A/N: Thank you all for the reads and positive reviews on this story! It really helps knowing people like it! As an upload schedule, I'm going to aim to publish a new chapter every day! A quick note on this chapter – it follows Aspenflight not Fawnpaw. I'm planning on having POVs of all the cats StarClan chose but have a more main focus on Fawnpaw. So, she'll get more chapters then anyone else but you'll get to see into the heads of everyone still! Okay, I'll stop blabbering! Happy reading! =^.^=

Aspenflight followed his Clan's scent trail towards ThunderClan territory. The whole thing was so bizarre to him. One minute he had been protecting his Clan from a fox and the next he had been sitting at Moonpool talking to a dead cat. Now, he was in an unfamiliar time.

The tom shook his head, attempting to keep his mind on the goal ahead of him. The first step was to join this ThunderClan. How exactly am I going to do that? I'm a big bulky cat – they'd never trust that I come in peace! Even I'd chase me out of my territory.

He kept himself downwind as he crossed the ThunderClan scent line. I'd be best if he could decide when to introduce himself to the ThunderClanners rather then they discovering him. His paws itched to leap at prey as he trekked through the forest. The lake he had left behind had been in the bitter lack of prey in leaf-bare. Here, the sun uncomfortably warmed his pelt and prey was plentiful.

A scent suddenly entered Aspenflight's nose. The stench was familiar, too familiar. Along with it he scented something else: fear and panic. He was racing through the forest before he even knew what he was doing.

Then, he slammed his brown paws into a massive pelt of orange. The fox turned to him from where he had kicked it to the ground, about to leap at him. But Aspenflight gave a terrifying hiss, unsheathing his claws. His large form must've frightened the creature because it flattened its ears and ran off.

He heard labored breathing behind him and turned around. A she-cat sat there, her golden coat made shades lighter by the sunlight. There was a wound on her head, trickling blood into her eyes that matched her fur. More concerning, Aspenflight also noticed a deep wound in her shoulder.

Had this been a cat from his own Clan – back in his time – he would have gone up to them, licked their wounds and made sure they were okay. But to this she-cat he was a stranger. "Are you okay?" Aspenflight settled with asking her instead.

The golden cat shook her head to clear her vision, blood flicking at Aspenflight's paws. "I'm fine-" A yowl cut off her response and she turned her head to look through the nettle of bushes. He turned his attention as well to see two cats running their way.

Aspenflight crouched slightly, flattening his ears and tucking his tail him in a submissive nature. The last thing he needed was the Clan he was trying to join attack him.

"Aldershine!" The first cat reached them. He was an orange tom with one black paw. The warrior bristled at Aspenflight. "What did you do to her you rouge?!"

"Hollowfoot! Stop, its okay," the golden she-cat – Aldershine– told the ginger cat. "He saved me from a fox."

"Did he?" The second cat at reached them. Aspenflight knew from the way this cat held themselves that she was ThunderClan's leader. "You fought off the fox?"

Aspenflight nodded. "Yes," he simply replied. He watched as the gray leader sniffed at Aldershine to make sure she was okay.

"Hollowfoot, take Aldershine back to camp," the gray cat ordered with a flick of her tail. "I'll deal with this rouge." For the first time since he had arrived, Aspenflight felt fearful. If she chased him from the territory what he were to do? If the threat to Moonstone was in ThunderClan and he wasn't allowed to join he would have failed in his part mission.

As soon as the two ThunderClanners had left and were out of earshot the leader looked at him again. "I am Willowstar, leader of ThunderClan. What is your name?" she asked, politely, her sudden change in tone catching him off guard.

"Aspen," he replied. Of course, he couldn't tell her his warrior name.

"Where do you come from, Aspen?" Willowstar asked. She rasped her tongue over a paw. Was she grooming herself at a time like this? Was she not going to chase him out?

"A bit of everywhere," Aspenflight told her. He was glad he was good a fibbing otherwise this could have been a disaster.

Willowstar set her paw down. "Not many rouges would have done what you did, risking yourself against a fox for a cat you didn't know," she told him. "You moved without even thinking – it was impressive."

"You were watching," he deduced. She had seen the whole thing.

The leader nodded in response. "Hollowfoot had been chasing a squirrel but I caught the smallest whiff of unfamiliar scent. An excellent job of hiding your scent, I must say. You are certainly formidable." She flicked her tail. "Now, to be blunt, ThunderClan is weak. We would do well to welcome a cat of your skill into our ranks." Aspenflight felt stunned. Had it just been that easy? Kick a fox and he had an instant invitation to join the Clan?

"However," Willowstar's voice snapped him back. "I'd be a fool if I were to just allow a stranger into ThunderClan." Of course, it wasn't that easy. "You'll serve a trail period. After three days I'll decide whether or not you're ThunderClan material. I like to think I'm a good judge of character, but time will tell."

The gray she-cat stood and signaled with her fluffy tail for him to follow. Aspenflight scrambled after her. "How do you know I want to join your Clan?" He found himself asking.

"You followed me, didn't you?" Willowstar countered. "And I saw how you looked at Aldershine when she was wounded. You are caring – far too kind for a lone rouge. You're used to living with others, aren't you?"

Aspenflight nodded. "They're..." he searched for the perfect word. "They're gone now though." Or perhaps not even thought of yet. My Clan won't be born for ages.

"Such is the way of life," Willowstar mused. They were approaching a nettle bush barrier. He could tell from the multitude of scents coming from the other side this was ThunderClan's camp. The leader turned to him. "You will always have another warrior at your side and you will not interact with any kit is that clear?"

"Yes," Aspenflight replied. That wouldn't be too hard and if it was what he had to do to join ThunderClan then it was worth it. He followed after the gray leader as she led the way into ThunderClan's camp and the start of his new life.