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I was feeling nostalgic a few days ago and wanted to re-read the fics that got me into fanfiction in the first place so imagine my surprise when I can't seem to find this fic in my bookmarks nor on the author's ao3 page. Anyhow, long story short, I went on a 4 hour investigation spree looking for the fic and stumble upon this post on your blog (https://www.tumblr.com/fortunatelycooltrash/190283589313/where-can-i-find-the-fanfic?source=share) that seemingly has the link i'm searching for but when I enter it doesn't work. So yeah, I think the work might be deleted and I wanted to know whether it was conscious choice on your part because this fic meant a lot to me and it would be a pity for it to be lost but at the same time I respect if that is your final decision for whatever reason (you already provided so many great works to the site that I can't really ask for more, y'know?).

I know this is old and that what I’m about to say is somewhat not relevant to your ask but it will answer your questions and hopefully anyone else that travels over from my ao3 account.

While I don’t plan to permanently be away, hardly anyone ever does. I didn’t shut off my laptop one day and decide I hated my stories and didn’t want to write them anymore, but life has a funny way of making writing funky cat stories sit on the back burner and then you turn around and it’s been years. The troubles I mentioned in my notes were not the worst ones to come and they never quite ended, there’s always a fire to put out somewhere and usually it burns out my motivation before I can put it out.

While I do understand people loved the story, the truth is that I really, really, don’t and I hate that stupid 15yr old me put it out for everyone to read without even polishing it. Even when I tried to revamp it, it would essentially be rewriting it which was too big a project for me to take on with everything else in my life.

It’s writing is bad to me and it embarrasses me for it to be public in any form, hence why comments that try and post links to downloaded versions or the way back machine are deleted from any other work they comment on. I can’t stop people from having these and, frankly, I don’t mind whoever has them having them <privately> but I prefer it to not be posted all over a Small Flame or A Snuffed Spark which are works that I was actually kind of proud of.

I know the intent is not malicious or disrespectful but to me it is. If I wanted the fic all over my profile, even when I’ve stepped away from it, I’d not have taken it down. The works I’m comfortable with being public are the ones I’ve allowed to stay up.

If you have a copy of it, or can find a copy of it, that does not bother me but please do not post it on my other works. I don’t want it on my profile or reposted on the site at this moment.

This is why. The bridge crosses from Fourtrees into Riverclan, not from Thunderclan into Riverclan.

Fourtrees itself is completely blocked by streams from Thunderclan, streams that flood in storms. In series one, when the streams flood, Thunderclan is forced to travel all the way to Shadowclan territory in order to reach the gathering. Once there and then barred from using Shadowclan land again, they use the bridge to cross into Riverclan and have to use a *fallen tree* to cross back because once the streams flood, there is no way across the river without swimming.

Mapleshades options were to either take her kits the shorter route, and over the stepping stones(which was going fine until the wave hit at once) OR to take her kits over the Thunderpath, into enemy territory, back over the Thunderpath, through Fourtrees, and then through all of Riverclan territory. In a storm. Unprotected in the forest. With 3 three-moon old kits.

Even if the streams weren’t as bad flooded as series one, it still would’ve required swimming for the kits to cross from Thunderclan territory to the Owl Tree/Fourtrees and at least at the stepping stones, they could pause and rest on the stones.

Plus the stones are uber close to RC camp as we saw in Crookedstar’s promise so not only were they able to pause in the swim, but they would be right at camp after it instead of at Fourtrees where they’d then have to walk all the way to RC camp.

It makes sense that Mapleshade took them there. It’s the easiest spot for kits or apprentices to cross, even if the rivers flooded, bc they can still sit and find purchase on the stones if they’re semi-usable, which they were in MV.

It was the shorter and arguably the safer route. Mapleshade couldn’t have predicted a Flash Flood was going to happen, so ofc she didn’t take it into account when choosing a route.

I know people say “But she used it after she left Riverclan!”

I am so embarrassed ab that fanfic that its not even funny 😅

I started it when I was 15 and very new to writing. The grammatical errors and lack of outline and direction to the story are obvious to see in my rereads of it. I never wanted to take it down because I knew people enjoyed reading it for its unique plot, but I also knew that I didnt want to continue it as it was.

So, I have compromised with myself. I have taken it down for now and stored it in my files so that I can do a complete revamp of the series. I want it to reflect my current skill so that I can actually enjoy writing on it again if I choose to continue it. One of the reasons it went so long without an update was because the storyline felt so jumbled and unsteady to me. Once I started on a Small Flame, a story that I outlined and actually worked to keep consistent with events and character development, I knew I had done a very bad job with The Judge's Choice.

I never built Shadowclans culture after that last post, I stepped away from Warriors to work on my own original series. I did have a layout for Skyclan though.

In one of the past posts, I mentioned a war between The Sun, The Earth, The Moon, Leafbare, and The River. This war was set off by Skyclan.

Long ago when Skyclan roamed the forest, there was no Starclan. The clans were born of The Earth, nurtured by The River and Earth, kept warm by The Sun, watched over by the Moon, and led to rest by Leafbare.

But when Twolegs came, their protectors could do nothing but watch. The clan was going to be destroyed if they did not have more land and so, the protectors began to fight. They picked their chosen clans and began to urge the others to give up territory, to yield to Skyclans need.

In all their fighting, Skyclan was left defensless. They could not stop the twolegs and the protectors were so busy fighting that they did not answer to Skyclans calls.

In their grief, Skyclan called for a new protector. One who would not leave them as easily as their others had. Their power created The Sky, who saw the agony of his new followers and drew them away.

I’m rereading Mapleshade’s Vengeance and it’s stuck out to me. He’s mentioned to be very new to being sole medicine cat, he hadn’t even delivered a litter alone before.

The sign came before he saw Mapleshade at the river with her kits. A stream of water washing away three reeds and he interpreted this as them not belonging in Thunderclan, which is why he was okay with them being exiled.

Thats well and good but if that was the signs true meaning, why was there no maple leaf? Or fourth reed? Something that implied Mapleshade also didn’t belong. All four cats were exiled but only three drowned.

Hello again Mudthorn, you’ve only ever existed in the allegiance of Tallstar’s revenge and now Leopardstar’s honor.

Leopardstar: Thunderclan only pretends to be honorable. I mean yeah, they saved our kits from drowning even though they cant swim and they fed us even though it got them in trouble but it’s all fake! Riverclan is far more honorable

Also Leopardstar: *Forces local cats from their home and bullies them to give up their food to prove a point*