Eventually, Fireheart pulled himself out of sleep. His eyelids felt heavy as he opened his eyes slowly, blearily staring out in front of him. There was a brown shape right in front of him. He blinked a few times, confused before he caught sight of amber eyes.

Fireheart pushed himself away, scrambling from the other cat. Why is he right here? What does he want with me? What is he going to –?

He froze and lowered his head; he shouldn't have done that. He had just made things worse for himself. Why had he run? How could he have been so stupid? Fear filled his mind as he closed his eyes. His tail curled closer to him as he remained stilled. After a few moments of nothing, Fireheart willed himself to look at the other cat.

The cat was too small to be him, Fireheart realized, much to his confusion. He blinked. A heartbeat passed before he recognized the cat in front of him. Bramblekit. Fireheart released a breath he had not known he was holding, letting his shoulders sag as he dropped back into a crouch. He let out a groan as his muscles resisted the movement.

Bramblekit was standing in front of where Fireheart's head had been a moment before. His eyes were huge as he stared up at the warrior. His small striped tail was tucked beneath him. His long fur was standing up and he was lower to the ground as he took a step back, Fireheart could begin to smell fear scent wafting from the kit. Oh, StarClan.

Fireheart rested his muzzle on the ground, looking at the tom-kit. "I'm not going to hurt you, remember?" His voice came out as a harsh rasp. He slowly blinked at the tom-kit.

"Y-you promise?" The young cat's voice shook as he spoke. His small tail curled further beneath him. What did Tigerstar tell him? Fireheart wondered. He had seemed more confident the night before but the reality of the situation seemed to be hitting Bramblekit as much as the young tom could understand it. What had Tigerstar told Bramblekit to make him so scared?

"I promise, kit." Fireheart made his voice as soft as he could. It took a moment but the tabby kit hesitantly blinked back. His fur began to fall flat. After a moment, he stepped forward, allowing his tail to uncurl from beneath him. He stuck his nose towards Fireheart's face.

"Were you really a kittypet?" The abrupt question surprised Fireheart.

"Yes, I was born one."

"Papa said you were. I thought you'd smell funny."

"I've lived in ThunderClan much longer than as a kittypet." Fireheart's tail twitched as he spoke. It seemed that detail had not gone unnoticed by the kit. Fireheart wasn't surprised, considering how much Tigerstar liked to talk about it.

Bramblekit seemed satisfied with the answer. It seemed his fear had lessened as well as the kit turned away, spotting a pebble. His eyes brightened and he stumbled towards it, batting at it with one large paw. It was sent flying across the cave and the kit went after.

Fireheart watched the kit, as he did the memories of the prior night began to come back to him. The fire, Patchpelt, how he had gotten Bramblekit, and Yellowfang. Yellowfang!

He had left Yellowfang behind and all for this kit. For Tigerstar's kit. The realization chilled him. He had most likely left his closest ally in these moons to her death, all for Tigerstar's kit.

She was still in camp, he needed to check on her. He needed to be sure she was alive. He glanced out of the cave entrance. It was around dawn; it would not be long under the Clan returned to camp to see the damages. He'd need to be quick.

"Fireheart, I'm hungry!" Fireheart jumped at Bramblekit's squeak. He turned back to the kit, who was looking up at him expectantly. This time, the reaction did not seem to bother him.

What was he going to do with Bramblekit? There was no way he could just drop the kit off at Tigerstar's paws. He'd be recaptured and flayed for having Bramblekit. It did not matter that he had saved his son's life, Tigerstar would be furious. He also could not drop the kit off somewhere and hope the Clan would find him, he would be easily killed.

"Fireheart!" The kits mew caught Fireheart's attention again. Right, Fireheart thought, he's hungry. Fireheart needed to check on Yellowfang. He doubted there was any prey in the territory, but he could look. He glanced at the kit, thinking for a moment. He believed that the kit was old enough to eat prey, Cloudkit had been at this size. Bramblekit had to be. Fireheart could do this.

Fireheart decided he couldn't bring Bramblekit along back to camp, what if he alerted some cats? It would be easier to sneak in and out without the small tabby. Besides, Fireheart did not know the sight that would greet him when he arrived at camp. What might be there could be too much for such a young cat.

Any dangers in the forest were long gone. It was too early for anything to try and venture out after such a horrific fire. Bramblekit should be fine here for a little while.

