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enchantingfirenightearthquake · 1 month ago

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Ferncloud

Fernkit was born to Brindleface of ThunderClan along with her siblings, Ashkit, Elderkit, and Tulipkit. She has no father, though she could guess who he was based on her brother’s face and the color of her fur.

While living in the nursery, she grew up on stories. One of those stories was about the former ShadowClan leader, Brokenstar. Hearing about the damage he did to his clan and the lives he stole both young and old broke Fernkit’s little heart.

Despite being just a kitten herself, she swore no other kit would come to harm under her care.

***

Brindleface doesn’t talk about their father, though Fernkit could guess who he was based on her brother’s face and the color of her fur. For the longest time it was just her, her mother, and her brother after Elderkit and Tulipkit’s passing. That was until Cloudkit.

Cloudkit came to camp thanks to Fireheart, as many things in the clan came to be. The white kit’s mother had wanted him to be a warrior and was siblings with the orange tom. Due to how young Cloudkit was, Brindleface offered to take him in.

Many cats did not care for Cloudkit, but from the moment he arrived in their lives, he became Brindleface’s son and her and Ashkit’s brother. The two kits had agreed unanimously.

The other unanimous decision the now three kits made was Fireheart being their father. They hadn’t understood at the time that Fireheart was Cloudkit’s uncle, though it mattered very little to the three. Fireheart was Cloudkit's papa, and so now he was Fernkit and Ashkit’s papa. Fireheart never bothered to correct any of them.

***

Darkstripe is not a good mentor. Ashpaw and Cloudpaw are lucky they have Dustpelt and papa as mentors.

He isn’t kind or patient. She doesn't feel safe with him around. She wonders if he knows.

***

Many assume that her feelings for Dustpelt are romantic in nature. They would be wrong.

Dustpelt is everything Darkstripe isn’t. He is kind, and patient, and even though he isn’t her mentor, he takes her and Ashpaw together to train and hunt. He listens when she needs an ear, and he makes her laugh when she’s feeling down. Ashpaw agrees with her as he always does.

It is unanimously decided that Dustpelt is papa too.

***

When Cloudpaw disappears, Fernpaw’s heart broke in two for a second time. The whispers that her clanmates say behind her family’s back fills her with rage. Darkstripe’s slander of the white tom makes her want to rip her mentor to shreds.

Ashpaw and Fernpaw knew he’d been sneaking away to Twolegplace, he wasn’t as sneaky as he thought he was. Neither ever held it against him. They knew he would never choose being a kittypet over them despite what Fireheart had said.

When Fireheart brings him back, Fernpaw and Ashpaw are the first to rush over to the white apprentice, curling themselves around him.

*** Fernpaw wishes she had done more to convince Swiftpaw and Brightpaw not to go to Snakerocks. She’s the first to tell her papas about the missing apprentices.

When the two paws are brought back heavily scarred and the fear of death high, she along with her brothers and Swiftpaw and Brightpaw’s siblings all collapse in a pile in front of the medicine cat den.

Relief floods the entire clan when both Brightpaw and Swiftpaw survive.

***

Fernpaw’s eyes sometimes follow Dogscar. And her heart beats when he’s nearby.

“It’s because you have a crush on him,” Brindleface informs her when she asks her mother. She’s wrong. The only toms she needs in her life are her brothers and papas.

Still, her eyes continue to follow him.

***

Fernpaw’s heart breaks again the day her mother dies. Tigerstar killed her.

Except she can’t even grieve in peace because the dogs that attacked Lostface and Dogscar are being led right to their camp to slaughter them all.

And then Dogscar speaks up. “What if we lead them away from the camp?!” The clan of course argues about it until Lostface volunteers herself to lead the dogs to the gorge. Her speech inspires both her and Ashpaw to help lead the dogs away from camp.

Fernpaw has never been more terrified in her entire life. But it’ll be worth it. For Brindleface.

***

Darkstripe tried to kill Sorrelkit.

She should feel bad that her…mentor…is being exile. She does not.

The only cat she feels sorry for is Sorrelkit.

***

Fernpaw is ecstatic when her uncle becomes her new mentor. She feels like she can finally breathe.

***

Fernpaw sits with Dogscar and Bramblepaw when Tawnypaw disappears.

She feels for them. There's no pain deeper than losing someone you loved.

***

Ferncloud wants to be a mother. The problem is she has no mate and her options are limited.

So it comes as a surprise to her one day as Snowear asks her to have a litter with her.

