my divorced lesbian daughter

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About a moon before Everything Goes To Shit, Willowpelt´s and Whitestorm´s first kitten makes it through his first moon. Willowpelt names him Darkkit and offers that when Mistpaw is a warrior, she can train him.

At this point in time, Mist is about a year old and should be made a warrior soon

Redpaw and Spottedpaw are about a moon younger than her

Mousekit and Runningkit are five moons old

Goldenflower, Frostfur, Brindleface and Lionheart have been warriors for about three moons

Sunstar has been leader for not even nine moons, and Bluefur has been his deputy for six of them.

That actually makes Stonepaw and Mistypaw about Mist´s and Tiger´s age

Mist doesn´t have an easy standing in ThunderClan

They´re not hostile, but they consider her an outsider, for her hesitation to fight and strange hunting style

She has no support outside of Whitestorm and Willowpelt, with Redpaw focussed on his own training and Spotty being a future healer.

But she has a future. An apprentice lined up, and two beloveds.

Stonepaw, Mistpaw and Morningpaw are planning to be together forever. To train their apprentices to strive for peace instead of war

They had dreamy little plans, like teenagers do, of maybe having kits one day. Well, they´d be Stonepaw´s and Morningpaw´s, but Mistpaw would be part of their lives, maybe even raise some.

Thistleclaw knows that if he allows Mistpaw´s apprenticehood come to a successfull end, she will be proof to all of ThunderClan that it is possible to be a good warrior without wanting expansion and violence.

Thistleclaw has taken the blow of Bluefur being chosen over him as deputy and is instead attempting to groom Tigerpaw and Spottedpaw for power in his ideal

If Mistpaw is made a warrior, she will be a quickly rising star, and might replace Tigerpaw as a candidate for deputy.

IMPORTANT NOTE!

Sunstar does not have nine lives due to Pine still being alive

An entire month, Thistleclaw stalls his own apprentice and spreads rumors of Mistpaw cheating to appear so good at hunting. He´s insinuating that Whitestorm might be in on it

Whitestorm takes this to Sunstar, but he can´t do anything without proof that Thistleclaw is lying.

Nobody believes that Thistleclaw would accuse his own son and one of ThunderClan´s most promising apprentices out of the blue, so most believe something is up.

Bluefur offers to take Tigerpaw and Mistpaw out on a final assessment. Whitestorm wants to object, but doesn´t have any ground to stand on.

Mistpaw assures him that she´ll be fine.

It´s supposed to be a simple, late dawn hunting patrol, with Tiger and Mist being made warriors at dusk if they both pass. Whitestorm had a name picked out, and wanted to ask Sunstar to give it to her.

Thistleclaw awaits them at the fence. Bluefur attempts to argue that this is supposed to happen without menot supervision.

In the middle of the argument, Thistleclaw casually tells the apprentices that if they are true warriors of ThunderClan, they will kill any intruder.

He points to a small, barely three moons old, black kitten

Tigerpaw lunges without thought

Bluefur freezes in horror

I forgot it was feburary until today

Prompt by @pencilpavlova

This is where I keep all the connections of the main LakeClan arc together. Timelines, summaries, locations, all that.

Summary and Intentions

LakeClan is a story about survivors, escapists and friends, of taking pieces of the culture you were raised in and building something new, of laying a new picture out of mosaic stones.

It´s grappling with legacy, and wether or not it´s something you want to pass onto your kids. It´s confronting the mistakes of your elders, and your own, to make a better future.

It´s a story of facing uncomfortable realizations and living with them. Of cultural loss and filling the holes without loosing who you are, and asking the question if who you are is really a good thing.

Well, at least that´s what I´m trying to do. You tell me if I stick the landing.

Four Part Arc:

The LakeClan arc is split into four parts, with the first being the longest.

Stand Together:

This Arc sets in eighteen months after the founding of Mist´s Colony and spans two and a half years. It is told through the eyes of Mist, Shadow and Rusty, with guest scenes from the POVs of Longtail, Sandpaw or Dustpaw and Goldenflower.

Allegiances

Prolog

Spring 2000

Summer 2000

Autumn 2000

Winter 2001

Spring 2001

Summer 2001

Autumn 2001

Winter 2002

Spring 2002

Summer 2002

Autumn 2002

Out Of The Woods:

The Arc spans a year, telling LakeClan´s journey from the Forest to the Lake and their setteling in. Told through the eyes of Mist, Swiftpaw and Sasha, with guest scenes from the POV of Deadfoot, Cedarpaw, Willowpelt, Whiteclaw and Heron.

Allegiances

Winter 2003

Spring 2003

Summer 2003

Autumn 2003

Winter 2004

The Beaver Quest:

This is the Arc that deals with the environmental changes the cats are making to their environment, and a quest for the young adults to retrieve beavers. Spans 6 months, told through the eyes of Tawnylight, Stormdive, Rootstripe and Crowflight, with guest chapters in the POV of Sandstorm.

Allegiances

Winter 2004

Spring 2004

Summer 2004

The Sundrown Place:

Arc that deals with spirituality, gods and how denial of worship gives you power over destiny. Told from the view of Tadpolepaw only for now.

Allegiances

Spring 2005

As the first green appears, Flicker, Jump and Cloud are named trainees

After the winter and first, hard month of spring, the colony works hard to restock their larder. Cats hunt several times a day, aware that the quickly raising temperatures of spring may be indicating a drought.

During a shared herb collection patrol of Raven, Barley, Tracer and Scrap, they witness a car striving Cinderpaw as she shoves her mentor Sandstorm out of the way of it.

