"Stormfeather! Get up!" The white and ginger she-cat groaned, her eyes fluttering open. All around her were tall, mossy trees; the sky was dark and a familiar, putrid smell filled her nose.
"What?!" she whispered, scrambling up, almost knocking into the red tabby tom who had shaken her awake roughly. Stormfeather collected herself, trying to ignore her shock, "Darkgaze, why am I here? There was a storm..."
"Stormfeather, you're dead," Darkgaze spat without any emotion. "You drowned, left behind when trying to save your kits." Stormfeather's eyes narrowed and she snarled, but then she softened, "My kits. Did they survive?" Her mentor's coal black eyes seemed to soften a bit, perhaps with sympathy, "Not Mudkit."
"No!" she whispered, burying her head in her paws. Grief overcame her for a moment, but she pulled herself up, her eyes dark.
"Both my clan and Starclan abandoned me in my time of need!" Stormfeather said, her voice strong. "It happened as you said it would. Now, all the clans will feel my wrath!"
*Birdkits' POV
"Birdkit! Wake up Birdkit!" Birdkit stirred, blinking a couple times. She looked around, confused for a moment before remembering with a wince.
"Mama!" Birdkit was calling for her, Fernkit and Mudkit calling as well. Stormfeather appeared a moment later, crouching down, "Get on Birdkit, Fernkit! I'll carry Mudkit!" Birdkit dug her claws into her mother's fur, holding on for dear life as Stormfeather left the den. The gorge was filled up with water, up to Stormfeather's belly; the wind howled and thunder shook the ground. Birdkit clung to her mother's fur even more tightly, looking up at her sister Fernkit. Fernkit was crying quietly, her eyes clouded with fear. Her brother Mudkit cried as water splashed him.
Stormfeather was almost at the camp entrance, almost safe. A huge wave of water suddenly crashed into them. Stormfeather disappeared and Birdkit was thrown away. Birdkit bobbed up to the surface, coughing.
"Stormfeather!" she cried. No response. Birdkit floundered her way to a rock outcropping and pulled herself up, searching the water for any sign of life. Suddenly, a brown head appeared nearby, coughing up water.
"Fernkit, over here!" Birdkit called, racing down the outcropping as only a Gorgeclan cat would. Birdkit, now right over her sister, reached out a paw, "Here, grab on!" Fernkit managed to get her paws above the water and dug her claws into her sister's paw. Birdkit grunted, heaving Fernkit onto the outcropping.
"Find Mudkit and Stormfeather!" Birdkit ordered, searching the waves again. Fernkit whimpered, coughed a few more times, then did as she was told, walking down the rocks to look. The water was still rising, the gorge filling with water. Birdkit searched desperately for Stormfeather and Mudkit.
"Please Starclan," she whispered. "Please don't take them."
"Birdkit!" Birdkit turned to see Fernkit being washed away again.
"Fernkit!" she yowled, diving in after her. After a moment of desperate splashing, she managed to swim over to Fernkit and dug her claws into her sister's pelt.
"Stay together!" she yelled as lightning split the sky, thunder booming right after. Fernkit was becoming heavier every moment.
"Help!" Birdkit yowled repeatedly. "Help us!" She struggled to stay afloat.
"There!" She heard a yowl. Birdkit smiled, closing her eyes; they were going to be rescued.
Birdkit looked at Fernkit beside her; her sister's brown fur was still soaked, the black bands that usually were usually especially fluffy flattened. Birdkit examined her surroundings; they were under a bush, a couple piles of herbs beside them. This definitely wasn't Gorgeclan camp. The sky was still dark, but the rain had stopped. How long had she been asleep? Birdkit struggled to her paws, instantly dizzy.
"Birdkit, you get back in your nest right now!" the medicine cat Raccoontail came from outside the bush, nosing the kit back to her nest. "You need to rest."
"Where are Stormfeather and Mudkit?" Birdkit asked. Raccoontail hesitated and it hit Birdkit: they were gone.
"No!" she buried her face in her paws, filled with loss. Raccoontail's ringed tail wrapped around her and he began to groom the kit, the same sadness reflected in his eyes.
Two moons had passed since the flood. The gorge was now dry and Gorgeclan had moved back into their camp. But to Birdkit, it just wasn't the same. She would wake up to cold air on her side, wondering where Mudkit was before remembering. She would turn to show Stormfeather the moth she had caught before realizing no one was there. She missed Mudkit's easy laugh and Stormfeather's expecting but warm demeanor.
Fernkit seemed to be doing better though. She was talking more than she ever had, talking out her grief with Willowgaze, the pretty white she-cat flecked with black who took care of them now. The queen would talk to both of them about how Stormfeather and her had always had each others' back in battle.
"The only time she wasn't by my side, I got my scar!" Willowgaze had told them, gesturing to her right eye, which had a pale pink scar beside it. "I almost lost my eye!" Batkit and Lionkit did their best to keep their denmates' spirits up as well, especially Lionkit. The handsome ginger tom always made sure Birdkit was smiling, usually doing something ridiculous to do so. Her father Owlscar never faltered in serving the clan, despite his grief. He came to visit them everyday, bring them prey and making sure that they were happy. He couldn't be a better father.
Birdkit headed to her nest, looking up at the stars for a moment before heading into the cave. She curled up in her nest of moss and feathers, closing her eyes.
"Birdkit!" She opened her eyes, her yellow ones meeting grey.
"Stormfeather?" she whispered, shocked. Stormfeather smiled. Birdkit ran to her mother, pressing her pelt to hers. When she stepped back, Birdkit looked her over. Stormfeather looked the same, but her fur was matted and her eyes seemed darker, with a glint that made Birdkit shiver.
"I'm glad you're here Birdkit," Stormfeather said, smiling. Birdkit suddenly felt like something was very, very wrong, "Mama, where am I?"
"This," Stormfeather gestured grandly with her tail, "is the Dark Forest." Birdkit squeaked with fear; the Dark Forest was where cats who were evil went when they died. But why was Stormfeather here?
"Why are we here?" Birdkit asked. Stormfeather blinked.
"Why, this is where I live now," she said, her voice slightly angry. "Starclan deemed me unworthy, just because I trained here. Darkgaze kept trying to tell me that they would betray me. I didn't want to believe him, but look at me now! This is my home now, and I'll never leave. Meanwhile, I'll get my revenge on Gorgeclan. Through you."
"What?!" Birdkit exclaimed, backing away. "I'd never do anything to hurt my clanmates!" Stormfeather looked confused, "You don't want to get back at them for abandoning us, leaving us to die? What about avenging Mudkit?! They will betray you and Fernkit if you don't do exactly what I say." Birdkit ducked her head, trying to avoid her mother's angry gaze. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, Birdkit turned and ran; she ran and ran until she could no longer hear Stormfeather calling her. She saw light ahead and ran to it.
Birdkit awoke from the dream in her nest, gasping for breath. She looked beside her; Fernkit was sound asleep, her tail over her nose. The shaking she-kit settled back down in her nest, trying to forget her mother's words and her angry, angry eyes.