Minnow'fang

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*"I'm no kittypet, fish-brain! I'm a clan cat, and I can do whatever the next warrior can. Better, even! You have no idea how hard I've worked to lose that label. Do NOT use it against me." - Minnow'paw to Pine'paw*

**Minnow'fang** is a lithe, athletic, oriental she-cat with a silver classic tabby pelt, a long tail, and grey-green eyes. She has a long, slim face, long whiskers, a thick scar on her shoulder and a missing ear tip. Minnow'kit joined RiverClan as Brooke, a former kittypet, at two moons old, and was taken in by a nursing queen. She demonstrated enthusiasm and ability despite other cats' taunts, and soon worked her way up to a deputy position, being appointed leader after Bear'star's passing. However, Minnow'star decided that being a leader was too much responsibility for her and perhaps her aspirations were too high. She steps down as leader after awhile and joins the elders' den, dying peacefully from a mysterious illness and leaving a legacy behind.

## Biography

Minnow'fang was born as Brooke to Diana and Lancelot, alongside her sister Leah. She was considered the stronger of the two kits, being born bigger and heavier, and Brooke quickly asserted dominance over her sister, often engaging in play-fights that ended up hurting Leah. She was scolded by her mother for hurting her sister unintentionally, which caused her to become frustrated. Meanwhile, Diana overheard her twoleg discussing selling Brooke and Leah to another twoleg for breeding purposes. Terrified her kits would be forced into the life she had, Diana took them to the forest one rainy night to see if any of the four Clans would take them in. Ash'leap, Diana's mother, was a former RiverClan cat and so she intended to take Brooke and Leah there, recalling her mother telling her many stories of the greatness and freedom of RiverClan. But RiverClan only agreed to accept Brooke, being the biggest and strongest kit, so she was separated from Leah. Brooke was renamed Minnow'kit by the queen nursing her, whom she quickly formed a bond with. Her adopted littermates were wary of her at first, but she quickly because seen as a family member to them and they were impressed with her love of play-fighting and strength for a kittypet. Minnow'kit often wandered around camp, eager to make new friends, and many times found herself in the elders' den listening to their tales of clan life. She grew excited to become an apprentice and start her own adventures, but was repeatedly told she wasn't old enough, despite trying to prove herself repeatedly that she was strong enough. Minnow'kit gained some popularity for trying to scare a fox out of the nursery, despite the obvious danger, whilst the other kits hid. She was praised for this by some, and seen as foolish and reckless by others, but became quickly recognisable around the clan. At six moons, she was finally made an apprentice and renamed Minnow'paw.

Minnow'paw threw herself into her apprentice duties, determined to prove herself and lose her "kittypet" label. The older apprentices occasionally made fun of her, despite her overall good performance. Despite her littermates reassuring her that these comments were born from jealousy, Minnow'paw still became angry and determined to do better. She was scolded by the RiverClan deputy for attacking a younger apprentice, Pine'paw, after he made a particularly cruel comment, and both were given punishment duties for three days. During this period, Minnow'paw and Pine'paw grew to tolerate each other, and Pine'paw admits whilst they are changing moss for the elders that she is a pretty good fighter for a former kittypet, which Minnow'paw decides to take as a compliment. The two form a close friendship after a while.

