Kat sighed and smiled as her daughter Lynn pounced and batted at a small blue butterfly.Time had past since Crys' death and as time had gone by,things had changed too.Kat lay her head on her paws and closed her eyes,dozing off slowly,only to be woken up by Lynn pouncing on her back a few moments later,and bursting into a fit of giggles.Kat raised her head and tossed it to side to side a bit,trying to wake herself up a bit more."Hey,what was that for now?I was enjoying a sleep there."She chuckled and yawned.

Lynn growled playfully and tugged on her ear."Mum,I'm bored!"

Kat flicked her ear,yanking it out of Lynn's mouth,from her sharp little teeth."Ow!"She laughed."Go and find Mako and Breeze to play with then."

Lynn shook her head."Breeze is sleeping in the den with daddy and I couldn't find Mako."She whined."Can I go to the river to see if he's there?"

Kat hesitated."..Okay,you can.If he's not there,then come straight back home,and if he is,tell him you two have to be back by sunset,okay?"

Lynn nodded and grinned,jumping down from the rock."I will mummy!Promise!"She yipped then zoomed off in the direction of the river yelling,"MAKO!!"

Kat chuckled and shook her head smiling.She lay her head down on her paws,but not closing her eyes.She stared at the way Lynn had raced off,thinking.She sighed again and shrugged,sitting upright.She sighed and looked at the sky,before jumping down and stalking off to hunt.

The air was thick with the heat of summer,making Kat pant slightly as she ran through the forest,her paws thundering on the dry ground.She stopped suddenly and dropped into a crouch when she saw a rabbit nearby.She slinked along the ground,not making a sound,and when she was close enough,sprang up and pounced onto the rabbit,biting into its neck.She let go and washed her muzzle quickly,when it was dead then picked it up and sat underneath a tree to eat.

When she had finished,Kat licked her lips and pushed away the remains.She stood up and sighed,looking at the sky.The sun was beginning to go down,so Lynn and Mako would be on their way home.She shook off and pelted off again,back in the direction of the den,a blur of sandy tan and black.She slowed her pace when she neared the den,and gasped for breath,looking around.The clearing outside the den was empty;she suspected Breeze and Techno were still inside and Lynn and Mako still weren't back.She sighed and sat down,waiting.

Just as she was about to get up and go to the river to find them herself,the two pups raced into the clearing,Mako in the lead.He stopped at Kat's paws and looked back to Lynn and sniggered.

"Ha!I beat you Lynn!I'm faster!"He stuck his tongue out at her and Lynn stuck hers out back."Show off."She muttered.

Kat looked down and frowned at them both."I was worried.Where were you?"She asked.

Lynn looked up to her."We were playing and swimming in the river.You told us to be back by sunset,and you can still see the sun.Why were you worried?It's fine."She yawned.

Kat narrowed her eyes and her tone harshened."Actually,it isn't 'fine.' The forest is a very dangerous place and if you don't watch it then you'll end up hurt or worse."She sighed,her expression softening."I'm sorry,I didn't mean to snap.But it IS the truth.I just want you to be careful."

Lynn nodded,her eyes wide."Okay..but how do you know that?"

Kat's eyes saddened."Never you mind that."She sighed and looked up to the sky.The sun was almost completely gone."Right.Now come on,get some sleep."

