A.N.: Hi everyone! I've actually really enjoyed writing the character one-shots, so would you guys be interested in a whole separate story meant for the background characters? You could suggest whichever cats you want in the whole clan list. Would that be cool? Let me know. It looks like Softpaw won the next one, so she should be next chapter! ~12HockeyChick21


P.O.V. Of Moonshadow

Moonshadow dragged himself out of the warriors' den, ready for dawn patrol. It had been a half moon since Softpaw's attack and she and his father had returned to her training a few days prior. As he padded over to the group that consisted of Blackstream, Clearwhisker, Sorrelbriar, and Honeysplash, the rage he felt boiled a bit more to the surface. He shook himself out, trying to keep it down. He still couldn't believe his father would do that to him... He frowned, thinking of Softpaw. It was his fault that she had been attacked.

Moonshadow padded past the tired looking Mud and her guard, currently Stonetooth, and stopped beside Sorrelbriar and Honeysplash, the tortoiseshell she-cat comforting the golden she-cat quietly. Moonshadow dipped his head in condolences, remembering that he had heard all three of her siblings had fallen ill and moved into the sick den.

"Hello Honeysplash, how are you?" He asked. She glared at him.

"I don't need the sympathy, Moonshadow." she spat, then turned tail and led the way out of camp. Clearwhisker and Blackstream exchanged glances before following the she-cat.

"Was it something I said?" Moonshadow asked, but Sorrelbriar shook her head and followed the others.


Moonshadow struggled to keep his eyes open as he padded in the back of the group. They were renewing the ThunderClan/LightClan border. He fell out of focus for only a moment and he ended slamming into the hindquarters of Sorrelbriar.

"OH! Sorry." He mewed quickly, but the group shushed him. There were faint yowls in the distance.

"You're right Blackstream, good ear. Let's go investigate!" Clearwhisker exclaimed, dashing off with Blackstream following close behind him. Moonshadow, Sorrelbriar, and Honeysplash hurried after them.

A group of rogues were surrounding three cats, one a dark gray tabby tom, one an older mottled gray/brown tom, and one a cream and brown tortoiseshell she-cat that was obviously expectant.

"She's pregnant! We gotta help!" Blackstream exclaimed, being the first to throw herself into the fray. Moonshadow followed the others as they leapt into the fight as well. He tackled a ginger and white tom who reared up, spitting angrily.

"GIVE US MUD!" He spat. Moonshadow gave a growl.

"Never, she killed my sister!" He hissed.

"Then we may just have to come take her back ourselves!" The tom hissed, swiping at Moonshadow's muzzle. Moonshadow hissed, flinging the tom away from him.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Clearwhisker's yowl made both of the toms look at the white tom, staring after some fleeing rogues. The tom Moonshadow had been fighting bristled and let his ears flatten before giving a defiant hiss and following the others.

"I'm warning you, we're gonna find your camp and take back my mate!"

Moonshadow looked back to see his patrol looking over the three cats.

"Are you alright?" Sorrelbriar asked worriedly, sniffing the old tom.

"What happened?" Blackstream questioned the pregnant she-cat. The pregnant she-cat looked up from licking her ruffled chest fur and gasped aloud when her eyes fell on Blackstream. The longhaired black warrior visibly recoiled, leaning against Clearwhisker. Moonshadow frowned, knowing how self-conscious Blackstream must still feel about her looks.

"Cream, be more respectful." The old tom looked to the she-cat with a scolding stare before turning back to Blackstream and Clearwhisker. "Thank you... we're okay. My name is Eagle and this is my daughter Cream and her mate Dark."

"They just attacked us, calling us LightClan..." The younger tom mewed, licking a paw and drawing it to his bloody ear.

"Oh I'm so sorry." Honeysplash meowed, making the tom tilt his head questioningly.

"Why?"

"We're LightClan, they must have been looking for us." Clearwhisker explained.

"We've been having a bunch of problems with them." Blackstream sighed.

"Well they seem absolutely awful." Dark mewed, looking back up from his paw.

"How about we help you fight them off?" Eagle asked.

"Yes and Cream would have a safe place to give birth." Dark purred excitedly.

"Come on, we can bring you to talk about it with our leader." Moonshadow mewed, leading the way back to camp.


