One moon after Gray Wing's death, Moth Flight dreams of a blue-gray she-cat dying, and she wonders what the cat's companions are doing just sitting there, when suddenly the dead cat awakens. Readers will recognize this scene from Into The Wild, when Bluestar lost a life to the rats. She notices a green moth fly by, and begins to follow it toward Highstones, feeling like she needs to go with it.
She awakens to find that Slate's kits - who she was supposed to be watching - had crept out of camp while she was asleep. She and a couple others find them, but she keeps getting distracted along the way, especially by plants that she wasn't familiar with. Wind Runner and Gorse Fur take Moth Flight and her brother Dust Muzzle hunting, but again Moth Flight's distraction affects her hunting, and nearly costs her her life: she sees her green moth again and stops on a Thunderpath in front of a monster, only saved by her father pushing her out of the way. She runs off afterward and spends the night outside, where she dreams of Bluestar's nine lives ceremony, and of the green moth waiting for her at the entrance to a tunnel.
She follows the moth to a farm, where she meets a cat named Micah who has dreamed of her. They follow the moth together, and eventually it leads her to Highstones, where she finds a rock deep underground. Pressing her nose to it as she'd seen the cats do in her dreams, she dreams of lost Clan and Tribe cats: they tell her that she is destined to be the first medicine cat of the Clans, meant to heal her Clanmates when they're injured or sick. They also tell her who the medicine cats of the other Clans should be: Dappled Pelt of RiverClan, Pebble Heart of ShadowClan, Cloud Spots of ThunderClan, and Micah for SkyClan.
She and Micah head back to the Clans just in time for the full-moon Gathering. She shares what she saw, and the spirit-cats send an omen that they'd promised to, which makes all the Clans believe them. They settle into their new lives, learning about herbs. At the half moon they go to the Moonstone, as the spirit-cats had instructed, and speak to the new medicine cats: it is during this meeting that Moth Flight refers to the spirits as StarClan for the first time. StarClan tells the medicine cats that they must learn from each other, so Moth Flight and Micah spend a few days in RiverClan and ThunderClan learning from Dappled Pelt and Cloud Spots.
One of the WindClan cats falls ill, and Micah and Moth Flight think that some sap from a tree in SkyClan territory will help. Clear Sky and one of his warriors, Red Claw, tries to stop them; the WindClan warrior Willow Tail arrives and fights Red Claw. Micah tries to stop them, but the branch he's standing on breaks, and he falls, dying quickly of a broken spine. He says goodbye, and Moth Flight says she loves him.
She spends a moon with ShadowClan to grieve, during which time she learns that she's expecting Micah's kits. She returns home and gives birth to them a moon later. Micah comes to Moth Flight in a dream and tells her that she needs to train Acorn Fur, and so they do so; however, with tensions growing between WindClan and SkyClan - they've been accusing each other of crossing the border and stealing prey - Clear Sky orders Acorn Fur to stop. At the next Gathering, SkyClan doesn't show up, and the other Clans think that he doesn't respect him and decide to cut off SkyClan from the rest of the Clans. That's when Sparrow Fur shows up and announces that one of Clear Sky's kits, Tiny Branch has been attacked by a fox. The medicine cats try to save him, but are unsuccessful.
The following day, Moth Flight realizes that Gray Wing's mate Slate has a sickness called redcough that Micah had told her about. She goes back to the tree where Micah died to get some of the sap, but some SkyClan cats catch her and bring her to their camp, and she's told that she has to wait there until Wind Runner apologizes for accusing SkyClan of stealing prey. Wind Runner, in response, brings a group to attack SkyClan's camp. During the battle, Wind Runner is injured by Clear Sky, and Clear Sky also blinds the WindClan cat Willow Tail. That's when Willow Tail confesses that she'd faked evidence of SkyClan stealing prey, in order to get back at Red Claw; he had accidentally led dogs to their camp when they were rogues, and her friend had died. Willow Tail dies of her injuries, and Wind Runner and Clear Sky agree that the battle was pointless.
