Aa.: " Just to start with the usual, since Firestar is too busy swimming back to shore, I do not own Warriors, nor the characters, except for Moonpaw (as well as his warrior name), Flamepaw, Fallenpaw, Poolpaw, and Cinderheart and Lionblaze's kits :) "

Cinderheart: " Okay, so when exactly are the kits coming? I have been pregnant forever!"

Lionblaze: " I want my kits!"

Heathertail: " Traitor"

Cinderheart: *growls*

Aa." Hey! Its a catfight!...haha get it guys? cat-fight?*

Cinderheart + Heathertail: * Stares*

Hazeltail: " IM ALIIIIVEEE!"

Aa.: "Er- no. Let's just say your visiting Thunderclan from Starclan okay?"

Hazeltail: " But can I still be with Berrynose?"

Aa.: " Technically no."

Hazeltail: *walks away hissing at everything she sees*

Aa.: " Okay! So anyway- enjoy- ! "

Ivytail: " I love you Moonpaw!"

Aa.: .

"Firestar, there was a full moon- how is that possible? The Gathering was not supposed to be for days- yet the full moon showed up tonight. Was there no truce then? Will Starclan be upset with us?"

"Calm down Hazeltail. I do no believe that Starclan will punish us- we were not the ones to attack, but we defended," then the leader hesitated, taking a swift glance at Moonpaw, before continuing,

"remember that the moon basked Moonpaw, and Jayfeather has agreed that it is to be taken as approval." there was an edge to his mew and he flicked his tail reassuringly at the cats before

bounding away to Jayfeather's den.

The cats dispersed, confused as ever, and slept long.

Doveflight purred with soft eyes as she looked at Moonpaw. The apprentice sat anxiously behind his prey: in his final assessment, he had managed to catch two mice, a fat squirrel, and a blackbird. He

had never once made a mistake, and Moonpaw felt like he would start flying there was so much hope. Finally his mentor bend her head.

" You did well, I'm sure Firestar will be pleased." she ran the tip of her tail down his flank and bounded off, to tell Firestar, Moonpaw assumed.

Taking his prey as well as he might in his jaw Moonpaw padded slowly back to camp, looking at the forest in a whole new way. The trees seemed closer, figuratively of course, now that he truly did

belong in the forest. He may not be pure ThunderClan, but it was almost as good, wasn't it?

Suddenly dismay pushed away the hope in Moonpaw's heart- even as a warrior the other clan cats would never accept him as a true clan cat, they all believed in the concept that a cat had to be clan

born, but look at Firestar, he was a leader for StarClan's sake.

A heavy sigh escaped him and he accidentally dropped his prey.

"You need help with that?" came Ivytail's soft mew, she must have out hunting.

"Yes please."

But as Ivypaw bent to pick up the blackbird, the filtered sun caught her deep blue eyes and Moonpaw ended up staring.

"What?" Ivytail asked, some self-consciousness edging in her mew.

Moonpaw shook his head as though to clear it- there was no way he was going to say out loud how pretty he thought she was.

"Thanks for helping, that's all." he mewed quietly before picking up his two mice and waited for Ivytail to catch up, and when she did she ended up walking so close to him that their pelts brushed and

Moonpaw's nose was filled with her sweet scent.

"Thanks again!" Moonpaw mewed after Ivytail once they had dropped the prey on the fresh killed pile.

She hesitated in her steps, as if about to say something, but she simply nodded her head and padded away to share tongues with Briarlight.

Moonpaw found it weird that Doveflight and Ivytail weren't even able to share a mouse together without bickering. It was such a contrast from Leafpool and Squirrelflight's relationship. The two senior

she-cats were always together, almost exiled from the clan as nearly no cat spoke to them unless necessary.

Still, Moonpaw did not know what they had done.

"Moonpaw!"

The call came from Firestar's den where Moonpaw could see Jayfeather's eyes glinting in the darkness.

Worried there was something wrong, Moonpaw padded on nervous paws up the rockfall and into the leader's den.

"Yes?" he could now see that Firestar was there with Jayfeather, both cats somewhat fidgety.

"I need you to travel to the Moonpool with me." Jayfeather blurted, anxiety and wonder radiating from him.

The apprentice's eyes widened and his ears shot straight up in the air.

"Me? But why?"

The leader and medicine cat exchanged glances and Firestar spoke, his voice hiding all emotion.

