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[ Credit to Jaecarys for the wonderful art ! ]

[ 0 MOONS - 5 MOONS ] Brackenfern and Badgerstrike had tried for ages to have kits, and were finally successful in their later moons. They’d been warned by the medicine cat that there were potential dangers to having kits at their age, such as death during the kitting, but the two were desperate for a family and decided it was worth the risk. After all day and all night, Brackenfern welcomed two kits into the clan with Badgerstrike at her side. Unfortunately, she didn’t survive long enough to help name their offspring and the she-kit never even got the chance to take her first breath. The distraught Badgerstrike didn’t leave his mate’s side and snarled at anyone who dared to approach them. He managed to name his daughter Magpiekit, so she’d have a moniker to be addressed by when she joined StarClan, and his son Mushroomkit, inspired by the colors of his pelt. As night neared, he allowed his clanmates to take away the lifeless bodies of his mate and kit for a vigil. From that point on, Badgerstrike rarely visited the nursery.

Mushroomkit was left in the care of a queen named Asterflower and was raised alongside her children, Ashenkit and Aspenkit. Her kits were a moon older than him, but they included him in everything they did. While he was rather quiet and unassuming, they were quite rambunctious and dragged him along on their adventures. Ashenkit was clever and often found ways to avoid being caught where Aspenkit was more erratic and didn’t seem to care about consequences. They once made their way into the medicine cat den unsupervised, with Mushroomkit reluctantly following them, and made a mess of the herb store in their attempts to identify each leaf and berry. Ashenkit’s apology sounded so sincere and he looked so innocent, and so the three of them avoided punishments, though they did have to endure a scolding from Asterflower and Goldenberry. Although his adopted brother and sister got him in trouble too many times to count, he adored them anyway.

Trouble seemed to find Mushroomkit, or maybe he was just drawn to it. Pebblekit was the same age as him and they quickly bonded. She, like his adopted siblings, was trouble. He admired her courage and spirit, and decided he’d follow her anywhere. Pebblekit dreamed of exploring the world, of creating something for herself, and Mushroomkit liked to listen to her talk about her aspirations. Once, she crept her way out of camp and, of course, he trailed after her. They didn’t make it very far before they were discovered, but it was the most alive he’d ever felt. Unfortunately, her father was rather severe and controlling and disapproved of their friendship, convinced Mushroomkit was the reason why his daughter was so rebellious. He forbade them from spending time together and watched Pebblekit closely to make sure they didn’t interact. There was nothing he could do and he’d gaze at her across the clearing longingly, yearning to feel as lively as he did in her presence.

[ 6 MOONS - 11 MOONS ] Mushroompaw was apprenticed alongside his adopted siblings and Pebblepaw. He was given Snowfeather, an older cat on the verge of retirement, as a mentor and while at first he’s cautious around them, he quickly grows fond of them. They'd had an apprentice before him, one who had mysteriously disappeared, and the younger cats of the clan spread rumors about how Snowfeather had killed their apprentice and disposed of the corpse. Snowfeather never spoke much about their previous apprentice's vanishing and seemed to accept the rumors their clanmates spread about them, though it turned them into a gruff and guarded feline. Mushroompaw expected their relationship to be a negative one, but Snowfeather had a soft spot for youngsters. They didn't speak much, but when they did, he knew to listen. They were wise and nurturing, and taught him everything there was to know about being a guardian. Although he specialized in tracking, he was a poor hunter and he was built for combat. Snowfeather recognized this and helped him hone his skills.

Pebblepaw’s father lost some control over her when she became an apprentice and her mentor and Snowfeather sometimes paired her and Mushroompaw together for training. When they weren’t with their trainers, however, he stepped in and prevented them from spending their free time with each other. They never had enough time together, but he cherished what time they did have. He was distracted from his sorrows by an apprentice his age named Lynxpaw, who seemed to think Mushroompaw needed a friend. They’d been kits together, but Lynxpaw had preferred to spend his time with a different group, a younger group made up of Mousekit, Squirrelkit, and Shrewkit. The three of them joined the apprentice den three moons after Mushroompaw and Lynxpaw were apprenticed and the two older toms took on brotherly roles for them.

About a moon before Mushroompaw was to become a fully-trained guardian, Badgerstrike approached him after having been distant since his kithood. His father told him he’d taken on a new mate, Ravenwing, and she was expecting. Mushroompaw took it well and was looking forward to being a big brother, but then Badgerstrike asked him to stay away from his family and all he could do was retreat into the warm embraces of his adopted family. Asterflower, Aspenpaw, and Ashenpaw were his greatest sources of comfort, and Lynxpaw, Mousepaw, Squirrelpaw, and Shrewpaw were quickly becoming just as soothing. And then the worst thing that could’ve happened happened. Mousepaw had always been tiny, like her namesake, which made her good prey for predators. During a patrol, she got swept away by a massive owl, never to be seen again. Squirrelpaw and Shrewpaw were distressed, Lynxpaw hid their grief to take care of the mourning brother and sister, and Mushroompaw made sure Lynxpaw took care of himself.

