What are your plans for Russetfur?
Due to design changes, Russetfur now has heavy scaring on her chest, around the side of her neck, a shredded right ear, and a scarred muzzle.
Russetfur now has a much more interesting start! Her mom is named Nicki! Kittypet who left home to live with the Blood Seekers with her single kitten, but when they split up, Nicki stayed with her friends, forming the group that Jay leads. However, when Nicki began to feel her age, and Red became Russetpaw, she returned to her old home, much to her owner's shock.
Russetpaw, now NOT Hal's daughter, is the adoptive daughter of Featherstorm, who will mother any creature she sees, especially with her sons having a massive fallout, their relation no longer existing (as relation is more social rather than blood, they are still seen as her sons, but not as brothers) and knowing that Russetpaw still needed someone to listen to her and care about her. She couldn't replace Nicki, but she could still be there.
The whole scene with Berrykit no longer happens, by the way, the callous attitude comes from Milktail, intentionally stirring up shit and displaying her xenophobia.
She is not Blackstar's first deputy, his first choice is Boulder, as Cedarheart's apprenticeship lasts longer due to an infection making things last longer for poor Cedarpaw; but Russetfur is is favorite. She is chosen after the disaster that was Milktail's deputyship, and the event that causes Blackstar to lose faith in Starclan is not just Sol having a +10 in charisma.
Sol brings Russetfur out of a coma*. Her injuries acquired during Eclipse are brutal, leaving her comatose, brought on by Windclan warriors, Antpelt and Loudbird. Sol is able to "magically" wake her up... He put ground up peppermint on his paw that he brought back from a Twoleg garden and stashed in one of Shadowclan's hidey holes. Well, it worked.
*coma does not mean an actual Coma in Warriors, it's just the best word they have for a cat in such bad condition that they are unconscious and unresponsive 99% of the time.
Know what kinda doesn't work though? The fake-turn-real sign from The Three. It nearly doesn't work until Russetfur stomps out of the Deputy den, and rubs Blackstar's nose in it. Sol didn't do anything special, she didn't feel any better when he had her huff peppermint dust, she still needed Blossomclaw and Littlecloud's help.
She is strong through the beginning of OOTS, hyped up by Shadowclan to be the next leader, with Blackstar getting on in years. Everyone was expecting Russetstar, even though she herself was getting on in age too... They were sick of Thunderclan's deputy telling them what to do. Who cares if Firestar says he doesn't want to battle? Shadowclan is taking that bit of land and the valuable berries within it! Russetfur, soon to be Russetstar will lead this holy charge with her Challenger's Rights, and take what Shadowclan deserve-
When Russetfur's anger towards Firestar's unwillingness to fight results in her launching herself at him, Lionblaze grabs her by her throat, yanking her off from where she had been brutally attacking Firestar.
In the struggle, Lionblaze hadn't kept his strength in check, only thinking about saving his grandpa. It was an accident.
She is brought to Starclan by Featherstorm, and will probably be one of the angelic spirits that participates in the Great Battle, since unleashing THE WHOLE OF STARCLAN was a bit... Meh.
I can't say for certain how her leadership would have gone, but she left some BIG boots of Deputyship for Rowanclaw to fill in. She got Shadowclan through tough times. Fire and sickness and anything else the world threw their way.