Ok to start with and to set the mood, I simply deride this cat like nothing else. That will be where this is based off on.
A/N: I know that I already wrote a 'Clear Sky x Star Flower' RANT but that was mainly about the dank ship and the fetid purrfection and stagnant stillness of Star Flower. So this will just be soley about that Tom that managed to become LeaDeR.
Ok so that I'm aware he killed a multitude of cats (to the extent I don't even know where to start). But I'm just not going address that because it's quite obvious why all of it was immoral wrong. They were rather straightforward and despicable so they don't need elaboration.
Instead, what I'm going to do is twist all their actions and forage for all the malice in them to make them appear as rancorous as possible because that's what I do- **insert a thumbs up emoji**...
I don't think Clear Sky just simply sOFTeNeD after battle like Leaf described (besides he took the negative polar-opposite take on everything (when you need a balance for many aspects in life) and begin restraining cats from simply hunting).
Like I claimed in Ashfur's case, I don't believe things are that straightforward. It'd be incredible if that malevolence just *dissipated* after battle. How can one splenetic 1st battle instigated by that very cat cause that hard grip of spite to fizz out because it "bAcKfiReD"?
He had many chances to be Thunder's father and failed all of them. Then he tried to make up for it through words although he'd already allowed an artificial she-cat to bear his kits and grant him a third chance (little did he know that it was his time oWn to be played).
The only thing he ever accomplished (dwarfing Gray Wing with) occurred at the end of the 6th book in the arc when he saved the withering wise tom's kit while sacrificing his tail. It's the most infuriating because you can't deny it (luckily it'd not nearly enough to accommodate for everything else that took place in the arc). (I'm literally going to post a separate RANT for that--)
I think he was secretly aware that he wouldn't be able to establish himself as the ultimate commander if more blood was shed at his paws. Therefore, he withdrew.. or else he'd face rebellion and quelling. He then decided to feign humility and remorse so he could retain as many cats as possible. (If someone counters this by stating that he was in POV and it would've been hard for him to be dishonest to himself, IDC)
He literally soaked up all of Star Flower's coaxing and beamed when she dubbed him a hero (he was in perspective during that too-). Little did he know that all of that was not true and just Star Flower's own benefactor in the act of messing with him.
You might say that he spared his brother, but I still think that he didn't give two mouse droppings for his kin. (We all saw how he treated Jagged Peak and Thunder). He probably knew that his brother would ceaselessly love him unlike the others (despite his declaration of ending their brotherhood) no matter what as long as he kept that atrocity in check. He probably recognized that longing to rekindle their relationship glimmering in his eyes when Gray Wing refused to surrender and began reprimanding him.
So Clear Sky must've kept Gray Wing alive because he knew that he'd need to conserve as much respect for him as possible (especially from another influential cat) in case he did need his haunches saved on day. (Indeed, One-Eye soon came along, but he must've been grateful because that tom generated the lump of twoleg burnished posh couches known as Star-Flower.)
An analogy for this would be a spouse's adverse reaction to divorce. Like::. while they act as abominable as possible within a daily household (thinking they're all might and powerful), they suddenly tut and begin pledging perfection when they realize the prospect of divorce is ACTUALLY probable or likely to be pulled off.
Except the motive of their begging is not aimed to preserve the marriage they never cared about (and can't suddenly cherish), but rather to assure that their social reputation doesn't become tainted with the label of "being ditched". That was basically Clear Sky's progression. -0-
(I lowkey incorporated divorce for emphasis because Clear Sky's most evident fear would be the day his third wife and second love (he was not fond of Storm at all -_-) divorced him. Luckily that wouldn't have been likely because the she-cat needed him for her status among the clan.)
Truly though, Clear Sky must've been rather intriguing to track throughout the entire arc (especially due to his so-called "redemption"), but I think that allure was rather baleful and negative because I'm that kind of person...
