#sparks align

[prismjiinx]

I've just noticed that I've had this little drabble in my drafts for quite some time now (since February I think). I never refined it and I'm not sure if I'll ever come back to it, but I do like what it is so I figured I'd post it. (I don't thinkkk I'll upload it on Ao3 just yet either)

The basic jist was that Spiderpaw, Shrewpaw and Whitepaw discussed the disappearance of Leafpaw and Squirrelpaw (Leafpaw got told the prophecy instead).

Spiderpaw (red) belives they abandoned Thunderclan while Whitepaw (green) and Shrewpaw (orange) still hold onto hope that they will return.

Abandoned

They've abandoned us!

Huh, what do you mean?

Look around you! The forest is deteriorating as we speak! It seems obvious to me that Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw abandoned us and left! They must have known this would happen!

Abandon..? What?!

How could you say that?! Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw would never abandon us!

Stop holding onto false hope, Shrewpaw, and face the facts! They ran away before all this devastation happened and didn't even bother telling us! I wouldn't even be surprised if even Brightheart and Cloudtail followed their lead.

Stop saying these things about my family! Mum and Dad would never leave me behind, and neither would any other of my kin!

Exactly, what reason would Brightheart and Cloudtail even have? And what about the fact that we don't know why or were Squirrel and Leaf left in the first place? Or the fact that even other clancats from all the clans left the same night Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw disappeared?

There seems to be more to this than just running away. Perhaps they're actually helping us.

Exactly! Maybe they were sent on a secret Starclan mission to help us! Leafpaw is a Cleric Apprentice after all!

Pah! And what does a Cleric Apprentice know about Starclan?

Clearly more than you do, Warrior Apprentice.

Let's not fight about this anymore, please-

It doesn't even explain Brightheart's and Cloudtail's disappearance. What about them huh? They also left on a secret mission?

Why can't you just drop it? Why do you have to be so arrogant about everything-

Because mouse brains like you need to be set straight on-

Stop it! Stop saying these things! Both of you STOP!!

Please....

....

I'm going to hunt. Some cat has to pull their weight around here, and it's certainly not going to be you soft-hearts.

....

What are we going to do Shrewpaw? What CAN we do?

I... I don't know. Just try to survive I guess and, hope they'll come back in one piece.

I miss them Shrewpaw.

Yea, so do I...

...they'll come back. They've got to come back, I know they will.

Of course they will.

[prismjiinxdesigns]

Cinderkit and Brackenkit

[prismjiinxdesigns]

Lynxkit and Swiftkit

[prismjiinx]

Have we considered a Birchfall and Lionpaw Apprentice Dynamic yet?

I've been thinking of a scenario where Ashfur gets a bad bellyache or something and can't do his mentoring duties for quite a while.

And because Birchfall wants to be a mentor himself one day AND used to be Ashfur's apprentice he volunteers to help Lionpaw with training.

Lionpaw is scared and worried at first because Ashfur is an incredibly strict mentor (also emotionally abusive) so he's expecting angry responses (also because Birchfall can be a bit bossy at times so he doesn't know what to expect) but.... that's not really happening? Birchfall is... praising him? Genuinely complementing his fighting skills? Giving him tips on how to improve his hunting?

He'd be so blindsided and that it would overwhelm him completely at first, but as the days pass he's genuinely finding joy in being an apprentice again and doesn't want Ashfur back.

And Birchfall is really getting into the spirit of mentoring too. He did it at first because he really wanted to be a mentor sure, but the act of figuring out what type of teaching works best for Lionpaw, witnessing the joy Lionpaw has when he finally gets that catch and he being proud of him, growing close to Lionpaw and bonding with him like a mentor and apprentice duo should: it is so much more fulfilling than he ever thought it would be.

He doesn't want to let Lionpaw go either.

And then eventually both come to realize that oh... Ashfur is not a good person and shouldn't be a mentor.. at all. It would be when Lionpaw begins to open up about how Ashfur treats him because he trusts Birchfall, and wants to know what he did so wrong. It begins to dawn on Birchfall that how he was treated in the latter half of his apprenticeship was abusive too and he doesn't want that for Lionpaw to continue either.

So Birchfall ends up going to Firestar about how horrible Ashfur has treated the both of them and then Ashfur gets confronted and gets his mentorship revoked yippie :]

I've also been thinking in this in the context of my rewrite because Birchfall and Lionpaw are also uncle and nephew (Lionpaw's father is Shrewnose (Shrewpaw)), which is another parallel to Ashfur and Birchpaw and aw man I'm hurting myself over it :']

Have some dialog I've been brainstorming too because I don't know how to end this post.

Lionpaw: "Why wasn't it ever good enough? Why were my best efforts not good enough for him?". Birchfall: "Because no one could be. It doesn't matter what you do and how you do it, there will always be something to criticize. I'm so sorry you've had to go through that, if I had only noticed sooner, then perhaps you wouldn't have had- ." Lionpaw: "But he treated you horribly too, made you believe that it was okay to be treated this way. How could you have known when he insisted on staying you quiet? Knowing it was wrong...".

