Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There was a well hidden secret within in the clans, unknown to the cats of the outside world. Plenty of kittypets, rogues, and loners knew about the clans, their society, and there were rumors floating around about certain cats receiving honest to good nine lives, but the rumors hadn't been proven.

Cats that did see a leader lose a life never spoke about it to outside cats.

But it wasn't the nine lives that made the clans special. Firestar distinctly remembered having odd dreams as a kittypet, which he now knew was Starclan's way of calling to him, watching two shadows of two cats dance together before converging, light engulfing their bodies and merging together into one. He was instantly captivated. He wanted to know more about what he witnessed and it wasn't until he met Graypaw and joined Thunderclan that he finally knew what he saw in his dreams.

Fusion. The act of two cats becoming one. And only the clan cats were privy to how fusion could be utilized.

Witnessing Lionheart and Tigerclaw demonstrate fusion was something of beauty. The way their movements were synced as they came together, the gracefulness of their dancing, and the light as their bodies merged into one and their minds fitting together in the same body.

It was all so beautiful, yet the fusion had apparently been incomplete. They had fused, but it wasn't a true fusion. True fusion was when a cat found their other half. They fit together so perfectly that they created a new being entirely. The one example he knew of was Wavestar, the perfect fusion between Oakheart and Bluestar, the cat that invited him to join Thunderclan after his little scuffle with Graypaw.

He had only seen little of Wavestar, as she had to defuse into her two components. Oakheart was still Riverclan's deputy, but was allowed to visit Bluestar at times. Cats weren't allowed to separate two halves; it was too cruel.

Then Oakheart had died the same day he joined Thunderclan, Bluestar falling onto her haunches in shock and despair at the loss of her other half. It had taken a moon for her to recover, as she still had a clan to lead, but she was never the same. There was always a depressed air around her, and Firestar at times had caught her staring off into the distance, a lost but blank look in her eyes. Tigerstar's betrayal hadn't helped much either.

He fused with Graypaw a couple of times, but to his disappointment, he and Graypaw weren't a match. A lot of cats never met their other half, but that didn't stop anyone from searching. He had been made fun of for trying; a clan cat would never be a kittypet's other half.

Yet, fusing with Graystripe had been amazing. It was strange shifting control of the body so flawlessly, their minds bantering back and forth in their shared head-space as they simultaneously moved their body. Graystripe was the closest he got to a perfect match.

Now he might not ever see Graystripe again. Graystripe had been taken by Twolegs in the old forest, and as for himself...

He struggled and flailed his body, blood trickling out of his mouth as the fox trap only dug itself into his neck deeper. How had he gotten into this mess? Birchpaw had come to him bearing a message from Blackstar, telling him to meet at a specific spot. Blackstar hadn't been there, only a very well hidden fox trap.

Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost were nearby watching him struggle, Brambleclaw arguing with his half-brother. He didn't want to compare either cat with their father but he really should have known better than to assume that Tigerstar wouldn't have stopped trying to kill him beyond the grave.

Brambleclaw rushed up to him, a stick in his jaws. “Don't worry Firestar, I'll get you out of here,” he said before pushing the stick into the fox trap, trying to pry it open. Hawkfrost gave an enraged hiss before pouncing onto his half-brother and throwing him away from Firestar. He couldn't do anything but watch as the two brothers fought each other, Brambleclaw trying his hardest not to hurt his brother.

He was losing, and it showed. “Please, Hawkfrost, I don't want to hurt you!”

“I think you should worry more about yourself traitor!” Hawkfrost hissed, before throwing Brambleclaw on his side next to Firestar. The ginger leader knew this couldn't go on. There was only one way out of the fox trap now, and only one way to beat Hawkfrost. He sent Brambleclaw a pleading look, stretching out his paw for him to take. Brambleclaw gave a surprised mew before outstretching his paw to met his, the two struggling from their injuries.

Hawkfrost only gave a laugh and lunged at them, just as their paws connected and initiated the fusion. Hawkfrost stumbled back, blinded by the light they were giving off.

