Excitement brewed beneath the dark evergreen trees. Cats milled about ShadowClan's camp, their tails swishing in anticipation. Even the kits huddled outside the shelter of the nursery, whispering excitedly.

     Leopardkit squeezed between the fluffy pelts of Rowankit and Lizardkit, earning an irritated glare from the tabby tom. She didn't pay him any attention, her bright amber eyes glued to the scene before her. Duskkit and Lightningkit crouched just in front of the older kits, their breath held as they watched. Fogtail and Roseheart flanked their litters, the queens' gazes shining with amusement.

    The entire Clan was gathered in the clearing, murmuring quietly amongst themselves under the bright moonlight. There was an air of tension and excitement in the cool night. A hush fell as Flowerstar leapt down from the High Branch, graceful as a swooping owl. The lean silver she-cat slowly made her way to stand before three cats lined up nervously.

    Flowerstar let her piercing blue gaze fall on each of them for a few heartbeats, coolly calculating and judging. Swiftpaw's cream pelt was sleek and freshly groomed, and although she sat very still, her twitching whiskers and gleaming hazel eyes betrayed her excitement. Beside her, Starlingpaw puffed out his broad ginger chest. Marshpaw, the calmest of the three siblings, met Flowerstar's stare with an even golden gaze.

    Flowerstar looked them over for a moment more before her clear, shrill voice rang out. "I, Flowerstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

     There was a pause before the silver she-cat raked her blue eyes over the apprentices again. "Do you, Swiftpaw, Marshpaw, and Starlingpaw, all promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

     Without hesitation, each of them uttered, "I do."

     Leopardkit watched the ceremony, smashed uncomfortably between Rowankit and her brother. Her stomach was turning over in a mix of excitement and nervousness for the apprentices. Would Flowerstar let them become warriors? It had only been a few moonrises ago that the she-kit had played a light-hearted game of mossball with them. Would they still be allowed to play?

     Flowerstar paced before the three, still staring them down with a stony expression. She paused with a paw in the air, and a flicker of delight passed over her eyes. Her lip twitched into a small smile. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you all your warrior names. Swiftpaw, step forward."

     Her eyes shining, the cream-colored she-cat obeyed.

     Flowerstar's blue eyes were surprisingly soft and proud as they looked over the young she-cat. "Swiftpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Swiftsong. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and compassion for others, and we welcome you as a full member of ShadowClan."

    Flowerstar briefly rested her chin on Swiftsong's head, and the newly-made warrior licked her shoulder respectfully.

    Next up was Starlingpaw. Leopardkit thought she noticed a nervous twitch of his black tail as he stepped up to Flowerstar, but her eyes might have deceived her.

    "Starlingpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Starlingheart. StarClan honors your courage and strength, and we welcome you as a full member of ShadowClan."

    After Starlingheart joined his sister, both with gleaming gazes, the rest of the Clan turned to Marshpaw.

    Flowerstar nodded in approval as the final tom stepped toward her, sitting and curling his tail around his paws modestly. "Last but certainly not least, Marshpaw. From this moment on, you will be known as Marshwatcher. StarClan honors your patience and determination, and we welcome you as a full member of ShadowClan."

    As soon as Flowerstar's words died off, ShadowClan burst into yowls and caterwauls, echoing deep into the pine trees. Leopardkit started at the sudden outburst, her spotted fur rising as her eyes flitted around her. Even her fellow kits joined in the celebration, Rowankit and Lizardkit letting out long yowls while the younger tom-kits bounced around with high-pitched squeals.

    They chanted the new warriors' names—Swiftsong, Starlingheart, Marshwatcher—over and over again. Warriors swarmed toward the three, giving them all congratulatory licks and warm words of encouragement.

     Overwhelmed by the commotion, Leopardkit let instinct take her over and she emptied her lungs, letting out a sharp cry of glee into the night air. The stars above her received it in silence, twinkling.

    Her little cries were swallowed up by the booming voices of the louder warriors, but Leopardkit hardly cared. All she knew was the feeling of adrenaline blazing through her veins, making her want to burst into a run and never slow down.

