Princess's perspective:

I walked along the top of the narrow fence, carefully placing one paw in front of the other so I wouldn't slip off onto the ground. Firestar was gone. My brother and his Clan were lost to me, most likely forever; I didn't know where he went when he left. He came to see me, one day, a long time ago now. I remember seeing his bright ginger fur gleam as he leapt down into my housefolks' garden, over the fence. Behind him, the shadowed forest loomed, encroaching on the Twoleg town.

"Firestar!" I called when he stepped onto the neat trimmed grass, so foreign to him and his kind who thrived in the wild woods. He purred when he saw me, sitting in a patch of sunlight beside my housefolks' nest.

"Sister," he mewed, darting up to me. He flicked my ear affectionately with his tail, but his eyes clouded suddenly. "I have news," his voice lowering to nearly a whisper. "Bad news, unfortunately." In that moment I saw my brother's sorrow, a heavy weight burdening his broad shoulders.

"Princess, I have to leave with my Clan."

His voice was tired, betraying the calm façade of a leader that he wore. I was worried for him. The forest and his leadership duties were taking a toll on him. But I knew better than to try to convince him to stay in Twolegplace. The forest was his home, and I respected that. I had to respect that.

"What's wrong?" I asked, somewhat accusingly. "Don't tell me everything's all right because I know it's not, Firestar. I can tell." I sat down and curled my tail around me, waiting for an explanation.

He sighed and stretched out in the sun. "I know, it's no use hiding anything from you. You're like Cinderpelt; you always know what I'm thinking." I looked at him in confusion, and he clarified: "Cinderpelt is the ThunderClan medicine cat. Sorry, sometimes I forget you're not in the forest with us."

I remember Cinderpelt. Firestar has told me plenty about her, about when she was his apprentice and then became a medicine cat after being hit by a monster. Poor cat. I can't imagine what she's been though.

Nostalgia catches up with me a lot nowadays. That makes me sound like an elder, I know, but it's true. I remember Firestar's visits, and my son Cloudtail's as well. Cloudtail was so happy the last time he visited me, months ago. He had a mate, Brightheart, and a kit named Whitekit. He told me he had proven himself to the Clan and that while he missed me, he was a true warrior now. I was happy for him.

Firestar made me lurch away from my thoughts and back to the present. He turned to me and said those words I shall never forget:

"The Twolegs are driving us out of the forest, Princess. We have to leave, all four Clans, and I might never see you again. We might never see you again," he added, and I knew he was thinking of Cloudtail. I was stunned. It was hard to process his words, but the sadness in his brilliant green eyes conveyed everything that I needed to know.

"I … " What do I say? What should I say to my brother, during the last time I will ever see him? Forever is a long time. When I was just a kitten, I threw it around, nonchalant as any young cat. "It'll be forever until I get big enough to go outside." "You take forever to pour food into my bowl." But I would never, ever see my littermate and my son again. My only kin would be gone. And I would be alone.

My mother and father were long gone; they passed away from old age. My brother Firestar was leaving, and my sister Sunny I hadn't seen for months and months. My other three kits, aside from Cloudtail, were dead or living with some Twoleg far, far away. I never connected with neighboring housecats, really, or anyone. I would truly be alone. Forever is a long time.

I know you want to hear my story. I'm sorry. I'm old, and you know how old cats get … anyway. Firestar was still looking at me, and I still didn't know what to say. I decided on: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you must go. I'll … I'll miss you. Tell Cloudtail he'll always be my son. And you'll always be my brother." Firestar pressed himself against me, sharing my sorrow. "I'll miss you," I whispered.

"I'll miss you too, Princess," he replied. His fur flashed brightly as he padded across the lawn and leapt onto the fence. I followed him, trotting to keep up. He bounded down onto the other side of the fence as I jumped up to perch precariously on the narrow edge where his paws had been. He paused momentarily at a clump of yellowing bracken at the edge of the woods.

"Firestar!" I called out to him. He turned to look over his shoulder.

"Good luck." My voice was tiny in comparison to the silent woods, but Firestar must have heard me for he twitched his orange tail in reply. Then he turned back to the woods and disappeared into them. I watched until his figure was swallowed up by shadow.

"Good luck," I whispered one more time, knowing that he couldn't hear me and yet hoping that he, somehow, could.

I miss that cat. I am alone, yes; but my memory serves me well, even though it preserves the sadness of that day. The forest is nearly gone now. Thunderpaths crisscross over it, and new nests have been constructed where the Clans hunted, fought, protected each other. And even though I don't believe in StarClan, I hope that wherever Firestar is, his warrior ancestors are there too.

His path may never cross mine again, but I hope wherever he is, he is happy.

StarClan willing.