Darkstorm watched as Shadeflight walked away, following their father. She blinked sadly. There was nothing she could do. 

"They left?" Thorntail demanded. Darkstorm nodded. 

"I don't think he'll bother us, though. But maybe... Yowltail!" she yowled. "He's against you."

"What did I do to Arrowheart?"

"Nothing. This isn't Arrowheart; this is Shadeflight. He's a ghost." She explained everything that had happened, and at the end sighed. "But we can't dwell on it. We have to find the clans." her gaze sharpened. "If DarkClan becomes permanent, I will take the name Darkstar."

The cats needed a determined leader. She would be one.

"I will talk to Shadowstar. We have to know why StarClan told Shadeflight to do all these things." She padded to some grass under a tree and closed her eyes. Moonhigh had come and the cats were beginning to sleep.

"Darkstar. I'm here." Darkstorm ignored this name and looked at the black cat.

"Shadowstar. Is Shadeflight telling the truth? Did he die because of StarClan?" Shadowstar blinked.

"Is that what he thinks? No. That was the Dark Forest."

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"Why didn't I tell you that he was your father?" she countered. "Because I can't interfere. It's for the good of the clans. But he can't turn back now- you have to kill him."

"Kill him? My own kin? But- but..." she faltered. "He's dead!"

"You can still kill him. If he will be gone or go to the Dark Forest, I don't know."

"He was loyal to you, or he thought it was you!" Darkstorm snapped. "He's being punished for it?"

"He's being punished for killing cats. Did you forget about Thinfur?" 

Darkstorm's hackles raised and her claws slid out onto the earth. "I will never forget about Thinfur!" she screeched. "He was my father! Not Shadeflight! Do you understand me? I am not the kit of a killer!" She turned, trying to wake up, when she felt Shadowstar's breath behind her. 

"I didn't mean that," the ancient ShadowClan leader protested. "You have a temper like mine, you know."

"And? I get that Shadeflight is evil, he shouldn't have killed cats. But... why?"

"If he was ready to kill just for revenge, he wasn't loyal, not really," Shadowstar explained. "Do you want to know where the clans are?"

"You kn- yes! Where's Arowheart?"

"Safe for now. Shadeflight didn't lie. You have to find him soon. Come." They walked through a forest, reaching where Darkstorm was sleeping. "You're here. You have to go there." Her tail flicked to over a range of hills. They were small... They were so close!

"You have to go over those. The clans are at the end- they're waiting." Shadowstar's dark green eyes met with Darkstorm's bright yellow. "After that, you'll continue on the direction of the brightest star. There will be new animals, new dangers. But you will find your new home soon. You've been traveling for two moons; one more and you might be there already. Convince the clans to follow you." Shadowstar dipped her head. 

"I have faith in you, Darkstar. I have faith in you."

...

Darkstorm swished her tail. "We're almost there!" she called. "Once we can see the clans, we'll stop and make camp. We need sleep and prey before meeting with them. And we'll tell them the new code, our code."

"You'll find Arrowheart," Snarlfang mewed, padding beside her.

"Yes."

"You have another tom padding after you, Darkstorm. You'll have to decide." Darkstorm followed his gaze to Thorntail, who was walking towards her. Snarlfang flicked his ears and went off towards Orangetail.

"Hey, Darkstorm," Thorntail mewed. "It's been a weird two moons, hasn't it?" Darkstorm nodded. Tomorrow will be the next moon. I'll save Arrowheart. I will.

"It's been really crazy." Thorntail sighed and sat down.

"There's been a lot of death. Hopefully now it's over. What did Shadowstar say? Did she visit you?"

"Yes. She said that we would meet the clans over these hills- that much I told everyone. But we're not far from our new home, either, and so we'll have to follow the brightest star some more." Thorntail flicked his tail.

"That's alright, as long as we get there."

"Yeah."

They stared in silence at the almost-full moon and the shining stars. A question re-entered Darkstorm's head. Am I supposed to be with Arrowheart, or Thorntail?

They ate at sun-high and Darkstorm gathered everyone.

"Be on your best behaviours! Yowltail, can you watch over the kits?"

"I'll help her!" Orangetail added. "They're a pawful." 

"Okay." Darkstorm inclined her head. "Everyone, this might be hard. But we'll get through this. Just trust me. I know that's all you've ever done, but now is the time it's going to count." She flicked her tail, leading her clan over the last hill, the rising sun lighting up the cats' fur and making Darkstorm, finally, look and feel like a leader.

