Just realized I forgot the add the "So, if..." section at the end of the last WWI. Oh well!
Today: What if Graystripe wasn't captured by Twolegs?
Next: What if Tadpole had lived?
-Mossy
The clatter of the cages rang in his ears. The thick-furred gray tom hissed in fear and rolled smoothly to avoid a Twoleg's stomping legs. There was a cry of surprise from the tall, hairless creature, and it bent down toward the cat.
No! I will not be captured by this pink beast! He armed himself with a vicious snarl paired with bared fangs, and then swatted at one of the Twoleg's flailing hind legs with his claws unsheathed.
He felt his claws snag onto skin, and he pulled, growling in triumph as the Twoleg screeched in pain. In one swift motion, he leaped out of the way for the final time and hared off after Brightheart and Squirrelpaw.
o3o
"I didn't even see you were in trouble, Graystripe," Squirrelpaw told him breathlessly as they fled the Twolegs loading the monsters' bellies with cats in cages.
"Yes, if we'd seen you, we would've helped, of course," Brightheart assured him.
Graystripe, completely winded from their sprint, simply nodded before adding more speed to his pace, his paws burning with exhaustion but also excitement, now that he knew he would still be with his Clan even after that close call.
o3o
When it was decided the Clans would leave the forest a few days later, Graystripe was shocked. Firestar must be joking, he thought, watching his best friend hop down from the leaders' rock. There must be bees in his brain. We'll get through this, we have to. Doesn't he have faith in us, that we can overcome this?
The gray deputy hopped over a few boulders and skirted around Ferncloud and Dustpelt's play-fighting kits. He arrived just in time to tap on Firestar's shoulder before the tom could disappear into his makeshift den. Firestar turned around and blinked warm green eyes at him. "Graystripe," he murmured. "Is something the matter?"
"Actually, yes, something is the matter," Graystripe meowed. He used his thick, fluffy tail to usher the flame-colored tom away from the other cats. Some clusters of cats still remained after the meeting announcing their departure, and he was paranoid his insecurity might be overheard.
Firestar's face crinkled with worry. He glanced over his shoulder, and then said in a low voice, "Well, go on. Tell me what's wrong." His whisper of a purr was gone.
Graystripe closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he reopened the worried yellow orbs, locked his gaze in Firestar's, and muttered, "I know I'm completely outnumbered, but I disagree with just dropping everything and leaving our home like this."
"Home?" Firestar almost looked like he was going to laugh, but he contained himself. Instead he just jerked his head toward the now-sparse forest where ThunderClan's camp used to be safely nestled. "Graystripe, does that still look like home to you?" He didn't pause to let the long-haired tom answer. "If we don't leave now, the Twolegs will destroy us. They've already taken all the things we know and love; soon they'll be taking the lives of the cats we know and love."
Graystripe flattened his ears. "The only cat I've ever loved is with StarClan now. She is buried by the river. In fact, so many cats are buried here. We're just going to... to leave our loved ones behind?"
"We'll be leaving the shells of our loved ones behind," Firestar replied, his voice now more urgent. "You even said it- they're in StarClan. We can still see them in our dreams, no matter where we are."
In our dreams! "The medicine cats!" Graystripe exploded. "Firestar, Highstones!" He fixed round sun-colored eyes toward the pointed stones where the Moonstone was. "How will the medicine cats meet each half-moon? Where will apprentices go before they receive their warrior name? Where will we meet with StarClan?"
"StarClan will stay with us as we journey," Firestar mewed, his optics narrowed into slits. "There will be a place to meet with them in our new home."
Graystripe knew it was hopeless once Firestar's eyes were narrowed. This meant his friend was getting irritable, and after that it would be impossible to win an argument with him. Sighing in defeat, he turned tail and whisked himself toward the forest he'd been born in.
Luckily, the hard-headed Twolegs were nowhere to be seen. The yellow monsters that strayed off the Thunderpath were asleep. Graystripe easily slipped past their big, grinding paws, and heaved a sigh of relief as shade from the towering trees covered his thick pelt again.