“Do not take this wrong way Snowear,” she signed. Brackenfur and Speckletail had worked long and hard in order to make it so the rest of the clan could communicate with the white warrior. “But I was under the impression that you and I were just friends.”

“I am. We are. But there is no one I wish to be mates with, and my options are limited. And Cloudtail informed me you would like kits too.”

Ferncloud was going to wring her brother’s neck. “How would this even work? Am I expected to just hand them over to you and not be apart if their lives? What if one of us found someone? Would they be involved with raising them?”

“Of course you’ll be in their lives. We’d raise the kits together. Obviously, you’re allowed to take a mate, if that’s what you want.” His maw turned down as he continued. “I am unsure if others should be involved. But presumably any cat involved with us would be involved with them.”

Ferncloud considered all that the tom said. She wanted this. Wanted kits so badly. But… “May I have time to think it over?”

“Of course. This is your choice as much as mine. Take all the time you need.”

***

“Who was your guys’ sire?” Ferncloud and her brothers were laying about the camp watching Spiderkit and Shrewkit playing with the clan’s other kits. Cloudtail was the one who spoke up.

“Brindleface never told us,” Ashfur commented as he laid on his sister’s back.

“We never asked,” Ferncloud added. She has no sire, though she could guess who he was based on her brother’s face and the color of her fur.

Cloudtail hums. He’s still looking at the kits. Looking at Shrewkit’s ears that look like his uncle’s and eyes that match no one in their family. Looking at Spiderkit’s dark fur, darker than even his mother’s. “Was…,” he starts. “Was it…?” He doesn’t finish it. He knows. Both siblings nod. Cloudtail nods back before laying down next to them. “Well…good riddance. He was never good to you, or for you.”

Ferncloud and Ashfur both purr into their brother’s ear.

***

Squirrelpaw and Brambleflower disappear. The forest is being torn apart. Cats are being taken by Twolegs. Shrewpaw…Larchkit…Hollykit…

Ferncloud doesn’t know how much more her heart can take.

***

The missing cats return. All but Brambleflower. Sootfur, Goldenflower, and Dogscar are devastated at the loss of their mate and kin. As the toms’ friend and a doting mother herself, Ferncloud is dutiful in allowing them to lean on her.

The clans have to leave the forest, the only home they’ve ever known, or risk being eradicated. No one wants to leave, but they are survivors. They will do whatever it takes to survive. They stay a few nights with Scourge and BloodClan. On the morning they plan to leave, Dustpelt pulls her and Ashfur aside. “I’m staying here with my brother.”

Ferncloud is shocked. Looking at her brother, it’s obvious so is he. “Why?” he manages to sputter out.

“We need you,” Ferncloud whines.

Dustpelt doesn’t immediately answer. “I lost so much time with him. I…I thought he was dead, and I was alone.” Tears form in his eyes as he rubs his head against the two gray cats. “Until you two. I have enjoyed every moment getting to be a part of your lives. I am so proud of the cats you’ve become and will continue to be.” He pulled apart. “I know its selfish. And I’m deeply sorry. But you two don’t need me.”

“We’ll always need you, papa,” Ferncloud says wetly. She wraps herself around him. Ashfur says nothing. He does not move.

“Not as much as you think you do. You’ll have each other, as well Cloudtail and Firestar and all of ThunderClan.”

Ferncloud is all but sobbing now. “You’re sure of this?” Dustpelt nods. “Ok, then. I love you, papa.”

“I love you, too. Both of you. Until we meet again among the stars.”

Ferncloud repeats him. Ashfur does not. Looking back on it, Ferncloud wonders if this was the moment her brother was sent down a dark path.

***

Daisy is not like the kittypets or loners that have joined before. She cannot fight, nor can she hunt. Ferncloud has heard the other Clans mock the she-cat and ThunderClan as a whole for taking in more handouts.

“I just feel like a burden to you all,” she admitted. “What do I offer you all? Other than more mouths to feed?”

Ferncloud nuzzled the molly. “I don’t see it that way. It is true, you cannot hunt or fight, but you offer us your kindness and your friendship. That is more than enough for me. And it should be more than enough for anyone else too.”

Daisy rests her head on her paws. Following her gaze, Ferncloud finds her watching Berrykit, Hazelkit, and Mousekit playing with Darktail.

“You know…” Daisy’s eyes shift to look at her friend. “…Darktail was born a kittypet.” Daisy’s eyes widen at the revelation. “Firestar and Cloudtail too.”

“That’s different though.” The cream molly’s ear lay against her skull as she speaks. “They’re all warriors. They’ve proven they worth.”

