The cool fact of the day is: The domestic cat(Felis silvestris catus) is considered to have some of the largest variety of personalities between individuals compared to any other species on earth- second only to human beings.

"Wow that was some speech wasn't it?"

Jayfeather felt the familiar presence of his brother beside him. "Yes it was. It sounds like Onestar is trying to make amends for how awfully he has treated ThunderClan in the past."

Lionblaze purred in amusement. "Doesn't bother me one bit. But changing the Warrior Code? I didn't even know we could do that."

Jayfeather flicked his tail across his brother's shoulder. "Of course cats can do that; how do you think the code came into existence in the first place. It would probably require an agreement between all four leaders though, so hopefully Mistystar and Blackstar will change their minds after this big battle thing Onestar has planned."

"And about that," Lionblaze mewed, his tone itching with interest. "What do you think it will be like? I remember when we had the last daylight Gathering, it was more of an event for the apprentices, but Onestar made it sound like this time, every cat will be involved."

"I don't know, maybe you should ask him. He's over there talking with Ashfoot right now," Jayfeather gestured with his tail in the WindClan leader's direction. "Whatever it is, it probably won't involve medicine cats so I guess I'll stay here doing nothing while the rest of you have a great time." He couldn't imagine how a mock battle could involve the medicine cats. And if all claws were sheathed, what good was he? "My second daylight Gathering in a row where I don't get to participate."

"Don't say that," Lionblaze meowed, giving him a hefty nudge in the ribs with his paw. "I'm sure Onestar has something planned for you. And you did participate in the last daylight Gathering. Don't you remember how you rescued me and Breezepelt from that collapsed badger set?"

Jayfeather purred, the corners of his lips curling with cold amusement. "How could I forget? I was called 'the apprentice who deserves mention above all others.' I didn't feel all that special at the time. It was just another cruel reminder that StarClan had destined me to be a medicine cat and I would never be able to fight for my Clan."

"Only you could take such a good thing and find all the bad in it," Lionblaze laughed, rubbing his ear vigorously with a paw. "Forget about what happened in the past, I just wish you could see what Onestar has done with the WindClan camp. Not only did he dig more room for the camp, but now there are all kinds of plants growing around the edges. And you should make a visit to the nursery, its entire floor is coated with fresh moss. They must have been gathering it by the river all day."

"Sounds like Onestar went all out preparing for the daylight Gathering- not even ThunderClan was this hospitable when we held our daylight Gathering." Jayfeather blinked. "Then again, we couldn't really extend the walls of the stone hallow, could we."

Lionblaze purred in amusement. "You have a point there."

Jayfeather sniffed the air trying to figure out where every cat was around him. He was used to finding his way around the Gathering on the island, but this was so much worse. Not only were there many more cats here, but also the overwhelming smell of WindClan seemed to cover everything. At least on the island, he had somewhat figured out where all the cats would wander off to as they waited for the leaders to speak. This isn't so bad. I feel like I could manage it once every new-leaf.

"Hi, Jayfeather."

He jumped in surprise. He hadn't noticed the stealthy approach of Dawnpelt, one of the ShadowClan warriors. He tensed instinctively and unsheathed his claws. The she-cat had accused him of murdering her brother, Flametail, moons ago, and that whole situation had never really been resolved even though Flametail himself had told everyone that Jayfeather was innocent.

"What do you want with the ThunderClan medicine cat?" Lionblaze growled, stepping protectively in front of his brother. "We may not be at the island, but this is still a Gathering of peace."

But no hostility radiated from the ShadowClan cat's pelt. "Relax big guy, I'm not here to attack Jayfeather. I just wanted to talk with him."

Jayfeather narrowed his eyes. "About what?" he asked coolly, stepping around Lionblaze.

"I think you can guess what about," Dawnpelt mewed. "Can we talk outside the camp? Alone?"

Jayfeather could feel his brother's anxious gaze but he flicked his tail for him to stand back. "As long as you don't try anything funny."

"I hadn't planned to."

With a small shrug, he nodded for Lionblaze to stay and followed the she-cat away past the flower-barrier of the camp, and out onto the hilly moor. Lionblaze's suspicious gaze trailed after them until they were out of sight.

