Here is the final (past) RC Violetshine artwork, but today we're switching gears a bit away from Violet! As I said in my first RC Violet post, because Shadestep has taken Needletail's place in the story, Needletail doesn't die! But she still gets wrapped up in The Kin, she just meets them when they settle by the lake. When the clans drive out The Kin, she runs away with them, still loyal, but now has Yarrowleaf's place and returns to the clans with Sleekwhisker. (Yarrowleaf doesn't run away with The Kin in this AU, I don't know what happened to her. Darktail probably drowned her.)
I've always found Needletail's relationship with Rain fascinating, and I've been frustrated that no one ever acknowledges them! Sure, they're not that healthy, but they're interesting! Even more interesting that they're unhealthy but still kinda seem to care about each other.
So in my AU, I wanted to realize this. Rain doesn't die when he does in canon, but rather in the final battle when The Kin is driven out. Needletail leaves with the rouges, but soon realizes she's pregnant. Like Yarrowleaf in canon, she doesn't want to raise her children in the group of heartless rouges, especially without her mate, so she and Sleekwhisker return to the clans. But because she became pregnant earlier than Yarrowleaf did, her kits are already born when they are found (illustrated). She has Drizzlekit(yes, he's named after his father), a light gray tom, and Pondkit, a dark gray tabby she-cat. Then the same events from canon happen, they get brought to Skyclan, turned away, brought back again, etc. Sleekwhisker does the same thing, stealing Needletail's kits, but now it's a bit more interesting because we know they were friends and stuff.
Basically, it's the same as canon, except now it's Needletail, Yarrowleaf is gone, and Hopwhisker and Flaxfoot are instead Drizzleheart and Pondmist.
