May Gathering 2023

There was hope that, like the last Gathering, this one would remain boring and peaceful. As Sunfire guided Rosepaw down the slope and into Fourtrees, he leaned in to speak to her. "You can go socialize with the other clans... usually the apprentices like to hang together." He never really had, of course, because anycat that wasn't SkyClan was pretty much filth in his eyes, but if Rosepaw wanted to make acquaintances - and only acquaintances - outside SkyClan, he wouldn't stop her.

He'd half expected for Falconmoon to go off and talk to his bird nerd friends, but to his surprise, his brother had sat alone. Somewhat pleased by this turn of events, Sunfire sidled over to sit beside him, an ear flick and short nod in greeting. They were, however, swiftly distracted from any attempt at conversation as the WindClan medicine cat, who had for some reason joined the leaders on the rock, began speaking - not to the leaders... but to the Gathering.

Sunfire exchanged a glance with his brother, and then set his gaze upon the black she-cat as she continued. None of what she was saying affected him directly, or even really SkyClan at all, so the tom's expression never wavered from a mixture of boredom and apathy. That was until Falconmoon piped up from beside him, specifically vilifying Nightstar in his own mini tirade. Bewildered yellow eyes widened slightly as Falconmoon finished, and he opened up his mouth to question what the heck just happened, but then it was Birdstar's turn, and his desire for her opinion on the matter captured his attention.

He didn't give a rat's tail about the other leaders' opinions, but Birdstar's mattered to him: especially when she came blatantly out and said she didn't care about forbidden romances? Sunfire wrinkled his nose in disgust, slicking back his ears and searching his leader's face for any sign that what she was saying was a lie. He didn't know why she'd lie, or if she would, even, but she had to be, right? She couldn't really be okay with that?

Birdstar finished, andcalled for SkyClan to begin assembling to leave. Sunfire stood, muttering a moody, "C'mon," at his brother as he turned to start heading back towards Wolfblossom. It was then that he picked up Juniperheart in his periphery, but she was heading away from SkyClan, towards the central part of the clearing. He frowned. Had she not heard Birdstar? "I'll be right there," he said quickly to Falconmoon, and then loped over to intercept her, putting his body directly in her path so she'd have to plow through him, or go around him, to continue. "Hey," he said gently, "we're leaving, Birdstar said - walk back with me?"

***

A multitude of voices joined Lichenwing's, as the clearing seemed to erupt with chatter and feedback. As Curly moved up to join him in defense of Mottlestar, the smoky tom nodded once in approval. ThunderClan would not sit idly by while their leader was slandered and threatened. He moved closer to the rock, brow furrowed in concern as the tortoiseshell sank down, seeming to grow limp. Several of the other leaders were crowded around her.

Then Firefly spoke, and what she suggested almost made him nauseous. Murder a leader? At a Gathering? That broke so many rules it was unthinkable. What would StarClan do if someone actually took it seriously? Lichenwing himself wasn't a violent cat, but he knew that some were. Some here tonight, even.

Two leaders had called for their clans to leave. The Gathering was over, now... that was apparent, and the only thing he'd managed to do was get his feelings hurt. Seagreen eyes slid back to where he'd last seen Juniperheart, only to notice her making a beeline towards him. For him. Lichenwing turned to greet her, stepping forward just as another cat shoved his way in first. The ThunderClan tom's ears snapped back, and he stopped abruptly, drawing the yellow tom's attention.

***

"What?" Sunfire demanded, narrowing his gaze as he noticed Lichenwing's approach. "Your deputy called for you, didn't he, ThunderClanner?" He flicked his tail dismissively, returning his attentions to Juniperheart. His voice was lower and gentler when he spoke to her. "You alright? C'mon, or we'll hear about it later." He did not need a lecture from his mom, or Birdstar, and every moment they spent here grew more and more uncomfortable.

The silhouette of the gray tom didn't disappear from his vision, and raw annoyance flickered in his eyes. What did this mousebrain want? Sunfire didn't even know his name. "Can I help you with something?" He made no attempt to disguise his irritation.

***

Lichenwing slicked back an ear, looking between them once, twice. The second time, his gaze came to rest on Juniperheart, disregarding the yellow tom for now. What do you want from me, Juniperheart? Am I supposed to stay away, or draw you closer? He broke contact, shaking his head. "Nothin', sorry. It's nuts in here... got turned around." He had more to worry about than this, right now... namely Mottlestar, who had seemed to come to again. He moved away from them without attempting to look at Juniperheart again, eager to distance himself from the hurt of that situation.

