Hey, guys! So, I know that this is very different from anything I have written on here. And honestly... I don't think I've ever written any kind of rant before (besides anything in my Top 10 Least Favorite Warriors Cats book, but I was like 12, and all of my reasoning was so weak). This is my first legit rant, and I am so excited to practically destroy my keyboard with all of my typing!

Anyway, I am doing this to discuss a topic I feel very strongly about - Crowfeather and Leafpool, and why I think they are meant to be over Crowfeather being with Feathertail or Nightcloud (but I think we're all pretty sure Nightcloud isn't going to happen). Yes, Feathertail is dead, and Leafpool is dead, but there is still a chance for Crowfeather to be "endgame" with somebody, because we've got StarClan! It has been proven many times that couples that were together in life can get back together in StarClan (Sandstorm and Firestar, Bluestar and Oakheart, etc).

Leafpool and Crowfeather is probably my favorite ship in the entire series, and that is why I feel so strongly about this. I love their chemistry, their development (because there is more development than some people think), and how deep and complex their relationship is. Also, some people don't see this, but Crowfeather spent a long time pining for Leafpool after they split, and I have a lot of proof of that (but more on that later).

The reason why I felt such a strong tug to type out this big persuasive composition is because SO MANY PEOPLE still argue that Feathertail and Crowfeather are meant to be, and that if Crowfeather was given the choice, he would OBVIOUSLY pick Feathertail - he loved her more, Leafpool and Crowfeather's relationship was brief, Leafpool was just a rebound and Crowfeather was using her to forget about Feathertail, and he had more enthusiasm about Feathertail. I AM HERE TO REFUTE ALL OF THIS. I'd like to think that I have some pretty strong arguments against all of this, so that's why we're here!

By the way, please don't think that I am trying to force my opinions on anyone - this is just my argument and opinions with backup. If you disagree and think that Crowfeather and Feathertail are the OTP, that is great! Feel free to share your opinions in the comments, I would love to hear them!

Anyway, here we go! I made a long outline in chronological order to help me lay out all of my thoughts, and I also think this order would be the best way to discuss things. So, I'm going to try to stick to that format.

So, that means that we're going to begin with Crowfeather and Feathertail. Don't get me wrong - I actually really like these two, and in fact, the first time that I read through The New Prophecy I actually preferred them, in a way. I thought that it was absolutely adorable that Feathertail was able to see past Crowpaw's crankiness and bitterness and accept him, and see his soft side. Feathertail also brought out Crowpaw's vulnerability, and showed us how much of a soft boy he can be.

But now, as I grow older... it all seems a little weird to me. First off, the age gap is a little strange. Feathertail was born in Forest of Secrets, and Crowfeather wasn't born until after the events of The Darkest Hour, which isn't the worst - it's no Pinestar and Leopardfoot or Thornclaw and Blossomfall - but it's still kind of weird. Especially weird because when they fall in love, Feathertail is a warrior and Crowfeather was still an apprentice at the time.

That's just one thing, but there are many other reasons why they maybe wouldn't have worked out, or won't work out. If Feathertail had lived and returned to the Clans with the journeying cats, the authors even said themselves that their relationship would not have worked out. They even said, and I think this also, Feathertail was almost like a high school crush to Crowfeather, and that he was so young when he fell for her that he wouldn't have been able to grow into himself and develop his own personality.

"Vicky believes that if Feathertail did live, her relationship with Crowfeather wouldn't have worked out. She was too old for him, and he wouldn't have gotten the chance to develop his own personality. She also that Crowfeather's love for Feathertail was more of a high school crush."

"Vicky thinks that if Feathertail had survived her fall, she would have returned to RiverClan and let Crowfeather go back to WindClan, as she was very loyal to  and would have eventually let her head rule her heart."

I totally agree and have these same thoughts. Yes, I absolutely LOVE Feathertail and I totally understand why Crowfeather would fall for her (If I went that way, I'D probably have a crush on her), but it just isn't right. Crowfeather was so young, and I totally could see them breaking off once they returned to the Clans, Feathertail wanting to stay loyal to her Clan.

If we're thinking about the two of them getting in StarClan (which I suppose goes with my main argument) I personally don't think that this will happen either. Yes, Kate did say that she believes that Crowfeather would most likely pick Feathertail over Leafpool, stating that "first love always wins", but does it though? I personally don't agree with this. Yes, I truly think that Crowfeather loved Feathertail, but then he fell for someone ELSE who might waver his decision. Plus, it has been stated many times that Feathertail isn't just a part of StarClan - she is a part of the Tribe of Endless Hunting as well, and switches off... so it would almost be like being in a different-Clan relationship all over again and would be difficult for the two of them.

But anyway, so, Feathertail dies, and obviously, Crowpaw at the time is very crushed. He spends the rest of Moonrise and a good chunk of Dawn mourning her - saying that he is going to wait to be with her in StarClan, saying that he doesn't care if he dies because Feathertail will be waiting for him, and he even names himself after her when he is made a warrior (I still think that this is so freaking adorable). But simultaneously, Crowfeather is beginning to fall for Leafpool.

We don't see much at the beginning (meaning in Dawn), but we do get a cute moment when Leafpool is scared to leap across a ledge in the mountains and Crowpaw is very comforting to her:

When it was Leafpaw's turn, her paws trembled so hard that she was afraid they would shake her right over the edge.

