Chapter 1: Back From the Journey

Leafpool raced back into the camp, with Crowfeather at her side. Everyone seemed to be bunched around the medicine cat den, hurt and tired. Was there a battle?

She glanced around the clearing for the first time, and saw tons, MILLIONS, of dead badgers. Throwing a quizzical glance at Crowfeather, she looked around the camp for her sister, mother, father, and friends.

"Leafpool?" A voice called out, the first voice she'd wanted to hear. "Everyone, Leafpool's back!" Squirrelflight yowled.

Every cat in the clearing turned to look at the two cats who had just arrived, and started yelling or asking questions.

"Leafpool? Who's that with you?" "Why'd you leave?" "Is that a WindClan cat?" "It's really you, Leafpool!" But the happiest one to see her little kit again, was Sandstorm, her mother. "LEAFPOOL!" She cried. " I thought that we had lost you again!" Sandstorm licked her rapidly.

"Leafpool! You're back!" Firestar, her father purred, padding over.

"Leafpool, where have you been?" Squirrelflight asked, pressing her flank to her sister's.

"She'll tell that to the whole clan," Her father looked stern. "Who are you?" He added, turning his gaze to Crowfeather.

"I'm Crowfeather. From WindClan."

"Oh, yes. Onestar talks of you often. You sound very loyal and brave." Firestar stated thoughtfully, and Crowfeather looked down at his paws in embarrassment. "Well, Leafpool. Address the Clan. You're explaining what happened."

" I'll help," Crowfeather suggested, and together, Leafpool and her mate jumped up onto the Highledge.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey- oh whatever, everyone come here. I have something to tell you."
All of the cats limped to sit below the Highledge, her sister looking excited.
"We have gathered here today so I can tell you why I left." Leafpool explained about how she had loved Crowfeather, how they had run off together to the wild, and wanting to come back. "And then we saw this," finished Leafpool. "What happened, anyway?"
"Before we answer that, you'll be escorting your 'friend' back to the WindClan border. I expect they'll be waiting for him." Firestar replied.
"Ok," Leafpool mewed. She pressed her flank to Crowfeather's and they raced off.
"Leafpool?" Crowfeather purred, once they were far enough away from the camp. "You know that I still love you, right?"
"Yes, as I do you." Leafpool meowed back at him.
"This isn't the end." Crowfeather comforted her. "I'll, somehow, find a way to be with you." She watched him cross his side of the border. "I'll have an answer by tomorrow night." He sped away into the trees.
"StarClan go with him," Leafpool murmured, his black pelt running away from her still filling her mind.

Leafpool pushed through a gorge of trees on the way to the Moonpool, after being explained to what had happened. Cinderpelt had died. She was the medicine cat now. She sniffed, "and smelled Littlecloud, the ShadowClan medicine cat. He normally waited for Cinderpelt. How would she explain? She finally pushed through the bush that was hiding him, and croaked:
"Hello, Littlecloud."
"Hi, Leafpool!" He exclaimed. Then his eyes narrowed. "Where's Cinderpelt?"
"Uh," Leafpool started.
"She's not dead, is she?" Littlecloud asked, his eyes widening.
"As a matter of fact, she is." Leafpool sobbed.
"Oh no," Littlecloud exclaimed. "Why did it have to be her? Why not, Mothwing or someone?"
"I'm so sorry! I know you two were always close." Leafpool shuffled her paws.
"Oh, don't be sorry for me! She was your mentor!" Littlecloud mewed. "Lets head on then."
They reached the Moonpool by moonrise. The medicine cats talked for a while, and sitting a small vigil for Cinderpelt, then they all dreamed.
"Leafpool!" A voice cried. She had expected it to be Cinderpelt, but this sweet scent wasn't hers. It was:
"Spottedleaf!" Leafpool twirled around gracefully, to see the beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat staring at her. "Is Cinderpelt with you?" Spottedleaf didn't mention Cinderpelt, but went on about something else.
"It's nice to see you again, Leafpool!" Spottedleaf exclaimed, then looked serious. "I have a message for you, to all of the Clans. I especially choose you because this happened to you," Spottedleaf added, seeing the confused look on her face.
"What is it, Spottedleaf?" Leafpool asked, "courageously.
"Tell all of the Clans that medicine cats are now allowed to love and mate. Have kits, too." Leafpool gaped. Was this really happening?
"What? Why? Medicine cats can't have kits! Or mate!"
"It is the will of StarClan. Too many cats, well, medicine cats, and even their mentors, have suffered, or even died because they loved someone. We need less cats dying by this cause!"
"Are you sure?" Leafpool's eyes lit up as she thought of Crowfeather. "The whole of StarClan have agreed on it?"
"Unanimously." Spottedleaf directed this at Leafpool. "May all the cats who wish to fall in love may."
"Thanks Spottedleaf!"
"Be young, and love, Leafpool. It's all a part of being a cat. It's not fair that we take that away. Now wake up, and tell everyone!" Leafpool watched Spottedleaf bound away into the stars and take her place. She yawned, and realized that she was awake now. She glanced at Mothwing, who, as she thought, was resting beside the Moonpool, not dreaming of StarClan. She nudged her friend, who woke with a start. As Mothwing started to talk, Leafpool gestured to the waking up cats around the Moonpool, and she automatically stopped. She discreetly nodded to Leafpool to say thank you.
"Mothwing, Littlecloud, Barkface, Willowpaw and Kestrelpaw," Leafpool began, not knowing what to say as all of the medicine cats looked up at her. "I had a dream, from Spottedleaf, 3 medicine cats ago, not including me. She told me, that starting now, any cat, Ben medicine cats, can mate and have kits. She said too many deaths have occurred for both the lover and the mentor, and that StarClan have agreed on this unanimously. Don't ask me why she said this, because I don't know." Leafpool lied. "All I know is that we can now love." She looked for the cat's reactions. Mothwing looked as if it didn't matter, Barkface and Littlecloud looked furious, and the two apprentices looked excited.
"But-but- We've never been allowed to mate! It's against the medicine cat code!" Barkface stuttered.
"I don't know," muttered Leafpool. "But we must head back." Leafpool felt like she had a spring in her step as she bounded back to camp, ready to break the news.