"I think we'd all rather be in our nests... Aside from maybe Leopardsun." Wolfblossom's whiskers twitched at the Thunderclan deputy's greetings, "Maybe this gathering will end quickly... Peacefully." And that's when one of the medicine cats came striding up to the rock, moving past the deputies and leaping up. Wolfblossom stared after her for a moment. The last time a medicine cat had interrupted a gathering, it had been a former medicine cat... Confessing to murder. Her mother, in fact. And hadn't that ended so well? Whatever this medicine cat was going to say, Wolfblossom did not think it would end well.

And then the medicine cat raised her voice. "...Ah foxdung... Two moons truly is too much to ask, isn't it?" It was as if her very words had cursed the gathering. On the medicine cat spoke, and Wolfblossom's ears twitched. Was this necessary? Was any of this even their business? Shadowclan and Thunderclan, clearly, and Windclan, but the rest of them had no part in this. Wolfblossom listened in silence, glancing toward her fellow deputies. So Nightstar and Mottlestar had kits... What could the Thunderclanner possibly see in the rude, brash tom? And the rest... Well, Wolfblossom had a low enough opinion of Nightstar, but to trick a cat onto the thunderpath? The deputy's ears rotated back. She wasn't sure she quite believed it, the medicine cat clearly had even less love for Nightstar than Wolfblossom herself did. Nightstar had, she reminded herself, been honest in his dealings with Skyclan. To the point of rudeness, but that sort of twisted trickery seemed below him. She would hope, especially after how he'd handled the last situation between their clans so promptly. The clearing was filled with a cacophony of voices, among them Nightstar's, and his defense of that supposed thunderpath incident seemed perfectly reasonable to Wolfblossom's ears, though she had no knowledge of this retired Brackenwing to confirm. The mention of Silverwing did not go unnoticed, but what had happened there was in the past, and in the past it needed to stay. Wolfblossom's gaze sought the silver warrior's in the crowd, and she gave her a small nod of reassurance.

Leopardsun spoke her vehement displeasure of being referred to as Leopardstar, and Wolfblossom nodded in silent agreement. To call a cat that before they had earned the name was beyond disrespectful. Who did Batsong think she was to address any of them like this?

The cacophony continued, and Wolfblossom's gaze hardened, settling onto the Windclan deputy with steely disapproval. When she spoke, her voice lifted, so that those on the great rock might also hear, but not the rest of the gathering who were farther away. "Your clanmates have a way of making gatherings interesting, Smallbean. Your medicine cat is as undisciplined and lacking of respect as your elders, it would seem. Is this how Windclanners are taught? Are you complicit or simply incapable at your duties? If there's hail or lightning, may the consequences be on your head and not those who have no part in this. Moon after moon your clan makes a mockery of the peace we are supposed to have here." No, she had not forgotten her first gathering that ended in a hailstorm because a trio of glory-hungry elders had thought attacking a confessed murderer was a good idea. Perhaps her words were harsh - Wolfblossom certainly had never used such a tone at a gathering, preferring to keep her interactions as friendly as possible for her clan's sake, but tonight was beginning to wear thin.

Birdstar spoke, sternly rebuffing the Windclan medicine cat, much as Perchstar and Leopardsun had already done. Her sister leaned down, and Wolfblossom was grateful for the order, grateful for something to do that wasn't sit here and listen to the private affairs of two clans be paraded for the whole forest because of the grudges of a single cat. "Knew you'd ask, sister. On it."

Standing, Wolfblossom inclined her head to both Darkspirit and Leopardsun. The latter she was far more familiar with, but Darkspirit would have his paws full too, she expected.

"Leopardsun, Darkspirit... Good luck. I don't envy your position to deal with all of this." To the Windclan deputy she could only shake her head in silent disapproval.

And that was when she saw Mottlestar collapse out of the corner of her eye. One of the medicine cats immediately rushed to her, as did Darkspirit, leaping up to the great rock with all the ease that Wolfblossom might've. The deputy's eyes widened in shock as she glanced up at the leaders, then she spun on her heel, heart pounding with sudden adrenaline. The fallen Thunderclan leader was being taken care of, and Wolfblossom had her own clan to look after.

"Skyclan!" She called out, turning away from the deputies, "With me."

---

Stoneheart's eyes widened as the gathering was called to order not by one of the leaders, but by another who had leaped up to the great rock. This... This wasn't going to be good. The sudden screeching of the she-cat only confirmed the dreadful suspicion in Stoneheart's mind, and she listened... Only to turn her head, seeming to mentally check out as she scanned the crowd for Mistpaw. It wasn't long before her sister had found her though, and Stoneheart gently pressed against her. "Great Starclan, every one of these is a dung show. We can skip attending these together, Mistpaw." She mewed softly. The discussion clearly didn't need to involve several clans here, and the rising noise was slowly but surely beginning to give Stoneheart a headache as she half-listened to the yowls and screeching.

