User:Midnight Blaze V

Personality
Moonheart is a lion who dares to believe that the ways of Prides can be changed into one of honor and discard the violent ways that dictate Prides that demand killing Manes and cubs. He is an idealist but also a realist, knowing he can't just magically make things better by believing in them, and knows he must strive to make his hopes and a dreams a reality.

As such, Moonheart claims his name on the basis of rejecting the way of naming in accordance to Pride Law, choosing to be called Moonheart instead of Moonmane.

Moonheart's motivations to change the way things are come from how he lost his parents and siblings at the fangs and claws of his uncle, Stormmane, who killed Moonheart's father and his siblings while his mother was killed by a member of the pride, Sharpclaw, who'd secretly allied with Stormmane. Moonheart, called Moon back then, survived by running for his life, an act that haunts him to this day.

His traumas and losses caused Moon to hold Pride Law in bitter contempt and he resolved to change things, even if it took him the rest of his life.

Appearance
Moonheart is unusually colored as his fur is black like night but his mane is silvery-white like the moon while his underbelly is light gray. His eyes are pale blue, and on his chest is a distinctive moon mark, which is what inspired him to choose the name Moonheart.

After his fight with Stormmane, whom he managed to kill, Moonheart as a scar starting from his right brow, going over the bridge of his nose, and reaching down to his left cheek.

History
Moonheart, born Moon, was born to a pride led by his father, Nightmane, and his mother, Sunfall. He had a brother, who was unusually big for a cub, and was named Big, and a sister who was not given a name in accordance to Pride Law.

They were happy and listened to their father's stories of the old Kingdoms and how Prides came to be. Moon noticed how the story made his father sad and Nightmane once admitted he could change things so Pride Law would not be so cruel. Moon asked if he could one day change things for the better, and Nightmane laughed and halfheartedly encouraged Moon to do so once he was big enough.

Moon's cubhood ended when a No-Mane came to the Pride and Nightmane recognized the No-Mane as Storm, his brother, whom he'd driven away shortly before Moon and his siblings were born. Storm challenged his brother for the Pride and Nightmane had to answer. The Pride watched in fearful suspense as brother fought brother, and it seemed Nightmane would win... until one of the huntresses in the pride, Sharpclaw, attacked Sunfall from behind. The distraction caused Nightmane to falter when he watched his mate die at the jaws of her fellowhuntress, and Storm seized his chance to kill Nightmane.

With his victory, Storm was now Stormmane and he moved to claim his pride and secure it as his prize by killing the cubs.

The youngest of the huntresses, a lioness named Swiftbreeze, intervened, attacking Stormmane while shouting at the cubs to run. Moon urged his brother and sister to follow and they ran, only for Sharpclaw to bar their way. Swiftbreeze was killed by Stormmane, who rushed in to kill Moon's brother and sister. Moon would have been killed too as Sharpclaw held him under paw, until he bit as hard as he could onto a sensitive part of her paw, causing her to let go and he managed to escape into a thicket of thorns on the edge of a high ridge. As Stormmane tried to find a way in to reach his nephew, Moon managed to slip away and make his escape.

He ran all day and all night, never daring to stop, terrified Stormmane and Sharpclaw would find him... until he collapsed in exhaustion out in the Prideless Stretch. He would have died out there... were it not for the intervention of a mysterious lion that appeared to Moon in a dream, encouraging him to live and giving him direction to a place where he would be safe.

Waking up, Moon followed the direction the lion in his dream had told him to follow... and found a hidden oasis, with a spring surrounded by a large cluster of rock. There was even a tree with fruit growing in it, giving him something to eat for a short time. Alone and having a water source, Moon realized he was going to have to find his own strength and hunt for his own food, knowing he wouldn't live on the limited fruit in the tree.

He first few attempts to hunt were unsuccessful, as he'd never gotten instruction of any kind. He made mistakes and was lucky to even glimpse potential prey, and began to go hungry again. The hidden spring helped, but it wasn't enough. One night, Moon was visited by the mysterious lion in his dreams again, who gave him instruction on how to hunt.

It helped, and although he still had trouble hunting and finding prey, he had relatively better success, and managed to survive.

Reaching adolescence, Moon began to venture further from the hidden oasis, until he happened upon a bachelor group of males like himself. Afraid to approach them, but craving companionship, Moon hesitantly approached them, ready to run for his life at the first sign of danger. To his surprise, the males welcomed him and Moon made his first friends in two males, a large and older male named Boulder and another named Twirl. Boulder was fatherly and looked out for his fellow males while Twirl was like a teasing big brother.

