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twilights-800-cats · 6 days
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Twilight is heading towards its conclusion for Patrons, so here's a reminder that it's only $1 a month to read ahead over on Patreon!
And, for those of you who are wondering, the TB AU will resume on Ao3 once it's done posting over on Patreon!
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twilights-800-cats · 6 days
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<< Chapter 16 || Chapter 17 || Chapter 18 || From the Beginning || Patreon & Ko-Fi >>
Chapter 17
“What do we do now?” Shadepool prompted, staring at her mentor. Her legs were trembling with fear and uncertainty, and she was hoping more than hope that Brackenfur had some sort of idea.
Brackenfur, though, was staring back at her, just as helplessly. Shadepool swallowed around a hard lump in her throat.
He doesn't know what to do! Panic lit Shadepool's nerves on fire, bouncing against the walls of thorns in her mind. He always knows what to do!
Shadepool stared down at her paws. However, there were no answers there - just herself, her own little white paws, and the sand-covered stone below her. She looked back up at Brackenfur and found that he was still stunned.
“Do... Do we tell Tinystar?” she wondered, hoping to spur him to someplace other than silence.
Brackenfur blinked and then flattened his ears. “No,” he answered lamely. He shook his muzzle, then coughed out, “No! Not yet.”
Shadepool worked her paws against the ground, confused. “Tinystar asked me to look for Onewhisker,” she admitted. “You want me not to tell him?”
Brackenfur's muzzle clenched. “He shouldn't have done that to you,” he lamented. “There was never any guarantee you'd have found him in the first place, whether he was there or not.” He sighed, his shoulders sagging. “But how could you say no?”
His eyes flickered, and Shadepool sensed that he was beginning to come out from his shock. Brackenfur's tail twitched in thought.
“I will handle Tinystar,” he said firmly. “Go and try to rest, Shadepool.”
Shadepool frowned. “I can talk to Tinystar; you don't have to do it for me.”
“Tinystar is still hurting,” Brackenfur insisted. He hunkered down in his nest, exhaling through his nose in what Shadepool guessed was pain. The juniper he'd taken before the trek to the Moonpool would've worn off long before now. He adjusted himself, grunting, “This knowledge needs to be conveyed carefully - to tell him outright might cause him to spiral and do something desperate.”
Shadepool bit her tongue. She knew her father well enough to know that Brackenfur was right.
“We might not like it,” Brackenfur went on, “and believe me, I don't - but we cannot afford to chance what Tinystar might do, not until we have more information ourselves. Sometimes, we medicine cats must withhold the truth for the good of our Clans.”
He regarded her evenly, and Shadepool knew he was placing a heavy amount of trust on her shoulders, possibly more than he had ever before. She dipped her chin low in understanding.
It's not like I'm any stranger to doing that, she told herself. But her stomach still roiled now as it had back then, nerves threatening to eat her from the inside out. Did Brackenfur know what she had done to save WindClan? Yellowfang had, after all, and the two were very close.
If he did, he wasn't punishing her for it. Not yet.
Shadepool bid him a quiet goodnight before she headed for her own nest, exhausted to her bones. She wasn't sure she would get any sleep - how could she, knowing that something had stolen Onewhisker's spirit?
But she went through the effort of circling in her nest, anyway, and by the time she had laid herself down and tucked her nose behind her tail, her eyes were heavy with sleep.
In the darkness, she thought she saw the shapes of shadowy cats.
———————————————————
The next several days passed quietly.
Shadepool was kept busy enough with her duties, scouring the territory for any winter herbs that were available and helping her Clanmates with aches and sprains and chills. Her spare moments were split between begging StarClan for newleaf and trying to untangle the questions in her mind, foremost of all what had happened to Onewhisker's spirit.
Sorreltail and Sun sometimes joined her on her outings - if they noticed that Shadepool was lost in thought, they didn't say anything. In fact, they often seemed to do their best to keep her mind away from what was troubling her, even if they didn't know it, taking moments to play with her in the snow or teaching her tips on how to hunt in leafbare. Shadepool found herself catching more than a few pieces of fresh-kill for the pile.
Shadepool was very grateful for the distraction. The knowledge of Onewhisker's fate was an oppressive force, true; but what was worse was not being able to talk to anyone about it.
Brackenfur had spent these days wracking his brain, but he had no more clues than Shadepool. It seemed as if Brackenfur had told Tinystar that Shadepool simply hadn't been able to find Onewhisker - if Tinystar was skeptical, he didn't show it outwardly, and he went about his days as he usually did, keeping the Clan running with Mistyfoot and Dustpelt.
Nightfrost was worse, though - where Shadepool had once not even needed to speak to convey her distress, now she wanted desperately to tell him what had happened, but found herself incapable of even beginning a conversation with her brother. She had never been so cut off from him before, and she longed to do so much as eat beside her brother and share in his life, but the first thing she needed to do was apologize to him before she laid anything at his paws. She just didn't know how to do that yet.
Slowly, the moon began to swell again, and, on a dark, cloudy night where the moon was a few days from full, Shadepool crept out of camp, using the shadows to hide her from Sootfur on the night watch.
Weighed down with her feelings and worries and lack of answers and confidants, she wanted nothing more than to see Crowflight - and, even if they didn't see one another, just getting out of camp by herself would be good for her mind, she knew.
She took it slow through the forest, heading to the Divide - not to the tree-bridge, but to the hidden stepping-stones that Crowflight had shown her what felt like a lifetime ago, now. If he wanted to see her, he would be there, where it was safer for them to meet.
As she walked, she was wondering what they would even talk about. She wanted to catch up with Crowflight more than anything, but what would she say about what she had learned? She'd never kept secrets from Crowflight before, and the idea of starting to now didn't feel right.
But what would he think of Onewhisker not being in StarClan? she thought. Her paws trembled. He would have to tell Mudstar something like that, right?
Would Mudstar even believe it, though? Shadepool shuddered. The concept was just too horrendous! And how would Crowflight explain where he'd learned such information? What if Mudstar laid the blame on ThunderClan again? It would really be war, then, and the other Clans would have to side with WindClan in the face of such a revelation.
ThunderClan would be alone, with no hope at all to survive.
Shadepool stopped beside the stepping-stones. Her chest felt tight - her thoughts had spiraled too much, too intensely, and she settled in a bit of leafless bracken to hide and try to calm down.
She tried again to break open the thorn barrier in her mind and found that, frustratingly, it still wouldn't budge. On the other side was Nightfrost, and whatever dreams he was dreaming, whatever comfort he could give. The idea of being so trapped with her own thoughts was so suffocating, especially when they were this heavy and apocalyptic.
Is this how Mistyfoot feels inside? she wondered. She'd only ever seen the outward appearance of Mistyfoot's anxiety. To think that her friend felt like this so often! How did she manage?
Shadepool focused on her breathing, but wished she had some thyme to help unclench her chest. This deep in leafbare, though, meant that the plant would be nowhere to be found. Even just a whiff of its comforting scent would probably help...
Her nose twitched.
The scent that had drifted across the river wasn't thyme, but it was something far more soothing. Her ears pricked, and she poked her head out from the bracken, hoping she wasn't making it up.
Crowflight!
He was on the other side of the stepping-stones, staring across the water with a hopeful look in his eyes. He hadn't spotted her yet, but it seemed like he was looking, with the purposeful way he peered into the scraggly bushes.
Shadepool's breath caught in her throat, and her worries faded like mist in the sunshine - he was here! She thanked StarClan as she carefully pulled herself out of her hiding spot. She lifted her tail in greeting, a purr caught in her throat.
Crowflight spotted her a moment later, and his eyes widened. Moments later, he was splashing across the stepping-stones without a care for how he might slip. He was on the ThunderClan side of the Divide and a whiskerlength away within a heartbeat.
Shadepool breathed in his scent, letting it warm and comfort her. Her mind, which had been weighted down like a thundercloud, eased away, lifted into a sunny greenleaf day. Love welled up in her chest, and she wondered if it would spill out her jaws when she opened her mouth.
“Crowflight!” She almost choked on her purr. “It's been so long, I'm so sorry!”
Crowflight's eyes glittered with emotion. He rasped, “It's okay! I understand.”
They stared into one another's eyes for a long moment, just drinking in the sight of each other. Shadepool desperately needed to know if anything about him had changed. Crowflight looked leaner and stronger. Had he grown taller, somehow? No, that couldn't be. His dark fur looked sleek as the night sky, and he seemed as healthy as she could determine.
He seemed to be doing the same to her, his eyes flickering over her. She felt warm under his scrutiny and welcomed that in this bitter cold.
When he was done, he touched his nose to her ear and breathed, “I've missed you.”
“Me, too,” Shadepool agreed.
“Where have you been?” he asked. His gaze flashed with concern. “Duskwhisker said she scented you alone at the ambush site, but I haven't seen you anywhere...”
Shadepool twitched her whiskers. That's probably the last time he heard anything of me! It's been so long!
“I, uh, wasn't supposed to be there,” Shadepool admitted. Her tail frisked. “I was hoping to find something we might've missed, but...”
“But?” Crowflight leaned in, hopeful.
Shadepool sighed. “I don't think it was anything at all,” she sighed. Quickly, she told him about the gray tuft of fur. “Tinystar didn't think it was conclusive since there are too many gray cats in the Clans.”
Crowflight grimaced. “I don't disagree,” he decided. “That sounds too vague to be helpful.”
He exhaled, his eyes turning soft. “I'm sorry it didn't amount to anything, Shade,” he murmured. “I know you'd try anything to help, but that was dangerous! Duskwhisker wouldn't have been able to defend you if you'd been caught.”
Shadepool's fur fluffed with discomfort. “You're telling me they'd attack a medicine cat?”
Crowflight lashed his tail. “I wouldn't tell them to, and normally, I don't think Duskwhisker would - but not every cat thinks that way. After all, whoever killed Onewhisker didn't try to spare Barkface, either.” His gaze darkened. “Some cats are having a hard time grappling with that.”
Shadepool shuddered at the idea. “Is WindClan really so far gone?” she whispered.
“Not at all!” Crowflight insisted, his neck fur ruffling. Shadepool felt him tense, and a familiar defensiveness entered his tone: “WindClan is doing just fine right now. Mudstar isn't a bad leader, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job as deputy! My Clanmates are not heartless, they're just scared!”
Shadepool took a step back, flattening her ears. “You know what I meant, Crowflight,” she insisted with a hiss. “You don't need to get like that.”
Crowflight looked away from her, his hackles lowering self-consciously. “Sorry,” he muttered.
“Are things really going so well?” Shadepool wondered. She drew close, accepting his apology.
Crowflight nodded. He told her, “It's the middle of leafbare - that sucks, like usual, but Mudstar is handling it all really well. He can be harsh, but he does know what he's doing. The Clan has gotten back on its paws.”
She had to ask: “And the ambush...?”
“The ambush...?” Crowflight repeated, confused. “I didn't hear anything about that.”
She explained what happened, quickly. “No one was seriously hurt,” she said, “but you're telling me you didn't know anything about it?”
Crowflight shook his head, his expression grim. “I don't think Mudstar did, either,” he grunted. “He ordered us not to mess with ThunderClan unless they mess with us first.”
“Tinystar said the same thing.” It surprised Shadepool that the two would end up thinking the same way about the situation, despite standing on opposite sides of it. What did that say about Mudstar's leadership? Shadepool wasn't sure.
Crowflight looked troubled. “I'll keep an eye out for any rumblings of things like this, but I don't know what I can do about the ambush without revealing how I knew about it.” His tail stiffened. “I don't want to get you into any trouble.”
“Perhaps Duskwhisker can help?” Shadepool suggested.
“I can't risk her, either. She'd never forgive me.” Crowflight shook his head. “She's my friend, probably my only one.”
