Hi! Totally Didn't Forget To Post On Monday, Anyway, Here Is A Submission I Made For AbsoluteCreatureVibes's

Horizonshine lives to run.

Working as a Brookclan courier, Horizonshine finds their purpose in racing across the mountains and joining the distant cats of the bay clans together. In the constantly changing landscape of the Alaskan wilderness, their job represents stability, knowing there will always be another package to carry, another report to send, another task to run to. With every new day, the young cat charges forward, eager to forge connections in her community.

But old connections are racing up to meet her, and when cosmic forces set paw in the mortal realm, the troubled courier suddenly finds herself with a message she can’t seem to deliver, and a past she can no longer run from.

Releasing February 2nd, 2024 on Tumblr and Comicfury

“I want you to take him back with you to your Clan so that he can be your new apprentice… Make him a hero, please. Like you!”

Princess and CloudKit - The Prophecies Begin

For how much (rightful) criticism Dawn Of The Clans gets I’m surprised I haven’t seen anyone mention the inaccurate characterizations that happen from The First Battle to The Blazing Star.

The First Battle ends with relegations of how bad Clear Sky is, how mislead he was, how much hes hurt everyone around him and then all the characters become aware of why he was acting the way he was and Thunder opens his heart to Clear Sky. He’s like ‘oh that’s why my dads like that. He’ll have to work hard to right the wrongs he’s done but I believe he can do it. It’ll take me a while to forgive him though’. But then The Blazing Star begins with them forgetting how they all were feeling about Clear Sky and creating conflict because they go back to being unsympathetic and that he’ll never change again.

I read these books back to back so it might be more noticeable just because there wasn’t a year between me reading the two (also I swear you can tell when a new Erin begins writing in the series), but my point still stands.

I think people hate Clear Sky because the books themselves didn’t properly justify his redemption. They needed conflict, they had understanding and acceptance of him too early and then they back tracked to prolong it. It’s like whiplash the way Thunder goes from hating his father to understanding him and having hope for him back to hating if him and then liking him at the end of the series.

That’s one thing that sucks about this Warrior Cat series (and i wouldn’t be surprised about the others once I get to them), the Erins don’t always create coherent stories and characters. And maybe it’s just this book but all the characters are very static as well and when they try to have dynamic characters it just seems forced for plot. Which really sucks because this is a great concept for a series and it wasn’t all terrible.

im not saying “don’t criticize the content you consume” but i am saying to have reasonable expectations

While I still enjoy Warrior Cats, people praising it as one of the "best book series for children" ever written is kindaaaa a stretch to me. One of the first books literally kills a disabled kid for shock value. There's also the uncomfortable amount of incest/misoginy/racism that just worsens as the series progresses. Is WC irredeemable? Of course not, far from it. I just think that there are other series that are more deserving of that title, and WC aint one of them.

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The Prophecies Begin book 1 is so good for so many reasons but oh my god that plot with Tigerclaw…

There is absolutely no reason to keep putting off letting the leader know that the current deputy killed another deputy and possibly helped plot the death of Lionheart!! Like why would that make sense Firepaw? WHY WOULD BLUESTAR NOT WANT TO KNOW?!!! AND WHY WOULD HIDING RAVENOAW AND PRETENDING HES DEAD BE EASIER THAN WARNING BLUESTAR?!!!

into the wild (2003)

Please motivate me to get back into Warriors PLEASE

i’m feeling tempted to do more with this 0-0 i think the clans need fire so bad

imagine Warriors but they have fire

Here is where I dump or information on the idea but I had to make these realllyyy fast sketches before I lost the idea. Fire and the coal they keep is sacred to them becasue it mirrors the Sun. The coal is especially used in festivals during Winter and Spring but they are also used during special ceremonies.

How the coal is treated also acts as a characterizer of each Clan. Wind Clan is more communal so apprentices and warriors can carry/place the coal. It is kept in a tunnel in the center of the clearing wall. For this reason, they all have general knowledge on how to create and fix masks. Rabbits feet may be used to decorate them or dried flowers.

In contrast, River Clan is more private and prioritizes keeping the coal sacred. This resembles how they interact with Star Clan believing that each cat has a more personal relationship with Star Clan, fesivals are more quiet and focused on calming and centering oneself. The coal is stored in an unmarked area which is moved if any other clan finds it on accident or on purpose. Medicine cats exclusively can touch or place the coal. The mask is equally sacred and can only be properly mended by a medicine cat although leaders can fill in if necessary. The making of a mask is taught to medicine apprentices.

Thunder Clan keeps the coal in the leaders den becasue they believe much of Star Clan's power is funneled through the leader. Leaders are expected to move and place coal, however, medicine cats make the masks. The coal is kept in the leaders den in a nook in the rock. Thunder Clan is known to have loud crackling bon fires.

Shadow Clan is more communal in terms of coal handling as well, however, masks are extremely sacred and can only be made/mended by medic cats. A charred and hollowed tree near the entrance is where they keep the coal. Clan specific festivals are completely exclusive and secretive unlike Wind Clan which is known to invite friendly members of other clans if they feel inclined. Bon fires are not common but they often cremate bodies on a small island that is surrounded by bog. Cremation is also common in River Clan.

Star Clan must bless a mask before it is used, this contributes to how long lasting they often are (the oldest being from Shadow Clan going back 10 generations). The coal, although it mirrors the Sun, is contrasted by the blue light glow of the moon stone so the fire of coal represents life while the moonstone represents soul and spirit.

In many ways, the coal makes the Clans somewhat dependent on eachother because if coal somehow goes out there is an obligation for any Clan asked to share. If, for whatever reason, this does not happen there is a small eternal fire in a cavern said to be located far beneath the moonstone, however, no one has had to travel here for a couple generations. The knowledge of this cavern is held by medicine cats.

Theyre talking cats so I don't feel too bad making a crazy ass fire society head canon

From a Graystripe AMV I will likely never actually finish.