Shadowpaw:
Shadowpaw blinked awake as she felt too warm under her fur. And the light in the distance. What was wrong? This was no regular dawn. The sky was yellower, the world was hotter and brighter, and there was a distant roar she could hear. Was it the drought? Is that why it was so hot? Then what about the heat?
Shadowpaw stared out, puzzled, until the roar grew louded. She let out a yowl of shock, realizing just as an oak burst into flame. "Fire! Wake up!"
"Huh?"
"What's happening?"
"What fire?"
Sleepy but anxious mews rang out through the barely-waking clan. Shadowpaw darted into the warriors' den. "Fire! The forest is on fire!" she yowled, causing more sleepy heads to lift off the soft moss nests. Then, she darted into the nursery, where Silvergaze and Stormkit and Nightbreeze and her two kits, Dawnkit and Lightkit, were just rousing, shocked by the quick-spreading news. "We need to leave the camp!"
"Shadowpaw, what's the matter?" It was Moonblaze, her white fur bristling as she padded over.
Just then, two of the trees on the edge of the clearing burst into flames, leaving smoky, charred stumps of bark. "That's the matter," she mewed, flicking her tail to point. Without another word, she padded into the medicine cats' den, where Poppyfoot was already awake. "Fire! Come on!" she yowled, alerting and waking Daisyfoot as well. She padded out into the clearing again to see Moonblaze headed for the elders' den, and nodded her approval.
There's someone else... Shadowpaw thought, but she couldn't think whom she had forgotten. Then, heartbeats later, it hit her. Jaystar! She raced across the clearing, her paws skimming across the ground, her eyes wide, fur bristling. She burst into the den to find the ThunderClan leader peacefully asleep, his gray fur flat and still. His paws didn't even twitch as Shadowpaw called his name. Shocked, Shadowpaw prodded him, only to realize that his chest no longer rose and fell, his heartbeat silent. No. "He won't wake up!" she wailed.
Moonblaze was at her side in an instant, her eyes pools of grief. "He hunts with StarClan, now. He breathed in too much smoke."
"Then you're ThunderClan's leader," Shadowpaw mewed, still shocked.
Moonblaze nodded, padding out of the den. "Clanmates, Jaystar is dead, breathing in too much smoke. I am your leader now. We must leave camp and head for the gathering island, as it is surrounded by water."
Approving murmurs ran through the listening cats, and Shadowpaw saw Nightbreeze pad out of the nursery. She padded back into the warriors' den, just to check that no one was left. Instead, she found a still, black shape, almost unmoving, but she saw the faint rise and fall of her chest.
"Blackstream?" Shadowpaw raced over, prodding her mother gently. "Blackstream!"
"Shadowpaw." Her mother weakly lifted her head, her eyes barely open. "I had to tell you, that I'm sure you have a littermate... I..."
"Yes," Shadowpaw mewed. I have to tell her now. "I know. I met her... it's Sunpaw of RiverClan."
Blackstream didn't say anything, just grunted. "I'm sorry you didn't figure out earlier..."
Shadowpaw's tail was against her. "Hush... we need to get out of camp."
"No, Shadowpaw." Blackstream let out a raspy, amused purr. "Leave me. I can hear StarClan calling me. It is my time to leave."
"No!" Shadowpaw wailed, burying her nose in her mother's fur. "Don't leave... us!"
"I will always be with you," she whispered, her eyes clouding over, her head lolling back. Shadowpaw let out another wail and stared at the limp body of her mother, tears filling her green eyes, her tail drooping as she fastened her teeth in Blackstream's scruff and dragged her out of the den, laying her in the center of the clearing.
"We can't take her with us!" a voice called; it was Dustflash.
"I'll carry her," Moonblaze volunteered, padding over and taking the black she-cat's scruff in her jaws. Just then, a burning branch tumbled onto the elders' den, and a yowl of shock was heard from inside.
"Moonheart!" Shadowpaw bounded toward the elders' den, but before she could go in, teeth fastened in her tail and dragged her back.
"No, Shadowpaw," Moonblaze growled. "It's no use. You can't go in there." She gestured toward a burning log that barred the entrance to the elders' den. Just then, Dawnfang padded turned to the clan.
"Could one of you help me carry Jaystar? He's no lightweight, you know," the red she-cat mewed. Shadowpaw saw Dustflash dip his head and sink his teeth into the cold, limp body of their former leader.
Moonblaze gasped as she saw the thorn tunnel on fire. "We need to leave, now! Before we are surrounded by fire!" Moonblaze yowled, flicking her tail to gather all of the ThunderClan cats. "This way!" She raced through the dirtplace tunnel, turning her head to check that the others were following. Shadowpaw padded after her, Ashfire at her side, close to her.
"Why a fire, on top of a drought?" Ashfire moaned.
"Ask StarClan," Shadowpaw teased.
The last cat to leave camp was Nightbreeze, her green eyes frantic and worried as she raced forward. "I can't find Lightkit anywhere! I think she might still be in the nursery!" she wailed, her fur bristling with anxiety as she nudged Dawnkit forward.
"What?" Moonblaze whipped around, her voice a little muffled by Blackstream's scruff in her jaws. Nightbreeze took a pace back, headed back for the camp. "No, Nightbreeze. We can't afford to lose you as well." Ignoring her warning, Shadowpaw broke away from the startled Ashfire and turned, racing back to camp. Lightkit! "Shadowpaw, no!" Moonblaze yowled, but Shadowpaw flattened her ears and ran, back through the dirtplace tunnel, just as the dirtplace tunnel burst into flames.
Oh, StarClan! There's no way out, now! Shadowpaw almost wailed out loud in fear, but she clamped her jaws together and padded toward the nursery. No! The nursery entrance was blocked by a large, fallen tree, that crackled, alive with a blaze. "Lightkit?" she called tentatively. "Are you in there?"
No words answered her, but Shadowpaw could her a small, terrified whimper. Taking in a deep breath, she bunched her muscles, ready to leap over the flames. StarClan, stop me from what I am about to do! Shadowpaw forced herself not to yowl out loud as she sprang, a small part of the burning wood scraping her shoulder. "Lightkit?" She found the light gray tabby kit pressed against the wall of the nursery, trapped by a fallen branch, flames licking toward her. "Lightkit!" she yowled again, this time catching the she-cat's attention. "Over here!"
"Sh-shadowpaw?" she mumbled, her blue eyes surprised.
Stretching herself over the burning branch, Shadowpaw grabbed Lightkit's scruff in her jaws. "Let's go!" She leaped over the fallen, flaming tree and into the clearing, before nearly dropping Lightkit in her shock. "How do we get out?"
Lightkit looked up to her, her tail drooping. "This was all my fault!" she wailed. "I'm so sorry!"
Shadowpaw flicked her tail over Lightkit's jaws to silence her. "No, it was my choice to come back for you," she told the kit. "For now, let's just figure out a way to get out of here!" She gasped as the flames came closer, surrounding the two she-cats. No! "StarClan help us!" she yowled, as the flames came closer and closer. She threw herself over the trembling body of Lightkit protectively, as the world went black.