May Gathering 2020 [Sitewide Plot Finale]

A look of sheer disappointment crossed her two-toned muzzle as she gazed at Galestar in shame, her gaze scorching. "I thought better of you than this, Galestar. If you were the vengeful tyrant every cat believes you to be, Ploverpuddle and I would be dead alongside Finchstar." She mewed, soft but with a sharp edge, piercing like thorns. It hurt really. She'd hoped Galestar would have helped them with their cause.

Truly, she didn't really think she'd help them, but it would've been nice. Somewhere, deep deep, down, she hoped would change her mind. "Even if you don't join us, this is how we rise up. This is our resistance, you can't resist us." She growled, echoing the words from the other cats, hoping others would join their call.

Padding away rather angrily, she turned, looking at Galestar one last time, shaking her head with a sad look in her eyes. "Finchstar would forgive you. Standing by while you let your companions kill innocent cats doesn't make you any better than them, especially if you know it's wrong. It makes you worse."

Turning, she began to head back to her fellow healers, exhausted, defeated, when she realized there was another cat there. Insulting Spiderquill. She heard his entire jibe. And an unearthly rage filled her. "YOU FOX-HEART!"

Rushing, she ran up beside her friend, spotting her tears and her pelt bristled. "Oversized brute! You're just a big bully!" Softpaw screeched, claws flexing into the ground. "Spiderquill may not be a warrior, but he's got a heart of gold, and that's more than you have! Your pathetic, insulting cats who aren't supposed to fight back. That doesn't mean we can't!"

Daisybloom followed her instruction without hesitation, and Mossbloom couldn't help the swell of joy that rose in her heart as she pointed out the herb bundles quietly. Her gaze never left the strange cat's, though, as he sneered at the medicine cats. His eyes landed on her, and she stood tall as he spoke to her, spitting out the heritage she had pushed behind her. She remained unflinching, even as he turned to Aspenheart and Softpaw, knowing that Softpaw wouldn't hear him and Aspenheart didn't care... At least, she thought he wouldn't. She heard another one of the leaders speak up, calling to Spottedstar and SkyClan. Join them? Surely... Surely SkyClan wouldn't do that, would they? They had to see just what was going on, didn't they? Brushing past the starry figure that was mocking them, she let her tail rest on Spiderquill's shoulder for a moment. "I don't listen to what living cats would say regarding my background, what makes you think I'd listen to a dead one?" She mewed pointedly as she passed, stepping to look up at Spottedstar.

"Spottedstar. If you believe for even one heartbeat that Amberdawn - no, Marmalade, as she wished to be called, left SkyClan because of you, then you're a mousebrain. Marmalade had to make a choice, an impossible choice that you, the stars, forced upon her. It was you who pushed her away from the clans, from me and everyone she cared for.... Not Tinylegs, or Spottedstar, or even her duties as a medicine cat. She loved her clan with all of her heart, and as her friend, with her spirit in mind, I will not tolerate you using her name against any cat in falsehood you cowards." She mewed, turning her green gaze to glare at the cat who had dared to speak Amberdawn's name.

---

Blossomstep stepped back as Wolfcall moved in front of her, but her eyes remained trained on the she-cat that had come over to them as the cool surface of the stone pressed against her fur. What did these starry cats have to going from turning them against not only each other, but against the other clans? She didn't know Sunflower well, he was always so skittish when she had approached him for patrols or the like, so she didn't seek him out often... But he was still a clanmate. Surely Spottedstar wouldn't accept, right? She moved away from the rock back to Wolfcall's side to look up to Spottedstar, waiting for his response. Whatever he chose, she would have to follow.... No matter how she felt on the matter.

---

Galestar looked down at Softpaw silently before looking away. The young apprentice was right, and she knew it. But how could she back down now, after everything she'd already done? She was too far in to back down now. She heard Softpaw's steps walking away, and looked up as she heard them stop to see Softpaw looking back at her. The shock in her expression at the apprentice's words was impossible to hide, and she stared silently at her. Protecting the code wasn't wrong.... Was it? Just the way they were going about it. But she was only one cat, how could she stand against them now? She looked back to the ground in frustration with herself. I thought better of myself too, little one.

