The very last of the rewrites, posted August 19th 2020. We're doing this a day early because 1) the very last rewrite at last! 2) I'm also using this as a challenge submission for Fallenclan and 3) why not? I mean this one-shot is literally so perfect for the Twisted challenge that's it a suggested prompt. Chapter four (Thistleclaw deputy, not Bluefur) would fit and is better written in my opinion but it's already been posted, so I'm submitting this one for the challenge instead.

Anyways, like I said, this is the last of the rewrites so everything posted from now on will be brand new. The next one is crazy long but hopefully I will either strike a better balance after that or I'm just going to have to get used to cranking out 15k What Ifs, because that felt way too long to write.

Review Replies:

Snowcrystal of Thunderclan: Ahh yeah so much death in the last one... It's certainly one way to shake up the Warriors verse but I'm glad it didn't actually happen. Also, thank you for all of your suggestions!

"Guest": Thank you! :)

Mistress1296: Thank you for the suggestion!

ChocolateAndWriting: Thank you! I don't have a ton of experience (well until I did that one) with dark stuff/battles so I'm glad it turned out well (I mean not for anyone in the story but you know what I mean)

WyldClaw: Thank you! I'm glad to hear the fight scenes turned out well.

Swiftheart1267: Thank you so much! Yeah, I think I corrected that in the new version. Who knows what other me was thinking?

puppydogs68: Thank you so much for all of your reviews! Luckily (or unluckily) she was taken out pretty early on, so there's that! And yeah, wherever their spirits are now, the siblings get to be together.

LittleGhostCat: Thank you! And interesting suggestions..

Onto the What If!

What If Bramblepaw Left ThunderClan Instead of Tawnypaw?

Bramblepaw's POV

"Nothing but His Shadow"

ThunderClan… Even to this day, the word fills me with anger. I tried so hard to be one of them but only Goldenflower and Tawnypelt could ever see me as more than my father's lookalike, his shadow. Whenever I turned my back, they talked about me. They thought I couldn't hear them, but I could. I heard every word they said about my impending evilness, because clearly, I was going to be just like my father. After all, evilness is apparently a genetic trait nowadays. ThunderClan couldn't even look at me without jumping, never seeing me for me. They always saw my father first. For whatever I did, I couldn't get out of Tigerstar's shadow. I was his shadow. And if you couldn't beat them… you join them. Or in my case, you joined ShadowClan.

I padded out of the apprentices' den right as Fireheart was coming up to it, not on purpose of course. He jumped and stared at me, wide-eyed and fur bristling for several heartbeats. Then, taking deep breaths, my mentor calmed himself down. I felt anger brewing up inside of me. I'm nearly seven moons old now! When will he finally understand I'm not Tigerstar?

"Hello, Fireheart," I said evenly, meeting his wary gaze. "What are we doing today?"

Fireheart gave himself a shake before forcing himself to look at me. "Right. Well, the elders need their bedding changed and then there's some ticks to get rid of," he said. "And then, if we have time after that, I was thinking we'd go hunting."

Isn't it Ashpaw's turn?

I didn't bother to tell him that. Like he'd care that mini-Tigerstar was going to be stuck with the elders all day when he could be training or hunting for the Clan.

"Okay," I muttered.

Leaving Fireheart where he was, I went to go assess the elders' den. For instance, how much bedding was I going to need? Did they want me to bring something else while I was at it, like a shrew for example? I might hate the job, but it's my duty to do it so I was going to do it well.

I poked my head into the elders' den and looked around. "I'm going to be doing your bedding and ticks today," I told the elders, my tone obviously unhappy about the whole ordeal. "Do you want me to bring you all some prey when I come back with the fresh bedding?"

"Hmm, Tigerstar never liked doing the elders' bedding either!" Smallear remarked.

I bristled. "I'm not Tigerstar!"

Smallear rolled his eyes and looked at Speckletail. "So he says. Tigerstar was always saying how good and pure-hearted his deeds were. How killing Redtail was for the good of ThunderClan. How killing Brindleface was for the good of ThunderClan."

