Well hello! First off, I'd like to thank you for popping in to take a peek at this little story of mine. Let's start this off with a little applause for you *little applause* Okay, perfect, now we can get down to the real Author's Note.

So I actually wrote this a while back, as part of a challenge for a forum I was part of. It was something I really enjoyed writing and I don't mean to toot my own horn but, I think it turned out pretty good. There were a few little not-so-cool things here and there so I gave it a bit of a face-lift and, ta-da!, here it is.

For those who don't know, Dawnstar was leader of ShadowClan when SkyClan was kicked out of the forest and was the final leader to turn down SkyClan's plea for land.

So, without further ado, let's disclaim this story and get this show on the road! Minnowstream, would you do the honours?

*Minnowstream pops up* The Warriors series and all characters in it are property of Erin Hunter. FrostyFlame is just a wannabe writer who wishes sh- *shoves Minnowstream off stage* Okay, enough of that! Aaaaaaaannnnnnddddd...ACTION!

Gingerpelt, my father, tells me that the night I was born was a harsh one.

He would know. Gingerpelt stood outside the Nursery Den all throughout the raging storm that marked the night of my birth while Falconsong, my mother, gave birth to a litter of three healthy kits: a grey and cream she-cat, a red-brown tom, and me, a creamy brown she-cat.

When Molepelt, our Medicine Cat, and Hollowpaw, his apprentice, had checked the kits and made sure Falconsong was calm, Gingerpelt was let in.

The large ginger tom padded slowly into the hollow, careful not to prick his pelt on the thorn bush guarding it. Falconsong lay in the very back, nursing the newborns at her stomach. She was not the only one.

Gingerpelt walked forward to where Pigeonpelt, the only other queen in the nursery, lay, and dipped his head in polite acknowledgment.

"How's Snakekit?" Gingerpelt asked the blue-grey queen, motioning with his tail to the tiny kit at her stomach. The brown tabby tom kit was very small and very weak. Molepelt had said it would take a miracle straight from StarClan for the young tom to survive to his apprentice ceremony. "He's fine," the grey queen said quickly, indicating that the young tom was not, indeed, fine. She let out a weak smile. "Now go see your kits. Falconsong is waiting for you."

Gingerpelt nodded and walked over to his mate. Falconsong smiled and gestured with her tail for him to come closer.

"I was thinking Rowankit for the tom," Falconsong said. Gingerpelt purred and then replied, "And maybe Greykit for the she-cat?" Falconsong nodded.

"What about the last one?" the ginger tom asked. Falconsong thought for a moment before answering with a smile. "Dawnkit."

That last kit, Dawnkit, would later grow up to be me, Dawnstar, proud leader of ShadowClan. She would grow up to face challenges and sadness, all leading up to one choice that would shape the clans forever.

If only I had known.

"Greypaw! Rowanpaw! Dawnpaw! Snakepaw!"

I looked out from under the Hazel Branch as the clan cheered my name. Near the front, cheering the loudest, were Gingerpelt, Falconsong and Pigeonpelt. You could see the look of pure joy on the grey she-cat's face. No one could have predicted that Snakepaw would make it to his apprentice ceremony, and no one could have been happier that he did than his mother.

I turned back to Wrenstar as she continued the ceremony.

"Applestripe. You will mentor Rowanpaw. You have proven to be an honourable warrior of ShadowClan and, though you are young, I trust that you will train Rowanpaw into a proud, loyal warrior of ShadowClan."

The Clan cheered again as the new mentor and apprentice touched noses and then went to stand under the Hazel Branch together. The happiness on the two cat's faces was apparent, and I imagine the look on mine must have been very much the same.

"Nettlefeather," Wrenstar continued. "I have chosen you to be mentor to Dawnpaw. Larkface was your last apprentice and she is now a skilled and loyal warrior of ShadowClan. I believe you will mentor Dawnpaw the same way."

Finally! I thought as I touched noses with Nettlefeather. I'm going to be the best warrior ShadowClan has ever seen!

I could barely hear Wrenstar as she presented Frogstep with Greypaw as an apprentice and Spiderwing with Snakepaw. My heart was beating so loudly I was sure Nettlefeather, Rowanpaw and all of the cheering cats in the Clan could hear it. My heart was still beating and my eyes still shining as I retired to the Apprentice Den for the night.

"Dawnpaw, wake up."

I slowly opened my eyes. It had been 5 moons since I had become an apprentice and I had gotten used to the earlier waking times, but this was much earlier than I was used to. I looked out the opening to the Apprentice Den and the dark sky outside confirmed my suspicions. The sun hadn't risen yet, so why was Nettlefeather waking me up?

