January Gathering 2020

There was a commotion at the Great Rocks, barely able to make out the medicine cats whispering furiously with each other until Aspenheart scampered to the rock and started to speak. Her breath caught in her throat at the words, of destruction falling upon the Clans and a final warning had been given...And that the code has been broken. Her eyes strained to make out who Aspenheart had turned to shout at. Who...Who had brought down StarClan's wrath so hard? There was suddenly a flashing like and booming sound as lightening struck the clearing, the she-cat yelping as she pressed closer to Egretstorm with wide eyes. She could see Mossbloom scraping up there, breath holding for what the ThunderClan medicine cat had to say until... Thornstar and...And Torrenstar?

Everything seemed to slow down at that information sank in, her heart feeling like it had shattered. He...He was going to have more kits. With Thornstar. He... She could feel angry hot tears start to form in the corner of her eyes. He was replacing her. Of course he was replacing her - everybody else had left, why wouldn't he do the same? Why didn't she mean anything to anybody anymore? She could hear Ivybrook's snarl, pure anger toward Torrentstar but...She barely was listening as the truth seemed to settle so heavy on her. "I...I need to go," she suddenly whispered, pushing herself away from Egretstorm as the tears started to fall freely. She could hear Stormbringer nearby, demanding that Ivybrook led them home but...She didn't want to go with them. She...She wanted to be alone and couldn't stand to wait to see if Ivybrook would lead them home without the leader. "I...I can't be here. I can't look at him. Why did he...Why do they all..." A loud sob tore from her throat as she suddenly spun on her heels and darted away - weaving blindly through the crowd of cats before she had broken free. She didn't want to hear her father's excuse - it was clear that it was all true, otherwise StarClan would not have pushed so hard for it to be stated.

...She just wanted to be alone right now with her misery.

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Flintshard ears perked as he made out the terrified whispers of the cats around him, sitting at the base of the Great Rock as he waited for some sort of answer for what had just gone down to be given. He could tell that the medicine cats were whispering something, annoyance fluttering into his chest as he could hear them but it was to quiet to make out their words and it sounded like annoying buzzing to him. Finally, the WindClan medicine cat took a move and made his way to the Great Rock, turning his head to follow his movements until he had disappeared from sight and he started to speak. That...Wasn't good. StarClan had sent this storm? He... The deputy blinked, glancing down at the ground. To be honest, Flintshard had come to see StarClan as their ancestors and nothing more - he had...Doubted their powers in the waking world but...Could it be that they were all-power as many tended to see them as? It seemed...Strange, that they held such power but he wasn't sure it was his place to doubt now after what had just transpired.

But the forest was in jeopardy and a final warning had been given. He felt his fur pricker at the mention of a shadow falling across the forest, hoping that it did not mean such dangers would come from within ShadowClan - the Clans already frowned upon them, they didn't need more dangers to come from them before their honor could be restored. He hesitated as he heard Aspenheart shout that somebody had broken the code - angered StarClan. There was a sudden booming sound that actually managed to make Flintshard flinch, baring his teeth against the overwhelming loud sound as lightening cracked the clearing. As it faded, he puffed his fur as he tried to recover from the ringing noise that remained in his head as another medicine cat, Mossbloom, if he had caught her name correctly, finally seemed to give in and joined Aspenheart on the rock. At the mention of his mother's name, Flintshard froze. ...The kits were not Asterstrike's? He had never assumed to speak to his mother on the situation - when he had discovered she was expecting, he had simply accepted the fact and thought nothing more.

The kits were not only not his father's...But belonged to Torrentstar, of all cats. Confusion and confliction rose in the deputy's chest as he sat there at the base of the Great Rock, listening to Finchstar praised the love that the two leaders had apparently found while the RiverClan deputy cursed at her leader for it. Flintshard...Was left unsure on how to take it. He had never truly gotten the idea of love, every time he tried to think about it he was just left confused on what it meant and how that feeling came to be and what classified at it. He felt so lost about it, he had never really cared about it for others. But...If this was really StarClan's doing, forcing the truth out... He suppose he was suppose to care as deputy. The Warrior Code was important, it was what made them different from lawless loners and bloodthirsty rogues. Flintshard's eyes narrowed as he sat there, kneading the ground as he chose to hold his tongue - to see how things progressed as he tried to settle his mind on how to feel about this entire situation.

