Author's Note: I saw this challenge on The Clan of Clouds Forum and promptly realized it would make an excellent multi-chapter story. So, yeah, here it is: Chapter One. Hope you like it! :)

Disclaimer: I believe this Challenge belongs to Forerunner of Ancient Storms, if I remember correctly. In any case, it isn't mine. I don't own Warriors either.

Read, review and enjoy! :)

It was a warm sunny morning in ThunderClan's camp and all the warriors and apprentices were lounging in the sun. Its golden rays brought out the beautiful colors in their fur and eyes as well as the forest itself around them. It was one of those days when it seemed that all was perfect, from the cloudless blue sky to the warm scents of plentiful fresh-kill rising from the center of the clearing.

Of course, it is on those days that things can go horribly wrong.

Several apprentices were scuffling on the ground, away from where the warriors drowsed in the sun's warmth. One, a brown tom with gentle amber eyes, observed the flashing of claws and teeth in the whirl of black and white fur in front of him. The wrestling apprentices moved with the darting quickness of snakes, showing their best moves and their wild instincts to their medicine cat friend, who in turn watched with amusement.

"Beat you!" declared the black tabby, pinning the white tom beneath her paws. Her claws glistened, unsheathed, but only small nicks and scratches betrayed the fact that she had used them on her friend. Her bright blue eyes glowed with laughter. This was a mock battle between fellow apprentices, and she had won.

"Did you see that?" she asked triumphantly, turning to the brown tom. She flicked her striped tail towards her opponent, who scrambled to his paws and quickly licked his fur, obviously a bit embarrassed to have lost. "He would have been crow-food in two seconds if he were a ShadowClan warrior!"

"Oh, I'm sure," meowed the brown tom teasingly, eyes shining with amusement. "You were absolutely terrifying, Nightpaw."

The black tabby looked pleased, puffing out her chest proudly.

"He's teasing you," pointed out the white tom, pausing from his grooming. Nightpaw obviously hadn't noticed; he felt the need to spare her dignity. At least that was what he told himself- in reality, he simply felt like getting back at her for his humiliating defeat in front of their friend, who had heard them each boast about their skills separately but had never seen them actually at combat. Both had exaggerated, but apparently Nightpaw's account of what would happen if they sparred had been more realistic.

"Nah, you're just jealous that I'm stronger," boasted Nightpaw. "Right, Thrushpaw?" She turned back to the brown tom to find his whiskers twitching with laughter. "Hey!" she compained. "You are making fun of me!" She pounced, landing squarely on top of him. The two apprentices tumbled around for a moment, with Thrushpaw struggling to free himself, but to no avail. He was no match against a warrior in training.

"Beat you too!" she meowed, leaping off of him and prancing off with head and tail lifted loftily. "I'm the best apprentice in ThunderClan. That means you and Sulkpaw over there," she flicked her tail at the white tom, who scowled at his name's mutilation, "have to change my bedding, bring me fresh-kill every day and comb the burrs out of my fur after every patrol—hunting and border!"

"Nobody promised you anything," meowed the white tom, his voice equally lofty. "In fact, I think the losers should get consolation prizes and you should get nothing!"

The two warrior apprentices squared off for another tussle. But suddenly, Nightpaw's ears pricked up and she stood up straight, alert.

"What's wrong—?" began the white tom, but Nightpaw shushed him hurriedly.

"Shut up, Whitepaw!" she hissed. Suddenly, the sound of barking reached their ears and Nightpaw's eyes went wide. "A DOG!" she exclaimed in alarm. "And it must be close by if we hear it from camp!" She whirled around. The sound of yowls of alarm soon followed. It sounded as if the dog had caught the hunting patrol off guard.

The warriors were on their feet now, all drowsiness forgotten. "We need a patrol," ordered Thistleflight, the deputy. "Right away! Everyone who thinks they're up to it, come with me. We need as many warriors as we can get."

"Nightpaw, wait!" yowled Thrushpaw, but the black tabby apprentice had already darted off. To his horror, she ran straight past the quickly gathering patrol and out of the camp, towards the direction of the dog's barking. "We have to hurry," he gasped, turning to Whitepaw, whose face was a mask of terror. Despite his obvious fear, the warrior apprentice nodded stoically and the two of them raced after their friend.

They found her not far from camp. The hunting patrol was bravely facing off with the dog, arching their backs and hissing, but the beast was enormous. Its jaws alone were big enough to close around the head of a full grown warrior and its thick, bristling gray fur looked as if it would be hard to scratch through. Both apprentices felt their hearts plummet; there was no way a few warriors could beat this dog.

Nightpaw raced forward fearlessly, hurdling in between the opposing forces of the battle that was about to ensue. She leaped and slashed her claws across the dog's nose, leaving bleeding scratches far deeper than the ones that scored Whitepaw's pelt. The massive creature let out a yelp of pain and swatted at her with a powerful forepaw. The apprentice dodged the blow nimbly and leaped again, this time raking her claws down its face.

The dog howled in outrage and swiped at her, and while its claws were thick and blunt, they weren't nearly as sharp as cats' claws. It sent Nightpaw flying backwards, scraped but not bleeding. The apprentice landed heavily on her side, clearly winded.

"We have to help!" gasped Whitepaw, moving to lunge forward.

"No!" meowed Thistleflight sternly, bundling him aside. "It's too dangerous! Let the warriors handle this and you go back to camp!" The powerful brown tabby was not only the Clan's deputy but Whitepaw's father. He wanted his son to stay safe.

"But, I-" protested Whitepaw. "I want to fight like a warrior," he finished.