"I wanted to say I was sorry," Dawnpelt began once they were a fair distance away from the camp, stopping by some gorse bushes and sitting down facing him. Her pawsteps seemed heavy with thoughts that weighed her down. "And don't expect me to repeat it because ShadowClan cats never apologize! But I was wrong to accuse you of murdering Flametail. I was just so upset and you were there and-"

He raised a paw to stem the flow of words that were tumbling out of her mouth. "Let me stop you right there before you start sounding all soft and gushy like a ThunderClan cat. I never wanted to be feared or hated for something I didn't do, but that's all in the past now. I accept your apology."

Dawnpelt purred in understanding. "During the battle against the Dark Forest, he came down and helped Littlecloud with the herbs. He told me and Tigerheart how you found him in StarClan and convinced him to help the Clans. He said there was nothing any cat could have done to save him and it was his fate."

Jayfeather nodded slowly, remembering the indecision of StarClan right when the Clans had needed them most. Their hesitation to join the battle very likely got many cats killed.

"I felt really bad for accusing you but never had the courage to tell you during a Gathering," the she-cat mewed quietly as if worried some other cat would hear. "Of course a medicine cat wouldn't murder another medicine cat. I was foolish and I feel ashamed."

Jayfeather gently rested his tail on her shoulder. The whole ordeal had been dumb and it had bothered him more than he was letting on. "Grieving cats find ways to handle the pain in different ways. And obviously you weren't alone in suspecting me because all the other Clans agreed I shouldn't attend Gatherings until I was proven innocent."

Dawnpelt let out a small sad sniff. "I miss him."

"And I miss Hollyleaf," he meowed simply. He suddenly felt awkward at how the conversation had turned. If Dawnpelt had been a ThunderClan cat, he could have just told her to visit the nursery if she wanted sympathy, but that didn't seem appropriate here. "We all lost friends and family in the battle, but they wouldn't want us to get bogged down mourning them. They'd want us to keep fighting for our Clans and keep the rest of their friends and family safe."

Dawnpelt sniffed again, but when she next spoke, she raised her voice in determination. "You're right. I won't ever forget Flametail and I'll fight twice as hard from now on in his memory. Thank you Jayfeather for talking with me."

"Don't mention it," he meowed back. The wind shifted direction and a particular scent nearby caught his attention, but he dismissed it."And I won't tell any other cat about our conversation as to not ruin your tough ShadowClan reputation."

"Nobody would believe you anyway," Dawnpelt laughed, rising to her paws. "They would be more likely to believe you if you said a ShadowClan cat had knocked over the Great Oak on the island."

"If you say so," he mewed sarcastically, not standing up.

"Aren't you coming back to the camp?"

"No thanks, I'm going to rest out here for a bit. You can tell Lionblaze where to find me if you run into him."

"Sure thing." The she-cat padded away in the direction of the voices that were rising up from the WindClan camp. She moved with a much lighter step as if she had taken a huge weight off her chest.

Alone, Jayfeather took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The Clans were at peace for now, but it was in a warrior cats' nature to fight. They'd find something to fight over soon enough. Until then, what was he supposed to do to as a medicine cat? He opened his eyes and let out the breath long and slow. "She's gone, you can come out of that bush now."

A spark of hostility seared his pelt and he felt his fur begin to rise up but he made a conscience effort to force it back down again. The gorse crunched as Breezepelt stepped out and he tried not to flinch at the hot emotions radiating off the WindClan warrior's pelt. He must have been hiding to avoid the daylight Gathering. Jayfeather knew he wouldn't win a fight if the warrior attacked, and he doubted his Clanmates would be able to reach him in time if Breezepelt tried to kill him again.

But Breezepelt didn't make any move to attack. "I'm done with you and your ilk, Jayfeather. Leave me alone." He raced away in the direction of the lake before Jayfeather had even realized he was leaving.

"Hey, where are you going?" he called, taking a few hasty steps after him. "Can't we talk?" Breezepelt had taken the side of the Dark Forest in the great battle, and even though The Clans had forgiven all the cats who had been corrupted by Tigerstar's lies, he obviously still had resentment for Jayfeather. The medicine cat still bore the long jagged scar across his flank from moons ago when Breezepelt had attacked him.

But the warrior was already long gone- blazing across the moor like a mighty wind.