Shadepool scoffed, “Not your only one! What about Nightfrost and the others?”
Crowflight looked her in the eye. “Do they really still think we're friends after all this?”
Drawing closer, Shadepool pressed her muzzle against his. “I do,” she murmured. “And I know they still care about you, even if things are complicated right now.”
Crowflight grunted, and Shadepool wondered if he believed her.
The night drew on into the early hours. When the first birds began to chirp and clamor and the sky was a pale gray, Shadepool uncurled herself from the bracken nest they had made and nudged Crowflight awake.
“It's time,” she murmured.
While Crowflight stretched, Shadepool watched him. Her heart ached at what was to come - that he would disappear over the stepping-stones, and she had no idea when she would see him again. He was the brightest spot of happiness in her life right now, and she didn't want to lose that, not for anything.
“Crowflight, wait a moment,” she said suddenly.
Crowflight looked at her, puzzled. “Shade, I know you don't want to go, but we have to-”
“No, this is important!” Shadepool insisted. “You need to know about this.”
Heart thudding in her ears, Shadepool wondered if this was the right thing to do - but something inside her screamed that she couldn't hide it anymore, it was just too much, and it was Crowflight - she couldn't keep a secret like this. Not if they were to work together, which she wanted more than anything after feeling so cut off from everyone important to her.
So, she told him about Onewhisker, sharing everything she could until he was slack-jawed in shock, staring at her as if she had grown trees from her ears.
“I know this is a lot,” she breathed, her limbs trembling, “and you might not understand what it means - we don't, either - but I can't... I can't handle knowing it all on my own. I just can't.”
Crowflight blinked at her, owl-eyed. Speechless.
Please, say something!
“Do you believe me?” Shadepool urged.
Crowflight was silent for another heartbeat. “I wish I didn't,” he finally managed, his voice dry. “Oh, Shadepool...”
“Don't tell anyone else, not even Mudstar!” Shadepool insisted. She stared into his eyes, begging and pleading. “For now, at least. Not until we know what's really going on here!”
“What about Barkface?” Crowflight wondered, his ears flattened. “Wha-What if this happens to him, too?”
Shadepool shivered at the idea. “Is Barkface...?”
“Ryewhisper isn't hopeful,” Crowflight confessed, his voice full of pain and fear. She could see the hair along his spine rising. “If Barkface dies, and his spirit disappears, too...”
“... then there won't be a way for anyone to find out the truth,” Shadepool finished. Her chest tightened again, making it hard to breathe. Could whatever had done this really be so cruel?
We're already dealing with someone willing to kill, she thought resolutely, even though it sickened her. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility. She wished she could tell Brackenfur about this - but there was no way he would calmly understand how she'd gotten the information about Barkface.
Crowflight seemed to be of the same mind. He rested his muzzle on top of her head. “Thank you for telling me,” he whispered. “I don't know what I can do to help, Shadepool, but I know we can stop this. We can do anything, so long as we're together.”
Shadepool trembled at his words and could only purr in response. Was this what Yellowfang meant about faith and love? She wasn't sure, but she decided that it was close enough.
She breathed in his scent one last time and then watched him cross the stepping-stones, his lean form disappearing into the woods on the other side. She missed him so much already, but their night together would have to last until they saw one another again.
Shadepool glanced up at the moon. There'll be a Gathering soon, she thought, suppressing a yawn. Perhaps we can meet then? Maybe there will be more information in the coming days...
First, though, she would have to disguise her scent before returning to camp. If she got there quick enough, she could take a nap until sunup, and then maybe Sorreltail would hunt some breakfast with her...
When she lowered her gaze from the sky, her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. The white cat was standing a tail-length away, staring right at her.
Stunned, Shadepool locked eyes with the being, trapped in its starry gaze that showed so much yet so little. It didn't move, its lean shape barely visible in the white world around them.
Yellowfang had been certain the being meant no harm, so why was it stalking her? Shadepool's pelt fizzled with frustration. Why did this thing have to appear right when she felt slightly more confident?
Exasperated, she burst, demanding, “What do you want from me?”
As usual, there was no response. The white cat simply stared back, Silverpelt swirling in its liquid gaze. Looking for too long felt like Shadepool was floundering in deep water, watching the bubbles of her last breaths drift up to the surface.
Shadepool shivered. “If you're not here to hurt or help me - are you just going to stare at me? Is that all you do?” she spat, bitterly. “Am I supposed to just know what you want?”
Nothing.
Shadepool growled in her throat. “I don't have time for this,” she said. “Leave me alone already, unless you can help me!”
She turned away from the white cat, not looking back to see if it had disappeared. If that spirit wanted something out of her, it could say so. If not, it could stand there and rot for all she cared.
There was too much else going on to worry about it now.
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twilights-800-cats · 7 days
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The Abandoned Thundersnake
(just a neat idea for a setting that Warriors should totally have:) the cats belong to some of my followers ! Train was referenced from a Finnish steam train located in the woods of Essex)
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twilights-800-cats · 7 days
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(forgot to upload this here rip) but TREEEESSS! I’ve been thinking a lot about a warrior cats mobile game where you get to explore the different territories and fight for your clan and such and what such a game might look like. Some are based on real species while others are made-up
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twilights-800-cats · 8 days
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it hurts so much but theres something so.....deeply personal and sad to me to think about squirrelflight finally realizing the imbalance in her relationship with bramblestar and how he consumed her entire life from such a young age that she barely had time to be on her own without him or a romantic relationship. how she was an apprentice but she spent the later part of her apprenticehood in this push and pull relationship with him, how her entire time as a young warrior was spent with both brambleclaw and ashfur fighting over her, how she barely had time to really just be on her own, care-free. how it feels like her entire life just became brambleclaw and being his mate, not just squirrelflight. she sees she-cats younger than her like hazeltail or icecloud who spend their days with their friends and doing whatever they please, while when she was their age she spent all her time arguing with brambleclaw, having ashfur hanging over her shoulder, even the fuzzy memories of how stormfur seemed too invested in her when they were on the journey, and its so much for her to think about, to go through, and it just hurts.
i love her so much, ik the erins and a large part of the fandom dont see it as being weird or creepy but bramblesquirrel/ashsquirrel/stormsquirrel definitely are bad.
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twilights-800-cats · 13 days
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Hey all!
On the internet, I'm known as Twilight or Twilidramon (she/her or they/them). I'm a writer and artist working on original and fan content and have been doing so for about 20 years now!
If you like what I do, here are the ways you can support* me:
Patreon - for only $1 a month, you get access to everything I'm doing way ahead of the public. This includes the TB AU series of stories! Most stuff will remain Patreon exclusive for the foreseeable future.
Ko-Fi - the best place to commission me! You can also make smaller, one-time donations, or even support me monthly over there, too, if you prefer it to Patreon. NOTE: Ko-fi will not have access to my writing beyond possible PDFs in the future. The site just does not support it cleanly :P
Both options give access to my Discord server, and both are SFW, though original works on my Patreon might toe the line here or there, depending on the content.
*Donate/subscribe/commission only if it's feasible for you to do so. Your livelihood and safety are far more important than paying someone on the internet!
I want to thank everyone who had followed, read, asked, or otherwise interacted with me and my work over the years. It's meant so much to me to take you on my creative journey!
Here's to more years and more stories!
-Twilight <3
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twilights-800-cats · 13 days
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<< Chapter 15 || Chapter 16 || Chapter 17 || From the Beginning || Patreon & Ko-Fi >>
Chapter 16 
Sun and Sorreltail, to their credit, kept to themselves for the journey, even when they were in ThunderClan territory. They didn't speak unless spoken to, and they kept themselves at a respectful distance when Brackenfur and Shadepool met with Mothwing and Littlecloud beside the tree-bridge. 
“Tinystar is that nervous?” Littlecloud commented, glancing at the ThunderClan escort. He kneaded his paws, and Shadepool wondered if he would object. 
“He just wants to ensure we're safe,” Shadepool reasoned. She looked at Mothwing and Littlecloud and noted their lack of escorts. She added, “All of us.” 
Mothwing, affable as always, shrugged, but Littlecloud looked perturbed. “So long as they don't set paw in the hollow, I suppose,” he grumbled. 
If Sun or Sorreltail were offended, they didn't speak about it - this was very abnormal for them, too. The two warriors spread out, covering the medicine cat's flanks as they followed the stream toward the Moonpool. 
“I'd expect WindClan has given Ryewhisper an escort, too,” Mothwing pointed out. Shadepool couldn't help but admire how unaffected the beautiful golden she-cat was by the odd situation. 
Littlecloud was still disgruntled, and he glanced at Sorreltail, who was a tail-length away, pretending she wasn't hearing any of this. The ShadowClan medicine cat lowered his head and muttered, “They'd best not start anything...” 
“They won't!” Shadepool defended, feeling her neck fur fluff. 
Littlecloud grumbled under his breath and trotted up to Brackenfur, walking shoulder to shoulder with him instead. 
Shadepool flattened her ears. Does he think that warriors have no sense? If he'd spent just one moment with Sun or Sorreltail, he'd know they were some of the most understanding ThunderClan warriors around! 
“Don't mind Littlecloud,” Mothwing murmured, sidling up to Shadepool now that Littlecloud was gone. “He was grouchy on our way through RiverClan territory, too.” 
���Why?” Shadepool wondered, curious. Littlecloud wasn't usually so testy, in her experience. 
Mothwing shrugged. “No idea,” she admitted. Her golden gaze was troubled. “But something is up in ShadowClan, I think. I've heard some rumblings from the border patrols that they've been even more annoying than usual...” 
Shadepool swallowed and looked ahead at Littlecloud. Brackenfur had mentioned some days ago that the ShadowClan cats at the Gathering looked like something had ruffled their fur, too. ThunderClan had been too focused on WindClan to really think about what their other neighbor might be dealing with. 
“Any idea what it is?” Shadepool wondered. 
Mothwing shook her head. “No clue. Littlecloud normally has no problem asking for help if he needs it, so whatever it is, Russetstar must want it kept a secret. You know how ShadowClan cats are!” 
Shadepool sighed. She sure did - as much as she had loved traveling with Stoneheart, he'd always kept things close to his chest, and he'd been born a ThunderClan cat before he'd left to join ShadowClan! She recalled an elder's tale from when she was a kit about how the mysteriousness of the marshlands made ShadowClan cats secretive and cold. 
The path began getting steeper as the large group left ThunderClan territory. Shadepool glanced across the river and wondered if she could see Ryewhisper over there - was he going to risk taking the short way? In the growing shadows, though, Shadepool couldn't see anything. 
I wonder who his escort is... If it were Crowflight, perhaps she would have a chance to explain why she hadn't seen him in so long. 
“So, how've you been?” Mothwing asked, butting into Shadepool's thoughts. “You know, with the whole WindClan thing?” 
Shadepool grimaced. “Not much has changed,” she admitted. “There was a small fight, but-” 
“Shadepool, hush!” Brackenfur's voice was sharp from up ahead. He was glaring over his shoulder at her like she was a loudmouthed kitten. 
Shadepool sighed, glancing apologetically at Mothwing. The lovely she-cat only shrugged, her gaze understanding. 
“If you ever need anything, you know where to find me,” Mothwing said quietly. She smiled at Shadepool and said, “I still don't know how to thank you for helping me out after Mudfur died, after all.” 
Shadepool's pelt warmed. Though she had been annoyed to be temporarily apprenticed to Mothwing during the Great Journey, she'd learned quickly that the RiverClan she-cat was struggling with grief for her mentor, who'd died just before they left. It had been nice to help if it meant lightening the load on Mothwing during such a hard time. 
She looked into the golden she-cat's eyes and saw something familiar there - something she'd seen in Sorreltail's eyes, too. Friendship. 
