Main Characters:
Jadepaw- gray and white she cat with dazzling blue eyes and white tail
Turtlepaw- dark gray tabby with a brown patch on his tail and green eyes
Sparrowpaw- night black tom with shimmering amber eyes and three ghostlike spots on his foreleg
(Read to the end to receive a challenge with an awesome reward if you win!)
~Chapter One~
Jadepaw woke in a dream, gazing around at the empty space that enclosed her. "Where am I?" She asked, though it came out as a whisper. A bright blinding light flashed from ahead of her and she felt herself gliding towards it, though she wasn't moving. "What's going on?!" She yelled, because it felt so real. Suddenly she was falling, falling down into darkness.
"Jadepaw!" A concern-filled mew sounded from outside of her closed eyelids. Jadepaw woke with a start, shooting up and out of her nest so fast that she toppled backwards onto her rump. "Are you okay, Jadepaw?" The ruffled apprentice raised her head to look at the figure in front of her. It was Turtlepaw, her best friend. "It was just a nightmare. Don't worry about me, Turtlepaw." Jadepaw said, gathering her strength to look like the tough she-cat she always was. "Don't worry?! How can I not worry about you when your thrashing and twisting in your nest like your a fish that just got snatched from the river?" Turtlepaw pressed, his tail lashing.
"Would you quiet down?! Some cats want to sleep around here!" Lightningpaw murmured, his whiskers twitching in annoyance. "Sorry, Lightningpaw." Jadepaw said, while eyeing Turtlepaw with a slight glare. "I'm going to go to the dirtplace." Jadepaw padded forward, only to almost collapse when her legs gave way, still shaky from the dream. Turtlepaw caught Jadepaw just as she was about to fall with his shoulder and foreleg. When she looked up, Turtlepaw's muzzle was inches from her own, nearly touching. His green eyes glimmered in the moonlight, and Jadepaw found kindness and affection there.
Jadepaw turned away, her face turning hot from embarrassment. "Th-thanks for catching me." Jadepaw murmured, hurrying out of the apprentices den before Turtlepaw could reply. She could tell he liked her more than just a friend. But he wanted the best for Jadepaw and nothing more and nothing less. That's what a good friend did for the other.
Whatever happened to staying tough? Jadepaw thought as she slipped into the dirtplace tunnel. Well... you can't be tough all the time, Jadepaw. Remember what Emeraldheart told you. Jadepaw walked into the dirtplace to be confronted by a horrible smell. Jadepaw wrinkled her nose. She had come to the dirtplace to get away from everything, but instead was bathing in an unbearable stench. Jadepaw's dazzling blue gaze sliced through the shadows for a way out of the Rain Clan camp.
Jadepaw stopped her looking and placed her gaze on a loose bramble in the corner of the dirtplace. Jadepaw squeezed her way through and winced as a large thorn scraped her ear. Jadepaw blocked out the pain and raced through the familiar territory, avoiding the path the night patrol had took.
When the rushing sound of the river came into earshot, Jadepaw sprinted faster towards the lovely sound. The out-of-breath apprentice came to a stop at the bank and sat down with a sigh, gazing at the gurgling water. This river was the border line between Night Clan and Rain Clan. It reflected the shimmer of the stars which light Jadepaw basked in, along with the glimmering moon that was nearly full. The Gathering will be tomorrow night. Jadepaw realized.
She looked up to the stars and sighed deeply. This was the greatest peace she had ever had since... since Emeraldheart was still alive... "If only you could see how I'm doing now, Emeraldheart. I did all you said." She whispered into the night, hoping and wishing that her dear older sister's spirit could hear her from Moon Clan.
Emeraldheart was the closest cat she had back then before... the accident. The beautiful tortoiseshell had taught Jadepaw to stay tough. Emeraldheart was even tougher than Jadepaw, and always knew what to do when something was up. Her sister was the brightest memory in Jadepaw's mind, and she would never let that warm flame go out.
Just thinking of her sister so fondly and having all of the memories flood her head at once made Jadepaw tear up. She shed silent tears as the water flowed calmly by and the moon rose higher into the night sky.