"I just wanted to say I forgive you!" Jayfeather yowled after him. He hoped he could have mended two relationships in one day, but it looked like Breezepelt was an issue for a different time. Sighing, he turned to head back to the WindClan camp, but his ears pricked at the sound of tentative pawsteps approaching. Breezepelt had returned.

"Why? Why would you forgive me?" the WindClan warrior asked cautiously as if he wasn't quite sure if Jayfeather was being truthful. "I didn't ask for you forgiveness."

Jayfeather took a deep breath. He knew Breezepelt could still easily kill him in a moment so he chose his words carefully. "I have no reason not to forgive you. I gain nothing from hating you."

Breezepelt growled. "I can smell your fear-scent. You're either hiding something or lying; that's what ThunderClan always does. I don't believe you!"

Jayfeather took a nervous step back, knowing he couldn't outrun the WindClan cat if he tried to flee. He suddenly regretted trying to talk with him alone. "W- why wouldn't you believe me? All of the Clans are at peace and the past is far behind us now. Why do you still hate me?"

Breezepelt's unsheathed claws sank into the grassy earth. "I hate you because you were born. My life would have been so much better if you never existed. You and Leafpool and all those other lying traitors to the Warrior Code."

Jayfeather blinked in surprise. He knew the relationship between Breezepelt and his parents was rough, but that couldn't be all ThunderClan's fault. "It's true, your father and my mother loved each other once, and me and Lionblaze are your half brothers. So what do you want us to do about it?"

Breezepelt's hostility diminished slightly as the medicine cat locked a blind gaze with his. "There is nothing you can do about it except leave me alone," Breezepelt hissed, his voice starting to shake. "You've done enough to me."

Jayfeather, seeing the tiny break in the WindClan cat's emotional defenses, took a step forward and raised his head high so he would be at eye-level. Breezepelt flinched but didn't back away. "I don't want to be hated for something I had no control over. If you want to let your anger shape the way you see the world, I can't stop you. But if you want to take anything from what you learned about Tigerstar and the Dark Forest, realize that his hatred never made him stronger of happier- it destroyed him."

Breezepelt shoved his face into Jayfeather's, his hot breath rustling the medicine cat's whiskers. "Is that a threat?" he growled coldly.

Jayfeather was tempted to roll his eyes, but he restrained himself. He could feel his own frustration beginning to bubble up. "No, it's a life-lesson. Stop feeling sorry for yourself!"

"Easy for you to say," Breezepelt spat back. "At least both your mother and adopted mother loved you. Crowfeather never truly loved Nightcloud because he was always watching over the ThunderClan border for Leafpool. So by extension, he never loved me. Sure, he was there for my apprenticeship, and he cheered when I got my warrior name, but I lived most of my life without anybody caring. You don't know what it's like to never be appreciated no matter how hard you try."

Jayfeather closed his eyes for a moment. He could feel the pain in Breezepelt's voice and it caught him off-guard. "You're right, I don't know what it's like to be you, but It wasn't all sunshine and clear skies for me either. I had to give up my dream of becoming a warrior, was burdened by a prophecy I didn't understand, and watched the world I knew crumble around me when I found out Squirrelflight wasn't my real mother. Hollyleaf was so distraught when she found out that she fled- leaving behind her friends, her Clan, and even us."

"Stupid she-cats," Breezepelt snarled. "Your Clan is full of traitors to the warrior code. Your Clan is the reason I am miserable."

"Your father is as much to blame for the treachery as Leafpool is," he countered. "It takes two cats to have kits."

Breezepelt only hissed in response.

"What I'm trying to say," he pressed. "Is that we aren't our parents, and we aren't responsible for what they do. We just make the best of what we have and strive to support our Clan." He felt the sun shine brightly on his pelt and he soaked in the moment of warmth.

"But at least you were loved," Breezepelt murmured sadly, the fire going out in his voice completely.

"Let's take a little trip around the moors and just talk," Jayfeather suggested. "Just to get our paws and words moving."

Jayfeather could feel the uneasiness in Breezepelt, but for the first time, he could also feel the darkness that had for so long filled the warrior's heart begin to fade. He sincerely wanted Breezepelt to be happy, not out of fear of another attack, but because he saw in him so much of the struggle Jayfeather himself had endured growing up.

"Fine, we can talk," Breezepelt meowed, trying to sound confident. "But I want to be back for the mock battle, I've really been looking forward to it."