Bluestar tried to paddle through the rough current but she had no swimming experience. It was helpless! The water just passed through her paws. She heard Fireheart splash in behind her, but she knew he couldn't save her! This was the end! StarClan, forgive me! You haven't abandoned me! I realize that now! Please, StarClan, accept me!

Bluestar wondered what she'd miss most. The Clan, who are not traitors! She'd miss the clan. Death was hard, but she was ready, she'd lived nine full lives! She had many exciting and sad moments. She was glad that she had the chance to be ThunderClan's leader.

Bluestar felt a warm body brush against her! The dogs? No Mistyfoot, and Stonefur! My kits have come to say goodbye! They swiftly supported her and carried her to shore, Fireheart followed, bent over his leader, his mentor!

"Bluestar? Are you alright?" he coughed, "Please, Bluestar!" Firestar's eyes were full of fear and his fur was plastered to his body.

"I'm going to join StarClan, Fireheart. When I watched you, with the dogs, I knew my clan wasn't traitors and StarClan wasn't against me! They truly cared!"

"Bluestar, no!" he yowled. But Bluestar turned to Mistyfoot and Stonefur and mewed gently, "I hope you forgive me, my lovely kits."

"We forgive you, mother." Stonefur told her, and the siblings rushed forward to share tongues with their mother. She glanced at Fireheart and said weakly, "You'll make a great leader, Fireheart, I know it! You are the fire that will save our Clan!"

Bluestar's eyes glazed over and she saw a reddish-brown tom descending out of the sky, his pelt shone with stars of the night, "Oakheart, I am ready!"

"But you can't go Bluestar! I need you!" Fireheart caterwauled urgently. His whiskers were pulled back across his face and his eyes glittered with the sadness of losing his leader.

"Goodbye, Fireheart, Mistyfoot, Stonefur…" she meowed so gently, you could barely hear it. Then Bluestar gave a last gasp of life and her spirit floated through the clouds with Oakheart's.

It was, at first, dark. But the blackness slowly ebbed into a clearing filled with grass. And cats! She thought. The stars seemed to be all around her, like her leader ceremony. She recognized some of the pelts, Redtail! Lionheart! Oakheart! Spottedleaf! Snowfur! They were all safe, in StarClan!

"Welcome, Bluestar!" they meowed. "StarClan forgives you!" replying the un-asked question that burned in her mind. Bluestar nodded, 'I understand! Fireheart needs his leader ceremony soon, doesn't he?"

"Yes, Bluestar, and you must choose that other eight that will come! Choose wisely. We are patient." StarClan told her. The prospect of choosing this important decision made Bluestar feel proud of her apprentice, she began thinking right away.

Of course, Lionheart! Lionheart mentored Fireheart a little bit. He would give Fireheart a great gift, he was a loyal warrior and deputy. Bluestar meowed, "Lionheart will give a life!" StarClan murmured in approval.

Who else? Maybe Redtail, Fireheart found out what happened to the former deputy. And of course, Yellowfang, his old friend! And on the prospect of medicine cats, Fireheart was grief-stricken when Spottedleaf died! "Spottedleaf, Yellowfang, and Redtail!"

Runningwind? Yes, he was also her apprentice, and Fireheart was rather good friends with Runningwind. Patchpelt or Halftail? Maybe, but not if she could find anyone better. What about Brindleface? She was Cloudtail's foster mother who died because of Tigerstar's plan with the dogs! Yes, and on the prospect of dogs, Swifpaw would give a good gift to Fireheart.
"Runningwind, Brindleface, and Swiftpaw!"
One more? Maybe a cat from another clan, that would be good for him! What about, Silverstream? Silverstream was his friend's love! I guess, Silverstream! "and Silverstream!"
Sunstar, the leader of ThunderClan before her, called out now, "Okay, you have chosen all nine cats, they each will give their own gifts to him. At his ceremony tommorow, we will meet him at the moonstone!"

Tommorow! She thought, I will give the new leader his ceremony, he will be great! He will be the fire that will save the clan!