"I need to go hunting," Fireheart paused as he thought about what he was going to tell Bramblekit. "You need to stay in the cave and you need to be very, very quiet. Understand?" The kit mewed a confirmation. Fireheart forced himself shakily to his paws, forcing himself to stumble towards the cave entrance as he ignored the pain in his muscles.

The rain had been heavy the previous night, leaving the charred trees damp and a wet ashy smell in the air. Not far from the cave entrance was a puddle. Fireheart padded towards it, eager to soothe his dry throat. He froze as he caught sight of his reflection in the ashy water.

While he had been a prisoner of Tigerstar's he had never been able to see his reflection. What little water he was given was in the form of wet moss. There was a scar stretched across his face, from just below his ear to next to his muzzle. His eyelids had somewhat warped together, causing that eye to squint. The eye itself was clouded gray, a stark contrast to his green one.

In addition to his lost eye, the cat in front of him looked older. Frailer. His shoulders were bony and his eyes looked somewhat sunken.

How much that time imprisoned had changed him, struck the warrior. He barely recognized the cat staring back at him. It was hard for him to believe that he was, in fact, looking at himself.

Fireheart shook his head, lowering his head as he began to lap at the smoky water. That did not matter, he needed to get to Yellowfang.

Fireheart turned away, making his way off of Sunningrocks and into the charred forest. It was slow going and every movement exhausted him, but he had to keep going. He needed to find Yellowfang. He owed her so much for what she had done for him during these moons. The least he could do was make sure she was alright.

As he made his way towards camp, Fireheart kept his mouth open slightly, hoping to catch the scent of something – anything, through the constant smell of smoke which surrounded him. He happened upon a shrew. It was already dead, but it was better than nothing. The warrior dug up the soft earth, sticking the dead creature beneath. He noted where it was for when he would go back to Bramblekit.

He stopped as he came upon Patchpelt's remains at the top of the ravine. Fireheart padded shakily over to him, holding his breath before pressing his muzzle against the old tom's ashened coat.

He briefly considered dragging the old tom down the ravine side and to camp but decided against it. He was too weak to drag the other cat down, ThunderClan would find him soon enough. His heart ached at the idea of leaving the elder alone again, but it had to be done. He would be given a warrior's vigil and burial once ThunderClan came. He stepped off the large rock Patchpelt lay on, turning away as he started down the side of the steep ravine.

Fireheart jumped over the tree in front of the entrance to the camp, stumbling on the landing. He took a moment to recover from the jump before continuing. He lowered his head as he forced himself through the charred remains of the gorse tunnel. Twigs and charred flowers broke off as he brushed by, leaving black streaks on his pelt. When he entered the clearing, Fireheart looked around the clearing quickly. He spotted a dark brown shape not far off.

Fireheart padded over to Halftail, lowering his head as he touched his nose to the fallen elder's side. The scent of smoke emitting from the old tom filled his nose and mouth but he ignored it. He raised his head a moment later, he needed to find Yellowfang.

He looked around the clearing, chest tightening as he saw the wreckage that had been left in the fire's wake. He may have been a prisoner within this clearing for the last few moons, but it had been his home. It still was and to see it so destroyed hurt.

As soon as he was certain that the medicine cat was not in the clearing, Fireheart made his way to the medicine den. There was nowhere else he could think of that Yellowfang could possibly be. Most of the other dens were destroyed, the only two that were not were the medicine den and the leader's den. Both made of stone. If he could, Fireheart would avoid entering the leader's den.

When Fireheart entered, he saw her broken shape not far from the entrance. His throat tightened and the warrior padded forward. He crouched slowly, curling his lip as the movement hurt. A moment later, Fireheart pressed his muzzle against the she-cat's flank. He remained there for a heartbeat before pulling back, startled.

She's still breathing!

Yellowfang let out a cough as her head rose, she turned weakly towards him, "Fireheart."

Her voice was raspy as she spoke, her side shaking with each breath. He pressed his muzzle into her fur, "Yellowfang, I thought you were dead."

"Not yet, I am glad to see you again before I pass," The old medicine cat wheezed. Fireheart felt his heartache at her words, she couldn't die! Not when Fireheart had just found her. He was not going to let her die.

"No, tell me what to do! There's got to be something I can do. I'll get you some water." He looked to the herb storage, turning to get some moss. It looked like the stone den had protected the storage of herbs from the flames. Fireheart did not know most of the plants in there but if Yellowfang could tell him, he could save her. If nothing else, he would get her some water. There was a pool not two fox lengths away from them, he just needed to get moss to get her water. She would be alright. She had to be. After everything she had done for him, he had to save her. He owed her so much more.