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Foxfire was terrified. As the wind storm picked up, he had thrown himself to the ground in a terrified huddle and hadn't bothered to pick himself up as he listened to the cats around him murmur in shock and confusion over what had transpired. His eyes remained fix on the sky, at how the stars were covered but the moon...The moon hung perfectly uncovered as it loomed over the clearing. StarClan. T-That had been StarClan. What had they done, why was they so angry...His ears perked at the sound of a voice, raising his head to see that somebody else had joined the leaders on the Great Rock, explaining a vision of a shadow falling over them and...A final warning? Oh no. Ohhhh no. His tail nub twitched as he tried to make sense of it, of what could be coming when suddenly he flinched and curled up tighter as lightening struck nearby and a deafening boom rung through the clearing.

Foxfire whimpered in fear as he quivered, watching as another form bounded up to the Great Rock and started to explain a prophecy...Before turning her attention onto two of the leaders. ...What? Thornstar and Torrentstar were...Going to have kits? Foxfire's eyes widen as he swallowed, suddenly gathering why StarClan would be so angry. One leader breaking the code was one thing, but with another leader? Oh...Oh no. He could hear Finchstar seem to accept it easily, but another voice snarled insults toward the leader. Foxfire swallowed as he laid there in the clearing, paws over his head lest more trouble start brewing as he had a feeling that things weren't going to go down simple...

Zinnia could only listen, half understanding, as Aspenheart and what appeared to be ThunderClan's medicine cat spoke. Finchstar's words, however, made sense to her - and he was the leader she had pledged to follow, so those were the words she listened to. Still, it didn't hurt to hear out the thoughts of others, and so she stayed in her place and paid attention.
~
Mothglow froze in place as Mossbloom spoke. She knew, of course, but it hadn't been her place to tell - who was she, one cat, to doom half-clan kits to a life of whispers and ridicule? She thought about Silent Snows' kits, born into a well-meaning mockery of ShadowClan, and how they had struggled to prove themselves as loyal warriors. It wasn't all that different, was it? They were judged for things they had no part in, for what they were born of and born into.

If StarClan viewed Thornstar and Torrentstar's affair as a mistake, then so be it - she herself viewed it the same way, though that thought was tainted by her own dwindling opinion of the RiverClan leader in recent moons - but she would stand by her Clan and her family. Thornstar was her mother, after all, blood and all that nonsense aside; and while Finchstar's words were kind even the optimistic medicine cat held little hope for anyone else.

It was a mistake. The damage was done, the truth was out, and - so it seemed - StarClan was angered.

She just hoped her own words wouldn't hurt things even more. But if speaking the things she believed to be true angered StarClan further, somehow...

Perhaps her faith in them was misplaced.

"So what?" she asked. "So they made a mistake. Every cat does, do you think leaders are suddenly perfect examples of everything just because they're leaders? They're blessed with nine lives, yes, but they're still only cats. They bleed, they bruise - and yes, they make mistakes. We all make mistakes. Okay, yes, maybe this is a big mistake, but why now? They aren't the first leaders to do such a thing, so why has StarClan been silent all this time? If they had such a problem, they should have spoken up long before now!" She felt a hint of resentment settling in her voice. StarClan's signs were inconsistent, what they seemed to want shifting by the day. She was sworn to understand their mysteries and follow their signs, but she wouldn't do those things if it meant hurting others. And she couldn't do those things if they made their signs impossible to follow.

Mistakes aren't always regrets, she thought, Sunpaw's words echoing in her mind. It didn't seem right to voice that now, to an angered gathering; but it was a thought that gave her something like peace of mind, if nothing else.

