Okay figured out Reckoning Firestar’s design… it will probably change more but whatever.
The little thing about the Reckoning AU is that I can and will do whatever I want, including caaasually pointing canon in a direction I like better. ShadowClan, increasing frustrated from the suffering under Brokenstar, Nightstar, then Tigerstar, only accepts Blackstar as leader out of necessity.
Blackstar, after showing overwhelming support for both Brokenstar and Tigerstar… well. ShadowClan is going to want someone who’s alive to blame. Firestar’s strong push to trial and punish Tigerstar’s allies immediately after the BloodClan battle, and the ensuing coup on Leopardstar, I think that and the internal frustration within ShadowClan would lead to either ShadowClan removing Blackstar from power on their own, or Blackstar leaving the clans himself. I’m leaning towards ShadowClan taking him out and Blackstar willingly giving up his lives after hearing about what happened to Leopardstar.
Firestar and Mistyfoot had lead the coup against Leopardstar first before Blackstar, because despite Blackstar being Tigerstar’s second in command, Leopardstar has initiative and ambition, she’s frequently taken the opportunity to attack other clans. They are significantly more wary of her.
Eyestrain + blood under cut!!
Yeah so Reckoning Brambleclaw is Dead.
There’s no way Reckoning Firestar could make Brambleclaw deputy unless he had to. I’m not even 100% sure he would make Graystripe deputy in the first place…
The thing with Graystripe is that he’s kind of a free agent. Graystripe will often act on his whims, especially for love. Which doesn’t necessarily make him a bad friend but it does make him a bad deputy.
Firestar still loves Graystripe very much, but Graystripe is not a cat who will always put the wellbeing of the clans above his own desires. Whitestorm dies, giving his blessing to his old apprentice. Because who else can Firestar trust, if not Sandstorm?
Firestar knows, as much as he loves her, and she loves him, she is not afraid to challenge his beliefs, and to protect her clan. And after the BloodClan battle, and Firestar changes… she can understand his viewpoint.
In the new prophecy, well. None of this erases Hawkfrost’s ambition. I’d argue with the clans more heavily influenced by Firestar, Hawkfrost would be even more ambitious, and seek to defy him. And Brambleclaw has to become deputy somehow. Somehow, at some point, Hawkfrost kills Sandstorm. And Firestar doesn’t find out. Not at first, at least.
Reckoning Firestar is far more paranoid than canon Firestar. He struggles to trust easily, and wants to keep those he can trust close. Greystripe is missing, Sandstorm is… gone… and he loves Cloudtail but he could never be deputy. And Squirrelflight is a warrior now, but he could never force this kind of stress onto her when she’s so young. He would never want her to experience what he did.
So… Brambleclaw. He trained Brambleclaw. He knows him. He knows the odds he’s had to defy. Brambleclaw understands unfair expectations as much as he as. Firestar can rely on him.
And then the assassination attempt happens. And Brambleclaw does nothing, as Firestar is slowly dying. He’s losing lives. And his deputy is doing nothing. And even though he kills Hawkfrost, and helps Firestar back up, Firestar does not forgive.
Firestar will not surround himself with traitors, as Bluestar had done. He will not ignore the danger in front of his face. Brambleclaw is not another Tigerstar, because Firestar won’t give him the chance to become one.
I really don’t think any other storyline in all of wc has ever been as uniquely gut wrenching and hard hitting and squirrelstar and leafpool. it’s so difficult to put into words and if you don’t get it you don’t get it but they were sisters. do you understand. they were sisters and one day they were so full of life and love. they felt each other’s love and pain and grief and happiness and they would do anything for each other. squirrelflight gave up everything for leafpool she prioritized her sister over her clan her code her mate everything. and when it all came crashing down they still had each other. they always had each other. do you understand that. and then one day leafpool died. when they were children they promised each other squirrelpaw would be leader and leafpaw would be by her side as her medicine cat and they’d lead the clan together and then leafpool dies and squirrelflight goes through both actual fucking heaven and hell and she is made leader and she never gets her sister back. she was the other half of her soul. who else if not her. who can grow her a new sister. and so on. do you understand
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