Picking on…Redtail!
Thanks to BrandyMyDog for the original suggestion and to everybody who voted in the Redtail vs. Dustpelt pole…
For those of you wanting to have a Dustpelt chapter, he's up against Tawnypelt for the next chapter. So it's Dustpelt vs. Tawnypelt for the next chapter! Please vote!
And, as always, tell me what you're thinking. Redtail's section is partly inspired by comments posted by BrandyMyDog and A Beautiful Oblivion (thanks guys!). So keep the comments and suggestions coming!
You guys have been awesome and have really inspired me to write. I know you'd really like my other stories that aren't Warriors related (see my profile page to get to them) so please check them out. Some of them haven't even gotten a single review yet so if you read them and like them tell me so. Thanks! I write more than just this series, you know?
Ramblings about how Redtail is just a pathetic excuse for a plot ploy and is *cough, cough: how do I put this?* a genetic freak of nature…
Folks, am I starting to sound like a broken record? Well, if I am blame the Hunters and not me. They're the ones providing me all this amazing fodder to talk about! However, I got a pretty special treat for you all today. We're going to pick on Redtail! And you all know what that means…
You see, my friends, Redtail shouldn't really even exist. Because, last time I checked tortoiseshell cats are ALL FEMALE! Regardless of what the Hunters want to believe many people who read their books have taken biology. Yes, that's right: I TOOK BIOLOGY! And, well, I saw the cute wittle diagram at the top of one of the pages (that even included an adorable picture of a tortoiseshell kitty) that explained that, because of a genetic mutation (that's right, it's a mutation) all torties are…um…female. It's something having to do with getting two X chromosomes.
Sorry for all the biology talk lol. But then, I decided to dig deeper. I mean I took bio awhile ago, and, who knows? there could be tortoiseshell males out there somewhere. And I came across some articles that talk about how extremely RARE tortoiseshell males are (check out the stats in there, they're CRAZY) and also found out that, because of the fact they get two X chromosomes, these cats ARE STERILE. (Check it out on Google, there's soooo many articles on it!)
Well, well, well, Ms. Hunter. I guess Redtail could actually exist after all. I'm sorry to have doubted you. I mean, come on, in a clan as inbred as ThunderClan there's bound to be, I don't know, lots of mutated genes floating around. But then, I remember something…something unforgivable. Okay, you're right. Redtail could exist (even if it IS extremely unlikely) due to the fact you made all the cats like to mate with their uncles (er…DustXFern anyone?) but then you had to go and make him a daddy.
That's right. Redtail, the STERILE male tortoiseshell is a DADDY. He's Sandstorm's DADDY (well, guess that explains the mood swings and falling for our dear Firestar…) And 1 + 1 = 4! I'm sorry, Ms. Hunter, did you ever get on the computer and do any research? Or did you just think it would be cute to have Redtail be a cute wittle MALE tortie with a *gasp* RED TAIL! I guess you never read your biology textbook or paid attention in class…
Moving on…okay where do I start regarding Redtail's position in the books? There's just so much to say and so little time… Well, let's see. Here is Redtail's ONE contribution to the story:
He gets killed by Tigerstar (then still Tigerclaw, the oh so loyal deputy).
Wow, he was like alive for a page or two in the first book of the first arc. I mean, seriously, we met him and then he was dead. I mean, seriously, Ms. Hunter? Why did you go to all the trouble to name him and make him a genetically impossible freak of nature just to (randomly) kill him off before we even really got to know him? What's the point of that? 'Cause I have sooooo many questions for him. The number one being…HOW DID YOU HAVE A KIT? AND WHO IN STARCLAN'S NAME HAD IT WITH YOU? (it says on Warriors Wiki that his mate was Brindleface which makes Ashfur hitting on Squirrelflight even creepier because that means HE'S HER UNCLE! AAAAHHHHH! (well, it wouldn't be the first time lol…guess that's why you can get a male tortie in ThunderClan!))
But, alas, the Hunters needed a quick and convenient plot ploy, one that would serve (even in death, mind you) to start into the whole omg the apparently noble and awesome Tigerclaw is actually EVIL plot line. And then, of course, our hero (the amazingly-awesome-kittypet-turned-perfectly-awesome-and-smart-detective Firestar (then still Firepaw/heart mind you (that's how long ago freaking Redtail died))) had to swoop in and be like: there's something fishy (and it sure as heck ain't RiverClan) about Redtail's (whoever that is, never met him!) death! I will totally find all the answers and SAVE THE DAY!
You all know how this ends. Wittle Firepaw/heart eventually exposes Tigerclaw as Redtail's killer (not that anybody believed him at first because Tigerclaw COULDN'T have been evil) and Redtail's (random) death is, well, avenged I guess. For the first time in the story, he can rest in peace without Firepaw/heart (who, by the way, never even met him) angsting over his death.
Oh, but there's more. You see, my friends, the Hunters decided to sort of kind of work on his character (randomly) in Bluestar's Prophecy. I mean, I guess they decided that the little genetic freak of nature (literally, he apparently was little) decided to get something resembling a personality (if you can even call it that). He's all nice and loyal to Bluestar at the end of the book. Awesome, Ms. Hunter, awesome! I got to learn so much about him from his brief cameo appearance. Loyal warrior? Check. Understanding? Check. Killed (randomly) for no apparent reason by Tigerstar? CHECK! Wow…what a life.
So if these cats had tombstones, Redtail's would read:
RIP Redtail. You lived and (randomly) died like your typical, generic warrior (i.e. underneath Ms. Hunter's thumb)
Not to say that I would've handled Redtail's death by Tigerclaw's ambition (no, but Oakheart clearly killed him, just ask ThunderClan for like forever (until Firepaw/heart saved the day again) better, but…well… I would have! I mean, come on, all the Hunters had to do was WAIT TO KILL HIM OFF! You know, give him a personality, make the search to find his true killer more personal. Because that would have been interesting, and maybe then I would have cared that Redtail (randomly) died. Maybe then his giving Firestar the gift of justice (wow…I didn't see that coming, no not at all) would have been more touching. I don't know.
Because Redtail never got the chance to be something. With the stroke of a pen, he was reduced to being that (random) cat that got (randomly) killed off by Tigerstar. Well, he got the honor of being el numero uno cat that died because of him, so I guess that's saying something.
So, to sum this all up, Redtail is nothing more than a plot ploy and a genetic freak of nature that should have never been able to have kits but because the Hunters apparently don't know squat about Bio he magically could. There's really not much else say…
Hope you liked it! And, as always, review, and DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR Dustpelt vs. Tawnypelt! Thanks guys.
Until next time,
~Moore12~