Shadow paw lay under the shade of a pine, his head on his paws, bored. It was as if time could pass any slower if it tried, and Starclan knows what the leaders would end up deciding when the time came. And even if they came to a decision, would Starclan approve? Would they even answer them. After all. They hadn't been the most responsive lately, what with cryptically laced warnings, and now flat out ignorance. Though in the back of his mind he remembered the warning that he'd been given when he visited the moonpool, when Rootpaw had accompanied him... oh Rootpaw. Now he was right back where it started. He shook the thoughts from his head and leaned into a long stretch, looking back toward the medicine den. Maybe Puddleshine had some work for him to do. Anything to take his mind off of the future. That and, he did feel bad that his medicine cat duties were taking a backseat to his feelings. Ironic.

The more he thought about it, the more he realised he had no clue what he was signing up for when he decided to become a medicine... wait a minute. Then he remembered quickly that he didn't really sign up for this position. It was forced onto him like a poultice that did nothing but burn him every time he tried to move. If Starclan wanted him to be a medicine cat so bad, then why couldn't he do what he wanted as well? Was a despondent Starclan that needed him so badly really be willing to exile him from their hunting grounds? The more these thoughts circled around in his brain, the more heretical, but more importantly, sensible they seemed to him. A ball of malice and guilty resolve spun its self inside him as he thought about challenging Starclan to the end to get the result he saw fit, even if he didn't really know what that result was, because to him, he did have a duty to his clan, an undeniable one, so he couldn't forsake them to go to Thunderclan, but he couldn't possibly ask Rootpaw to choose between love and his clan either, and he saw no comfortable middle ground to that. Not as it stood now, not short of abolishing borders entirely.

His frustration was interrupted by his father calling to him,
"We're off now. Let's go." Shadowpaw jumped to his paws, filled with nervous energy. He said goodbye to Dovewing before they left, brushing against her.
"I'm sure everything will work out fine." She cooed, shewing him to follow his father.

Rootpaw and Leafstar arrived at the Great Oak just as Bramblestsr arrived with Graystripe.
"Here's to changing history" he grey warrior exclaimed enthusiastically, to which Rootpaw felt filled with happiness that others cared for him in such a way that they'd go to these lengths to help him, but he caught himself. It's not just for me. It's for every cat who is put in my position for generations to come.
Suddenly the gravity of what was happening hit him, and he felt a sense of importance at even being allowed to attend the meeting as an apprentice.

When they entered the clearing, Tigerstar and Shadowpaw, Mistystar at their side, were already waiting for them at the base of the Great Oak.
"Great. All that's left is for Harestar, who made it abundantly clear that he would be here." Tigerstar mreowed, amused at recalling the memory.

The leader finally arrived at sun high, his deputy Crowfeather at his side.
"I hope you don't mind, I brought my deputy with me." He exclaimed. "I'm sure his insight would be useful based on his past. Inter clan relationship with a medicine cat and all." Shadowpaw was shocked for a moment before remembering that he was staring at Jaydeather's birth father, Leafpool's old mate. The one who hung her out to pasture when she begged for his help after finding out she was carrying his kits. He added sourly. He remembered the story Jayfeather told him in one of his rare moments of tenderness. He couldn't imagine doing something like that to Rootpaw, not that they'd ever be put in quite the same position. But he swallowed his anger, now was not the time to get hostile.