Wind Runner's wound gets infected, and Moth Flight desperately tries to care for her, as well as look after her kits - one of them even nearly drowns when they sneak out of camp without permission. Suddenly she sees the green moth once again, and she realizes it wants her to bring Wind Runner to Highstones - that the ceremony she's been dreaming of will probably save her. She brings her to the Moonstone, and it is there that Wind Runner becomes the first Clan leader to earn a new name, Windstar, and nine lives (well, eight in Wind Runner's case since they couldn't save her dying first life).
The medicine cats go to the Moonstone at the next half-moon. Acorn Fur talks about her growing relationship with Red Claw, and Moth Flight tells her that she's come to accept that medicine cats cannot have kits, since her duties as a mother got in the way of caring for her Clan and her duties as a medicine cat got in the way of being a mother, endangering them both. She decides that she will give up her own kits, remembering how Micah once had told her, "One day you will gather the scattered petals of the Blazing Star" - one kit will go to each of the other Clans. A moon later, when the medicine cats go to share with StarClan again, StarClan tells them that Moth Flight made the right choice and that all of them must promise to never take a mate. They find it difficult, but eventually agree. Moth Flight knows that this means she must now give her dreams with Micah up: her heart now belongs to StarClan.
In the manga at the end, Moth Flight is now an old cat. She helps heal an injured RiverClan cat, and speaks to her son Spider Paw there, who tells her that his sister Blue Whisker is close to kitting any day now. They go to ThunderClan to visit her, and Moth Flight helps deliver her grandkits. After the kits are born, Moth Flight's two other kits, Bubbling Stream and Honey Pelt, also arrive, having somehow sensed that they should visit now. Moth Flight can tell that this will be the last time she'll see her kits together at once again, and she tells them that she's had dreams that she'll go to StarClan soon. She says that she's proud of them, and she's happy that she'll be together again with Micah in StarClan.
Tropes appearing in this book:
- Abusive Parents: Wind Runner is on the emotionally abusive side, not caring how hurtful her words are to Moth Flight as she blames her daughter for everything. While some of the time it was understandable for her to be upset - Moth Flight had lost track of the kits she was babysitting, and later that very day nearly got herself killed - there was no call for some of the things she said, like that they probably made such a small catch because of Moth Flight tripping over her own paws, or saying that WindClan would be better off without her. Gorse Fur is the much more reasonable parent of the two.
- The Ace: Moth Flight thinks about how Wind Runner is respected and so good at everything she does.
- Almost Dead Guy: After falling from a tree, Micah survives long enough to say farewell to Moth Flight.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: When Micah dies, Moth Flight begs him not to leave her and reveals that she loves him.
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Moth Flight frequently gets distracted, to the point of ignoring her Clanmates when they try to bring her back to reality.
- Be Yourself: Moth Flight frets about not being as good a hunter as the other WindClan cats, but when she finds the Moonstone, Half Moon tells her that she should be herself because she has different qualities than her Clanmates and is destined for a different role.
- Blood from the Mouth: The sickness redcough is named after this.
- The Bus Came Back: Branch, Windstar's friend from the bonus scene in The First Battle, reappears to give Windstar a life. She's still understandably angry about him leaving her.
- Call-Forward:
- Moth Flight dreams of several scenes from books that would take place decades later. For example, she sees part of Firestar, Brokenstar, and Leafstar's nine lives ceremony.
- "A thick band of stars stretched like a silver pelt across the indigo blackness. Was that where the spirit-cats lived?" The Clans would later refer to this thick band of stars, where StarClan is said to live, as "Silverpelt".
- Continuity Snarl: A minor one with the number of days passing at the start of the book. It says on the day the book starts that it's two days until the full moon (and likewise, on the day of the full moon, it says that Spotted Fur spoke to Moth Flight two days ago). However, there's actually three days between them (four days total): the rest of the day the book starts, which ends with Moth Flight being found by Spotted Fur; the following day, when Micah saves her from a dog and she arrives at the farm; the day after that, when she finds the Moonstone; and then the day after that she says it'll be the full moon that night. Later that day as the cats are heading to Fourtrees, she says Micah saved her two days ago, which is correct.
- A Day in the Limelight: This book is Moth Flight's only POV, aside from a short story in Secrets of the Clans that is essentially an elder's tale combining scenes from this book.
