All characters belong to Erin Hunter.
Brambleclaw touched noses with Mousefur and Ferncloud before settling down next to the body of his old mentor and leader.
"Thank you for everything you have done. May StarClan light your path." Brambleclaw felt Squirrelflight settle down next to him to sit vigil for Firestar.
"Goodbye Firestar," she murmured. "May your spirit live forever in StarClan."
Brambleclaw touched his tail to her back for comfort as they paid their respects.
Brambleclaw was jolted out of his grief by the gruff voice of Jayfeather.
"Get some rest. We leave for the Moonpool at sunhigh."
Reluctantly, Brambleclaw scrambled to his paws and headed for the warriors den. Squirrelflight stopped him gently with her tail.
"Your den is up there." She gestured to the Highledge with her tail. Brambleclaw nodded gratefully and padded warily to his nest. Grief hit him like a wave as Firestar's scent washed over him. He let his grief and exhaustion lull him to sleep.
Brambleclaw awoke to the scent of fresh-kill. He opened his eyes to see a mouse waiting for him. He gulped it down in a couple famished bites before tracking down Jayfeather.
As Brambleclaw approached the medicine cat den, Jayfeather emerged.
"You ready?" Jayfeather inquired.
Brambleclaw nodded, "Yes."
"Good," Jayfeather grumbled. "Let's go."
Brambleclaw padded obediently after Jayfeather, only stopping to make sure Squirrelflight could manage.
"Of course you stupid furball," she responded affectionately. "May StarClan go with you."
Brambleclaw followed Jayfeather to the Moonpool. Brambleclaw noted how easily Jayfeather trotted along this path, despite his blindness. His amazement was quickly quelled by his nervousness. What if StarClan rejected him because his deputyship had been against the warrior code? Or because cats still didn't trust his relationship with Tigerstar?
His doubts stuck with him all the way to the Moonpool.
"Do as I do," Jayfeather instructed before leaning down to drink from the Moonpool.
Brambleclaw lapped up the cool, icy water. It tasted like starlight and before he knew it, Brambleclaw was swept away from the Moonpool only to find himself at Fourtrees in all its splendor.
"Welcome Brambleclaw." The voice seemed to belong to all the cats he had ever known.
Brambleclaw met Jayfeather's steady gaze.
"I am ready," Brambleclaw meowed.
Instantly he felt a rush of cool air run through him, straight to the bone. It felt like his old life was being stripped from him. He had to brace himself against the cold.
When he looked up, the clearing was full of cats, every cat he had ever known.
Mousefur stepped forward from the throng and touched her nose to Brmbleclaw's head. "Brambleclaw, with this life I give you neverending faith, in your clanmates, in StarClan, and in yourself. Use it to guide every pawstep you take."
Brambleclaw felt a spasm seize his body as the power of faith overtook it. He felt it as Mousefur felt it for all her life. Her faith never left her, even as she was forced to fight BloodClan and evacuate her home. It was as certain as the moon.
Brambleclaw was unable to speak as Mousefur padded away.
With a surge of joy he saw his sister's son step towards him. Flametail's eyes shone with wisdom beyond his years.
"With this life, I give you the conviction to do what you believe to be right." The life began more gently than the last as Brambleclaw experienced Flametail's confident desire to be a medicine cat, but Brambleclaw flinched as the pain of Flametail's rage swept through him. He felt Flametail's fury at being left to die and his resentment that Jayfeather got to live. The life began to ebb away as Flametail forgave and chose to do what he believed to be right.
Brambleclaw was panting by the time Flametail slipped away. He glanced at Jayfeather in anguish. How was he going to endure the remaining seven lives?
His anguish was replaced with a surge of joy as he saw a beautiful grey she-cat padding towards him. Feathertail had sacrificed herself on the journey to the sun-drown place and Brambleclaw was glad she had found her place among the stars. Feathertail touched her nose to Brambleclaw's head.
"I give you selflessness with this life. Put your clan first and accept your destiny. Do not fear for your life, you have always been destined for greatness."
Brambleclaw braced himself against this life, but it proved unnecessary. He felt a rush of freedom as he re-lived Feathertail's death. He felt peace and overwhelming love as she jumped to attack the fearsome Sharptooth: love for her brother, for the Tribe, and for Crowfeather.
"Thank you," Brambleclaw managed to say. Feathertail's eyes glowed with warmth as she returned to the starry cats.
Brambleclaw hissed as the next cat approached. Ashfur hesitated briefly, but then continued forward to rest his nose against Brambleclaw.
"With this life I give you compassion and empathy. Use it to judge all cats fairly and forgive when necessary. Compassion is essential to understand."