Ebonypaw couldn’t take it anymore. As the Righteous Few hissed and spoke about the code and saving it, she let out a giggle. A giggle tinged with hysteria. She immediately stopped herself, staring at the Righteous Few with slight madness in her gaze. “Protecting the code, hmm? Does murdering cats mean protecting the code? You want to clean the forest of code breakers? You want to kill anyone who sides with the Righteous Few? Well...let me tell you this...” The dark grey apprentice’s blue gray eyes glowed with anger. “Most of us side with Morningpaw. If siding with Morningpaw counts as code-breaking, then please, please kill us all. If you do kill us, who will remember you? Rogues, loners and kittypets do not believe in StarClan, but we do, and that is what is keeping us together. If you want to kill us, go ahead, but don’t blame us for your disappearance. One by one, everyone will forget about the so-called Righteous Few, and when will you be then? What will you be then?” The apprentice laughed again, this time forcefully. “I stand with Morningpaw. I stand with every, single “code-breaking” cat that you all have killed.” With a nod at Smokepaw, Ebonypaw turned back to the Righteous Few. “This is our resistance. You can’t resist us.”

Voices rose up, voices calling to the heavens above, rage, reason, and passion all binding into one. A beautiful song, drifting on the winds, rising to the Stars.

A song of resistance.

A smile touched her maw as she heard Morningpaw's voice again. Truth, yes, truth was what they needed, truth was what they saw. Could any stand against it?

Another voice, hissed at her side, brought her gaze over to Redpaw; an edge of sadness tinged her smile. She searched his eyes, the nervousness within them as they flicked from cat to cat. Shaking her head gently, she mewed softly, "I'm not standing up for myself, Redpaw. I know what I've done, and I know they will repay my words with their claws, but this isn't about me, or any single cat."

She let her eyes turn to those around them, so ready to fight for what they believed in, and even die. Deep sadness, like a river flowing through the depths of a forest, stirred at her heart to know that they might, simply because they refused to let their spirits be cowed. "This is about who we are; this is about our family, our kin, and our way of life. It's for our future, and it's guided by our past."

Casting him a bittersweet smile, she continued, "To lose me is no great loss, Redpaw. I may be your mentor, but I am still mortal, just like all of us. At any moment I could die - of greencough, from a predator, even by falling from a tree. It's true, my life might be at stake here, but something greater than it is, too. If I must die, I would rather do it for what I believe in, than look back at this day and know that I let innocent cats lose their lives to an evil I could have helped stop." She let out a soft breath, and gently, briefly touched her nose to the top of his head. "You do not have to follow us in this. It's alright to stand back. You have a long life stretching ahead of you, and you must live it how you see fit, by your own choices. But others... may not have that chance, and I can't stand by and watch them fall to others who think they have the right to tear that choice from them."

Taking a deep breath, she padded forwards, feeling the heaviness of her own words with each pawstep. Yes, fear thrummed deep within her, as it did within all beating hearts, but she could not let it conquer her. This was her choice.

Spottedstar's eyes narrowed as he watched the standoff below. Things were escalating quickly, and there would no doubt be blood spilled soon. His only concern was that it wasn't SkyClan blood. He drew in a breath, preparing to call out to the entirety of the gathered cats, but he was cut short by the sudden approach by one of the Righteous Few: a gray-pelted she-cat with yellow eyes and a provocative voice. She had sidestepped Morningpaw and marched towards him, gathering the crowd's attention with a sharp yowl of his name. He stared down at her, taken entirely by surprise, and wondered why the ancestors would challenge him after he took steps to specifically not involve SkyClan in the other clans' business. His lips drew back into a snarl when the she-cat began taunting SkyClan's reputation. Of course they weren't sinless, but they were worlds better than most of the other clans. Spottedstar had prepared to defend himself when her next words rang in his ears and sucked the breath right out of his lungs.

"Don't-" Spottedstar meowed softly, eyes widening when Amberdawn's name was invoked by the starry ancestor, but it was too late. She'd already given away Amberdawn's identity and implied a liscentious relationship without even saying it directly, both raising questions to the public in general and condemning him for it at the same time. The mere mention of his failed love and the haunting reminder of the deep betrayal he had felt at Amberdawn's departure was enough to cause his shoulders to go slack and his tail to go limp against the hard surface of the Great Rock. The SkyClan leader swallowed back a gasp of despair, but Lavenderbreeze apparently wasn't done with him. "M-me? Escape me?" His calm composure shattered as the shock and anguish rose up in his chest and filled his head with the urge to scream and run and lash out with claws at anything that moved to close to him. His breath shuddered in his chest, much to his own shame. Spottedstar took a few dazed steps backwards as though putting space between himself and the StarClan she-cat would save him from the crushing weight of the accusation she levelled against him. Spottedstar gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, wishing all the noise and the guilt would wash away with the tears he had desperately tried to blink away.

