#BB!SkyClan Politics

[bonefall]

I feel like I missed an important bit- what's the deal with Sharpclaw and SkyClan's brand of Thistle Law? I've been looking thru tags but I can't find any detailed info, would love to know more esp. since Sharpclaw was a character I loved as a kid

Sure! Summary and then some links.

BB!SkyClan, this is VERY important, does not have Thistle Law. Not until they reach the Lake. Their political overton window is COMPLETELY different from Forest Four, more centered around the "Fulfillment" of something called Spiderstar's Plan.

Spiderstar's Plan = That SkyClan would live apart, surviving in any way they could, until The Rats could be dealt with.

So Sharpclaw can be considered more like a "Traditionalist," if you had to compare it to Forest Four politics. He believes that it's time to cut ties with the behaviors that kept them alive during a time of great 'humiliation.' Kittypets and Daylight Warriors can't be trusted because their full loyalty is not to the continuation of SkyClan, they live with a paw still in "the past."

Leafstar wants her viewpoints challenged and to not live in an echo chamber, but she disagrees that this is even a problem. It makes no sense to her-- they do nothing but contribute. Daylight Warriors are paws that never take more than they give. They don't steal. They bring useful goods and toys. There's no point to isolating ourselves?

She should have done something the minute he started truly undermining her, but she didn't. It burns a hole in him that she "doesn't listen" to him (truth: his ideas suck and make no sense), that he's not the one calling the shots, and he starts to envy the power she has when she's so nonchalant about the "Future of SkyClan."

In BB!AVoS, Darktail EXPLOITS these negative feelings.

This is to display his Modus Operandi as a villain; divide and conquer. He finds dissatisfaction within factions and drives a wedge between groups, breaking off who he can and using them to destroy the rest. He's going to do this when he gets to the Lake, too.

I'm SICK of evil hordes of instant martians that every foreign villain can order from ACME corp to threaten the Clans. So in BB, The Kin has VERY. VERY. VERY few non-Clanborn cats. Darktail's first expansion is from SkyClan.

It wasn't a horde of evil barbarians that attacked SkyClan that night; It was Sharpclaw and his supporters, spitting a point at Leafstar about how her "reliance" on Daylight Warriors had left her weak, and that it was time for a change.

Sharpclaw meets his end that night, trying to convince Hawkwing to join him. Then, the SkyClan oaktree that houses a slumbering Brokenstar falls directly on top of him, pulling down the entire rockface of the gorge and giving the cats a chance to escape.

(RIP Sharpclaw)

RATS RATS: here are the rats.

Post on Sharpclaw

Darktail and Sharpclaw

On Leafstar

Bunch of stuff on Skypelt

[warrior-cats-rewritten]

Clan Politics

Bonefall comes up with such good names for things, you guys should also follow them if you aren't already. Seriously! Their Better Bones redo is so good! BB!Heartstar and BB!Brokenstar are my blorbos (actually I'm pretty sure they all are). This was a tad intimidating because a lot of my ideas either overlap or were inspired by Better Bones. Also, I haven't attended a political class in like 9 years.

What @bonefall calls Thistle Law would meet its WCR Equivalent, Tiger Law/Tiger's Law (because Tigerstar is an uncreative dickhead) OR more Eloquently Put by Leopardstar, The Law of Tigers. Started by Clear Sky, revived by Thistleclaw and expanded by Tigerclaw, this is the ideology that gets cats hurt. The unsustainable, ego driven law that drips with blood. This is fascism.

Not as far as Tiger Law, but not very free itself, is Codeism, or, Law of The Wild. The Warrior Code should be thought about in every situation no matter what, and cats outside the Clans* do not fall under that protection. This can be used for good and bad. Not every Codeist is a xenophobic bigot, as Rowanstar was one, and tried his best to both follow the Code, and be as helpful to others as possible. Ashfur used it to hurt others, and prined Hollyleaf to be almost the same way until she realized where that path could lead. It's complicated and messy, but hey, that's politics for you.

* aside from kits. Kittens are the future, not just for the Clans, but for Cats themselves. Many cats in Clan history have been found in the woods or given up by parents to the Clans. Some lost kits have been returned to parents as well.

The Third is Fire Law, the ideology that Firestar created, he wanted to call it The Law of Cleansing Fire but Sandstorm told him it was a mouthful, maybe keep that to an unofficial title. It is about freedom of choice, extending kindness towards others, challenging the Warrior Code if it does not help in a situation, and doing what is good for as many cats as possible. Forward thinking and long term thinking, doing things, not for yourself, but for those who will only know you from memories long after you are gone.

The other 2 are Skyclan exclusive, though as of River, some notions of Sky Law are starting to leak.

The Fourth is, of course, Sky Law! Made for Skyclan and expanded by Leafstar. It is welcoming of outsiders, allowing for Daylight Warriors, Medicine Cats to have mates, development of new roles and systems with an emphasis on creativity, justice, and coexistence. This does not mean rolling over and allowing others to take advantage of you, of course, but the goal is finding peace through making treaties and alliances.

The Fifth is... Sharp Law. Created by Sharpclaw in retaliation against Leafstar. Exclusionary, though NOT meant to be deadly. While this Law also allows for more "radical" things, like allowing Medicine Cats to have mates (because Firestar never bothered telling Skyclan that it was banned at all) it DOES NOT allow for Daylight Warriors. It demands full loyalty to Skyclan full time. It also pushes all cats (within reason) to have battle training, to expand through pure strength and muscle. It isn't full blown fascism, but... S'not great, captain.

[bonefall]

Bones, I can only ever support you when you decide to kill off a character. Kill Leafstar! Make it dramatic!!! Poison her!!!!

Wasp says: you want Skyclan to be like the forest4? Alright bet!!

my ggoddddd I had an IDEA

Waspstar receives xeir nine lives the way the Forest Four show xem to, in their new pool, by their new rules. While there, Heartstar assures xem that Juniperclaw has been removed as deputy, will never serve in a position of power again, has gone into exile.

...and Waspstar doesn't respond to that very quickly. Xe has a polite, pungent pause. "Is that the punishment for taking a life? By your code?"

"Our code," Heartstar corrects boldly, in a tone that suggests she sees this as reason and fairness. Our Code-- it protects you too, a gesture of sharing. It makes Waspstar's belly twist. "I've made his punishment VERY severe."

Severe. What a word to describe a vacation.

"He regrets what he's done?"

"Yes, very much."

Waspstar's ear flicks. No. Juniperclaw hasn't even begun to regret what he's done to SkyClan.

"SkyClan will be having a ceremony for Leafstar, to say our goodbyes and welcome in a new era," Xey offer in an even tone, "Spread the word that is is a time of forgiveness. All honored guests may come-- if they want to pay."

Heartstar waits for a beat. Then chuckles incredulously, "Your Clanmew skills could use a brush up. You mean pay their respects, yes? To honor the dead?"

"Oh my, how embarassing," Waspstar smiles back, "I'm so very sorry if I was unclear."

Clear as the sky on a cloudless day. Juniperclaw didn't make it out of that funeral alive. If a true warrior does not need to kill to win their battles, then he was no warrior under the Code at all.

[bonefall]

“I like watching him get tangled up in his own web of self-pity, raising a superiority complex AND an inferiority complex at the same time.”

