Stonefur blinked open his eyes. He was lying in the middle of an unfamiliar clearing, in front of an unfamiliar river, surrounded by unfamiliar trees. For some reason, though, he wasn't bothered by his strange new surroundings. In fact, they soothed him. He didn't move from his comfortable spot on the soft grass, wanting to absorb the sunlight and serenity while he could.
Something was ruining the moment, though. A thought was lurking in the back of his head, one he couldn't quite reach, urgent and panicked. He was forgetting something important.
And then, suddenly, it all came rushing back to him.
Tigerstar!
Stonefur stumbled to his paws, his fur bristling at the thought of the crowfood-eating fox heart. He'd been about to kill Featherpaw and Stormpaw. He couldn't let that happen. He had to get back to RiverClan territory and save them.
But where was he, first of all? How would he get back? Stonefur slowed his agitated pacing to take a good look at his surroundings. The forest was lush, the river sparkled and the whole place smelled like greenleaf. He couldn't name it, but he felt like he should know where he was.
He opened his mouth to scent the air and pricked his ears when he detected another cat. He whirled around and spotted a kit sitting amongst the roots of one of the trees. She leapt off her perch when he turned and began padding towards him. Stonefur fought the urge to take a step back. The kit had a fluffy gray-and-white pelt, bright blue eyes and she gleamed with starlight. It was on her fur and at her paws. And her scent...it brought back memories that Stonefur hadn't even realized he'd forgotten. Of snow and milk and play fights and of being loved. Who was this kit and what was she doing here? There were too many questions now and no answers for them.
The kit was close now and Stonefur's mind was racing too fast for him to keep up. She sat down a fox length away from him and curled her tail neatly around her paws. Her eyes were brimming with emotion – sorrow, elation, excitement. They sat staring at each other for a few heartbeats before Stonefur managed to speak. "Do...do you know where we are?" he choked out. The kit's gaze was overwhelming him. It was too deep for someone so young. "Do you remember what happened, Stonefur?" she mewed, her voice calm, "Do you remember Blackfoot and Darkstripe?"
Stonefur's thoughts were reeling. He'd been fighting with Blackfoot to keep Featherpaw and Stormpaw safe. There'd been blood and fur and flesh and claws. And then...
Stonefur's fur stood on end as he realized, finally, where he was.
He stumbled backwards, staring at the kit in shock. "But...but then..." The memories that were rushing back to him suddenly made more sense. "Mosskit...?"
The kit purred. "Welcome to StarClan, brother."