Above all the noise rose Morningpaw's quiet plead. 'What would Amberdawn have done? What would she do? I don't know. She ran then. Maybe she would run now.' This apprentice didn't even know Amberdawn. It offended Spottedstar that not one but two cats would attempt to use his pain to manipulate him to do their will, but he wasn't in the right headspace to respond with anger to either of them. Lavenderbreeze was already walking away anyway. 'She's... right. She's right.' There was yelling and hissing and begging from the crowd all around him, but he hardly heard them. Spottedstar was stuck in his own head, reeling, feeling dizzy and wounded and replaying his last encounter with Amberdawn over and over again in his mind's eye. Even in her sadness, she was beautiful.

"SKYCLAN."

Owlstar's voice rose above the chaos, and Spottedstar opened his hollow eyes to look at the cat that now addressed his clan directly. Join them? Join the Righteous Few? Owlstar had Sunflower in a deathgrip, both metaphorically and what would soon be literally if Spottedstar did not intervene. "Stop!" He yelled, taking a step forward on the Great Rock, muscles tensing and heart beginning to race. His emotions were completely out of control, as per usual, and he didn't know if he was suffering more from the anguish of his ugly memories, wounded by his shattered pride, or overwhelming fear for his warrior in the ancestor's grasp. Sunflower was a coward. Sunflower couldn't fight a mouse if the mouse was already dead. But Sunflower was his clanmate, a loyal warrior with flaws, and he was family. Even if Spottedstar wanted to fight on Owlstar's side, he would never want Sunflower to suffer or die. Spottedstar had desired to reconcile with Burningsun and his half-brothers after the trial and even when they fled from SkyClan. If he could care so deeply about killers, then he would surely not abandon one especially pitiful warrior.

His clan was watching him, and so were the others. Apprentices were yowling and screaming at the tops of their lungs. Another of the Righteous Few stepped forward - Brackenstar? - levelling final threats against the rebel clans. Swansong yowled in defense of her brother, something Spottedstar didn't want to restrain or condemn. However... this would be a bloodbath. Spottedstar glanced down at Flintstar, Raventail, Ivystar, and Nettlefire. If he did agree, they would be his most immediate concern. Wolfcall and Blossomstep would be in danger, and probably Honeypaw, too. SkyClan would have to wiggle out from being wedged between the other four clans to fight at the ancestors' side or risk being overwhelmed. They would be overwhelmed no matter what, though. There weren't enough cats on their side, even with SkyClan and StarClan fighting together. Spottedstar looked back at Owlstar. 'These Righteous Few... have slain leaders. Strong, vicious leaders. If we fight them, we will all die without a doubt. If we fight the other clans, they may not kill us since they're so obsessed with love and justice. It's safer for SkyClan to risk a few of our lives than all of them.'

Would SkyClan stand behind him? Did they love Spottedstar with the same kind of devoted ferocity that WindClan had displayed for Finchstar? Images of Leaftwirl's battered body flashed into Spottedstar's mind. Beside her was Beanheart, crushed by Thornstar's paws. Two of his clanmates died that night when he had sought peace and reconciliation. He brought his warriors to save SkyClan but they still died in the end. Even if Spottedstar fought with the Righteous Few to protect SkyClan, he would fail again. Was there no right answer? What would Crowstar do in this situation?

Spottedstar's prolonged silence was interrupted by Mossbloom down at the base of the Great Rock. 'Marmalade?' He had never once heard Amberdawn adressed by such an odd name. But that was hardly the point. He made up his mind right then. The pale ginger tabby looked at the medicine cat with hollow, broken eyes. He respected her and thought that what she said was true. But...

"Amberdawn... Marmalade... left twice. She did leave SkyClan because of the trial. She told me so afterwards. And then she left both me and the forest for good because of me." It was an admission of guilt straight from the leader's own mouth. But he could hardly tell what he was feeling anymore. Spottedstar knew that the one he had loved might have eventually caved and returned to SkyClan because of their intense longing. So she had fled to avoid him, making Lavenderbreeze's accusation cuttingly true. He gazed at the inky clouds above, wondering if Marmalade was watching the same sky somewhere else in the world. How would she feel if she knew her name was being used to bleed him dry? But that was hardly relevant right now. It was just another item on a long, long list of Spottedstar's regrets and failures, a list he was determined to avoid expanding upon this night. So he nodded numbly to Mossbloom, fully aware of what he had confessed to, and stepped to the very edge of the Great Rock.

