A/N: I started writing this challenge for the Clan Cat Café a long time ago and I finally finished writing it. :D Here's the first part of it. It was written for a challenge titled Warrior Fables. It's essentially the story of Snow White altered to fit the Warriors world. As you can see by the length, I got a little carried away. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has to do with Warriors or Snow White.

It was a clear, green-leaf day, the sun shining down warmly on ThunderClan's camp. Not a cloud could be seen in the bright blue sky, and a soft breeze tickled Ravenpaw's whiskers as she crossed the camp toward the fresh-kill pile. She paused to stretch, her muscles quivering beneath her black pelt as she extended her front legs before her and arched her back. Her green eyes narrowed with pleasure. She loved the way the heat of the sunlight soothed her muscles, which were sore from training, and helped her relax after a morning of chasing squirrels through the undergrowth and up into the highest branches of the trees. She purred at the memory of her latest success, and the praise she had gotten from her mentor, Goldenstorm, when she had dropped down right in front of him from the branches of a vast oak with the largest squirrel she had ever seen gripped firmly in her jaws. Even the elders had complimented it when she'd brought it to them.

Ravenpaw had already eaten her own meal, a juicy blackbird, but her best friend, Galepaw, was crouched beside the fresh-kill pile, finishing off the remains of a vole. He licked his whiskers, purring. Ravenpaw trotted up beside him and greeted him with a friendly flick of her tail against his dappled gray shoulder. "Careful", she warned. "If we don't keep an eye on you, I think you'd eat the entire fresh-kill pile."

Galepaw let out a mrrow of laughter. "You just don't want me to get the best pieces of prey," he teased. "You want them for yourself."

Ravenpaw gasped, pretending to be offended. "That is not true," she meowed. "I'm just protecting this fresh-kill pile so the warriors will still have something to eat after you've been to it. WindClan flea-bag," she added under her breath, shooting her friend a mischievous glance. She knew that a good old taunt, however random, could easily turn a debate with Galepaw into a game. She was in the mood for a satisfying tussle.

"WindClan?" the gray tom echoed in disbelief. His blue eyes widened with mock surprise until they resembled an owl's, making him look adorably silly. Ravenpaw couldn't help but purr with amusement.

"I'll teach you to twitch your whiskers at me!" growled Galepaw. Bunching his muscles, he pounced, but Ravenpaw was too quick for him. She dodged nimbly out of the way, leaving him with nothing but the dust in his face that had clouded up from the impact of his body on the ground. His ears flicked repeatedly and he scrunched up his eyes, trying to keep the debris out of them. His nose twitched and he sneezed, sounding like a squeaky mouse.

Ravenpaw rolled around, laughing uncontrollably. Galepaw pushed himself up into a sitting position, eyes gleaming with good humor. His fur was tipped brown with dust and his whiskers were a little crinkled. Ravenpaw felt a rush of warm affection for her friend. He was so handsome and sweet and endearingly silly. She couldn't imagine anyone she would want to be with more.

"Warriors!" squeaked a little voice behind them suddenly. Ravenpaw twitched her ears and exchanged a surprised glance with Galepaw. Then she turned to face the cat who had spoken.

It was a little white kit, with ruffled fur and enormous blue eyes. The tiny she-cat couldn't have been more than a half-moon old. With a start, Ravenpaw realized that it was Petalsky's kit, the mostly recently born member of the Clan. This must be her first time out of the nursery, the apprentice thought. She rarely went near the nursery, due to her discomfort around young kits, so it would make sense that the little kit didn't recognize her. And she and Galepaw were so close to being warriors that she supposed the young cat wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Galepaw padded up and sniffed the white kit's ears. "Hey there, little one," he said, his tone as friendly as always. "What's your name?"

"Snowkit," said the tiny cat, looking up at them with wide eyes. She blinked slowly, her gaze slightly unfocused as though she wasn't used to seeing such a big world. "Are you warriors?" she asked. "My mother said I shouldn't bother the warriors."

"No, we're not warriors," Galepaw told her. "But we're training to be warriors. We're called apprentices."

Snowkit looked at them, awe lighting her gaze. "You must get to see everything," she mewed. "My mother says the camp is itsy bitsy compared to the rest of the world. She says it's really big. She says I'll get to see it one day, but it'll be ages and ages until I get to explore it."

"Not that long," said Ravenpaw, trying to sound encouraging. "Only six moons."

Snowkit turned to look at her. "What's a moon?"

"Um…" the black apprentice mumbled, shifting her paws uncomfortably. She didn't like being stared at, especially not by a kit. She had no idea what was going on in that little head. Was I really like that once? she wondered. I can't remember how I thought at all when I was a kit! "It's…" she tried again.

