In response to your reviews:
WyldClaw: I do too! It was kinda difficult writing that!
Scarpath: I love Bumblestripe too, and thanks! For this chapter I used your suggestion!
(Various guest names): I'm not sure if this was more than one person, but thank you very much for the kind words! :)
Ravenheart: I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Quillfang: Added your suggestions, and thanks!
I hope you all enjoy this one! It's another strange couple, but I guess we'll see if it works out! ;)
Firestar and Silverstream
The fire began to die down, and the smoke was clearing. Graystripe climbed over the fallen tree, and began searching frantically for Firestar. He has to be alive! We've made it through so much together, it can't end this way!
"Graystripe..." A faint voice whispered. It belonged to Firestar! He sounded weak, as if he were about to die. He can't! This is his last life!
Graystripe could now see his leader, trapped under a tree branch. He grabbed the branch in his jaws and wrenched it off Firestar. "Someone get Jayfeather, Firestar's hurt!" He called out.
"There's no use," Firestar murmured. "My time has come." He winced in pain. Graystripe could tell it was taking a lot of effort for him to keep breathing. The wounds he'd suffered at Tigerstar's paws were too much for him to take, he was going to die.
The realization shocked Graystripe, he didn't know what to say. "Firestar..."
"It's alright, old friend," Firestar tried to comfort him. "StarClan is beckoning me, but before I go, I must tell you something. I owe it to you," he sighed sadly. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to reveal to you, just know that I never meant to hurt you."
Graystripe frowned, "Don't talk like that Firestar! You've always been my closest friend! Sure, we haven't gotten along all the time but you could never hurt me."
Firestar shook his head, "It all started a very long time ago, back when we were warriors in the old forest..."
…
"Here, she's delivered her first kit," Cinderpaw had a tiny gray tom grasped in her mouth. She set him down next to Tigerclaw, "Lick," she ordered.
Tigerclaw looked as if he was going to protest, but Cinderpelt gave him a glare that put Yellowfang's to shame. He flicked his tail in annoyance and began licking the small kit.
Fireheart barely contained a chuckle at the sight. It wasn't often that Tigerclaw was willing to be ordered around, especially by an apprentice. You tell him Cinderpaw!
Silverstream laid on the river shore next to Cinderpaw, she let out a loud moan and Fireheart could see the spasms shake her. Graystripe stood over her, his eyes as wide as the moon. "Is she alright? Why's she in so much pain? This isn't how this is supposed to happen!"
"Everything will be fine if you just let me work!" Cinderpaw snapped at him, Fireheart could detect a note of panic in her tone. Silverstream had lost a lot of blood, and it didn't look like the bleeding was going to stop.
"Another kit, this one's a she-cat," Cinderpaw dropped the bundle of fur at Fireheart's paws and he immediately began licking it. She mewled in protest, Fireheart could tell she wanted her mother.
"Hang in there Silverstream, everything's going to be just fine," Cinderpaw soothed. "That was the last of them, you're doing great."
Silverstream didn't reply, but let out a loud wail and recoiled. She was still bleeding, the stench was overpowering. Fireheart was feeling sick, but he continued to lick the kit. Next to him, Graystripe looked distraught.
Fireheart was alarmed when Silverstream's breathing grew shallower, and she was heaving with each breath. Cinderpaw was visibly worried, "Hang in there!"
"Silverstream?" Graystripe was by her side, powerless to help her.
"StarClan is calling me," Silverstream whispered, "Take care of them, my love." Silverstream laid her head back, and was still. Fireheart didn't have to see the glassy look in her eyes to know that she was dead.
Graystripe stared at her for a moment in silence, and then crumpled. He buried his face in her flank and started sobbing. The two kits began mewling loudly for their mother.
"There's a reason we have the warrior code," Tigerclaw growled. "To prevent something like this from happening."
Fireheart glared at him, "Quit acting so cruel! His mate just died for StarClan's sake!"
Tigerclaw muttered something inaudibly, but Fireheart could care less. He knew that Graystripe would face repercussions later for sneaking out to see Silverstream, and he himself might be punished for helping Graystripe hide that fact, but none of that mattered now. Silverstream had just passed away, and she had left Graystripe two kits that needed to be cared for.
"I'm so sorry Graystripe," Cinderpaw was saying. "I tried my best to save her, but I couldn't..." She looked down at her paws, shamefully, "I don't deserve to be a medicine cat apprentice."
Graystripe didn't reply to her, and appeared as if he hadn't even heard what she'd said to him. He was still pressed up against Silverstream, blind to the rest of the world.
"Don't talk like that!" Fireheart protested. "ThunderClan is lucky to have you! You did your best to save Silverstream, and you almost did! No medicine cat could've saved her though, that's how life works sometimes."
"Yellowfang would've saved her," Cinderpaw muttered.
