Faint, rapid clicking reached Skypaw's ears as she crouched in the chilly snow. Her heart was racing as her eyes narrowed in on the scrawny mouse. It had managed to find an old beech nut, and judging by the clicking noises, it was frozen solid. Don't miss this, Skypaw, She thought to herself. Your warrior ceremony depends on it!

After Willowleaf dismissed her from her den, Skypaw went to meet up with Petalheart and Rainpaw, as planned. When Skypaw had left, Darkface was still discussing his message with Willowleaf. The ThunderClan medicine cat had realized that she had pulled Skypaw from Petalheart's training for longer than she had told the snowy warrior she would and had dismissed her promptly. When exiting Willowleaf's den, Skypaw felt Darkface's amber eyes burning into her pelt. It made her feel uneasy and she was grateful for Willowleaf's dismissal, even though she would have liked to have heard the rest of the conversation that took place.

Much to Skypaw's surprise, this was no ordinary hunting patrol or training session - this was her warrior assessment! It suddenly made sense to her why Willowleaf had to ask Petalheart for her permission to steal Skypaw from her training. It wasn't training at all.

By the time Skypaw had found Petalheart and Rainpaw in the frosty forest, Rainpaw was running around hectically while happily cheering, "I passed! I passed!". While Skypaw had been discussing Darkface's message, Petalheart had been giving Rainpaw her hunting assessment. Before long, Shadepaw and Flarecloud had found them on their way back to camp. Skypaw couldn't miss the joyful gleam in Shadepaw's green eyes and it was evident that Shadepaw, too, had passed her warrior assessment. Jealously surged through Skypaw. She was the last of her sisters to be deemed ready to become a warrior, and that was if she passed!

Just another time the prophecy got in the way of me being a normal cat.

Also to Skypaw's surprise, Hazelflower was waiting with Petalheart, joyously watching Rainpaw's impromptu celebration. She hadn't been out exercising her sprained shoulder, after all. She had been waiting to assess Skypaw as her final act as her mentor. When Skypaw had realized this, joy surged through her - she adored Hazelflower, and thankfully, she was able to do her final duty as her mentor.

Before her assessment started, Hazelflower was sure to give her a pep talk. "You got this, Skypaw," she meowed, pride gleaming in her hazel eyes. "We've practiced, and you'll be able to catch so much prey, even though it's leafbare! I'm so proud of you, I-"

"Come on, Hazelflower," Petalheart meowed, humorously. "She hasn't passed yet! Let's get ready."

Hazelflower nodded. Looking back at Skypaw, she touched noses with her apprentice. Nodding once again, either to reassure herself or in pride - Skypaw wasn't sure - she leaned on Petalheart slightly as they disappeared into the snowy bracken. Skypaw wasn't sure where they were off to, but she suddenly became painfully aware of not just Hazelflower's eyes on her, but Petalheart's as well. She had no choice, since Hazelflower needed help walking around. She was lucky Willowleaf let her out of the medicine den to assess Skypaw at all.

Now, here she was, narrowing in on one of the smallest mice she had ever seen. Skypaw realized how lucky she was to have found prey so easily, especially during this tough, draining leafbare. The sound of the nibbling on the frozen beech nut had fortunately drawn her to it. She prayed desperately to StarClan as she stretched her front legs forward, beginning to advance towards the mouse. Please, let me get this.

The mouse, probably filling its own ears with the sounds of its nibbling, did not sense Skypaw's presence. Creeping forward still, Skypaw advanced at a slow pace, knowing that any quick movements would send snow flying up from her back legs. Peeking out behind a bush, Skypaw stared at the mouse intensely. She knew she had to get this, as there were less opportunities for her to hunt than there would be if she were taking her assessment in newleaf. As much as she wanted to focus for longer, she knew that with each second she waited, the risk of the mouse taking off increased greatly.

Inhaling, she crept forward a few more steps to the side of the bush. Putting all of her strength in her hind legs, she leapt, stretching her front paws out in front of her. The mouse, still nibbling peacefully, had no idea its death was flying above it in the form of a cat. Skypaw landed perfectly on top of it, her claws pinning it to the ground. Swiftly, she snipped her teeth around its neck, making her first catch a success.

Thank StarClan! She meowed to herself, purring. I did it!

Holding the mouse in her mouth, she held her tail up high, knowing she was being watched. She could have sworn she heard a, "Good job, Skypaw!" from Hazelflower, and a following, "Shush!" from Petalheart somewhere in the bushes. She carried the mouse to the side of the pathway and buried it under some snow, preserving it for later. Upon walking away, she kicked the little beechnut that the mouse had been nibbling on off of the path and into the bracken. Perhaps it'll attract another critter by the time I make my way back.

Proceeding down the route, Skypaw paused every few moments, both to scent the air and to perk her ears. She was alert for any form of prey she heard. Stress pricked at her paws when she was unable to hear much activity in the forest. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she continued on her way, making sure her paws were silent against the cold dirt path.

