Future Perfect [Closed]

Another night and he was here again, visiting another one of his children. Slowly but surely he was meeting all of them. This night would mark his half way through point. Swanpaw was next. One of his daughters. He only hoped that when she arrived, she wouldn't be afraid. That she would accept what he had to tell her.

A productive day of training made sure Swanpaw fell asleep quickly. She'd been tired when she finally made it to her nest, but tired was good. It meant she was pushing herself further. She was excited to wake in the morning and learn something new.

When Swanpaw next opened her eyes, it was to unfamiliar surroundings. The apprentice immediately stood, tensed and pale fur bristling instinctively. This wasn't her nest, Poppyshine or one of her siblings hadn't woken her... So this must be a dream. But it felt oddly vivid for a dream. She wasn't scared... More like confused. And curious, as she gazed around at her environment with wide blue eyes. Where am I?

Well, this was certainly something new. The scents she could pick up were unpleasant at best, making her nose wrinkle. A thick mist hung in the air, making it difficult to see past the roots of large trees. Swanpaw frowned, tail flicking for a moment before she slowly stepped forward. "Is anyone there?" She called out softly. Something about this place was unsettling... As much as it was something to be explored. This was obviously a dream but... She wanted to know more of the unfamiliar grounds she stood upon. She would get answers, somehow. Swanpaw was sure of it.

Starlingflare's ear twitched at the sound of a voice. Ahh Swanpaw must be here, and he was thankful for that. It was finally time to introduce himself. "Greetings Swanpaw." The silver tom said as he came forward. "My name is Starlingflare. I was a warrior just like you." He halted, and sat down in his current spot, his tail wrapping around his paws. He was doing his best to not appear scary or intimidating. Hopefully this would go over somewhat well like it did with Dovepaw.

The cat who finally approached her was unfamiliar, but introduced himself as Starlingflare. A warrior, or, "Used to be?" Swanpaw tipped her head, "Were you Riverclan?" She asked curiously, "Why are you here? In my dream, I mean." Although, the general state of their surroundings was also a question on the tip of her tongue, the young apprentice was more curious about the stranger in front of her.

Starlingflare shook his head, trying to not let a touch of disgust cross his maw at the mention of him being Riverclan.. Not that Thunderclan was any better after everything that happened. "No, sadly I was Thunderclan. As for what I am doing here that will be answered in a moment. Tell me, what do you know of your past?" The silver spotted tom asked.

So the strange cat wasn't Riverclan, but Thunderclan? Swanpaw's nose wrinkled. That... Definitely did not explain the awful stench. Sure, Thunderclan stank to the stars, but this was... Decidedly not that. The question of her past was an easy one to answer, and the apprentice did so readily, almost without thought. "My mother died kitting, or shortly after. She was a rogue... Perchstar and Owlcall found my siblings and I. They took us in and we've been Riverclan since." There was pride in that, to have been found by Riverclan's leader and a respected warrior. Swanpaw often thought of how drastically different her life might have turned out had she and her siblings not been found. It would've been a short life, a brutal life. Rogues were lawless, conniving beasts. She was a clan cat, through and through.

The tom couldn't help but let out a little chuckle at his daughters reaction to the news that he was Thunderclan. Good, she held some disdain for them that he could maybe grow into hatred. It was funny how things worked out, how quickly hatred could turn into a thankfulness, and pride could turn into hatred.

"You have it correct for the most part. While you mother was a rogue, she wasn't always. She was actually a Thunderclan warrior before. Well, before her mate was wrongfully killed, before I was wrongfully killed." He hoped the story was clicking in place for his daughter but he would make sure to clarify. "If I knew she was expecting kits.. expecting you and your siblings, I would have been more careful.. but that former deputy of Thunderclan's was always ready to explode. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I- My mother was - what?" Swanpaw sat back on her haunches as she absorbed the onslaught of information from the tom's words. "You're my father?" In just a few short sentences, what little she'd known about her family was expanded upon, and not in any way what Swanpaw had expected. She had never known her father, or even her mother really, who had died before Swanpaw could form solid memories. But his gray pelt did have resemblance to her siblings, though her own fur was paler. The apprentice sat, taking in his words with rapt attention.

