Sparkwhisker

Knows They're a BG Character and Hates It

Sparkwhisker was a WindClan warrior who served under Gravelstar's leaderships, living from Sixth Generation through before Ninth Generation. She was born to Barkflower and Duskmask alongside her siblings, Poolkit and Finkit. She was mentored by Lizardstrike. She lacked a belief in StarClan, and after her death from greencough, she became a ghost haunting the WindClan moors.

# Appearance

Black ~~and white~~ she-cat with a grumpy temper.

# History

Sparkpaw was always very close to her siblings, Poolpaw and Finpaw, as well as her parents, Barkflower and Duskmask. She got along better with her father, Duskmask, and they often went on patrols together to hunt. Sparkpaw enjoyed running around, full of energy, and liked doing exhilarating and new things, like exploring the tunnels, swimming or climbing trees, even if her clanmates teased her for being un-WindClan-like. Despite being a ball of energy, she was very easily triggered by her clanmates' teasing and would often blow a gasket. Once, she even attacked older apprentice Eaglepaw when she teased her for being 'a squirrel.'

Despite her curious and adrenaline-junkie nature, she was not a fan of the other clans, regarding them with suspicion at a distance. She was one of the cats among WindClan who were against 'code-breakers' and 'half-clanners,' of which WindClan had many- in fact, their leader Gravelstar, deputy Jumpfrost, and medicine cats Brackenwillow and Ebonyraven all fit said bill. Gravelstar's mother had been from SkyClan, Jumpfrost had become mates with a former ShadowClanner, Brackenwillow had taken a mate and had kits, and Ebonyraven was Jumpfrost's kit. Because of this, Sparkpaw didn't speak out with much disdain for them, regarding them as 'exceptions', although there were times she made snide comments towards them. This may partially be because she picked up her first mentor, Beetlefeather's, attitude.

Beetlefeather had been the deputy, and a stark hater of code-breakers, before her untimely death. Sparkpaw mourned her deeply for many days, refusing to leave camp much and refusing a new mentor. Finpaw, Poolpaw, and Duskmask as well as Russetpaw's mentor, Lizardstrike, helped her out of her slump, with Lizardstrike forcing her to attend training sessions. Soon, when Sparkpaw got her spunk and temper back, Russetpaw had become Russetleap, and Lizardstrike offered to complete her training, becoming her mentor. Sparkpaw and Lizardstrike got along well, although Sparkpaw often found herself being more quiet, missing Beetlefeather. She spent less time with her friends and siblings, especially as she watched Poolpaw moon over young Doepaw and seemingly forget about Sparkpaw. Her relationship with her mother faded away too.

Soon she became Sparkwhisker. She was happy to receive her warrior name, and patrolled their borders loyally. Some of her need for a thrill dissipated, and she spent more time alone, silent and wondering. Most days she only ever hung out with her sister, Finflight. Her relationships with Duskmask, Poolfur, and Lizardstrike grew weaker too. Weirdly, she hung out with Eagletuft- a cat whom she hated- more than the ones she would call her closest friends. But even then, Eagletuft became distant, raising her kits in the nursery.

As leaf-bare came and went, Sparkwhisker was wracked with grief as her mother passed to greencough. She mourned her deeply, getting lost in grief once more. She became snappish towards others, until it was truly only Eagletuft who could stand to be with her, as Finflight became 'fed up' with her attitude. Sparkwhisker despised her family for 'turning their backs' on her, but in the end she knew it was her fault, and that she yearned to be with them. So she tried to be more patient, more level-headed with them.

But her attempt to reconnect her relationships was cut short as she ate old prey that has been lying in the sun too long. She became deathly sick, puking out her guts, and eventually, she passed away. She did not ascend to StarClan- she lacked a belief, and felt unready to leave her young life behind. Instead, she became a ghost, and watched as her clanmates mourned her for one night, then buried her. She expected them to shut down, like she had, but instead, she saw her family and friends continue on as though her death hadn't changed a thing.

For a while, she just watched in sadness, but then, she became bitter- did she truly not matter? She had never been the closest as others to Beetlefeather and Barkflower, but she had been so devastated by their deaths. Poolfur was too wrapped up in his drama with Doebreeze, Finflight was too self-righteous to care, Duskmask was so dry and boring that of course he never truly cared, and Lizardstrike was too distracted by his platonic mates and their kits to care about anything else. Of course they never cared for her!

