Squirrelflight and Ashfur

(Severe AU) What if Squirrelflight chose Ashfur instead of Brambleclaw? This is what I think might have happened if she did. It takes place around the time The Sight would have taken place.

The reason Jay, Holly, and Lion don't appear is because they were stillborn in this story.

ThunderClan
Leader: Firestar - Ginger tom with green eyes

Deputy: Brambleclaw - Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Berrypaw

Medicine Cat: Leafpool - Beautiful light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Warriors:

Dustpelt - Dark brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Hazelpaw

Sandstorm - Pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice, Honeypaw

Cloudtail - Fluffy white tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Cinderpaw

Brackenfur - Golden brown tom

Thornclaw - Golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Poppypaw

Brightheart - Ginger-and-white she-cat

Ashfur - Pale grey (with darker flecks) tom with blue eyes

Sorreltail - Tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Spiderleg - Black tom with long limbs, a brown underbelly, and amber eyes

Apprentice, Mousepaw

Brook Where Small Fish Swim - Brown tabby she-cat with grey eyes, formerly of the Tribe of Rushing Water

Stormfur - Dark grey tom with amber eyes, formerly of RiverClan

Whitewing - White she-cat with green eyes

Birchfall - Light brown tabby tom

Apprentices:

Berrypaw - Cream-colored tom with a very short tail

Hazelpaw - Grey-and-white she-cat

Mousepaw - Grey-and-white tom

Cinderpaw - Grey she-cat with blue eyes

Honeypaw - Light brown tabby

Poppypaw - Tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Queens:

Ferncloud - Pale grey (with darker flecks) she-cat with green eyes

Kits:

Foxkit - Reddish tabby tom

Icekit - White she-cat

Daisy - Fluffy cream-colored she-cat

Squirrelflight - Dark ginger she-cat with green eyes, pregnant with Ashfur's kits

Elders:

Longtail - Pale tabby tom

Mousefur - Small dusky brown she-cat

Chapter One: The Kits
It was the end of the day. It wasn't quite nighttime yet, but it was definitely starting to get dark out.

Ashfur was in his nest, eating a mouse from the fresh-kill pile. He'd just gone on a patrol, which had tired him out.

He was falling asleep when Leafpool, the medicine cat, yelled for him.

"Ashfur!" she yowled. "Squirrelflight is kitting!"

He came running over.

"Push," Leafpool instructed.

"Ouch," whimpered Squirrelflight.

"It's ok," soothed Ashfur, trying to keep his mate calm.

A tiny she-kit was born. She had a long ginger coat.

"Lick her," ordered the medicine cat.

The warrior licked his newborn daughter to get her warm and breathing.

Squirrelflight gave birth to her second kit, a mottled grey tabby.

Leafpool shoved the kit over to Daisy. The cream queen began licking her.

Finally, Squirrelflight's third kit was born. She looked like her father, but with a bushy tail like her mother.

She opened her eyes and looked at her offspring.

"Cherrykit, Brindlekit, Mintkit."

"Oh, Squirrelflight," whispered Ashfur. "They're beautiful. I'm proud of them already."

Chapter Two: Ashfur Visits His Daughters
It had been a while since Squirrelflight gave birth. Ashfur was in the nursery visiting her and the kits.

Cherrykit pounced on Ashfur and playfully nipped his tail. He gently pushed her off.

"You're full of energy today, aren't you?" he giggled.

In response, the ginger she-cat pawed at him cutely.

She was a beautiful kit. She looked just like Squirrelflight, only with her father's blue eyes. He loved how she was so spirited.

Brindlekit looked up at Ashfur with Squirrelflight's green eyes. She had been named for Ashfur's mother Brindleface, who she resembled very much.

"Hi," she meowed very softly.

Ashfur was pleasantly surprised. It was the first time one of his children ever spoke to him.

"You said your first word!" exclaimed Squirrelflight.

Ashfur fondly gazed at Brindlekit and couldn't help but smile.

Mintkit nudged him, asthough upset that he was paying attention to Cherrykit and Brindlekit.

"Oh, sorry Mintkit," apologized the pale grey tom.

She looked so much like Ashfur. She basically was him as a bushy-tailed she-cat. Even their facial structure was extremely alike.

