#heathetail

- Hollyleaf encourages all the trainees to redeem themselves, despite how hard it seems. However, since Hollyleaf is being asked to make all these speeches about redemption, it makes her realise she's still got a long way to go. Her nightmares about Ashfur's murder return and she wonders if she needs to go into self-exile again, to continue her atonement. Since she passed on her underground fighting skills, Thunderclan didn't seem to need her so was she staying out of her own selfishness? Jayfeather snaps her out of it: Pointing her out her family wants her here and leaving again, would hurt them more.

Bramblestar's Storm:

-After Jayfeather makes her promise to stay indefinitely, Hollyleaf needs to regain normalcy with her family. In the tunnels, she expected to die young and didn't see a future for herself. While her grand gestures of atonement are important, she needs to consider the everyday too. At first, she can be overly serious and isolate herself. But she learns to open up and have fun around her brothers over time. There are glimpses of a simpler time before it became so messy.

-Hollyleaf reaffirms her connection with Bramblestar. At one point, he pulls his adopted daughter aside. He recalls how her brothers already heard this, but she never got the chance after the tunnel collapsed. He promises his heart will be open to her but he understands if it's too awkward to consider him a father. Either way, he will respect whatever Hollyleaf chooses. The black she-cat snorts, saying she would never choose Crowfeather over him. Bramblestar winces, wondering if it should be obvious.

-Hollyleaf asks why Bramblestar lied about Ashfur accidentally slipping into the stream. He admits he panicked slightly and thought she'd been in self-exile for long enough. Hollyleaf acknowledges how he risked his ranking for her, but she must be judged alone and not use her family connections to gain an advantage. At that point, Hollyleaf's clanmates had figured out Ashfur's death was purposeful. Most cats didn't particularly care after discovering Ashfur's crimes, only judging Hollyleaf for not trusting Firestar to uphold justice.

-Bramblestar asks if Hollyleaf still has her childhood dream of being a leader. He remembered how she followed him as a kit and said she'd become like him. The black she-cat declines, saying she can't trust herself with that power. Hollyleaf feels sorry for her younger self and doesn't grow into the cat she expected to be.

-When Squirrelflight announces she's pregnant, Hollyleaf is overjoyed. After a while, her mother noticed slight doubt on her face. Being told to be honest, Hollyleaf admits she has irrational feelings of being replaced. Squirrelflight ensures her emotions are only natural after the trauma she suffered through. She ensures they can work through them as mother and daughter.

Crowfeather's Trial:

- Hollyleaf would see the similarities between herself and Breezepelt. Additionally, as the one to expose the secret, she feels somewhat responsible for Breezepelt. Therefore, she feels obligated to set the record straight with him. She details how she killed Ashfur to Breezepelt and the two help each other realise where they went wrong. Crowfeather is shocked about Hollyleaf's crimes, feeling even more of a failure of a father.

- When he realises Hollyleaf is already reconciling with Leafpool, he feels pressure to speed things along with Breezpelt. Besides helping Breezepelt's redemption, Hollyleaf feels wrong to have a long-term friendship with him, due to Jayfeather's discomfort. She wishes Breezepelt the best but says it's best to live their separate lives, as they did before the secret's exposure. While this is all going on, Nightcloud refused to speak to Hollyleaf at all, blaming her for telling the secret. After Crowfeather's Trial, Breezepelt would go on, to make serval hypocritical statements: calling Kin defectors and Squirrelflight traitors. Hollyleaf would glare at him in disbelief, wondering how he could be so unaware.

- There's a moment, where Hollyleaf wonders in on Leafpool and Crowfeather speaking at the border. The mother and daughter thinks it's his right to know and Hollyleaf confesses the death berry incident to him. Crowfeather flinches, wondering how he'd feel if Breezepelt tried to kill him directly, instead of his half-siblings. Hollyleaf states her actions overshadow anything her parents did against her. So she says Crowfeather should be forgiving her, not the other way around. Crowfeather says only the victim, Leafpool, can decide if she deserves forgiveness or not. Crowfeather says it's impossble not to feel some disgust at Hollyleaf's crime; but he'll react to it as a fellow warrior, not as a father, as he never earnt being called her 'father'.

A Vision of Shadows:

- Hollyleaf is working hard to be a good daughter to Leafpool and Squirrelflight. She'll go out of her way, to do helpful things like replacing their nests or collecting herbs. She can be overly polite around them, thinking they've been criticised too much already. This annoys Squirrelflight, as she knows her daughter is natrually headstrong and says she should have the guts to be herself. The black she-cat would be the middle point between her two brothers: Jayfeather has unresolved feelings, while Lionblaze has let go of the past. Hollyleaf tries to get along with her mothers, but there would always be the occasional awkwardness, not forgetting the past.

- Hollyleaf is struggling to find her place in the Clan. She doesn't want to get involved in too many battles, fearful she could kill again. Additionally, she doesn't want any authority she could potentially abuse. She asks Bramblestar to never consider her for deputyship and vows she'll never return as a Medicine cat apprentice. For a while, she tries training under Daisy as a permanent queen. Though she learns the position isn't right for her, not having the patience for so many kits.

