"M-Mother...!" Citrus choked out and broke into tears into her mother's fur. Like a little kit, she sprung back into her mother's embrace, her knees shaking before she fell, burying her nose in the comforting pelt. Dandelion reciprocated the warmth back and held her close like she always did, and for once, she felt happy and at peace as memories came back in colorful and delightful waves.

     "Mother...! Apple is being really mean to me again! Tell him to stop!"

     "Citrus, honey, why are you so scared to talk to others besides your family?"

     "Because I love you and my family the most!"

     "Well... how about you try talking to other cats? Start with she-cats if toms scare you."

     "Really? Will that work?"

     "Would I lie to my beloved daughter?"

     "Citrus," Dandelion purred, rubbing against her daughter once again. "I'm glad that you're here with us now." Citrus looked taken back, pulling away from her.

     Her heart stopped but she didn't pull away from her mother yet, wanting to stay close now that she was reunited. "I was never told I passed the test," she pointed out. "I don't know if I'm perfect or not, so I may not be with you quite yet."

     Dandelion shook her head with disbelief. "You're here and that means you've passed."

     "Maple...? Blaze?" Citrus asked, turning around to face her older siblings through tears, blinking them away. Blaze nodded, agreeing with her while staring at her wet eyes. Maple grinned and nodded, pointing her striped tail forward. She turned around once again and saw a cat gracefully descending down a ledge.

     Her strides were even and reminded her of an angelic dove, her golden fur shining bright in the presence of Citrus. With a single look, she instantly recognized the she-cat from blurry memories of looking up at a fairly young Alpha, one that didn't show the qualities of a leader at the time. Now, even though she stood taller than the small cat, a radiant color surrounded around her, being the very definition of perfection.

     Finally, she stopped in front of, puffing her chest out without looking ashamed of their size difference. Citrus caught onto her bright and clear, blue eyes. Already, she let the walls around her crumble to ashes and dust, placing her trust in the tiny paws of the she-cat that commanded a tribe with a single flick of a tail.

     "You must be Citrus, daughter to Dandelion and Sabertooth, correct?" she asked, tilting her head. For a cat that Citrus thought was proper and more formal, she was sorely mistaken. The pitch of her voice was high like Cherry's when she screamed. 

     This is the Alpha... right? Citrus washed her confusion away. No time to make a mistake in front of her if she is, but I could've sworn she is the Alpha... "Correct, my mother is Dandelion, and my father is Sabertooth." Citrus said properly, keeping her voice confident and keeping her body upright. Her eyes flashed eagerly.

     "You're just like him, Citrus!" she mentioned, smiling wide with all her teeth, reminding Citrus of a little kit. Then the golden she-cat shook her head and locked eyes with her, her aura taking a dive. 

     "We are grace. We are beauty. We are perfect. We are the Tribe of Shining Suns." The cat swung her tail across the camp of lingering eyes, eager to see their newest ally. "I am Origanum, Alpha of the Tribe of Shining Suns." 

     The Tribe of Shining Suns... This is the place I've always wanted to be - though my expectations of what the Alpha would be are wrong. Citrus frowned inside of her head and placed a mask of a bright smile over it. Seeing Origanum act like Lark made suspicion arouse but she didn't try to let it bother her. In her mind, she expected the Alpha to be tall and strong with fire in their eyes not even the harshest waves of the great sea could conquer.

     Not this little, cat that acted like Lark on catmint.

     "Let me be the first to welcome you, then!" Origanum glared at the other cats that tried to step closer. The cats jumped back and filed in a straight line at the look, proving to Citrus the she-cat's power. 

     Origanum stepped up onto a ledge, and sat there, letting the breeze ruffle her fur. Citrus glanced up but no cat made a move towards her except for her family.

     "Attention, my fellow tribemates!" she announced loudly. "Tonight, a new cat has joined us in our ranks!" She yowled, tiny voice piercing the sky like an arrow. "Citrus, the daughter of the strong Sabertooth and the wise Dandelion!" Cats began to applaud for her. Citrus smiled on the outside as they reached her ears, singing a loud symphony. "Now, Maple, please explain the results of her test."

     She stepped to the right as Maple straightened up with all eyes on her. Citrus exchanged a secret look with her older brother and the two hid their laughter, knowing that their sister was trying to suck up any attention she could get. 

     Maple glanced proudly at Citrus and the two stopped, abruptly avoiding the other's gaze. The she-cat didn't question it and continued. "She has successfully been able to keep pace with us and not trip or stumble like a kit would while marching in sync. Her hunting skills managed to bring us a mouse and rabbit. Then she got into a little situation."

     Citrus felt her stomach churn at the word 'situation'. What did she mean by that? All of a sudden, her paws grew hot, and she felt her stomach rising up to her throat. Her breathing began to quicken, but she did her best to hide it as images of three toms and an Imperfect came up.

     "She got into a small battle but managed to come out successfully. She did injure herself the tiniest bit but was able to find the correct herbs to heal it." Maple nodded at Citrus, who was shaking with exhilaration. "When we were gone, she didn't try looking for us. She went forward, proving she wasn't scared of making the trip by herself. She found the rotten piece of prey we hid and knew its location as well."

     The Alpha looked impressed, her eyes two bright stars. Her smile was wide as a roar of congratulation arose from the listening crowd. 

     With a flick of her tail, Origanum silenced the commotion, letting it die down. "I see," she chirped a moment later. "Citrus, I call upon the guidance of the Tribe of Endless Stars to help her grow even more and become even better, always striving for perfection. May her journey to your sacred tribe be quick, easy, and flawless." 

     Origanum set her blue orbs back on Citrus. "Is there a name you wish to have?"

