Applekit was in a world of darkness. A black reality covered the entire forest; only alighting with faint flicker of fire. Her red pelt bushed out in fear, as her yellow eyes frantically scanned the horrifying sight.

"You're too late, Applekit..." A voice boomed behind her. Applekit, whipped around, horrified at the sight of a great red head, mouth opened with sharp fangs ready to bite through her flesh.

"No!" Applekit screamed, she sprinted away from the mouth, only to be cornered by a wall of blazing fire. This was her world; an eternity of darkness, destruction and fire.

"You're too... Late!" At the last word, she felt a roaring pain enter her body as claws stabbed into her thighs. She fought against the waves of agony washing through her body. Almost inviting her to close her eyes and rest. Her eyelids grew heavier... Just close her eyes and-

"Applekit!" A voice of a she-cat broke through her mind, snapping her into reality, the flashing pain immediately vanished, as did her attacker. The forest remained chaotic. "Applekit, listen to me! This is a nightmare. You mustn't fall into it. You cannot die here!"

Applekit hopped onto all four paws, feeling a new surge of energy- powered by rage. There was no pain to slow her down. Her yellow eyes scanned her surroundings, look for the source of the voice among the ravishing flames and darkness.

"Is little Applekit to weak to suffer?" A familiar, taunting voice sounded from behind her.

"Pull yourself from this reality, Applekit!" The she-cat pleaded, "This is not your time to die! Applekit!"

Applekit ignored the dread in the she-cat's voice. "That's right Applekit, come and fight." The raspy voice of the tom tickled her ear.

"I will." Applekit hissed, fixing her gaze ahead of her as the body of a red tom slithered out of the hearth of the flames. "I WILL!" Applekit roared as she lunged towards the tom, but with no battle training, her foe had an advantage, avoiding her slashing claws easily, he delivered a powerful blow to her side.

Applekit felt her mind begin to cloud; the pain blocking her brain from thinking properly. She whipped around, dizzy with the agony burning in her veins, and lashed out weakly, narrowly missing the red tom's flank.

As her opponent danced around her, with Applekit trying to twist, cut and bite the enemy. But the more she lashed, the dizzier she grew, until there was no more but a blurred image in her eyes and a narrow ringing noise in her ears.

Applekit collapsed on the ground, the pain had been too much to stand for the young kit. She was aware of the older tom towering over her exposed, fragile body.

"Shame you must go so soon." The voice croaked, "You could have been a valuable addition to us." A raspy voice laughed. She felt the fur on the tom's chin tickle her her ear as he leaned down towards it. "It's a shame you have to be killed by your own father." The voice now, was as clear as day, the croak had left, leaving the deeply toned voice of Redfang.

Just as Redfang lifted his claw to deliver the final blow, a flash of orange fur appeared in front of Applekit, followed closely by dark gray one, who immediately went to aid her as the orange tom and her father fought.

"If I'm going to help you, Applekit, you must try and stay with me, now lean on my shoulder, you're too heavy to carry alone, you've grown for a kit." The grey she-cat insisted, as she supported Applekit with a firm nudge. The kit stumbled then accepted the help, leaning on her shoulder as the padded through the darkness.

"Now Applekit, I need you to erase this reality, think of all your happy memories. Remember Berryleaf? And the first time you met Shadepaw?" The she-cat insisted as they padded away from the two fighting toms.

Applekit didn't bother to ask how the odd cat knew of her family and friends. She listened to the command and anchored herself to her happiest of memories.

Bit by bit, she felt the darkness fade away, leaving a starry forest, the last she heard of the chaotic realm was her father's defeated yowl. She saw the brave orange warrior approach her, no injuries, cuts or limps.

Once again, Applekit felt her energy slowly regenerate, she had too many questions to ask. The curiosity overflowing her little mind, she let her questions explode from her mouth. "What's going on? Why aren't I dead? Why aren't you hurt?"

The orange tom exchanged a glance with the grey she-cat, "Well," The grey she-cat said, "That was a nightmare you must forget immediately, you will understand it later. You weren't hurt because it wasn't real... Well, not exactly."

"What do you mean?" Applekit said frantically, "I'm old enough to understand!"

