The Good, The Bad, and The Dirty

Sedgestream stalked, head low and tail tip twitching, over the moors toward the gathering island with Fadedstar's pelt brushing hers. Starlingspeckle had given his word that he would not fight for his kits despite being their last living parent. Sedgestream was their mother now, despite being unable to nurse them herself. They were the last piece of Fawnsplash she had, and she would love them as her own. The tom who'd had a short fling with Sedgestream's sister didn't deserve the kits as much as Sedgestream did and he must've known it. She'd been best friends with her sister since birth, and with her last scrap of energy Fawnsplash had requested that Sedgestream love the kits and that's what she intended to do. Starlingspeckle must've known they'd be safe and loved with Sedgestream. That must've been why he assured Sedgestream that he would not try to take them to ThunderClan.

Bramblestar, however, had made no such promises. The tom was arrogant, aggressive though he pretended not to be. Sedgestream had seen the way he treated his own deputy - his own mate. He liked to pretend he was some high and mighty cat, as if he was the leader ThunderClan actually needed. He was nothing but a fox-heart.

A heartbeat or two after thinking that, Sedgestream felt guilty. Bramblestar wasn't all bad. He definitely was a fox-heart for what he did to Squirrelflight, but he was still a decent leader, and he'd been nothing but kind to LeafClan so far. …Except when he'd refused to send aid when they went to war, but LeafClan was guilty of that too. They hadn't helped ShadowClan during the Darktail takeover despite a former LeafClanner begging for it, so Sedgestream understood why Bramblestar didn't act. Still, ThunderClan and LeafClan were meant to be sister clans and that move had resulted in hurt feelings.

Sedgestream sighed heavily, anxiety sparking off her pelt as her thoughts returned back to the matter at hand. Fadedstar bumped into Sedgestream affectionately, glancing over at her. It briefly amused her that they were the same height - she was almost considered small, even for a she-cat. Her brother was tiny. Her thoughts refocused on him as he spoke quietly to her.

"You don't need to worry. These kits belong with LeafClan. I'm sure Bramblestar will be reasonable about it." Doubt flashed in Fadedstar's eyes as he said it - he wasn't sure of the outcome either. Sedgestream knew where she thought it was headed, but Fadedstar clearly was more optimistic about it.

"Like they were reasonable about Twigbranch and Violetshine?" Sedgestream growled.

"That wasn't necessarily his fault," Fadedstar replied cautiously.

Sedgestream lashed her tail. "It never should've happened. If he tries to do it with my kits, I'll claw his ears off."

Fadedstar purred. "Let's not get too hasty now. StarClan wouldn't like that very much."

"StarClan should stick to being dead instead of meddling in our lives," Sedgestream snarled. Fadedstar huffed out a laugh. It had been extremely disrespectful, but even Wolfheart had agreed StarClan was full of it - and he was there!

"Perhaps, but it doesn't change the fact that they're our ancestors and we have to listen to them." Fadedstar paused thoughtfully for a heartbeat or two. "... For now. Besides, StarClan is the reason LeafClan exists in the first place. Let's cross that river when we get to it."

Sedgestream's tail twitched a little harder. She knew he was right. It wasn't StarClan she was angry at right now anyway.

They remained comfortably silent as they passed through WindClan's territory and eventually made it to the gathering island. Fadedstar and Sedgestream parted so they could cross the log bridge individually, and Fadedstar made his way up to the tree where most of the other leaders sat ready. Sedgestream glared up at Bramblestar as she sat tensely among the crowded cats, all of whom were visiting with each other, unaware of the potential fight brewing.

Finally, Bramblestar raised his tail, officially starting the gathering and causing the clans to split up once again. After silence prevailed for a moment or two, he let his tail drop and looked toward the other leaders. "Who would like to start?"

A couple of other leaders spouted off their meaningless news while Sedgestream ignored them and focused on Bramblestar. Tigerstar and Harestar each spoke, and then finally their eyes were on Fadedstar.

"...Two kits - Spiderkit and Poolkit - were born to Fawnsplash," he said after getting pleasantries out of the way. "Unfortunately, she didn't make it despite our medicine cats' best efforts." Grief shone in his eyes as he reported this, and many cats from other clans murmured in shock or sympathy. This wasn't what Sedgestream was waiting for, though, and she leaned forward slightly, ignoring a few cats glancing over at her sadly.