P.O.V. Of Otterstrike

Otterstrike arrived at the ShadowClan border by the time the whole Sun had come up from the horizon. It was his second time bringing some herbs to Puddleshine. The first time, most of ShadowClan seemed really unhappy to have him there even though he was helping, but Puddleshine had asked him to bring a few more herbs if Fawnheart and Silverberry had been okay with it. Luckily, they had as long as Puddleshine let them borrow something Otterstrike couldn't remember the name of.

"Hello Otterstrike." He was greeted by Snowbird and the rest of the patrol that was meeting him at the border. Otterstrike dipped his head in greeting since he couldn't verbally respond due to the amount of herbs in his mouth. Otterstrike dropped some and Snowbird picked them up.

"Come on." She mewed, muffled, motioning for him to follow them back to camp.

Puddleshine was nowhere in sight when Otterstrike padded in.

"Puddleshine is in his den looking after Scorchfur and Gullpaw." Snowbird mewed, still muffled through the herbs. She shook her head sadly at the mention of her mate and daughter. "They have little coughs and Puddleshine is worried."

"I'm sure everything will be fine." Otterstrike replied, following the white she-cat to the ShadowClan medicine cat den, feeling the cats staring at him.

"Hello Otterstrike, Snowbird. If you could just place the herbs down over there." Puddleshine was bustling around busily, not even looking up from what he was doing to properly greet the two as they padded in. Snowbird went over to her family members, both in nests in a corner. Otterstrike stood awkwardly after placing the herbs down. Perhaps he'd never figure out a way to see Russetshade. The large tabby turned to leave, but Puddleshine's voice stopped him.

"Otterstrike, wait up a second. Could you do me a quick favor?" Otterstrike tilted his head at the ShadowClan medicine cat.

"What is it, Puddleshine?" He asked. The tom poked his nose into a crevice and pulled out what Otterstrike recognized as borage that he'd brought to ShadowClan last time.

"Could you possibly take a bit of this to Russetshade in the nursery? She'd been complaining about a fever and I haven't had time to leave these two to give them to her." The tom mewed. Otterstrike had to physically hold back his excitement, nodding curtly to the medicine cat before dipping down to pick up the borage.

"Sure."

"Come back when you're done so I can give you what Fawnheart and Silverberry had asked for." Puddleshine mewed, already having returned to his work.

"The nursery is the den just across from here. I can come with you if you need." Snowbird mewed to Otterstrike, but the LightClan tom shook his head, maybe a bit too quickly. So he hurriedly added a muffled verbal response.

"No need Snowbird, thank you though. Stay with Scorchfur and Gullpaw." Otterstrike smiled and padded back outside and across the clearing to the nursery.

Russetshade was luckily the only cat in the nursery and Otterstrike was a bit surprised to see her with a round, growing belly. The russet red she-cat was laid out on her side in the far corner of the den, looking up when she sensed his entrance.

"Otterstrike?" Her eyes widened, "What are you doing here?"

Otterstrike padded over and placed the borage at her paws.

"I was just bringing Puddleshine some more herbs and he asked me to bring you this. He said you were worried about a fever. Are you alright? How are you feeling?"

Russetshade glared up at him, sitting up slightly. She said nothing for a few moments, then lapped up the herbs, squinting at their bitter taste. But then she sighed, turning away.

"I can't do this anymore."

"Do what?" Otterstrike questioned.

"Pretend I don't care about you... because it's a lie. Otterstrike I care about you a lot, but these kits... they shouldn't have happened. We were just supposed to be friends."

Otterstrike noticed the she-cat shivering, so without thinking he laid down, curling his body against hers.

"Wh-what are you doing?" She asked.

"You're cold." He replied. Russetshade sighed and laid her head on his flank.

"See? This is what I'm talking about. This is wrong..."

"But... I love you, Russetshade. And I'm so happy that you're expecting my kits. And I want to be with you so badly..." He sighed as well, breathing in the she-cat's scent.

They laid quietly for a few moments, Russetshade not responding right away. He closed his eyes and imagined their kits as if they were squirming about at her belly curve right at that moment.

"Then join ShadowClan..." Russetshade's near whisper shocked Otterstrike and he opened his eyes wide to meet her forest green ones. But before he could reply, a yowl broke the silence. It sounded like Puddershine's shriek.

"THE SHADOWS! WE MUST FEAR THE MOON'S SHADOW!"