Galepaw gave her a puzzled look, as though he didn't know what her problem was. He stepped forward and wrapped his tail around the little kit. "Look at the sky," he mewed gently. Snowkit tipped her head back and gazed up at the wide, blue world that stretched above them. "See that little white smudge up there?" He nodded to the faint figure of the half moon, which could only be seen in the daylight if you knew what to look for. Ravenpaw didn't expect the kit to notice it, but to her surprise, Snowkit's eyes came to rest on the semi-circle and she nodded vigorously.

"That's what we call the moon," Galepaw explained. "Every day it changes shape, getting a little bigger until it's a great big circle. Then, once it's full, it starts to shrink until it's all gone. There's one day that you can't see it at all. But after that, it starts to grow again until it's full. It keeps going on and on. It never stops."

Snowkit looked fascinated.

"What Ravenpaw was talking about was a full cycle of the moon's changing shape," Galepaw mewed. "When it's been this shape six times, you'll be able to become an apprentice and explore the world."

The kit's eyes widened and she purred in excitement. "I can't wait!" she mewed. Then she looked down a little. "Will you go with me?" she mumbled shyly. "I don't want to get lost on my own."

Ravenpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. Maybe kits aren't so bad after all, she thought.

"Maybe," Galepaw answered. "Don't worry; you won't ever have to go alone if you don't want to. You can always bring a friend with you."

"A friend?" Snowkit blinked. "Are you my friends?"

She looked up at both apprentices with equal admiration. Ravenpaw was taken aback. She hadn't expected the kit to like her.

"Yes," said Galepaw, glancing at Ravenpaw. "If you want us to be, we'll be your friends."

Ravenwing stood under the cool blackness of the night sky, the stars of Silverpelt shining high above her. Grief filled her heart at the memory of her leader, who had recently passed away to join the Clan of their ancestors. Redstar had been old and very sick, and she'd prayed desperately to StarClan to save him. But the russet tom had said that StarClan was calling him, and his ninth life had faded away, even after all of the medicine cat Maplefoot's efforts to save him.

Ravenwing took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Eight seasons had passed since the day she and Galepaw had met Snowkit, and now she was deputy of ThunderClan. She was very young to be a leader, but Redstar's passing had given her no choice but to follow in his pawsteps, before she felt truly ready. She focused on the memory of that day from long ago, when her biggest worry was the thought that Snowkit wouldn't like her. The recollection of Galepaw, now Galeheart, playing with the kit after telling her that they were friends warmed Ravenwing's heart, serving to banish some of the unease and sorrow that she felt.

Maplefoot came to stand beside her, his green eyes gleaming in the darkness. "Are you ready to receive your nine lives?" the medicine cat asked. "I know that you're grieving, as is all of ThunderClan, but we need a leader, and you were Redstar's choice."

Ravenwing felt overwhelmed for a moment, but she focused on the thought of Galeheart's face and even in her mind, his calm, blue eyes steadied her. "I'm ready," she said, letting out a deep breath. Maplefoot dipped his head, and together they set off for the Moonpool.

The moor was eerie at night, with only a whisper of the earth's breath stirring the tall grasses of WindClan's territory. Every time the long blades moved, Ravenwing jumped, thinking that there was a WindClan warrior lurking in the shadows. After the third or fourth time, Maplefoot touched his tortoiseshell tail to her shoulder. "It's all right," he mewed. "Even if we run into a WindClan patrol, they won't stop us. It is StarClan's will that leaders and medicine cats should be allowed to travel through rival territory in order to reach the Moonpool. Every Clan needs a way to speak with our ancestors."

"I know," replied Ravenwing. "But I've never done this before. Suppose they attack us, not knowing that I'm ThunderClan's new leader?"

"They won't attack you as long as you're with me," Maplefoot assured her.

Still, it seemed like a lifetime before they finally left the moorlands. The grass and mud turned to rock beneath their paws. As the climbed the steep, rocky hills, the air seemed to grow colder around them. Ravenwing shivered, her breath coming out in puffs of air that were visible in the chilly night.

At last, they came to the edge of the Moonpool. Mist hung over the vast expanse of water, swirling and making itself into twisting shapes. Still, even below the mist that blocked out the stars, the water of the lake seemed to shimmer.

"Now what do I do?" she asked, turning to face the medicine cat.

His eyes shone eerily in the half light. "Touch your nose to the water," he murmured. "StarClan will send you sleep and dreams."

Breathing deeply to steady her nerves, Ravenwing lay down on the edge of the cold stone and dipped her nose into the pool. It was like submerging her nose in ice. She winced, hoping that she would fall asleep soon so she wouldn't feel so cold.

