May Gathering 2020 [Sitewide Plot Finale]

Icecloud padded over to sunflower. “Hello!“ the young she-cat had battled this cat over the boarder when she was an apprentice. Now she was a warrior! She wanted to make peace with the Tom. She didn’t know how the Tom would react, but she hoped that it wouldn’t be bad.

It wasn't but a few moments before Smallbean sensed another cat was approaching. He looked over to find what seemed like either a large apprentice or a young warrior. Not long later he discovered that the cat was indeed an apprentice, and from his scent he seemed to be thunderclan. Like Vixenpaw was. Shivers ran through his body just thinking about the cruel apprentice, but he quickly pushed her to the back of his mind. He didn't want to be worrying about her right now. Dipping his head in greeting, he mustered up a small smile. "Hello, i'm S-Smallbean. Thank you, i'm d-doing fine though i'm a b-bit more on edge than usual, and you can p-probably guess why." He paused, looking around for a moment. "I'm not enjoying how everyone's b-been either, though it's not like i'm not contributing to the p-panic." He mewed, looking down at his paws.

Though he didn't usually like talking to cats unless they were very young, Smallbean found himself quite comfortable with Beepaw. It seemed as though they could relate a bit to each other, something he wasn't used to being able to do. It seemed like there were no other cats back at camp he could relate to. "S-so, Have you b-been doing alright? How have you b-been holding up w-with all this chaos going around?"

The moment he’d finished speaking, Raventail’s mind circled back to his mate. His tail swung against the stone. There was no way to help, no way to even know… Movement beneath the Great Rock caught his attention. Usually, the only cats who wandered so close were the other deputies—but when he turned, he found himself blinking down at Morningpaw. She called Olivestone’s name, then his. No doubt about it; this had to be important. Her expression suggested that every bit as much as the words themselves did. There was something unsettling about this, about ”whatever happens tonight,” about ”before they arrive,” that he couldn’t fully blame on StarClan. However grand the things that came out of Morningpaw’s mouth were, each had its own purpose. It almost—no, he couldn't avoid it. It reminded him of Finchstar.

Once he’d pushed himself back to his feet, Raventail glanced over his shoulder at the leaders. ”Give me a minute?” Then he walked back to the Great Rock’s edge, ears turning forward as he settled down to listen. There was no way to know how much time they had before the Righteous Few’s arrival (if they were coming; with every cat who seemed to believe so, Raventail’s own certainty grew). Still, his eyes strayed toward Dappleshine. With effort, he directed them back toward Morningpaw. ”I’m all ears."

How to even begin? How would she summarise the events of last month- her clandestine meetings, her inspiring speeches, her call to action that seemingly more cats than were in an entire Clan had answered? For the briefest moment, Morningpaw considered backing out, and simply saying something like "I just wanted to congratulate you both!" -- but no, this was something that had to be done; and it was her mess she'd gotten herself into, so it was her responsibility to fix it. None of this had been easy; to speak up in the face of the Righteous Few's tyranny, to gather those cats who had shown the clearest objections, to organise secret meetings and trainings and plannings, to approach Lavenderbreeze at the gorge- and lastly, to come to the Gathering, knowing that the sky itself may crash down on her at any moment. But this was the very lesson Morningpaw had been trying to instil in the Clans since the last Gathering - what is easy is not always what is right.

And so, she spoke, her voice quiet- and likely only audible to those on or around the Great Rock- but firm, honest, and with a hint of shame she tried to tamp down. She was, after all, simply an apprentice, and no matter how high her wings of courage may have carried her, they had to melt eventually. She started, naturally, from the beginning. "At the last Gathering- when the Righteous Few killed Finchstar- I thought that... something needed to be done. Someone needed to stop them from doing that again, and from hurting any more cats. Not just any one Clan, but- all the Clans, working together, to find a solution and work towards it. I thought that, because we all live in the same forest, maybe we could all put aside our differences for long enough to... do something. Even if I didn't know what needed to be done."

