This blog is dedicated to my now completed Warrior Cats fanfic AU, Love What is Mortal. I post about chapter updates, insights, inspiration, art, or questions readers might have.
just wanted to say that I feel like an idiot - I've reread this fic multiple times and it was only on my recent reread that I realised One Eye is the One Eye from DOTC 😭
single yellow eye, first Dark Forest resident, called Shadowstar Tall Shadow, born Clanless, deposed SkyClan's leader and ruled there, etc. I just thought he was someone you made up for the story lol. I love DOTC so idk how I missed it.
anyways, this is one of the best fanfics I've ever read. the world building in it is just so incredible :)
THANK YOU so much!! It makes my heart happy to know that people are still out there reading my fic, and that you liked it so much. On the matter of One Eye: there are a ridiculous number of characters in this franchise... So, I get that it's hard to keep track of everyone lol. I was constantly pulling up family trees and whatnot to try and make sure I didn't miss important familial connections. I remember being pretty adamant on not having OCs in this story, since for all intents and purposes, I could just draw a random background character out of a hat and make them whoever I wanted them to be (like how I did with Sparrowfeather)!
As a side note, the last chapter was actually named after One Eye. Cygnus X-1, the title of CH 51 (good god, I can't believe I wrote FIFTY-ONE chapters), is the first black hole that humanity discovered, back in the seventies. One Eye is like a black hole too, absorbing the life of everything around him. He's the OG baddie.
I'd love to see a sequel! I don't know if you're still thinking of writing one, but if you do, I'll be waiting for it!
The prequel itself was incredible. There were so many amazing performances! All the characters were incredible. My favorite was Sparrowfeather :3 I adore him! He's a smart, fantastic boy!
I also liked Snowfur as an antagonist, mainly because I didn't expect to see her there, and I loved the cold yet somehow slightly understandable way you portrayed her. She knows StarClan's flaws and that's why she wants to escape, but along the way, innocent cats like Honeyfern are killed. She's ruthless—she doesn't care about her own kin—and acts blindly and cynically toward Sparrowfeather, which I don't forgive her for.
One thing that intrigued a lot me was the whole Whitestorm/Brindleface/Willowpelt issue. But Ashfur calling Willowpelt a floozy definitely gave me ideas about what could have happened there!
I'd love to know more about them in the possible sequel!
Another thing I'd also love to keep is Hollyleaf and Sorreltail as POVs. Only this time, it would be cool to see their roles reversed: In the prequel, it was Holly who left StarClan and Sorrel who stayed. I'd like to see Holly in StarClan and Sorrel leaving.
As you said, Sorreltail and Mudclaw would travel through the afterlives trying to hunt down that parasite of Assfur, while Hollyleaf and Sparrowfeather possibly take on the task of resolving some problems with StarClan and trying to redeem the inhabitants of the PoNS.
It would be lovely to see a relationship develop between Holly and Petalkit. And I remember you once mentioned you were going to write Holly×Sparrow, but then you dropped that idea aside. Well, is that idea completely discarded or is it still on your mind, dear Rossette?
Sorrel also still has to tell Brackenfur, Cinderheart, and Poppyfrost that Honeyfern is dead. And she needs to clear some things up with Mudclaw, after all, he hid a vital part of her daughter's death.
Everyone is so amazing! And I have si many questions about everything!
This fanfic was one of the best things I've ever read! I'd love to see it in a physical book! You're a talented writer, Rossette, your work is commendable!
Wow, thank you SO much!!! What a kind message. I am so glad you liked the fic. Sorry for the wait, here are my thoughts:
Sparrowfeather is also one of my favorites, and it's crazy to me to think he's just an NPC in canon. Like, that's our boy!!
Snowfur was very fun for me. I thought to myself, how can I twist this loving mother into a shadow of what she once was? How can grief and rage warp her into the dark-sided version of herself? It was all a big, "What-if", you know?
Ah, Whitestorm/Brindleface/Willowpelt. They do have some history there. Willowpelt, sorry about the whole floozy bit. You're a perfectly respectable molly. Ashfur needs a good walloping.
I love all of what you had to say about a potential sequel. I think we're on the same page as to what would be included. Sorreltail, having left Starclan and on the hunt with Mudclaw... Hollyleaf, working out the new system as it should work, with Sparrowfeather acting as a Charon type: bringing PoNS cats over to face judgment.
Hollyleaf and Sparrowfeather... I'm not sure what the nature of their relationship would be. That's hard for me to say. They have such a unique connection, bonded through trauma. I could write it either way, honestly. I think it all depends on how their relationship would fit into the plot and narrative.