This life hit Brambleclaw like a bolt of lightning. Brambleclaw felt Ashfur's compassion as Ashfur befriended Tigerstar's son. Brambleclaw felt a stab of guilt for how he had treated the grey warrior. He felt Ashfur's pain as Squirrelflight rejected him. Ashfur's rage and hatred burned through him, but slowly ebbed as Brambleclaw felt his mind expanding, bigger and bigger until the entire picture became clear. Brambleclaw felt his mind pacify itself and forgive.
When Brambleclaw looked up, Ashfur was gazing at him expectantly. Brambleclaw nodded once to show his forgiveness.
Goldenflower was already walking up when Ashfur turned his back. Brambleclaw twitched his tail happily.
"Brambleclaw," his mother began, "I am so proud of you. With this life I give you love as fierce as a mother's. Use it to protect your clan with words and claw, for your clan is your family now."
Brambleclaw moved forward eagerly to receive this life, only to be thrown backwards with the ferocity of it. He felt a burning in his chest, a desire to protect and defend with every means available. The burning grew and grew until Brambleclaw was sure he was going to explode. The life ended suddenly and Brambleclaw nearly fell to his knees. He dug his claws into the earth to calm himself.
A smaller cat was moving forward. Swiftpaw, Brambleclaw thought. Although Brambleclaw had never met the apprentice, he knew that they were half-brothers. Everyone had heard the stories of Swiftpaw and the dog pack.
The young apprentice stretched to reach his nose to Brambleclaw's head. "With this life I give you youthful energy. Use it to remain vigilant and lighthearted, even in the coldest leaf-bare."
Brambleclaw felt a rush of fire and he felt as if he could run all the way to the sun-drown place and back. His paws skimmed the earth and his leaps were big enough to fly. Brambleclaw returned to the clearing full of new spirit and determination.
Bluestar, the muscular, blue-furred ThunderClan leader stepped forward to give her life to Brambleclaw.
"I give you hope with this life. Use it to trust others and continue fighting."
Brambleclaw was swept into a darkness that he had never felt. He turned and twisted, fighting against the darkness until he saw a light. The light grew and grew, until it engulfed him. As suddenly as it had come, the light was gone, but Brambleclaw could feel the shine within him as he returned to the clearing.
"I will not lose sight of this hope, Bluestar, I promise," Brambleclaw vowed. Bluestar nodded her approval.
There was a pause in the clearing as no new cats stepped forward to continue with the ceremony. Brambleclaw felt his heart drop and panic began to set in. StarClan would not let him be a true leader after all.
A flurry of motion at his side awoke Brambleclaw from his worried trance. Jayfeather had darted forward to touch noses with a black cat who was new to the clearing. Hollyleaf! Brambleclaw was overjoyed to see his foster daughter.
"Hollyleaf," Brambleclaw meowed as Hollyleaf stepped towards him. "I've missed you so much."
Hollyleaf's eyes glowed with pleasure at his response to her presence. "With this life, I give you understanding. Bestow it upon cats who are different from yourself or who have made mistakes."
Brambleclaw felt this agony gladly, thankful that he could finally understand her. He felt her yearning to serve the clan, even after she'd exiled herself. He felt her pain every time one of her three parents would look her way or ignore her. But he felt her loyalty and he felt her passion.
Brambleclaw returned to the clearing exhausted, but brimming with love for his adopted daughter. He reached forward to touch noses with her before she padded away.
One more life, Brambleclaw thought to himself. He was grateful for every life he had received, but he couldn't help wondering where his mentor was.
As if responding to his thoughts, a new light filled the clearing. The light came from a flame-colored pelt, shining with stars.
Firestar padded forward to stand before Brambleclaw. His muscles rippled beneath his starry pelt, but his green eyes were gentle and proud as he looked at Brambleclaw.
"Brambleclaw, from the beginning of both our lives, we have had to face prejudices from others. Already, you have shown more bravery and nobility in the face of Tigerstar's shadow than anyone could ever ask, but with this life I give you courage. I give you courage to be true to yourself, I give you courage to fight for your clan, and I give you the courage to love freely. You will be the greatest leader the lake has ever seen." Firestar leaned forward to touch his nose to Brambleclaw's head.
Brambleclaw had never felt so much pain in his life. Flames were attacking him from all sides; he could feel it hot on his pelt. When Brambleclaw thought he could bear no more, a fire, hot as the sun, seared through him from nose to tail, burning every muscle and fiber of his being. The fire within him was hotter than those around him and Brambleclaw engulfed his surroundings, until it was just him, burning like the sun over the lake.
At last, Brambleclaw returned to the clearing. Firestar still stood before him, his gaze locked on Brambleclaw's.
"I hail you by your new name, Bramblestar" Firestar announced. "Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants to you the guardianship of ThunderClan. Defend it well; care for the young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity."
"Bramblestar! Bramblestar!" the cats of StarClan acclaimed Bramblestar. His ancestors gazed upon him with pride and delight. "Bramblestar! Bramblestar!"
Bramblestar was ready to begin his new life as ThunderClan's leader.