Duskrose grumbled as mud-soaked her pelt. What a day to go to the Gathering. Her apprentice, Cricketpaw, trekked beside her. 

"Why does it have to rain on the Gathering?" Cricketpaw complained, shaking out her fur, splattering water everywhere.

"Well, I don't know," Hazelfoot murmured, coming up behind them. "StarClan must be angry at..." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "JungleClan."

"Yes, of course, it has to be!" Windleap bristled, butting in from behind Hazelfoot. "Those cowards will learn their lesson!"

"Okay, okay! Let's not get too flustered about JungleClan!" Dawnstar cried, closing the conversation.  

Paws slapped the ground as the clan neared the island. They crossed the tree trunk and entered the wide Gathering space.

The other clans were already there. Birdstar hissed at Dawnstar as she passed, but Dawnstar pretended to not notice. 

"Let the Gathering Begin!"  Specklestar yowled, her voice ringing around the clearing. The JungleClan cats shifted away from the other clans, whispering, and hissing at the clans. 

"I'll start. MistClan is really great so far; the prey is running out again, and the frost on the brambles and yew and dripping to water; indeed, so much water that our elders and queens can bear the pain they have. Also, we have three strong apprentices: Lionpaw, Vinepaw, and Wolfpaw!" 

"Lionpaw! Vinepaw! Wolfpaw!" MistClan, DawnClan, and MysticClan yowled, but JungleClan glared at the three apprentices with piercing eyes.

Duskrose felt sorry for the three apprentices: they had finally gone to the Gathering for the first time in their lives, but one clan was not cheering for them! That was not how JungleClan was like when she first came to the Gathering as Duskpaw.

"I'll go next," Specklestar mewed, quickly sensing Dawnstar's hesitation. "MysticClan's land is rich with prey, and the frost is also melting. But, because the land is full of prey, foxes come out to steal our prey!"

"Did you fight them off?" Dawnstar asked. Birdstar just glared at Dawnstar quietly.

"Yes, of course!" Specklestar exclaimed, ignoring Birdstar's hostility. "Lightningstorm, Jayshine, and Mistywing chased them away. Foxes are not welcome! They will not steal!" 

MysticClan echoed, "They will not steal!"

"I'll go next-" Dawnstar and Birdstar said together at once, and they glared at each other.

"Um... Is something wrong?" Specklestar asked. 

"Yes," Dawnstar mewed.

"Then Dawnstar, can you explain to us why there is the trouble?" Owlstar asked.

"First of all, prey is rich in DawnClan, yes, but we received some trouble from JungleClan." Dawnstar glared at Birdstar. "The border patrol from DawnClan was Silverheart, Moonwave, and Robinlight." 

The three cats stood up. "Yes!" Moonwave yowled. "We were attacked by Berrystripe, Fernfeather, and Jaycloud!" 

The clans looked at the three JungleClan cats. 

"That's not true! You attacked us first-" Jaycloud yelled.

"Nonsense!" Robinlight stood up. "The stars have told us so. We have to stop fighting, or all of us would die! Otterdawn, please tell everyone." 

Otterdawn stood up. The magnificent she-cat had been pushed around yesterday, but now, being able to talk in a Gathering to all of the clans, was a great honor to her. 

"Robinlight is right. We must believe in StarClan, and that's it. Even though I hate to fight, we have to stop! Yes, there will be conflict, and we can't stop it. Even though we can't stop, we can change ourselves. We can change our attitude, our personality, and more.  Who loves fighting here? It would mean in the future they would fight everyone."

"That's not true!" Fernfeather retorted. "Warriors are-"

"We can change!" Otterdawn yowled over her. 

"Stop interrupting us!" Berrystripe roared, smacking Otterdawn into the muddy ground. Mud splattered everywhere, the small beads of sticky brown blobs leaping into the air, landing gleefully on the cats' pelts. 

"Uck!" Skyheart yelled, who was standing the closest to them. The mud had gone into her eyes. Duskrose gulped a gasp of fear. Berrywhisker, the medicine cat, should treat Skyheart's eyes before they got infected. Or would she be blind forever... 

"Stop!" Otterdawn screeched, and sounds of battle started. JungleClan lunged at DawnClan, and the other clans watched with fear. 

Duskrose's heart tightened with fear. No! This couldn't happen! She wanted to leap up and stop Berrystripe, but then something slammed into her, knocking the breath out of her. She blinked and saw the piercing eyes of Cherrystorm. 

"DawnClan is worthless!" Cherrystorm shrieked, slicing Duskrose's fur. "You cowards, coming here to strike disaster into the clans?!"

"We didn't!" Duskrose wriggled, but it ripped the fur under Cherrystorm's claws. Duskrose quickly stop wriggling, and with a roll of her back and a kick of her hind legs, Cherrystorm was sent flying into the air. 

"Dare attack Cherrystorm and I will kill you!" Cedarwing yelled, launching himself on top of Duskrose, and began shredding her fur again.

"Moonwave, help!" Duskrose spotted the wandering she-cat. Then Moonwave turned and dashed over to help.

"Get- off- Duskrose!" Moonwave hissed as she gripped Cedarwing's shoulders and yanked him back. 

Duskrose shrieked with pain as a wound appeared on the area where Cedarwing's claws were piercing in.

Cricketpaw lunged over, and with a swipe of her tiny paw, she cut her claws into his tail. Cedarwing yowled with agony and tried to run away, but Moonwave landed in front of him and kicked him with her hind legs.

Dawnstar was fighting bravely, face-to-face with Birdstar. Birdstar was swiping fast, quick blows at Dawnstar, but Dawnstar dodged them easily and gave Birdstar a swipe on her flank. Birdstar hissed with rage and lunged at Dawnstar, but then Dawnstar leaped under Birdstar bent her spine, sending Birdstar flying into the air. 

Duskrose felt fresh blood treckle down her fur. The blood of DawnClan was going to spill, but in a battle, there had to be wounded.

Despite her pain, she swiped Owlflight away and shoved Lilyflight into Leopardwhisker. She wasn't going to give up now.

Suddenly a screech echoed through the clearing. Dawnstar backed away from Birdstar, her claws stained with blood. Birdstar was screeching, her chest bearing a nasty swipe. Birdstar gasped, and she collapsed. 

"No, no!" Dawnstar wailed. "I shouldn't have done this!"

JungleClan cats gasped and stopped fighting. They stared at their fallen leader, their eyes bewildered with shock. 

"This battle should have never happened!"

Sorry, _Dawn_Breeze_, I will give you a new kit!