Ashfur’s Gang by Vortexfang

Vortexfang examines Ashfur’s deeper motives

Hi! I’m Vortexfang.
I was watching Bright Guardian Akira whenI heard a theory of his. “Maybe Ashfur has a whole gang of cats, ready to take over bodys!” I though that was a good idea, so I expanded on it.
This is what we know. Bramblestar’s imposter is the current leader of ThunderClan. He was a spirit that possessed the leader of ThunderClan, Bramblestar, during his reign in the lake territories. The imposter was able to force out Bramblestar’s spirit when he lost a life during an unusual attempt to cure him. Some cats in ThunderClan support his increasing focus on following the warrior code, though others openly challenge him. During his first moons heading ThunderClan, the imposter gives harsh punishments to those reported doing wrong. Now in Bramblestar’s body, the spirit began demanding that the other leaders out their “codebreakers”, and grew defensive over “his death”. Several cats took notice that the way Bramblestar was acting was odd. Graystripe notes that whenever Firestar lost one of his lives, he never acted the way Bramblestar was. Bristlefrost, a dedicated follower of the warrior code, becomes manipulated by the imposter into being his “eyes and ears in the Clan”, reporting any cat who broke the code. Bristlefrost became obsessively imperative to please her leader, telling him of how Lionblaze and Spotfur crossed the WindClan border. The imposter then punishes them by making no cat talk to Spotfur for a quarter moon, and banishing Lionblaze from the camp for the same duration. Many ThunderClan cats are shocked, and Lionblaze accepts defeat from his adopted father and leaves. Stemleaf, Spotfur, Twigbranch and Finleap grow suspicious of the way the imposter handles punishments, even twisting the code for his benefit. The imposter also makes it so Bristlefrost does the daily patrols, despite her age, and orders Squirrelflight to stay in the camp from now on. In ThunderClan, he makes Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Twigbranch swear an oath of loyalty to him and ThunderClan so they can atone. Lionblaze and Jayfeather are angry that they are being made to apologize for being born, while Twigbranch is uneasy. The three swear the oath, and Bramblestar says that the punishment for breaking any notion of the code will be exile, much to the shock and disdain of several ThunderClan members. He later outs Squirrelflight as a codebreaker, berating her for “betrayal” and calling both her and Leafpool liars and weak, revealing that he sent Bumblestripe, one of his staunch supporters, to follow her, and knows that she went behind his back. Squirrelflight announces to the stunned ThunderClan that her mate is an imposter, but ThunderClan is unsure what to think. The imposter demotes and exiles her, though Thornclaw attempts to persuade him otherwise, but fails. In her place as deputy, the imposter appoints Berrynose, breaking the seventh notion of the code, as Berrynose has never had an apprentice. Squirrelflight goes to ShadowClan, telling Tigerstar of her exile. With ShadowClan doubtful of her claims, Rootpaw is able to make the ghost of the real Bramblestar appear and confirm her story. Tigerstar is convinced and rallies ShadowClan against the imposter, allowing Squirrelflight to stay in ShadowClan for the time being. Meanwhile, the imposter is continuing to tighten his tyrannical grip on ThunderClan, punishing any warrior for breaking the code in the slightest, and is increasingly annoyed by Berrynose’s excessive attempts to please him. He later praises Bristlefrost for her loyalty, but also subtletily threatens her and implies that he knows about the secret meeting. The imposter then dispatches Bristlefrost to track Squirrelflight, and though he says he only wants to make sure the former deputy has left the lake, Bristlefrost suspects that he’s actually worried about her, as he looks somewhat distracted and anxious as he gives the order. Bristlefrost visits Rootpaw, and voices her suspicion and confusion about the imposter being worried about Squirreflight, but Rootpaw brushes it off, saying they don’t have time to wonder about it. When Bristlefrost returns, she lies that she found Squirrelflight passing through the Twolegplace. The imposter accepts her story, but subtletily threatens her again before going to rest in his den. The imposter is cruel, manipulative, and tyrannical. He claims to believe in the firm following of the warrior code, but as stated by several cats, he appears to only want to hurt and control, using fear to enforce his leadership. An example of this is when Bristlefrost realizes that when he is berating Sparkpelt, he seems to enjoy the fear both she was showing. He is incredibly manipulative and persuasive, appealing to Shadowsight, a young apprentice, to use an unusual method to kill Bramblestar in order to steal his body, and Bristlefrost, a young warrior whom he is able to mold into his “eyes and ears” in ThunderClan. He uses the silence of StarClan to further his own agenda and out the codebreakers, becoming angry when the other leaders don’t comply with him. He is defensive about Bramblestar’s death, refusing to answer questions regarding it. Although acting as ThunderClan’s leader, he does not care for any of the members, only using them for his selfish goals and what it can get him. He got Dewnose’s name wrong, and snapped at him when Dewnose corrected him. Furthermore, he believed that Flipclaw (who he had just made a warrior not long before) was Dewnose’s apprentice, and still training under him. He stops the care of the elders, and makes it so that he gets first to pick from the fresh-kill pile over the elders and queens.
I think Ashfur took over StarClan, and these cats are who I think helped him.
Snowtuft: Is in the Dark Forest
Mapleshade: Is in the Dark Forest
Thisleclaw: Is in the Dark Forest
Scourge: This one is a maybe. We never know.
Bone: Same thing for Bone.
Sleekwhisker: She doesn’t believe in StarClan. She might have died and is ready to posses.
Sol: This is a sure way to cause trouble. and SkyClan is back.
Hawkheart: He might be who attacked Shadowsight at the end of The Silent Thaw. He is a medicine cat who was a warrior. There was a scent of mint, and Shadowsight was knocked unconscious.
Darktail: He almost definitely will want revenge against Onestar.
These are the most likely cats, but this theory might not happen, or almost definitely will not.
It is confusing what will happen in book 3.
Bristlefrost, Bumblestripe and Berrynose are real idiots in this book.
We have many questions unanswered. Who is possessing Bramblestar? Who attacked Shadowsight? Will Shadowsigh be possessed? I though Tree was in the code breaking vision! My opinion of StarClan is really starting to dip, along with my opinion of the Warrior code.
Now I need to get on with my day, bye!