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Description
Rainflower returned with a carp clamped in her jaws. With the fish returning, she'd had plenty of successful hunts like this. She set it on the pile and made for the nursery. She wanted to see Oakkit; it wouldn't be long till he became a apprentice, and she intended on speaking to Hailstar about making Shellheart his mentor.

She was surprised to see Shellheart approaching her, blocking her path. Her lip curled in the usual defiant snarl she was used to pulling with him. Shellheart did look upset, but not completely angry. A shimmer of deepset confusion in his eyes made her fur lay flat.

"Hailstar wants to speak to you in his den" The gray tom said, jerking his head towards the leader's den, where Hailstar's amber eyes glowed from the shadows.

Rainflower licked her chest and purred internally. Perfect! She was going to see him anways, and this was the perfect time to tell him. She padded towards the den and poked her head inside, blinking in surprise to see it jammed with three other cats.

Brambleberry and Echomist stared at her with such undisguised venom she almost physically recoiled. She raised her chin defiantly and padded to Hailstar. "You wanted to speak to me, Hailstar?"

His eyes were as angry as the others, and Rainflower suddenly felt a lot less confident. "Rainflower. We need to talk."

She sat down and curled her tail over her paws. "Then tell Echomist and Brambleberry to go. I assume you've finished talking?"

"Hardly" Echomist's cold voice made Rainflower more uncomfortable.

"This is about Crookedkit" Hailstar began, causing Rainflower to roll her eyes.

"What about him? You want him to be an apprentice with his brother?" She drawled, showing her distain for her injured son. "I won't have Oakkit having his ceremony delay-"

"For Starclan's sake!" Brambleberry's mew rang in the den, causing all cats to look at her with astonishment. The normally mild-mannered medicine cat was bristling like a badger was in camp. "Put the fluff out of your ears for one moment and look past your own nose for once and your life!"

Rainflower stared at her in astonishment and looked at Hailstar. "Are you going to let her speak to me that way?!"

"Absolutely" Hailstar growled, and for once Rainflower felt afraid of her littermate. "Brambleberry and Echomist told me everything. How you've been isolating Crookedkit from everyone, especially Oakkit. And they're not the only ones- I cannot tell you how many cats have come to me, concerned for his well-being. I made a mistake; I never should've listened to you when you wanted me to rename him."

Echomist rubbed her cheek against her mate's shoulder and shot an icy look at Rainflower, who was arching her back defensively. "I can't tell you how many times that poor sweet kit has crawled into my nest crying because you forced him to have his own nest."

Rainflower felt blood pounding in her ears. How dare they judge her like this! And her clanmates whispering behind her back about her mothering! "Crookedkit is my kit. I will raise him as I see fit!" She growled, slamming a paw on the ground. Hailstar flinched slightly, but his face remained unchanged. "He's old enough to have his own nest, and he'll just squirm all night and disturb Oakkit."

"Then act like a mother and less like a spoiled kit!" Echomist hissed. "Oakkit is devastated you won't let him play with Crookedkit. He wants to train side by side with his littermate!" Brambleberry nodded her agreement, her white fur glowing in the gloom of the den.

"Hmph!" Rainflower snorted, turning her nose up at Echomist. She was her best friend; she expected her of all cats would see her way. "You're not his mother, either of you. He's my kit-"

"Not anymore." Hailstar said, standing up. "I will no longer allow you into the nursery. You have done nothing but abuse Crookedkit and make him feel worthless."

"You can't do that!" Rainflower gasped. "What about Oakkit?!"

"Oakkit and Crookedkit will be cared for by me" Echomist said, her eyes drifting to where Crookedkit and Oakkit were playing. Oakkit towered above his brother, but both seemed to be much happier with Rainflower gone. "I've agreed to move back into the nursery to care for them. They're almost apprentices, so it won't be long."

"I am their mother!" At this point Rainflower sounded like a whiny kit, stamping her paw on the ground in a tantrum. "You have no right to keep me away from my kits!"

"You lost the right to be called a mother the moment you told me to rename him. Echomist is more of a mother to him than you ever were." Hailstar growled, letting his fur lay flat as Echomist rubbed her tail on his back

"You refuse to acknowledge that you are slowly destroying this kit from the inside out." Brambleberry said, standing up. Her eyes flashed darkly, knowingly. "Crookedkit's injury will not stop him from trying to be the best warrior he could. He's beating himself up, blaming himself for everything- a kit should not have to think this way."

"Then he shouldn't have gone out of camp!" The gray she-cat argued, fur bristling and claws unsheathed.

"We all made the mistake of encouraging him and Oakkit!" Hailstar shot back. "We shouldn't have encouraged them to be reckless. I... I have made mistakes. All I can do now is to try to right the wrongs I have done to Crookedkit."

