Flowerkit yawned, stretching out her forepaws. Blinking her eyes open, she stood up, shaking the few scraps of moss off her pelt. Beetlekit and Spottedkit, her littermates, were still sleeping, and their mother was curled up in a tight ball.

She sat down, thinking of what to do for a moment. It was just past Sun-High, so the apprentices were probably still resting, and knowing the warriors, they wouldn't appreciate a playful little kit waking them up. Then an idea hit her. I'll go and ask Redclaw to tell me a story.

Padding softly out of the den, Flowerkit walked over to the Elder Den. Poking her head through the opening, she could see Redclaw inside. MarshClan, named after the marshland they had settled on, had only one elder, Redclaw, but he was still a great story teller, and well popular with all the kits and apprentices. The leader of MarshClan, Sootstar, was also often seen talking to him as well.

Padding into the Elder Den, Flowerkit nestled down in the soft moss. "Redclaw, can you tell me a story?"

. . .

"Sure, what would you like to hear about?" Redclaw asked, cheerfully. Today had been a particularly boring day, and perhaps telling a story might help.

"The start of MarshClan," came the reply.

He sighed.. Ah yes. He had almost forgotten. This was Flowerkit, a very curious little she-kit.

"Okay. A long, long time ago, when I was just a kit, there was a little kittypet kit."

"What does this have to do with MarshClan?" Flowerkit interrupted, her mew full of curiosity.

Redclaw purred, "Listen, and I will tell you.

Anyway, the kit had always been fascinated by the pine forest around his den. One day, he decided to go hunting. He jumped up onto his fence post, and leapt into the forest. There he walked around, before spotting a fat mouse. He was just about to pounce on it when-"

"What does this have to do with MarshClan?"

"You asked for the story, and this is it. Now listen."

"Okay," Flowerkit meowed, laying down.

"Where was I? Ah, yes. Anyway, just as the cat pounced in the mouse, four, massive, cats leapt out of the forest, seemingly coming out of the trees."

"Oh no!" Flowerkit squeaked, and Redclaw had to suppress a purr.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. The cat dropped the mouse, which ran off, and the four cat's circled around him. The first one, a huge, scared, gray tom, growled at the cat, and said "What are you doing on ShadowClan land?"

The little cat had no idea what ShadowClan land was, so he could only shrug shoulders. "Let's take him back to camp," one of the she-cats suggested.

So the warriors picked up the cat, and carried him through the forest. Eventually, they reached camp, with thorn walls and many cats inside. They took him to their leader, a black tom called Clawstar. Clawstar asked the kit many different questions, and eventually Clawstar decided that the kit would become a ShadowClan apprentice."

"When will I be an apprentice?" Flowerkit asked, obviously bored.

"How old are you?" Redclaw asked, not minding the little kit interrupting him.

"Four moons."

"We'll, you have to be six moons to become an apprentice, and you're four moons, so how long will it be?"

"Uuhhh... In two moons time!" Flowerkit lifted her head proudly.

"Good job! Now, back to the story.

The little kit became an apprentice, and was apprenticed to the clans strongest warrior, a huge dark tom, with wickedly sharp claws. Talonstrike.

Talonstrike didn't like the little kit, but he had to train him. He taught the cat, but he didn't treat him well. He didn't let him to go many gatherings, and he the kit would have to clear out the elders bedding, search them for ticks, and feed the elders, queens and medicine cat, before Talonstrike would take him out for any training."

"Will my mentor be like that?" Flowerkit whimpered.

"No, of course not.

Soon, the rest of the clan hated the apprentice as well. When he would go over to the deputy to see what patrol he was on, all the other cats would refuse to let him join their patrol. He was part if the Clan, yes, but excluded from it.

Soon, the apprentice, who by now was a warrior, started to long for belonging. He wanted to go back to his two-legs, and live with his friends. One night, the cat sneaked out of camp, and hurried back to his den. When he reached it, he climbed up onto the fence, and looked out into the yard that had once been his, and looked around it. Shadow's from the moonlight covered the ground, and he waited their, until dawn.

When morning finally came, he watched his old den fondly. He was about to bound down from the fence pole, and bound inside when something stopped him. The small door on the den flapped, and a small she-kit stepped out. She had a beautiful dappled tabby coat, with a white underbelly, and she sat down in front of the den, curled her tail around her paws, and watched the yard with big eyes.

The warrior stepped back, hiding himself in the shadows. He was mad and angry, his two-legs had replaced him!"

"The poor thing!" Flowerkit yawned, showing her pink tongue and small, white teeth.

"Yes, poor him.

Mad with rage, the warrior decided what to do. He would build his own Clan.

He jumped to the yard next door, and found his kit-hood friend, Bella. He explained to her what he planned to do, and after some persuasion, she agreed. The warrior and Bella went around to all the two-leg dens, gathering other kittypet's, telling them of the Clan they would be able to be a part of.

Soon, they had gathered so many kittypets, they decided to stop. The warrior lead his Clan around the lake, to the patch of land between RiverClan and WindClan."

"That's our border Clans!"

"Yes, yes they are.

He trained his Clan for many moons, teaching them how it hunt and guard their borders, and not to go into other Clan's territories, and how to follow the code.

Then came a night that was a gathering, so the warrior toke some of the warriors, and lead them towards the island. Once the gathering started, he ran into the clearing, bounding up the tree.

'Some of you may know me,' he yowled, 'For I was a Warrior of ShadowClan!' He continued to tell them about how he had been excluded in the Clan, and the kittypet he saw his owners have. 'So,' he yowled, 'I will make a Clan! I will be the leader, the kittypet leader of this Clan of kittypets!'"

He could see Flowerkit looking up at him with wide eyes. Purring, he continued.

"The warrior traveled to the Moonpool, receiving his leader name. He returned to the Clan, and they talked about what the Clan was to be called.

'KittypetClan,' someone suggested, but they declined. 'Lets name the Clan after the Leader!' Suggested one, but once more the leader declined it. 'We will name the Clan after the territory we have settled on, the territory we are so lucky to have. MarshClan will be our name!'"

. . .

Flowerkit stared up at Redclaw. "Is that, are we... Is that..." She tried to ask, but the words kept slipping off her tongue.

"Yes, that is us. We are a Clan of kittypets! Your own parents were kittypets. Sootstar was a kittypet, the deputy and medicine cat, and warriors. They were all kittypets."

Flowerkit stayed, rooted to the spot.

"Flowerkit!"

She cast an apologetic look at Redclaw, "My mother's calling, I have to go."

He nodded in understanding, and she skidded out of the den. A question formed in her mind, appearing their as her paws touched the ground. Turning back into the den, she opened her mouth. "How do you know all this?"

"I knew the warrior well."

She continued to stare at him, "What was his name?"

"Redclaw."