It would be cool if Broth and Bones Firestar ends up getting called Wildfire/Wildcrown or something. Something about how not even a vow can truly tame him.
Oh you have no idea how much love I would give that boy. My beloved son. My everything.
For one, I'm toying with the idea of making him a black cat whose pelt IGNITES in sunlight, making him seem like he's always burning. After becoming a patron, his pelt is always crackling like embers, bursting into flame when impassioned.
I'd also be able to get even more specific with his name, as I have the freedom to stretch the Three Major Ideologies out with more symbolic renamings. I might start him off as Kafyar, "Wildfire," but the "Fire Alone" prophecy referd to so much more than just the burning.
It's the healing. You need an inferno to burn away invasive weeds, but what makes him great is what he builds afterwards.
So in this end his name would be Seralcrown. A sere community is one that grows in the wake of a disaster-- and that's what the Patron of Fire should be worshipped as.
(This would tie into my beloved boodle babe, Nightheart, and how hard of a hammer she's gonna take in BB. To understand a legacy as multifaceted, that there are things you can't change about how others see you, but they cannot control how YOU see yourself.)
Favorite rewritten scene from TPB? Any scenes you think would fuck if they were animated? Dont worry why im asking its not important <3
Hmmmm....
Well, BB!TPB is probably the least changed arc to begin with! Better Bones is a project that is basically trying to deliver on the themes I liked in the first 5 books; a flawed society is on the verge of birthing a great monster, a reckoning generations in the making, which can only be saved by the very outcasts their culture seeks to destroy.
So I'm not adding too much to it which isn't just building up the culture some more, adding personality to some background characters (especially mollies), or shoring up cats in ShadowClan.
I've got an old post floating around somewhere about my goals and a basic summary for each book, but here's a MASSIVE ramble about things I plan to add
The three MAJOR cool scenes in here though?
Rusty's Collar
Deerfoot's Sabotauge
Scourge's Collar
Into the Wild: Opening stuff, ThunderClan expansions, Rusty's Collar
For one, DAPPLETAIL has a much bigger role as Firepaw's first teacher. Rusty speaks Townmew; he needs to learn Clanmew.
So I might make the meeting with Graypaw earlier, or just have a bit more of a transitional period where he's "living with a paw in both worlds" before he gets named Firepaw
He also is able to see and take part in some of the Expanded Roles, while still learning Clanmew.
Frostfur is Head of Kitchen Patrol, pregnant, and overworked. Rusty likes her though, he can't always tell what she's saying but he learns she calls him the "Intense Gingerthing (affectionate)" and she's got cool scars
Tigerclaw might be Head of Hunting, or his cousin Willowpelt. Undecided yet; Willowpelt will be taking over after he becomes deputy though.
I forgor who is Construction Head at the moment, probably Mousefur. In any case it's a molly, One-eye has been retired for a long while.
Dappletail is the Educator, naturally, and she hangs out with Ravenpaw and her son Graypaw. Ravenpaw has a habit of telling tall tales.
The adult he's closest to though? Spottedleaf, the Cleric, like a big sister.
IMPORTANT: Rusty's time as a not-apprentice comes to a hard end with his battle against Longtail. Probably because he now understands enough Clanmew to know he's talking shit.
This time though, we're setting up some foreshadowing lads
Unlike other depictions of the collar removal where it's framed like the triumphant moment he enters the Clans, with a beam of sunlight revealing to Bluestar that he is the cat of great prophecy, his collar being snapped off comes with trembling fury and anxiety
He was terrified and angry in that moment! He's been bullied by Longtail, it just came to physical blows, and he was being choked by his collar digging into his throat so he couldn't breathe. When it suddenly SNAPS, he's hacking and coughing, but the whole Clan is cheering at the spectacle, it's like...
He's being told he's just proved himself. The joy of finally getting what he's really wanted, of landing a mark on his bully and being CELEBRATED for it, it starts to wash away the fear and fury.
It's sudden, like whiplash. He's trembling, he's growling, he's smiling. His stomach is rolling and he doesn't know which emotion is turning it.
Then, his collar is buried. He only sees it out of the corner of his eye, Dappletail (someone he likes) digging a little hole and dropping it in. Like getting rid of something dirty. He can't identify the emotion that prickles his heart in that moment, and to his dying day he never learns the word for it.