Firestar could feel his body converge with Brambleclaw's as his mind was pushed into the other cat's. He felt nice and warm here, unlike his previous fusions with other cats. Something clicked in his being, something resonating with Brambleclaw. Oh, was this how it felt when one met their other half? He never would have guessed that Brambleclaw would be his other half; he had waited and searched so long for him. Had he known that the brown tabby that was always by his side would be his other half, he would have attempted fusion with him earlier. He felt giddy knowing he was so close to feeling that glorious sensation of completion that cats raved about.

He felt surprise and joy coming from Brambleclaw, the tabby also happy that he finally had found his other half. But there was also fear and hesitation coming from him. He was afraid of Firestar's rejection; he had just plotted with Hawkfrost and Tigerstar to you know... kill him. Plus, Firestar had always been afraid of him in a way. The ginger leader wasn't good at hiding his fear; Brambleclaw was aware of every jolt when Firestar saw him, every bit of fear in his eyes, the way Firestar would hold back in mock battles when he was still an apprentice.

Firestar's very being was like a sun, so warm and bright that he was almost blinding. He shied away from it, scared of what was to come. Firestar's alarm and sorrow reverberated through his mind.

'Brambleclaw, no. Please don't run away from me. I'm yours, just as you are mine.'  He wanted to join together badly; this was his other half, the one every cat searched for but almost never found. He was so lucky unlike others, but he was still scared.

'I know I've done you wrong. Every time I saw you, you were a constant reminder that Tigerstar was out there, plotting to kill us all. I projected my fear of him onto you, and that was wrong of me. I'm never going to judge you in such a manner ever again. Please, together we can beat Hawkfrost. You don't need him or Tigerstar manipulating you anymore.'

Every part of him was bared to Firestar and vice versa. He was beginning to see all points of Firestar's life, his excitement, his fear, his curiosity, his wanting of doing the right thing. He was somewhat embarrassed that Firestar could see his life in turn. He knew Firestar had seen the parts where he and Hawkfrost had met up with Tigerstar in their dreams.

'Why do you still want to fuse with me, knowing that I basically plotted your downfall?'  His mental voice was full of desperation and overwhelming sadness. He wanted to feel complete but there was no reason for Firestar to fuse with him now...

'Because you're my other half, Brambleclaw. I believe in you.'

Firestar believing that Brambleclaw could still be better were all he needed to hear. His leader cared and believed in him. He didn't care anymore; he just wanted to fuse already. He sent his acceptance to Firestar, and got a sense of joy and acceptance back.

'Let's just...stay here. We don't have to worry about anything here.'  Their minds drifted into the farthest depths of their shared subconsciousness, their very beings wrapped around each other, and all their memories, feelings, and personalities merged together, and suddenly he was there. He blinked his eyes open, Hawkfrost's shocked face the first thing he saw. The fox trap lay on the ground next to him, and he realized that most of his wounds had closed up. He took advantage of Hawkfrost's shocked state to look himself over. He was ginger with brown tabby markings and a white chest fur.

He felt strange; he felt like Firestar and Brambleclaw and yet felt like a completely different cat.

'Huh, so you do become a new being entirely when you find your perfect match.' He could see why halves were so...obsessed with each other. He felt so complete, Firestar's and Brambleclaw's feelings of serenity and peace flowing through him. He didn't want to unfuse.

He could also see why halves reacted the way they did at the loss of their other half. Never being able to feel complete again until one died to be rejoined again in Starclan sounded like torture.

“Who- who even are you?!” Hawkfrost spat out. He could see Tigerstar's spirit floating next to the evil tabby, the dead leader spitting furiously at the sight of his son fused with his most hated enemy.

He smirked. “Who am I?” he mused. That's right, he needed a name. The sunlight lit up the ginger parts of his fur into flame.

“Call me... Sunstone.”

Chapter Text

Sunstone stepped back as the light in Hawkfrost's eyes finally died out, his blood trickling into the lake. Battling Hawkfrost had been easy, with the strength of two seasoned warriors flowing through him. He was a perfect fusion, no mistakes in his movements or techniques. No infighting going on in his head. His mind was totally peaceful.

Although Hawkfrost's last words were concerning. He implied that he had received help to set the trap, help from within Thunderclan. One of his clanmates was a traitor. Couldn't go a few moons without something happening in his clan.

