#doestar

No, Beestar must've misunderstood. It was a seer's duty to interpret visions, not a leader's. It was understandable that he'd make such a mistake, given ThunderClan had lost its only seer. Perhaps StarClan would interfere in the following moons. Some seer would have a dream, and she could rest assured that StarClan did not stand with Orchidshade.

If anything, things only worsened.

Beestar welcomed with open arms a RiverClan cat into their camp. Orchidshade's mate. He'd reasoned that they needed a seer, a healer, and that Bitterapple would stay just until another seer was crowned.

Sweetdew was made a healer, but she was not crowned. Instead, the RiverClan guppy remained, waddling about in their territory with that pityfully sad look on his face—as if he wasn't feeding ThunderClan's secrets to his leader behind their backs. Hollypelt begrudgingly tolerated it. The Clan needed a seer. If only StarClan would do their job and choose a ThunderClan cat.

Strangely, there was a large amount of ThunderClan cats who approved of the Law change. Didn't they see her brother's desecrated corpse? Did they forget poor Doefreckle, sitting in the healer's den being treated by an enemy warrior of a Clan responsible for her brother's death, blinded by the same cat who the new Law now protected?

As the moons came and went, Hollypelt only grew more and more frustrated. The Clan... moved on. And so did StarClan.

The sign she so eagerly awaited never came, Gatherings passed with no news of a sudden vision that'd reverse the changes. Bitterapple never left their camp. Worse yet, Squirrelwhisker was a few moons out of apprenticeship when she announced a relationship with a WindClan heir.

She was met with some disgust and outrage. Some. Mostly from the older cats in the Clan. Beestar did nothing to punish her, in fact he turned a blind eye as she happily chatted about a cross-Clan ceremony with Nettlebreeze and Misthawk.

It was this that led Hollypelt to Beestar's den, hoping, pleading that he'd come to his senses. This wasn’t what Oakstar would've wanted, this was not why he had been chosen as deputy. But Beestar brushed her words aside and scolded her. As if she still had kitten fluff. As if she didn't have to bury feathers because her brother's corpse was too rotten to move.

It was then and there that Hollypelt lost faith in her leader.

She brought it up in conversation with the other warriors, but only one seemed to take her side; Thrushtalon. A tom who'd soon become her mate and partner in crime.

Hollypelt also found a kindred spirit in Doefreckle. The molly never fully recovered, atleast Hollypelt thought so. She choose to become a caretaker, looking after the many kits that now blessed ThunderClan. One of which was her own little fluffball.

The more they talked, the more Hollypelt knew she could trust her. Doefreckle was anything but weak. To live through the deaths of one's entire family and remain standing was something Hollypelt understood well. Her father was taken by the war early in her and her brother's life, and her mother was a loner surrogate she'd never known. It had been just Holly and Crow for a good few moons.

Now its just Holly.

She soon grew impatient. If StarClan wasn’t going to intervene, then it was up to her to make the change her Clan needed. And so, she began to scheme. She built the skeleton of what would soon be a coup, and reasoned that it was for ThunderClan's good.

At her behest, Thrushtalon began contacting the older warriors. He swayed them to her side, planted the seed of rebellion in their heads, while also keeping an eye out for troublesome cats who might present a threat to their plan.

Displeased, Fate made sure to throw a few hurdles her way. Mainly a surprise pregnancy and the sudden arrival of another RiverClan tom, Orchidshade's spawn.

To her upmost annoyance, Palmbark's natural charisma landed him a good reputation. Orchidshade's blood seemed to incovenience him rather than impede him. But his skill was undeniable, and there was nothing that swayed a ThunderClan warrior more than skill, strength and loyalty—which he demonstrated by being an exceptionally good hunter, and by giving up his own warrior name to accept one bestowed by ThunderClan instead.

Palmbark was the forbidden son of a murderer and a seer. His legacy was drenched in filth... Then why did he thrive in ThunderClan?

She pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the tiny black bundle nuzzled up to her belly. She thought of naming him Crow, but figured it would be bad luck. With his young age, Crow either had already experienced rebirth, or would be reborn soon. If her son held his soul, then she wanted him to live a different, longer life. Thus, she named him Jay instead.

Jay was very timid. He didn't inherit her fierce will nor his father's intensiveness. He was a quiet kit, just like Crowwing had been.

As she watched him play with leaves, an idea came to Hollypelt's mind. It was a sinful idea, something that'd break one of the most important Laws the Clans upheld. But StarClan would understand. To save her Clan, she needed to make a few sacrifices.

It was startling easy to mold her son into a healer. He wasn't interested in herbs, but he learned quickly, and she knew StarClan would crown him as soon as he was of age. It tugged at her heartstrings to see him frustrated and anxious, but Jay had to understand. This was best for both of them, for all of them.

As she expected, StarClan did indeed give her son a vision upon his first visit to the Moon Falls. When Jay comes back, he's jumpy and trembling, but she's able to coax out what he'd seen. Jay tells her of a dream where the forest wilted under Beestar's shadow.

Pleased, she spreads the news. And her allies grow rebellious, the tension only growing as Squirrelwhisker has her half-blood kit.

Fights began breaking out, the Clan dividing between those who believe StarClan disapproved of Beestar, and those who still sided with the false leader. Despite her young age, Hollypelt found herself being respected by the rebels, and aimed to transform that respect into loyalty.

It was surprisingly easy, made easier by Beestar's attempts to further alienate them by deliberately refusing to give any of the rebels an apprentice. Hollypelt sharpened their anger into a stake, and aimed it right at Beestar's heart.

Squirrelwhisker's little hare grew and so did the rebel's ire. Hollypelt gave them voice, clambering atop Highrock to give one last warning; exile Squirrelwhisker and Wind. Or else.

But like every other time, Beestar attempted to stiffle her with petty punishments and the cold shoulder.

So Hollypelt put her plan in motion. She fashioned herself a necklace of twine, bone, and butterfly wings to honor her brother—then gathered the rebels and set out to ambush Beestar, leaving behind Doefreckle in an attempt to spare her the battle.

The following conflict was a bloodbath. Hollypelt was so enthralled by the violence that she didn't see her precious little birdie slipping away to tell a thing or two.

The patrol fought and fought, but it was all for nothing. Owlfoot—the deputy—was killed, and the rest captured, among whom were Palmbark and Beestar. Hollypelt shivered with pleasure as she pinned down that beaten farse of a leader. She was delighted to finish him off and watch his remaining lives bleed away painfully.

Before all that gathered there and beneath the heavy gaze of StarClan, Hollypelt declared herself victorious with a yowl. The name of ThunderClan's true leader is Crowskull, she declared, giving herself the blessing to lead.

She stepped towards Palmbark, fully intending to kill him. Just as she held down fate and traded looks with glory, a heavy weight knocked her from behind.

Cats surged into the clearing and swiftly turned the tides. Crowskull traded blows with her attacker, only to realize it was her friend, her Doefreckle.

She fought, but betrayal and shock made her sloppy. Crowskull almost took Doefreckle's voice, but Doefreckle took her life.

The rebels lost, and the remains of Beestar's patrol were rescued. ThunderClan returned home; battered, grieving, and shaky. In the uncertainty, it is Doefreckle who steps up to claim leadership and nominate Palmheart as deputy.

Doefreckle then deals out punishment. For Thrushtalon, it is to be confined in the healer den as a healer and helper to Bitterapple, sentenced to heal those he hurt.

For Creekdapple and Fallowsong it is early retirement and the stripping of their freedom. Something particularly devastating to the latter molly, who only left the apprentice's den a few moons ago.

For the apprentices who participated, it is a late warrior ceremony and caretaker duty, one moon for each cat killed.

And for herself, the duty to shoulder a Clan she no longer loves while being disowned by her only remaining family.