I just crossposted this note to the Wattpad and AO3 copies of Maplestar’s Light, but I’m going to post it here, too.
Hi there! My name is Razeru. First of all, thank you very much for reading my story!
I think, if you've read my story, you can surmise that I love Mapleshade. She's grown to be one of my favourite characters in Warrior Cats; her story, narratively, is written the best - in my opinion - out of most of the super editions and novellas.
Keep in mind, these words are coming from someone who grew up with these books, and also gets big mad about the things the Erins have pulled on other characters, like Squirrelflight (specifically Squilf, actually. They keep doing my girl dirty, and I'm so angry).
I took a read through my story again recently, and passed through the comments both on this Wattpad copy of the story, and the AO3 mirror. I really and truly appreciate all the love, but some people did seem to misunderstand the intention behind some things in my story, so I feel like I owe a bit of an explanation to you, my readers.
I offer this explanation because I've chosen to abandon the MapleWind AU entirely. There's too much in retrospect that I'm unhappy with, too many story ideas that don't connect narratively - it just makes a poor story. So, this is basically a big spoiler chapter for what would have happened, if I continued.
The remainder of this letter is just going to be me giving a word vomit about this story, so feel free to skip down to the bottom if you're only curious about closing remarks or projects surrounding other upcoming warriors works.
Alright. First and foremost, I want to address something specific. Mapleshade's story, as it was in canon, is a multidimensional story that a lot of people see as black-and-white. I, personally, see it as a fantastic narrative where not a single character is in the right, at least not in the context of the Clans - or morally, in some cases. This being said, a lot of the arguments about Mapleshade are usually "she's absolutely terrible and deserved what she got" / "she did absolutely nothing wrong and everyone else should be suffering" - both of which are... Very, very dangerous views to take on any person or character. When I wrote Maplestar's Light, my intention was to explore the idea where a few cats stepped out of the norm that seemed to affect this specific generation of the Clans and offered sanctuary.
WindClan has always felt like the most lax Clan out of the four, to me. With their history of welcoming in strangers and making kindly bargains with the other Clans in their times of need, it made sense to me that if a wandering cat passed out on their territory, they would reach out and help them. I chose Heatherstar specifically for this story because she was such a revolutionary, and wasn't afraid to shoot down any cat's words if she felt someone was going to get hurt.
Moreover, this AU explores the idea that instead of sleeping in Myler's barn and then going on her rampage, Mapleshade simply collapsed into grief - so Ravenwing, Frecklewish, and Appledusk all survive. Temporarily.
While Mapleshade is taken into WindClan, Mapleshade's kits are restless, and it's their turn to be angry - assuming StarClan spirits know everything (and it's heavily implied, in the first series, that they do), they pull strings just like the canonical iteration of their mother would. Ravenwing, Frecklewish, Appledusk, and - moreover - Oakstar, all suffer painful deaths as a result of the angry StarClan kits. To add insult to injury, all four lose their lives to the river while patrolling it - or are tricked into falling in. The kits drag them down until they drown.
Ravenwing and Oakstar are the only two who are able to make it to StarClan themselves, if only because of the good acts they've done to balance out the karma. The kits, however, are able to swing judgement on Frecklewish, who attacked their mother, insulted them, and was fine to watch them die, and Appledusk, who was willing to have them to begin with, who failed to save them.
This is unhealthy point of view, but they died as kits. All they know is the anger and betrayal.
On to the future.
Maplestar and Palebird have the three kits; Finchkit, Larkkit, and Firekit. Some people didn't seem to get it, and I thought I wrote it to be obvious, but Firekit is supposed to be THE Firestar in the future. With Maplestar at the helm of WindClan, ShadowClan is unable to drive them out. ThunderClan, however, is much weaker after their constant battles with RiverClan and the loss of not only Redtail, but many other great warriors. ThunderClan is driven out instead; WindClan, in their graciousness, would allow them to share the territory until something can be done about ShadowClan's terrible leader, and three Clans would unite against the one to protect their way of life.
During their time in WindClan's camp, Firepaw would grow close to the ThunderClan apprentices Ravenpaw, Graypaw and Sandpaw. Following the battle against Brokenstar, not only do Firepaw and his siblings get their warrior names, but so do the ThunderClan apprentices who participated (Sandstorm and Dustpelt included). Fireheart realizes during the night of his vigil that he doesn't want to lose his ThunderClan friends, and while meeting his family on the battlefield would be painful, he would feel worse fighting Graystripe or Ravenflight - the latter tom being the only cat Fireheart has met that makes his heart flutter.