"It's okay," Crowpaw murmured. "It's not as hard as it looks."

Leafpaw felt his warm breath on her fur and tried to concentrate on that instead of the gaping hole before her.

I think this is one of our first indications that Crowpaw at least had a soft side for Leafpaw. Sure, Crowpaw is a fairly nice cat, but it can be proven that during this time, Crowpaw was already starting to fall for Leafpaw, so those pieces can be put together. In Crowfeather's little passage in "Secrets of the Clans", he tells us about his side of the story when it came to falling in love with Leafpool (I'm probably going to be using a lot of it in my argument). There is one little piece where he says:

"I thought that when we reached the lake and went our separate ways I'd be able to forget her"

So, this implies that Crowfeather's feelings for Leafpool were forming before that - probably some time on the Great Journey, so it can probably be said that that little tender moment between them when Leafpaw was about to jump to the other side of a deep hole can be an indicator of something.

And because of this, I have seen many people argue that Crowfeather moved on waaaaayyyyy too quickly, and clearly Leafpool was Crowfeather's way of trying to forget about Feathertail: Leafpool was a rebound, Crowfeather only fell for Leafpool because she was like Feathertail, Leafpool and Crowfeather had no development, Leafpool never meant that much to Crowfeather and such and things.

But I am now going to refute this MAJORLY.

First off, as we have already established, Crowfeather began to fall for Leafpool FAR before he actually told her that he loved her (this was probably about halfway through Dawn, and his confession wasn't until the end of Starlight).

This may look bad to many, and some could say that Crowfeather was clearly using Leafpool to get over Feathertail, but I feel like I can objectively say that this isn't the case. This is because Crowfeather felt incredibly guilty about his feelings for Leafpool. He didn't WANT these feelings, but they were there.

As I mentioned earlier, Crowfeather even said that he wished that he could FORGET about Leafpaw. He was trying to HIDE his feelings. Truthfully, if Crowfeather had never fallen for Leafpaw, I think that he would have sworn off finding a mate, waiting so that he could be with Feathertail in StarClan. I'm sure this was his plan until he met Leafpaw. Actually, he even says it:

"[Feathertail] died saving us all from Sharptooth. After that, I wanted only to serve my Clan to the limits of my strength, and then to join Feathertail in StarClan."

So basically, he DIDN'T WANT to fall for another cat. He didn't want to forget about Feathertail, and CERTAINLY wasn't going to by finding another she-cat to pad after. So, when he started catching feelings for Leafpaw, I'm sure it drove him INSANE, and he probably hated himself for falling for someone else so quickly. He definitely wasn't trying to or WANTED to, as he even says the night that he confessed his love to Leafpool:

"Don't you know how I feel about you? And how much I hate myself for feeling that way about another cat so soon after Feathertail's death? I loved her, I really did! How can I love you too?"

To be honest, I think that if Crowfeather had actually been separated from Leafpaw/Leafpool completely after arriving to the lake like he had hoped, he would have never told Leafpool how he felt, and just would have waited for his feelings to fade away. Beacuse like I said, he never pursued her.

But their many encounters made things so much harder for him. And I think it was because he wanted so much to push away these feelings that he was always so hostile with Leafpaw once they were at the lake. He wanted to get rid of these feelings because he felt so guilty about them (one, because of Feathertail, and two, Leafpaw was a ThunderClan medicine cat). So, he hid his feelings for Leafpaw and his frustration through anger. And him seeing Leafpaw only reignited all of these feelings, resulting in him being an absolute poopball to her, and hiding his feelings through hostility and coldness. Keep in mind, Crowfeather has feelings for Leafpaw at this point...

First, there is their little encounter just after they arrive to the lake. Crowfeather is dealing with one of WindClan's elders, Rushtail. Leafpaw sees this happening and rushes over to help:

"Look, Rushtail," Crowfeather was meowing frustratedly, "WindClan is gathering farther down the hill. If you stay here, you'll get mixed up with ThunderClan."

"So? ThunderClan never did me any harm," rasped the elder. "I'm not moving a pawstep from here, young fellow, until I've had something to eat."

Crowfeather rolled his eyes. "Great StarClan!"

"Can I help?" Leafpaw offered, wondering if Rushtail was being stubborn or if he really felt too weak to move. She might be able to find some herbs that would help restore his strength, like the traveling herbs they used to eat before journeying to the Moonstone.

But when Crowfeather turned around to face her, his eyes were cold. "I don't need help from ThunderClan, thanks," he mewed curtly.

"I'm sorry." Leafpaw took a step back, struggling not to show how cross she was that he was refusing her help for no good reason. "I only thought-"

"Take it easy, Crowfeather." Leafpaw felt a light touch on her shoulder and glanced around to see Squirrelflight. "There's no need to be so prickly." her sister added to the WindClan warrior.

Crowfeather dug his claws agitatedly into the ground. "Our journey's over, Squirrelflight," he meowed. "We have to remember that we belong to different Clans now."

Squirrelflight snorted. "You were always a difficult furball, Crowfeather. But I won't stop you if you're determined to make everything harder than it needs to be. Just watch it when you talk to my sister, that's all."

Crowfeather looked back at Leafpaw and muttered something that might have been an apology. "But I can manage Rushtail on my own, thanks," he added.

