Searing Through Our Hearts

"Come on, Sootstain, Whitepool, let's go!" Fallenstar urged the last two warriors as they picked up kits from the Nursery, carefully grasping them by their scruffs as the fire roared closer.

Another tree crashed behind him, burning, filling the air with more smoke. The tabby coughed, his ears flattening over the roar of the flames and splitting wood. He leaped forward to avoid the flames, nudging a shaking Hopepaw forward. "Go, go!"

He hissed as his tail singed slightly, pulling it closer to his body. There was no time to make sure every single one of his warriors made it out alive, unless he wanted to burn where he stood. "Everyone, get out, get out! We're heading for PebbleClan's lake!"

He left camp, praying his remaining warriors would follow through the blinding haze.

His sense of smell was all but worthless, relying on his eyes and ears to get him through the once-familiar forest. For the first time, he cursed how close the trees were together, wondering why StarClan allowed this to happen.

He saw Blazewhisker and Deathsong making sure their kits were safe, Stonekit and Otterkit trotting alongside their mother, Splashkit hanging from her jaws. Deathsong carried Howlkit in his jaws, right behind his mate. To his left, Fallenstar noted Wishspirit and Skylily herding their own kits, three of them riding on Wishspirit's back, one dangling from his jaws. Fallenstar hoped his brother wouldn't wear out from carrying them all.

Nearing the edge of their territory now, they needed to cross the river -- now barely a stream -- to get to PebbleClan's territory. As the MoonClanners began to cross, they heard a voice call out.

"Fallenstar!"

The tabby lifted his head at the sound of his name. He recognized his daughter, and breathed a sigh of relief that she was safe. "Fallenstar," she said again as she slowed her pace, stopping in front of him. "PebbleClan's lake...it's dried up," she panted, "there's nothing but mud left. Ebonystar says that apprentices sink up to their bellies!"

"Where else is there to go, then?" Fallenstar asked, panicking.

"Ebonystar is taking his Clan to the Tall Rocks," Vixenfire went on. "Unless we want to cross back through the territory to SnowClan, I say we should follow them."

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Rhymepaw's heart pounded as she raced back towards her home. StarClan, no, she pleaded silently with her Warrior Ancestors. Please, this can't be...!

But it was. The Sky Flowers had beckoned her home, reminding her of her dream, but it wasn't until she reached the outskirts of SnowClan territory that she realized the harsh red glow that was always further and further on the horizon was indeed her home burning to the ground. Her paws stopped on the wet grass that was SnowClan's territory. Her legs were weary from her adventure, but her blood was fueled with adrenaline. She ran towards her home, the burning forest, passing some SnowClanners who didn't even bother to notice her. They were too busy staring at the twoleg structure in her territory, now being engulfed by flames.

"Why is this happening...?" A SnowClan warrior gasped, their voice nearly drowned out by the terror that burned before them.

Rhymepaw didn't stop. Despite the burning wood, she maneuvered her way through the once-lush MoonClan forest, blindly dashing forward, any trace of familiar paths or scents now gone. She entered the clearing -- what was left of it -- long after most of her Clanmates had already evacuated. There were a few cats still here...or, at least, their bodies were.

Her dream flashed through her mind again, turning her thoughts immediately to her mother, Fawnspots.

"Mom??" She cried, dashing towards the bush that she thought was likely the Nursery. It was completely crushed, and Rhymepaw could see the limp legs or tails of some kits she once knew held such life in their chests.

"Fawnspots!" she called again, looking around the camp. The smell of smoke and blood was confusing her senses and filling her lungs with the harsh substance. She blinked the haze from her teary eyes, but nothing could help clear the burning sensation.

It was the third or fourth time said, but the first time Rhymepaw heard it: her name, croaked from under a fallen tree. "-ymepaw!"

Her ears swiveled towards the source of the sound. She dashed forward, careful to avoid any embers or flames to find her mother under the tree. "Mom!" she cried. "Are you okay? Where's Wasppaw?"

"I don't know," Fawnspots replied, but Rhymepaw wasn't sure which question she was answering. "I'm so glad...I thought you'd run away, I thought I'd never see you again."

"I'm here, mom," The small she-cat placed her paws on the log holding her mother down, pushing with all her might. "We gotta get out of here!" Rhymepaw mewed, trying to keep calm amidst the fear.

Fawnspots wiggled, unable to get a paw free to pull herself. Rhymepaw noticed that a lot of her mother's fur was burnt, including a large patch on her back where the log was now resting. Luckily, it looked like, even though it was a tight squeeze, it hadn't broken any of Fawnspots' bones...if they could only pull her out, they could get free...

As if by StarClan send, Deathsong barreled back into camp, shouting if there were any survivors or if anyone needed help. His eyes were wide, something Rhymepaw had never seen before, his broken irises glinted with the orange light of the fire. "Is anyone here? Does anyone need help?" He shouted again, looking now in Rhymepaw's direction.

"H-help!" she squeaked, waving him over with her tail. "Fawnspots is stuck!"

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It wasn't too long into their trek through PebbleClan's territory that the MoonClan cats realized they weren't in the clear just yet. Twoleg monsters roamed the sky, dropping dust and gooey things uncomfortably close, hindering the cats' ability to smell even further. The real trouble came with the large, screaming red twoleg monsters appeared in their territory, spitting huge amounts of water onto the burning flames. After nearly stepping on two or three of the fleeing cats, more twolegs in bright white pelts appeared, snatching up some of the MoonClan cats, and who knows which other Clan cats.

"Fallenstar!" Rhymepaw yelled as she neared the frazzled tabby leader, "We need to go to SnowClan territory! It's safer over there--" she began.

"We can't," Fallenstar hissed at the young apprentice, eyes wide and full of tears. "Not only is it too dangerous, but we need to stay here...for her sake..."

"Her?" Rhymepaw mewed, tilting her head. Her mother Fawnspots limped behind her, catching up. Deathsong checked on his mate and kits.

Morningfrost neared the small white apprentice. "Timidbreeze was taken by the twolegs. Fallenstar is waiting for them to come back so he can follow them and bring her home."

Deathsong took off again into the blazing forest after a quick nuzzle to Blazewhisker, a wordless promise of his return. Rhymepaw watched in horror as more twolegs in white pelts came from the smoky air, brandishing sticks with thick spiderwebs used to catch the Clan cats and metal nests made of nothing but wire.

"We need to move, now!" Fallenstar yowled, his warriors obediently moved toward the Gathering Area, looking for places to hide.

How many more Clanmates would they lose today?