Moonstone

"Bluestar was staring upward, her fur bleached white in the glow of the Moonstone. Even Tigerclaw's dark pelt shone silver. Firepaw followed Bluestar's gaze. High in the roof was an opening that revealed a triangle of night sky. The moon was casting a beam of light through the hole, down onto the Moonstone, making it sparkle like a star."

— Firepaw first seeing the Moonstone in Into the Wild, page 177

Moonstone
General information
Location	Highstones
Twoleg name	Devil's Fingers mine
Usage	Communicating with StarClan
Discovered by	Moth Flight

The Moonstone is a large, quartz crystal that glows beautifully in the moonlight, located at Highstones in the forest territories past WindClan's moor. There, Clan leaders and medicine cats share with StarClan, receiving both advice and prophecies to guide their future. The Moonpool serves the same purpose in the lake territories.

Description

Firepaw: "What's the Moonstone?"

Graypaw: "It's a rock deep underground that shines in the dark. All Clan leaders have to spend one night at the Moonstone when they are first chosen. There, the spirits of StarClan share with them."

^{Into the Wild, page 161}

The Moonstone is located in Highstones, deep underground. It is located in the abandoned Devil's Fingers mine, which was formerly maintained by Twolegs before they abandoned it. Due to the nature of Highstones, there are many openings that a cat may use to enter. However, only one is known to reach the Moonstone itself through the Mothermouth, and most are able to easily decide which path to take. To reach it, one must travel down a pitch-black stone passage that many cats believe goes on forever. It is a downward slope that is narrow enough that a cat's whiskers touch the edges. The closer to the Moonstone one gets, the brighter the enormous underground cavern becomes due to the fact the Moonstone reflects the light of the sky above. The ceiling of the cave is jagged, but there is a triangle hole where moonlight is able to pass into the cave and allow the giant stone to glow. The glowing resembles countless dewdrops. The stone itself is cold and stands in the middle of the cavern, is more than three-tail lengths high, and is somewhat translucent.

Due to the Moonstone's location, cats are given free passage between rival Clan's territories to access if needed. Subsequently, the Moonstone is also supposed to not reside in any Clan's territory, instead being unclaimed land that has no territorial claim.

Significance

"In the world above, Tigerclaw is a fearless and mighty warrior, but down here, where the spirits of StarClan speak, a cat needs a different kind of strength."

―Bluestar about Tigerclaw ^{Into the Wild, page 178}

The Moonstone is a sacred place to the Clans, as it is a means for Clan leaders and medicine cats to communicate directly with StarClan. There, these cats are able to receive prophecies and omens from their ancestors, receive the gift of nine lives for leaders, and be presented before StarClan in the case of new medicine cats, and those completing their training to become warriors. It is tradition for apprentices to visit the Moonstone while completing their training. Some warriors also hold an air of uncertainty about the Moonstone, and outsiders to the Clans rarely understand the sheer importance of the place. To communicate with StarClan, cats must touch their noses to the Moonstone when moonlight makes it glow and StarClan will speak in their dreams.

Location history

Moth Flight: "Then why couldn't you see me in my dreams about the blue-gray she-cat? You were right in this cave with her. I saw you!"

Half Moon: "Some dreams you must dream alone."

^{Moth Flight's Vision, page 90}

Some of the early settlers experience special dreams, including Pebble Heart who dreamed of a star shining underground. Moth Flight, a WindClan cat, begins to have dreams of cats visiting a glittering stone surrounded by spirit cats, and the spirit cats send her a moth to follow to Highstones. Moth Flight discovers the Moonstone and communicates with the spirit cats by touching her nose to the stone. The spirit cats name her the first medicine cat and task her with treating her Clanmates' injuries, interpreting omens, and guiding her leader. Moth Flight gathers the other medicine cats—Pebble Heart, Cloud Spots, Dappled Pelt, and Micah—to the Moonstone, and the medicine cats agree to meet with StarClan every half-moon. After Wind Runner is gravely injured in battle, Moth Flight takes her to Moonstone where she receives her nine lives and is renamed Windstar.

The Moonstone remained the Clans' sacred location to communicate with StarClan for many, many moons. Only one cat has tarnished the sacred cavern; Mapleshade when she killed Ravenwing at the Moonstone in revenge for the death of her kits. Typically, warriors are prohibited from visiting the Moonstone without special permission, though one expecption is when Ravenpaw and Barley visit the Moonstone to seek guidance from StarClan after BloodClan drove them away from their farm.