On a cold morning, Minnow'paw hunts on the far side of the river, unable to catch any fish. She spots a small, dark-coloured cat who has a similar build to her, and decides to follow it. The cat darts into the Carrionplace, and Minnow'paw continues to give chase, wondering what they have to hide. Once she gets inside she realises that the cat is her sister, Leah. Extremely happy to see her sister again, Minnow'paw questions her about her life, despite her sister's obvious uncomfortable exterior. She learns that Leah now goes by Pebble'paw, and is an apprentice of WindClan, RiverClan's rival. Minnow'paw acknowledges this as a slight hiccup, but doesn't see it as the problem that Pebble'paw does. Pebble'paw makes it clear that she wants to leave for fear of getting into trouble for conversing with a rival cat, and Minnow'paw becomes frustrated, accusing Pebble'paw of just wanting to avoid her. She spits at Pebble'paw that if she truly is just trying to stay out of trouble, then she is a coward, as the warrior code states that cats can have friends from other clans. Pebble'paw dismisses this and Minnow'paw storms off in a huff. Several days later, a heavy blizzard hits the forest. Minnow'paw is out on patrol at the time; her patrol start to return to camp for safety when she spots Pebble'paw crossing the Twoleg bridge and heading towards her in the snow. Minnow'paw becomes furious, thinking Pebble'paw is trespassing to spite her, and attacks her sister, pinning her to the floor. Pebble'paw tries to escape, and Minnow'paw tries to keep her firmly on the ground, until Pebble'paw makes a gash in Minnow'paw's shoulder deep enough to draw blood. Minnow'paw is shocked that Pebble'paw would actually harm her, and claws at her head and ears in anger, despite Pebble'paw's cries that it was an accident. The rest of Minnow'paw's patrol emerge from camp, wondering why Minnow'paw didn't follow them, and they instruct Minnow'paw to return to camp at once. Pine'paw notices Minnow'paw's injury, and he tells her to go to the medicine cat's den. Minnow'paw gets her injury seen to, which leaves a small scar, and spends the rest of the night in the den, watching the blizzard and seething over her encounter with her sister.

With a prey-borne illness sweeping through the forest, tensions rise between WindClan and RiverClan as they battle for a safe food source. Minnow'paw is instructed to go on night watch with her mentor, and not before long she sights Pebble'paw's unique shadow on a rock. Minnow'paw and her mentor leap from their station and chase after Pebble'paw until she is out of their territory. Minnow'paw's mentor tells her to stop, saying Pebble'paw is not worth harming, but Minnow'paw continues to blindly run after her, eager to catch up and teach her a lesson. Pebble'paw runs onto the ice in a panic, which cracks beneath her, causing her to panic and fall into the river. Minnow'paw watches as Pebble'paw thrashes around in the icy water, quickly losing strength as her body begins to freeze. Instinctively she jumps into the river, grabs Pebble'paw's scruff and drags her to the other side. Pebble'paw comes around, and Minnow'paw warns her never to enter RiverClan territory again, saying that this was the last time she would save her. Pebble'paw agrees.

Several weeks pass and Minnow'paw continues with her training, despite the frosty weather. She progresses immensely during this time, impressing her mentor and cementing respect amongst the other apprentices. She and Pine'paw often train together, prompting remarks from her denmates that they have feelings for each other. Minnow'paw vehemently denies this. She tells Pine'paw that she is having issues with a friendship outside of the clan, and asks him what she should do. Pine'paw tells her to do what she feels is right, given greenleaf has begun and the other clans seem to be thriving now the prey-bourne illness has vanished. Minnow'paw thinks about her mother and how she wants to visit her one day, and promises to herself that she would take Pebble'paw with her. Whenever passing the bridge leading to WindClan's camp, she keeps an eye out for Pebble'paw, keen to make amends. One clear day, she spots Pebble'paw sitting on the other side of the gorge alone, and calls her over. The sisters meet in the middle of the Twoleg bridge, where Minnow'paw expresses relief that Pebble'paw is alive, given she hasn't seen her in so long. The encounter is awkward at first, but gets easier as the two discuss bits of their lives. Minnow'paw teases Pebble'paw for looking so frail, and Pebble'paw shoots back that it's better than smelling of fish. Minnow'paw sees Pebble'paw's mentor approaching, and makes herself scarce. The two decide to meet up every quarter-moon at midnight to catch up.