Seriously? All I did was walk in and ask them if they wanted anything, and this is what I got?

Okay, I could admit that my tone could have been more friendly. But I'd never said a single harsh word to any of the elders – I had always been perfectly polite and done a thorough job with both ticks and bedding.

"Just get it through your thick skulls already!" I hissed, tired of listening to them debate whether I would match my father's evilness or outdo him. "I. am. not. my. father."

Turning, I stalked out of the den right as Smallear began commenting about how Tigerstar had had such as short temper as well. Tawnypaw, who was trotting into camp with two mice in her jaws, shot me a confused glance but my angry look deterred her from approaching me.

I stopped just a few fox-lengths away from the fresh-kill pile and look around camp.

There's Fireheart, eating something with Graystripe. While my mentor's always been perfectly polite to me (just like I've been to the elders), he can never see me for me. I know that he wanted me to be his apprentice, but I think it's more of a pity job than anything else. Or maybe he just wants to make sure that he trains to me to be 'good'.

Graystripe wasn't so bad. He had always been friendly to me, but I could still tell that he feared I would follow in my father's footsteps.

Across camp, Whitestorm was sliding into the warriors' den. I bared my teeth – Whitestorm is always careful around me, never talking about anything important and rarely trusting me. The tom seemed to believe that I would just run across the border and tell ShadowClan all of ThunderClan's secrets the moment I learned something juicy.

And Frostfur, one of the nursery queens who I had grown up under. After Tigerstar's treachery was revealed she was constantly telling Tawnypaw and myself about how terrible Tigerstar was and how important it was that we understood murder was bad. We had just been innocent kits then, completely unaware of what our father had done or why he wasn't around anymore, and yet she was already worried that I would be a miniature Tigerstar.

Cat after cat fell under my gaze and I found myself getting angrier. None of these cats respected me for who I was. None of these cats could look at me without a moment of confusion as to my identity. None of these cats believed I would be a good, loyal warrior.

So why try? If everyone thinks I'm another Tigerstar, so be it! I will be!

I stormed out of camp, running for the ShadowClan border. All my life, ThunderClan had been a place where cats were certain that I'd turn evil, where they never hesitated to remind me of my father and to see me as just another version of him. And I was done just sitting there and soaking it up. I deserved a home where cats didn't constantly compare to me to someone they hated.

So, I was going to go to ShadowClan to be with my father. There, he was respected. There, he was someone admirable. There, cats would be honoring me for looking like him, not scorning and mistrusting me.

And then I would be the greatest warrior ever – for ShadowClan – because I would have a Clan who truly saw me, not just my father.

. . .

Tigerstar's POV

"Unexpected Visitor"

Hah, I wish I could have seen the look on Fireheart's face when he realized that his own apprentice had left him to be with me. Not so amazing now, huh? Though Bramblepaw's choice was more than just a glorified set of bragging rights for me – he was my son, and I did genuinely care for him. He did have my blood, after all, and he deserved better than to have some measly ThunderClan cat train him. Here, he would be my heir, and all of ShadowClan would respect him. Or fear him – whichever worked best.

"Bramblepaw! What a pleasant surprise," I mewed, rising to my paws and stretching luxuriously. My son was padding towards me with Blackfoot just a few paces behind, his ears pricked and gaze clearly interested. My deputy had found my offspring in the territory attempting to find the ShadowClan camp. "Might I ask why you're here?"

My son narrowed his eyes, his claws scoring marks in the ground as his tail twitched with agitation. "I want to join ShadowClan."

I bit my tongue to stop myself from expressing my surprise. "J-Join ShadowClan?" I echoed, but I guess more of my curiosity bled through than I had intended.

Bramblepaw looked at me, taken aback. "Uh…"

"Never mind that, I'm just surprised," I told him, circling my son slowly. "I thought you were loyal to ThunderClan."

