DISCLAIMER: THE WARRIORS SERIES AND ANY CHARACTERS IN THE ORIGINAL ARCS (Firestar, Spottedleaf, Thunderstar, Riverstar, Windstar, Shadowstar, Mothflight, Ravenpaw, and Barley) BELONG TO ERIN HUNTER AND ANY OTHERS AFFILIATED WITH MAKING THE SERIES. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO USE ALL THE CHARACTERS IN THIS FANFICTION AS WELL AS ANY OTHERS MENTIONED IN THE DISCLAIMER OF THE ORIGINAL CAVE OF STARS. ALL OTHER CHARACTERS ARE FREE TO USE.
(2) Doestar
Before the events of The Cave of Stars…
Doestar saw her for the first time at a Gathering. She was RiverClan, and sitting with two others, Brindlefleck and what Doestar guessed was a newly appointed apprentice.
She looked towards Rainstar as he started the Gathering, but he didn't mention anything about the mysterious third she-cat. She'd been right; Brindlefleck did indeed have a new apprentice, Rushpaw. But Doestar watched as he looked towards the medicine cats' direction – he looked straight through the grey-spotted she-cat as if she were invisible.
"Doestar?"
Doestar shook her head and turned to face the other cats assembled below her. She'd figure out who the third cat was, the one with the pretty green eyes and the moon on her forehead, but not now.
After the Gathering, Doestar stopped her deputy, Swiftsky. "Could you – could you take my Clan back?"
"Always possessive, I see," laughed the cream-colored tom. "May I ask, dear Doestar, why?" She must have been staring too much at the she-cat with the green eyes because Swiftsky immediately followed the question with an answer and a gasp of mock horror. "Chasing after a tom from a different clan? How illicit, especially for the esteemed leader of WindClan."
She looked around before smacking him with her sheathed paw. "Very funny." Then, a little quieter, "And you know that's never the case."
"Alas," Swiftsky said, feigning surprise, "I shall never have you."
"Open your mouth with another smart remark and the claws will come out," she warned, but without any weight behind the words. It was an empty threat, especially to Swiftsky, who she trusted with her life. They'd been friends from kithood, and he'd seen her pining after one of the apprentices (a pretty she-cat that she still had a bit of a crush on) and immediately guessed what was up. He was like a brother to her, and they'd gotten closer after her ("their") brother, Fireskip, died.
"Alright," Swiftsky said, bringing her back to the present, and turned to go. "It was never a tough decision," he said, looking back at her before bounding off.
"Always wanting the last word," she muttered. "I hate you," she called.
"Love you too," was his reply.
She scoffed and crouched in the bushes, listening carefully to the RiverClan cats' voices while she followed them.
The mystery she-cat was called Moonpaw (although strangely, she was old enough to be a warrior.) She and Rushpaw were sisters, Doestar learned, but from another litter. Doestar found that her voice was melodic, carrying over the trio and tickling the WindClan leader's ears.
She turned back before the three RiverClan cats reached the river. She didn't find the need to learn much more.
She could already tell though, that Moonpaw's voice and her pretty green eyes would be the subject of any dream she had for the next moon and this certainty wouldn't be the last time that she'd leave the Clan temporarily in Swiftsky's paws.
Chapter 6
Moonpaw (Moonheart; she'd heard Rushpaw, now Rushwillow, call Moonpaw that once) looked proudly at Rushwillow from where she was sitting. Pride was an expression that the she-cat wore well; Doestar wondered how she'd look commanding a Clan. How would she look, sitting next to Doestar like Rainstar was now?
Moonstar. She would love to call Moonheart that.
She turned her attention back to Rainstar, who was shaking his head. "Perhaps another day, Dawnstar. I have no idea who this forgotten cat is. I will bring news at the next Gathering."
All of a sudden, it all made sense. Moonheart is the one. Only some can see her, like her sister and Brindlefleck.
But why can I?
She shook her head and was about to speak up, but Rushwillow beat her to it in the end, and Doestar relented. Better her than me; it'd rouse too much suspicion.
"What about my sister, Rainstar?"