Wolfblossom's voice rose above the crowd, calling Skyclan together, and Stoneheart's shoulders slumped in relief. "Stay close, Mistpaw! Let's go." Anything to get out of here sooner.

---

Moondancer listened, fur lifting in pure rage as the Windclan medicine cat spoke. She glanced at her siblings who sat beside her, glad for their presence and only their presence as she listened to the Windclan cat's tirade and the yowls of various other cats, their clanmates included. Moondancer's mouth open... But no sound came out. Instead, she turned her head and spat. She was so disgusted by the revelation that she couldn't even speak. Kits! With a Thunderclanner! What could possibly possess Nightstar to do such a thing? And he didn't even deny it! The Thunderclan leader had seemingly collapsed on the great rock, clearly distressed over this whole situation, but Moondancer couldn't find it within herself to be sympathetic. This entire situation was a load of foxdung, and the two cats whose leadership had been called into question were truly despicable, just as much as this so-called medicine cat of Windclan's. Moondancer wanted nothing more than to go home and ignore all of this. Coming to fourtrees had been even more of a waste of time than it usually was if she had to listen to this nonsense.

---

Graywind padded forward at her mother's call for Skyclan to join her, very much relieved that they would be leaving soon. The entire situation didn't seem to involve Skyclan, not for the Windclan medicine cat's lack of trying, and that was all Graywind needed to know.

Wolfblossom has called Skyclan together. And wished Darkspirit/Leopardsun luck. And given Windclan HRs a piece of her mind.
Graywind and Stoneheart are sticking by their clanmates.
Moondancer is disgusted and has left.

A soft sigh of relief escaped Creamsky as Birdstar seemed unwilling to get involved minus scolding the medicine cat for her choice to do this. As the leader turned her attention to Wolfblossom and spoke a few words, he was already pushing himself to his paws - ignoring as Shrikestar started to speak as he waited for the deputy's words to ring forth. Finally the call was made and he quickly started to weave his way to where Wolfblossom was standing, eager to put this drama behind him - it wasn't his business. But he spared a glance towards the rock, eyeing where the ThunderClan leader had collapsed into a pile of fur at the scene. He wasn't sure how he felt about the codebreaking but... Either way, neither of them deserved their drama to be dragged out like this, no matter their position within the Clan.

-------------------------

Badgermask's ears twitched as she heard her sister spit in disgust, glancing over with a soft frown. She wasn't surprised, but instead she was more curious on what was bothering her sister so much - honestly there was so many things to be angry at with this entire thing and she didn't blame her one bit for it. She glanced up as Shrikestar spoke - in seeming defense of his medicine cat. Ah. Her eyes narrowed, a huff escaping her - so all of WindClan was just as bad then if their leader approved of this. She shook her head, scanning the crowd as she tasted the air to try to pick out the WindClan cats - making notes on who each of them were so she could note to never speak to them. If they all were the type to put their noses in other Clan's business, then she wanted nothing to do with them.

Creamsky is making his way to Wolfblossom and is ready to leave the moment her and Birdstar give the signal.
Badgermask is currently adding every WindClan cat to her 'never interact with' list.

Thornstalker was a little late behind Skyclan but as soon as she sat down things seemed to be falling apart. The small she-cat rose to her paws look towards her higher ranks, waiting to follow them.

--

Tigerdance didn't know what to make of the whole situation, he didn't have the same grudge as the rest of Windclan but he didn't like everyone getting mad at Windclan either. He was stuck, and didn't know what to do.

--

Owlpaw... Well there was no pride in what was happening here. Shadowclan, Thunderclan, and Windclan were all making fools of themselves. Partaking in a forbidden romance? Especially between leaders? Shameful. Windclan making a mockery of the gathering? Also shameful. Skyclan seemed to be the only other ones with some sense. If this is what gatherings were always gonna be like he didn't want to come back.

Owlshade had followed WindClan into Fourtrees with hopes that this Gathering would be quick and painless and that they could go home. He wasn't super sure why he even came to these anymore... never once in his life had he had a good time at a Gathering. It seemed that he got half his wish, though, because this Gathering was going to be short. No sooner than he had sat down and made himself comfortable, did Batsong mosey on up to the leaders' rock and begin causing a scene.

He closed his eyes as her voice died off, and so many others started talking. And yelling. Some of the other leaders and deputies were assembling their clans to leave, but a quick glance at Shrikestar told him WindClan would not be. Typical. Owlshade got up, turned his back on the Gathering, and left. He would walk home alone, but he would not stand and watch WindClan be ridiculed further.

Owlshade has left the Gathering.