The grey she-cat opened her mouth to protest, but the flame-colored warrior briefly touched his tail-tip on her shoulder, and she closed her mouth, allowing the orange tom to speak. "Applekit, that wsan't exactly a nightmare what you saw. It was..."

"The future. Or at least one of the possibilities." The grey she-cat interrupted.

"What!?" Applekit screeched, that was the future?! Her future?! No... A dizzying flash shot through Applekit's mind for the third time that night. No... She wouldn't let it happen. She felt her legs give in, and she collapsed.

***

Applekit felt herself jolt awake, the dizzying feeling remained in her head, and her paws felt numb. Shadepaw's familiar voice sounded in her head; Spy on them some more.

She carefully stood onto all four paws, she didn't want to faint if she had jumped up instead. Berryleaf, who had felt her stirring next to her immediately began to stir, seeing her woozy kit she snapped herself awake, "Applekit, Applekit are you okay?"

"Fine." Applekit muttered, her eyes began to droop, "Just a little tired."

Berryleaf hesitated, "Maybe I should take you to the Medicine Den. I should take you to Snow-"

"I'm fine, Berryleaf, but I do need to talk to Snowberry."Applekit said, referring to the warm-hearted ThunderClan medicine cat. "And I would like to talk to Lionstar too."

Berryleaf looked startled, "One doesn't just pop on Lionstar." She explained, trying to not upset her daughter.

"Please? It's important," Applekit said, widening her eyes to look at Berryleaf, trying to convince her with the 'big eyes' persuasion method.

Berryleaf gazed into Applekit's shining eyes, then sighed giving up, "Alright, but what's so important that it needs to be talked with Snowberry and Lionstar?"

"I'll tell you when we're there." She feared that telling her mother now would stop the chances of her making the meeting with the ThunderClan medicine cat and leader.

Berryleaf hesitated, than looked at her daughter once more before telling Applekit to follow her as she'd go to find them. As the tanned queen lead the way out of the Nursery, Applekit took deep breaths. There was no turning back now.

***

"Applekit." A golden tabby, Lionstar, boomed, "What is the meaning of this?"

"I must get back to Mousecatcher, he's starting to cough." Snowberry muttered, her glossy white pelt dimmed in the lack of sun in Lionstar's den.

Applekit was to busy looking and observing the two older warriors, she only snapped back into her reality when Berryleaf fake-coughed to get her attention.

"Oh." Applekit stammered, searching for the right words. "Oh, right... As you all know," Applekit began, squeaking a bit, out of the presence of the greater and important warriors seated in front of her, "I'm going to become an apprentice in a moon now."

Lionstar and Snowberry nodded in unison.

"So, I have a request for a mentor..." Applekit finished, uncomfortable of the silence that quickly followed. Had she done something wrong? No. she was doing this for the sake of ThunderClan.

Snowberry gentle voice spoke up, "Applekit, Lionstar is the one who chooses the mentors to apprentices, I-"

"But StarClan sent me a sign!" Applekit protested, immediately dreading that she had truly said it. It was a lie, but if it was for the future, she had to do it.

Snowberry stilled as Berryleaf gasped. Lionbstar was the only one who remained calm, he flicked his ears for the young she-cat to continue. "Well," Applekit stuttered, "I-I saw... two red cats. They were play fighting with each other, one was smaller. I guess it was me..." Applekit said, saying what came to her mind first. "At the end, I saw the bigger one shoot me a grin, and I noticed he had long fangs."

Berryleaf ducked her head, continuously muttering 'no'. Snowberry looked at Lionstar and nodded. "You're telling me StarClan wishes for Redfang to be your mentor?" The golden tabby asked, clarifying.

"Yes." Applekit fibbed.

"Very well. I think this matter will be discussed with my deputy and medicine cat... And you too Berryleaf. Applekit, you may go for now."

Applekit nodded, knowing she had been dismissed. She padded out of the den, hearing her mother saying "Stay in camp!" after her. Applekit rolled her eyes, but in the deepest part of her heart, she knew it was no time for jokes. Then why was she so reluctant to this plan?

Because Applekit had just requested her father, a cat siding with the enemy as her mentor.