This is a long one...

Dewnose crawled out of the den again at sunhigh, subconsciously searching the camp for a particular she-cat. His amber eyes never found her green, so he decided that she was still on patrol.

Letting his growling belly guide him, Dewnose drowsily trotted over to the freshkill pile and fished out a vole. Retreating to a few paces away from the prey, he flopped down on the dusty earth and cradled his meal between his two forepaws.

"Dewnose."

He looked up. Once he recognized the cat, he rose to his paws, straitening his tail respectfully and abandoning his prey on the dusty earth. "Bramblestar."

The ThunderClan leader's expression was difficult to read. "You look lost."

Dewnose let out a purr. "Of course not. I wouldn't get lost here."

Bramblestar's amber eyes burned into Dewnose's own. "Are you looking for someone? Most of the cats are out on patrol."

"As a matter of fact, yes, I am." Dewnose still hadn't seen her enter the camp again. Asking his leader about her whereabouts couldn't hurt, he decided. "Have you seen Starpaw?"

The dark tabby tom's eyes widened then narrowed, the flashing emotions in them too quick to catch. In one fluid movement, he suppressed the emotions and narrowed his eyes further. "I'm sorry?"

Dewnose thought for a moment. Then he let out an apologetic purr. "Of course, I forgot. Starlight."

Bramblestar frowned. "Come with me."

Dewnose blinked. He wanted to tell Bramblestar that he'd be fine with simple directions, and that he'd be fine if the leader didn't know at all, but the battling concern and harshness in the tabby's voice was pulling at his curiosity. "Okay," he replied stupidly, trailing after his leader as he headed towards Jayfeather's den.

When they were a few badger-lengths away from the medicine den, Bramblestar twisted his head around to address his gray and white warrior. "Oh, I'm sorry, Dewnose," he meowed apologetically, the fake rueful glint in his eyes effectively covering up the very real concern. "Go ahead back to the clearing and eat your vole." The leader's eyes traveled subconsciously over Dewnose's scrawny frame. "When you've eaten, come to my den. I'll be waiting."

Dewnose blinked. "Uhm, okay." He obediently trotted back to his meal, only to find Lilyheart staring at it longingly. Snowbush was right behind her. Dewnose tipped his head to one side. "Hey, Lilyheart, Snowbush!"

The two cats fixed their gazes on him. "Dewnose." Lilypaw sounded rueful.

"Go ahead," he nodded at the vole. "I'm not too hungry."

Snowbush narrowed his bright blue eyes, his expression guarded. "Aren't you, though? You look half-starved."

Dewnose shook his head. "Go on," he insisted. "I'll wait for the patrols to come back. Then I'll share something with Starlight."

Both cars froze at Starlight's name. Lilyheart swallowed, looking beyond uncomfortable, and, in fact, looking away, and Snowbush took a slow step back, his white fur bristling with apprehension. "Dewnose," he began carefully. "I don't think you understand."

His gray and white denmate's fur prickled with a burst of irritation. "You don't think I understand," he echoed, allowing the fur on his shoulders to rise further. "I told you. I'm not hungry. I'll eat later when Starlight gets back. There's nothing more for either me or you to understand."

"Dewnose," Lilyheart broke in softly, keeping her voice gentle. "You're confused." She, against her better judgement, padded up to him. "Come on. Let's go to Jayfeather, he'll help you."

Dewnose allowed himself to be calmed by the reassuring glint in her green eyes. "I don't need help," he replied, though not unkindly. "I'm only waiting. But, curiously enough, Bramblestar told me to meet with him and Jayfeather in his den."

Lilyheart breathed out a sigh of relief, allowing the tension in her white-furred belly to dissolve. "So you're going to see Jayfeather?"

Dewnose flicked his tail, a little impatiently. "Yes, as soon as I eat." Then he paused. Snowbush looked like he wanted to say something, but a sharp glance from Lilyheart shut his mouth. "Actually, I'm going now."

"Still waiting for Starlight?" Snowbush's eyes glinted with an emotion that Dewnose couldn't quite place. It was almost sarcasm, but... Darker.

"Yes," his denmate replied. He felt a purr escape his lips. "Better eat that vole before one of the elders beats you to it." Snowbush twisted around to glance at Purdy, why was eyeing the prey.

"Yeah. We'd better. C'mon, Lilyheart." The tortoiseshell she-cat hesitantly trailed after her snow-white denmate, only pausing to cast her guarded green gaze over her shoulder at Dewnose. Dewnose shook his head to hide his amusement and turned away, unable to suppress a purr.

"Beetlebrains," he murmured. "What a meaningless conversation that was."

"True." Dewnose looked up. ThunderClan's grouchy medicine cat stood a tail-length away. His blind blue eyes locked with Dewnose's as soon as the gray and white cat looked up. "Might I ask what it was all about?"

"Nothing, really. Just an argument over a piece of prey."

"I see. And?"

"Well, I let them have it. I'll wait for Starlight."

Jayfeather's eyes narrowed. "First of all, you should have eaten it."

Dewnose sighed. "I know, it's just-"

"-if you would kindly let me finish...!" Dewnose fell silent. "Second of all.. There is no need to wait for Starlight."

Dewnose blinked, confusion settling on his features. "But I want to. I enjoy her company."