SO MANY LITTLE SIGNS HERE. Pushing Leafpaw away, emphasizing the fact that cats from different Clans shouldn't interact. I'm sure the fact that Leafpaw approached him urked him because 1. Leafpaw was showing him compassion, one reason why he fell for her, apparently, 2. It sparked up his feelings again, and he didn't like that - he had wanted to try and forget about her.

And the next scene I won't type out because it's a little longer, but just pages later, a patrol consisting of Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt, Mistyfoot and Crowfeather are about to leave to explore the lake and find territory and camps for each Clan. Just as they are about to leave, Leafpaw stops Squirrelflight and wishes her luck. The two of them talk with Brambleclaw for a bit, and then Crowfeather cuts them off, saying something like "Are we going or not? We don't have much daylight." Sure, this might have just been some of Crowfeather's usual impatience, but it also could be a means of trying to leave so that Leafpaw wouldn't be around anymore, sparking his feelings.

Then, there is the time that Leafpaw has to come to WindClan to help some of their elders. When Crowfeather sees her there, he is outwardly VERY furious, and wants her to leave as soon as possible. Which, I'm sure he did in a way. But, he even says in Secrets of the Clans, seeing Leafpaw just further made him realize his feelings for her - clearly they weren't gone yet.

"And the way I felt when I saw her - it made me angry to realize how little I could control my feelings."

^That quote could definitely apply to the first two scenes I mentioned as well. But anyway, Onewhisker then proceeds to force Crowfeather to help Leafpaw with the task at hand, and while Crowfeather still shows a lot of hostility, Leafpaw points out at least TWICE how Crowfeather is watching her very intently:

"The dark gray warrior let out a snort of disgust; he didn't say anything else, but he watched Leafpaw closely as she began to examine Morningflower."

"She was acutely conscious of Crowfeather watching her, and wished he would go away."

So, that basically goes to show that even as rude as Crowfeather was being to hide his feelings, he still couldn't help but stare at Leafpaw and admire what she was doing. Honestly, I think the fact that he watched her so much is SO CUTE.

Then, Onewhisker asks Crowfeather to escort Leafpaw back to camp, and both Leafpaw and Crowfeather address how quickly he moved through the forest. To Leafpaw, it was incredibly rude, but on Crowfeather's side:

"I went as fast as I could; if I spoke to her, my secret might come spilling out."

Then, just before he leaves camp, Leafpaw thanks Crowfeather for bringing her back:

"And thanks for bringing me back," Leafpaw added. Just because Crowfeather had behaved like a fox with a thorn in its paw didn't mean she had to be rude too.

Crowfeather gave her a long look, hostility and something else in his eyes. He seemed about to say something then just nodded and headed out of camp.

That "something else" was probably love, honey. Crowfeather actually explains this moment, further proving my point by saying:

"As I left her camp, Leafpaw thanked me in this sweet, normal way, as if I hadn't been behaving like a badger with its fur clawed off. I had to get out of there before every cat could see what I was trying so hard to fight."

Ugh, it's SO CUTE.

Then, there is the moment that Leafpaw talks to Crowfeather to tell him about the Moonpool. At first, when Leafpaw told Crowfeather about what Feathertail said and he grew angry, I just assumed that he was upset because Feathertail was telling Crowfeather to forget about her, and he didn't want to. But now, I see it in an entirely different way.

(As a little side note, I think it is adorable that Crowfeather even approaches Leafpaw to ask about the Moonpool in the first place, "gazing intensely into her eyes" as he did so)

Here is the scene, for some context:

"She said, 'Tell him not to grieve.' It will be many moons before you can be together again. She told you not to be blinded to the living."

Crowfeather met Leafpaw's gaze with such a hungry look, it was as if he wanted to devour every scrap of her meeting with the cat he had loved so deeply. Leafpaw blinked. How could he ever stop grieving if he felt this strongly?

At last the WindClan warrior looked down at his paws. "I'll never stop wishing she hadn't died," he whispered. "Does Feathertail think that I could ever forget about her?"

"That isn't what she meant!" Leafpaw protested.

"There'll never be another cat like Feathertail."

So, like I said, I think this scene is a lot deeper than I had originally thought. First off, I thought that from what Crowfeather said in his point of view:

"After Leafpaw found the Moonpool, she brought me a message from Feathertail. She said I should stop grieving and open my eyes to the living. What did that mean? Could Feathertail approve of my love for Leafpaw? Wasn't she angry?"

Sure, Crowfeather loved Feathertail a lot, and wouldn't like the idea of Feathertail telling him to forget about her, but I don't that that's all this is. I feel like the Erins imply this with the "How could he ever stop grieving if he felt this strongly?" The thing is, he DOESN'T. He is in love with Leafpaw - THAT is what he is feeling strongy about, not grief. This is when he realizes that Feathertail might approve of his love for Leafpaw, which also could explain the "hungry look" that he gives her. He may have come to some sort of revelation that he might be able to be with her. This is just my theory, but I'd like to think this maybe was the Erins' approach.

Then Crowfeather responds to Leafpaw's words, saying that he'll never forget Feathertail, and that he'll never stop wishing she hadn't died. This may be true, but I don't think he was just saying this stuff to say it. I think he was further trying to fight his own feelings for Leafpaw, trying to tell himself that he is not going to forget about Feathertail by letting himself fall for Leafpaw and that there is no other cat like Feathertail, even though clearly he has been able to fall for Leafpaw. But as I've said, HE DID, and he HATES that he did because of Feathertail, thus explaining this behavior.

