It was morning when the three finally reached the top of the mountain. The air was freezing cold and snow covered the rocks and crags, there were a few caves dotted around the mountain top with stale scents on the stone.

This place feels... familiar... Stardust thought slowly. It feels like I've really been here but... I don't think I have. This is so weird...

She looked around her and saw a cliff edge, there was a large cave nearby. This looks like the cave I've remembered before. No, I must be imagining things. Stardust lifted her muzzle and scented the air, the scent of many cats filled her surroundings but there was also the faint scent of wolves and eagles. Stardust decided to explore the cave. Curiously, she poked her head into the cave mouth and looked around; there were many scraps of moss scattered all over the cave floor, Stardust wondered why the cave was so messy. She padded further into the den and sniffed a small pile of moss. There was a cat's scent on it, a scent that she recognised a few seconds later; it was one of the cats she had dreamed of before, the silver tabby she-cat with sky blue eyes.

Her throat was beginning to feel dry, Stardust looked around the cave and spotted a small puddle of water in a corner. She padded towards it and sniffed, making sure that it wasn't poisonous; it smelled clear so she dipped her head and lapped up a drop of the water.

***

A howl ripped through the air. Blinking, Stardust looked frantically around her. She saw sleek silver-furred cats scurrying around her, their eyes dark with fear. Another howl sounded behind her and Stardust turned to stare in horror at a large white wolf, half it's face ravaged by countless scars, blood dripping off it's fangs. Stardust turned to run and the wolf leaped towards her. A fearsome caterwaul shrieked and Stardust saw a dark grey long-furred tom with burning amber eyes leaping at the wolf and aimed a gash at the wolf's muzzle.

I dreamed of that cat before! Stardust stared at him, he can't fight that wolf all by himself, I need to help him. Stardust rushed up to the wolf. Just as she was about to pounce, a silver blur rushed past her and Stardust saw that it was a silver tabby she-cat- the other cat Stardust had dreamed of before. The wolf snapped it's jaws at the grey tom but the silver tabby bit hard into the wolf's left ear. The wolf leaped at the silver tabby and gashed her flank. The she-cat yowled in agony. The grey tom attacked the wolf and drove it backwards with swift blows to it's face.

"Run Lilac!" The tom yowled, "I can manage, get our daughter out of here!"

The silver tabby slowly stood up, her blue eyes stared at the tom. "No! I won't leave you!"

"You have to," the tom kicked the wolf's face with his hind legs and the scarred wolf reeled. The grey tom rushed towards Lilac. "Save our daughter, I'll find you later." The two cats touched noses for a second, then the tom leaped back into battle with the scarred white wolf.

"I love you." Lilac whispered, then she turned round and dashed away. Stardust took one last look at the battling grey tom then she chased after Lilac. There were burning embers flying through the air and flames were flickering brightly. Lilac dodged a flying ember and dashed into a cave. In the cave, Stardust squinted her eyes and saw a small silver grey kitten scrabbling blindly through the darkness. Lilac gently picked the kitten up by it's scruff and fled out of the cave. Stardust swiftly followed them as Lilac leaped over ledges and jumped down rocks, soon they were halfway down the mountain. Suddenly, rocks rained down behind them and growls rumbled. Stardust turned her head and to her horror, she saw three wolves chasing after them. Lilac glanced behind her and ran faster. She pelted across the rocky ground and leaped down the mountain. There was a howl behind them and Stardust saw a wolf lose it's grip on the rocks then it fell to it's death.

The two wolves bounded after them, careful not to lose their balance. Lilac turned right and took a steep path downwards. One of the wolves tripped and fell off the edge, the remaining wolf growled and ran faster. It was now only inches behind Stardust and the small gap between them shortened as the wolf gained on them. Suddenly Lilac leaped down the ledge and disappeared from sight. Stardust leaped after her, certain that Lilac knew what she was doing.

They landed on a small hidden ledge and Lilac continued to run downhill, Stardust followed. Stardust panted with exhaustion and her paws were aching from running for so long. The ground beneath their paws changed from rocks to soft snow. They had arrived at the bottom of the mountain. Stardust looked behind and saw a small pack of wolves heading towards them, a black wolf with blue eyes was leading the pack and Lilac was staring at them with fear. Quickly, Lilac carried the kitten and hid it behind some tall rocks, then pelted towards the wolves, her ears flat against her head and claws unsheathed. She attacked the leading black wolf and the pack swiftly surrounded her, Lilac disappeared from Stardust's sight as the wolves blocked her view and she looked back to see where the kitten was hidden. The kitten scrambled over the tall rocks and desperately trudged away through the thick snow.

Looking behind her, Stardust gasped. Lilac lay on her side, still and silent. The snow was stained crimson with blood. Lilac's face still held a snarl and her eyes were blank, unseeing. The leading black wolf was leading his pack towards the tall stones to search for the kitten but the kitten was gone. Since it was snowing heavily, the kitten's pawsteps would be covered over in new snow, lost in the blanket of white. The wolves scented for the kitten's scent but the scent was undetectable by the frosty air. Still they persevered in their search for the scent but after a while, the wolves gave up and pelted away.

Even though the kitten had disappeared, Stardust knew where she was; Moonshadow would find her and raise her, when her true parents could not. Soon the vision faded and Stardust blinked her eyes. She was still crouched near the puddle of water, her throat still dry and parched. Strange shadows flickered on the puddle's surface. Two pale shapes gazed at Stardust, one dark grey and one silver tabby.

"Stardust..." Their voices echoed. " We've been waiting for you."