The sun had gone to rest by the time Bonnie returned home. A breeze whistled past, carrying the scents of the farm animals, as well as the smell of damp soil. The wet grass soaked her paws, and her tail drooping from exhaustion, trailed in a muddy puddle. It had stormed while she was gone.

The gaping entrance of the barn was shut, cherry-red doors locking the cloud-like wooly animals and the barn cats in for the night. She considered sleeping outside momentarily. After all, if everything went well she'd soon be doing it for the rest of her life.

But then she remembered Rose in the hayloft. Bonnie squeezed through a loose board as she'd done many times before, effortlessly leaping to balance on a swinging door before reaching the platform with the solid sound of impact. Her footsteps were loud in the silent room, and thick clouds of dust showered from beneath the rotted planks.

Rose stirred atop a disorderly heap of straw, her hazel eyes shining in the darkness. The fluffy grey she-cat stretched her legs, holding Bonnie's gaze. "Bonnie." She dipped her head in greeting. "Brooke tells me you've been exploring."

Seeing no reason to lie, Bonnie nodded. Her ears twitched at the squeak of a mouse somewhere below.

"I was a moor cat once, you know. A member of WindClan- that's what we called ourselves. I was Roseflame." Rose's eyes grew misty with memories, the other cat's whiskers quivered with surprise. "It was amazing, Bonnie. I regret leaving every day." The older she-cat took light pawsteps, hay sliding down as she descended.

"I wonder if they're still out there." She reached the creaking floor and took slow steps towards the grimy window.

"They are." Bonnie meowed back gently, catching her gaze. "I met one."

Rose spun around, surprised. "You met a WindClan cat?" She started, looking at Bonnie as if with fresh eyes. "They didn't drive you off their territory?"

She shifted her paws. "She seemed like she would at first, but when she heard I was a barn cat she wasn't too upset. I caught a hare, and," Bonnie paused in uncertainty, "asked to join them, and Lightpaw said she'd ask their leader."

Rose's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything, tail swishing as she circled the kitten. "That's…" She shook her head. "On the slim chance they do accept you, Bonnie, you have to know that life is going to be a lot harder. You can't coast on your hunting ability. You'll have to be loyal as a lion, and you'll have to be able to fight. Do you think you could do that?"

She swallowed. The fighting part was new, although she ought to have expected it. She'd gotten into a brawl- once. The scene flashed through her mind.

Dry grass itched at the pads of her paws as she squared up to Biscuit in the clearing. Leafless trees bore down on them, casting menacing shadows in the red-orange light of sundown. The house cat was snarling, but Bonnie refused to back down and run. Pride was causing the kitten problems yet again, and she was only four moons old. The cat across from her wasn't much older, but he was much bigger. His black pelt gleamed in the sunlight, chilled by the late winter air. After a few seconds, he let out a hiss and rushed at her. She barely dodged his razor-sharp teeth. Her fur stood on end.

He dove into her, holding her down and pricking her sides. She twisted around in his grip, yowling. In a desperate bid for freedom, she unsheathed her claws and scratched as hard as she could, and he yelped in pain, recoiling. All former bravado aside, she'd dashed over the frozen pavement, beside herself by the time she'd reached the familiar landscape of the farm.

Bonnie shuddered and flattened her ears. She dipped her head into a nod nonetheless. Rose stared at her once again. A few heavy moments passed, and the grey cat turned back to the window.

"What time did she tell you to meet her?" Rose murmured quietly, tail rubbing rhythmically back and forth across the dusty floor.

"Sunrise tomorrow." Her coat prickled in a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. The older she-cat cleared her throat. "I hope you know what you're getting into, Bonnie."

She hoped so too.


Dust and shadows filled the room as Bonnie forced herself awake. The sun had just begun to rise, and the world was the perfect dewy green-gold of early morning. As she stood, she heard the familiar creak of the floorboards, and stopped for a second to savor it. It may very well be the last time she ever would hear it.

She felt a bit melodramatic and silly as she pushed the thought aside. Rose was still curled up by the window, staring out. Wordlessly, she made her way to her old friend.

The she-cats held each other's gazes for a moment, and then Rose bowed her head. "Go." She meowed softly, flicking her ears towards the wilderness outside. Bonnie stared into hazel eyes for a moment more before taking the leap.

Her collar nipped at her neck again, and an idea struck her. Razor-sharp blades glinted silver from the corner, usually used to remove the fluffiness from the cloud-like animals that grazed in the northern fields.

The clean click of metal meeting metal echoed throughout the barn. The scrap of leather that had formerly bound her hit the dirt with a strange finality, and Bonnie licked her disheveled coat. She stepped into the sunlight, her short spotted pelt shining. With even strides she made her way to the rickety fence. Her heart was beating uncomfortably quickly with anticipation and anxiety.

The limber form of a wild cat dashed over the pastures with startling speed, coming to a stop beside her. "Bonnie!" She meowed happily, out of breath. She flopped over on her side gracelessly, stretching out in the grass. "I asked Cloudstar!" She continued after a second, and Bonnie held her breath, trying to keep her composure as Lightpaw continued. "And she started off a little huffy, talking about clan pride and such and calling me a feather-brain, but then stopped and asked what you looked like, which is, alright, it's a weird thing to be worried about. I said that you had a really pretty coat that had pretty much every color on it, and then she stopped and stared at Swiftwing, and they said they were willing to meet you!" She rolled over in Bonnie's direction, eyes sparkling.

