The dead silence consumed Sun until he couldn't take it any longer. He walked forward passed the wave of stunned, speechless cats towards the Monsterpath. The smog of the Monster started to clear and he could make out a few shapes in the distance.

Near the side of the Monsterpath was Shadow. She looked scared, terrified, but wasn't hurt. Sun's eyes danced with joy and met hers, trying to calm but feeling completely and utterly helpless. Shadow…he wanted to say something but couldn't, he was still too scared. She held a kit in her jaws and the other was by her side. They, much like the little To-be herself, looked confused and trembling but not harmed.

His joy was tempered when his eyes met Thunder. She was lying in the middle of the Monsterpath completely motionless.

He bounded to her side, crouching low and not hearing any Monsters he grabbed her by the scruff of her ginger neck and dragged her small, helpless body to the edge of the Monsterpath.

"Thunder," he heard the desperate cry of his best friend. "Thunder… please, please wake up, sister."

Feather padded beside him, whispering something that Sun couldn't hear. He, wordlessly, walked to Shadow and licked between her ears. He wasn't sure how long they all stared at Thunder until her amber eyes flickered open.

"Thunder!" he cried, and saw Lion's eyes go wide with joy. "Edge! Dream, come, she's awake!"

The thick pelted gray tom came close with Dream and Red right behind him. In another heartbeat Blue was there too, her blue eyes throwing a glance at him then right back to the victim.

"Feather," Sun whispered, looking at the light brown tom, "I need you to take Lion away. I…I know he can't but he has to."

She nodded and whispered something in his ear. After several protests the huge, golden tom backed off, shooting an angry glance at his best friend before going.

"He's not mad, you know." Shadow meowed to him for the first time.

"I thought I lost you."

"Never me. Thunder saved me."

Her eyes welled with a sadness Sun couldn't bear to see. "Come on, I have to go check on your friend. I hate to ask, but can you tell Flower her kits are safe?" She nodded sadly and turned to grab the small kits in her mouth before finding their golden mother.

Sun turned too and walked towards where Edge was. "How is she?"
"Listen," was his only reply.

Her amber eyes were still open and looked right through Sun. "There you are, Mousebrain," she rasped, her high-pitched voice week and lost.

"You'll be okay, Thunder. Edge'll take good care of you until you're okay. And Dream and Blue and Red too, and Lion will care for you."

She shook her head, "No, Sun. I know it's not going to be like that. I can't journey, but I'll watch you from StarClan."

"Don't say that, little friend." He couldn't imagine Thunder giving up like this. She was a fighter by nature and this wasn't her. "You can't quit."

"I'm not quitting, I need…Lion…Lion and Shadow…and…and Feather too."

"No, Thunder, stay with me. Edge, go get them, now!"

The ginger she-cat spoke to Blue quickly and, after their talk, Dream shooed her away. "You have to hang on, Thunder." She didn't speak but her eyes glowed at him.

"Feather," she meowed once the she-cat arrived. Her amber eyes glowing to meet her friend's. "Take care of my brother. I love him very much, and he needs someone to love him too."

"I do and I will," she vowed, touching her nose to that of the ginger To-be. Sun didn't hear the rest of their conversation but instead turned to try and sooth Shadow, licking her ears gently and twining his tail tightly with hers, almost afraid to let go.

She then turned to her brother. Her amber eyes looked dimmer every second but her passion drove her. "I love you, brother. I need you not to worry about me, I'll watch you from StarClan the way you always watched me. Whether you like it or not."

Her brother smiled, knowing full well that Thunder didn't always enjoy the over protectiveness that she received.

"Shadow," she turned too quickly to the smoky she-cat, whimpering in pain as she readjusted herself to look at them. "Thank you. You're my best friend and thank you."

Eyes blurred with sadness she licked Thunder's ear. "You're my best friend too."

"I'm glad Sun got over his hawk headedness enough to see how much he loves you. He needs you, remember that. Got that, mousebrain?" Her face, while still pained, flickered from slight humor to seriousness. "Don't doubt your leadership, Sun, or Shadow's love for you, or the loyalty of your friends."

"I won't," he stammered, licking her ear gently. He tried to blink sadness from his eyes but was unsuccessful. All he could do was take her words to heart and watch helplessly as his friend grew weaker and weaker.

To all four of them she whispered, "I'll never leave you." And with that her eyes closed and breathing stopped. Lion stepped forward and nudged his sister's ginger fun whispering "Thunder," many times over.

Sun's eyes looked up and he saw a dark colored tiger and a small ginger shape beside her. The light in her eyes returned full spirit as she smiled and purred at him. "Tell my brother not to grieve too long, Sun. And remember what I said!" Her voice was renewed with life as she followed Gingerstar up to the ranks of StarClan.

"Sun?" asked Shadow, and Sun realized that he must have looked silly staring at the sky.

"Thunder's going to StarClan. And she says not to grieve too long."

"I'll miss her, Sun. She's my best friend."

"Me too." After a reassuring lick between her ears, Sun turned to Lion, hoping to calm his friend. However, Lion's eyes were cold and he refused to look at or talk to him. He wasn't moving, he wasn't even accepting the comfort of Feather's body beside his own. This worried Sun more then anything but he chose to give his friend time.

Sun whirled around to notice almost every cat looking his way. They were just far back enough not to hear but just close enough to see Thunder's lifeless body.

Without a preamble Sun began explaining in a hoarse voice. "I'm sorry, Thunder didn't make it. She died nobly, protecting two helpless kits from the Monsterpath. Her courage and spirit will always be remembered."

It was Flower who stepped forward and asked, "Are we going to treat her burial the way we did Peak's?"
"I'd like to. We'll move her away from the Monsterpath's edge and share tongues with her one last time. She'll be buried tonight so we all get a chance to remember her." Even to his own ears the tom's voice was laced with sadness and regret. This meant no on to tease him or challenge him. No more playful insults or annoying badgering.

