May Gathering 2020 [Sitewide Plot Finale]

With a sigh of relief, glad that he had been able to save an apprentice from the wrath of the Righteous Few member, Scorchstar took this chance to look around and observe the battlefield. Left and right, he could see the fading sparkles of defeated Righteous Few cats as they lay motionless on the ground. Only a select few remained, but it was clear they were to be taken care of swiftly.

”Dad!”

Scorchstar turned his head at the familiar voice, and his mouth instantly shot upward in a grand smile when he saw Ravenmist bounding towards him. He waited for her to reach him before pressing his starry muzzle into her neck, a deep purr rumbling loudly in his throat. ”Oh, Ravenmist, how I have missed you so!”

Another voice from behind prompted Scorchstar to look behind him. He saw SkyClan’s deputy nestling close to a fallen molly. Was she his sister, or his mate? Either way, his heart twisted in sympathetic agony for him. All of his own littermates had died before he had, as had his own mate. He approached Wolfcall and sat down next to him, gently laying his bushy tail over the distressed tom’s back. ”Do not worry, my friend. She will be just fine. Have faith in Mossbloom.” He offered the approaching medicine cat a respectful dip of his head before turning his attention back to Ravenmist. ”We have nearly won the fight, but we cannot let our guard down. Please, watch over Mossbloom as she tends to this cat, just in case.”

It seemed she couldn't get a moment of peace. Rainstrike snarled as Vixenpaw charged in, the sting of her claws sharp and cold. Another name to add to the list. The warrior's ears fell back against her head, and as Minkstream came in for another attack, she sidestepped swiftly out of the way, narrowly avoiding his claws. Rainstrike spat at him, her tail lashing, but barely got the chance to retaliate before his mate, Batbite, was on her heels as well.

Twisting away from her outstretched claws, Rainstrike avoided her as well, but she was far too outnumbered now, and a quick glance around the clearing, at the lessening numbers of her allies, she was smart enough to realize that this fight was over. Eyes blazing with mutiny, Rainstrike fell to her haunches. She shook her head sadly. "You're all fools. I yield."

Rainstrike used Dodging Leap to avoid Minkstream and Batbite's previous attacks, but has surrendered.

The member 'JJ' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 4

Creeksplash felt it. The final blow. She couldn’t take the battle any longer, and she started to fade. She squinted, staring at her opponents with a scowl on her face. ”Filthy code-breakers! That’s what all of you are!” she hissed, and the ghostly form of Creeksplash faded away.

Creeksplash has been defeated!

Addershade’s voice gently drew Snowpaw’s attention away from the WindClan-smelling stranger. His mind struggled to wrap itself around the question. All right? Of course he was all right! Any RiverClan cat who’d been given their full name had to be capable of this and so much more. They fought when they were asked to, and they handled it like warriors, and—and if he couldn’t, what did that say about him? He swallowed again. No, he couldn’t give his father more reasons to worry about him. The adrenaline began to seep away. In its absence, he noticed his throat felt oddly tight. Even his first day of training with Stormbringer hadn’t left him this exhausted.

Rather than answer, Snowpaw looked around the clearing. His eyes found the ThunderClan apprentice Stembreeze had attacked; a thin patchwork of herbs and cobwebs decorated her wounds. She had to be alive, then. There wasn’t any point in trying to heal a dead cat. Beside the apprentice sat a calico StarClanner, and beside her laid a heap of silver fur. Despite the distance, nothing could disguise the wide, dark gash across Ivystar’s throat.

In the space of a breath, the blind confidence that had been propping him up came crashing down. With Torrentstar, it had been easy to assume StarClan had simply kept fighting him once his earlier wounds healed. With Finchstar, well, he’d probably been on his last life anyway. WindClanners were reckless like that. Now Snowpaw had seen three leaders die…and throughout all of that, he’d never seen one come back. Especially not from an injury like that. Swaying on his paws as if reeling from one of Stembreeze's attacks, he turned back to his father. I’m okay. I’m okay. ”I could’ve died,” he mumbled instead, and suddenly—so suddenly, in fact, that it managed to startle him—tears spilled down his cheeks.