The following day, as ThunderClan returns home, Fireheart goes with them. Yellowfang, in turn, has joined ThunderClan, having been a crucial asset to getting them in and out of ShadowClan. In return for the WindClan warrior, Spottedleaf stays; Spottedleaf had been attacked by a ShadowClan warrior the day before the battle, but Hawkheart protected her with his life. Feeling indebted, she swore to finish training Barkwing and serve WindClan just as she did ThunderClan.
The rest of the story would have gone similarly to canon, with a few minor changes; for one, WindClan and ThunderClan would forever have a close bond, not only through the blood of their Clanmates, but also through Bluestar and Maplestar, who exchanged each other's stories and bonded over how similar they were. Cinderpelt would have still gotten disabled, but through saving the ShadowClan apprentice Littlepaw from a monster; while she picks up healing from Yellowfang, she remains a warrior in spite of her leg. Swiftpaw narrowly survives, and Brightpaw lives with her scarring still, taking inspiration from Cinderpelt. Fireheart and Ravenflight become mates and have kits - Squirrelflight and Gingerpool.
I had further plans for TNP and PO3, but they're sort of lost to time at this point. The general ideas surrounded Brambleclaw - renamed Brambleflower - taking after his mother instead of his father, and being close friends with Squilf, but not mates. Gingerpool and Crowfeather do have kits, and Squilf does take them, but claims they were loner kits that she chose to raise. Bramble was their nursery parent, having chosen to be a queen instead of a warrior, and took care of them while Squilf went about being a warrior, only tuning in to feed them and sleep with them. Jay would have become a warrior named Jayclaw and Holly, an albino in this AU, would go on to be Gingerpool's apprentice and become Hollysnow. Jay is blind, and Holly is a selective mute. Lion would still have his powers of strength, but use them unwisely, and he would be the one to wind up having a crisis and revealing the secrets of his origin before disappearing into the caves.
The general idea for the OOTS arc of this AU was to give Ivy powers and still have her train in the Dark Forest, under Lionblaze - who is very much still alive, but misaligned. Dovewing would be given the opportunity as well, and only take it when she learns Tigerheart is also training there. Their struggles would surround a constant sibling rivalry, one that would deepen once Jay and Holly figure out Ivy is the third cat. I also threw around the idea of a deaf Ivypool, either from birth or caused by something much later - just to complete the "See/Speak/Hear No Evil".
The underlying, long plot to the AU was that Petalkit, Larchkit, and Patchkit effectively replaced Canon Mapleshade. Maplestar recovered, then seemingly forgot about her previous kits and replaced them with Fire, Finch and Lark. Petal, Larch and Patch want stupid, special Firestar and his bloodline to suffer for being their replacements. Technically, they were still spirits of StarClan, but pulled the strings in the Dark Forest.
Oh, boy. Those sure were a lot of words, huh.
I hope I'm not disappointing anyone by discontinuing this story. Again, looking back on it, I'm very unhappy with the way I was handling certain subjects and aspects of the story - and I'd rather kill it before I get carried away again. I've always held the belief that taking time and writing a more consise and well-placed narrative is much better than writing it quickly and breaking characters and morals. Mapleshade is a character I do want to do justice by, and Warrior Cats is a great sandbox to play in!
All that being said, I am still writing Warriors works. On AO3, I've published a couple smaller one-off stories that explore the idea of Tigerclaw not getting twisted up by Thistleclaw, and getting Scourge to join ThunderClan instead. You're welcome to read them if you haven't yet!
And I'm not done with Mapleshade, either. I'm currently working on a new, seperate Warriors rewrite based on the same time (with better allegiances); the working title for it, right now, is Falling Petals. I don't want to give too much away, but if there's enough interest, I might post a teaser excerpt to this story! There's no telling when I'll be finished with it, but I would much rather publish a finished work in full than post it by chapter and run the risk of losing interest or being unhappy with what I've put out.
A final project I'm working on is a personal Warrior Cats story called Rising Storm - it'll surround some OC Clans and Characters instead of rewriting canon material, and I'm looking for a main platform to post it on when I crack into it! If you're interested, I could use some beta readers when I start working on it, so please get in touch if you want to help out! If you know any non-Wattpad or AO3 websites I could publish the story on, please do let me know. I'll likely crosspost here, but I don't actively post on here too often, so I'd rather it not be the primary host.