But it's going to be the same thing he feels, much much later, after the roar of the BloodClan battle has gone quiet and he's staring at the collar he ripped off Scourge. He spared the leader's life and caused the group to retreat... but, looking at that collar, so lovingly studded with trophies not unlike the ivory Clan cats take from boar hunts...
He realizes that it's meaningful. To Scourge. He can't go far enough to admit that his own collar meant something to him... but...
it would be wrong to just discard this. This emotion drives him to eventually approach Scourge and BloodClan again, in the Epilogue, returning the collar as a gift of goodwill and re-opening discussion about Tigerstar's Impossible Deal. These talks open up a new era of peace and trading between Chelford and the White Hart, until TNP brings it to a tragic end.
But anyway!
Ally Expansions + Deerfoot's Sabotage
In an effort to establish that the Clans have unique subcultures, and that the cats within them are unique individuals, BB!TPB needs more positive supporting cast in more than just WindClan.
GATHERINGS NOW HAVE AFTERGATHERINGS. This is like a discreet afterparty, which adult warriors can choose to attend by simply staying behind when their leadership returns home.
Fireheart regularly attends them until the moment he becomes leader.
A few of his friends in other Clans are Aftergathering regulars. Onewhisker, Mosspelt, Wetfoot.
Some others are just occasional visitors. Mistyfoot is brought along by her sis-in-law, Mosspelt, once or twice. Morningflower comes to do some trades.
(at his FIRST aftergathering he gets to meet Carpwhisker and Cinderfur. These two are noted to stop coming when the political tides harden.)
Because this is the Thistle Era, the Aftergathering is much smaller than it will be in a few generations.
They're also still careful to not leak too much information outside of their own Clans, and the ShadowClan cats are even particularly excited at Fireheart's first Aftergathering because it was difficult to regularly attend these while Brokenstar was leader.
DEERFOOT is a MUCH expanded character. Son of Lizardstripe, brother of Runningnose and Tangleburr, Deerfoot is involved in opposing both Brokenstar, and later NIGHTSTAR when he feels he's going against what Deerfoot fought so hard for.
And, most famously and most fatally, he's the head of the TigerClan Rebels.
Much as I like Ravenpaw... he's not getting his cameo at Stonefur's execution. No, I'm not going to be having the HalfClan cats rescued by Graystripe's bad feeling and also Ravenpaw is there. Freeing the prisoners was an action that came from WITHIN TigerClan.
Deerfoot is going to be beseeching Firestar for it. I haven't figured out EXACTLY how yet, but I'm thinking that it's after Darkstripe was exiled (suddenly, Tigerstar no longer has a mole in ThunderClan) and he's able to ask for Firestar's help openly and honestly, and tell him how many cats will need refuge if the plan is successful.
Being leader now, and not JUST a deputy, Firestar has to consider the way it might drag his Clan into conflict with a huge opponent... which Deerfoot assures won't happen, because his forces have a process. Using ochre and onion, they obscure themselves completely. Not a single one's been caught-- besides the ones who were picked up for the "crime" of being HalfClan.
Deerfoot is going to be killed for what he does here, saving so many lives. So he won't pay for the little trick he's going to pull.
While applying Firestar's ochre and onion, just before entering the camp to rescue the HalfClan cats (and finding they've started an execution early-- with Stonefur), Deerfoot draws back to look at his handiwork. Not a single fleck of his bright, unmistakable orange fur is peaking through his disguise.
So he clicks his tongue, "I've missed a spot." With a rub of his paw, the ochre around the ThunderClan leader's eyes is smudged. Just enough that anyone locking with those green eyes would see the fire poking out from beneath.
Later, when Firestar learns of this after Deerfoot's death... he chuckles with equal parts bitterness and admiration. Most of Deerfoot's Rebels had to go right back to living in TigerClan, and knowing Firestar was leading the battle patrol would take suspicion off them... but, knowing his old, lost ally... a bigger part of it was that Deerfoot was hoping that information would reach Tigerstar and BURN into him.
Compassionate and spiteful to the last, that Deerfoot.
Darkest Hour: BloodClan and Scourge's Collar
I think if I was going to rename the individual books, I'd call the last book of BB!TPB "The Moment of Truth."
BloodClan is keeping the way that it's not important until the last book. Aside from an offhanded mention here and there and a run-in with some peons that replace the rats that attack Bluestar, they're not relevant until the moment they're introduced.
I do want to keep how SURPRISING it was to see them suddenly roll up, keep that feeling that they're brutal, unsettling, foreign. When Tigerstar loses his shit on Scourge for not following his order and attempts to kill him, I want to keep how cold, sudden, and BRUTAL that ending was.
