Conflagration [A Warrior Cats AU]

Chapter Eighteen

Bluefur thrashed and flailed underneath the water, her head managing to get out of the water once or twice, but then being swept back under. She felt jaws grab onto her scruff, pulling her away. She coughed up water once she was on a surface of rock. She looked up and saw Oakheart, looking down at her with wide, surprised eyes. He shook out his fur, his gaze filling up with determination. 

She got to her paws. "Make sure everyone gets out of the camp!" She screeched. She realised she was on the highrock and felt sick as she saw how high the water was rising. She turned her head to see Brambleberry trying to swim, but failing and leapt in after her. Her headaches were gone and she was focused enough to swim. She swam over to Brambleberry and started to push her to shore. When the medicine cat was safe and not in the water, Bluefur was terrified to see her not breathing. "Brambleberry, wake up!" She yowled. "Your Clan needs you!"

But Brambleberry didn't respond, nor did she stir.

Bluefur shook her head and began to push Brambleberry out of camp up onto the hill where the other cats lay. Mossdapple ran over to Brambleberry, trying to push the water out of her chest. Bluefur watched in terror as Brambleberry only lay there. Mossdapple's eyes filled with grief. "She's dead," the medicine cat choked out. Bluefur's stomach lurched. She couldn't be! 

Mossdapple quietly lay down next to the dead she-cat, closing her eyes tight and letting out a small sob.

Bluefur looked over Mossdapple to see the faint body of Mapleshade. The tortoiseshell she-cat smiled and disappeared again. Bluefur shook her head and leapt back into the disaster to see if any other cats needed to be saved. She swung her head around and saw Hailstar trying to save Beetlenose. She ran over and helped the leader, noticing how tired he looked. "Go with everyone else. I'll deal with this!" She yowled above the noise of the wind. Hailstar shook his head. "I can't!"

Bluefur then saw Whiteclaw lying at the bank, looking like he wasn't breathing either. Bluefur was filled with panic, then remembered what Mossdapple tried to do to help Brambleberry. She pushed down on the tom's chest, up and down, up and down and suddenly he vomited up water and got to his paws. "You're safe!" Bluefur yowled. "Go join the others at the hill over there!"

Whiteclaw nodded vigorously, racing off to where the others were. Bluefur ran after him with Hailstar on her heels. They made it to the hill safely, panting and heaving for breath. "We made it-"

Bluefur broke off as she saw Mistyfoot pacing with a worried face. Her eyes were wide in terror and her fur was bushed out to twice its size. She stared at Bluefur and looked even more horrified when Bluefur, Whiteclaw and Hailstar arrived. She ran over to the deputy, horrified. "Where is Reedkit?!" She yowled, ears flat against her head. "We can't find him anywhere! I don't want to lose my kit!"

Bluefur gasped. "Reedkit is missing?!" She hissed. 

Hailstar's eyes narrowed and his tail flicked from side to side. "Don't worry, Mistyfoot," he meowed calmly, moving towards her and looking her straight in the eye with a determined gaze. "I will find your kit."

Mistyfoot relaxed slightly but began to pace again, worried about her kit. Bluefur's eyebrows furrowed. "I'll go with Hailstar. The rest of you, make your way towards ThunderClan camp now and tell Sunstar what happened. Stonefur, you lead the way, Beetlenose, you make sure no-one gets lost on the way. Stay at the back please," the deputy ordered. "Make sure everybody is here."

She turned to Mistyfoot, smiling softly. "We'll find your son," she meowed quietly. "I promise."

Mistyfoot nodded. "Please," she whispered.

Bluefur turned and nodded at Hailstar next to her. He nodded back and the two cats sprinted off int he direction of the camp, their tails streaming behind them and their fur blowing harshly in the strong gale. 

--

The camp was in a horrible state when they managed to make it there. Flooded and blown to pieces, Bluefur felt terrified at the thought of a kit in the wreckage. Hailstar turned to her. "If anything happens to either of us, I want you to know I've been honoured to have you as my deputy."

Bluefur's eyes glistened. "Nothing will happen to either of us, I promise."

Hailstar didn't respond. He sprang into the water, paddling strongly against the tide. Bluefur kept her ears pricked for any kit noises, and was rewarded with a mewl from the highrock, which had a kit on it. Bluefur watched in horror as Reedkit slipped and fell into the water. She jumped in to save him, but Hailstar was faster. He swam over and grabbed the kit in his jaws, swimming strongly away from the highrock and to where Bluefur was. As he swam, jaws bit down on one of his paws and Bluefur gasped. Mapleshade!

Hailstar let out a yowl of surprise and looked down. Alarm filled his eyes as he saw Mapleshade. He turned back to Bluefur and flung Reedkit at her. She gasped and swam over to the kit, bringing him to the shore. Hailstar fought with his good paws for Mapleshade to let go, but the tortoiseshell's grip didn't loosen. Bluefur began to lick the kit backwards to warm him up, trying desperately to convince herself that Hailstar was fine and would be alright. But she knew from the way he talked before they went back to camp he guessed he would lose his final life in the flood. She looked up from Reedkit to see Hailstar now fighting even more with Mapleshade. He fell under the water more than once, making Bluefur terrified, but his head broke the surface. Until it didn't and he stayed underneath the water. Bluefur didn't see his face again. She picked up Reedkit and chased after the cats of RiverClan. As she neared them, Mistyfoot's eyes shone with happiness at the sight of her kit, but then dulled down.

"Where's Hailstar?" She asked quietly, looking like she already knew the answer.

Bluefur inhaled deeply.

"Hailstar is dead."