Dapplestar

**Dapplestar** is a massive, muscular, powerful, long-furred tortoiseshell and white she-cat with piercing green eyes.

## History

Born as Dapplekit to Shadefire and Troutleap she was known for being rowdy in her youth with bizarre behavior, known as "The Fool of RiverClan," making her the last cat anyone would suspect to lead the Clan. Her father dies on the battlefield after trusting a young tom that killed him, leaving Dapplekit to vow to never trust any other cat. She is apprenticed as Dapplepaw to Dewfrost, and starts to study the art of war underneath him. She becomes a warrior, Dapplewing, and is known for her relentless conviction.
All her life, she had noticed that her brothers and mother had ignored her, ever since birth, and the only cat that paid attention to her was her father, leaving her more lonely than ever after her father died. At her father's mourning, Dapplepaw throws dirt on his body, leaving every cat to stare at her in horror. This sends her into a deep down spiral, but she tries to ignore her loneliness by making herself the best warrior she can possibly be, with the help of her former mentor. She also gains an apprentice, Fawnpaw. She is overwhelmed with pride when Fawnpaw becomes a warrior, Fawnstep. She earns a second apprentice shortly after, Tigerpaw, and is even prouder when he is made a warrior.
Dapplewing becomes close friends with Shimmerwing, Runningflame, Rippleheart, and Rowanshade, all whom she had trained with. At the Gathering, she means Talonclaw. The two have a grudging respect for one another as they are the polar opposites in personality, but with RiverClan's hatred towards ShadowClan, Dapplewing's resentment of Talonclaw does as well. Talonclaw and Dapplewing respect each other, but are aware that they are enemies.
When the Clan deputy, Mintfeather, dies, she takes her place. Her brother, Marshfoot, is shown to be extremely jealous of this, believing that he should have been deputy. He plots against her, wanting to overthrow her to be deputy in her place. Dapplewing finds wind of this plan, and she pretends to be sick. Upon visiting her, Dapplewing kills him swiftly. Dapplewing later finds out that her mother, Shadefire, was in on the plot and had approved of Marshfoot's plans before he carried them out. Shortly after, Shadefire and Crookedfang, Dapplewing's other sibling, attempt to kill Dapplewing in an attempt to drive her out of deputyship. Dapplewing kills Crookedfang and Shadefire flees RiverClan territory, never to be found. When this is explained to Otterstar, Otterstar agrees with why Dapplewing killed them, as they were committing treason.
She becomes Dapplestar after Otterstar dies, and proves herself to be every ounce of the capable leader as the deputy she was, her most loyal warriors being her deputy Shimmerwing, Rippleheart, Runningflame, and Rowanshade. They have served RiverClan loyally and have high hopes for Dapplestar, and are her closest confidants.
One day, she is patrolling her territory alone when she comes across a rogue. She attacks the rogue, who, much to her surprise, is able to fend her off and overpower her at one point. Pleased by the strength of the rogue, she invites him to join RiverClan, saving him from the hardships of life on his own. The rogue, Shell, pledges his loyalty and life to Dapplestar. Dapplestar trains him herself, and he eventually gains the name of Shellfall, and remains fiercely loyal to Dapplestar.
When rogues make their camp inside of RiverClan territory, Dapplestar leads the patrol that came across them. However, the patrol is greatly outnumbered by the rogues. Dapplestar decides not to get reinforcements from camp as they are too far and it would take too long, and decides on a strategy to attack. She has Rippleheart and Shimmerwing sneak away to mark the north of the camp, giving the idea that the RiverClan cats were there. A storm rolls, and Dapplestar attacks from the south, completely out of the blue for the rogues. The rogues lose all discipline and the leader, Cash, is killed, proving Dapplestar and RiverClan to be mighty and strong. She also wins a battle against WindClan for a piece of territory that Otterstar gave to Scorchstar, mainly due to her attention to strategy.
While she was on a patrol with Rippleheart, Shellfall, Shimmerwing, Sharpfang, and Minnowflight, she sees Twolegs throwing items into a fire. The Twolegs set fire to their territory, and Dapplestar leaps in front of Rippleheart to rescue him from being engulfed in flames. This causes Dapplestar to lose a life.