So, all of this is basically to prove that there was a lot more development to this relationship than some people see, and I'd like to think that these passages show A LOT. Crowfeather was at a battle with himself with these feelings for Leafpool for quite a long time. It just seemed so sudden because he was hiding it so well, that we didn't suspect anything. Their development is very deep and complex. Leafpaw also has her moments where she clearly shows that she is drawn towards Crowfeather, but we're not going to get into that purely because this argument is about who Crowfeather would choose out of all of his... "lovers" essentially.

Something else that I have seen people argue was that Crowfeather was only drawn to Leafpool because she reminded him of Feathertail. Sure, this may be true, but is it ever explicitly said? Crowfeather never describes Leafpool IN COMPARISON to Feathertail. In fact, he speaks about them in an almost contrasting way:

"Feathertail understood me, and she listened to me. Her eyes were the clear blue of her river home...

But then I met Leafpaw. She was patient and kind. Her voice was like water flowing over pebbles, and her scent had hints of wildflowers in it."

Yes, Crowfeather does say that seeing Leafpool dangling at the edge of a ledge reminded him of how he had failed Feathertail, letting her die, but that scene was to represent the fact that Crowfeather could start over with Leafpool, and things didn't have to end as tragically in this new relationship.

"But I saved Leafpaw. She brought me back. She helped me shake off the memories and I reached forward and pulled her to safety."

Crowfeather even says that this was all different. He wasn't necessarily trying to seek what he had with Feathertail:

"I could see how much she cared for me too. I'd seen the same look in Feathertail's eyes... but this was different. This was more dangerous, more forbidden. There was a feeling like lighting prickling along my fur every time I looked at Leafpaw."

Like I said, maybe Crowfeather did compare Leafpool to Feathertail in some ways, and yes, they are similar, but I definitely don't want to assume that that's why he wanted to give up his Clan life for her and such. Here I am just trying to prove that Leafpool and Crowfeather's relationship didn't just revolve around Crowfeather wanting to find another Feathertail, but that his love for Leafpool was genuine and real.

From here, we go into their actual relationship, which I'm just going to summarize briefly. Basically, Crowfeather is desperate to be with Leafpool. He stares at her whenever she is in his sight, finds any means possible to try and talk to her once he knows that she knows that he loves her, he begs her on several occasions to be with him, and to run away with him so that they can be together. They met several times, every other night. We see that Crowfeather is willing to give up all of his aspirations just to spend his whole life with her (up until this point, he had mentioned many times how he wanted to maybe be leader. He was hesitant to go on the sun-drown-place journey because he would lose opportunities, but with Leafpool there was no hesitation). By the happiness that Crowfeather shows in his eyes when Leafpool says she'll run away from him, Leafpool even wonders, does he really love her this much? I'd like to think so!

"I've been scared too," Crowfeather admitted. "I don't want to leave my Clan or my friends. I even hoped I might be leader one day. But more than that, I don't want to lose you, Leafpool. And there's no way for us to be together if we stay here."

Would he have wanted to do this with Feathertail if she hadn't been killed? We'll never know!

Then of course, they run away, and Crowfeather doesn't seem to want to look back. He commits to taking care of Leafpool and protecting her. As an example, here is something he says in Crowfeather's Trial:

"Oh, Leafpool," he sighed aloud. "I would have taken care of you until my last breath."

SO CUTE SYUOIKJHGFDF. *ahem* anyway. But then, of course, Leafpool wants to return to ThunderClan after she is told by Midnight that the badger attack is happening. Crowfeather is absolutely dismayed, and definitely not dismayed in any way that makes it seem like his method for forgetting Feathertail, rather, he is upset because he loved Leafpool and all of the amazing things about her.

"Her dedication and her loyalty to ThunderClan were part of why he loved her."

"I'll miss her so much, he thought. Her softness, and her strength and courage. And how we could play together as if we were no older than kits again... but it's not enough. She doesn't love me enough. Her heart lies here, with her Clan. She's so loyal... I just wish that she could be as loyal to me."

While Crowfeather shows bitterness towards Leafpool for this decision later on - I don't think this resentment has quite developed yet from the way that Crowfeather handles this:

"Relief flooded over Leafpool. She loved him even more at that moment because he understood, because he cared for his Clanmates as much as she cared for hers."

But clearly, Crowfeather is in a lot of pain, as explained by the Prologue in Crowfeather's Trial:

That's it, he thought as he raced along. As Leafpool disappeared into the thick undergrowth, he knew that he would never be with her this way again. They would cross paths during Gatherings and other Clan business, but they'd have to keep their distance, as if they'd never loved each other at all. He couldn't bear to imagine how much that would hurt. He couldn't think of anything worse. If he was lucky, maybe a badger would tear him apart.

Aw, poor baby. I find it interesting that he doesn't even compare this pain to losing Feathertail. Like, I'm really surprised. But anyway, then, their relationship ends, but it is FAR from the end of their story. From here on out, I am arguing the fact that Crowfeather did NOT move on from Leafpool quickly, as I've seen many Warriors fans claim. In fact, with the evidence that I have... I don't know if he ever did.