He just knew that this time he couldn't run away. He wouldn't run away. He would be there for his mate and for his best friend. He needed to be near them now. No cat seemed capable of speech as Lion moved the tiny cat's body away from the horrible path that killed her.

The cats waited until nightfall, and the wait seemed almost unbearable for Sun. he talked a lot to Shadow, to Rip and to Rain. Even Wing, who normally found Thunder's persistence and banter annoying, seemed mournful. Sun tried to distract himself by going hunting but was only able to catch one measly mouse. The rest of the prey might as well have jumped in his paws and run off again.

But Lion was still worrying Sun the most. His golden friend hadn't still spoken to him since the incident. He sat sharing his pathetic mouse with Shadow, looking at his friend.

"He's upset," she meowed, licking ear.

"Yes but so are you and you're not ignoring me. So am I yet I still have to lead everyone."

"Go talk to him. He needs you."

"He's probably furious at me."

She curled her smaller, gray body into his and gave a reassuring nudge. "I'll be here when you get back. Then we can share tongues with Thunder."

"Do I have to?" He asked teasingly, licking her neck as gently as he could. "I know you're right. You can finish the mouse, I'm not hungry."

"You should eat."

"So should you." With that he walked off towards Lion. At once, the golden eyed tom turned away from him so he took another approach and went to Feather. "Is he mad at me?"

"No, he's mad at himself and he won't listen to me."

"I need to tell him something."

"Best of luck to you then. I'm sure he'll talk to you. Just drag him out of his hole for me. He's no fun when he's brooding." Her voice held slight irritation but Sun didn't miss the loving spark in her eyes.

"Don't I know it?" So the sleek tom walked towards his distant friend. He knew how compassionate and calm Lion usually was, but Thunder's death must have shaken him harder then the rest. He loved his little sister, and he must blame himself for allowing her to die.

He must blame me for allowing her to lead us across the Monsterpath. He realized inwardly. He drew closer to his unhappy friend, and, wordlessly, resting his tail on his large golden shoulder.

"She told me to tell you not to grieve too long. But she'll always watch you and love you. She's my friend too."

"She's my sister, Sun. How can you understand that?"
"I can't, but I know how upset I'd be if it was you there. And for a heartbeat I thought it was Shadow I was terrifiedAnd I left my mother and my unborn kin back at the Cave of Rushing Water. So no, I cannot understand, but I have an idea"

Golden eyes met yellow ones. Lion looked furious but suddenly melted to understanding. "I'm sorry, Sun."

"Don't be. Come on, Feather's very upset and wants you back." Then he stopped and refocused his thoughts. "You're not mad at me?"

"No…no, I can't be. You're my best friend. You have been since forever. I just…when she was born I swore I would protect her. Because she was so small I was afraid of her getting hurt."

"I remember that. Let's go share tongues with her for the last time, and give her a proper burial."

"Alright buddy," he smiled, sounding like the old Lion he knew. "We'll help the Tribe though this."

"No one will be better at that then the huge, overly compassionate tomcat." He hoped a slight, yet true, joke would lighten the mood and Lion seemed to relax his large shoulders before him.

Together they walked back in step, talking seriously like the best friends they were.

Lion left Sun's side going to fetch Feather and Sun walked to Shadow. "I see you didn't eat the mouse."

"I'm not so hungry either. Can we share tongues with Thunder now?"

"I'd like that." They padded together, pelts brushing, towards the small ginger figure in the middle. Most of the cats had already shared tongues but Feather, Cloud and their kits were there, heads bowed.

Lion walked ended beside Sun with Feather next to him. For a moment the golden tom's eyes lashed out in fury at the two kits but quickly softened. Sun knew his best friend couldn't be angry at the kits, and Lion knew it too.

He was about to say something when Flower turned to all four cats. "I'm sorry, Lion. I'm very grateful but so sorry."

Lion's only response was to nod slightly and bend down next to his sister. Sun watched gently as Lion licked his sister's dark red pelt and finally turned to Flower. "I'm going to sit my vigil with my sister tonight as you did with Peak. I blame you and your only as much as you blame Wing for what happened to your family. Nothing could be done." His last word were almost bitter but held a small amount of understanding. Flower herded her kits away but Cloud stayed.

"Thank you." He whispered, "I liked Thunder, I thought she was a great cat and I will be forever grateful. When our kits grow up we'll tell them of Thunder and how she saved their lives and how she helped find me. I promise that if I can, I will have her story told for generations in whatever Clan I'm in."

Again, Lion could only nod. Sun stayed silent throughout all of this, watching with great interest and feeling very proud of his friend. He knew what Lion had meant by blaming them only as much as Wing could be blamed. The golden tom must have been momentarily furious but had gotten over it, mostly.

The vigil that night was held by Sun, Lion, Shadow, Rip and Blue. Edge sat by her for a little while, dealing with his first loss as a Medicine Cat.

If twist and turns line out path to the Forest this must be the hardest thing to face…

The next morning Lion turned to him. Shadow had fallen asleep beside Thunder and Rip had left as Sunrise to hunt. "Listen buddy, I was thinking last night. I know you say Thunder doesn't want me to grieve too long but, I think this would be a nice thing to do. You don't have to…it's just an idea."

Sun gave a mrrow at his friend's babbling. "Do I get to hear the idea, Lion?"

"I would like to name the Monsterpath for my sister. I would like to call it …Thunderpath."

Brightfang: This was a bittersweet chapter for me. And I'm really surprised no one asked why I used the term MONSTERPATH instead of THUNDERPATH but there is a method to my madness. I promise there is! Anyway, reviews are appreciated.