When Redfern is killed by a fox, Dapplestar gets the impression that ShadowClan chased it purposely on their territory. She is outraged by this, but does not vow revenge, saying that they need to grieve for Redfern first.
Shadefire appears on RiverClan territory again. When reported of this, Dapplestar hesitates, unsure of what to do. Eventually she decides to lead a patrol to confront her mother, but has no intention of attacking her. She approaches her mother, leaving her patrol behind, and tries to talk to her. However, Shadefire instead attacks Dapplestar, with every desire to see the tortoiseshell she-cat dead. Dapplestar is caught off guard as she is defended by her warriors. Shadefire attacks the warriors as well, and flees to ShadowClan territory. Dapplestar orders that they follow her, and they do. Shadefire is killed by Shimmerwing. Dapplestar does not punish Shimmerwing, but she grieves silently.
Shellfall is gravely injured by Cactusclaw, a ShadowClan cat. The ferocious wounds leave him onto the verge of death, and Dapplestar is struck by grief, breaking down. She visits Shellfall, but not often, as she cannot handle seeing the cat she brought in die, and she blames herself.
She offers shelter to WindClan when a fire ravages their camp.
One night, when realizing that Shellfall would most likely die, she sits with him the entire night. Much to her surprise, Shellfall begins to heal the day after. Dapplestar is shocked by this, and does not know what to think, but she is relieved. Shellfall tells her that he would not die on her, and Dapplestar thanks him.
She takes in two kits, Moonpaw and Sunkit, and raises them alongside her senior warriors.
With her annoyance with ShadowClan growing greater by the day, she finds two young warriors who were trespassing on her territory. Believing this as a lesson for Talonstar, she prepares to have them executed. Right before the killing blow was dealt, Talonstar and his patrol attacks RiverClan, saving the apprentices' lives. Both Talonstar and Dapplestar lose a life in this brutal attack. Dapplestar blames Talonstar for the death of his warrior, and Talonstar declares war on her. Dapplestar meets his challenge.
RiverClan sends patrols to ambush ShadowClan, with ShadowClan doing the same. The two sides fight, refusing to give up. Dapplestar enlists a friend from her past, Songbreeze, to help her with reconnaissance work.
In the war against ShadowClan, Dapplestar allies herself with the rebel group of ThunderClan that broke apart from Rootstar's leadership, led by Peartuft. They happily accept and join with the attacks.
Dapplestar continues to attack ShadowClan, hoping that they will surrender. She manipulates her Clan with words, words that have them support the battle against ShadowClan. In one of the battles, Shrewfur is killed, giving his life for his leader. One day, she makes a visit to Talonstar alone, and informs him that the only way RiverClan's attacks will stop is if that they send her a hostage, out of Dapplestar's willingness to embarrass ShadowClan. Despite being furious about Shrewfur's death and vowing for revenge, Talonstar concedes that this is a battle he cannot win by claws alone, and reluctantly agrees to send Icekit.
Dustcloud drops Icekit off at RiverClan's border and retreats without being seen. Dapplestar welcomes Icekit into her camp, and keeps her as a hostage. When Icekit becomes Icepaw, Dapplestar mentors her, but focuses mainly on battle techniques, training her to be a perfect killer and to kill all of her feelings. She notices Icepaw becoming friends with Petalpaw, and, unhappy that Icepaw has feelings, she orchestrates a plot to frame Petalpaw as being disloyal. She orders Icepaw to hunt her down and kill her, and when Icepaw returns, Dapplestar praises her, but lets her know that Petalpaw's "betrayal" was necessary. When Rippleheart reports the death of her apprentice, Dapplestar tells Icepaw to search for Petalpaw's murderer, despite both of them knowing the truth. By force, Icepaw wearily reports that it was a ShadowClan warrior, and the support for the attacks on ShadowClan grows.