This is first seen in Leafpool's Wish. We don't get too many encounters of the two of them, but we get the cute dream where Leafpool and Crowfeather are playing together, and Crowfeather is trying to teach Leafpool how to hunt before they then climb a tree (UGH I LOVED IT) and then the encounter out by the WindClan-ThunderClan border, where Crowfeather begs Leafpool to reconcile their relationship. Obviously from this, we can see that Crowfeather still loves Leafpool deeply:

"I have missed you," [Crowfeather] whispered, so close that she could feel his breath on her muzzle. "I need you with me. I wish things could be different."

Leafpool, being a dedicated queen, pushes Crowfeather away despite him fighting for them to reconcile. Then, with Leafpool's words, Crowfeather is incredibly hurt, and the author even describes him looking as if a cat had given him a physical blow. I think this is where Crowfeather's bitterness towards Leafpool begins. Up until this point, I think he was just incredibly sad that he couldn't be with Leafpool, as seen by this scene.

Leafpool's Wish also proves what I'm sure most of us already know and what was proved in Crowfeather's Trial (but more on that later) - Crowfeather never truly loved Nightcloud, and was only using her to show his loyalty to WindClan. Clearly during the time he was with Nightcloud, he still had very strong feelings for Leafpool.

From here, it's the Power of Three, where, until Sunrise, Crowfeather is extremely cold towards Leafpool, because at this point, it has set in for Crowfeather that Leafpool cares about many more things than she did him (even though that's not true).

Like I said, people seem to make the claim that he got over Leafpool and the situation quickly, which is fine to say, but I think those who say that are missing some pieces. All of their encounters during the Power of Three show more of how Crowfeather handles his feelings - he hides his true feelings and vulnerability through hostility. While outwardly, Crowfeather takes jabs at Leafpool, like this:

Crowfeather was staring at Leafpool, his eyes glittering. "Don't forget, Breezepaw, ThunderClan actually celebrates mixed blood."

Leafpool jerked her head backward as though Crowfeather had raked his claws across her muzzle. She turned quickly and hurried away.

It is clear that he still loves her, or misses her at least. So much so that he is bitter with her - so upset that at the fact that she has truly chosen her Clan over him when he loved her so much, and is taking any opportunities to take a jab at her.

One example of Crowfeather's strange way of showing longing is after Jaypaw falls in the lake. Crowfeather helps him back to camp, and even though he doesn't have to, follows him into the medicine den. Sure, he could be in there to check that he is alright, but once he is in there, but he barely says anything - only greets Leafpool and watches her as she and Hollypaw care for Jaypaw. I think it can definitely be said that he clearly just wanted to see Leafpool. Jaypaw even detects their strong feelings towards each other. And then when Breezepaw is nearly buried alive, and Leafpool tells Crowfeather that she would give her last drop of blood to save her kit, Jaypaw senses the tension again.

I almost forgot to talk about this - but then there is the whole ordeal when Leafpool and Jaypaw go to WindClan, Jaypaw senses that Leafpool is jealous of Nightcloud, and once they are in camp, Leafpool tells Crowfeather that he looks well or whatever (I still wonder why she said this out loud to him in front of other cats?). Here, Crowfeather is SO MEAN to her, and he and Leafpool even get into a little bicker because of how defensive he gets:

"You look well, Crowfeather." Leafpool's calm mew didn't betray the storm raging in her mind.

Jealousy spiked behind Jaypaw. Nightcloud's pelt was bristling.

"What are you doing here, Leafpool?" Crowfeather's mew was curt and quiet. What is he feeling? Jaypaw studied the warrior's mind but found it barbed with wariness.

"Firestar sent us to speak with Onestar," Leafpool explained.

"He's not here."

"We know." Leafpool sat down.

~

"Firestar didn't want to provoke you by sending a warrior patrol," Leafpool explained. "He wants to soothe the situation, not inflame it."

Crowfeather was circling them. "Then he shouldn't have sent anyone!"

Anger surged through Leafpool; Jaypaw felt it hot against his pelt. "Not every cat hides from his responsibilities!" she hissed.

Crowfeather halted. "Are you saying that's what I would do?" His whiskers brushed Jaypaw's face as the WindClan warrior leaned in toward Leafpool.

Crowfeather is acting just as he was when Leafpool came to help WindClan with their sickness back in Starlight. I'm about to talk about this more, but I don't think Crowfeather WANTED to be rude to Leafpool here - just as he didn't before they got together, but it's the only way that he knows to hide his feelings of longing, love and frustration. Jaypaw even says that he was able to sense Crowfeather's wariness (he wasn't able to grasp anything deeper, so there are many possibilities!) I feel like I can be pretty certain that this is true, because every time Crowfeather shows hostility and claims that he doesn't care - he ends up contradicting himself through warmer words, thoughts, and actions later on.

Then, there is Sunrise. WHEW. So, one of the first scenes we get with Crowfeather is Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather telling him that they are his kits. Crowfeather denies the whole thing, but Jayfeather is able to see Crowfeather's memories with Leafpool - clearly they still linger:

Taking a deep breath, [Jayfeather] stepped into Crowfeather's mind. A tangle of undergrowth faced him, and he realized that he was standing at the top of the cliff above the stone hollow. Leafpool was clinging to the edge, her face upturned pleadingly as Crowfeather grabbed her by the scruff and hauled her back to safety.