The grey kit leaned on her father, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

"Aww," cooed Squirrelflight. "She likes you. That's adorable."

Brambleclaw was outside the nursery, unhappily watching the cat he loved visit with the tom he hated, nurse the kits that should have been his...

I hate those kits, he thought. I hate them just like I hate their parents.

Chapter Three: Mintkit's Trip to the Moonpool
Squirrelflight's kits were a moon old. They had distinctive personalities - Cherrykit was playful and loved to make trouble, Brindlekit was shy and quiet, and Mintkit was a tomboy.

"Let's play!" exclaimed Cherrykit.

"Ok," meowed Brindlekit.

Squirrelflight and Ashfur's third daughter jealously watched her siblings play.

Why do they refuse to include me? she wondered.

Mintkit was bored, so she decided to go on an adventure.

While none of the queens were looking, the speckled she-kit snuck outside and just ran away.

She saw a dark brown tabby with amber eyes looking at her.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Brambleclaw," he answered.

"Hi, Brambleclaw."

She didn't think much of Brambleclaw. He scared her a little, though.

She went on. Later she found herself in a location quite a bit further from ThunderClan than she had ever been.

Mintkit looked around at her surroundings.

She was standing next to a small pool of pretty water. There was a tree next to it, and she could smell a faint ThunderClan scent.

Meanwhile, Squirrelflight had just returned to the nursery.

She saw her ginger daughter playing with Brindlekit. In the corner was Ferncloud and her older kits, Foxkit and Icekit.

"Wait..."

Something - or rather, someone was missing.

"Mintkit? Mintkit! Where are you?!"

(A/N: That chapter was a bit long. Longer than I thought it would be. And by the way, I just might turn Brambleclaw evil in this story. Oops, did I say that? *Giggles*)

Chapter Four: Stars
(A/N: I realize that the title of the last chapter was kind of stupid. I was thinking of what to call the chapter when that title popped into my head and I wanted to use it for some reason.)

Mintkit slipped and fell face-down into the pool. She found herself in an unfamiliar forest.

"Where...am I?" she stammered.

She could faintly hear a cat's voice in the forest.

"There will be three..."

"Who's there?!" she shouted.

"Kin of your kin..."

Now the kit was getting scared.

"Who hold the power of the stars in their paws..."

Mintkit ran around in the forest. Suddenly she bumped into a pretty tortoiseshell she-cat who seemed to be glowing, or even shimmering.

"Sorry!" she apologized.

"It's ok," responded the tortoiseshell. "Are you Mintkit?"

"Yes," Mintkit told her.

"Mintkit, you have a very special destiny," the tortoiseshell stated. "Don't make the wrong choices."

With that the pretty she-cat disappeared.

The kit woke up by the pool in the normal forest.

"MINTKIT!" someone yowled.

"Yes?" she called.

Her mother, Squirrelflight, came running over.

"Hi, Squir--" she began.

Squirrelflight doesn't look happy, she thought. Oh no.

"You're in deep trouble."

Chapter Five: Unhappy
Mintkit was very unhappy. She couldn't leave the nursery for three sunrises. And her parents weren't too pleased with her.

"Oh, Squirrelflight is so mad at you," laughed Cherrykit.

The kit sat there and did nothing.

"Mintkit, you look miserable," meowed Ferncloud. "Just because you're temporarily confined to the nursery doesn't mean you can't play with the other kits."

She didn't respond at all.

"Foxkit and Icekit, go cheer up Mintkit."

They tried to play with her, but she ignored them.

That night, Mintkit had a strange dream.

She was in a forest she didn't recognize. Her grey fur was blowing in the strong wind and getting in her eyes. All around her, she could hear strange voices calling her name.

The scene then changed. She was in a place that smelled like the nursery, but it wasn't the nursery.

She could, however, see kits and their mothers. She saw a ginger queen watching a brown tom play with another kit, a grey tom, while a tortoiseshell kit ate some fresh-kill and the grey tom's mother, a beautiful dappled silver tabby she-cat, had a nap.

They didn't seem to see her.

"So, Brindleface," said the ginger queen. "How are your kits?"

"Good," answered Brindleface. "How's Bramblekit? How's Tawnykit?"

