"Onestar!" yowled Sedgewhisker, dashing towards the leader. "Onestar!"
Onestar turned. "What is it, Sedgewhisker?"
Looking into his warrior's wild eyes, he puzzled over what might have happened. The battle had been won. Shouldn't his warriors be rejoicing? Or there were more Dark Forest warriors attacking? Did a cat die? He stiffened at the thought of another cat from his Clan dying. He'd already lost Ashfoot. He didn't want another cat's death on his paws.
Sedgewhisker's eyes seemed in pain, almost, as she shakily replied, "Firestar...Firestar is dead."
Onestar stumbled from the shock of those words. Firestar was dead? No...that wasn't possible. Yet somehow, he knew that it was true. He nodded almost imperceptibly and dismissed Sedgewhisker in a hoarse voice. "Thank you, Sedgewhisker."
Onestar slowly limped towards one of the abandoned badger sets, and squeezed his eyes shut. Memories started to flash through his head.
Flash.
Him first meeting Firestar, Fireheart then, and Graystripe.
Flash.
Fireheart, Graystripe and him at a gathering, talking about pretty she-cats from their own clans, Fireheart said something funny about One-eye, and they all let out loud 'mmmmrrrrows' of laughter.
Flash.
Fireheart, at his first gathering as Firestar, and Onewhisker feeling so much pride well up for him.
Flash.
Firestar saving him from Scourge.
Onestar felt his mouth go dry.
Flash.
Him finding out about Graystripe being kidnapped by Twolegs and being comforted and reassured by Firestar.
Flash.
Firestar taking one of his own lives by saving him.
Flash.
Firestar defending him when he became leader.
Flash.
Graystripe coming back and him being secretly overjoyed.
Onestar let out a wail of pain. He couldn't believe it, but yet he did Firestar was dead. And so was his deputy.
There and then, he decided that he needed to go pay his respects to Firestar. Slowly getting up, he padded brokenly to ThunderClan's territory. Every step, every single pawstep that he took seemed to jolt with pain. Each one reminded him that he was getting closer to Firestar's death site, the place where he had lost his last life to not only save his Clan, but to save all of the Clans. Firestar was a true hero. He deserved better than such a quick death, he deserved to be able to retire and die in peace. But Onestar knew that to die heroically in battle was also a great thing, admired by many.
When he got to ThunderClan's camp, cats turned their heads to look at him, but went back to grieving only seconds later. When he saw Firestar's body, limp and unmoving, he sobbed. Brambleclaw, no, Bramblestar, stopped sitting vigil and padded towards him.
"I'm here to sit vigil for Firestar." Onestar said, trying and failing to keep his voice from cracking.
Bramblestar opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by a grey-blue she cat.
"So am I," she mewed softly.
"You too, Mistystar?" asked another voice. It was Tawnypelt of ShadowClan, and she had come there with her mate, Rowanclaw, and her kits, Tigerheart and Dawnpelt.
"Yes," murmured Mistystar. She padded closer to Firestar's body, as did the others, and began to share tongues with him one last time. Thoughts, memories, and regrets went through their minds.
For Onestar, he deeply regretted the way that he had treated Firestar after he became leader. He'd become too suspicious of him, and he had made rash choices that caused their friendship to stop and stutter to a halt, like a broken down Twoleg monster.
Onestar pressed his nose to the dead leader's cold body, and whispered, "Goodbye, dear friend..."
He felt a cat squeeze in beside him. He recognized her as the former medicine cat, Leafpool.
"You must've been good friends with my father, huh?" she asked softly. He only nodded, still speechless from the grief.
After a while, he whispered to her, "First my deputy died, and now your father died"
"Your deputy's dead?" asked Leafpool quietly. Once again he nodded.
He thought for a bit, and he asked her finally, "Do you think Crowfeather would be a good deputy?"
Leafpool visibly tensed, then sighed. "Yes," she mewed carefully. "He's very...loyal to his Clan." She shuffled her paws, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.
Onestar purred very slightly. "Thank you," he said, noticing her hesitance and continued to grieve for his lost friend.
Soon after, it was getting late and no one was going to sleep just yet. Most cats were either grieving over Ferncloud, Firestar, or Hollyleaf. So many cats lost in just one battle.
Onestar stayed there until it was moonhigh. He shakily got up and walked towards his territory. Slowly, the grief started to leave him as he got closer and closer to WindClan. He started walking faster and faster until he broke out into a sprint. And he could swear he felt Firestar and Ashfoot running beside him.
The dead stay with you, even in times of fear and despair. And they always, always live on.
The end.