"I've had enough of this!" Rainflower hissed, turning to leave.

"Rainflower" Hailstar's cold tone made her freeze. "I meant what I said. Stay away from the nursery. This little meeting was a courtesy; if any of us finds out about you trying to get into the den, I will make a public announcement."

If anything got Rainflower to behave, it was the threat of making her look foolish in front of her Clanmates. She had worked hard to keep her reputation in the clan. With an angry hiss, she turned and stomped out of the den. Shellheart looked confused as she stomped right past him and out of camp.

-----
Ok how about an au where Riverclan is not okay with Rainflower's treatment of her kit. I've always hated cats being named after injuries, especially kits, but the fact that Riverclan was perfectly okay with the fact that Rainflower renamed her son like a day after he got out of the medicine den is very concerning.

I've also always had the headcanon that Hailstar and Rainflower are littermates. They look exactly alike in canon; light gray cats with amber eyes. I also like to think that Rainflower was a bit abusive to Hailstar, or at the very least manipulative, because every time she goes to speak to him he always ends up doing as she said, even if he is very unhappy to do so. I also headcanon Echomist and Shellheart are also littermates, so they had a close bond with each other when they all were expecting kits and had families. Before the whole Crookedkit thing. (I might write a short story about this because it's a dope idea, maybe in either Hailstar's or Shellheart's perspective.)

Echomist and Brambleberry both realize how much abuse Rainflower was inflicting on Crookedkit and confront Hailstar on why he would let her rename that poor sweet bean. Hailstar has trouble telling his sister no, because of his past experiences when he told his sister no. They help him get the courage to stand up to her, then tell him what Rainflower has been doing.

In this AU Hailstar forbids Rainflower to see Crookedkit without a second adult present. Echomist takes care of Oakkit and Crookedkit (She's still allowed to see Oakkit, but he only stays with her a little bit because he wants her to be with Crookedkit too (In this AU Oakkit stays in the nursery with his brother bc he wants to be an apprentice with his bro.)

This doesn't stop her from being hella nasty to Crookedpaw when he gets out of the nursery, but even then he is protected by the mighty motherly rage of Echomist and Brambleberry. Crookedjaw gets two dads and two moms, and only one of them is his biological parent.

Summary: Screw Rainflower

Description
Rainflower returned with a carp clamped in her jaws. With the fish returning, she'd had plenty of successful hunts like this. She set it on the pile and made for the nursery. She wanted to see Oakkit; it wouldn't be long till he became a apprentice, and she intended on speaking to Hailstar about making Shellheart his mentor.

She was surprised to see Shellheart approaching her, blocking her path. Her lip curled in the usual defiant snarl she was used to pulling with him. Shellheart did look upset, but not completely angry. A shimmer of deepset confusion in his eyes made her fur lay flat.

"Hailstar wants to speak to you in his den" The gray tom said, jerking his head towards the leader's den, where Hailstar's amber eyes glowed from the shadows.

Rainflower licked her chest and purred internally. Perfect! She was going to see him anways, and this was the perfect time to tell him. She padded towards the den and poked her head inside, blinking in surprise to see it jammed with three other cats.

Brambleberry and Echomist stared at her with such undisguised venom she almost physically recoiled. She raised her chin defiantly and padded to Hailstar. "You wanted to speak to me, Hailstar?"

His eyes were as angry as the others, and Rainflower suddenly felt a lot less confident. "Rainflower. We need to talk."

She sat down and curled her tail over her paws. "Then tell Echomist and Brambleberry to go. I assume you've finished talking?"

"Hardly" Echomist's cold voice made Rainflower more uncomfortable.

"This is about Crookedkit" Hailstar began, causing Rainflower to roll her eyes.

"What about him? You want him to be an apprentice with his brother?" She drawled, showing her distain for her injured son. "I won't have Oakkit having his ceremony delay-"

"For Starclan's sake!" Brambleberry's mew rang in the den, causing all cats to look at her with astonishment. The normally mild-mannered medicine cat was bristling like a badger was in camp. "Put the fluff out of your ears for one moment and look past your own nose for once and your life!"

Rainflower stared at her in astonishment and looked at Hailstar. "Are you going to let her speak to me that way?!"

"Absolutely" Hailstar growled, and for once Rainflower felt afraid of her littermate. "Brambleberry and Echomist told me everything. How you've been isolating Crookedkit from everyone, especially Oakkit. And they're not the only ones- I cannot tell you how many cats have come to me, concerned for his well-being. I made a mistake; I never should've listened to you when you wanted me to rename him."