He padded over to the lake shore, wanting to see what he looked like for himself. Two golden eyes blinked back at him. He was still mostly Firestar's ginger with Brambleclaw's tabby markings strewn over him. He wasn't sure where the white chest fur came from, but maybe it was there as part of his new identity as Sunstone. He was beautiful; a perfect combination of the two cats that were inside him.

So this is what completeness feels like...

His ears pricked as he could hear Squirrelflight's and Leafpool's voices as they drew near. Oh, Leafpool was a medicine cat, she could help him. He couldn't deny the fact that he really did need to unfuse. Firestar needed his neck desperately looked at and Brambleclaw needed his own injuries checked.

The thing with fusions was that if the fusion sustained enough injury, they would unfuse to their original states, the fusion's injuries shared between the two cats. He hadn't gotten hurt from fighting Hawkfrost, but his two components did, and if he unfused in a bad situation without the two being healed from this event...

He hesitated, not wanting to unfuse. He liked being himself, and who knew when Firestar and Brambleclaw would get the chance to fuse again? He twitched his tail, trying to convince himself it would only be for a little while. Just until Firestar and Brambleclaw were in peak condition again.

His body was engulfed in light as his body split and two cats fell to the ground where Sunstone once stood. Firestar immediately started coughing, blood trickling out of his neck where the fox trap had got him. Brambleclaw put his paws on Firestar's neck, trying to stop the bleeding.

Leafpool and Squirrelflight burst into the clearing, and Brambleclaw frantically waved them over. “Please he needs help!” he yelped. Leafpool stared at the two for a few heartbeats before shaking herself out of her stupor and rushed forward to help her father. He let her take his place, but hovered around them, worried for his other half.

Squirrelflight padded over and gave Hawkfrost's body a sniff. “You killed him to save my father?” she asked mystified.

He gave her a nod. “I couldn't let Hawkfrost kill him. You were right, I shouldn't have trusted him so much. I just thought... I finally had kin who wanted to be around me...” he trailed off, not knowing what to say. Hawkfrost had really pandered to him hadn't he?

“I know I would have acted the same if you told me to not trust Leafpool,” she said awkwardly. “Look, I'm sorry for how I acted. I should have trusted you more.”

He flicked an ear. “I should have trusted you more too.”

“Hey if you're both done, then I could use some help getting Firestar back to camp,” Leafpool interrupted. Brambleclaw's head shot up, and he quickly helped steady Firestar's body between them. He hoped Firestar wouldn't lose a life from this...

.

.

.

.

.

.

Firestar woke up, feeling stiff. His throat especially felt sore. He felt around with a paw and found cobwebs around his neck. Oh yeah, his injury from the fox-trap. That's why he felt like mouse-dung.

“Father, you're up!” Leafpool trotted over to his and gave him a nuzzle. He tried turning his head to meet her muzzle, but pain greeted him as he did so. “No, father don't do that. Your throat is injured. It will be a few days before you're better.”

He frowned, how long had he been here exactly? He sent Leafpool a questioning look. “It's only been a day,” she answered him.

“Bramble...” he gave a hoarse whisper.

“He's fine. And don't try to talk, your throat is still healing.” He lashed his tail, angry at his lack of ability to speak. He wanted his other half! He felt so empty, like part of him was missing. It was like he was hyper aware of how he was only half of what he could be, and it was eating him up on the inside.

“Please rest, father. Everything will be fine,” Leafpool urged him. He gave a huff and lowered his head back on the springy moss bed. Oh, he hadn't realized how tired he was. He fell asleep, dreaming of all the possibilities of his future as Sunstone.

.

.

.

.

.

.

A few days after killing Hawkfrost, Brambleclaw found himself surrounded by his discontent clanmates. He had tried his best to concentrate on his deputy duties, ordering out patrols and keeping the clan in order, but he had been making so many mistakes. Enough mistakes for his clanmates to notice and confront him about them. He was trying so hard, but he just wanted to know if Firestar was okay.

Leafpool had turned away pretty much everyone from seeing him, except Sandstorm of course, as well as Brightheart so Leafpool could have some extra help who knew about herbs. She claimed Firestar was still healing and couldn't exactly talk to anyone and turned cats away with the promise that he would be better in time.