Mintkit didn't pay much attention. Suddenly, she noticed something. Brindleface looked just like Brindlekit.

"Looks like Bramblekit and Ashkit like each other."

Ashkit looked just like Ashfur. And Bramblekit looked like the deputy, Brambleclaw. Was she...in the past?

Brambleclaw always scared her a bit for some reason. The way he stared at her with those piercing amber eyes, the looks he gave her parents when he walked by them...she didn't like Brambleclaw.

One bit.

Chapter Six: Excitement
(A/N: I am way, way, way, way, way, way, wayy sick of writing about kits! Soo, yeah, there's been a jump. They're six moons old now.

'''You might notice that Brindlekit reminds you of Maximum Ride. Well, I kinda based her personality on Max. Also, she won't be as quiet and shy anymore.'''

'''Cherrykit may remind you of Pudding from Tokyo Mew Mew, too. Same thing; she's based on her. Mintkit isn't really based on anyone, though.)'''

Cherrykit was bouncing up and down in excitement, her red fur softly blowing in the gentle wind.

"Yay!" she squealed.

"Calm down, Cherrykit!" exclaimed Brindlekit.

"I can't believe we're gonna be apprentices!"

Brindlekit just ignored her.

Why do I always end up scolding my siblings? she wondered. Can't Squirrelflight and Ashfur make some effort to parent them?

"I can't believe Firestar's letting me be a medicine cat apprentice!" squealed Mintkit.

Soon enough, they had to settle down. For the ceremony was starting.

Firestar announced that Brindlekit would be apprenticed to Stormfur. They calmly touched noses, then went to the sides.

Cherrykit was given to Sorreltail to mentor.

I hope Sorreltail doesn't mind having a hyper apprentice, thought Brindlepaw.

Then Mintpaw was given to Leafpool, her aunt. She couldn't believe how lucky and excited she was.

Later, Brindlepaw was by a stream cleaning her paws when she saw Brambleclaw staring at her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He just stared at her for a minute. Then he lunged at her, pinning her down on the ground.

"Someday I'm going to get revenge on you and your mother," he whispered.

"Let go of me!" she squealed, squirming.

He clawed her ear, ripping it. Then he ran off.

"Don't you tell anyone, Brindlepaw!" he growled before disappearing.

What was that about?!

Chapter Seven: Concrete Angel
(A/N: Yes, this chapter is named after a song.)

Brindlepaw lay in the grass, her legs shaky. She didn't know what to do; her brain could hardly process what just happened.

She finally caught her breath, got up, and ran to the medicine den.

"Brindlepaw!" cried Leafpool. "You're shaking! What happened?!"

The pale grey she-cat looked up at her aunt. Leafpool was so kind, and she admitted that she had wished multiple times that the brown tabby were her mother instead of Squirrelflight.

She opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped, remembering Brambleclaw's threatening words.

"I fell out of a tree," she nervously meowed after a long pause. "A...a really, really tall one."

"You poor thing! And what happened to your ear?"

"I accidentally nicked it while I was flailing my paws around, trying to land on my feet," lied Brindlepaw.

As Leafpool was putting cobwebs on her wounds, she noticed something that seemed odd.

"Brindlepaw, why were you talking to Brambleclaw?"

"What?!" cried the apprentice, her head jerking up in alarm.

"His scent is all over your fur."

"Oh, that. I..." she stammered, having a tough time thinking up a good excuse so that Leafpool wouldn't suspect anything. "He helped me up, after I fell."

Leafpool nodded, although she didn't seem entirely convinced.

Later, Brindlepaw was asleep in her nest when she was woken up by her parents' voices.

"Ashfur," she heard Squirrelflight say. "I'm worried about Brindlepaw. Leafpool told me that..."

She tentatively crept to the entrance to the apprentice den, being careful to remain in the shadows to avoid being seen.

"Why would he help our daughter?"

"I know. Leafpool told me she was worried too; I see why. Brambleclaw's never paid much attention to our kits before, thank StarClan. Why...?"

"Do you think Brindlepaw could have been lying? Mayb--"

Brindlepaw accidentally stepped on a small twig, which then loudly split in half. She quickly ran back to her nest.

