EYE OF THE STORM

Eye of the Storm (title may change) is my Warriors OC fiction about a ThunderClan apprentice named Applepaw. I've been working and reworking it since 2018, and I probably will never stop changing it, so this story isn't very concrete.

Applepaw and her brothers Sandpaw and Lightpaw are the children of ThunderClan's previous leader, Emberstar, who has died recently of greencough at the beginning of the plot. The new leader- and Applepaw's mentor- is Redstar, who has quickly proved himself to be aggressive and ambitious in his rule. The borders with ShadowClan and SkyClan are never safe, constantly being fought over and pushed back and forth.

Applepaw is a skilled but stressed apprentice, desperate for approval and security after the death of her mother. She's happy to unleash her pent-up emotion on enemies in battle, and her name is known throughout all the Clans. After losing a fight to a ShadowClan apprentice that leaves her blinded in her left eye, she becomes closer with the healers and starts to reevaluate her life and place in the battles. Soon after recovering, she meets a SkyClan apprentice at a Gathering that can't seem to take a hint and keeps trying to be friends with her. Despite being annoyed by Lightningpaw at first, the two of them become good friends, which isn't great in the current state between their Clans. Already disillusioned with Redstar's cause, Applepaw lets herself open up to Lightningpaw and start organizing forces for rebellion.

hell yeah i can embed spotify playlists here

a not-so-quick rundown of the current plot

Applepaw is the apprentice of ThunderClan’s corrupt leader, Redstar. After her mother died he used her emotional turmoil to turn her into a ruthless fighter. She lost most of her connections in her Clan, but ended up friends with a SkyClan apprentice named Lightningpaw, who was too oblivious to realize she was trying to push him away.

As ThunderClan gains power, Applepaw becomes less and less confident in her mentor until she gets a wake-up call after almost dying in a battle with SkyClan. Lightningpaw joins ThunderClan out of guilt, and Applepaw relies on his friendship to keep going. ThunderClan invades ShadowClan territory and takes over their camp, killing or driving out anyone who doesn’t give in. Applepaw and the other apprentices are given their warrior names after their victory. Applescar, Lightningheart, and ThunderClan’s healer, Smokemist, start talking about a resistance. They find other cats both inside and out of ThunderClan who have been making similar plans and start to organize.

Redstar allies with WindClan’s healer-turned-cult leader, Meadowmist, and uses his warriors to attack SkyClan. He also sends Applescar’s father and brothers on a patrol lead by the former deputy, Eagleheart, to a spot deep in SkyClan territory where one of his spies has led a patrol to ambush them. Eagleheart is the only survivor, and has to drag her fallen clanmates back to camp, where Applescar has a nervous breakdown and finally openly opposes Redstar. She’s sent away to WindClan, where the outcast warrior Sagespeckle is assigned to keep watch over her. Unfortunately Redstar and Meadowmist’s plan backfires; Applescar and Sagespeckle become friends and help each other regain their self worth. Sagespeckle joins the rebellion. Applescar changes her name to Applestrike, in memory of her father.

Lightningheart continues work in the rebellion while Applestrike is away. Smokemist manages to recruit the other healers. Cats everywhere are anxious for the next opportunity to push back, and it comes when Redstar announces his intent to invade RiverClan, claiming he received a sign from StarClan. Smokemist argues that they’re StarClan’s interpreter, not him, and Redstar attacks them. The whole Clan explodes into fighting.

Meanwhile, Applestrike meets Hollyfang at a secluded place on the edge of WindClan’s territory, in the sparse forests near SkyClan. When he finally appears he’s on edge, eyes darting back and forth, and at the last second he tells her to run. It was a trap- a patrol of Redstar’s police force appears from over the hills. Applestrike is a fast runner when she needs to be and nearly escapes, but finally gets caught and backed up to the thunderpath. As she’s fighting a monster hits her, dragging her across the thunderpath and flinging her into the undergrowth next to it. The patrol assumes she’s dead and leaves.

She is not dead. Her left leg is seriously injured, but she’s able to limp back to WindClan camp. Sagespeckle and the WindClan members of the rebellion have already started their own fight. Meadowmist is missing, and his supporters are already dwindling after he sent a battle patrol to help Redstar. They’re easily overtaken and the rebellion rushes to help ThunderClan. By the time they get there RiverClan and SkyClan have already arrived. Applestrike isn’t able to fight, but stands guard over the other injured cats hidden away outside camp. Hollyfang is there, with a new cut across his muzzle. After he let Applestrike escape, Meadowmist gave him a scar to “match” hers.

Redstar and Meadowmist are killed alongside several police members. ShadowClan’s deputy is reinstated, though their leader is still missing. Leafstorm, who was made ThunderClan’s deputy in place of Eagleheart, steps down and lets her take her place back. WindClan has to try and find their previous leader, who was driven off the territory. Their deputy was killed as well. Hollyfang is reluctantly accepted as an authority despite him being Meadowmist’s apprentice. All the squabbling about leadership drives Applestrike crazy. She suggests to her friends that they leave the Clans entirely and start their own lives. To everyone’s surprise, several cats agree to leave with her. They get their affairs in order and say their goodbyes, and then they venture off to find a new home.

Eventually they settle in a forest near a beach. They name themselves The Coast Alliance, and have no formal leadership position. Cats still look to Applestrike for guidance, but they do it as peers.