The Sun will Turn Dark, and the Moon Will Turn into Blood

[chickenbatnana]

Aspenscar padded after his Clanmates, his head held low next to Stormwatcher. He was usually anxious for gatherings as they were very confrontational- But this was something else altogether. Needless to say, he was an absolute wreck. His steps were a bit wonky, like this he looked almost like when he was just made an apprentice. As they came to a halt, the tom sat down amongst the others. All of them felt it too, clearly. The heavy air tugged at his lungs, but with a glance to his side, he managed. It was Bleakbelly, talking to an apprentice. His voice was rough as always, but the words were encouraging. As if it was directed to him, Aspenscar straightened up. They were warriors, and with all the Clans on their side, no one could even lay a claw on them. Strange, how such a scary omen could unite three Clans into one spirit, and turn cats like Bleakbelly hopeful.

-

A few days ago, Violetpaw had noticed the moon disappear in the sky. At first, she thought it was just a dark cloud covering it, but the sky had been clear and without clouds. The Clan seemed restless ever since them, it was heavy in the air. But the young apprentice didn't see it that way, to her, it was awe-inspiring. How could such a thing happen? When the time of the gathering came, something even cooler happened, instead of disappearing the moon turned red! Wide-eyed, she and many others stared, Violetpaw presumed they too were fascinated by the beauty. The forest was beautiful, under this light. It complemented the leaves turning yellow and orange, and she thought it fit her pelt too. But once at the gathering, the cats seemed different. They were scared, or so they seemed. But... why? Wasn't this something gorgeous to celebrate? Something was up, she could feel it, everyone was tense. Violetpaw lifted up her head, the moon of red reflected in her blue eyes.

-

Acornpaw's tail covered his paws, he sat in silence. The other cats were so bothersome... So what the moon turned red once? This didn't mean the end of the world! Good chance that it would just turn back tomorrow and nothing would have happened. Sure, omen omen, yadda yadda, so what? Clearly, nothing but the moon's color changed, it wasn't like there was fire raining from the sky, the waterfall had turned to poison, or the mice had disappeared. So what was everyone fussing over?

-

Plushtail glanced around. A lot of cats went to the gathering tonight, and in the slight panic the moon brought, she was unsure whether her own apprentice was with them. What a mentor, she was, losing Fennelpaw in a crowd! She exchanged a look with Wolfdusk, who would be by her side if anything bad were to happen. She hoped that if it came to it, Screechcall would be with them too. The 3 she-cats had taken a liking to each other, Wolfdusk and Plushtail from their history, and Screechcall perhaps because of good circumstances. Either way, she didn't think anything bad was gonna happen. They were strong, after all. Their leaders spoke well, Plushtail was sure there was only very little that could hurt the Clans.

[Ava]

CROWSTORM
The black toms long strides brought him to the gathering place in no time. He was terrified at the blood-red moon, but he didn't want to show it. The cats were already scared enough, their fearful gazes worrisome as they swept over the skies and where the leaders were standing, whispering to each other. Crowstorm blinked, wishing this nightmare would go away, but his eyes opened to see the same images in front of him- red moon, terrified cats, whispering leaders.

A dreaded, sinking feeling rose in him as he sat down and began whispering to the nearest few cats about anything besides the circumstances they were in. However, no matter how many subjects he thought of, their conversation came strutting back to the off limit topics. With a final sentence, Crowstorm stood up and began to pace back and forth in the only clearing- now that he studied the actual cats, he noticed that this gathering in particular was rather crowded. With a huff of dislike, he narrowed his eyes and sat down by himself.

---

STOATPAW
Lately, Stoatpaw's slashed blue eye had been throbbing heavily, giving him extreme headaches and pains. He hadn't told anyone, since these would happen quite a bit, but it seemed worse than normal today. With a flick of his short tail, he trotted up to his mentor, yawning as he stared up at the moon. It was a terrifying deep red, lower in the sky than he had ever seen before. Closing his jaw that had been hanging open in amazement, he coughed briefly to clear his throat.

Realizing he had fallen behind the group, he lunged forward in long bounds to catch up with everyone. Heart now racing from adrenaline, Stoatpaw continued ahead until he reached the gatheringplace, where the others had already been. Forgetting the pain in his eye, he rushed over to a circle of apprentices, murmuring about the moon and other inaudible things. Worry flooded over him. He knew something would happen.

