#dandeliontuft

It gets to a point where "I'm not mad, just disappointed" stops describing it.

"Actually... I am mad. I'm glad you're not a serial killer, but that's a really low bar, and you still acted like this."

He already has so much on his plate with Starclan, having to work to reform everything. He missed his own sister's death just because he was busy speaking to older Starclan cats who wanted to damn his daughters.

Then to look down and see his former apprentice, his ex-deputy who he finally put trust in after everything, having put him into the Deputy position specifically to keep an eye on him, and he goes and mistreats his grandchildren like THIS?

"Juniperkit, buddy, why don't you go ask Nanny (Sandstorm) to play hide and seek with you? Papa needs to do something..."

He sits by the Starpool, watching as Bramblestar snarls at his beloved granddaughter, a cat he raised until he tossed her aside like rotten meat when she didn't have enough of his blood for his liking. He insults his own child, Dandeliontuft, the molly who only ever wanted the love of her father who couldn't bear looking at her.

Firestar watches, embers burning at his paws, flickering through the air as a dark cloud gathers within Starclan. His body is rigid, muscles tensed, tail lashing back and forth as he watches the leader of Thunderclan greedily cling to his remaining lives, refusing to give them up to his rightfully ascending deputy. Firestar's body shakes with rage, and his breath comes in heavy shudders as Bramblestar snaps at Sparkpelt and Jayfeather, making himself bigger as he curses at his daughter and his former son, blaming his long faded father for their doubt in him. Blaming them for his behavior.

But Tigerstar was a murderer. He never hurt his children. Firestar remembers Tigerclaw standing outside of the nursery, looking exhausted as he waited for Spottedleaf to finish giving his tiny daughter Lynxkit her medicine. Cuddling with Goldenflower afterwards in the cramped den...

Tigerclaw was a monster, but not that kind. There are many kinds.

Bramblestar lift a massive paw, claws extended, towards Squirrelflight, who backs away in fear from the threat that, while never meant to be followed through, spoke enough volumes. His eyes flash amber in the bright autumn sun. Fire blazes in Firestar's body. Bramblestar will not hurt his daughter, not ever again.

The next flash is blinding, and suddenly, Firestar feels drained. He looks back over the Starpool... What was that? Was that him? He wanted to send a sign, what happened?

He looks at Brambleclaw's body, cats around him stood still in shock, most of their fur now on end.

"Starclan has spoken..." Hollyleaf remarks in a voice that only barely shakes, steeling herself. "They've made their opinion clear."

The Starpool goes gray again, blocking out the sight of them once more. It's been doing that a lot lately...

Suddenly, Juniperkit bumps into Firestar's back leg, snapping him out of his thoughts. He hadn't realized he'd jumped up in anger.

"Papaaa! I can't find Nanny anywhere! She hid too good."

Firestar's fur settles. "Oh no, silly Nanny." He purrs softly. "Let's go find her together."

He walks off with his little grandson into the beautiful forest. He has a meeting with Thunderstar and Lightning Tail tomorrow, and Juniperkit will go play with his uncle Swiftpaw, or perhaps his cousin Flametail will show him around a new place in Star-Shadowclan's land...

Around the Starpool, the ground is scorched black. The grass smolders where Firestar stood, the embers slowly fading off and drifting into nothing.

SPOILERS

Bramblestar throws one last fit about how unfair it is that he is being voted out, that his own daughter Dandeliontuft began it, that Squirrelflight supports it... He screams and uses his massive size to try and intimidate the voters, and when his remaining child Sparkpelt finishes the vote off, he snaps.

He shouts at everyone that he "knew they never trusted him". He begins whining that he is being treated unfairly, and that this is clearly only because of his father!

And then, Bramblestar makes one very fatal mistake. In a desperate bid for sympathy, and manipulation, he asks Thunderclan in an accusatory tone:

"What would Firestar think about this?"

Instantly, he is struck by day lightning. This has only ever happened once before. The sign from Starclan is very clear. Not only is Hollyleaf now in line to be a leader, but what Bramblestar said there was the breaking point for Starclan. It's theorized that all the mistreatment of Firestar's daughters and grandchildren had been building up, but invoking Firestar's name to justify it was what caused Firestar himself to strike him down.

It was instant. Just as every cat had backed away from him in fear, as if it was timed at just the right moment that no one else would be hurt. But a lightning strike is a very clear sign to Clan cats.

Not a stupid question! :)

It can certainly be an issue, as the loss can be quite traumatic.

Dappletail's son Featherkit faded at 6 weeks.

Bellaleaf and Harrybrook's 2 other daughters, Webkit and Wolfkit. Webkit passed at 3 days old, Wolfkit passed at 8 days.

Cloudpelt's sister, Littlekit, at 1 week.

Elderleaf, Dandeliontuft, Lynxpetal, and Shadowsight were all thought the be suffering from this. Elderleaf, Lynxpetal and Dandeliontuft received round-the-clock care, whereas Shadowsight was given a closer look at by Spiresight, who determined that while he wasn't the healthiest kitten in the world, he wasn't Fading.