Her heart skipped - had she made a friend in Mothwing without even knowing it? Had she missed it all this time because of her bond with Nightfrost, and how simple it made things seem? 
“Anyway,” Mothwing swept on, ignorant of Shadepool's realization, “I don't think ThunderClan did it, anyway.” 
“You don't?” Shadepool was surprised. At the Gathering, it seemed everyone else was on board with Mudstar's accusations, if not skeptical of the idea. 
Mothwing looked serious for once. “Not one bit,” she assured. 
Shadepool's heart flooded with relief. “You have no idea how nice that is to hear,” she breathed. 
“I can imagine,” Mothwing purred. 
They walked in relative silence the rest of the way, picking carefully along the safest paths, which were harder to identify in the snow. Brackenfur struggled some, but the juniper must have given him enough strength, as Shadepool didn't need to help him. 
By the time the ground had flattened out and the hawthorn bushes were in sight, the half-moon had risen, and the world was engulfed in night. They had made it to the Moonpool without incident. 
Brackenfur opened his jaws to taste the air. “Ryewhisper is here already,” he commented. Shadepool opened her jaws and scented the WindClan medicine cat on the branches of the hawthorn ahead. 
“Good,” Littlecloud sighed. “I was worried he wouldn't come at all.” 
Brackenfur turned to fix his gaze on Sorreltail and Sun. They had already placed themselves a good few tail-lengths away, but he quickly reinforced the distance: “Only medicine cats are allowed to proceed from this point on.” 
“We understand,” Sorreltail mewed, dipping her head respectfully. Sun did the same, reverence aglow in her eyes. 
Shadepool wondered if Sun was thinking of her old home again - where the Tribe met with their ancestors was in the deepest part of the mountain, and it seemed like the whole Tribe was allowed to go there for announcements, sometimes. Here, only medicine cats and leaders came to speak with StarClan, and only apprentices came along for the journey when it was required to become a warrior. 
What would it be like if warriors were allowed to come to the Moonpool? Shadepool wondered. She glanced at Brackenfur, waiting for his signal to proceed. It would probably be very crowded. 
“Where's WindClan's escort?” Mothwing wondered. Her gaze searched this way and that. “I don't see them anywhere.” 
Shadepool sniffed the air, hoping for some sign of Crowflight - but there was none, and she scented no WindClan cat other than Ryewhisper. She tried not to look visibly deflated. 
“If they're smart, they're staying out of sight, too,” Littlecloud muttered. He glanced at the ThunderClan warriors. “StarClan's wrath will be immeasurable if blood is shed this night.” 
Brackenfur nodded in solemn agreement. Shadepool shivered at the idea. Fighting at a Gathering was one thing - that was just something that might happen when four Clans were brought together - but hurting someone at a sacred place like the Moonpool, where StarClan spoke to their descendants? That would be unspeakable! 
Even whoever attacked Onewhisker and Barkface didn't do it here, she thought, though that idea further solidified that it must've been a Clan cat that did it. A rogue or loner wouldn't care for Clan beliefs. 
Shadepool stared at the hawthorn and wondered if that answer lay in StarClan. 
———————————————————
Ryewhisper was already asleep; his nose touched the surface of the Moonpool when Brackenfur, Littlecloud, Mothwing, and Shadepool passed through the bushes and into the hollow. 
“Rude,” Brackenfur sighed quietly, “but we're wasting too much moonlight ourselves.” 
In single file, they picked their way carefully down the hollow to the shore. Shadepool was shocked that, despite the blizzards and cold air, the Moonpool wasn't frozen, nor was the hollow filled with snow. It was as if StarClan had sheltered the place from the wrath of leafbare. When she settled on the shore between Mothwing and Brackenfur and touched her nose to the water's surface, it felt warm and soothing. 
There was an awkwardness in the air - they usually would convene and chat a little before starting, but Brackenfur was right. The moonlight wouldn't last forever, even if they were all dying to know how Barkface was doing. 
Shadepool closed her eyes, and her world was engulfed in starlight. 
When the light cleared, Shadepool was standing in a forest, the world warm and the air filled with the smells of greenleaf and sunshine. Even through the leafy treetops, she could see stars shimmering in a blanket of velvet night. 
Everything around her felt so crisp and rich, contrasting with how dry and cold the world outside her dreams was. Shadepool breathed it in deeply, wanting to take something of it with her when she left. 
I've got more important things to do than roll in the grass, though, she told herself firmly. It was so easy to get lost in the splendor of StarClan, and she wondered how their warrior ancestors got anything done here. 
She looked around and found no one. She sighed. Sometimes, it took a moment for StarClan to appear - or sometimes, they just didn't come at all if they had nothing to say. The latter would be worse than it seemed, in times like these. 
Or maybe they don't want to see me, she thought worriedly, because of how I feel about Crowflight. 
StarClan had to know about her feelings - they knew everything else, after all. Would they not show themselves to her? And, if they were upset, why even allow her to come here? 
Shadepool looked up at the stars and felt her heart stop. 
The white cat was perched on the branches of an old maple, staring down at her. 
Shadepool flattened her ears. The last time she had seen the strange being, it had been just before the shadowy cats emerged to threaten her. 
Fear gripped Shadepool - what was this thing? What did it want? Why had it followed her here, of all places? 
“Shoo, you,” rasped a cranky old voice. “Get going!” 
Shadepool blinked, and the white cat was gone. 
“Thank you,” Shadepool breathed, her heart in her throat. She turned around to see her savior and purred in surprise, “Yellowfang!” 
The old she-cat shook a leaf from her head, dazzling Shadepool with the stars caught in her thick, messy gray fur. Dark orange eyes like leaves in leaf-fall rested on Shadepool with care, and her flattened muzzle curled into a jagged-toothed smile. 
“Ah, hello, youngster,” she rasped. “It's been some time.” 
Shadepool dipped her head respectfully. Yellowfang didn't often appear to Shadepool - she had been Brackenfur's teacher, and they had never met in life - but Shadepool had seen her here and there and knew that the old she-cat meant a lot to both her father and her mentor. 
“Where's Spottedleaf?” Shadepool wondered, stepping closer to Yellowfang. Not that she was ungrateful, but Yellowfang was not the cat that had guided her throughout her life. “And what was that thing? It sounded like you knew it.” 
Yellowfang sighed irritably. “So many questions already!” she complained. Her thick tail flicked, and she flopped down into a nest of leaves and moss that Shadepool could have sworn hadn't been there a moment ago. 
“Spottedleaf is busy,” Yellowfang answered, lapping at a paw. “I came in her stead.” Her orange eyes gleamed knowingly. “Is that alright?” 
“Of course!” Shadepool came closer and decided to untangle a mat from behind Yellowfang's ear. How does a StarClan cat let her pelt stay so tangled? “And the white cat?” 
Yellowfang heaved a sigh beneath her. “That one is... different,” she sighed. “I've seen it before - it's a very ancient thing, old as the warrior code itself, and it's been here that long, too.” She wrinkled her muzzle. “It means you no harm.” 
Shadepool felt the old she-cat tense as she spoke of the white cat and wondered if that was true - but everything she'd ever known of Yellowfang said that she wasn't a liar. Shadepool moved on to a tangle of fur near the medicine cat's shoulders, wondering how a spirit could linger for so long - it must be very powerful. What was it holding on to? 
“And the shadowy cats?” she asked carefully, recalling how Brackenfur had reacted to them. 
Yellowfang shuddered. “Stay away from them,” she growled, in no uncertain terms. “Far away.” 
You don't have to tell me twice! Shadepool tugged at the mat. “But do you know what they are?” 
“Evil things,” Yellowfang hissed. The old she-cat tensed as if she were readying herself for battle. “Things best forgotten.” 
Shadepool shivered. She distracted herself by flattening Yellowfang's fur back down. She told herself not to press any further - and why would she when Yellowfang's answer was already so concise? She didn't want to mess with the shadowy cats any further, anyway - too much was going on already. 
Yellowfang chuckled beneath her. “You've got that look,” she said, stretching out in her nest. 
“What look?” Shadepool wondered. 
“That look your father would get, just before he was about to do or say something radical.” Yellowfang sighed wistfully, her orange eyes clouded with memories. She narrowed her gaze on Shadepool and said tartly, “You're a radical one yourself, aren't you?” 
Shadepool twitched her whiskers. “What do you mean?” she wondered hesitantly. “I'm not sure what-” 
“Oh hush, you!” Yellowfang chortled. She sat up and shook out her pelt, and Shadepool saw the mats and tangles she had just undone return as if Yellowfang had willed them back into existence. “I know what you've done.” 
Shadepool's heart began beating rapidly. What could Yellowfang mean? Was she talking about Crowflight? 
“You lied,” Yellowfang went on, “about that sign you saw! Saying you saw it at the Moonpool, trying to pass it off as a way to fix things! What cheek!” 
Shadepool's pelt burned. “I didn't mean to-” 
Yellowfang wheezed. “Oh, calm down.” She flapped a tangled paw in the air dismissively. “That's something I would've done back in the day!” 
Shadepool swallowed. “You... You would've lied?” 
“Aye, I would've,” Yellowfang rasped, grinning at Shadepool, “if every other way I tried didn't work.” 
Shadepool looked down at her paws. She'd expected to be beaten over the head for loving Crowflight, not for lying about when she'd dreamed of the destruction of WindClan. 
Yellowfang sighed, and her voice softened. “I see myself in you, little one,” she murmured. Shadepool felt the old she-cat's breath hot against her ear. “A bit too much, to be frank. Trying to hold it all yourself and fix everything because no one else can.” She wheezed through her teeth. “Ah, to be young and so headstrong again...” 
“I'm just doing what I think is right,” Shadepool murmured. “I didn't mean to lie; I tried everything I could think of, and it came to me that fudging the truth might save WindClan. I'm sorry.” 
Yellowfang's muzzle twisted strangely, a look Shadepool had difficulty identifying because of her flattened face. It looked almost like she was chewing on her own whiskers. 
“It's hard to have faith in others, Shadepool,” Yellowfang rasped. “Trust me, I know that more than most. Faith is like love, and it can be broken like a heart, but if you don't give it, don't take that risk, no one will be there to catch you when you fall. It goes both ways, little one.” 
Orange eyes pierced into Shadepool. “Do you understand me?” 
Shadepool's mouth felt dry. “I do, Yellowfang,” she whispered. 
“Good.” Yellowfang tossed her head. Her eyes darkened, regarding Shadepool seriously. “Now, there's something else you're here for, isn't there?” 
Shadepool nodded. “I need to find Onewhisker,” she meowed. “We need to know the truth of what happened to him and Barkface, before war breaks out between our Clans!” 
Yellowfang's eyes went dark, then, dark and full of sorrow. Shadepool was shocked to see such raw emotion on the old she-cat's scarred face. What could make a brave cat like her look close to breaking down? 
“You won't find him, Shadepool,” Yellowfang whispered, her voice breaking. “Because he's not here at all.” 
Shadepool felt her legs stiffen. “W-What?” 
“When Tallstar left to collect his spirit, he returned with nothing,” Yellowfang elaborated. “Onewhisker is not in StarClan.” 
The warmth in the air suddenly turned bitter cold. 
“T-Then where is he?” Shadepool demanded, feeling the crackle in her words as the chill hit her lungs “He has to be somewhere!” 
Yellowfang's gaze hardened, and Shadepool saw her claws slide out and sink into the loamy soil. “There are places where even StarClan cannot see, little one,” she said, her tone rough. 
Her broad shoulders heaved with a tremendous sigh, one of defeat and frustration. “I am sorry. You won't always find your answers here.” 