Not long after this, a ceremony is called by Bear'star and Minnow'paw is given her warrior name, Minnow'fang. She is ecstatic because of this and can't wait to tell Pebble'paw, and her confidence in herself grows. She constantly volunteers herself for patrols, camp duties, and proves herself to be excellent at swiftly catching fish. Her long, lean body enables her to travel fast in water, and she is renowned for this amongst her peers. Minnow'fang dreams of a higher role, tiring herself out every day and giving herself muscle aches in order to do her best. She meets with Pebble'paw the next half-moon, and proudly announces herself as Minnow'fang. Pebble'paw says she's happy for her, but Minnow'fang senses sadness in her voice. Pebble'paw admits to Minnow'fang that she feels left behind and that she feels she doesn't make the mark to become a warrior. Minnow'fang finds this funny because she sees nothing wrong with Pebble'paw, besides her scrawny frame. Pebble'paw seems to take this offensively.

Pine'paw and Minnow'fang continue their friendship despite not sharing a den anymore, and Minnow'fang gives Pine'paw tips on how to become a warrior faster. A chest infection sweeps through RiverClan, killing several cats, including Pine'paw's mentor, and taking one of Bear'star's lives. Minnow'fang only gets mildly sick, but goes to the gorge anyway to meet her sister. She spends all night sat by the gorge, wondering where Pebble'paw is, but she never arrives. Minnow'fang becomes worried about her sister's wellbeing, but is distracted from this when Bear'star appoints Minnow'fang as Pine'paw's new mentor, much to their delights. She strives to pass on all the knowledge her mentor gave her to him, and he begins to progress more than ever, which heavily improves Bear'star's view of Minnow'fang. She takes a walk one evening by WindClan territory, keeping an eye out for Pebble'paw to reassure herself that she is still alive, but she is nowhere to be seen. At the next gathering, Minnow'fang is sat by Pine'paw when she finally spots Pebble'pelt sat on her own. She is surprised and relieved, but is soon overcome by annoyance as she can tell Pebble'pelt is deliberately looking away from her. She storms up to Pebble'pelt and demands to know why she skipped their meeting, but softens her tone slightly when she realises that her sister's left eye is blind and clouded over. Pebble'pelt is notably troubled and quiet around Minnow'fang this time, giving no obvious reason why and avoiding her questions. Minnow'fang tells her that if she doesn't want to continue meeting up to just say, and walks back to Pine'paw, who asks who Pebble'pelt is and comments that they look alike. Minnow'fang tells her apprentice that Pebble'pelt is "just some WindClan cat who was looking at me funny", and they head back to camp.

