I HAVE ASC#4 THUNDER! THUNDER SPOILER THREAD

Agreed. I also thought she was likely involved back when people were making theories and threads about a RiverClan conspiracy after River came out. But I never thought Curlfeather would be the actual mastermind behind it all.

Most people back then seemed to moreso consider Duskfur as the ringleader since she was older (and is Curlfeather's mother). But it looks like that wasn't the case and she'll likely now either not live long as temporary leader or get overthrown by Splashtail.

It's wild that I wrote this 2 days ago. Knowing what we know now makes my interpretation even more heartbreaking to me. Curlfeather was Frostpaw's everything. Her protector. And now we know neither her nor Splashtail ever wanted to protect her. Curlfeather meant everything to Frostpaw, and to Curlfeather, Frostpaw was just a tool. 

I knew I was right back when Sky came out that Frostpaw would be more than a camera. Her journey this book is great and I hope one of the park cats who comes back with her and Nightheart helps give her therapy. Hoping for Bee right now.

Always gonna be annoyed by anyone ever defending Tigerheart, but. Can’t be too surprised when he’s the author’s pet lmao. So, she can get a pass.

It’s Dovewing’s bootlicking that I can’t bother to deal with reading, not that I’m shocked about it.

We were right! Curlfeather was involved! Poor Frostpaw, it must be so bad for her… her crush and her mum, both involved in the murders. I hope she recovers well from that knowledge.
Also, I’m glad Sunbeam is feeling welcome in ThunderClan, even without Nightheart! Good for her for standing up to Cherryfall.

She was getting torn apart by dogs, those screams were probably real.

That's how parenting works. I mean, fricking Clear Sky has a heart for kits. We've got his final chapter in Path of Stars and the stuff that went down in Moth Flight's Vision to note.

So Wasp is the other one! Knew it!

WindClan arrives last to the Gathering. Sparrowtail acknowledges Sunbeam but he looks anxious, as do all the ShadowClan cats except Lighleap, who looks relaxed. The RiverClan warriors look prouder than ever and only one ShadowClan warrior is with them - Scorchfur, who clearly wants to be with his own Clanmates.

Duskfur announces they held a vigil for Frostpaw last night. Squirrelstar tells the cats that Sunbeam has passed her trials and is now a ThunderClan warrior. Berryheart loudly asks Sunbeam if she’s really going through with it, telling her she is betraying her Clan and that she will always be an outsider to ThunderClan. Whorlpelt, Snowbird and Yarrowleaf cheer Berryheart on. Instead of addressing Berryheart, Sunbeam addresses the whole Gathering, saying she hasn’t joined ThunderClan just for Nightheart, but that in the time she’s spent in ThunderClan, she realized it’s where she truly belongs and while grateful for what her old Clanmates did for her, she needs to follow her own path and she now has friends in ThunderClan. She continues by saying (while looking at Berryheart) that ThunderClan cats are more like kin than her own kin. Berryheart is hurt and surprised and Sunbeam thinks it serves her right. ThunderClan lauds Sunbeam for such a great speech, but Berryheart is not finished yet. Berryheart reaches the Great Oak with Whorlpelt, Snowbird and Yarrowleaf and says they have an announcement to make - they want Tigerstar removed from his position as leader of ShadowClan, to everyones shock. Sparrowtail looks at Berryheart with a satisfied expression and Sunbeam realizes he knew about this. All the ShadowClan cats remain silent and just glance down at their paws and nervously at each other except Shadowsight, who protests. Berryheart reminds him that they changed the code to allow a leader to be removed from their position. Berryheart rants about how Tigerstar only cares about RiverClan and Tigerstar defends himself and tries to reason with her. Berryheart tells him he has the support of Puddleshine too, who confesses to have agreed to support Berryheart. Berryheart, clearly enjoying this, tells Cloverfoot she needs to travel to the Moonpool to get her lives, but Puddleshine interrupts, saying he hadn’t finished. Eyes glowing, he tells Tigerstar he only agreed with Berryheart to show the Clans how easily the new part of the code can be exploited simply because of a disagreement over one decision. Berryheart is full of rage and hurt. Dovewing suggests she leaves and joins another Clan, but Berryheart says she’d rather live as a rogue first. Tigerstar says that is perhaps what she should do. Tigerstar asks her clique if they want to follow Berryheart in leaving but Whorlpelt, Snowbird and Yarrowleaf retreat back to their Clan. Sparrowtail announces that he will leave with Berryheart and Hollowspring joins them. Spireclaw says he has a mate here and won’t abandon her after all Berryheart put them through and Sunbeam asserts she will be a ThunderClan warrior the rest of her life. Berryheart and the others leave. As the Gathering ends, Duskfur tells them to wait as there is something important all the cats need to hear

Tigerstar really is the worst! I almost feel bad for Berryheart.

that’s some pretty authoritarian stuff if someone says “I’m not happy with how you’re handling things and I want you removed from power” and the one in power just tells her to get out and leave

Nightheart and the others sneak up on the Gathering and hear Berryheart announcing she will leave, as no cat can appreciate that everything she’s done has been for ShadowClan. Nightheart sees her kin following her into exile and is worried Sunbeam has/will join them. Frostpaw convinces him to stay and wait to see what Sunbeam does, and to his relief, Sunbeam refuses to join Berryheart. Duskfur tells the leaving cats to wait as she has something important to tell them- now that Frostpaw is dead, the new medicine cat is Podlight. The leaders ask Podlight when he learned he had a connection with StarClan. Podlight tells them that Riverstar appeared to him and told him that the time has come to make RiverClan strong and formidable again, as formidable as it was when Riverstar was leader. Waffle and Wasp point out that it’s the opposite of the Riverstar they were told about by Frostpaw and nursery tales. Frostpaw remembers that Podlight was Curlfeather’s littermate and wonders if he is working with Splashtail as well. Podlight tells the Clans that Riverstar told him RiverClan must be as powerful as the river it was named for. When Harestar asks, Podlight confirms Riverstar told him who the next leader should be - Splashtail. Frostpaw concludes that Splashtail put Podlight up to this. The Clans protest that he is too young but Splashtail ignores them and leaps onto the Great Oak. He tells the Clans that when Podlight first told him, he couldn’t believe it himself. Splashtail says he has found the strength he needs and that leadership is his destiny and can make RiverClan stronger than ever. Frostpaw panics that they are too late and that it would be impossible to tell RiverClan that Splashtail is a murderer and a liar, as they’d never believe her. If she tells them Splashtail murdered Reedwhisker, they will think she is inventing more nonsense. Splashtail is staring at the cats as if he already got his nine lives and Frostpaw feels defeated. She had let Riverstar down and Splashtail had won. Frostpaw can feel Splashtail’s hatred and determination when he looks at the spot Frostpaw and the others are hiding even though he can’t see them. Frostpaw is terrified of him and she wonders who else he would be willing to sacrifice. Nightheart tells her to look at him and he sternly tells her that she isn’t defeated and that she can fix this and he will help her. Together, they will do whatever it takes to make things right.

THE END