You think the dead we loved truly ever leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly in times of great trouble?"
~Albus Dumbledore,Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Firestar's orange colored paws twitched. He was curled up in the leader's den on his feather and moss made nest. He was having a nightmare. In his nightmare he was fighting Scourge. Every time Firestar lunged at Scourge, Scourge would kill him. Each time he lost a life he would check to see how many clan cats were alive. Each time he checked, without a fail, there were less cats. On his eighth life, all of the clan cats were strewn on the blood soaked forest floor. The Bloodclan cats had circled him and Scourge was waiting for Firestar to make the final feeble lunge. "Give up, kitty pet, this forest is mine now." Cackled Scourge before he raked his reinforced claws across Firestar's neck.
Firestar woke up, gasping. His fur was on end and his heart was beating fast. It was just a dream. He thought as his heartbeat returned to a normal rate and his fur smoothed. He looked out of the leader's den and found out that it was only dawn. Deciding that he could make himself useful this early in the morning, Firestar padded outside his den and spotted Sandstorm. When Sandstorm spotted her mate, she walked over to him. Purring, she entwined her tail with Firestar's tail before saying, "Good morning."
Firestar tried to take his mind off of the nightmare and nuzzled Sandstorm. "I was just about to go hunting. Do you want to come with me for old times sake?" said Sandstorm with a smile, her sand colored tail still curled around Firestar's flame colored tail.
"Sounds great." Purred Firestar.
"One more thing, let's make this a competition." Remarked Sanstorm with a smirk.
"Oh, Sandstorm, we both know that you will win. For Starclan's sake, you are the best hunter in all of Thunderclan." Replied Firestar as they neared the gorse tunnel at the camp entrance.
"So are you declining my challenge?" asked Sandstorm, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Of coarse not!" answered Firestar as they left the camp and entered the forest of tall trees and many leafy plants.
Firestar had almost completely forgotten his nightmare as he walked through the forest, flanked by his mate. Sandstorm smelled prey and shot off after the scent. "Hey, no fair! I didn't know that we were starting now!" yowled Firestar as he scented his own prey and began to follow its scent trail.
Firestar navigated the trees and plants almost effortlessly. From the many moons that he had been here, he had grown accustomed to his environment. As he followed the scent trail, he began to recall his many adventures here as a Thunderclan cat, from rescuing Windclan, to saving the half clan cats from Tigerstar. Lost in thought, Firestar ran into Sandstorm. "Watch where you're going mouse brain!" meowed Sandstorm to Firestar, her mouth holding a sparrow, a mouse, and a vole already.
Sandstorm noticed that Firestar hadn't caught any prey yet. "You better get to hunting or I'm going to win." Remarked Sandstorm as she brushed his flank with her tail, her voice muffled by all of the prey in her mouth.
Sandstorm then buried her prey near Firestar and began to follow another scent. She stopped and turned around to face Firestar and said, "Don't even think about stealing my prey."
Firestar nodded in understanding before opening his mouth and scenting another prey scent trail. He stalked towards the scent, eager to catch some prey and not willing to lose to his mate even though he knew that she was impossible to out catch.
Soon Firestar found prey. He spotted a plump mouse scurrying in the undergrowth. He got into the hunter's crouch and began to creep towards the unsuspecting mouse, staying downwind all the while. When he was close enough to his prey of choice, he pounced and delivered a clean bite to the mouse's neck. After that catch he managed to kill a squirrel and two voles before Sandstorm returned to Firestar with two sparrows, three mice, and a vole. Sandstorm eyed Firestar's prey, dropped hers, and said, "I won!"
Firestar playfully head butted her shoulder and meowed, "Of coarse you won! I think that you could beat a Starclan warrior at hunting!"
Sandstorm purred and gestured to Firestar's prey with her tail before saying, "You didn't do too bad yourself."
Firestar purred and licked Sandstorm's ear. "We should head back to camp now. I'm sure the clan will appreciate all of this prey." Suggested Firestar before picking up his prey and beginning to walk back to camp. Sandstorm somehow managed to pick up all of the prey that she caught before following her mate back to camp.