But... when Scourge FIRST appears on screen, he looks much different from the Iceheart he will eventually become. He begins to look less "monstrous" and more like a PERSON as Firestar realizes that they're not so different.
Scourge has no pupils at first. His eyes are solid, icy blue.
He also has no mouth when he isn't about to bite, no lip synch when he talks. Like he's just existing ominously onscreen, wind ruffling his spiky, ungroomed fur.
Before the killing of Tigerstar, it's noted that Scourge's speech is odd, and hard to understand. But, you can sort of make out his intent if you listen carefully.
Firestar recognizes that he is speaking Townmew, his own first language.
Tigerstar doesn't really respect him enough to listen, until he barks an order and Scourge tells him, "...My cats move when I command them, and not before."
Like canon, Firestar steps forward to speak with Scourge. Unlike canon, he very intentionally begins speaking Townmew.
ALSO like canon, when Firestar explains Tigerstar's crimes, that he will never honor any bargains he has made, and thus that they can't be trusted, he rolls that Nat20 and Scourge tells him that there will be no battle today as he thinks about this new information.
And, of course, Tigerstar lost his marbles about this. And also his organs
And Scourge is SEETHING. That's his LAST straw. He made a deal and he is NOT being given what he is owed, he tried to gracefully walk away only for Tigerstar to disrespect him for the last time, and he's SICK. AND. TIRED. Of backstabbing, DISHONORABLE CLAN CATS.
And YET. He remains cool. And he tells Firestar directly, "In light of this, I have changed my mind. We will be taking what we are owed. You have three days to leave, or it will come to combat."
Another big change from canon is that no Clan needs to be convinced to fight. It's a battle culture. They were ALWAYS going to win, or die in glorious combat. Running away is not an option in this era-- they believe their eternal reward is up in StarClan.
But Firestar CAN unite them, bring them together to discuss battle plans. And in this first day...
TigerClan is dismantled. Though Leopardstar tries to cling to her newfound leadership of TigerClan; both Shadow and River are clearly tense and demoralized. Anxious and snappish warriors are mulling about the camp.
and STILL, Firestar is dealing with a bunch of cats who are openly disrespecting him.
Even when he reminds them, "YOU brought him to the Forest! Tigerstar's deal was HALF our land and I could pull LionClan out at any time! I'm trying to HELP YOU"
Darkstripe in particular is still here with his little xenophobic jabs. And he is Xenophobic Jabbering.
In spite of the guilt Leopardstar feels, and the resentment that Blackfoot is starting to feel for Tigerstar and the position he's being thrust into, they're still DIFFICULT, not giving Firestar clear answers about if they're going to come talk battle strategies or not.
Firestar can't believe this.
They're really gonna do this. Say that TigerClan can take care of its own problems.
They're just gonna try and hold onto their scraps of pride and charge into battle, NO plan, because they think they're above him.
After ALL OF THIS, EVERYTHING thats happened, the times they've fought and he's won, becoming deputy, even earning the authority of a leader...
They're STILL not taking him seriously.
This prompts Firestar to end up losing it, the "I saw what you did to Stonefur" speech to Blackstar is moved here, addressed to BOTH of them.
But this time, there's even MORE victims. He lists ALL of them, plus the refugees still in his camp.
And they're gonna kill even MORE cats? What? To be the smuggest corpses in the GROUND?
OR MAYBE THE HAPPIEST LITTLE SKULLS ON THEIR STUPID HILL.
It SHUTS them up.
Leopardstar, in particular, clearly haunted by this... her own father, Mudfur, is one of those refugees. And she is staring intently at some of the bones on the hill.
Unfortunately, her remorse will not stick. Distance will make Blackstar more ashamed, but Leopardstar begins to look back with nostalgia.
But FOR NOW? It MATTERS.
Darkstripe comes in with another little comment, and she snaps at him.
Then she turns back on the Bonehill, and says the, "This belongs to a darker time" line.
Firestar also ends up visiting with Barley Sr, Jr, and Ravenpaw. Chatting about reasons why Ravenpaw still doesn't want to come back, even though Tigerstar is gone.
And about BloodClan, as Barley Senior comes from there. Bone is his mother (though due to some timeline things I'm considering her being his sister; and then Hoot and Jumper are littermates OR cousins of Junior.)