"So," she continued, and then took a deep breath, looking down at her paws. She had already crossed the figurative river, and there was no turning back now. "I asked some of the cats from the Gathering to- meet me here, at Fourtrees, a few days after. You- you remember when Clovertwist, Ferretdance and I went on that 'night hunting patrol' after Finchstar's death? That was- well, I invited them here, as well as some cats from the other Clans. And we talked, and- we all agreed that the Righteous Few were a problem, and that something needed to be done, and that we needed to be the cats to do it, if nobody else would. And- and I should've told you both, I should've asked first and not just gone ahead and kept it a secret but-- I thought you'd object. It was dangerous and stupid and- it felt like the right thing to do."

"And we met again, about a week ago- after..." She gave a glance over to Dappleshine, her sympathy for the grieving mother growing by the minute. "A little while after Dacedream died, and after you became deputy, Olivestone. And I wanted to tell you, I really did, but-- anyway, uh- we did another meeting, and more cats showed up. A lot more cats- the word spread. ShadowClan's deputy was there, and their medicine cat, and our medicine cat- well, Softpaw, at least- and Goldengale and Briarthorn and..." And then, the sudden realisation that maybe she should stop listing names before anyone else got in trouble. "-anyway, uh, we- talked, and we agreed that in light of Dacedream's death and Oakstar's demotion, the Righteous Few had to be stopped. And that if they wouldn't back down, then everyone there would be willing and ready to fight back, in the name of peace. And, well- now there's about two dozen cats here who are willing to take on the Righteous Few to protect the forest and the Clans. Myself included."

"I'm so sorry- I should've mentioned it sooner," the apprentice hastily added, the words spilling from her mouth faster than she could stop them. "I thought you'd shut it down because it was too dangerous and then they'd just kill more cats-- and then it was too late to say anything at all and I was going to but I- I was scared," she admitted. "I was scared I'd get into trouble for doing something stupid and reckless again-- but it felt like the right thing to do, for WindClan and for all the Clans-- so I did it anyway and I just didn't say anything. And- telling you both now, feels like the right thing to do as well. I'm sorry, and- I'll accept whatever punishment you give me. I just had to make sure you both knew there's a lot of cats here who are willing to fight for peace."

Another breath, and she looked back up, her expression a mixture of fear and determination- she wasn't sure what would happen to her now (would they make her a kit again? She really didn't want to be a kit again!), but- whatever her punishment was, she would bear it with pride. Morningpaw had said her piece; she had done what she thought was right, and no matter how much of the Code she had broken (for she was fairly sure she'd broken at least a little of it), her Clan always came first. As she'd said to Ashpaw- loyalty and love were two sides of the same leaf.

As the words began to flow forth, Olivestone found herself surprised, but not really. In having mentored Morningpaw, the deputy had grown to know her charge well, and if she were being honest, what Morningpaw had confessed to was definitely something that Olivestone could imagine her doing. She nodded sagely as all the pieces began to fall into place, why the "night hunt" excuse, why Ferretdance had seemed to be holding something back from her, why the prickling feeling that something was going on right under her nose. Yet, she couldn't be mad, because the intention was admirable, even if her fear had led her to try and stifle Morningpaw's brave words at the last Gathering.

She gave a quick lick to the top of Morningpaw's head as she murmured, "I'm not angry, or disappointed. While I wish you would have told me sooner, because I would have supported you regardless, I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you for standing up for what you believe in, and more so for sticking to those beliefs in the face of danger. Yeah, sure it was reckless, but your intentions, your drive for true justice, make up for that. You have the makings of a true warrior, and I'm glad to be your mentor. In a way, you taught me something too. You taught me to stand up for myself more, to not lay down and take what others dish out. For that, I thank you, and just know that I'll always stand with you."