Minnow'fang is catching fish by the river on a rainy evening, her mind racing with anger at Pebble'pelt and confusion as to why she doesn't seem to like her anymore. She waves off Pine'paw asking if she is alright, and tells him she would rather be alone. She decides to head further down the river for more privacy, where she spots Pebble'pelt wandering around by the ThunderPath. Minnow'fang follows her at a distance to find out what she is doing, when she spots a huge ShadowClan warrior heading towards Pebble'pelt with unsheathed claws. Minnow'fang cries out for Pebble'pelt to run, but she is too far away for Pebble'pelt to hear her over the sound of the rain hitting the concrete. Crow'sweep leaps on Pebble'pelt from behind, killing her swiftly as Minnow'fang watches, frozen in horror. Her senses kick back in and the sprints at the ShadowClan warrior, screaming in fury. Crow'sweep turns around, and Minnow'fang jumps on him, clawing ferociously at his face and neck, powered by adrenaline. Crow'sweep's thick, ragged pelt prevents Minnow'fang from landing critical hits, however, and he pushes the lighter cat off before pinning her to the ground and slicing a claw down her belly. He pauses for a moment, watching Minnow'fang squirm, before smirking and padding away. Minnow'fang tries to follow him, but her immense pain prevents her from catching up and she falls to the ground, panting. She drags herself back to Pebble'pelt's lifeless body and breaks down in sobs. She collects herself, and touches her head to Pebble'pelt's, devastated that she didn't leave her on good terms, before taking her body back to WindClan. She arrives, soaking wet and covered in blood, as Pebble'pelt's clanmates look on in horror. Minnow'fang briefly explains what happened, being swarmed by questioning WindClan cats, some who accuse her of killing Pebble'pelt herself. The leader calms her clanmates down and thanks Minnow'fang for taking her body all this way. Minnow'fang dips her head and slowly makes her way out of WindClan camp, every step sending pain shooting through her body. She arrives back in RiverClan, shivering from her soaked pelt and lightheaded from blood loss. The medicine cat apprentice takes one look at her and ushers her into the den, where she collapses on the moss, falling unconsious. Over the next few days she is nursed back to health, but is instructed to avoid warrior duties until her wound is completely healed, which could take weeks. Minnow'fang barely reacts to this, numb from the loss of Pebble'pelt. She barely talks to anyone, even Pine'paw, who frequently visits her in the medicine den to check how she is doing, and starts to grow depressed and withdrawn. When she is given the all-clear by the medicine cat, Minnow'fang leaves camp once again and goes straight to the gorge, sitting in the exact spot she used to meet Pebble'pelt in. A WindClan apprentice approaches her, and asks her nervously if she knew Pebble'pelt. Minnow'fang smiles slightly upon the realisation that Pebble'pelt at least lived to receive her warrior name, and is slightly consoled by it. The next day, she tells Pine'paw about what happened and he offers his condolences. After a couple more training sessions, Pine'paw is made a warrior, named Pine'leg. Minnow'fang's heart swells with pride as her friend is given his warrior name, and her grief for Pebble'pelt starts to fade. Not long after this, she is given a second apprentice, and dedicates herself to training them up to be the best warrior they can be. Minnow'fang experiences her first real battle against ShadowClan. She scans the mess of cats for Crow'sweep, but he is nowhere to be seen. After a bloody, lengthy battle, RiverClan is declared the winner, but at a cost. Five RiverClan warriors are killed, and Pine'leg is heavily injured. Minnow'fang waits anxiously at his side until he is healed, just as he did for her moons ago. She is once again praised by Bear'star for her courage in the battle, and Minnow'fang decides not to tell him that her performance was motivated by revenge.

Moons later, Minnow'fang decides to fufill her promise of going to visit her mother at the Twolegplace. She makes the journey alone, passing ThunderClan's territory and coming into contact with Heather'flight. She relaxes once she realises that the fluffy ragdoll is harmless, and the two pass each other by. Minnow'fang finally arrives at the Twolegplace and scans the various Twoleg nests for her mother. She spends a while looking around, aware that several kittypets are staring at her. Minnow'fang realises that she no longer takes on the appearance of a kittypet- she is lean, muscular, and battle-scarred- and this reassures her about her identity. After failing to find her mother Minnow'fang is ready to give up, when she crosses a fence and spots Diana in the garden of a small nest, playing with three tiny kits. Minnow'fang jumps down and hesitantly tries to reintroduce herself, fearing her mother wouldn't recognise her or would be afraid, but Diana leaps at Minnow'fang with joy. Diana expresses her relief that Minnow'fang is alive, and explains to the kittens that this is their older sister. The kittens seem wary of Minnow'fang at first, due to her intimidating appearance, but relax once they see that Diana is comfortable with the new cat. Diana asks how Minnow'fang is doing, calling her Brooke, and Minnow'fang corrects her. Diana comments that it is an intimidating name, and that she can only hope Minnow'fang is a caring cat with a pure heart. Minnow'fang mumbles "like my sister", and Diana acts surprised. With a heavy heart Minnow'fang explains that they reunited by accident and that they eventually became friends, meeting up every so often, but that Pebble'pelt had been murdered not long after becoming a warrior. Diana is obviously very upset by this news, and Minnow'fang quickly explains that Pebble'pelt has gone to StarClan and that she isn't gone forever. Minnow'fang spends the rest of day playing with Diana's young kits, who grow to love her in a short time, before heading back to RiverClan at sunset, feeling satisfied.