Ends up explaining a bit about the history, how it was formed because of Oakstar, the context of the descendant of Oakstar turning on Scourge like that
Plus why Barley Sr left. His time as a solver, the death of Violet Sr, the way BloodClan demands tribute to keep its cats fed.
And while BloodClan has issues... Firestar is realizing... so do the Clans.
Violence, blood feuds, war... xenophobia. He's still seething over that exchange from earlier.
Firestar's anxious over the big fight, and the people he knows he will lose. GOOD people. The battle won't discern the crackerjacks from the jackasses; people he loves will die. He HAS to win. And yet, his feelings towards Scourge feel frustratingly conflicted.
On the second day...
Finally he's getting somewhere with the other four Clans. Everyone's preparing properly, learning how to fight TOGETHER and not just as four separate entities.
But in ShadowClan, he catches POISONS. Runningnose and Blackfoot are planning to go into battle using the same tactics they used against WindClan-- things that won't kill right away, but will cause inevitable infection and kill slowly, and painfully.
And they're showing OTHERS about it, too.
And this UPSETS Firestar
But, AGAIN, he's able to talk to them. They have a point-- if BloodClan is going to use those claw-weapons, they ALSO have an unfair advantage.
Firestar, about to invent Rules of Engagement: "If they weren't going to use them though?"
That's how Firestar ended up in a british back alley. Meeting with BloodClan.
Scourge is cold and polite, as always, makes a comment about him being early.
Firestar tells him about the poisons, how he's seen them be used before, and how they will kill slowly,
Scourge is torn... at first, thinking it might be a lie, but then the shock of what might happen sets in. He asks, "and why would you warn us about this?"
"Because it's the right thing to do. We're fighting for our home and you're fighting for your promise; It should be a fair fight."
"which means you're reigning them in, then?"
Nods, "If you use the claw extenders, they're going to use an unfair advantage of their own"
As they dig deeper into the conversation, Scourge loses his patience.
"Enough. I've heard enough lies from Clan cats, forest fool. You untrustworthy lot NEVER uphold your end of the bargain, you come here to weaken us but we will not be tricked by a dishonorable foe ever again."
It's starting to hit Firestar now. Scourge... is kinda right.
He's RIGHT to be so distrustful of Clan cats. To think they're dishonorable. He's seen them all himself; liars, hypocrites, cowards, all of them allowing EVIL things to be done to innocent cats.
The pause seems to last days, but it's clear to Scourge he's thinking deeply about what he said.
When Firestar looks up he tells him, "I understand. But I am honorable."
Scourge laughs at that. The whole alley does.
But he stands firm. He will uphold HIS end. "And when you come tomorrow, you will see that I've held my people to it."
"Then you're a greater fool than I thought, weakening yourself."
"Tigerstar believed that honor made us weak," he says with defiance, "and you killed him. I buried him. Now he is dead; don't choose to keep his memory alive."
AND ON THE THIRD AND LAST DAY
When they all come to face off at Fourtrees, it is seen, most of BloodClan is not wearing their extenders.
And most of the Clan cats do not have deathberry-red claws.
There are just some. On both sides.
Scourge is not one of them. His claws are his own
Fire and Scourge step foward in the center, their armies behind them.
Scourge quietly points out the irony in a hushed tone, for what he is about to say could have offended either army;
"Two fools, alike in their dignity. Perhaps in another time we would have been Brothers-in-Honor, you and I."
Brother-in-Honor = Townmew term for someone who unites you through a shared, noble cause.
But Firestar is done. He had to say goodbye to many of his cats this morning, he doesn't know who will live and who will die. The Warriors stand behind him, proud and noble, but terrified to their core. He knows this.
This is their HOME. And he is the holy leader of ThunderClan, bearing the fragment of a star within him.
He's lost his patience, and his sympathy. When he responds, it's loud enough for both armies to hear.
(Note: Ever so slightly performative)
"Last chance, Scourge! One step further, and you'll meet the full might of the Warrior Clans."
"Two fools," the little cat laments, "One far more foolish than the other!"
He screeches for BloodClan to attack, and like canon, Firestar loses track of Scourge in the torrent of angry cats
Battle otherwise goes very similar to canon. Out of left field, Darkstripe turns on Firestar with deathberry-red claws, furious and embarassed that he took Tigerstar away and prevented them all from fighting with "every advantage"
Graystripe. One-Man Firestar Defense Squad, body checks him and kills him, trembling in disbelief and immediate regret over his brother's body
Whitestorm loses his fight with Bone and falls, bleeding, to the ground
As he dies, he tells Firestar to let go of his grudges. He was wronged, he was hurt, but please don't let that stop him from making the right choice. Longtail should be deputy.