"Maybe someday," promised Thistleflight, "but not today. This is not your battle." He turned, and ordering his patrol forward, bounded down the hill towards the fight.

Nightpaw had scrambled to her feet and lunged at the dog for a third time. This time she jumped onto its back, sinking her sharp claws into its shoulders. It roared in pain and agony and tried to shake her off, with no success. The black tabby clung on, baring her teeth and giving the dog a vicious bite on the back of the neck.

The patrol arrived to help, but the dog's flailing paws kept them back. Thistleflight meowed something to his warriors, which Whitepaw and Thrushpaw couldn't hear from the distance. The brown tabby shook out his fur and leapt bravely over the dog's legs and landed on its face, sinking in his claws. The dog howled and reared up on its hind legs, finally succeeding in knocking off the two cats.

Thitsleflight lunged to grab Nightpaw's scruff in his jaws and drag her to safety, but he wasn't quick enough. The dog whirled on the apprentice and bit her, seizing her in its jaws. It picked her up and shook her, tossing her aside. She was thrown into the side of a tree and crumpled at the base of it in a heap. She did not move.

"No!" screamed Whitepaw, but the deed had been done.

The patrol, infuriated by this, joined into the battle. A few more well-placed blows and yowls of rage sent the dog fleeing back to wherever it had come from. Thistleflight padded stiffly over to where Nightpaw lay lifeless. Whitepaw and Thrushpaw bounded down the hill to join him, swallowing back their fear. It couldn't be…

Thistleflight nudged Nightpaw gently with his front paw. "Wake up, little one," he murmured gently. "The battle is over now."

"Let me see her," Thrushpaw meowed. "I can tell if—" His voice cracked, and he swallowed. "If she's still alive."

The deputy stood back, allowing the medicine cat apprentice to approach his fallen friend. Thrushpaw crouched next to her, putting an ear to her chest. For a moment, both the brown apprentice and the black tabby were still; then Thrushpaw stood, his amber eyes glistening with unshed tears. He shook his head.

"No!" wailed Whitepaw. "She can't be gone!"

"I'm sorry, my son," meowed Thistleflight, his voice heavy with grief. "She is with StarClan now; she died a brave and noble warrior."

"But she wasn't a warrior!" cried Whitepaw. "She was just an apprentice. She was my friend! She was too young to die."

"She is a warrior in the eyes of StarClan," meowed Thistleflight.

…

That evening, they held a ceremony for Nightpaw. All her clanmates gathered around her for her final night, grooming her gently and making her fur shine. Her eyes were closed; she could have been sleeping. Whitepaw knew she wasn't.

"May StarClan welcome her among them," meowed Blossomfur, the ThunderClan medicine cat. Her voice and eyes were solemn. "She was a wonderful member of our Clan, and we will miss her greatly. Sleep well, Nightpaw, in eternal rest." She lowered her muzzle to touch Nightpaw's pelt lightly.

"Sleep well, my friend," whispered Thrushpaw, touching her gently with is tail tip. His eyes glistened with grief and sorrow. "We will miss you…"

Whitepaw turned his eyes towards the heavens. In the distance, beautiful silver stars glittered brightly, the sky as dark as Nightpaw's pelt behind them.

Take care of her StarClan, he prayed silently. Take care of her always.

…

Three cats of StarClan gathered around the grave of Nightpaw the next evening. As was tradition in the Clans, the elders had buried her at dawn. Now twilight had come again and the stars had returned to the sky. The three spirits had appeared from the mist; now they stood in a circle around Nightpaw's final resting place.

For a moment, everything was silent. At last, one of them spoke.

"Young Whitepaw was right," meowed a tortoiseshell she-cat with a white chest and paws. She swept her fluffy ginger tail forward and rested it lightly on the earth of Nightpaw's grave, as gently as if she was touching the apprentice's pelt. "She was too young to die. She had her entire life ahead of her."

"That may be true," sighed the silver tabby beside her. "But this was her destiny. And she died a hero, saving her clanmates."

"How can you say that?" demanded the tortoiseshell, her orange eyes glinting with anger as she whirled on the other she-cat. "This was the last of my kin! She may have died a hero, but she died all the same!"

"Peace, Gingertail," meowed their other companion, a powerful white tom with blue-gray eyes. He touched his tail tip gently to her shoulder in solace. "She has not yet come to us, but you will see her soon."

"My legacy will be forgotten," mourned Gingertail. "My kin gone from all the Clans." She lowered her eyes to hide her tears.

"Perhaps not," meowed the silver tabby. "Icehollow speaks true; Nightpaw has not yet joined us in the ranks of StarClan. And you did as well, when you said she has died too soon." She paused. "There is still time."

"What are you saying?" asked Gingertail, meeting her gaze.

The silver tabby held it steadily. "I am saying that it is not over for you and your kin. Nightpaw can still receive a second chance."

Icehollow nodded. "Indeed," he meowed, his voice deep and wise. "It is still possible for this young hero to be reborn. She will live another life as a loyal warrior to ThunderClan, without her old memories but with a chance to live as she would have if her days did not end here. We may take mercy on this young soul."

"Then do it," insisted Gingertail. "Let her live."

"There is a catch," meowed the silver tabby warningly. "She will have a great fate, it is true. But whether that will be for good or evil, we have yet to see. It is up to you to guide her through this second life. And you cannot tell her who she is," she added. "None of the living cats can know that she is Nightpaw."

Gingertail dipped her head respectfully. "I accept this responsibility, Calmheart. I swear that I will be Nightpaw's guardian in her new life."

Calmheart dipped her head in return. "Then may StarClan be with you both..."