hey guys! the final chapter is here today as promised! it's... really short, but it's a wrap-up chapter. BUT THIS IS A BIG DAY FOR ME, GUYS, because this is my first ever actual completed longer than a one-shot fanfiction. please do read my heartfelt message at the bottom.
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After the battle was won, many cats simply stayed at fourtrees, too exhausted to return home. Fireheart snuck away to find the tabby she-cat—"My name's Abigail, what's your's?"—and told her to get her kits and come back here. (Fireheart would later ask Tigerstar to let Abigail and her kits into ThunderClan, and of course the tom would begrudgingly do so.)
The death tolls were high, the most noticeable being the deputies of RiverClan and WindClan—Stonefur and Deadfoot. Tigerstar lost a life, and so did Tallstar. Willowpelt died, and Graystripe would later mourn with Whitestorm. Whitestorm himself had one of his hind legs torn clean off. He didn't die only thanks to the helpful paws of Cinderpelt and the newly minted medicine cat, Littlecloud. Whitestorm protested that he could still hunt and fight, but Yellowfang and Tigerstar both agreed to make him retire early.
RiverClan and ShadowClan's alliance was ripped to shreds and left for the crows to pick it over, but ThunderClan and WindClan held an unsteady peace. On the way back Tawnypaw had smugly bragged to her siblings about how it had been her mentor that had taken down Scourge—Bramblepaw, Stormpaw, and Featherpaw had tackled the she-cat to the ground and told her how big her head was getting.
Once back in camp, ThunderClan found that Snowpaw had successfully delivered Mousefur's kits the previous night. Longtail spent the rest of the day in the nursery with Mousefur, Forestkit, and Palekit. Also, Tigerstar pulled Fireheart into his den with a stern "We need to talk."
"I can't believe you had the nerve to try and take on Scourge by yourself, you know I would've just gotten right back up and I got up and I thought you were dead and-" Fireheart listened intently to each of Tigerstar's words, but never could have foreseen the next few, "-I thought I'd never get to tell you back that I loved you and-"
"Wait, what?" Fireheart blinked, hoping and praying that he had heard right. Tigerstar took a deep breath, centering himself.
"Fireheart. For all that you are a stupidly brave, stupidly loyal, and unendingly frustrating cat, I can't help but find myself falling in love with everything you are. So Fireheart, to answer what you told me before the battle, and to finish what I was about to say, I love you." Fireheart felt in this moment that StarClan themselves could not ruin this.
The two fell asleep curled together for the second time ever, and Fireheart thanked whatever force—StarClan, or perhaps something greater—that gave him this happy ending. Whatever came next, he was glad to have this now.
THE END.
When i first wrote this story, it was just an idea. An idea that could be a story someday, but—like most of my other ideas—probably wouldn't. I don't know what possessed me to put this idea down in words, but I did. And I want you all to know that I couldn't be happier that I did.
I've been having a rough couple of years, and this was something that i genuinely enjoyed. One of the few things I have genuinely enjoyed in a while. And I want to thank every reader that's given my story a chance, whether it be someone who found it years after this final chapter is put up, or was one of the people who saw it when it first came out and gave it a look through.
Thank you all for sticking with me for this, and I want you all to know that no matter who you are, what background you came from, or anything else, that even if I will never meet you, just the thought that you and so many others decided to sift through my dumb warrior cats fanfiction makes me love you with the same fiery passion that I love my friends and family.
Thank you all so much, and until next time!
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P.S. i'll be posting a sequel that's a series of one-shots later, but until then,
fin.