If speaking up now was a mistake, she wouldn't let herself regret it.

As Clovertwist settled into his spot and waited for Goldengale's response, he saw his young brother Downpaw nearby, looking around with utter excitement and intrigue clear on his patchy tabby face. He hoped the young tom found someone exciting to talk to - someone who wouldn't be put off by his sometimes overzealous energy or could even match it. Downpaw would like that. He attempted to look for Softpaw, but Goldengale began to answer him then and he gave up his search knowing that she would be in the decent company of the other medicine cats - well, he expected they were decent. Clovertwist turned slightly towards Goldengale as she replied, following her gaze to each of the leaders as she mentioned them and nodding once.

The eventual arrival of ShadowClan yielded a responsive ripple to move through the gathered Clans. Anyone could see that Thornstar was heavily pregnant. Clovertwist's face twisted with disturbance, feeling wholehearted agreement and faint terror at Mossbloom's words. "I know she hasn't shown any concern about any other aspects of Clan life, but for StarClan's sake, I'd think a queen would be more careful with her unborn kits," Clovertwist muttered in agreement, shifting uncomfortably. Was he about to witness a birth at a Gathering?! Whatever they had said, though, the smokey ShadowClan leader made the leap without incident. Clovertwist's kinked tabby tail twitched nervously. He hoped things wouldn't get.... eventful.

The leaders began to speak, Finchstar calling out for quiet and attention before beginning to speak first. Clovertwist looked around at his group of companions; Goldengale sat at his side, and on the other side of her now sat Grousefrost with a distant expression on his face. He couldn't hear what was happening, the young tom realized with a pang. What would the tunneler think of all of this? On Clovertwist's other side, he felt the familiar presence of Ploverpuddle. Clovertwist looked at Ploverpuddle, wondering his friend had noticed and questioned it as well. He had tuned out from the leaders, but what happened next demanded his attention.

The clearing was suddenly freezing. Clovertwist leapt to his paws, fur bristling out in all directions as he spat, "What on earth is that?" The sky began to darken, and with a look of shock and horror the young tom realized that all but the moon had been covered. No stars were in sight. "Is this-- This must be-- I-- StarClan?" he stammered, looking bewildered between his companions. Then the clearing exploded with light, and Clovertwist flinched against it. Then he saw the star, a dying star, falling in the distance before crashing with a scream and explosion of light. When everything settled at last, the medicine cats were illuminated, including uncle Aspenheart. "G-Goldengale, what is happening? What does he know?" he asked, but he knew she didn't know either. They could only watch things unravel.

He didn't know why the truth that was revealed involved all of the Clans: Torrentstar, leader of RiverClan, and Thornstar, leader of ShadowClan, had shared a nest. They were expecting kits. Of course that was against the warrior code, but what were the other Clans expected to do? It made Clovertwist uncomfortable... Something felt wrong. When Finchstar spoke, however, it became immediately clear that things were very wrong. Finchstar defended Thornstar and Torrentstar's coupling. "Did... Did Finchstar really say that?" Clovertwist whispered, feeling his stomach knot with apprehension. His leader - a tom cat given his lives by StarClan - had dismissed a clear demonstration of disapproval by StarClan. The Gathering was in discord. The silver tabby stared and mumbled, "Oh, dad's going to hate this when he finds out..."

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Dacedream was delighted that her nestmate was receptive to her suggestion. He even suggested that to be elsewhere would be unexciting, and so the moment he picked up his speed she did so as well, clinging right to his heels with joy glimmering in her face. She was oblivious to the way he shouldered through the crowd, for from her perspective they were all simply clearing the way for the deputy she loved. In no time the two ThunderClan cats were at the forefront of the clearing. Houndheart settled his lanky tabby shape beside a thick-furred dark shadow of a cat who smelled strongly of ShadowClan. Dacedream's green-hazel eyes landed on him curiously. He looked like someone she knew. Familiar. Who was he?