THAT NIGGA HAS BPD!!,! 🫵

ohSHIT... I didn't REALIZE

Oh noooo is that why I like him so much? Did I read BPD into Nightheart and attach myself like a limpet?? Oh god it makes sense now OTL

I was even planning for him to eventually find out he has a LOT in common with Squilf who I already decided has BPD in BB because I love her so much, is that what I was picking up on subconsciously?

AND BRAMBLESTAR IS A MUTUAL ABUSER OUGHHH... she probably recognizes him using the same tactics on Nightheart that used to work on her! Oh god oh fuck!

LISTEN; I don't rewrite arcs until they're done, so, don't take any of this as canon to BB yet, but... maybe a change I should really anticipate is changing HOW Bramblestar steps down.

I think it would work well with the themes of BB for it to not be his choice, but a... "gentle rebellion." Squirrelflight, Sparkpelt, all of the Firekin, Twigbranch, everyone who has been harmed by Bramblestar confronting him as a group and telling him what's going to happen next.

"You're going to step down. You won't be talking to Nightheart anymore. Enough is enough, Bramblestar."

"So this is how it ends?? This is how you treat me? ...this is what you've felt, all along? I've given EVERYTHING to this Clan, since--"

Just starts ranting, his voice rising in volume, lurches up out of his nest and tries to tower over everyone to make them cower.

They don't budge.

Sparkpelt is eye-level with him, just as big as her father. When he catches her gaze, he doesn't see his daughter's eyes. He sees Jessy, just before she left.

And she sees a child throwing a tantrum.

"Enough is enough."

He does not take the lesson she meant from this. He just hears his traitor of a deputy, his witch of an ex-mate, with her words in his daughter's mouth. He doesn't regret the real reasons; he regrets allowing Squirrelflight to mentor his kit.

And he claps that anger onto Squilf; "StarClan will be the judge of you."

A year ago, she would have been terrified of that. But God is hard to fear when you've been plucked from the heavens and seen his angels die.

"Ok. Anyway,"

then she delves into some boring legal stuff like how he won't sleep with the other elders, the logistics of making this official, going to the Moonpool with a witness, etc etc etc

[bonefall]

going to the star spoilers thread and seeing that icestar make owlnose of all cats deputy was certainly ..... something. who's the leading candidate for bb icestar's deputy?

This is actually going to depend a lot based on how I overhaul the politics of RiverClan. It is getting a MASSIVE shakeup, because BB!ASC is going to explore power vacuums.

Canon!RiverClan is full of "nobody" warriors who haven't been characterized, both because we've spent very little time with them historically AND because the writers made the choice to spend barely any time with them in this arc too. This is an issue.

Instead of how canon made it so that RiverClan couldn't find a leader so they all forgot how to do the chores they did their whole lives, THIS time, I'm going to show a bunch of highly qualified warriors breaking up into cliques and descending into in-fighting.

To do this, I have two objectives;

Revamp my RiverClan Family Tree a bit to base a finalized allegiance list on... plus pad it out some more so I can handle the mass exodus that will be happening at the end of the arc.

Characterize extra competitors for RiverClan's leadership, mostly from scratch, along with their key supporters.

Splashtail will be ending up on top through a mixture of imitating Curlfeather and utter luck. My plan is to portray him as someone others might think is manipulative and charismatic, when in reality, he's coasting off the waves of someone who had victory within reach and gave it all up to save her daughter.

(and tigerHeartstar's occupation will be the turning point, as Splashtail unites RiverClan against their common enemy to put himself in power. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT)

I also want to make ASC's attempted theme of "connecting to the past" more meaningful by drawing parallels to this and the Collapse of the River Kingdom.

In fact (been waiting a while to share THIS little idea!) I'm heavily considering that BB!ASC is the end of RiverClan as we know it, and from here on, it's the RiverClan Republic. Give it a slightly different ruling system and allow its culture to change significantly, like how I approach BB!SkyClan.

So... the short answer is that I don't have the pieces for the proper list of "candidates" yet, because a LOT more cats are gonna become eligable.

The parallel short answer is that if I had to pick NOW, it would be Minnowtail, who is going to be receiving her boyfriend Mousewhisker early in this arc and has a very long history with Icewing as an ex-DF trainee. Curious, bold, and insightful, she's someone they can trust as an organized deputy.

(Mousewhisker running across the border rom-com style because he's decided that the time is now to finally be with his secret lover of many years, only to arrive just after a major battle like "oh... is this a bad time?")

[bonefall]

i NEED to know more about waspwhisker/waspstar now that xey seem to be leader during TBC/ASC. are xey as levelheaded as leafstar or more aggressive? i think it would be fun if xey were willing to defend skyclans separate culture WAY MORE than leafstar was willing to. that would especially bring conflict with the imposter and maybe could even lead to a battle!

I'm leaning HEAVILY towards doing it. Killing off Leafstar during Squirrelflight's Horror by having Juniperclaw poison their food makes perfect sense. He was trying to make them desperate to leave the territory, so they'd invade the Sisters' camp.

Plus, then I can delete the Meadow Saffron subplot. There was no new plant that suddenly showed up like a big coincidence RIGHT as tensions escalated-- Sparkpelt can just have gotten a bite of the poisoned food somehow.

(Maybe a diplomatic meeting... I'll think about it.)

Anyway, here's an Intro to BB!Waspwhisker, and how xey would act as Waspstar in comparison to BB!Leafstar;

WASPWHISKER

Once the ShadowClan family tree is complete, I will be going back to SkyClan's overhaul and making it more significant.

But in the meanwhile, Waspwhisker is a very close family cat to xeir mate Fallowfern, and kids; Plumwillow, Rabbitleap, and Creekfeather.

(Nettleplash might be gone, unsure.)

I really like Creekfeather for absolutely no reason. I just like his name lmao. SO I'm probably going to put him into The Kin so I can get mileage out of him as a villain

Having Waspwhisker have to fight and maybe even kill xeir own son sounds absolutely JUICY. Push this guy to the BRINK

Show, over and over, how Waspwhisker is willing to put SkyClan above everything xey've ever loved.

When The Kin absorbed a significant portion of SkyClan, Waspwhisker took Leafstar's side. Though xey can be tough, xey're always fair and rational.

The reason to exclude Daylight Warriors makes no sense and is just based on pride, in xeir eyes. The Daylight Warriors are not the ones attacking the camp right now, are they?

There are SkyClan Warriors in the gorge that night, and there are traitors.

And if that includes Creekfeather... then so be it. Creekfeather has made his choice.

You might think that Waspwhisker is a mean person. Xey're not.

In fact, when it comes to friends and family, Wasp's compassion is absolutely limitless.

Plumwillow and Rabbitleap get their love of long discussions from xem, as a Ba Waspwhisker was always encouraging their curiosity.

Xey like to answer questions with more questions, and guide kits and apprentices by leading them to the right answer instead of outright telling them.

The thing that makes Waspwhisker so brutal is that, well... xey just don't see the value in being overly generous. Xey want what xey are owed.

Down to the last scrap of fur, the final droplet of blood.

As a warrior who has gone through so much, loved so thoroughly, and serves a people who have lost everything, shouldn't respect come with that?

SkyClan has been cheated, threatened, and betrayed from the moment they were driven from the forest. Waspwhisker believes in reciprocity like it's a bank account-- xey simply want the positives and the negatives to be in balance.

It feels clear to xem that the moment they stepped paw into the new forest, the Forest Four saw them as pitiable.

They were not equal. SkyClan is a mixed-blood Clan of ex-kittypets and loners.

