A/N: Post-The Last Hope oneshot. SPOILERS FOR THE ULTIMATE GUIDE. I was shocked when I read in Brambleclaw's nine lives ceremony that Sorreltail had died... She was one of my favorites. So here's my tribute to her.

Words: 724
Characters: Sorreltail, Brackenfur, Rainwhisker, Sootfur (Lilykit, Seedkit, Leafpool, Jayfeather)
Time: Post-Omen of the Stars series
Genre: Angst/Romance

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to the Erin Hunters. Not me.

It's okay, kits. You're safe.

It's okay.

Everything is okay now.

The words rang in Sorreltail's mind, a mantra in beat with her heaving breaths. She almost didn't notice the pain in her chest, deepening with every passing moment, because all that mattered was that her kits were safe. She was just tired, that was all that the pounding in her head and the stinging all over her body meant. And the stinging was beginning to fade, anyway. She couldn't even feel her paws at all now, nor her tail wrapped protectively around Lilykit and Seedkit.

"Mother?" one of them mewed, and Sorreltail was so close to sleep that she couldn't even tell which one it was.

"It's okay, little one," she mumbled. "Everything is okay now."

Sorreltail closed her eyes. Her kits squirmed, but they were just kits, after all; all kits squirmed. She didn't need to open her eyes for that.

"Sorreltail!"

It was Brackenfur's scent, though she could hardly tell through the scent of blood. Was it his? No, no, it was coming from her pelt. She fought hard, after all, so she must be covered in so much of the Dark Forest cats' blood.

"Sorreltail, open your eyes," Brackenfur pleaded.

But why? She was so comfortable here, in her nest with her kits and her mate. Her whiskers twitched.

"It's okay, Brackenfur," she said, and was surprised at how weak her voice was, how raspy and difficult her breathing. Her heart raced with the effort of producing the words. "Everything… is okay now."

His nose pressed into her fur, quivering, and so very warm, since her body was suddenly so very cold. His voice was tight and panicked.

"Get Jayfeather! Leafpool! Anyone, help us!"

Oh, Sorreltail realized. The blood… it's my blood.

In the heat of the battle, the fierce passion to protect her defenseless kits, and the shock of Firestar's death, she hadn't noticed a single scratch or blow. Yet she felt Brackenfur push her kits away, felt gentle paws pressing against her fur – no, not her fur, her wounds. That's why she was so tired. They didn't hurt anymore, though. The numbness had spread from her paws and tailtip to her belly and chest now.

"It's okay, Brackenfur," she said again, and with the last of her strength, she opened her eyes. His face was so close to hers she could feel his trembling whiskers, so she licked his cheek affectionately. "You'll take care of everything. Our kits, our Clan."

"I'll take care of you, too, Sorreltail," he breathed, but the flash of pain in his eyes was clear. He knew he was lying. "I'll always take care of you. I love you. Since you were a 'paw, I loved you."

Two cats pushed through the bramble thicket of the nursery. Brackenfur's head shot up, and Sorreltail thought she heard him shout. "Jayfeather! Leafpool!"

But those weren't the cats she saw. She saw her brothers, Rainwhisker and Sootfur, with starry eyes and glossy fur. Together they nudged her to her paws, and she was comforted to find she could stand without their help, her exhaustion gone and her mind clear.

"I missed you," she told them, rubbing her pelt along each of theirs in turn. "I didn't want to join you just yet. But I missed you every day."

"I know," Sootfur said. "But we're glad you got to live the life we never did."

"A mate who loves you, and kits to be proud of, and a death in battle defending your Clan," said Rainwhisker.

Sorreltail looked back. Jayfeather and Leafpool looked very small, heads bowed next to her body. Brackenfur had gathered their two kits between his paws, licking their ears. They mewled in fright and confusion, but Sorreltail heard the deep rumble of her mate's voice comforting them. It's okay, kits. It's okay.

He looked up. Directly at her. Sorreltail blinked at the ginger tom, as warmly as she could, for the last time. He looked so scared, so sad.

"It's okay," she said, one last time.

"It's not," Brackenfur whispered. He drew their kits closer to him with his tail, and gave her a tiny nod. "But… it will be."

Sorreltail closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was racing through an endless forest, her brothers, Honeyfern, and Molepaw by her side.