With a smile, she continued.
"I won't punish you, especially not for doing what you think is right. I may be your mentor, your deputy, but I'm also your friend. You can trust me."

Swansong walked into the clearing, something tingling at her paws. Anticipation? Nervousness? Something didn't seem quite right this gathering. She could almost smell it in the air. Certainly she could smell it in the faint odour of sickness coming from a few of the cats in the crowd, their figures slumped like those in her own Clan.

These last few gatherings had been anything but peaceful, and she had a feeling that this one would be no different.

Swansong is open to talk to!

Willowpaw turned towards another warrior. She didn’t seem particularly sick...in fact, she didn’t seem sick at all. “Um...Hi. I’m Willowpaw. From ThunderClan. Nice to meet you.” Willowpaw greeted the cat. She assumed that the other cat was from SkyClan, because she had to build and scent of the trees.

(Willowpaw is talking to Swansong)

A pause, barely a heartbeat of hesitation, and the whole story (for, though it’d been the last thing Raventail expected, there was a story) spilled forth. Secret meetings in the wake of Finchstar’s death, searching for a way to dislodge the Righteous Few’s hold on the forest. He wasn’t consciously aware of Morningpaw’s sideways glance at Dappleshine, but something in him must have registered it, because his stomach dropped just before Morningpaw gave context to Dappleshine’s heartrending yowl. His mate’s oldest daughter. His stepdaughter. Blinking, Raventail realized the apprentice’s face had gone blurry; he lowered his gaze, keeping his eyes on the stone as Morningpaw explained the second meeting of what sounded increasingly like an outright rebellion.

Looking back, he’d missed every possible sign—and there were several. Oddly timed hunting patrols that, despite the many, many rabbits he’d seen emerging from their dens, filled the fresh-kill pile only as much as they would have in leaf-bare. Out-of-place scents he could have noticed if he hadn’t been struggling to keep his own head above water with WindClan on his shoulders. That was it, really. While he’d focused on holding them together in the aftermath, Morningpaw had looked to the future…looked to ensure that what had happened to Thornstar, Torrentstar, Finchstar, and now Dacedream would never happen again.

And she hadn’t been the only one. As Morningpaw listed names and titles, a surge of warmth for his Clanmates and these near-strangers overtook Raventail. Ravenmist. Mothglow. No Clan was a monolith, but…it made him wonder where Flintstar stood, and Ivystar, Spottedstar, Nettlefire. They hadn’t stepped forward in Finchstar’s defense, but they hadn’t stepped forward to kill him, either, even when the stars had demanded it; to Raventail, who had done nothing but watch, that was everything. And surely there had to be others, from every Clan, just as the ones who’d spoken out to the Righteous Few’s faces had been. How many of the cats who’d stayed silent had just been waiting for something like this? How many of them would leap forward tonight if they knew?

Raventail quietly stood up as Olivestone spoke. There it was, glinting past fresh grief and fear and anger like the first rays of sun off a fish’s scales. Hope.

”I do wish you’d said something before,” he began, ”but I’m guessing you know that. What matters is, you saw something you knew was wrong, and you wanted to change it. How am I supposed to punish you for that?” He shook his head. ”You’re right, it is dangerous, but if we don’t fight back, this could go on forever. No one here deserves that.” Not Dappleshine. Not Dacedream. Raventail took a breath. When WindClan had faced the beasts and lost, they’d retreated to their camp, yet they’d been attacked anyway. StarClan had already invaded their nests. Weren’t rabbits most dangerous when cornered? ”If WindClan’s with me, then—I’m with you. I’ve got no idea how I’ll say it up here, but I’m with you.”

When Maplepaw walked into the Gathering, there was a sense of unease flowing through the crowd of cats, making Maplepaw wonder what they were so afraid of.  Then she remembered back to the last Gathering, how the Righteous Few had killed Finchstar.  She hadn't forgotten, she could never forget something like that.  

