Title: One Star in the Sky

Description: "All I need is my one star in the sky, to wish for you everyday." A new apprentice joins ThunderClan and impacts Jaypaw in ways he never even imagined. Set after The Sight. Jaypaw/OC.

Rating: K

Disclaimer: I am not Erin Hunter, and I do not write the Warriors series. I do not own and am not in anyway affiliated with said series. So calm down and don't sue, eh?

A/N: Hi everyone! I've never written a Warriors fic before (mostly I stick with CSI), but the bug bit, and this one wanted to be written. This will be a multi-chapter fic, though how long I don't know. Please Read and Review and let me know how I'm doing. Thank you and enjoy!

Chapter One--The New Apprentice

Blue eyes peered through a gorse bush, scanning the moonlit clearing for any sign of life. One paw carefully poked from the bush, then another, followed by a sinuous form. It was a small she-cat, perilously thin from lack of food. She had a silver pelt, shot through with streaks of darker silver. Her eyes were wide and the color of the sky on a warm summer day, though the moonlight had turned them now to silver. She was not particularly recognizable as any breed of cat, though she had short fur and long, silky ears.

These ears were currently pricked intently, listening for any sound from the dark forest clearing. Her life as a loner had honed her instincts and made her wary of all creatures within the forest, especially the groups of cats that lived around the lake. She had always been alone, having been barely weaned when her mother died. The only thing her mother had given her was her name: Sky.

Sky crept forward, her paws treading softly upon the packed soil. She listened deeply and cautiously sniffed the night air. There—mouse! She could taste its scent from where she crouched, and her eyes picked up on the scrabbling of its paws under a leaf. Crouching even lower, she prepared to leap, when suddenly, white-hot pain spread across her haunch as something raked her with its claws.

Yowling, she leapt around, claws extended and fangs bared. A larger rogue was waiting, spitting with anger. "This is my territory," snarled the new cat, a large mud-brown tom with slitted yellow eyes. He launched himself at her again, scratching and biting her even as he tackled her to the ground.

Sky hissed in pain and anger as she whirled on him, trying to fight him off. She fought tooth and claw, every move filled with desperation. Food was all she wanted. It was one mouse! Even as her fangs buried themselves in her opponent's shoulder, she felt her stomach get torn to shreds by the tom's claws.

"Mine!" yowled the tom in triumph, as he slashed her face and throat for the final time. Then he sprang away, leaving Sky alone and bleeding on the ground.

Coughing and mewling pitifully, Sky tried to push her way to her feet, but she fell back instantly, gasping for breath. Lying back, her blue eyes shone with the light of the stars as she gazed up at the night sky. "Please," she whispered, barely able to see anymore. "Help…me…please."

Her eyes began to close, and the last thing she saw were stars.

When Sky opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the lack of pain. Lifting her head cautiously, she slowly rose to her feet, feeling better than she ever had in her life. As she swiveled her head around, she noticed that there were no marks left from her fight with the tom, and her blue eyes widened in shock. "What…?" she whispered. "How? Where am I?"

"We were wondering who you are," answered a deep voice, and Sky whirled around to face the figure of a large golden tabby tom. e He He peered down at her in a way that was not altogether friendly.

A second cat joined him—a blue-gray she-cat with a piercing gaze. "Yes," she murmured, blue eyes searching Sky's. "You are not one of our warriors."

"I…" started Sky, then she broke off, unsure.

She felt a gentle touch on her shoulder as a third cat gently stroked her fur with the tip of her tail. "Go on, little one," urged a tortoiseshell she-cat with kind amber eyes.

Feeling slightly braver, Sky sat up and wrapped her tail around her feet primly. "I am no warrior," she mewed, cringing under the stares of now even more cats that joined the first ones. "I am a loner. My name is Sky."

"A rogue?" interrupted a white tom with blue eyes. "What is a rogue doing here in StarClan? It is against the Warrior Code. She must be driven out."

"Patience, Whitestorm," rasped a dark gray she-cat. "Let's here what she has to say first. There must be a reason that she has joined us in Silverpelt."

Whitestorm inclined his head and looked back at Sky, who cleared her throat nervously. "You said that I was in Silverpelt," she said, cocking her head slightly. "What is that?"

The kind tortoiseshell she-cat murmured, "That is what we call the stars in the night sky."

"Then," she began softly, her eyes downcast, "does that mean that I'm…"

She trailed off, and the tortoiseshell flicked her shoulder encouragingly again. "Yes," she said softly. "You are dead, young one."