"SkyClan, hear me!" Spottedstar called out, voice strained to be heard over the caterwauls of angry apprentices. "Listen to me! SkyClan will not take a punishment for something we didn't do. SkyClan will not tolerate being used by any outsider! But-" he levelled his gaze at Owlstar, anger and desperation mixing in his expression like storming waters. "I respect StarClan, but I won't risk the lives of my warriors and apprentices for something you say you can do easily yourselves. You don't need us, and we don't need to die. We will leave." He meowed with finality, his mind made up. There was no right side. There would be only destruction. "SkyClan, round up! Head out!" He called out, then jumped from the Great Rock onto the ground. It had been his high place, a fort amidst the danger. Now he was exposed.

Spottedstar approached Owlstar slowly and carefully, showing no aggression in his body. "Let Sunflower go. We aren't interfering. We are obeying."

Maybe WindClan really did love Finchstar, but Spottedstar had begun to question whether Finchstar loved WindClan back. For all the useless nonsense cats had been spouting about love these past several moons, few really spoke about it the way the SkyClan leader had suffered through it. It wasn't endearing and it wasn't encouraging. It didn't give him any kind of strength or make him feel as though he had a great purpose. It was pain in every possible way. Spottedstar loved SkyClan so deeply and so passionately that he decided he would bow to a stranger, to allow himself to be manipulated and ordered about and stepped on and have all the things he hated done to him so that he could shield SkyClan from the Righteous Few. 'Maybe if Finchstar understood the real nature of love instead of justifying lust, Morningpaw would have lived to become a warrior.' It was a bitter, condemning thought. But Spottedstar was quite overwhelmed and full of apprehension as he stared into Owlstar's eyes, mutely begging for Sunflower's life. He hoped that behind him, SkyClan was rallying and beginning to leave as he had told them to.

Foxfire sat close with Flowerthorn, his ears slicked back and his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to make sense of what had transpired. He sat frozen with fear as cats shouted back and forth at each other, at the...The Righteous Few. He had heard what had transpired at the last Gathering - of how Finchstar had died but he had...Stars, he had foolishly thought that things would be fine. No, he had at least hoped that things would be fine. That everything would go to normal, that no more lives would be taken. But now... He tried to keep up with all the converstations, hearing that Dacedream was dead. He had only met her once a couple Gatheirngs alone but she had seem so....So nice. What had she done to deserve that? He shook his head, sparing a glance toward Flowerthorn but he wasn't able to read her expression at all. Were they just suppose to...Sit here and do nothing? He swallowed as his tail-nub twitched, until one voice caught his attention. His eyes fell upon a tom that had taken a spot next to Sunflower althought it was clear he was talking to Spottedstar and offered a...Deal. To let them join them and be spared of...Whatever was about to happen.

At the cost of Sunflower.

Foxfire's heart sank at that, eyes growing wide as he turned his attention onto Spottedstar. He...He wouldn't, would he? Sunflower was maybe a bit of a coward but he was still a beloved member of the Clan. Certainly it was better to fight than to send him to his death. And...Oh Stars, Basildrop had already lost her mother. His heart sank at the thought of having to break to her that something happened to Sunflower because... Oh no. His breath caught in his throat as he tried to figure out what to do. But he felt so conflicted on everything, praying that the answer would be simple enough to see as Spottedstar's voice finally rang out. He swallowed as he turned his attention onto the Great Rock, ready to hear whatever his leader had to say.

He waited with held breath until finally Spottedstar called out for SkyClan...That they would leave. Leave. Leave? What, no! And just...Leave the other Clans to their fate? But...He tugged at the ground with his claws, glancing back and forth. But...He didn't want to fight. He wanted to keep his Clanmates safe. He liked the other Clans certainly but... Oh Stars, what was he to do? He couldn't go against his leader, that was...No. But... He swallowed as he watched Spottedstar approach the cat who was holding onto Sunflower, demanding that he be let go so that they could leave. "Should we...Are we just going to leave?" he questioned, turning his gaze to Flowerthorn. He...He think he knew her answer and...Stars, he loved her enough that he was going to follow her no matter what. "I'm...I'll stick with you, no matter what," he murmured, even if it didn't seem like much.