For a moment, all she could see was darkness. Then a blue light began to glow somewhere in the distance, visible even through her eyelids. She tried to keep her eyes closed, but as the light drew nearer it grew brighter, and they flew open of their own accord.

What Ravenwing saw made her gasp. Rows of starlit cats lined the edges of the Moonpool, lighting up the water and the mist around them. Most she didn't recognize, but some were familiar to her. Goldenstorm was there, after having died defending the Clan from a wild dog. Petalsky's mate, Silverfang, was standing nearby, no trace of the greencough that had taken him left in his bright eyes and shining fur. And most reassuring of all, Redstar looked across the water at her with wisdom and fondness clear in his yellow eyes.

Maplefoot was observing the ceremony from the sidelines. "Go on," he mewed softly. "Stand up and accept their gifts."

Legs shaking with excitement, nerves, and joy, Ravenwing stepped forward, standing at the very edge of the water. Goldenstorm's spirit padded across the shining water like it was land and stood before her.

"Welcome to StarClan," he purred. "Are you ready to lead ThunderClan?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she muttered, making him mrrow with laughter.

"I'll take that as a yes," he meowed, eyes glittering with both amusement and starlight. He reached out and touched his nose to her forehead. "I give you a life for reason," he said solemnly. "Do not let emotion cloud your judgment, but decide what path is right through knowledge, fairness, and your own common sense."

The life was like lightning, flashing through her briefly, but with force enough to send her staggering back. How is this life? she wondered. Surely life isn't so painful!

Goldenstorm watched her for a moment, pride lighting his gaze as she straightened up. Then he padded away to retake his place among the warriors of StarClan.

Ravenwing felt a pang of regret. She'd been hoping to get to speak with her mentor, but she supposed that the ceremony had to go on. I have to go through that pain eight more times? she realized in alarm, recalling how painful receiving the first life had been. I'll just have to be strong, she told herself firmly.

The next life came from a cat she didn't know. The blue-gray tom introduced himself as Stonehawk, Galeheart's grandfather. "I give you a life for patience," he meowed. Ravenwing felt her whiskers twitch as she recognized the family resemblance between the StarClan warrior and his grandson. Not only does he look like him, but apparently he acts like him too, she thought. If Galeheart ever gave any leader a life, patience would definitely be his gift.

Stonehawk touched his nose to her forehead. "Use this life to deal with all the cats in your Clan, young and old, for even a warrior has times when he acts like a kit."

Ravenwing's mrrow of laughter was cut short by a wave of stifling pain and frustration. This life wasn't as agonizing as the first, but it was aggravating. Her claws itched with fury at some unknown cause, but then a wave of calm cave over her. "Patience can be difficult, but it will help you more than you could possibly know," whispered Stonehawk.

Silverfang took the blue-gray warrior's place. The silver tabby gave her a life for caring for family. Ravenwing guessed that he was referring to the daughter and mate that he had left behind. There was sorrow in Silverfang's eyes as he rejoined the ranks of StarClan.

A black and white apprentice named Brightpaw came forward to give Ravenwing a life for luck. She was followed by a sturdy brown she-cat named Barkfur, who gave the ThunderClan deputy a life for endurance.

Next came a gray tom with black markings on his face and rings of dark fur on his tail. His golden eyes gleamed with mischievous amusement. "My name is Raccoontail," he meowed. "I give you a life for having a good sense of humor. There are times that you must be serious, but there are times to laugh, too." This life was not painful; instead, it made laughter bubble up in her stomach and her whiskers quiver with amusement.

"Thank you," Ravenwing whispered as he turned away. Raccoontail glanced over his shoulder once, winked, and rejoined the other warriors of StarClan.

A massive white tom padded up to take the smaller warrior's place. He introduced himself as Cloudheart. "I give you a life for strength and skill in battle," he meowed, in a deep and solemn voice. "May you always lead your Clan to victory."

This life felt like sharp claws digging into Ravenwing's sides and ripping off her fur. She winced, then looked back up, but Cloudheart was gone before she could thank him.

Next, a ginger she-cat with beautiful green eyes came to bestow a life on Ravenwing. "My name is Fawnfeather," she meowed. "I give you a life for kindness and mercy." She touched her gentle pink nose to Ravenwing's forehead. Fawnfeather's life was a rush of warmth, soothing the deputy's muscles the same way that sunlight did. She purred gratefully at the ginger cat.

Fawnfeather blinked, a strange and unreadable expression in her eyes. A sudden cold and ominous feeling made Ravenwing's stomach drop, her blood turning to ice. The StarClan warrior held her gaze for a moment before padding away.