Before long, she heard a flutter from somewhere up in the treetops. Skypaw stopped in her tracks and reluctantly looked above her. Snow fell off of the tree branch from where she assumed the bird was settling in. Skypaw filled with dread when she realized that she would have to climb up a slippery tree to hunt her next catch. In desperation, she scented the air one last time and strained her ears, trying to listen for any other options. Much to her disappointment, the only sounds that reached her ears was the scurrying of the bird above.

She dug her claws expertly into the bark of the tree, gripping tighter then she normally would. Flashbacks of what happened the last time she tried to hunt a bird from a tree swarmed around her memory. She had plummeted from the Sky Oak and had to spend time in Willowleaf's den. Knowing that spending time in Willowleaf's den now would be a terrible time due to Willowleaf's anger at her, she was sure to dig her claws deep into the trunk of the tree. She also desperately wanted her warrior name, and it helped fuel her fire for caution.

Climbing her way up the tree, she cringed as bits of bark tumbled down the trunk, disturbed by her sharp claws. She perked her ears and fortunately did not hear the frantic fluttering of an alarmed bird above her. She continued on her way, and soon enough, the small body of a blackbird came into view.

It was sitting toward the end of the branch, picking at its feathers. Annoyance surged up in Skypaw when she realized that the branch gradually got thinner as it grew longer. This branch was quite unstable, with both its thinness and the brittleness from leafbare.

Skypaw knew that she couldn't turn back now. She had almost made it all the way up the tree! Skypaw knew that Hazelflower would not hold a retreat against her, but she was not so sure about Petalheart. She could imagine the senior warrior talking sense into Hazelflower as the black she-cat attempted to pass her. Especially with it being leafbare, Skypaw hissed to herself. We need all of the prey we can get! A true warrior would hunt this bird, despite the danger that surrounds it.

Reaching the branch that the bird rested on, she gently put one paw on its bark. The branch swayed gently under her weight. The bird snapped its head up, assumably listening for any danger. Skypaw made sure to stay perfectly still. The bird, wrongfully deciding that there was no danger around, went back to grooming itself. Relief flooded through her.

Knowing that it was too risky to gradually put her weight onto the branch, as the bird would surely become aware of her, Skypaw decided to leap for the kill. She knew that this was a hit or miss shot, but the alternative was just strictly a miss. Fear pricked within her paws. What if the branch breaks? What if the bird manages to get away? I'd never pass!

Realizing that it was now or never, Skypaw once again gathered her strength in her back legs. Preparing to twist her body as she jumped, she slightly adjusted her form, allowing that transition to be easier. Inhaling sharply, she leaped.

Bark flew off the trunk from where her claws had been resting. The branch shook violently with the power of her take off. The bird screeched in alarm, and opened its wings to take off, but it was too late. Skypaw's mouth clamped around its body, and its screeching stopped instantly - either from death or from surrender, Skypaw was not sure.

However, Skypaw failed to feel the comforting weight from the branch under her waiting paws. It hit Skypaw like a ton of thorns that she was plummeting through the chilly leafbare air.

Refusing to let out a horrified yelp, remembering that she was being assessed, Skypaw frantically searched for something to catch her from her fall. Much to her relief, her claws sank into the branch below the one that she had missed upon her jump, and she was able to pull herself onto its comforting support.

Thank you, StarClan! Skypaw exclaimed in her head. I surely would've failed if that branch wasn't there to save me!

Skypaw made sure not to appear alarmed, confused, or even relieved. She wanted to give off the impression that that move was planned, and was not just a happy accident.

Descending quickly down the trunk of the tree, Skypaw felt alleviated as she felt the coldness of the hard ground beneath her paws. Hazelflower exploded from the bushes, nearly scaring Skypaw out of her fur.

"Skypaw!" Hazelflower exclaimed. "That move, it was so great! The bird didn't even see you coming, and you didn't have to worry about breaking the branch and falling!"

Relief flooded through her. She had been successful in playing off her accident!

Petalheart followed from where Hazelflower had come from out of the bushes. "Very well done, Skypaw."

Skypaw muffled, "Thank you!" through the bird that was still resting in her mouth. She held her tail high in pride.

"I think we've seen enough," Hazelflower meowed conclusively, turning towards Petalheart. "What do you think?"

"I agree," Petalheart nodded. "I only had Rainpaw catch two pieces of prey, too. There just isn't a lot in the forest right now."

"Come on, Skypaw," Hazelflower meowed, pride beaming in her eyes. "Let's go get your mouse and head back to camp."

Skypaw nodded, and began to follow the two older she-cats. She couldn't help but walk with a pep in her step. She had done it! She had finally become a warrior!

Snow began to fall from the sky. Skypaw looked up, imagining her warrior ancestors' shining stars that were surely there, just invisible during the day's sunlight. She felt their presence as she stared up at them, happiness flowing through her veins.

Thank you.

6/22/19: Happy Bonus Chapter! Prepare yourselves for a letter of me emotionally babbling!

