#i forgot windclaw...

Shimmerstar's policy when it comes to outsiders is simply to welcome them without fear. Visitors are not uncommon, allowing the clan more insight into the world beyond their borders than most. Though usually, cats allowed to join Moonclan go through an apprenticeship before being considered full members of the clan, Shimmerstar has never 'failed' any of them and has yet to exile any cat. Thanks to the closeness and loyalty of the group, the clan has little to fear from individual troublemakers and most of those who leave, or change their minds about joining, do so of their own volition.

I'd like to name and talk about all the Moonclan cats here, but for now I'll start by telling you the story of one of this clan's previous leaders. In the meantime, feel free to guess at who the other cats are if you'd like, and when I get to them you can see if you were right or not.

Shimmerstar

(Hanzo Kisaragi)

Until recently, Shimmerstar was the leader of Moonlcan. Under his leadership, the clan has grown into a close-knit group where cats openly express their own views and different ways of doing things. Though Moonclan has always had a reputation for 'taking in strays,' Shimmerstar has allowed far more cats from outside his own clan to join them than any of his predecessors, one of which includes his own daughter, Duskshade. Though some leaders might see these traits as a lack of unity, Shimmerstar was wise enough to understand that it is one of his clan's greatest strengths, and has made sure to encourage it wherever possible.

Shimmershine spent some of his younger years as a medicine cat, has lived in other clans and groups before, and his ex-mate was not a clan cat. All of his experiences must have led him to be as openminded and clever of a leader, and caring of a father, as he would one day be.

He grew up in Sunclan, and was once close with the clan's current leader, Sharpstar, along with another warrior their age named Petaldust, before falling out with the former and leaving the clan he was born into. His former mate was part of a nomadic group of she-cats called The Sisters, and his relationship with her, while it lasted, was warm. He met her while he was still a member of Sunclan and slowly fell in love. Knowing that Sunclan would never approve of one of their warriors having a non clan cat for a mate, the two of them were cautious and clever about their meetings, and eventually, their plans to have kits together. Mist had no intention to leave The Sisters in order to join Sunclan, and her mate knew he would never be able to join her there, even if he wanted to; after all, toms were not allowed among The Sisters. However, she had chosen him as the cat she wanted to father her kits, and she did go against tradition for him, often leaving the group to spend time with him and traveling far to come and see him. After many long talks, Mist still would not leave her family behind. However, out of love for her mate, whom she truly wanted to be the father of her kits, she promised that she would break tradition and allow him to raise their kits instead of herself and The Sisters, if that was what he wanted. In the end, he agreed, wanting to become a father even if he could not remain Mist's mate.

However, before their kit was born, one of his closest friends, Sharpclaw, revealed his secret to the rest of Sunclan. It is hard to say whether this was a forced or free choice, but in the end, it didn't matter. All of their carefully laid plans evaporated, and when Mist came to meet her mate, she found a lone cat who had been exiled from his clan. Meeting his first and only son, whom they named Brightkit, must have been a tiny shred of light in the aftermath of all that. However, Shimmershine no longer had the support of his friends and community, and could no longer rely on Sunclan's queens and nursery to nurse and care for Brightkit as they had hoped. They both knew the path they'd laid out was no longer possible.

Desperate not to lose them forever when The Sisters inevitably continued to roam, Shimmershine begged Mist either to try and plead his case with them, or for her to stay with him. Reluctant but unwilling to let Shimmershine lose their son for good, she agreed to stay with him until Brightkit was weaned and old enough to survive without a mother. Both of them longed for community and safety they had lost, and knew their family would only be safe with it, so Shimmershine went to Moonclan, and told their leader everything, before asking to join. To his surprise, Moonclan had few qualms about inviting a warrior from an enemy clan or even a cat like Mist to join them. Shimmershine never forgot that, or how it allowed him to remain a father.

Unexpectedly, Mist stayed with them even when she didn't need to; the clan had another queen in the nursery to nurse Brightkit, and even once he was weaned, she didn't leave. It seemed that she too, didn't want to lose the new family she had made. However, Shimmershine's growing hope that she would stay for good eventually faded as it became more and more clear that the life of a clan cat was one Mist did not want. Though she tried, her heart was still with the family she'd grown up with, and even if she was a fine hunter, the life of a clan cat seemed to weigh on her more and more as time passed. In the end, she chose to say farewell to her mate and son, and left Moonclan to seek The Sisters, never to return.

Shimmershine had known it was coming, but the loss still hit him hard. Thankfully, he had support and a home. This too was something he never forgot, leading him to become an incredibly loyal warrior in order to repay what he considered a debt to the clan that took in himself and his son. He filled whatever role was needed in the small clan, whether it was training under their healer, helping with apprentice duties, or even helping to fend off attacks from the clan he had once belonged to. The clan was quickly endeared to him. That warmth extended to his precocious son, and, eventually, the kit he returned to camp with one day and promptly adopted with the support of his clan.

Over the seasons, he was promoted to deputy, and one day, became Shimmerstar. Known for his wit, charm, willingness to accept input from any member of his clan, and a fierce loyalty to the clan he owed so much to, Shimmerstar was a strong, well loved, and respected leader. He vowed to serve the clan that had taken him in when he needed it most, even if it meant leading them into battle against Sunclan, or giving up his lives.

Though the territories were far from peaceful, Shimmerstar did his best to protect his clan, willingly risking his lives in order to spare his clanmates from dying. During his leadership, he accepted many cats into his clan, strangers, friends, kittypets, and even those most leaders would consider 'enemies.' He helped Duskpaw become a healer, and trained multiple apprentices himself.

His leadership should have lasted many more seasons, but unfortunately, it was shorter than it ought to have been. Moonclan was hit by a terrible illness. Duskshade should never have had to face this alone; but with the last healer having passed and Shimmerstar falling fast into a state where he could not help, she had no choice. She, her brother, and the cats around them did everything they could, but many cats lost their lives. This included many of the clan's warriors and their deputy.

Duskshade stayed awake for days trying to keep her father alive. She knew he had lost all of his other lives thanks to the conflicts Sunclan continued to fuel. Despite her desperate efforts, his condition only grew worse, this, along with the underlying illness he had long carried, most likely made it impossible for any cat to have saved his life.

With only a handful of senior warriors left alive, and the deputy and leader lost in one fell swoop, the clan was uncertain and beginning to lose hope.

Shimmerstar would never have wanted his children to face such a thing, but when his son and daughter came to the Moonwell, he gave Moonclan's new leader, Brightstar, one of his nine lives, and told them he was, and would always be, proud of them both, even if he could only watch over them from Starclan now.