Shadepool had no clue what to say. The idea of a Clan cat dying and their spirit not rejoining StarClan was too much to consider, enough to begin fraying at the walls of the dream. She couldn't hold it together - she didn't want to. 
She wanted it to be false, but Yellowfang's gaze was as certain as stone. 
“Hold on to hope, little one,” Yellowfang meowed. Her voice was growing distorted as the dream began to break down. The trees and bushes began to dissolve into the night sky. “Hold on to faith, and to love. We will meet again.” 
The world dropped out from beneath Shadepool, and she fell into an abyss. 
———————————————————
She awoke with a start. 
“Ryewhisper, don't leave so soon!” Littlecloud's voice was pleading. “Please, let us help you!” 
Shadepool's eyes were still blurry with sleep. She saw Ryewhisper's lean shape at the top of the hollow's path and had the faint impression that his head was lowered in shame. 
“I-I have to go,” was all he offered. His shape disappeared into the hawthorn and out to the night. 
“What bee got into his tail, I wonder?” Brackenfur sighed. 
“Barkface must not be doing well,” Littlecloud guessed, his tail flicking fretfully. “I just wish he would talk to us...” 
Shadepool turned away from the conversation, her head spinning. She stared at the waters of the Moonpool, which were dark now as the half-moon disappeared behind the horizon. 
Onewhisker isn't in StarClan. 
Perhaps that was what had made Ryewhisper scurry away so quickly. Maybe he had been looking for his Clanmate and found nothing. Shadepool felt her claws scrape against the stone. 
Has anything like this ever happened before? She had no idea, and she regretted not having the wherewithal to ask Yellowfang that question before the dream collapsed. 
“It's time to go,” Brackenfur mewed resignedly. “Shadepool, Mothwing, come!” 
Shadepool glanced at Mothwing, who was still dreaming. Her paws were twitching, and her sides moved heavily - but the other medicine cats would leave without her, and Shadepool didn't want her to wander the forest alone. 
“Wake up, Mothwing,” she whispered. “It's time to go.” 
Mothwing didn't wake at that, so Shadepool had to shake her shoulder with a paw before the golden she-cat opened her eyes. 
“Buh... What?” Mothwing mumbled. She blinked slowly, her eyes filmy. “Shadepool?” 
“It's time to go,” Shadepool whispered. 
Mothwing sighed and stretched, extending her legs as far as they would go, claws and all. She rolled onto her paws and stood, shaking out her pelt. She looked well-rested, and Shadepool was envious - dreams from StarClan always made her feel more exhausted than before she'd closed her eyes, and this one had done it the worst of them all. Perhaps it was just different for every cat. 
There was no sign of WindClan at all when they emerged from the hollow, and, as usual, the medicine cats did not discuss their dreams with one another - only if it somehow concerned all four Clans did they ever share such intimate meetings. 
Sun and Sorreltail offered to escort Littlecloud and Mothwing through to ShadowClan territory, which neither medicine cat refused. That left Brackenfur and Shadepool to return to camp on their own, though each step felt like it took a lifetime in Shadepool's mind. 
How was she supposed to tell her mentor what she had learned? How was she supposed to tell Tinystar? She couldn't even imagine how devastated her father would be to know his friend was not only murdered, but his spirit wasn't even among his ancestors! 
But she knew she had to tell someone, so when they returned to the privacy of the medicine cat cave, Shadepool followed Brackenfur to his nest instead of settling in her own just outside. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. 
“What is it?” Brackenfur wondered as he circled into his nest, which had been changed by one of the apprentices. He yawned, wanting proper sleep, but Shadepool's presence stopped him. “You've been troubled the whole way home. Did StarClan say something?” 
“I...” Shadepool wasn't sure how to say it, but she did. 
Brackenfur's eyes widened with an unspeakable horror. 
“StarClan, help us,” he whispered. “Help us all.” 
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twilights-800-cats · 17 days
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I read some headcanons/aus of Curlfeather being Reedwhisker’s daughter and I love the idea so much; the idea of Frostpaw struggling under their legacy and intergenerational trauma, Curlfeather killed by the dogs she set on her own father.
I had fun with the designs for this! Particularly Misty/Reed’s, which I decided not to reference. Experimented with lineart, I think I like the thicker/smooth look for this :)
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twilights-800-cats · 20 days
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<< Chapter 14 || Chapter 15 || Chapter 16 || From the Beginning || Patreon & Ko-Fi >>
Chapter 15 
Shadepool opened her eyes to a wall of snow. 
She groaned. The vines that she and Dustpelt had wrapped around her nest the day before had sheltered her from the worst of the blizzard, but she was still staring into a curtain of white so tall that it would touch her belly when she stood. 
The sky above was clear - at least that meant no more snow, for now. The air was bitterly cold, a sharp contrast to the brief thaw of a few days ago that almost seemed like it hadn't happened. Shadepool wanted newleaf to come more than anything. 
She got up and began trying to clear a path out of her den and to the medicine cat cave. She shivered - the snow was powdery but thick as she put pressure on it, making digging annoying. When she was done, her claws felt like icicles, and her belly fur was stringy with clinging snow. 
Shadepool shook out her pelt and peeked out from her little corner of the camp. The rest of ThunderClan was awake, attempting to plow paths through the clearing themselves. She saw Graystripe shake his thick, snow-clogged coat onto Dustpelt, who cursed him to StarClan and back. Shadepool purred in amusement - at least some cat was having fun in this weather. 
She ducked into the medicine cat cave, wondering what Brackenfur wanted her to do. This was the last day of her punishment - tonight was the half-moon, and they would journey to the Moonpool tonight. 
Her paws tingled at the thought. She was excited to have her life back but nervous, too: Would Brackenfur even want to go to the Moonpool if there was some chance they might be ambushed like Onewhisker and Barkface? There was no way he wouldn't want to talk to StarClan, right? 
He told Tinystar not to go, though, Shadepool thought, padding into the cave. Normally, Brackenfur is all for talking with StarClan. 
The earth was chilly beneath her paws, but the stone walls insulated the rest of the cavern from the outside world, keeping the temperature slightly warmer than outside in the forest. The puddle at the back of the den was ringed with snow that had come in from the hole above. 
Brackenfur was still in his nest, asleep. He was curled up tight, his fur fluffed against the chill. Shadepool watched him sleep, uncertain if she should wake him - he'd been so tired lately, and he might need this rest if he was to make it to the Moonpool tonight. 
Instead of waking him, Shadepool wrapped up and stored the soaked bark from the day before. The shelter from the cave roof had kept them from becoming icy and brittle, but Shadepool doubted they would be much use as bindings for wounds until they could get some warm sunlight to ease them. 
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey come beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!” 
Shadepool pricked her ears. Her father's voice bounced off of the cave walls, making her fur prickle. She glanced down at Brackenfur and saw that he had not stirred at the sound. Very unusual. 
Concerned, Shadepool put a paw to his nose. He was breathing normally, and his temperature was acceptable. Shadepool was worried, but at least it wasn't greencough. He must be having a good dream. 
Deciding not to bother him, Shadepool padded out of the cave to attend the meeting. 
The clearing was mostly swept of the loose snow by now, and Shadepool picked her way across a bumpy layer of packed whiteness to the dark shadow of the Highledge where they had decided the medicine cats should sit. 
It felt strange, being here all alone. Was this the first time? Shadepool curled her tail around her paws to drive off the cold and tried to keep a level head, knowing that her Clanmates would look to her as much as Tinystar for what they ought to expect from this meeting. 
Some cats were already gathered, but the rest trickled reluctantly out from the shelter of their dens, complaining about the snow and the chill. Ferncloud was smart enough to stay near the nursery, while Snowstep. Mousefur and Dustpelt were at the forefront of the Clan, with Swiftfoot, Cloudtail, Brightheart, and their daughter Whitewing just behind. Spiderpaw and Larchpaw flanked them, both looking sleepy and cold. 
“Do you know what this is about?” Larchpaw wondered, signing with his paws and tail as he spoke. 
Spiderpaw puffed out her chest, eyes shining. “Maybe it's my warrior ceremony!” she breathed. Behind them, Longtail snickered, his ears twitching at their words. 
Larchpaw looked distressed. “But then I'd be all alone!” he complained. 
“Hush,” Mousefur hissed. She looked at the apprentices crossly, her own most of all: “Spiderpaw, you're not becoming a warrior until I give the say-so!” 
“Aw,” Spiderpaw's shoulders fell, and she looked upset. 
“This is about the ambush yesterday, right?” Sootfur mewed as he slid into the conversation. His fur was fluffed along his spine. “WindClan needs to pay for what they did!” 
Dustpelt curled his lip. “Tinystar did say he would talk about it after the blizzard...” 
The rest of the Clan settled into a mix of grumbles - some were muttering that WindClan needed to step off, like Dustpelt and Swiftfoot. Still, others were concerned and anxious about WindClan cats lying in wait on their territory. 
Shadepool shivered. She spotted Ashfur talking in Sootfur's ear, and the two were nodding along with one another. Sun looked nervous, but Sorreltail put her tail around her mate's shoulders to reassure her. Silverstream and Graystripe chatted privately, and Graystripe's eyes were dark with emotion. Cinderpelt padded up to Dustpelt and sat beside him, sighing worriedly as she lapped her tongue against his shoulder. 
Shadepool looked up at the Highledge, seeing only a little bit of her father as he stood at its edge. He must be about to address what had happened, but how? 
Lowering her muzzle, she spotted Nightfrost. He was with Mistyfoot and Rainwhisker, and he took a moment to stretch out his neck and sniff at the fresh wound above his friend's eye. He said something to Mistyfoot, who nodded back. 
Hesitantly, she pressed against the thorn barrier in her mind, craving to know what they were discussing. All she got was a sharp look from Nightfrost as if to say, Ask me yourself. 
Shadepool pulled back, disguising her stung expression with a shift in her paws. 
“Cats of ThunderClan, we all know what happened yesterday evening,” Tinystar finally began. “To refresh you all, it seems that a small patrol of WindClan warriors crossed the Divide and ambushed Rainwhisker, Whitewing, and Nightfrost. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.” 
“Cowards!” hissed Sootfur. Beside him, Ashfur spat on the ground, as if a WindClan cat were lying there. 
Similar grumblings emerged from around them. The hostility in her Clanmate's eyes was a sharper chill than even the leafbare air. 
Tinystar held up his tail for silence. “We need to consider our position very carefully - any retaliation from our side may be met with a declaration of war, and this could have just been two headstrong warriors wanting to cause trouble.” 
“Can't we talk to Mudstar?” suggested Graystripe, hopefully. 
“That's what normal Clans do in times like this, Gray,” Silverstream grumbled. Her striped tail twitched irritably. “Mudstar isn't normal.” 
“Yes, but he can't be without reason!” Graystripe insisted. “He should know that provoking us isn't the right answer - and if he didn't know what his warriors did, he should!” 
“He's right,” Cinderpelt agreed. Her thick neck fur was ruffled. “In leafbare, it's best for everyone to keep a conflict like this cold, rather than stir up trouble.” 
“I wish I could talk to him,” Tinystar sighed. Shadepool imagined her father looking as tired as he sounded. “But WindClan has closed their borders - even trying to speak to them is going to look like an act of aggression.” 
“So we just do nothing?” Dustpelt growled, flattening his ears. 
“For now, yes,” Tinystar said decisively. 
Dustpelt bristled below, and Swiftfoot and a few other cats muttered annoyedly. Shadepool saw more than one cat's claws flexing in the snow-packed dirt. 
Tinystar sighed again. “I said we won't retaliate, and we won't. We must consider that it's leafbare, first and foremost, and we're far less prepared for this season than we've ever been before, because of the Great Journey.” 
