What if Spottedleaf Lived

This is my entry for 's What if They Hadn't Died contest.

Well... here's the story that goes with it:


With a cry of pain, Spottedleaf finished, her lithe body heaving with gasped breaths. She looked up to see the worry and pride in her mate’s eyes, and weakly lifted her head to give him a reassuring lick before turning to her kits. Once she’d cleaned them and nudged them to her belly, she laid her head back down wearily. Fireheart butted his head into her shoulder lovingly.
“Two beautiful she-cats. “ He whispered. “One looks exactly like you.” His voice was a purr of happiness, and Spottedleaf purred back. Fireheart would be a good father. He stayed by her, and his friend caught food that she nibbled but didn’t have the strength to eat. She could feel her life slipping away… something must’ve gone wrong. Fireheart sensed this, and she could distantly hear him calling her name and yowling in anguish. Featherwhisker was there already, though, beckoning her to Starclan, telling her that her destiny lay there. Before she departed, she used her last ounce of strength to whisper to her mate.
“There will be three… kin of your kin… who will hold the power of the stars in their paws.” With that, she departed.

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Bluestar turned over in her nest restlessly, looking out of the entrance to her den. They sky was blood red, the setting Sun bathing the entire camp in a rosy light. A bad sign, if the medicine cats were to be believed. This didn't help the worry already making Bluestar's fur prickle. With a grunt, she lifted herself out of her mossy nest and, giving up any hope of sleep for the time being, slipped through the lichen that draped over the den and into the main camp. Approaching the gorse tunnel that lead into camp, she saw Ravenwing keeping watch.
"Any sign of them yet?" She asked, knowing that there was no point to the question as she would've known instantly if there's been a sign. The dark warrior shook his head.
"They've been gone for five days now…" He mewed, and she heard his concern for his friends plainly in his voice, along with his exhaustion. He'd been patrolling non-stop, keeping an eye out for them. Bluestar gently laid her tail across his shoulder reassuringly.
"Get some rest," she said quietly, "and have Sandstorm take over watch. That's an order." She added when he began to protest. Reluctantly, Ravenwing made for the warrior's den, and a few moments later Sandstorm emerged to take up her position guarding the camp. Bluestar nodded to her and padded over to the fresh-kill pile, which was fully stocked due to the extra patrols she'd been sending out. Picking out a small mouse she went back to her den, in no mood to dine with the others today. The entire camp seemed to be holding its breath, waiting in an abnormal silence only made even more eerie in the reddish light. Even the normally energetic Cinderpaw was sitting, still and silent, pressing to her brother, Brakenpaw, for comfort.
Spottedleaf had gone missing a moon ago. She'd told Bluestar that she'd received a vision telling her that she needed to assist the WindClan medicine cat, Barkface, with an outbreak of greencough. She'd insisted on going alone, without a warrior escort, and had been vague on when she'd be back. In her absence, Yellowfang was acting as the Clan's medicine cat, in lieu of her usual life in the elder's den.
The Clan hadn't realized that Spottedleaf was not with WindClan until the gathering one week ago, when a confused Tallstar had reported that there had been no greencough in his camp, and that they'd not seen Spottedleaf. ShadowClan and RiverClan hadn't seen her either, and the three other clans all promised to keep an eye out for the ThunderClan medicine cat.
Bluestar had immediately sent out patrols of cats to try to find her. All but one patrol had returned, unable to find her scent after such a long time. The one patrol still searching was made up of her deputy, Fireheart, and Graystripe. She'd noticed that the ginger tom had seemed especially worried for the safety of Spottedleaf, and he'd left even before she'd assigned the patrols. The last she'd seen of him was at the gathering, where he'd begged her to allow him and Graystripe to go out immediately. At her nod he'd dashed out of clearing and into the night.
Bluestar shook off her thoughts and tucked into the mouse, not really tasting the food. She was half-way through it when she heard a sudden yowl. It came from Sandstorm, and Bluestar immediately sat up in her nest. Outside, the camp suddenly came to life, excited mews signaling the return of Fireheart and Graystripe. Just as suddenly, though, they became silent again, as if shocked by something. Bluestar's fur bristled with worry, and she saw the shape of her deputy making its way to her den. What she didn't notice was the smaller shape already nosing its way through the lichen, and paid no heed to the kit's presence until Fireheart entered with another kit dangling from his jaws.
The kit that had walked in first was a tiny she-kit, with long, ginger, black, and white fur and amber eyes. The other kit was a darker ginger tortoiseshell she-kit, and looked frail dangling from Fireheart's jaw. Fireheart himself looked exhausted, and as he set the kit down beside her sister Bluestar saw that he apparently hadn't eaten in a while. She continued to stare at her deputy for a few moments, looking into his green eyes for some clue as to what was going on. She noticed that his eyes seemed dull and full of grief.
Finally, she asked "Where is Spottedleaf?" Fireheart blinked, as if shocked out of some reverie.
"Dead." He said, the word falling from his mouth like a stone and his shoulders hunched, and he suddenly looked much older than he actually was. Looking at the darker kit, Bluestar could guess to whom these kits belonged.
"…And their father?" She asked gently, already knowing the answer from looking at the smaller kit's fiery ginger patches.
"That's me." He admitted, his eyes not lifting from his paws.