She realized that at least some of the cats here were wondering if the Righteous Few would return for this one.  Maplepaw figured that they probably would because they never would miss an opportunity to scare cats into behavior.  If the Righteous Few wanted to fight, they would do it soon, while there were still many sick cats.  She picked out a spot near some other cats and sat down.

_____________________________________________________________

Willowpaw wondered what would happen at this Gathering, like whether or not the Righteous Few would show up.


(Both Willowpaw and Maplepaw are open to talk to)

Clovertwist really did feel like he needed some kind of distraction from the tension around him, and he probably wouldn't get any company if he just sat around waiting for someone to come to him. He was grateful that Cedarheart seemed amenable to company. He frowned, though, as she mentioned that the tensions had been high since the previous Gathering - since they had lost Dacedream. Almost as soon as Cedarheart had finished speaking there was a sudden mournful shriek that rang through Fourtrees. Clovertwist jolted with alarm, bristling. No - have the Righteous Few come already?! he thought for a moment, horrified, but as his wide amber eyes swept over the crowd they landed on commotion from... Dappleshine. Clovertwist's stomach dropped. "Oh... Oh, no. That's... That's Dacedream's mother. Someone must have... must have just told her."

The silver tabby looked guiltily aside at Cedarheart. "Maybe I should've, or Morningpaw, or someone, I just... I-I didn't want to think of how I would explain it to her," Clovertwist admitted, realizing how selfish it was. Now poor Dappleshine was forced to grieve the fresh loss in front of all the Clans. Clovertwist's ears flattened. Around them, SkyClan had arrived. The WindClan tom looked up to the Great Rock where the leaders were commiserating - or had been. He saw Raventail on the edge and was surprised to see him speaking to Olivestone and Morningpaw below. "That's Morningpaw - what's she doing?" he asked, though he didn't expect Cedarheart to have an answer.

Cedarheart turned almost simultaneously with him. The shriek pierced her ears, and her green eyes were alert. Her gaze landed on the she-cat, someone unfamiliar. Clovertwist explained it. ”Oh...” at the mention of Dacedream, her eyes welled up again. She had been such an amazing warrior, and Cedarheart missed her dearly. She nodded. ”I understand.” She couldn’t imagine doing something like that. Soon she saw Morningpaw as well. ”I don’t know...” she said, squinting to get a better look. ”She is so brave...” she mewed in awe.

Clovertwist didn't really know what relationship Cedarheart might've had with Dacedream, but if they were Clanmates then it was likely she'd been devastated by the unjust murder. He hadn't even known her, but hearing about her death had been another claw clutching his heart. How could any ancestors do this to living cats - to any cat? How could they have forgotten what it was to be living, to love? His thoughts returned to Cedarheart and Morningpaw as he saw Raventail shake his head. From a distance Clovertwist could see his leader's eyes flash. In response to Cedarheart, Clovertwist nodded and chuckled and added, "Yeah, she really is - and a total hare-brain, too. As her Clanmate I can say that. Did you know she got in a fight with a goose as a kit? Then first thing as an apprentice, too?"

Flintstar's ears perked as a voice called out two names - Olivestone, which he did not recognize...And Raventail. He glanced over at the WindClan leader as the tom quickly excused himself and hopped down from the rock. He could hear the voices going on, three cats chatting. A soft huff escaped him as despite it all, with the awkward silence upon the rock...He could actually hear the conversation quite well and he couldn't help but focus on the words. But slowly his curiosity started to get the better of him and he actually started to pay attention to the words. She was going on about a...Meeting of sorts. Then she mentioned that his deputy had been there, and his medicine cat. Really? His expression darkened, not quite sure how to...Feel about that. It sounded like this was a secondary rebellion of sorts but had Raventail and Mothglow truly not trusted him enough to tell him of such things? Did they not think he would approve?