***

This was Smokepetal's first Gathering as a full medicine cat, but it didn't feel like too much had changed. The clans all arrived without incident, and as she took her place near the rest of the medicine cats, her gaze naturally swept outward, making sure she knew where, exactly, Firepool was in the crowd. Since they didn't - couldn't? - sit together at the Gathering anymore, she drew her comfort from afar, social anxiety soothed as long as she knew where he, and Wolfblossom, both were.

When the chaos erupted, and the clearing began to writhe with angry, confused, and offended cats, Smokepetal was instantly on edge. She flattened, listening to leaders and warriors and deputies and apprentices all shout, and argue. This was not going how she had pictured tonight would go. And then, to top everything off, the WindClan medicine cat then called her out, by name - or, at least, her old name. Smokepetal looked upwards, and then out to the crowd. Was she supposed to answer? Speak out in front of all these cats?

Yeah, no.

She heard someone call for ThunderClan to assemble, and then Birdstar and Wolfblossom's voices in quick succession doing the same. Without hesitating, Smokepetal made a beeline for Firepool, pressing up against her best friend's pelt as SkyClan started to gather around Wolfblossom. "I don't think I ever want to come to another Gathering," she said quietly to him.

Smokepetal is with Firepool, waiting for SkyClan to leave.

Pandemonium. That’s the word that came to mind when he thought about whatever the heck was currently going on.

Cats continued to shout out replies to Batsong, Firefly had said something about killing Nightstar, and now Mottlestar laid motionless at the top of the Great Rock. Had their leader… no, she couldn’t have, right? What had happened, was she alright? Now Rosepaw was yelling something about some-cat’s head? What in StarClan’s name was happening?

It all happened so fast that he wasn’t able to think about much else other than questioning everything before out of the corner of his eye he noticed Firefly and Rosepaw begin to leave the clearing, alone. Where could they possibly be going and why hadn’t they grabbed him before they started off?

In a panic, his gaze darted from the sisters, then to Comfreyheart, and back to the sisters who were getting father and father away with every second. They couldn’t just leave him nor could he let them go out there on their own, not with those beasts lurking about, at least. Making a split decision and trying not to dwell on it too much, the fluffy warrior jumped up. "F-firefly! Rosepaw! Wait up!" Curlyfluff called out as he began to run after them. With the mass of gathered cats now moving around and going to their respective clan groups, he did his best to try and keep up with Firefly and Rosepaw, but pushing his way through the crowd wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Pelts and scents all blended together which began to overwhelm his senses, and the warrior did his best to keep his head above the others in an attempt to keep sight of the sisters. He quickly began to lose track of them and his heart began to race. 'No, no no no…' he thought to himself frantically, his gaze rapidly making its way over each cat's pelt. 'Could every-cat stop moving for like five seconds?!' he wanted to scream out, doing his best to somehow politely shove his way past all the other cats in the clearing.

Tigershriek had stepped into the gathering like normal, sitting toward the forefront of the crowd. Of course, he was trying to keep an eye on Dawnpaw, it was her first gathering and she was his apprentice, though she seemed well-behaved enough. He wouldn't have to watch her that closely. Nobody had come to speak to him, and like usual, the gathering would be boring.

Well, he had thought that, at least.

Suddenly, the Windclan medicine cat ascended the rock, shoving herself into the middle so she could be seen. Immediately, the fur on Tigershriek's neck began to rise, more so when she called for quiet. It was disrespectful! She couldn't have just told her leader to announce it? Or better yet, figured it out without making it some surprise? Though, like the rest of the cats in attendance, he waited with bated breath as Batsong said that two leaders had broken the code.

Then it felt like his breath was taken when it was announced Starclan had told her that Nightstar had broken it.

She called it a trial? Hardly. More like a farce. A way to get back at Shadowclan. He knew tensions between the two clans were high, but never like this. All the tom could do was listen wordlessly as cats were called to speak. Words were yowled through the gathering, and leaders were calling their clans to leave.

Suddenly through the din, and through his own raging thoughts, Tigershriek heard his name called by Batsong. His wide eyes slowly looked up at her from where they had been staring at his paws. Looking from Batsong to Nightstar to Mottlestar, he was overwhelmed. He was embarrassed that the cat he looked up to had broken the code. Nightstar had abandoned his kits, did his children even know who their father had been?

First, he snarled at Batsong, "STAY OUT OF THIS!" She had no right to declare what would happen to Nightstar. She had no right to do any of this. "And you," His voice broke, looking up at his leader. The cat he considered a father when he had none. The cat who had saved his life, given him a home, and given him something to believe in. "How could you." Rage coursing through him, he turned on his heels, forcing anyone in his way, out of it. His brown pelt disappeared into the darkness of the forest beyond the clearing. He needed time, or he'd kill Nightstar himself.

Tigershriek has left the gathering, and will return to Shadowclan territory to figure himself out.