As she pondered, Houndheart spoke, declaring himself the deputy and best warrior - one truth a bit truer than the other but both true as far as the she-cat was concerned. It was a smooth introduction until the mention of the battle, and even Dacedream barely held back a slight grimace. The war wasn't between their Clans, and the Gathering was a night of peace. Houndheart looked at Dacedream for reassurance, and before she could conjure up an expression other than mild confusion the other tom had spoken again and, thankfully, pulled Houndheart's gaze away. Dacedream looked at the ShadowClan deputy and, despite the cold words he spoke, the feeling of recognition strengthened. That was exactly like something mawmaw would say. He had her splotchy pelt, didn't he?

But Dacedream couldn't finish piecing the thought together before the clearing exploded into chaos. A screeching wind interrupted the announcements that had been occuring on the Great Rock above them, plunging the clearing into a frigid cold. Immediately alarmed, Dacedream squeak and shot to Houndheart's side, pressing her heavy frame against him to seek comfort and understanding as her green eyes darted wildly, fearfully, to the sky. The moon hung alone in a sea of angry clouds, hiding all the stars away. "Wh-What's--?" she tried to ask, but a boom of light and sound in the sky made her yelp, flinching as a star raced across the darknesss only to explode in the distance - far behind the Great Rock, yet still seeming to silhouette the leaders where they sat. When everything settled, light radiated onto the medicine cats. There was silence.

Dacedream hunkered down and stared. What was happening? Even the medicine cats didn't seem to be certain, at first, but as slowly the truth was revealed by the WindClan medicine cat and, shockingly, Mossbloom, Dacedream felt her stomach drop. The accusation was devastating, and it was StarClan proven: Thornstar and Torrentstar, her mawmaw and pawpaw, were expecting kits together. The warrior's jaw was agape as she turned her head to stare up towards the rock, but she couldn't see either of the cats she considered her kin. "I... I don't understand," Dacedream said, unaware of herself and for a moment almost having forgotten the cats around her. "Pawpaw was... was so mad at me and my momma, I don't... I don't understand. Mawmaw saw how he treated us. I saw how they treated each other! I don't understand!"

The sound of cats crying out in anger and protest of Torrentstar and Thornstar's choices were louder and cut deeper than the voices of defense. Dacedream felt herself trembling, and her green-hazel eyes watched as the crowd surged in some places. Cats stood to leave or to cry out, and Dacedream at the front now felt much too visible. She looked at Houndheart with wide eyes. "Houndheart?" she mewed, flattening her ears. Surely he would know what to say... right?

As the Gathering became more and more confusing and loud, Spiderpaw felt like a little speck of dust in the grand scheme of things. He couldn't believe any of this was happening, at his first ever Gathering no less. His mind was reeling, trying in vain to conjure up some explanation to what was happening. StarClan was interfering with the Gathering, of course. That was obvious. But that wasn't what he was failing to grasp. The question wasn't who, but why. Why was StarClan doing this? In all his short life, he'd seen them as something wholesome and good. Weren't they? They seemed to be, especially Dewshine during his ceremony and their first meeting. Was it really all a snuggly exterior hiding the ugly truth that StarClan really wasn't as perfect and forgiving as he'd believed?

Whatever the case, clearly StarClan was angry. Very angry. And Spiderpaw didn't know what do with himself. This was the group of cats that had chosen him to speak on their behalf, to be a bridge between his world and theirs. But now, though it was far too late to say so, he was having doubts. If Torrentstar, who'd seemed so close to Dewshine and he assumed the rest of StarClan, had angered their ancestors this much, he wasn't sure if he wanted to communicate with them.

The little tom felt tears pool at his eyes and trickle softly down his cheeks. He was so confused. He wanted to leave, to forget this was happening. Be clueless like he had been before today. But he couldn't. Not a single muscle of his reacted to his thoughts, rooted to the ground by fear, confusion and morbid curiosity. All he could do was watch.

