July Gathering 2023

Sparrowthorn trudged into the gathering, grumpier than usual. She had restocked on herbs, even gotten extra of some of the more... well, important ones for whatever war could seemingly break out at any moment. Looking back at Batsong, the molly took her place in the throng of medicine cats, giving them all a respectful nod. Whatever this gathering brought, surely it couldn't be worse than what she had seen. It wasn't something you could ever prepare for, seeing the nonmoving bodies of cats you had once known. All she could do was pray to Starclan that Shadowclan kept their mouths shut, and Windclan could do the same. Keep their feuding to themselves, lest other clans learn more of their weakness and swoop in. Riverclan already had.

Of course nothing could go well. As the gathering began, the speeches were normal enough. Good hunting, new warriors, all the wonders of Greenleaf. It made Sparrowthorn glad that despite the problems of the clans, the world around them was bountiful enough. Then Nightstar had to open his stupid mouth, accuse them of killing warriors first. It had been self defense! Shadowclan trespassed onto their territory! Not that that was an excuse to kill, but Shadowclan was not absolved of all the blame. Nightstar's words made the tabby's fur bristle as he continued. He demanded they give up their herbs? What idiocy was this? Of course she wanted to get Owlshade back, he was a clanmate, but at the cost of all their herbs? She wouldn't shout at Nightstar, that was what he wanted. If she engaged, then he'd get to lord over the fact that both of Windclan's medicine cats couldn't control themselves.

Her father did little to help matters. Because after he spoke his piece, he shoved Nightstar off the rock. Then everyone began speaking up. Of course, Brackenwing was right about the herbs. More would grow, could be found. All Sparrowthorn worried about was that if they received their herbs, what was to stop them attacking right after, about leaving many and more warriors to die of blood loss and infection. Handing over all their herbs was simply not an option Sparrowthorn could condone. Harriertalon simply left the group of medicine cats, no words being said. She couldn't help but feel bad for her, Windclan had killed her friends and family, and Shadowclan had done the same. It was difficult, staying neutral.

So she stayed silent, for the moment, watching as cats from both clans spoke out for peace, not war. It was honestly rather inspiring, but not enough. Nightstar threw them both from the rock, tumbling to the ground in a flash of teeth and claws. Sootstorm shoved her father aside to try and keep the violence from happening, and Sparrowthorn's paws moved to get him out of there. Her sister darted close as well, but wasn't quite within the chaos, and opening her mouth, Sparrowthorn yowled, "Sootstorm! Back!" She had seen what Starclan did to those who caused chaos at their gatherings. Unfortunately, she was too late. Lightning crackled through the air, striking the leaders in front of her, singing her fur and knocking her from her paws. Ears ringing, her green eyes looked on in a mixture of anger and horror. Was Sootstorm okay? Was she okay? Words felt... harder to hear, and as she rose, she felt burnt. She could scent burnt fur, and Sparrowthorn wasn't sure if any of it was her own. Perhaps it was for the best that she could not quite see the small smoking burn on her back. She had to get to Sootstorm.

---

Firepool had been enjoying the times where he hadn't gone to gatherings. This one was no exception. Immediately after the normal remarks of Thunderclan, Riverclan, and Skyclan, Nightstar went on a tangent. Clearly a skirmish had broken out, and both sides had taken losses. A shame that neither clan could control themselves. Already beginning to move toward the medicine cats, as Smokepetal was most likely to be within them, Windclan's leader knocked Nightstar from the rock. Amber eyes widened as a fight broke out between the two, and he hurried to the edge of the crowd, closest to the medicine cats. One broke from the group, rushing toward the fighters, but clearly didn't make it before the lightning struck. It burned his eyes and hurt his ears, and he was ready to leave before any more chaos could break out. Not without Smokepetal though, never without her.

