A/N Wow! I got a lot more reviews than expected! Well, as requested by narfgirl, I shall do a dream of Grath, set on the island of Ruddaring (end of book, if you didn't know).

SPOILERS FOR PEARLS OF LUTRA!

I hope you don't flame me for not warning you, so there it was! And there it goes…

Disclaimer::packing suitcase: The lawyers found me. I knew I shouldn't of forged the signature!

Conscience: Well, if you were a GOOD girl, then you would not of gotten caught.

Me: You persuaded me!

Conscience: Whatever.

(Begin Dreams of Pearls)

The soft, murmuring of waves lapping on shore, mixed with the squawk of indignant seagulls fighting over a bit of leftover food. The moonlight sparkled over the depths of the wide abyss of the ocean, filled with water, fish, and sailors seeking adventure.

Grath Longfletch twisted in her interrupted sleep, staring up at the winking stars above her. A huge, half-crescent moon was a lamp among the thousands of fireflies that danced in the stretch of solid water called sky. Blinking, Grath wriggled deeper into the grass, wishing for sleep.

A creature with both of her paws set firmly in the ground, she was not often greeted by dreams, but occasionally she had a long, deep one, and for some reason, she knew tonight would be different. She would dream.

Closing her eyes, she willed herself to sleep.

A drowsy, light music floated over her, and the murmur of the waves and the shrieks of seagulls faded, replaced by different noises.

Grath opened her eyes, and was greeted by a strange sight indeed.

It was a beach, with wide, spreading shores and endless sand dunes. The silhouettes of shrews doing back flips and speaking were framed by dancing, flickering flames.

Some music, flute and tambourine combined, wove itself around Grath, and she attempted to squint and see what was going on.

But suddenly, she realized- she had no eyes. Or a mouth, paws, or tail. Furiously wriggling, she came to a conclusion that she was something inanimate in this dream.

But a second later, she heard a voice she knew well.

Very well.

"I can shoot a star- watch me!" Brown, strong paws scooped up Grath and notched her onto a bow, a well-waxed string holding her in place.

The wiry string pulled back, and loosed. Grath shot passed onlookers, looking down. The stunned expressions on their faces, and the gasps told her that they thought she was about to hit a star.

Arcing higher, Grath expected to fall- she remembered this event well- but instead, she did not. The stars above her were whirling about, each crying out her name,

"Grath!"

"Grath!"

Soaring higher, higher, Grath spotted a star, and, as if guided by her mind, raced forward and hit the star.

A sensation- not quite pain, not bliss, somewhere in the middle- whipped her about and she fell with a thump into something hard and wooden. A splinter lodged itself in her paw, and she yelped out in pain-

She had paws?

Rolling over, Grath checked herself- paws, ears, muzzle, and that rudder that marked her species. I know what I am now, she thought gratefully. Now where am I?

Looking up from her paws, she saw it instantly- the palace of Ublaz. She was on the docks for the plunderers ships, where loot- like the Tears of all Oceans, if it had been held on to- would have been unloaded.

She was at the heart of where her past problems lived.

Hate boiled up inside of her, and she felt as if the tide itself was rolling and burning-

Wait- it was.

Grath, propelled by the waves, flipped over and rolled, until she, somehow, went past the door and into a giant hall.

This wasn't in the palace- this was a homely place, with dusty rose red walls and a long, oaken table. The hall was filled with creatures, from mice to moles to otters to shrews to squirrels, all eating and helping themselves to a wide variety of food. She had never been here- but instantly she knew that she was at the Great Hall in Redwall, a wondrous place which Viola the vole maid had described in detail.

About to ask what happened to the palace, a creature came up from behind her and said, "Grath, do you know where that apple custard went? I know that either a Dibbun got it or it's somewhere down here- everywhere else hasn't had it."

Tilting her head up, Grath instantly recognized the mouse- Martin, the Redwall warrior that had defeated Ublaz at Sampetra. "Martin!"

Martin smiled at her, but then, something incredibly strange happened. His fur, normally a light, tannish brown, began fading to pink, and he began to change shape- smaller, rounder.

Grath watching in horror as her friend shifted from mouse to pearl. The pearl glimmered mockingly at her, and she leapt for it, about to demand that Martin come back-

But her world altered, and so did her senses- hearing and sight were suddenly lost, and she was blind and deaf, in a world that she could only feel, smell, and taste.

Grath swung about, and, blinking, she saw a light, and heard the light smash of waves on shore of some beach.

Good, I'm not blind or deaf, she thought to herself, but her fury at Martin changing into a pearl still poked her, mockingly. Would those Tears of all Oceans linger with her for life?

The crash grew louder, and she floated towards the light.

Blinking, she saw more blue-green waves, and her curiosity was aroused. Swimming towards them, she saw a canoe-like boat drifting about in the waves. After many powerful strokes, Grath hauled herself into the rickety craft- and saw three figures there that were not in the boat before.

One was a hare, grinning and talking animatedly to a young vole maid, who couldn't help but smile back and gesture with her paw. On the boat bottom between them, a pile of apples, some flasks of liquid, and a melon sat there, swishing with the waves. The third beast…

Blinking with surprise, Grath saw Log-a-log, the one that had repaired her boat more than once. Holding out a paw, she said, "Log-a-log! I-"

Waving his paw, he smiled- and suddenly, his spiky fur smoothed out, and his paws curled, and he began to shift, his brown fur changing to a light pink-

"No!" cried Grath and lunged at him, but when she threw herself, nothing but a pearl lie there, with two other pearls, same shape and size next to it.

Grath threw back her head and wailed, but when she was about to throw the pearls out to sea, she opened her eyes- and the boat was gone.

She whipped around, and saw familiar caves, with otters sitting there, roasting fish over fires and laughing at the kits who stole food and attempted to hide it. Elderly and young danced about the fire, while the middle-aged argued and spoke, each with merriment gracing their voices.

"Holt Lutra!" gasped Grath, and she ran towards them. "Mother! Father! I-" her voice cracked as she saw two older-looking otters speaking. "I missed you, what-"

Both otters turned to face her- and began to change shape, smoothing out, rudders fading, paws vanishing into pink depths-

"Noooooo!"

Grath woke, lashing out, paws hitting grass. "Why? Curse those pearls!"

"Grath!" spoke a worried voice. "Grath-"

"Inbar?" breathed the frightened female otter.

The male otter settled down beside her, a cup carved out of wood in his paws. "You seemed to be having a bad dream. This will help."

Taking the cup, she sat still, not drinking it. "I still dream of them."

Inbar leaned down and hugged her. "I know you do- but they will like it that you still love and remember them."

Grath took a deep drink of the liquid. "This is excellent melon juice, Inbar. It's nice… that you thought of me."

Inbar smiled, and gave her another hug. "Don't worry- better dreams will come. Until them, you have me to talk to."

The pair of otters looked out at the sky, watching the still stars flash and twinkle. Grath looked out at her new family- and was relieved that none of them were pink pearls.

(End Dreams of Pearls)

A/N :sniff: Awww… fluff. Muha!

I haven't read Pearls of Lutra in a while, so I missed out on some friends- but at least I have this!

Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!