- Dead Person Conversation: At various points throughout the book, Moth Flight speaks to cats who have died, including her littermates and Micah.
- Death of a Child: Clear Sky's kit, Tiny Branch, is fatally wounded by a fox.
- Deer in the Headlights: There's one moment where Moth Flight thinks a fox has found her, and she freezes. Fortunately it's just one of her Clanmates, but she doesn't want to think about what would have happened if he actually had been a fox.
- Determined Doctor: Micah and Moth Flight defy Clear Sky to get the sap they need, and risk their own safety by climbing a tree to get it.
- Dies Wide Open: Micah.
- Diving Save: When Moth Flight is distracted on the Thunderpath, Gorse Fur slams into her, pushing her out of the way of a monster.
- Doesn't Trust Those Guys: Early in the book, after finding Red Claw on their territory, Willow Tail tells her Clanmates that you can't trust SkyClan cats.
- A Dog Named "Cat": Two farm cats are named after animals: Cow and Mouse.
- Don't Split Us Up: Moth Flight realizes that she cannot raise kits while being a medicine cat, so she gives up her four kits - one to each of the other Clans.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: Moth Flight dreams of the future several times. Micah also dreams of her before meeting her.
- Dream Intro: In the prologue, Moth Flight dreams of the future, specifically Bluestar awakening from the dead.
- Due to the Dead: Micah gets a respectful burial.
- Ear Notch: Storm Pelt gains one in the battle between WindClan and SkyClan.
- Extra Digits: Spider Paw has an extra toe on one paw.
- Eye Scream: Clear Sky blinds Willow Tail in battle by clawing her eyes.
- Fisticuff-Provoking Comment: Moth Flight tells Clear Sky that someone needs to tell him how to run his Clan, and calls him a fox-heart; he slashes her across the muzzle.
- Genius Ditz: Moth Flight. While she spaces out a lot, leading to some near-death situations, she's an expert with herbs and healing.
- Happily Adopted: According to the manga epilogue, Honey Pelt is happy in SkyClan as Skystar and Star Flower's adopted son.
- Heroic BSoD: When Micah dies, Moth Flight spends an entire day unmoving at his side without realizing how much time has passed.
- High on Catnip: Finally gets played straight for the first time in the series. Moth Flight, having never used catmint before and no idea what the proper dose is, guesses and ends up giving Rocky too much. The old cat gets high and plays like a kit, and tries hilariously to find any excuse to get some throughout the rest of the book.
- Honesty Is the Best Policy: Moth Flight spends the day training Acorn Fur, even though she knows Wind Runner wouldn't like it. When Wind Runner asks where she's been all day, Moth Flight tells her the truth; Wind Runner indeed isn't thrilled but she doesn't order Moth Flight to stop, either.
- Hurt Foot Hop: Moth Flight steps on some nettles and hops on her other feet.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Although Spotted Fur was jealous of Micah at first, he's happy that Moth Flight had a time of happiness with him.
- I Was Having Such a Nice Dream: After Micah's death, Moth Flight dreams of him, and just when he's about to tell her something important, some pain in her leg awakens her.
- Love Triangle: Micah and Moth Flight love each other and become mates, while Spotted Fur likes Moth Flight.
- Lying Heroes, Honest Villains: A WindClan cat, Willow Tail, accuses SkyClan of stealing prey; the SkyClan leader Clear Sky, meanwhile, insists that Willow Tail is making it up because of her own grudge against one of his cats. Clear Sky had been the main antagonist in the past, and even in the present still seems eager for battle and refuses to let the medicine cats perform their duties, so naturally the main characters and the reader believe the WindClan cat to be right. Turns out in the end that Clear Sky is right and that Willow Tail was indeed lying.
- Meaningful Name: Spider Paw is named for having a paw with an extra toe.
- Meaningful Rename: The Clan leaders are, for the first time, given their nine lives and new names: Windstar, Riverstar, Shadowstar, Thunderstar, and Skystar.
- The Medic: The book is about the Clans getting their first medicine cats.
- Motor Mouth: Blue Whisker, in the epilogue.
- Murder by Inaction: Willow Tail accuses Red Claw of having done this when he accidentally led the dogs to the camp and ran away scared.
