The pale tabby moaned. "Mrrow wow wow. You really bloodied me up, Runningpaw." she tried to include a chuckle in her groan, but it only came out as some kind of distorted crackling meow.

"That is you, Molly!" Runningpaw exclaimed.

The pale tabby nodded. "Yes, it's me. Who else would I be, some kind of twisted beaver?" She purred at her own joke.

"B-but how did you find your way here?" Runningpaw asked incredibly. "Don't you live quite a ways away from this part of the forest?"

Molly chuckled. "Well, I found my way here the first time, didn't I? Actually, I remembered where I met you," She purred shyly. "I made up my mind- I want to join you."

Runningpaw's eyes widened. "Really? That's great! That's the reason we're here, to pick you up and take you…" His voice trailed off as he saw Ashstar looking up at him indignantly.

"Oh, and the cat you attacked is Ashstar, our-"

"Your leader," Molly finished matter-of-factly. "I remembered all you told me, too. I thought that it might help me in the forest."

Runningpaw was dazed. This cat was good at remembering things- she would make a great warrior in the long run.

"You are very good with your memory," Ashstar purred, reading Runningpaw's mind. "You would make a great warrior. I'm glad to take you in." She smiled down at the pale tabby.

It was surprising that Ashstar was welcoming the kittypet with open paws. She usually wasn't like that around outsiders, but maybe was acting so since she had just seen (and felt) what the she-cat's fighting moves were like.

Molly dipped her head. "Thank you, Ashstar. Such an honor to be in your presence."

Ashstar purred. "Runningpaw told you a lot about the forest, didn't he?" She asked.

Molly nodded. "Yes, he did. Oh, and sorry that I attacked you earlier- I didn't mean to, really," She mewed anxiously.

Ashstar shrugged. "It's nothing. Besides, your fighting was excellent. All you need to do is get taught more moves and different strategy other than sneaking up on cats."

"But won't you miss the rest of the kittypets?" Ashstar asked, bringing up a good point.

Molly did something that was between a shrug and a nod. "A bit. But I won't need kittypet buddies when I have the rest of the Clan to watch over me, right?" She asked.

Runningpaw and Ashstar exchanged an uneasy look. Runningpaw didn't want to be the one to break the news to the kittypet, so Ashstar did instead. She needed to know anyway.

"Well, it might take them a while to get used to you," Ashstar admitted. "But otherwise with your fighting skills you'll fit in pretty quick."

Molly nodded, but moments later gasped. "Oh my gosh, I forgot something!" She exclaimed worriedly. "Do you mind if I…"

Ashstar dipped her head. "Take your time," She mewed serenely.

Runningpaw watched the she-cat leap through the bushy ferns with a hurried pace. What had she forgotten that could possibly be so important? Her collar, some extra kittypet food to fill her up, a cat toy?

The smoky gray she-cat sighed. "Well, while we're waiting, Runningpaw, do you want to catch us all something?" She asked.

Runningpaw nodded. He was excited to get somewhere away from the stench of kittypet, somewhere where he could just relax and catch some prey like always.

He leaped off through the bramble bushes and held his mouth open to search for prey scents.

He crept slowly close to the ground, keeping his belly fur from brushing the dust. It might make a slight sound which could scare off the mice.

Suddenly, a familiar scent flooded Runningpaw's senses- rabbit. And he had finally caught sight of it.

Runningpaw tried not to gasp as he saw it- a huge, plump rabbit which was the perfect size for three cats. He slowly started to creep up on it. His paws were light so as not to distract the rabbit and make it speed off for Runningpaw to dash after.

He sailed through the air, making not a sound until he caught the rabbit full speed. Proudly, Runningpaw picked it up and brandished it. It was so big he could hardly see over it, and couldn't even see the path that he was walking.

As he padded back to where Ashstar and Molly were, he heard a snarl. Runningpaw whipped around, the rabbit legs hitting his muzzle, and made sure that there was no cat around. But it hadn't come from behind him, but in front of him- right by where Ashstar was staying.

He cautiously pushed his nose through the bramble bush, his eyes watering as one caught on his ear, and stepped into the cool grass.

Ashstar was sitting there, annoyed. She didn't seem happy- and that wasn't good. Runningpaw tried to announce that he was there by grumbling and stepping on a dry leaf.

The smoky gray she-cat whipped around to see Runningpaw. She beamed at the sight of his catch. "Well done, Runningpaw," She mewed. "That is perfect for all three of us. Here, bring it in. Molly should be back soon, even though it is taking her a while." There was a hint of a grumble in Ashstar's voice as she spoke.

"Where should I put it?" Asked Runningpaw.

Ashstar gestured to a pile of leaves she had readied for a makeshift fresh-kill pile. Runningpaw trotted to the spot and gingerly put the huge rabbit down.

"So Molly isn't here yet?" Runningpaw asked.

"Molly is her name?" Asked Ashstar. "I had no idea. Anyway, yes, she isn't here yet. I have no idea where she is, and I don't care where she is, I want her here!" She snarled with a hostile tone.

"I'm sure that she will be here soon," Runningpaw meowed gently. "She must have just forgotten to say goodbye to a special friend or something."

Ashstar sighed. "Well, she could at least say goodbye to her friend a bit faster! I need to get back to the Clan as fast as possible!" She hissed. "StarClan, I told her to take her time, but not this much time!"