I remember the shock I felt when Nettlefeather answered my silent question.

"SkyClan's attacking."

That sure woke me up.

I ran outside, somewhat expecting to find the camp in ruins and was relieved when I found the dens intact and my litter-mates standing near the Hazel Branch with Snakepaw close by. These cats seemed to be the only ones in the camp.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"They've gone to fight." Nettlefeather reported.

"Larkface was on sentry duty and spotted SkyClan before they got too close to camp. We were able to push SkyClan back closer to the border but ShadowClan needs reinforcements. Dawnpaw, Greypaw, Rowanpaw; Wrenstar has decided you have enough training to go into battle, provided you stay together, stay near the back and don't fight any opponents larger than yourselves."

We nodded, accepting everything Nettlefeather said without question. We were all eager to prove our skills and protect our Clan.

Nettlefeather turned to Snakepaw. "As for you, Wrenstar has talked with Spiderwing and they agree you are not ready to go into battle. You will stay back with Molepelt and Hollowpaw to help with anything they need."

I heard Snakepaw groan but a sharp glare from Nettlefeather quickly quieted him. Snakepaw was smaller than the rest of us, but I felt he was just as skilled as any apprentice. Though I knew this choice was less than fair, I didn't speak, fearing that it might make Nettlefeather keep me back.

A short while later and I was running through the forest.

The mix of emotions I felt that day were like nothing I had felt before. I was excited, I was eager, I was terrified out of my mind. I don't know which emotions showed on my face. I hope the excitement was more prevalent than any inner fear I felt, but it wouldn't matter for long.

Soon, they would all be replaced by sorrow.

It happened somewhere between me taking down a white apprentice and a black warrior ripping a bloody gash down my leg. I remember feeling victory as the white apprentice turned and ran. I turned to Rowanpaw and Greypaw who were fighting a large spotted warrior together. I watched as the SkyClan cat knocked Greypaw down with a hit to the head. The warrior unsheathed her claws and was about to take a swipe at Greypaw's throat, with potentially fatal results, when Rowanpaw jumped in front.

He jumped in front.

And he died.

Just like that, my brother died.

Nobody stopped. The fighting went on. The spotted warrior that had just killed Rowanpaw kept going. I watched as she ran back to her clan. I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. I was going to kill that warrior. I was going to get revenge, but before any actions could be taken, I was struck down.

The last thing I saw before I fell was glowing yellow eyes and a black-furred face.

The last thing I felt before I fell was sorrow.

Pure, Deep, Sorrow.

I awoke in the Medicine Den.

I would like to say I didn't know where I was or how I got there but everything was clear in my mind.

My brother was dead, how could I forget that?

I stood up and Molepelt rushed over.

"I don't know if that's a good idea Dawnpaw. You're still recovering and-"

I walked past him, ignoring his words. I needed to get out, I needed to find Greypaw. I needed to make sure she was okay.

No sooner had I thought this than Greypaw rushed over to me.

"Dawnpaw. I-I don't know how to say this but-"

I cut her off. "I know. I saw it." I attempted to smile, but it came out more like a grimace.

"He survived long enough for us to bring him back to camp and give him his warrior name. He died Rowanfrost, a great ShadowClan warrior who sacrificed his life for the Clan."

Greypaw's words lifted a bit of the load grief had left me with. Rowanfrost's goal and dream ever since he was a kit had been to be warrior. At least he had gotten what he always wanted and deserved before he died.

"I always knew he would die a great warrior." I said. "I just never thought it would be so soon."

Greypaw nodded and together we walked towards our parents. They needed us, and we needed them. Most importantly, we needed each other to try to lighten our loads and push the grief away.

Too bad the only cat who could ever truly do that was gone.

"Greyblossom! Dawnstripe! Snaketail!"

Today was the day I became a warrior, and it was a perfect day for it.

The sun's rays peeked through the tightly-packed pine needles and created small patches of light that danced near my feet. A cool breeze blew from the North, ruffling my fur and clearing the pine needles from the ground. It seemed to carry the proud voices of my Clanmates as they shouted welcomes to their newest warriors up to StarClan, where I was sure Rowanfrost was shouting with them.

With the ceremony done, I jumped down from the Hazel Branch and immediately went to my family. "Dawnstripe!" Falconsong shouted as she ran across the clearing to get to me. "I'm so proud of you. I can't believe my kits have already grown into warriors."

