I'm Already There

A SongFic about Whitestorm's death, written by Starr. Enjoy ;)

Sorrelkit, Sootkit, and Rainkit stared at their father with wide eyes.

"Where's Papa going?" Rainkit asked Willowpelt, leaning against her legs.

"He's... he's going somewhere dangerous, darlings. He may not return." Her blue eyes were rimmed with sorrow as she brushed her muzzle against Whitestorm's.

"Of course I'll return," he murmured, licking his kits between their ears. "You've nothing to worry about."

"Whitestorm!" Dustpelt called from the enterance. "Come on! We're getting ready to go!" Cats were saying good-bye to their mates, their kits, their siblings.

Whitestorm wished his mother was here for him to say good-bye to. He missed Snowfur.

"Come on," he murmured, and with a last longing look at her kits, Whitestorm and Willowpelt raced out together.

He called her on the road

From a lonely cold hotel room

Just to hear her say I love you one more time

Whitestorm thought hard as he ran towards Fourtrees, where the battle would be held.

He thought about Willowpelt, his one love.

He thought about his kits, tiny and helpless. He almost heard their high voices squeaking with joy as he played with them.

But when he heard the sound

Of the kids laughing in the background

He had to wipe a tear away from his eye

He thought about his mother, killed under the paws of a Twoleg monster.

He thought about his father, murdered by a RiverClan patrol. Fury surged through him, but he pushed it away.

They'll be fightning with you tonight, and you'll see your parents soon enough, he told himself.

Bramblepaw and the other apprentices were bouncing ahead, eyes bright and serious. Longtail and Mousefur were giving them last minute advice.

A little voice came on the phone

Said "Daddy, when you coming home?"

He said the first thing that came to his mind

Whitestorm remembered something his mother had told him in a dream, after she died, when he was just a kit.

I'm already there

Take a look around

I'm the sunshine in your hair

I'm the shadow on the ground

An image of Willowpelt, her silvery fur white with sunshine, crept its way into Whitestorm's mind. He remembered this day. The day his kits were born. Later that day she'd had pains, and shortly after she gave birth to three kits. Whitestorm rmembered when Cinderpelt had let him in to see, and he'd sat and watched his kits suckle...

he could have sat there forever.

I'm the whisper in the wind

I'm your imaginary friend

And I know I'm in your prayers

oh I'm already there

It seemed no time had passed before Whitestorm was battling. he had a silver she-cat between his claws, and his mind started playing tricks. He saw Willowpelt dying in his paws, and let the BloodClan cat go in panic. But it wasn't Willowpelt. She was wrestling with a tortoiseshell she-cat across the clearing, shoulder slick with blood. He took a deep breath before leaping at a big black tom. claws met in his flank and Whitestorm jerked in pain.

She got back on the phone

Said "I really miss you darling."

"Don't worry about the kids, they'll be alright."

Whitestorm gasped as a black and white tom knocked him sideways. He claed as fiercely as he could, but he was already tired and weak from battle. The tom had him pinned sideways, where Whitestorm couldn't defend himself.

Bone! Whitestorm's heart flipped when he reconized the BloodClan deputy. He heard a trilling laugh, and a pair of blue eyes shone at him. Whitestorm felt a new surge of strength when his daughters face appeared in his head. He howled and heaved himself upward, rewarded by the look of surprise on Bone's face as he was flung off.

Wish I was in your arms

Lying right there beside you

But I know I'll be in your dreams tonight

And I'll gently kiss your lips

Bone was infuriated. He flung at Whitestorm, pinning the older warrior under his weight, and raked thron-sharp claws down the deputy's throat. Whitestorm gagged on his own blood and struggled to feel the same heat at seeing Sorrelkit, Rainkit, or Sootkit's face, but it didn't work. He felt cold and hollow. His hindclaws scored Bone's belly, but the black-and-white tom hardly seemed to notice. The BloodClan cats eyes were bright with vengeance.

Touch you with my fingertips

Whitestorm knew he was dying then, when his paws went numb and his vision went blurry around the edges. He swore he could see a faint white outling shimmering to the right of him. Snowfur?