“He's right,” Shadepool spoke up. All eyes were on her, suddenly, and for a moment, she lost her voice. Taking a deep breath, she continued: “The herbs are dormant, and there won't be anything useable until newleaf. We don't have the plants to treat major battle wounds, so we shouldn't seek out major battles!” 
“Or even small ones,” Tinystar added. 
“That, too,” Shadepool agreed quickly. To her Clanmates, she reasoned, “Even the smallest scratch can become infected, and we can't treat anything properly without the right medicine!” 
Though the loudest cats looked annoyed, Shadepool noted that they were keeping quiet now because of what she had said. She breathed, pleased they had listened without Brackenfur to back her up. 
“I will bring up the ambush at the next Gathering,” Tinystar said, “but for now, my orders are these: Leave WindClan alone. If you catch them on our territory, by all means, chase them off per the warrior code - but do no more than that.” 
“And if they keep antagonizing us?” Mousefur wondered, her pale gaze skeptical. “What if someone gets really hurt?” 
Tinystar shifted up above, sending a bit of snow down to land a mouselength from Shadepool. “Then we will do what we must,” he declared frankly. “You're all dismissed.” 
The Clan began to break up, some into little groups to talk, others into their daily patrols. Shadepool was about to move when she heard her father say: “Shadepool - wait there for me.” 
Shadepool took in a breath. What did her father want? She stayed put until Tinystar had picked his way down the Highledge. When his paws hit the packed snow, he sighed, shaking the whiteness off his paws. 
“This camp is going to be disgusting come newleaf,” he groaned, approaching Shadepool. “I always get a wet belly...” 
Shadepool twitched her whiskers in sympathy at her father's short stature. That he'd approached with a quip instead of a sharp glare proved that he'd forgiven her for what she'd done. She dipped her head in a respectful greeting. 
“Thanks for the backup there,” Tinystar told her. His tail whisked. “I know tensions are high, but we can't take any risks. Some cats will never see things that way, though.” 
Shadepool glanced over her shoulder. Dustpelt looked grumpy near the nursery, listening to Ferncloud talk about the walls with hunched shoulders. 
“He's a good warrior,” Tinystar mused, following her gaze, “and he's never failed to challenge me.” 
“He'd make a very annoying deputy,” Shadepool purred in agreement. 
Tinystar blinked at her, and Shadepool wished to take her words out of his ears. She hadn't meant to insist that Tinystar choose a deputy; she'd only wanted to make a joke - but StarClan must have been on her side, as her father said nothing of it. 
“You and Brackenfur will be going to the Moonpool tonight, won't you?” he meowed instead, his voice tight. 
Shadepool nodded. “I hope so. Brackenfur hasn't said anything about it yet.” She glanced towards the vines that screened the medicine cave's entrance from this angle. There was no evidence that Brackenfur had stirred. 
He must've taken a poppy seed last night if he's still asleep, Shadepool reasoned. It would make sense since it seemed like his leg was causing him a lot of pain lately - and it had to be a lot of pain if he had dipped into their dwindling poppy supply for himself. 
“I know he won't like it, but I'm sending you both with a warrior escort,” Tinystar stated. 
Shadepool's ears pricked. “He's not the only one!” she pointed out, shocked. “Tinystar, the half-moon meetings are for medicine cats only!” 
Tinystar frowned seriously. “That was before a medicine cat was mauled on the way to speak to StarClan,” he growled. 
Shadepool bristled indignantly. “But-!” 
“I won't argue on this,” Tinystar interrupted, his ice-blue eyes as sharp as his tone. “They won't step paw past the ridge to the Moonpool, but you're getting an escort, and that's final. If Mudstar or the others have half a mind, they'll do the same thing.” 
Shadepool swallowed, her mouth dry. She could only nod, knowing that her father's mind was set - but what if StarClan refused to communicate with them because they had brought unwelcome warriors along? Brackenfur isn't going to like hearing this. 
“I have one more thing.” Tinystar's voice lowered. “Just between you and I, Shade...” 
Shadepool leaned in close, captivated by the emotion on Tinystar's face. “Yes?” 
“Please,” Tinystar breathed, his tone urgent, “try to find Onewhisker. We can't go on like this forever. We need answers.” 
Shadepool touched her nose to her father's forehead. “I will,” she promised. She would do anything to relieve even a little of her father's torment, even if Brackenfur thought it was fruitless. 
I can do things Brackenfur can't. That he won't. 
———————————————————
“An escort?” Brackenfur hissed. “Is he mad?!” 
“He wouldn't budge on it,” Shadepool told him, hoping to soothe her mentor's annoyance. 
“Does he think we're kits?” Brackenfur growled. His fur bristled along his spine. “I've half a mind to go and give his ears a good raking!” 
Shadepool twitched her whiskers in amusement at the thought. She sighed, “Well, you know Tinystar - he does what he wants.” 
Brackenfur scoffed, finally pulling himself out of his nest as if his annoyance at his leader had finally given him the strength to do so. His tail lashed, and he grumbled something about how Tinystar wasn't his mentor any longer and had no say in what he did. 
Shadepool didn't want to bother him. She had already soured the mood by relaying the meeting to Brackenfur, and his attitude was making things feel a little warmer and brighter - she'd always liked it when he was being the funny kind of grumpy. 
“Do we have any juniper?” Brackenfur asked. He was tearing into his meal, which Shadepool had brought to share after the meeting. “My leg will be a pain tonight; I just know it...” 
“Juniper is about the only thing we do have,” Shadepool sighed. “That and what sweet-sedge is growing by the water.” Both were some of the few plants that grew throughout leafbare, but neither was as potent as they could be in the blistering cold. 
“Get me some for the trip, would you?” Brackenfur rasped. 
Shadepool nodded and dipped into the medicine store. The little side-cave was incredibly chilly, but thankfully, they had not encountered any frost. The dried berries were gathered in a pile near the front and sorted by age. She grabbed some of the oldest, checking whether they would be of any use before wrapping them up in birch bark. 
She nearly rammed into Sun upon emerging from the store. Shadepool's squeak of shock was stifled by the birch-wrapped package, thankfully. 
“Be careful, Sun,” warned Sorreltail with a purr, padding inside after Sun. “Medicine cats never watch where they're going!” 
Shadepool put down her package. “What're you two doing here?” she asked. 
“We are to be your escort,” Sun declared. She lowered her head and slid one of her forepaws forward, a gesture that Shadepool recognized as one of respect from the Tribe. Shadepool mimicked her, touching one forepaw to Sun's. 
“Tinystar chose you two?” Brackenfur mewed, looking up from his meal. He licked his muzzle clean before heaving a sigh. “I suppose he could do worse.” 
Sun looked up, her eyes wide with worry as she shuffled her paws back into place. 
Shadepool immediately told her, “It's okay - he's just grumpy that we're getting an escort in the first place, Sun. He's not mad at you at all.” 
Sun blinked, looking owlish. “Are you sure?” 
Shadepool nodded, looking over her Clanmate at Sorreltail, pleading with her gaze for some help here - the Tribe of Rushing Water had no leader or medicine cat, but a healer who played both roles. The enormous reverence that position held had followed Sun down from the mountains, so annoying Brackenfur likely felt like angering her ancestors in the Tribe of Endless Hunting. 
“We're sure,” Sorreltail purred, getting the hint. She brushed against Sun's flank. “Don't worry a whisker about it, dear heart.” 
Sun sighed, lowering her shoulders. Shadepool guessed that Sorreltail's warm words had worked. 
She pushed the birch package forward and offered, “Go give these to Brackenfur, would you?” 
Sun dipped her head and picked up the bundle, obeying without a word. When she was gone, Shadepool sidled closer to Sorreltail. 
“So, you two talked it out?” she guessed quietly, watching Sun and Brackenfur interact. It was mildly amusing, with Brackenfur looking put off by Sun's overly respectful attitude. 
Sorreltail nodded. “Yep,” she purred. Her tail curled over her back. “I thought it would be a hard conversation, but it wasn't. We're closer than ever, thanks to you!” 
Shadepool's pelt flashed with warmth. “I'm glad.” 
“Did you speak to Nightfrost at all?” Sorreltail wondered. 
The warmth disappeared in an instant. Shadepool stared at her paws, conscious of the thorns pressing down around her. “No,” she murmured. “I tried, but he was still angry with me. I think our fight has more going on than just Mistyfoot.” 
There was no way she could explain it more than that - not when she was still trying to figure it out herself. 
Sorreltail frowned. “That sucks, I'm sorry,” she mewed. The patched she-cat gave her a nudge. “I wouldn't worry too much about it; littermates can't hold out on one another forever.” 
“Oh?” 
“Yeah,” Sorreltail chuckled assuredly. “Sootfur acts all grumpy sometimes, but it doesn't ever take much to turn him into as much of a goofball as Rainwhisker. He gets like that sometimes.” 
Shadepool frowned. “Do you not know what makes him like that?” 
Sorreltail shrugged. “It's usually when he wants something,” she admitted. “He'd put on that act whenever he thought Willowpelt or Whitestorm weren't paying enough attention to him.” She leaned close and whispered, “Between you and me, I think he learned it from watching Ashfur.” 
Shadepool purred despite herself. Sorreltail's eyes gleamed, and Shadepool felt something odd slide into place in her heart - Sorreltail was happy to talk to her like this. She didn't need to probe around in the other she-cat's mind to understand that - just like Sorreltail hadn't needed to know exactly what was happening in Sootfur's head to understand how he felt and why he felt that way. Was this what Nightfrost had meant? 
Warmth returned to Shadepool's pelt. “So, are you two going to have kits?” she asked, nodding at Sun. 
Sorreltail's tail bushed out, and she gave Shadepool a playful shove with a paw. “I don't know, maybe?” she sputtered. 
“Well, try to wait for newleaf, would you?” Shadepool told her, smiling. 
Sorreltail purred. “We'll try.” 
“Are you two done gossiping?” Brackenfur's voice came from the back of the cave. “Or have you forgotten how long it takes to get to the Moonpool, Shadepool?” 
Shadepool flattened her ears, feeling them grow hot with embarrassment. “Sorry, Brackenfur,” she mumbled. “Are you ready to go?” 
Brackenfur rolled his eyes. “Yes,” he said, his voice the embodiment of patience stretched thin. 
Sorreltail twitched her whiskers. “Come on, Sun; let's wait for them outside.” 
Sun nodded, and the two left the cave. Shadepool heard Brackenfur sigh, a heavy, rasping noise, and he brushed his pelt against hers as he came to meet her. 
“How are you feeling?” Shadepool wondered, smelling the juniper on his breath. 
“Fine,” Brackenfur told her. 
Shadepool didn't know if she believed that, but her mentor seemed to be putting more weight on his leg than he had in the past few days. Perhaps the wet air had been the cause of his aches, or maybe the juniper was working better than she thought. Perhaps he'd just gotten a good night's sleep without worrying about what Shadepool was up to. 
Brackenfur touched his nose to her forehead. “I'm glad you've made a friend, Shadepool.” 
Shadepool hadn't expected that. She had no idea how to respond. 
“Come, let's go,” Brackenfur sighed. “StarClan awaits us.” 
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twilights-800-cats · 27 days
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<< Chapter 13 || Chapter 14 || Chapter 15 || From the Beginning || Patreon & Ko-Fi >>
Chapter 14
Freezing rain quickly stopped Shadepool's plans to clear out the Twoleg garden. The frozen droplets of water shattered against the rocky hollow walls, slamming against the roofs of the dens and halting the thaw that every cat had hoped to be the herald of leafbare's end. Shadepool could hear the sleet from inside the medicine cat's cave, like the hiss of a foreboding snake.
“It happens,” Brackenfur sighed. His tail rested on Shadepool's shoulder. “Chin up; those plants have survived many seasons already - I can't imagine they'll die out from some bad weather.”