- Patchwork Kids: The kits of Moth Flight (a white cat) and Micah (a yellow tabby) are pretty much a mix of them: Spider Paw is white, Honey Pelt is a yellow tabby, while Bubbling Stream and Blue Whisker are white with yellow patches. Most of them share their parents' green eyes.
- Premature Birth Drama: Juniper Branch's kits come early and Moth Flight has to use her newly learned healing abilities to help save the mother and kits.
- Prequel: Dawn of the Clans and its supplemental books take place long before the main series or any of the other prequels.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Wind Runner gives one to Moth Flight when her daughter nearly gets herself and Gorse Fur killed. It ends with her saying that WindClan would be better off without Moth Flight.
- Rescue Introduction: Moth Flight meets Micah, Cow, and Mouse when they save her from a dog.
- Revenge by Proxy: Willow Tail blames Red Claw for the accidental death of their fellow rogues, and the only way she can think to get revenge at this point is to cause a war against his current Clan and have him see his beloved Clanmates hurt.
- Running Gag: Early in the book, Moth Flight makes herself eat a toad, since it's all she can find and she thinks she remembers that RiverClan eats toads. Several times later in the book, the topic of eating toads comes up, and every time, the others act like she's crazy for suggesting that a cat would eat one.
- Screaming Birth: Juniper Branch's kitting; the kits get stuck.
- Series Continuity Error:
- In Code of the Clans, Gatherings did not begin until the first law in the warrior code was established, after the original founders are gone. In Moth Flight's Vision, they're already a thing.
- It says that Dappled Pelt had come from RiverClan to help Slate birth her kits, but in Path of Stars she hadn't done so; it was Reed and Wind Runner who had helped with the kitting.
- Previous books in the series have established that when a leader loses a life, StarClan heals the wound/sickness that killed them, but leaves any other wounds as-is (for instance, Yellowfang tells Brokentail this after he loses a life in Forest of Secrets.) However, when Windstar receives her additional eight lives, not only is her infected neck wound fixed, but also her broken leg which had already been healing normally on its own. Since this is the first time a leader ever receives nine lives, it could be an in-universe case of Early-Installment Weirdness.
- Shared Family Quirks: Moth Flight notices that Honey Pelt washes his paws the same way that Micah used to.
- Shrinking Violet: Blue Whisker (one of Moth Flight's daughters) is shy and afraid of most things.
- Sickening "Crunch!": When Wind Runner breaks her leg in battle, Moth Flight hears it.
- Sneaky Departure: Moth Flight decides to follow her moth, and leaves Spotted Fur asleep. She walks in a small stream to make sure there's no scent trail for him to follow.
- Someone to Remember Him By: Micah and Moth Flight only are together for a very short time before Micah's death, but afterward Moth Flight learns that she's expecting his kits.
- So Proud of You:
- Gorse Fur says this to Moth Flight after she makes the announcement to the Clans that there will be medicine cats.
- Wind Runner says this to Moth Flight later when Moth Flight stands her ground against Gorse Fur, insisting that StarClan is guiding her paws to save Wind Runner.
- Moth Flight says this to her son Honey Pelt when he courageously accepts her decision to send him to SkyClan, and then to all of her kits in the epilogue.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Of Moth Flight and Micah's four kits, one has Micah's yellow striped pelt, one is pure white like her, and the other two are a combination of the two.
- Surprise Pregnancy: Moth Flight doesn't realize that she's pregnant at first; she just assumes that she's growing fat because she's been lazy. Cow is the first one to comment on it, and Tall Shadow and Pebble Heart say they thought Moth Flight knew already.
- Tuckerization:
- Shivering Rose and Hazel Burrow from Milkweed's new litter are named after Shiveringrose, a member of Kate's blog at the time, and Hazelburrow, Kate's son's username on the blog.
- Flower Stream, who is briefly mentioned in the epilogue, was named after Flowerstream, who was also a member of Kate's blog.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Moth Flight doesn't want to be a disappointment to Wind Runner.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: After speaking to her lost littermates Emberkit and Morning Whisker at the Moonstone, Moth Flight describes them as this.
- You Remind Me of X: Honey Pelt's optimism and courage remind Moth Flight of his father Micah.