“Worth has nothing to do with it,” the gray she-cat growls. “The elders can no longer hunt or fight, but we do not throw them away. Kittens do not have the skill or knowledge to either, but we allow them to eat and stay. You are no different.”

Daisy sighs. “I don’t know if I believe that. If I ever will.” She bumps her head against her companion. “But thank you all the same. I’m lucky to have a friend like you, Ferncloud.”

“And I you, dear.”

***

Icekit looks just like her father. A true shock to their family. Not a single one of her other children had their father’s fur. Snowear was ecstatic.

Foxkit looks nothing like either of his parents. “He takes after his grandpa,” Cloudtail jokes.

He really does. She smiles at that.

***

Ashfur scares her. Ever since Squirrelflight rejected him for Crowrunner, he’s turned into a vile, hateful thing. For the life of her, she cannot understand why Firestar thought making him Breezepaw’s mentor was a good idea. But she holds her tongue. It could maybe work. Maybe it would be good for him.

This all came to a head one random afternoon.

***

Breezepaw has always been a bit of snippy little thing. So is Juniperpaw. So is their father. So, no one notices right away when his attitude gets worse.

The other mentors scold him often, and the other apprentices minus his siblings complain, and everyone is just tried.

Ferncloud wonders if it would ever been revealed if she hadn’t literally ran into the young tom. Neither had been paying attention and he stumbled. In order to catch himself, he had put his front right paw down. He hissed in pain.

“Are you ok?” the she-cat asked. She hadn’t knocked into him that hard. And she definitely didn’t touch his paw.

“I’m fine,” he grumbled. Ferncloud noticed he wasn’t leaning on the offending paw. Ferncloud had a decision to make.

Dogscar and Yellowpool were met with a screeching Breezepaw as he was literally dragged into the medicine den by Ferncloud. In hindsight, Ferncloud was thankful that Hollypaw wasn’t there at the time. That would have been a disaster. He was inspected. His paw was broken. No one knew how. Breezepaw refused to say and no one else, not his parents or siblings or the other mentors and apprentices could account for the injury.

“What’s happening?” Ashfur had made his way over at the commotion. As the situation was explained to her brother, Ferncloud noticed Breezepaw flinch at the gray warrior’s voice.

Break.

“Ashfur?” Everyone turned to look at the gray queen. Her tone of voice was cold. No one had ever heard her speak that way to her brother. “How did your apprentice injury his paw?”

His ears twitched. “I couldn’t tell you.”

Ferncloud’s blood runs cold and her heart drops. “You’re lying.” The whole den goes quiet. Breezepaw is looking at her. “Your ears only twitch like that, when you’re lying. Now, I’ll ask again.” Ferncloud gets in her brother’s face. “How. Did your apprentice. Get hurt?”

“I told you,” he snarls back. “I don’t know.”

“Tell me you didn’t!”

“He’s clumsy!”

“He’s a child!”

“He’s doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”

“How could you?!”

“You would choose him over me?!”

“YES!” Everything went silent. As she glared at her brother, all she could see was her father’s face glaring back at her on the day he was exiled.

“Fine,” he spit. “You want him, take him. I refuse to train him anymore.” And with that, he left.

“I’m going to kill him,” Crowrunner growled.

“Not if I beat you to it,” Squirrelflight raged back.

“You two are the last two cats that should be doing anything right now,” Brackenfur reasoned.

“Brackenfur and I shall deal with Ashfur. Right now, we need to assign a new mentor to Breezepaw,” Firestar placated.

“I hope you don’t expect him to train with a broken paw,” Dogscar commented.

“Of course not. That’s completely mousebrained.”

“I’ll do it.” Everyone turned back to Ferncloud.

“Are you sure?” Yellowpool asked. “You haven’t been an active warrior since…”

Since before the Great Journey. Since she lost her babies.

“I’m sure.”

“We’ll need a new den mother,” Brackenfur pointed out.

“Daisy is more than capable.”

“This is a big decision.” Firestar was using his leader voice, rather than his papa voice. “And you’re clearly very upset. It would be better to-.”

“With all due respect, Firestar, I do not need a clear head. I am certain that this is the right decision.” She pauses here. “Unless Breezepaw thinks otherwise.”

The apprentice blinks. He didn’t think his opinion mattered. “I…I…” He looked so small right now.

“How about this?” Dogscar started gently. “We let you heal first. Once he’s deemed well, we can come back to that decision.”

All parties agree.

***

Ferncloud feels nothing when her papa exiles her brother. As he leaves, she doesn’t see Ashfur. All she can see is her father.