The politeness that defines SkyClan, helped to keep coalitions of cats together at a distance through forgiveness and cordiality, is a funny joke to Forest Four.

Though times are changing in Clan Culture, strength is currently still a stronger value than diplomacy.

Leafstar was playing by SkyClan rules. They have their own values, traditions, even a copy of the warrior code that diverges earlier.

But Waspwhisker can see-- what at first seems "amusing" about SkyClan to the Forest Four is quickly hardening into contempt.

And that contempt is mutual.

Forest Four cats are proud, self-absorbed, xenophobic, and stubborn. And they don't even realize that.

They're so used to only ever dealing with each other. With their big bluffs, political showboating, and ceremonial fights.

To Waspwhisker, it seems as though Forest Four cats see battle like a game. One you play together, with ancient, unspoken rules that SkyClan has been locked out of for generations.

It's been so long since they've known REAL fear that they've forgotten it. SkyClan hasn't.

Claws aren't toys; battle isn't a game. To SkyClan, their skills are a martial art.

To be respected.

In SkyClan's conversation about what "version" of the Warrior Code they will use, and how they interact with other Clans, Waspwhisker has always felt uneasy about the very premise.

Who interprets the Code, to begin with? Us, or them?

WASPSTAR

If I end up going with this, Leafstar will die of poisoning in Squirrelflight's Horror.

Juniperclaw did it to try and convince SkyClan that the Sisters ARE a threat. He wants them out of ShadowClan territory.

At first, Heartstar is going to refute any accusations of her deputy/nephew doing this poisoning. Nepotism is her consistent weak spot.

Waspwhisker might have died too, but someone tasted poison.

(Maybe I'll have it be the wounded sister they are holding as a prisoner. She can recognize a flower in a spoonful of soup and lurch foward to slap it out of their paw, then dump over the pot. Maybe when Squilf's about to have a bite, so there's a big accusation that the sister only stopped it to try and help the one who's been nice to her)

But in any case, when Waspwhisker finds out that it was a Forest Four warrior who did this...

It really solidifies in xem that xeir uneasiness was right.

Juniperclaw may have acted alone, but his feelings were born out of a deeper spite. One that Leafstar was too optimistic about.

They'll never take SkyClan seriously if something is not done about Juniperclaw. Exile is a JOKE.

The only thing that Forest Four cats seem to respect is brutality.

So xey will GIVE them brutality.

You demand we follow your version of this code?

"We'll start with a true warrior not needing to kill to win his battles, unless it is necessary for self-defense. Understand that I have no reason to believe Juniperclaw would not do it again. This was self-defense."

If the Forest Four can't even be consistent about Commandment 1, then they wouldn't be able to handle how SkyClan interprets the rest.

Xey insist SkyClan matters will be handled by SkyClan. When a law would affect another Clan, then we can discuss it.

Like Bramblestar, Waspstar refuses to be pushed around.

Unlike Bramblestar, they aren't a particularly emotional or biased person. In fact, Waspstar is cold.

That reputation is exactly what xey want, though. Let it precede us. "If they fear us, we live in peace. If they respect us, we live in peace. I offer the choice of which type of harmony we have together."

A good diplomat realizes quickly that Waspstar is not unreasonable, though. Getting xem to do anything is a matter of demonstrating mutual benefit.

Or making a show of goodwill.

Hawkwing is chosen as Waspstar's deputy because of his compassion and commitment.

They're not TOO different as well, and that's a plus to Wasp. Xey want the deputy to see eye-to-eye with xem, but still be bold and emotional enough to launch a challenge if needed.

Xey have thought fondly of Hawkwing ever since Plumwillow's mate went missing, and Hawkwing became a father to Wasp's grandkits.

Unfortunately, I can see Waspstar either respecting the Impostor a lot (for living by the same brutality he demands of other Clans) OR coming to a huge battle against the Impostor (for trying to force SkyClan to live a certain way).

In contrast to BB!Leafstar, who would think Bramblefake is a lunatic from the very beginning.

In a nutshell; If the two leaders heard the phrase, "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind,"

Leafstar would hum and smile, praising the wisdom of the words. There are many ways to win a battle, and she does not want SkyClan to have to lose its peaceful life after enduring so much hardship. "That which cannot be fixed must be broken, and revenge is not something that can be repaired."

Waspstar would gently shake xeir head. That hope died with her. Either SkyClan will choose the change they make, or it will be taken. Our new neighbors respect only one thing, and if we want our kittens to live in peace, then we must study war, "If the enemy has taken your eye, take both of theirs."

[bonefall]

BB!TPB Titles

Having some fun just absentmindedly thinking of titles for the BB overhauls of main arc books. I think I'm gonna do it for all of them, because I actually really like renaming these and explaining my thought process

But here's TPB for now, because it's on my mind after that little scene bundle I wrote

Below the cut;

Arc Rename: The Prophecies Begin -> The Forest Four

Into the Wild -> Into the Clans

Fire and Ice -> Thermal and Undertow

Forest of Secrets -> Forest of Flowers

Rising Storm -> Rejected Rites

A Dangerous Path -> The Hunting Trail

The Darkest Hour -> Before the Dawn

The Forest Four

It's the intro to the original four, y'know? Plus, I use this term all the time in Clan Culture entries to specify when something is different about SkyClan from the "Forest Four." Makes sense it's the arc title.

Plus, there's a bit of a thing going on, especially in the later books, where the number of the Clans comes up a lot. Three Great Clans, but only four modern ones, River and Shadow combine to make TigerClan leaving three, BloodClan would make four, LionClan's alliance leaving two...

In BB, they know about SkyClan in history lessons, but Firestar doesn't think about it much until after this arc is done. More importantly, his choice to spare Scourge at the end of the arc suddenly means there's a Forest Four, and a Town One. I just think that's interesting.

(for some reason I also just love Scourge's insult where he calls Firestar a "forest fool" lmao. four forest fools.)

Into the Clans

The book with the expanded intro to the culture of the Clans. I feel like it's more fitting for BB to not call it "into the WILD" because... well, Clan cats DON'T see themselves as ""wild"" like animals. They're in Clans, with culture. They have ranks, politics, family, and even cooking and little kitty tools. It doesn't really make sense to me that they define themselves as "wild" just because their home has nature.

To them, loners are who's "wild," y'know? Rusty isn't totally coming to the Clans because it's wild, he's coming because of the community. Friendships and bonds with cats like Ravenpaw, Graystripe, Frostfur, Spottedleaf, Bluestar, and the sense that he could belong here. That he matters to these people.

This title's the one I'm actually waffling the most on, though. I don't like it very much yet. I don't feel like it captures the feeling I'm going for. It's also really close to a field guide title.

Thermal and Undertow

I've always interpreted "Fire and Ice" to be about how differently Graystripe and Fireheart are as people, and how that starts pulling them apart. The thing that people focus on is their "reconciliation" at the end of the book, but what stands out about it to me is that this is the book where Fireheart's TRULY integrated into the Clan.

His friendship with Graystripe is strained because of the HalfClan relationship Gray gets in, and he starts looking back to his roots for comfort because he doesn't feel like he's completely part of ThunderClan. I love this irony; they're BOTH struggling with loyalty in this broken system, experiencing types of xenophobia that prevent them from having happiness, but not yet wise enough to recognize they have a similar problem.