* * *

Sparrowthorn was bored, as per usual. Then chaos, as per usual. Batsong, of all cats, had leaped onto the rock next to the leaders. She told them of how Nightstar and Mottlestar had broken the code, had kits, and should be punished. She was right, but this was clearly the wrong way to go about it. Worst of all... her father seemed to not care that Batsong had disrupted the gathering. Of course the two leaders should be punished, by their own clans and by Starclan, but Shrikestar did nothing to stop what had begun. Looking behind her, she saw her mother storming out of the gathering. For a moment, she attempted to follow, but the crowd's turmoil blocked her way, and all she could do was watch as her mother faded into the darkness.

She hoped she was alright.

Sparrowthorn is watching the edge of the gathering, but is staying until Shrikestar tells Windclan to leave.

* * *

Firepool was annoyed. One of the medicine cats had started complete chaos, and now he was being pushed around by throngs of cats leaving, or moving to see the drama. His anxiety had since been pushed deep inside as he began doing the pushing, making his way towards Smokest-... Smokepetal. Clearly, she had the same idea, having gotten to him first, pressing her pelt up against his. He leaned into her slightly, trying to give her some sense of security. "Same here... I won't tell if you won't." He looked down at her, worry apparent in his amber eyes. Would Starclan make her do this someday? Or was Batsong simply insane... he hoped she was simply insane.

Firepool is keeping Smokepetal from being pushed by cats.

"It's nice to meet you, Sunfire," Rookfire said, grinning at the young tom. It made sense that he used to be an apprentice, as he seemed to be pretty young. "How's wa-"

Before he could finish his question, a shrill voice pierced from the Great Rock's direction. Snapping towards it, the black tuxedo noticed a black she-cat stare down the cats in the Gathering with her cold yellow eyes. He wasn't sure who she was at first, but she immediately introduced herself. Batsong... WindClan's medicine cat... What in the Dark Forest is she doing on the Great Rock?

That thought was answered almost immediately by her next words. "Code-breaking?" he gasped under his breath. It had to involve a leader, right? That's the only reason why she was on the Great Rock. Two deputies could be talked with the leaders of both clans in private, so it must have involved one of the leaders.

As Batsong continued, Rookfire stood in shock. "He WHAT?"

Nightstar had been in a forbidden relationship. Nightstar had kits with ThunderClan's leader. Shooting a concerned gaze back at Sunfire, he turned back. The young tom must have been just as shocked as he was. He never took Mottlestar as a cat who would break the code, and he certainly didn't think Nightstar would ever get into a relationship that would lead to kits with a she-cat from another clan.

In retrospect, it made the surprisingly amicable relations with ThunderClan make a lot more sense. Nightstar was never a diplomat, so Rookfire never understood why ThunderClan still seemed to at least feel neutral to them. WindClan and SkyClan were very antagonistic to ShadowClan-

Maybe she was lying, then? It was possible that she could be lying to keep

That, again, got Rookfire caught in a web full of Batsong's words. Apparently, Mottlestar had confirmed this to her, and he didn't think ThunderClan had enough relations with WindClan to betray ShadowClan out of nowhere. Then again, he knew nothing of the relationship between them, so it was still possible.

To add to that, Batsong also seemed to let Mottlestar off the hook really easily. And as she turned to Nightstar, he could feel the animosity radiating from the black she-cat. He could whole-heartedly agree on that, at least. However, she seemed to be letting her emotions get the best of her, and she was accusing the ShadowClan leader of... egregious things. Even if he couldn't help but think there was a shred of truth to it, he couldn't trust her account. This accusation as a whole could be a publicity stunt meant to be an attack on ShadowClan coordinated from WindClan and ThunderClan, or if this was something that truly happened.

"StarClan?" he snarled under his breath. "If this is true... if what Batsong says is true, please give me a sign. I know I'm not a meddie anymore, but if I" He wanted to see them give him an omen, a message from the stars that would show him that it was real.

But nothing happened.

Of course nothing happened. Rookfire's face turned to a scowl. "The only thing I have to say to you is that I'm loyal to ShadowClan, Batsong," he snarled. "Your emotions on us are clouding your judgement. Whether or not what you say is true about Nightstar, the punishments for both leaders should fall on the shoulders of their respective clans." And that's if what you say is really true. However, he wouldn't have been surprised if Nightstar would go overboard in such a manner against WindClan. Definitely more believable than him being in a forbidden relationship, at least. But he would need one of ShadowClan's medicine cats (or even himself) to confirm that, rather than being told by a WindClan cat, who held biases and therefore couldn't be trusted.