---

Crowpaw was ecstatic about his first gathering. He would get to meet new cats, see how they worked and talked and smelled. It was great! Of course something had to ruin it. A fight broke out between two leaders! It was incredible! Also, very scary, because all of the cats of their clans began speaking up, getting angry. The clouds covered the moon and Crowpaw's teal eyes began searching for his siblings. Thankfully, his eyes were averted from the fighting when the lightning struck, causing his ears to fold back against his head, and his eyes to screw shut before he wildly looked over at the still smoking area where it had hit. Hit the leaders. That wasn't good, and so the tom hastened his search for his siblings, weaving through Riverclan cats to find them before they were seperated.

Sparrowthorn is stunned by the lightning strike, but mostly unharmed
Firepool is looking for Smokepetal to get her away from the chaos
Crowpaw is looking for his siblings

"If trespassing counted as being outside the code, none of this would ever have happened," Leopardsun answered, fighting to keep her voice level; thinking back to the day their fragile alliance had shattered. "Or do you not recall the alliance that WindClan broke? Nightstar's actions were uncalled for, certainly- but they wouldn't have been, if what you say is true. He would have been in the right to tear your warriors half to death and drag them back to our shared camp at Highstones. Wouldn't he?"

The deputy was careful to stay her paws, to keep a distance from Nightstar and Shrikestar as the cat she'd once called her leader called for the stars themselves to strike him down (she'd earned enough of their ire, she was sure; best not to invite any more). This warrior, she realized as she kept talking, had been at the battle. She had fled with Smallbean, hadn't she? Another spineless coward.

She ignored the leaders that had tumbled to the ground once she'd put some distance between herself and them. They would sort themselves out, or StarClan would do some good for once in their eternal afterlives and sort it out for them; the details of what and how didn't really matter to her now.

"But of course, that's ridiculous. It's stupid to trespass without expecting a fight, and it's even more so to claim that murder is justified because of where you happened to be standing at the time. Dark Forest, what do they teach you in WindClan? It's no wonder that none of you seem to have any loyalty or respect for your own Clan, let alone the code! Your warriors were in the wrong for assuming they could wander our land freely, and Nightstar was in the wrong for tearing into them the way he did."

Leopardsun's tail lashed.

"Besides, there's the fact that WindClan's trespassing was entirely unprovoked. While after Batsong's little outburst- dragging ShadowClan's business before the forest instead of settling matters privately, as she no doubt should have- it was clear that reasonable conversation could not be had with WindClan. And even still, I can admit that battle was a mistake; because now my kits are dead and a cat I once respected as a leader has proven himself a disgrace who puts his own ego ahead of everyone else's well-being."

She laughed, sharp and bitter, as the WindClan warrior went on to call for peace.

"Do you even hear your own words?"

You want peace? You claim your cold-blooded murder is justified, and you want peace? Listen to yourself!

And then she looked to Shrikestar, and called him Father, and Leopardsun choked back another laugh.

Of course.

"Do you want peace, or were they in the right? You can't have both."

The lightning struck unexpectedly as she finished speaking, and Leopardsun's fur stood on end with a lingering sense of static despite the distance she'd put between herself and the pair it had been meant for. StarClan really were just a bunch of dead cats with nothing better to do than meddle with the living, weren't they?

Still. The truce was sacred for a reason.

Finished addressing the WindClan warrior, she turned her gaze to Nightstar and waited to see what he would do now.

It was in an anxious silence that Smallbean had entered the gathering, and it was with anxious silence that he sat among the deputies, noticeably distanced. There was no doubt that something would be said. Gathering after gathering, chaos had broken loose, and this was no different. With Nightstar's enviable announcement, Smallbean braced himself, head lowered to remain fixed on his paws as he shouted to all of the clans that they had gotten into a squabble. It was the words that had followed that caused the deputy's hackles to raise, for his eyes to narrow, for a growl to rise in his throat. "No blood had to be shed, but you insist on sending a war patrol onto our territory. And you claim that we slaughtered your kin?!" He spat, the rest of the clearing becoming a blur. "Two of our warriors are now dead, one is held prisoner, and yet you still demand more." Thank Starclan that at least Leopardsun was able to see how ludicrous his demands were. Obviously Nightstar hadn't talked it out with his deputy prior.