"Because Jayfeather needs to confirm something. Now go." Firestar's voice was brisk, but Moonpaw knew it was not from hostility.

"O-Okay." Moonpaw stuttered and scampered after Jayfeather down to rockfall and into his den.

"Eat these." Jayfeather pushed some not so inviting herbs toward him, "they are strengthening herbs. Look at the sky, the sun is setting and we have to go soon. After this, go eat some fresh kill."

Moonpaw ate the herbs and was about to ask how Jayfeather knew where the sun was but caught himself just in time, padding away before the grouchy medicine cat could say anything.

"Hi Cinderheart!" Moonpaw mewed as he neared the queen-to-be nosing through the fresh kill pile.

"Oh, I'm glad to see you Moonpaw. Would you like to share pray with me, everyone else insists that I should be in the nursery." she muttered as she took a plump mouse into her jaw.

"Sure, I'd love to." Moonpaw took the blackbird he had caught earlier and sat beside the fattening queen.

He purred as he thought of the new kits. Lionblaze had been so happy about the kits, he had started blabbing out kit names for the last moon it seemed.

The other warriors were only putting up with him because they respected him, but the wire was getting thin.

"When are the kits due?" Moonpaw asked in between mouthfuls of blackbird.

"In less than a quarter moon, Jayfeather says, but honesly I could keep them in here forever. I don't want them to leave." she cooed to her stomach and Moonpaw stiffled a purr of amusement.

"And never hunt or fight ever again?" he teased and this time he purred at the alarmed look in Cinderheart's widened eyes.

"Don't worry," Lionblaze's mew sounded as he licked Cinderheart between the ears, " you'll make a wonderful mother and the best warrior in clan." he purred.

"Well I won't ever be able to fight a whole clan to myself." she mumbled and Lionblaze's whiskers quivered in amusement as he settled close to his mate.

"I have to go, Jayfeather will get upset if I don't hurry up." mewed Moonpaw, trying to excuse himself.

"Where are you going?"

But Moonpaw pounced away before he had to answer, not sure as to what to tell the curious queen.

Jayfeather scented the air and briskly turned around to face Moonpaw.

"Have Starclan ever contacted you?" he blurted.

Moonpaw did a double take and hesitated.

"You don't have to tell me the details, just say yes or no."

Moonpaw nodded and Jayfeather's eyes hardened before softening again.

"Alright let's go."

They padded down the path that had been worn by so many paws over the countless moons. Once they came to the edge of the pool, Jayfeather sat close, tucking his paws under his chest.

"Take a lap at the water." he instructed and Moonpaw did so.

"Spottedleaf? Yellowfang?" Moonpaw called as he found himself suddenly in the starry fields that he had first met the two Starclan cats in.

Then a cat appeared and Moonpaw scented the air, disappointed.

It was a she-cat, but not Spottedleaf nor Yellowfang.

"Good evening Moonpaw." her mew was motherly and her scent was impossibly familiar.

It reminded Moonpaw of the nursery.

"H-hello." Moonpaw always found himself nervous around the star filled cats.

"You have something you want to ask." she noted and Moonpaw did not bother to act surprise, just nodded.

"Why the full moon? There is always a truce during the full moon, yet all of the clans were fighting that night."

The black and white she-cat shrugged and Moonpaw blinked.

When he opened them again, a gray tom with black ears stood beside the she-cat, his tail around her.

"These are things we cannot explain to you," he mewed quietly, "but there are other things you should know."

"Tell me," Moonpaw was so eager to know the information destined to him that he sounded commanding, "please." he added, his fur feeling hot with embarrassment.

The two cats looked at each other and then the she-cat started to speak.

" First things first. My name is Raincloud, and this is Mountainstar."

Moonpaw could guess where they had gotten their names.

"Were you ThunderClan?" They both nodded simultaneously but Moonpaw could not smell the ThunderClan scents on them; they were StarClan now.

"You never were Malcolm, Moonpaw." Raincloud mewed softly.

"What?"

Mountainstar stepped closer and placed his gray eyes in Moonpaw's green ones.

"You have your mother's green eyes." he purred as Raincloud joined him.

Her eyes were…exactly the same shade as Moonpaw's.

"And you have your father's pelt." Raincloud added.

Mountainstar had a hint of silver in his pelt, and Moonpaw could see the same spots on him that were on his pelt.

This could not be.

"My son…" Raincloud purred and her eyes softened, like melting tree leaves.