I think that's everything I wanted to say! Again, thank you so much for your continued interest in my work. If you'd like to see more of what I do, look for the user 'ghastimafrix' on Tumblr, Twitter, YouTube, deviantART, AO3, and toyhou.se! I do a lot more than just write Warriors, and I'm always happy to chat.
Hey so like. In lieu of the Community as of late I want to make something absolutely 100% crystal clear - specifically considering this is my AU and I paint Mapleshade as much more of a protagonist?
I do not believe Mapleshade's Vengeance was black-and-white. I believe the only (main) cats not guilty of being irresponsible code breakers in this story are Reedshine, Perchpaw, Myler, and the kits.
Mapleshade should not have had a cross-Clan relationship or had the kits cross in the flood. She should not have killed a medicine cat, nor attempted murder on a queen.
Appledusk should not have had a cross-Clan relationship, nor should he have betrayed Mapleshade and used Reedshine as his crutch to stay safe in RiverClan.
Ravenwing should not have spilled the secret that was not his - or if he did, he should have spoken to the kits staying. He deliberately endangered the kits for the sake of honesty, and thus broke the warrior and medicine cat codes.
Frecklewish and Oakstar should not have acted in the way they did at all. Murder or no, both of them deliberately threatened, endangered, and neglected kits in an already dangerous situation, and allowed them to die. They broke the warrior code.
Darkstar... I don't entirely blame. I do believe she should have allowed Mapleshade at least a night's stay, but her response other than the immediate pardonning of Appledusk was appropriate. I believe Appledusk should have been further punished, though the book does portray him as having desperately wanted to be a father (loving Maple's kits at first sight, seeming shocked and upset when he found out she had risked the flood, and immediately trying to get Reedshine pregnant) so maybe that speaks to why he wasn't punished.
As far as Maplestar's Light is concerned, this is written in an alternate telling where, instead of Maple going feral following the deaths of her kits, she goes entirely numb. Angry still, sure, but she didn't make an attempt on Ravenwing or Frecklewish. She ended up just getting malnourished and exhausted, and passing out on WindClan turf on her way to somewhere new. She is still guilty of breaking the code, but instead of further causing anguish, she works to redeem her actions with Talltail and Palebird, and succeeds in that. Having the support system helps her.
Sorry for the tangent, but I just wanted to put that out there before anyone got the wrong idea. I'm not a Mapleshade apologist at all - she's honestly one of my favourite villains and a compelling read. I just really like writing happy-ending stories and what-ifs.
And also pretending that these cats can use their brains and actually talk things out for once instead of killing each other all the time. That too.
Ahhhhhh I forgot to post the final chapter twice in row now and I'm SO sorry.
Its mostly because I'm at a bit of a loss for where to go from here for writing the rest of the AU. I know the story, roughly, but I'm not certain on how to execute it. Right now its torn between
a) One book for each arc, or
b) A collection of mini-stories, each relating to a different arc but posted in chronological order.
If y'all have any opinions I'd be happy to hear 'em!
There was no update this weekend! I didn’t forget to post the chapter, I’m just doing a short hiatus while I work on TPB. Chapter 5 will be out next weekend!
Ughhh I started work on book one of my prophecies begin arc and guys, guys it’s already so much better than Maplestar’s Light in so many ways. This is growth and I’m proud of myself
“I know more than any cat that ShadowClan’s past is a blight on our name. That is why we must try now, more than ever, to prove ourselves to the other Clans. We are not the enemies in the dark they think we are; we’re just like them. It will take time, but ShadowClan will be redeemed; to you, my Clanmates, I promise that much.” - Tawnystar, on her first address to the Clan
Stealthy and secretive, ShadowClan have always been mysterious and stubborn. While these cats certainly do not enjoy asking for help from outsiders, they do enjoy testing their neighbours frequently with battles; to ShadowClan, border scuffles and outside matters are just a game. Inside, however, things get more serious. Few cats truly know the politics of ShadowClan; they often keep to themselves, unless they’ve no choice but to turn to the other Clans. The bloodstained past of their Clan has forced them to crawl into the light, but it’s a transition they’re taking very slowly and tentatively.