She was loyal, of course she was loyal. If Spottedstar wanted them to leave, he was certain that she would follow his order. It was their job and she never did seem to like anybody else other than for him and the other higher ranks in SkyClan. She...She was strong, she was focused and driven. Why would she go against Spottedstar's orders? He shook his head, feeling like his soft acknowledgement of sticking with her felt like nothing. But...If...If she was to stay for some reason, he knew he would fight at her side even against StarClan themselves.

It seemed almost like time stood still in the moments it took for Spottedstar to reply. Wolfcall held his breath, the feeling of Blossomstep at his side the only thing that grounded him in that moment. What the starry SkyClan cat was proposing was equally the best thing for SkyClan, and the wrong thing to do. Sunflower had never hurt anyone, he didn't deserve whatever punishment this brute had in store for him - the lanky tom's blood was as pure, if not purer, than Wolfcall's own.

Finally though, Spottedstar spoke, but his first words weren't about SkyClan, they were about Amberdawn. And the pure, undisguised sorrow and longing in his voice when he talked about the she-cat was enough to clue Wolfcall in on several things that blindsided him all at once, but, also... made several things click into place. Murkpelt's sudden relocation to the warriors' den, Spottedstar's near-constant melancholy... Wolfcall's eyes dropped away from the Great Rock to stare now at Owlstar. He couldn't care about Spottedstar's personal relations right now - that could wait. Right now, what mattered was his father's response to Owlstar's offer.

And then it came. The deputy's eyes followed Spottedstar as he leaped down to approach his challenger, and Wolfcall shivered, pressing into Blossomstep's form, his tail twined with hers, seeking comfort as much as he was offering it. And when Spottedstar finally did make his declaration - that SkyClan was leaving. They... were leaving..? Was that even allowed? His amber eyes flickered from Owlstar to Spottedstar, daring not to move a muscle. Everything fell silent around him.


Proud, noble Spottedstar. Owlstar stared down at him, eyes glimmering with amusement and pity and... the smallest, most minuscule flicker of pride. You are smarter than I gave you credit for. One of his massive paws moved to cover Sunflower's, claws sliding out to prick the lanky tom's flesh. He leaned in, very close to Sunflower's ear, and whispered so that only he could hear: "I'm not done with you yet, little flower."

And then he stepped aside, his eyes never leaving Spottedstar's face, to give the leader, and the rest of SkyClan, a path out of Fourtrees. He'd get his pound of flesh another time.

"Then go."

Frowning as Spottedstar responded, Mossbloom looked away. Marmalade never left because of him.... At least, not that she had ever been told, and surely her dear friend would have told her.... No, she would have. Spottedstar was wrong... But that discussion was one for another time, another place. She merely kept silent as Spottedstar made his decision, calling for SkyClan to return home. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the ground, disappointment bitter but the tiniest bit of understanding. SkyClan hadn't faced the full wrath of the stars among them, only having witnessed second hand the aftermath of the other clan's turmoil and pain. Still.... She had hoped. Would Honeypaw return with them? Would SkyClan follow his call? She didn't know. Only time could tell. The one thing she did know was that he was wrong, and that Marmalade would be absolutely furious if she knew what was happening.

---

Blossomstep was more than a little shocked at Spottedstar's decree, and as Wolfcall pressed against her she did the same, eyes wide as she followed her leader's figure towards the one they called Owlstar. She hummed softly, nervous, as Owlstar moved closer to Sunflower before moving away, seeming to let Sunflower and the rest of SkyClan go. Torn now, between following orders and the pressure of the other clans facing an inevitable battle, she turned her face up to Wolfcall. What was he going to do? Was Spottedstar actually retreating, or was he merely letting the Righteous Few think he was, to return with a surprise force? She had sworn to follow Spottedstar.... She could always talk to him about things later.... Try to understand why he did what he did.... Couldn't she?

Ravenmist bristled, sightless eyes narrowed in displeasure. She muttered to Wolfcall, tail flicking.

“I have no quarrel with you. But Spottedstar’s refusal to fight, to protect what we believe in beside us will not quickly be forgotten. Stand and fight, even if he doesn’t. I would do the same, if Flintstar chose to leave.”