Again, thank you for your kind words. It truly makes my heart happy to know that you enjoyed the fic. There's so much written, and you saw it through to the end. We embarked on our own little journey together, if you think about it!
Question! I was rereading the story, and was wondering something; since Jayfeather and Gooseflight's powers are both categorized as 'The Sight'- do you have other categories that others outside the trio have? [Dovewing, Yellowfang, etc.]
I never extrapolated on it (at least, I don't think I did), but when I created The Changed, I envisioned three "subcategories" underneath it. This was to mimic the Power of Three: Mind, Body and Soul. They are as follows:
MIND: The Sight - mental abilities (Jayfeather & Goosefeather)
I was unsure of where to stick Yellowfang - I was thinking Mind or Soul. Sorry about how unfinished this is, but since I wasn't going to incorporate it, I kind of ended it here.
Thank you for the ask. It's humbling to know that people still read my fic, after all of this time!
i binged the fic across a few hours and oh my god this fic is so stunning, i really love the parallels between sparrowfeather/spottedleaf and the fic made me look at a few characters in a different (/pos) light. the stuff with one eye is so interesting
i love how you included some of the author statements. very interested in redtail, hes one of my favourite characters and he was interesting the few times we saw him, also looove the worldbuilding id be super keen to see more about the founders and the endmost forest.
2 quick questions, curious to know why larchkit and patchkit faded but petalkit didnt, i cant remember if it was ever touched on in the fic LOL and do you plan on doing anymore content for this fic? such as spinoffs or such as? anyways love this fic so much, def one of my favourite ones of out there, so beautifully written <3
Awww, thank you for the kind message!! As far as the kits go, the short version is that Petalkit never made peace with her own death and Mapleshade's absence in the afterlife. Larchkit and Patchkit came to terms with it, but not her. She held onto resentment for so long that it interfered with her interpersonal relationships... eventually to the point where she became isolated. I don't have any more specifics, but that's the gist of it!
I do have two WIP drafts: one for Maggottail (The Witching Hour) and the other being a soap-opera type story for Whitestorm, Brindleface and Willowpelt. Both fics are slated to be pretty dark. Unfortunately, I got myself wrapped up in writing Naruto fanfic, so those two fell on the back burner.
But since you've asked, here's a preview of what I wrote for one of them.
Something is wrong in Shadowclan. [Maggottail AU]
Some were born for greatness.
At least, that’s what his mother told him. She would pull his tiny body close to her belly and groom him possessively, whispering promises of his future. He loved her with the innocence that only a mere child could possess, even now, as old as he was.
“Your father is the Medicine cat,” He remembered her murmuring sweetly, naively; unaware of the formative impact her words had on his tiny self. “– it’s in your blood, Ripplekit. You were born to be great.”
He must’ve asked, as green as he was, what the Medicine cat was.
Even though he could no longer recall her face, he could remember her smile. The secretive curl of her mouth, fang-tips poking out: affectionate and frightening, even in his dreams.
“The Medicine cat,” She breathed out, “is the most powerful cat in Shadowclan.”
–
Ripplekit didn’t meet his father until he came of age.
It was the way of Shadowclan to nurture and protect their kits as best they could. Ripplekit was holed up in the nursery, a place off-limits to almost everyone. Despite this strange isolation, he got numerous toys to play with, the softest moss and bird-down to sleep in, and the best prey to eat. Although, he much preferred the cloying taste of his mother’s milk over the acrid taste of blood.
In spite of every delight cast his way, he dreamed of leaving the sanctity of the nursery nest. Most of all, he wanted to meet his father.
Someone as important as the Medicine cat held many responsibilities, his mother would assure him. That was the reason why his father never came to visit. Shadowclan relied on him to lead them to salvation. What might happen to the clan if the Medicine cat’s focus wavered? What travesty might befall his clanmates, if not under the diligent, watchful eyes of the Medicine cat?
“I want him to love me, just as you love me, Mother.” Ripplekit’s kitten-blue eyes hadn’t changed yet.
His faceless mother, ensconced within the shadows, hushed her voice down low. “Then you must show him that you are his true son.”
“How do I do that?”
“When the moment comes, you will know what to do.” She insisted, rasping a tongue over his ear comfortingly. “It’s in your blood to be great, Ripplekit. He will see that.”
–
Ripplekit waited as patiently as he could, until time came to move into the greater part of Shadowclan. By then, his kitten-soft fur had grown out and his eyes were a crisp yellow. He was a young lad, growing into his large, polydactyl paws. Still, in the eyes of Shadowclan, he was a child.