Olivepaw felt a little sense of relief that Ferretpaw had seemed to have the same idea as her and had pressed against her as comfort, just as she had to him. Her mind whirled in confusion and fear, hardly able to grasp the series of events that had happened all in a matter of a few minutes. She flinched as lightning struck yet again, and watched with growing fear as another cat, one who she did not know, scrambled up onto the Great Rock and began to speak.

Her mouth dropped open as the new speaker openly announced that not only was Torrentstar expecting, but she was expecting another leader's kits. She was stunned as she processed those words, but had no idea what to think of the revelation. She glanced over to Ferretpaw before whispering to him,
"I hope that not all Gatherings are like this..."

Taking in the sounds around, her Ivybrook attempted to slow her breathing, to calm down and actually think. She could hear the shock in the voices of her Clanmates and others, closing her eyes as she tried to come to a decision. StarClan wanted peace at gatherings, yet they instigate things like this? In front of the entire forest? The horrid wail from Honeytongue reached Ivybrook's ears as she turned and fled the gathering, leaving Egretstorm and Stormbringer to sit and watch.

Stormbringer. Right, she'd demanded Ivybrook to lead RiverClan home, away from the chaos. Truly, this was no matter for the Clan's younger members. Opening her eyes to narrowed emerald slits, she stared up at Torrentstar before turning to address the Clan. "RiverClan," She called out, looking at her Clanmates spread out across the clearing. "We are going home. Apprentices are to follow me back to camp, otherwise, the decision on whether you stay here or follow the rest of us home is up to you." Walking to Spiderpaw's side, the silver she-cat stood beside him for a few seconds, attempting to comfort him in spite of the chaos. "If you would like to stay I will not hold it against you, Spiderpaw." Resting her tail on the smaller tom's back for a moment, she offered a sympathetic glance before signaling with a flick of her tail for her Clanmates to follow her home. Looking back for just a moment, she made eye contact with Torrenstar one last time. "We'll talk when you come back to camp." Turning away, she waited by the exit of the clearing for the apprentices and, hopefully, the warriors to join her.

Stormbringer felt some relief in the darkness flood through her since Ivybrook chose to take them home. The gray warrior started to follow her deputy until a single thought appeared in her head. Dappleshine. It was fair.. The gray warrior decided then and there that she had to see her.

Approaching the deputy, the warrior spoke. "I'm going to speak to Dappleshine. I will be back in camp shortly." She didn't really wait for an answer before taking off.

Crowpaw curled his tail in apprehension, as a good chunk of RiverClan filed out of the clearing. The light had been terrifying in the moment, but now that it was gone the Clans seemed more divided than ever. This wouldn’t spell good for anyone. But he wanted to find out what happened. He was nearly a warrior, if WindClan followed RiverClan’s example he would beg Finchstar to let him stay.

Everything would be fine, right? That was what he had been telling himself all his life, and everything did always turn out fine. Comforting himself with that thought, he settled down, tucking his paws under him, ready to watch the chaos unfold. It would be fine. It wasn’t Finchstar being yelled at. It didn’t concern WindClan. They would support the two leaders, of course, but his Clan wouldn’t take the punishment if something did happen.

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Ravenmist was frozen, shocked as a whine burst through the clearing. She was positive a massive beast was coming to get her. But, nothing happened, and the cats around her began murmuring of a brilliant light. She listened as Mossbloom revealed it, and her whiskers twitched with surprise, her body still somewhat in a state of shock. Thornstar, the one she thought most loyal to her Clanmates, least likely to have kits with a cat from a different Clan, was carrying Torrentstar’s kits.

A leader, of all things. Ears pinned back flat, she stayed quiet, listened to what would happen.