Six months after taking Icepaw, Dapplestar admits to herself that battles themselves are not working. She recalls a time when Twolegs had set fire to their territory around them by taking a stick and engulfing it in fire that was always burning near the camp. She goes to the place where she had seen it, and decides that this is the best option. With her senior warriors, she tells them that this is her plan. They are shocked, and Shimmerwing does everything she can to try to convince Dapplestar out of it, but Dapplestar flippantly replies that this is the only way. Shimmerwing forces herself to believe her, but she cannot shake the sensation that there must be another way. The day comes, and Dapplestar orders her warriors to grab sticks of fire from the Twolegplace. They do, and they cross ShadowClan territory. Dapplestar tells them to set fire. The warriors do so. Dapplestar orders that any fleeing ShadowClan cat is to be killed, and sends her cats into battle. She joins the raid as well, but she only has one target - Talonstar. When she finds Talonstar, she notices that Nightfire is there as well. Irritated, Dapplestar uses the weakness of the forest around her to get rid of Nightfire. Once Nightfire is trapped by a tree, Dapplestar leaps onto Talonstar and attacks him for the last time. The two have their final battle, and Dapplestar wins, taking the last of Talonstar's nine lives. A tree falls on top of Talonstar, gruesomely taking his head from his body. Dapplestar takes his head and walks away, showing it to her senior warriors with fire blazing around her. She tells them that she is their god now, as no StarClan cat could ever do what she did. Once the fire is extinguished by the rain that falls, she orders her cats to leave, adding that they claimed all of ShadowClan's territory now, and they can work on WindClan.
Dapplestar decides that since the fire worked on ShadowClan, it must work on WindClan. She orders Sharpfang and Rowanshade to come with her. Rowanshade is hesitant, but cannot doubt his leader, while Sharpfang is excited. Shimmerwing and Runningflame try to reason with her, but Dapplestar tells Shimmerwing off once more. When she notices the desperation in Runningflame's voice, she loses her temper, thinking that constant badgering from Shimmerwing was enough. She asks Runningflame if he is weak, if he has a soft spot, remarking that he had never faltered before. Runningflame says he does not, but is cut off when Dapplestar sends him flying to the ground. She tells him that if he ever shows any hesitation again, he will be stripped of all his titles and ranks, will be considered lowest of the low, and he nor anyone related to him would not be spared. Dapplestar leaves, to the horror of Shimmerwing and Runningflame. Her warriors are terrified as well, but they know better than to doubt Dapplestar, who has no problem ordering her own warriors killed if they defy her. Sharpfang and Rowanshade set fire to WindClan territory in an attempt to drive WindClan out and claim their territory for RiverClan. Dapplestar, fearing none of the flames, walks around to examine the damage done to WindClan territory. She watches as their medicine cat apprentice, Mallowleaf, gets engulfed by the flames. She spots Hawkfire passed out from smoke inhalation and Sedgefall trying to treat her, and emerges from the flames, about to strike Sedgefall down. However, Scorchstar comes to the two she-cat's aid and subdues Dapplestar. Dapplestar is dazed, but does not bother to chase after the three WindClan cats. She knows she had won, and with her patrol, comes back to WindClan camp. Shimmerwing is horrified when Dapplestar reports, but Dapplestar disregards her concerns and tells her this is the only way to unify the Clans.
After Dapplestar set fire to WindClan's territory, Shimmerwing decides she is done, that she cannot keep chasing after a cat she will never reach. She leads a rebellion, finding Dapplestar deep in RiverClan territory. Fire is around Dapplestar already, and Shimmerwing realizes that if she did not set the fire, only Dapplestar could have. Dapplestar tells Shimmerwing she has waited for her, and the two fight, with Dapplestar injuring Shimmerwing. Shellfall, one of Dapplestar's closest advisers, arrives on scene. Dapplestar sees the two of them, and walks away into the flames. A tree falls, blocking Shimmerwing and Shellfall's view of their Clan leader - the last thing they saw was her walking straight into the flames. Shellfall screeches at this, and tries to search for her, but to no avail.
Shellfall leads a rebellion to avenge Dapplestar, declaring Shimmerwing an enemy of Dapplestar. Rippleheart, Rowanshade, and Icepaw join him, but Runningflame defects to Shimmerwing's side. Even though Shimmerwing is one of Shellfall's closest friends, he leads the attack on her personally. The attack had been going his way, until Swiftcloud gathered reinforcements from every Clan and brought them to Shimmerwing, which leads a second wave of cats overpowering Shellfall.
Dapplestar's legacy still lives on in the Clans, as her brutal actions traumatized several cats.
## Personality