"Clans," she mewed loudly, catching familiar gazes. The one word that made all their heads turn. Clans. We're back.

"What are you doing here?" Quickstar snarled. "Is Ravenfur trying to get back? Too bad, Lithleg is the deputy now." Stonestar narrowed her eyes.

"And Moleflight ours."

"Where's Coralstar?" Fishstar demanded. "Where's my mate and her kits? They must be born now." Darkstorm blinked. How was she supposed to tell him that now Coralfall and Sparrownose were pretty much mates? She closed her eyes, digging up the courage.

"Coralfall is with Sparrownose and Riverkit. Not here. This is Starkit, your other kit."

"She was supposed to have at least four. Who are those two's?" Fishstar demanded.

"Amberkit and Duskkit are Shellstripe's. Coralfall took care of them after..." Fishstar was watching her.

"After what?"

"After an eagle killed Shellstripe."

"No," Finspot whispered. "Cats died?" Darkstorm nodded slowly, her heart breaking as Shellstripe's mate pushed forward.

"She's dead?" A younger cat, most likely one of their kits, pressed her muzzle against his side.

"Fishkit and Finkit, the other two of Coralfall's litter." Fishstar's eyes widened and he stepped back.

"Dead?"

"Dead," Cloudstorm confirmed. "I'm sorry. So are Amberflight, Thinfur, Badgerleap, Beechleap, Hardclaw, and Grassfang." A grey tom with a dull eye jumped.

"She must be here for Arrowheart!" he snarled, followed by several others to guard a cat so much Darkstorm couldn't see past them. Arrowheart...

"He's not the apprentice," Ravenfur mewed. "It's probably..."

"Shadeflight," Snarlfang finished. "The young Shadeflight, not the old one." Darkstorm winced, but didn't argue. It all added up... Shadeflight went to help the other Shadeflight, making him evil. How could her littermate be so blind? Wait, he is blind, Darkstorm realized, shrugging it off.

She quickly filled the clans in on everything.

"So your brother and father are evil!" Treepool spat. "What makes us think you aren't-"

"Show me Arrowheart," Darkstorm interrupted. "We came back, we told you what happened. Now, you're going to let Arrowheart go."

She held Stonestar and Quickstar's furious gazes, Fishstar's hesitant one, Strikestar's sad one, and Treepool's vicious one.

"I am a leader, too, and I have a clan, too," she mewed. "They will fight with me." The cats nodded, unsheathing their claws and spiking their fur. "We are outnumbered, yes. But we have strength. We will fight, if you want, and we will win." Quickstar gnashed his teeth, but Lithleg pulled him back, muttering something. He nodded.

"Fine. Stop guarding him," he ordered. The WindClan cats parted, followed by the RiverClan cats, and ThunderClan. Fishstar and Strikestar nodded, giving them permission, but the SkyClan cats kept guarding.

"We will fight," Darkstorm warned.

"You don't even have nine lives. You really think you'll win?" She began to flick her tail, giving the battle order, when Sparrownose bashed into her.

"No! Darkstorm, get Arrowheart!" He thrashed with the leader, throwing bites, and Coralfall appeared over the hill, with Riverkit trailing behind her. SkyClan, seeming to know that the battle was pointless, backed away and let Sparrownose fight their leader. Stonestar seemed unliked in SkyClan. Sparrownose finally stopped, blood dripping from him, with Stonestar on the ground.

"She never got nine lives," a voice whispered in their ears. All the cats turned to see five shimmering cats. 

"She never deserved them." Darkstorm recognized Shadowstar, and then realized who these cats were. She dipped her head politely, in awe.

"Riverstar. Skystar. Thunderstar. Windstar. Shadowstar." Her voice shook. "Thank you for leading us along the way. Now all we have to do is find a home and make camps. Thank you." Every cat stared at the first clan leaders silently. Shadowstar blinked.

"Follow Darkstorm's Code. Her Code is the right one. Not your Code, but hers." Darkstorm watched as the leaders shimmered away. 

I found him. She touched noses with Arrowheart, without a sound, but with the most meaning she could muster.

I found the clans. Her gaze swept across the gathered cats.

I found the truth. She glanced at where the leaders had been, and then remembered Shadeflight.

Now, I'll find our home.