Back! I kinda left you on a sour note, so here's the outcome! Onwards!

Arrowkit was heading towards the marshes with Redscar, his father, and his mother, Silverfur. Their tails were intertwined and pelts were pressed together as Arrowkit came bounding up to them.

"Hey, Silverfur, hey Redscar!" he squealed with delight.

"Hello, my son." came his father's friendly purr. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see you. You are my father, after all!" He nuzzled the tom affectionately as the giant tom placed his tongue on his forehead. Arrowkit purred with satisfaction.

"What about me?" his mother teased. "I'm here too, you know."

"Hi, mama!" he tackled himself in his mother's fur, half his body plunging in her thick pelt. They family laughed at the ridiculous sight and snuggled each other dearly, like nothing else in the world mattered. They were both warm to the touch, in a good, happy way. Arrowkit never realized the full compassion that came with the gesture, but he enjoyed it. Arrowkit felt complete.

"Arrowkit?" Redscar rumbled.

"Yes, papa?" he responded, craning his neck up to look into his eyes.

"I love you. If you need anything, just call out to us. We'll be right there. I promise," he mewed solemnly. Silverfur looked at het kit, eyes watering with joy at their family.

Surprised by the sudden change of tone, Arrowkit looked in father's eyes. They were full of love and tenderness, and one couldn't miss the strictness in his eyes as well. He was mesmerized by his father's amber eyes. He looked at his mother, but her eyes had rounded sorrowfully.

"Mama, what's wrong?" he asked, his own eyes widening.

"I love, you, my dearest heart." she sobbed with each breath. "Don't you ever forget that."

"Of course, mama. I'll never forget you two. You're my parents." He searched his father's eyes, who were now as longing as his mate's was sorrowful. A noise to his left made his ears prick.

"Be brave, my sweet little Arrowkit." cooed his father.

Arrowkit stared into the thrush where the noise had come from. A small, skinny, scarred form waddled towards them. He was beat up badly, but he recognized him easily as he recognized himself. He looked into his blue, pain riddled eyes.

"Be brave."

The form standing there was Arrowkit.

He woke with a jolt. He lay there, feeling beeildered at the dream's events. Father talked to me, he thought in wonder. He now felt cold. He knew Redscar's visit hadn't gone as according to his dream. He felt longing; he longed for his father's touch so bad that it ached within his small and frail spirit. In fact, the sudden release of his dream parents' warm embraces into the cold nursery froze his limbs.

He tried to get up, but his muscles felt as if they were weighed down by soaking moss.

"Silverfur?" He mewed out, starting to panic at his sudden inability.

Silverfur got up immediately at the sound of her kit and hobbled over to him. "Yes, dear?" Arrowkit gasped, his mother's voice was raspy, as if she hadn't properly chewed Twoleg food before swallowing.

"I can't move!" he cried out fearfully, forgetting his mother, panic taking him in full.

"Hold on, I'll get Smallfoot!" She purred into his ears before she ran. It was more of an uneven sidestep, Arrowkit reflected, but maybe he was just imagining.

Soon enough, Smallfoot was there, looming over the tiny kit. He felt small under the mercy of the whitish tortie medicine cat, and he couldn't help but cry pitifully. She nudged him over, his body giving to her touch. Smallfoot leaned over him with her professional gaze, scrutinizing every part of his body.

"He's temporarily paralyzed. The stress from the recent situation must have caught up to him in sleep. Did you dream anything, Arrowkit?" The she cat was blunt, and his eyes widened with concern, wanting an explanation from his mother, which only got him a regretful gaze, knowing that it was not Bigpaw he feared.

He looked around with his eyes helplessly; he couldn't turn his head. He noticed terrible lump near on her eye. What is that?

"Yes, but I don't remember now." That was truthful, the painful memory was already fading. "I know that Silverfur was there, and..." he didn't want to share that his father was there, too, as it might rouse suspicion.

"Who else?" she pressed empathetically. "I must know."

"Oh, no once much... Mama knew him, though," he replied, blinking hopefully.

Smallfoot shot a curious glance to Silverfur, but she just shrugged.

"He will stay here for now," she finally meowed at last, "But he will have to breath in these herbs. And get something for your head! That scab looks dreadful!" There was a bald spot on her head. She set out some greenish looking herbs before Arrowkit, and the helpless scrap reeled with his at the smell, despite his immobility.

"Ewww!" he tried to wrinkle his nose. "What's that?" But the medicine cat was already leaving, her plumy white tail just passing the entrance of his home.

Silverfur came up to him and curled up next to him. The pain of his dream came back, and his eyes started to tear up.

