I HAVE ASC#4 THUNDER! THUNDER SPOILER THREAD

And this is exactly why I get so frustrated with the way Nightheart's arc was executed! There's no way he doesn't know that this isn't unique to him.

I low-key want Nightheart to complete ASC and realize that he walked in Firestar's shoes the whole time, and every time he shoes up as a background character in a future arc, he's still visibly having an existential crisis

I wonder if this is the point? Bramblestar in the first book tells Nightheart that whether or not he likes it, everyone does see qualities of Firestar in him which is why he even keeps the -heart suffix. 

Sunbeam is stung and a little hurt by Nightheart’s absence

The ThunderClan cats at the Moonpool return to camp. Squirrelflight and Bramblestar - now Squirrelstar and Brambleclaw -  confirm the ceremony worked and the Clan yowls their new leader’s name. Sunbeam, while pleased and joining in the yowling, is worried this would bring war with ShadowClan closer. Remembering how Nightheart would be back, she begins to purr only to realize he is missing. She cant find any wounds on the returning cats and wonders where he is. Squirrelstar confirms that Ivypool will be deputy and that they will hold a formal ceremony for her later. She announces Brambleclaw will be an elder but that he will stay in her den regardless. Brambleclaw declares that he will do his own ticks and no youngsters will need to tend to him. Brackenfur tells him to wait till he has ticks on his tail base, as only young paws can reach those. This is the first time Sunbeam sees the leader and deputy looking relaxed. She pushes in between Bayshine and Lionblaze to ask about Nightheart, and they tell her he left when they were sharing with StarClan. Sparkpelt joins her in worrying about him. Squirrelstar says they checked to see if there was a fight and there was no sign of a struggle and is sure he is fine. Cherryfall argues that if hes okay then why isn’t he here and looks at Sunbeam sharply, who wonders if she is blaming her for his disappearance. Squirrelstar asserts Nightheart will return as he is a true warrior. Lionblaze doubts his loyalty to ThunderClan as he did join ShadowClan, but Sparkpelt defends him. Brambleclaw is sure Nightheart had good reason to leave.

Squirrelstar has Ivypool arrange the day’s patrols. Myrtlebloom comforts Sunbeam, but Dewnose and Plumstone make a snarky remark about Nightheart’s whereabouts, clearly wanting her to hear it. As Ivypool sorts out the patrols, Sunbeam, wanting to hide and be alone, runs to her nest. Squirrelstar approaches the den and calls her name, understanding her feelings/behavior, and tells her she has something only Sunbeam can hear – that at the end of her nine-lives ceremony, she received a message about Nightheart – that he is strong and resourceful and had to leave as there is something StarClan needs him to do. This comforts Sunbeam a little. Squirrelstar tells her she must keep this a secret, even to Sparkpelt and Finchlight. Squirrelstar has her leave her den and Sparkpelt and Finchlight question Sunbeam but she says Squirrelstar simply told her not to worry. Sparkpelt and Finchlight are certain Nightheart will return. They distract themselves by hunting and Sunbeam is cheered up by how they treat her like kin.

Squirrelstar has called an emergency Gathering to announce the change in leadership. Sunbeam doesn’t want her former Clan to see her and is determined to stay with ThunderClan, even though feeling homesick. Sparkpelt tells her to join them and she introduces her to a group of SkyClan cats, fortunately it is Rootspring who is in front of her and greets her warmly. He asks about Nightheart and they tell him he is sick. Sunbeam doesn’t know who the cat next to him is and he introduces his father, Tree. They see ShadowClan approaching and Tree remarks, “Here comes trouble”. Sunbeam isn’t sure if he’s joking. Rootspring asks if this Gathering had been called because of ShadowClan, Sparkpelt responding with a nope, but as Sunbeam sees Tigerstar walking to the Great Oak and wonders if he thinks this Gathering had been called because of ShadowClan, given what was happening in RiverClan and Leafstar and Squirrelstar’s disapproval. She wishes Nightheart were with her and worries about his whereabouts. She sees Berryheart, who is clearly ignoring her.

RiverClan arrives, who all look miserable. Lots of ShadowClan cats – Lightleap, Whorepelt and Flaxfoot, follow them and all look tired, especially Lightleap. Sunbeam defends her former Clan’s actions in RiverClan to Finchlight. Finchlight asks if Berryheart has cooled down yet and Sunbeam tries to approach her, but Berryheart ignores her. Spireclaw assures Sunbeam that Berryheart will come around eventually, but the rest of the ShadowClan cats, except Fringwhisker and Dovewing, don’t acknowledge her either and a weary Lightleap is chilly to her as well.

The leaders jump onto the oak but Brambleclaw stays on the ground and Squirrelstar pads to the Oak. Tigerstar watches with a frown and bristles when she is on the branch as deputies don’t take their leader’s place if the leader is present. She tells the cats below her that she is now Squirrelstar, leader of ThunderClan, much to Leafstar’s delight. The cats below glance at each other uneasily and Tawnypelt asks how she could be leader when Bramblestar is right there. Squirrelstar tells them he is now Brambleclaw, an elder, as he needs some peace after his time in the Dark Forest and battle with Ashfur. Tawnypelt pushes forward through the crowd and tells Bramblestar she didn’t know he was suffering so much and that he has earned some peace. Cats from other Clans start nodding and ThunderClan pelts smooth. However, Tigerstar’s hackles are still twitching but doesn’t get a chance to speak as Splashtail pushes his way through the crowd and tells them Frostpaw is missing and if anyone had seen her. Berryheart suggests that Frostpaw must have felt humiliated and left after admitting her visions were false, but Mothwing defends her. Kestrelflight urges Whistlepaw to speak, who tells them she found traces of her fur and blood and must have been carried off by a buzzard, as there are more of them lately. Kestrelflight confirms the fur at the spot Whistlepaw showed him smelled like RiverClan. Splashtail stares at Whistlepaw with horror in his eyes. Graypaw and Mistpaw wail and ask how long ago was this. Whistlepaw tells them and Graypaw asks what she could have been doing on the moor.