I know it seems a bit soon for another upload since I just posted Chapter 16 yesterday, but I felt like this is warranted. Today is my FIVE YEAR anniversary of starting my Wattpad account. Not only does that make me feel elderly, but it also makes me so very nostalgic of the past five years that have literally flown before my eyes.

I started my Wattpad in the summer between sixth and seventh grade. At the time, I had learned of the site because all my friends were obsessed with reading One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer fan-fictions. Being a fan as well, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and begin reading some. This was at the height of my Final Dawn Warriors Minecraft server as well (which has since shut down, but I had left years earlier and had co-owned several others afterwards). You guys, when I say I adored roleplaying on that server, I truly mean it. I spent every waking moment online with my Warriors-crazed friends and roleplayed the day away. So imagine my utter excitement when one day I made the connection that I could combine my love of fanfiction and writing with my Warriors obsession!

I made this account that day, and began working on Skyfall shortly after. I worked day in and day out on it - I was either writing, or I was roleplaying on Minecraft. That's what my summer was, and I'm not exaggerating in the slightest (just ask @-Orion_, she lived through every moment with me). That is literally all I did. Being on the computer constantly drove my father absolutely crazy, and I still vividly remember my mother defending me, claiming that I was not only being social with people online, but that I was also strengthening my writing skills. My dad never understood, but I know that now that he is in a place where he can comprehend the internet and what I do on here with clarity, that he is proud of me.

I know it's sad that through 5 years on here I have only managed to complete one full novel so far and only roughly half of another, and I'm not going to sit here and say that my time on Wattpad has been all rainbows and sunshine. While I have prospered immensely on this website, I have shed many tears during my time here. I've watched dear friends vanish from their accounts, never to be seen again. I've wavered in my self-confidence in my writing to the point where I avoided logging on. I've struggled with my mental health as I dealt with life-events that weren't even related to Wattpad, but that happened during these past five years. But I am proud to say that after five years, I am still here, stronger than ever before, with my eyes bright and my arms reaching forward to the future.

I started this account in the middle of middle school, and here I am, a high school graduate. My college orientation is next week. So much has elapsed during these five years of my life, but yet, it feels like then to now has occurred in the blink of an eye. I've learned so much on Wattpad, ranging from learning new things about who I am to strengthening my skills as a writer. I've met the most wonderful people, read some of the best novels, thrived as a writer, and have gone from thinking I could never do anything with writing in my life to capturing that dream and taking ahold of it - and I owe it all to you. To anyone who is reading this now as a new fan or to my readers who have since left from back in the day, I owe it to you. Quite literally. I just desperately want you all to know that you have done more than give me your votes, follows, and comments. You have fueled my dream to become a writer, have built my confidence from the ground up, and have taught me to learn from my mistakes and turn them into something great (especially now as I try to continue my writing from 5 years ago - oof, there's so much I would change). You all have caused me to add the label of "writer" to my identity, rather than me viewing myself as someone who simply enjoys writing. I know that is silly to say when all I've done on this account is write Warriors fan-fictions, but words cannot explain how beneficial my Wattpad career has been for me. It goes so much deeper than the cats I love writing about. Miles deeper. It goes down to who I am as a person.

While all of my readers equally mean so much to me, I'd like to thank two people in particular. The first being my absolute best friend, Elaina (@-Orion_). She has supported me from the second I started writing. She has kept me up during my darkest moments in life and I could not be more grateful for our friendship. We met 6ish years ago on a Warriors Minecraft server and have been friends ever since. Despite us living 5,000-something miles away from each other, she has always been there for me when I needed her, even when I did not deserve it. Elaina, you are one of the best people I've ever met in my life - from your dark humor, edgy persona, your unwavering loyalty and compassion, and your talents as all a writer, artist, and a musician (go vibraphone!). Our 5 hour FaceTime calls, endless text messages, late night Minecraft sessions, role-plays from back in the day, and our infamous rants about Warriors and life in general mean the absolute world to me. Thanks for being such a great friend. <3

Secondly, I'd like to thank @StardustWritings. While I know we just recently reconnected after me being gone off of Wattpad for so long, I want you to know that I am soooooo thankful for your endless support. I remember all of the days we spent on Minecraft roleplaying and we share countless memories. I am so appreciative of your endless support of my writing. I don't know what I did to deserve your encouraging and in-depth comments after being gone for so long, but know that they always put a smile on my face. I'm so glad we've been able to reconnect, and congrats for being an admin on WattyWarriors! I'm so proud of how far you've come! <3

This has been the most incredible journey, and I am so thankful that it is far from being over. I am seriously so blessed for all that you have given me. I truly mean it when I cherish every encouraging message, vote, comment, and follow that all of you have sent my way. I only wish that I have done more to return the favor to you all - if I could go back and update consistently for you, I would. If I could make it so I never left Wattpad for any of my absences, I would. But I cannot. All I can do is learn from these experiences, and believe me when I say I have.

Since I'm being nostalgic, I find that it would be fitting to say that what Hannah Montana always told us is indeed true - we always find our way back home.

Kaylin