"Mama?" he asked, attempting to move his muscles in vain.

"Yes, dear?" she responded, moving to his side immediately.

"...I love you." he mewed finally.

"I love you so much, Arrowkit." she nuzzled him on his head gently, and put her muzzle next to his little ear and whispered, "I'm so sorry about Redscar's behavior. He's just... distraught at the moment.. he'll get better..." He felt her raspy voice hurt his ear, but he couldn't flick it away.

"Mama?" he asked again, chest tightening.

"Yes?"

He had been waiting to ask this. "Did... Papa... hurt you?" He gave her a sideways glance, the best he could muster, and Silverfur went rigid, muscles taut with hesitation.

"Why?" He saw the answer in his mother's eye, unseeing in the distance.

"He's... upset. He almost lost his position in the Clan for breaking the warrior code, as did I. Both Clans let us stay for your sake when all of the queens rose up." She winced at the memory, lost in thought.

"You broke the warrior code? What did you do?" He eyes widened as far as they allowed him, the herbs were already working. He wasn't sure if the uneasy warm feeling crept through his bones were herbs, however. But his mother? Break the warrior code? Impossible. She would never. Arrowkit looked at his mother curiously.

"I... we," she added, "Me and Redscar, I mean, we... mated. We weren't supposed to, because we are from different Clans, but we did it anyways."

Arrowkit's eyes widened a little more. But that means I was never supposed to be born!

"Silverfur? Does that mean I shouldn't be alive?" his voiced faltered at the word alive. His eyes trailed his mother.

"No! Of course you were supposed to be born!" his mother snapped sharply. "Why would StarClan punish me with a kit? With my blessing!" she stopped to catch her breath, and moved on. "Little one, don't talk like that. StarClan loves you too."

"But then why did he hurt you?" Arrowkit mewed lowly. He looked at his mother for an answer, but she didn't move. She was saved as Oakstar called a Clan meeting, beckoning her to come.

"Stay here, my sweet," he licked him affectionately om the head, just like dream Redscar did. "Try to get some sleep." she headed out of the nursery, heading down to the Highrock, looking worried.

Arrowkit's mind swirled. My mother broke the warrior code? And I'm the result? he thought sadly. Of course. That's why no one else like me here. As he drifted off into uneasy sleep, he couldn't help thinking, and why Bigpaw is so mean...

He remembered his dream-father's promise.

Help me, Papa...

Arrowkit awoke in a small green patch. His fur was already bristling, but he had no idea why.

Until he took in the scene.

Redscar and Silverfur were hissing at each other, like a border patrol who warns an enemy Clan. Both their tails were writhing with fury, both's gazes locked in disgust. Arrowkit was half a fox-length away from them, eyes wide with fear.

"Shut up, you scum!" spat Redscar. "He's a weak kit, you should just drown him or something!"

Arrowkit wanted to run, but he couldn't, his paws were planted in the soft, green grass.

"No, you listen to reason!" Arrowkit's hackles rose even further. He had never heard his mother's use this tone. "He is our son! You should love him as StarClan do! He needs a father! Why would ever consider killing your kit!" Her voice was clear with venom.

"No, he needs a lesson," retorted Redscar, voice equally full of poison, "And the only way to teach him is to beat him into understanding! I won't love a kit that is so puny! I could crush him with my forepaw! In fact," he growled, "I'm going to get him right now!" Redscar stiffly walked toward WindClan camp, eyes not seeing his son plastered on the ground in front of him.

"No!" His mother's yowl pierced the air as she hurled himself on top on his broad shoulders, claws raking his flank.

Redscar howled with pain as she flung him off.

"You little-" he interrupted his own thoughts by cuffing his mate in the throat, claws unsheathed.

Arrowkit was rigid with horror. He didn't want to see this. He wanted to stop this, he wanted to leave. Why is he doing that? Stop! he wailed silently. I want to go home! Stop, Redscar?

He didn't hear his son's cries as he kept hitting her. He wasn't lying in his words about his forepaws. Each blow shook Arrowkit each time, as if his father was hitting him instead of his mother.

It was much worse for Silverfur. She was yowling with pain, paws reaching for his face, only to be cut off by his powerful ever-striking paws. Her nose was bleeding, part of her fur was torn off, and one of her eyes was swollen shut. Each blow made her shudder in agony. It didn't help that he was throwing insults.

"Your a filthy little worm!" he spat, "Useless! Blinded by her own kit! Despicable! I wish I never mated you! You and your kit can go die like the dogs you are!" He spat these words with every blow.

"Disgusting! Horrible! Ugly!

