On the way back to camp, his clan mates were cursing words to Runningstar. Thunderclaw decided to stay silent making a gap between him and his clan mates. Especially Brightwind.

Night breeze whistled in Thunderclaw's sensible ears. He twitched the right and looked up in the sky. So many stars, so many warriors that has been a true hero at one time. Generations through generations. Those stars were a hero, but the tom was mad for separating him and his mate to an unknown place, not even know what happened to Twilightspeckle. Was she dead? Or was she desperately living in a unknown place?

MorningClan reached to their clan cats going to other warriors that had stayed behind do share the story, Thunderclaw went straight to the warrior den, curled up in his moss nest. He placed his tail on covering his eyes avoiding to meet any cat's gaze. Thunderclaw's yellow eye closed as he drifted to sleep, hopefully seeing Twilightspeckle the next morning their fur brushing together.

**********************************

Thunderclaw woke up not in his nest, but in a dark shadowy bay. There was an endless water place like MorningClan's territory, except the ocean was black. No sun light shimmered the ocean like it did in the ocean the tom knows. It was dark and gloomy, no life swam in the water. The life less water stretched endlessly across in the horizon.

"Where am I?" Thunderclaw murmured staring at horror on the gloomy ocean. This was not the sea water that he has always known, it was as if staring at a blood of pools.

"Your at my ocean." A meow jumped him back, his back lungeing into battle position. Thunderclaw saw an gold tom, with an nasty scar on his right cheeks. The tom hissed like an added and his muscles tensed. He was almost more trained than the best warriors in the clans. A rogue perhaps? But Thunderclaw was curled up in his nest a moment ago.

"What do you mean your ocean?" Thunderclaw growled. He circled around the golden tom trying to hind his fear scent being from the size of his opponent. Cold wind blew, just when the tabby was about to pounce, the golden tom sat down and started to groom his fur.

The warrior stared in shock. He relaxed his shoulders a little staring at the tom.

"Hello." The monstrous cat that was just before greeted. "I am Snakefang, I am here to bring back your mate." Thunderclaw sat in blank not believing his ears.

"Can you repeat that again?"

Snakefang rolled his eyes than meowed. "I am here to bring back your Twilightspeckle." He repeated again. Is he a StarClan cat that they blessed me? But Snakefang's fur was not star speckled, disguising, filthy, and shaggy more than Thunderclaw's glossy pelt.

"Is this true? And where is Twilightspeckle?" The tabby tom lashed out his tail, in deep of his yellow eyes, hope splashed. Snakefang smiled kindly.

"Twilightspeckle's in StarClan, she's living with her true kin." He said smiling. Something tickled in Thunderclaw's heart about the golden tom. A beam of light, with a shadow behind.

"She's safe? Can, can she come back?" Thunderclaw asked his voice trembling with happiness. Snakefang purred.

"Oh, she certainly can, but she just needs a little push to cut out from StarClan's blood." He said. Cold breeze whistled again blowing both of the tom's fur. Their eyes met staring at each other. Thunderclaw finally relaxed fully his tail neatly wrapped around his paws.

"Please! I'll do anything!" He exclaimed full of hope almost leaping from his paws. Twilightspeckle, I'll do whatever it takes to get you back.

The sound of crow echoed in the dark sea. The sand was dark and hard, instead of smooth, but it almost turned into a paradise for Thunderclaw. This was a place where he was giving the chance to save his mate.

"Please do not rush my new friend." He purred. "Please meet my friends first." Snakefang flicked his tail as three shadows came. They were big, bigger than Thunderclaw but Snakefang was bigger.

Snakefang explained. "This is my fellow clan mates, Addertail, Fickergaze, and Drownspirit." He said waving his tail at three cats. Addertail was an tabby light brown she cat with white face and underbelly, slightly smaller than the rest. She had brightness in her eyes like a kit dreaming to become leader.

"Hi!" Addertail greeted with an full smile. "I'm Addertail, and I'm Snakefang's sister." She said rubbing her cheeks to her brother. She doesn't seem bad but what was this feeling that shook Thunderclaw's heart? Perhaps it was just the place that was making him feel that. But what was this place? He had one thought, but how can that be when they are so nice to him?

