The last thing I expected when I woke up yesterday was finding out the results of Ash vs. Leon. Hopefully Ash goes to Paldea now.

True agony is subjecting yourself to Pokemon Scarlet/Violet leaks, building up a team despite the not-so-great designs, learning that the pokemon you chose have not-so-great stats and realizing that you're working the day the games come out, and also working practically the entirety of Thanksgiving week.

The reviewer from fanfiction finally clarified all the tenderness and love stuff from before. It actually made me think quite a bit- how can I show that Firestar can fight back the stone? I mulled over this question for a while, before coming to the conclusion that I don't have a satisfying answer, because the stone is so ingrained into Firestar's mind that you can't be sure if the thing is manipulating him or not at this point. It has what it wants. As for the point of Firestar thinking of ways to turn his treasures into dragons? He really doesn't want that for them though. He thinks his situation is enough of a curse already, he doesn't want his treasures to suffer as well.

The whole question of turning them into dragons would make a good point to the sequel.

But said reviewer doesn't deserve a satisfying answer anyway, because I saw the review they posted for A Spark of Thunderclan. Telling someone that they're a monster and should have their account taken down because you can't stomach angst isn't the flex you think it is buddy. Last time I take constructive criticisms from trolls :/

Reviews are appreciated!


Thin, gray light covered the forest. Long before the sun would crest the ridge, Bramblestar led his cats out of camp and brushed through the dew-soaked undergrowth, straight up the slope to the top border. Firestar dug his claws into the muddy earth as he watched them go with one eye open.

He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't worried for his hatchling. He was going off into unknown territory, regardless of how well Jessy could guide them, and potentially fighting off kittypets that were giving even Shadowclan a hard time. He knew from experience how dangerous kittypets could actually be.

He always reassured himself that if anything were to happen, he would be right there if he needed to step in. Thankfully nothing noteworthy ever happened during his hunting trips, and he had been quick in rescuing Seedpaw and Lilypaw. But this was something that he couldn't involve himself with, and it made his heart lurch at the though of his hatchling getting hurt without him there to help him.

His stomach churned at the thought of Bramblestar losing a life.

He couldn't let another one of his treasures die. What was he without his hoard?

He needed to go and bring him back!

'Where are these thoughts coming from?' He felt a twinge of heat at his chest, telling him all he needed to know. He closed his eyes, letting out a deep, smoky breath. It didn't do anything to calm the wild beating of his heart. 'He's leader now. I can't help him all the time.'

A pulse of even greater heat swept through him. The stone was beginning to glow softly, a bright red gleam against his black scales.

"Father?" He looked down to see Squirrelflight staring up at him inquisitively. The heat from the stone suddenly dispersed, the glow dying down as quick as it had lit up. He could still feel its warmth, like a fire had died down to a small ember. Not completely out, but there was enough for the fire to come roaring back if needed.

He had more pressing matters to attend to. Like his daughter, for one.

She looked tired, and not because she had just woken up. Her ears were lightly drooped, and her tail flicked every so often in short, quick bursts.

"I take it the talk didn't go as planned?" he murmured, trying to be quiet for her sake, knowing fully well what had gone between her and Bramblestar the day before.

"I tried!" she growled, flopping back by his claws. "I was about to tell him when Jessy showed up with her plan to deal with the kittypets. Bramblestar thought that was more important," she grumbled.

"That's because you hesitated hatchling. You can't keep stalking around the point like that," he said. He leaned down and lightly nuzzled her. "You're not mates anymore. You have to let this jealousy go."

"I know that!" she hissed. "I can't help it if I still have feelings for that stupid furball!"

He stayed silent, unsure of how to help her. He was trying his best, but relationship advice had never been his forte. The only thing he could do was to advise her and Bramblestar to talk it out. Bramblestar was constantly running into problems that the flooding kept throwing his way, which wasn't helping matters.

Both his hatchlings were so clearly stressed. Squirrelflight didn't know how to let go of her feelings, and Bramblestar was trying his best to help everyone, even Shadowclan.

"How's Mother doing?"

Her question made him suddenly aware of the warm spot of fur sleeping next time, pressed against his scales.

"She's still coughing, but not as much as before. I think she's doing much better now," he rumbled happily.