A charismatic warlord who is determined to do anything to unify the land, she never settles for anything less than number one. As an apprentice, warrior, deputy, and young leader, Dapplestar had a good heart, and felt that she was doing what she had to do for RiverClan, suffering deeply inside as she took lives to protect others. She genuinely cared about each and every single of her cats - the most important ones being Shellfall and Shimmerwing, as she saved Shellfall from a life on his own and trusted Shimmerwing with her life. She also trusts Rippleheart, Runningflame, and Rowanshade immensely. She is arrogant, eccentric, confident, intelligent, and daring, not afraid to pursue any means to get what she wants. She is a forbidding figure that even the staunchest of hearts would think twice about approaching. She is the type of warrior who cannot help but draw attention to herself, dignified and cocksure, with confidence in her piercing eyes - she would not do anything without making sure everyone knows exactly who she is.
## Trivia

* She believes she is superior to StarClan, and through all her ruthless convictions, tried to get herself seen as higher in StarClan's eyes and her Clanmates' eyes.
* She fears no cat, no god, or no StarClan warrior.
* Her character is loosely inspired by ancient warlords.
* She believes that she must use any method possible to get what she wants.
* Clan cats refer to her as "The Devil Queen," "The Lord of Hell," and "The Demon Queen." Dapplestar relishes these nicknames and uses them herself to intimidate her opponents.

## Theme song

* **Viva la Vida** by Coldplay

*It was a wicked and wild wind, blew down the doors to let me in, shattered windows and the sound of drums, people couldn't believe what I'd become. Revolutionaries wait, for my head on a silver plate. Just a puppet on a lonely string, oh who would ever want to be king?*
* **Girl on Fire** by Alicia Keys

*Looks like a girl but she's a flame, so bright she can burn your eyes, better look the other way. You can try but you'll never forget her name. She's on top of the world.*
* **Gangsta** by Kat Dahilia

*You say you a gangsta, ain't seen a thing you've done. I do it all myself, I ain't gettin' help, from no one, from no one.*
* **You Don't Know Me** to Talonstar by Elizabeth Gilles

*I'm dangerous, I'm warning you. But you're not afraid of me, and I can't convince you. You don't know me.*

## Quotes

"*But this is how I see it: this is a chance in a lifetime. I can't afford to miss this. Do you really want to spend your entire lives praying for longevity? We were born in order to die! Whoever is with me, come to the battlefield tomorrow morning. Whoever is not, just stay wherever you are and watch me win it!"*"
—Dapplestar before the battle with the rogues

"*No one can take the divine throne while still seeing the world with the eyes of mortals. Join me... and I will show you a new world.*"
—Dapplestar to Shellfall

"*Worship me. Die for your crime of defying the Lord of Hell, and repent in the afterlife. There are none before me, and will be none after me. I am the Demon Queen of the four Clans, Dapplestar!*"
—Dapplestar

"*I will show the Clans my divine rule. Trust in the cat who will be peerless in the eyes of heaven.*"
—Dapplestar

"*The ten years of a cat's life is but a dream of the enlightened realms of desire. Once they are given life from the gods, there is no such thing that does not perish.*"
—Dapplestar

"*None may oppose me and live!*"
—Dapplestar

"*Excellent. Let's rip them to shreds.*"
—Dapplestar

"*This is only a small taste of my wrath!*"
—Dapplestar

"*Is that all you got? Where is your spirit? Your determination?*"
—Dapplestar

"*If you care so little for your life, I will gladly grant you your death.*"
—Dapplestar

"*It is useless to resist me.*"
—Dapplestar

"*Destruction will rain upon the heads of those who would invade this land!*"
—Dapplestar

"*Let's go. Time to get some blood on our claws.*"
—Dapplestar

"*Trying to escape, are we? Good luck.*"
—Dapplestar

"*Sow the seeds of fear in our enemy then reap the harvest.*"
—Dapplestar

"*Fight. Fight for what you desire. Fight to truly live!*"
—Dapplestar

"*Turn this battlefield into the netherworld itself.*"
—Dapplestar

"*Dapplestar looks to be completely ruthless... but her sense of loyalty is unmatched. It's not just that... I admire her purpose, and how she is wiling to stop at nothing to get what she wants...she has vision. She has taken pains to make sure she knows of each and every warrior...below her. She is a warrior who will protect those who are loyal to her, no matter what it costs her.*"
—Shellfall about Dapplestar