Many moons following the Clan's departure from the forest territories, Graystripe returns in an attempt to share tongues with the unreachable StarClan. When he reaches Highstones and subsequently the Moonstone, a storm brews overhead. While speaking to both Firestar and StarClan, a bolt of lightning strikes the Moonstone and destroys it. In the aftermath, the elder discovers shattered fragments of the once mighty stone, giving off a faint glow from its former place within the cave. In Graystripe's departure, WarriorClan begins using the Moonstone as their medicine cat, Petunia, steps into her role.

Known deaths

This is a list of deaths, ordered chronologically, that took place at the Moonstone.

• Ravenwing

Book mentions

• Riverstar's Home
• Moth Flight's Vision
• Thunderstar's Echo (Mentioned only)
• Shadowstar's Life
• Mapleshade's Vengeance
• Pinestar's Choice
• Goosefeather's Curse
• Tallstar's Revenge
• Yellowfang's Secret
• Crookedstar's Promise
• Bluestar's Prophecy
• Leopardstar's Honor
• Onestar's Confession (Mentioned only)
• Into the Wild (First appearance)
• Exile from ShadowClan
• Fire and Ice (Mentioned only)
• Forest of Secrets (Mentioned only)
• Rising Storm (Mentioned only)
• A Dangerous Path (Mentioned only)
• The Darkest Hour
• Blackfoot's Reckoning
• Firestar's Quest
• Graystripe's Vow (Then)
• Shattered Peace
• Midnight
• Mothwing's Secret
• Moonrise
• Dawn
• Starlight (Mentioned only)
• Twilight (Mentioned only)
• Sunset (Mentioned only)
• Outcast (Mentioned only)
• The Fourth Apprentice (Mentioned only)
• Ravenpaw's Farewell
• The Forgotten Warrior (Mentioned only)
• Graystripe's Vow (Now)
• The Place of No Stars (Mentioned only)
• The Prophecies Begin, volume 1

Gallery

Official art

The Moonstone on the cover of Moth Flight's Vision

The Moonstone in Yellowfang's Secret

The Moonstone in Ravenpaw's Path

The Moonstone in Exile from ShadowClan

The Moonstone destroyed in Graystripe's Vow

The unlit Moonstone in The Prophecies Begin, volume 1

The Moonstone in The Prophecies Begin, volume 1

The Moonstone in Code of the Clans

Trivia

Interesting facts

• In the graphic novels illustrated by James Barry, the Moonstone is depicted with the out-of-universe symbol for StarClan.
• Windstar was the first Clan leader to receive her nine lives at the Moonstone, and Blackstar was the last.
• In The Prophecies Begin, volume 1, the Moonstone is depicted as a smooth round stone.

Mistakes

• The Moonstone was once mistakenly mentioned as the Great Rock from Fourtrees.
• The Moonstone is mistakenly called the Moonpool.

Continuity

The following information is from sources considered non-canon, retconned, or from adapted material.

• In Secrets of the Clans, a 2007 field guide, WindClan are mentioned to take pride in being the closest Clan to the Moonstone. The Moonstone is also mentioned in Mothflight, Dapplepelt, and Pebbleheart's sections as it is featured in the tale, "How the Moonstone Was Discovered". Mothflight is credited with discovering the Moonstone after following a feather to its location and speaking to her ancestors.

Quotes

"It's a significant moment, your first Moonstone dream."

―Sagewhisker to Yellowfang ^{Yellowfang's Secret, chapter 9}

"You haven't seen the Moonstone. All young cats should go there to receive StarClan's blessing. I would have taken you before, but the battle with WindClan and the heavy snows have made the journey too hard. Now I want to share dreams with StarClan, and you might as well come with me."

―Pinestar to Bluefur ^{Bluestar's Prophecy, page 234}

"It's time for us to learn what awaits you at the Moonstone."

―Runningnose to Blackfoot ^{Blackfoot's Reckoning, chapter 1}

"You'll be fine, look at Firestar. He's not Clan-born, but now he's ThunderClan leader. Trust me. When you stand in front of the Moonstone, you'll understand everything."

―Leafpaw comforting a worried Mothwing ^{Midnight (book), page 183}

"The Moonstone cave is only to be entered by leaders or medicine cats. I just hope I'm reading StarClan's wishes correctly. I need to make contact with them—some cat must, for the future of all the Clans—so I'll have to risk StarClan's disapproval."

―Graystripe to Monkeystar and WarriorClan ^{Graystripe's Vow, page 253}

External links

• The forest map: WindClan on the Warriors official website (backup link)

See also

• Highstones
• Moth Flight
• Moth Flight's Vision