Brightpelt Becomes Brightstar

[♥Goldenheart♥]

Brightpelt padded down the long, twisting tunnel. The blackness of it pushed in on her, as did the far-too-close walls. She was terrified, hoping she could find the way to the cavern. Without any sense of direction, she simply followed the only path she could find, until at last the tunnel opened up into a much larger space, and she could smell the heather again. In another second, there was a dazzling white flash and a massive rock lit up, sparkling like the stars themselves. Brightpelt padded up to it and pressed her nose to the glittering stone. For a second, she could see her own face reflected in it, until she crouched down and closed her eyes, waiting for StarClan to send her a dreaming sleep. For the longest time, nothing happened. She was icy cold, and her legs had the beginning of cramps from this painful crouching. Has something gone wrong? Have StarClan decided to reject me? she wondered, terrified. Then her eyes blinked open, and she was in the clearing at Fourtrees. What happened? How did I get here? Why am I here at all? Is THIS the dream?

[♥Goldenheart♥]

A pale brown warrior heard the leader-to-be's thoughts and smiled. She put a glowing paw forward and began the long journey down to the earthly place where Brightpelt waited. All around her, the rest of StarClan was doing the same, and the millions of them stalked proudly down the sky. No cat could have told how much time that took, because time was irrelevant to these cats. When they were finally all sitting around the hollow, they spoke. "Are you ready for your nine lives and new name?" They didn't need to ask this question, because they knew already. It was part of the ceremony, however, so they asked it, as they had asked every Clan leader who had risen to power since the formation of StarClan.

[♥Goldenheart♥]

Brightpelt answered softly but confidently, "I'm ready." The young she-cat looked around the clearing, wondering what would come next. How would they give her more lives? Where would those lives come from?

[♥Goldenheart♥]

The cats of StarClan had an easy answer to that question. The first cat stepped forwards and bent his head to touch his muzzle to Brightpelt's. He then meowed solemnly, "With this life I give you courage. Use it well in defense of your Clan." He stepped back, and a second cat padded towards Brightpelt. "With this life I give you justice. Use it well to judge the actions of others." The action of approaching the warrior was repeated over and over. Each cat had a different message. A cat who had been right when others were wrong had, "With this life I give you loyalty to what you know to be right. Use it well to guide your Clan in times of trouble." A cat once driven onto the Thunderpath mewed, "With this life I give you tireless energy. Use it well to carry out the duties of a leader." One strong queen used the words, "With this life I give you protection. Use it well to care for your Clan as a mother cares for her kits." The apprentice who had never become a warrior carried the message, "With this life I give you mentoring. Use it well to train the young cats of your Clan." A former medicine cat announced clearly, "With this life I give you compassion. Use it well for the elders of your Clan, and the sick, and all those weaker than yourself." Not that she needed it. A cat who had died for love purred, "With this life I give you love. Use it well for all the cats in your care." Finally, the old Clan leader stalked proudly over to Brightpelt. "Welcome, Brightpelt, my warrior, and my deputy. With this life I give you nobility and certainty and faith. Use them well as you lead your Clan in the ways of StarClan and the warrior code." The ceremony was almost over now, and there was only one thing left to do. StarClan rose to their paws. The former leader signaled that Brightpelt should rise as well. "I hail you by your new name, Brightstar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of RiverClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity." The cats chanted, as if receiving a new warrior, "Brightstar! Brightstar! Brightstar!" At length, the chant faded away, and the starry warriors swirled back up to their places, leaving Brightstar in the center of the clearing at Fourtrees.

[♥Goldenheart♥]

Brightstar blinked awake. Her paws ached from long immobility, but she was ready to return and claim the leadership of her Clan.