"And somehow," added the blue-gray she-cat, "You ended up here among our ranks, where only warriors from our clans are allowed to trod."

"So she shouldn't be here," hissed a lean tabby tom, his eyes narrowed. "She is no warrior, and the Warrior Code dictates that only warriors come to StarClan. She must leave."

The tortoiseshell sat upright, indignant. "Just because we are now a part of StarClan does not mean that we know about all the forces of this world. Some force brought Sky here, and we must honor that."

"Just because you are willing to accept every rogue that wanders our way does not mean the rest of us are, Spottedleaf," growled the golden tabby tom. "I have sworn to uphold the Warrior Code in death as well as life."

A dark tortoiseshell tom padded up next to Spottedleaf. "Do not be so quick to judge, Lionheart," cautioned the tom. "Compassion is as much a part of the warrior code as anything else. Besides, someone must be telling us something if she was sent to us."

Yowls of agreement and howls of outrage met this proclamation. "Redtail is wrong!" hissed one she-cat. "She is no warrior!"

The fighting went on for several minutes before the blue-gray cat called for silence. "Quiet," she hissed, her eyes slit as she peered into the darkness. "Someone is coming…"

A large orange tom with white paws prowled into the clearing, his amber eyes narrowed. "ThunderClan," he growled, "why do you fight among yourselves?"

"Who are you?" asked a voice from within the group of cats.

His gaze pierced them all. "I am Thunderstar, the first leader of ThunderClan," he announced. "And it was I who brought this rogue here to us." He took a step forward so that he was standing right behind Sky. "Sky has a purpose to serve yet for ThunderClan."

"But she is not a warrior," protested Lionheart, his gaze steady and proud, though he inclined his head respectfully to the famous cat. "How can she serve ThunderClan?"

Spottedleaf licked the confused Sky in between the ears. "She will go back," she said softly, "and she will earn her right to be a part of StarClan."

Shocked silence met this, and it was a white and black apprentice who asked the question on everyone's minds. "Can we do that?"

Thunderstar purred with laughter. "We can do many things," he informed the youngster. "But this is the most important." The tom turned to face Sky. "Sky," he said commandingly, "I have brought you here to begin your training as a warrior apprentice. Is this the path you wish?"

Sky looked more confused than ever, but she bowed her head. "If it is wished of me, then I will learn the ways of the warrior," she meowed.

"Then in the presence of StarClan, as a former leader of ThunderClan, I name you Skypaw, a warrior apprentice."

"Skypaw," chimed the reluctant StarClan cats, then, louder, "Skypaw!"

Hearing this name sent a tingle of anticipation down Skypaw's spine that she didn't understand, but that she liked greatly. "And now," added Thunderstar, "I release you from Silverpelt. You must go to ThunderClan and train as hard as you can, do you understand?"

Skypaw nodded once, eyes still wide. "I promise," she said solemnly.

Thunderstar leaned over and licked her between the ears, like Spottedleaf had done, and then he breathed on her gently. "Go back," he mewed, and it seemed he was moving away, for suddenly, he seemed so far away, and so much more like a dream.

"Go back," chorused the other cats as they faded into darkness. "Go back."

Skypaw tried to call out to them, but the darkness and sleep claimed her, and she closed her eyes and knew no more.

She awoke with the sunlight piercing through her closed lids, and whispered words floating around her. "Who…?" "When…?" "Why…?" She opened her eyes and sat up, blinking. With no idea where she was, she looked around, confused. She was surrounded by cats, all of them watching her, some curious, some hostile. "Who are you?" growled a black she-cat apprentice, her green eyes narrowed. "Why are you in our camp?"

"Your camp?" asked Skypaw, confused. Suddenly, she understood. "Oh, you must be part of ThunderClan!"

The cats shared uneasy glances. Finally, a large orange tom with sharp green eyes meowed cautiously, "Yes, this is ThunderClan. I am Firestar, the leader of ThunderClan. Who are you, and how do you know of ThunderClan?"

Skypaw stood, carefully, and stretched. "I am Skypaw," she announced ceremoniously. "I am a warrior apprentice."

Confused murmurs broke out, and Firestar asked curiously, "What clan are you an apprentice for? I have never seen you before."

Frowning, Skypaw said confidently, "I am a ThunderClan apprentice, of course! StarClan sent me to become a warrior."

"She lies!" growled a ginger tabby apprentice. "StarClan wouldn't send a stranger to us like this."

She swiveled her head to face him, lips curved in a snarl. "What I say is true," she spat, blue eyes narrowed in fury. "StarClan sent me to become a warrior."

