FireSand

FireSand is the het ship between Firestar and Sandstorm from the Warriors fandom.

Canon
When Firepaw first arrived in ThunderClan, Sandpaw was one of the other four apprentices in training. At first, she behaved rude towards Firepaw and teased him, along with her friend Dustpaw, about his kittypet origins. When ThunderClan is in a battle against RiverClan, they are fighting by the Gorge, and as Sandpaw is dangling off of the side, Firepaw (now Fireheart) saves her. Sandpaw tells him that she can fight her own battles and is generally annoyed by him. However, she begins to value Fireheart as a friend.

The two start hanging out even more when Sandpaw earns her warrior name, Sandstorm. Sandstorm quickly realizes that she's falling for her friend, but knows how close he used to be with Spottedleaf before her death. Eventually, Fireheart begins to fall for Sandstorm as well.

In the fifth book, A Dangerous Path, Fireheart confesses his love for Sandstorm. Sandstorm returns his feelings and the two officially become mates.

In Firestar's Quest, Fireheart (now Firestar) and Sandstorm go on a quest to reconstruct SkyClan. During the quest, Sandstorm learns about Spottedleaf's visits to Firestar in his dreams and is furious. They get into a huge argument, but eventually they make up and Firestar stops seeing Spottedleaf for good. After they finish establishing SkyClan, Sandstorm has his kits: two daughters, Leafkit and Squirrelkit.

Firestar and Sandstorm remain happy together until Firestar's death in The Great Battle, when a falling tree on fire killed him. Sandstorm retired and became an elder after Firestar's death, but was extremely frustrated and sad without him. When Alderpaw, her grandson, had to go on his own quest to SkyClan, Sandstorm accompanied him, since she was the only living cat who knew where SkyClan was. She died on the quest though, and was reunited with her beloved mate in StarClan.

Children
Leafpool Leafpool was a ThunderClan medicine cat under the leaderships of Firestar and Bramblestar in the lake territories. She was born in the forest as Leafkit to Firestar and Sandstorm alongside her sister, Squirrelflight, and was apprenticed to the Cinderpelt as Leafpaw. After the Great Journey, Leafpaw discovered the Moonpool, completing her training as Leafpool. Soon after, she fell in love with Crowfeather, a WindClan warrior, and broke the warrior code to run away with him. However, she returned in time to assist in the battle against the badgers.

Unbeknownst to the Clan, Leafpool gave birth to Crowfeather's kits: Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf, who were raised as the kits of Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight. After their secret was revealed, Leafpool stepped down from her position as a medicine cat, but returned to assist during the Great Battle, and continued to serve as a medicine cat until her death protecting Moonlight's kits.

Squirrelflight Squirrelflight is the current deputy of thunderclan. She was born as Squirrelkit to Firestar and Sandstorm alongside Leafpool. As an apprentice, Squirrelpaw was mentored by Dustpelt. While her sister was calm and patient, Squirrelpaw was independent, brave, and fiercely passionate, which often got her into trouble. She followed Brambleclaw on the journey to the sun-drown place, where two grew close. When the Clans arrived at their new home by the lake, she was given her warrior name, Squirrelflight. She and Brambleclaw became parents to Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf. However, it was revealed that their kits were actually Crowfeather and Leafpool's. Brambleclaw was furious about being lied to, and the two broke up.

After the battle against the Dark Forest, Brambleclaw became leader and appointed Squirrelflight as his deputy as a display of forgiveness. They eventually had kits of their own: Alderkit, Sparkkit, Juniperkit, and Dandelionkit, though only Alderheart and Sparkpelt survived to adulthood. Squirrelflight eventually came at odds with Bramblestar when she defended the Sisters from ThunderClan and was almost killed by a rockslide. StarClan allowed her body to heal, but Leafpool died. After Bramblestar's unexpected death, Squirrelflight took over his duties but she relinquished them when he was revived. When she discovered Bramblestar was being possessed and was exiled, Squirrelflight took refuge in ShadowClan.

Fanon
FireSand is a popular ship within the Warriors fandom. On AO3, FireSand is the second most written ship of the series; Firestar's most written, as well as Sandstorm's most written. Fans of this ship may like it because the ship fits into the popular enemies-to-lovers trope. Many FireSand shippers enjoy how Sandstorm never lost her sassy personality and still bickers with Firestar after they become mates, but some in the Warriors fandom disagree and think she has been toned down, and dislike the ship because of this. A lot of fans also headcanon Sandstorm as a lesbian, and therefore dislike FireSand because it goes against this. In portrayals of this ship, Firestar is usually small, caring and kind, which contrasts with Sandstorm, who is usually portrayed as tall, defensive and sassy.

Many fans find it basic and boring, however, and dislike how quickly Sandstorm fell for Firestar just because he saved her from falling off the gorge.

It's biggest rival is SpottedFire, but most prefer FireSand more because of the controversy surrounding SpottedFire. Shippers of FireSand often dislike SpottedFire, viewing it as having ruined their ship. Most FireSand shippers, and most Warriors fans in general, hate how Firestar had trouble deciding wether to be with the dead Spottedleaf, his crush as an apprentice, or the living Sandstorm, his mate.

The ship is sometimes portrayed as tragic as Firestar died before Sandstorm, with some content of the ship showing Sandstorm grieving over the death of her mate.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Firestar/Sandstorm tag on FanFiction.net
 * Firestar/Sandstorm tag on FanFiction.net

TUMBLR

Trivia

 * Fireheart telling Sandstorm that he loved her was the first time in the series when we saw a cat say that they loved another.