Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter

Tell me what you thought of the whole thing. Come on, be honest! Also, did any of you listen to the songs I told you to?

Read on.

Chapter 33

Finally it was Coonie's time to have kits. Rosewing had her three only a quarter moon ago. They were called Hawk-kit (a brown tabby tom with creamy patches), Graykit (a black, white, and gray speckled she-cat), and Willowkit (a brown tom with long legs and creamy underbelly).

Darkfire wasn't allowed into the nursery through the kitting. In fact only the queens and Leafpool were allowed in there. Lily came out once-and-awhile for supplies. She looked worried. That caused Darkfire to worry too. What was the matter and why was this taking so long?

Beaverpaw tried to comfort Darkfire.

"It always seems bad," the brown tom soothed. "But the queens and leafcat know what they're doing. You'll see, it will all be over soon."

Darkfire mumbled something back but Beaverpaw couldn't make sense of it. The two started pacing again. Throughout the day other cats came to congratulate Darkfire and tell him things would be fine. Darkfire just couldn't listen. It was just one kit and her kitting should have been done by now. Darkfire knew something wasn't right.

Evening finally came and Darkfire was exhausted from worry. He laid down next to the nursery and slept. And he dreamed.

The stars fell down around him. Darkfire was stunned. It reminded him of the Night of the Colored Stars. The stars fell and formed cats in front of him. Finally a tom of blue-gray fur stood before him.

"You're the cat that led Coonie to me!" Darkfire exclaimed.

The tom silently nodded. He gave Darkfire a sad smile. The cats around him stayed silent as well, only watching. Darkfire thought he could almost recognize a few. He ignored them as they seemed too wispy and didn't seem to want to talk with him.

"Why did you?" Darkfire asked. He didn't recognize this cat at all. Why would he help Coonie?

"You deserved love," the tom finally meowed. "I admit, I didn't think I was the right cat for the task either. What does a RiverClan cat have to do with a ShadowClan cat and a kittypet? I do not know at the time what would happen, but I did my task. And now it is my duty to tell you something. . . sorrowful."

He looked at Darkfire with sympathy.

"What is it?" Darkfire demanded, suddenly frightened. What was the matter?

The gray tom looked down. Then he slowly glanced to the side. Darkfire looked over as well. He saw stars coming together. A cat form slowly appeared. Darkfire stared as a familiar form took shape. The other starry cats came near, looking at him comfortingly.

"No," Darkfire slowly shook his head. Why did this have to happen again? Why? "Don't take her from me!"

He yowled at the tom, but the gray could only look back with sympathy.

"I cannot help you. I can only give you and her the message. Your own StarClan starts to form. I and these other cats from StarClan will teach her what to do. She will be your guardian."

"Why?" Darkfire asked. "Why can't some other cat take her place? We're supposed to raise our kit!"

The tom glanced down. He couldn't meet Darkfire's eyes. Darkfire stared at the cats behind him, but they could only look away as well. There was nothing they could do.

"It's time for you to go back. It is time for you to say good bye."

Darkfire cried out once more, but the starry world faded away to be replaced by a dark forest. Darkfire woke up shouting. His call was echoed by a sound from the nursery. Darkfire pushed his way into the rosebush.

"What are you doing in here?" Lily demanded. "Get out!"

"She's dying," Darkfire roared back, pushing passed her and to Coonie's side. He could smell the blood. It was seeping into the nursery. Coonie lay, tired and in pain. Still, the kit hadn't been born.

You won't take them from me, Darkfire thought angrily, huddling close to his mate's side.

"You're doing fine, Coonie," Darkfire meowed to her, licking her head.

"Dark-fire," Coonie panted out. Her eyes opened to slits and she tried to look up at him as more pain rolled through her.

After that, the end was quick. Coonie seemed to gain some strength from him, but she was already halfway in StarClan. After the kit was born, Coonie stayed only a short while.

"I love you Darkfire," she meowed, eyes closed and head down.

"And I'll always love you," he replied, licking her fiercely. He didn't tell her not to go because he knew she was already there.

Her pelt cooled but still Darkfire lay there, gazing at her once lively body. It now lay still in a puddle of her own blood. Darkfire was instantly seeing another day in his mind. A small, gray cat slumped down, bleeding from its throat. Darkfire had caused that to happen, just as he had caused Coonie's death. He'd fathered the kit that killed her.

No one bothered him as he grieved. They left him alone through the night. The queens huddled away from him and Lily left to tell the Camp cats the bad news.

Leafpool looked down at Darkfire. She felt pain for him. She wanted to say something to him, but she left. Only Crowfeather would know how he felt. Maybe she could get the toms to talk after Darkfire was ready. Leafpool didn't want to push him.

"Keep that kit safe," Leafpool told Rosewing.