The serving RiverClan deputy is suddenly condemned by Bear'star for being a traitor and conspiring with ShadowClan, and he is sent into exile. Minnow'fang is stunned by this revelation, as are her fellow clanmates. Her astonishment grows to an extreme when Bear'star announces her as his new deputy. Minnow'fang stands stunned as the other cats congratulate and cheer for her, in complete disbelief. She makes her way to the Wet Rock and announces that she never exoected to be given this position, and that she would do her best. After the ceremony she approaches Bear'star and asks why he made her deputy, as she isn't officially a senior warrior yet. Bear'star tells her that she has demonstrated immense loyalty and capability for any cat, and that he is sure that StarClan will approve of his choice. Pine'leg joins Minnow'fang in her warriors den to congratulate her, and Minnow'fang admits she's worried about not doing good enough, and Pine'leg reassures her that she'll do great. At the next gathering, Minnow'fang is making sure all of her clan is gathered together to head home when spots WindClan cats looking at her. She approaches them hesitantly and they remember her as "Pebble'pelt's sister", which makes her happy. She says that Pebble'pelt was a kind cat with a warm heart, and that if she could turn back time to save her, she would, which gains her appreciation from the WindClan cats.

Minnow'fang is on a lone patrol by the river as Pine'leg is too tired to attend, when she spots a cat being chased by an aggressive bulldog. Minnow'fang does not recognise the cat, but leaps in to help. She jumps in the dog's path, snarling, which scares the dog off. The other cat thanks her and introduces himself as Berry'jaw of ThunderClan; Minnow'fang takes an instant liking to him for his "class-clown" personality, as he reminds her of herself. Berry'jaw says that, to repay her, he would help her out if she was ever in a pinch, and the two part ways. A few days later, she bumps into another cat, and immediately becomes hostile as she scents ShadowClan on him. The tom appears old and frail, barely able to run, and Minnow'fang decides not to attack him. He introduces himself as Mink'fur, and seems apologetic for coming too close to RiverClan. His lax personality shocks Minnow'fang and she questions whether he is a ShadowClan cat at all. Mink'fur retorts that not all ShadowClan cats are evil. She asks if he knows a cat named Crow'sweep, and he goes silent and nods. Minnow'fang asks where she can find him, as she has unfinished business with him. Mink'fur tells her that he hasn't been seen in moons, and was presumably taken by twolegs. Minnow'fang snorts that that isn't a worthy punishment for what he has done. Meanwhile, Bear'star is starting to grow old, and he frequently becomes too sick to hold ceremonies, meaning that Minnow'fang has to take his place. She grows aware that she feels uncomfortable speaking to large groups of cats, and tries to ignore the fact that, one day, she will be leading them, as the responsibility daunts her. At a gathering, Bear'star has to stay behind due to weakness and greencough, so Minnow'fang goes in his place. The other leaders raise a brow when Minnow'fang sits beside them, and a strong sense of inferority washes over her. The ShadowClan leader questions where Bear'star is, and Minnow'fang announces that he is sick, but will recover quickly. The ShadowClan mockingly says that he wishes old Bear'star well, and Minnow'fang grits her teeth, knowing that had StarClan not been watching, she'd tear into the she-cat there and then. A couple of moons later, just as Minnow'fang grants her apprentice their warrior name, Bear'star loses his last life to old age in his sleep. The clan is grief-stricken, as Bear'star was their leader for years. Minnow'fang is awoken by the medicine cat and told that she must take her place as leader at once. Minnow'fang is completely shocked, and feels disconnected from reality as she slowly makes her way to the Wet Rock, a group of cats immediately gathering. Minnow'fang announces sadly that Bear'star has ascended to StarClan, and that this means she will take his place as the RiverClan leader. She pauses and looks down at the audience, who remain silent. Pine'leg pipes up that she will make an excellent leader, and he is followed by several other cats. Minnow'fang feels reassured by this, and is overcome by a determination to do the best she can for RiverClan. The medicine cat accompanies her to the Moonstone, where she receives her nine lives. Her first life is from Bear'star, whom she smiles at and promises to do great. Her second life is from a cat who looks much like her sister, but introduces herself as Ash'leap. Minnow'fang expresses confusion as they have never met, and Ash'leap purrs and says that she is her grandmother. Minnow'fang is shocked, unaware that she had RiverClan blood all this time, and Ash'leap gives her a life for integrity. Minnow'fang struggles not to tear up when she receives her last life, as it is from Pebble'pelt. She tells Minnow'fang to be strong and to overcome her fears, and Minnow'fang interjects, asking her to stay. Pebble'pelt replies that Minnow'fang will see her again one day, but now is not the time, as her clan is depending on her. She is pronounced Minnow'star, and wakes up by the Moonstone, confused and a little scared of the responsibility facing her.