The deputy’s ears were turned intently on the smoky tom. Her voice was not angry, or impolite, but held tensity.


Crowspirit yowled from across the clearing, to Spottedstar. The young tom was outspoken and bold, and he wasn’t about to have SkyClan go without some sort of verbal torrent.

“You idiot! You mouse-brained idiot! Can’t you see we’re not just fighting for lives, or honor? We’re fighting for our way of live, for the very bonds that keep the Clans together! We are fighting for freedom, for love, for what is right. And you turn your back on this, allow yourself and your Clan to be enslaved in the name of keeping your own hide safe? You slug-hearted coward, you piece of fox-dung. If I were in a position to knock some sense into you, I would.”

He snarled, tail lashing, ears pinned back. The Righteous Few, he could deal with. A fight? He could win. But a leader, the very ones sworn to protect and serve their Clan, even at the cost of their life, doing something that was as good as bowing to these cats? Spottedstar was not as noble as Finchstar, not in a million moons. And he would pay for what he had done.

“No, Gatherings are not usually this...intense...” Streampaw whispered towards the SkyClan apprentice. She tried to keep her voice low and controlled, but inside she was burning with fury. Her emerald eyes blazed for a second as Spottedstar was threatened with Amberdawn, the medicine cat who supposedly disappeared from SkyClan. That must have hit like a blow. Turning around to warn the apprentice, Streampaw was suddenly interrupted by Spottedstar’s abrupt announcement. Her jaw dropped open, and she inhaled slowly. She respected the leader, he put his Clan first, but would he really let the rest of the Clans get hurt at the Righteous Few’s claws? Would he really abandon Sunflower? Exhaling with a quick, angry rush of air, Streampaw turned towards Wrenpaw. “I—I hope I see you soon, take care of yourself.” Attempting a small smile, Streampaw waved her tail goodbye at the SkyClan apprentice.

Daisybloom heard the mocking voice of the tom standing by the medicine cats. Her claws flexed. She carried the herbs into a small pile, and they had enough gathered. But her blue gaze turned to the tom. He had insulted them! Even though she barely knew any of them besides her mentor, they didn’t deserve to be treated that way. None of them deserved this! Summoning her courage, she spoke. Something she never thought she would do. She never thought she would take a stand against these cats. But, she had to now.”Y-you are such a...coward! Such a coward to stand here, insulting the medicine cats. W-we may not all be battle trained, we may not all be strong as the warriors. But our hearts, our cause is strong. S-some of us have questionable backgrounds. Yet, we were chosen by Starclan to follow this path. Insulting us is p-pointless, meaningless. We know that it’s not t-true.” she mewed finally. She hadn’t done as much as some of these other cats. She only stood up for the medicine cats. But it was a start, and if she was struck down it wouldn’t be silent anymore.

Cedarheart heard the calls crying out, and a smile grew on her face. They were right, they were all right! They could do this. They had almost everyone on their side, she tried to think of someone who hadn’t spoke out and she couldn-She paused. Her eyes landed on her mentor, standing silently. Soon her gaze changed again, as SkyClan was offered the choice to leave. They wouldn’t, would they? After all this time?

Applefang heard everyone speaking out, and wanted to cry out in rebellion. Yet, he didn’t know what to say. Strangely, the talkative warrior had no words to come out of his mouth. Soon, an inkling came to him. He started, ”This isn’t the Starclan I knew. The Starclan I knew watched out for the clans. They cared for us, kept us safe. But you, you guys aren’t real. Starclan would never be like this. You aren’t the real Starclan, and I know it.” he mewed angrily.

Creeksplash heard the cries, and one came from a Riverclan warrior, questioning how real they were. She hissed, approaching Applefang. ”You say we aren’t real Starclan, yet I wonder if you are real Riverclan. Have you ever done anything notable? Or just watched content to happily bumble along like the idiot you are? The only battles you’ve fought we’re caused by your ignorance. Walking into Thunderclan territory, running into predators. You are a disgrace to the glorious clan I once lived in. You’re an idiot!” She turned to the one he was next to. ”And you, content to have him do all the work for you. Content to wander along like a little bee, buzzing after your friend.” She turned towards all of the Riverclanners. ”None of you are true Riverclanners. You aren’t members of my former clan. Just idiots!” she hissed towards all of them.

ooc: at this point, Creek is gonna battle Apple and Stream, but more help is welcome. She probably made some of y’all mad with that little speech.