Leafpool crashed through the entrance at sunrise, forgetting that Brambleclaw and Rainwhisker had just spent a lot of time fixing the ceiling on it.
"Watch it!" Rainwhisker snapped at Leafpool. He was one of the few cats that were still mad at Leafpool, and she had just made a hole in his hard work.
"Sorry, apologized Leafpool. "I have something to tell to the Clan." She ran over to Firestar, her father's, den.
"Leafpool? Is that you?" Firestar asked.
"Yes. Can I tell something to the Clan?" she asked.
"Sure! Whatever you want." Firestar left to his feet and hopped onto the Highledge, addressing the Clan at the same time.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting, Leafpool needs to say something." Firestar proudly stepped aside, to let Leafpool talk.
"Today, I had a message from StarClan." She started, head still swarming with thoughts of Crowfeather. He would be figuring out by now, excitedly. "They told me that medicine cats can now love, mate, and have kits." Murmurs rose from the cats surrounding the Highledge.
"She's just saying that so she can love that WindClan cat!" Rainwhisker mewed loudly. "We can't trust her!"
"If you can't trust Leafpool, then leave the Clan," Firestar pointed out.
"I trust her!" Cried Squirrelflight. "Who's with me?" The first to speak up was Sandstorm.
"I'm with you, Squirrelflight."
"Me too," it was Brambleclaw.
"And me!" Cried all of the kits, piping up.
"I trust Leafpool," Cried Ferncloud, followed by Daisy. Pretty soon, almost all of the cats had agreed with Squirrelflight, just not Rainwhisker, and a few others.
"So will you leave, Rainwhisker?" Firestar asked.
"No. I'm loyal to ThunderClan." He called.
"Good." Firestar sighed. "It's good that StarClan still trusts you," Firestar added for only Leafpool to hear.
"My heart lies with ThunderClan." Leafpool murmured. And Crowfeather, she thought, excited for what tomorrow night would bring.
"As I thought." Firestar murmured. "So, Leafpool. You may love now, but you still must stick to the Warrior code. You must only love someone within the Clan."
"Ok," Leafpool responded, but her pelt was prickling with shame as she thought of Crowfeather. "I'm still sorry for before, Firestar."
"If we didn't forgive our only medicine cat, then what would we be?" Firestar sighed. "I still love you, Leafpool. No matter what." He pressed his flank to hers. "No get something to eat. You must be starving! And you have many cats and to treat to." He flicked his tail over the many cats who were limping away from the Highledge.
"Ok, Firestar. I'll get right to it!" Leafpool leaped over to the fresh kill pile, gulped down a small vole, then hopped over to Brackenfur, who was limping the worst, and had a lot of scratches.
"Oh, hello Leafpool!" He mewed when he saw her. "Would you mind taking a look at this cut?" He swished his tail to show a deep wound in his shoulder. "It's been bothering me for a while."
"Sure," said Leafpool, "Would you mind coming into my den?"
"Not at all!" Brackenfur meowed. "As long as I get this fixed." He limped after Leafpool to her den, but then Leafpool stopped dead. Cinderpelt's body was still in here- and it was moving!