Moonpaws 's ears flattened and he backed up slightly.

"You're lying. How could this be? You're generation lived hundreds of moons ago, I cannot be your kit."

Mountainstar's eyes were intense on him.

"But you are wrong. We did not live Generations ago. We are from the same generation as you clanmates that are now warriors."

" But you were leader!" confusion hit Moonpaw so fiercely, the surroundings started to blurr. "I want to understand."

Raincloud looked up at her mate and he nodded.

"We cannot explain this in such a short time, but please believe us. Look inside yourself Moonpaw, you know this is true."

Moonpaw opened his mouth to speak but Spottedleaf's voice was heard first.

"Young one, do not throw away such a blessing. These two cats speak nothing but the truth." her amber eyes were so full of emotion, Moonpaw had no choice but to believe them.

This meant…he was clan born after all! His father had been leader, and even though he did not understand how that had been possible, Spottedleaf had said it was true, and he knew the young

tortoiseshell would never tell such a big lie.

Moonpaw looked at his mother and father and with a small wail like a kit, he leaped to his parents and burried his muzzle in their fur, realising how familiar their scents were.

"It's time to go." Spottedleaf murmured, sorrow in her voice.

"No! Raincloud, Mountainstar, don't leave me! I just found you!"

Both of the cat's eyes were molten with love, but they were now fading away.

"We love you Moonpaw." they told him in wholesome and warmth spread over his pelt like fire.

"And then they left." Moonpaw finished, and he felt like running back to the Moonpool to talk to his parents again.

"I knew there was something more to you, Moonpaw." Firestar mewed after having heard the full details of Moonpaw's visit to StarClan."Do you wish for the others to know?"

Moonpaw gasped. Firestar was giving him the opportunity to discard his kittypet reputation and be respected like the true clancat he was. But now?

"Thank you Firestar, but I will tell them when the time is right."

"Wisely spoken." Firestar mewed and then he looked past Moonpaw, "Are you ready?"

Moonpaw dipped his head in consent and padded out of the den, his tail held high in pride.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey stand here beneath high ledge." Firestar's mew echoed through the camp and cats started streaming into the center of the camp." It is high time that

one of our apprentices become a warrior," everyone went silent, looking at Moonpaw who stood below high ledge with Doveflight and Brambleclaw, "Moonpaw you have learned for moons enough

how to be a clan cat, how to live for your clan, and you have proved that you will fight tooth and claw whenever you clan is in need. You have the blood of a warrior running through you, fierce and

strong. Doveflight, you have taught him better than we had ever expected, and proved yourself to be an excellent mentor," murmurs of approval sounded from the gathered cats, " Moonpaw from this

day on you shall be known as Moonflame."

Moonflame purred as the clan shouted his name, Ivytail's coming the loudest, next to Cinderheart who had just managed to crawl out of the nursery with her overlarge belly.

Moonflame sat vigil in the camp, his shift just started. His ears were pricked, listening for every sound and scurry around the camp.

Well done, my little one.

I am proud of you.

Raincloud and Mountainstar's mews and scents twisted around Moonflame and he stiffled a purr, determined to stay completely silent.

" Hey stop that! I am not lying!" came Doveflight's amused mew from the warriors' den.

" Yes you are, I see the way you act around Foxleap." Ivytail's mew was heard next.

So the sisters were finally speaking to one another.

"Well I see how you moon over Moonflame."

No sound was made then and Moonflame felt his paws getting hot.

"At least I can admit it." Ivytail mewed quietly.

And the two she-cats were quiet for the rest of the night.

***

"Hi Moonflame, your vigil is over now." Ivytail padded out of the warrior's den on sleepy paws, oblivious to the fact that Moonflame had heard her conversation on the night before,

"Thank you Ivytail." it was a relief to finally talk. Moonflame started to walk back towards the apprentice den and Ivytail bounded toward him and nudged him gently the Warriors' den.

"You sleep in the Warriors' den now silly." she purred and Moonflame turned the other way, extremely sleepy.

"Ivytail?"

"Yes?"

"You're a wonderful cat."Moonflame set his green eyes in her deep blue ones and licked her ear.

Ivytail looked down quickly and a soft purr made way to Moonflame's ears.

As they walked back to the warriors' den together, their tails twined and Moonflame was grateful for the den made right beside Ivytail's. The two cats curled up together, their combined purrs sounding

through the den.