ThunderClan Succession: The Complicated Reigns of Oakstar and Doestar (Shadow Rising AU)
Leader line: Oakstar- Larchface (Birchface)- Goldenspots (Frecklewish)
Deputy line: Beetletail (Beetail)- Briarwing (Sweetbriar)- Thrushfang (Thrushtalon)- Ryepelt (Seedpelt)
Most of the details surrounding the end of Oakstar’s reign have been lost to history, but described below is what is still known to the Clans. Following the death of Oakstar’s son and heir Larchface fighting RiverClan over Sunningrocks, Oakstar named a kit, Larchkit, his heir, believing the kit and his siblings to be Larchface’s children. Their mother was a warrior by the name of Mapleshade, and while her younger half brother was ThunderClan’s sole seer, she did not claim descent from any bloodlines. It is unknown where the idea that she was the mother of Larchface’s kits came from, but it rapidly spread throughout ThunderClan, and even to the other Clans. When Ravenwing, the Clan’s seer, revealed the truth of Larchkit, Toadkit (Petalkit), and Patchkit’s heritage, however, Oakstar threw Mapleshade and her children out of the Clan. Unfortunately, we do not know how Ravenwing learned the truth. Perhaps Mapleshade confided in him, her little brother? We do not know. All three kits drowned that same day when Mapleshade attempted to seek shelter in RiverClan with their real father. Seeking revenge, Mapleshade murdered Ravenwing, Goldenspots, and her RiverClan mate, before dying herself. Much about Mapleshade is lost to us, including her motive for lying about her kits’s heritage. It is one thing to hide the fact they are half Clan, but another entirely to say they are the deceased heir’s children. We may never know the full story.
Following the death of his only other relative and child, Goldenspots, Oakstar named his deputy Beetletail his heir and began to train him for the responsibility. While deputies do prepare for the scenario when they assume the Clan’s leadership, Oakstar went above and beyond to make sure his Clan would survive. It was during this period that, Beetletail’s nephew, Thrushfang, had a litter of his own- two daughters named Doekit and Deerkit. Soon after their apprenticeship, Oakstar took Beetletail’s sister Briarwing as his mate, and, to the surprise and joy of the entire Clan, had another litter with her, Volekit (who would eventually become Volefoot (Mumblefoot), and was deputy under Doestar until his death) and Spiderkit (who would become Spiderwhisker (Squirrelwhisker), and would be the subject of a great scandal).
A terrible leafbare followed this happy news, however, and brought sorrow with its snow. Deerpaw died first, followed by Ryepelt and Briarwing in quick succession. Oakstar died next, and Beetletail the day after, but that awful leafbare did not stop, and Thrushfang passed soon after. Finally, the deaths abated, and left three competing heirs in its wake. Doepaw was an apprentice well on her way to warriorhood, the only surviving descendant of Beetletail. Volekit and Spiderkit were barely four moons old, though they were Oakstar’s own children. The succession was determined by a single fact, however: Oakstar had named Beetletail his heir, and had never gone back and made Volekit his chosen heir. So, at the time of Oakstar’s death, Thrushfang was his heir, and with Thrushfang’s passing, the leadership passed to Doepaw. Doepaw was made a warrior that very day, and Doecloud became Doestar, and the Clan moved on.
Leader line: Doestar- Harewhisker (Harepounce)- Poppyheart (Poppydawn)- Speckletail- Rabbitshade (Rabbitleap)- Falconsong (Fallowsong)
Deputy line: Volefoot- Spiderwhisker- Dovefoot (Windflight)- Juniperfoot (Daisytoe)- Littleshine (Littlestep)
Doestar was the mother of two daughters, Harewhisker and Falconsong, and each molly had or were expecting children. Harewhisker had three young warriors in Poppyheart, Speckletail, and Rabbitshade, and Falconsong was in the nursery expecting a litter of her own. Doestar, however, announced one afternoon that neither child would succeed her. Rather, a dashing young tom by the name of Foxheart (Pineheart) would be her heir. For many years, the reasoning behind this decision was unknown, questioned and debated over, until towards the end of his life during the reign of Bluestar, an old and frail Goosefeather told his apprentice about his vision. Goosefeather has been plagued by messages from StarClan his entire life, and when he received a vision showing a flame-coloured tom leading the Clan, he told Doestar, who acted quickly and interpreted it as a sign that StarClan desired Foxheart to succeed her. Volefoot died soon after this decision, killed fighting a fox that was threatening the Clan, and Doestar made Foxheart deputy. Shortly after, Falconsong had three healthy sons in Sparrowkit, Birchkit, and Flykit. Another terrible leafbare, complete with starvation and sickness, befell ThunderClan, and Doestar, too, passed. Foxheart became Foxstar, and the whispers of prophecy murmured in his ears.
Next: The Reigns of Foxstar and Waspstar, and the Beginning of the Prophecy Leaders