"I didn't know Thunderclan were so... bloodthirsty." She muttered, ears flattening, "They wouldn't have gone after a queen and her kits... right?" The thought was a terrifying one, truly, and no wonder her mother would have run, if that were the case. Logically, Swanpaw thought, "If they wouldn't go after a queen and her kits, there would've been no reason to run..." A frown settled onto the apprentice's face as she thought, ears flattening at the conclusion she drew. If this tom in front of her - her father - wasn't killed for no reason, there would not have been reason to run. And her mother had been found on Riverclan territory, so clearly... Thunderclan must have been evil. Truly evil.

Thoughts of what-ifs began to stir in her mind, but Swanpaw pushed them down. Later, she could think about that later.

"What was Thunderclan like? I mean, aside from unjust murder and queens fleeing their own clan? Riverclan hasn't been so bad... I don't know what life would've been like if Perchstar and Owlcall hadn't taken us in." Now knowing the truth, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"They might not have gone after your mother but that was a risk she didn't want to take. She felt she would have been much safer as a rogue.. and well.. you see how that turned out." Starlingflare said, responding to her earlier statement. His single yellow eye observing his daughter closely. Making sure she was comfortable in the dream with him.

The tom couldn't help but let out a hum at her next question, taking a moment to think. "Once Thunderclan was a clan to be proud of, worth giving every last drop of blood I had, but as I grew to be a more senior warrior things started to change. Mottlestar grew soft and complacent. She decided she would believe a Shadowclanner's word over her own warriors. Appointing the son of murdeerr as a deputy only for him to kill me in front of everyone. She messed up but doesn't acknowledge her mistakes, that murderer still lives among them." The silver tom said to hai daughter. "They aren't worth trusting, and they aren't worth any ounce of pride I gave them. Do not trust them Swanpaw, no matter how friendly they seem to Riverclan. They will just end up hurting you."

"Yeah... Perchstar and Owlcall saved us from that. I'm glad they did but... If they hadn't found us?" She shivered at the thought, already knowing what the answer would have been.

"How could she believe a Shadowclan cat over her own clanmates?" Swanpaw frowned at Starlingflare - her father's - words, brow furrowed in disgust. "What sort of leader would them a clanmate die like that just for the word of some Shadowclanner? She sounds like a coward if she couldn't even defend one of her own warriors."

"She is a coward." Starlingflare confirmed for his daughter, though at one point he thought differently. "She would do anything to save her own skin regardless of what would happen to her clanmates. She fell in love with Shadowclan's leader after all, broke the code and everything. Shows you how much respect she had." The tom informed his daughter. A quick glance around the forest told him everything he needed to know about what time it was, and the tom sighed.

"I'm afraid it is time for you to wake up now Sunshine. I will see you again, I promise." He told her, not wanting her to believe he was leaving her. "Whenever you need me, just think about me and I will show up. No questions asked."

A coward who had also broken the code. How pathetic. If she remained leader of Thunderclan, Swanpaw was sure it was because her own clanmates must be complicit and allowing of it. Perchstar was an honorable leader, she must not have known of any of this if Riverclan were still allies with Mottlestar. Swanpaw knew it would not be the place of an apprentice to try and dissuade a leader from an alliance built before she had come to the clan, though. There was nothing she could do, not now anyways.

She felt a flash of disappointment as her father spoke, signalling that this meeting was coming to an end. "Do we have to go so soon?" She protested, but she could feel her eyes growing heavy, though, and before long she knew she would be waking from this dream. "I hope I'll see you again soon." She mewed earnestly. Sunshine, he called her. It felt like a nickname a father would give his kit. It felt... Right.

Swanpaw stirred awake slowly, a smile upon her face.