Endless possibilities ran through my head. This was my son, my own flesh and blood, but he'd been raised in ThunderClan with cats who hated me. I didn't know if I could trust him. What if Fireheart had sent him to spy?

"I wanted to be loyal to ThunderClan," Bramblepaw spat back, fur bristling. He had my spirit. "But I can't be loyal to a Clan that doesn't trust me."

"Then you came to the right place," I purred reassuringly, drawing my tail over his back. "ShadowClan would be more than happy to let you join. You are my son, after all – you already belong here. It's in your blood."

Bramblepaw nodded determinedly. "Right! I'm going to be a ShadowClan warrior."

"Of course you are," I answered. "In fact, I'll hold the ceremony right now. You'll be the best warrior in ShadowClan."

I turned, making powerful leaps that brought me to the branch where I usually addressed ShadowClan from and called for my Clan to gather. In moments they were flooding the clearing, attentive and ready to hear whatever I had to say.

"ShadowClan, today we are welcoming a new Clanmate," I began. "My son, Bramblepaw, wishes to join us rather than serve the pitiful Clan he was raised in. Therefore, he will need a mentor. Blackfoot, you are a strong and loyal deputy and I trust you will train Bramblepaw to be the strongest warrior he can be."

Blackfoot stepped forward while ShadowClan let out incomprehensible murmurs, eyeing my son while the deputy and apprentice duo touched noses.

Even if they didn't approve of my decision, they wouldn't say anything. I was their leader and I didn't need their opinions. Bramblepaw was my son, and it was his birthright to be trained in this Clan.

"Meeting dismissed," I said, leaping off the branch. "Return to your duties."

Cats filed out of the clearing, either into their dens, to the fresh-kill pile, or out of camp. I watched with satisfaction as Blackfoot assigned a few patrols in advance before heading out of camp with Bramblepaw in tow.

It looked like I had Blackfoot's successor up and rising.

. . .

Blackfoot's POV

"The Newest Warrior"

I'll never forget my old apprentice. He started out innocent, determined to prove himself, but I knew that Tigerstar was whispering in his ears. He changed from friendly apprentice to calculating soldier. After being exiled for following Brokenstar, I knew my loyalties belonged with ShadowClan rather than its leader, and I found myself questioning Tigerstar more and more as I watched my apprentice change. Was Tigerstar as loyal to ShadowClan as the rest of us, or would he and his son follow in Brokenstar's footsteps? I didn't know, so I just tried to be the best deputy and mentor that I could. My apprentice started out as a good cat. I had to hope that that cat was still there.

"Let all cats old enough to kill their prey gather beneath the longbranch for a Clan meeting!" Tigerstar yowled from the branch.

I eyed Bramblepaw. The tom was freshly groomed, and his eyes shone with an emotion that I couldn't quite pinpoint. It had been so much easier to read him in his original days in ShadowClan, back before Tigerstar had sunk his claws into the young tabby. Bramblepaw had changed physically as well; he just was just as large and broad-shouldered as his father with the same strong muscles rippling under his pelt and identical amber eyes. Perhaps the only difference in their appearance nowadays was Tigerclaw's giant claws and the telltale scar across the bridge of his nose.

"I, Tigerstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice," Tigerstar began. "He has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code and for that I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Bramblepaw, do you promise to protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life, and to be loyal to me, your leader, for as long as both shall live?"

Why does he always feel the need to add in that second part? Ever since Tigerstar had become leader of ShadowClan, he'd added the clause about loyalty to him to each warrior ceremony. I would almost call it insecurity, but Tigerstar was too proud and calculating for that. He had made ShadowClan strong despite the sickness, had made himself the only cat worthy of being our leader. He didn't need pledges of loyalty for our obedience.

"I do," Bramblepaw said confidently, raking his fierce amber gaze around the camp.

"Then from this moment on, you shall be known as Brambleclaw," Tigerstar declared. "StarClan honors your courage and strength and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Brambleclaw! Brambleclaw!"