“I know,” Shadepool sighed, hanging her head, “I was just hoping this would be over.”
“Things are never so simple,” Brackenfur reminded her gently. “Stay in camp today. There's plenty to do.”
He was right - even in the freezing rain, Shadepool was able to put her paws to work. Firstly, she helped Dustpelt reinforce the ivy roof above her nest, to help keep the water out of both where she slept and the medicine cat's cave. Then, she set about cleaning up their store of any old leaves, sticks, or gravel that their initial cleanings had missed, or had been tracked in on their paws.
Though she was keeping busy physically, her mind was rather bored. This wasn't particularly stimulating work, but there just wasn't a ton of thinking she could do when no cat was sick and herbs were in such short supply.
Past sunhigh, Shadepool was soaking birch bark in the pool that formed at the back of the medicine cat's cave. The freezing rain had passed, leaving the clearing covered in a layer of slick icemelt. The sky was covered in heavy gray clouds and the air was cold, promising more bad weather later in the day.
She tried not to have her paws linger in the icy water that had trickled in from above, but she had to ensure the bark was soaked through, or else it wouldn't be flexible enough to use. Her pads felt numb, and the cold was creeping up her limbs. Her whiskers trembled.
Think of something else, she thought. Anything else!
She let her mind wander to warmer places, in the hopes of keeping her paws from freezing over completely. She thought of what the territory would be like in greenleaf, full of foliage and sunshine and prey, with the lake water warm at the surface but cozy cool just beneath.
Maybe Graystripe could teach me to swim?
She pulled out her strip of bark and pressed it against the stone, squeezing out the excess water. It wouldn't do if they froze overnight, either. She shook it out with her jaws, the drippings catching in her chest fur.
Shadepool groaned and began rolling and squeezing the bark between her paws one last time. It seemed thoroughly rung out, after, so she placed it with the others to dry and started on the next.
When she plunged her paws into the icy water, her mind wandered again - this time towards Crowflight.
She missed him terribly. Though they hadn't agreed on another meeting time, she wondered if he would sit and wait for her beside the Divide, in case she came to him. She wondered how he was doing in WindClan, how he was coping with his deputy position, and the current status of his Clan.
Shadepool began rolling and squeezing her bark piece again. She wondered if Mudstar was so bad a leader, really - it seemed like he had put his Clan in order during a tragedy. He'd chosen a deputy, he'd taken charge, and none of his warriors seemed upset about it, beyond the obvious loss of Onewhisker and Barkface's maiming.
Sure, there was the matter of a potential war between WindClan and ThunderClan, but Shadepool wasn't sure Tinystar would've reacted much differently if he'd suspected a warrior from another Clan to have killed one of his Clanmates.
Maybe Mudstar is just doing what he thinks is right, too? She frowned. Perhaps that was the problem with that way of thinking - what was right for one cat was certainly not right for another. Maybe that was what Tinystar was trying to tell her last night?
Shadepool set aside her bark roll and had to take a break. She shook out her paws, trying to return feeling to them. Her ears felt stuffed with her own thoughts, now that they were trapped in her head with nowhere else to go. Was this how every other cat felt?
Brackenfur limped over to peer at her work. “Well done,” he mewed. “These will do, for now. Go and get something to eat.”
Shadepool nodded and trotted out of the cave. The ground was hard beneath her paws, slick in places from the freezing rain. The sky was just as dark and ominous as before, and she sighed - she was no RiverClan cat, but she didn't have to be: It was clear that another blizzard was coming their way.
She wasn't the only one to predict this. Dustpelt was working on den walls all over camp, directing every spare warrior to weave more sticks and dead leaves into his constructions in the hopes to stave off the coming weather. She told herself to prepare a poultice of what little feverfew and peppermint they had, to soothe his aching muscles tonight.
I'll slip it to Cinderpelt, so he doesn't have to ask...
The fresh-kill pile was small, and she selected a shrew from it, leaving the bigger pieces for the warriors. She wasn't that hungry, anyway.
As she laid down to eat, she wondered what Sorreltail was up to. She wasn't in camp, but neither was Sun - perhaps they were having that talk Sorreltail had wanted? Shadepool hoped it went well for them.
Her shrew did not last long, so Shadepool took the time to clean herself of bark scraps and whatever debris was clinging to her pelt from all the cleaning she'd done. She tried to reach for Nightfrost, to wonder where he was, but found the thorn barrier in her mind poking back, bending but not breaking. She sighed.
Thinking of her brother only brought his words to mind - that Shadepool was reckless, pulling everyone with her as she did what she thought was right. That Brackenfur and Tinystar had echoed the sentiment didn't help.
Shadepool had never viewed herself as reckless before. She had bent the truth of a sign from StarClan to help WindClan when they needed it most, but that was partially because she worried Brackenfur wouldn't have listened to her - now, though, she wasn't so sure he would've brushed her aside. What would have happened if she had just told him what she had seen from the start?
Maybe none of this would've happened.
Shadepool shook her head. She hated this, so much. Self-reflection was fine and all, but she had no idea how to do it on her own, and it made her feel so miserable!
She opened her jaws to yawn, prepared to head back into the medicine cave - but a familiar tang touched her scent glands, and the fur along her spine rose.
Blood!
As she got to her paws, the thorn tunnel shook out one of the hunting patrols - Nightfrost, Whitewing, and finally Rainwhisker, whose gray pelt was spattered with bright red streaks of blood.
“Great StarClan!” Dustpelt roared. He dropped the branches he was holding in his jaws, shocked by their arrival. “What happened?!”
“Rainwhisker!” wailed Sootfur. He pulled himself out of the warrior's den, streaking across the clearing to meet his brother. He didn't even bother to clear the mud from his paws. “Are you alright?”
“Give them space!” Shadepool ordered. Her heart thudded in her ears. Was Rainwhisker okay?
Dustpelt and Sootfur scooted back, and Mousefur emerged from the apprentice's den with Spiderpaw to observe. Shadepool rushed over to meet the patrol, immediately setting to work while Whitewing explained what had happened:
“We were hunting over near the WindClan border, and we found a dead bird by the Divide,” the white she-cat fretted. “It smelled of WindClan, so we started investigating, when...”
“One of their patrols ambushed us,” Nightfrost finished, his ice-blue eyes darkened. “There were only two of them, but they managed to surprise us - Rainwhisker got hurt, and they took the bird and ran across the tree-bridge.”
“Fox-hearts!” hissed Mousefur. Her tail bushed. “Resorting to ambushes?”
“Did they say anything?” Dustpelt asked, his gaze severe.
“Just to keep off their land,” Whitewing murmured, “or next time, it would be worse.” The white she-cat was trembling, a little. “But I'm not sure what they mean! We haven't done anything that they don't know about! We've certainly not gone on their land!”
Shadepool glanced up from Rainwhisker and met Nightfrost's eye. Her heart sunk at his guilty expression. The Clan must not have been told about what Shadepool had done, exactly, when she'd snuck over their boundary to get a second look at the ambush site. Duskwhisker must not have recognized her scent, or worse, she did and reported her anyway.
She felt her tail tremble. This was my fault.
“Sootfur, go and find Tinystar,” Dustpelt growled. His eyes were burning. “He should be hunting near the outskirts of the territory. Tell him what happened.”
Sootfur nodded. He bounded past the patrol and streaked through the thorn tunnel, tail bushed.
“So, what,” Mousefur grunted when he was gone, “we'll start a fight? Tinystar isn't going to agree to that.”
“They started it,” Dustpelt snarled back. “If they think they can get away with this...”
Shadepool's mouth felt dry. Her paws trembled against Rainwhisker's pelt. It's my fault, she thought, staring at the scratches on the Clanmate's body. Oh, StarClan, forgive me!
“Is he okay?” Nightfrost asked.
Shadepool swallowed. “He, uh... He'll be okay.” She lifted her muzzle from her Clanmate. “It's mostly superficial.”
“It doesn't feel superficial,” Rainwhisker groaned.
“You've got a deep cut by your eye, but everything else should heal easily after it's been cleaned,” Shadepool assured him. She glanced at Spiderpaw and mewed, “Take him to Brackenfur while I look over the others.”
Spiderpaw was still shocked, but she obeyed after Mousefur nudged her forward. With the apprentice gone, Mousefur and Dustpelt bent their heads together to continue their conversation, leaving Shadepool to look over Whitewing and Nightfrost.
Both were unharmed, thankfully - Whitewing had a scratch on her muzzle, but it wasn't deep, and it looked worse than it was on her white pelt. Nightfrost had lost some fur on his flank. Shadepool cleared them both, telling Whitewing to see if Brackenfur had anything for her scratch before going to rest.
Her littermate, however, she pulled aside, away from the older warriors. Her heart was in her throat, but she had to know: “Was Crowflight with them?”.
Nightfrost sighed, and shook his head. “No.”
Shadepool trembled with some relief - at least her brother hadn't had to fight a close friend. How long will it be until he does?
“It was Webfoot and Softbreeze,” Nightfrost reported, “and they were just as quick as I said - they hit Rainwhisker and then ran away as fast as they could, getting a few blows on us along the way.”
“That's a coward's tactic!” Shadepool hissed. The fur along her spine lifted. “Crowflight would never authorize that.”
“Maybe not him,” Nightfrost muttered, “but someone did.”
That meant it was probably Mudstar, which meant that Crowflight likely fought the decision. Unless the pair had decided to do this on their own, which Shadepool couldn't imagine - the Divide was a risky place to attack, and Crowflight did not have the heart of a coward. She regretted thinking favorably of Mudstar for even a moment, earlier.
Shadepool reached for her brother again, longing to know his true feelings - but he was just as blocked off as before. She tried pulling at the thorns, wanting them undone; but found they were too tight to untangle. How was that? She had been the one to put them up!
Nightfrost grimaced before her, as if he could feel her efforts.
“It sucks, doesn't it?” he grumbled. “Not knowing what I'm thinking?”
Shadepool pulled away, defeated. “Nightfrost, I'm sorry. Please...”
“Are you?” Nightfrost wondered, his voice low. He tilted his head, and there was pain in his eyes. “I don't know if I believe that, yet.”
Shadepool swallowed. She stared at her brother and wondered for the first time if he was the one preventing her from tearing down what she had made. It goes both ways, he'd said. The more she thought about it, the more certain she was that this was the case.
She stared helplessly at her brother. But why?
“This will be good for us,” Nightfrost muttered, “to see the world the way everyone else does. I think you need that, Shadepool.”
Shadepool quailed. “But what about you?” she whispered. She stared into his eyes. Doesn't it hurt you, too? Why would he want this if it was making him miserable, too?
Nightfrost's gaze was hard to read, something it had never been before. It made Shadepool want to wail.
“You'd be shocked just how much of it all was you, Shade,” he whispered. He brushed past her, adding, “Maybe now you'll listen when I speak.”
Shadepool felt her brother pad away. She was grateful for the fact that Dustpelt and Mousefur couldn't see her - there was no way she could explain what had just happened, or the immense hurt on her face.
Her heart fluttered in her chest, wanting to escape. What does he mean by that? she thought, frantically. Have I actually been silencing him? She didn't want to be mad at her brother anymore, but now it seemed like, somewhere during the course of their fight, he was determined to continue being upset with her, when it was supposed to be the other way around.
Right?
Numbly, she got to her paws and headed for the medicine cave. Brackenfur would need help, and there wasn't anything she could do out here, not for her Clanmates or her brother.
Snow began to fall once more, and Shadepool felt so very alone.
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twilights-800-cats · 29 days
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WarriorsCats x Powerpuffgirls!!!