At the sound of the twig, Squirrelflight and Ashfur came padding in. They looked around the nursery, and Squirrelflight quietly muttered to Ashfur " Must of been a squirrel." Agreeing on that they padded out to the fresh kill pile to share a vole.

Chapter Eight: Truth comes out
(i know the title is a bit reveling)

Hearing whispers out side her den, Brindlepaw, quietly padded to the shadows in her den to over hear. IT WAS HER 2 SISTERS!!! "Shes such an attention hog!" Cherrypaw meowed. "I know, She probably made it all up." meowed Mintpaw. "NO I'M NOT!!, AND I DIDN'T MAKE IT UP!!" Brindlepaw suddenly came stomping out of the den. Her 2 sisters where staring in horror. "It happend yesterday,...." then she remembered that she wasn't supposed to tell anyone! And walked away.

She was not going to let this thret reack her life. Suddenly, she walked up to Brambleclaw, and signaled for him to fallow her into the forest. When they where far enough into the forest she began to speak.

"I am not going to keep this a secret any longer." she anounced.

"If you dont keep it a secret, i'll kill your sister Mintpaw."

And she stared in horror of the thret, and not relising that Brambleclaw was in a hunting crouch. As soon as she snapped back, she relized that he was trying to hunt her!!

But before she could do anything, he lunged, and pinned her getting ready to kill her with a nip, he stopped at the sound of a yowl.

"Get your Claws off of her you piece of mouse dung!!" Brindlepaw relized the sound of her mother Squirrelflights voice. She has come to save her! Then Squrrilflight lunged at him, and they rattled for a while before Brambleclaw pinned her down and snickerd.

"This is something i should of done along time ago!"

But before he could nip, Brindlepaw, jumped down from a tree and landed neatly on his shoulders, and nipped Bramblecalw in the neck.He fell with a thug to the ground.

The mother and daughter looked at each other and sighed, the each took a side, and carryed him to the water stream on the way to the gatherings, by the wind clan border. With a strong shuve they pushed him into the water, and padded away.

No one would ever know.......

Chapter Nine: FireStar
"HelloFireStar!" The misterious Cat spat the words out at him.

"What do you want!" FireStar replyed.

"You'll soon find out."

"TigerStar just tell me what you want!" Firestar spat.

Firestar was dreaming in the darkForest.

"Attack!" TigerStar Screamed!

Firestar turned around to find 6 cats facing him, 2 of which FireStar recignized.

DarkStraipe, and HawkFrost. Then they leaped and pinned him down, and HawkFrost was about to nip him, when TigerStar said "Wait, let me!" and slashed him across the face taking away his last 2 lives.

FireStar woke with a jab in his side, "Your bleeding really bad in your side." Firestar looked, and sure enough, there was a REALLY deep slash.

"You need to see LeafPool now!" she ordered. "I can't." he replyed, "I'm to week. just let me die."

Sandstorm had tears running down her cheacks, a part of her wanted to scream to LeafPool to come and save him, and the rest of her knew that she should just do what was best, and let his destiny run its course.

"Ok." she replyed "But im Staying with you!"

"As you wish." FireStar answered with a twinkle in his eye.

With in moments, FireStar was dead.

Chapter Ten: CloudStar
"Let all cats old enough to catch there own prey come here beneath high rock for a clan meeting!"

the clan was suprised to hear SandStorm say it, but no one objected.

"I am sorry to announce that FireStar has joined StarClan!' she turned her head so the clan wouldn't see her cry, and the rest of the clan gasped in horror.

Then she turned her head back, tears streaming down her face. and his deputy CloudTail will now be CloudStar, if StarClan Will exept him, and until then, we must wait to have our deputy be named.

"CloudTail, it would be helpful, if you left with LeafPool for the moon pool now." with that they both left. " Until they get back, i will be in charge. Any objections?" It was all quiet. "Ok then, BrackenFur, you and Ashfur...." And SandStorm began to announce patrols.

"With this life i give you love." SpottedLeaf touched noses with CloudStar.

He Felt warmth and love surge through him.

"With this life i give you courage." He and FireStar touched noses,

"With this life i give you Bravery." he and yellowfang touched noses.

"With htis life i give you leaderShip." He and LongTail touched noses.

"With this life i give you excitment." he and RedTail Touched noses

"With this life i give you honesty." he and white storm touched noses.