“Look!” He heard the clan’s hushed voices, appraising him. “It’s Ripplekit!”
He raised his head higher. Strangers came to gaze upon him curiously, while the braver few came to catch a sniff. He swatted at the nose of a particularly brash cat, who let out a hearty laugh.
“You are your father’s son.” The white stranger commented; murmurs of agreement rang out.
Any enmity Ripplekit felt towards the nosey cat vanished. A swell of excitement coursed through him. Yes, he was his father’s son! If these strangers could see it, then surely his father would too.
You made me love the "Whitestorm is the father of Brindleface's kits" thing that was external canon made "official" by the Family Tree website. I don't like what it does to Whitestorm's character. It was absolutely worth putting up with that piece of "canon" for the phenomenal story you made out of it!
Everything from the Dark Forest cats having their own individual motivations and personalities to the cats who were trapped there to Snowfur actually getting to be the cat the book painted her as! It was all so brilliant! The investigation actually being a deep look! And what happens when things aren't as they seem!
Time for a reread!
Ahhh thank you so much!! 🥹
The Erin’s have retconned so much, sometimes it’s hard to make rhyme or reason of it! I had a feeling that including the Whitestorm’s Second Family plot-line might rub people the wrong way. It really DOES change his character. Thinking back on it, that’s why I kind of left an air of ambiguity about it? We never really discover the truth or get Whitestorm’s perspective on it. What we have is only the interpretations made by other characters… the so-called rumors that circulated, Ashfur calling Willowpelt a floozy, and Sorreltail’s distant relationship and lack of clarity on her father’s choices. On the plus side, the half-sibling relationship helped create a connection and air of tension between the two.
I’m pleased that you enjoyed the Dark Forest characters. It was really so fun to flesh them out and make them their own. Sparrowfeather, especially!
I’m also glad that you liked the addition of Snowfur. I really wanted to make what was happening in Starclan & the Place of No Stars two sides of the same coin. It made sense in my mind to connect everything together. Thistleclaw was Hollyleaf’s main adversary, and his underling Darkstripe was a villain in Sorreltail’s backstory. Vice versa, Snowfur stood in Sorreltail’s way, and her underling Ashfur was a villain in Hollyleaf’s backstory.
Anyway, thanks for leaving so a nice comment!! I’m so happy to hear that people still enjoy coming back and reading the fic 💖
You did so great with this fanfic, reading it, was like just my imagination regarding WC increased tenfold. I couldn't believe what I was reading and looking at. Thank you for sharing this great piece of art with us readers!
Wow, thank you for such a wonderful comment!! I am so glad that you enjoyed the fic. It was fun for me to write. It also showed me that I am capable of completing a long-term personal project lol. It certainly took a while for me to finish it. I always wondered what the perspective of the fic was for people who read along the years, versus those who went at it in one go.
Hi! I recently read your wonderful fic, and I loved it! I was wondering, for the "Spottedleaf is in Hollyleaf's brain" situation, would you say the whole Cinderpelt+Cinderheart situation is comparable? I really love your lore for the fic, and I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on that.
Thank you for the ask and for the interesting question!! I’m so glad you enjoyed my fic. After giving it some thought, yes, I do think the Cinderpelt/heart situation is comparable. I think main difference would be a matter of luck and intent. But let me first explain a little bit more about the way I interpreted interactions between Starclan cats and newborn kittens.
My wording was something to the effect of how newborns are spiritually fragile and unstable. Therefore, it’s unwise for a Starclan cat to lay a paw upon a kitten that young, as it could cause a variety of adverse effects… such as, imbuing some kind of spiritual power (Goosefeather: “more like a CURSE”), orrrr the harshest effect being the death of the newborn. This might sound silly, but in my mind I often used a bubble metaphor. Newborns are like bubbles — if you touch them, they might pop. If you yourself are a vast reservoir of sudsy, soapy power, touching this tiny bubble might cause you to absorb it. Or, in the case of Spottedleaf, some part of YOU might accidentally stick to THEM. Obviously, she did not mean for that to happen. A regrettable accident.
In my universe, I envision that Cinderpelt did something similar with young Cinderheart. Quite possibly on purpose, though not maliciously. Spottedleaf would say that she herself wasn’t acting in malice, though she knew the potential consequences of her actions and did it anyway. Cinderpelt wouldn’t have known. Perhaps she just wanted so desperately a chance at reincarnation (which the universe granted her). And instead of popping little Cinderkit’s bubble or losing part of her own essence like Spottedleaf did, it was more of a situation where both bubbles stuck together. Like, Cinderpelt was a clinger in her entirety. Two souls one body, versus Hollyleaf, who was more of like… one and a half. One and one thirds? Something like that.