They're both breaking the law to talk to outsiders. Their forbidden love, both familial and romantic, makes Clan life harder. They're BOTH not doing anything wrong, but the STRUCTURE of their society is setting them against each other.

Graystripe responds, eventually, by leaving. Fireheart thinks he can make a home where he is. They're both wrong. The STRUCTURE needs to be challenged.

And meanwhile, they must go to fetch WindClan after it was driven out. They have to face RiverClan AND ShadowClan when Crookedstar and Nightstar show that power acts through them, as leaders. All the while, they experience the simple truth that love for cats in other Clans makes cruel, bloodthirsty battles like these too difficult to be sustainable.

And that's just canon!! I fucking love this book!!!

So in the rename, I'm putting emphasis on the natural flow, above and below. A wind is controlled by the temperature, rising up into a warm thermal. An undertow is a ferocious current that will pull you into the cold depths. They're not so different, in the end.

Forest of Flowers

And that leads right into canon's Forest of Secrets, where we learn that the older warriors also struggled with those pressures. Fireheart and Graystripe were never alone, cats have been suffering under this cruel system for GENERATIONS.

In BB, this is where I'm dropping the flower symbolism for the three major branches of politics in Forest Four society, which persist and are expanded on for the rest of BB;

Traditionalism, represented by the Honeysuckle, is used to justify the current system. "The Clans are branches of a honeysuckle bush. We fight and strangle each other for the light, and this prunes the weakest sprigs and rewards the fittest. When the winter comes, the strongest branches ensure the survival of the bush."

He also learns, much earlier, of Tigerstar's mentor. He hears the Parable of the Thistle, a story about how a young apprentice was forced to attempt to uproot a bull thistle, only managing to spread its seeds across a clearing, and won a trip to the Cleric's den for the trouble. How Tigerstar, and others, believe the honeysuckle must be challenged.

And meanwhile, he uncovers the story of the Forget-me-nots. A friend group even stronger than his collection of allies, with cats of every Clan, and how ambition drove it apart. How Bluestar looks back at it with both silly shame and deep appreciation.

The kindling ember in Fireheart's chest as he realizes he is the heir of a Forget-me-not, and that surrounding the obvious slash across Tigerclaw's nose, are the subtle pockmarks of thistle thorns.

Rejected Rites

I feel like Rising Storm is the "weakest" book of TPB, because it's where canon's cracks begin to show.

There's still a lot I love about this book. I love the way that Bluestar's cruelty arc begins with her grace and altruism towards other Clans not being returned without a catch. I adore the rescue of Bramblekit and Yellowfang’s guilty, harrowing death insisting she deserves judgement as Fireheart insists she is a good person. Its harsh ending revealing Tigerstar as leader of ShadowClan is a gut punch in an already brutal book, making an excellent mid-arc climax

But I feel its sudden turn towards suggesting the status quo was actually good drags it down.

For example, Cloudpaw is constantly arguing with Fireheart, in ridiculous fights Fire started. He's abducted by humans and returns in the same book, suggesting his uncle was totally right all along and he Totally Promises he won't mess with humans any more. The fact Fire was projecting on his young nephew and denying him answers when he questions their way of life, in a way very similar to the shame Firepaw himself went through, is not addressed.

A lot more of this book than you remember is also dedicated to Fireheart and Sandstorm arguing because the writers think a good romance is when you hate each other but stay together anyway.

So instead, this book in BB focuses more on what I DO like; Fireheart learning to be a LEADER. He's young, inexperienced, and has acted mostly alone up to this point. The Clan is in a moment of SERIOUS tumult as it reckons with how no one saw ANY signs about Tigerclaw.

As he loses his mentor Bluestar to paranoia, he has to learn which warriors are truly trustworthy, and try to win back those whose loyalties might stray.

In this way, Rejected Rites is about the WHOLE Clan. It's Whitestorm throwing his reputation and experience behind Fireheart. It's Goldenflower and how her disgust with her ex-mate blows her mind open and she shifts into Fire's most ferocious champion. It's Mousefur deciding that Tigerclaw was a uniquely bad person and refusing to admit fault with a Clan that supported him.

And of course it's about Cloudpaw, grappling with how Fireheart insists he's his mentor, not his father, not his friend, going back to how he botches the Queen’s Rights on bringing him to the Clan. Fireheart, too, is a flawed person capable of being complicit in damaging systems.

The Hunting Trail

The dog plot barely needs a recap, it's this fandom's bread and butter. But there's a small, VERY popular misconception about; in canon, Tigerstar only uses the dogs at the END of this book with a rabbit trick. Before that, the dogs are practically a natural disaster he has nothing to do with.

There's a reason why it's misremembered. It works better if he's more involved with them the whole time, showing how DANGEROUS he is, how Bluestar's fixation on her war with StarClan is blinding her to reality, and adding to the tragedy and madness by having Swiftpaw getting wrapped up in his father's/stepfather's quest for revenge.

So in BB, Tigerstar's involved MUCH sooner. He freed the dogs.

The title change reflects that. There's a hunting trail and the cats of ThunderClan are its prey, but it doesn't specify who the predator is. In the end, it was Tigerstar's scheme all along and Bluestar sacrifices herself to save her apprentice.

(I also want to take the moment to highlight how short-sighted and impulsive Tigerstar's plans actually are, something I find fascinating about him as a character. He's malicious and intelligent enough to make some incredible schemes, taking advantage of every opportunity. But he never accounts for details like... "what if my dogs don't go right to where I want them to go?" or "what if I'm not picked as deputy after I kill Redtail?" or even "what will i do after my demons kill all the living cats?")

TigerClan is also forming earlier. It begins in THIS book. Stonefur and Mistyfoot are "detained" after leaping into the ravine to rescue Fireheart and Bluestar, it's all the "evidence" Tigerstar needed to accuse them of divided loyalty. To finally start his persecution of HalfClan cats.

Before the Dawn

...In spite of its iconic moments, I'll be honest; Darkest Hour is actually the book that makes me the angriest about the original series.

All arc long, we are shown that the Clans are flawed. They have been, long before Rusty set foot in the woods that day. It NEEDS bigotry to exist the way it does, fostering xenophobia between Clan cats so that love and friendship won't get in the way of violence, encouraging and even rewarding extreme Jingoism, and even setting clanmates against each other for these senseless problems instead of the STRUCTURE of Clan society.

Darkest Hour SLAMS the breaks on that theme, and brings the message to a screeching halt.

FIRST of all, this is the book where it's explicitly stated that StarClan "doesn't interfere," even giving them a moment where they yell at protagonist about free will or whatever while simultaneously barking a vague, ultimately useless prophecy at him. The first of many scenes like it in later arcs. It feels completely and utterly out of left field, instantly turning StarClan from a mysterious, possibly not even fully benevolent force, into THE most annoying plot device ever.

Secondly... BloodClan.

BloodClan is introduced as a TRULY EVIL group of horrible atheists who hate love and friendship, to the point of banning families, and are now here to destroy our glorious society and steal our home. They're depicted as being ruled by fear and brutality, unbound by concepts like "honor" or "loyalty." You cannot reason with them or spare their lives, the barbarians must be killed and kept out, lest they replace us.

(there is even a moment where it's implied that if the soldiers lose the war, BloodClan will come and murder the elders and children too.)

It is SO bad and SO egregious, and it's played completely unironically. It bothers me so badly I've talked about it before. Multiple times, actually

After Tigerstar gets his well-deserved grallocking like a 10-point buck, the endgame villain of TPB is a foreigner and his army. Scourge is a foil of Firestar himself, but THIS one hates the clans and doesn't worship the right god, which makes him dangerous. Firestar is textually stronger than him because of his faith in StarClan.