Squirrelflight purred at the news that her mother was getting better. Being outside of the damp tunnel had done wonders for Sandstorm's health.

Distant sounds of yowls and claw scratches made his ears and himself twitch. 'What was that?'

"Something wrong?" Squirrelflight asked him.

He opened his jaws to answer, but then his ears picked up another screech. "Sounds like a fight."

"What's going on?" a tired voice murmured groggily from beside him. Sandstorm was awake, leaning into Firestar. She tried clearing her throat, attempting to get rid of the raspiness lacing it. Squirrelflight was at her mother's side in an instant, briefly touching noses with her.

"Father thinks he can hear a battle going on."

"A battle? It's not close is it?" Sandstorm inquired him in alarm.

He narrowed his eyes, wondering the same. He extended his senses out, trying to pinpoint where the fighting was coming from. He could hear Windclan and Riverclan talking amongst themselves, but their concerns laid with where to find prey, shelter, or clean water to drink from whilst avoiding the flooding. The fighting wasn't coming from them. Shadowclan chattered anxiously about the patrol they were sending to the nearby Twolegplace in order to deal with those kittypets-

The kittypets! He turned his ears towards the direction of the Twolegplace, and sure enough, he could hear the fighting more clearly.

Bramblestar's yowling and his own frantic heartbeat entwined within his ears.

"Hatchling?"

Squirrelflight's head perked up. "Bramblestar's patrol must have found those kittypets," she stated, tail twitching in worry. "It must be going badly if Firestar is acting like this," she murmured to Sandstorm. Sandstorm didn't respond, only staring up at her mate in concern.

His chest felt hot, pulses of heat racing across his body from the stone's power.

He had to help his hatchling.

'No, he has to fight his battles on his own!' he fought back the intrusive thoughts.

He felt something like irritation flash through him.

Listen.

The screeches of cats battling felt closer than before. He could hear every huff, every claw swipe that went down, every pained gasp that Bramblestar was making.

He's getting hurt. Your hatchling needs you.

His wings twitched, aching to unfurl and fly straight towards Twolegplace and make sure his treasure was safe in his claws.

'No!' He squashed the urge down with all his might. 'I told him that he needed to be able to fight his own battles!'

There are many ways to help him without getting directly involved.

His eyes widened as the urge to protect rushed through him. The stone flared at his chest, urging him on, but he didn't feel its all-consuming force take him over. It was nudging him in a certain direction, but it wasn't forcing him to do anything this time.

Thunderclan had gathered outside, watching Firestar in curiosity as the dragon stared off in one direction. Squirrelflight didn't hesitate in telling the clan what Firestar was hearing, and the clan murmured worriedly for the battle patrol.

Suddenly, Firestar got up to his claws, opened his jaws, and roared, startling his clan out of their musings.

It was a roar filled with anger and longing. It served to carry a single message.

Stay away from my hatchling.

.


.

The battle screeched to a halt as a distant roar thrummed at everyone's ears.

"What was that?" one of the kittypets whimpered, fear-scent rolling off in waves.

Bramblestar's heart sank, recognizing the roar. 'Was that Firestar? Why is he roaring?' He noticed that everyone had stopped fighting, the kittypets scared of the unknown creature and his warriors shocked at the sudden interruption. He noted that while they weren't nearly as frightened as the kittypets were, they were still shaken.

He took the opportunity to sink his teeth into the lead kittypet, Victor's tail. Victor let out a shriek of pain and whirled to face him, but he was off-balance, and Bramblestar easily crushed him to the ground. Standing over Victor, pinning him down with both hind paws, Bramblestar raised his claws to slash through Victor's throat. "Do you give in?" he growled.

Victor bared his teeth in a snarl, the foreign roar forgotten. "Kill me if you want, fleapelt!"

Bramblestar stepped back, letting the defeated kittypet scramble to his paws. "Do you give in?" he repeated. Victor gave him a puzzled look, as if he wasn't sure why he was still alive. The rest of the kittypets gathered around, their expressions still somewhat threatening, though he could still detect some fear-scent coming off of them.

"Warriors do not kill if there is no need," Bramblestar told them. "But you must let the wild cats hunt here in the forest."

"Why should we?" one of them sneered.

"Because if you don't, we'll come back with more warriors, and show less mercy," Blossomfall growled.