Large Scale Battle Refresher

Health and SP by Rank (Reflects +5 HP to all ranks from Defensive Buff)

• Apprentice: 25 HP / 80 SP
  
• Tier 1 Warrior: 45 HP / 120 SP
  
• Tier 2 Warrior: 50 HP / 160 SP
  
• Tier 3 Warrior: 65 HP / 200 SP
  
• Tier 4 Warrior: 85 HP / 240 SP
  
• Tier 5 Warrior: 105 HP / 280 SP
  ~~~
  
• Medicine Cat Apprentice: 40 HP / 90 SP
  
• Tier 1 Medicine Cat: 50 HP / 100 SP
  
• Tier 2 Medicine Cat: 55 HP / 120 SP
  
• Tier 3 Medicine Cat: 60 HP / 150 SP
  
• Tier 4 Medicine Cat: 65 HP / 200 SP
  ~~~
  
• Deputy: 105 HP / 280 SP
  
• Leader: 125 HP / 300 SP
  
• Righteous Few NPCs: 120 HP / 300 SP

Link to Battle Moves and Damage Tables

Notes

1. This is a large-scale battle, so the 24-hour posting limit will apply. If you do not post within the 24-hour limit, you will be considered KOed and your opponent will move on.
   
2. The Righteous Few NPCs do not count as predators, and so the rules regarding double-teaming do apply. You cannot use special moves (including clan moves) on a double teamed cat.
   
3. Once your HP or SP reaches zero, you can no longer fight. You will have 24 hours to post your KO before you are automatically KOed.
   
4. Follow the posting order. It may get difficult to decipher, but please wait for your opponent, as well as anyone else in the battle alongside you, to post before posting again. If a comrade does not post in 24 hours, they are considered KOed and the next in the order may post.
   
5. Special moves, including clan moves, cannot be used twice in a row. You may not use the same special move on the same opponent.
   
6. Please avoid double-teaming where possible. It is inevitable, but please use your best judgement - if one cat has five opponents and another only has one, please engage with the character with only one other opponent. As the battle kicks off, while trying to keep the double-teaming rule in mind, we'd like to initially limit the number of opponents per Righteous Few cat to 5 characters. This is subject to change as the battle goes on, to allow for more characters to attack a single enemy at once, but for now please try to keep it five or less per opponent to spread the focus.
   
7. If your opponent reaches 0 HP, you must wait for their KO post before moving to the next opponent. They do have the chance to dodge after all.
   
8. For more help with Leap-and-Hold and other special effect moves, please refer to out Battle System Tutorial here.
   
9. Since the battle is taking place at Fourtrees at night, there are only some clan moves able to be used. This is in accordance to their descriptions.
   
   • ThunderClan's Lightning Reflexes
     
   • ShadowClan's Night Finesse
     
   • WindClan's Swift Strike (Cannot use consecutively with any special move)
     
   • SkyClan's Leaping Bound
     
   • Sorry RiverClan

1. Medicine cat buffs do stack. For this battle, there is three medicine cats present that provide a buff. Because the fight is at Fourtrees, they each have chosen the buff the would like to provide. Mothglow is providing a single instance of Defensive Buff, providing all clan cats with a +5 HP boost until the battle is over or until Mothglow falls in battle herself. Mossbloom and Aspenheart are both providing instances of Aggressive Buff, providing a -3 SP cost to all moves. Since these stack, all attacks and moves will cost 6 SP less than usual. In short, every living character in the clans will have +5 HP, and a -6 SP cost to all moves, including Healing system moves for medicine cats.
   
2. Medicine cats are the only ones who can heal other cats. Only warriors with more than 1 HP can be healed unless the medicine cat has use of the moves "Revive" or "Max Revive". There is only one medicine cat with access to these moves, ThunderClan's Mossbloom.
   
3. Medicine cats cannot heal the same cat twice in a row.
   
4. Medicine cats can heal other medicine cats and cats from other clans – basically any cat other than themselves.
   
5. Medicine cats cannot heal a cat in active combat. They must wait until the fight has been resolved before being able to heal. If you wish to have your character healed by a medicine cat, please ensure that you give them the time to do so before jumping into the next battle!
   