[ 12 MOONS ] Although he excelled in guardian training, Mushroomnose was named for his tracking skills. His adopted siblings were named Aspenflight and Ashenwing for their speed, Pebblewhisker was named for her intuition, and Lynxfern was named for his resiliency. There was a split second where Pebblewhisker's father was distracted and Mushroomnose got the chance to speak with her. He kept it short and sweet and told her how much he missed her companionship. Before she could respond, her father stepped between them and there was a brief confrontation before his adopted family led him away. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would've attacked Pebblewhisker's father if Ashenwing hadn't pulled him across the clearing. Aspenflight fueled his fire, telling him she could easily make Pebblewhisker's father back down, and Ashenwing told her she’d lose. Asterflower shushed them and successfully calmed Mushroomnose down with a warm embrace and some reassuring words.

[ 13 MOONS - 19 MOONS ] Ravenwing welcomed two kits into RidgeClan a moon after Mushroomnose had earned his warrior name. Her health had never been the best and the medicine cat feared she would lose her life in the kitting. Miraculously, she survived, though her condition worsened and she couldn't care for her kits properly. Another queen in the nursery, Chestnutsong, accepted the kits into her nest alongside her four biological children. Mushroomnose kept his distance like his father warned him to, but when Ravenwing passed away due to illness and Badgerstrike abandoned the clan in hopes of finding a life of peace, he decided he had to step up and look after his younger siblings. He befriended Chestnutsong and she allowed him to help raise the kits alongside herself and her mate. Moons went by and by the time all six kits were apprenticed, Mushroomnose had fallen in love with Chestnutsong. The feelings were mutual and ultimately, she left her mate for him.

[ 20 MOONS - 27 MOONS ] Of course, being the reason why Chestnutsong left the father of her kits resulted in her children despising not only Mushroomnose, but Chestnutsong as well. His own younger siblings turned their backs on him, their opinions of him soured by Chestnutsong’s children. When he and Chestnutsong announced that they were expecting shortly after becoming mates, his younger siblings and Chestnutsong’s kits were furious, and they did everything in their power to avoid having anything to do with the two of them. Mushroomnose was distraught to lose so many family members in such a short amount of time, but he was confident he hadn’t done anything wrong.

[ 28 MOONS - 30 MOONS ] When Chestnutsong fell ill and miscarried, their kin didn’t bother to approach them or offer any comfort. Mushroomnose and Chestnutsong had each other, but the stress of their family turning their backs on them and losing their kits was too heavy a weight to bear, and their relationship fell apart. They began arguing constantly, blaming one another for their misfortune, and in less than a moon, Mushroomnose started to suspect that Chestnutsong retreated into the warm embrace of her ex-mate after every disagreement. He confronted her and she confirmed that she was spending more and more time with her ex-mate, and tired as he was, Mushroomnose suggested they end their relationship. She agreed and they both went their separate ways. They chose to steer clear of one another and only interact when absolutely necessary, unable to salvage what friendship they’d had before becoming mates.

[ 31 MOONS - 37 MOONS ] Mushroomnose was granted an apprentice not long after he and Chestnutsong parted ways, but he refused to let his grief make him a poor mentor. He tried to take his new trainee, Hemlockpaw, under his wing, but the young cat was immediately standoffish and Mushroomnose understood quickly that he wasn't looking for someone to parent him. A few moons into their training, Hemlockpaw became even more cold toward him and after some digging, Mushroomnose discovered that Chestnutsong’s children and his younger siblings had been turning the young tom against him. He did his best to convince Hemlockpaw that he wasn't the heartless cat they'd convinced him he was, but it was pointless. In the end, Hemlockpaw was named Hemlockthorn and he chose to avoid Mushroomnose as much as he possibly could.

[ 38 MOONS ] And then Pebblewhisker entered his life again when her father died after catching a sickness he couldn’t defeat. She was there for him when Mushroomnose became the sole survivor of a patrol that had faced off a single wolf. He, Lynxfern, Squirrelgaze, and Shrewthorn had been playing and enjoying themselves when they stumbled upon a wolf. They didn’t stand a chance. Mushroomnose was knocked unconscious and when he awoke, he was in the medicine cat den with Pebblewhisker wrapped around him. She never left his side as he recovered and it was like her father had never stood between them. They didn't make anything official, but everyone knew there was something between them. He’d never forget his friends, who he knew deserved better, but with Pebblewhisker’s support, he reached a point where his memories of them weren’t sad or even bittersweet, but happy.