At the end of the day, TPB, and the rest of the series that follows, doesn't refute Tigerstar's ideology. It even agrees. Weakness IS abhorrent. Outsiders ARE to be distrusted. Split loyalties ARE detestable. It just didn't like that he challenged the status quo.

Foreigners and their leaders ARE less trustworthy and more villainous than Clan cats. Wariness and even violence towards them is necessary, "justifying" the isolationist structure of the Clans. Scourge is only the first in a very long chain; then comes Sol, One Eye, Slash, and Darktail. Even Hawkfrost and Willow Tail can fit into this pattern.

With the death of these evil, troublemaking cats, the Clans return to the status quo. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The Darkest Hour frames this like a wonderful, triumphant thing, with Firestar noting how the now-leaderless BloodClan fighters look so inferior to Clan warriors, Scourge's evil will never haunt them again (Tigerstar gets to be grieved though), and that with LionClan disbanding, they will all return to their petty bullshit squabbles.

So, BB's renaming.

I had a lot of ideas. I really liked the name "Moment of Truth" because it's the book that really brings together the theme of the arc, ending with Firestar realizing Scourge is right to distrust the Clans and that change is DESPERATELY needed, but the more I thought about it... the more I liked Before the Dawn

Reference to the phrase "The darkest hour comes before the dawn" BB is a much more optimistic story than canon, by tweaking the themes and details while following the major beats. Something is just... idk poetic? About picking the more uplifting part of the idiom. It feels right, like it's almost too perfect to go with any other title

It's a new era for the culture going foward It IS right before a "new dawn." It's the start of major changes to Clan culture, setting the events of the rest of BB into motion. The years and generations that follow are going to see major changes to the code, territory, culture, and philosophy in the universe. The choice that Firestar makes here is going to bring the Clans into a new epoch. Plus the cats are crepuscular now so I can literally have the final battle take place just before dawn because subtext is for CHUMPS

I like the idea of opening up the next arc with Dawn Just because that's really funny to me lmaoo. Something is cute about titles that reference each other. Maybe the first book of TNP could be "Dawn of the End" since the destruction of the forest starts early. Maybe add in some apocalyptic prophecies and such...

[bonefall]

For Flowerstem vs Maplewhisker, maybe they're both present and one is like… an aide to whichever is the deputy? Not officially, but in the midst of All That they just happen to be helping/supporting the other, and are a clear choice of new deputy once the dust settles.

They're not necessarily friends at the start, either acquaintances that grow closer through a shared sense of "someone has to keep things working", or maybe even rivals of a sort- they don't get along great initially, but they respect each other, and it turns out they're willing to back each other up when it matters (+ the value of having a second-in-command who's willing to disagree with you)

idk i'm just spitballing here tbh

I layed around and daydreamed about it for a bit, and I think this is a great idea. I have even more thoughts to share as fragments;

To start with, I'm thinking Flowerstem is going to be the Winner of the Conflict, and Maplewhisker is going to become her friend and future deputy. Mothpelt is going to be the oldest heir*, who dies of poisoning along with a few of his children.

And to reiterate, Jumpfoot is the descendant of Riverstar's firstborn child, and Mossfire is his adopted heir.

Renames to get the names more in-line with where they were at this period in history;

BB!Flowerstem -> Flowers Came First. Nickname: Flow. A River Kingdom title. Comes from a translation quirk. "Stem," prryem, is the place where plants erupt from the ground in modern Clanmew. Over many generations, influenced by the story of Redscar's sign, "Came" and "First" merge into a single word, Prryem. Eventual winner of the conflict.

BB!Maplewhisker -> Maple Whisker A Mountain Cat name. Actually a reference to the odd saplings that were planted in SkyClan's territory (and is now ThunderClan's). Maple might be a migrant from SkyClan or a second-generation descendant of them, so a more accurate translation would be Sycamore Whisker, but the translator chooses to abide by the precedent set by Mapleshade. Flow's future deputy. (I don't currently have a Mountain family with the Whisker last name, I might end up making it something that came from a Mountain x Forest/Park blended family, as a Mountain cat wanted to name half of the kits for their mate as is tradition.)

BB!Mothpelt* -> Dead Moths Pelt. Nickname: Moth (though I'm easily tempted by funny into making it Moe.) Another River Kingdom title, for the irony factor. It's actually a reference to how he rescued a ton of pelts from a moth infestation, by recognizing they were laying eggs and stopping them before they hatched. Hard to translate into just three words, because in Parkmew it was "Killed (the) moths (to save the) pelts." * = Watch this space. Might change in a future draft.

BB!Jumpfoot -> Jumping Foot Nickname: Jump Actually from WindCo. I haven't worked out the meaning behind this title yet. I'm going to make it so Duststar is supporting this cat for leadership; they might even be slightly related. Cousins, perhaps.

BB!Mossfire -> Mossfire Alight Only given recently, when Moss set her own fire for the very first time. Barely out of apprenticeship, but very popular. Riverstar's adopted child.

(I also need to pick the ThunderClan "Diplomat" character.)

More fragments and assorted thoughts;

(Three parts: Opening, Middle Stuff, and Redscar's Choice)

Opening and political setup:

BB!Flowerstem, Flow, is kind of like an older sibling/nanny of Moss. She was an apprentice of King Riverstar, and unofficially trusted to watch over Moss, who is considerably younger than she is. She wasn't formally adopted by King Riverstar but he always felt like a father to her.

BB!Jumpfoot, Jump, is from WindCo. Riverstar's firstborn was not legitimate, who lived a long and happy life as a traveler going between the various groups.

Riverstar is actually Jump's great-great-grandfather, but Jump is an accomplished, confident warrior who's just young enough to have a long rule, but experienced enough to make Mossfire look like a child in comparison.

And, importantly, Duststar wants Jump in power.

When Riverstar is on his deathbed, Flow, Moth, and Moss are there. Jump actually blows in later, and the Unnamed ThunderClan Diplomat.

The Diplomat is going to be one who does the poisoning later. Jump is REALLY easy to pin the blame on, because he's aggressive and kind of arrogant.

Through the story, Flow is trying to protect both Moss AND keep the River Kingdom functioning. Without even realizing it, people keep coming to her for advice.

Maple Whisker is her really good ally through all this. I'm not sure how they're going to begin, they COULD be rivals, but the important thing is that Maple and Flow naturally end up supporting each other.

While Flow is trying to keep Moss safe and fend off the other Heirs who are showing up looking to make claims to power, Maple is handling a lot of the logistical things.

Flow is an excellent "face." Her judgement is generally influential.

She's kind and compassionate, and it means that she's able to smooth out conflict in a way that King Riverstar used to be able to.

And there are a LOT of fights to break up.

Jump is a complete troublemaker already trying to assert his claim, and he's got cats to back him up.

Moss, who is really trying to be fair here, often gets pulled into fights.

FLOW'S biggest "flaw" is that she's honest. At some point she even admits, "Moss is really not ready for leadership. She needs more time before she has this responsibility."

unfortunately, opportunists and blood-loyalists who don't believe "adopted" can count as legitimate jump on that. Mossfire resents this, even though Flow is right, and she IS in waaay over her head.

But, thankfully, there's still an option.