Lynn and Mako still looked confused but trotted off inside the den anyway.Kat followed and lay down inside.Lynn curled up,snuggled into Kat's tail and Mako jumped on top of Techno,and curled up onto his back,dozing off in an instant.Breeze snuffled her nose and woke up when she heard them come in then tilted her head to the side.Kat looked at her."Don't worry Breeze,it's only us.Go back to sleep."She whispered,lying her head down on her paws.Breeze nodded,still drowsy and curled back up tightly.Kat sighed and shook her head,before finally dozing off,slipping into a dream.

~~~

Kat breathed in the cool air,which was ruffling her coat ever so slightly,making it sway this way and that.She opened her eyes to take in her surroundings-She was at a place she had never been before.There was snow covering the ground,with only a few small tufts of grass sticking out.This confused her as she knew it was summer.She looked around and saw the tree's surrounding the clearing she was in,most of them tipped with white snow.The sky was bright blue and the sun was shining,though the snow hadn't melted.She looked around in confusion and tried to take a step forward but found herself staggering a bit.She struggled to keep her balance,then took another breath as she stood still again.

"Mother?"

Kat's ear twitched at that voice.A voice she would recognize anywhere.She spun herself around and,managing to keep balance,found herself facing a silver pup,with white and dark grey markings,and the most bright blue eyes.The pup was smiling and her silver fur was swaying to the side in the cool breeze.It was Chrysanthemum.

"C-crys?Crys?!"Kat stuttered,staring in shock at her.

Crys smiled warmly but stayed where she was."Hello mother."

"Crys!"She gasped."I...I thought you..?"

"Died?Mhmm..."Crys murmured.

Kat tossed her head from side to side."Crys you..you...the hunter?Oh it was all my fault.I should of known he was behind me.I'm sorry."She whined,choking on her words.

 Crys shook her head slowly."No.Don't blame yourself.It's not your fault.You didn't know.You COULDN'T have known.But right now its the WORST time to let it haunt you."

Kat tilted her head."Why?It's always haunted me."

Crys shook her head and sighed.Suddenly everything started to blur-the trees,the snow,the sky-it was all fading."Crys?CRYS!Don't leave!"Kat cried.

"I love you."Crys said,her voice echoing on the wind,before she faded completely.

 ~~~

Kat's eyes flew open and her head shot up.She looked around wildly,to realise she was back in her den.'All a dream?But it was so real...'Kat thought to herself.She looked back to realise Breeze was in front of her,her head tilted.She looked around once more,to see that Techno had the same confused expression on his face."What?"She asked.

"You were talking...Screaming in you're sleep."Techno said,raising a brow.

'Uh oh.'Kat thought,staring at him."Uhhh...what was I saying?"She asked.

"You were yelling 'Crys crys!' over and over again.Loudly.Think it woke half the forest up"Techno grumbled,laying his head on his paws.

"Oops.Sorry."Kat apologized,sounding nervous.She looked around and saw Lynn had stirred and was lying further away and Mako was in the same position as he fell asleep.

Breeze looked at her mother with the same confused expression."Who was crying mama?"She asked.

Kat shook her head,not wanting to talk."Nobody Breeze.It was just...a silly dream."She chuckled nervously.

"What about?"Breeze questioned.

 Kat sighed."I'de rather not talk about it."

Breeze raised an eyebrow."Okay..."She said.

Kat took a deep breath and stood up,padding outside and shaking off.She looked around and then padded off into the bushes.She was taking the route Lynn had the day before-the way towards the river.She padded on,trying to avoid the boiling heat by walking underneath the shade of the trees.She went on and on,until her paw pads ached,but stopped when she came to a certain spot.She walked into the middle of the clearing,remembering everything that had happened all that time ago at this certain place.This was the place Crys died.

Kat looked around,looking at all the tree's surrounding the clearing,then at the spot the hunter had been,the place where Crys was crouched,staring in fear...

Kat sighed and padded over to the exact place where Crys had lain,her silver coat covered in blood,where she had uttered her last words-I love you,mother.Kat sighed,remembering how just after her breathing stopped,she spent ages crying her eyes out over the pup,then later burying her in the same spot she died.She lay down at that space,staring down at the ground,wondering if she was still down there.A few small tears rolled down her cheek.Suddenly,her ear twitched at the sound of something-rustling.She raised a brow and flattened her ears,jumping to her paws,growling at the sound.Lynn's face peeked out from the bush.

Kat frowned."Lynn!What are you doing here?I thought you were sleeping."

Lynn stared up at her and crawled out of the bush."Breeze was worried.I told her I would come and find you."She said,shaking off the leaves that had clung to her coat.

Kat raised a brow."Why was she worried?"

"Because she thought you were upset or something.You didn't want to speak about you're dream and why you were screaming.And I just saw you crying."

Kat sighed."Don't tell her.It'll upset her further."

Lynn nodded."But why were you crying?"She asked,genuinely curious.

Kat stared at her blankly for a moment before replying."I'll tell you the story when you're a little older.But all I'll tell you now,is that someone very special to me,died here.Right on this spot."She said.

Lynn's eyes popped."Who?And how?!"

Kat shook her head and nuzzled her."I'll tell you when you're a little bit older.But now you know why I want you to be safe when you go on your own."She murmured and raised her head again.

Lynn nodded."Can I tell Breeze and Mako?About this spot?"

Kat hesitated then nodded."It'll do them some good to know why I