The ginger tom's fur bristled and he snarled, "You will never be a ThunderClan warrior!"

A pale gray tom stepped between the pair and muttered something briefly to the ginger tabby before turning back to Sky. "If you are really an apprentice, then who is your mentor?" he asked, dark blue eyes narrowed in suspicion.

As many of the cats yowled in agreement, a dark brown tabby tom called for attention. "Cats of ThunderClan, though many of you have opinions on this matter, it is not for you to decide." His amber eyes flicked through the crowd, resting on several cats. "It is Firestar's decision alone."

The rest of the cats reluctantly settled down, turning to face their leader, who looked back at them with narrowed eyes. "Cats of ThunderClan," he meowed softly, "if StarClan has sent this cat to us, we must obey their wishes."

Instantly, angered hisses broke out. "We can't take her in," snarled one cat, "it's against the Warrior Code!"

Nodding, several cats turned to her, hissing and spitting threateningly. Skypaw cowered back from them, until a light brown tabby she-cat stepped in front of her. "ThunderClan," hissed the cat, "is this what you have become? Frightening a little cat who is hardly more than a kit?"

Most of the cats fell back, shamed looks crossing their faces. The pale gray tom, however, stepped forward and asked cockily, "Well, then, Leafpool, have you had any word from StarClan regarding this particular cat? Did they warn you of her arrival?"

Leafpool stared at him and twitched her whiskers dismissively. "What StarClan chooses to tell me, Ashfur, is none of your business," she meowed coolly.

A pale brown tabby elder with dark stripes let out a Mrrow of laughter. "Well put, young one," he purred, turning his head towards her. "And Ashfur," he added, though he didn't quite look at the gray tom, "you would do well to remember that your leader's word is law."

The gray cat's lip curled in distaste, and he made a face at the elder. Skypaw looked at the older cat nervously, then realized that he hadn't seen it. The elder was blind. An apprentice padded his way over to her. He had mottled gray fur and large blue eyes, slightly darker than her own. He sniffed at her fur questioningly, then looked up at her, curiosity in his sightless eyes. "She smells of ThunderClan," he mewed in confusion. "There are no scents of any other cats on her fur."

The dark brown tabby tom sniffed her as well, amber eyes widening in surprise. "Jaypaw's right," he meowed loudly. "Smell her for yourself, or just listen to Firestar. StarClan sent her here, and she is then a part of ThunderClan."

His eyes dared anyone to challenge him, and though there was a bit of discontent mumbling, no cat spoke openly. A large gray tom came forward and inclined his head to the young apprentice. "Skypaw, my name is Graystripe, and let me be the first to welcome you into ThunderClan." He leaned forward and whispered in undertones, "I know what it's like to not be welcome, too."

A flame-colored she-cat flicked her tail impatiently. "This is all very well and good," she meowed, "but who's going to mentor her?"

For once, the clan was silent as all eyes turned to Firestar, who lashed his tail angrily. "Does no cat wish to take her on as an apprentice?" he growled. "Why? Because she was not born in the hollow from a ThunderClan queen? That does not make her any less a part of ThunderClan."

He paused, allowing the fur on his shoulders to flatten as he relaxed. "Very well," he meowed solemnly. "I remember when I first came to ThunderClan, and no cat wished to mentor me. Bluestar was my mentor, and no better mentor could I have had. In that case, I will mentor Skypaw. I believe I did fairly well with my last apprentice." His green eyes teased the big dark tabby. "Skypaw, I promise I will try my best to pass on everything I learn so that one day, you too may become a strong and loyal warrior."

"Skypaw!" called Graystripe instantly. "Skypaw!"

Several others joined in as Firestar touched noses with Skypaw. Others, however, did not share Graystripe's enthusiasm, and Skypaw noticed several slinking silently away. She had a sinking feeling from her stomach to her paws that her transition into ThunderClan was not going to be an easy one.

Spottedleaf stared at the pool of water, clearly troubled. A dark-gray she-cat padded up beside her, and gave her an encouraging lick on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Spottedleaf?" rasped the gray cat.

Frowning deeply, Spottedleaf replied softly, "I worry about what is to come, Yellowfang. You and I both know what it is like to be torn between one's duty and one's love. It is the worse possible heartache."

Yellowfang licked Spottedleaf once, comfortingly. "No," she said quietly, "the worst would be to lose one's love forever. They will be together again, when this is all finished."

"I know," sighed Spottedleaf, still looking troubled. "I just hope he will forgive us, when this is all over."

"He will," affirmed Yellowfang confidently, though her eyes took on a far-away look. "He has to."