Minnow'star makes her way back to camp, reflecting on how far she has come since arriving in RiverClan at two moons old as a former kittypet. She decides to allow capable kittypets into RiverClan in order to boost numbers and prove that kittypets can make fine warriors if given adequate training. Upon returning to camp, she appoints Pine'leg as her deputy, much to his delight. RiverClan is shortly hit by a badger attack, and Minnow'star is forced to supply her first orders. She tells the warriors and apprentices to evacuate the elders, queens and kits out of camp, and the others to fight. The warriors sustain injures, but all survive. Pine'leg fights to defend Hollyfern, a heavily pregnant queen, who starts kitting during the attack, and suffers a deep cut across his face, whilst Minnow'star takes on a group of badgers at once, but is outnumbered and loses a life. She comes round to Bear'star telling her to be more careful with her lives, as she needs to be there for her clan for as long as possible. Minnow'star awakes, ashamed at herself for losing a life so early, but Pine'leg congratulates her on her bravery and says that this shows how dedicated she is to preserving RiverClan. A few dens were destroyed in the chaos, which Minnow'star helps to rebuild. As leader, she makes sure to acquaint herself with the new kits, and to ensure every cat is doing well. When she spots Furze'kit sat outside the nursery alone, she approaches her and tries to make conversation to cheer the kit up. Pine'leg points out that she doesn't need to do this, and Minnow'star tells him that she is trying to build strong relations with her clanmates. Pine'leg respects this, but tells Minnow'star her job is to lead and boss cats around, not befriend them, as they may respect her less as a leader as a result. Minnow'star retorts that this isn't true, despite a niggling in her mind that maybe Pine'leg is right.

By now, Minnow'star is nearly one hundred moons old. She notices her performance suffering- she is no longer as fast or fit as she used to be- and her once muscular frame is slowly deteriorating, as she is losing her appetite with age. She sees Berry'jaw at a gathering, who is now deputy of ThunderClan, and the two use their friendship as a catalyst for alliance. She waits until the other cats have left to walk back home with Berry'jaw, both of them discussing how far they have come since they last met. Berry'jaw tells her that he is still grieving the loss of his mate, and upon him describing her, Minnow'star realises that she is the ragdoll cat she met whilst going to meet Diana moons before. The two have just crossed over the Thunderpath when Berry'jaw is ambushed by Crow'sweep. Horrified, Minnow'star realises that this is the same cat that killed her sister, and she furiously lunges at him, wanting to enact revenge. Crow'sweep heavily injures Berry'jaw before turning his attention to Minnow'star. He smirks at her, scoffing that having nine lives changes nothing and that he'll rip every single one from her if he has to. Minnow'star tackles him and the two roll down a hill, Minnow'star ferociously landing hits on Crow'sweep's patchy fur. Berry'jaw ambushes Crow'sweep once more, and Crow'sweep slits his throat. Fulled by anger and adrenaline, Minnow'star blinds Crow'sweep in one eye, before slicing open his belly, reflecting what he did to her. Crow'sweep falls to the ground and bleeds out, cursing at Minnow'star in his final breaths. Minnow'star runs to Berry'jaw's side, who is succumbing to blood loss. Minnow'star begs him not to leave, and Berry'jaw gasps that he doesn't mind and that he gets to see his lover and kits now. He dies next to Minnow'star, smiling. She heads back to RiverClan, upset at the loss of Berry'jaw but satisfied that she has finally gotten justice for Pebble'pelt. Pine'leg asks her what happened and why she is injured, and Minnow'star tells him that justice has finally been served. Pine'leg understands what she means.

