Chapter 4, what has to be done

Brightpaw nuzzled Cinderpelt in her sleep. Terrifying images raced across her mind - the torn down trees everywhere, the huge shiny twoleg monsters, the blood flying as cats were cut down. She remembered when she had attacked a twoleg monster. She had leaped onto the glass in the front, and the twoleg had pulled out one of those 'guns', or so they called them; and tried to shoot her with it. It had missed - but what were they going to do now? She woke with a start when Cinderpelt said softly, "Brightpaw."

"What is it?" Brightpaw blinked the sleep out of her eyes, then winced. The light was harsh and clear in what used to be the medicine cat den. It revealed the destruction more clearly then the half light of dusk the previous day had. All the ferns of the fern tunnel had been torn away, leaving only a cleft in the rock.

Cinderpelt's eyes were wide, and her fur was matted and un-groomed. "We have to continue on, Brightpaw." Her voice came as a low rasp.

"Continue?" Grief made Brightpaw angry. "We have nothing to continue with. What are we supposed to do?"

Cinderpelt sagged down to the ground. "I don't know. But somehow we must."

Brightpaw said, "I know what we're going to do."

Cinderpelt looked up. "What?" Her voice was filled with hope.

"Die." Brightpaw's voice cracked. "Alone. At the end of the world. The twolegs have destroyed the world."

Cinderpelt looked up to Silverpelt. Were they even watching? "Brightpaw." She began. "This may be the end of the world... but how can we let it become the end of ThunderClan?"

"We are all that is left!" Brightpaw's eyes blazed.

"Maybe..." Cinderpelt trailed off.

"Maybe what?" Brightpaw asked, fresh tears welling in her eyes.

"What if some of the other cats survived?" Cinderpelt asked, eyes blazing with hope. "What if the twolegs didn't go to all the camps?"

Brightpaw, for the first time in days, felt the tiniest sliver of hope. "We have to go to find out!" Then she looked at Cinderpelt's leg. "I'll go," she amended quickly.

"No!" Cinderpelt countered. "We must both go. But before we do, there is something that we must do."

"What?" Brightpaw asked.

"I must give you your warrior name. StarClan, I hope that this does not displease you. I am the only member of ThunderClan left, apart from Brightpaw." She tried to scramble up the high-ledge, but her leg couldn't take it.

"Great StarClan!" Came a shocked gasp from Mistyfoot, a RiverClan queen.

"Mistyfoot!" Brightpaw yowled, streaking over to her. "Are there any other RiverClan cats alive?"

Mistyfoot closed her eyes. "No. They even killed my kits. The only reason they didn't kill me is because I was down at the river to get some fish, and they didn't see me."

Cinderpelt closed her eyes. "Mistyfoot? You are a good warrior, and Bluestar's daughter. I must ask you to perform Brightpaw's naming ceremony. Please."

Mistyfoot looked taken aback, but nodded. "Come, Brightpaw." She looked uncertain - she was neither leader nor deputy - and was only half ThunderClan. "I, Mistyfoot, daughter of Bluestar of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. She has known grief, and suffering, and has borne it well.

"Brightpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

A tear ran down her cheek. "I do," she whispered.

"Brightpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Brightheart. StarClan honors your courage and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Then, something strange happened. There was a strange rushing noise, and then light surrounded Brightheart. Brightheart opened her eyes to instantly find herself in the forest of StarClan. Her gaze was locked on Frostfur's. Then Bluestar spoke. "StarClan has seen and suffered the loss that you have suffered. We... we must do this, even if it breaks with tradition. Tonight, you must not sit vigil, but go to ShadowClan and WindClan. It will be dangerous... you cannot fail."

Brightheart nodded. "Why am I here?" she asked.

Bluestar looked up at her. "You are our only hope."