Wow. It's been a long time since I wrote a Warriors story. I recently got back into the series and I want to write a brand new story before tackling some of my old ones again. This one is more fantasy-esque, kind of in the same vein as Demon Clans. Well I'll stop talking now. Enjoy!

"Come on, just a little further now."

"But I'm exhausted," complained a dark tom, Darkpaw, as he trailed behind the two older and bigger cats in front of him through the moonlit forest. He winced as his mentor, the deputy Redoak glared back at him.

"We could take a rest here for a few moments," suggested Graystar gently.

The leader was about to sit down when Redoak hissed in annoyance, "Graystar, I know you just became leader recently but that doesn't mean you have to follow the whims of an apprentice."

Darkpaw winced as he watched Graystar sag under Redoak's stern words. So what if Redoak was older than her? Graystar was the leader of DuskClan. She should be the one giving orders and such. "I'm fine," he said quickly, "I can keep going."

"See?" Redoak turned away from the two cats and continued on towards camp.

Graystar shook her head and rested her tail on the apprentice's shoulder before following the deputy. She knew she had to keep her head up. However Rainstar's death had come too fast and too soon. She wasn't ready to lead DuskClan. Thank StarClan for Redoak though. He was the only reason she wasn't completely failing at this. It probably looked so different to poor Darkpaw though.

"Don't worry," she called back to Darkpaw, "Soon we'll be back in DuskClan camp and then you can rest." She hurried her pawsteps and caught up with her deputy, "Was it really necessary to bring him to the MoonTree? I knew StreamClan has been on edge lately since it is leaf-bare but still, they didn't bother us since we stayed on the edge."

"It doesn't hurt to be careful," replied the deputy. "Plus I thought it might be good for Darkpaw to see the other parts of the territory."

Graystar nodded. That made sense. "You really do care about your apprentice don't you?" She purred in amusement. "Getting ready to care for your own kits?"

Redoak's eyes widen and he stared at Graystar in shock. He opened and closed his mouth before looking away from her and sighed, "Only you would relate it to something like that. Plus I don't think I would be a good dad to anyone. Honeyfur would be much better at it then me."

Graystar chuckled, "Don't count on it." She was about to say something else when she heard a cry of pain behind her. Thinking Darkpaw had stubbed his paw on a tree branch or a rock she turned to ask him if he was okay. Her eyes widen when she saw the tom was standing perfectly still. His golden eyes were wide as he stared at something in front of him that only he could see.

"Darkpaw?" Redoak walked over to his apprentice and looked down on him in concern. He looked in the spot where Darkpaw was staring but he couldn't see anything.

A strangled cry escaped Darkpaw's throat as the tom backed up a few steps. Graystar hurried over as well and looked over a Redoak in concern. "The camp isn't too far away. You go get Whiteleaf. I'll stay here with him."

Redoak nodded, "I'll be right back."

Graystar watched the red brown tom disappear into the forest with lightning speed. She turned her attention back to the apprentice. "Darkpaw?" she whispered. She didn't want to touch him in case something happened. "Darkpaw please," she begged, "What do you see?" She looked in the direction he was looking in but saw nothing. Whatever Darkpaw saw only he did alone.

"StarClan?" Graystar asked the darkness around them. The trees that had always seemed so comforting to her now seemed very menacing. They could be hiding danger of any kind. "StarClan! If you're here, if you're talking to Darkpaw, show yourselves to me! I am DuskClan's leader. You should speak to me!"

Nothing. Only the wind whistling through the trees was her response. Darkpaw made another cry before he fell silent, his head bowed. Graystar turned her attention back to him. "Darkpaw?"

The tom looked over at her and Graystar jumped back in surprise. Instead of Darkpaw's golden eyes, a pair of bright purple ones looked back at her. "Greetings Graystar of DuskClan," spoke Darkpaw in a slow steady voice. It sounded like Darkpaw but Graystar knew it wasn't.

"Who are you?" Graystar whispered, "What have you done with Darkpaw?"

Darkpaw chuckled, "Oh the vessel? He isn't of your concern now." Darkpaw began slowly pacing around Graystar, eyeing her like cornered prey. "I will be back in a few moons time. I will come for cats in your clan. I will come to let them join a power struggle. A struggle that will tear them apart and make them stronger than ever before. A war, if I may call it that."

"What are you talking about?" Graystar snapped angrily. "You won't have any members of my clan whoever you are."

Darkpaw chuckled, "You say that now but when the time comes I will have the cats whether you like it or not Graystar of DuskClan."

"Why?" Graystar yowled. She unsheathed her claws. She didn't know if she could fight Darkpaw, her own clanmate but she knew she would if it came down to her clan being at stake.

Darkpaw laughed, "You really think your puny claws can stop me." He hissed angrily as blood slowly trickled out of his eyes. He rubbed them in annoyance. "Weak body," he murmured in annoyance. He focused back on Graystar, "Prepare all you want. There is no way I will not get my cats for this battle. You of all things will not ruin the fun that is to come." He coughed and blood dribbled down his muzzle. "Well looks like my time is up my dear Graystar of DuskClan. I will be seeing you again in a few moons time."

Darkpaw closed his eyes and shuddered before he collapsed to the ground, his breathing ragged. Graystar ran over to Darkpaw's side and looked down at the tom. He was looking up at her with his golden eyes filled with fear. Blood poured out of them like rain.

"Graystar," the tom choked in between the coughs of blood. "It…that thing. I saw it. It…it wasn't a cat. It took over….Graystar….I…"

"Don't worry about it," Graystar spoke gently. She put her tail on Darkpaw's shoulder as she struggled to keep her emotions in check, "You'll be fine. You'll be fine."

Darkpaw shivered and he looked down at the ground. "He was serious. I…I could tell…he was going to…" A fit of coughs raked through Darkpaw's body.

"Don't speak," Graystar whispered, "Save your strength."

Darkpaw looked up at Graystar one last time and whispered, "I know you will be a good leader."

Graystar's eyes widen in shock as Darkpaw closed his eyes and didn't move. "Darkpaw? Darkpaw?" She put a paw on the tom's shoulder and shook him a bit. He didn't move. She backed up a few steps in shock. This couldn't be happening. There was no explanation for this. How could he be dead?

"Graystar!" Whiteleaf rushed over but she skidded to a halt when she saw Darkpaw's limp body. "What…" She stared in horror at the blood. "How?"

"Oh StarClan," Redoak came up behind Whiteleaf and stared at his apprentice in horror. "What…"

Graystar looked at her deputy and medicine cat with helplessness written over her face. She opened her mouth and quickly told them of what had happened.

"What does this mean?" Redoak asked Whiteleaf when Graystar was done.

Whiteleaf shook her head, "I don't know. I never heard of anything like this before. However…" Her eyes narrowed, "I did get a message saying there would be a trial ahead for the clans. It could be referring to that."

"But what should we do?" asked Redoak.

"We do whatever we can," Graystar said firmly. "We won't let anycat suffer anything." She looked down at Darkpaw in sadness. "I don't really know what had happened to him but he left to StarClan too early."

Redoak and Whiteleaf nodded. Graystar bent down and gently picked up the tom in her scruff. He was strangely light, not the weight of a future warrior of DuskClan. Only now he could never be one.

Graystar began the slow walk back towards the camp. She knew she would protect her clan from anything, even things which she didn't know where they would strike from.