-When Leafstar creates the mediator rank for Tree, it sparks her interest. It could let her avoid hurting others and the job requires memorization of the code, which she already has. She works with Tree, to become Thunderclan's first mediator. This inspires the remaining Clans to train their own mediators. For Shadowclan, Strikestone steps up as he blames warrior life for his loved ones' deaths. Minnowtail becomes Riverclan's mediator to repent for her Dark Forest training. Finally, Heathertail volunteers due to her caring nature and experience with angry toms.

- Hollyleaf helps to raise Sparkpelt and Alderheart, while Squirrelflight grieves for her lost kits. Out of her litter, she would be the closest to her adoptive siblings. Hollyleaf is quite protective of Alderheart, reminding her of Jayfeather when he was a weak kit. She likes to ensure that Jayfeather isn't too harsh on his apprentice, reminding him of their parallels. Hollyleaf and Sparkpelt are the most alike, with Sparkpelt claiming she's a "mini-me" of Hollyleaf. The two even become mentor and apprentice, at Sparkpelt's request. Hollyleaf is determined not to disappoint Sparkpelt - She can waver between being strict and soft-spoken, as she desperately tries to get the balance right. Even after her warrior ceremony, Hollyleaf assures Sparkpelt that she can always ask for advice.

- Hollyleaf has some moments in the Darktail and Onestar conflict. When Onestar compares his situation to Hollyleaf and Breezepelt on the possibility of convincing Darktail to stop - The black she-cat dismisses it, saying Darktail is truly too far gone. Hollyleaf encourages Onestar to fix his past mistakes, but he needs to be prepared to make the hard choices if he goes down that road.

Squirrelflight's Hope:

- As a mediator, Hollyleaf joins Tree in his missions, to negotiate with the Sisters peacefully. Due to her past, Hollyleaf doesn't feel like it's her place, to assume she knows better than the Clans. So Hollyleaf feels compelled to act in an offical capacity. So when Squirrelflight starts going against Bramblestar's orders, Holyleaf can't trust herself to join her mother. She simply says to Squirrelflight, 'I hope you know what you're doing'. Though when the Sisters are driven out of their camp, Hollyleaf can't stand aside at that point. She helps evacuate the sisters' kits, including helping with Moonlight's birth.

- As Squirrelflight and Bramblestar argue over their politics: Hollyleaf feels it would be nepotism if she used her position as their daughter, to voice her own politcal opinions to them. Instead, as a mediator, Hollyleaf sets up a meeting in a calm setting, for Squirrelflight and Bramblestar to have a proper heart-to-heart. Also, Hollyleaf acts as a middle-man for other family members: She asks Tawnypelt, to start supporting Bramblestar with his relationship struggles. Then Hollyleaf relays Sparkpelt's story, of her panicking due to her parents aruging.

- When Leafpool dies, Hollyleaf blurts she wishes she'd taken her place. Though Squirrelflight counters that Leafpool wants Hollyleaf to be happy and she needs to live on, for her sake. Hollyleaf and Jayfeather spend more time together, due to their shared grief.

Broken Code:

- When "Bramblestar" first starts his code-breaking agenda, he questions why Hollyleaf isn't more happy about it, considering her old dedication to it. Hollyleaf utters she can't let her dangerous obsession resurface. She states that as a mediator now, she must be able to see the warrior code critically. She gets suspicious of "Bramblestar", noticing he's never cared so much about the code before. She warns him about how that type of obsession can be all-consuming.

-Hollyleaf is the first cat to be exiled, due to her criticisms of "Bramblestar". She attempted to gather the mediators from the other Clans and convince him to stop his cruelty.

- When she discovers Ashfur's identity, she makes it her personal mission to defeat him. Though Hollyleaf refuses to join the rebels, saying she won't fight against anyone else, not even the Imposter's supporters. She swore she wouldn't kill anyone else. Her sole target is Ashfur. Instead, the mediators create a refugee camp for the Imposter's exiles. They guard the most vulnerable while others fight their fellow Clan cats.

-Hollyleaf is shocked when Lionblaze kills Harstar, dragging him off his victim. When he is appointed deputy, she tries to voice her concerns about his bad headspace. However, she is outnumbered, so she is forced to accept it.

-Hollyleaf volunteers to enter the Dark Forest, thinking innocent cats shouldn't need to sacrifice themselves. She briefly encounters Stonefur in Starclan. He recounts his execution and says it was truly sad to see another Half-Clan internalise that hatred. Holyleaf promises she'll make the younger generations less biased towards Half-Clan cats.

-Hollyleaf is distressed by her time in the Dark Forest. She realised she could've been condemned if she died in the tunnels. She is conflicted about evil spirits atoning and going to Starclan. Hollyleaf knows she was lucky to live long enough to redeem herself - At the same time, Ashfur took advantage of Starclan's leniency. The black she-cat suggests a purgatory, which is more pleasant, but residents lack the power of Starclan cats.

