in regards to your broken code take, something i wanted to add on as another possible alternate ending is if all THREE of them died while killing ashfur. I think about it a lot not just because it would've provided something new and exciting to the series and also solve another "wife dead me sad" trope, but what I've noticed a lot with pov characters is how they sort of keep getting tossed around by forces out of their own control throughout their whole arcs. everything seems to come back around to starclan or the dark forest or whatever else and, especially in this arc, they get battered around the whole time without a whole lot of personal autonomy. could you imagine how much of a powerful resolution it would've been to have said characters be able to do that to a STARCLAN cat even if it meant their own death? to be able to finally take ahold of their own lives even just for a moment? bristlefrost dying alone felt like the worst possible option π
OH THAT'S A RAW AF IDEA! My problem, next to the unnecessary cruelty of Bristle's death to her and her friends, was that it felt rather meaningless and that there were more thematically impactful ways to kill Ashfur. If this arc was based around the idea of how disastrous the clans' devotion to Starclan was, then all 3 of the POVs dying in some way that went against the plans or "destiny" for them set by Starclan, but that was ultimately far more successful, would have been VERY interesting!
As well as very tragic; the idea that everyone sat around with cold-feet thinking about their own lives being lost when it ended up being the 3 bravest and youngest among them who were willing to truly sacrifice themselves in the end. And their reward for dying the truest warrior's death wasn't an afterlife because that's what they sacrificed for everyone else to have. If the clan's weren't stupid as hell it could be really impactful to see something like that be a catalyst for true change among the them - realizing that loyalty to a better future rather than to the rules of the past is what saved them at their darkest.
For Rootspring, it could prove his loyalty to the clans along side his accepting of his Sisters ancestry; maybe finding his destiny through his connection to the earth rather than Starclan, but still using that to save his home. For Bristlefrost it can show her finally getting over her authority appeasing habits (WHICH I SWEAR WAS A REALLY UNINTENTIONAL INTERESTING CHARACTER TRAIT), and of course in that, taking down Ashfur for the way he manipulated her and her clan, like her death was attempting to put together. And for Shadowsight - a character who was so passive and insecure he let the Imposter puppet him under the guise of a greater power, and whose sheltered-ness made him hated by the clans - him taking control of his destiny in such an undeniably brave way would be so satisfying.
It's really not that hard to see different paths these books couldv'e taken if they actually dedicated themselves to any themes other than torturing women and dumb drama. TY for the cool idea anon!
