Conflagration [A Warrior Cats AU]

Chapter Twenty Seven

Contrary to the days before, the sun was scorching hot and the rivers were drying up. Green-leaf had started.

Bluestar watched the clouds, desperately hoping one would pass over the sun, even for a second. She scowled as there were none nearby the blazing ball. 

She looked back down as Oakheart padded over to her, looking miserable. She looked at him sympathetically, nuzzling his cheek. "Having long fur must be hard in these moons," she murmured, drawing back to stare at her mate.

Oakheart's gaze was serious. "The river is drying up. There's hardly any water," he reported. "We're worried a fire will start."

Bluestar's eyes widened. "A fire?"

Oakheart nodded gravely. "In ThunderClan territory, I'd guess. Nothing to worry about."

The brown tom's words faded away as Bluestar stopped focusing. A fire in ThunderClan territory?

The fire will swallow ThunderClan, but they will come out on top.

Crookedjaw's words echoed in her mind, making her feel queasy. Her back fur began to bristle. Oakheart seemed to notice her anxiety, pressing against her. "There's nothing to worry about," he repeated firmly, giving her a lick on the cheek. 

Bluestar watched him walk away, barely able to focus. The world around her began to blur. She shook her head and stumbled into the medicine den. "Mossdapple," she rasped. "I need water. So... hot..."

She closed her eyes as the fresh feeling of water trickled down her head, some ending up in her mouth. She weakly purred. "Thank you," she whispered.

Mossdapple propped her head up on more moss, looking at her worriedly. "Everything alright?"

Bluestar shook her head. "Oakheart said there'd be a fire in ThunderClan."

Mossdapple's eyes flashed with anxiety. "You think it's the one Crookedjaw told you about?"

Bluestar nodded warily. "I do."

The medicine cat's tail stroked the leader's back. "I'm sure it's metaphorical," She meowed briskly, tail swishing dismissively. Bluestar couldn't bring herself to agree with her daughter.

"It sounded like it was a real fire," she meowed stubbornly, tail tip twitching. She pulled herself to her paws. "We can't push this away, Mossdapple. It sounds serious."

Mossdapple's eyes narrowed. "I'm not pushing it away, Bluestar," she replied, an edge to her tone. "I'm saying StarClan usually aren't so straightforward." 

Bluestar's tail tip twitched to and fro. "I need to go for a walk," she murmured, padding out of the den. 

"Make sure you walk near the river!" Mossdapple called after her, half-joking.

Bluestar's head was swarming with thoughts about the vision and the fire as she distractedly padded out of camp. 

--

Bluestar sat next to the river, staring blankly into ThunderClan territory. She could feel the heat of the flames burning at her fur and the smoke rising into the air and into her jaws. She blinked the vision away. It won't happen, she tried convincing herself. But nothing worked. All that the helping thoughts did was make her more worked up over the fire. 

She bent down to lap at the water but found it wasn't enough and waded into the river, enjoying the feeling of it lapping at her fur. 

You are fire, and you will blaze through the forest.

Bluestar's head snapped up as for the first time in moons, Goosefeather's prophecy shot through her mind, making her almost slip. She padded back out of the river, unable to think straight. It's just the heat making you dizzy, she reminded herself desperately. It doesn't matter.

She dug her claws into the ground, feeling like she would faint if she didn't find shade. She ran over to a nearby tree, relishing the shade it brought. She lay down and closed her eyes shut, unable to get the visions and prophecies out of her head.

--

Bluestar woke up, realising with a jolt that she had dozed off. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and got to her paws. She squinted. Was that a cat running towards her? She couldn't identify the stranger until they bowled her over, pinning her to the ground and pushing her blue-grey head into the dirt and grass. Caught off guard, Bluestar could only struggle, flailing her paws for help. 

As a voice whispered in her ear, Bluestar knew exactly who the stranger was. He was strong, for his kind of build, and she admired his courage. Knowing now who he was, he pushed the cat off. He studied her, green eyes wide. Bluestar smirked.

The ginger kittypet.

"I've seen you around," she mewed coolly, nodding to him. "For a kittypet, you sure caught me off guard. Though maybe it's a bit unfair to make a napping she-cat your target."

The kittypet looked away, embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry. Didn't realise," he murmured, before turning back to her. "Are you part of the wild cats?"

Bluestar purred. "I'm Bluestar, leader of RiverClan," she meowed. As she talked, a vision flashed through her head of the tom holding her down with rage in his eyes. This was the cat Thistleclaw wanted to recruit.

"You seem to be fit and eager," she continued nonchalantly. "What do you think of joining my Clan?"

The kittypet blinked, eyes full of curiosity. 

"Of course, where are my manners?" Bluestar meowed quickly, dipping her head to the tom. "What's your name?"

The tom puffed out his chest, closing his eyes as if all the Clans were cheering his name. "Rusty," he replied. "Tell me more about your Clans!"

"Well, there's us, who swim in the river and hunt fish, there's ThunderClan who hunt mice in the forest, there's-"

Rusty's ears pricked and his eyes shone. "Ma'am, where is this ThunderClan? It sounds, uh, intriguing!"

Bluestar was lost for words for a second. "Uh- yeah. Just across the river."

Rusty purred, turning away. "Thank you! Maybe if I join, I'll see you again, and..." The tom kept on chattering as he scampered across the stepping stones and into ThunderClan territory. 

Bluestar watched, her mouth dry. This was the tom who in another universe helped her when she was depressed. This was the tom who in this universe would become one of Thistleclaw's followers, all thanks to her. She was sure she had made a mistake. She watched him leave with wide eyes.

What have I done?