- Ashfur taunts Hollyleaf for her hypocrisy for killing him and leaking her parentage anyway. She responds it was wrong for her to take justice into her own hands. But at the same time, Ashfur shouldn't have expected to get away with his own crimes. The grey tom is bitter that Hollyleaf got to live on when he didn't. He claims she's as bad as him. Hollyleaf remains realistic, acknowledging she's a killer, but enforcers that Ashfur's crimes vastly outweigh hers by now. She hits Ashfur to his core when she says he's in the same leagues as Tigerstar.

-Hollyleaf feels incredibly guilty when Bristlefrost dies, feeling like she failed her friend Ivypool.

- Before Ashfur faded away, he played his trump card against Hollyleaf. He exposes her as Leafpool's attempted murderer. The black she-cat was shocked since Leafpool wanted to keep it between them. Though her family understood why Leafpool herself chose to keep it a secret, they still felt betrayed. They weren't surprised by Hollyleaf's other crimes but were still disappointed. Some loved ones take a while before they can speak to her again. Meanwhile, Hollyleaf's more distant relatives, like Lionblaze's kits, refuse to acknowledge their kinship with her.

- When Bramblestar returns, he decides it's pointless to exile her again. He reasoned it had been so long, and she'd already punished herself that way. Instead, Bramblestar explains that many warriors feel unsafe, sharing their den with a killer. He thinks it's unfair to force them to compromise. Bramblestar allows Hollyleaf to remain in Thunderclan but must have her own isolated den outside the camp boundaries. She can return to camp to receive assignments but can't sleep there anymore.

Starless Clan:

- Hollyleaf supports the warrior code changing, arguing that some rules do more damage than good. She points to her broken family, saying it could've been avoided with proper protocols. She says good mothers like Leafpool are unfairly forced to give up their kits and branded traitors.

- Hollyleaf fosters Flinchkit and Flamekit while Sparkpelt grieves. Flamepaw comes to see Hollyleaf as a mother figure. Sorrelstripe still nurses them but she's more hands-off, wanting to give Hollyleaf space to bond with Flamekit. Flamepaw has a mostly good relationship with Hollyleaf, much better than Sparkpelt. However, he has underlying doubts about her, knowing her murderous past. He is aware that Hollyleaf is the black sheep of the family and fears he might be the same. He knows he gets the occasional worried looks from his clanmates for being so close to Hollyleaf. Sometimes, he has overdramatic fears that he'll hurt Sparkpelt, as Hollyleaf did to Leafpool, artificially drawing comparisons between them.

-When Flamepaw struggles to find his place, Hollyleaf wants to help her nephew. She suggests the mediators could train him to become her successor. However, he shuts her down. He says Hollyleaf is doing the very thing he's trying to avoid: Using nepotism to get a special ranking. Hollyleaf claims mediators aren't glorious, and the Clans still question their value. However, Flamepaw refuses to humour the idea.

-Nightheart becomes bitter at Hollyleaf's choice to raise him. He argues that their clanmates look at him strangely because the resident murderer decided to get close to him. Hollyleaf mutters she was trying to help Sparkpelt, but Nightheart isn't fully convinced. He says her past makes her unfit to be a foster parent, and she shouldn't use kits to reconcile her own guilt. While Nightheart's words were excessive, Hollyleaf knew he was partly telling the truth.

-Alongside Tree, Hollyeaf tries to convince Tigerstar to leave Riverclan alone. They partly succeed, as Shadowclan warriors are slowly withdrawn from Riverclan camp.

-On one occasion, Hollyleaf overhears Berryheart trying to guilt-trip Sunbeam into abandoning Nightheart. Hearing this slander against Half-Clan families, Hollyleaf gets into a brief fight with Berryheart.

-After Nightheart matures, he believes he was too harsh towards Hollyleaf. So the next time he sees her, he apologises. The black she-cat admits she should give her nephew space and rethink how her reputation could affect her loved ones.

-As Splashtail's tyranny grows, he sees Riverclan's meditator threatening his rule. He accuses Minnowtail of being Frostpaw's conspirator and exiles her. Hollyleaf invites her to shelter in Thunderclan, and the mediators are spurred into action. During the next gathering, the five remind Riverclan that they can vote Splashtail out of power. However, the brown tom cuts the gathering short and takes the kits hostage before a vote can take place.

-The mediators make a final attempt to end everything peacefully. They appear at the Riverclan border and demand that Splashtail appear. Since they may have an important message, he appears with Floatkit in tow. Speaking carefully, Hollyleaf questions what Splashtail's endgame is. He spends every waking moment in paranoia - To sit on a throne where everyone hates him. On top of that, Splashtail is condemning himself to the Dark Forest. Hollyleaf says he will find no happiness in this life. Hollyleaf says he is still young and may still make it to Starclan if he redeems himself - That means stopping all this and surrendering.

-However, Splashtail delusionally declares that he is going to Starclan. As he threatens Floatkit, the mediators are forced to act. As Hollyleaf grabs the kit, Heathertail tackles Splashtail, but she is killed in the process. Her murder is the final straw for the Clans. They invade Riverclan's camp, and Splashtail meets his end.