(Well we have a little sad realization part in this chapter and the explanation -somewhat- to all this. An unknown and carelessly thrown away omen coming back to haunt a certain deputy, and the threat of the clans. Enjoy!)

It had been two whole weeks now since they started traveling together. Whitethunder had had a dream from the past, moons ago when they found out about Cherryblossom betrayal. At the meeting under the Oldbark, a clan meeting where the whole of the clan shunned her and he finalized her sentence. She was to be marked by the whole clan just as her mother had been, only she would never be able to do her warrior duties again. No patrol, no fighting or going to Bonding under the Stars. Nothing but a serving cat for the kits and elders and other warriors. She would be treated like a outsider. The look Cherryblossom gave him was confusing, but he couldn't make out what it was. He couldn't give into her looks though, because he was a deputy. He had a responsibility and a very important one. He had to help his leader and organize the clan. Not one Queen would deter him from that, not even his mate. He had to be strong in order to be a great clan leader, and he would do anything to become it. That included righting traitors, whether they were apart of the clan or not.

Their medicine cat, Riverheart, told him to right his wrongs or Skyclan would take something precious from him while giving him such a disapproving glare, but he paid her no mind. She was a medicine. She was only suppose to heal cats and decipher omens, nothing else. Being as far along with kits as his mate was, she had managed to escape with the help of her older brother, Autumnspot. An admirable deed for a Queen, the clan thought. He had to admit, it was. Very dangerous, but admirable. It was strange, though. Why dream of that moment and that moment only? And why did it seem as though he had did something horribly wrong, as though he had done something bad but failed to realize it? He didn't know the answer of course, but it just rubbed his fur the wrong way.

He roused his patrol and they hunted. As they ate, Whitethunder had been deep in thought. Something was nagging at his mind, his heart and entire being, but for the life of him he couldn't place a paw on it. 'Skyclan will take something precious from you.' What did that mean? He couldn't make paws or tails of it and it irked him. He finished his squirrel quickly and rose to walk by himself, mewing orders for his group to clean up the camp. Something was going to happen today, something terrible and it involved him. He just knew it, because he could feel it.

After they had eaten they covered up any trace of them being there and left. It was about sundown when they reached a forest. Something felt strangely familiar about it, but he shrugged it off. They walked through a forest, dodging stumps and trees, swatting away bugs and spiders until Whitethunder stopped and for once took a look at his surroundings. The familiar trees and bushes, that murky scent that filled the air, 'We are close,' Whitethunder thought as he took off running. The other cats gave yowls of surprise and followed him.

He ran at a breaking speed and stopped beside a bush. He sniffed it. 'Yes!' The bush still held a small amount of fur on it, though it was now a faded version of the red and pink fur he saw moons ago. 'Its been so long...' He looked around. He saw that same spot he and his mother, brother and Whitemoon sat. (He doesn't think of Whitemoon as his father anymore since he's, ya know, marked.) That same spot he had nearly killed Yelloweclipse, and that spot, the spot where...

Autumnspot ran up beside him, his voice low in aggravation. "Why did you just run off like that?! You could've warned us you know!"

Whitethunder shot him a glare before he padded over to a familiar, soft spot in the earth. Flowers had grown over it now, along with a soft patch of grass. He sat there and lowered his head. "It's best that you come over here, Autumnspot. After all, you have always wanted to meet you kin."

Autumnspot trotted over to him with a confused look. "What in Skyclan's name are you talking about?!" Whitethunder eyed the soft patch.

"Back when we were tracking Cherryblossom, she had given birth to her kits."

Autumnspot looked at Whitethunder, then the patch on the ground. His eyes widened in horror and he shook his head. "No... No no NO!" He started to dig up the flowers and grass but Whitethunder had knocked him over pinned him to the ground. Autumnspot squirmed and flailed under him, but Whitethunder was heavier than him, so he wouldn't budge. Whitethunder snapped down at him. "Calm down and control yourself, Fleabag! Acting stupid isn't going to bring them back!"

Autumn stopped his flailing, but didn't stop his glaring. Whitethunder let him up moments later, but he didn't like the way Autumnspot glared at him. It was full of hatred and, something else. Why was he glaring at him like that? What did he do? His mouth dried and his mind was racing again. His insides turned foul as that bad feeling returned again, only now it was harsher, grown and nurtured with darkness and foreboding. He knew what he was going to hear next would be nice. "It's your fault." Well, there it was, and it made Whitethunder shiver inside. It took him a while, but when he did run the words over in his head until it made sense, he snarled and bristled.

"You are blaming me for the death of my kits?! Are you mouse-brained?!"

Autumnspot snarled and spat at him. "Yes! It is your fault! If it wasn't for what you did, her kits wouldn't be dead! MY KIN wouldn't be dead!"

"It was HER decision to run away! Not mine! I didn't choose it for her!" Whitethunder roared back. But then he thought about his words. He didn't choose, did he? The feeling again intensified, and it scared him, but not as much as what Autumnspot said next.

"Yes you did. She ran away because of you," he said in a whisper, a cold, deadly whisper. It felt as though the outside had dropped a few degrees at the least.