Moon spent time with the males, especially Boulder and Twist, but more than once he overheard the males in the group expressing their hopes of claiming their own prides. Inwardly, he was put off by such talk, due to the implications. Boulder took notice of Moon's solemness and asked him what was wrong. Moon explained he felt Pride Law was wrong, that killing fellow lions and cubs was a sin, and revealing to Boulder of how his own father and mother were killed by a No-Mane who had clearly conspired with a huntress in his parents' pride. Boulder admitted he once killed a male and took over a pride, and Moon could see the remorse in Boulder's eyes, and Moon asked why he was now a no-mane if he once had a pride. Boulder admitted he actually surrendered his pride to a no-mane, but onyl after there were no cubs in the pride for the no-mane to kill. He didn't want to have to kill again or be killed and to make sure no cubs would die if he'd relinquished his pride to a rival.

Moon suggested to Boulder they find a place where they could live their own way, not by the way of Pride Law. Boulder shook his head no and said it was a beautiful dream but a dream nonetheless. Moon never brought it up again.

Some time later, Moon noticed Twirl was gone and went looking for him, only to find Twirl was now Twirlmane and had claimed his own pride. Moon was shocked by how aggressive Twilrmane was and then he dared to ask Twirlmane if he'd killed any cubs. Twirlmane confessed that he did and he had done it without hesitation. Horrified and disgusted, Moon fled and left the bachelor group. He chose to live alone in his hidden oasis and focused on hunting. He visited the bachelors occasionally but never stayed.

Moon became focused on his goal of changing Pride Law and finding a place to live a better way, and he swore to start by taking revenge on his uncle.

Once he was big enough, he returned to his old pride and challenged his uncle, Stormmane. The fight was close, but in the end, Moon killed his uncle most painfully and it seemed he had won the pride... only to reject them.

In bitter contempt and disgust, he denounced them for abiding to such laws and customs that demand bloodshed and unnecessary killing and added he'd only killed Stormmane for revenge. He rejected the Mane name of Moonmane and instead declared himself Moonheart. He glared murderously at Sharpclaw, looking afraid for her cubs as she stood in front of them, and left the pride without a mane to protect them.

Only one of the pride followed Moonheart, a young female who had yet to earn her huntress name. Moonheart at first refused her company, but she asked him to let her join him so that they could make a pride of their own, with their own ways of doing things. Hearing the sincerity in her words and the hope in her eyes, Moonheart asked her for her name, and she sadly said she didn't have one yet. Moonheart smiled and told her she could choose any name she wanted, since that was the Pride Law's way of things.

Realizing Moonheart was right, the lioness thought it over... before declaring herself Dawnpaw.

Moonheart led Dawnpaw to his hidden oasis where they rested... and mated for the first time. The next morning, after drinking their fill of water, Moonehart told Dawnpaw they must leave and find a place to make their own. Dawnpaw was reluctant but agreed, because the oasis couldn't give them all they needed to survive.

They took shelter wherever they could from the searing sun during the day and walked more at night when it was cooler. One day, when they couldn't find shelter, they chose to walk when they happened across a male lion, collapsed from heat and exhaustion. They carefully approached and saw he was a young male, an adult but younger than Moonheart. Yet his male was surprisingly bigger, with a big belly and rump and unusually thick tail.

Moonehart felt they should move on but Dawnpaw insisted they help the male. He agreed and decided he would stay with the male while Dawnpaw looekd around for food or water to give him.

While Dawnpaw searched, the male woke up and was surprised to see Moonheart, who asked the male his name. The male introduced himself as Heavy, saying that he'd always been a heavy lion, even as a cub and never seemed to get lighter or thinner. Heavy was grateful that Moonheart had come along because he was lonely. Moonheart risked telling Heavy that his mate Dawnpaw was looking for food and water while he kept an eye on Heavy. Heavy was glad to hear they would have more company but assured Moonheart he wasn't interested in females, and Moonheart realized Heavy was attracted to him.

Dawnpaw soon returned with a warthog she'd killed and offered it to Heavy, who gratefully accepted.

Moonheart asked to hear Heavy's story, and Heavy revealed he'd been driven from his pride by his father once he'd grown big enough. Heavy had stayed with a bachelor group of males for a time, and had developed feelings for another male. Hoping his interest would reciprocate his feelings, Heavy had confessed to this male, only to be rejected and even attacked.

Brokenhearted, Heavy had left the group and wandered aimlessly into the Stretch for a time until he collapsed from the heat.

