Dustpaw was dreaming.

In her dream, she was walking through the woods, and she came apon Fourtrees, bright green in the newleaf sun. She could feel a familiar presence, but when she looked beside her, there was no one there.

Suddenly the sky was clouded over, and a choking blackness rolled into the hollow. Unable to see,hear or smell anything, Dustpaw, lost and scared, turned and ran in a random direction, trying desparately to escape the darkness.

And then she woke, finding herself in BrackenClan camp.

Dustpaw, a dusty-gray maine coon apprentice, stretched after a long sleep. She had been sick for some time, sleeping for hours, sometimes days at a time. She yawned, feelingtired already, even after sleeping all that time. A familiar calico tom poked his head through the Medicine Cat's Den entrance. He looked around, then padded over and lied down near Dustpaw, drawing a tongue over her ear. Dustpaw purred. Wildpaw, another apprentice, was Dustpaw's best friend, perhaps more. "When are you getting better?" he asked anxiously.

Dustpaw sighed. "Moonfrost hasn't said anything." Moonfrost, a white she-cat with black ears and tail, was the BrackenClan Medicine Cat.

At Wildpaw's saddening face, Dustpaw mewed, "Relax! I'm not going through pain or anything." she licked his ear. "Why don't we go and get some fresh-kill from the pile? I'm feeling hungry"

Wildpaw brightened. "You were never hungry before. Maybe you're getting better!" he trotted off to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed two pieces, which he dragged back to Dustpaw. They ate in silence, enjoying one another's company.

Dustpaw yawned. "I think I'm feeling tired again. I'm going back to bed." she curled up in her nest and was soon asleep, twitching every now and again.

Days went on the same way. Dustpaw was always sleeping, always tired. She was barely and almost never hungry.

One day in the middle of Newleaf, Dustpaw was up and walking through camp. It was sunhigh, and a nice warm one compared with the harsh cold Leaf-bare and the beginnings of Newleaf. Dustpaw's uncle, Samir, a black and white shorthaired cat, meowed, "It's good to see you up and walking. I hope you're feeling better." his green eyes looked at her curiously.

"Yes, I'm feeling much better, thank you." Dustpaw mewed courteously. Samir dipped his head in a good-bye and turned towards the camp entrance, where his mate Eaglefeather was waiting for him. Eaglefeather was the BrackenClan deputy, Dustpaw's mentor and her best friend besides Wildpaw. Eaglefeather was a mostly brown maine coon with white around her eyes and muzzle. Her sharp claws made her a dangerous opponent. She mewed a greeting to Dustpaw before exiting camp, with Samir following.

Dustpaw looked around. Wildpaw was training with his mentor, Starfur, so Dustpaw really had nothing to do. She thought about her dream. Something bad was going to happen at Fourtrees. It had looked like she was going to be lost...at fourtrees? How do you get lost at fourtrees? It was just open except the trees themselves and the Great Rock. Dustpaw shook her head. Maybe it wasn't sent by StarClan, maybe just a normal nightmare. Then she reflected on how the great Firestar and Brambleclaw had thought wrongly so about their dreams. She wondered briefly about Brambleclaw. How old had he been when made a warrior?

Dustpaw's train of thought turned towards her own training. She was old enough to be made a warrior, and yet the leader, Morningstar, a bright yellow she-cat, had not made her a warrior yet. In fact, Morningstar had not emerged from her den or been heard from in days. Dustpaw sighed, looking wistfully at Smoketail, who not long ago had been an apprentice. Dustpaw had talked to Smoketail and comforted him in his times of sadness. She had helped a few cats get over sadness as a kit, and was still eager to help whomever would like it.

Dustpaw thought a second time about her dream. What was that presence she had felt? Did it mean that someone was with her all the time? Sighing, Dustpaw rolled onto her back and stretched, feeling that she would never understand her dream at all.

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In case no one has noticed, I changed the first chap slightly to work through the story. Sorry about that.

Ok, I know it's a pretty sad beginning. But hey, my first fic here! Give me slack! However, critizism is WELCOMED. I could always use suggestions on improvements on my writing (worships critizism). But a few other notes:

1. I DO NOT OWN THE WARRIORS.
2. I DO NOT OWN BRACKENCLAN. IT BELONGS TO MORNINGSTAR.
3 I DO NOT OWN ANY CHARACTERS IN BRACKENCLAN. THEY BELONG TO THEMSELVES.
4. I DO OWN DUSTPAW, SAMIR, RAVENFEATHER, FIRECLAW, ADDERPAW, JAYCALL, RAINPELT, SLATECLAW, GENTLEBREEZE, SHADOWPELT, AND A FEW OTHERS. I'LL POINT THE REST OUT IF THEY'RE THERE.
5. EAGLEFEATHER, GIBBYHEART, WILDPAW, FALCONWING, FLAMEFURAND FOGSTAR BELONG TO EAGLEFEATHER. NOT ME.

And yes, I go on neopets. DEAL WITH IT. This whole story was thought up by me, based on the characters from my guild, .:Bracken Clan:. . So yeah. Another thing: Morningstar is "indesposed". I'm saying that because she hasn't answered us when we try to contact her. No clue what's up, so don't ask.

And another thing. Yes, you may use my characters if you want to. Just ask.

And another thing. If anyone else goes on Neopets, and wants to talk about it, go ahead.

Review please!