Mudfur and Longclaw stood forgotten, both wide eyed as they stared at the two. Whitethunder shook his head and backed away. The pieces were slowly coming together, and he didn't like what it was made into. "No. No that's not...I didn't..."

"Yes you did." Autumnspot said as he stalked towards Whitethunder. It seemed that the closer he got to the white tom, the smaller he shrunk. "You tortured my sister, YOUR mate. Any male cat would listen to his mate's story and jump to defend them, but no, not you. You yelled and scolded her without giving her a chance to defend herself. You gave her the decision to either be marked by the clan and disgusted by her clanmates for something she did out of the greater good, or run away. It is no surprise that she chose the latter. YOU chose power and the clan over her, YOUR mate that was heavy with YOUR kits, ignoring her cry for help! And what happened? Her kits died. Because you chased her out, chased her away, BETRAYED her and broke the number one mating law! YOU killed your kits, Whitethunder! It was all you! Kit murderer! Kittosatsujin!"

Whitethunder whined and shook his head frantically. 'No' was being repeated in his mind over and over again, but it was true. It WAS true! It was his fault! He didn't listen to her, he didn't stand up and defend her. And the cost? Skyclan took his kits. Because of him. He didn't listen and right his mistakes like Riverheart had told him, and in anger Skyclan took them from him. His arrogance, need for power and the need to be liked by his clan, cost him something precious. His next thoughts ended him.

That look that Cherryblossom gave him, that look of need, that look that had all but cried out for help. She need him, need him to defend her, to protect her, to be on her side. She NEEDED her mate, who was suppose to be there for her, and yet he didn't. He did not defend her, protect her, be there for her. He didn't do any of the natural things a mate was suppose to do, he did the exact opposite. He scorned her, turned her way. He judged her just as the clan did. He had acted on his hurt, not hers. He didn't run away with her or help her escape like a normal mate would do. He sat there and sentenced her, trapped her. Then that look of horror while he sentenced her, the betrayal in her eyes was much stronger than his. He had basically doomed them both, breaking the ultimate mating law. The look she had basically told him that he had failed his duty as a mate. And when he had failed to do his duty as a mate, she turned Autumnspot. Autumnspot carried out his duty, helped her and comforted her. Autumnspot did HIS job. Autumnspot had replaced him, and he was her brother AND a cat from a different clan, the ENEMY clan!

Whitethunder looked at the ground. He failed and paid the price. Riverheart's words played over in his head as he sat down in complete submission. Kittosatsujin. Kit murderer. His new title, and that will follow him to his end. He looked over at his kits grave, over to the patch of flowers. He could see them now, sorrowful and glaring eyes. "You failed us, father." they would tell him. Then his mate's eyes appeared in front of him, as green as the grass, glaring accusingly. "You failed me."

Longclaw frowned and glared at Autumnspot. "You can't just brand him like that! What she did was wrong! Against the rules!"

Mudfur silenced her. "You don't know the whole story, kit. What she did was the bidding of Skyclan. The punishment was wrong, as was the clan, Starrīdā and Whitethunder."

Autumnspot sat and curled his tail around his paws. "Cherryblossom was sharing her clan secrets to me, but me only, and in turn I shared my clan secrets with her. Not only that, but rallying up followers to help her stop something that would have had a horrible affect on a our clans and a foreign clans. It was a part of the prophecy, and secret, so Skyclan forbid her to say anything anyone unless she desperately need to. She told me because I insisted she did if I was to help her escape."

"And she told me because i already knew she was part of it." Mudfur mewed.

Longclaw frowned. "Danger? Danger of what?"

Autumnspot sighed sadly. "A flood is coming, and the clans will die. It is inevitable, but it is a small part that the clans will in fact survive. When the clans move out though, they will be traveling for days to find a perfect spot for them. Sadly that will be beside foreign clans, closer to one clan in particular. Our clans will wage a war with them and all cats, kits, queens, everyone, will die. The clans will be no more."

Longclaw gasped in horror. "Why not tell the clans then?! This is serious!"

"And strike fear into them to the point where they will kill them selves in competitions and land hungry influences? I think not. We have shed enough blood over patrolling as it is."

Mudfur growled. "You have heard of the prophecy right? 'War will break, and blood will spill. 'Your medicine cat did tell you that yes?" Longclaw nodded and Mudfur continued. "Her part of the prophecy was the last part kept between her and the medicine cats. 'Brambles will save them all.'" Longclaw nodded again, and Mudfur carried on, although her voice was low in sadness. "Her part was to gather allies, close and far. She was to be caught doing this after her kits were born by her clan and run away to seek help, protection and aid from the foreign clans, one of the foreign clans anyway. She told me that they changed her part in the prophecy later on. 'Ocean, moon and fruit will nurture a flower that the raven protects, and flower will protect the clans. Something is going to happen and cause you great despair' they told her, and they were helpless to change it. Curse the Moonclan cats for being so sneaky and nosy, because one of her clanmates caught her and told. She got Cherryblossom in trouble, and in turn sped up the process. Now Cherryblossom had to leave way before her time."