The creamy queen nodded, nudging the fourth kit against her side. Coonie's kit still lived and when Darkfire was ready to accept Coonie's death, he would want to see the kit. Leafpool wandered over to the other queens in the nursery. Hollyleaf was also grieving in her corner, Redstrike was in shock, but all the kits were traumatized. They had seen everything and now they were scared. They huddled against their mothers.

"He'll want comfort when she's buried," Leafpool told Hollyleaf calmly.

"How can you be so calm?" Hollyleaf demanded, curling around her shivering kits.

"I've seen cats die in kitting," Leafpool meowed. "I've seen the affects of toms without their mates. I know that in the end he will recover. And I do grieve," Leafpool meowed. Her eye became sore and her throat hurt. "But I grieve differently than you."

Leafpool quickly left, but not before seeing Redstrike lick her kits and whisper, "I forgive you."

Leafpool didn't understand what she meant, but she hoped Redstrike found peace and that the death didn't leave unseen wounds on her or the kit. Leafpool realized she'd have to bring around thyme leaves to calm everyone's nerves.

Darkfire stayed with his mate through the night in his own private vigil. Finally the morning came and cats came into the rosebush.

"We have to take her body," Raven meowed quietly. He hesitated before resting his tail on his son. He didn't know if Darkfire would be willing to be touched.

Darkfire moaned, but nodded his head. His eyes remained clenched as they took her from the nursery to the burying place they'd prepared after they'd heard the news. Soon only Raven and the queens were left.

Raven moved to stand next to Hollyleaf. He was so grateful she hadn't died. She could have with Darkfire and Dewstep so long ago, but she was still here with him. Hollyleaf hesitated before walking over to join Darkfire. Raven went with her as they curled around their son.

"We're here with you," Hollyleaf meowed, "and Coonie is safe now."

Darkfire nodded, unable to speak. He opened his eyes as a soft, small nose touched his face.

"It's okay. We miss her too," Woodkit meowed. "We love you. And you still have the kit."

Darkfire stared at the little brown tom. Then he noticed the other kits had come to stand in front of him. Only Rosewing's were still curled up beside another little cat. Darkfire looked over. There was a new kit.

"She didn't do it on purpose," Redstrike meowed. She stood with her kits. "You can't blame her."

She seemed almost defiant. Darkfire didn't know what she meant. Coonie hadn't meant to die? Of course she hadn't. Who planned for that sort of thing?!

Darkfire closed his eyes and breathed in deep. He wanted to moan some more that his Coonie had left him, but doing that wouldn't bring her back. She was safe in StarClan, learning like she loved to do. She would have much to learn and later to teach as the first cat of the Summerheat StarClan. Darkfire swallowed.

"Let him see the kit," Hollyleaf meowed quietly.

Rosewing slowly stood up and pulled away from her kits. She picked up the small bundle and approached Darkfire. He gazed at her, looking eagerly at the kit. This was what Coonie had died for. This was what Darkfire had done to his mate.

Rosewing laid the kit down in the middle of the other kits. They stood around the now crying bundle, keeping it warm, and looked at Darkfire.

"It's a she-kit," Rosewing meowed.

The rest of the cats waited as Darkfire examined his kit. She was small and seemed to have long fur like her mother. Darkfire wondered what her coloring was. He stood up, extracting himself from his family members. They reluctantly let him leave their warm circle. Darkfire approached the kit.

"It isn't her fault," Redstrike insisted, looking like she might get in front of the small thing.

Darkfire glanced up at her. He still wasn't sure what she was implying. Darkfire gently picked up the she-kit and then quickly walked over to a small band of light that entered the nursery. Darkfire laid her down in the sunbeam.

The kit was a dark brown, almost amber, that glimmered black. Darkfire smiled down at her. She did remind him of Coonie. And at the same time of Coonie's favorite tree.

"Hickorykit," Darkfire named her.

The she-kit squeaked, cold. She wanted milk again. Darkfire quickly picked her up and gave her back to Rosewing.

"Take care of her," Darkfire ordered. Then he quickly left the nursery. He had to say one last farewell to his mate.

As he walked, trying to find the burial place, Darkfire thought he saw two cats to the side of him. They glowed with stars. One on his left was a gray and the other on his right was a long-haired she-cat.

"I'll always love you," Coonie purred to him, her voice very insubstantial.

Darkfire paused and looked at her. She leaned over to him and gave him a lick. To Darkfire it felt of greenleaf days and he could faintly hear a band playing in the background. Then the two cats faded into nothing. Darkfire was finally alone.

*Cries*

Anyway, I guess I am completely cruel. But you have to admit, Darkfire had a much more interesting life. You would have gotten bored with Dewstep after a while. I hope you enjoyed the story. Look forward to Falling into Shadow, coming this weekend. Keep writing your stories...