     Don't forget it, Citrus. Wildflower. Just recite the speech and you'll become Wildflower. Citrus cleared her throat, feeling the wind push against her. Time slowed and the only sound she could hear was the gong of her heart, rocking her body. 

     I'm finally here, my dream, my goal, and my home.

     "I ask our ancestors to accept my request. Let my name be changed before I enter your tribe so I can become even more perfect than what I already am. I, Citrus, daughter of Dandelion and Sabertooth, call upon the gate of the Endless Stars and ask to become Wildflower."

     "The Tribe of Endless Stars accepts your request, Wildflower. From here on, you will now be known as Wildflower of the Tribe of Shining Suns," Origanum finished and she let out a massive breath she must've been holding. Her face quickly brightened and started the chorus of cheers.

     The cries rose to the vast sky, yowling her name so the spirits could come down and grace their newest member. The cries stretched for miles and Wildflower hoped that at the Training Den, Cherry, Lark, and Apple could hear the song of perfection. 

     Dandelion came up from behind, wrapping her tail around her once again. "Congrats, Wildflower," she whispered. 

     "Wildflower, we're all proud of you," Blaze added as Maple raced up, skidding to a halt as she wove her way through the mass of cats surrounding the family. The calico growled and shoved past a wall, managing to catch herself without falling on her face.

     Jumping back up with a jubilant expression, she purred. "Congrats, Wildflower!" she praised, touching her tail to Wildflower's shoulder.

     "Let the Acceptance Ceremony commence!" Origanum announced and the cats broke out in a massive party. The sky, now dusk, shined with a thousand stars, shyly peeking from over the landscape, almost as if the Tribe of Endless Stars was rising out to join the celebration.

     Wildflower looked up at the brightest one of them all, eyes warming at the sight of the warm glow. "Father, I made it home," she said, staring up at the star. Just to occupy her mind, she imagined a silver outline of a massive yet caring tom, smiling down at his beloved daughter. Dandelion looked up at the same star.

     "Your father is very proud you made it here," Dandelion mentioned, locking eyes. "Ever since I set first eyes on you or any of your siblings, we both wished for you to be perfect."

     "I will make him proud of me," Wildflower declared. 

     Maple scowled at another she-cat barging her way through and snapped at her. The she-cat rolled her eyes and joined a small line that assembled itself together in front of Wildflower. Dandelion slipped away and went to the back of the line, following Blaze. 

     Her older sister nodded at the first cat. "Come on, every cat is waiting for you." 

     Oh, yes. Every cat gives the newcomer complements or wishes they want for them. Wildflower dipped her head to the she-cat, hiding the excitement at the praise. 

     "I wish you luck in the tribe."

     "I hope you will find happiness here."

     "I wish you a long life."

     "I hope all you're dreams will come true here."

     That's how it went for Wildflower. Each cat came up to tell her something, whether they wished for a healthy life full of adventure or a quiet and peaceful life full of love and caring, she accepted each compliment, trying not to burst with excitement. Each boosted her confidence to another height in the sky. 

     For once, she was the center of attention with a group of cats. Nobody would steal her spotlight. 

     Normally, she would've backed off, but for this one night, she wanted things different. Tonight was special. Tonight was all for her. Everything would go how she wanted it to go. Wildflower saw Origanum come closer and the two touched noses.

     Origanum stepped away and bounced a little, eyes wandering around the lively tribe. "So, now you've joined us! What role do you want? You know you'll start out low though." 

     Wildflower smiled, fully prepared for this question. "I wish to be a scouter," she replied, directly looking at her. The Alpha nodded at her request.

     "Attention my fellow tribemates! We now have a new scouter! Please raise your heads up high for Wildflower!" Again, in unison, each cat raised their heads up high. Wildflower heard five particular cats cheer louder; maybe it was because her ears were drawn to them.

     After that, cats began to separate, grouping together for idle chat or starting up friendly conversations. Wildflower enjoyed the cats that approached her and introduced themselves, saying they were looking forward to watching her grow. She didn't refuse any prey offered to her as a welcoming gift. 

     Soon enough, Wildflower had a small pile of prey at her side, packed with pigeons, mice, and other rodents. 

     Dandelion raised an eyebrow at the pile, jokingly saying, "Eat all of that and you'll be as fat as an old pigeon."

     Before she could answer, Maple came back over, forcing herself into the conversation. "The only thing you can do is enjoy yourself! Have fun! Meet every cat! See the kits! Do something fun, Wildflower!"

     Hearing the conversations around her was music to her ears. The scent of so many cats in the same area tasted sweet, nothing like she ever tasted before. The prey was fresh, one of the juiciest prey she ever sunk her jaws into.

     "Then... let's start celebrating!" Wildflower said, walking over to a group of cats to join them in a game that they had started. When a cat noticed her arrival, the four cats stopped playing and congratulated her, to which she thanked with a wide smile.

     Everyone here is so nice, it almost feels forced or fake...

     They explained the game and Wildflower slipped in to play. As she waited her turn, two little kits raced around, shouting and cheering happily as the night dragged on, one with a bright, white pelt who danced around gracefully and another one who reminded her of a rabbit. Not a moment later, Origanum joined the kits and their jumping, showing her playful side to the tribe. 

     Even with an Alpha having the mind of a kit, Wildflower smiled, her heart soaring at her accomplishment. She didn't care that her turn was passed by a she-cat or that one of the kits bumped into her by accident and startled her while she was in a trance. Blaze was by a group of cats and Maple was talking to Dandelion, who waved her daughter off with each comment. 

     She stole a look at the sky one last time, hoping to see Sabertooth. 

     I'm home.