Spottedstar grunted as the WindClan medicine cat bumped past him, but it was from surprise rather than protest. He didn't know the wobbly-legged tom could make it up the Great Rock. The whole ordeal was bizarre, and when the medicine cat duo leveled their accusations at two of Spottedstar's companions, his jaw dropped open. Snapping it shut so fast he nearly bit his tongue, the SkyClan leader turned his stare to Torrentstar and then Thornstar. Like everyone else, his judgement rested most heavily on the RiverClan tom for obvious reasons. Had he not chased away his own clanmates for sillier reasons? Still, Spottedstar's thoughts about Thornstar were just as spiteful. Of course the warmonger, the apprentice-killer, the glory-driven queen would be just as undisciplined in that area. Everyone was shocked and most were angry, especially Torrentstar's own clan. ShadowClan kept their heads down. Spottedstar didn't pass judgement on them; not long ago he'd been ashamed of his own leader, too. Now he was ashamed of himself.

Then Finchstar stepped in. 'Stars, I hate that rat-faced bee brain!' Spottedstar's mind raged against the WindClan leader's objection to StarClan's 'philosophies.' He was not especially fond of the code, nor did he enjoy being forced to live a life that was expected to be purer or better than his peers; however, Amberdawn had spurned him. He had admitted everything to her and he was faced with such a bitter rejection that Finchstar's praise of love was like bile in his throat. "Finchstar, you moron, love is not why we live!" He hissed loudly, hackles raising against his will. "It can't be. It's so fickle and meaningless! We'd throw ourselves away and die every time we lost someone if it really meant that much. That would destroy us all! Maybe young warriors can afford to make that mistake, but leaders owe all nine lives to StarClan. They have us in their grip, even if we don't like it. We are compelled to obey!" Spottedstar snarled, feeling a familiar rush of aggression clouding his mind. This same loss of control had led to him begging and pleading with Amberdawn to stay. Would he feel differently about Finchstar's statement if she hadn't broken his heart? He certainly wouldn't have been arguing against him. Instead, Spottedstar was ashamed of his feelings for the former medicine cat and pushed them as far from himself as possible. His only option was outright anger against the love that had wounded him so deeply. His rage bled from him like blood from a gaping cut.

Spottedstar cast his gaze to the sky and then traced the old, gnarled branches of the four oak trees. "I hope you haven't conveniently forgotten how Lichenmask was slain. Right here. Where we're all standing. By StarClan, no less, for all of his atrocities." His voice was a low growl now. Would StarClan slay them over a single litter from code-breaking leaders? They had commanded Lichenmask in the first place. They empowered and then killed their own puppet. Spottedstar had always thought of his ancestors as being far away, even in leadership, and now they were frighteningly, perilously close. "But you weren't alive for that, were you?" Spottedstar raised his voice again, staring down at the young medicine cat that had jumped to Thornstar and Torrentstar's defense. "They did speak up. It was a massacre." Spottedstar had been born into the days of Red Sun. The blood red sky had been a comfort in his youth, but after seasons of bright sun and soft moonlight, he only saw those days as kithood horrors. His claws scratched the surface of the rock beneath him and his thick tail lashed violently behind him. He was glued to the spot, however. Spottedstar wanted to know how the offending leaders would defend themselves.

It was strange, seeing the tortoiseshell medicine cat on the great rock. Oakstar felt a chill crawl down his spine as Mossbloom spoke her words, his eyes widening in visible shock as he looked between Torrentstar and Thornstar. The two leaders who had yet to speak. His amber eyes blinked slowly as he thought, only to be interrupted by Finchstar.

He frowned as he considered the value of love in the eyes of the stars. The only problem, was simply that he couldn’t see one. A cat that followed their heart, would likely be stronger than a cat who only did things because it was wanted. It seemed cruel, the idea that love could be so forbidden. Yet, the warrior code was the law. It had been broken.

His jaws tightened at Spottedstar’s harsh words. The memory of Lichenmask brought a grimace to his muzzle. It was the last battle where he had fought by Leopardstar’s side. His white tipped tail twitched in aggravation as he leapt back up onto the great rock. Taking great care not to knock down Mossbloom or any other cat, though it meant he was precariously balancing.