The kittypets still hesitated, until Lionblaze stepped forward. His golden pelt was soaked in blood, and his eyes glared menace. He didn't need to speak; all the kittypets edged away from him.

"All right," Victor agreed at last, dull anger in his voice. "We'll leave the squirrel munchers alone."

"Good." Bramblestar was about to call his patrol together to leave, when a new voice spoke behind him.

"What in the name of Starclan do you think you're doing?"

Bramblestar whirled around. Rowanstar stood a fox-length away, flanked by Pinenose, Ferretclaw, and his apprentice, Spikepaw. The fur of all four cats was bristling with rage, so that they looked twice their normal size. Their furious gazes were fixed on the Thunderclan cats.

"How dare you come here?" Rowanstar hissed. Bramblestar was aware of the kittypets slinking away. He took a pace forward, trying to find the right words to defend himself and his patrol. 'Fox dung! I'd hoped we could get away without Shadowclan knowing we were here.'

"What makes you think you have to fight our battles for us?" Rowanstar snarled. "This is our hunting territory now. What gives you the right even to set paw here?" He dug his claws hard into the ground as if what he really wanted was to rake them across Bramblestar's face. "You came to offer us help, and we refused. Why couldn't you take no for an answer?"

"I thought—" Bramblestar began.

"Thought!" Rowanstar spat. "That was Firestar's problem, too. He always thought he knew what was best for every clan." His eyes waved around wildly, scanning the area around him. "And he's here isn't he? We all heard his roar! I thought he agreed to leave us alone! Does he think that just because he's some kind of giant lizard that he can do as he pleases with us?!" he yowled.

Stung, Bramblestar forced himself to stay calm. He didn't want other cats to think he viewed himself as superior to the other leaders, interfering when it wasn't needed. He also didn't want the other clans to know that he had no idea why Firestar had roared in the first place. For all he knew, something was happening back in Thunderclan territory!

'No, nothing is happening in Thunderclan. Firestar interfered in the battle. But why?'

"I found out Jessy had inside information," he meowed, angling his ears toward the brown she-cat, trying to bring the conversation away from Firestar. "She knew where these troublesome kittypets lived."

Rowanstar stared at Jessy. "Because she's a kittypet herself, right? So Thunderclan is taking in kittypets now?" he sneered. "What a surprise!" He lashed his tail. "Stay out of our business, Bramblestar, and concentrate on your own clan, like Firestar said we should be doing."

At a word of command from Rowanstar, the Shadowclan cats encircled the Thunderclan patrol and began to drive them back toward their own territory, keeping them tightly bunched together. Bramblestar felt as though they were being escorted back to the border like trespassers. 'Whatever Rowanstar says, we saved their miserable pelts,' he thought furiously, but he remained silent, recognizing that nothing he could say would help matters.

They crossed Shadowclan territory and reached the Thunderclan border near the grassy clearing.

"Now get out and stay out," Rowanstar growled. With a nod of his head he gathered his patrol and headed back into his own territory.

"The ungrateful, mange-ridden furballs!" Snowpaw's words exploded from him as soon as the Shadowclan cats had vanished into the undergrowth. "We were helping them! They should be thanking us!"

"Hmm..." Ivypool flicked her ears. "Maybe we should have waited to be asked before we helped."

"Maybe we shouldn't have helped at all," Thornclaw mewed.

"I can't believe they were so angry," Jessy murmured, her eyes still wide with shock. "I'm sorry, Bramblestar. I didn't mean to get you into trouble."

"It's not your fault," Bramblestar told her. "I made the decision, and if it keeps Shadowclan patrols out of our territory, it was the right one."

'I wish I was really convinced of that,' he thought to himself. Gazing at his battered warriors, he wondered if he had gone into battle for the right reasons, or if he had allowed himself to be swayed by Jessy's bold ideas.

For now, he was intent on getting back to camp and confronting a certain dragon. 'I thought he trusted me to make my own decisions…'


Firestar is falling into the instincts of a dragon quicker than he realizes.

How long will Bramblestar feel betrayed by Firestar's apparent lack of trust in his leadership? Even I don't know.

I'll be busy freaking out over Scarlet/Violet spoilers if anyone needs me.

Tell me how I did.