Firestar announces Longtail is his deputy right there.
The apprentices dogpile Bone in revenge, though I also wouldn't mind changing it. In any case, Bone's dead before Willowpelt can even realize her mate is gone
When he finally sees Scourge again, they grapple ferociously until the little cat breaks loose
Trying to avoid the grallocking move that ended Tigerstar in a blow and not knowing Scourge can't do that without his claw extenders, he pulls back and leaves himself wide open for a vicious transverse slash
He's split open from neck to arm, he can feel himself bleeding out
Scourge looks at him with pity but says nothing, flicking his claws like he's wicking the blood from a sword.
Game_Over.png
Firestar's vision fades into flashing stars and bursts into the silver-and-blue lights of StarClan
He sees the faces of everyone who he's lost, everyone he couldn't save. Spottedleaf who died in a raid. Stonefur whose execution came too soon. Pikepaw who refused to take refuge with his mother. That old bastard Deerfoot. Whitestorm whose blood is replaced with fresh stars.
Yellowfang comes forward, threading constellations like stitches through his gash, snipping at him to stop wriggling like a worm. Spottedleaf is also helping in a way he doesn't understand, licking his fur the wrong way and returning his lost blood like a Mi returns warmth to a cold kitten.
He smiles, filled with the wonderful sensation of a Sharing of Stars, until it hits him again that he needs to go back
Hmm.. maybe ill have it so Whitestorm had no last words and he gives them here. "Don't let the grudges of the past ruin the future. Make the choices you know are right."
Bring the theme together; he was talking about Longtail, but Firestar interprets it differently.
And when he wakes up in his body, gash aching but skillfully closed by the best healers he ever knew, he feels like they filled his veins with a lion's blood.
He grins, a mixture of humor and righteous fury. He didn't know Scourge's tricks, but he doesn't know HIS either.
Scourge has his back turned, focused on Onewhisker who's cowering in front of him. Firestar bowls into him, catching him off guard
"You! You died! I killed you!"
"I played dead."
With a second bolt of strength, Scourge tries to turn it around and they tumble, hissing and spitting, but the little cat doesn't get a second chance
He's pinned like prey, one paw holding his head and the other pulling down his shoulder, growling like an animal with its neck exposed for a brutal killing bite
Firestar lunges down and Scourge screeches, a horrible crack of teeth on bone quiets the battlefield
And then a SNAP
The sun glimmers on the bloodstained collar's fangs, one of the teeth cracked by Firestar's jaws, as he throws it behind him
Scourge's face is truly apparent to Firestar for the first time, his icy eyes wide with astonishment
Firestar recites the beautiful words that had once been made hollow by hypocrisy, "A true warrior does NOT need kill to win their battles," but he presses his paw into Scourge's pulse as a warning, "DO they?!"
He lifts his paw, and Scourge calls for BloodClan to retreat
Though the warriors are shocked at first, they saw his collar ripped off and his black fur soaked in his own blood, and understood they were losing
Just as united as any Forest Four following the command of a leader, each warrior disentangled as quickly as possible and streamed out behind their bolting leader
Some warriors ran after them to chase them out, and came back a few minutes later
And just like that, it was over. They were gone.
But, that collar is laying there, in the light of the setting sun. The inner fabric is purple, covered in a layer of red and brown from a mix of fresh and dry blood. Various teeth poke through, which he now realizes are from various predators.
Firestar gazes at it and feels Rusty's heart beating. He has that strange, indescribable feeling again.
It's... just like Clan cat hunting trophies, yes. It's a valuable, meaningful object to Scourge. It's a spoil of war made of spoils of war. That's why it's stirring his chest, surely. There's something... deeper to this item. It shouldn't be discarded; this item needs to be kept safe.
Or, perhaps, returned.
From there, the epilogue is gravy. When Firestar arrives in the alley again, this time flanked by several cats, Scourge is still recovering from his many injuries. He feels like he's been seeing Firestar's face too often-- and then the collar is gently placed on the ground.
Just like Firestar expected, there's an energy that washes over the gathered cats, and even the unreadable Scourge now seems awestruck by the gesture. The collar was something greater than just a collar; though Firestar couldn't remember if he had ever been told what a BloodClan collar represented.
