Flames. Flames and more flames. Flames that stretched at far as RiverClan, and flames that were only a tail-length. Cinderheart struggled to search for her kits, but they weren't anywhere near the gray she-cat. Although she did spot Silverkit, and snatched her up quickly.

Cinderheart quickly fled out of camp. Only Lionblaze, Foxleap, Bumblestripe, Jayfeather, and some kits were hovering outside of camp. "We have to leave!" Cinderheart yowled. She raced towards the lake, where her and her clanmates could possibly find shelter from the horrible flames.

All of the Clan's territories were set aflame. But there was no time to worry about the other Clan's. Cinderheart only worried for her own Clan right now. As Silverkit bobbed against her chest, she again set off towards the lake.

Lionblaze caught up with Cinderheart and took Silverkit from the smoke-filled she-cat. The silver kit meowed in protest but didn't move. Cinderheart coughed up black fumes like a monster would produce. Finally, she saw the lake, but a wall of flames blocked it. "Jump!" The exhausted she-cat yowled as she pounded towards the flames, speeding up. Her Clan raced after her.

As she prepared to leap, Cinderheart felt Hollyleaf's fur brush her own. StarClan will help you. Her voice seemed to meow. And with that, the dark gray she-cat leaped over the flames and crashed into the lake. She remembered her swimming lessons with Jayfeather and began swimming towards the island. "It's like you're running!" She yowled through a mouthful of water.

After what could've been a moon, Cinderheart struggled onto the peaty shore of the gathering island. She spotted Whitewing with Seedkit in her jaws, looking worried. Passed out beside her was Rosepetal and Birchfall. For a moment Cinderheart thought they were dead until she saw the rapid rise and fall of their chests.

A cat nudged her from behind and she realized that she was still only half way onto land. She clambered fully out of the water, followed by Lionblaze, Bumblestripe, and Jayfeather. "Where's Foxleap?" She asked. Her question was soon answered as a reddish head poked out from the water and swam sloppily to shore. Bumblestripe grabbed his scruff when he was close enough and hauled the warrior to shore.

Suddenly Cinderheart remembered her kits. Her sweet, beautiful, darling kits. She had to go back for them. Just before she dived into the water, she heard small squeaks coming from the bushes. Cinderheart quickly poked her head into one and found Moonkit, Firekit, Honeykit, Birdkit and Chirpkit hunched over Dovewing's body. They all let out excited but fearful squeals when they saw Cinderheart. Cinderheart's two kits, Moonkit and Chirpkit, bounced up to her. "Mama! Mama! Dovewing forgot to go back for Hollykit!" It was then that Cinderheart noticed a small black shape huddled beside the lake.

Without hesitance, Cinderheart dived back into the water. The flames had almost swallowed the kit up, and Cinderheart knew that her efforts were hopeless. But she still had to try.

She didn't make it in time, but he did.

A small tom swam swiftly towards Hollykit. Right before the flames crashed down on the small black kit, the young tom snatched her up and started swimming towards Cinderheart. As the tom got closer, Cinderheart recognized it to be Molepaw. How did he learn to swim like that? Cinderheart wondered as Molepaw swam closer and closer. She didn't budge until Molepaw reached her. She then took her kit after licking his forehead gratefully. She crawled onto shore and put a burnt and soaked Hollykit beside her siblings.

"Mama, I thought that I was gonna go to StarClan!" Hollykit meowed. Cinderheart licked her forehead. Out of the corner of her eye, Cinderheart spotted the RiverClan and ShadowClan warriors swimming to the island. RiverClan was helping ShadowClan. On the other side of the lake, WindClan was pacing beside the shore. One cat waded bravely in, but soon it squealed and shuffled back out.

Cinderheart plunged into the water, ignoring Lionblaze's terrified yowl for her. Cinderheart swam, but Molepaw was shooting past her, heading straight for the terrified warriors. Cinderheart finally flopped onto the shore and stared at the WindClan warriors.

Each was burnt, and Onestar was limping badly. Cinderheart nudged a small apprentice towards the water. "It's like running!" She yowled, but the sound of the flames drowned her out. In an instant, the WindClan warriors plunged into the water clumsily. They seemed fine, so Cinderheart grabbed a large white tom.

By the time Cinderheart made it back to the island, WindClan warriors had lost some of their cats to the water. Lionblaze raced up to Cinderheart and covered her in affectionate licks and caresses. Cinderheart managed a rusty purr before collapsing, panting hard. The world blurred around her. But she wouldn't die. Never would she do that.

As Cinderheart finally started to pass out, the flames around the lake closed in. And at the edge of WindClan territory, there was Shrewkit, being crushed by flames.