Darkstorm watched as Shadeflight stumbled after the fresh-kill pile. She sighed. Is this all he's going to be good for? She scowled, catching Heatpelt's mocking gaze as Orangetail nudged him. "Use your scent," she suggested. Shadeflight's fur bristled.

"I know," he snapped. "I don't need help." He's embarrassed, Darkstorm realized. But it's not his fault!

"Shadeflight, come share with me," she suggested. I'm lying, she thought sadly as she continued. "Don't worry, your eyes will be better soon." Her guilt vanished as he nodded, smiling slightly.

"Just until then," he murmured. "I can hang on until then." The wave came rushing back. I'm tricking him. He thinks he'll be better, but... I'm tricking my own kin! He won't be better! He'll never see again!

"Shadeflight..." Darkstorm began. Shadeflight raised his tail.

"I've got to go." He scampered towards Amberflight, saying something. She responded cheerfully. Darkstorm watched them. Huh. Cross-cl- why do I think that whenever two cats from different clans speak it's a cross-clan relationship? No, they're probably friends. Lots of cats are getting friends from other clans now, with this journey.

"Cats of all clans!" Coralstar yowled. "We will move on, towards the brightest star, now."

"But this is a great camp!" a tabby screeched angrily. "We should live here!"

"Boltfur died here, and Shadeflight was blinded. This is dangerous. It might seem that there is lots of prey, but we are all skinny. And soon, the Twolegs will come here," Stonestar explained, licking her paw. "We have to find a new camp, somewhere far."

"Hmmph," the tabby growled, followed by several others. Darkstorm bared her teeth.

"Maybe you don't want to listen to a half-clan cat, but that was a message! And from StarClan! So we will follow the brightest star until we reach the moon. And if you think the leaders shuldn't listen to me," she added, catching scornful glances, "they have their reasons, and they don't have to tell us all of them!" Treestar nodded. He's not so mad at me anymore, Darkstorm thought, anger showing in her snarl. He feels sorry for me!

"Whatever," a grey cat snapped. 

"Slatepaw," Snarlfang mewed. A shiver ran down Darkstorm's spine. Is she dead? "Strikestar," he called. The ginger tom padded over to them, and they exchanged some mutters. Strikestar sighed, looking at Mousesong and Heatpelt.

"She's dead." Heatpelt's eyes widened as Mousesong's narrowed. The scarred-nose tom leaped at Snarlfang, his claws outstretched, and swiped.

"You killed her!" he roared. "You don't deserve to be a m-" As he reached in to scratch, Snarlfang struck out with his forepaw, twisting around, and then again, to pummel his opponent's muzzle. Mousesong growled, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Stop!" Strikestar yowled, his fur bristling. Mousesong rolled on his belly, surrendering, while Snarlfang stood his ground and flattened his ears. Strikestar's tail twitched. "You are ThunderClan cats, and there will be no fighting among ourselves. This is the last thing that we need. Coralstar, you must have been right to send Arrowheart away. Mousesong and Heatpelt, we will walk on, but you will bring Slatepaw's body with you and we will bury her at night, so that we can keep a vigil." His gaze softened.

"I know how you feel. You lost your kit, and I lost my sister." Mousesong bowed his head, while Heatpelt closed her eyes sadly. 

"Arrowheart isn't evil!" Darkstorm snapped. She shrunk back a bit as angry gazes faced her determined one, but she didn't stop. "You may think he is, just because he loved me, but I loved him too!" she spat, drawing back her lips in a furious snarl. "Maybe you don't want to admit, but Arrowheart isn't the only one that has broken the code." Treestar glared at her, hissing.

"Stop it, for your own g-"

"I will not stop!" Darkstorm screeched. All the reality hit her at once. "I am sick of you! I am part of that prophecy, StarClan told me! and I'm not ready for that responsibilty- I've only just turned a warrior! And beside that, I have to balance your prejustice against half-clan cats! And I lost my father, and my brother his sight! I'm leaving!" Shadeflight opened his mouth, about to speak, but she bared her teeth, her tail bristling. "And cats should be allowed to love! But you don't understand that." She quieted a bit, and then went on, "I do. I understand. So do others." Her gaze swept over the watching cats. "I love Arrowheart. I can't change that. But I should be allowed." Silence. And then...

"She's right," Orangetail mewed clearly, loudly. Snarlfang nodded, padding up towards them.