The next day, being reminded of Heather'flight, Minnow'star leaves Pine'leg in charge of camp and goes to visit Diana again. Once she arrives, she notices that her mother is nowhere to be seen and that one of her kits, now a fully grown cat, remains in her place. They recognise Minnow'star and inform her of their mother's passing, which contributes to Minnow'star's sense of depression. Minnow'star trudges back to camp, coming to terms with her own age and the realisation that all of her friends and family besides Pine'leg are dead. Leaf-bare hits RiverClan once again, and a bout of greencough sweeps through camp. Having never gotten seriously sick before, Minnow'star comes down with a bad case of greencough which leaves her incapacitated for days. She suffers a high fever and has hallucinations of StarClan, where Ash'leap approches her. Minnow'star confesses that she feels she is dying, and breaks down, asking Ash'leap when her time will come. Ash'leap replies that her future choices will determine that. Minnow'star asks why life is so cruel, and what the point of living is if all cats eventually suffer and die. Ash'leap agrees that life isn't fair, but every cat has a purpose, and Minnow'star has fufilled hers. She assures Minnow'star that StarClan awaits her when she is ready, and disappears. Minnow'star wakes up in a cold sweat, unable to breathe. She croaks out for the medicine cat again, and they rush to her side, armed with herbs. The medicine cat feeds as much catmint as possible, but Minnow'star is past revival and loses another life to the illness. When Minnow'star awakes again, she decides to rest in her den for short while, putting Pine'leg in charge of camp duties once again, and comes to terms with the fact that she doesn't feel fit to be leader. She feels that it is too much responsibility for her to take on, that she is too old to perform her duties to her full ability, and that RiverClan deserves a better leader than her. Minnow'star discusses this with the medicine cat, who tries to change her mind at first, but ultimately accepts Minnow'star's decision. A day later, Minnow'star announces her decision to step down as leader to the rest of RiverClan and to retire to the elders' den. The other cats are shocked and in disbelief, and Minnow'star assures them that this decision is best and will give RiverClan a brighter future. She proclaims Pine'leg as the new leader of RiverClan and goes back to the Moonstone to revert to her old name and give back her extra lives. Pebble'pelt appears at the Moonstone and Minnow'star is hesitant of what she will say, but she tells Minnow'star that she is proud of what she has achieved and that their mother would be proud too. Knowing her mother didn't believe in StarClan, Minnow'star just nods, and her name is changed back to Minnow'fang. She heads back to camp as Pine'leg leaves, and he touches his muzzle to her head in admiration, calling her brave. Minnow'fang heads to the elders' den, settling down in her new nest. She feels a twinge of guilt for giving up her position, but a wave of relief washes over her and she feels that her decision was right. Pine'star returns from the Moonstone, and ordinary life resumes.

Minnow'fang spends the rest of her living moons telling stories to kits, bantering with Pine'star, and napping blissfully. She is approached by some cats who question her on her decision to step down as leader, but most of her clan admire and respect her decision. Pine'star proves to be the fine leader Minnow'fang always hoped he would be. At the age of 120 moons, Minnow'fang passes away peacefully in her sleep from a mystery illness, sweeping a wave of grief over the entire clan, most of whom had known Minnow'fang their entire lives. She finally ascends to StarClan, where she is able to properly reunite with Pebble'pelt and apologise to her. Pebble'pelt asks why, and Minnow'fang replies that she always felt that Pebble'pelt's death could have been prevented, and that she had blamed herself for years. Pebble'pelt assures her sister that it wasn't anyone's fault, and that she appreciated the lengths Minnow'fang went to to avenge her death, as it shows how much she really cared for her.