Maybe Stembreeze had been right. Snowpaw definitely felt like a coward now.

There was shuffling, and Clovertwist blinked and looked aside to see Aspenheart having rushed over, his head pressing for a moment to her chest before he sat up again, looking wild with awe and amazement. Morningpaw was alive, but stars knew how long she might sleep. Aspenheart stared after the StarClan cat as she disappeared; he seemed to have no better idea who she was than Clovertwist did. The warrior felt his tail continuing to pulse painfully underneath his own celebratory feelings, and he let out a strained chuckle at his uncle's bold words and laughter. The medicine cat had turned to Clovertwist then, and the uncomfortable warrior met his gaze with wide yellow eyes for a moment, stunned by the supernatural happenings compounding around them.

Clovertwist didn't need to answer, though he likely couldn't have if he'd wanted to. He saw Aspenheart's gaze suddenly lock on something over his shoulder, and without turning to look Clovertwist knew what it would be. His uncle looked to have seen a ghost - and given their situation, that was exactly what Aspenheart had seen. The silver tabby tom turned from his uncle and found the source of his flood of emotions. Dad. Clovertwist nodded silently, dumbly, a few times to Aspenheart's breathless murmur, and watched in a haze as the father he'd lost to illness the past leaf-bare made his way towards them, fur sleek and shining with no grizzled silver hairs. Barleytuft moved to embrace Aspenheart - to make up for the rift that had opened between them in the moons before his death - and Clovertwist just watched in silence.

---

Another starry warrior joined the charge beside him, and Barleytuft pulled back as Gustpuddle reared up, raking her claws ferociously over the starry she-cat. Creeksplash staggered back, and as Gustpuddle backed away slightly to protect her son, Barleytuft took a threatening step forward, daring her to try something else. Her final curse before death was only met by a contemptuous snort from Barleytuft, and then she was gone, her starlight fading into shadow and thin air. The tabby StarClan warrior's tail lashed furiously as he glared at the place where she'd disappeared, but it was over for her. Barleytuft looked aside to where Gustpuddle was comforting Ploverpuddle. Mother and son; loyal, whatever the choices they'd once had to make. He nodded once as Gustpuddle, acknowledging her skilled work and thanking her for her help. He glanced to her son, his face softening, and he meowed huskily, "You're a good tom, Ploverpuddle."

With that, Barleytuft turned from them, surveying the scene of the battle. The Righteous Few were falling swiftly now under the weight of the Clans - RiverClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, ThunderClan, and a few honorable SkyClan cats - and the damage they had done was being undone. Flintstar, the ShadowClan leader, had rejoined the fray. Barleytuft's eyes continued to sweep over the scene, and then they suddenly found themselves locked onto another set of eyes - a soft pale sage green pair. His heart, which had only moments ago beat hard in the thrill of battle, seemed to freeze. His heart, frozen when faced with the medicine cat, was flooded with emotions as well. Aspenheart. Without thinking, Barleytuft moved forward, not breaking eye contact with the tom.

Starlit tears welled in his own eyes, and in a few strides he had crossed the space between them. Barleytuft stopped two pawsteps before the silver striped medicine cat; in the corner of his eye he saw Clovertwist staring awestruck and knew his littlest daughter Softpaw was there, too, but Aspenheart - oh, Aspenheart. It couldn't wait, yet what words could convey everything? "Aspenheart... We..." he began, hesitated. He smirked, the scars on his lip pulling, and it felt so natural. "We are a pair of stubborn hares, you and I. I could have no better brother in life or death." Perhaps that would do. He took another step forward, angling his head to press it with deep affection against the medicine cat's - if he would accept it. If his brother would proudly reclaim the title he never should have lost. Fear was an insidious influence.

