Bluestar leaped into the camp. Ever since she found out her friend and kits weren't at the meeting point, she had been waiting to get back to camp to find them. The forest was gone, the scorched trees useless in providing shelter for the endless rain that followed the fire. The rest of the clan, all of the clans in fact, sheltered by Highstones, and the leader of each clan went to see if their territory was livable again, so she was alone.

"Phoenixpaw!" she called through the pouring precipitation. No reply. Part of her was certain they were all dead. "Mosskit! Stonekit! Mistykit!"

She inspected the inside. Towards one side of the camp, under a flamed tree, a mound of orange fur lay. "Phoenixpaw?" She padded towards it. It couldn't be. It was unscorched. Was... was it from Starclan.

Suddenly, it burst into a coughing fit. "Bluestar?" she croaked.

"Are- are-"

"Mosskit, Stonekit, and Mistykit?" She stood, falling a few times, but finally revealing three kits huddled under her. They blinked at her through milky eyes.

"They- they're alive."

"Yes," she hacked again. "Where is everyone?"

"Highstones, can you make it?"

"Yes."

She stumbled to her paws and unsteadily padded with her. They went through the area, straight through Windclan. The ground was blackened and charred, the land stripped of all heather, gorse, and grass. "What happened?" she rasped.

"The fire destroyed everything, spread to the rest of the clans. We all fled. And now, we rely on our once biggest enemies for survival."

The clans were huddled outside Mothermouth. Graystripe was pacing back and forth. "Bluestar did you-" he stopped. He spotted Bluestar holding the three kits by the scruff. He turned and saw me.

"Phoenixpaw?"

"She saved my kits." Bluestar closed her eyes.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the rocks for a clan meeting!" she yowled, leaping on a small pile of rocks. Most of the cats from other clans looked annoyed to be addressed by Thunderclan's leader, but no one said anything. "Phoenixpaw has done something no cat has ever done before, and I can think of no better moment to give her her warrior name."

Horror crept through me as she said this. "We will not take you until you receive your warrior name."

"Phoenixpaw, do you promise to uphold and protect the Warrior Code, even at the cost of your life?"

I shakily looked up. "I d-" I was interrupted by a coughing fit so hard it made my eyes water. I nodded.

Her eyes were dark with concern, but she was determined to finish. "From this day on, you shall be known as Phoenixflame, in honor of the fire that nearly took your life," she slowly glanced at the other clans. " That nearly took all of our lives. And I wish for you to sit vigil, and watch over the clans tonight."

Graystripe and Lionheart glanced at me, then her. "I would like to sit with her." Graystripe told her.

"And me," Lionheart added.

"I will too," Bluestar sighed.

The sun was sinking already, the days shortened by the approaching leaf-bare. "Thank you," I managed to mutter.

I sat by the Mothermouth entrance, my friends sitting next to me. As the night darkened, I turned to them. "I want to thank you guys for all you have done for me."

Bluestar looked shocked. "Phoenixflame, you're not-"

"I'm not finished. You guys have done everything for me. Thank you for spending my last night with me."

Lionheart let out a nervous laugh. "What- Phoenixflame, you're talking like-"

"Goodbye, my friends," I collapsed, my head on Bluestar's flank.

"No! Honeyscent!"

"Stop Bluestar," Graystripe murmured. "She's gone."

"No! She can't be! Honeyscent!"

The sun rose the next morning, pooling crimson light over the grief-striken clans. Bluestar, Graystripe, and Lionheart sat sadly by their friend as they shared tongues with her for the last time. The queen and mother of Phoenixflame licked her daughter's head. Quietly, she whispered, "A kit of my next litter will bear your name."

Lightningstrike nearly killed himself. He hardly had the strength left to fight off a bout of greencough he caught from his mate. Bluestar's kits became apprentices before they were able to come back to their territories. Good news spread fast. Goldenflower was back in the nursery soon. And, well, that's where the story continues...

Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! And please, watch for the second book in the series: The Unfueled Flames: The Phoenix's Legend! Thank you for taking the time to sit and read this of so many other stories you could be reading or things you could be doing.