#Also anon I'm so sorry but I did not like Badgerfang's life in-canon

[bonefall]

Theres a cat called Silverhawk who trained Thistle, maybe he could give Tigerstar a life? IIRC Silverhawk died attacking a riverclan patrol so maybe his could be something along the lines of never backing down?

Also i think spottedleaf would make her. too involved yknow? Shes already sneaking out to help firestar and is (i think) a major part of the plot, while i DO like the whole curse thing it also makes scourge killing Tigerstar feel cheaper (rule of cool, tigerstar losing all 9 lives was cool as fuck because it meant the stakes were higher and firestar wasnt 9 lives safe anymore. It ruins the moment a bit by saying "yeah scourge just killed him normally it was the space cats who took his 9 lives").

Honestly my two cents i think badgerfang's in canon life was super dope. Tigerstar basically brushing off Badgerfang bc of how young he is and ignoring Badgerfang's blatant warning of "dont underestimate ur enemy", effectively dooming himself. Maybe not Badgerfang who gives the life, but i do think it could fit that someone, a half clan cat maybe? tries to give him a life but its brushed off completely bc Tigerstar refuses to believe that a half clan cat has anything of worth to say.

Silverhawk actually got backstory in TBC-- he tried to kill his leader because his son was deputy, and got them both killed in the process! He doesn't have a confirmed Clan yet, but I keep imagining it was RiverClan tbh.

The one who died on the RiverClan patrol was Thistleclaw himself. In my rewrite, that patrol is now the same one where Sunfish was murdered; Leopardfur killed Thistleclaw in revenge.

Anyway, I was a little worried about using Spotty too much. She's popular and I love writing for her so she does come up a ton. I didn't just pick her for no reason though-- she was actually very close with Tigerclaw when they were kids, and her death in the crossfire of a ShadowClan invasion is one of Tiger's few regrets.

He knows she plays tricks but underestimated her; and she gave him a curse instead of a blessing.

But no no, don't think for a minute I'd legitimately set it up like Scourge only killed Tigerstar regularly lmao. Nooo. It would still be the bloody, painful, suffering-nine-times unzippening that it was in canon, even if Spotty laid a curse on him. It would be more like... giving him an extra second's opening.

But if Spotty's not popular I'll do Leopardfoot's instead, telling him that he can still stop this. But he won't.

I generally don't like the "Reluctance Lives" that happen in canon because they backed themselves into a corner and decided that every ceremony MUST end with 9 lives. Every life being given is probably at least several more months of leadership-- a Spirit that does not want the Leader to live longer simply should not give one.

In spite of everything, his mom would still love him and want him to have another life.