The Clan cheered his name. I added my own voice to the chants, proud for my former apprentice. He was only ten moons old, not quite the traditional age for a warrior ceremony, but he was as good as any other warrior. I pushed down the part of me that remembered Brokenstar apprenticing kits too early, because Brambleclaw had proven his capabilities.

"You will make ShadowClan proud," I said, brushing my tail against Brambleclaw's shoulder.

He gave a curt nod in response. "I hope so."

But if I was right about Tigerstar, if he wasn't as devoted to ShadowClan as he seemed, then what did that mean for Brambleclaw? If the time came when ShadowClan and Tigerstar found themselves on separate sides, where would Brambleclaw stand?

Who was he loyal to? His father or the Clan that had taken him in?

. . .

Firestar's POV

"Tiger and Lion"

I will always remember the first time that I saw Brambleclaw after he abandoned ThunderClan. It was shocking – breathtaking – how much he had changed, even more his father's image than ever. The dark, cold look in his eyes scared me to be honest, resurfaced too many memories of a certain dark tabby warrior fighting to destroy ThunderClan. But would Brambleclaw follow in his footsteps?

"BloodClan, attack!" Tigerstar ordered again, his pelt bristling.

Scourge casually drew his tongue over a white forepaw. "I believe my warriors will fight when I tell them to, not when anyone else does," he said.

"Then tell them to attack," Tigerstar roared. "Attack!"

"Oh, you thought I'd fight with you?" Scourge taunted, turning to face Tigerstar. "After what you did to me? All I'm here for is revenge – and then, perhaps, I'll take the forest for my own Clan. As if I'd share it with these measly Clan cats."

I shared a bewildered look with Tallstar and took an uncertain step backwards. What was happening?

"What are you talking about, kittypet?" Tigerstar said, sneering, though I thought I could detect a hint of confusion and perhaps fright in his amber gaze. "BloodClan, attack!"

Still nothing.

Tigerstar lunged for Scourge, who neatly sidestepped, flipped Tigerstar on his back, and sliced him open from throat to tail. The small black tom leaned in close to snarl in Tigerstar's face. "You'll never forget me, will you?"

Anger and recognition flickered in Tigerstar's eyes before the light died from them, the massive tabby falling still. He was losing a life.

A dark brown tabby shape flew out of the crowd and tackled Scourge. I stared, astonished – Tigerstar was dying! How could there be two of him?

It took me a moment to realize who it actually was.

Bramblepaw.

No, Brambleclaw, I corrected myself. Tigerstar had announced his son's warrior name at the last Gathering even though Brambleclaw should still have a couple moons of training left.

Scourge and Brambleclaw started a vicious fight. I held my breath, waiting for the BloodClan warriors to attack, but the small tom never gave the order. A confident gleam lingered in his eyes before Scourge caught sight of Brambleclaw's appearance.

"But… I killed you!" Scourge spluttered, backing up. His gaze darted between Tigerstar and Brambleclaw. "There's two of you?"

Huh. Brambleclaw was identical to his father. And if Scourge didn't know that Tigerstar had a son…

"You really want to fight the Clan cats now?" I challenged, stepping forwards. "When their leaders can't be killed? How long will you keep fighting us? You can kill our Clanmates, but that won't stop us. We'll destroy you no matter how long it takes."

Brambleclaw and my fellow leaders hid their confusion well.

"Try and kill me again if you can," Brambleclaw offered, his tone taking up a teasing glint. "But your wounds will stay with you, and every time I come back, I'll be stronger."

Scourge's pelt bristled. "But-"

Something clicked. I stepped forwards again. "You might have the stronger claws, Scourge. But we have something that you don't: StarClan. We'll keep coming back even when you're long dead."

"That's not possible!" Scourge snarled and flew at Brambleclaw with claws outstretched. "You have to be a different cat!"