The deputy appreciated Shrikestar's response, that was until the sound of claws on rock sent shudders through his body and a leader was on top of him. Anger surged through his body before the pain did, and thanks to the adrenaline rush from the brief panic, mustered enough strength to pull the Shadowclan leader off of him. The adrenaline was able to overcome the pain, but not the anger. "How dare you resort violence at a gathering. You're no better than he is." Smallbean's eyes locked onto Shrikestar. Moments passed, and the pain began to set in. His muscles felt sore, a throbbing pain affected the side he had landed on under Nightstar's weight. As much as he didn't want to admit, perhaps his clanmates were right. Perhaps Shrikestar wasn't fit to lead, at least not anymore. Neither was Nightstar. "The herbs are enough. Just let him have them." The anger had ebbed from his words, at least temporarily. The tom wanted no more blood to be shed, no more lives to be lost. "It's not worth losing another warrior. Just let him have them and let this be over with. He can toy with the lives of his own clanmates, but not with ours."

It seemed his words were futile, however, for within a heartbeat they were tumbling down the Great Rock. This time, they didn't land on him, thankfully. Despite his aching limbs, Smallbean acted, grasping onto the quickly fleeting impulse to separate the leaders. Only, he acted too late. A single branch of lighting lit the clearing, blinding all that were close, and touched down directly onto the two leaders.

Acornstem glanced around uneasily as Rookfire jumped onto the rock - declaring that peace be made between the Clans. As more voices rose up, she took in a deep breath to steady herself but froze as Nightstar pushed himself to his paws, yowling as he threw himself back onto the rock and grabbed Shrikestar - bringing the two toms tumbling to the ground before the leader made a declare for the Stars to strike them down if they were not worthy of their lives.

Her mouth parted to call out for the two to stop fighting as she started to take steps back but froze as the air seemed to crackle with energy. Her gaze shot up to see that the sky had gone dark, clouds swirling up above as the moonlight was blocked. "Oh no..." she managed weakly before in a single moment the world went white and a cracking boom echoed in the clearing. A yelp escaped her as something stuck her, her whole body growing ridge as something tore through her shoulder and leg before she collapsed to the ground in fear.

Slowly her eyes adjusted to the light, her breath coming quick and fast as she laid on the ground, flat on her stomach...Other than her fur which all stood on edge making the small, round deputy look even more round. Her fluffed tail lashed back and forth as her claws dug into the ground, realizing what had happened. StarClan...StarClan had spoken - they had heard Nightstar's decree and showed their paw by sending lightning down. She...

She glanced at her shoulder - a small patch of her fur had gone black as smoke curled from it. She...She had also been struck - she had been too close but... She...She felt fine. Terrified, she couldn't breath but it was the panic and nothing more. The lightning...Hadn't hurt her? Was it a sign? Perhaps this was a way to know that StarClan themselves approved of her as deputy...Maybe she had just been lucky. She flopped onto her side, rubbing her smoking fur against the grass to make sure there was no lasting embers. She raised her tail, giving Mottlestar a wave to alert the leader that she was fine but she didn't feel strong enough to rise to her paws just yet. She...

She needed a moment as she turned her gaze to the two stuck leaders - waiting to see what had happened to them...

She knew this.

She knew this.

She knew this story, and Dawnfeather knew what was coming a moment before it did.

An awful caterwauling screech tore its way out of the golden molly’s throat, the tortured sounds of agonized souls shrieking in eerie harmony, a horrible prophecy that began a millisecond before the light came down from the heavens and smote treachery and cowardice alike. It was the Gathering all over again. It was the scent of seared flesh and charged ozone, the crackling heat and blinding light. It was scars etched into silver fur and a fire blazing in the Great Oak.