Ravenmist dipped her head, moving closer to Mossbloom. ”Of course, father.” The deputy provided a reassuring smile to Wolfcall. “Thank you, for fighting with us. I can’t speak for every cat, but rest assured your bravery, along with the other SkyClanners who stayed and fought, will not be swiftly forgotten. Mossbloom will do everything she can, and I’m here to guard them. No reasonable warrior would hold it against you if you left her side to help your comrades.” She spoke softly, though the flutter in her heart stirred by meeting her father again hadn’t faded.

((Going to post with Falconwing again later, in a rush right now))

Foxspirit watched in awe as the true StarClan cats descended to help them. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw a familiar pelt. Could it be? Her eyes filled with tears. It was him! Her mate had come to help drive out the Righteous Few! She called out as she ran towards him, "Swiftstep! Is it really you?"

Briarthorn looked up at the sky in amazement as a hole in the clouds appeared. StarClan cats, true StarClan cats, began fighting alongside the Clan ones. He nodded to Meadowpaw as she finished off Aspenleaf, and he turned to find other opponents. However, that was being taken care of. The  Righteous Few cats were dying off and disappearing quickly. Soon only one was left! One of the StarClan cats revived Mourningpaw, and her breathing stabilized. Thank goodness. As he looked at the pelts of the StarClan warriors, his eyes paused on one pelt. It was Barlytuft! Briarthorn smiled, a few tears in his eyes as he sat looking at his stepfather.

Aspenleaf's eyes widened in horror when she saw other Righteous Few members fade away. "You'll pay for that," she spat and lunged towards the warrior. But her claws never met the warrior's flesh. Time seemed to slow as she was bowled over, pain ripping into her flank. She collapsed onto her side, wheezing for air. She glanced up to see an apprentice with stars shimmering in her pelt. "Starclan," she murmured, then coughed up a glob of blood. "Mouse-brains, all of you." She knew her time was up, her life slowly bleeding out like the blood that pooled beneath her. She glared at the cats who had defeated her, an undefeatable opponent. She smiled, blood shining on her fangs. "I hope you all don't regret what you have done," she sighed. Her tail tip twitched once, twice, then she was still, eyes staring unblinkingly at nothing. Her body began to fade, barely noticeable at first. Soon she was gone, nothing marking the spot where she had been moments earlier except for the large red splotches staining the grass.

Aspenleaf has been defeated.

Tanglepaw lurched backward as other starry cats piled on to the huge tom, rescuing her and her companions from combat. The she-cat pressed her paws to her chest, feeling her own breathing, to make sure that she, too, was among the living. Flintstar lived. The clan would be led. Tanglepaw felt worms crawling in her stomach. What now? Everyone seemed so happy. What did this mean for her? She felt that the victory was not hers to partake in, and she sent her eyes down to the ground. Still, she smiled. It was nice to see such jubilation, after all this time.

---

ooc: Juniperpaw has been Auto-KOed due to the time limit

Badgerstar looked up at the sound of great panic and commotion. All around him, StarClan returned. The fire in his belly had been doused in water, and as he retreated into his mind, he found the barriers he had built were destroyed. Had they been so distracted? Who had slipped through the veil? Silver tabby paws collided with his face as Galestar pummeled his body. The tom screamed in fury and defeat, his body collapsing under him. "TRAITOR!" he screeched. "FOOL, COWARD, SOFT-BELLIED, FEEBLE-MINDED, WINDCLAN COWARD! I was right about you! You've destroyed it! Everything we built, it's gone! You great OAF! Do you think they'll spare you from the Place of No Stars?! You are not above me! You are beneath me!"

He lashed out at nothing, aiming vaguely for Galestar, but making no contact. He hunted for an opening, to flee, to make haste out of the clearing, for it was better to wander, ghostly, for all of eternity, until he faded away into obscurity, than to be bested by his own prisoners. Panicked, frenzied, Badgerstar wailed, pitched himself to the ground, and looked up at Galestar with unflinching eyes. His energy spent, his army fallen, he heaved.