Longtail bolts to get Spottedleaf while Raven and Tracer work to stabelize the young cat´s leg, Barley stands guard and Scrap comforts Sandstorm.

Spottedleaf arrives and confesses that she doesn´t have the knowledge to help Cinderpaw. Yellowfang did, but she was driven out before she could teach Spottedleaf.

Raven points out that Yellowfang is with them now, and Barley offers to carry her. Raven promises to keep Sandstorm updated on her condition. Cinderpaw agrees to this.

Barley carries Cinderpaw to the barn and to Yellowfang

Mist agrees to let Cinderpaw stay while she recovers

Rusty has somehow wound up being Cloud´s primary teacher

Ember, Hound, Clay and Jump are on hunting patrol when they meet Graystripe, Featherstripe, Cricketclaw and Brackenpaw. Cricketclaw reacts aggressivly and the colony cats decide to bolt rather than fight.

Yellowfang tells Mist that Cinderpaw´s leg is a complicated break and she will always have a limp. She says she´ll talk to Lily about treatment options to help with muscle building and pain management.

Despite her injuries, Cinderpaw is making friends with Dark, Sugar and Gorse, who are her age. She does miss her siblings and parents, though.

Talltale continues to teach the trainees about WindClan traditions

During a trip that has Mist hunting ducks and Splash fishing, Splash confesses that she´s fallen in love with Whiteclaw of RiverClan. Mist points out that she doesn´t care, as long as nobody gets hurt.

Hunting along the river, Rusty and Raven meet Silverstream and Graystripe, who are meeting in secret. The two promise to keep the secret.

Sandstorm visits Cinderpaw and explains, distraught, that Bluestar might not take her back once she recovers, calling her a traitor for accepting treatment from the colony cats.

We open with Rusty, Violet, Barley and Talon being named adults and send to hunt for Maple, who is expecting her kits any day

They raid a mouse nest and bring their bounty back to the barn.

Talltale and Jake go with Mist to pick Gorse up from Smoke. They also take in her youngest kits, Dark and Sugar.

Maple has her kits, naming them Jump, Flicker and Scratch.

Rex comes by to inform them of attempted raids and kitten theft on Brick´s Colony. Mist thanks him for the warning.

Scratch dies of unknown causes before reaching even one month old. The whole Colony grieves

Gorse, Dark and Sugar are named trainees.

Tommy arrives with a message for Rusty from their sister. One of her kits was stolen and she´s moving in with Brick´s Colony, but she doesn´t have enough milk for the remaining four kits. Shadow and Jake come with Rusty to pick up Cloud. Maple agrees to nurse him.

Snow falls, making hunting more difficult.

During a hunting patrol near RiverClan territory, Mist and Splash meet Whiteclaw, Dawnbright and Silverstream. They decide to hunt together despite Dawnrise being unsure about it, arguing that they can´t just band together with non-Clan cats. Splash points out that working together is safer and is going to get them more food.

They end up hunting successfully together.

While Mist is gone, Scrounge attempts to steal kittens from the barn. Shadow and Rusty drive him off.

Mist and Shadow meet with Brick and Fia to discuss the situation.

While Mist is doing so, Rusty, Ember, Talon, Hound and Clay are hunting near the river, in the hunting ground the colonies share. They meet Longtail, Mousefur, Graystripe and Brackenpaw. Mousefur is hostile, but Longtail points out that they technically are on colony ground.

The colonies and local loners and roaming kittypets decide that Scrounge has to go and band together to drive him out.

In the fight, Mist recieves a deep scratch to her shoulder. The rogues are driven into the forest.

We open with Ember, Hound, Fox and Badger being made adults in the eyes of their Colony

As is customary for the street cat colonies, newly minted adults are send hunting on their own to feed the youngest and oldest of the colony

The four hunt rats at the border to RiverClan and are observed by Whiteclaw, Swansong, Loudbelly and Silverpaw

Swansong introduces Silverpaw to the four street cats, who warn the young apprentice about the dangers of the town

Mist declares Barley and Violet trainees. Talon complains why she can´t be a trainee already, to which her mother points out that she is only three months old

Ravenpaw and Rusty meet for the first time. Smudge disapproves of the friendship, while Fino, the regularly patrolling street cat, merely warns Rusty about Tigerclaw

We learn that Fino was present when Mist rescued Shadow eighteen months before, helping the she-cat escape

Lily and Luna bring Yellowfang to Mist, who gratefully accepts her in as a healer

Shadow, Ember and Fox sneak into a Gathering to hear news of the Clans. They learn of Redtail´s death.

Ember ends up sitting with her siblings Scrap and Tracer, Whiteclaw of RiverClan and Longtail

On the way back, Shadow meets Rusty and speaks to the curious kit about the colonies. Rusty brings up Ravenpaw and Shadow promises he will have a place too.

Talon is deemed old enough to become a trainee and Mist and Bone take her on her first hunting trip. One the way, they meet Nina, Blake and the trainees Goldie and Tommy and hunt together, driving off two of Scrounge´s cats

Ravenpaw shows up at Rusty´s fence, clawed bloody and paniced. Rusty decides to bring him to safety.

They escape along the fence, losing Tigerclaw in a garden with a rottweiler. The kittypet the next garden over, Sweety, lets them slip through her house.

Fia brings them to Brick´s camp, where Lily treats Ravenpaw´s injuries. Mocha and trainee Rex guide them to Mist´s colony.

Ravenpaw is accepted into the group and Rusty is offered to stay, which he accepts

Rusty joins the trainees and is taught a few first combat moves by Falcon