"… tell me everything." She ordered.
Fireheart nodded, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. The story began, surprisingly, back when Fireheart was still an apprentice. He'd apparently fallen for Spottedleaf the moment he'd entered ThunderClan camp for the first time and met her as she tended to Ravenpaw. He'd kept his feelings to himself, knowing that medicine cats were forbidden to take mates or have kits, until the day that Spottedleaf had been attacked by Clawface. The near death experience had given the two cats the push to admit their feelings for each other the day after Fireheart's warrior ceremony.
They'd managed to keep it a secret the entire time, and had even worked together to reveal Tigerclaw for what he truly was before he could do more damage than he'd already done. Spottedleaf had traveled to Moonstone for Fireheart to speak with StarClan, and had backed Fireheart up when he'd presented his evidence to Bluestar of the evil cat's treachery. Spottedleaf had, frustrated with Bluestar's disbelief of the truth, convinced her to spy on Tigerclaw as he prepared a trap for the leader by the thunderpath, and had even saved Cinderpaw's life by stopping the apprentice before she wandered onto the place near the thunderpath so thin that monsters always passed over it. That, along with Ravenwing's tale of how Tigerclaw had murdered Redtail in hopes of becoming deputy, gave Bluestar the incentive to banish Tigerclaw. Spottedleaf had, knowing the great destiny Fireheart held, advised Bluestar to make the ginger warrior deputy. Briefly, the elderly leader wondered how she'd missed the look of pure pride she'd seen on Spottedleaf's face when she'd made the announcement.
Fireheart went on, saying that the two had continued their affair, and that he hadn't known that she was expecting kits when she went missing. Spottedleaf had feared for both of their positions in the Clan and had fled to Highstones and beyond, to a small patch of woods that no other cats inhabited. Fireheart and Graystripe (whom he'd taken because Fireheart knew that Graystripe would understand more than anyone his love for Spottedleaf) had found her there, days from kitting and very weak. Fireheart had stayed by her side, refusing to leave even to hunt for himself, and Graystripe had caught food for her. She'd died shortly after her kitting, and Fireheart had buried her, not having time to sit vigil because of the kits. Fireheart and Graystripe had raced as fast as they could with the precious bundles, and the kit that Fireheart had carried in had almost not made it. They were stopped in WindClan, and Fireheart's friend, Morningflower, had nursed the kits for a few days to get their strength back up. Fireheart had his vigil for Spottedleaf there, alone on the moors outside of the camp. That morning, Barkface had told him that the kits were well enough to travel, so Fireheart had returned home.
Bluestar stared in shock at her deputy, unable to speak. Wearily, Fireheart rasped his tongue over the smaller kit, who was stalking her own tail to amuse herself. "This is Squirellkit, in honor of her playful nature and bushy tail." He muttered. Glancing worriedly at the larger kit that was currently curled in a ball, asleep, he added "And this is Leafkit… named in honor of her mother." Fireheart seemed subdued, numb with grief. Bluestar realized that he needed her help, and she picked up the fragile Leafkit.
"Come with me." She said around the scrap of fur. Fireheart nodded and picked up Squirellkit, who squirmed in his grip, protesting. Bluestar led him out of her den and towards the nursery, ignoring the stares that followed them on the way. Once inside, she felt Leafkit stir at the scent of milk. Fireheart followed her in and they both put down their bundles. "Goldenflower," She addressed the pretty queen gently. "Would you please take in these kits?" The queen nodded, already worriedly nudging Leafkit close to her belly where she nestled in with Bramblekit and Tawnykit.
"Thank you." Fireheart breathed. He looked as if he was about to collapse.
"Get some rest." Bluestar ordered. "I will address the Clan…" She pressed her nose to his side comfortingly before Fireheart nodded numbly and slowly made his way to the warrior's den, his paws dragging wearily. Graystripe met him there, guiding him in and half-supporting him. The cats gathered in the clearing watched him as he went, and Bluestar leaped onto the highrock. She didn't bother calling the Clan to her, as they were already assembled and looking up to her expectantly.
"Cats of Thunderclan, I have grim news." She started. "It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you this… Spottedleaf is dead." Yowls of dismay rose up from the cats assembled, from all except Yellowfang, who was shaking her head sadly. Bluestar guessed that the old cat already knew everything. When the cries died down enough for her to be heard, Bluestar continued, relating the parts of Fireheart's tale she felt the Clan needed to know. The warriors, elders, and queens seemed divided over thoughts about Fireheart's actions. Half of the clan was furious for his blatant disregard of the warrior code, claiming that it was his fault that Spottedleaf died. The other half showed only sympathy for the suffering of their deputy, who had just lost his mate. "Fireheart will receive no punishment." She announced. "His suffering is punishment enough. Goldenflower has taken in his kits. This is my final word on the matter." With that she ended the meeting, giving dissenters in the crowd no chance to argue with her.
She only knew one thing for certain at this point. Fireheart's life would never be the same after this.



Characters (c) Erin Hunter

For the record, Squirellkit and Leafkit aren't OC's. They're the same cats, just with a different mother, and born much earlier. The biggest differences from the original story, besides the obvious, is that Ravenpaw stayed and became a Warrior, Cinderpelt never broke her leg and thus never became a medicine cat, and Tigerclaw is kicked out of the clan much earlier.