"With this life i give you strengh." he and blue star touched noses.

"With this life i give you carefulness." he and HolleyLeaf toched noses.

"With this life i give you gentel ness." He and honeyfern touched noses.

"With this life i five you powerfulness." he and silverstream touched noses.

"You are now Cloudstar, leader of thunderclan. You have recieved your nine lives, and are ready to defend your clan, even at the cost of your life."

And just like that, CloudStar woke up.

"Hello CloudStar." It was LeafPool.

She ran up to him, and emedeitly started to rub muzzels, and lick him on the nose, as though they were mates, CloudStar Didnt object, but started to do it back. (CloudStar, and LeafPool always had a thing for each other, but since LeafPool was a medicine cat, they never expressed it. they have given each other the twinkel eye, but never this close. Since they would never be mates, CloudStar took another mate, BrightHeart. They had A kit, whiteKIt, but BrightHeart always knew that she would always be number 2.)

They stayed there, and shared love for a while, then decided to head back, they both agreed to keep this a secreat.

Chapter Eleven: MintFern
MintFern padded up to LeafPool,

"LeafPool, I cant become a medicine cat. i want to hunt, i've all ready ;earned some that you tot me, and ill join in on some of the apprentice hunts. I hate being held up in the medicine den!" MintFern meowed fermly.

"If you want to be a warrior.............. Go ahead, just make sure you tell CloudStar." LeafStar replyed.

Was that pain in her eyes?? Well I am going to be a warrior no matter what MintFern told her self.!

Chapter Eleven: Kits!
Moons passed by since the moonPool, CloudStar had made a deputy, Sorreltail, and Mintpaw, Brindlepaw, and Cherrypaw, all became warrioirs, Mintfern, Brindlepetal, and Cherrystripe. More kits arrived, Hazeltail's, and Thornclaw's, they are Morningkit, Flowerkit, and Frogkit. Also Cloudstar and Leafpool kept seeing each other, he would come and visit her in the medicine den, and leave later on that night, or the would go out for a run in the forest, sit, share tongues, and that stuff, or they would just say that Cloudstar had injured himself and had to sleep in the medicine den.

One night Leafpool came up with a great idea.

"What if, you make a Clan meeting, and then i suggest that you ask the Clans at the gathering if medicine cats can have mates, as long as they have a trained apprentice!!"

"That's a great idea! I will anounce that on the day we leave for the gathering."

"Ok, so will I at half moon?"

"Yup."

Cloudstar decided to sleep

A half a moon had gone by.

Leafpool padded into Cloudstar's den, she had a nerveous face on.

Cloudstar padded up to her and began to brush muzzels, then stopped, because he relized, she turned away.

"Whats the matter?" Cloudstar began.

"Cloudstar......" Leafpool Began, "I'm having Kits, and there............ YOURS!"

They both stood there shocked.

"They are do any day now."

"Well, that's a shocker," then he started to giggle. "I thought you where going to tell me Sorreltail died!"

"Cloudtail,..... I'm worried. I dont want to mess up what you have between Brightheart and yourself. Make the anouncement tonight, i'll be all lovey dovey with........ Brackenfur, and say that there his.''

Cloudstar stood astonished by her bravery in this.

"As you wish...." Cloudstar muttered.

Chapter Twelve: Frogleap
Weeks have gone by since the gathering, and The Clans all agreed that that should be a part of the code, and thank goodness Frogkit wanted to be a medicine cat, so he has been trained, and is well enough to step in when Leafpool has her kits. Her plan with Brackenfur worked, and she is well in place, she just anounced that she was going to have kits yesterday, and everyone was excited!

"Very good Frogpaw, It is time to travel mto the Moonpool now, come." as they left, she bumped into Sorreltail.

"Can you tell Cloudstar that we are going to go to the Moonpool now, thanks."

With that they padded out the thorn barrier, and into the forest.

When they finally got there, she spoke.

"I would like to name a very important cat a full medicine cat. Frogpaw, you have trained hard to learn the ways of the medicine cats, and in your turn, i name you Frogleap." Frogleap's eyes Glittered in the moonlight. They touched noses, and the medicine cats chanted his name.

"Frogleap, Frogleap, Frogleap!!"

