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| “ | You don't understand yet. I am always with you. We are tied together. And if you won't let me be with you in your world, you will be with me in mine. | „ |
| ~ Morningkit threatening to drag her sister, Moonpaw, to the afterlife |
Morningkit is an antagonist of Changing Skies arc in Erin Hunter's Warriors book franchise. She is the deceased sister of the protagonist, Moonpaw.
She was born to Thriftear and Bayshine in Thunderclan, but she died early on from natural causes. Unlike most souls, she couldn't move on and lingered in the living world. Her littermate, Moonpaw was the one cat who could see her and had a mysterious connection with. However, the pair become strained as one could grow up while the other was stuck as a child. Unable to let go of their games, Morningkit becomes increasing vindictive to gain Moonpaw's attention.
Personality[]
Morningkit is envious, manipulative, and clingy. She displays a childlike nature—delighting in games yet lashing out over petty grievances. She may not be capable of maturing due to being the spirit of a young kitten. Her affection can turn possessive, as she prefers to hurt Moonpaw then be forgotten by her. Morningkit is obsessive and stubbornly refuses to listen to others.
At first, Morningkit appears as a simple annoyance. She slips into her sister’s thoughts uninvited and offering constant commentary. Once Moonpaw doesn't give her full attention as an apprentice, Morningkit becomes a dangerous menace. She began sabotaging Moonpaw’s friendships and training. Worst of all, she made Sunkit vanish to prove a point and threatened to drag Moonpaw to the afterlife. It is unclear if Morningkit grasps the wrongness of her actions or if she simply doesn't care.
History[]
After the defeat of Splashtail, ThunderClan enjoyed an era of peace. Two warriors, Thriftear and Bayshine, had two daughters named Morningkit and Moonkit. They were named to represent the opposites of night and day. Morningkit died before she reached her first moon, her parents describing it as “failing to thrive.” She passed so young that Moonkit was unable to remember her and had to be told about her as an apprentice.
For a mysterious reason, Morningkit didn’t move on to StarClan and became a haunting voice in her sister’s head. Moonkit wondered if hearing a second voice was normal and asked her mother about it. Thriftear assumed it was an imaginary friend and assured her daughter that she would grow out of it. Besides her mother, Moonkit kept the secret to herself. The voice ominously said that they only needed each other.
When Moonpaw became a warrior apprentice, she hoped she could move past her alienation. As she tried to bond with new cats, Morningkit insulted them and tried to win back her attention. Things escalated when Moonpaw glimpsed a mysterious tabby in a river’s surface. It became urgent to discover whether this was imagination or supernatural. She trained as a medicine cat to gain more knowledge about spirits. However, the voice made it impossible to focus on her new duties.
The voice insisted that Moonpaw wasn’t destined to be a medicine cat, but her sister snapped that she didn’t control her. When Moonpaw hoped to speak to StarClan for the first time, Morningkit intercepted her vision and revealed herself as the tabby in the river reflection. Her sister begged to be left alone, but the dead kitten growled that she was only saying hello.
The medicine cat Jayfeather noticed Moonpaw’s distress, and she admitted she was being haunted. The blind tom warned her about the recent history of the Impostor and said she needed to figure out whether this ghost was a threat. Moonpaw returned to the Moonpool and demanded the ginger cat’s true identity. Morningkit remained evasive, saying they were inseparable and that she would prove she was a real spirit by predicting the future.
Morningkit’s prophecy of “the sun in the hollow tree” proved true when Sunkit went missing and was found inside a dead trunk. Moonpaw wondered if the voice had lured the innocent kit there just to prove a point. The tortoiseshell felt forced to follow Morningkit’s demands and returned to her warrior apprenticeship. Not knowing what else to do, the young cat asked her parents for guidance. Upon hearing about the ginger tabby, they concluded it was her deceased littermate and apologized for not telling her about her existence. Thriftear tried to be cheerful, saying it was sweet that Morningkit was reaching out to Moonpaw.
Moonpaw went to see her reflection in the lake and saw her sister appear. She said she knew who she was, but it was time for her to ascend to StarClan. Morningkit refused and said she wanted to play with Moonpaw instead. The tortoiseshell insisted that she had responsibilities as an apprentice and that she was afraid of her after what happened with Sunkit. Furious at her rejection, Morningkit threatened to drag Moonpaw into “her world” if she didn’t play with her.
Morningkit becomes truly malicious. Throughout the next moon, she causes her sister to sleepwalk. Moonpaw is terrified that Morningkit has this level of control, becoming scared to sleep and wondering if she is a danger to others. During a training session, she blacks out and accidentally injures Goldenpaw. Jayfeather orders Moonpaw to remain under observation in the medicine den, but it doesn't stop the nightmares from occurring. Morningkit finds that Moonpaw is becoming familiar with her tricks and changes her tactics. She summons Brambleclaw into a shared dream and torments him in front of her sister.
However, Morningkit makes a mistake by revealing herself to others. Jayfeather had sensed her presence, and Brambleclaw recognised his deceased clanmate. They warned Moonpaw to stay away from her and began making preparations to deal with her. During this time, the Five Clans were receiving a new prophecy and discussed what could be done about StarClan's silence. From SkyClan, Starlingpaw had received a sacred message warning about the "two-faced cat". At first, he believed it was a metaphor for someone with a traitorouspersonality. However, he glimpsed Morningkit's silhouette at a Gathering and got one step closer to the conflict between the sisters.
Jayfeather tells Moonpaw to find out everything she can about Morningkit. The apprentice approaches her parents, asking about her death and burial place. She can't bring herself to tell her parents about their daughter's true nature. Morningkit continues her luck with Moonpaw and Brambleclaw, asking the retired leader to play with her since her sister refuses. Eventually, the brown tabby looms over her, and she runs away, not used to someone threatening her.
Quotes[]
| “ | Jayfeather and Alderheart tried everything they could, and we never left her alone for a single heartbeat. But she couldn't be saved. | „ |
| ~ Bayshine The Elders' Quest, page 253-254 |
| “ | I'm not imaginary, am I? Thriftear just doesn't understand. Maybe it's better if you don't talk about me. | „ |
| ~ Morningkit, The Elders' Quest, page 35 |
| “ | I thought you didn't want to talk anymore. You hardly ever answer me these days." | „ |
| ~ The Elders' Quest, page 183-184 |
Trivia[]
- Moonpaw's ginger markings are noted to look identical to Morningkit. It is unknown if this is connected to their spiritual bond or if it is a coincidence.
- On the warriors website, it says Moonpaw has heterochromia. It is an condition where embryo absorbed their twin in the womb and shows traits from two sets of DNA. There was a fan theory that Morningkit was the absorbed twin and was anchored to the mortal world due to her living sister. This was debunked when Morningkit was revealed as a separate sibling who died after birth. It remains to be seen if Moonpaw's heterochromia is plot relevant or simple trivia.
External Links[]
- Morningkit on the Warriors Wiki