Then he glimpsed them crouched together under a bush, and heard Crowfeather meow, "Come away with me, Leafpool. I'll take good care of you, I promise."

Then, Crowfeather continues to deny it, saying that Breezepelt is his only son, and Nightcloud is his only mate. He even says that Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf mean nothing to him. Oof. Obviously, this is not true, but more on that in a minute.

At the Gathering where Hollyleaf reveals the big secret that Crowfeather and Leafpool are her parents, everyone could probably agree that Crowfeather is behaving like a little turd - still denying that the three of the time are his, and saying that Leafpool means nothing to him.

From what we see in the future, this is not true at all - Leafpool is still very dear to him. Yes, it is confusing, but this is how Crowfeather goes. Just as he did when he was trying to hide his feelings for Leafpool in The New Prophecy, and trying to deny the fact that he was falling for someone else after Feathertail, he covered it all with coldness, hostility, and anger. But when it came to loving Leafpool, all of his sour behavior ended up being contradicted. So, he definitely isn't over Leafpool at this point, AND he doesn't hate his kits. He was doing as Crowfeather does - hiding his true emotions, and I'm sure he was also just trying to save his place in WindClan.

Here comes Omen of the Stars. We don't have many Leafpool and Crowfeather moments, but the scenes they have are prominent. One being in Sign of the Moon, when Lionblaze and Breezepelt get into a squabble out in the forest and Leafpool tries to break it up. Breezepelt attacks her and Crowfeather saves her.

Now this scene is big - and I think it continues to prove that Crowfeather is not over Leafpool rejecting him, and that he still misses her immensely.

Before [Lionblaze] could reach for Breezepelt, Crowfeather had crossed the ditch and hauled his son off Leafpool.

He tossed him aside like prey, and leaned over Leafpool. "You chose your Clan, remember?" he hissed.

She stared up at him. "That doesn't mean I didn't love you."

Crowfeather's eyes flashed with pain. "Maybe you did," he growled. "But it wasn't enough, was it?"

By this scene we can see that Crowfeather clearly still thinks about this whole situation a lot, it's still hanging over his head as if it is completely fresh.

Then, there is The Last Hope, where Crowfeather saves Lionblaze from Breezepelt, and then is able to mourn his daughter, Hollyleaf after she is killed by Hawkfrost:

A black pelt barged past Dovewing. Crowfeather! The WindClan warrior sank his claws deep into Breezepelt's shoulders and hauled him back. Lionblaze scrambled to his paws.

"This has to stop!" Crowfeather pinned Breezepelt to the ground. "I will not let you harm a whisker on that cat!"

~

Ears twitching, he shouldered his way through the battle to the brambles sheltering Hollyleaf's body. He slid beneath them and touched his muzzle to her lifeless body.

This goes with my point that Crowfeather's words at the Gathering were not true, but he just couldn't admit it then. By helping his son and being comfortable showing grief for his daughter, he clearly was able to get past looking good for his Clan, and showing how he really feels (just as he did with Leafpool).

Crowfeather even admits to Leafpool that he doesn't regret falling in love with Leafpool, along with everything else with a certain sparkle in his eye. Hehe:

"I'm so sorry!" Leafpool burst from the battle, her eyes clouded with grief. "I never meant for this to happen!"

"He's a warrior," Crowfeather hissed. "He's been making his own choices for a long time now."

Leafpool looked down at his paws. "Perhaps if we had stayed together, things would be different."

Crowfeather's gaze sparkled for a moment, then he sighed. "It was never meant to be." Leafpool flinched, but Crowfeather touched his tail to her flank. "I don't regret anything," he murmured. His gaze flicked toward Lionblaze. "Nothing at all."

Sure, he says that their time THEN was never meant to be... but I am still rooting for them in StarClan because of the following evidence!

From here we have Crowfeather's Trial, and it has A LOT of ship teasing!

First off, we have further proof that Crowfeather never loved Nightcloud. He says that he should have never mated with her - HE WAS ONLY BITTER ABOUT LOSING LEAFPOOL. Nightcloud could definitely be considered a rebound to forget about an ex, but Leafpool definitely wasn't when it came to Feathertail, but I've already made my point about that.

While I'll get into the Leafpool stuff from this book, people could say that he still has strong feelings for Feathertail from the interaction, which he does, in a way. I mean, he really loved her as well! He clearly was very excited to see her when Ashfoot summoned Feathertail in one of Crowfeather's dreams. He thinks about how much he loved her, and he even tells Feathertail that he had missed her.

Because of this, readers also say that Crowfeather has more enthusiasm with Feathertail over Leafpool. Sure, BUT what about this - the fact that when Feathertail and Ashfoot are asking him to follow his heart, RIGHT IN FRONT OF FEATHERTAIL, WHO COULD EASILY INFLUENCE HIS DECISION, Crowfeather says that he would go to Leafpool. Even in front of Feathertail, Leafpool is on Crowfeather's mind:

Feathertail's blue eyes sparkled with sympathy. "There's only one thing you can do," she mewed. "Be true to yourself."

Crowfeather's whiskers twitched in surprise. "If I were being true to myself... I suppose I would go to Leafpool," he murmured. But would Feathertail really suggest going to the only cat he had loved after her - and disobeying his Clan leader to do it? "Should I go behind Onestar's back?"

Feathertail stared at him intensely. "Crowfeather...," she began, but her voice trailed off.

