Brindlekit

> "*Hey, Miss Lady?" Cheerio chirps, pattering over to where Mapleleaf stood, tilting her head back to look up at her. "Did Coalpaw come back with you? I wanted to tell him about this feather I found today....*"
> ― Brindlekit to Mapleleaf
>
>

## Kin

### Father(s):

Unnamed tom

**Brindlekit** is a fluffy tortoiseshell-and-white tabby she-cat with hazel eyes.

## History

**Brindlekit**, formerly known as **Cheerio**, was born to an unnamed loner she-cat, her father being unknown entirely. Her mother disappears after claiming she was going hunting, and a loner named Max takes her in for a while before she eventually collapses in ThunderClan territory and dies from an infected fox bite causing fever.

### The BloodClan Arc

Cheerio first appears when Coalpaw accidentally stumbles upon the corpse of her mother in ThunderClan territory. Cheerio immediately tries to attack Coalpaw, biting his forepaw, which makes Coalpaw shriek in fear and immediately run back to ThunderClan camp, Cheerio following him.

Cheerio manages to bite onto Coalpaw's hind paw before he stumbles into camp, revealing the kit as he pleads for someone to come get her off of him. Mapleleaf groans and tells him to stop whining like a kit before coming over and pulling Cheerio off of him before setting her down on the ground. Miraclesky pads over to come smell the kit curiously, and when he does, Cheerio mentions that he smells funny in return. Lynxheart also comes over to make sure the kit isn't injured before backing up, ordering others to do the same as to not startle Cheerio.

Cheerio explains to Mapleleaf, when she asks where her mother is, that she had gone hunting, and when asked how long it had been since she'd gone hunting, Cheerio answers with ten sunrises, startling everyone in camp. She continues to ramble as cats try to figure out what to do about her. Mapleleaf makes it clear they can't just leave the kit to be snatched up by a fox, and asks for her name, being answered with Cheerio's name.

Lynxheart and Miraclesky both offer to help care for Cheerio while she's growing up, answering all the questions she has for them about how the clan works.

When Wolfstar arrives back in camp after a walk, sitting down to stretch and groom herself, Cheerio stops talking to Miraclesky and Lynxheart to stare at her before walking over to ask questions. Wolfstar asks who she is, and Cheerio responds with her name and how she got here, explaining that she was an orphan.

When Coalpaw storms off into the apprentice den after Newtstorm comes into camp accusing ThunderClan of killing Beetlekit, Cheerio can be seen following him in there, stopping at the entrance when noticing how upset he looked, knowing it'd be best to leave him alone instead.

Cheerio later comes over to the medicine den to get herbs for Coalpaw's wounds, being stopped by Mapleleaf, who tells her she can handle the apprentice's wounds herself. Cheerio leads her to Coalpaw, who's asleep in the apprentice den, and she jumps on him to wake him up, making Coalpaw jolt and send Cheerio rolling across the apprentice den.

Cheerio later witnesses Coalpaw sneaking out of camp, appearing saddened by him leaving. When Smokekit comes over to ask her what's wrong, Cheerio explains that she can't leave camp to go find Coalpaw before deciding to go after him anyways, making Smokekit panic and call for Applefall. Applefall whirls around and bounds over before Cheerio can get out of camp, grabbing her by the scruff despite the kit's protests. Applefall puts Cheerio back in the nursery, refusing to let her leave, especially with the threat of the war on them, and asks Smokekit to help keep her in the nursery.

When Coalpaw eventually does return but later on leaves camp again, Cheerio can be seen going to Mapleleaf to ask her where he went. When Mapleleaf answers, Cheerio offers to go find him, expressing disappointment when Mapleleaf refuses to let her leave. When Coalpaw later returns, however, injured after getting in a fight on the border, Cheerio rushes over to greet him, though leaves when he falls asleep soon after.

Cheerio gets her clan name a day later, right after Coalpaw becomes Coalflame.

Only a day later, when ShadowClan suddenly attacks ThunderClan camp, Coalflame shoves Brindlekit into the nursery. However, she later leaves the nursery when Coalflame is getting attacked by two ShadowClan cats; Nightfern and her son, Cedarpaw. She yowls at Cedarpaw to leave Coalflame alone before the apprentice, in a fit of rage, whirls around and kicks Brindlekit hard in the head, sending her flying across camp only to hit the ground with a thud. Creekwhisper rushes over to try and grab the kit and heal her in the fray, though Brindlekit isn't moving, barely breathing, as if the blow to her head had caused lethal damage. Creekwhisper desperately tries to keep her alive, though there isn't much she can do, though she does open her eyes eventually when Coalflame collapses beside her, saying that she was going to hunt with her mother before she dies, sending Coalflame nearly mad with grief.

She's later buried by Lynxheart, Miraclesky, and Applefall, beside the grave of the cat who she was found beside.

## Personality

Brindlekit is extremely naive, cheerful, and bouncy, and she can be incredibly overwhelming at times. She's the type to ask a lot of questions about everything and though she can seem a bit dim she's incredibly caring. She's protective of those she likes and can seem a bit clingy though genuinely just wants to make others happy and have fun.

## Relationships

### Coalflame

Calling him by "Coal-Kitty" as an affectionate nickname, it wasn't shocking to most in ThunderClan that Brindlekit viewed Coalflame as an older brother of sorts. She would follow him around everywhere and grow incredibly worried or saddened if he left. Though Coalflame did find her annoying at times it was obvious he did feel mutually toward Brindlekit, shown even clearer by his reaction to her death.

### Mapleleaf

Brindlekit was never able to remember Mapleleaf's name, always calling her "Miss Lady" instead, and she seemed to be one of the few cats never intimidated by the she-cat, bold enough to try and take herbs from her to help Coalflame at one point.

## Trivia

### Interesting Facts

* Brindlekit never believed in StarClan before she died, and she is not in StarClan now.
* Brindlekit's appearance looks close to how Applefall looked as a kit, which is partially why Lynxheart so eagerly offered to help raise her.