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twilights-800-cats · 29 days
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Highly suggest everyone turn this on; I've just been informed that it exists. It's under Blog settings > Visibility on desktop
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twilights-800-cats · 30 days
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okay so.
alderheart mouths off to a kittypet because he was being rude over him losing a toe. said kittypet jumps him for it, and sparkpelt rushes out to save him. you would think here that maybe alderheart has had some character development and maybe got the stick out of his ass and stops thinking that his sister breathes to spite him?
lmao of course not, he throws another hissy fit cause poor baby got emasculated.
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“was she TRYING to rub it in???” she probably just doesnt want you to worry about her considering you got beat up.
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how dare sparkpelt be concerned over her brother. what a selfish bitch. i bet shes only doing this for clout somehow. she CLEARLY concieved herself in squirrelflights womb alongside alderheart JUST to steal the spotlight and make him look like a pussy. what an inconsiderate bitch!
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little side tangent, it’s quite interesting how sparkpelt was retconned into not wanting skyclan around and totally hating their guts and pushing for xenophobia and hatred when that 100% was not how she was in the first half of the arc. but alderheart’s own hatred for outsiders (in this case, kittypets) is consistent from book 1 to this very scene. and no one cares. because that’s “acceptable” xenophobia. its almost like the erins dont think xenophobia is all that bad actually and its kinda stupid to hone in on sparkpelt being twisted and bent into a strawman in this arc and act like shes the source of xenophobia when this whole damn series has a problem with xenophobia. sparkpelt’s xenophobia is only bad because it’s directed at the “wrong” group. and even then we’re supposed to gasp in horror with twigpaw as she gripes about how weird and bad skyclan is for the daylight warriors and leaders patrolling.
anyways back to alderheart’s tantrum. “we were so close!” oh, were you? this isnt new, youve been bitching about her being a selfish brat since book 1. you complain that she wouldnt understand your unique tortured soul, then you complain that she wants to help? and i guess the right thing to do would be letting you bite the dust. i honestly wish she did. itd be funny.
also the phone works both ways and she has a life. get a grip for fucks sake.
after this they admittedly have a nice moment where alderheart apologizes for being sensitive but it comes after spark is made to apologize for no good reason. so it hits weird. she reassures him about vague prophecy number 37384838. they have a nice chat about larksong.
and then because we need alderheart to have the ultimate w this chapter, a dog attacks sparkpelt and the medic with no training and no good fighting skills is able to epically save her life.
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“omg alderheart that was so brave… youre the REAL hero…. youre so cool and awesome……….”
this would have been fine without this bullshit at the end to make alderheart win back his pride and get his sister back for emasculating him.
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twilights-800-cats · 1 month
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been somewhat quiet over here, so i figured i'd let y'all in on a quick lil update!
im alive, im okay, lol. daily cats have stopped because i caught up to the most recent book, and in the meantime im trying to draw the entire pokedex over on my main blog (not entirely sfw, be warned). when new books come out, i'll pause the pokemon and resume the kitties!
the tb au isn't dead, obviously, as its still posting on fridays for patrons and others alike! i am planning to have sunset both started and finished this year, but im admittedly taking a small break while twilight is posting to write something original first! idk if it will ever see the light of day, but i do know that my brain will not let me rest until ive at least exhausted the concept.
im also editing rising storm for ao3, so there's that, too, lol. i think rising storm might be my least favorite of the tb au, so i might inadvertently drag my feet a little on it :P
anyway, im always open for talking about the tb au and warrior cats in general, though im not fully caught up on the most recent arc (my tbr pile is HUGE, oof).
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twilights-800-cats · 1 month
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To elaborate on that last point - I don't condone the poorly-handled tropes, stereotypes, and biases the series perpetuates to this day, like Spottedleaf's Heart, the sexism, denial of abusive relationships, ableism, etc.
I have no idea how much of that is the Erins and how much is the editors/story team, and I'm sure it's some mixture of both. It just really comes off as the Erins not having the time to consider these things before books need to be on shelves.
I would also hate to have to perpetuate those things myself by working for the series tbh. If I could do something like the upcoming graphic novel or, heck, even the TB AU - smooth out the series in a rewrite that I could take my time on - I'd honestly enjoy that a lot!
Just found Tinystars Beginning and binge read Into the Wild in less than a day. They should hire you to write for the main series ngl. Any plans to do something with the Super Editions?
Oh wow, thanks!
As far as the Super Editions go, I do have a few ideas - one mirroring Bluestar's Prophecy, one mirroring Firestar's Quest, and an original one that rolls in a lot of the concepts and locations from later SEs. Honestly, I think that's all I've got in me, since I've got a very definite end to the TB series in mind, whether I finish it or not.
I also don't intend for these to be required reading to understand the main series, which is always a pit the canon Super Editions fall into - so I don't have to rush to work on them, and I can figure them out when I feel like it.
Brief concepts for the three (without obvious spoilers):
Tinystar's Quest - (their titles are not meant to be 1:1 with their canon counterparts, I just don't have a confirmed title for this one, as, frankly, its the least important one in my mind) after learning that Fiona has been having visions of a StarClan warrior, Tinystar and Cloudtail must help her forge her destiny and rebuild a tragically forgotten piece of Clan history - SkyClan.
Like Fire - this one is about Bluestar! Because it details a lot of prequel stuff, obviously, and follows Bluestar's story from kithood to tyrant :D Being a prequel, there's a LOT of family-tree and timeline stuff that I am trying very hard not to mess up, so this one, while exciting, is probably the most intimidating!
The Wander - since I revealed it in an ask, this one is about Sandstorm's journey home! It's a very emotional story! Out of all these concepts, I think this is the one I'm most likely to work on before the others.
I've toyed with the idea of condensing my Po3/Omen of the Stars arc into three super-edition length stories, mainly because having four different PoVs might be hard to make satisfying over six books, but I have no idea if that's what I'll do yet lol
I'd love to write for the Warriors series, but I think I'd like to duck the main books if I could, lol. The output is just too fast. The TB AU isn't perfect by any means, but if I were forced to write at the pace the Erins are at, I'm pretty sure I'd get unbearably sloppy - or I would upset the editors for not working fast enough, lol.
Side note - I know during the early years of the TB AU, I was pretty open about trashing the Erins. I regret that now. A series this big is incredibly difficult to produce and keep things straight - some of those issues are their fault, but I think most of the blame is on their editors and timelines. They're just not given the time or space to really flex themselves, and that's sad.
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twilights-800-cats · 1 month
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<< Chapter 12 || Chapter 13 || Chapter 14 || From the Beginning || Patreon & Ko-Fi >>
Chapter 13 
The two she-cats made it to the abandoned Twoleg nest as the sun lowered into the evening. The harsh red lighting didn't make the place look very welcoming, with its sunken roof and broken walls - but, by the scents, it was most assuredly abandoned and had been for a long time. 
“I've never seen one that looks like this,” Sorreltail admitted. Her tail was slightly bushed, and she looked unnerved to be so close to a Twoleg structure, even one that was about to fall in on itself like this one. 
“It reminds me of the one we stayed in on the journey,” Shadepool admitted. That nest had been broken down and in disrepair, too, and it had had a small overgrown garden. That one had been in the middle of a large Twolegplace, though - this one was on its own, and its garden looked much bigger than the one Shadepool was thinking of. 
“You stayed in a Twoleg nest?!” Sorreltail hissed incredulously. “How?” 
“There weren't any Twolegs in it!” Shadepool assured her quickly. “It was the only place we could stay; rats had attacked us, and Stoneheart and Nightfrost had gotten hurt. We needed a safe place to regroup, so Purdy led us there.” She breathed a sigh. “I was lucky there was burdock growing in the yard.” 
Sorreltail tilted her head. “Purdy?”  
“An old kittypet that we met,” Shadepool explained fondly. She thought of the old tabby and wondered if she would ever see him again. She hoped he was well. “He was very sweet and helped us get through that Twolegplace.” 
“You should tell me more about that journey sometime,” Sorreltail mused. Her tail flicked Shadepool's shoulder. It seemed like Shadepool had managed to ease her worries. “It sounds like a real adventure!” 
Warmed, Shadepool approached the walls of the garden. Unlike most Twoleg nests she knew, the fence around this yard wasn't made of wood, but instead stacked-up stones stuck together by what looked like hardened mud. It reminded her a little of how RiverClan kept their woven dens together, though she knew this wouldn't float down a stream. 
It wasn't a foolproof way of construction, though, as she quickly found a broken down and overgrown portion nearby, with dormant vines breaking through the rock. She could easily pick her way up the stones, ignoring a worried hiss from Sorreltail as she bounded down into the yard. 
She took a deep breath. The yard was full of fresh scents, new growths from a hundred different plants tingling Shadepool's scent glands. That old stone wall surrounded the flat expanse, but the grass within had long since grown tall, the bushes were wild, and vines had claimed most of the nest that faced her, to the point where Shadepool wondered if the ivy was what kept it standing. 
Though nature was abundant, Shadepool didn't immediately find anything new or useful - however, her eye spotted several wooden structures that sat oddly atop the ground, and she chose to investigate. 
They were hollow squares, she found as she drew near, and they were filled to the brim with dirt. Most were full of weeds, but between the useless leaves, Shadepool could identify shoots of herbs that the Clans used and, more importantly - 
“Catmint!” 
“What?” Sorreltail scrambled over the rock wall, her tail puffed. “Really?” 
Shadepool was rapidly pulling the weeds away from the precious shoots as Sorreltail came to her side to help. Soon enough, they were cleared of the refuse that might choke them, the little buds sitting just at the top of the soil. 
Shadepool's heart thudded. Catmint was such a rare herb that Clans often fought wars over it. To have it growing in one's own territory was a great blessing, and she thanked StarClan for bringing ThunderClan here. 
“There's not much to it now, but if we take care of it, we'll have a constant supply!” Shadepool purred excitedly. This was exactly the sort of thing Brackenfur had been looking for. “In fact, we could use these things for growing our own herbs!” 
“Our own?” Sorreltail repeated, confused. 
Shadepool nodded. “It's something that RiverClan does, but we can do it too, now!” Her heart swelled. “Oh, Sorreltail; with this, we'll never run out of medicine!” 
Sorreltail dug her claws into the old wood. “We're so close to the ShadowClan border, though,” she cautioned, eyes flickering to the top of the stone walls. The stream was not far beyond. “We need to keep this to ourselves. If they find out we have catmint...” 
“I know.” Shadepool didn't like the idea of keeping such resources away from the other Clans, especially if it might help them someday - but warriors did not think like medicine cats, and that was for a reason, even if Shadepool could never fully wrap her head around the mentality. 
Sorreltail glanced up at the sky. “We should head back. It's getting cold again.” 
“Right,” Shadepool agreed. She came down from the little walled garden, the smell of catmint caught in her nose. It filled her chest with hope. “We can bring a full patrol to weed this tomorrow.” The quicker the plants were properly tended again, the quicker they'd grow once newleaf was here for good. 
“As much fun as this was, I might pass on that,” Sorreltail chuckled. Her whiskers twitched. “I'm going to be cleaning dirt out from between my claws for a moon - not to mention what I must smell like!” 
Shadepool purred along and didn't blame Sorreltail a bit. She was just glad that this first day of her punishment hadn't turned out to be so punishing after all. 
———————————————————
The she-cats returned by moonrise. Shadepool was sore-legged and empty-pawed, but not at all disappointed. Sorreltail had managed to spook out a rabbit on their way back, an adult big enough to feed three cats at least. When they pushed their way through the thorn tunnel and into the clearing, Sorreltail nudged it towards Shadepool. 
“For you and Brackenfur,” she mumbled around the fresh-kill. 
Shadepool's ears burned. “We couldn't possibly finish all that!” 