Speaking, again, in Townmew, he explains that Tigerstar made Scourge an Impossible Deal, which the treacherous tyrant never meant to honor in the first place. But he is dead. BloodClan cannot have the territory and the Clan cats have won it fairly-- but what CAN we do for you? What were you seeking?
The answer was so simple that it was almost sickening. That they'd come to blows, and cats had died, over something that could have been worked out so easily. BloodClan had plenty of food from the humans' excess and hunting in the wilderness was not a skill they ever had anyway. What they wanted was materials.
Wood. Flowers and herbs. A chance to walk along the hiking trail and see the giant trees. Maybe the occasional piece of prey they didn't have access to in the town, like squirrels and frogs.
So, for a while. There was peace in the Forest, bringing the Tiger Era to a definitive close and beginning the fruitful, but short-lived Fire Era.
So! Them's the major changes. Take your pick of the scene you think is coolest, personally I've got a thing for Firestar ripping off Scourge's collar.
[ID: Firestar from Warrior Cats with his tail on fire. The text reads, "Ssoen kafyar-ul ulnyams ssarshefpa," which is "Fire Alone will save the Clans" in Clanmew]
The man, the myth, the legend. Bringer of change, righter of ancient wrongs, ancestral patron of fire and of breaking bad habits.
Clanmew Name: Kafyarbabi, Kafyarshai
[Wildfire + Heartbeating = Behaves like a wildfire.]
Chelford cats do not track paternity. It's not known who Firestar's father is, and it's probably not Jake anyway.
Firestar is aromantic. He is platonic co-parents with Sandstorm. He did not realize he was aromatic when he was seeing Onewhisker.
Other Clans consider him nosy. He's always trying to help out others, even when their sense of pride makes them hesitate to accept it.
Incorrigible. If he thinks he's right, you can't stop him. He also thinks it's important to make sure his Clan is well cared-for and doesn't give in to fear.
His personality is very passionate and outgoing.
Bonefall TPB:
To begin with, Rusty had to learn a new language to join the Clans. Clanmew and Townmew are sister languages but there was still a learning curve.
Spottedleaf was a big sister figure to him, she taught him how to connect with StarClan, what the rules are, and how to break them.
Bluestar left a deep impact on him as his mentor, she was the inventor of the mercy and grace which comes to define Fire Alone.
Like canon, he opposes Tigerclaw at every step once he realizes the cruelty within him.
Unlike canon, Better Bones is about having a strong anti-authoritarian stance, and to do that there's even MORE allies that Firestar connects with.
Oakfur, Stumptail, and Deerfoot in ShadowClan, and Mosspelt and Dawnflower in RiverClan are all cats who work directly with Fireheart, and were at times his Aftergathering buddies.
The end of Bonefall TPB is the battle with BloodClan, where he spares Scourge by defeating him honorably, ripping his collar off and forcing him to call a retreat.
The thesis of the arc is that Fire Alone can save the Clans because it's a radical change to the xenophobic, authoritarian culture of the Forest Four.
He lost a life in the process, from a huge slash across his chest and shoulder. It's meant to look like a mayoral sash, of sorts. His first deputy was Whitestorm, and after his death, his second was Longtail.
After the battle, he went a step further by bringing the collar back to Scourge as a gift of goodwill. He offered to uphold whatever he could of Tigerstar's Impossible Deal, and was shocked at the simple solution. BloodClan simply wanted things they couldn't get in Chelford; timber, glue, flowers, new types of foods they'd never tasted before.
Together, they forged a trade route that promised a bright future. During the destruction of the forest, Scourge eventually decided to lend his strength to the Clans for their Journey, eventually deciding to retire with them.
Scourge was eventually given the name Iceheart, so that he may live out his days with them in quiet peace.
Firestar's Quietus:
Brokenstar is the guardian spirit of the 5th tree of Fourtrees, which blighted and died after SkyClan's exile
His spirit cannot rest until SkyClan is safe. Firestar gets freakish dreams, Runningnose contacts him, and brings him to the Moonstone to figure this out.
It's there that he learns about Brokenstar trying to break into StarClan to make them do something. On learning that they just let an entire Clan get exiled, Firestar tells them to shove it and agrees to help.
Runningnose gives him a very emotional and significant acorn necklace which channels Brokenstar-- this item becomes important many arcs later.
Broken and Fire go back and forth a lot on what SkyClan should look like, what it needs, and how they should rebuild. The lesson learned is that SkyClan needed help, but can handle its own destiny.