A tightness built up in the barn cat's chest as Lightpaw stood. Bonnie felt no great love for her home, but it was still where she'd grown up. She gave it a final glance, looking at the silhouette of the silo she'd once tried to climb, the freshly-painted barn that had needed a bit more fixing up than it had been granted, and the green pastures she'd played in just a few moons ago. She let out a breath as she passed between the fence boards.

With sand, grass, and heather beneath their feet, Lightpaw took off running, tail streaking behind her. The moors seemed the same in all directions, constant and eternal. There were no shadows, no trees or buildings, just them and the horizon. The further she got the more unfamiliar scents surrounded her, those of cats she didn't yet know.

Lightpaw slowed, and the earth dipped into a small hollow. A strong-smelling, well-worn sandy path led downwards, pawprints marking it as the entrance to their camp. The center was free of vegetation, and the air was still. A shield of gorse sheltered them from the rough winds.

"There's the elder's den." Lightpaw meowed, gesturing with her tail to a hole in the thick yellow bush. "Or, really, just Bluecall's den. The nursery's right next to it, and the medicine cat's den is under those brambles." She pointed to a rather nasty clump of thorny plants. "The rest of us sleep under the stars." She began to move forward, but, as an afterthought, added "Also, be careful of that old badger set on the east side. It goes straight down- not too far, but you'll need some help getting out."

A regal-looking white cat stood on a large boulder, looking at a group of kits tumbling through the sand. "That's Cloudstar." Lightpaw began hesitantly. "She's my mother... I didn't tell you that before."

Cloudstar turned her head towards her daughter, as well as her guest. Her eyes were a deep amber, and widened a bit upon seeing Bonnie. She elegantly leapt down in a single motion, and was joined by a bright-eyed grey tabby tom. "That's Swiftwing." Lightpaw murmured. "He's the medicine cat, but also helps Cloudstar a lot."

Swiftwing's eyes moved to Bonnie's neck, noticing the imprint from her lost collar. He gave her an approving nod, and she felt a bit of courage flow back into her. "Lightpaw?" He asked, and she nodded, whiskers bouncing. "She ran all the way with me."

"Well done." Cloudstar meowed. Bonnie blinked, pleased.

"Lightpaw tells me you want to be a warrior?" The regal young leader meowed curiously, looking her over. The calico nodded.

"It won't be easy," Swiftwing started, his voice the same tone as Rose's had been as she spoke those same words, "You'll have to work hard, and put the clan before yourself. You may even have to lay down your life for it. Are you willing to do that?"

Without hesitating so much as a heartbeat, Bonnie nodded. The leader and medicine cat shared a look, and Cloudstar clambered to the top of the sun-warmed boulder.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around Tallrock!" Cloudstar called, and curious faces appeared from around the hollow. "WindClan is smaller than it's ever been." She began. "Lightpaw was hunting a hare just a day ago, and ran into Bonnie, who caught and gave the prey to her. She has requested to join us, and after conferring, we have agreed that she should be given an opportunity."

Whispers spread throughout the crowd, and Bonnie's coat prickled. A raven-furred tom stood up, declaring incredulously, "But, Cloudstar, she's a kittypet." His tail thrashed and he glared at her. She didn't shrink, though. Rather, she sat up straighter, glaring back.

Swiftwing leapt up beside the leader, addressing the clan thoughtfully. "Do you remember Lynxstar, Nightstreak?" His voice was even as he spoke of the legendary WindClan leader. "Or Firestar? Or, really, half of SkyClan's founders?"

Nightstreak's eyes flashed. "All of those cats had a prophecy, a test. StarClan guided them to us. And look at her. She's tiny, she'll be useless in any fight." The harsh words were half to Swiftwing and half to Bonnie herself, and Bonnie wasn't about to let him insult her. She'd have to get used to fighting now, she supposed, pushing away the memory that bubbled up to the surface. She looked him over, pinpointing his position in the crowd. "There is a-" Cloudstar began, but cut off mid sentence as the she-cat sprang. Nightstreak was unprepared, crashing to the sand. He hissed angrily, and Bonnie felt the prick of his claws at her soft underbelly. She leapt off him, but didn't pause. Silently, she dashed forward, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Wildly, he swiped at her side, leaving a stinging pain. She attempted to return his blow, but even focused as she was now, she was no physical match for the black tabby. He landed another strike on her forepaw, and she backed away, fuming. She wasn't giving up, though. She couldn't, not now.

There was no way Bonnie was going to outmaneuver him, he was stronger and faster. But he was also furious. She could use that against him. A strategy came to her.

Running at him, she lightly scratched Nightstreak's shoulder, enough to make him give chase, but not enough to hurt him or slow her down. She leapt onto the slippery, sandy slope that led up to the gorse wall, and the tom followed. She felt the thrill of triumph as, blinded by rage, he tumbled into the old badger's tunnel.

Almost at once, Cloudstar leaped towards Bonnie. "I would've won." Nightstreak meowed furiously from below their feet. "That was dishonorable!"

Swiftwing's eyes were both amazed and amused as he peered downwards. "You and I both know it was not. She didn't break the warrior code. She just used her wits and used the environment to her advantage. Well done."

"She has proven herself in battle, and is worthy to be a WindClan apprentice." Cloudstar's amber eyes looked over the camp. "From this day on, she will be known as Wishpaw, in honor of her hope and determination. Dappledfur. You have received excellent training from our late deputy, Sorrelspots, and have proved many times to be one of the wisest and bravest among us. You will be Wishpaw's mentor, and I trust you will pass on these qualities to her." She stepped away, and the cats split off into groups, murmuring to each other.

Wishpaw looked around. This was it.

She was now a member of WindClan.