"I have feelings for Orangetail," he admitted. "But I shouldn't have to keep it a secret. So now, it is revealed." Orangetail's claws slid out, as if daring anyone to argue.

"They..." Amberflight shivered as Quickstar growled. "They're right." Comfreytail nodded, standing beside her friend. A silver she-cat and Badgerleap stepped forward. The elder was silent, walking over to her kit and sitting down, while the silver cat made a big commotion.

"But... Troutfin, you're a senior warrior! You have to be loyal!" an apprentice mewled. Troutfin looked at him.

"I am loyal. But I am loyal to my clan and StarClan even more than the code, and I believe that these cats speak truth. The warrior code must be changed." A grey tom stood.

"But... That's not loyalty," he spluttered. Troutfin sighed.

"I may be your mate, but you don't know me. Not well. I think that the warrior code brings only trouble." A black cat with sky-blue eyes sniffed the air.

"Mother is right."

"Troutfin! Streamface!" Coralstar barked. Darkstorm felt heat rise in her pelt. Would Coralstar stop these cats, these cats that were so true to their clan? 

"I am with you," she mewed simply. Mosstail followed her; they looked like littermates, and he probably wanted to stay with her. 

"Narrowfan-"

"You're right; I don't know you. I am loyal, and I am ashamed of Coralstar!" Tenderleaf and Cloudstorm glared at him.

"Darkstorm is right!" the white she-cat snarled. "I am a medicine cat, and I will stay with her! She may not be my clan, but I would be proud if she were!" Tenderleaf nodded, and they took their place beside Darkstorm. There are so many cats who agree, Darkstorm thought, her hopes rising. 

"I would join you," Yowltail mewed. "And I will, if Grassfang and Shadeflight will came with me. Treestar... You are good-hearted, but a mouse-brain." Treestar scowled. "I know you think you're being loyal by staying, but... It's not a good choice."

"I'm in," Grassfang dipped his head.

"So am I," Shadeflight's fur bristled. "Darkstorm, I see why you lied, but this doesn't mean I forgive you." Darkstorm closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry. You know I am. But I will never force you." Yowltail sighed and led Shadeflight to the gathering cats.

"I'm all of ShadowClan, now?" Treestar spat. "Then ShadowClan is no more. I am doing the same that Rowanstar once did. Will any clan take me?" 

"I will," Coralstar mewed. Treestar nodded.

"Then I m now Treepool once again."

"Who else will join us?" Orangetail demanded. All at once, the cats started bickering, and a small group from each clan formed.

"Sparktail, Hardclaw, Furrypaw and I," a tom mewed. "I am Thorntail." The ThunderClan cats tried to mew farewell, but the staying cats would not let them, pushing them aside.

"Are you sure?" Strikestar mewed, regret in his eyes. Like Troutfin, Thorntail was obviously an important senior warrior. Thorntail nodded, his regret mirroring his former leader's.

"I'm sorry. But I believe that this is right."

"I will," Ravenfur mewed. "Along with Beechleap. We believe the same." Quickstar snarled.

"Good. WindClan will do without traitors."

"I am Shellstripe, from RiverClan," an expecting white she-cat mewed. "I'll go. I want my kits to have a free life." A mottled silver tom dipped his head.

"I won't force you to stay," he murmured lovingly, and Darkstorm concluded that they were mates. "But I can't go. We have kits here, kits that need us." He glanced at a silver apprentice. "But otherwise, I would." They touched noses briefly before parting, and realization struck Darkstorm. 

These cats are giving up everything they've ever known for a chance at a better life. Her spine straightened. I'll lead them to a good home, and we'll make a new code. My code.

"Sparrownose and I will go," Featherheart spat. "Just because we agree that warriors shouldn't have a code doesn't mean we're friends, understand?" Darkstorm rolled her eyes and ignored him, until his words caught on.

"Wait," she reprimanded, "I don't think that we shouldn't have a code. I think that we should change it." The other cats who had joined her nodded their heads.

"We need laws," Cloudstorm mewed.

"Otherwise, everything would be chaos," Troutfin put in. "We would all die." Featherheart rolled his eyes.