The scar was still there on the twisted burnt bark, and so was the one on Dawnfeather’s heart.

Prima, was her first thought, one born of desperation and terror, and then the colossal loss slammed down on her shoulders once more and that of responsibility as well- Smokepetal. Foxtrot. Violetpaw- oh, Violetpaw, and Alderpaw, too young. Mistflower. Wolfblossom.

A Gathering so long ago, and yet so recent.

She was frozen, Dawnfeather distantly realized, still blinking away the aftereffects of the strike. She couldn’t move. Sheer terror flooded through her veins, and yet her paws were rooted firmly in place. She needed to move. She needed to move.

Or die.

Smokepetal. Foxtrot. Violetpaw. Alderpaw. Mistflower. Wolfblossom. Beechaunt, Prima, Muddy, Sparrowda, Smokema, Wolfstar, Olive, Dandelion Beetle Holly more and more she couldn’t remember, couldn’t hold to but loved, loved fiercely and unconditionally and needed to move needed to save needed to-

Dawnfeather stood stock-still, silhouetted in smoke, blue eyes open wide and fixated on a time long past, breaths quick and faltering and increasingly ragged.

She needed to move.

She couldn’t.

Dawnfeather is in a bit of shock. She’ll likely come back to herself somewhat in a few minutes or when out of the clearing.
Ridgecrest is trying to help get everyone safe.

Nightstar came to in a starlit hollow, laying on his side. A deep, rumbling growl greeted Nightstar as he woke in the starry clearing, before heavy paws slammed into him. "Do. Not. Move." Mistyfalcon's rough voice was far from friendly as he pinned the leader to the ground, dark blue eyes locked onto the amber gaze of his son. "Lightning... That's going to hurt for a while yet. The stars can only heal so much of this." And that was the absolute end of sympathy as unsheathed claws met the leader's pelt, though even in the starry clearing Mistyfalcon was deliberately careful that his claws did not break skin. Oh, the starry tom wanted to, but he had limits. It was unfortunate that the leader he was currently pinning was doing his absolute best to test those limits.

"It is bad enough that Froststar has the gall to show up here after doing nothing as leader, when your mother sacrificed herself for us all." The dark tom pressed Nightstar into the starry ground, the stars shimmering in his own black and silvered pelt seeming to flicker with the rage he felt. "That he inflicted your excuse for leadership onto our clan? Unforgivable. If it were up to me, he'd be sent down there to clean up the mess he allowed to happen." Cold blue eyes watched Nightstar's expression, silvery tail lashing behind him. "I could forgive half-bred kits you didn't know about. But lying about them, Nightstar? Lying to your clan? Then to drag them into the business of other clans, poking your nose where it doesn't belong?" His voice was low, sharp. "You do not lead Shadowclan, to discipline the cats of other clans - however idiotic their own leaders are. You do not lead Shadowclan to force alliances that aren't beneficial to your clan onto others. Alliances that had a high chance of backfiring, and only stuck your nose further where it did not and does not belong."

"Time and time again I have watched you escalate and involve yourself in situations that Shadowclan had no need to be involved in. I have watched you have the social grace of a badger in negotiations, at gatherings - like now. Time and time again, I have watched you bring nothing but shame onto the clan and family I love." Mistyfalcon continued to growl. "The lives of your clanmates are something to be protected, and yet you gamble with them and throw them away like rotting crowfood. You disregard them at every turn, just as you disregard the sound advice of those older and wiser than you."

