A small gray tabby tom stretched and woke up the sunrise after the Clan Gathering.

He'd normally think something like "What a great day!" or "The weather sure is lovely out!"

But not today, he felt as dark as the clouds hovering the leaf-fall scenery over ThunderClan camp.

He loved Gemlight, but she loved Bramblestar! Bramblestar of all cats!

I was there with her, I wanted to be her mate, I-

"Stormpaw!"

The gray tabby tom turned around and saw his mentor Blossomfall.

"It's time for the dawn patrol!" Blossomfall purred.

"Oh." Stormpaw smiled, dying inside. "Great!"


"You can set up the patrols, Gemlight."

"Do I need any advice?" Gemlight felt put on the spot, this was only her first sunrise as deputy!

"Just don't put too much pressure on one cat." Bramblestar yawned. "Try not to send one on more than one patrol if they're tired."

"OK." Gemlight saw Blossomfall and her apprentice Stormpaw waiting towards the camp's exit. She walked to them.

Bramblestar smiled as he stared at Gemlight's rump.

She's going to have my kits soon enough!

"Bramblestar?"

"Oh! Yes, Millie?" Bramblestar turned away and looked at the she-cat. "You back from Graystripe's vigil?"

"Yes, Sandstorm seems sad. Having to help bury Graystripe so soon after burying Purdy." Millie looked back up at Bramblestar. "May I talk to you privately?"

"Certainly." Bramblestar got up. "Let's go toward the WindClan border."


Bramblestar and Millie walked away from camp.

"Was there something you wish to tell me?" Bramblestar asked. "If it's about how Graystripe died, I insist it was a fox."

"I stopped loving Graystripe long before the fox attacked him." Millie confessed.

She then pointed at her belly with her tail.

"They're not his kits." Millie added. "They're from a tom in WindClan. They're Crowfeather's."

"Crowfeather's?" Bramblestar looked at Millie strangely. "Huh."

"I didn't want anyone to know." Millie looked down. "Graystripe was sobbing before he died. He knew that they weren't his kits because we stopped mating moons ago!"

"I won't tell anyone." Bramblestar meowed. "We need more kits anyway."

"Thank you!" Millie touched her nose to Bramblestar's shoulder and ran off. "Finally! My new litter will be nice and healthy!"

Bramblestar sat down and smiled, taking in the view of the forest.

So will my kits, mine and Gemlight's!


Gemlight had ordered the dawn patrol out and sent a border patrol toward the ShadowClan border.

"I want to join the border patrol." Dovewing insisted.

"Dovewing, you're expecting kits!" Gemlight looked at Dovewing sympathetically. "I'm sure every queen wants to hunt while they're expecting kits, but you have to care about your-"

"I don't care about my kits!" Dovewing snarled with hatred.

"What?"

Gemlight held back a smirk, while Dovewing held back a scream.

It was Bumblestripe.

"How can you not care about our kits?" Bumblestripe whimpered. "I thought you loved me."

"I do!" Dovewing lied and put back on her fake smile. "I was just reenacting Millie and her feelings toward Blossomfall and you!"

"Well, that's not really nice either." Bumblestripe narrowed his eyes at Dovewing. "My dad is dead, and you should me comforting me. Not making fun of my mother."

Gemlight knew the conversation was going nowhere, so she decided to visit the Nursery.

Cinderheart was by herself, her head down.

"Cinderheart, where are the kits?" Gemlight asked.

"Sandstorm's?" Cinderheart growled, lifting her head and glaring at Gemlight.

Gemlight flinched.

How could I have not noticed their absence?!

"I meant your kits." Gemlight sighed.

"They're with Lionblaze." Cinderheart whispered. "Sorry for snapping at you, sit down beside me please."

Gemlight nodded and sat down.

"Do you know where Squirrelflight and Leafpool are at?" Cinderheart asked Gemlight.

"I'm sorry. I do not." Gemlight sighed. "I would love to know why they disappeared so quickly."

"I fear the worst." Cinderheart whispered. "Did you happen to leave them alone with Bramblestar?"

Gemlight's whole body went cold.

"I-I, did!" Gemlight gasped. "You don't think-"

"I do, actually." Cinderheart sighed. "At this point, I believe Bramblestar is willing to do anything to keep you safe and happy. Even if it means taking the lives of others."

Gemlight felt hurt.

That must have been what happened to Graystripe!

"I'm sorry you had to hear this when it was too late." Cinderheart rested her tail on Gemlight's shoulders.

"It can't be!" Gemlight cried. "Maybe they were just banished!"

"I would find that unlikely." Cinderheart assured her. "Go visit the kits, it might make you feel better."

Gemlight nodded numbly and exited the Nursery.


Gemlight left the Nursery and felt a strong force pin her.

It was Lionblaze, he was shaking.

"MURDERER!" Lionblaze roared. "MY MOTHER IS DEAD!"

"Gemlight killed our grandmother?!" Fernkit cried.

"Isn't Gemlight our grandmother?" Sorrelkit asked.

"She isn't!" Lionblaze said to his kits. "Go back to your mother, now!"

The three she-kits squeaked and darted to the Nursery. Lionblaze turned to the crowd that had collected in the camp's clearing.

"Look at this fox-heart!" Lionblaze howled. "She's killed Squirrelflight and Leafpool!"

"I didn't!" Gemlight snapped. "I leaded the patrol back to camp! Ivypool! You were there!"

Ivypool kept quiet.

"SAVE ME!" Gemlight wailed. Lionblaze unsheathed his claws.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Lionblaze growled. His pupils turned to dots and he gasped.

Gemlight panicked.

Is he choking?!

She looked around him.

Bramblestar had his claws down Lionblaze's neck.

"DON'T KILL HIM!" Gemlight begged. She cried in horror and rolled out of Lionblaze's grip.

Lionblaze started hyperventilating and Bramblestar let go. He than started convulsing.

"JAYFEATHER!" Ivypool wailed.

"Leave him." Bramblestar growled at Ivypool.

She opened her mouth.

"I SAID LEAVE HIM!" Bramblestar repeated. "He's having a heart attack, he won't live."

Jayfeather looked horrified to move, simply staring at his dead brother from the medicine cat's den.

"For the record, I did NOT kill him." Bramblestar growled. "His heart killed him. Gemlight, let's go into my den. Cinderheart, Jayfeather, go help Sandstorm bury him."

Gemlight followed, leaving the shocked Clan behind.


Making Crowfeather the father of Millie's kits was a troll move. And I don't know why I stopped calling Squirrelflight "Squirrelpaw" in the last chapter. My bad. I'll just keep it as that.

And I like Bramblestar, I just don't love his character. Or his choice of mate at the end of Bramblestar's Storm.