"We all know why we're here. And far be it from me to waste any of your time, but as it stands, I am currently at a loss for what you wish to change." Harestar began. Mistystar stepped forward,
"I think I can summarize the issue. I was thinking about this extensively since the invitation, and I've managed to narrow it down to two issues" she stated, sitting down and wrapping her tail around his paws. "Inter clan relationships and medicine cat separation from clan life. These are two of sacred rules of the code, and funnily enough, two of the most broken laws. Time and time again these rules are trespassed, and enforcement of these rules seems to cause nothing but harm because all too often, they lead to dishonesty, sneaking around, and inevitably more trouble than they're worth. This tells me that we wish to enforce rules that are simply not working the way that our ancestors imagined they would."
She finished, and Bramblestar continued her point,
"Agreed. I too was thinking long and hard about this, and I've come to a realization. The code was written by cats just like you and I, while they were alive no less. This tells me that they are not infallible. And when the times change, it maybe be worth observing our laws to decide whether reconsidering them is justified. We need look no further than the shift in opinion from when we moved to the lake. Where once it was unthinkable to allow outsiders to join the clan, we have since allowed many a rogue or stray into our boarders, and benefitted greatly from it. I cannot help but wonder if the archaism of other rules should be brought into question. I'm sure at the time, the leaders had good reason for their decisions, but that doesn't mean they're suitable for us." He finished.
Harestar stepped forward to say his peace
"I agree with the both of you. I really do, but have we forgotten the situation that we're in? StarClan is ignoring us. Why should we do something that may test their patience further?" He shook his head, "I'm sorry, and I feel terrible for those suffering, but I don't know if it is actually worth the risk." He finished, to which there was a stunned silence. Shadowpaw looked at Rootpaw in dismay. Could we really be making things worse? Rootpaw held his gaze for a moment before resolved steeled over his own heart. The apprentice stepped forward
"M-may I speak?" He stammered, gathering his confidence. The leaders all looked at him expectantly, making him feel really small for what he was about to say.
"Go on" Leafstar offered. He stepped forward shakily, but didn't back down.
"On the night of the gathering, Rootpaw said that he'd never be with me, because he was scared that I would be sent to the dark forest for it. I don't know much, and I know I'm naive, and that you all probably don't value my opinion as an apprentice, but when I heard that, it was like nothing I've ever been told. He was willing to hurt himself so that I would be safe. That felt like real love to me, and I don't know how that could ever be wrong. If StarClan is willing to hurt us for loving, that doesn't seem fair to me." He finished, feeling silly now that he'd said it. He wanted to curl up and die of embarrassment, but when he looked over at Rootpaw, his eyes were beaming. No. What I said was right. a purr, erupted from his chest.
There was a brief silence, like none of the leaders knew what to do with that information. But Crowfeather stepped forward to his surprise. "I loved Leafpool more than I can say. When I.. left her.. I couldn't sleep at night, it didn't want to eat, hunt, spar. I felt more guilt in that than I had ever felt in my life. The clan law told me to ignore her, retreat back to my own clan or the wrath of StarClan would befall me, but if you were to ask me now, I'd say I deserve to go to the dark forest now more than I ever did for loving her. I still regret that I never.. said sorry" he finished, choking up.
Shadowpaw was stunned. He suddenly felt shame wash over him for the thoughts he had about him at the beginning of the meeting. He was suffering just as much as any cat who'd lost their mate.
"Well," Mistystar cut back in "I think my point stands strong."

Leafstar was the next to speak her mind, standing up and staring off into the distance.
"I, for the longest time didn't live with the lot of you, so I mostly only have my own opinion to go on, but to me, to bar a medicine cat from having a mate never quite sat well with me. I understand the rationale, a medicine cat must treat the clan as their kits, but I fail to see how that is any different to a warrior. Or more-so a leader. If we can trust a leader to act in the best interests of the clan regardless of if they have a mate, or a warrior to fight off an enemy in regardless of what is happening, then surely we can trust a medicine cat, a cat closer to StarClan than any of us, to do so as well." she looked at the ThunderClan leader, "Bramblestar, did Leafpool ever give you reason to think that she gave her own kits preferential treatment to the detriment of other clan mates?" He asked. It was a good question.

The leader thought for a moment,
"No, I don't believe she did. She definitely spent time around them giving them plenty of affection, but when it came to her duty, she was in fact, infallible. Probably one of the best medicine cats we've ever had. In fact, since we're on the topic, I also understand that Yellowfang had a kit. Brokenstar. The entire reason he turned out the way he did was because this silly rule made her abandon him to a clan mate as an adopted kit. That is evidence of the rule in fact causing forest-wide harm." He concluded.

Shadowpaw and Rootpaw's heads just swung back and forth as each leader spoke. They were so out of their depth, but he liked what he thought he was hearing.

Tigerstar spoke up,
"One can argue that these laws, had they been abused by, would have in fact prevented harm, but the fact is, love is such an incredibly powerful thing that sometimes rules aren't enough to stop a cat from acting out. When a car inevitably breaks it, and can we blame them, all the rule does from there is cause harm, secrecy and lies. These apprentices are an anomaly in their being upfront about it, and that in and of itself shows that there needs to be change."

After a brief pause, Harestar stood up and in an unexpected decision meowed,
"I personally want to get onto the more complicated issue of inter clan relationships, so let's get on with it. I move to abolish the rule against medicine cats having mates and kits."
Everyone was stunned, but after a moment, all leaders nodded in agreement.

"Well then" Mistystar mused, "that was easy. The clan law of medicine cat isolation is officially repealed. It will be made official at the next gathering"