So she plotted revenge. At first, it wasn't on purpose. But to see her foolish father walking on the ice like that, the same way she had when she was just an apprentice, when he had laughed and scolded her? She couldn't help it, and she didn't think she'd kill him- she just wanted to scare him. She pushed a rock onto the ice from a cliff, and watched as the cracks cascaded, throwing him into the freezing water below. His patrol had tried to save him, but in vain. She was horrified by the result, but when his vigil came... and she knew he had ascended to StarClan, to be with Barkflower, loving and forever... She felt jealous. She felt jealous as she watched Poolfur weep for their father's death, when he hadn't for hers.

Poolfur was already miserable, and she didn't necessarily plan these things. She watched and waited for an opportunity. And then she saw Lizardstripe on a hunt, stalking a rabbit, and above him, a hawk circled over head. She leaped at the rabbit, who sensed her, and ran away, dragging Lizardstripe away from his hiding place in a chase. But the hawk darted down and grabbed him, and took him far, far away, and Sparkwhisker watched, pleased then bitter as his surviving mate Morningmoon and their kits mourned him. She felt disgusted- at herself and at others- when Morningmoon passed from infection. All she could think about was how Tangleflame, Lizardstrike, and Morningmoon were all in Starclan now, happy. And she was stuck her, because if she chose to ascend... she knew she wouldn't be going to StarClan.

She took a backseat for a while, watching and waiting. And while she did so, she saw something she never expected- Eagletuft was visiting her grave. Sparkwhisker rarely visited her own grave. After all, no one ever came- or so she thought. Eagletuft placed a flower on the grave, and murmured quiet respects about how she'd always miss Sparkwhisker's energy and claws, and how useful it would have been to have her as a warrior during these tough times. Sparkwhisker was so touched, she had no idea what to think. The cat she hated was the only one who still thought about her? No other cat ever spoke her name. Not since her death- never.

An idea formed in her mind, and when Jumpstar was killed in battle with WindClan, Sparkwhisker quickly faked a sign. She used a mouse to guide an eagle to camp, and then had the whole camp watch in fear- queens hiding their kits and mentors forcing apprentices into dens- as it soared over head. Ebonyraven claimed it a clear sign from StarClan, and Sunnystar quickly asked Eagletuft to be his deputy. Sparkwhisker felt proud- she had done something right for once!

But then Eagletuft did something strange. She bowed her head and... she denied the deputyship. Said that whatever omen that was, it was no sign for her. She had no ambition to be leader, no desire to lead. She enjoyed a simple life where she needn't stay steady under pressure. Cats were surprised- Sparkwhisker most of all- but Sunnystar accepted her choice and appointed Finflight as deputy instead. Sparkwhisker was enraged!

So, that night, she crept into Eagletuft's dreams and turned them into nightmares, before appearing before her and roaring at her like a great lion. She demanded to know why she'd deny deputyship when Sparkwhisker had delivered it to her on a silver platter! Eagletuft explained her reasoning once more, then her eyes shined with happiness, saying she was happy to see her again. How was life in StarClan?

Sparkwhisker's chest ached and she went quiet, admitting she was not in StarClan. Eagletuft's face drooped and she asked if she was in the Place of No Stars, to which Sparkwhisker responded that no, she wasn't, but she deserved to be. Eagletuft said she had done nothing wrong, but Sparkwhisker admitted to killing Duskmask and Lizardstripe. Eagletuft went quiet for a long while, and Sparkwhisker huffed that she must finally hate her, but Eagletuft only said "perhaps if I was Finflight, I would hold you accountable for your actions, but... I know you, Sparkwhisker. You were always hot-headed. You never thought things through. Perhaps, now, though, you could...?"

The two talked longer, with Sparkwhisker admitting her wrong-doings and Eagletuft forgiving her, explaining that Duskmask and Lizardstripe would forgive her too. Duskmask had only been on that ice because it reminded him of her, and that Lizardstripe visited Sparkwhisker's grave often too, just as much as Russetleap's. Eagletuft knew, because she visited her mate, Russetleap's, a lot too, and they visited Sparkwhisker's together too.

When the dream ended, Sparkwhisker was distraught with sadness at her own actions. She decided, then, to leave the clans and forever be a wandering ghost.

# Fun Facts

* She has loner blood through her great-grandmother, Pool, on her father's side.
* Her grandfather was a medicine cat, Brackenwillow, on her mother's side.