A/N: Please don't flame me for this chapter. I thought about it for a good solid half-hour, and finally decided to do it. Hope it's getting more interesting now... Oo

"Skypaw."

Skypaw lifted her muzzle dizzily. She half-opened her eyes to see Frostpaw nosing through the ferns guarding the apprentices' den.

"Skypaw, come on," Frostpaw muttered softly. "Firestar's waiting."

Skypaw's eyes shot open. "Firestar's still here?" she mumbled.

"Come on!" Frostpaw said more firmly.

Skypaw watched Frostpaw disappear through the ferns and stretched blindly. She scrunched up her muzzle in a yawn and stepped out into the dark air.

Dark? Why was it still dark outside?

"Frostpaw?" Skypaw whispered urgently.

"Over here," she heard, somewhere over near the fresh-kill pile.

Blindly, Skypaw bounded across the clearing to the pile, only to see Frostpaw sitting in front of a water vole. Then she noticed three other cats around her snowy-white friend. Judging by their scents, they were Snowstorm, Sparrowpaw, Gingerpaw, and Goldenheart.

"What's going on?" she mewed anxiously. "Why is everyone here?"

"Firestar said that all of the cats who believed Stormpelt could come with them in their journey to Highstones."

"We're going to Highstones?" Skypaw questioned.

"Yes," Goldenheart replied. "We all believe Stormpelt. Besides. Gingerpaw and Stormpelt were my kits."

"Were?" Skypaw heard Gingerpaw's voice spit.

"Sorry, Gingerpaw," Goldenheart apologized. "I couldn't leave my kits behind."

"But do you really believe Stormpelt?" Skypaw pressed, picking a starling from the pile and digging in.

Goldenheart meowed a chuckle. "Smart apprentice, you are. Yes, of course I do. Every cat in the Clan knows that Flashtail has been trying to get rid of Ravenstar for a while."

Snowstorm spoke now. "Firestar is with Stormpelt just outside camp. They ate their fill and are ready to go."

"Why are we going to Highstones?" Skypaw asked, swiping her tongue on her muzzle.

"Firestar's going to speak to StarClan. He actually asked that you come," Snowstorm replied. She finished the last of her magpie and was heading off toward the gorse tunnel. "Hurry up."

"Yes, Snowstorm," Skypaw and Frostpaw responded. Sparrowpaw and Gingerpaw were hurriedly scarffing down their mice.

Goldenheart finished her shrew and stood lightly, padding over to sit beside Skypaw.

"Skypaw, Firestar spoke to Moonflower and Earthback," Goldenheart meowed softly. "They both do not believe Stormpelt, but they allowed you to come on the expedition."

"What?" Skypaw swallowed some starling and jumped to her paws. "They'll tell Ravenstar where we went! And definitely Longclaw. Any cat without a brain would know that Longclaw's going to be the new deputy."

"True, but they both love you too much to tell them where we went," Goldenheart explained. "They promised not to give any hints."

Skypaw crouched down again, taking a bite of starling again. She thought about leaving her mother and her mentor, her Clan that she's always known.

"So," she heard Gingerpaw mew from across the pile. "I'm ready to leave."

"Then you an Sparrowpaw follow Snowstorm outside the camp," Goldenheart ordered. "And remember," she added as they walked off, "Firestar is your leader now. If you want to come back, Ravenstar will never welcome you again."

Gingerpaw nodded eagerly and bounded off, but Sparrowpaw hesitated before following her.

Goldenheart purred in amusement. "Sparrowpaw is so loyal to Gingerpaw that he's coming just because he loves her."

Skypaw looked up at the golden queen. "That's cute," she mumbled. She gulped down the last of her fresh-kill and stood up, followed by Frostpaw.

"Go ahead, youngsters," Goldenheart meowed. "I want to check on someone before I set off."

Frostpaw nodded and sprinted away toward the camp entrance. Skypaw padded after her.

"Frostpaw, you believe Stormpelt?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes, I do," Frostpaw responded. "I never liked Flashtail."

The two met up with Sparrowpaw, Gingerpaw, Snowstorm, Stormpelt, and Firestar behind one of the trees bordering Tallpines.

"Ah," Firestar began. "Now that all the apprentices coming are here, I guess the ceremony can start."

"What ceremony?" Skypaw asked, excitement building up inside her.

"Snowstorm, Goldenheart and I all think it would be best if the apprentices were warriors during this trip."

Skypaw instantly brightened, despite the gloomy air around them. "Warriors? I get to be a warrior?"

"Yes," Stormpelt replied. "Since Firestar's a leader of a Clan, and a member of StarClan, he will be the leader of our little journey, and will lead the ceremony."

"Can we wait for Goldenheart to come?" Gingerpaw asked. "I want her to be here for my warrior ceremony. She's my mother."

"Of course," Firestar replied.

At that moment, Goldenheart appeared from the undergrowth. But another cat was following her. Skypaw opened her mouth to taste the air, and learned that it was Bluestar following.

"Bluestar?" Firestar questioned only a second before Skypaw was about to.

