingflare was elated. He was so happy that one of his children was within reach. The gray tom was careful not to startle the young apprentice. "Hello Dovepaw. I'm sorry to bring you to such a.. drab place, but this is the only way I could reach you." The single eyed tom said. "My name is Starlingflare." He said as he sat and wrapped his tail around his paws. "I'm a warrior just like your mentor. Tell me, what do you know of your past?"

Dovepaw didn't get scared. He didn't get scared. However, his hackles did raise a little bit--involuntarily--when the figure of another cat suddenly coalesced out of the blindingly thick fog. He did not squeak in fright. Nope. He definitely didn't. He instead blinked, frozen in place, looking up at the towering tom before him. A large silver tabby, covered in criss-crossing patterns of scars. The most visible was a giant gash on his face, where one of his eyes had been torn out. It should have been intensely frightening. However, once the tom opened his mouth, all traces of fear felt soothed. His voice was raspy, yes, but it was friendly. Welcoming. And he knew him by name.

He... he was still dreaming, right? Was this StarClan? Why couldn't he see anything?

"I, uh... hello, Starlingflare." Had he heard that name before? Why did it feel so heavy on his tongue? Dovepaw swallowed, trying to make sense of the anxiety mixing with intrigue in the pit of his stomach. It was a strange mixing of sensations and he had no clue how to feel about it. For now, he would just answer the question, even though he didn't know why it was being asked. "I... I was found on the territory. Me and my siblings. Our mother was a rogue, and she was dead... covered in blood. We were all lucky to survive. Perchstar let Owlcall and his parents take us in." The worry gnawing at the back of his mind got the back of him, showcased by his fluffy tail sweeping the uneven ground behind him. "But... where am I? Why am I here? This is a--a dream, right?"

Starlingflare nodded, using it to reaffirm his answer to the apprentice's question. "Yes this is a dream. You are in what we call the training grounds. It's one of our better places to be." He hated that they didn't have somewhere nicer to meet. "I'm sorry for any unease this may have caused you, but I was excited to meet my children." He said to Dovepaw.

"Yes I did say that right. While you have the story correct for the most part, your mother is actually a former Thunderclan warrior. She left after her mate, me, was falsely killed. It's a shame she didn't make it but I couldn't have asked for a better clan to take you and your siblings in." Starlingflare said. "You are the first of your siblings I have been able to reach, and I'm so glad I was given the chance to meet you."

Okay. It was a dream. Then he didn't have to be worried, right? Because dreams weren't real. Dovepaw let out a quiet sigh of relief, finally settling back into a sitting position. He still felt uneasy for some reason, so he kneaded the ground a bit with his paws, but he knew that the anxiety was unfounded now. This was fine. If it was a dream, then he was just making it up. ...Right? He caught on the word "we" that Starlingflare used when he explained this place. The "training grounds." What was that supposed to mean, and who was "we?" Was this cat dead? StarClan? But then where were the stars, and why was it so foggy? However, his mind was immediately brought away from those thoughts at the next few sentences that the tom spoke.

"I was excited to meet my children."

"Your mother is actually a former ThunderClan warrior."

"Her mate, me, was falsely killed."

So, wait... He was ThunderClan? His father was also dead? No, not just dead--but killed? And this tom, this Starlingflare, was his father?

No, it was just a dream. He was making up a story in his head because he didn't like being born outside of RiverClan, that was all. None of this made any sense. It was too much. His head was reeling. Father? ThunderClan? Killed?

But still, Dovepaw found himself taking an involuntary step forward, looking up into Starlingflare's singular eye, trying to search the emotions that he found there. Could this be true? If it was a dream... it wouldn't hurt to let himself believe he could spend time with his father... right? He'd always wanted a father and a mother. Not that Owlcall's parents weren't nice, of course, but it wasn't the same. He'd always wanted... "Father? You're my... father?"

Starlingflare nodded, a soft smile sitting on the tom's maw, trying his best to be comforting to his son. "That's right. I wish there were better circumstances for us to meet in, but this was the best place." The single eyed tom said.

"I'm just very glad that I got this chance to meet you. You are the first after all, eventually I plan to reach out to the rest." That was enough about him, even though he liked to talk about himself though. "Do you have any questions for me? or rather how is everything going with Riverclan? Training going well?"

Dovepaw still had not quite finished going over the revelation in his mind. He couldn't quite force himself to believe it was real. Dreams were just that--dreams. They were not real. This couldn't possibly be real. It was just not possible. But looking up at the way that the grizzled old tom smiled softly, at the care in his voice when he spoke... stars, Dovepaw wanted to believe that his father had come to speak with him. That he hadn't been abandoned. That it had been unintentional. Father... His father. He wanted to step forward and bury his face in his father's fur. Some part of him desperately craved that physical contact that he'd been unconsciously shunning with his adoptive parents for reasons he'd never really quite let himself think about. But if he went forward and collided with nothing but a gust of air, then the fantasy would be ruined. Let him... just let him believe it a little bit longer. So Dovepaw remained where he sat.

Instead, he tried to clear his star-struck vision and ignore the fog creeping in at the edges of his gaze, and focus on what Starlingflare was saying. He mentioned something passingly about Dovepaw's siblings, which for some reason felt like a cool breeze had been blowing on the back of his neck. Why... This was his father, right? Or at least a dream version of his father. He didn't have to protect his siblings from their own father. Right? He could make neither head nor tail of the odd feeling, so he pushed it away and listened to the other words. Questions. Directed towards him. "Um..." His voice was soft and uncertain, embarrassingly so. Hadn't he fantasized as a kit about his parents suddenly appearing? Hadn't he had questions that he wanted to ask them? None of them really applied in this strange, misty dream scenario. Besides, he wasn't a kit anymore. "Well... RiverClan is nice. It's my home. I know you said you're from ThunderClan, but I feel comfortable where I am, I think." He'd always assumed his parents were rogues. It was strange to know that they came from across Sunningrocks instead. "You uh... you don't want us to go back, right? Because I think we've all gotten pretty used to life here." The thought made his tail wave anxiously behind him before he remembered that this wasn't real, so of course it wouldn't affect his life once he awoke. The thought felt like someone stomping on his heart. "And, um, training is good, yeah. Egretswoop is my mentor. She's strange, but nice. She wears a fox pelt which is... kind of cool. It was scary at first but I'm used to it now. And I'm pretty good at fishing, I think." He was rambling. Dovepaw cut himself off. "I... How long do we have, in this dream? Will I remember when I wake up?" The last question was faint, hardly audible. "Will you come back again?"

Starlingflare smiled to hear things were going somewhat well for his kit. Of course he would answer all of his questions, but he knew there wasn't much time left. Dovepaw would be waking up soon. "There isn't much time left sadly, but I will say that I want you to stay in Riverclan. After everything Thunderclan put me through, they aren't a safe place for you or your siblings. Don't trust them, or what they say please. They will turn on you too." The tom heaved a heavy sigh.

"You should remember everything when you wake up, and you should be able to see me again. When ever you need me, just think of me when you go to sleep. I will show up." It would be easier for him to show up in their dreams this way. He could tell the dream was starting to fade so it was time to wrap this up. "Enjoy your day Dovepaw, I will be back soon." With that the tom and the training area faded from view.