[Fireflake]

Pebbleshade and Buckleap of MistClan

---

Pebbleshade and Buckleap had walked side by side to the Gathering, refusing to acknowledge each others' presence, just as they had when journeying to this place. Neither had been chosen to attend this Gathering. Pebbleshade managed to with a rational argument and very little resistance, presumably because the higher ranks were busy with more important things. Buckleap managed with the simple trick of keeping his mouth shut for once. Nobody seemed to mind all that much. Pebbleshade tried to force his long fur flat. He had insisted that the moon being bigger meant that StarClan were closer, but things since then had... escalated. The red moon glared down at him in the dark. Red was never a good colour.

Buckleap didn't seem to share these worries. Of course something bad's going to happen, he thought, and we'll cross that bridge once it crashes down on us. Looking around, he pricked an ear. Were there usually so many warriors? He stared for a few moments before curbing his curiosity. He wasn't a new apprentice; he was a warrior, even if this was his first Gathering with these clans. An excellent first impression, he thought. The tabby had now fully recovered from the sprained paw that held him back last moon. It struck Buckleap that he'd be seeing this sky wherever he was now, and to wonder what the kittypets and the rogues made of it, but Pebbleshade was too busy worrying over MistClan's safety. After the disastrous disruption of last moon's Gathering, he refused to leave them.

Looking around at the other cats, Pebbleshade could see his tension reflected in some of them and lost on others. His pale green gaze caught and lingered on his former apprentice, Flametail, questioning if the younger tom fully understood what the leaders were saying. He eventually tore his eyes away. Pebbleshade had trained him the best he could and he was a warrior now. The grey tom glanced over to the medicine cats in search of a comforting face, forgetting for a moment that Silverfang wasn't there. Instead he saw Frostfall with her bundles of herbs. Unease coiled tighter and tighter around him, ruffling up his semi-calm facade.

Pebbleshade's fur finally bristled as his own leader spoke. A feeling pressed down on him that the moon's light would not be the only red to spill into the Gathering place tonight. The dark shadow that had been creeping up on the clans ever since the body had fallen from the waterfall was now on the brink of swallowing them whole. If cats died with the moon like that, he wondered-- if he died with the moon like that-- would StarClan still carry them to Silverpelt? He took a deep breath and his resolve hardened to the sound of the leaders' inspirational words. He was a warrior surrounded by other warriors and warriors-in-training. Whatever happened, they could handle it.

Buckleap listened to the same speech with his ears pricked tall. No matter our pasts... Buckleap straightened. So we're preparing for battle here. His yellow-green eyes drifted out over the cats gathered. The tom dipped his head to lick a front paw as Bearstar listed the impressive things the clans had come through. The clans, of course, before he had joined them. Remind them who it was that survived these things? A smirk edged into the corner of his mouth and wavered with a nervousness that he would never admit to. Not me. He soon raised his head again and gritted his teeth. And not those tribe cats either.

---

[mewmehh]

Rosy eyes shown red as Wingedpaw blinked up at the moon, mirroring her sister as the white apprentice's silky body sat close to Violetpaw's. The energy felt weird and tense, all wrong for a Gathering as she had come to learn, and it made her feel gross in her fur as she slumped beside her kinmates, her sister to one side of her and Longwing to the other. It seemed all their clanmates who joined stuck close as her pale eyes flitted from one familiar face to another; Aloestream and Bushfire sat awkwardly close to one another, tails crossed and eyes distant with uncertainty. While the pale curl-earred cat's discomforted look seemed the same as usual, it was incredibly unnerving to see the nervous look the normally spunky tortoiseshell wore and Wingedpaw shivered in her skin. She chanced a glance at Briardawn, wondering what the two-faced warrior was thinking about being back here, in the company of the clan who had ostracized her. She shook the thought away, however, as her focus returned to the leader and the blood laden-lit sky. Silently, she wondered if the flowers in the Dark Forest could see the moon, just as their ancestors did.

---

Fennelpaw's gold eyes twinkled with worry as she scampered in a jerky motion for the prickle shrubs that lined the clearing, not sure where else to go as she managed to wind up separated from her mentor. It was nerve-wracking, being away from Plushtail during her first Gathering, let alone one so grim as this. She felt her eyes burning as tears threatened to well up, her heart hammering in her chest as she struggled to sooth her ever rising anxiety. Her stress relief came in the form of a bulky black tom, an otherwise intensely terrifying vision for as small cat as spooked as she was; this one, however, had the kindess green eyes and a soothing smile. In an instant, she bolted forward.