"Leopardsun was right. You should not have gotten back onto that rock after that filth shoved you off. Are you truly so desperate to prove yourself that you had no other option but to put every single cat around you in danger, Nightpaw? Those are not the actions of a leader. They are the actions of the selfish and conceited who know nothing but their own desires. Burningwing taught you better than that, Froststar and Murkystar taught you better than that. I've seen kits with better sense." Shaking his head, the dark tom shoved off of him, glaring down at Nightstar. "I'll give your deputy credit, she has handled your disgrace as well as anyone could have. It's a shame how your actions have harmed her and your family more often than they have helped them. Perhaps Shadowclan will be able to reclaim some of its' dignity when she becomes leader."

"When you wake up back in fourtrees, think before you use your claws. There were innocents injured, not just you and Windclan's excuse for a leader. Disgusting that this is how you make the stars prove their point." Spitting, the dark tom turned and stalked away.

Another stepped into that Starlit hollow, ignoring Mistyfalcon's words. He had made mistakes he could not atone for, and he would not deny his friend's words. He would do what he believed in, as he always had. "So," Froststar mewed, the iciness of his tone unusual even for him, "You thought taking away Windclan's herbs in exchange for a prisoner was a good idea?" His pale eyes narrowed at Nightstar, padding closer to the tom who had just unwisely decided to fight during a gathering. "Surely you know that in a time of need for Shadowclan, Windclan would never share their herbs again. Not so long as those medicine cats lived." With a sigh, the white tom sat near Nightstar. "You've made bad decisions, like any leader does. Make them right, listen to your clan. If they are turning on you, it is for a reason. Do not make me go back to Starclan and say that I made another bad decision by choosing you. You are passionate about their lives, but think about the lives of others as well. Stop this war before it starts, do not kill or injure innocent cats just because you want vengeance. When you finally die, will it be worth it?"

Looking the tom in front of him up and down, Froststar put his tail on Nightstar's shoulder. "Logic dictates that Shadowclan remove you as leader, prove them wrong. Prove me wrong. Right your wrongs and win them back. I want to believe in you." As his form began shimmering away, back into the land of endless hunting, the tom quickly spoke once more. "You will be returning to your body soon. I recommend checking on others as you awake, not every cat has nine lives." He grew tired of the cycle of constant bloodshed that plagued Shadowclan. This bout had been inflicted by their own leader, and if he was to continue as leader, he had to change. Harsh words were, perhaps, not the answer any more. Nightstar was his own cat, and only time would tell if he would continue to sink, or if he would finally swim.

Littlepaw went quiet as the gathering started but as it went on she became very confused. Why was shadowclan and windclan leaders fighting, and why were their clans yelling at their leaders? she thought watching it all go down. This was her first gathering and so she didnt know anything that went on with the clans. Just then clouds began to appear and lightning struck a lot of cats. Most were singed but seemed to be okay for the most part. Littlepaw looked at her new friends next to her wondering if they knew what was going on.


Littlepaw is watching in confusion

The small tom’s ears flickered at the other’s lectures. It had never been his strong suit to grapple such matters. Truth be told he barely understood how all these aggressions had taken place, perhaps a product of his inner will to ignore negativity. But even though he didn’t have the full story, he trusted the conviction in his father’s roar. He knew his father never yelled like that -at least not in his life- so this was gravely serious. But while it was clear Nightstar had deserved the strike as a warning, he struggled to believe the leader, his brother, did not deserve sympathy.

Carefully he snuck into the Starlit hollow. Once Froststar’s words fell to silence did the tabby approach Nightstar’s side for some words of his own. “Brother,” he said softly, “Does… does all this hate really sit right in your chest? In your heart? I feel sadder and sadder watching you spit and scratch at others. And take lives that did not deserve taking.” He curled his tail around the black cat’s. “Listen to Mistyfalcon and Froststar. They’ll help you see clearer, and with their advice you might be able to heal this. Learn to forgive so that you and your clan will feel brighter. So that they may have faith and hope in you, and their own future. Make things better, okay? Neither Shadowclan or Windclan deserves this suffering.” He lightly pressed his head against his brother's. “I love you, and trust you will do better for our family. For our clan.”