Eventually, Cinder and Cinder split back into two distinct souls. With this line of thought, there could be interesting implications for the Spottedleaf situation. Was brain!Spottedleaf just a tiny little sudsy bubble clinging to the outside of Hollyleaf? Could she have ever freed herself on her own? What would that look like — two distinct Spottedleafs in the same place. I can imagine that brain!Spottedleaf would have a similar appearance to how she appeared in the wheatgrass field. I can also imagine Redtail, aghast, his gaze upon both of them while yelling: what did you DO?
I hope this answers your question. It was fun for me to think about. Nice job getting through the fic to the very end — it’s no small feat. I still can’t believe I wrote that much!!
I was wondering if you ever considered selling copies of Love What Is Mortal? Either as physical or as an ebook? (Since the downloads from AO3 don't really give a nice cover to look at.) And it would be cool if there was a way to support you and all the hard work you put into the fic! No pressure to answer of course! Either way, your writing is amazing and have a Happy New Year!🎉
Wow, I wasn’t expecting to receive an ask like this! It is very humbling to hear that someone would want to support my work in such a way. It genuinely brought a smile to my face!! With that being said, I don’t think I can actually go that route. Sadly, my thought is that I might encounter some kind of copyright infringement from monetizing the fic. Also, there’s quite a bit of art inside of it, a bulk of which being commissioned work. I’m pretty sure that monetizing those commissions, whether indirectly, violates the terms I agreed to with many of the artists
Thank you so much for the ask and kind wishes!! Maybe in the future I’ll make some physical copies to give away. Btw, I wouldn’t be upset if someone went to the effort to create their own physical copy for personal use. I’m honestly just happy that people like reading the fic. It was my first long-term passion project and it means a lot to me. Although I’ve since transitioned to other writing pursuits, I still think about the fic often. In spite of its flaws, I’m really proud of it and happy that other people like it too!
OMG, I just finished reading LWIM and let me tell you... I am struggling to express how much I loved this story and your writing, as it is not possible to put into words! Every time I read a chapter I was trying to construct a comment on how to tell you that I ADORE this masterpiece, only to be left speechless at the end of each chapter. This work is one that really makes you fall in LOVE with literature!! This story has been accompanying me throughout months, of reading it in my spare time, on the train on my way to my lectures as well as way too many hours late into the night, simply because I couldn't put it away. I am amazed that this piece of phenomenal art is for free. I already can't wait to read it again! Thank you soooo much for sharing this piece with the world❤️
Truly, this is one of the nicest comments I’ve ever received. I’ve read it over and over with a smile on my face. I’m so glad that you liked the fic, and that it retained your attention the whole way through!! I also love hearing little details about how you read it in your daily life. I’m glad it kept you entertained, and congrats on getting through it! This was one bulky fic — sometimes I go back to it and read for hours and hours, and I’m still nowhere close to being done lol. It’s crazy to think I wrote all of that, but the thoughtful feedback from people like you kept me going! It almost feels like yesterday that I finished it, but it’s almost been two years… Again, thank you for your comment, it made my week!! 💖
What if Starclan wasn't as safe as everyone thought?
What if something dark lingered within the starlight?
Warrior Cats: Love What is Mortal is a mystery, alternate-universe, Whodunnit? fanfiction story that takes place inside of Starclan and the Place of No Stars. It follows the dual-protagonists of Sorreltail and Hollyleaf as they struggle to unravel a dangerous web of lies and deceit, before it's too late.
It's been a year since the completion of the story, so I decided to do something special and get this comic done for it. Credit to the incredibly talented panthera.arven on Instragram, whose artstyle you may recognize if you're an existing reader. As always, story banner credit to cinnabarlab!
I am rereading the end and I just wanted to tell you that Mapleshade saving Sorreltail from condemning herself is still one of the best things I've ever read
Awww, thank you for your kind words! It's great to hear that you've come back to read my story again. Also, that was one of my favorite scenes to write. From one tortured mother to another.