6. Please refer to the Healing System for Medicine Cat Moves
   
7. All of these rules and more can be found in our Battle System and Rules page here.

If you have any questions, please let us know in either of the following locations:

1. WCC's Help Thread
   
2. WCC's Discord - #help-thread

Additionally, we have up a comments and suggestions thread specifically regarding this large-scale battle for feedback and ideas on things noticed throughout the fight. Here is the link to that thread!

Tanglepaw's eyes shifted gingerly across the crowd, as little voices jumbled together, rallying against - or for - the cause of the StarClan cats. SkyClan was allowed to leave. Well, why did they get a pass? Tanglepaw didn't know what to feel. This was all she knew. The violence, the rage, the closed borders... none of this meant anything to her. All she knew was her heart was drumming up a storm beneath her, paws screaming flee, and claws screaming fight. She looked for Flintstar. He would lead them. If she was going to fight, at least the other side was drastically outnumbered.

---

Aspenheart shut his eyes against the tirade of the StarClan cat. His words meant nothing compared to what already existed within. Spiderquill had the good sense to stand up for himself, and Mossbloom's words were, as always, clear as crystal. Of course nobody listened to his opinions... why would they? He was just as rabbit-brained as every other WindClan cat, contrary to the status quo or in line with the warriors. He was a meander-er, a floater, living on the breeze... and this cat still smelled like a bog. He opened his eyes. "Did your mother feed you enough as a kit?" he chuckled, "Is that why you talk like an apprentice with an attitude problem? If you really want to prove how big-and-tough you are, go pick on a warrior instead of a cripple, a kittypet, and a porcupine. And when you get thoroughly licked, I won't even mind patching you up. Skedaddle, you big dope."

And then he laughed, heartily and fearlessly. Even if Larchneedle reared up, punted him to the ground, and killed him, it wouldn't matter. The cats of the forest had spoken. The first claw raised would start a war. Either way, the fate of the Righteous Few were sealed. "I'm just here to watch the riot start."

---

Badgerstar watched with glittering, curious eyes as Spottedstar encouraged his clan to retreat. He was a smart fellow. Owlstar's ultimatum was surprisingly effective. As for the other clans, he was getting very bored, listening to the rabble raise their puny voices towards the sky that would never come to save them. "Mark my words, this will end tonight. I don't care how. We are StarClan, and we will burn this clearing to the ground if we must." I will not be oppressed by the starlight again.

As he listened on, Wrenpaw's claws slowly retracted. There was so much going on here that his youthful mind had a hard time catching up. Sure, just as any clan cat, he'd heard of previous clan stories and medicine cats. Amberdawn had been a previous Skyclanner who left her clan behind; it was a shameful act, one he couldn't quite understand in his limited experiences. But it seemed that even in her flight, this cat hadn't been forgotten. Seeing Spottedstar's face twist in several emotions shocked him. Internally, part of the apprentice screamed to just leave Sunflower behind to spare the rest of their clan and kin. But it their leader had a much stronger will than him. Even with the defeated look once written across his face, Spottedstar had refused to leave a clanmate behind. Wrenpaw felt his ears heat in the realization that he'd considered leaving behind one of his kin for a brief moment.

However, there was no time to dwell on it. Spottedstar, with the blessing of the starry, former Skyclan leader, had begun to retreat from the gathering. As quickly as his first introduction to the other clans had begun, it now was ending. Wrenpaw had hoped for more from this experience. Yet there was something far greater than his own desires here. His bound tail itched to twitch behind him. There was only a brief pause in his step as he glanced to the she-cat next to him, "Uh, yeah, you too, Streampaw." He turned to seek out the ginger pelt of his leader but paused briefly to glance back over his shoulder and added as a lowly meowed an after thought, "Stay safe, alright?" These cats were willing to face the ancestors. Even if he found it to be rather ridiculous to willingly throw themselves into this instead of follow the laws of the cats before them, he admired the bravery. If it was his own clan on the line, he would have fought just as fiercely. Their bravery was admired and he wished them luck.

From the edges of the crowd, Wrenpaw's tail dragged sadly behind him. There was a relief, though, one he almost felt guilty for having. Skyclan would be spared the wrath of the stars. As he looked to his sides he found himself honored to be surrounded by cats who had stuck to the code and love their clan wholly and unwavering. It was a beautiful thing. And yet, the clans left behind whose devotion was questioned and their will to face this Starclan was evident, he couldn't find it in himself to disdain them either. He felt sorry for them, deciding after all the banter between cats, even their enemies didn't deserve what was to come.