A sigh escaped him as he shook his head, listening as she went on to explain that her entire...Force was ready to fight. She was spouting off a lot of words and it was hard to focus on all of them when they were faint against the backing of the rock beneath him. But finally, she finished and Olivestone and Raventail both seemed to...Approve. WindClan was ready to fight the Righteous Few if it came down to it. He pushed himself to his paws, sparing a glance at the other two leaders and Nettlefire...Before he turned and jumped down from the rock without a word and headed over to the trio. "I'm...Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear all of that," he meowed, glancing between the three with his steely gaze. He was a little surprise to see that the third cat was actually an apprentice. Such a young cat with such a brave heart...How sweet. "Its...A thing, I don't quite understand it myself -anyways, while I was not...Aware of this force nor some of the...Support my Clanmates were giving towards it," he added, sparing a glance over his shoulder to stare at where Raventail was sitting...Before he sighed.

"...All of ShadowClan is unhappy with The Righteous Few. Thornstar was a beloved leader and Oakstar... He is a fine cat but he is not a ShadowClan cat despite what they say. We wish to see him returned to ThunderClan. And...Dacedream was like family to me. Thornstar would have their hide for her demise, so I will strive for the same justice - revenge. Whatever it truly is. So, as it is...If force is used tonight, WindClan will not stand alone. All of ShadowClan will stand with you, I can promise you that."

Ashpaw nodded firmly, agreeing with her statement; the clan's ways of putting the needs of others above their own had saved his and his sibling's lives, and truly, he had been doing exactly that since the day he was old enough to comprehend the world.  His parents had been kind to those passing through their territory, offering them refuge in the barn along with food from the hay bales, and thanks to his mother's skills she could even heal their wounds.  He had grown up in a life of selflessness, so maybe it wasn't all too shocking that he had become the cat he was today...in the end though, it had been his own choice to dedicate his life to the benefit of others.  Because he loved his siblings, he had been loyal to them above all else, and when RiverClan chose to be loyal to them, he had chosen to love them in return.  "Absolutely.  No matter where you end up Morningpaw, I know you'll do great!"

Ashpaw's bright smile, however, dimmed to a shocked one as his new friend continued, and he felt as if all the breath had been stolen out of his lungs.  Wisdom...of a medicine cat? Going places?  Me?!  "O-Oh, t-thank you Morningpaw but...I-I couldn't possibly...!"  His embarrassed stuttering though was suddenly cut off by an absolutely horrible, heart-breaking wail, and both apprentices turned at the same time to look at an older gray she-cat across the clearing.  She was surrounded by many cats, all of them with distraught looks on their faces and pain in their eyes...the grief of knowing, but not being able to do anything.  "What-?  Morningpaw cut him off, and her words were like bramble thorns stabbing his insides.  Pale eyes widening to the size of full moons, all he could do was stare.  "Oh...no, that's...so awful...I can't believe...why would they..."  Snapped out of his dismayed murmuring, Ashpaw turned and managed to return Morningpaw's sincere smile, waving his tail as he purred; "S-same to you!  Be safe!"  Watching her back as she vanished into the crowd, Ashpaw's gaze returned to the heartbroken mother, Dappleshine, but he knew he wouldn't be able to say anything to make her feel better than any other cat could.  However...if the time came, he could fight for her.  For the sake of her poor daughter, stolen too soon, for WindClan and their stolen leader...for everyone who the Righteous Few has dared to touch with their destructive greed.  He couldn't bring anyone back...but like Morningpaw, he could fight to protect what remained.

Closing his eyes, Ashpaw lowered his head for a moment before moving on, looking for someone he knew.  The tone in the clearing has shifted, and for now, he wanted to stay beside a clanmate.  "Willowpaw!"  Noticing her familiar silver pelt in the sea of more earthy colors, Ashpaw waved his tail as he approached his friend, smiling though clearly still a bit unnerved.  "Do you mind if I join you?  There are so many cats, I don't want to be swept away, haha."