Nervousness clawed at the pit of Smallbean's stomach like a furious badger, unrelenting as he entered the familiar, overcrowded clearing. As relieved as he was that he didn't need to take Shrikestar's spot on the Great Rock tonight, there was a completely different situation at paw. It was during the council meeting he'd held that he found out anything about it; Batsong had expressed that there was something about Nightstar that she needed to proclaim this gathering. Batsong had never been the confrontational type, the deputy was shocked that she'd even opt to call him out at the gathering at all. The full extent of her plans, he didn't know. He supposed that was probably the root of his worries tonight.

As he tentatively approached the deputies, he noticed Poppyshine was once again with them. That meant that Perchstar must have made her return. Glancing upwards, his suspicious were confirmed, for all five leaders stood upon the Great Rock. He knew he should feel glad, but he couldn't find himself to care for the Riverclan leader. He did, however, feel slight relief for Poppyshine, who stood among the deputies this moon. After a dip of his head to the group of deputies, he greeted Poppyshine. "Poppyshine, hello! How are you? I'm glad to see that Perchstar has returned." Having the Riverclan deputy nearby soothed his nerves, just a bit. He was glad that they were both out of the spotlight this moon and could instead talk normally on the floor of the clearing.

There wasn't much time to converse before a voice rose above the crowd. It was assertive, confident. It was an unfamiliar sound to the deputy. It made his stomach turn. "Oh stars." Smallbean's gaze fell to his paws as Batsong made her announcement and voices of dissent arose. It was only moments before criticism was being cast upon Windclan's leadership as a whole. "Ohh, Stars." He squeezed his eyes shut.

Wolfblossom. Smallbean turned to face her criticisms, ears flattening as he impulsively shot back a response. It was all too stressful. "You have no right to judge me. It is not my job to train every single cat who walks the moors, nor am I able to read the mind of every cat in my clan. I didn't even know that this would happen." He was slightly taken aback at his sudden response, and as soon as he'd finished speaking, he cast a gaze up toward Shrikestar, one that silently pleaded for help, for this to be stopped. He tried so hard to agree with Batsong, but the more he heard other cats speak up, the more he couldn't help but agree that this should have been taken care of privately.

---

Astershine arrived to fourtrees with Skyclan, and it was with Skyclan he stayed for the beginning portion of the gathering. For a few moments, he hung around his clanmates, muttering words of conversation between them before expressing farewells as he separated from them to interact with other clan cats.

It was while he was aimlessly walking that a rushed cat crossed his eye. Cheerily, he approached the dark-furred tom. "Hey there. Is it alright if I sit with you this gathering? It's alright if not. I'm Astershine, from Skyclan. You're Windclan, yeah?" That was all he managed to get out before a shout silenced the clearing, one he didn't recognize as a leader. Curiousity turned to disdain as he realized what was going on. "Oh..." His eyes fell from Batsong to the flowers that had dropped from Flutterpetal's mouth. Wordlessly, he began to collect them, his ears directed toward the clearing's center. The silence was, at first, deafening, only for voices from all corners of the clearing to rise, shouting and accusations being thrown from all directions. It made him want to cover his ears and run, it was becoming overwhelming. "Um.. Do you... Know what that's about?" There wasn't a hint of aggression in his voice, his tone was solely curious despite the worries he felt. "Are you okay?" Skyclan was leaving soon, but he stayed put.

---

Jayfrost said nothing.  He only stared daggers into the medicine cat as she stood on the Great Rock. The tom laid at the clearing's edge, tail flicking as she went on. Batsong was loud. Icy eyes narrowed, he stared at the medicine cat with annoyance, not missing the way she looked at him specifically. He stubbornly met her gaze, his position unwavering.

Although he didn't look it, each and every word Batsong shouted was picked up and considered by his upright ears, and it only made him mad. What was she thinking!? This was something that could be handled privately. If it weren't for all of the rising voices saying percisely what he was thinking, he'd give her a piece of his own mind as well. It could always wait until they returned to camp, he supposed.

The mention of Firefly caused him to returned his gaze to the rock, though. That was the pathetic mange-pelt who'd gotten him struck by lightning. He almost hoped this whole thing would cause lightning to strike again. Maybe it would actually strike someone who was guilty of breaking the code, like Nighstar or Mottlestar. Batsong seemed to favor the ladder, but Jayfrost couldn't give a rats tail about either of them. Both clans were good as crowfood, in his eyes. Maybe both should be removed from leadership.

A heavy growl left his maw. "This isn't worth my time. I'm going to leave." He said to his littermates, who were nearby, although he didn't move from where he laid. "This is stupid."