"I know you do." Dewnose did a double take. Jayfeather actually sounded remorseful! "Here," he continued, surprising Dewnose with the gentleness of his tone. "Come with me. If you're not hungry, we might as well meet with Bramblestar now."

Jayfeather started leading his gray and white Clanmate toward Bramblestar's den. As they approached, the medicine cat fell in step beside him, and then let him pull ahead. Dewnose allowed himself to be herded into the small cave without question. Bramblestar looked up at him and inched over to stand beside Jayfeather as he, too, entered the den. The two toms sat, coincidentally(or not) blocking the exit of the den, and Bramblestar gestured for Dewnose to take a seat as well. He complied.

"How can I help you?"

Bramblestar exchanged a glance with Jayfeather. "You can't," the medicine cat meowed briskly. "We're here to help you."

Dewnose almost growled. "I don't need help. I already told Snowbush and Lilyheart that."

Jayfeather narrowed his eyes, his expression cold as ever. "As a matter of fact, you do need help. You're sick."

"I feel fine."

"Well, you're not," Jayfeather retorted bluntly. "You're in denial. Starlight is dead."

Dewnose sighed quietly. "I know." The images flashed before his eyes once again, as they always did. That graying brown tom holding out a paw. His beloved Starlight taking it. The elders disappearing into nothingness and her body crumpling lifelessly to the ground beside her brother's. All in a split second. All with a blinding flash of light. "I know," he repeated even more quietly.

"Then you realize that you have to-" Bramblestar was cut off by a loud yowl calling his name. The leader and his medicine cat shifted, and thick smoke instantly instantly began pouring through the gap between them. The three toms scrambled to their paws and darted from the leader's den and onto the high rock. The hell unfolding beneath them was enough to shock them all into silence.

Jayfeather was the first to move. He shoved Dewnose and Bramblestar toward the camp entrance. "Go," he shrieked. "I'm right behind you!"

All three took off running, dodging flaming debris as the fire rages mercilessly around them. By the time they clambered up the rocky pathway and out into the surprising peaceful forest, the camp, while still alight with flying embers and flickering flames, seemed deserted of cats. Dewnose noted with satisfaction how the camp's stone walls seemed to be keeping the blaze contained. This, however, only led him to wonder how it had started in the first place.

He had no time to dwell on these wonderings, for, just then, Sorreltail's kits scrambled out of the camp as the fire snapped at their heels. Dewnose rushed up to them, steadying the smallest with a forepaw. "Are you alright?"

The kits looked up at him with wide eyes, and the smallest answered him. "Yes, we're fine, but Sorreltail's still in there!"

Dewnose turned toward the blaze, his jaw set in determination. As he took a step forward, Whitewing leapt forward and hooked her claws into his shoulder fur. "Dewnose, no!"

Her brother turned to face her, his eyes burning with resolve. "Sorreltail's in there. Someone has to help!"

Whitewing stared at him for a moment longer, her eyes a battlefield of emotions. Then her grip on his shoulder loosened, and Dewnose plunged back into the flames.

The tortoiseshell queen was crouched near the nursery, her eyes wide and her breathing ragged. Dewnose bounded up to her, shoving her urgently toward the camp exit. "Go," he screeched through clenched teeth.

Snapping out of her daze, Sorreltail scampered across the fire-infested clearing and began scrambling from rock to rock once she reached the ravine. Dewnose followed on her heels, yowling encouragement every time she slipped.

With the splintering sound of tree wood weakening, Dewnose realized with dread that the fire had taken over the ring of trees that surrounded the camp. He looked back at his struggling Clanmate. As she leaped from the last rock, her paws reaching for the forest outside of the camp, Dewnose placed his paws on her haunches and shoved upward. He heard her hit the forest floor with a thud. He felt a rush of satisfaction as the sound of rapid paw steps reached his ears. She had made it out.

Now it was time to worry about him.

But there was no time. With a deafening crack, the flaming tree looming over him began to topple to the ground. Dewnose felt the ground lurch beneath his paws as the old oak crashed into the stone that Sorreltail had been leaping from only moments before. More trees followed the first's example. As the bombarded the stone around him, Dewnose felt the ground rumble again.

One last tree fell. Its bare trunk smacked into the ground before Dewnose's feet. As the stone crumbled rapidly, Dewnose felt himself plunge back into the blazing camp. Half conscious, he saw the flames hungrily approach him. He made no act of resistance as they swallowed him whole. He wasn't conscious long enough to find out what they reduced his body to.

Well, that got out of hand quickly. Sorry about that, I was getting tired of writing internal conflicts and wanted some action.

Plus this was a way simpler way to progress the story.

And, yes, Sorreltail did die in The Last Hope. I was originally going to have that cat that Dewnose went back to save die in the fire with him, so I chose a cat that had already died, so as not to upset the storyline too much. Since Sorreltail's death wasn't mentioned in The Last Hope (however it was in Bramblestar's Storm) but she did die, I decided that I could stand to make her wait a few more moons before finally dying.

And then I decided that it would be more heroic if Dewnose actually saved someone. So I just upset the timeline more. Let's just say that, because I'm too lazy to go back and change all of the names, Sorreltail died from inhaling the smoke.

PROBLEM SOLVED.