ShadowClan ranks between ThunderClan and WindClan as far as genetics go. Due to their past, ShadowClan have become more open to letting outsiders join - so long as they learn their place in the Clan fast. Their pelts tend to be mostly solid and dark, allowing them to blend in with the brush-crowded forest they live and hunt in. While usually at least a little muscled, they are far less so than their green-forest neighbours, and tend to be more lanky in their appearance.
“Unlike the other Clans, we don’t need flowers, feathers, or fish to show who leads us into our glory. You can tell with a glance alone. It’s to those cats - those with their heads high and their claws out - that we answer, serve, and respect.” - Whitethroat, on ShadowClan culture
Standing out from all the Clans, ShadowClan does not accessorise at all. It’s easy to tell the high ranks apart from the rest because of posture, instead; something every ShadowClanner learns is how to hold oneself, to look imposing. Leaders, medicine cats and deputies master this by the time they earn their rank.
Common / Holy prefixes: Shade, Night, Dawn, Dusk, Cinder
“In these times of strife and loss, we must all look to each other. We here in RiverClan are all in support of one-another; no cat is above another. We depend on Us, like the schools of fish we hunt. It is in this unity that we will find strength; we are RiverClan, and we will not let any scourge drive a thorn in our spirit!” - Leopardstar, bolstering the morale of her Clanmates
The first thought you have of RiverClan probably isn’t family. As it turns out, however, family is the very thing that matters most to RiverClan cats. Like ThunderClan, RiverClan relies much on the warrior code to provide for them a system of survival; like WindClan, RiverClan believe heavily that StarClan sees a true path, and works to guide them towards it. Following the gruesome, possibly karmic deaths of Darkstar, Appledusk, and Reedshine, RiverClan saw huge reform in how they handled breaches of the code, choosing to learn from WindClan and be more lenient - to a degree. The Clan has been at a crossroads with trust since the foolishness of Tigerclaw. However, they are still very proud and uniform cats, and will insist upon protecting what they think is theirs.
RiverClan are right up there with ThunderClan on being largely one type of cat. Twins are common, in this Clan. Solid and light colours are oft seen between RiverClanners. Their fur is almost always short and sleek, designed perfectly for swimming and hunting in the river. RiverClan’s gene pool is, tragically, one of the smallest of the Clans, as they have very few “illegal” relationships - and those that do exist are largely with ThunderClan, keeping the window almost entirely closed.
“RiverClan are intuitive and creative. We’ve learned to improvise and adapt based on what the world throws at us, from flooding to freezing. The other Clans wouldn’t stand a chance in our place.” - Softpelt, on surviving when the river fluctuates
All RiverClan high ranks are permitted to accessorise; however, unlike the other Clans, they do so with fish scales and twoleg garbage. String washes up on shores often, and they use it to tie together crafts that elders make in their window of free time. Leaders are typically dressed the most elegantly, with scales-on-scales making a sort of cloak or caplet that drapes over their shoulders. Deputies and medicine cats simply have necklaces of sorts made of one or two fish, and medicine cats might also have a string “crown” passed down through generations with dried herbs tied into it. RiverClan cats are adept and crafty with their claws, and also tend to make inventions using the same techniques.
Common / Holy prefixes: Ripple, Wave, Whorl, Minnow, Moss, Stone
“Not a single cat alive could argue that we are not brave and strong. When I look at my Clanmates, my brothers, sisters, and siblings in-between - I feel pride, and hope! We are the rumble of an oncoming storm; we are the brilliant, powerful strike of lightning; we are the cold sting of rain pelting on those below us! We are ThunderClan, and we are forever unmatched by any other!” - Squirrelstar, rallying her warriors for battle
Nobody should be surprised that war is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of ThunderClan. These forest cats are incredibly military in their nature, from following and enforcing the warrior code to a T to defending their borders with everything they have. ThunderClan are fiercely loyal to their high ranks, and to the memory of their ancestors; however, they’re the second least religious of all the Clans, rivalled only by ShadowClan. Ever since any cat can remember, there’s been a constant dispute with both RiverClan and ShadowClan about where the borders lie, and not a single ThunderClan leader has allowed them to be moved since the forcible exile of SkyClan. WindClan and ThunderClan seem to get along best between the four Clans, with very few skirmishes between them.