"*You can't protect cats with kindness.*"
—Dapplestar to Shimmerwing

"*What’s wrong, Runningflame? Become weak? I tolerate no weakness when it comes to battle. You will stay behind and cower if you cannot stomach the courage to take WindClan territory. When I come back, no one close to you will be spared. You will stay here, as the lowest.*"
—Dapplestar to Runningflame

"*Throwing a glance at Shimmerwing, who just stands there, looking as though the world had just ended, Dapplestar steps into the flames. She has a single goal: Talonstar's head.*"
—Narrator about Dapplestar

**Narrator**: "*In a sea of screams, of tears and sobbing wails, in an endless expanse of raging bellows... one cat emerges from the burning wreckage of ShadowClan territory. In her claws, tufts of fur and skin clog it, in her mouth, a large, lumpy mass. A closer look at the cat reveals herself to be Dapplestar. The mass in her mouth - drip, drip, dripping on the earth of her feet - is the head of Talonstar.*"

**Shimmerwing**: "*Dapplestar.*"

**Narrator**: "*The sheer, daunting presence of Dapplestar as she approaches makes Shimmerwing take a step back.*"

**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar's teeth glint in a manic grin... and then a great pillar of fire ascends in the jet black darkness, rendering her silhouette fearsome and otherworldly.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*What more is there in having faith in the sacred? I alone will save the weak. Believe in me, for I am mightier than StarClan.*"
**Shellfall**: "*Dapplestar...?*"
**Narrator**: "*Shellfall's hoarse whisper is lost amid the crackling of the flames. Dyed from head to paw in black and crimson, hoisting a cat's head in her jaws... the flames laugh at Dapplestar's back. It is like looking upon a demon.*"

—Shellfall, Shimmerwing, and Dapplestar

"*With that, she is gone, the vision of a leader, of a savior. Slight though her shoulders may be, they carry the weight of this world so effortlessly and with such incredible presence... Shellfall dips his head to her without thinking, deep and reverent, as it must be.*"
—Narrator about Shellfall and Dapplestar

**Narrator**: "*Shimmerwing searches for someone she knows should be here among the thunderous roar of the inferno. She searches through blazing thickets and patches of ferns, but finds no one there. The flames are growing bolder and brighter, driving up a sense of panic as they spread. Her own cats should be roaming these woods, searching for a single individual. She continues onwards, leaving trails of stomped on thickets behind. At last, she lays eyes on the back of the cat she has been looking for all this time. The second she has caught sight of Dapplestar, all she can think is, "I knew it." Shimmerwing is not the one who has sacrificed the territory to the flames. Which means... there is only one cat who could have done this. Shimmerwing unsheathes her claws, not bothering to call out.*"

**Dapplestar**: "*So you've finally come.*"

**Narrator**: "*There, among the flickering, dancing sparks, with her back still turned to her deputy... Dapplestar unsheathes her claws and snarls.*"