"Darkpaw!" she wheezed in a nasally squeak as she reached his side, plunging her curly face into his chest. "I was so scared! Now I have a stomachache...glurk!" She gave a little whine of distress and the larger black tom offered a sympathetic smile before running his tongue quickly over her ears.

"Hey, you're okay. Look at me, you'll be fine. Just stay close to me, okay? We'll see if we can find Plushtail." He stifled a smirk as he felt Fennelpaw's tiny body practically press itself to his flank, mentally taking notice of how much smaller she was in comparison to him. It just went to show him how close he was to being a warrior; he had surprised even himself at how mature his words had come out sounding.

Giving the curly black apprentice a little nudge, he started forward towards the massive of huddled cats that smelled of Mothclan scent. He moved slowly, as to not leave Fennelpaw behind, and nosed his way through the crowd until they reached the older tabby she-cat. Seating himself beside her and without making too much noise, he gestured to Plushtail little Fennelpaw as she adoringly dove for her mentor's soft side, burying her face into Plushtail's namesake.

Turning his emerald eyes to the leaders, Darkpaw's once warm, smiling face turned to stone.

---

Four orange eyes burned like hot coals as two stoic forms sat perfectly perched near the outcrop of rubble where the deputies sat. Saltweed's dappled pelt shown in an oddly grim brilliance of red instead of white with drops of black spotting her body and beside her, a small black cat glowered, his bloody light-soaked black pelt making him look even more gruesome in company of his sour look. Foxpaw, despite having only recently received his new name, already appeared as grizzled as a senior warrior as the thousand yard stare he had cast towards the leader morphed into a venomous look of distaste. Both sour cats of Mistclan seemed even more so in sullen environment. With tensions so thick it could be cut with a claw, Saltweed and Foxpaw seemed ever more on edge. And beside them sat an uncomfortable red tortie with equally narrowed eyes.

It wasn't anger of xenophobic heat that made Currantpaw short daggers at anyone who moved nearby. It was her sense of anxiety and awkwardness at being at her first Gathering. It just had to be her luck that her first trip to the monster's carcass had to be during such a stressful time, and she was all by herself. Scratch that- luck was likely on her side. Did she really want to suffer through the agony of trying to interact with others? It was honestly better that she sink to the shadows, and with all of them dyed red, she would blend in perfectly.

As she moved ever so slowly backwards, a paw slapped down and pinned her tail to the ground with a crushing weight. She hissed in pain and snapped her head up to see Saltweed's fiery gaze burning deep holes down into her.

"You. Stay put and watch the leaders. You may not have another chance."

With a strangled gulp, Currantpaw's brassy eyes turned back to the leader, bulging with fear at Saltweed and the situation alike.

[americanfacepalm]

//Duskjaw//

Duskjaw sat warily at the gathering, trying to keep up with everything that was happening. The sky seemed to press in on the cats from all sides, with the cats themselves penning Duskjaw in tightly. It made his chest tight and his paws tingle. The way everyone spoke made him nervous. He had joined MothClan to hunt for them and to avoid any fights he could. The last thing he wanted was to end up in some giant war. He would have been loath to admit it, but he was afraid to die. The young tom feared what would happen to his soul after death. Would he join StarClan, or was he too cowardly?

It didn't help that Mothstar was fading quickly. He did not know how many lives he had left, but he certainly knew when someone was not doing well. The tom was old and only getting older. It would not have surprised Duskjaw if he keeled over from choking on a piece of prey at this point. His only hope was that Brackenfall seemed to be a capable leader in the absence of their StarClan-ordained leader's strength. If all went well, he would lead them to greatness.

OOC: I can't believe I posted this in the wrong gathering before!!! aaa

[ladyspectral]

Briardawn sat firm, close to Wingedpaw. She wore an expression of worry on her faces, as did most cats of the three clans. Fear bloomed in her chest as she listened to the murmurs around her, remaining silent. Any gathering was sure to be odd for her, surrounded by the cats that scorned her and drove her away with each act of cruelty.

The two faced warrior looked toward Wingedpaw anxiously, hoping for some semblance of reassurance from her pale friend.

[Mama]

A giant Ivyclan warrior with a golden pelt stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd, Goldeneyes staring towards the moon in half awe, half confusion. He didn't seem to be scared too much of it, more of confused and curious. His tail twitched side to side, and his black and gold eyes glowed in the night.