"Your sister?" Rainstar looked confused. "Do you mean –"
"My older sister," cut in Rushwillow, shaking her head. "She was in another litter."
Rainstar nodded, though it held no meaning. How would he know? Why would he know?
Why wouldn't he know? And why do I know?
"Very well," said the RiverClan leader.
Doestar listened quietly to the ensuing conversation. Her heart ached for poor Moonheart (named so by Rushwillow); this was the first time she'd truly been seen. After Moonheart yelled at her parents (who'd tried to make up for moons and moons of neglect with a few sentences, as if they'd thought it'd help) Doestar could stand it no longer. These cats – they didn't know what they were talking about. She'd seen Moonheart before her own mother, before most of her own Clan.
She stopped Rainstar, who was in the middle of clearing his throat. "Moonheart," she said, being as kind as possible. "I realize you do not need pity and I will not give you it."
She saw Swiftsky frowning, and sighed, knowing that there would be a long conversation ahead of her. She could almost hear his voice: "Always have to be businesslike, at all times, don't you?"
"You are marked with a moon on your forehead, and nobody in your own Clan remembers who you are." The last part was mostly directed towards Rainstar and she had acid in her voice that she didn't believe was there before. "You are the third cat of the prophecy."
Chapter 31
It's now or never, Doestar thought, and approached Moonheart.
"Umm, Moonheart," she said, tentatively. "Would you mind stopping by WindClan soon? Mossear always needs the extra help, and seeing as Rushwillow already has Ripplepaw and Flintpaw, I was thinking you could help with Briarpaw's teaching."
She held her breath, hoping what the she-cat was going to say next wouldn't break her heart into two.
"Sure!" mewed Moonheart in that melodious voice, and all of Doestar's wildest wishes seemed to come true. "We do need more goldenrod, right Rushwillow?"
The RiverClan medicine cat raised an eyebrow, but thankfully didn't comment. "Yes; I'd be happy to let Moonheart take a load off of Mossear's shoulders, although I'll miss the extra help! Briarpaw is quite the handful," she purred, smiling at Moonheart and Doestar.
"Okay, then, I'll see you around, then" replied Doestar, smiling wider than she intended. "WindClan!"
She was still smiling when Swiftsky joined her in the leader's den. "You totally owe me," he grumbled, but she could tell he was happy for her too. "I was the best wingman in the history of the clans."
"You literally just told me not to trip on my face," she laughed. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You can have the next rabbit I catch. I'll make sure it's the biggest one on the moor."
Epilogue
Briarpaw chased Ripplepaw and Flintpaw across the center of the WindClan camp. Their merry laughter was music to Doestar's ears. The WindClan warriors – her warriors, she thought proudly, laughed with them.
"Just like kits," she scolded, joining Moonheart at the entrance of the medicine cat den.
Moonheart giggled at this comment and Doestar's spirits seemed to soar.
She understood, all of a sudden, why she'd been able to see Moonheart from the very beginning – she loved her, just like Rushwillow and Brindlefleck had. Perhaps it was a different type of love – Rushwillow and Brindlefleck both loved Moonheart like family, while her love was something more – but it was love all the same, the kind that made her sway on her feet whenever Moonheart looked her way.
She admired Moonheart, who was looking up at the trees of ThunderClan, for a long while before realizing that her eyes had glazed over and waved a paw in front of her face. "Moonheart, are you there?"
Moonheart shook her head and smiled up at Doestar happily, and Doestar swore that her heart melted. She was only half listening to what Moonheart's vision was; she was too preoccupied by how beautiful the RiverClan cat was.
The flowers, the new kits, Moonheart… Doestar felt deliriously happy.
It was wonderful.
I like the Moon/Doe pairing for some reason; I'd like to see more representation, even if the representation is in fanfics made about cats who live in the woods... Doestar is also a favorite character of mine alongside Moonheart and Rushwillow; I don't really know why.
New character introduced! Swiftsky is truly the best wingman :) I'd be happy if I could have a wingman (or wingwoman!) as good as he is, lol.
Some lore has been added as to why Brindlefleck, Doestar, and Rushwillow were able to see Moonheart when most others couldn't!