What was that about? Ravenwing wondered. But before she could give it much thought, the final StarClan cat to give her a life came to stand before her, bathing her in his glorious light. When she looked up to meet his eyes, joy made her gasp aloud.

It was Redstar, no longer old and feeble, but young and strong and glowing with starlight. His golden eyes shone with love and pride for the cat who he had trained as his deputy. Ravenwing purred, unable to hold in her happiness.

"I give you a life for joy," he meowed. "Bring happiness to your Clanmates, all those in need, and of course, find happiness and peace of mind for yourself."

The gift that Raccoontail had given her was amusing and Fawnfeather's life had been as warm as the sun, but Redstar's gift was the loveliest of all. Ravenwing closed her eyes, purring as blissfully as a kit. Redstar licked her ears, like a father caring for his daughter, then stepped back.

"I hail you by your new name, Ravenstar," he announced. "May you be the light of ThunderClan and guide them through the good times and the bad. Now go forth, and lead your Clan!"

"Ravenstar! Ravenstar!" The cats of StarClan all called her name in a chorus as loud as thunder and Ravenstar felt a rush of surprising emotion. Tears welled up in her eyes, tears of sadness, tears of joy, tears of mirth, tears of hope, and tears of pride.

Ravenstar closed her eyes, drinking up the light and warmth of the StarClan warriors one last time. When she opened her eyes again, she expected herself to be alone with Maplefoot by the misty lake. To her surprise, the medicine cat was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a single starlit warrior stood on the water. When the StarClan cat turned around, Ravenstar saw that it was Fawnfeather.

A pang of unease and dread gripped ThunderClan's new leader as she remembered the look that the ginger she-cat had given her during the ceremony. What does she want?

"Ravenstar," Fawnfeather greeted her. She dipped her head to the black she-cat. "Will you walk with me?" she asked. "We need to talk."

Ravenstar narrowed her eyes suspiciously. This is a StarClan cat, she reminded herself. I have to show her the utmost respect. Besides, she added to herself, she wouldn't be here in StarClan if she was up to something sinister. She must be a good cat.

But what if she has something bad to tell me?

Ravenstar did her best to shake off her unease. "Okay," she said. She stepped forward, placing one paw experimentally on the water. To her surprise, it held her weight. She walked forward across the water, hesitantly at first, but with growing confidence as she realized that it was as solid as if it were ice.

When she reached the StarClan cat, Fawnfeather touched Ravenstar's shoulder with her tail-tip. "You have a great destiny ahead of you," she began, walking across the water with the black she-cat at her side.

Ravenstar shivered. Destiny? she thought.

To her relief, Fawnfeather's eyes were not as hard to read now as they had been during the nine lives ceremony. They were filled with hope and kindness. "Yes, a great destiny," she mewed, making Ravenstar flinch in shock. The StarClan cat had seemed to read her mind.

"Why are you telling me this?" the black she-cat asked, pausing and twitching her ears warily.

Fawnfeather purred, though Ravenstar thought it seemed a little forced. "A great destiny is both an honor and a burden," she explained. "I have come to offer you friendship and guidance, for you will need both before your fate has run its course."

Ravenstar's fur stood on end. What an ominous thing to say, she thought, before shoving the thought out of her mind. If there was any chance that Fawnfeather would be able to tell what she was thinking, it was best not to let any personal or suspicious thoughts cross her mind.

"Thank you," she said, choosing her words carefully. "I'd be glad for all the help I can get." And having a StarClan friend wouldn't hurt either, she realized, before pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind again.

Fawnfeather purred again, seeming relieved for some reason. "Good," she mewed. "You may go now, if you wish. I would think that your medicine cat is wondering where you are."

"Right," said Ravenstar. "Thank you." The StarClan cat blinked and dipped her head in acknowledgement. Ravenstar closed her eyes and sensed Fawnfeather dissolve beside her. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying beside the Moonpool, her nose numb from being submerged in the cold water for so long.

Maplefoot was stirring next to her. "What happened?" he asked, blinking his eyes open. Their pupils were round with worry. "After the ceremony, I found myself in a dark place, alone. Did you see a similar vision?"

Ravenstar was surprised. "No," she mewed. "I… I saw something different."

"What was it?" asked Maplefoot, his ears leaning forward attentively.

Ravenstar felt a prickle of unease. "Nothing important," she said.

A/N: And that's the end of Part 1! Plotwise, it really doesn't resemble Snow White yet, but it gets there! Honest! ;) As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. I'd love to know what you think! The next part should be up soon enough. Hasta la vista!