"And I am Flickergaze." A low pitched, smushed face tom greeted. His black fur was thin his pink skin almost visible. Thunderclaw tried to not let a disguised face by Flickergaze's looks. The tom continued, "I'm Snakefang's close friend ever since we were kits. Right Snakefang?"

"Yes," Snakefang answered swallowed deep in his memory of his apprenticeship. "Good times fellow friend." Drownspirit nodded.

"I miss this time. Except for the accident of course." He turned his head towards Thunderclaw. "I am also a fellow friend of Snakefang, and mate's to Addertail. Nice to meet you Thunderclaw. I know we will, get along." Why is my heart feeling unease?

Snakefang interruptted. "It is time for Thunderclaw to wake up in the present world. See you next night."

*********

Thunderclaw found himself around the sleeping warriors. He shook his head and tiptoed out of the warriors day dodging the senior warriors. Once he got to the clearing he stared at the sky that had bare sunlight, twilight, when Twilightspeckle was born.

He thought about his dream. Snakefang, Addertail, Flickergaze, and Drownspirit. They were all kind caring cats, but the place. It was dull and dim where no stars shined itself and dark ocean swirled. Thunderclaw knew where he has just went, a place where no warriors should go after death.

The tom thought about Snakefang's word about Twilightspeckle. Can he really bring Twilightspeckle back? And can he really be trusted? Thunderclaw was lost, he wanted guidance from his fellow mate. Her gentle knowledge, her playful words, her determination to save anything at all cost.

Thunderclaw was called in a border patrol by Featherclaw. The tabby grumbled than padded to them where the rest of the patrol was. Oh great, Brightwind.

When the border patrol left camp, the tortoiseshell started doing her own thing again.

"Hi sweet." Brightwind made the 'i' part of hi unnecessary long and he called him sweet. One of the warriors in the patrol, Gingerwhisker gave an surprised blink, than licked her mouth. Thta ginger she cat loves gossip, what has this tortoiseshell done?

Thunderclaw paced up and without thinking, he has unsheathe his claws out. Gingerwhisker made an silent ooo than observed closely to the drama. Brightwind giggles than paced herself up almost trying to brush their furs.

"Don't leave me you grumpy fur-ball!" She said teasingly like Twilightspeckle would like to say. But Brightwind's high annoying voice made the tom more mad and lashed out his tail.

"Stay away from me." He growled and Featherclaw, lead of the patrol, realized the drama that was happening.

"We have a duty to do. I expect better from you two." Featherclaw meowed with a warning voice. This was all because of this stupid fur ball!

Brightwind blinked a few times, and when Featherclaw turned his head back, she whispered. "We're okay as long as we are together right?" The tabby took a deep breath. How can he consume his anger when she is so annoying?

Thunderclaw wished his real mate was here. She was too determined and brave sometimes that he had to save her life few times. Her wanderlust was strong to risk her unborn kits too. But Thunderclaw was amazed by that. She was a great cat, a cat that is a amazing mate, a cat that is his goal, a cat that he should adore. Unlike Brightwind.

Suddenly, Featherclaw stopped the patrol with a flick of his tail. He than whispered, "NoonClan."

Surely, NoonClan cats scented around them their tingling grass scent stomping the sand. Thunderclaw wrinkled his nose for a bit but than focused on spying.

"Come out." A big tom lashed out his tail. They seemed to realize their appearance. Featherclaw responded.

"Hello Gooseflight." He greeted coolly his gaze cold as ice.

"Hello to you too Featherclaw." Gooseflight remained calm his large strong muscles showing. The NoonClan Warrior was slightly even bigger than him.

"Why have you come?" Featherclaw asked politely his muscles tensed.

Gooseflight responded his voice freezing than the chilling sea water in leaf bare. "We are not here for a fight. We have come to warn you that we will attack if you do not give the daughter of StarClan back, and this time to us."

Daughter of StarClan. Twilightspeckle hated being called that. Thunderclaw hid his deep low growl forcing.

"Very well." The lead of the MorningClan patrol nodded. "Than I will give the message to Berrystar. Leave our territory now or we will have a war." Gooseflight and his patrol left peacefully. Thunderclaw dawn that they were all trained muscular warriors that might outmatch him. He shivered as a sign of war was coming.