Post by tempest on Oct 21, 2012 19:47:33 GMT -6
I've been a bit hesitant in making this thread and overall forum involvement but it's about time to jump into it feet first (never head first.) Anyways here goes nothing.
When I first started reading Warriors I started in the second arc. I don't know if I realized it was a series when I picked the book out and just didn't care* or what. I slowly worked my ways through the second arc and then jumped back into the first arc. I remember the relationship between Spottedleaf and Firepaw being mentioned. I was surprised to say the least at what I discovered.
For starters Spottedleaf was barely even alive in the books. She died in Into the Wild during a fight with Clawface. In all of her other appearances she is a StarClan cat. Her interactions with Firepaw are practically nonexistent or at least undocumented. I recall them talking once maybe twice neither of those interactions even hinting at what the Erins are trying to pass off as 'romance.' One was just a warning for Firepaw, which isn't something I'd consider out of the ordinary considering she was the medicine cat. No ma'ams you aren't fooling anyone but yourselfand your tons of blindly devoted fans.
She appears regularly in Firepaw/star's dreams to help guide him. In several places within the series Sandstorm makes comments about Spottedleaf and how it makes her uncomfortable that she visits Firestar in his dreams even thigh this eventually comes to a stop. Spottedleaf also comments on the love triangle in the short story "Spottedleaf's Honest Answer". If you haven't read it here is a brief summary provided by the WarriorsWiki:
Spottedleaf is the main character in the story.
She speaks about what she thinks about the pairing of Firestar and Sandstorm. She tells that she will love Firestar forever, even though her role as a medicine cat will keep her from being with him. And though she could never have Firestar as a mate, she would have walked beside him as he became a warrior, then deputy, and then leader.
She also tells of just how much she wants to be with him. She admits that she wishes that somehow Sandstorm would vanish and she could just stop being a medicine cat. Then she states that she knows that they can never be together but she will never stop watching over him.
Along with Firestar, Spottedleaf knew that Leafpool has a special destiny, and that she will guard Squirrelflight and her sister as best as she can.
It was also confirmed that Spottedleaf and Tigerstar, her nephew, was descended from SkyClan.
Here are a couple quotes provided by the wiki that provide a little more insight this relationship.
"With this life I give you love. Use it well, for all the cats in your care-and especially for Sandstorm."
—Spottedleaf to Fireheart The Darkest Hour, page 53
"That was never going to happen, my love. I cannot journey with you anymore. I'm so sorry."
—Spottedleaf to Firestar The Last Hope, page 315
Are both quotes that hint at some sort of romance between the two that never really happened. Obviously the Erins fancy themselves some sort of superior beings and whatever they say must be true because if it wasn't how could they have been in love? They couldn't of. As far as I could tell they had a standard medicine cat/apprentice relationship which is something along the lines of: 'apprentice gets hurt; medicine cat makes it better.' A lot of the 'romantic' bits of the relationship seemed tacked on in a poor effort to say: 'OHYEAH, WE FORGOT BUT SPOTTEDLEAF AND FIREPAW ARE BONKERS IN LOVE. KAY? PRETEND THIS DOESN'T SEEMED FORCED AND COMPLETELY UNORGANIC.'
The whole relationship seems completely like a last minute addition** before the books went to the presses. Honestly if it hadn't been awkwardly shoved in my face in random places throughout the fandom I probably never would of noticed. I understand their intent was a romantic relationship between the two but their writing is of such a poor quality it almost never shows up. Sorry Erin, maybe you'll get a gold star next time.
*Contary to popular belief I can start reading a series in the middle and understand fine.
**Feel this way about a lot of things in the series. I feel like they're so busy pumping out super editions, guides, Warriors manga, adventure games, andeverythingthatisn'tqualitywriting they forget to add things into the story which results in awkward and unnatural plot transition.