"Leafpool would be able to persuade Bramblestar that it's for the good of ThunderClan to help me."

But this isn't the only indication we get that Crowfeather thinks about Leafpool a lot as opposed to Feathertail - there are many, MANY more. He always seems to acknowledge her presence whenever they are in close proximity, thinking fondly of her all of the time, still being excited at any opportunity he gets to see her, and still showing a sense of longing when it comes to the two of them.

But before I go into analyzing this, let me address a few counterarguments to my point that Crowfeather himself says:

Leafpool hadn't loved him for seasons, and if he was honest, his love for her had faded, too. If anything he missed the way he had felt when he loved her - how young and foolish and hopeful they had been.

~

But then he thought of all that had happened in the seasons they'd been apart. They led separate lives now, and the idea of being together seemed even more impossible than it had seasons ago, when they'd tried to run away. He no longer felt an ache when he imagined Leafpool without him. Now he felt only admiration, and hope that she was happy.

I don't know about you all, but many of these quotes contradict these words:

Ashfoot... and Feathertail... and Leafpool. She isn't dead, but she's lost to me, just as if she were.

~

Glancing across the clearing, he could see Leafpool standing beside Jayfeather, and for a moment Crowfeather's gaze locked with hers. It was clear from the look in her eyes that she too was concerned about the rising tension between their two Clans.

Even though it's been moons and moons since we were together, I can still tell what Leafpool is thinking.

~

Crowfeather felt a tingle of excitement in his pads at the thought of seeing Leafpool again.

~

Leafpool gave Crowfeather a sympathetic look as she followed, and Crowfeather dipped his head in return, no longer trying to explain. Leafpool always understood me.

~

For a moment he imagined himself crossing into ThunderClan territory, heading for their camp, and offering himself to Bramblestar as a ThunderClan warrior.

Leafpool will be there...

~

I don't think I'll ever smell like WindClan again! Instead the scent reminded him of Leafpool, and he gave his ears an irritated switch, as if he were trying to get rid of a fly buzzing around him. I have got to stop thinking about her!

~

"Is it strange," [Harespring] asked eventually, "talking to Leafpool after all this time? I know that you two used to be close."

"Close"? That's putting it mildly! Crowfeather thought. Do I still have feelings for Leafpool?

~

Leafpool's expression was full of relief as she took a pace forward to stand beside Crowfeather. Crowfeather knew very well that she hated to think of cats in need, whatever their Clan might be. All the warmth and affection he had once felt for her threatened to well up again inside him, and he ruthlessly pushed it down again.

~

Crowfeather had a sudden impulse to confide in Leafpool. Once, he had been able to open his heart to her, and although those days were past, he still felt that he could trust her more than any other cat.

~

For a brief moment, Crowfeather wondered what his life would have been like if he and Leafpool had never returned to their Clans. They would have found a place to live happily, with Jayfeather and Lionblaze and Hollyleaf, and maybe many other kits. But then Crowfeather pushed the vision away. All three of their kits would have been different if he and Leafpool had raised them together, and he guessed that in the end Leafpool's love for her Clan would have drawn her back to her calling as a medicine cat. The knowledge hurt, but everything had happened as it was meant to.

~

And lastly, this one...

But now all that was left to Crowfeather was bitterness. Leafpool had abandoned him to return to her Clan and her duty as a medicine cat.

Boom. So a LOT of evidence that Crowfeather still misses Leafpool in many ways. I honestly don't know if Crowfeather saying things like his love for Leafpool has faded is true (which I highly doubt) or if he's using his typical method of trying to convince himself of something that is not true, and letting himself fall into denial. I personally would like to think it is the latter.

So, yes, Crowfeather does say a few times that he thinks that his love for Leafpool has faded, and that his grief over their relationship ending has faded, but... I just feel like these more positive quotes that I found contradict them.

First, he claims that he doesn't feel an ache anymore when he thinks of Leafpool without him, but then he delves in to how BITTER and ANGRY he was that Leafpool chose her Clan over him, and that the thought of Leafpool eventually leaving to be with her Clan, hurt. He also says that he misses the way he felt when he loved her, how foolish they had been, but then proceeds fall into some more longing, thinking about how happy he was then.

ALSO, I mean, it is just so obvious that Crowfeather is conflicted - having to STILL push down his feelings for Leafpool after so long: having to force down extreme affection when he sees her showing care towards other cats, questioning if he still has feelings for her, and still considering her the cat that he can trust the most.

I also have to point this out - a moment that I thought was pretty interesting, and I'll re-paste it right here:

I don't think I'll ever smell like WindClan again! Instead the scent reminded him of Leafpool, and he gave his ears an irritated switch, as if he were trying to get rid of a fly buzzing around him. I have got to stop thinking about her!

"I have got to stop thinking about her!"? Great StarClan, Crowfeather! I just think that this is very prominent and interesting, considering it has been SEASONS since Leafpool and Crowfeather were together. He's saying this SEASONS after their relationship ended. Imagine how bad this had been since then considering he's having to tell himself to stop thinking about Leafpool after so long? He even points out how they've been living completely separate lives, yet he's still having to command himself to stop thinking about Leafpool so much. If it is so bad now, imagine how much he has thought about her and missed her up until this point?

