Chapter Text
Pain.
That was all Firestar felt right now.
Pain that made him feel like he was on fire, yet his body felt as thought it were covered in ice.
Smoke surrounded him, but he glanced over and saw Tigerstar's furious spirit fading.
But somehow, for a flicker of a moment, he saw his enemy's vengeful snarl twist into a lonely kit.
What?
Suddenly Sandstorm was bent over him, sobs in her voice.
He murmured a few reassuring nwords to his love- he wouldn't be able to remember them later.
He felt darkness creep in.
He was fading. Dying.
And then black consumed him.
At least the Clans were safe.
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Firestar wasn't sure he woke up, exactly. Just vaguely heard voises as he registered a few simple senses.
Was he in StarClan?
But pain still filled his body. He didn't think he was dead.
Being carried… to camp… by who? he thought dimly.
"…sure this is a good idea, Thrushpelt."
"We couldn't just leave him to rot, Thistleclaw."
"He's not ThunderClan."
Firestar only heard the last part. What? He was ThunderClan's leader!
Sleep painfully dragged him into its realm.
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Firestar awoke again to the scent of herbs surrounding him, on solid ground. His nose twitched.
His pelt still stung with pain.
He must be in the medicine den.. but what had happened?
He lifted his head to see a silver-gray tom looking down at him. Jayfeather?
But Jayfeather didn't have amber eyes.
"Where..?" He murmured. The cat nudged a few dark dots towards him. Poppy seeds.
He lapped them up as the cat said, "You should go back to sleep. I haven't finished patching your wounds."
Firestar obliged, letting himself slip into unconsciousness.
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Firestar wasn't sure how long it was before he woke up again, but this time he wasn't as tired as before.
He blinked open his eyes and stared at the cat in front of him. "Bluestar?" He blurted.
Bluestar recoiled. "Excuse me?" She said.
Firestar blinked several times, looking around. This was Cinderpelt's den.
In the old territories.
Which should be destroyed.
"Where am I?" He whispered, mostly to himself.
Bluestar stared down at him. "In the ThunderClan camp," she said. "Featherwhisker sent me to watch over you while he and Goosefeather were out getting herbs."
He stared at her, uncomprehending. She was acting like she didn't know who he was.
The silver tom from earlier pushed his way in. "How is he, Bluefur?- Oh!" He said, hurrying over. "You're awake."
Shock buzzed through Firestar. Bluefur.
Bluefur.
Bluestar's warrior name.
He was in the old ThunderClan medicine den.
A suspicion snaked into his mind, one that seemed impossible.
The silver tom dipped his head. "You may return to your duties, Bluefur." He turned to
Firestar. "How are you feeling?"
Bluefur dipped her head and slunk out.
Firestar stared after her, before turning to the tom. "Who are you?"
"Featherwhisker," He responded. "One of the ThunderClan medicine cats. How are you feeling?"
Firestar gently kneaded the moss under his paws. "My wounds still sting," he said. "But it's not that bad."
Featherwhisker nodded and settled into his own nest. "Would you mind telling me who you are, and what happened? Two warriors found you on the edge of our territory."
Firestar stared at him. "Fire..." He trailed off, about to give his ThunderClan name. But that would bring questions he didn't know the answer to.
"My name is Fire," He repeated. "I was in fight with a rogue when I ran and collapsed in your territory."
Featherwhisker nodded. "You're lucky you found us. Those wounds weredeep enough to kill.
Fire supressed a snort. That was more true than he knew.
He tentatively atretched his legs. "Could I.. leave the den?" He said.
Featherwhisker nodded. "Careful," He warned.
Fire cautiously arose from his nest, feeling the weight of the poultices on his fur as he walked outside.
It felt like getting clawed in the chest.
It was all here. The elder's tree, Highrock, every den. Cats going about their day like this place hadn't been destroyed.
Because it hadn't.
Not yet.
He was in the past.
But far, far before he'd been born- Bluestar was still a warrior.
"Featherwhisker!" A reddish brown tom called, padding over. "Our guest is awake."
The medicine cat dipped his head. "Yes, Pinestar." He said. "He says his name is Fire."
Pinestar stared at him, and Fire felt his pelt twitch. Had Bluefur been this cat's deputy?
"Good to see you've recovered," he said briskly. "Featherwhisker, you may show him around. And then I will call a meeting about him."
Featherwhisker gave a brief nod. "Thank you for letting him stay."
Pinestar flicked his tail in acknowledgement before trotting away.
Fire heard murmurs behind them as Featherwhisker showed him dens he couldn't forget if he tried, and spoke to some cats he recognized, others he didn't.
And then, all of a sudden, two kits tumbled by his paws.
One was a fluffy white with amber eyes. Amber eyes that had Fire had watched go dim; that had served beside him as deputy.
This kit was Whitestorm.
But he instinctively felt the hair along his spine raise at the second.
This kit was dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.
This kit had followed Fire as he joined the Clan hatefully. This kit had dealt the blows still on Fire's pelt.
This kit was Tigerstar.