So turn out the light and close your eyes

"No!" He heard Willowpelt screech. Whitestorm turned his head to see her trying to shove her way through the thick group of cats, but before she could reach him, a tabby cat lunged at her and knocked her aside.

"Whitestorm!" Bone's weight vanished, and then Firestar was leaning over him, green eyes bright with worry and grief. "Whitestorm, no! Graystripe, find Cinderpelt!" So Graystripe was here, too?

"Too late," he managed to choke out. "I go to hunt with StarClan." Firestar's eyes widened in panic.

"You can't!" The firey leader wailed. "The Clan needs you! I need you!"

"You will find others," Whitestorm croaked, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Trust your heart, Firestar.You have always known that Graystripe is destined to be deputy."

"Don't go, Whitestorm!" Willowpelt screamed from across the clearing.

Too...late...

I'm already there

Don't make a sound

I'm the beat in your heart

I'm the moonlight shining down

"Whitestorm? Open your eyes, my precious son." Whitestorm blinked his eyes open. He was in Fourtrees still, but it was cleaned of blood and fighting cats. In front of him stood a white she-cat with flowing fur and blue eyes.

"Snowfur!" He squealed, bouncing to his paws. He touched his nose to his mothers, purring. Behind her stood a blue-gray she-cat. "Hello, Bluestar."

"Hello, Whitestorm," Bluestar purred, strolling forward.

I'm the whisper in the wind

And I'll be there until the end

Bluestar looked up, eyes glazed. Snowfur sighed.

"What is it?" Whitestorm asked, worry pricking his fur.

"Firestar is losing a life," Snowfur murmured. "I'll be in the woods, but you must be there for him, Whitestorm." She disappeared in the trees just as a firey outline began to shimmer in front of Bluestar and Whitestorm.

"Firestar," Bluestar greeted him.

Once Firestar had fadded away, regaining conciousness after losing a life to Scourge, Whitestorm had something to do.

~ ~ ~

Sorrelkit blinked her eyes open to find herself in a large clearing, surounded by four tall oaks. She sat up to see Rainkit and Sootkit beside her.

"Papa?" Rainkit squealed. "I told my brothers you'd come back! But...where are we?" Whitestorm stared at his paws.

"We're at Fourtrees. And I'm not coming back, Sorrelkit. I was killed. I joined StarClan."

"No!" Rainkit cried, flinging himself at their fathers legs. Sootkit clambered up Whitestorm's back and snuggled between his shoulders, wailing. Sorrelkit crawled under his belly and pressed against his legs.

"Oh, kits," Whitestorm murmured. "Don't cry. I'll always be with you."

"I didn't want you to die," Rainkit whispered.

"None of us did!" Sorrelkit whimpered.

"We wanted you to stay, daddy," Sootkit murmured.

"I did too," Whitestorm meowed soberly.

Can you feel the love that we share?

Oh I'm already there

"I've got to go now," Whitestorm said after a moment. His kits wailed and clung to him a moment more before letting go and shuffling to stand in front of him. "I'll always be with you. I love you." And their father faded away. Forever.

We may be a thousand miles apart

But I'll be with you wherever you are

Willowpelt collapsed beside her fallen mate.

"Whitestorm!" She cried. "No! You weren't supposed to go! You were supposed to come home, to our kits!"

I'm already there

Take a look around

Willowpelt opened her eyes. She was sitting vigil for Whitestorm with her kits. She lifted her head to the sky adn stared at the moon, a full, silver disk. Willowpelt gazed at the stars and sighed. Which was Whitestorm?

I'm the sunshine in your hair

I'm the shadow on the ground

I'm the whisper in the wind

"I love you," Willowpelt murmured quietly, so as not to wake Rainkit, Sootkit, and Sorrelkit. She curled tighter around her kits and glared at the deep cut in her mates throat, the one that had ended his life.

And I'll be there until the end

Can you feel the love that we share

Whitestorm stared down at his mate and kits from StarClan.

"I love you too, Willowpelt," He murmured.

Oh I'm already there

He turned and padded away into the forest.

Oh I'm already

There