Here's chapter 7! I hope this is a fast enough update for everyone...

I'd like a few more reviews on this chapter. I only got three on the last one...I'm hoping for at least five on this one.

To all of those who look forward to seeing how Dreamkit is doing after her little adventure...well, here you go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, I only own my characters and plotline.


For a few moments, all the cats were silent.

No one spoke, no one moved-everyone just stared at Dreamkit, who was trying very hard to shrink into the ground.

After what seemed like eternity and a day, a few cats pushed out of the crowd and stepped forward towards Dreamkit and Star.

Bluestar broke the silence. "I hope you understand, Dreamkit, that we are very disappointed in you," she meowed gravely.

Moon wove his way through the throng and joined them. "We told you not to go to the Starpool for a reason, Dreamkit. That is one fall already lost, and we do not know the consequences yet."

Dreamkit found her voice. "Wh-wh-what do you mean, one fall?" she squeaked.

Firestar appeared on Bluestar's other side. "There is an ancient magic surrounding the Starpool, little one," he sighed. "The magic is strong enough to leach life force from a living cat. Specifically, you."

Dreamkit was rendered speechless again as Firestar went on.

"If we had known you would fall through the Starpool, we would have protected you with magic so you would not suffer for the action. That is why we told you not to go to the pool until you are expressly permitted to do so. If you aren't protected, you can only go through the pool a certain number of times before…"

"B-b-before what?" Dreamkit whimpered, cowering against Star's fur.

Mossfire chose to answer the question, sitting calmly by the Starpool with her tail wrapped around her paws.

"There are many things that could happen, Dreamkit," she murmured. "It is possible that you would suffer extreme weakness for days, at the very least. But we were afraid, because once you have exceeded your limit, you may never be able to return, or you could have been trapped in nothingness forever."

Dreamkit gulped. Suddenly, there seemed to be a hard lump, like a rock, sitting in her throat.

"Or, you could die."

The clearing was dead silent as every cat processed the information.

Star curled her black-and-white tail around Dreamkit. "The trouble, sweetheart, is not that you would have been harmed this time, falling into the living world," she soothed. "The trouble is that we do not know how many times you can fall through the Starpool without suffering the consequences. We thought it would be best if you saved those for a time that you truly need them."

Star's eyes flashed as she spoke, as if she was remembering a darker memory, something that frightened her, something that did not bode well for the future.

There was a moment of silence before Moon spoke. "We'll have to figure that out later," he rumbled. "For now, let's figure out a punishment for my naughty kit."

The mixed emotions in Moon's eyes sent shards of regret and apprehension straight at Dreamkit's heart. Though he spoke lightly, there was a dark look in his eyes that revealed all of the worry and stress that he had gone through when she had disappeared.

"For now, confinement should do," Firestar meowed somberly. "We'll keep her in a shallow hole, with a woven barrier that she cannot get out of. At the same time, she will see the sky and the sunlight, but she won't be able to enjoy it."

Star sighed in resignation. "Is that all? Will I even be able to talk to her?"

Bluestar nodded slowly. "For now, that is all. Anyone may talk to her, but not for too long." She turned to address the gathered cats, voice ringing out clear and strong. "All of you know our aims-solitude and confinement."

Dreamkit spoke up. "Bluestar?" she whispered, looking up fearfully.

Bluestar's eyes softened a little as she looked at the trembling silver kitten. "Yes?"

"Will I have stay in the hole forever?"

Bluestar let out a strained laugh, like she was under a lot of stress and had to force herself to purr. "No, Dreamkit, it's just until you learn your lesson."

Moon settled down next to his mate and adopted daughter. "Can you give us a day to be together before her punishment?"

Firestar inclined his head slightly. "Very well. You may have one day."

Bluestar raised her voice. "This meeting is dismissed. I wish to talk to a few of you. You know who you are."

Slowly, the crowd dispersed, heading out into the forest. Many cast glances at Dreamkit and her adopted parents, but they did not linger as they padded off to their various tasks.

Finally, only Firestar remained with Dreamkit's family, looking like there was something he wanted to say. As his blazing green eyes met Dreamkit's, she slowly trudged to him, away from the safety of Star's company, feeling as if he was pulling her in with his bright gaze.

Firestar bent down slightly, until he could look her right in the eye.

"You have spirit, Dreamkit," he told her quietly. "Do not lose that; often, heroes are made not by the way they follow the rules, but the way they break them. You have yet to learn, however, that there are times to follow the rules, and learn your lesson, and times to break the rules for the sake of doing what is right. Remember that well, Dreamkit."

The flame-pelted tom turned abruptly and bounded away, leaving Dreamkit staring at where he had been standing, stunned, his strange advice winding through her mind.


Dreamkit felt herself being lifted, and carried at a very fast pace. Moon had a firm hold of her scruff, and was racing through the forest, Star by his side.