The Eldest (currently living) direct child of Riverstar, Dead Moth Pelt, Moth, is the obvious alternative. He's older, speaks highly of his father, has connections to the River Kingdom.

And, importantly, he's got kittens of his own. Easy choice! They'll continue the dynasty and we won't have to worry about this again.

They're Just Like The Wind Runner

(jump and duststar disliked this)

.....hmmmmm. You know what would be cool?

The ThunderClan Diplomat being one of these kids.

Maybe in a future draft the Diplomat will be Mothpelt, and the ELDEST will be Beechstar. Maybe their name can be Beech Shore.

Add some more messy dynamics here, have it that Mothpelt "wants to avenge!" the father he actually killed.

But ANYWAY. This draft first.

Moth is a showman and a people-pleaser. He decides he wants to have a party to honor his father's life,

At this celebration, Moth's direct family all eats from the same, very special pot.

Everyone in this family is poisoned. None of them are able to make the trip to the Moonstone, and one-by-one, Moth and his kits succumb to it.

(except, of course, the diplomat, if he ends up being a descendant of The Eldest.)

The Diplomat, whoever they are, makes the obvious accusation;

Jumping Foot did this.

MIDDLE STUFF

All this while, I think Flow should be realizing there's something wrong with the Diplomat. But there's ALSO a lot wrong with Jumping Foot

As Jumping Foot becomes unpopular, his supporters are rallying around him and the accusations are starting to get thrown around

Re: It's VERY useful that Flow remains the only POV here, realizing that the fighting and the fracturing factions are starting to affect the function of the River Kingdom

Maple Whisker is by her side, constantly running to come fetch her to break up fights and arguments

Dens aren't getting maintained, cats are going hungry as there's no one really "in charge" of making meals for everyone

I want to make sure it's clear that it's not an "ABANDON OLD PEOPLE" situation. It's Flow laying it out directly;

"Everyone who isn't part of a large family is suffering. You HAVE to pick a side in order to have access to good food and shelter... and Jumping Foot is backed up by the Wind Coalition!"

In this shuffle, she's having a hard time protecting Moss, who's getting sick and tired of her Kingdom being yanked around.

She's growing up quick, having to work with Flow to take care of the cats in the Kingdom, but it's also making her more aggressive. Less patient.

Through The Diplomat, ThunderClan also begins to stick their nose in, which The Diplomat frames as "aid, they are our allies after all. Ties to them run deep, unlike those of the Wind Coalition."

Flow starts to realize that between these two huge coalitions, backed by outside forces, the River Kingdom will get absorbed.

In the shuffle, Flow and Mossfire Alight are starting to break apart. They used to be close, but the stress is making Moss aggressive and short-fused.

She NEVER used to start fights like this, but now Flow is finding herself trying to stop her previously so openminded charge from escalating conflicts.

It's a complete lost cause. There's no way Mossfire is going to be able to come out on top between two very powerful choices, backed up by other Clans

Most River Kingdom cats DO actually believe that it would have been King Riverstar's will for his adopted heir to take over. They disagree on if that's the right choice, or if an adopted one can be legitimate at all, or, WORST of all, if they even CAN support her when a lot of their food and supplies are coming from ThunderClan and WindCo

This comes to a boil when SkyClan charges in for a surprise attack, seeking to claim the territory before it's fully absorbed by the other two.

Because the River Kingdom's camp was on the Sunningrocks, an island in the middle of the river, this battle is CHAOTIC and DEADLY

The island was almost too small to hold all of the reinforcements and MORE AND MORE kept coming, packing in like sardines

The fighting was spilling over onto the banks, over the log bridge, a fight almost as dense and even more SUDDEN than The First Battle

Noncombatants were getting swept up into the fighting, no one knowing who they were supposed to be fighting against, some cats just jumping on those they didn't like, cats who couldn't swim were getting launched into the water

Flow and Maple Whisker can't SAVE all of them

And in the brawl, Mossfire leapt on the cat who she felt had been making her life hell, who KILLED Moth and his children, who needed to DIE

Jumping Foot was happy to return the sentiment, ready to eliminate this bloodless brat once and for all

As they tussled and tumbled, they crashed into the waves, biting and scratching, not realizing that their crowns had become tangled.

Mossfire tries to break the water for a breath, but Flow only sees her back breach the surface before getting dragged under

She leaps back in to try and save her, trying to pull her up, but Jumping Foot is a WindCo cat who doesn't know how to avoid drowning. He grabs at Mossfire in a panic, joined at the crown, and Flow can't pull them both up

The last time Flow sees Mossfire is in that terrified, tangled image, sinking down to the depths, seemingly locked in eternal combat down to the bottom of the river.

Redscar's Choice

When we cut back to Flowers Come First and Maple Whisker, Flow is absolutely haunted.

It seemed like the "obvious" choice was The Diplomat... but after that awful fight, an emergency gathering had to take place.

EVERY Clan lost warriors. ShadowClan was demanding to know why-- as they were the only one not officially involved in the fight, and even THEY are missing warriors.

WindCo has the most losses, and Duststar is VERY quiet. Jumping Foot's death shook him. There wasn't even a body to bury, and he hasn't gotten word on if Jump's gone to StarClan or not.

He's quiet because the guilt is eating him from the inside out. He's doing some sort of prayer behavior, quietly, as if he doesn't even seem to realize he's doing it.

(probably keeping his whiskers tilted upwards at the stars, twitching whenever the breeze hits them.)

ThunderClan's leader seems more frustrated than anything. Flow interprets this negatively, like they just want to get on with it and claim River Kingdom as their own.

(in truth, it's more likely this leader is annoyed with The Diplomat's meddling, the Kingdom isn't a prize they really want, they just honored an alliance and lost a ton of warriors for the trouble. But what matters is what Flow feels about them.)

SkyClan got absolutely humiliated. They were the catalyst for the battle but were quickly overwhelmed, and the current leader just took a MASSIVE reputation hit. It's not the Era of Skystar any longer.

(someone makes a xenophobic comment about "Jump back up into your trees, gray squirrels")

Maple Whisker, in a quick-thinking effort to avoid The Diplomat being officiated, calls upon a neutral party. Redscar of ShadowClan.

If mortals cannot figure out the rightful heir, then surely, StarClan must.

Duststar jumps on this immediately.

Diplomat doesn't like it, but it doesn't matter, because the ThunderClan leader does. Speaks right over them.

Over a couple of days, Redscar "deliberates" by visiting River Kingdom to "spend time under their stars."

But what he's REALLY doing is checking out how the Kingdom runs. And he's really gentle with Flow, in particular, like he's very interested in her.

When she questions why, he lies, "You have spirits around you."

This gets her to open up about how close she was to so many of the cats that died, explain how hard she's worked to keep it all together. How much she misses Mossfire, how she feels she failed her.

And King Riverstar, and Moth, and his poor kits.

I feel like The Diplomat is probably constructing signs to try and appeal to Redscar, thinking he's looking for them, but Redscar is NOT looking for signs. He's actually ignoring them completely.

This is going to be remembered as "seeing through false omens" but in truth, he was not interested in what StarClan actually had to say here, if they even did say anything.

(King Riverstar, as a patron, is remembered as NOTORIOUSLY silent. He never says anything directly.)

What Redscar ultimately concludes is, "It seems you and Maple Whisker have ruled together this whole time, with your leadership and her stewardship, it was almost strong enough to keep the Kingdom together."