Runningpaw could sympathize with Ashstar. She was worried about her Clan, which was only natural for a leader. It wasn't her fault that she was being so nasty- just instinct.

"Well, when she gets here, I'll be sure to tell her that she should have been faster, because-" Ashstar got interrupted suddenly.

A bristle was heard in the ferns and Runningpaw caught sight of Molly's pale tabby coat. But that wasn't the only coat that he could see through the leafy green plant. He frowned.

Ashstar was thinking the same way. She was giving Molly a death glare as she came in with a dark brown tabby. "And who, may I ask, do you have with you?" She hissed coldly.

Molly just casually shrugged. "Oh, him?" She asked, pointing with her tail. Runningpaw couldn't help but be annoyed at how clueless she was. "Oh, he's Brian, a friend of mine. He's a fellow kittypet, and when he heard all about the forest, he couldn't help but want to come with me. Of course, if that's okay with you, Ashstar?" She asked, trying to sound respectful and cover what she had just done.

"Wait," Runningpaw growled, trying not to sound too angry. "So you told other cats what I told you? How could you do that, Molly? You can't just let other cats into the Clan! You have to come alone like you promised! Doesn't that even occur to you?"

"Listen, just because I'm a kittypet doesn't mean that you two can beat on me and scold me all you want!" Molly snapped with Brian shrinking with bashfulness behind her.

"We're not angry with you because you're a kittypet!" Ashstar yowled. "We're angry with you because you betrayed Runningpaw by telling other cats about the forest. You're not supposed to do that!"

"I'm not?" Molly asked cluelessly.

Runningpaw's tail bristled with anger. "No, you're not!" He hissed.

Molly frowned and looked down at her paws. She looked like she was trying to hold back tears as she mewed, "Oh."

Now Molly was sad with him! Why was she so ignorant?

"Listen, I didn't mean to, Molly," Runningpaw assured. Which wasn't a lie- it had just slipped out. "But I told you not to tell anybody. And we really can't deal with another mouth to feed. You just don't understand."

Molly sighed. "Oh," She repeated.

"And that isn't a bad thing, because you're a…new." Runningpaw flinched when he had nearly said "Kittypet".

Ashstar nodded. "Runningpaw has a point. ThunderClan can't deal with two more mouths to feed, especially since we have a new litter of kits coming. That basically multiplies our population by about one third, and its really hard for us to deal with all of that going on."

"Ohmygosh, you have a new litter of kits coming?" Molly mewed excitedly.

Runningpaw tried not to groan at the kittypet's ignorance of the life of a forest cat. Would she ever understand? Would Ashstar ever let her join the Clan at this rate?

Ashstar looked infuriated. "Yes, we do. Now do you want to join the Clan or not?" She asked wearily.

Molly rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course I want to! Duh! Why else did I drag my furry butt over here, to see the sights? 'Cause that's not why."

"Then get Brian or whatever his name is out of here immediately or I will ban you from ThunderClan forever!" Ashstar hissed through bared teeth.

"Well Ashstar," Runningpaw interrupted. Ashstar's green glare was directed to him.

The apprentice gulped. "Well, I was just going to say that ThunderClan are desperate for more warriors. Most of them had died in Leafbare, remember? So who are we to deny him a spot in our Clan?" He asked. Leafbare was a time of intense starvation and greencough. Mossflower, who was Mosspaw back then, hadn't been able to find any good herbs to cure greencough and because of this, many cats had died, even her mentor.

Ashstar sighed. "Well, you have a point Runningpaw, but…" She looked into Brian's eyes, staring down the rims of the deep brown orbs. "I'm not sure that he wants to join our Clan."

"Oh, I would love that, um…" Brian leaned to Molly and Runningpaw heard her whisper, "Ashstar" and then he continued, "Ashstar."

Ashstar glowered at Brian. "Are you really sure? You won't have as much food as you do in your Twoleg nest, and you might not like the other cats. You have to hunt for other cats and then yourself, and you must take your Clan before any other thing in the world, even yourself." Ashstar mewed gravely.

The dark brown tabby nodded. "Yeah, I'd like to join your Thunderwhatsit…" another whisper from Molly "…ThunderClan."

"Well, if you think that you're ready, then come," Ashstar meowed. "But if you don't like it, you can't go back to the kittypet world. And you can't live both in ThunderClan and in Twolegplace. You have to have both paws firmly rooted in onen world…your choice," She mewed.

Runningpaw was starting to wonder if Ashstar was trying to get Brian out of joining ThunderClan. But it made sense- Brian would be a pain in the tail most of the time judging by his character- if Molly wasn't always following Runningpaw around.

His next answer irritated Runningpaw. "I can do that."

"Then Runningpaw," Ashstar growled, "You'll have to go out and get an extra mouse. He'll need something to keep him full on the way home."

The two kittypets shook their heads. "Oh no, Ashstar," They mewed obediently in unison.

Ashstar's ears flattened. "Why is that?" She mewed patiently.

"We already had some kittypet food to eat before we left so that we wouldn't go hungry," Molly murmured.

Runningpaw sighed. If Molly and this…Brian cat were going to survive in the Clan, it would take forever to get them used to occasions in Clan life. Training them is going to take a while, Runningpaw thought, all thoughts before of Molly being a good warrior slowly melted away.

Ah, Brian and Molly seem to be SO ignorant poor guys. Anyways, review please! And tell me some good names for Ratfur's kits! if you want u can include pelt colors too!