I let out a purr. Then looked up, my ears perked, "Where's Greyblossom?"

Gingerpelt nodded his head to where Greyblossom and Snaketail were sitting, talking and laughing with their tails entwined.

"Looks like we can expect some new kits soon." Falconsong said playfully with a glint in her eye. I replied with a sarcastic laugh. Greyblossom and Snaketail? I thought, No, they're just friends.

Despite my doubts, my mother's predictions came true and, a couple of moons later, Greyblossom gave birth to 2 kits, a she-cat and a tom. Unfortunately, the tom, Waspkit, was very weak and died shortly after birth. This devastated the new parents, especially Greyblossom who had already lost a family member, but didn't stop them from cheering louder than everyone else as Sycamorekit became Sycamorepaw and then Sycamorestripe.

Around the time when Sycamorestripe was made an apprentice, I received my first apprentice: Beetlepaw, son of Larkface. Wrenstar had discussed it with me before but I was still just as surprised and excited when the ceremony came and she announced that I would be the mentor of Beetlepaw.

I put as much energy and focus as I could into training that apprentice, and many times I fell asleep more tired than him. Beetlepaw and I didn't always get along, he was very prideful, stubborn and didn't think he could be wrong, but looking back on it, I think when he became a warrior with the name Beetleshade, and received his own apprentice, he appreciated everything I had done and we have been friends ever since.

Not long after I was finished training Beetleshade, Greyblossom gave birth to her second litter of kits, Batkit, Rook-kit and Cypresskit. Luckily, all 3 of them survived.

I was given Rookpaw to train and, at the beginning, he was just as bad as Beetleshade. All that changed when Weaselclaw retired and Wrenstar promoted me to deputy of ShadowClan. Suddenly, I was trusted with a lot more and repected by even the most senior of warriors. I can't say the change was wonderful, but I can say I wouldn't take it back for anything.

I always knew that I would become leader after Wrenstar died, but I didn't think it would happen meer moons after I had become deputy. SkyClan had started looking thinner and thinner at the gatherings and they were becoming desperate for land. At one gathering, SkyClan announced war on ShadowClan. It was in one of those battles that Wrenstar died.

There I was, an inexperienced deputy that now had to take on the role of leader of an entire Clan! I don't think I would have been able to do it had I not appointed Snaketail as deputy.

Appointing Snaketail was one of the easiest decisions I would make. My most challenging decision had yet to come.

I stood on the smooth stone of the Great Rock. Snaketail stood near me but lower down. I looked to him and he looked back. "It's your choice," he mouthed to me.

I looked out at the cats around me. I saw Greyblossom, sitting near Sycamorestripe and Cypresspelt. Her other two kits were sitting with their mates. Batflower and Chervilnose. Rookwhisker and Mistflight.

Both of the she-cats were heavy with kits.

I thought about how SkyClan had killed not only my brother, but my leader as well, and a bitter taste formed in my mouth. I could not let these cats into our territory. I could not let them threaten the lives of my Clan.

But what would happen if I drove them out? They would be alone and SkyClan would become no more. I sympathised with these cats, but I had a choice to make.

I took a deep breath.

And I told them to leave.

"ShadowClan cannot afford to give up valuable prey and land. We have mouths to feed and kits on the way. I have no doubt that if we give you this land, you will ask and fight for more and more until ShadowClan is threatened by your presence."

"I am sorry," I said, "But you have to go."

I remained on the Great Rock, my head held high, my fur still smooth, as I watched SkyClan leave Four Trees and, I knew, their lives as a Clan. As the last cats disappeared into the darkness and the Gathering continued, I kept my voice level and my face neutral, betraying no emotion.

Was it the right choice? I may never know. But one thing I can always be sure of is that I, Dawnstar, am leader of ShadowClan, the greatest Clan this forest has seen, and will ever have the honour of hosting. My loyalty is to my Clan, from the greying elders to the unborn kits, and, if only for their sake, I will not doubt my choices. To be a ShadowClan cat is to be strong, to stand tall when others shrink, to stay proud when others doubt.

I destroyed a Clan to save my own.

And I would not take it back.

Sooooo...what did you think? Seriously though, feel free to share your thoughts on the story in the comments, it's very much appreciated!

I'm going to try to make more of these little one-shots about characters that we maybe don't know much about. I'm actually working on one right now and I should be getting that up before the end of the week. If there are any characters you'd like me to write about, as long as they don't already have a complete story, feel free to leave them in the comments and your wish is my command! (no guarantees, non-refundable, no purchase necessary)