Flow makes a remark that it sure didn't turn out well, if that's the case.

"Through no fault of yours."

Shortly afterwards, he constructs the False Sign which selects her as a leader. Redscar also insists that, because she did not rule alone, Maple Whisker must become a "deputy," as they have in ShadowClan.

She agrees to this term, justifying it by saying that it is sort of like an advisor role, which she used to be... but it's not. It's quite different.

This law is eventually adopted as Commandment 3: The Law of the Deputy. That all Clans must have a Leader, and a Deputy. The Deputy must be appointed before Moonhigh, and to become a Deputy, you must have once been responsible for young lives.

(This is in honor of Flow's relationship to Mossfire. It will be tweaked over the generations to specifically mean a mentor/apprentice relationship, but the first draft of the law could also include being a Mi or Ba.)

Thus, the River Kingdom is no more. RiverClan is born, and in agreeing to the terms, WindCo becomes WindClan.

Something changes on this day, with so many cats dead and the group now being something very different. The era of charitability and open relations between Clans... is starting to seem like a bad idea.

The current of the river is the same, but somehow, the water is different.

Last plot thread left to wrap up is The Poisoning.

It's GOTTA be a dramatic reveal of some sort. The Diplomat makes one last grab at power. I think it would actually be a BIG power move if Flow came back with her lives, receiving the wisdom from Redscar that Diplomat was constructing false signs, putting two and two together...

A feast is thrown, she decides to eat in the same exact way Moth did, makes it very clear she's "repeating" the mistake because Jumping Foot is dead and that means that the assassin is not here to put down poisons. The Diplomat falls for it, hook, line, and sinker, tainting her food in between servings.

And when they do, Flow INSISTS that The Diplomat come, and have a bite with her.

She's got nine lives to spare now. She can give one up, just for the satisfaction of locking eyes with them as they both have a bite of the same poisoned food. The horror, the panic, in their expression is the most delicious thing Flow has ever tasted.

If seeing Mossfire's crown tangled with Jumping Foot's was like a stag who dies with antlers locked, then Flow dying next to The Diplomat, sticking around in StarClan to watch them damn them and send them to the Dark Forest, and then rise again to attend her Clan, this moment was like being a stag who outlives their foe and wears their skull as a second crown.

Long Live Flowerstar.

[bonefall]

Do you have any plans with Petal? She was so interesting even when she played mom to Misty's kits, taking care of them even when Misty did not do the same for her and Fox, she was dealt a rough hand and I always said she deserved better than to be Clear Sky's Loyal Lackey forever

Petal is still a bit up in the air, but I DO know for certain a few things;

She is now a Tribe cat. BB!DOTC features a language barrier between Park and Tribe cats, so everyone in early SkyClan must come from the Tribe.

Fox Claw and Petal Claw will probably end up being part of the Claw Family.

Fox's death will need to be shuffled, since the set-up is so different. I do like Petal holding a grudge against the person forced to kill him, though.

I know for a fact that Red Claw is going to be part of this family; either a child of Fox or Petal. Acorn Swoop eventually has children with a member of the Claw family-- her canon love interest is Red but I'm not averse to making it someone else in this group.

Petal Claw is rewarded with the orphaned kits of Misty-- now a Park cat. Tensions are going to rise between SkyClan and the River Kingdom as a result of this.

However. Birch and Alder won't keep those names for two reasons;

Reason One, the more important reason, is that Park Cats are born nameless. They don't HAVE names yet-- just physical characteristics.

But also, SkyClan wouldn't allow them to keep the names either. So, Petal Claw will rename them.

I was thinking it COULD be Red Claw and Snake Claw, but I'm not sure if it's wise to fuse FOUR characters into 2 so hastily. So, I am still unsure.

In any case, eventually one of these kits will defect on learning they have family in the River Kingdom, curious to learn more.

Anyway, back to Petal Claw.

She will be doggedly loyal to SkyClan her whole life, Clear Sky's favorite soldier. She enjoys a lot of privilege within the Clan, and revels in her power and status.

She does eventually die for the cause-- probably in the First Battle, because Sparrow Heart needs room for an opportunity to become the next leader.

Petal Claw is also, unfortunately, a major reason Skystar becomes part of StarClan. She really is loyal to the very end, rallying his other dead supporters to clamor for him when he arrives.

Overall, Petal is an ambitious, scrappy, loyal cat who is a major recurring ally of BB!Clear Sky. She revels in what SkyClan can offer her, and the influence she weilds as a result of her devotion. Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven!

She's got an important role. If I wrote every cat someone likes defecting I wouldn't have anyone in SkyClan at all lmao

I do have to say though-- the little "bonus chapter" trying to frame Petal taking Misty's kits as "aww shes being so noble when misty didnt do it for her" frustrates me immensely. I'm VERY much not a fan of it. This woman was fucking murdered on screen for her land by a bloodthristy tyrant and Petal jumped foward to prevent the maniac from slaughtering babies too. The way it tries to take attention away from CLEAR SKY'S MURDER to make it about Petal "breaking a cycle" is just plain awful.

Even worse is how the books quickly shift to passive voice after First Battle. "After their mother Died." Mentions of Clear Sky murdering this woman dry up for a looong while until Milkweed.

So in BB I honestly have no desire to preserve that in any way. Petal Claw wanted the kits because a bigger family is a point of status, and the mother was dead now anyway. Someone needs to care for them-- and so it should be her, because she deserves it. Clear Sky agrees, happy that she will raise more cats who are loyal to him.

Thunder Storm will be witnessing this while he is training under his father; and I'll probably end up doing something with the fact that this means he has information that will be relevant to River Kingdom.

(Or perhaps the Wind Coalition. I'll figure out which one works better for political tension here.)

BUT at the very least, Petal Claw won't be getting fridged for Clear Sky's man pain like canon. Seriously what the fuck. What an awful way to send her out; dying of illness but having just enough strength to throw herself at Clear Sky's feet going "ouuuugh i knew youd saave me. Ur so strong and brave and amazing and cool and misunderstood and everyone on the internet who says mean things about you is evil."

We support women's wrongs here. She will die in BATTLE like she DESERVES

[bonefall]

Your Heartstar post made me curious, whats BB!Leafstar like? Is she just changed to be more reasonable and less like the Forest Four or are there other changes too?

SkyClan has some cultural expansions! They highly value creativity, problem-solving, and diplomacy. Modern SkyClan cats are culturally polite, lean towards deescalation of conflict, and view their fighting skills like a martial art more than a "way of life."

So Leafstar, its first leader in generations, has to display these traits. She is actively trying to balance being assertive with not losing everything that makes SkyClan special.

This is especially influenced by the addition of Sharpclaw's betrayal-- instead of Darktail overrunning SkyClan with the pack of Instant Evil Minions (just add water!) he ordered from ACME corp, his modus operandi to "divide and conquer" is on display here. He exploited Sharpclaw's ambition and spite towards his leader to drive the other half of SkyClan out of the gorge.

So, traits BB!Leafstar has now;

She okays raids on human dens, occasionally. SkyClan is willing to steal things.

A desire to understand the other clans, and engage in good faith discussions

For this reason, I imagine she gets along very well with Harestar, who appreciates calm understanding, but not Heartstar, tries to get the 'upper paw.'

Bramblestar made a horrible first impression and doesn't disprove it. Leafstar does not like him. NOR does she like Mistystar and her commitment to traditional warrior values.