***

Ferncloud visits the apprentice every day as he recovers. Dogscar already warned her if she is doing this with the intention of convincing him to be her apprentice, he’ll bar her from the medicine den. She promises him those are not her intentions.

She feels guilty. How could she not see what Ashfur was doing? How could he do this to an innocent kit? And over what? Because his mother didn’t return his feelings for him? Because she chose someone else?

“Why did you do it?” Breezepaw asks one day out of the blue. She had just brought him a mouse from the fresh kill pile for them to share.

“Do what?”

“Stand up for me. He was your brother and I’m just an apprentice that gets on everyone’s nerves.”

Ferncloud nuzzled the black tom’s head. “What my brother did was disgusting. Any issues he had with your parents should have been dealt with them. Not taken out on you. You didn’t deserve what he was doing to you.”

Breezepaw went silent after that.

When Breezepaw was finally cleared from the medicine den, Firestar asked him who he thought should be his mentor.

He looked around the clearing until he spotted the cat he was looking for. “Ferncloud.”

***

When Daisy tells her she’s expecting kits, Ferncloud was ecstatic of course. “So who’s the lucky tom?”

Daisy shuffles her paws in front of her. “…Spiderleg.”

Ferncloud blinked. “My son?” Daisy nervously nodded.

Despite her shock at the news, Ferncloud purred and nuzzled her friend. “I can’t say that I’m not surprised. But I am happy for you and him. And I look forward to meeting my new grandkits.”

“You don’t have any other grandkits,” Daisy said with an eyeroll. Less sarcastically, she asked, “You’re sure you’re ok with me and him?”

“If you make him happy, and he makes you happy, then so am I.”

***

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!”

The day had finally arrived. After being held back by at least a moon, Breezepaw, Hollypaw, and Juniperpaw were going to receive their warrior names. Breezepaw had come a long way from the bitter tom he once was. The cat that stood before her was someone Ferncloud couldn’t be more proud of.

As the oldest of his litter, Breezepaw was expected to go first. Ferncloud mostly tuned out the speech. She had heard it all before. It was only when she heard Breezepaw’s new name did she react.

“-you’ll be known as Breezefern.”

Ferncloud blinked. Had he…?

It wouldn’t be until the next morning that the grey she-cat was able to speak with the tom. “Congratulations, Breezefern. Though I must ask how Firestar came to the name?”

“I asked him for it.”

“You asked him for it?”

Breezefern nodded as he made his way over to his former mentor. Bumping into her he said, “If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be training under Ashfur. If I even survived him. I owe everything to you.”

A loud, deep purr rumbled up the older warrior’s chest.

***

Ferncloud loved all her children equally. But she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t deeply disappointed in one of them.

“What do you mean we need to stop being involved with them?” she all but growled. The whole clan noticed how the black tom tried to avoid Daisy and his kits at all cost and Ferncloud had finally had enough.

“What I said. I don’t want you two to be involved with them.”

Snowear rolled his eyes as they signed to his son. “They’re our grandkits, Spiderleg. We love them. Neither of us are abandoning them. Not even for you.”

The two cats started to walk away when he muttered, “There just a bunch of kittypets. That don’t belong here.”

Ferncloud spun around to face her son again. “Excuse me?”

Snowear looked confused as he watched his friend get in their son’s face. “Do you know who my father is? My brothers? That half the clan came from kittypet blood? Do they not belong?”

Spiderleg glared right back at his mother as Snowear stood between them. “That’s different.”

“How?”

“What do you mean how? What does she offer? She doesn’t hunt or fight for the clan.”

“I don’t do those things either. Do I not deserve to be here?”

“That’s diff-.”

“No, it isn’t!”

The entire camp went dead silent.

“You don’t want to a part of their lives, fine. But can’t force me to help my friend and grandkits.” With that, the gray molly turned around and headed for the nursery.

Daisy was waiting for her. The kits were thankfully fast asleep. As the gray she-cat curled up next to friend, the cream molly mumbled, “You didn’t have to do that.”

Nuzzling her, Ferncloud responded, “Yes. I did.”

***

Ferncloud never fell in love. Many speculated that perhaps she and Snowear were secretly together. It would make sense; they had three litters together after all. But no. Nothing ever blossomed beyond friendship.

She was content with this. She had her friends and family and never saw reason to take another mate. But like many things in her life, StarClan loved to throw the unexpected at her.

With Lionflower becoming a full medicine cat, Dogscar came to the decision it was time to retire. In Ferncloud’s opinion, Dogscar deserved a good long rest before StarClan claimed him after everything the tom had gone through.