Leafstar and the Warriors of SkyClan are not a Clan like the Forest Four. They will do things their own way, and that is a beautiful thing.
Brokenstar's final action is possessing Firestar's body (establishing the rules of possession for TBC later) to eradicate the rats; which were the earthbound, tormented souls of SkyClan's ancestors.
That's how Brokenstar and Firestar become the saviors of SkyClan
Bonefall Po3, Cruel Season, and Bonefall OotS:
In the episodic revamp of Po3, Firestar is aiding the other Clans through their struggles with the new environment, and helping to raise his grandchildren to be honorable cats.
So, his role is essentially as both the Clan's leader, and as Grandpaw Firestar.
His deputy is Brackenfur, who was promoted after Firestar and Brambleclaw agree that he isn't ready for deputyship yet after his lapse of judgement with Hawkfrost.
Brackenfur is killed towards the end of Po3 in the Battle of the False Eclipse, a trick from Sol, God of Chaos, a preview of the night that is to come where the dead can walk the earth.
Brambleclaw succeeds him.
The Fire Scene is in the in-between book between Po3 and OotS; Cruel Season.
It was started by Whiskernose of WindClan, aided and abetted by Thornclaw and Breezepelt, as an intentional distraction so they could get Firestar alone to kill him on the Dark Forest's orders.
He has one last big scene after his death; coming down from Silverpelt when Jayfeather summons StarClan warriors to fight the Dark Forest.
After winning a rematch with Scourge, Tigerstar finally gets the battle he's always wanted, and Firestar deals with him once and for all.
His Legacy:
He becomes known as the Patron of Fire and Breaking Bad Habits. He's invoked frequently during wet days when it's hard to start a cooking fire.
Firekin are renowned as a family of heroes, something that can cause a lot of pressure for its youngest members.
Fire Alone and Traditionalism are the competing ideologies by the modern era, with support of Thistle Law being kept very quiet.
When russet dies and goes to starclan does firestar ever. Idk. Apologize? For what brambles doing? Does he feel responsible? or at this point is he giving benefit of the doubt? Even though bramble and thorn are tearing through this alliance he made with his little tiny paws?
After Russetfur is killed in Bramblestar's pissing contest of a battle, Firestar is trying to stave off his disappointment with excuses. He'd rather blame himself somehow than admit he gave Brambleclaw unearned trust.
Who the hell wants to be RIGHT about being distrustful of a man you were judging because of his bloodline? He was a fine interim deputy after Brackenfur died. He was a loving mate and father, wasn't he...?
It's a painful idea that Brambleclaw's story isn't one of "overcoming" his past, but instead, just being the continuation of a terrible dynasty. The truth hurts.
So, he blames Thornclaw at first. Bramblestar's fatal flaw has always been his misplaced trust, yes? That was supposed to be the lesson he took from Hawkfrost. It's disappointing to see him slip into an old habit, but assuring. Thornclaw is the problem.
But as always, the problem is always deeper than one awful guy. It's not that simple.
After Thornclaw is gone, you can't just blame the powerful man's scheming vizier. It becomes obvious that Bramblestar isn't trying to follow in Firestar's pawsteps, he wants to "Rule in my own way."
And what that really means is that Bramblestar doesn't HAVE principles, or a guiding ideology. He does what he wants and is mostly guided by gratification. The position of power, to him, has always been about getting the "respect" that he feels was denied to him at a young age. He is happiest when cats marvel in awe at his 'accomplishments,' and the power and control he has over people.
And that's when the disappointment really hits. That Brambleclaw's story isn't about overcoming adversity to appoint the new Wise Old King of ThunderClan. Firestar watches his successor destroy so, so much of what he built because leadership was just a power fantasy to a deeply mediocre man.
His hopes for him were so high that he couldn't see the cat he put up there. And there's nothing he can do about it.
If Jake is Sparrow... How are Firestar and Scourge related???? I mean, through Quince or something, because I once saw a post complaining about how Nutmeg is so randomly chosen like HUH WHERE'D YOU COME FROM??? But, I'm getting sidetracked. Just a question
They aren't. They're not related. That retcon was stupid so I took it out 💗
"Turns out Firestar, the guy who was unique exactly because he was an outsider who was able to challenge the rotten society that Clan cats take for granted, came from a special bloodline that produces special cats. Tallstar didn't actually think Fireheart was amazing on his own merits, he just reminded him of the lover he had in his 20s so he played political softball with him." I am looking away. I do not see.