[ 39 MOONS ] Too many cats were lost in the war that RidgeClan’s leader, Wolfstar, waged against MistClan. Asterflower and Aspenflight were amongst them, and Ashenwing would succumb to his wounds less than a day later. The morning after the battle, Wolfstar also died from his injuries and the deputy, Spiderstorm, stepped down. Mushroomnose barely heard the medicine cat announce that he will be the next leader. He hadn’t yet had time to grieve or even make sense of the day before and he was understandably reluctant about leading an entire clan, especially one that was at its most vulnerable, but the medicine cat reassured him that StarClan themselves had chosen him. He couldn’t possibly say no to his ancestors, so he accepted his nine lives and returned to camp as Mushroomstar, naming Toadfeather as his deputy.

[ 40 MOONS - 43 MOONS ] While it was a tad more tolerable with support, leading a clan was not easy. He found himself making decisions for the entire clan, decisions that would affect the futures of his clanmates, and even decisions that would affect the other clans. Tension was especially thick in RidgeClan as everyone wondered who killed Wolfstar. And then there was the worry that PrairieClan and MistClan had formed an alliance and were plotting against them, which seemed to be proven when RidgeClan patrols identified the other clans’ scents on their territory. Eager to prove himself as a strong leader, Mushroomstar confronted PrairieClan and MistClan at the next Gathering. The night ended after StarClan covered the moon with clouds and he worried that he’d upset his forebears.

[ 44 MOONS - 46 MOONS ] After moons of avoiding the topic, Pebblewhisker finally asked Mushroomstar when he was going to ask her to be his mate. He could only laugh and ask her if she’d like to be his mate, and she said she would. Not long after they made their relationship official, Pebblewhisker told him she was expecting. He was beyond thrilled to become a father, but extremely nervous at the same time. Last time his mate was expecting, the kits had died and his relationship had, too. Pebblewhisker, as always, eased his concerns. Mushroomstar was there to soothe her this time as she worked hard to welcome their offspring into the world. The first kit never even took a breath, but the second wailed and squirmed about. Mushroomstar, however, could only focus on Pebblewhisker as her chin fell to her paws and her breathing slowed. The medicine cat told him she’d lost too much blood. Mushroomstar tried to stay strong as he exchanged farewells with Pebblewhisker, but he fell apart when her last breath left her. His surviving child, a tom, was given to another queen to nurse, and Mushroomstar gathered enough composure to name him Avenskit for the colors of his pelt, and to vow to be the best father he could possibly be.

[ 47 MOONS - PRESENT ] With all the tension in the valley, Mushroomstar started assigning warriors to guard the tree bridge at the MistClan border, both during the day and throughout the night. The mystery of the PrairieClan and MistClan trespassers remained unsolved - at least, as far as he was aware - which only fueled his distrust for the other clans. He and one of RidgeClan’s younger warriors, Bristleclaw, were guarding the tree bridge one day when two MistClan warriors, Rosewhisker and Dawnclaw - a former RidgeClan cat - met them. Bristleclaw and Rosewhisker quarreled, provoking each other, and it wasn’t completely unexpected when a skirmish broke out. Shortly after the fight started, Mushroomstar managed to pin Dawnclaw and he recognized the fear that flashed in the other tom’s eyes, but before he could yowl for everyone to stop, a sharp pain forced a gasp from him. There was a moment where he realized Dawnclaw was clawing up his belly and next thing he knew, he was on the ground, writhing in agony. The torment faded away as darkness engulfed him. He woke up, very shaken despite StarClan’s reassurances that he’d be okay, and with Bristleclaw at his side, they left quickly and quietly.

The Gathering following the border skirmish, Mushroomstar learned that MistClan and PrairieClan had formed an alliance. He found the fact that Littlestar and Hailstar hadn’t even tried to hide to be especially concerning. When the leaders made their announcements, he confronted MistClan regarding the altercation, but of course, Hailstar defended himself and his clan. Mushroomstar returned to camp feeling worse than he had before the Gathering started.

Pre-Plotting: Mushroomstar openly aligns with the Saturn role in [RidgeClan’s Plot Ad]. Wolfstar’s intense leadership style had led to a war between all three clans and had left distance between RidgeClan and the others, even after the ruler’s demise. Mushroomstar fully intends on avoiding another battle, on strengthening the bonds between clans and encouraging his clanmates to form a healthy connection to their ancestors.

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