[prismjiinx]

Quick Firefam rewrite family tree I did for funsies + to attempt to finalize who is related to who later down the line. (I apolgize in advance for my handwriting)

Gen 1: Princess/Pineleaf and Firestar

Gen 2: Cloudtail, Squirrelstar and Leafpool

Gen 3: Whitewing, Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Sparkfire, Alderheart

Gen 4: Ivypool, Dovewing, Ambermoon, Dewnose, Snowfall, Finchlight, Nightblaze, Flickerkit

Gen 5: Bristlefrost, Thriftear, Flipclaw, Shadowsight, Lightleap, Pouncestep, Birchfeather, Rowankit (I forgor)

Gen 6: Sprucepaw, Redpaw, Poolkit, Beechkit, Quickkit

Name changes:

Princess -> Pineleaf

Princess ends up staying in Thunderclan after bringing Cloudtail to camp in hopes of helping him (he was born a very sickly kit, but she trusted her brother and his clan so she went to him for help in her desperation). She changes her name once she decides to stay, and is named Pineleaf (may or may not keep it)

Shrewpaw -> Shrewnose

Shrewpaw survives! I liked the idea that Spiderleg was named for his long legs, so Shrewpaw gets a similar name, for his short snout. Firestar had a field day with the two brothers lol

Sparkpelt -> Sparkfire

I keep going back and forth if whether or not I like Sparkfire or Sparkstorm more, currently the Sparkfire side is winning.

Reasons for Sparkstorm though -> She has her grandma's suffix, just like how Alderheart has his grandpaw's

Nightheart -> Nightblaze

I don't like Nightheart's name that much, or his original name Flameheart. I like the blaze suffix more because it fits with the naming of his siblings and it's not an often used suffix (and I want to try to avoid/ take a different approach on his problems with legacy. Once I've finished ASC I think I'll have a better idea with where to take him since he's also getting his protagonist rights revoked because it doesn't fit the overall narrative, but he's still a major character for sure)

Snowbush -> Snowfall

He's named after his father just like how Dovewing was named after her mother :>

(Also I don't think that Squirrelstar would give a cat the bush suffix, heh)

Relationship changes:

Squirrelstar X Shrewnose, Jayfeather X Briarlight and Shadowsight X Rootspring are all QPRs

Cloudtail is an only child, Nami Zack and co don't exist

Firestar and Pineleaf are not related to Scourge, I never really cared for that connection

On that same note, Tommy Fliou and Luna aren't relevant either

Ambermoon, Dewnose and Snowfall are Birchfall and Whitewing's second litter, no longer Brightheart and Cloudtail's. They would be older apprentices by the time Sparkfire and Alderheart are apprenticed

Dandelionkit and Juniperkit won't exist in Thunderclan, they'll be added as existing Windclan cats with Rouge/Loner background (and live)

Alderheart is in a polyamorous relationship with Velvet and Puddleshine

Cloverfoot is now Dovewing's mate

Lightleap and Blazefire are still together but they are a childless couple and the litter of Poolkit, Quickkit and Beechkit is given to Pouncestep and Flaxfoot (might be temporary though, might hand them and Lightleap over towards the Tigerkin instead)

Nightblaze and Sunbeam don't get together (no romantic feelings between them either)

Other changes: I forgot to give some cats mates within the tree whoops

Hollyleaf and Willowshine have a complicated relationship. They're very close platonically, but struggled a lot with their mutal romantic feelings. Hollyleaf tries to deflect and ignore her feelings due to her beliefs regarding the warrior code and Willowshine is hurt by Hollyleaf actions when she reveals her parentage (the Gathering scene remains unchanged, but Holly didnt kill Ashfur this time around) Willowshine is half-clan as well, her parents being Swallowtail and Rainwhisker, so these events break her trust. Sometime before the Battle against the Dark Forest, they make amends and consider their romantic options again, but their time is cut brutally short when Hollyleaf dies fighting on the battle field. There is a lot of grief but no regret from either molly.

Lionblaze had a multitude of crushes (def Berrynose, Heathertail, Cinderheart to name a few) but nothing ever came of them (He's not in a good headspace during his time alive to start dating either, so nothing ever happens/ works out

Flipclaw X Featherhawk (Feather of Flying Hawk) is now a Skyclan cat, son of Stormfur and Brook, who Flipclaw leaves Thunderclan for to be with

Thriftear X Plumstone is another one i'm considering, their existing friendship in the books is very cute

I'm also considering if I want Jayfeather and Briarlight to remain childless or if they adopt Snaptooth and Flywhisker, rn it's on the fence

I also want to pair either Dewnose or Snowfall with someone outside of Thunderclan (too many characters related to them in and around their age group) once I've got the other clans figured out, rn it's probably going to be a Riverclan or Winclan cat

That should be it for now!

[prismjiinxdesigns]

Rusty/Firepaw

[prismjiinxdesigns]

Graypaw

[prismjiinxdesigns]

Sandpaw