What if Squirrelflight had really stayed with Ashfur after the badger attack? Would Brambleclaw have joined with Hawkfrost? How would the world of the Clans be affected? Please read, review, and find out!

This first part I got from the beginning of Sunset, but I changed it to make Squirrelflight not forgive Brambleclaw.

Squirrelflight curled her tail as Brambleclaw watched her and the pushed the moss harder against the gash on his shoulder.

"Squirrelflight, I'm sorry for everything-."

"I know," she snapped, cutting him off. She flicked his face with her tail-tip. The dark brown tabby looked at her hopefully, staring into her eyes. Feeling both triumph and sadness, she shook her head. "I know, but I don't care."

"What?" Brambleclaw gaped at her. "But – Squirrelflight!"

Squirrelflight growled. "I understand that you want to be deputy and everything, but you can't keep ignoring the other cats around you. Ashfur doesn't do that. He lives happily, and he cares about others. He doesn't let any ambition take over his life!"

Brambleclaw's eyes darkened. "I don't let it take over my life!" he spat. "I just think that Firestar should appoint a deputy!"

"Well, you're a fool!" snarled Squirrelflight, digging the moss so deep into the wound that Brambleclaw flinched. "That's what you said before, but you've done nothing to show that you have any compassion. All you want is to be deputy and then leader, and to… to scheme with Hawkfrost! You didn't even want to let Daisy bring her dying kits to ThunderClan, because you said they were kittypets! I'm half kittypet, Brambleclaw. Do you think that I shouldn't be a warrior?" She was so angry that she was panting like she had just run all the way to the Moonpool and back, and abruptly she noticed that almost all of the cats in the clearing were staring at her.

"Please, I understand it now-" Brambleclaw stopped, his eyes pleading.

"No, you don't!" Squirrelflight felt her fur bristle. "I respected you on the journey to sun-drown place, but now you're different."

"Fine!" Brambleclaw whisked around. "If you're going to be so mousebrained…" His voice faded away as he brushed past his Clanmates and stalked out of the camp. Squirrelflight stared after him for a heartbeat, then turned and padded away from the cats still gaping at her.

Ashfur looked up in surprise as she went up to him, and he twitched his ears. Squirrelflight pressed her nose to his flank and sat down, challenging any cat to speak.

The ThunderClan cats starting moving again, as though released after being frozen. They all avoided her eyes and started walking around camp again, gathering fresh-kill and helping others to Leafpool's den.

A faint meow echoed in Squirrelflight's mind. It was her talking in a furious tone.

"At least there's one cat I know I can trust with my life!"

Brambleclaw was staring at her sadly. "Only one, Squirrelflight?"

Yes, Squirrelflight thought, as Ashfur gently led her to get healing herbs. Only one. And now she was as sure as ever.