WOW. I haven't updated this in WEEKS. I'm so sorry!

Slash. Duck. Slash. Rear up. Ow, my leg! Focus, Cinderpelt, focus!

The badgers had attacked.

I was defending the medicine den from the horrible creatures, trying to keep them out of our precious supply.

I heard a battle cry, and the badger lumbered off.

Without seeing who helped me, I yowled, "Thanks!" and bounded over to another black-and -white horror.

Oh, hey. I'm Cinderpelt.

I am the Clan's medicine cat; the only one, since Leafpool had left with Crowfeather.

And I knew today, I would die.

StarClan themselves had brought the message to me.

I guess they wanted to see what I would do.

They told me to let my path be laid out before me, or the Clans could be destroyed.

The told me I would die when . . .

"Help!"

. . . I went to help Sorreltail.

Taking a deep breath, I bounded over to the nursery.

Sorreltail was kitting.

"Keep calm, Sorreltail. It will be over soon." I soothed.

"But it hurts," she whimpered, sounding a bit like a kit. Not to be rude. Everycat is a kit on the inside.

I heard a roar. A badger loomed over me.

Fear flashed in my eyes. Oh, StarClan, I thought. Sorreltail lay at the side of the nursery, yowling in pain. I shut my eyes, preparing for my final trip to StarClan. The badger stomped around, its black eyes cold and fierce. It didn't show any sign of mercy. Oh Leafpool, where are you? Who will help the Clan when I'm gone?

Blood roared in my ears. "Hang on, Sorreltail!" I shouted, "Leafpool will come back, I know it!" The kits would be here any minute.

An image of a silver queen lying in a pool of blood rushed through my mind.

I can't let any more cats die. But I was trapped. The badger would strike any minute, and I couldn't help Sorreltail. A dizzying pain rushed through my body as the badger batted at me hard with its paw. I shut my eyes and faded into the night.

...

"At last!" Cinderpaw cried. "Brackenpaw, we're finally warriors!" Brackenpaw sighed. Cinderpaw knew even her calm, dignified brother could not contain his excitement. They jumped up and down, eager to get their training started. After a long day of touring the territory, they were in the apprentice den, ready to go to sleep. Sandpaw, Dustpaw, and Swiftpaw were not yet back from wherever they were.

"Cinderpaw, this is a huge responsibility," mewed Brackenpaw. "We're not kits anymore, so we can't act like kits or we'll get scolded." I sighed. Brackenpaw was always worrying. "Don't worry," I said. "I promise I won't act like a kit." I padded over my nest and lay down in it. "Maybe, one day, I'll become clan leader!" I turned to Brackenpaw. "And tons of cats will look up to me!" Brackenpaw smiled.

"It's never too early to start planning." I leaped up from my nest and stood tall, as if I were on Highrock.

"Even if I am a long way from being clan leader, I know that I'm going to be the best warrior ever!"

...

The best warriors ever… The world seemed to freeze as the flashback sped through my mind. The best warrior ever was something I never got to be, I thought. I was going to die. StarClan themselves had told me. And StarClan never lie. My dreams had been shattered the moment I saw that monster coming at me. I never got to hunt. I never got to fight. When Leafpool became my apprentice, she was a joy to teach. I never thought she would desert me.

As the badger struck its enormous paw into my flank, a pain like none other struck through me. This was my last wound. This was my last battle. Just then, I stopped worrying. I knew Leafpool would be back. I knew Sorreltail would be safe. I knew I would be happy where I was going. I glanced at Sorreltail, who was yowling in pain.

They are going to be beautiful kits, I thought. The bravest the Clan has ever seen, born in during a badger attack.

All of a sudden, a tabby pelt flashed at the corner of my eye. It was Leafpool! Bursting with energy, Leafpool lunged at the badger, chasing it out of the nursery. A wave of relief washed over me. Leafpool rushed over to me.

"Cinderpelt!" she cried. "Oh Cinderpelt, this is all my fault!" She leaned over me, examining my wound. "If I didn't leave, this never would have happened!"

I sighed.

"Leafpool, it's not your fault. StarClan told me this would happen." A look of shock crossed Leafpool's face.

"You knew?" she gasped. "You knew all along and you didn't tell me?" I shook my head. The pain in my wound was growing fainter and fainter, which meant it wouldn't be long.

"It wouldn't have helped. StarClan gave me their word." Leafpool looked determined.

"It'll be okay, Cinderpelt," she mewed. "I'll give you some marigold for your wound. All you have to do is rest and it will heal." I shook my head again.

"It's too late Leafpool," I rasped. "StarClan…has…given…me…this…destiny." Leafpool wailed and knelt down in front of me.

"No, Cinderpelt!" she cried. "I won't let them take you!" I sighed and shut my eyes, Leafpool's cries fading away. As I drew my last breath, I could tell that Sorreltail's kits had been born. I could tell that ThunderClan was safe. I could tell that Leafpool would be the best medicine cat the clan had ever seen.

And I could tell that this was not the end.

My life flashed before me.

"Can't catch me, Brackenkit!"

"Hey, Fireheart!"

"Look! The river's frozen!"

"Help!"

"Ow... my leg..."

"You'll do a great job, Leafpaw."

"I Cinderpelt, medicine cat of ThunderClan, give this apprentice her name. She shall be known as Leafpool."

"You're a medicine cat, Leafpool!"

"StarClan has given me this destiny..."

A searing light took over me.

Wait... who am I?

"And this one will be named Cinderkit."