**Dapplestar**: "*I grew tired of waiting.*"
**Narrator**: "*She turns, her green eyes flat and unsurprised as they take stock of Shimmerwing. A vague flicker of hesitation sprouts inside of Shimmerwing, something akin to hope.*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Dapplestar...*"
**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar snorts derisively, as if this were any ordinary day, and then... crosses the space between them on swift feet, bearing down on Shimmerwing with an inexorable stroke of her massive, powerful paws.*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Ugh!*"
**Narrator**: "*The blow comes down far too hard to push back against. Shimmerwing has little choice but to absorb the impact.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*Heh heh... what's wrong? Have your paws gone limp?*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Dapplestar!*"
**Narrator**: "*Gritting her teeth so hard they might crack, Shimmerwing manages to repel Dapplestar's paws. However, within only a few steps Dapplestar has rallied again.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*If you don't want this enough, you will die.*"
**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar laughs scornfully, letting forth another volley of quick slashes from her claws. Her body is undeniably heavy, her claws more powerful than any other warrior Shimmerwing has taken on, and the more their twin strikes slash each other's fur, the more obvious Dapplestar's relentless conviction becomes.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*You're weak.*"
**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar deflects Shimmerwing's attacks easily; they are steeped in indecision. Shimmerwing wobbles backwards, knocked off balance. Dapplestar chases her back, pressing the advantage. She reels, falling back as a sharp, searing pain races across her shoulder. Shimmerwing turns to examine the slice in her skin, seeing the crimson liquid spill out. The pause in battle continues, the two of them simply staring at each other for the space of several heartbeats. The red glow of the flames illuminating Dapplestar's expression indicates no signs of faltering. It says that here, finally, she will let Shimmerwing know of her own naivete.*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*I did not come here to take your life.*"
**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar says nothing. She merely dons that feral smile of hers, the one that seems to know no fear. It is as Dapplestar once said; this is something Shimmerwing cannot stop. And yet...*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Dapplestar...*"
**Narrator**: "*Readying her stance in spite of her wounded shoulder, Shimmerwing unsheathes her claws once more. The tip of her claws runs true, aimed straight for the leader she once believed in. The smile vanishes from Dapplestar's face as she senses the other cat's resolve.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*Come for me with everything you believe in... Shimmerwing.*"
**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar readies her stance, and then... their paws spring off the ground as once, paws cleaving the air in two as they exchange a fierce flurry of blows. Shimmerwing musters every ounce of her strength, determined to drive Dapplestar back, until... an ominous cracking overhead causes the two of them to immediately leap apart. Burning tree branches fall between them.... engulfing the glade in flames instantly.*"

—Dapplestar and Shimmerwing

**Shimmerwing**: "*Dapplestar!*"

**Narrator**: "*She screams mindlessly, watching as Dapplestar's eyes turn skyward.*"

**Dapplestar**: "*Heh...*"

**Narrator**: "*Even in the middle of an all-consuming blaze, Dapplestar's amused laughter ripples through the air.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*You great idiot.*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*No!*"
**Narrator**: "*She walks on into the fire, further away from any hope of escape. ...She will not be reached in time. There is a sense of yearning that will not be silenced, a desire to run in after her. When was it that she lost her way? For so long, Shimmerwing had been convinced they were looking towards the same things.. Shimmerwing quietly lowers her head and turns. At that moment...*"
**Shellfall**: "*Dapplestar!*"
**Narrator**: "*A frantic cry makes her whip around again. Legs flexing as he hurtles headlong into the burning glade is Shellfall.*"
**Shellfall**: "*Dapplestar!*"
**Narrator**: "*Screaming her name over and over, he extends a paw, trying to reach beyond the flames.*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Shellfall!*"
**Narrator**: "*Shimmerwing yells, dragging him back bodily.*"
**Shellfall**: "*Let go of me! Dapplestar's in there!*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*...Dapplestar is no more.*"
**Shellfall**: "*What are you talking about? She's right there-*"
**Narrator**: "*With eyes wild and bewildered, Shellfall looks back into the flames. With a whoosh and a crack, another branch comes hurtling down... and Dapplestar vanishes into the depths of the inferno.*"
**Shellfall**: "*Dapplestar!*"
**Narrator**: "*He hollers until his voice breaks, but to no avail. The space in which Dapplestar stood a minute ago no longer exists.*"
**Shellfall**: "*Why?!*"
**Narrator**: "*Shellfall turns and slams Shimmerwing roughly into the ground, pinning her down.*"
**Shellfall**: "*What have you done?! Why didn't you stop this?!*"
**Narrator**: "*Shimmerwing flinches as if each enraged shout is a physical strike against her body.*"
**Shelfall**: "*You were the closest to her of any of us! Tell me why! How could you?!*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Because... I was the closest.*"
**Narrator**: "*Shimmerwing answers solemnly. Her expression, her voice... all of it contains a cool sense of composure completely at odds with the punishing heat around them.*"
—Shimmerwing and Shellfall about Dapplestar

## References

1. ↑  Viva la Vida by Coldplay YouTube
2. ↑ Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys YouTube
3. ↑ Gangsta by Kat Dahilia YouTube