Brambleclaw ducked under Scourge and bucked his hindlegs, catching Scourge in the stomach. It was a move that I'd seen Tigerstar use before – his father must have shared his advanced fighting techniques with his son. "Oh yeah? You think any other cat could keep up with you?"

"I killed you!"

"It was a lucky shot, I'll admit. But can you kill me again?"

Scourge hissed lowly. He didn't speak but his message was clear: challenge accepted.

With Scourge and Brambleclaw engaged in a fierce whirlwind of claws and fangs, the BloodClan leader didn't notice Tigerstar bubbling back to life. The true ShadowClan leader moaned weakly before falling limp again.

Was he losing all his lives? Was this a wound too great for even StarClan to heal?

I shared a horrified look with Tallstar. "What do we do?" I asked. My fur was completely bushed out at this point.

"Who knows?" Tallstar murmured in response, his gaze flitting between Tigerstar and his duplicate. "Tigerstar was a terrible cat, but no one deserves such as a death. As for the… whoever he is… we can't risk aiding him. We can't spur BloodClan into attacking – they have the numbers and all we have is a bluff." A moment of silence passed. "That was a bluff, right? That tom can't be Tigerstar."

"Tigerstar's son," I corrected. "Brambleclaw, remember?"

Absently I noted that maybe this was why Brambleclaw had left ThunderClan. Only ShadowClan could ever grow to see him as someone other than Tigerstar. The rest of us saw only his father.

Tigerstar stirred again, then stilled once more.

Suddenly, Tallstar and I peeled backwards as Scourge and Brambleclaw rolled towards us. It was nearly impossible to keep track of the battle. Tallstar retreated far enough to give them plenty of space, but I stuck a little closer, straining to predict Scourge's movements.

There!

As Scourge backed towards me, his and Brambleclaw's forms blocking any view the BloodClan cats had of me, I reached out a paw and tripped him.

Brambleclaw reacted instantly, lunging forwards to pin Scourge to the ground. The massive tabby leered at the BloodClan leader. "Did you really think that you, a kittypet, could take me out?"

Scourge snarled up at him. "BloodClan, atta-"

A wound ripped from throat to tail promptly appeared, cutting Scourge's words off. Brambleclaw stepped backwards to watch impassively as Scourge stopped breathing, then swung his amber gaze to where the BloodClan warriors had begun charging down the slope.

"You saw me come back to life," Brambleclaw snarled. "A fresh body with no wounds – even my scars were healed. Do you really want to fight me? Are willing to condemn yourselves because of orders given by a dead cat?"

The BloodClan cats hesitated.

Brambleclaw pressed his advantage, drawing himself up to his full height. "I will kill you all, one by one, and I'll walk away. But I'd rather not waste my time on you. So, I give you one last chance: leave the forest, forever, and I won't hunt you down."

Silence.

Bone, the supposed deputy of BloodClan, narrowed his eyes. "We won't forget what you did, Tigerstar."

"What part?" Brambleclaw asked loftily, having the nerve to sit down and lick one blood-covered paw. "The part where I came back to life? The part where I killed your oh-so-skilled leader? Or the part where I gave you a one-time offer for mercy? Because, just saying, your window of opportunity is running out."

"I'll find a way to kill you, and make sure you stay dead!"

"Five."

Bone looked over his shoulder at his warriors. Some cats had already begun to slowly creep backwards.

"Four."

A pawful of cats broke away and hared over the hill and out of sight.

"Three. I'm serious, you keep your paws out of the forest and I'll keep my claws out of your neck."

I moved to stand beside Brambleclaw, fluffing my fur out. Tallstar did the same on the other side.

"Two."

More BloodClan cats disappeared. Brambleclaw continued to stare calmly at Bone.

"One."

Bone flattened his ears. "Fall back! This was Scourge's battle, not ours."

He turned and ran, the powerful tom weaving his way amongst his companions. In seconds, all of BloodClan was gone from sight.

The four Clans were left alone in the hollow.

