5 Moons since the Dark Forest Battle.
Briarlight broke into another coughing fit, her sides heaving. Next to her, Purdy was lay, his flanks barely moving. Greencough had struck Thunderclan again. It had already claimed Daisy's kit, Mallowkit, and now it seemed to have hit herself, Purdy and her father, Graystripe.
Graystripe let out a tired groan, before forcing himself to his paws, before flopping down in his daughters nest, leaning forward to speak to her.
"You're going to be okay. I'm feeling a bit better." he mewed tiredly, before letting out a wheezy cough. "I think I'll be back in the elders den at dawn, if Jayfeather comes back and gives me some Catnip."
"That's great papa." Briarlight purred, before letting out a sneeze, a long slimy bit of mucus dripping from her nose. She quickly wiped it away.
"But how are you? Do you need anything to eat? Drink?" the older gray tom mewed, looking concerned. "I know I'm being an old worrying badger, but you are my daughter."
"I'm fine." Briarlight wheezed, trying hard not to cough anything up. "You just. Go back to your own nest. I'll just sleep here."
Graystripe licked her cheek. "Okay, this old mouse is going back into his burrow." he let out a tired purr, before breaking off into another coughing fit. He flopped down, and closed his tired amber eyes.
Briarlight looked around the den. Leafpool and Jayfeather still weren't back. Sighing, she dragged herself to the herb storage, her lungs feeling like they were on fire. After searching through the shelves slowly, she came across some burnet. She let out a tired purr, and dragged herself back to the nests. She pushed some in front of Purdy and Graystripe, before eating the rest for herself.
"That'll keep our strength up." she thought to herself, before laying herself down in her nest, and sinking into sleep.
Briarlight woke up to a horrible smell, gagging she whipped her head around to stare around the den, wondering there the smell had come from. She stared in horror, as she saw Leafpool and Graystripe carry a very stiff and foul-smelling Purdy out of the den. She let out a dull cry, noticing the pile of burnet that was untouched. Jayfeather approached her, his tail dragging across the den floor.
"He's gone and joined Starclan now." he sighed, giving his pelt a shake.
"I thought he'd eat, I put the burnet out." She sobbed, before breaking in to another coughing fit.
"He was very, very, very old. Jayfeather pointed out reluctantly. "When Bramblestar and Squirrelflight first met him, he was practically an elder. You should be glad, he's had a long life." He sighed, and pushed some catnip towards her. "Here. Purdy doesn't need his share now." Without another word, he picked up some lavender and padded out to the clearing.
Briarlight lay in her nest, alone. Watching cats leave the elders and warriors den to see what was going on. He watched them, one by one. Keeping away from the den, afraid of getting sick. Sighing she closed her eyes, and after a while her breathing slowed, to the point it seemed her flanks weren't moving at all as she slipped in to a dream.
Briarlight got up, and realized something – she had actually gotten up! On all her paws, she spun around to make sure, before it dawned on her that she must be dreaming, and her excitement ebbed away. She was in a small, sunny clearing. Large and colourful herbs and flowers blooming all around her. Struggling to remember how to walk on four legs again, she slowly lurched towards all the plants, purring happily.
She started to look at them, only to hear paw steps approach her. She turned around, to see a silver tabby cat with deep blue eyes watching her.
"H-hello?" Briarlight mewed uncertainly. The she-cat let put a loud purr.
"So you're Briarlight." She smiled at her. "I'm happy to meet you at least. I've been watching you."
Briarlight didn't quite know how to respond to that, so she just stared blankly. The tabby chuckled.
"Sorry, that did come off a bit creepy. Didn't it? I'm Silverstream." She mewed. Briarlight's ears pricked up in shock. "Yes I know, I am that Silverstream. The one who died kitting Graystripe's kits. I know, I know. It must be weird to think about?" she asked.
"Well.. Yeah. If you had lived, I wouldn't have-" Briarlight broke off, feeling awkward. Silverstream padded forward and licked the top of her head.
"You were always meant to be born Briarlight. Starclan wouldn't have given you life, if they hadn't wished it." She replied quietly. Briarlight drank in her scent, it smelt like freshly soaked moss. She pulled away.
"Why… Why have you come to visit me then?" she asked.
"Briarlight." Silverstream looked at her, her expression grim. Briarlight felt her heart turn in to a ball of ice.
"No! I can't die! My family needs me!" she wailed, as Silverstream watched her, her blue eyes clouding with emotion. "Larkkit and Shrewkit, I promised to give them a ride across camp on my back. And Millie…"
Silverstream's expression didn't change, until she spoke quietly.
"Briarlight, you have had a harsh life. More so than the average warrior. That is why Starclan has decided to offer you a second chance at life." She mewed solemnly. Briarlight looked confused.
"A second chance?.. Like extra lives?"
"No! No. We're offering you to be reborn as a kit in a different Clan." Silverstream explained. "Your spirit would be inside that cat until it leaves for Starclan. We don't make these decisions lightly, the choice is yours."
Briarlight stood, pondering about this. Sure, she'd love to be a real warrior again. But what if this cat doesn't want to be a warrior, but a medicine cat? Why would a cat have to do what she wants for her own gain? What if she had to fight Thunderclan? What if..?
"I-I decline the offer." She stuttered, she didn't sound enthusiastic, but she held her gaze with Silverstream confidently. "If I took over the life of another cat, it wouldn't be their life. That wouldn't be fair." The silver tabby dipped her head.
"Very well, we must leave for Starclan now." She mewed, and started to pad along the grassy trail, that got steeper and steeper to climb, with stars studding it's path.