Tigerclaw interjected, "Alright, enough chit chat. We need to get back to camp and report this to Bluestar," He glared angrily at Fireheart. "I'm sure she'll see that you and Graystripe are properly punished for this violation."
"I need to bury her first," Graystripe spoke for the first time in a while. His voice sounded distant, and he looked more devastated than Fireheart had ever seen him before.
"Are you alright?" Fireheart asked him.
Graystripe looked at him directly and said nothing. The pain clearly visible in his eyes told everything.
I'm not okay, and I never will be again.
…
It had been three sunrises since Silverstream had died, Fireheart hadn't spoken with Graystripe since. The only time he talked at all was in the nursery when he went to visit his kits, which was quite often, much to the annoyance of the queens. Bluestar had announced that he'd been punished enough by the death of his mate, and that no further punishment was necessary. Tigerclaw was furious.
Fireheart was just glad to be done hiding the secret, the entire time he'd felt horrible covering for Graystripe, he felt as if he was betraying his Clan. Now things were could return to normal, after Graystripe was finished mourning the death of Silverstream. Fireheart wasn't too sure how long it would take Graystripe, his friend seemed quite shaken by her loss. I wish there was some way that I could help him through this!
"Fireheart, may I speak with you?" Cinderpaw's meow interrupted his thoughts.
He looked up from the magpie he'd been eating, "Of course you can, does it have to do with Silverstream?"
Cinderpaw nodded gravely, and looked around. "But it's not something that other ears should be hearing, we should speak in my den."
Fireheart rose to his paws suspiciously, and followed her into the medicine cat den. What was this about? Did she want to complain about her awful medicine cat skills like she had before? She really needed to move on from that!
"Were you and Silverstream ever mates?" Cinderpaw demanded. Fireheart gaped at her, wide eyed at her accusation.
"W-What makes you think that?" He stammered.
Cinderpaw shrugged, "Just a hunch. It's true isn't it?"
Fireheart shuffled, uncomfortably. "Well, you have to swear by StarClan that you won't tell any other cat about this!" She nodded her head and he continued, "One day I snuck into RiverClan territory and found Silverstream. My intent was to talk some sense into her involving Graystripe, I thought they were both making a terrible mistake. Somehow our conversation changed subjects, and we ended up talking until the sun had set and the moon and stars were up. I told her that I needed to get back to my camp, but she told me that it'd make more sense for me to spend the night with her, and then return to ThunderClan in the morning." He paused, and shook his head.
Cinderpaw looked at him expectantly, and he continued, "I made a mouse-brained decision and listened to her, but that was the only time I was ever with her. After that she decided to stay committed to Graystripe, and I agreed with that. We put it behind us, I didn't have feelings for her and she didn't have feelings for me. In fact, we hardly ever spoke after that." Cinderpaw had a disappointed look on her face, "Please don't tell Graystripe, it would ruin him!" He begged, "We both admitted it was a mistake and moved on."
"I'm afraid that it's not that simple." Her expression was grim. "Fireheart, the kits that she had were yours, not Graystripe's."
"What? That's ridiculous!" Fireheart snorted. "Have you seen them? They look exactly like their father, who is Graystripe, not me."
Cinderpaw shook her head. "I wish that were true, Fireheart. The kits look like their mother, Silverstream. Graystripe is not their father."
Fireheart rolled his eyes, "What makes you say that?"
Cinderpaw sighed, "There was another kit I didn't tell you about."
"What?" Fireheart demanded. "Why not?"
"It died before I delivered it," Cinderpaw replied, her eyes brimming with sadness. "I didn't want to upset Silverstream by telling her that it had died, that might've caused her to go into shock and then the other kits would've died as well."
Fireheart nodded, "You made the right decision, but why does another kit mean that I'm the father?"
Cinderpaw looked uneasy, "Because Fireheart, the kit had a ginger pelt."
Fireheart immediately thought back to when he had talked with Silverstream, and realized with a sickening feeling that the time worked perfectly for her delivering kits just a few days ago. So that meant that the kits were his! He had two sons, and a daughter! One of your sons is dead. The realization drilled Fireheart suddenly as if he'd just been struck by a monster. Grief and guilt washed over him for what he'd done. You killed Silverstream and you're son! "Oh StarClan, what have I done?" He moaned.
"It's alright Fireheart," Cinderpaw tried to calm him. "No other cat needs to know about this, we can keep it between us!"
Fireheart looked at her, bewildered. "So you're saying that I should lie to Graystripe, and allow him to believe that my kits are actually his? How can I abandon my kits like that? I'm their father, they need me!"
"Graystripe already loves them dearly, he'll be a wonderful father for them," she pointed out. "Trust me Fireheart, it's what's best for you and Graystripe both."
Fireheart considered her suggestion. If he followed through with it, he'd never be able to let any cat know, he'd have to spend the rest of his life detached from his kits. Knowing that they were his own would prove difficult for him, so he would likely have to avoid them as much as he could. On the other paw, if he were to tell the truth Graystripe would be even more depressed, and would hate Fireheart for betraying him. Bluestar might punish him further and she would lose her trust for him, making it extremely difficult for him to convince her that Tigerclaw had murdered Redtail.