---

Although it wasn't completely obvious in their body language, Beetlepaw was filled to the brim with excitement. The whole trip there, they'd stuck to Tawnyshadow's side, only occasionally asking the she-cat questions. When they'd entered Fourtrees, they heeded their warning, giving her a solemn nod in response before weaving away, letting their nose lead the way through the crowds. It was astonishing, seeing so many cats in one place at once - it was unlike anything they'd ever known. Their plan was to make friends, and maybe learn about the other clans. That's what Tawnyshadow had said to do, after all.

A voice piped up, and for a moment, they stood frozen, terrified that something awful was happening. When they saw that the voice came from the Great Rock, they relaxed, assuming that this must be how all leaders begin the gatherings - that was until the she-cat claimed that this would be a different gathering, and that she wasn't a leader at all, but was instead a medicine cat.

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Beetlepaw retraced their steps, racing across the clearing back to where the Shadowclanners had gathered to find Tawnyshadow again. "Tawnyshadow? Uh- Tawnyshadow! Is this normal?" Their worried, yet slightly curious eyes stared up at their mentor. "I'm not sure I like this. Why is everyone yelling? What is she saying about Nightstar?"


Smallbean is sitting with the deputies.
Astershine is talking to Flutterpetal.
Jayfrost is brooding in a corner, but open for conversation.
Beetlepaw is open for conversation.

Snowfoot, for once, was feeling pretty good about the Gathering. She’d been holed up in ShadowClan for too long, it was time to get out and mingle a bit! Introvert though she may be, even Snowfoot could spend too much time on her own.
And then the world turned upside down all over again. Nightstar? In a forbidden relationship? And then Batsong wanted to hear what she had to say?
“As I am being asked by a medicine cat, I confirm that I have had my doubts about Nightstar,” Snowfoot mewed. “However, I agree that this is not the business of WindClan, much less RiverClan or SkyClan. If no one else does, I will see to it that this is addressed. Thank you for the message, Batsong, but it would be wise to stand down now.”

Snowfoot has said her piece. All five of my cats are in attendance and the others will be added hopefully today, even if just to clarify their thoughts.

Blazefang had to admit, she’d expected just about anything but this. ShadowClan kits? Here? Well, at least they weren’t raised as marsh scum. But really, Batsong? Oh, why can’t I just disappear, this is so embarrassing… And then Silverwing’s name was called. “SkyClan? Silverwing, how could you?” The words were spoken out loud this time, though softly. Of all the clans, she’d chosen the only option worse than ShadowClan. Blazefang turned to leave with ThunderClan, casting a disappointed glance over her shoulder in Silverwing’s direction.
Blazefang is here but leaving. Also, she still has it out for SkyClan.

Lighttail sat in silence, not reacting at all to the news. Okay, Nightstar utterly screwed up. Wasn’t the first time someone did that. Maybe they should just ditch the part of the code where love was a crime. Not that she was about to tell the whole forest that.
Lighttail wants to throw the rules on who can have babies with who in the trash.

The wind was welcoming that evening. Rosepaw accepted the surprising offer to go to the gathering. She left with a promise to tell Whisperear about it if they’d like, hoping they would. She travelled at the tail of the patrol, taking moments to brush against the fragrant plants she passed. She had been welcomed home days ago and carried foreign scents that she didn’t want to bother the other cats. She saw a warrior picking a few flowers and lingered to pick some as well, unspoken happiness in the shared enjoyment.

Rosepaw was one of WindClan’s stragglers, entering the clearing in no rush when Batsong came over to her. Her friend was tense with energy like a storm about to break as she pressed her forehead against Rosepaw’s. Rosepaw pressed back reassuringly, concerned. Her expression, as transparent as water, showed confusion at Batsong’s stuttered whispers. She returned her friend's quiet purr, her own trembling with uncertainty. Batsong turned determinedly and leapt atop the rock where Shrikestar sat with the four other leaders. 

Another voice from beside Rosepaw, and she tilted her head toward the apprentice. Meeting the younger cat's pretty odd eyes, she opened her mouth to say something. But she was interrupted, jumping out of her fur when Batsong shouted over the chatter in the clearing. Rosepaw’s large tufted ears were pricked rigidly as she listened to her friend raise a concern to be discussed fairly and peacefully for the benefit of all the Forest cats. She knew Batsong to be kind, playful, and shy; now her voice was assertive, serious, and thunderous. Many of Batsong’s words flew high as birds over Rosepaw’s head; being lost as a newly-named apprentice, she had not been fully instructed on the Code of the Forest. But Batsong’s passion and bravery to change the world for the better, for a safer home, she understood. Rosepaw silently supported her friend as she prepared an orderly discussion. She had seen the cats who lived in the Distant Garden come to unanimous agreements, but this was not the way of the Forest.