Then the medicine cats settled down to share tongues with StarClan.

Chapter Thirteen: Leafpool!
When they got back, Leafpool Didn't feel to great, so she padded into the nursery, and decided to sleep it off, then she started to have contractions, so she called to Frogleap, he called to Brackenfur, and Cloudstar watched too.

"Push Leafpool!" Brackenfur was shouting out comands.

So she pushed, and sure enough, out plopped 1 tawny tom cat, Frogleap gave him to Brackenfur, and told him to lick the fur backwards, and nip the little sack.

Then out popped another one, a golden tom cat with a lion mane, Frogleap gave this one to Ferncloud, then another popped out, it was a white fluffy male, exactly like Cloudstar, exept with Leafpool's brown tabby colouring on his ears. Frogleap passed it over to Cloudstar, and then another popped out, it was an all grey tabby with a white belly, it was a she-cat. Frogleap gave this one to Sandstorm. Leafpool settled down, but still felt uncomfortable. Frogleap felt Leafpool's belly. "Hold on, there's one more.!"

Leafpool looked out of it. She pushed as hard as she could, and sure enough, out plopped a black tom cat with white stripes. she sweeped them all in with her tail, and started to listen to them suckle at her belly.

"Well we better leave you and Brackenfur to your beautiful kits!"

"They are beautiful darling." Brackenfur told her.

"What shall we name them?" Leafpool answered.

"How about The tawny one, be Rainit?" Sure, Leafpool Replied, and Lionkit?"                                               "Sure!" Replied Brackenfur.

They ended up naming the others these names,

white fluffy one with brown ears = Tadkit,

grey tabby with white belly = SpottedKit,

black with white stripes = StripedKit

Leafpool started to feel worse, but she knew that frog leap was running low in medicine supplies, so she decided not to say anything. Then Brackenfur leaned in and rubbed muzzels with Leafpool, when Cloudstar jumped in and attacked him, everyone was too busy breaking up them, that they didnt relize that Leafpool went Uncontious. When they were still fighting, Frogleap jumped away and checked on Leafpool.When He relized she was unconcious, he called to Brackenfur. He instructed Brackenfur to go and get the herbs he needed, by the time he got back, everyone was sitting there staring in despare at Leafpool, and her kits wriggling around her, complaining she was to cold. Brackenfur dropped the herbs and hurried over to Leafpool. But all of a sudden, Firestar appeared, and he spoke to them.

"Fellow Clanmates, it is her time to die!''

Evil!!!
(Nuff said) Cloudstar was furious, and sad, and happy at the same time, Leafpool shouldnt of died, he wanted to kill Brackenfur! But he was the clan leader, and he couldnt, so he decided to leave, and go for a run. Well out in the forest, Cherrystripe, Brindlepetal, and Mintfern came out of the bushes, and surrounded him. " We know those are your kits... " They began. Cloudstar sat down, and flatted his ears. "And if you tell anyone, i'll kill you." He hissed his threat. "OH! like how you killed our aunt!!!" Mintfern spat back.

"I loved your aunt! she was a brave she-cat, and had a spicy tang to her, but our love would never have been!" He began his dazed story. As he began, Cherrystripe whispered into Mintfern ear, "Go back to camp, and warn the others about Leafpool." Mintfern began to back away, she sprintted back to camp, hopping her sisters were following! She wanted to spread this news just like her sister Cherrystripe had told her to do. As she looked back she did not see her sisters following, so she stopped, and creeped back and hid in a bush to watch. When she got back, she seen Cloudstar stalking Cherrystripe, He was trying to kill her, and there was another mysterious cat she did not know that had Brindlepetal pinned! Just as he was about to do the killing bite, Mintfern leaped out of the bushes, and jumped infront, and insead of killing Cherrystripe, he killed Mintfern!!! He and the mysterious cat tore off into the bushes and the two sisters were left with there dead sister. What were they going to say, if they told anyone, Cloudstar would kill them too!!!

Know What!
Several days had gone by since there sister Mintfern had died in the forest. They said that she was attacked by a mysterious cat in the forst, and they just came in time to see her die. Cloudstar had not come back to the Clan ever since the death of her sister. Cherrystripe felt so guilty! It should have been her that died!!!