I was rereading some earlier chapters and in one scene sparrowfeather seemed reluctant to tell Hollyleaf who his mother was and said she was unimportant— is that because she wasn’t really in the picture, or was this hinting at a bad relationship as a part of sparrow’s backstory? Apologies if there was more about this in the story that I’m forgetting
It’s because she wasn’t in the picture. Part of the original backstory I imagined for Sparrowfeather that I didn’t go into detail about, is that he doesn’t actually know who his mother is. His father just showed up with him one day. Because of that and the way that Shadowclan treated him growing up, Sparrowfeather never quite felt like he belonged. Thistleclaw sensed his vulnerability and chose him as an apprentice for the dark forest, knowing that he could sway his loyalties.
As for Sparrowfeather’s mother, my original drafting had her as either a non-clan cat or from a different clan. As I didn’t think it was super plot relevant, I didn’t expand on that in the story.
You know, now that I think about it, this might be good material for a Sparrowfeather spin-off. Thanks for the ask!!
As, in canon, the Three were all reincarnated cats, is Hollyleaf supposed to be the same in LWIM?
At some point I wondered if she could be Windstar, because of the similarities Tallstar pointed out - and the fact Windstar supposedly faded.
I remembering going back and forth in my mind about whether I wanted to acknowledge The Three’s reincarnation plot line, but I eventually scrapped it. I feel like it’s one of the Erin’s weaker plot lines and I didn’t know how to fit it into the story organically.
In an early draft of the story’s plot, I had Windstar as a possible candidate for Hollyleaf’s “mind ghost”, so you were right to pick up on that. Moving forward, I left those hints intentionally as a red herring of sorts. At the height of the mystery, there were a lot of possible suspects and it was very fun to see who people came up with.
The reason that I did not proceed forward with the Windstar route wad because I felt that Spottedleaf added a more personal touch to the conflict, and I wanted to tie it in with Thistleclaw’s machinations and Hollyleaf’s Changing. Another reason was that if I proceeded with the Windstar route, my thought would be that I was implying that reincarnation WAS the “after-death” path that characters took. I’m not the biggest fan of reincarnation for personal reasons, and I felt like if I took that route I would again have to acknowledge the Erin’s canon mentions of reincarnation (which I didn’t want to do). So in the end, I left it ambiguous.
I hope that answers your question! Thanks for leaving me an ask <3
The ending of lwim was SO incredible and everything I hoped it would be ❤️ a question that has been on my mind while reading the fic: was there intended to be romantic energy between holly and sparrow? Because I could totally see them together but also they work super well as friends! Just wondering your take as the author lol
Hey there!! I'm so glad that you liked the story. As for your question:
In the fic's early inception, I did consider writing something romantic between them. That idea kind of fizzled out once I realized that I would rather focus on the plot over writing a romance. What I ended up deciding on was them as very close friends. Could I have seen them working as couple? Maybe, if you consider the following:
Hollyleaf and Sparrowfeather have an affinity for one another, which I think they both subconsciously picked up on right away. They really do have a lot in common. In terms of history, neither of them have ever truly felt content with their place in the world. Sparrowfeather was very lonely and felt like an outsider in Shadowclan. Hollyleaf struggled to find her purpose, only to have her world slowly crumble to pieces around her. Even in the afterlife, they didn't find peace. Sparrowfeather was bound to the PoNs and felt abandoned by Starclan, whilst Hollyleaf doubted her placement in Starclan to begin with. I think they recognized that inner conflict within the other, which eventually drew them to a place of understanding.
Part of Hollyleaf's arc was to reassess what it meant to be "good" or "bad". Black and white codified thinking was a problem that she dealt with in the living world that I don't think she ever truly got over - hence me having her deal with it in the afterlife. She met a lot of characters in the PoNS who had dubious morality, and she had to come to her own judgements about them. Sparrowfeather was someone who she decided was redeemable, despite of his dislike for Starclan and former allegiance to the Dark Forest. She really wanted to save him from his fate. The sentiment grew more powerful as the story went along.
I think it's fair to say that the bond between Sparrowfeather and Hollyleaf runs very deep. They are kindred spirits who opened up to one another about their trauma, and thus were able to heal together before the story's conclusion. I also think that Hollyleaf was the perfect character to help Sparrowfeather heal, if you keep in mind her supernatural connection to Spottedleaf (who had very similar Thistleclaw trauma).
There were some moments I included that I thought could be interpreted by readers as non-platonic, ie: her putting her paw onto his, long stares, slow blinking, risking it all to save the other one. So no, I don't think it's unreasonable for you to have read romantic energy there.
So, to summarize, I think that the Holly & Sparrow friendship is the special kind that not everyone has. I think they understand one another in a way that no one else quite does. While I decided on writing them as friends, I think they really deeply care for one another. So in another universe, maybe they could have been something more. It is a long afterlife, after all.