     The commotion slowly died down. Warriors were still crowded around the three littermates, chattering loudly. As the crowd opened up to allow a glimpse of Starlingheart's ginger pelt, Lightningkit charged forward, ignoring Fogtail's soft warning. Leopardkit found her paws bounding after the little gray tom, cold air whipping past her whiskers.

     Amber eyes gleaming, Leopardkit darted nimbly between the paws of the larger ShadowClan cats, finally skidding to a stop. Starlingheart had already padded away, but Marshwatcher was still there, tilting his head down at her curiously.

     "Congratulations," Leopardkit blurted without thinking. Energy was still pulsing through her veins like fire.

     Marshwatcher let out a low purr. "Thank you," he said modestly, although his golden eyes were alight.

     Lightningkit jumped up on the pale ginger tom's foreleg. "Will you and Starlingheart and Swiftsong still play mossball with us?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice.

     Marshwatcher hesitated. "Well, our warrior duties must always come first..." When he spotted Lightningkit's crestfallen face, the new warrior let out a purr. "But I'm sure we'll be able to squeeze in a game every now and then."

     As Lightningkit squealed in delight, Leopardkit scanned the camp, searching for a familiar cream pelt. She finally spotted her at the edge of the crowd, talking delighted to her mother and father, Honeystem and Waspwing.

     Leopardkit nearly threw herself at Swiftsong. Without hesitation, she pressed her nose into the she-cat's soft cream fur, purring loudly. Then she glanced up, amber eyes gleaming with the reflection of the stars. "You're a warrior now!"

    Swiftsong's hazel eyes were bright, but also soft as they gazed down at Leopardkit. "Yes, and before you know it, you'll be one too."

     Leopardkit let the warrior's words sink in, looking up to the stars. One day, she would be the one whose name was called out beneath the pines under the moonlight, crisp and clear. She would stand next to Lizardkit and Rowankit as they received their honors, breathing shakily and trembling with the excitement. Then she would patrol the vastness of the territory with her friends night after night, tucking away to sleep in the warmth and company of the warriors' den for the day as the sunrise beamed over the horizon.

     And she found that she wanted it.

     When Leopardkit glanced over her shoulder, she saw that Rowankit had joined her. The fluffy gray she-kit was staring at her, a knowing and satisfied gleam in her dark amber eyes.

     Leopardkit was instantly reminded of what she had wanted to tell her friend earlier. "Flowerstar was being weird during the ceremony. She was acting... nice. It was so strange!"

     Rowankit purred in amusement. "Flowerstar isn't as unfriendly as she acts in front of ThunderClan. She's got a reputation to uphold. What would the other Clans think if ShadowClan all of a sudden softened up? We'd lose all our respect!"

     Both the she-kits laughed, a clear and pure sound among the commotion of the gathered cats.

     "But seriously," Rowankit went on, her tufted ears twitching, "we would all die for one another. We are unshakably loyal to each other. That's what the other Clans don't understand about us."

     Leopardkit opened her jaws to respond, but found she had nothing to say. The she-kit's gaze drifted toward the three new warriors, who had all gathered together and were speaking to each other in hushed whispers. Not far off, their mothers, fathers, littermates, and friends looked on in pride. Even Flowerstar, who sat amongst her warriors, murmured how proud she was of them.

     Rowankit's words were so simple, yet true. ShadowClan warriors may have their disagreements and petty arguments, but they were fiercely loyal to one another. They were unified, as steady as the stars set in the sky; as firm as a pine, its roots intertwined deeply into the earth.

    So utterly different than her messy family situation back in ThunderClan.

    Once again Leopardkit opened her jaws to say something, but later she would not remember. Because at that moment, her entire world was flipped upside down, once again.

    A panicked shriek split the joyfulness in the air. The ShadowClan warriors bristled and turned toward the camp entrance. Low growls emitted from their throats, spreading throughout camp like thunder.

    Leopardkit struggled to get a good look past the ruffled pelts of the ShadowClan cats. Leaving Rowankit behind, she bounded closer, weaving in between the warrior's stiffened legs. Once she finally broke past the crowd, her breath caught in her throat.

    Standing there, his sleek black fur shining silver under the moonlight and green eyes stony as he eyed the ShadowClan cats, was none other than Darkstar himself.