“Just take it!” Sorreltail purred, setting the rabbit down at Shadepool's paws. “I need to go talk to Sun, anyway. Thanks for being a friend, Shadepool!” 
A friend? 
Before Shadepool could protest further, Sorreltil trotted off, heading for the warrior's den. Sun was there with Swiftfoot, Cloudtail, and Brightheart. The two she-cats brushed muzzles, and Sorreltail pressed close to Sun, purring. Sun's ears pricked, and she glanced over Sorreltail's head at Shadepool, as if looking for an answer. 
Shadepool looked away, feeling embarrassed for staring. Sorreltail and I are friends now? 
She decided to leave that for later as she hefted up the rabbit and headed for the medicine cat's cave. The big meal and the news of the old Twoleg nest's potential were sure to put a smile on Brackenfur's face, even if the deliverer was a disappointment at the moment. 
Her mentor was huddled deep in the cave, resting in his nest with his leg stretched out. When Shadepool entered, he lifted his head but did not move until Shadepool laid the rabbit out between them, pushing it towards him with a paw. Brackenfur bent and gave it a sniff. 
“What did you find?” he asked before tucking in. 
Shadepool circled him and sat beside his leg, discreetly sniffing it. It was warm, swollen slightly from the day's exertions, and Shadepool wondered if the old injury was paining him. 
Still, she gave her full report, recounting what she'd found throughout their territory: “... and we didn't even explore the whole forest,” she finished, whiskers twitching happily. “I can't even imagine what else might be growing out there!” 
Brackenfur came up from his meal with a bloody muzzle. “You're certain you found catmint?” 
Shadepool nodded. “Just sprouts, mind you, but there was old growth, too!” She stepped gently around Brackenfur, crouching down before the rabbit. Her stomach snarled, and she tore off a leg for herself to gnaw. 
“I don't think ThunderClan has had a supply of catmint in its territory for...” he paused. “Well. Ever. We've only heard of it growing in Twoleg gardens!” 
“Whoever lived in that old nest must've had a kittypet,” Shadepool guessed. “Or just liked having cats around.” 
“It's a blessing either way,” Brackenfur sighed, wistful. “We've been lucky that greencough hasn't been a problem in our Clan this leafbare. If we take good care of those plants, luck won't be as much of a factor anymore.” 
Shadepool pulled away a strip of rabbit meat. “I was thinking we could try and clear the weeds tomorrow,” she suggested. She glanced at his leg and added, “If you're feeling up to it, that is.” 
Brackenfur grimaced. “I would love to,” he rasped, his eyes glazing with pain, “but I think this thaw isn't going to stick around. I can feel it in my leg - there's another storm coming.” 
“I'll take care of it, then,” Shadepool assured quickly. “I'll see who's free to help tomorrow - maybe Spiderpaw and Larchpaw? They could do with learning a few things about herbs...” 
Brackenfur blinked at her in thanks. 
The two ate silently, and Shadepool was surprised that they both finished the whole rabbit. When they were done, Shadepool pushed the refuse out towards the cave entrance to clean up later. Brackenfur was tucking himself deeper into his nest when she returned to the cave. 
“Are you all right?” Shadepool asked softly, hoping not to prick his pride. “You've been so tired lately... Are you certain it's just your leg? Have you been sleeping well?” She sniffed around Brackenfur again - no signs of fever, no sour smells of sickness. 
“I'm fine, Shadepool,” Brackenfur insisted. He bristled slightly. “I'm not that old!” 
Shadepool pulled back, sighing. He wouldn't give up yet that something was clearly on his mind. Instead, she asked, “Is there anything else you want me to do tonight?” 
“Take Tinystar his medicine, and then you're free,” Brackenfur told her. “Remember - just one seed.” 
Shadepool hesitated. “Do you think that's a good idea?” she wondered. “Does he even want to see me?” 
Brackenfur gave her a plain look. “Shadepool, he is your father. I don't think there is anything in this world that you could do to truly lose his love.” 
Shadepool frowned. I don't know about that, she thought grimly as she turned to the side cave where they stored herbs. The poppy head was near the front, and she wet her nose and stuck one to it. If Father knew about Crowflight and I... 
She left the cave and carefully headed up the rocky steps to the Highledge. The cold stone sapped her warmth, and Shadepool shivered. Graystripe's scent was stale on the rocks - he wasn't sharing Tinystar's nest tonight. The realization made her heart beat loud - the idea of seeing her father, just the two of them, scared her deeply. 
Staring into the yawning darkness of her father's den, Shadepool took a deep breath. You're a medicine cat, she told herself, first and foremost and forever. 
She stepped into the dark cleft and was surprised by how warm it was inside her father's den. The thick layer of rock must have insulated the space from the worst of the chill, and the sandy floor underpaw reminded her of his den back in the old forest, soft and cozy. 
Her father's nest was freshly made, and Tinystar was sitting in it, his chin resting on the edge of the moss and bracken. His icy-blue eyes were gazing off into the distance, and Shadepool only had the twitch of his ears to tell her that he had even noticed her presence. 
Shadepool took the poppy seed from her nose with her paw and extended it to Tinystar. “To ease your sleep, Father,” she mumbled. 
Tinystar blinked, and did not move. 
Shadepool felt guilt clench her heart. Was her father ever going to speak to her again? 
Finally, though, he turned and lapped the seed from her paw. He turned himself over in his nest, settling into a more comfortable sleeping position, his tail tucked over his nose. Curled up so tight, he looked like a frightened kit. 
“Do... Do you want company?” Shadepool wondered. “I'm sure Graystripe wouldn't mind-” 
“I will be fine,” her father rasped. His eyes flickered, resting on Shadepool. “I love Graystripe - he is a dear friend - but Silverstream deserves to share his nest, too.” His whiskers twitched. “Besides, he snores.” 
Shadepool couldn't help but purr in amusement. That levity faded quickly, however. She shifted on her paws and meowed, “I'm sorry, Father. I didn't mean to worry you. I was doing what I thought was right.” 
For a moment, she wondered if this had been the wrong time - but Tinystar only sighed after a heartbeat. His thin shoulders fell, and he beckoned her close with his tail. Shadepool shuffled near, crouching down beside her father. 
He yawned. “Do you remember how I stopped a war between ThunderClan and WindClan?” 
Shadepool nodded. She'd heard that story many times from Speckletail: “You went behind Tigerstar's back and negotiated a peace talk between him and Tallstar. It saved many lives.” 
“It wasn't just Tigerstar that I had disappointed that day,” Tinystar admitted. “To make it work, I had to convince every other cat in the Clan to go along with it, too - to hold off from fighting for as long as possible. Even though it turned out for the better, it took me a long time to earn back their faith because I had disobeyed Tigerstar, and broken the warrior code.” 
Shadepool looked down at her paws. 
“Actions have consequences, Shadepool,” Tinystar whispered. His eyes drooped. “Everything I did, everything that was 'the right thing to do' - all of it came with the risk of death, or exile, or causing pain to those I held dear to my heart: the new family I had made in ThunderClan.” His eyes fogged over. “I did what was right, yes, but I was also very lucky.” 
He sighed, nestling deeper into his nest. “What you did...” His speech slurred with sleep. “I can understand how frustrated Tigerstar got with me at those times..” He sighed heavily. “I love you, my dear Shade...” 
Shadepool leaned forward and licked her father between the ears. She wanted nothing more than to curl up next to him and wail out her problems, even if it revealed her love for Crowflight. She knew she couldn't. His breathing eased, and she felt him sink further down. 
“I can't lose you, too...” he mumbled. “Sandstorm... She would never forgive me...” 
Her father went still, his eyes finally closing. Shadepool stayed until she was sure he was asleep, then touched her nose to his forehead. She couldn't imagine the pain her father was feeling, and she prayed to StarClan to send him good dreams free of sorrow. 
Quietly, she withdrew, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders, as if her father had forgiven her. Brackenfur was right in this, too. That, at least, made her heart feel better. 
Outside her father's den, she sat upon the Highledge, watching her Clanmates as they prepared for the night. She thought of the fur tuft she had found, and her heart clenched - she couldn't believe that the gray cat could be one of her own Clanmates, but she couldn't help but wonder... 
Cinderpelt? The older warrior was with Dustpelt, saying goodnight to Spiderpaw by the apprentice's den. No. Too loyal to Tinystar to do something like that, and Spiderpaw is far too young. 
Ashfur was with Ferncloud and Snowstep, watching Larchpaw stalk a moss ball - clearly showing off what his apprentice had learned. Ashfur is mean-spirited, but he doesn't care about WindClan, not enough to hurt anyone outside of battle. Ferncloud was in the nursery at the time, so no to her, too. 
What about... Sorreltail, Sun, Sootfur, and Rainwhisker were heading to the warrior's den. Rainwhisker suddenly leaped onto Sootfur, tackling him to the ground. The two wrestled while the she-cats watched. 
No, not those two, Shadepool insisted. They were young then, but they were still old enough to know Onewhisker was a friend. She was also sure that her brother would never befriend a murderer. 
From that thought, she also eliminated Graystripe and Silverstream: Graystripe has known Onewhisker just as long as Tinystar, and he'd never do something like that, even if he were ordered to. Silverstream's fur is too light; it doesn't match, and she'd never hurt Graystripe and Tinystar like that. 
That left one last gray cat: Mistyfoot. 
She was with Mousefur, sharing a late dinner. Mistyfoot was one of the cats that Shadepool had spent the most time with, aside from Brackenfur or Nightfrost, and she couldn't believe that she now had to wonder if she was a murderer or not. 
Bluestar was her mother, Shadepool thought uncomfortably, but that alone doesn't mean Mistyfoot is anything like her. Mistyfoot had done everything she could to distance herself from her mother's horrible legacy, making her a very respected warrior - not just in ThunderClan, but in all the Clans. 
Shadepool laid down on the cold stone slab of the Highledge and rested her muzzle on her paws. It came back to her, then: One of her very first visions from StarClan outside of her dreams, what felt like a lifetime ago - the mist-covered forest and Mistyfoot at the head of a large group of shadowy warriors, leading them somewhere mysterious with Nightfrost at her side. 
She had thought at first that perhaps the meaning was that Mistyfoot was going to lead ThunderClan one day - but after the Great Journey, she was sure that this was what the message had meant: Mistyfoot was to show all four Clans to safety by the lake, which she had done. 
Brackenfur, however, had seen something more sinister in the mist. Shadepool frowned as she recalled how vehemently he'd defended his view. Had he been right? He was right about many other things, after all. 
Shadepool hadn't thought so then, and she found she didn't think so now. Mistyfoot looks up to Tinystar like a second father - she would never do anything to hurt him or ThunderClan. Never. 
Shaking her head, Shadepool forced herself to put it out of her mind. Her father was right - there were just too many gray cats in the Clans, and pointing at any one based on a little scentless tuft of fur was impossible and would cause more harm than good. There was little to be gained in suspecting her Clanmates like this. 
She stared up at the moon and sighed. The next half-moon was only a few days away, and leafbare was ending. Before she could do anything and even see StarClan or Crowflight again, she had to step back and face the consequences of her actions, as her father had done all those moons ago - she had to pay the price for doing what was right. 
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twilights-800-cats · 1 month
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the way they sometimes introduce fish to lakes cracks me the fuck up because they literally will just drop a bunch of them out of an airplane
imagine that happening in the warrior cats universe. dudeheart, respected warrior of riverclan is trying to chill and enjoy the five minutes of peace he has today. his new apprentice is a dipshit. the deputy is on his ass. thunderclan is up to something weird. he just wants five minutes. five goddamned minutes to himself to sit and organize his thoughts.
and then a giant metal bird screams by and dumps a fuckton of fish into the lake
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what do you even say after that. what do you even do. it never fucking ends for dudeheart. it's always fucking something
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