Ferncloud and Snowstep [TB AU] (Patreon)

Another TB AU couple! This one doesn't have as much setup as Cinder/Dust, since it happens between the first arc and the second, but I'm still quite fond of it.

Snowkit living and becoming Snowstep was always in the plans for the AU - I did not want his deafness to be seen as a cheap reason to get rid of him, and I didn't want to make his life miserable, either. Ferncloud is a very caring, patient cat in both the AU and canon, so I thought she and Snowstep would make a perfect match. Together they have Birchkit, Hollykit, and Larchkit!

I imagine that Fernpaw, Snowpaw, and Mistypaw were close as apprentices - I initially planned for the three of them to interact more in Midnight, but since Ferncloud and Snowstep were having kits that book I figured Mistyfoot would want to give them space. They are still friends and I plan for more interactions between them (and Mistyfoot and Mousefur) in the future.

Fernpaw, Ashpaw, and Snowpaw likely became warriors at the same time. Though Snowpaw was older than both of them (he's Brightheart's littermate in this AU), his training had to be delayed and become more specialized because of his deafness. Fern and Snow's age gap here doesn't upset me as much as Dust/Fern because a) it's not nearly as large and b) they were apprentices together, not a mentor/apprentice combo.

Cinderpelt, his mentor, and Ferncloud became the best at pawspeak in ThunderClan, and Fern and Snow's kits are well on their way too!