Yellowfang shook her head before she rasped, "It is no use, Fireheart. Don't waste anything on me. My time here is done here." She coughed, "Did you get Patchpelt out?"

Everything in Fireheart screamed at him to get help for this dying cat and yet he obeyed her. He remained where he crouched. The tom shook his head, "he died before I could get him out of the ravine. He had breathed in too much smoke."

"Halftail too." There was a pause before Yellowfang meowed again, "Did you find the kit?"

"Yes, he is safe," Fireheart pressed himself against the old she-cat, guilt gripping him like claws. He should have gone into camp. He had seen the oak sagging; he should have known better. Why had he chosen to save Tigerstar's son when the obvious choice was to go after Yellowfang? He should have been able to help her.

Or perhaps if he had gone in, he would have condemned them all to the same fate. They all would have gotten trapped behind the tree and that would have been it. Tigerstar's kit would have been left to fall to his death. They all would have died and that would have been the end.

"Good." Yellowfang murmured, "You are a brave warrior. I have known many cats in my life and I have faced many hardships. I thank you, Fireheart. Without you, I would never have found ThunderClan. My Clan." She let out a few coughs, gasping before continuing, "My time here has been the best of my life. I am grateful to Bluestar for taking me in. To you, for finding me."

"I don't know where I'd be without you." Fireheart murmured.

"You would have cleaned a few fewer nests in your days," a humorous glimmer came to Yellowfang's orange eyes as she croaked.

"I would do it all again for you. Every day for the rest of my life." Fireheart could feel his voice cracking. He owed Yellowfang so much and now he could do nothing as he watched the old medicine cat die. He felt more helpless than he had throughout those moons. More helpless than he had ever felt before.

"There is no need for that," The medicine cat looked at him, a fondness lit up her eyes. "I know the future looks bleak but I trust you, I know you will do what you think is right. I wish you good days ahead. Tigerstar is not as powerful as he would like you to think, I know you will figure out a way through this." She wheezed, "You are a good cat. I would have been proud to have called you my son. I would not have been prouder if you were. StarClan knows how much I had wished for it to be so."

Yellowfang began to cough as Fireheart pressed his muzzle into her fur, her sides heaving raggedly. "Although, I suppose that would have been too good for me. I could never have borne a cat like you. Brokentail was my punishment. I killed him, too. Poisoned him after the battle. I wanted him to die." She began to cough harshly as her words came to an end.

The mention of that secret and this newfound one surprised Fireheart, the former ShadowClan leader had been held prisoner by ThunderClan because Yellowfang was his mother. Even though the Clan did not know this, without Yellowfang, ThunderClan would have killed him. After all of that, Yellowfang had gone and killed her son herself?

He began to groom her pelt, ignoring the ashy taste that filled his mouth. What punishment could Brokentail have possibly have been? Yellowfang did not deserve any sort of one. She never had.

The she-cat continued, "I wish I could have done more for you. Tigerstar should never have treated you that way. It wounded me every time I saw what he would do to you. It was like seeing my own kit get hurt." There was a pause as she took a ragged breath, "Although, I lived through that and it did not cause nearly as much pain." Her orange eyes weakly look him up and down, there was a slight sorrow in them. "Look at the state you're in – no cat deserves this. Brokentail was treated better and he deserved this treatment more than you ever have. I would have done anything to have prevented this and yet I could not. I did nothing. I am so sorry, Fireheart."

"Shush, you did nothing wrong. I do not blame you." He licked her shoulder soothingly; she did not have to feel guilty for Tigerstar's actions. They were his alone. Yellowfang had been a light in those dark moons and Fireheart was grateful for what she had done for him. She was all he had had.

Yellowfang took in a deep breath, "then you are more forgiving than I am to myself. StarClan will judge me for that – for everything I have done. I am ready."

Yellowfang coughed a few more times, sorrow gripped Fireheart as her breathing slowed and she fell limp. He watched as she took a few more shallow breaths before they stopped completely. She shagged against the ground beneath her. Yellowfang was gone. He sat still for a few moments. He closed his eyes tight, pressing his muzzle deeper into the old medicine cat's tattered fur. He took a deep breath, resisting the urge to cough as he breathing in her scent beneath the smoke scent that had consumed the forest. Finally, he willed himself to raise his head, turning to look at her. His eyes beginning to water and his lungs felt filled with smoke as he let a few coughs. Fireheart began to groom her pelt again as he forced out, "May StarClan welcome you."