"Sedgestream has taken them in as her own, at the request of Fawnsplash herself." Fadedstar said this carefully, as if trying to make a point even though he didn't look at Bramblestar at all.

Bramblestar stood, staring at Fadedstar. "But they're half ThunderClan, are they not?"

Fadedstar warily looked over at him. "... Yes, they are."

"And their father lives. Shouldn't they be with their kin in ThunderClan?"

Sedgestream began growling and dug her claws into the dirt as Fadedstar's expression hardened. "They have kin in LeafClan too. They will be loved as they deserve."

"But they don't have a parent in LeafClan anymore. Every cat deserves loving parents, don't they?"

Sedgestream sprang to her paws to snarl a retort, but Starlingspeckle's voice rang out over the crowd. "Bramblestar, I gave them to LeafClan. They should stay with their mother-"

"Their mother is dead. And that was not your choice to make!" Bramblestar glared at Starlingspeckle, who didn't back down but looked vaguely surprised.

"If you're so resistant to this," Bramblestar continued less harshly, looking back at Fadedstar, "then we will only take one."

"I will not let that happen. If you're really wanting to die on this hill, then go ahead. Just know that LeafClan has fought more fox-hearted enemies than you and lived to tell the tale." Fadedstar's voice was so calm that it was intimidating. Sedgestream felt a chill run down her spine.

"Are you threatening me just because I suggested a reasonable solution?" Bramblestar asked incredulously.

"Don't you remember what happened with Violetshine and Twigbranch?" Sedgestream finally snarled up at him.

Bramblestar glared down at her. "Warriors should not talk out of turn at a gathering," he growled, and below them a short ginger she-cat stood.

"Bramblestar, she's right. Forcefully separating siblings is a bad idea," Squirrelflight protested.

Bramblestar's gaze turned dark as he looked down at her. "You are my deputy-"

"They're my kits now, I won't let you take them!" Sedgestream snapped. Fadedstar raised his tail in warning, glancing down at her pleadingly.

Warriors in the crowd began quietly murmuring to each other, mewing in hushed tones. Some were more aggravated than others.

"We need to discuss this further without other cats interrupting," Bramblestar growled lowly.

Fadedstar scoffed lightly. "There's nothing more to discuss. I've made my decision clear. Accept that the kits are ours or don't, we will be ready either way." Fadedstar jumped down from the branch he was on, gesturing for his clan to follow him with his tail. Before she fell in behind him, Sedgestream glanced up at the moon, watching clouds slowly drift to cover it. She flicked her tail dismissively and focused on the walk ahead of her, glancing up at the leaders who remained among the branches. Bramblestar looked furious - meanwhile, the other leaders looked irritated.

"I guess this gathering is over," Leafstar muttered irritatedly, jumping down from her branch. She hadn't had a chance to report on her clan, and Sedgestream felt bad. She liked the SkyClan leader. Leafstar always seemed to do the right thing.

Multiple cats were chattering at Fadedstar's side when Sedgestream finally found him, all of them looking vaguely worried. Fadedstar was calmly reassuring them, so Sedgestream hung back. He didn't have time to be bothered by her right now.

Sedgestream was walking so slowly that the rest of her clan had pulled ahead of her, so she turned and sprinted off back across the moors, stretching her legs and releasing her fury as she headed back to camp. When she burst through the entrance well ahead of everyone else, the cats who milled around waiting for news jumped or stood at attention, with some crying out in alarm. Sedgestream walked to the center of the camp and collapsed, panting as the tiredness overtook her. Sedgestream hadn't felt her muscles burning until she came to a stop, and now she was exhausted.

Those who hadn't come to the gathering surrounded her, expressing concern and alarm. Asking her what happened. Asking where everyone else was. Sedgestream waved them off with her tail as she stood, and briefly explained. Bramblestar was a fox-heart. She'd needed to get some frustration out so she ran. Nothing overly serious. Then she broke away from them to go flop in her new nest in the nursery, gently pulling Spiderkit and Poolkit's sleeping forms to her. They were her kits and she would not let them be taken from her. She had many brave cats backing her, cats who had survived worse things than Bramblestar. LeafClan would fight if they had to and they would win.

Sedgestream was so proud of her little brother for standing up for them so confidently. There was no way they'd lose with him leading them.