Chapter Nine: Firestorm

A/N: Have I got a surprise for you guys! A real update! Hooray for some plot, and I will post another half-chap later today. Sorry for the slow updates TT ^ TT

Starpaw's muscles burned as she tore towards the RiverClan border, with flame roaring and spitting all around her. They had spread to WindClan's moorland and parts of ThunderClan's forest. She had followed the path along the stream, hoping that Duskfeather, Stormwave, and Icepaw had stayed near the river to hunt after patrolling. If they strayed toward the middle of the territory, they are gone now, thought Starpaw grimly. She couldn't waste time searching for her Clanmates once she got to the border.

It was now or never.

Starpaw skidded to a stop, slipping on the stones and falling into the stream. She heard Icepaw screeching in terror. "Stormwave!" she wailed.

"Go!" yowled Stormwave. "There's no time to lose! I'll find a way down!"

Starpaw began running again, in the ice-cold water on slippery, treacherous rocks. The fire now surrounded her, but fizzled out in the stream. She watched as Icepaw, soft kit-fur fluffed up in fear, was tossed by the scruff from a large boulder into the stream. Duskfeather softened her fall and together he and Icepaw ran, brushing past Starpaw on the way. Cowards! They were running away!

It was Stormwave who had rescued Icepaw from the boulder. It was Stormwave who had fallen from exhaustion and did not rise. All around him, the hills, grasses, and forests were on fire.

There was no way out.

"Stormwave! Stormwave, come down!" meowed Starpaw. She was barely audible over the crackling flames. "Please!"

Without thinking, she leaped through the flames. "Come on!" She jumped onto the huge rock, pelt singed, and then began tugging at Stormwave's ear. "Wake up!"

The wind whipped ash and smoke into Starpaw's face. She choked and gagged. It was getting harder to breathe.

She felt tears well up in her eyes. "Daddy." At once, she remembered both his betrayal to his clan and how much he had cared for her and Moonpaw. He had tried to make up for what he had done.

Stormwave stirred and coughed weakly. "My beautiful daughter. I'm so sorry I never told you… you're half-clan. I only wish your mother… could have seen you…" he rasped. He closed his eyes.

"No! No!" mewed Starpaw. "Just-get-into-the-stream!" She dragged her father by his scruff, but he was much heavier than she was. "A few…more… steps…" She dragged herself and Stormwave into the stream just as the boulder was consumed with flames. Starpaw was covered in burns.

She leaned near Stormwave. No heartbeat. She sniffed his nose. No breathing.

"No! No! Stormwave! Please, please come back to me."

There was no response. Not even a twitch.

Starpaw buried her nose into her father's fur, which smelled singed but still carried his scent. She collapsed, too exhausted to go on.

Stonepaw and Stripepaw followed Starpaw's scent-trail along the creek. The fire still burned, but it would soon run out of fuel. Already, the Twolegs' strange flying monsters were spraying water onto the flames.

Stonepaw saw Starpaw, curled up next to Stormwave. Her pelt was singed and her heartbeat was faint. She was shivering. Whether from water, fever, or shock, Stonepaw wasn't sure. He only knew that she needed him.

Starpaw whimpered unconsciously.

"Shh, it's alright," murmured Stonepaw soothingly.

Starpaw looked at him dazedly, than curled tighter around Stormwave's lifeless body. Stonepaw slowly dragged Starpaw onto the bank. She was still clutching Stormwave.

"It will be alright," assured Stonepaw. To Stripepaw he said, "Go get help. I think she's in shock."

Stripepaw nodded and ran off towards the camp.

Stonepaw crouched protectively over Starpaw. Suddenly, she arched her back and wailed. "Why? Why did you take him?" Starpaw crumpled in a heap, sobbing.

Stormwave purred at the sight of his daughter, who had done all she could to rescue him. "Greetings, my sweet Starpaw," he meowed.

Starpaw blinked cautiously. "Stormwave? You're still alive?"

Stormwave half-laughed, a twinkle in his eyes. His fur was shining and not singed. "No, my daughter. This is StarClan."

Another cat stepped forward into the sunny clearing near the streambed. Her fur was smooth, like a ThunderClan cats', and she was black and white like Moonpaw. "Hello, Starpaw. I am Softfur, your mother."

A breeze ruffled through the trees and Starpaw smelled her mother's faint but familiar scent that she remembered from her kithood. From the shadows at the edge of her vision appeared a new cat. Starpaw saw that she was a she-cat, proud, loving, and fierce.

"Starpaw. I am River. I have come to tell you the prophecy."