In the Great Oak, Leafstar eyes Tigerstar and icily points out how its strange how the one cat in RiverClan who could communicate with StarClan has disappeared. Tigerstar asks her what she is insinuating and she replies by saying that the longer it takes for RiverClan to choose a leader, the longer Tigerstar can keep his warriors on their land. Tigerstar says he doesn’t want to be in RiverClan in the first place and justifies his actions by pointing out RiverClan is a mess. Squirrelstar joins in and Tigerstar asks her if she think he is responsible for Frostpaw’s death, a cat who couldn’t communicate with StarClan per her own confession. He tells them their argument makes no sense and are just looking for an excuse to go to war. He looks at Lightleap and tells them he is proud of his warriors, who are making sure RiverClan is protected and fed. Sunbeam frowns as Lightleap does not look pleased by her father’s praise, only looking back at him with tired, anxious eyes, and all the RiverClan cats turn to glare at Lightleap. Sunbeam wonders as Tigerstar praises his warriors and RiverClan’s status why RiverClan looked so resentful and all the ShadowClan warriors in their camp exhausted. Squirrelstar takes Tigerstar’s place and tells them Sunbeam is doing well in her Clan. She tells them she passed her first trial, with a look of triumphant at Tigerstar, but he is staring at the ThunderClan cats and asks where Nightheart is. Squirrelstar says he is resting in camp.

Tigerstar responds with suspicion and notes how it’s a convenient time for ThunderClan’s leadership to change as Brambleclaw wasn’t opposed to helping RiverClan, unlike Squirrelstar, and he asks who’s idea it was to pass leadership to her. Brambleclaw yowls that it was his alone. Tigerstar says that he cant help feeling the change in leadership has brought them closer to a war Squirrelstar seems to want. Squirrelstar hisses that’s not true but Tigerstar presses that Leafstar already threatened ShadowClan to drive them off RiverClan and now that Squirrelstar is in charge, SkyClan has a new ally. Squirrelstar says they were just trying to protect RiverClan but Tigerstar counters that they could in reality be after RiverClan’s land. Leafstar goes, “How dare you!” but Tigerstar has moved on to Harestar, who is stiff on his branch and doesn’t know what to say.

Squirrelstar says she doesn’t want to lose lives over this and has a suggestion, telling them it was Nightheart’s – to have Tree mediate. Squirrelstar beckons Tree to come closer, who is taunted by Cherryfall, Oakfur and Splashtail on his way to the front. Tree promises Squirrelstar that he will side with peace and will meet secretly with all 5 leaders and listen to what each has to say and decide on a peace that satisfies every cat. Tigerstar doesn’t argue. All the cats, led by Harestar, leave the island and Sunbeam realizes how afraid she is over the possibility of war between ThunderClan and ShadowClan and wishes Nightheart were with her.

Well, looks like Squirrelstar is official. But on the bright side, deputy Ivypool! But then what the heck was the point of getting rejected initially with the storm? We've literally just gone full circle plotwise. I'm going to be honest, I'm kind of hoping they're pulling a Nightstar or Owlnose situation where they actually rejected her and it's just a front for the sake of Bramblestar retiring.

The mental gymnastics on this guy is actually hilarious. RiverClan is still a mess! You haven't done anything to fix their leadership crisis! He just rocks up, seizes power, and keeps barking orders.

Finally! Congrats, Squirrelstar and Ivypool! Really hope there isn't a twist here, though I honestly don't really expect Squirrelstar to last that long regardless. Also, go hell, Tigerstar, I really hope you get voted out soon.

For what it's worth I don't hate Squirrelflight, I just wish someone else would be able to be leader and she would retire.

I'm so glad starclan told Squirrel who in turn told Sunbeam. I was worried they were all gonna be confused.. Okay now I'm excited for the rest of the chapters. Also SQUIRRELSTAR OH MY GOD IT FINALLY HAPPEN!! I'm so excited and Ivypool as deputy. This is shaping up to be so cool!!

Well, this has certainly been a lot. In only nine chapters no less!

Is there a sadist on the team??? First Bristlefrost gets perma nerfed and now Frostpaw's dream of motherhood is snatched away! Enough with the gut punches already!!

Okay, I need to calm down. Anywho, I am happy to see the story clipping along at a good pace so far.

At least NightxSun continues to be healthy. I must admit I was suspicious of Spark&Finch's sudden 180, but they seem to have actually learned their lesson.

The first trial sounds adorable. I wonder when the kits will finally be apprenticed? Must be soon pretty soon by now.

Mixed feelings on Squirrelstar, but it does sound like her leadership will be short lived. Bring on Ivystar!

I'm almost certainly wrong, but was Lightleap's exhaustion a hint? Like the sound of tiny paws will be in her near future? It seemed odd that she was singled out like that. Maybe Berryheart does something to her or her kits, and that is why she gets exiled.

Being told to follow the sunrise again. They love their callbacks, don't they?