Furious chaos began to descend on the clearing, and the word forbidden came harsh off her friend’s tongue.  Mottlestar, the small tortoiseshell mother in question, reeled back with amber eyes blown wide. It troubled Rosepaw that Batsong did not reveal the relationship with the mother’s consent. She had believed it was universally the right of any cat who birthed kits to choose whether to share the kits’ other origins. But it was not all that troubled Rosepaw. From the back of her mind came a secret which Batsong had told her as a kit, before she understood it. Here at the Four Trees, she remembered the white pelt of the SkyClan cat who had been more than a friend to Batsong. The two of them together had been the last thing Rosepaw saw before the stars went out… “and who in this forest can say they have not done something similar, whether or not it was of lesser magnitude? None of you have any right to judge her. None of you.” …It was a relief to Rosepaw when the two grey-and-white she-cats up on the rock shielded the other leader.

Many cats were hostile toward Batsong, and she wanted to stand beside her friend herself, but she could only watch as Shrikestar also shielded Batsong atop the rock. When Nightstar spoke for himself, Rosepaw was conflicted with worry: about the leader’s evident cruelty, about WindClan trespassing on such a merciless leader’s territory, and most of all, about the apathy of the other leaders... "Murder does not beget a light sentence. I imagine that’s something each Clan is aware of."... The two grey-and-white she-cats, while they defended Mottlestar, were all but dismissive of Nightstar’s cruelty. But as every Clan but ShadowClan and WindClan prepared to leave, amongst the continued shouting in the clearing below the leaders, the small tortoiseshell came into view again and Rosepaw immediately saw why their concern was for her. She didn’t look well in a way that made Rosepaw’s heart drop. The long-legged rosy-furred she-cat stood on tip-toes to search out the medicine-cats. She found them mostly by scent, relaxing only when her eye found a calico rushing through the crowd to her leader’s side.

Many cats were still shouting angrily. Most cats were leaving, including a few of Rosepaw’s own clanmates. Shrikestar and Smallbean had spoken to the other leaders and deputies, too quietly for Rosepaw to hear in the chaos, and they had not addressed the gathering. No one from WindClan had done so except for Fernpaw, who had startled Rosepaw from right beside her. The older she-cat had reached over, concerned, and place a paw gently on the top of her head to try to get her to sit down, but there was no stopping the small fierce apprentice. Rosepaw needed not worry for Fernpaw, as her voice flowed with the cacophony of protest. But now the clearing was thinning out, Rosepaw sat in a small space of quiet and stillness, hoping that Batsong could see her and know she was supported by her friend.

Nightdancer had taken her time to process the words and the chaos of the cats around her before she spoke. She rose to her paws, taking just a few short steps forward- she would not approach the Great Rock, she would not ascend it, because she clearly had more respect for the sacred land of Fourtrees than WindClan's medicine cat did. "Mottlestar is an excellent leader, and has never shown herself to be anything less than a caring and compassionate cat! Your slander is unwelcome, your disrespect of the leaders' place atop the rock is laughable, and your attitude is haughty and hostile! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, leaping up there just to tear down a good cat in search of- what, vengance? Don't claim it to be honor. There is nothing honorable about what you have done."

Nightstar she did not address. She'd rather liked the tom when he was ShadowClan's deputy, sheltering in ThunderClan's camp; and she had no ill will toward ShadowClan as a whole- just bittersweet memories of Roseburn.

"If your goal is vengeance on ShadowClan, what reason do you have for dragging ThunderClan through the dirt? If your leader had any sense, he'd have shoved you off the rock when you started to speak, but it's clear that he endorses this nonsense. He may defend you, but it's plain to see that the rest of us have cast our judgment. Know this, Batsong- you aren't even worth the fur on your back." The name Batsong was hissed with a fury and bitter tone better suited to other, less acceptable words- ones she refrained from using, given the circumstances. "Mottlestar is twice the cat you could ever hope to be, in that I know she would never do something so pointlessly cruel! Was it worth it, to know that half the forest- and I'm being generous with that estimation- will never respect you again? "

With a jolt, like a shock to the system, she realized that Mottlestar was still atop the rock. Had she- had this-

"You killed her!"

That pathetic, conniving, wretched little beast that calls herself a medicine cat-

Nightdancer took a deep breath.

"Let it be known that the only reason I am staying my paws and not striking you where you stand is that, unlike you, I respect the sanctity of the full moon. You, your leader, your entire Clan- every one of you should be truly ashamed of yourselves and what you've done! You aren't worth our time, or anyone else's. With a little luck, the rest of the forest will realize that, and you'll be left to rot. Bitter and alone, the way you deserve!"

There were precious few cats that Nightdancer held in high regard. Mottlestar was among them, and Batsong had more than struck a nerve.

"May the stars someday show you mercy, for you will find none here. Certainly not from me, and certainly not from ThunderClan!"