Chapter Text
On the moorlands, a black-and-white tom stood atop a large rock. He looked up at the sky, his amber eyes tired as he let out a long sigh. The stars above twinkled—a usually beautiful sight that for seasons now would always cause the tom to feel just a bit of heartache. The feeling had gotten better over time, but it never quite went away.
He closed his eyes and let out another deep sigh. He made his choice all those moons ago, and he could never regret it. He only wished that things could have been different.
Opening his eyes, the tom's gaze swept across the vast moor. It wasn't often that he would take up guard here on this rock, but tonight was one of those rare occasions. He couldn't explain why, but something deep in his chest told him that he needed to be the one out here tonight.
The night was quiet, like most nights were these days. He had never quite liked the quiet, it gave him too much time to dwell in his own mind.
Thankfully for him, it seemed tonight would be the one night that wouldn't be completely quiet.
He perked up as he spotted something in the far distance—the dark form of a cat slinking through the fields. He rose to his paws and quickly scanned the rest of the territory. It seemed to only be one cat, likely a rogue or a loner straying too far.
The tom leapt down from the rock and bounded his way in the direction of the figure. He kept his senses alert, ready to deal with an unfriendly foe if it came to it. Soon enough, the stranger's scent reached him, and it made the tom pause very briefly. It smelt… familiar…
He shook his head—no, he was just fooling himself.
The figure was closing in on him, and he raised his head and meowed loudly. "Who goes there?" The cat jumped, but carried on closer until the tom could get a good view of him—and his heart seemed to stop for just a heartbeat.
A grizzled, fiery ginger tom stood before him, with a worn out, blue collar with a little bell around his neck. In his mouth, was a very young kit. The stranger's green eyes met the tom's amber eyes, and they seemed to light up in pure joy.
The stranger set the kit down at his paws, looking back up at the tom. "Talltail?" The stranger breathed in relief.
"Jake?" The tom gasped back. "Is that… really you?"
"It is." Jake purred weakly. "Long time no see, Talltail."
"It's Tallstar." He corrected him, still eyeing him with disbelief. "What… What are you doing here? After all this time?"
Jake gave him a gentle smile. "Straight to the point, just as you always were." He sighed, before leaning down and gently nudging the kit at his paws, who let out a small squeak. "This is my son." He explained. "And I've brought him here for you to take back to WindClan with you."
"Your son?" Tallstar looked down at the small kit. It had Jake's same fiery ginger fur color, with the same faint tabby markings beginning to spread along its pelt. "Why?"
Jake let out a small sigh, sitting down and wrapping his tail around the kit. "Because I want him to have the life I could have never had." He said. "Clan life was not a life that I could have lived, but I haven't forgotten about you or WindClan even after all these seasons. Your way of living has always seemed so much more… exciting. Like there's a sense of purpose to living beyond being a lazing housecat or a rogue who's only living to survive."
The ginger tom's words sunk into Tallstar's mind as he processed them. "But why bring him now? He looks like he's hardly a few days old." He pointed out. "Surely you could have waited for him to wean from his mother first?"
Jake shook his head. "The housefolk would give him away to another housefolk by then, and…" His words trailed off hesitantly.
"And?" Tallstar pressed curiously.
Jake sighed deeply, looking at Tallstar sorrowfully. "I likely wouldn't live long enough to bring him here then." He confessed.
Tallstar stiffed. "What…?" He asked in disbelief. "What do you mean?"
"I've been ill for a few moons now." He explained. "My housefolk have taken me to the vet multiple times now. They've given me all types of medicine, but I can tell there isn't anything they can do to fix whatever's wrong with me. I'm fighting to stay strong, but I can feel myself getting just a bit weaker everyday." His voice wavered slightly.
"That's…" Tallstar's voice cracked. "I don't know what to say, Jake…"
"It's okay." Jake gave him a smile. "I've made peace with it, as hard as it is to say goodbye to my life. And… I look forward to knowing that I'll be able to find you up in the stars once your own time is over."
Tallstar's tail quivered and he stepped closer, pressing his head against the ginger tom's own. "Then this is the last chance I'll have to see you until then." He observed.
Jake purred as he rubbed his head back against Tallstar's. "And I'm glad we could have this chance."
At his paws, the kit let out a loud mewl, reminding them of his presence. Jake pulled away and leaned down to groom his son. "Will you accept him, Tallstar?" He asked. "I have faith he will be a strong addition to WindClan."
Tallstar looked down at the kit, feeling his heart begin to swell as he considered the prospect of having a piece of Jake with him in his clan—a concept he never thought could come to. "Of course I will." He purred. "If he's even half the cat you are, I know he'll be a magnificent warrior."
Jake smiled and licked behind Tallstar's ear affectionately. "Thank you." He sighed. "I trust you to take good care of him. I just ask that you never let him forget about me or his kin in the city."
"I'll make sure he knows exactly how wonderful his father was." Tallstar smiled back. "I promise you that I will raise him as if he was my own son as well."
Jake's tail curled happily. "If I could choose anyone else to father him, it would be you." He purred, before breaking out into a small coughing fit. "This colder air is rough." He coughed out.
"You should get back home." Tallstar told him, though deep down he wanted nothing more than the ginger tom to stay with him. "I wish I could escort you, but I need to get this little one to the nursery."
"I know." Jake sighed, and the two sat in silence for a few heartbeats longer before the ill tom rose to his paws. "You're right, I should go now."