"StarClan gave us this warning… yet, had any leader heard of it before now?" He asked, his gaze firmly on Mossbloom, though his eyes weren’t unkind, merely uncertain, until they shifted back to Spottedstar. "Love can be a powerful motivator. It can influence a cat like not much else can… yet..." His gaze turned to Torrentstar, narrowed slightly. "...you shunned cats for it in the past. Do you now understand, how such relationships can build strength?"

Softpaw wanted to do something, but she wasn't sure what. She was terrified. More so than she had ever been before. She wanted to go home. She wanted to curl up in her nest and breathe in the scent of herbs. She wanted to gather herbs in the wonderfully beautiful flower field. She wanted to watch Ferretpaw, Olivepaw, Downpaw, Whisperpaw, and Sunpaw battle train together. She wanted her mother. To curl up beside her and breathe in her sweet scent. She wanted Aspenheart. She wanted to curl up beside him and share his warmth. But she wasn't going to get any of those things right now. Her soft cream paws begged to run over to Aspenheart, but he had told her to stay still. That everything would be okay.

But how would it? StarClan was doing this. She'd come to the conclusion they weren't perfect, that they were just cats too. But this? This was horrible. So what if cross-clan love was forbidden? StarClan could've dealt with it privately, without involving innocent bystanders. Softpaw lowered herself into a meek crouch. Most cats would have viewed her actions as cowardly, but at this point she didn't care. Slowly, and quietly, the young tabby she-cat began to cry, tears rolling down her cheeks. If all gatherings were like this, she didn't want to come to any more. She just wanted to go home.

Spiderpaw smiled weakly at the deputy, grateful for the support. But he couldn't leave. Not yet. Even though he hated what was happening, though it made him terrified and sad, he was bound to StarClan. There was no changing that. "T-thank you, Ivybrook. I'll s-see you at home th-then." He watched silently as Ivybrook and a few other cats left the clearing, leaving him surrounded by cats he didn't know. They were all around him, yet he felt so crushingly alone.

Just then, a muffled sound pricked his ears up. Tears still glistening on his face and eyes, he quietly and inconspicuously approached the noise. It was a sob, coming from a little cream she-cat about his age. She appeared to be in the same wretched situation as him, judging by her scared stance and shaking shoulders as she softly wept. Too weak and shaky to speak, he opted to gingerly lay down beside her and press his shoulder against hers. He didn't know her, but he knew she needed somebody. To let her know it would be okay.

Though he'd leave the clearing with a depressing reality on his shoulders, maybe he'd also leave having made a friend.

Softpaw had never felt so lonely before. She was surrounded by cats, yet it felt as if she were all alone. She zoned out everything after the forbidden love was revealed: Ivybook's anger, Stormbringer's request to go home, Finchstar's and Mothglow's defense of the forbidden love, Ivybrook's call to leave, Honeytongue's rush out of the gathering, Oakstar and Spottedstar's comments, everything. She was only acutely aware of her sobs, misery prickling her entire pelt. She was a coward. Pathetic. Weak. StarClan sends a beam of fiery light near her and she breaks down in tears. Pathetic. That was what she was. Is that why she was chosen as a medicine cat? Because she was too weak to be a warrior? Had StarClan sent her down this path simply because she wasn't good enough?

A pelt brushing up against hers snapped her out of her spiraling thoughts. At first she thought it was Aspenheart, until she realized the cat was her height. Downpaw? No. She'd know her brother's scent anywhere. It couldn't be Echolight or Darksong, the cats she'd seen in StarClan; this cat smelled nothing like that of the other starry cats. It wasn't similar to any WindClanner's, or Mothglow's, or Mossbloom's, therefore, this cat must be from RiverClan or SkyClan. Lifting her half-ginger-half-pale-gray tabby face up to meet the other cat's eyes, she realized, they, too, had been crying and scared. They smelled faintly of herbs, so Softpaw assumed they were a medicine cat apprentice.

She wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind. Even though she didn't know this tom, his presence was oddly comforting. As was his herby scent. The fact that he'd come over to a stranger to comfort her warmed Softpaw, and she found herself enjoying his presence. It was similar to that of Aspenheart and Downpaw, but different at the same time. Looking the tom in his amber, she murmured a soft thank you. "T-thank y-you...?" She trailed off, her way of asking his name. She decided she might as well try to make a friend tonight, and this tom seemed a good candidate.