With Ferncloud returning back to her role as den mother and Dogscar’s retirement, the two cats found themselves in each other’s company more often than not. The more time the two friends spent together, old feelings that the she-cat thought she had buried deep within her started rising to the surface.

Talking about this was out of the question. She already made the mistake telling her friends and siblings, who were insistent on her telling the former medicine cat. Even Firestar had gotten word of it. She just didn’t want to burden the tom with what she assumed were unrequired feelings.

“You know I used to have the biggest crush on you.”

Ferncloud blinked at. “What?”

“I had a crush on you when we were apprentices.”

“No, I-I heard you the first time.” She sat there in silence, just taking the new information in. “How come you never said anything?”

“You were always upset whenever someone brought up how you and Snowear were clearly in love with each other. You made it very clear how you felt about the subject. And it didn’t matter anyways because I ended up becoming a medicine cat. I’m not a code breaker.” She took notice of him pulling up dirt as he said that last line.

A sympathetic look crossed her face. No one really commented on it because no one wanted to admit it but there was no way Tigerstar could have been Dogscar’s father. Even if he was, Ferncloud knew what it was like to be ashamed of where you came from.

Rubbing his head as she purred. “Well, if it’s any consolation, I had feelings for you too. I uh I still do if I’m being honest.”

Dogscar returned the rubbing.

***

A fire nearly destroyed the ThunderClan camp. Ashfur died during the fire.

Despite all that he’s done, Ferncloud sobs when Squirrelflight tells her the news.

***

Between having three litters and helping other queens throughout the seasons, Ferncloud knew how to raise kits.

So, when Breezefern showed up with a random abandoned kit, she was more than willing to help. Lostkit was adorable. The silver and white tabby followed Breezefern around the camp like she was his shadow. She tried to copy everything he did.

“I can’t thank you enough, Ferncloud. I feel like I’m failing at everything.”

“Nonsense. You’re doing a fine job. And I don’t mind helping. It’s my job, mousebrain.”

The two looked over to see to Lostkit and Moonkit play fighting. “You ever think of having more kits?”

Her and Dogscar had talked about it, but Dogscar was content being childless (“That’s debatably,” Cloudtail teased. “Dogscar, if you deny our daughter as yours too, I’ll rip your other legs off,” Brightheart threatened.) and Ferncloud didn’t want another litter.

“Helping you and others is more than enough for me. I do look forward to more grandkits though.”

Breezefern went quiet as he continued watching his and his sister’s kits. “Is…” He shuffled his feet. “Is Lostkit apart of that category?”

Ferncloud looked at her former apprentice. “Do…you want…her…to be?” Do you want to be in that category?

Breezefern hesitantly nods. Ferncloud pulls her son down to groom his fluffing up fur.

***

Something strange has been happening in the clans. There seems to be a divide in ThunderClan. One half siding with Breezefern and his family and the other siding with some unseen force. Ferncloud herself feels stuck in the middle. Breezefern and Birchfall are on opposite sides of this divide. She doesn’t know who she’s supposed to help?

The son StarClan gave to her? Or the one she chose?

***

The night before the Great Battle, Breezefern admits to his mother that he was responsible for Ashfur’s. He spoke quickly and wetly.

“He wouldn’t move. And he had Squirrelflight pinned. I had to protect them. I’m sorry.”

Ferncloud said nothing.

*** Ferncloud was born to Brindleface of ThunderClan along with her siblings, Ashfur, Elderkit, and Tulipkit. Darkstripe was her sire, but Dustpelt and Firestar were her fathers. Her family was small until Cloudtail joined them, and her family only grew bigger from there. She had become so many things in her life. Warrior, queen, mother, sister, mentor, mate, child, friend, survivor, defender.

When she was a young kit, she grew up on stories. One of those stories was about the former ShadowClan leader, Brokenstar. Hearing about the damage he did to his clan and the lives he stole both young and old broke Ferncloud’s heart for the first of many times.

Despite being just a kitten at the time, she swore no other would come to harm under her care. So Ferncloud sees it as fitting that her life would end defending ThunderClan’s kits from that same monster she heard so many tales about.

Ferncloud would die surrounded by her loved ones that still remained. She was ready. It was time to go home.

#warriors cats #warriors cats au #ferncloud #a change of fate #ashfur #firestar #brindleface #cloudtail #daisy #breezepelt #spiderleg #swiftpaw #swiftpaw lives #snowkit lives #snowkit #dustpelt

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