Okay, so that's all I have on Crowfeather's Trial. And honestly, there is not much that happens between them after this, but like I said, what we get is pretty prominent:

SQUIRRELFLIGHT'S. FREAKING. HOPE.

I truly think that the Erins are clearly trying to tell us something in Squirrelflight's Hope when it comes to Crowfeather and Leafpool.

In a video I watched by Bright Guardian Akira (love that legend, highly recommend you go to her channel), where she discussed who Crowfeather would choose in StarClan (she personally thought Leafpool, hehe). She made a great point that this is a book about StarClan and what happens in the after life. This book reminds us that Oakheart and Bluestar are happily together after being forbidden mates in real life, and this was able to happen even after they ended their relationship in life and after they didn't have any encounters for moons - so, this implies that a situation like theirs is possible (for Crowfeather and Leafpool maybe?)

(Here is the link to Bright Guardian Akira's video if you would like to watch it: )

So, that's one thing. But let me just say this when it comes to my next pieces of evidence - THE ERINS DID NOT HAVE TO PUT THESE LITTLE PIECES WITH CROWFEATHER IN HERE, BUT THEY DID. THEY DON'T ADVANCE THE PLOT AT ALL. SO, OTHER THAN MAYBE TRYING TO TELL US CROWFEATHER'S FEELINGS, THERE IS NO POINT TO THEM.

There's only two things, but they are BIG. The first one being Crowfeather worrying about Leafpool being in a cave with Moonlight's kits - and Squirrelflight observes that their feelings for each other maybe NEVER COMPLETELY WENT AWAY:

Just then, a breathless Crowfeather appeared at [Squirrelflight's] side. "Did you say Leafpool is in a cave?" His blue eyes were wide with alarm, and concern. Of course he was concerned, Squirrelflight realized - they had once been forbidden mates. And while both cats had moved on with their lives, Squirrelflight knew that those feelings never completely went away.

Then, we get a little paragraph after Leafpool is announced dead. Squirrelflight observes that Crowfeather seems to be deeply grieving, "staring ahead, grimly silent" and "a ripple ran down his flank." Squirrelflight wonders/assumes that he loved Leafpool all of this time. Which wouldn't surprise me at all:

Beside her, Crowfeather was staring ahead, grimly silent, as though fighting back emotion. She saw his pelt ripple and felt a twinge of pity. Had he loved Leafpool all this time?

To me, all of this can, not does prove that Leafpool was truly the apple of Crowfeather's eye. Like I said, I think he truly loved Feathertail as well, but he was so young, and clearly didn't linger on it as long as he did with Leafpool (as I think I was able to show). Yes, Leafpool helped him to forget Feathertail, but not in a "reboundy" type of way, and he truly fell for her, considering he was still thinking about her so long after.

Also, just as another piece, Vicky says that she thinks that Crowfeather's heart always belonged to Leafpool:

"Vicky states that Crowfeather's heart will always belong with Leafpool, saying that Feathertail was just like a high school crush, and that Leafpool was someone he could have spent his whole life with."

^That's just one of the author's opinions, but I'd definitely like to think this was the case.

So, with all of this being said, will Leafpool and Crowfeather get together in StarClan? Will Crowfeather choose Leafpool? Will Leafpool take him as a mate? We'll see. I wouldn't be surprised.

As another note, Crowfeather clearly has tried to show love towards his and Leafpool's kits - being bitter over Hollyleaf being killed, and trying to connect with Lionblaze and Jayfeather in many ways, from Crowfeather's Trial all the way up into The Broken Code.

This is another reason why I think that Crowfeather and Leafpool will at least be connected or close in StarClan (which could definitely result in them getting together again) because surely, he will want to connect with Hollyleaf, who is already in StarClan.

In Crowfeather's Trial, in a dream, he is angry with Hawkfrost for killing Hollyleaf:

Rage surged through Crowfeather, driving out the pain in his eyes. It's because of you, you piece of fox dung, that I'll never know my daughter!

But StarClan would be an opportunity to do just that! And after Crowfeather's growth and character development, I can be sure that he would take advantage of the opportunity to know his daughter he never truly got to be close to. Hollyleaf and Leafpool are close in StarClan, and I can imagine that the two will be brought together again when he tries to know his kit, if it won't happen anyway.

~

Okay, I'm done now. Boom. Wow.

So, that is my argument for Crowfeather choosing Leafpool over Feathertail! If you made it all the way here, Great StarClan, you are a trooper! Thank you so much for taking the time to read out what I composed!

Keep in mind, all of this is MY OPINION. I am not trying to force them on anybody. Yes, I was able to back up my opinions and claims with evidence, because I am writing this as a means of persuasion. I want you to think about my point of view and consider it, but if you don't agree, that is completely okay! I would love to hear any arguments against Crowfeather and Leafpool, maybe why Feathertail is actually the best choice.

Let me know if I should do more content like this - ranting, persuading, more "argumentative" type things. I am definitely going to make another "Top 10 Favorite Warrior Cats" book (although I might have to make the next one a Top 20), and then a "Top 10 Least Favorite Warriors Cats" book, because as I mentioned at the beginning of this - my arguments in all of those were WEAK. I want to try again, haha!

Anyway, thank you all so much for reading! Gosh, I wish I could take all of this and turn it in for a project for school, I feel pretty proud of it!

And lastly:

~ may StarClan light your path ~

- warriorcatlover345