Chelford cats don't track paternity. They're matriarchal, with uncles and older siblings taking on "fatherly" roles within a family. Jake is probably not Firestar's father, but even if he wasn't it wouldn't matter.
Fire's mother was a cat named Nutmeg and Iceheart's mother is a cat named Quince. No relation that they know of, or care about. They're brothers-in-honor, through mutual respect and choice.
May we talk about the differences with better bones au Firestar?
BB!Firestar is VERY different from canon. No longer is he a leader who slips deeper into blind reverence to the warrior code, he is ALWAYS defined by his dedication to freedom and diplomacy.
It is this defiance that becomes the foundation of the Fire Alone ideology, marking a radical change to Clan society.
Back in TPB he bonded immediately with Spottedleaf, who acted like a big sister.
She taught him the difference between invoking StarClan and channeling a spirit.
And also how to break the law LMAO
From her, he learns humor, and how to not fear death even when it surrounds him.
From his mentor, Bluestar, he learns about justice, diplomacy, how to be gracious and how to stand up for himself.
He never stops learning, understanding new things about the people around him.
Unlike other warriors and leaders, Firestar's first instinct is to use diplomacy. While he won't back down from a fight, he tries to at least negotiate better terms first.
BB!Firestar, famously, DOES NOT kill Scourge. He defeats him honorably, extending the Warrior Code even to outsiders.
Learned about SkyClan from horrible dreams and Runningnose, found out that Brokenstar's spirit was the spirit of the 5th Tree at Fourtrees, and told StarClan to shove it when they told him to ignore it.
Sandstorm is not with him during this quest, Firestar's Quietus. The ghost of Brokenstar is.
Had FIVE deputies in his reign. Whitestorm, Longtail, Graystripe, Brackenfur, and lastly Brambleclaw. A record!
Through his leadership, he was always extending help to other Clans. Especially in Po3 as the Clans settled the lake and tried to fix its ecology.
He is leader through TPB, TNP, and Po3. He dies during the Fire Scene in Cruel Season, which was actually a Dark Forest distraction.
Thornclaw, Breezepelt, and Whiskernose were his killers.
After his death he rapidly becomes a diety associated with fire and breaking bad habits.
He's often invoked by cats who are trying to make a change in their lives, or when they can't get a fire started.
In terms of personality,
He remains CURIOUS. He is not the sort of person who can accept not knowing things.
He likes to work out puzzles, riddles, and enjoys being in the gossip loop.
Other leaders think he's quite nosy. Keeps getting involved in their business and won't leave them alone.
Can be a bit of a sassy bitch.
He is aromantic but not ace! He's had flings before, but eventually break off. He dated Onewhisker for a short time.
He isn't mates with Sandstorm, they are friends who had children together. It was an Honor Siring.
i like to imagine firestar still calls his ex-owners by nyams, or maybe urr
Probably not in public! That would be admitting that he is still traitorously close to human beings, which is a huuuuge faux pas to admit in the Clan that used to give him shit for living with them for only 6 months of his life.
It's a fine headcanon, but I imagine BB!Firestar has really left that behind after TNP. It was hard to watch humans destroy the forest like that, and reconsider everything good he'd ever thought about his Housefolk. I think his fond memories become a harsh bitterness.
Is it fair or accurate? No. His humans probably had no part in the suburban expansion of Chelford. But he was leader while humans caused the death of cats he was responsible for. He watched Ferncloud's children wither and starve, Speckletail soaked in the blood of a monster so foul they couldn't even share tongues with her one last time.
I think it really tore him up inside. "...is this where the fear comes from? Is this what SkyClan felt, so many generations ago?"
Sunnyfall made a video about how it was technically impossible for firestar to die in the great battle, so i am wondering how that is going to be fixed in bb
He's already dead by that point! He dies just after Po3, in an in-between book that bridges the lighter tone of Po3 with the darker one of OotS called Cruel Season.
The Fire of ThunderClan was a set-up, there were Dark Forest warriors trying to get him alone. Whiskernose, Breezepelt, and Thornclaw. It was a murder.
He's able to come fight Tigerstar because Jayfeather uses Rock's Branch as a channeling item, resurrecting it briefly and un-fetching it with as many angels as he could fit on its branches. He did the kitty equivalent of, like, dipping a stick into a bucket of crabs and pulling out as many as could hold on.