He couldn't help the empty feeling in his very being. He was being kept away from his other half- not that Brambleclaw had told anyone; he was too busy trying and apparently failing to be deputy.

“You've sent Brackenfur on border patrol this morning and also tried to put him on the morning hunting patrol as well. Then you send other cats who already patrolled onto more patrols. What's wrong with you?” Ashfur sneered at him.

Brambleclaw flattened his ears on his head. “I'm sorry, I really am. I'm still getting used to being deputy.”

“Honestly, leave him alone, it was just an honest mistake. I remember Firestar making mistakes when he first became deputy,” Brackenfur stated, casting a calculating look over at Ashfur.

“It's been a few days now, he should be making less mistakes, not making more,” Ashfur hissed. Multiple cats nodded to his words and Brambleclaw deflated.

“I'm sorry, I'm just-I'm just worried about Firestar-”

“We're all worried about Firestar. But none of us are this beat up over it, not even Sandstorm. What's your excuse?” Ashfur said bluntly, rolling his eyes. Brambleclaw opened his mouth, ready to tell the clan about finding his other half, when Squirrelflight interrupted him.

“Leave him alone Ashfur, he's trying his hardest!” Squirrelflight hissed at him.

Ashfur snorted. “Yeah, well you would come up to his defense. Can't Brambleclaw fight his own battles besides having his mate fight them for him?” He spat out the word mate as if it disgusted him. Ashfur was still mad over Squirrelflight choosing Brambleclaw it seemed. Squirrelflight gave a furious hiss, and the two cats started arguing with each other. No matter what anyone tried, they couldn't pry the two cats away from each other. It got even worse when they brought other cats into the argument and soon enough everyone was making their dissent known.

Brambleclaw didn't know what to do. Squirrelflight barely listened to him half the time and when she got into an argument, she didn't stop until it was by her terms.

“Stop.” Everyone froze at the somewhat hoarse meow and turned their heads to see Firestar making his way out of the medicine den. Leafpool followed him out, pleading with her father to come back inside the medicine den because his throat wasn't healed all the way.

“Don't speak ill of my deputy. He's trying his best. He's only distracted because of me,” he meowed. His eyes lit up at the sight of Brambleclaw and they started padding towards each other.

“I've felt so...empty without you my other half,” Firestar purred, body swaying in his version of dance. The clan gave gasps at his statement; perfect halves were so rare! Brambleclaw gave a purr back, body synchronizing with Firestar's movements, excited that he was going to feel complete again. They twirled around each other before their bodies connected and blinded the clan with the light they were producing.

Sunstone blinked and gave a purr at the feeling of being back, of existing. “Ah, that feels much better,” he sighed happily. He rolled his eyes at his petrified clanmates who were watching him in shock, “What, you all act like you've never seen a perfect fusion before.”

Sandstorm blinked before slowly padding forward to the fusion that was half her mate. She placed a paw on his cheek, staring into his eyes. He felt conflicted, he loved this cat, this was his mate. At the same time, this wasn't his mate, but a respected senior warrior.

“I hope you'll still have time for me,” she whispered sadly, knowing that forcing a perfect fusion to separate would be wrong of her. But there was a lingering feeling and thought that maybe Firestar would be more invested with being with Brambleclaw than with her.

“Of course I always have time for you. It's just- I'm finally me. I feel so complete.” He would be unfusing a lot over the next seasons wouldn't he? Of course he still wanted to uphold his relationship with Sandstorm and with... Squirrelflight. He definitely couldn't uphold Brambleclaw's relationship with Squirrelflight as himself- that was just... weird. Squirrelflight was technically his daughter...

Not to mention that finding another deputy would be tedious.

“Well, what are we calling you, stranger?” Sandstorm purred humorously.

"Call me Sunstone my dear,” he purred. Suddenly there were cats pressing up against him, congratulating him on finding his halves. He wasn't in any hurry to unfuse; he wanted to enjoy the feeling of completion running through him, Firestar's and Brambleclaw's happiness at being together filling his head with a good feeling.

He would make this work.