Echomist rubbed her cheek against her mate's shoulder and shot an icy look at Rainflower, who was arching her back defensively. "I can't tell you how many times that poor sweet kit has crawled into my nest crying because you forced him to have his own nest."

Rainflower felt blood pounding in her ears. How dare they judge her like this! And her clanmates whispering behind her back about her mothering! "Crookedkit is my kit. I will raise him as I see fit!" She growled, slamming a paw on the ground. Hailstar flinched slightly, but his face remained unchanged. "He's old enough to have his own nest, and he'll just squirm all night and disturb Oakkit."

"Then act like a mother and less like a spoiled kit!" Echomist hissed. "Oakkit is devastated you won't let him play with Crookedkit. He wants to train side by side with his littermate!" Brambleberry nodded her agreement, her white fur glowing in the gloom of the den.

"Hmph!" Rainflower snorted, turning her nose up at Echomist. She was her best friend; she expected her of all cats would see her way. "You're not his mother, either of you. He's my kit-"

"Not anymore." Hailstar said, standing up. "I will no longer allow you into the nursery. You have done nothing but abuse Crookedkit and make him feel worthless."

"You can't do that!" Rainflower gasped. "What about Oakkit?!"

"Oakkit and Crookedkit will be cared for by me" Echomist said, her eyes drifting to where Crookedkit and Oakkit were playing. Oakkit towered above his brother, but both seemed to be much happier with Rainflower gone. "I've agreed to move back into the nursery to care for them. They're almost apprentices, so it won't be long."

"I am their mother!" At this point Rainflower sounded like a whiny kit, stamping her paw on the ground in a tantrum. "You have no right to keep me away from my kits!"

"You lost the right to be called a mother the moment you told me to rename him. Echomist is more of a mother to him than you ever were." Hailstar growled, letting his fur lay flat as Echomist rubbed her tail on his back

"You refuse to acknowledge that you are slowly destroying this kit from the inside out." Brambleberry said, standing up. Her eyes flashed darkly, knowingly. "Crookedkit's injury will not stop him from trying to be the best warrior he could. He's beating himself up, blaming himself for everything- a kit should not have to think this way."

"Then he shouldn't have gone out of camp!" The gray she-cat argued, fur bristling and claws unsheathed.

"We all made the mistake of encouraging him and Oakkit!" Hailstar shot back. "We shouldn't have encouraged them to be reckless. I... I have made mistakes. All I can do now is to try to right the wrongs I have done to Crookedkit."

"I've had enough of this!" Rainflower hissed, turning to leave.

"Rainflower" Hailstar's cold tone made her freeze. "I meant what I said. Stay away from the nursery. This little meeting was a courtesy; if any of us finds out about you trying to get into the den, I will make a public announcement."

If anything got Rainflower to behave, it was the threat of making her look foolish in front of her Clanmates. She had worked hard to keep her reputation in the clan. With an angry hiss, she turned and stomped out of the den. Shellheart looked confused as she stomped right past him and out of camp.

-----
Ok how about an au where Riverclan is not okay with Rainflower's treatment of her kit. I've always hated cats being named after injuries, especially kits, but the fact that Riverclan was perfectly okay with the fact that Rainflower renamed her son like a day after he got out of the medicine den is very concerning.

I've also always had the headcanon that Hailstar and Rainflower are littermates. They look exactly alike in canon; light gray cats with amber eyes. I also like to think that Rainflower was a bit abusive to Hailstar, or at the very least manipulative, because every time she goes to speak to him he always ends up doing as she said, even if he is very unhappy to do so. I also headcanon Echomist and Shellheart are also littermates, so they had a close bond with each other when they all were expecting kits and had families. Before the whole Crookedkit thing. (I might write a short story about this because it's a dope idea, maybe in either Hailstar's or Shellheart's perspective.)

Echomist and Brambleberry both realize how much abuse Rainflower was inflicting on Crookedkit and confront Hailstar on why he would let her rename that poor sweet bean. Hailstar has trouble telling his sister no, because of his past experiences when he told his sister no. They help him get the courage to stand up to her, then tell him what Rainflower has been doing.

In this AU Hailstar forbids Rainflower to see Crookedkit without a second adult present. Echomist takes care of Oakkit and Crookedkit (She's still allowed to see Oakkit, but he only stays with her a little bit because he wants her to be with Crookedkit too (In this AU Oakkit stays in the nursery with his brother bc he wants to be an apprentice with his bro.)

This doesn't stop her from being hella nasty to Crookedpaw when he gets out of the nursery, but even then he is protected by the mighty motherly rage of Echomist and Brambleberry. Crookedjaw gets two dads and two moms, and only one of them is his biological parent.

Summary: Screw Rainflower