He was grateful for the compassion Moonheart and Dawnpaw had given him and asked if he could travel with them, not wanting to be alone anymore. Moonheart came right out and asked Heavy if he liked him in a way similar to the male Heavy had opened himself up to, and Heavy fearfully answered yes... only to be nuzzled in response by Moonheart instead of being attacked or shunned. He was surprised further when Dawnpaw joined in on nuzzling him ,ad nthe three of them cuddled for a time before Moonheart and Dawnpaw asked Heavy to be their mate and join their pride. Heavy was overcome with joy and tearfully said yes. But then he asked about Pride Law and who would be the Mane. Moonheart responded they would not live by Pride Law, that they would form a pride of their own that lived by their own ways and didn't kill for selfish and senseless reasons, and they would choose their own names. Heavy wasn't sure if he wanted to change his name at all so Moonheart suggested they call him Heavytail, because of his big backside, which caused Dawnpaw and Heavy to both laugh and he happily accepted the name, Heavytail.

Together, the nascent pride ventured on to find a new home somewhere across the Stretch.

Nightmane
Nightmane was Moonheart's father. They loved each other very much and it was nightmare who first gave Moonheart, then called Moon, the idea of prides living a way that didn't involve killing each other. Moon admired and respected his father's thinking and told his dad he would find a way to fulfill that dream and Nightmane halfheartedly encouraged him to do so once he was bigger.

When Moon watched his father die, he was devastated and swore to not only avenge his father's death but make his dream come true.

Sunfall
Sunfall was Moonheart's mother, loving and warm.

He was horrified and shocked when she was murdered by Sharpclaw.

Siblings
Moonheart had two siblings, a brother named Big and a sister who never got her name. He loved playing with them and was heartbroken when they were killed.

Swiftbreeze
Swiftbreeze was a huntress in the pride Moonheart was born to. She was like a big sister to Moon and was close to his mom,. Sunfall, like a sister. When Sharpclaw betrayed the pride to help Storm, Swiftbreeze intervened to protect Moon and his siblings only to die almost in vain as only Moon escaped with his life.

Stormmane
Stormmane was Moonheart's uncle, the brother of his father Nightmane. Moonheart never met or heard of his uncle until Storm came and challenged Nightmane for the pride. Moonheart watched in heartbroken horror as Storm managed to kill Nightmane thanks to a distraction by Sharptongue killing Sunfall. Stormmane then killed Moon's siblings and would have killed him too if Moon hadn't manged to escape.

Moon became fixated on revenge, knowing his uncle had not won his fight fairly or honorably, and in time, after growing big enough, moon returned to the pride, challenged his uncle and killed him after a close fight. But he refused to inherit the pride and continue the cycle and left the pride without a mane.

Sharpclaw
Sharpclaw was a huntress in the pride Moonheart was born to. She was abrasive, petty, and jealous of Moon's mother, Sunfall, who was the Hunt Chief. Moon later realized that Sharpclaw had schemed with his uncle Storm to take over the pride, as she killed Sunfall while Moon's father Nightmane and Storm were fighting, distracting Nightmane and allowing Storm to kill him.

Sharpclaw stopped Moon and his siblings from escaping, which allowed Stormmane to kill Moon's siblings though Moon managed to injure Sharpclaw and escape.

When he returned as an adult and killed Stormmane, he refused to inherit the pride and glared at Sharpclaw, who was looking afriad for her cubs. He said nothing to her and left the pride without mane.

Moonheart spared his aunt for the sake of his cousins, whom he bore no ill will, but he never forgave her for killing his mother and aiding in the deaths of his father and siblings.

Boulder
Boulder was an older mane in a bachelor group Moon befriended, and Boulder was a good friend to Moon, almost a second father. They shared their thoughts about Pride Law but while Moon suggested they find a way to change the way things are Boulder shook his head no, believing there was no point.

Twirlmane
Moon met Twirlmane, then called Twirl, in the bachelor group and they were friends. One day however, Twirl never came back to the group and Moon went looking for him. He found out Twirl had become a mane and taken a pride and confessed to killing the cubs in the pride. Moon was horrified and disgusted and fled, never wanting to see his former friend again.

Dawnpaw
Dawnpaw is Moonheart's mate. She was a member of the same pride Moonheart was born to and had yet to become a huntress and earn her name. after Moonheart killed Stormmane but refused to inherit the pride, she followed him and convinced him to let her come with him, saying she agreed with his views that Pride Law was wrong and Moonheart accepted her company and encouraged her to choose her own name instead of one bestowed upon her by Pride Law. She chose the name Dawnpaw, and shortly after they became mates.

Heavytail
Heavytail is Moonheart's second mate, a male he and Dawnpaw met out in the stretch. They helped him after he'd collapse from the heat and after hearing his story and realizing Heavy was intertested in males, Moonheart and Dawnpaw accepted him into their nascent pride and the three of them became mates and chose to travel together to find a home where they could live their own way.

Trivia

 * Moonheart is an OC and non-canon to My Pride Animation
 * Moonheart is bisexual and in a polyamorous relationship with Dawnpaw and Heavytail.