Badgerstar attempted to strike, but has no will left to fight. No damage is done.

---

Aspenheart gritted his teeth as Barleytuft approached him. He had nothing to say, and yet the tom drew nearer. Every apology he had written and re-written in his head disappeared. He had expected that this conversation would happen only after his frail heart stopped beating. He hadn't prepared. What could he possibly give Barleytuft that his old friend didn't already know? There was nothing. So... that meant he was coming to chew him out. Awful. Justly deserved, but mortifying. Right in front of his kits, too. Aspenheart turned his cheek, bracing for the heavy blow to come.

But Barleytuft did not demand apology. He did not talk like a long-removed StarClan cat, with wisdom of ages past, but as if he had never really left. His words dripped with fraught nerves and something else Aspenheart could not determine. When he opened his eyes once more, he recognized the feeling that escaped his judgement. Forgiveness. Barleytuft forgave him. And he extended his muzzle to Aspenheart, a greeting reserved for deepest friends and most beloved kin.

What to do, now? No longer could he hide his feelings behind a gorse wall of jives and insults. There was too much to cover and mend using humor alone. It could be, then, that for once in his miserable life, Aspenheart was going to have to express genuine affection for all of the forest to bear witness to. It was something so intimate, and so private, that he couldn't bear to do it, except stranded on a mountain and overlooking the sunrise with his mentor. But here he was. And he knew that the aching in his heart was not of sorrow, not for fear, but for glee. For love. This was love, the thing they speak about in such poetry, the thing Aspenheart was positive he was incapable of. Of course he could never love a she-cat, or even a tom, in any romantic sense of the word. But this was storge. Love of kin. Barleytuft was overflowing with it, every hour of every day. Aspenheart felt a sudden realignment of his mind, and he understood.

Weeping, Aspenheart pressed his cheek to Barleytuft's, surely leaving salty wet marks on his brother's muzzle, though he didn't seem to mind. He shivered with the grandness of his emotions and drew closer, throwing his trembling front paws over Barleytuft's shoulders to embrace him before he found the resolve to step back. His eyes were glassy, and his lip still trembled. "I'm reminded every day of how little time I have left," he whispered. "My illness will only worsen, and I... I know it will take me. But I'm comforted by the thought that you and Finchstar will greet me when I get there. We'll walk together... maybe even run, if I'm lucky. I'll see you soon, brother. Wait for me."

“I’m sorry,” Addershade said gently. He spared a quick glance around them. There was still fighting, but it was finally starting to die down. “I know...I know that must be terrifying. I wish I could tell you that this will be the only time you face danger like this. I wish I could tell you nothing bad will ever happen again. But it would just be an empty lie. But what I can tell you is that as long as I am alive-- and even after-- I will be here for you. I would fight tooth and claw with death itself to keep you and your siblings safe,”

He gently touched his nose to Snowpaw’s head. He wanted his son to know he’d be there to protect him. But he realized suddenly that that wasn’t enough-- if he kept being scared of the world on his children’s behalf, sooner or later they’d either resent him for it and do something truly foolish, or they'd begin to believe in his fear and let it control them. They’d become like him. And he didn’t want either of those things for any of them.

“But more importantly, I think-- I believe you can be there for yourself. You're right, you could've died tonight-- but the reason you didn’t wasn’t just because you had others there with you. It’s because you fought for it, too. I-I...I think I haven’t given you or your siblings enough credit. I will always be here to protect you when you need me. But I also believe in your ability to protect yourself. Whether the world is dangerous or not. I think...I think it's going to be okay,” Addershade was less surprised by the words coming out of his mouth and more surprised by the fact that maybe, finally, he actually believed them.