Very receptive to Squilf, and hopefully Squirrelstar someday.

She has a way of making cats 'explain themselves' before deciding on a punishment, to figure out their intentions.

For this reason, she can be 'intense' in the way a school principal is.

Some cats, especially of other Clans, think she's pompous and haughty for her way of ruling. All bark and no bite, even.

Less of them are in SkyClan since the Darktail incident. Lake SkyClan is largely descended from her supporters.

In addition, I tend to write her dialogue a little bit 'overpolite.' Customer service kind of voice, BB!Leafstar says "I hope this email finds you before I do :)"

[bonefall]

I was wondering how you are going to handle Heartstar's political roles as leader compared to canon (leaving aside ASC which is obviously unfinished). I always found it weird how canon Tigerstar II gets set up as this cat who's willing to bend the rules, who has a forbidden mate, incorporates the Guardians into his Clan and tries to make peace with SkyClan, but then he gets assigned the role of main opposer of SkyClan and later the sisters after becoming leader for no apparent reason besides ShadowClan being the Official Bad Guy Clan. So what will be Heartstar's political leanings in the rewrite (Thistle Law/Traditionalist/Fire Alone) and will she still play an antagonist role in those plot lines? Also, how will she prove herself as a good enough leader to rebuild ShadowClan, despite their disillusionment with the previous leadership? I haven't, again, read the second half of AVOS, but I know a common complaint was that it felt contrived how everyone instantly loved canon Tigerstar and rebuilt ShadowClan around him despite their deep disillusionment with Rowanstar, making it seem like it wasn't a "natural" arc of a society falling apart and more the authors trying to improbably and exaggeratedly show how bad Rowan is and how cool Tiger is without justification. So how will that be handled in the BB AU?

Heartstar won't be changing too much, honestly! I'm just going to be adding extra clarification for their actions at certain times. The biggest difference is probably just going to be their... general yassification LMAO

That plus BB!Dovewing is a lot less gentle than she is in canon and more likely to either disagree with her or violently back up her actions.

I'll be getting into Heartstar in her own character profile but first there's some stuff to comment on that'll probably clarify how I feel about Canon Tigerheartstar;

"Why does everyone instantly love Tigerstar in AVoS?"

It's been a looooong while since I read A Vision of Snoring but I do remember that ShadowClan really didn't like being part of SkyClan. They did not like how Leafstar was trying to make them swear fealty to a Clan they didn't feel part of, and they wanted their own autonomy back.

BB!Leafstar is going to be wildly different from canon, but I still want to keep that feeling. ShadowClan cats have their own culture and sense of identity, and SkyClan is a very different group from them. Rowanstar is still alive in the replacement of Tigerheart's Shadow, Heartstar's Rise, and intentionally insisting that they don't have a leader anymore and ergo don't have a Clan.

The territory all belongs to SkyClan now. Shadow doesn't LIKE that. They want to go back to the goo. Heartstar's return feels like a new dawn and several cats get swept up in her personality.

It should also help that I'm absolutely not planning for AVoS to be an arc that assigns Rowanstar as its scapegoat! He does get flak and his clan DOES fall apart under him, but I'm not planning to write the same bizarre waffle of "Oh it's my fault the apprentices loved crime because I didn't beat them hard enough or something. I've been too soft aaaawagga."

Onestar and his cowardice is the problem behind Darktail in this arc.

(for the record I kinda sort cats into loose categories of 'overhaul' in my head, and BB!Leafstar is like... on a scale of 1 to 5, she's a 4 in terms of overhaul. I don't like how nasty and unreasonable she is in-canon 75% of the time. To me, it makes her feel like just another Forest Four leader. Ironically Heartstar's like, a 2, maybe a 3 in early OotS.)

On Squirrelflight's Hope

I think a lot of folks who say Tigerheartstar attacked the Sisters "for no reason" haven't read the book in a while including myself.

Because I just went back and reread it and, actually, Tigerheartstar is the most reasonable fucker in the room besides Squirrelflight. Stuff that happened that no one remembers;

The Clans were on the brink of war, again, with shuffled territories each including a patch that no one could use, everyone wanting to return to the 'perfect' distribution (ignore my frustration with the garbage Canon Lake Map which is set up to have naturally perfect borders)

Tigerstar was admitting that his plan to shuffle did not work; we are shown that this is true. The Clans do not use the shuffled territory.

ShadowClan was attacked by the Sisters.

We don't know the "true" story as both sides have a different version, but we DO know that Tigerstar believes they were attacked.

Strikestone, Tigerstar's nephew, was permanently mauled by this. That's where his shredded ear comes from. Stonewing landed a "large gash" on Sunset's side before the "two toms" ran away, in their own territory. NOTE: Tigerstar ALWAYS becomes unreasonable after his family is hurt, this is a very consistent character trait

Harestar was the first to escalate between the Clans. ThunderClan bought time by allowing WindClan to hunt on the 'contested patch' but still marking the border, as if it was still theirs.

MISTYSTAR STARTED ATTACKING SHADOWCLAN

YES Tigerstar was pushing to go to war, but he wouldn't do it until he had significant backing. ShadowClan, still weakened by the Kin ordeal, was ATTACKED TWICE

Harestar and Mistystar are massively at fault here because they couldn't wait, but Tigerstar gets the majority of the blame for the sister debacle.

And, lastly, Leafstar okayed the raid on the sisters. I had totally forgotten this. She is the one to SAY that they should evict the sisters but adds, "We won't join you though." I don't like this character

Tigerstar was part of the problem, yes, but he really was not the most unreasonable cat in this equation.

So obviously a lot about this SE is gonna change in BB. But anyway-- I plan for Heartstar to actually be a little more unreasonable than Canon Tigerstar. In particular, Strikestone's mauling is going to make Heart act more rashly.

[bonefall]

are darktail and hawkwing still close in bb? or has that dynamic been entirely shifted to sharpclaw and darktail? also for that matter any darktail crumbs he is my favorite 👉 👈 love ur writing tons btw 💕

It's been mostly shifted over to Sharpclaw! I do think the canon Dark/Hawk dynamic has some fun stuff in it, but I wasn't sure how to preserve it while also changing the SkyClan political situation into something that feels more appropriate for the AU

Sharpclaw always should have been a villain, imo. This is a rough, generally angry character who gets to be canonically xenophobic, constantly undermine Leafstar, agrees to drag SkyClan into a battle that doesn't concern them, blames his son for the death of his other child and... it's played straight. He really did Have His Clan's Best Interests At Heart like every other boy in this kind of situation.

Sharpclaw says "Leafstar I was just undermining your authority because you gotta be tough! I did it for your benefit actually. stop being so sensitive." and Leafstar has to accept that, but meanwhile squirrelflight is forced to go against Bramblestar because his ego gets hurt when she speaks up at a meeting and they have to end her arc with 5 paragraphs of kissing his butt and being sooo sorry and "WE should never have let it get so bad."

And Darktail... man, I've screamed about it before but every time the Erins summon Evil Foreign Hordes to be the main villains I lose 10 years off my life

I really want to find a better way to end Darktail's arc. He has to die for the plot but I'm trying to find some way to show a glimmer of a different person in him. SOMETHING that could have been, in a better timeline.

So far I've been building that out with Breezepelt, have them actually be friends and that's a major reason why Breezepelt felt the need to die killing him... but I'm still not sure.

BB!AVOS has a lot of its pieces in place, but there's still scattered fragments.