He pounded through the woods until he arrived at ThunderClan's camp, the beautiful ravine. Already several tree stumps surrounded the hollow, where Twolegs had cut trees down. Graystripe gulped sadly, and curled up at the top of the ravine, memories showing in hazy images before his eyes. By the nursery, he saw himself as a kit, playing with Ravenkit and Dustkit as they scampered about and tripped warriors. By the apprentices' den, he glimpsed himself and Firepaw padding out, talking vigorously about whatever problem they needed to solve next. At the warriors' den, he recalled the countless sleepless nights where he lay in his nest, staring at the stars through the woven ceiling, thinking about Silverstream. Finally, his tired gaze drifted to the thorny entrance, the entrance he'd passed through so many times entering and exiting the camp, from his first time out as Graypaw to the last time he left, barely a moon ago.
It was too much. He exhaled softly and closed his eyes as night settled in. He just needed to spend one last night with his beloved home.
o3o
Hazy sunlight leaked into the den. He groaned and used a worn paw with dark, cracked pads to prop open one eyelid.
Dustpelt and Sandstorm were snoring nearby him. Beyond them was Brackenfur, sleeping a bit fitfully and mumbling. Graystripe cracked a wan smile, remembering how eager the tabby had been when he was his apprentice.
Old bones creaking, Graystripe sat up in his nest and pulled his body into a not-so-graceful stretch, his muscles trembling with the effort of holding himself up.
"Not exactly a swan anymore, hmm?"
He turned, and chuckled quietly when he saw Sandstorm watching him, her pale ginger tail curled over her paws.
"Never was a swan, never will be," he rasped in reply. With another deep sigh, he brought himself into an additional stretch. "I haven't eaten since yesterday morning," he remarked.
Sandstorm's eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me? " she demanded, rising to her paws quickly, but she immediately winced and fell back onto her rump again.
"Hey, now, you stay in that nest, if you don't want another wrenched muscle, you old badger," he rumbled jokingly. He slid out of the honeysuckle bush and set his paws on the short path to the fresh-kill pile.
He'd now lived in this camp for longer than he'd lived in the old ravine, and these days he barely had the strength to grieve for the loss of his old home anymore. And after traveling on the Great Journey, Graystripe had to focus on his deputy duties and exploring the new lake territory. He soon grew quite attached to it, and sometimes wondered if Silverstream would've liked the lake, or if she'd still have preferred the river.
Graystripe had retired a few moons before the Great Battle, and Firestar chose Brambleclaw to take his place as second-in-command. When Firestar passed away, it was all Graystripe could do to not yowl in grief day and night. It took a long time to get over his best friend's death, but being in the elders' den with his old friends Sandstorm and Dustpelt made it all better. They'd both lost their mates in the battle, and Graystripe long before, and now they all really understood each others' pain, and comfort each other for real.
He slowly leaned down and took a shrew from the pile. As he bit down and warm juices flooded his tongue, his stomach rumbled.
He once thought no one was on his side. He once thought he was alone. But now, as he picked up his pace heading back to the elders' den, he knew he wasn't alone.
He reentered the den, dropped the shrew at Sandstorm's paws, and purred, "Let's share, Sandpaw. If we finish fast, Bluestar says we can go out training with Lionheart and Whitestorm."
Her leaf-green eyes twinkled. In them, Graystripe saw the shining memory of Firestar. "Sounds fantastic, Graypaw. Then maybe we can race to Sunningrocks afterward."
o3o
So, if Graystripe hadn't been captured...
-He would've at first been against leaving the old forest, but eventually went with the other Clans
-He would not have met Millie, so no Blossomfall, Bumblestripe, or Briarlight
-He still would not have become leader, but retired a little before the Great Battle, and Brambleclaw still became leader
-Since there was no Bumblestripe to convince her to be loyal, Dovewing might have ended up staying with Tigerheart
Hope you liked!