It was terrifying how an entire world could fall to pieces at once. Torrentstar had had his shattered before―when his parents had abandoned him, when Ivystar had declared Sweetheart a traitor... when Jaystar and Goldeneye's forbidden romance had been revealed. That night, however, the news that StarClan delivered hit him harder than any blow he had ever suffered before.

One moment, Torrentstar had been nodding to Oakstar with a grunt of affirmation; it was the usual Gathering procedure, full of the typical platitudes but more familiar to the RiverClan leader than trivial conversations about the weather. Everything changed the moment he stepped forward to speak. In the next moment, flames streaked across the night sky. As rays of silver moonlight scattered, the clearing was briefly illuminated by a glow that rivaled sunlight itself. Dozens of frightened visages flashed before Torrentstar, and a multitude of fearful cries rose up. The large tabby stood frozen, every muscle within his body seemingly turned to stone. Whatever words had been on the tip of his tongue were now nowhere to be found.

It had been so many moons since the red sky that Torrentstar had forgotten something―just how terrifying the ancestors could be. He could hate them, speak ill of them. But in that moment, his petty emotions seemed to shrivel up within him. For one long paralyzing moment, all he could feel was a primal fear that rippled up and down his being.

StarClan was furious, and their power had hardly diminished from the days of Lichenmask.

Everything unraveled from that point onward. Aspenheart's accusation, followed by Mossbloom's declaration, marked the start of the fall. What terrible and destructive power a few words could possess! The regret in the eyes of ThunderClan's medicine cat did nothing to soften the cutting edge of her message. The moment he heard it, Torrentstar felt his heart deaden in his chest.

Kits? His kits? He, who had hated Jaystar for so many moons?

He had committed the very sin he had loathed with all his being. He had thought that he could cover it up. That one night with Thornstar had been a mistake, a slip of his rationale. They had both been stark, raving mad, delusional from the blood that stained their claws. If nothing had happened as a result, that burst of passion would never have surfaced to the light.

Fate just had to be so twisted.

Distantly, he heard Ivybrook's screeching. Numbly, he was aware of his deputy calling the clan back to camp. But none of that mattered, not anymore. His actions had created new lives; he and Thornstar were no longer in this alone. He felt sick to his stomach, but there was nothing to throw up. The kits were cursed from the moment of their conception. They would live their lives being shunned, being hated. And it was all his fault.

"Love?" Torrentstar managed to force out. His voice had risen uncharacteristically, and there was a terrible strain in it. The green gaze that swung to his fellow leaders was alight with a maddened gleam. "Love?" His features twisted. The expression that next surfaced was one never before seen on his face; he smiled, but it was no normal smile―twisted, sardonic, one of utter agony. Was that really what his relationship with Thornstar could be called?

At last, he looked the ShadowClan leader in the eye. "Is it true?" He rasped.

Stormpaw found herself at a loss of words. Thornstar broke the code? With another leader, no less? She'd expected as much from ShadowClan, but RiverClan? Not them. Her eyes narrowed to thin slits. How dare they mock their ancestors! They created that code to be followed. They were demands, not requests. She watched as Ivybrook led her clanmates away from the gathering and its awful truth, spewing hisses at Torrentstar before doing so. How could two cats, leaders in fact, break the warrior code? Weren't they bound to it? This could not go unpunished. Stormpaw now understood why StarClan had been so enraged. What in their right mind had they been thinking? They were leaders, for StarClan's sake!

So engrossed with her anger against Thornstar and Torrentstar, the silver tabby apprentice thought little of anything else. There was no room for traitors in the clans, especially not traitors for leaders. Thoughts spiraling, she yowled at the top of her lungs, as if she wanted the stars to hear, "Traitors! You've betrayed the warrior code and StarClan!"