"Sure, sure." Wait, Darkstorm realized. The air seemed to turn colder. Could Featherheart be the apprentice? She shook her head. No. I was told that we know the apprentice, yes, but Featherheart... He's not really the type that would seem good for destroying us. He's strong, yes, she thought, catching a glimpse of his rippling muscles, but he's not smart enough. I'm looking for an apprentice with both. So it's either Slatepaw, she could be in the Dark Forest and come back, or Featherheart... 

...But I doubt it's either of them. I know it isn't- that would be too easy, too simple. StarClan- and GhostClan- wouldn't bother to give us clues if it were one of them. So... I don't know. It- it could be Arrowheart, but it can't be. It just can't.

"You aren't welcome here anymore," Stonestar mewed, her eyes narrowing. Such a nice leader, Darkstorm thought sarcastically. So sought out for peace. Coralstar bared her teeth.

"Fishstar. Treat RiverClan well." Fishstar winced.

"I will," he promised. "You can't-"

"No. I was right to banish Arrowheart, but it wasn't because he loved Darkstorm. It was because he had a great chance of being the apprentice, and destroying the clans. Darkstorm, I know you don't agree, but that's what I think."

"It's alright," Darkstorm forced herself to mew. "You can think what you want. But I won't believe it." 

"What Stonestar said is true," Strikestar mewed. "I can't make you think certain things, but I give all ThunderClan cats one last chance. Do any of you want to come back?"

"Well, SkyClan won't be taking any traitors. To the Dark Forest with you all!" Stonestar hissed as no cat replied.

"Neither will we," Quickstar mewed. "You made your choices. Ravenfur, I'm disappointed. I thought that you would want to stay and help your clan."

"I would," Ravenfur responded tartly. "But I believe that this is a better way for a clan to live. WindClan, I ask you if any cat would like to come. Just step forward." Her gaze softened. "I hope we meet each other once again. Farewell, my clan." Her speech left Darkstorm shocked. She had so much dedication to her clan.

"Goodbye, my mentor," Fishstar mewed, twining tails with Coralstar. "My leader. My love." Coralstar sighed.

"I'll never forget you. I promise. You will live on in my memory." She licked his shoulder and they slowly parted. Darkstorm choked a sob. Everyone has to say it... Her eyes, surprisingly, met with Finspot's.

"I have to stay," he mewed shakily. "I wish you and your cats well, but if I go, the clans will be without a medicine cat. If I join you, I'll be a rogue." 

"What? We're not ro-"

"You are. You aren't a clan- you're a group of rogues. But still. You used to be clan cats." He dipped his head and Darkstorm dipped hers.

"We have to go," she ordered, finding her voice. The code cats finished their goodbyes with the clan cats, and gathered behind her. 

"Say something," Coralstar whispered.

"Something inspiring. These cats need it. We all just lost everything." The clancats had gone on, stealing glances behind to see the code cats, until they were too far to see. Darkstorm's gaze swept over all the cats who had followed her. I'm still giong to save the clans. I'm still going to solve the prophecy, she vowed to herself. But first, these are the ones who need my help.

"Everyone," she mewed. The ripple of faint murmurs stopped as the cats looked to her. "We have all faced hardships, some of us more than others. Some of us are ready for this journey, some of us couldn't be less prepared." Her eyes caught on Shadeflight's scarred ones, and she looked away. "But all of us have one thing in common. We want better. We want better for ourselves, we want better for our loved ones, and we want better for our kits. This will be hard. But we will find a way to change the code- and it will spread and spread, until the clan cats realize that we are the true ones with StarClan on our side!" Cats cheered.

"But before that, we have to recognize what has happened." The cats exchanged nervous looks, Amberflight and Comfreytail laying comforting tails on Shadeflight's side. "First, we lost our home, our beautiful lake in which we have lived for so many seasons." Almost every cat closed their eyes, remembering. "And then we lost Heatpelt and Slatepaw. But this... This was the worst loss of all. We lost our clans. And you know what? It isn't our fault. It isn't theirs, either. It's nobody's. They think they are doing the right thing, we are doing the right thing. So at moonhigh, we will sit vigil, one night, for everything we have lost. And we will listen to the crickets and feel wind through our fur and smell rain on the way, and we will remember.

"All I ask of you is that you stay true to yourself. Your beliefs. Because we will be reunited with the clans once again, and we will change the code." She continued speaking until the sun went down and the moon shone in the sky, and the code cats curled up beside one another, watching the stars, and remembering everything that had been lost.