Note: This occurs before the events of the new series that starts with "The Apprentice's Quest." We're pretending that the events there aren't going to happen, because I'm altering the Clans as they are in the new series for this story. Also, cats "came back to life" in Omen of the Stars. I'm kind of going to erase the principles of that because I HATED how it worked (it seemed weird and supernatural) and I'm going to make a different sort of ghost.

Prologue

Dovewing padded quietly through the forest, flanked by her only kit. The tiny she-kit was marked with the tabby orange stripes of TigerClan, emulating her father instead of Dovewing's soft gray pelt. The pair walked along the edge of Twolegplace to conceal their scent among the strong, unfamiliar stench of kittypets.

"How much longer do we have to walk, Dovewing?" the she-kit complained. "It smells like mouse dung here!"

Dovewing was too tired to remind her young kit to watch her tongue. "Not too much longer, Flamekit. Be patient and follow." Dovewing suddenly crumpled to her paws as she was racked by a bout of coughing, green phlegm working its way up from her throat.

She had been trying to keep the sickness away from her kit, but Dovewing had noticed Flamekit coughing a bit as well over the past few sunrises. Dovewing's secret had long been discovered, so there was no chance for her to find refuge. But if no one knew who Flamekit really was... then there was hope for the kit.

Dovewing and Flamekit were still walking along the fences of Twolegplace when the sun began slipping behind the earth. Flamekit, only a moon old and too young for any amount of travel, was sprawled asleep on top of Dovewing as she walked. In her sleep, the kit breathed quietly, but occasionally startled Dovewing with a hoarse cough. It's not greencough yet, Dovewing told herself desperately. She's going to make it.

Dovewing traveled the entire night, muscles burning from making the long journey with greencough raging inside of her. But eventually the fences of Twoleg place began to grow sparse and trees inched closer, almost within reach of the boldest kittypets. Dovewing ventured farther from the close embrace of Twoleg fences and breathed in a familiar scent, her heart cracking. She ventured into the woods with no fear. As long as she wasn't spotted, the scent that she left, reeking of the sickness, would conceal her true identity.

As she padded weakly through the forest with sleeping Flamekit on her back, Dovewing prayed to StarClan. Please, let her remember nothing about me. This isn't her fault. Let her be safe. Dovewing winced as a tiny flash of cold landed on her nose—a snowflake. She sighed in relief as she realized how lucky she was to arrive before the harsher snows blanketed the ground. Was it a sign from StarClan?

Dovewing traveled further into the forest until she reached ThunderClan camp, right outside the wall of brambles that protected part of the cliffs. She laid sleeping Flamekit down, brushing her nose against the kit's feverous forehead in a final goodbye. With StarClan's blessing, she wouldn't remember her mother, or her Clan name, which might strike a thoughtful ThunderClan cat as suspicious. She was too young to remember much, so Dovewing could hope for the best.

Dovewing let out a mournful yowl to alert her old Clanmates to the kit waiting outside their camp. Her voice was so changed by the greencough that they could never recognize that it was her. She heard stirring from inside the camp and knew it was time to go. Flamekit was still asleep.

"Goodbye, my love. I'll watch over you from the stars."

And so Dovewing left, leaving her only joy behind her. Though she had no powers left after the Dark Forest battle, her ears were still sharp enough to hear cats speaking when she reached the edge of the forest. She sighed, taking a small comfort in knowing that her precious kit was safe. StarClan, please watch over her.

Dovewing was almost too weak to stay up on her feet once she had traveled back outside Clan territory. She returned to the hollow tree that had been her home before the sickness struck her small family. The dirt where her mate had been buried was still fresh.

Dovewing sighed one final time, laid her head upon the ground where Tigerheart was buried, and joined him in the stars.

Note #2: Autocorrect wants be to be writing Devoting and Flameout instead of Dovewing and Flamekit, so forgive me if I accidentally slip up with that.

So here are some questions for anyone to answer, if you want to be super awesome and offer some advice.

What should Flamekit's new name be? Since she's not allowed to remember anything, she'll have to be renamed. :3

What is your honest opinion about this story? Should I continue it or not?

Why are the Clans so strict about inter-Clan relationships now? (obviously Tigerheart and Dovewing became a thing) I mean, ordinarily the relationship would be ended and the cat's reputation ruined, but what would warrant being exiled from the Clan like Dovewing seems to be? And it seems like Dovewing knows that they wouldn't save her life, even when she's dying from greencough. I need this dynamic to set up the events of the story, but I also need to provide a reason for it. Some help with that would be great.

If you have any other comments, let me know, I'd be happy to hear them! Thanks for reading! :D