Hey! I've had this story brewing in my mind for a while, and finally decided I would try my hand at bringing it to life.

I've seen a number of stories that explore "what-if" scenarios as alternates to events in the original series: characters are saved from death, Tigerstar succeeds with one of his evil plots, or our protagonist is changed in some way. Some of my favorite stories are ones where Rusty joins a group other than ThunderClan. I've seen narratives of him joining ShadowClan, RiverClan, and even SkyClan instead, but I've never seen a version of the original series with Fireheart in WindClan.

I thought this was odd, especially since Tallstar's Revenge told us that Tallstar has a personal investment in Firestar and his success. I decided the idea of exploring Tallstar and Firestar's relationship in light of Tallstar's connection with Jake was too interesting an opportunity to pass up. Thus, this story was born.

The allegiances here are complete, rather than just ThunderClan and a few cats from each of the others, like the allegiances in the original Into the Wild. So, even if characters don't get much or any screen time, they're still listed here.

...

WindClan

Leader: Tallstar – black-and-white tom with a very long tail

Deputy: Deadfoot – black tom with a twisted paw

Medicine Cat: Barkface – short-tailed brown tom

Warriors:

Doespring – light brown she-cat (Apprentice: Firepaw)

Ryestalk – gray tabby she-cat

Pigeonwing – dark gray tom with white patches

Sorrelfeather – gray-and-brown she-cat

Wrenflight – brown she-cat

Rabbitleap – pale brown she-cat with yellow eyes

Bristlepelt – black tom

Flyfall – white tom

Mudclaw – mottled dark brown tabby tom (Apprentice: Webpaw)

Tornear – gray tabby tom (Apprentice: Runningpaw)

Onewhisker – young brown tabby tom (Apprentice: Whitepaw)

Apprentices:

Webpaw – dark gray tabby tom

Runningpaw – light gray tabby she-cat

Whitepaw – small white she-cat

Firepaw – fiery ginger tom with green eyes

Queens:

Morningflower – tortoiseshell queen

Ashfoot – gray queen (mother of Eaglekit; a gray tom, and Tawnykit; a golden-brown she-kit)

Elders:

Meadowslip – elderly gray she-cat

Crowfur – dark gray tom

...

ThunderClan

Leader: Bluestar – blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Redtail – small tortoiseshell tom with a distinctive ginger tail (Apprentice: Dustpaw)

Medicine Cat: Spottedleaf – beautiful dappled dark tortoiseshell she-cat

Warriors:

Lionheart – magnificent golden tabby tom with thick fur like a lion's mane (Apprentice: Graypaw)

Whitestorm – big white tom (Apprentice: Sandpaw)

Tigerclaw – big dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws (Apprentice: Ravenpaw)

Darkstripe – black-and-gray tabby tom

Willowpelt – slender pale silver-gray she-cat

Longtail – pale tabby tom with dark black stripes

Runningwind – light brown tabby tom

Mousefur – small dusky brown she-cat

Apprentices:

Ravenpaw – small, skinny black tom with a tiny white dash on his chest, and a white-tipped tail

Dustpaw – dark brown tabby tom

Sandpaw – slender, pale ginger tabby she-cat

Graypaw – long-haired gray tom with a darker stripe running down his back

Queens:

Brindleface – pretty brown tabby she-cat

Frostfur – beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Cinderkit; a dark gray she-kit, Brackenkit; a golden-brown tabby tom, Brightkit; a white she-kit with ginger splotches, and Thornkit; a golden-brown tabby tom)

Goldenflower – sleek, pale ginger tabby she-cat (mother of Swiftkit; a black-and-white tom)

Speckletail – old, pale tabby she-cat

Elders:

Halftail – big dark brown tabby tom with part of his tail missing

Smallear – gray tom with small ears

Rosetail – light ginger she-cat with a pinkish-orange tail

Patchpelt – small black-and-white tom

One-eye – pale gray she-cat

Dappletail – once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with a lovely dappled coat

...

ShadowClan

Leader: Brokenstar – long-haired dark brown tabby tom with a bent tail

Deputy: Blackfoot – large white tom with jet-black paws

Medicine Cat: Yellowfang – old dark gray she-cat with a broad, flattened face (Apprentice: Runningnose)

Warriors:

Flintfang – gray tom

Fernshade – tortoiseshell she-cat

Clawface – battled-scarred brown tom

Rowanberry – cream-and-brown she-cat

Nutwhisker – brown tom with amber eyes

Cinderfur – gray tom

Stumpytail – brown tom with darker stripes and a short, stumpy tail (Apprentice: Whitepaw)

Boulder – silver tabby tom

Russetfur – small, sleek dark ginger she-cat

Wetfoot – gray tabby tom (Apprentice: Oakpaw)

Tangleburr – gray and brown she-cat (Apprentice: Littlepaw)

Applefur – mottled brown she-cat

Ratscar – scarred dark brown tom

Snowbird – pretty white she-cat

Apprentices:

Runningnose – small gray-and-white tom (medicine cat apprentice)

Oakpaw – small brown tom

Littlepaw – very small tabby tom

Whitepaw – black tom with a white chest and paws

Queens:

Dawncloud – small, pale ginger she-cat

Darkflower – black she-cat

Tallpoppy – long-legged light brown tabby she-cat (expecting Flintfang's kits)

Brightflower – black-and-white she-cat

Elders:

Nightfur – sickly, sleek black tom

Ashfur – thin gray tom

...

RiverClan

Leader: Crookedstar – huge light brown tabby tom with a twisted jaw

Deputy: Leopardfur – dappled, golden tabby she-cat with unusual golden spots

Medicine Cat: Mudfur – long-haired light brown tom

Warriors:

Mistyfoot – glossy blue-gray she-cat

Stonefur – stocky, battle-scarred blue-gray tom

Skyheart – pale brown tabby she-cat

Blackclaw – smoky black tom with a long tail (Apprentice: Heavypaw)

Voleclaw – gray tom (Apprentice: Vixenpaw)

Beetlenose – broad-shouldered black tom (Apprentice: Shadepaw)

Petaldust – tortoiseshell she-cat (Apprentice: Mosspaw)

Loudbelly – dark brown tom (Apprentice: Silverpaw)

Whiteclaw – white tom

Dawnbright – ginger-and-white she-cat

Sedgecreek – mottled ginger-brown tabby she-cat

Sunfish – light golden she-cat

Frogleap – brown tom with a dark striped tail

Silverstream – silver-gray she-cat with black tabby stripes

Apprentices:

Grasspaw – small, brown-striped tabby tom

Vixenpaw – thick-furred black she-cat

Shadepaw – very dark gray she-cat

Mosspaw – slim tortoiseshell she-cat

Silverpaw – silver tom

Heavypaw – stocky brown tom

Queens:

Mallowtail – dark ginger-and-white she-cat (expecting Whiteclaw's kits)

Elders:

Graypool – old, thin gray she-cat with patchy fur and a scarred muzzle

...

I hope everyone is as excited as I am! :)