---
Briarfrost was really, really not a fan of this whole change of lighting, it made the warrior a tad bit scared of what was to come. However, she hid her fear as she sat along with her Clanmates, with an open posture incase someone needed someone to comfort them.

[Storm]

Sparrowpaw
MothClan | Apprentice | She-Cat | 11 Moons | Heterosexual

The little brown apprentice had remained totally silent as she padded along with her clan.  The tension had clung to her fluffy fur and weighed down her every step.  Sparrowpaw didn't dare to let her yellow gaze drift up to the sky out of fear of the sight she'd see, instead her eyes were set on the feet of the warrior in front of her.  Once MothClan had arrived at the gathering the she-cat found herself sitting with her clanmates, just in front of the busted up warrior Shadowstorm and the tall Batstrike.  

She had noticed herself holding her breath as they waited for the leaders to speak.  She found listening to the two toms chat behind her helped calm her nerves.  Batstrike was speaking in an easy tone to Shadowstorm, it was quite soothing to Sparrowpaw.  The two were discussing her denmate, Cherrypaw, and how much Batstrike appreciated Shadowstorms help with her training as she was soon approaching becoming a warrior.  Maybe the tom was just chattering on about it to bring his own mind off all the tension he felt in his whiskers as he glanced around often in anticipation.  That didn't matter to the little cat who was also getting close to being a warrior of her own, their light topic was much easier on her ears than the anxious silence that was making her little heart pound.  

As a leaders voice rang out her eyes lifted just slightly. She'd be lying if she said she could actually comprehend anything said, her mind had zoned out.  All she could hear was her own breathing as she stared blankly up at the dead monsters.  What was happening... what was going to happen?

[gingersnapsdacat]

Daisypetals of MistClan
    Daisypetals looked around, unsure of what he was doing there. He barely knew his own clanmates, much less cats from the other two clans...but Silvermist said that Gatherings were important for the clans, so he had to be there. If nothing else, maybe he could help Frostfall carry back her herbs. 

Heronflight of IvyClan
    Heronflight proudly strode into the gathering, eyes bright with excitement, despite the unusual moon. As her clan all filed into place, she was weaving around others, searching for one tom-cat in particular.
"Wildstep? Are you here?"

Stoatwhisker of MistClan
    The white she-cat sat down, tail tightly curled around her legs. Her eyes stayed glued to Rabbitpaw, keeping the tuxedo print apprentice within her sights. Although it was irrational, she just could not bear to lose another apprentice. She did not know why, but the fur on the back of her neck refused to lie flat, and there was an ever-present tension in the air. Something was going to happen tonight. Something strange. 

Bunnyblossom of MothClan
The silver-coated she-cat stood still, staring up at the red moon. It enchanted her with its ethereal beauty, and she found herself stuck, unable to look away. Something sinister seemed to hide in the beauty of the swirling clouds, and it sent a chill down her spine. She pressed herself closer to Darkpaw, hoping that he could protect her from whatever the strange feeling was. 

[mewmehh]

An odd thrumming could be felt deep within his throat as Darkpaw fixed his head forward, eyes focused on the leaders in an effort to quell the warbly, churning sensation he felt in his belly as Bunnyblossom pressed to one side of him and Fennelpaw to his other. It was a compromising positioning to say the very least as the pair of she-cats sought comfort and Darkpaw could only pray to Starclan that Eveningblaze wasn't watching. He had been good for so many moons, managing to avoid spending too much time with his so-called 'mate,' and yet just enough time as to keep their relationship alive, whatever it was. He knew now as a more experienced cat that 'mateships' meant kits and neither of them had those, but he did know his feelings for her were ones where he did indeed wish to someday share in such a commitment.

But he had urges too, ones that were frustrated with constant training and lack of an outlet. And with Fennelpaw's fragrant, cute pelt of curls interwoven with his fur, Darkpaw's brain was swimming in all sorts of thoughts and his sensibilities were drowning. Starclan help me and Bunnyblossom forgive me! It took all he could muster to force the thoughts that once consumed him in kithood out of his mind and remember that he was a respectable member of Mothclan. He loved his father, but he was not like him. Eveningblaze made sure to teach him that well enough.

Stifling a gurgle of strained distress, his spine prickled uncomfortably and his ears twitched occasionally, hoping that the moment would be over soon.