Those examples above each had different feelings around them.

For Dappletail, she was told that her son was quite weak, and to hope for the best, but brace for the worst. She was on a high from dumping Stormtail, and kept her head high. She treated him normally, had him learn a tiny amount of Glyphs upon realizing he was deaf, but when his body began to fail, he was her tiny baby once more. At 6 weeks he should have been running around, playing... She cuddled with him and helped him sleep easy.

Bellaleaf and Harrybrook took it so badly... When Wolfkit did not wake up from her nap, they panicked and called for Freckleshine and Fidgetflake, but nothing could be done. Bellaleaf and Harrybrook became ferociously protective of their other 2 babies. Days later, when Webkit's blood pressure dropped suddenly, and she grew cold, Freckleshine fought hard to save her, but it wasn't enough. The couple had a single daughter remaining, one who would struggle deeply with the issues she had had since birth, and they poured as much quiet love they could into her, praying in terror that Starclan would not take their final child...

Cloudpelt and Littlekit's parents, Toadskip, Nettlespot and Poolcloud, knew their children were not born strong. They even named one Littlekit for how tiny she was. While Poolcloud was a but less involved, she helped out with Cloudkit while Nettlespot and Toadskip spent every day they could with Littlekit. They leant on their religious beliefs for comfort, that Starclan must have needed her, or that she was going to play with other kits in Starclan. They were sad, of course, but they handled it with grace, and were happy to be reunited with their child when the time came.

Fading Kitten Syndrome is an issue, it can be sadly common, it can be why some cats are reluctant to name their kits for a little while, where some name them the moment they can.

like. im imagining dandelion finding a portal to another world where bramble is actually a good dad, even if its just an act, and im thinking about what would happen if the cat stayed in the other world

sorry if this is incoherent ;-;

(Is this the part where I admit I've never seen that movie? I know what happens because cultural osmosis though! Also do not apologize I LOVE "what if" style AUs and hypothetical questions. Makes work go faster.)

With Sparkpelt, he's gonna give her a minute. She's her mothers daughter, for all he knows she could be out saving the world, or on a camping trip. After a days or 2, now he's worried. While she is strong enough to survive, what if she is ambushed? What if she gets sick? Why didn't she say anything?

And Alder... Well, he does leave. During TBC, he's decided that enough is enough. He is miserable, and his relationships with his sisters have fractured. He leaves to live with Velvet once he is exiled. Bramble is understandably upset, anyone would be. Jayfeather reassures him that his son is safe and happy, and is doing what is right for him. It's hard to accept, especially since Alderheart left while it wasn't known what was wrong.

Dandeliontuft though... I'm glad you mentioned her.

She WOULD be the one who enters that door, on a quiet stroll. She could possibly accept it too. I've got a lot of thoughts about this girl. Namely, something kind of like this does happen.

In TBC, while possessed, one of Bramblefake's tells is the most subtly depressing things... He starts paying more attention to her. Dandy has to make the sadistic choice... Report to the Thunder Rebellion, as she knows it's definitely suspicious behavior, or... Get to finally enjoy having a father who's gonna dote on her a little. She deserves a dad who didn't spend the entirety of her childhood refusing to.look her in the eyes, too scared to see his own mother looking back at him.

(Thankfully, Shrewfeather is a great step dad.)

As for her leaving, I know it would be one of those events that finally makes a person MAYBE reevaluate their behavior. He'd definitely organize a search party for her, he would be upset. He realizes he has lost his last living link to his mother. Dandy meanwhile is enjoying life in her own little world where everybody is happy! Sure it's probably a lotus eating machine, but to her, it's nice.

Dandelionkit is the daughter of Bramblestar and Squirrelflight who in canon only survives three moons before passing from what I can only assume was something wrong with her heart. She was a pale ginger molly who honestly makes me think she was the spitting image of her grandmother, Goldenflower.

Well, I like her too much, and I love the theme she could carry if she had lived. So, in WCR, meet...

Dandeliontuft!

She is quiet, but always thinking. She is assigned to be mentored by Stormcloud and is of average skills in hunting compared to Sparkpaw. Her name being a bit of a mouthful has contributed to her siblings and friends sometimes referring to her as "Dandy".

The problem with her, is that she looks far too much like Goldenflower. In addition to his bigger daughter looking at him with Firestar's eyes, Dandelionkit looks at him with his mother's.

Their last interaction was not a happy one. She barely manages to survive until the secret is out, and Brambleclaw's hell training is revealed. She tells him that she is disgusted with him. Had he not seen Ferncloud, Ashfur, Elderleaf, Cloudtail and Tulipfur grieving their mother's body? Or how they had to say goodbye at the forest? How Tigerclaw's treachery drove Bluestar mad? How the dog pack got his own BROTHER killed and another cat maimed?

She goes quiet, she never speaks to another cat again. Goldenflower dies in her sleep that night.