"I wanted to wish you all good luck on your journey," Bluestar meowed. She placed several leaf packets on the ground. "Amberleaf told me to give these to you. She believes Stormpelt, but she would never leave her Clan."

"That's understandable," Firestar murmured, taking a packet and placing in front of Stormpelt. "Eat up."

Skypaw glanced at the packets. "Aren't you going to eat one, Firestar?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "If I'm going to speak with StarClan, I can't eat. And besides. I don't get hungry. I'm not alive, remember?"

"Right."

As soon as everyone except Firestar and Bluestar finished their packets of herbs for strength and to stop the coming hunger pangs, Firestar leaped on top of a tree stump and turned to face everyone.

"Skypaw, Frostpaw, Gingerpaw, and Sparrowpaw, please come up to the stump," he ordered.

The four apprentices did so, and sat down in a line. Goldenheart, Snowstorm, Stormpelt, and Bluestar sat a little ways away and watched intently.

Firestar lifted his chin and fixed his eyes on the stars of Silverpelt through the trees. He called up to them, "I, Firestar, member of StarClan and leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these four apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." He tore his gaze away from Silverpelt and looked at the four apprentices below him. "I will do two at a time. Sparrowpaw, Gingerpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend the forest, even at the cost of your lives?"

Skypaw saw Gingerpaw's fur stiffen with excitement. She quickly mewed, "I do, Firestar."

"I do," Sparrowpaw murmured after her. Skypaw could tell that he was excited too, but he was too confident to burst out of his pelt with eagerness.

"Then by the powers of my Clan of StarClan I give you your warrior names: Sparrowpaw, from this moment you will be known as Sparrowstripe. StarClan honours your bravery and strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior." Firestar jumped off of the stump and rested his muzzle on top of Sparrowstripe's head. He gave ThunderClan's former leader a polite lick on his shoulder, and backed away, dazed from the new warrior name.

Firestar turned to Gingerpaw. "Gingerpaw, from this moment you will be known as Gingerfoot. StarClan honours your eagerness to learn the warrior code, and we welcome you as a full warrior." Firestar rested his head on top of Gingerfoot's head, and she licked his shoulder respectfully.

Then Firestar turned to leap back on top the stump. He turned to Skypaw and Frostpaw and muttered the ancient words of StarClan. "Frostpaw, Skypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend the forest, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do," Frostpaw mewed excitedly. She almost jumped up as she answered.

Skypaw's eyes beamed up at the ThunderClan leader as she murmured her answer: "I do."

Firestar beamed at her briefly before reciting the next part of the ceremony. "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names: Frostpaw, from this moment you will be known as Frostfur." Firestar paused for a moment, as if he were reminiscing to something depressing. "StarClan honours your friendly ways and determination to defend your Clan, and we welcome you as a full warrior." He leaped off the tree stump and placed his head on Frostfur's. She licked his shoulder, and he backed away, staring down at her.

Then he turned to Skypaw. The excitement was already boiling inside her, and it simply made her even more anticipated as he began to speak. "Skypaw, from this moment you will be known as Skyfeather."

Skyfeather! She liked it. No, she loved it. It totally fit her, how she was always light on her feet when it came to hunting.

"StarClan honours your quickness and strength in battle, and we welcome you as a full warrior of this forest," Firestar recited. He took a step up to her and lightly rested his head on her head. Skyfeather licked his ginger shoulder respectfully, and pulled away.

For a moment, Firestar stared down at her, his eyes brimming with pride. Then he whispered so that none of the other cats could hear, "I'm so glad that I got to give you your warrior name."

Skyfeather whispered back, "I'm glad it was you instead of Ravenstar."

Firestar's pride vanished for a second, but he sighed and walked back on top of the tree stump.

"Sparrowstripe! Gingerfoot! Frostfur! Skyfeather!" The cats behind the new warriors chanted their warrior names.

"It's almost moonhigh," meowed Firestar. "In the tradition of our ancestors, Sparrowstripe, Gingerfoot, Frostfur, and Skyfeather must sit in silent vigil until dawn, and guard our sleeping area alone while we sleep."

The four new warriors nodded solemnly.

Firestar leaped off of the stump, nodded briefly to the new warriors, and padded off to join Stormpelt, Goldenheart, and Snowstorm.

"I must leave now," Bluestar mumbled. "Have a good rest for your journey. I hope you can trust me to not tell anyone of the expedition and warrior ceremony," she added with a slight purr.

"Of course we can," Firestar muttered. "I'll see you in StarClan."

"Good-bye, young ones," Bluestar called to the warriors before leaping off into the undergrowth back to the camp.

Stormpelt walked up and brushed against Skyfeather's pelt. "Thank you, Skyfeather," he mumbled before following Firestar and the others behind a large tree.

This was it. Skyfeather's fur bristled as she looked up at Silverpelt. Thank you, she thought. I'm so glad I'm here right now.

A/N: Well? - Please don't flame about Skyfeather's warrior ceremony. I know it was kind of sudden, but I thought it would be best for the story. If I kept them apprentices, there would only be---wait, you don't want me to give it away, do you? P