"Terrible! Naīve! Stupid!"

Arrowkit watched in sheer terror as mother struggled to get up, to breath. Finally, she managed to yowl, "Please, stop! It hurts too bad! Please, Redscar, you're going to kill me! Stop it! Didn't you say you loved me! You promised forever!" She was shaking and whimpering in pain, eyes wide with fear.

Arrowkit didn't know what to do.

The fire didn't die in Redscar's eyes, but he stopped hitting. He glared at her.

"I do love you," he cooed, "Forever." The poor kit looked up at his father and saw he didn't mean it. His eyes still ablaze, he started to lick her. "I'm sorry."

Again, Arrowkit could tell he was lying.

"I just... broke. I didn't mean any of it. Come here." He curled up next to his mate, and whispered, "But if you had just agreed with me, we could have passed this."

Arrowkit shivered. His mother cried in his fur, and shook with each breath. Redscar's eyes flashed with annoyance. They stayed there like that until Silverfur stopped crying. He looked up from his pelt into his eyes.

Arrowkit gasped, now shaking with shock. He whole face was swollen, and her eye was a horrid mess. More clumps of fur were missing, and she had a bald spot on her head. She was still shaking as she licked his cheek.

Redscar put on eyes of love, and he slinked up, leaving Silverfur to fall on the cold, hard flooring. He helped her up to her feet and whispered something in her ear, making Arrowkit only able to here "...anybody... kit... you."

Silverfur now stood up erect. "So be it." Her voice rasped to where her once warm and welcoming voice was now an unrecognizable noise. She stalked off, tending to her wounds.

Redscar walked off, shaking his pelt. His amber eyes glowed with satisfaction as he trotted off back to ShadowClan camp.

Papa...? Arrowkit thought suddenly. Why did you do that?

He felt himself sink to the ground.

"Arrowkit, wake up!"

He sprang up, tense with shock. He looked around, vision distorted, until he found his mother shaking him up.

"Thank StarClan you can move!" she meowed briskly. "Are you okay? You were crying and screaming when I got back. You're crying."

Arrowkit blinked, causing another tear to drop out of his eyes. He didn't know he was crying.

"Come here." She used the same words Redscar used, and he flinched. All the same, she pulled him into a curl, giving him comforting purrs. Arrowkit could almost forget his dream, but this was the same position she and his father curled up in after the beating. He shivered.

"What's wrong?" she mewed quietly, "Bad dream?"

There was no point in denying it, so he nodded.

"What is it, dear? I can help." She lapped his cheek where the tear had fallen.

Can you really help? Arrowkit couldn't help but wonder. But he started talking anyways. He was safe here with his mother, he decided. He told her of the first dream, and this nap's ordeal. Her eyes widened with every second of the last one.

"And papa..." he sniffed, "he hit you so hard... he was gonna get me... but you jumped on him... and he just said mean things..." he named what he remembered.

Silverfur's hackles rose higher at the words he spoke, her eyes becoming glossy.

"And... he said something about a... a break-"

Silverfur hushed him gently and curled completely around him, pelt offering protection. He felt that peace start to flow through him again, the warm feeling that no cat could get him. Gradually, his sobs and tears, along with his fear, subsided with each lick his mother gave him.

"Dear?" she asked gently, licking his check rhythmically.

"Yes, Mama?" he replied sleepily.

"Don't tell anyone about this, not even Smallfoot or Oakstar."

"Why?"

"It will only cause a fight within the clans. WindClan will, no doubt, attack ShadowClan, causing only violence." Her eyes darkened, and grew distant. He thought about this. Two dreams could cause a fight? His mother seemed to read his expression, and she said, "Dreams are a powerful thing. Fights are caused by dreams all the time. Understand?"

"Yes, mama," he replied, a smile curling up his muzzle as he looked into her blue eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Let's go back to sleep. Only this time," she added, interrupting Arrowkit's protests, "I'll fight off any nightmare you may have. I'm staying right here for the night."

Arrowkit didn't realize how tired he really was. He slumped down in his mother's fur, getting as close as he could, until her cluld hear her beating heart. He was safe here. Nothing can possibly get him now.

Not even Redscar, thought Arrowkit as he drifted off into a warm, comfortable slumber, full of hope and love.

Wow. I didn't know I had that in me D:

To be honest, I reflected several different specks of my past within this chapter, in the second dream, only times like 1.5, I think...

Qotd: What do you think of Redscar now? What about Silverfur, or her warning to Arrowkit? Any sympathizers? Should I extend my chapters?

P.S. I am a 96% stable human being. :D

Later,

Cobra~