Tallstar rose to his paws as well and pressed his head against Jake's once more. He took a deep breath of his scent, feeling his heart thump with emotions. "Goodbye, Jake." He whispered. "I'll miss you."
Jake smiled sadly. "I'll miss you too." He whispered back. "Goodbye, Tallstar. Until we meet again in the stars." The ginger tom pulled away and leaned down to nuzzle his son. "And goodbye to you, my sweet boy. I'll see you again one day, I promise."
With that, Jake pulled away from both of the cats and turned tail, setting into a brisk walk as he disappeared into the fields and headed back to his home. Tallstar stood for a few moments, watching him leave until he could barely see him anymore. Then he leaned down and scooped up the small kit in his jaws. The kit let out a mew of protest and hunger, and Tallstar turned and trotted away toward WindClan's camp.
Soon enough, Tallstar arrived at the hollow that made WindClan's camp. He pushed through the entrance quietly, scanning the camp. His warriors were laid about, sleeping peacefully beneath the stars. The only cat that seemed to be awake was one who sat beside the medicine den, looking up to the stars.
Tallstar quietly padded through the camp, hurrying to the nursery where two queens were sleeping peacefully, one with kits at her belly and the other still swollen with unborn ones. He gently placed the kit down at his paws and nudged the first queen softly. She began to stir, blinking up at her leader in confusion. "Tallstar?" She whispered, before noticing the kit at his paws. "What's going on?"
Tallstar sighed heavily. "I'll explain it all to the clan in the morning." He told her. "But this kit needs a queen to care for him. Can I ask you to nurse him, Plumclaw?"
Plumclaw reached forward and grabbed the kit in her jaws, pulling him closer to her belly where he quickly began to nurse. "Of course." She scoffed. "Poor scrap won't last the night if I don't." She leaned down and began to groom the tom-kit. "Smells like a kittypet." She murmured.
Tallstar's tail twitched anxiously. "A close friend of mine entrusted me to take care of him, because he won't be around to be able to." He explained briefly to her. "But he will be a fine warrior one day, I assure you."
Plumclaw sighed, wrapping her tail around all three of her kits. "I trust you, Tallstar."
"Thank you, Plumclaw." He sighed with relief as he rose back to his paws. The queen settled back down to resume her slumber as the leader slipped out of the den, where another cat—a brown tom with a short tail— was waiting nearby.
"What happened, Tallstar?" He questioned him curiously.
Tallstar gestured to a spot further away from the rest of the camp, and the two moved over there before he answered. "Barkface," He sighed. "Do you remember Jake?"
Barkface blinked at the black-and-white tom. The name was certainly familiar, Tallstar had told Barkface all about his adventure with the kittypet tom seasons ago. He knew just how fond his leader was of this cat, and he nodded. "Yes? What about him?"
"He came here tonight." The leader explained. "He came to the moors. I saw him while I was at Outlook Rock. And he brought me his son—barely a few days old—and told me he wanted me and WindClan to raise him and turn him into a warrior." He paused, closing his eyes and sighing before sharing the next part in a whisper. "He also told me that he wouldn't be alive for much longer. Barkface… this is the last time I'll ever see him again."
The medicine cat gazed softly at his leader and he pressed his pelt against him in comfort. "I'm sorry to hear, Tallstar." He spoke softly. "I know how much he means to you."
Tallstar leaned into his friend and sighed deeply, before lifting his head up higher. "I am glad that I got to see him again. That was something I never thought could happen." He admitted, his gaze wandering to the nursery. "And now I have a part of him in my clan to remember him by."
Barkface gave Tallstar a small smile. "Does he have a name, yet?"
Tallstar blinked, shaking his head. "I haven't thought about it." He said.
Above them, the stars of Silverpelt twinkled brightly, catching Barkface's attention. The brown tom narrowed his eyes and craned his neck up, as though trying to look close at the sky. Then suddenly, a flash appeared, and a giant star slashed across the sky like a claw. Barkface flinched back, his eyes widening and glazing over as he stared at the soaring star.
Just a few moments later, the star was gone, and Barkface gasped as he came back to reality. Tallstar looked at the medicine cat with concern. "What happened, Barkface?" He questioned. "Was that a sign from StarClan?"
Barkface simply stared ahead. "Fire…" He whispered.
"Fire?" Tallstar repeated.
"Fire… will save the clans…"
Tallstar's face scrunched in confusion as he stared at Barkface. "Fire will save the clans? But fire is dangerous to all."
Barkface shook his head. "That is what StarClan has told me." He said.
Tallstar's tail flicked as he wracked his brain. "Fire…" He muttered, as the image of Jake flashed into mind, with his bright, ginger pelt that stuck out like a full-moon in the night sky. Suddenly, he stiffened, and his head swung around to look at the nursery. Within the den, was a young kit with the same, fiery-ginger fur. "Fire." He said louder. "His name will be Firekit."
Barkface looked at his leader, the same realization dawning on him. "Firekit…" He repeated. "It fits him well…"
Tallstar nodded, certain now that he'd made the right call in accepting Jake's son into his clan. Tomorrow, he would tell the rest of WindClan about Firekit, and he would make sure they know that he is to be respected like any clan-born cat would be. He would keep the prophecy between him and Barkface, at least for now. But he would do whatever he could to ensure that Firekit would grow into a fine warrior, one capable of tackling whatever trouble may lie ahead for him.
Fire will save the clans…