He made up his mind that it was for the greater good. "I agree, Graystripe and the other must never know about this."
…
Graystripe gawked at Firestar, completely unprepared for what he'd just been told. He'd spent countless moons at Firestar's side, they'd faced it all. Graystripe thought he could trust Firestar more than any other cat, but apparently not. Firestar had deceived and betrayed him. "How could you do that to me?"
Firestar's eyes were tired, and sad. "I only did what I thought was best for you. Believe me, it wasn't easy on me at all. I was heartbroken when you and my kits left for RiverClan. You eventually returned, but they didn't, and I didn't get to watch my kits grow up. Later, Squirrelpaw, Stormfur and Feathertail left unexpectedly. I was sure that they were all going to die. Feathertail did die on the journey."
Graystripe distinctly remembered when Stormfur had delivered the news to him that Feathertail had died, it hurt nearly as bad as losing Silverstream. But she wasn't really his kit then, was she? It was all a lie.
Firestar continued, "I'm sorry for betraying your trust, old friend. StarClan has made me suffer severely for it. To this day I still haven't laid eyes on the son I lost. I am blessed that I will soon be able to join him."
Graystripe's head was spinning, his entire world had just been turned upside down. "Firestar, I don't know what to think..."
"Then don't think," Firestar told him. "The love between you and Silverstream was genuine, we only shared one meaningless night. I'm certain she still is eagerly waiting for you in StarClan. Also,I may be the blood father of Feathertail and Stormfur, but you were more of a father to them than I ever was, or could've been. I couldn't have asked for a better cat to raise them." His eyes shined proudly. "All I ask of you is that you forgive me. I know I've wronged you, but I truly did have your best intentions in mind."
Rage swelled up in Graystripe's chest, and he was fleetingly tempted to not forgive Firestar, and to instead bear a grudge against him for what he'd done. But looking down on his friend, who was surely struggling to take his last few breaths, Graystripe knew he had no choice but to forgive him. He and Firestar had formed a close bond with one another, they were as close as brothers. There was nothing that either of them could do to sever those bonds. "Of course I forgive you, you old furball." He purred teasingly.
Firestar chuckled at that. "Thank you, I knew you would find it within yourself to forgive me." The light in his eyes was dimming, and he took one final breath before it faded. His eyes now were glazed over, and he lay perfectly still. The mighty former leader of ThunderClan looked so peaceful in death.
"You were wise to forgive him," Bluestar spoke from behind Graystripe. He turned to face her and bowed his head in respect.
"He would've done the same for me," he replied.
"I would've," Firestar padded up and stood next to Bluestar. He looked much more youthful and muscled now, his fur shown as if stars were embedded in them. He acknowledged Bluestar, "Thank you so much for everything. You helped guide me, and impacted and shaped my life so greatly."
"You shouldn't be thanking me, I should be thanking you," Bluestar told him. "Along with the rest of the Clan cats. You fulfilled the prophecy is saved us all," she paused and looked beyond him. "And now that I think about it, here's someone you might want to meet."
A lithe ginger tom stepped out of the shadows, accompanied by Feathertail. It was quite obvious that he was a son of Firestar, the resemblance was uncanny. He had the same green eyes, and flame coated pelt. Graystripe blinked to make sure he wasn't seeing double. The cat was practically an exact copy of Firestar when he was a younger warrior.
"Hello, Father," Feathertail greeted Firestar warmly. "I'd like to introduce you to my brother, Silverheart."
"In honor of you, and my mother," Silverheart explained, he seemed nervous to be meeting his father for the first time.
Firestar beamed at him, "That's wonderful! I've been waiting countless moon to finally meet you."
Silverheart perked up at hearing that. Feathertail looked over at Graystripe and he broke eye contact with her, feeling awkward. She calmly walked up next to him, and nuzzled against him. "Firestar is my father, but you'll always be my father as well." Her bright blue eyes sparkled, and Graystripe felt a little better.
"I love you," he murmured.
"I love you too," she told him.
"This is very heartwarming," Bluestar interrupted. "But we must be going now, the rest of StarClan are departing." She turned, and began to follow after the starry warriors.
Firestar turned to Graystripe, "Thank you for everything, I'll eagerly look forward to being reunited with you."
Graystripe dipped his head, "As will I. Tell Silverstream I forgive her, will you?"
Firestar nodded. "Of course." He turned and filed in with the other StarClan warriors, Silverheart at his side. The two were quickly lost in a conversation. Feathertail followed not too far behind.
Graystripe watched them leave, strangely at peace. There goes my daughter, who isn't my daughter, but we still love each other the same, regardless.
Well, despite not being a very big fan of this couple, I really did enjoy writing this one! Let me know if you liked it!