The battle was absolutely ferocious. The wall holding StarClan back burst like a dam, cats flooding the land of the living once more to defeat the Righteous Few. As much as the tortoiseshell tom wanted to fight, there were too many cats there. Too much going on already. Barleytuft went ahead of him and found Aspenheart and Ploverpuddle first. Elmskip came soon after, appearing next to the WindClanners with his brilliantly starry pelt. Death had done the old tom some good. He looked calmer, more at peace with himself. The three-legged warrior laid his tail across Barleytuft's flank to announce his presence, a warm smile crossing his scarred face at the sight of his fellow Clan members. "It's nice to see you all again." Aspenheart looked a mess, as did Ploverpuddle, but that was to be expected. They were almost done. It was almost over. "Aspenheart..." Elmskip padded forward and touched his nose to the medicine cat's head. "I'm proud of you. Of all of you. I can assure you, Finchstar is as well. We've been watching. I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner, or stay longer to help. I hope me being here now helps some, at least."

"Swiftstep? Dad? Is that you?" Spotlake asked padding up to her mother. She knew that Softpaw would take care of Morningpaw. "Foxspirit is it really him?"

Another flood of starry cats descended into Fourtrees, and Raventail’s heart plummeted. It was over. They had the whole of StarClan on their side; it only made sense that reinforcements would come to finish the battle. The dead warriors swept through the clearing—yet, inexplicably, it was the Righteous Few who fell before them. Out of the corner of his eye, Raventail saw Swiftstep, WindClan’s deputy before him, charging toward one group of warriors. A flash of cream-colored fur caught his attention, then, and once he’d turned to look, forgetting his own battle for a heartbeat, a lump rose in his throat. Barleytuft…? This much was clear: Whether they were acting for all of StarClan or themselves, these cats were friends. Allies.

Finchstar wasn’t among them. Neither was Dacedream, or Morningpaw, or the leaders who’d died at the Righteous Few’s claws (though Flintstar's absence was justified; Raventail spotted him among the cats circling Brackenstar, and the tiniest bit of weight left his chest). He’d never fully dislodged Badgerstar’s words; they crept back into his ears, louder than they’d been out of the leader’s own mouth, and sank their claws into whatever relief he felt before it could get off the ground.

With a growl, Galestar joined them. Raventail instinctively jumped back to keep both her and Badgerstar in his line of sight—except, rather than joining with her ally, she drove her claws into Badgerstar’s pelt. Another StarClanner, one he didn’t recognize, did the same. Zinnia and Downpaw raced in on their heels, mercifully unharmed. Where had they been? ”Thank you,” Raventail meowed, voice trembling ever so slightly. For now, he wouldn’t question Galestar’s presence. He did, however, try to position himself between her and the others. She’d already taken one cat from him. Never again. It would take more than betrayed yowling and a single misaimed swipe to convince him.

One more set of paws thundered toward them; someone called, ”Rabbit-brained idiot,” as they closed in on one of the few battles remaining; and though time had worn away Raventail’s memories of his old friend’s voice, the words were so undeniably him that everything came back in an instant. Badgerstar’s face blurred. Raventail sucked in a breath as Murkpaw flew past, starry claws flashing in the night, and as Badgerstar threw himself to the ground—seemingly not to dodge a blow, but for another reason entirely. The battlefield was no place for a reunion. First, Badgerstar needed to fall; then Galestar; then whoever was left. He could only hope they’d have a chance to talk once the war had truly been won…rather, once it was over.

In an imitation of the attack that had taken Badgerstar down, he stood tall, then dropped the full weight of his upper body against the leader’s head. Please, let this be enough. It was a plea without direction, maybe meant for the stars who'd joined the forest in the end, maybe meant for Badgerstar himself.

Raventail used Upright Lock on Badgerstar, dealing 17 damage and using 19 stamina. Badgerstar can no longer fight.

Raventail
105/105 HP
187/280 SP (-19)

Badgerstar
0/120 HP (-17)
280/300 SP