They quickly reached their den, the honeysuckle bush on top of the hill, where Dreamkit was deposited unceremoniously in the nest they all shared and smothered with licks.

"Oh, Dreamkit," Star breathed, lapping hard at Dreamkit's scruffy fur. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?"

Moon left the den for a moment, before padding back in and laying a vole in front of Dreamkit. "Eat first," he meowed firmly, joining Star in cuddling the kit. "Talk later."

Star ranted at Dreamkit while washing her, Dreamkit ravenously gobbling the prey down. "Can't you just follow the rules? If you were bored, you could have found someone to play with! The Starpool is off-limits for a reason! Everything we do is for a reason, it's all for your safety! You're the only kit I've ever raised, what if something had happened to you? I was so, so worried, what if a fox or a badger had gotten you? Badgers are nasty, they killed-"

Star stopped suddenly, a funny look on her face, as if she was remembering something painful and stopping herself from giving it away at the same time.

Dreamkit paused halfway through her vole, violet eyes sparkling inquisitively. "What did the badgers do?"

Star looked like she was having trouble swallowing something. She ducked her head and looked away, eyes glassy.

Moon laid his tail comfortingly over Star's back, before answering Dreamkit, though he had the same pained expression on his face. "It was a badger that killed Star, sweetheart. It's hard to talk about for her."

Dreamkit stared at her parents. "Oh."

Moon sighed. "It's a long story, so I won't tell you it all now, but.…" He took a shaky breath. "That night-it was completely dark; we were careless…the badger came out of nowhere, and hit her. I killed it, but not in time. She died, and for so many moons…" Moon trailed away, lost in thought.

Dreamkit took a careful look at the two cats and decided it was best not to ask what happened. She could find out from another cat sometime.

Star turned back to Dreamkit, with a shaky little half-laugh. "Are you planning to finish that vole, or not?"


Dreamkit bounced out of the den with the intent to look for the other kits, her old friends. Star and Moon had reluctantly allowed her out of the den, but had sternly commanded her not to go farther than the base of the hill. Dreamkit had grumbled and complained, but unfortunately for her, they stayed firm.

At the base of the hill, a large group of kits was shuffling around nervously. Dreamkit spotted her old friends Brownkit, Glowkit, Creekkit, Leafkit, and Blazekit. Flowerkit was also there, looking very smug, surrounded by the rest of Dreamkit's companions.

"Hi, guys!" Dreamkit squealed, tumbling down the hill into their midst.

Flowerkit giggled. "You can thank me now."

Dreamkit rolled her eyes. "Fine. Thanks, Flowerkit."

She looked at her first five friends, the kits she had first played with when she came to StarClan. "Thanks for the energy, you guys," she purred.

Leafkit nuzzled Dreamkit's shoulder-all that she could reach now that Dreamkit had grown. "You're welcome. We couldn't leave you defenseless, could we? You're our friend!"

The other kits took that as their cue to drown Dreamkit in questions.

"What did you see?"

"What was it like?"

"Were you hurt?"

"Did you fight anything?"

"Did you meet any cats?"

"Weren't you hungry?"

Dreamkit basked in all the attention, and sat down immediately and began to relate the story of her adventure to her eager listeners. She started out with the truth, but soon began to elaborate, throwing in hugely stretched events, like swimming across the lake and fighting a patrol of crazy Clan cats.

A gray she-kit named Willowkit interrupted in the middle of Dreamkit's account of running from what she thought was a fox in the shadows.

"Dreamkit," Willowkit mewed, flicking her tail towards the den on the hill. "Star's calling you."

Dreamkit shook her pelt out slightly as she stood up in the circle of her admiring friends. "See you guys later."

"Come and finish the story later!" the kits called after her as she trotted back up the hill.

Star looked very amused. "Making up stories, now, were you?"

Dreamkit flattened her ears. "Sorry…?"

Star shook her head. "Don't make up stories like that; it won't help you at all in life. But no matter now, you need a nap."

"Star!" Dreamkit wailed, horrified. "I don't want to sleep!"

Star shook her head firmly. "You didn't sleep at all on your little escapade, so you're going to make up for it now. Into the nest with you."

Much to Dreamkit's displeasure, Star grabbed Dreamkit by the scruff and dropped her in the nest, immediately curling around her so she couldn't escape.

Dreamkit wriggled around restlessly, but she couldn't move away. It was so warm…and Star's purring was so soothing…

Finally, Dreamkit gave up and allowed herself to sink into sleep.


I hope you liked that chapter, with Dreamkit's punishment being ruled out and everything. Sorry to everyone who was hoping she'd get off scot-free, but with an adventure that big, I doubt StarClan would let her go. :)

If you want the rest of Star's story, it's described in my other fic, Legends of the Stars.

Please review!