"So that's it. Tigerstar's dead," Blackfoot breathed, taking a step forward with wide eyes.

I slowly flattened my fur and turned to Brambleclaw. "We're lucky you look so much like your father. Nice acting."

Brambleclaw snorted. "Once again, I'm nothing more than a shadow to you, Firestar."

I paused. "What do you mean?"

"You could never look at me without seeing Tigerstar first," Brambleclaw said darkly. "No one in ThunderClan could." The massive tabby flicked an ear dismissively at me before focusing his attention on Blackfoot. "So now what?"

Blackfoot raised his head. "As the new leader of ShadowClan, I think that there is a lot for us to discuss." He nodded to Tallstar and I. His gaze swung to Leopradstar. "And, surely, I would hate to leave RiverClan out."

"What happened to TigerClan?" I asked warily.

The white tom snorted. "TigerClan? That's no more than a nursery tale and it will never be more than that again."

I nodded silently.

"Brambleclaw," Blackfoot continued. "Take our Clanmates back home. Tell Runningrose that we will leave for the moonstone when I return."

The tabby nodded, accepting the order, and threaded into the crowd of ShadowClan cats.

Blackfoot paused, then looked back. "And Brambleclaw?"

"Yeah?"

"Good fighting out there. You saved the Clans. Your father would be proud."

. . .

Littlecloud's POV

"His Father's Son"

Brambleclaw saved us from a fight with BloodClan that surely would have led to countless casualties. Most cats saw him as a hero. I saw him as a cat who mirrored his father in more than just looks. He wouldn't have been able to defeat Scourge and scare off BloodClan otherwise. Before Tigerstar joined ShadowClan, I'd received an omen that told of an unfamiliar shadow darkening our Clan. Then Tigerstar came, and lifted us up – and while his intentions were dark, he ultimately brought more good to ShadowClan than bad. But his son was unfamiliar, too, and as long as Brambleclaw lived I waited for the day that he would destroy us.

I still remembered the day that he first became a mentor.

"Snowkit, from this moment on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Snowpaw," Blackstar had said, his blue eyes then turning to pick out the tabby in the crowd. "Brambleclaw, you will be her mentor. I taught you myself and I know your strength and courage better than most. May you pass on these qualities to your apprentice."

I had narrowed my eyes. Brambleclaw, while due for an apprentice, was too fierce a choice for cheerful young Snowpaw I felt. I was sure he would teach her nothing but darkness.

Maybe Blackstar had had a better reason for pairing the two together, I'd figured. After all, Blackstar had been Brambleclaw's mentor. But I was scared because I knew that training an apprentice would only enable Brambleclaw to spread whatever darkness Tigerstar had ingrained in him, not to mention qualify him for advancement in the Clan.

Blackstar was the leader, though, not me, and there wasn't anything I could do about his choice. All I could do was hope that StarClan was lighting Brambleclaw's path in the right direction.

Snowpaw became Snowbird, a confident young warrior with a skill for battle who was both fierce and loyal. I saw the spark in her eyes and forgot about my worries for a while.

A while turned out to be several seasons, all the way up until Lionblaze killed Russetfur.

Blackstar had stood tall throughout the ceremony, but his tail hung low behind him. "I say these words before the body of Russetfur, so that her spirit may hear and approve of my choice. Brambleclaw will be the next deputy of ShadowClan."

I cornered Blackstar outside camp and regaled him with my fears over Brambleclaw's loyalties. He was the unfamiliar shadow that would darken ShadowClan, I was sure, but Blackstar called me biased and sent me away.

"Brambleclaw is a fine warrior and he's earned my trust," Blackstar had told me.

I had lashed my tail, agitated. "And I haven't?"

Blackstar had been silent for a long moment. "You have always seen his father first. But Brambleclaw isn't Tigerstar's shadow."

So, I retreated.

Every half moon, I found Blackstar again. "He's going to destroy us. You need to send him away."

And every half moon, Blackstar dismissed me.