Autumnspot looked down guiltily. "I blamed Whitethunder for nothing then. The early movement would have cost her her kits."

Mudfur laid her tail on his shoulder. "No you didn't. Skyclan would have spared her kits, had Whitethunder not accused her so wrongly and threatened to harm her, sentenced her. Remember, never threaten or mark your mate unless for a good and truthful reason. Whitethunder didn't do that, so it is not your fault. Nothing you could have done would have changed that."

Autumnspot then looked at her curiously. "Why did she...?"

Mudfur purred lightly. "You wasn't going to be the only cat Cherryblossom snuck around with. I cornered her and made her tell the whole truth, remember?"

Longclaw shook her head and backed away. "No, no we have to go back! Warn the clans!"

Autumnspot shook his head. "They will be fine...for the moment. No cat will die in the flood. That had been reassured." He looked at the patch of flowers sadly. Mudfur nodded and stood.

"Come on Longclaw. Let us leave Autumnspot to mourn."

Longclaw numbly nodded and followed Mudfur.

~ooo~

Whitethunder had been listening to them through his grief, and it only made him feel worse. Riverheart had told of this prophecy to the clans. Cherryblossom had a important part in this prophecy, a role sent from Skyclan themselves. Cherryblossom, oh how he missed her now He wanted to tell her he was sorry, that he made a huge mistake, but she was too far away. She was gone. Whitethunder still remembered when he first asked Cherryblossom to be his mate, like it was yesterday...

~flashback~

Whitethunder walked over to Cherryblossom, fidgeting and nervous. His tail was tucked slightly as he stared at the red she cat lovingly, looking her over. Despite who her parents were, she was beautiful. No cat had her soft shiny fur, he was sure of it. He snapped back to his self as Cherryblossom slapped him in the face with her oh so soft bushy tail. He flattened his ears.

"Err, sorry. Daydreaming, the works."

Cherryblossom giggled and oh, her voice was so cute. He would cover her face with licks had he the guts. Then again he actually need his guts, because Cherryblossom surely would rip them out if he were to abruptly do the act. Oh yes, he was pretty sure she would.

Cherryblossom looked him over with those clear, green orbs. Really, why should a cat have such green eyes? The sparkled more than the Skyclan ancestors did. And they were slanted just perfectly, completing her whole face. And her sleek fluffiness. He could drown in her fur it was sooooo soft! Wait, didn't he already talk about her fur?

He flinched as he heard Cherryblossom growl in annoyance. "What do you want Whitethunder?!"

Whitethunder frowned. Had she not been the crush of his dreams, she would be severely clawed to shreds. He looked to the ground. "I-uh, can we go somewhere in private and talk?" Cherryblossom looked him over suspiciously before nodding and followed him out of the camp.

He lead her to the plushed part of their forestry territory, where the grass and trees were the healthiest, the best. He stopped some mouse lengths away from her mothers burial sight and closed his eyes to collect his self. When he opens them Cherryblossom was giving him a surprised, strange look.

"Why did you bring me here Whitethunder, to my mother. Why?"

Whitethunder smiled, swiping his tongue over his lips nervous. "I told your mother before that I would ask for you in front of her didn't I?"

"Yea, but that was when we were kit Whitethunder, joking." She looked him over before her eyes widened. "Are you serious?!" Whitethunder nodded and lifted his head, staring strongly into her eyes.

"I love you Cherryblossom, and right now, in front your mother, want to take you as my mate. I promise to love and protect you like a proper tom, to always listen to you and never even attempt to abuse you nor leave you. I will always be faithful and forever there to support you. I ask for nothing in return but for you to return my love and if you can...um...kits."

He looked at the ground. He had said it. The mating vow. The proposal. His heart was thundering. What would she say? Would she want him or reject him. If she rejected him then why? Because of another tom? Whitethunder growled inside. He would personally mark the tom who took her love.

Whitethunder squeaked, yes actually squeaked, in surprise as the red she cat tackled him and covered him with nuzzles and licks. H.e melted at the warm, loving gaze she gave him.

"Yes great Skyclan yes Whitethunder! I would be honored!" The wind blew, flower petals spiraling around them before over their head and out of sight. Whitethunder remembered that Silverclaw, Cherryblossom's mother, loved flowers. Apparently Silverclaw had approved of the mating choice. If she didn't approve well, that wasn't going to stop Whitethunder.

Whitethunder purred deeply as he returned her nuzzles and licks. He had gotten his mate. He vowed right then and there never to hurt her and always be with her.

Whitethunder laid down and whined. He had broken his vows, betrayed not only Cherryblossom, but Silverclaw as well. He could practically see the marked red she cat's blue eyes glazed in fury. Whitethunder shudder. If Silverclaw was alive she would surely kill him. He would have been stronger than her yes, but he didnt dare think about testing her. She was know for taking many of the Rīdās' lives, and he only one. No doubt that Brightrīdā would take his life a well. He probably already does. Oh the horror.

Whitethunder didn't bother moving over to the camp his group had set up. He wanted to be alone. He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep. Nothing but nightmares came.