ThunderClan cats are very uniform in their genetics. A good 90% are soft-furred, but thick-skinned and bulky. ThunderClan cats are known to be able to take several hits before going down, making them formidable foes. Tabbies and tortoiseshells are very common amongst ThunderClan cats, with very few light-furred or solid cats between them. They have a tendency to be a little more stocky than cats of other Clans. Most self-respecting ThunderClan warriors will have a good couple scars on their pelt, and will painstakingly groom their fur every day to make sure the scars can be seen, seeing them as a badge of honour.
“To a ThunderClan cat, the greatest possible honour is to fight and win. Medicine cats are often shunned, forgotten, or disrespected - but I wonder, Fireheart, if we stopped for even a day, how fast would they come crying back to us with apologies on their tongue, weeping over a thorn lodged in a pawpad?” - Yellowfang, on the disrespect of medicine cats
Medicine cats are the only cats allowed to accessorise within ThunderClan. Most wear some kind of plant behind their ear - usually a common herb from the territory, such as goldenrod or tansy. Sometimes entire branches from bushes will be shaped and tied into fur tufts; like WindClan, ThunderClan also like to use feathers, though these are usually tied in with the herb or tangled into scruffs or tails. However, ThunderClan was the first to kick off a territory-wide tradition of “ceremonial flutes”; a medicine cat who has done something monumental and history-making (for example, Maplepool, who found the Moonpool in the Lake Territories) may receive a hollowed stick with herbs growing through the middle; these flutes are passed down through generations, though the other four Clans only started after Maplepool received hers. Many medicine cats who receive these will pick the flowers and wear them, and bring the flutes to events such as gatherings and half-moon meetings. The flutes may also be borrowed or used by medicine cats and warriors if they need to travel across territories, as a visible sign that they’re passing through or looking for help - a practise started by Hollysnow.
“The winds usually bring with them change. Change is not what any cat should be afraid of; however, as it stands, WindClan is the only Clan able to rise up and meet the unexpected without batting an eye. That is what gives us strength; I could not be prouder of that.” - Maplestar of WindClan, during her retirement ceremony.
Often thought of as the pacifists of the four Clans, WindClan cats tend to promote peace among their neighbours, and they largely motion to accept outsiders and rulebreakers more often. Despite this, they are very holy cats, and believe that StarClan will always guide them on the right path - even if it means adapting the warrior code. Prior to the leadership of Heatherstar the first, few outsiders truly knew what happened within WindClan borders: while the cats themselves were relatively social, the politics and activity of the Clan was a total secret. This changed when Heatherstar took charge of the Clan, and allowed a ThunderClan exile to join. WindClan cats are typically lenient when it comes to border matters, forging specific paths for Clans to cross, but they will not let their kindness be tested easily; in the True Territories, a feud with ShadowClan over said matter had been ongoing for quite some time.
WindClan cats are the most diverse of any of the Clans when it comes to pelts and body types. Their openness to allow in strangers has widened the gene pool, leading to several original looks; even twins will have unique, defining features. However, the one thing every WindClan cat has in common are strong, typically long legs. Most will also be skinnier than cats from other Clans; fur will be windblown in almost every direction, but a WindClan cat can make the look work. WindClan warriors tend to be among the longest-lived cats in all the Clans, rivalled only by ThunderClan after reaching the Lake Territories.
“We may have to move to stay on our feet, but our roots forever remain! We will never forget those who paved the way for us to stand here today. Without them, we would simply be unable to bloom.” - Heatherstar the II, on her first address to the Clan
Following the death of Palebird, WindClan cats began to adopt flowers and feathers as a part of their appearance. Flowers will be woven into tufts of fur by denmates at a time when they’re sharing tongues; usually, these flowers are chosen based on the burial places of relatives or lovers. For example, the deputy Talltail and leader Maplestar both wear foxglove behind their ears and in thicker fur, foxglove being the flower growing above the graves of Finchkit, Palebird, and Sandgorse. The medicine cats Barkwing and Spottedleaf wear heather in memory of Hawkheart; Barkwing additionally adorns himself with thistle and violet in memory of his brother and mother, and Spottedleaf wears milkmaids in memory of her brother. The tradition of wearing flowers in memory of lost loved ones is unique to WindClan, though cats with WindClan roots or ties in other Clans may pick up the practise.
Common / Holy prefixes*: Heather, Breeze, Gale, Swift, Running