I stopped only when Brambleclaw summoned me for our journey to the moonpool. I looked up at the dimming sky, where I knew Blackstar now shone, and lifted my muzzle in a silent plea.

Blackstar was the first to give Brambleclaw a life.

"He's losing a life! Quick, Snowbird, help me get him out of the battlefield while he recovers!"

Moons later we were in a battle that Bramblestar didn't start. He had done his best to reason, but when it was clear that battle was inevitable, Bramblestar hadn't backed down. He led ShadowClan into battle with his head held high and claws outstretched.

He wrestled with Darktail, the two of them writhing and screeching until Bramblestar fell still and Darktail was tackled away from him by Tawnystar of ThunderClan.

I watched as Puddleshine and Snowbird tugged him out of the fray. I joined the circle of StarClan cats as we welcomed Bramblestar and readied him to return to the battlefield. Blackstar made eye contact with me from across the clearing, a challenge in his gaze.

But I knew what I had seen. An unfamiliar shadow will darken the Clan.

I waited for ShadowClan to fall, but Bramblestar led them to victory.

He never took a mate or had kits, never trained an apprentice other than Snowbird, and never seemed to socialize with his Clan. ShadowClan followed him out of loyalty and respect that was won through service rather than through friendship, but it thrived. I couldn't understand how someone so distant from his Clan could lead them safe and sound through disasters.

Bramblestar was unfamiliar to ShadowClan, both in heritage and in nature, but ShadowClan was strong.

"He's going to die in this battle," Runningnose had observed, the two us having just finished warning Puddleshine of an upcoming raid by foxes.

I nodded, glancing at my mentor. "He's served ShadowClan for many moons. No one will be surprised."

"But only you will happy."

I paused, looking at Runningnose inquisitively. "What are you talking about?"

"You still don't trust him," my mentor stated. "You're glad he won't be able to affect ShadowClan anymore."

His tone was accusing, and I stiffened defensively. "I was the one received the omen! An unfamiliar shadow will darken the Clan. Bramblestar is the most unfamiliar ShadowClan cat there is, and he's in a position where he can destroy it."

Runningnose tilted his head. "Have you ever considered any alternate interpretations?"

"Yeah. I thought Tigerstar would be the shadow, but in the end, he never hurt ShadowClan. Bramblestar drove off BloodClan before we had to fight them."

My mentor paused to sniffle. How was it that even in death his cold persisted?

"Littlecloud, what if a shadow darkening ShadowClan is a good thing?" he asked me.

I flattened my ears, bewildered. "How?"

"We are a Clan of darkness, are we not? What if being darker makes us stronger?" Runningnose proposed. "That was always how I considered it. There's a reason our night ambushes are feared, and we send patrols at night – we thrive in the dark."

I opened my mouth to protest. "But-"

"You received the omen, yes, I know. Maybe that's why you're so unwilling to change your views. But Bramblestar has saved ShadowClan time and time again. You might see his father when you look at him, Littlecloud, but everyone else sees a warrior."

I tried to stick true to the plot of the original What If, though if I redesigned it completely I think I would definitely take out the Littlecloud omen/prophecy thing. It was a good way to run by the latter end of Brambleclaw's life, though, so it does serve a purpose here. I think the What Ifs current most interesting to me right now would be attempting Tiny being the favorite again, Tigerclaw managing to kill Bluestar before Fireheart found him and thus leaving ThunderClan leaderless, Yellowfang remaining a warrior, and/or if SkyClan never left the forest, so if there's one of those that particularly interests you feel free to say so in the comments as I'm still deciding which one. Feel free to also leave other suggestions, I'm going to put them all into a OneNote page for brainstorming.

Anyways, updates should start to become more sporadic from now on since I don't have anything really stored up other than the next one. Please feel free to leave some constructive criticism as well, all the suggestions you guys have left me and the other positive notes are great but I'd love to get pointers as to what I can improve upon as well. Thank you all and see you next time!

Syrup / Rain