When they arrived at the Thunderclan camp they immediately added their abundance of prey to the fresh kill pile. Firestar spotted his deputy talking to a circle of warriors. Whitestorm spotted him and beckoned him to join the circle of conversing warriors. Firestar glanced at Sandstorm. She saw the whole thing happen. "Go, it's your duty as a clan leader. I will see you later." Said Sandstorm.
Firestar purred and licked her nose before jogging over to Whitestorm and the Thunderclan warriors. Greystripe greeted Firestar with enthusiasm and saying, "Firestar, we are strategizing for battle. We have formed a decent plan."
Firestar nodded for the assembled warriors to inform him of the plan. They began telling him the plan. After that Greystripe asked, "So is that a good plan or what? Can we use it in the battle?"
Firestar's happy morning disappeared only to be replaced by the reality of the upcoming battle. His head clouded with many thoughts, Firestar stood in the circle of eager warriors, dumbstruck. "Uh, I…uh.." stuttered Firestar, not able to form words.
The surrounding warriors' eyes bored into him, awaiting an answer of some sort. Whitestorm observed Firestar's confusion and stated, "Firestar needs time to think. Anyone that is interested in an answer can ask later, your leader needs time to sort things out."
Firestar gave Whitestorm a grateful look before picking a mouse off of the top of the fresh kill pile and carrying it to his den. He curled up in the entrance of his den and began to eat his mouse. The prey was almost tasteless as Firestar thought long and hard over the current events. Whitestorm interrupted his thoughts.
"Firestar, I suggest that you assign a cat to teach the kits to fight. At least defense, we need to prepare. Scourge is ruthless, he may send his cats after our kits during the battle." Suggested Whitestorm, Firestar's loyal deputy.
Firestar stared blankly at the mouse that he had began to eat. He took in its features. It had died helplessly. Would that be Thunderclan's fate? Thought Firestar. "No." he thought out loud. "Firestar, are you sure that you don't want the kits to learn precautionary battle moves?" asked Whitestorm, slightly impatient.
Firestar broke away from his thoughts. "Oh. Sandstorm can teach them." Muttered Firestar.
Whitestorm padded away to confront Sandstorm. Firestar sighed. The upcoming battle was looming over the clans and stressing out Firestar. He looked up and thought, Oh, Starclan, why me? Firestar gazed at his half eaten prey before rising to his paws. A nice walk should clear my thoughts.
Firestar found himself walking through the forest and to the burial place of his beloved former leader, Bluestar. He arrived at her final resting place. The birds around him in the forest seemed to hold their breath, waiting for what would happen next. The whole forest seemed to still. Firestar bowed his head to the mound where she was buried. A single tear slid down his face as he closed his eyes tightly. He uttered a single choked word, "Bluestar."
He saw a bright light through his closed eyes. He opened them and saw Spottedleaf sitting by him, her tail curled neatly around her paws and her bright eyes staring at Firestar almost scornfully. "Spottedleaf?" gasped Firestar.
"Why are you here? You should be rallying Thunderclan and preparing them for the battle!" meowed Spottedleaf.
"I wanted to feel closer to Blustar, but she is gone." Mumbled Firestar, his fire colored head bowed, his unwavering eyes staring at the ground.
"Firestar, do you think the dead we loved truly ever leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly in times of great trouble?" questioned Spottedleaf as her image began to fade away.
"Spottedleaf, wait!" called Firestar as he watched her figure dimming and disappearing.
Her words rang in Firestar's ears as he walked back to the Thunderclan camp.
Firestar, do you think the dead we loved truly ever leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly in times of great trouble? Firestar repeated her words to himself, understanding them more and more each time he repeated them. He walked into the camp, head held high. Whitestorm asked him, "Firestar where were you? Never mind that, what to we do now?"
Firestar stared confidently into Whitestorm's concerned eyes. "We have a battle to prepare for." Said Firestar.