So, I’ll be honest with you this AU kind of came out of no where but I’m... kind of in love with it now.
This AU pretty much destroys canon from the very beginning.
Into The Wild goes as planned except Sandstorm and Dustpelt become warriors alongside Graystripe and Fireheart. Also Sandstorm isn’t nearly as cruel to Fireheart and Graystripe and while Ravenpaw runs away it’s made clear Fire/Gray/Sand/Raven are a thing.
Fire and Ice is when we begin really changing shit. Brackenkit and Cinderkit stay kits who aren’t apprenticed to early. Graystripe still falls in love with Silverstream but he ropes Fireheart and Sandstorm into it so we get Fire/Gray/Sand/Silver.
With two of their partners in places where they can’t date them while still in Thunderclan, Fire, Gray, and Sand come up with the idea of moving into the barn with Raven and Barley. They of course invite Silverstream who longs for adventure outside of the clans and wants to be with her partners.
So everyone separates from the clans and moves into the barn. We work into a full polycule with Fire/Gray/Sand/Silver/Raven/Barley and it becomes clear Sand and Silver are pregnant with Fire and Gray’s kits respectively
Silver still dies while kitting, going into unexpected labor while out with Gray, Fire and Barley. Sand gives birth to her kits at the same time while in the barn with Raven but obviously she lives and Sand and Raven don’t find out Silver is dead until the others return.
Sand nurses Featherkit, Stormkit, Squirrelkit, Streamkit (Leafkit who was named after Silverstream rather then Leafstar who doesn’t exist in this au or fucking Spottedleaf) and eventually Cloudkit who Fireheart receives from Princess after visiting her just as he does in Forest of Secrets.
Tigerclaw does the dog thing but he does it without getting exiled from Thunderclan. Then he tries attacking Bluestar and Bluestar fucking kills him, putting the problem to rest so no one has to worry about it. Though he could also have been killed by Scouge while trying to make a deal or something. Admittedly, it doesn’t really matter. Point is, bitch is dead.
Featherpaw is still called on the journey, sneaking out after receiving prophetic dreams. Her siblings all end up following her and long story short, Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt end up getting stuck on a journey to the ocean with six apprentices.
Sharptooth isn’t a thing because I say so and as such no one dies on the journey. Though at some point Featherpaw does get some pretty severe injuries (maybe from trying to catch a hawk with the prey-hunters or something).
Stormpaw and Brook (who is also younger in this au) fall in love like in canon but instead of Storm moving in with Brook, Brook comes with Storm to the barn to stay with him.
Crowpaw and Featherpaw fall for each other and when the group gets back Crowpaw decides to join the other apprentices in the barn (it’s not like Windclan ever treated him particularly well anyway). The polycule welcomes him and gives everyone warrior names (Crow is insistent on the Feather suffix cuz he’s a fucking sap).
Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt are the ones who handle convincing the clans they gotta leave and like in the new prophecy (pretty sure it’s in Dawn) the clan cats stay in the barn for a few nights to prepare for the full journey.
When the clan cats leave a few stay behind. Dustpelt and Ferncloud along with Birchkit, Larchkit, and Hollykit (because they’re afraid for their kits survival on the journey as they should be and Dustpelt doesn’t want to leave his best friend and brother behind). Shrewtail (Shrewpaw who lived from the accident with the pheasant he’s just got a messed up leg, think Cinderpelt but a front leg) because well, his parents are staying with his younger siblings and he’s infatuated with Squirrelflight. Lostface (the dog incident happens but Fireheart isn’t wasn’t there to rename her), Swiftscar (he lived the attack but he’s fucking covered in scars and he’s missing a tail and leg) who both find themselves enamored with Cloudtail and their daughter Whitepaw also stays. Sorretail also stays, finding interest in Streamheart.
Streamheart also learns a sufficient amount of medicine from the different medicine cats in each clan after showing interest in the subject before the clans leave.
After the clans leave things sort of just... progress slowly. Fern and Dust’s second litter all live and they have Foxleap and Icecloud once the three earn their warrior names (Birchfall ofc, Larchwing and Hollywhisker). Though Hollywhisker dies at some point just before Feathertail has Crowfeather’s kits which end up being the three and they named Hollykit after her.
Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf are all named and because the three prophecy isn’t rlly a thing and they were never lied to or anything they a) don’t have powers and b) Hollyleaf doesn’t die ridiculously early
Breezepelt is also born at some point to Feathertail and Crowfeather, though whether it’s with the three or a separate litter is undecided and doesn’t particularly matter. Either way in this one he’s not nearly as much of a dick.
Birchfall and Whitewing have Dovekit and Ivykit together.
Graystripe meets Millie who moves with her housefolk somewhere nearby and she gets intergrated into the polycule where they eventually have Bumblekit, Blossomkit, and Briarkit
Stormfur and Brook have Larkkit, Breezekit, Pinekit, and Featherkit (unlike the other similar names this isn’t done because Feathertail is dead. Storm just really loves his sister).
Shrewtail and Squirrelflight have Alderkit, Juniperkit, Dandelionkit, and Sparkkit (and no one dies)
Lostface and Cloudtail have Amberkit, Snowkit and Dewkit.
Streamheart also passes down the information on herbs she gained meaning that many of the cats understand it (Lostface and Swiftscar also help having been locked in the medicine cat den for quite awhile).
Alderheart also finds Twigkit and Violetkit at some point but they’re just kits who were abandoned that he takes in to raise (maybe with Velvet though I don’t know enough about her to confidently add that in).
Essentially the barn cats sort of just grow on their own and become a group a bit like the sisters in that every cat sort of acts like the kits parents. They let in outsiders freely and it’s sort of it’s own peaceful little society. Because of the peace there’s little death and carnage as well so cats live for long periods of time (Ravenpaw’s cancer is a myth here, it doesn’t exist, begone angst).
