Hello, hello. I'm going to be editing/ improving/ completely re-writing some of the chapters in this story, and I'm starting with this one, as this chapter is the one most people will see the most of and things of that nature. With this case, I'm just going to re-write this whole thing, because I'm afraid it was damaged beyond repair.

Well, here goes.

Chapter one: Nightcloud and Leafpool

The full moon shone brightly above Nightcloud's head. She turned her head and saw her mate, Crowfeather, staring ahead at the WindClan leader, Onestar. This was going to be the second Gathering that the two cats were attending as mates.

Crowfeather had been acting less and less himself for about a quarter moon. This particular gathering had made the dark gray warrior tense.

Nightcloud rested her tail on Crowfeather's shoulder, attempting to calm him. When her tail touched him, Crowfeather jumped. He turned his head to look at Nightcloud. When he saw it was her, his gaze softened and he moved in closer to her.

Nightcloud closed her eyes and inhaled his sweet scent.

She had known about his love for the RiverClan she-cat Feathertail and the ThunderClan Medicine Cat Leafpool. Every cat in WindClan and ThunderClan knew about Crowfeather and Leafpool's short time of love. But, Crowfeather was finished with finding love in all the wrong places; he had Nightcloud, and that was all that mattered.

They continued to the island where the Gathering was along with the rest of WindClan.

When they were on the island, Nightcloud saw her ShadowClan friend Tallpoppy and dashed over to her.

"Hello Tallpoppy!" Nightcloud mewed pleasantly.

The ShadowClan she-cat dipped her head politely. "Nightcloud."

Nightcloud and Tallpoppy sat still for a few heartbeats in silence. The silence made Nightcloud's fur prickle.

"So, Nightcloud," Tallpoppy mewed. "How have you and Crowfeather been getting along?"

Nightcloud's mind filled with memories of the past two moons. "Very nice," She mewed dreamily. "Very nice indeed. So, how are your kits?"

They continued their conversation with a few mindless pleasantries and said their farewells.

Nightcloud walked around the island, looking for Crowfeather. She found him in conversation with none other than the ThunderClan Medicine Cat.

Nightcloud's fur prickled again, only this time it was more than common discomfort.

She slipped up closer to Crowfeather and cleared her throat.

He looked up at her, a guilty air to himself. "Hey Nightcloud, I'll be there in a few rabbit-hops." He growled.

"See that you are." Nightcloud retorted. She turned around and stalked off to listen to the reports of the Clan leaders.

Firestar was halfway through his boring report when Nightcloud sensed Crowfeather slip in behind her.

"Sorry." He murmured in a way that seemed to mean the exact opposite.

Nightcloud shrugged. "We'll talk later."

After the gathering, Crowfeather and Nightcloud slowed down in pace and turned to Crowfeather. "Now we'll talk."

Crowfeather rolled his eyes. "There's nothing to say."

"Yes, there is." Nightcloud murmured. "I need to know what you two were doing."

"We were just catching up!" Crowfeather snarled. "All we did was talk."

Nightcloud shook her head. "The way you two split makes me think you two didn't really have anything to say to each other."

"I just want to stay friends with her." Crowfeather defended weakly.

She sighed. Was he still in love with Leafpool? Nightcloud needed to know if she was just a coverup for Crowfeather seeing Leafpool. "Do you love her?" She asked, frightened of his answer.

Crowfeather was silent for a couple seconds. "No. I did, or I thought I did. She was just so sweet and gentle...like her,"

He was talking about Feathertail, the cat he fell in love with while going on the great journey, the cat who had died saving his life.

Nightcloud didn't know what to say. After what felt like moons, she mustered out, "O-oh."

"Yeah," Crowfeather mewed. "I-I just missed her so much I needed someone to help me out of it. And she was so much like her!" He turned his head to look at her. "But, when we went our separate ways, I started noticing you. Nightcloud, you are so much different from those two, and maybe that's a good thing. You're stronger, bolder, than them. But one thing I know is that you make me happy, and Leafpool can't do that anymore."

She shivered. Nightcloud hadn't really sensed this side of Crowfeather; he was usually quiet, and occasionally sulking. She liked the idea of angst in a relationship, and Crowfeather usually delivered that.

What could Nightcloud say in response to what Crowfeather had just said? She had always wanted to be sweet and gentle. She had noticed that Leafpool was gentle, breakable. Nightcloud was stronger. Leafpool had been almost destroyed when Crowfeather had left her. NIghtcloud was confident that she would never have that same problem. But still...

Why couldn't Nightcloud be more like Feathertail, to be beautiful and kind enough to inspire a tom to love her? When Feathertail died, Crowfeather was destroyed. Her memory even inspired Crowfeather to fall for Leafpool, who had a similar personality.

Was Nightcloud just another tool for Crowfeather to recover from Feathertail? It was so long ago...

"Are you okay?" Crowfeather asked. "You look like you had a bad piece of fresh-kill."

"I'm fine." Nighcloud gasped. How could she ask Crowfeather if he was using her? He had been through so much already.

There was an awkward silence then. Crowfeather cleared his throat and stared off into the distance for a couple heartbeats.

"Uh, well..." He murmured, grumbly. "I guess we go back to camp, then?"

Nightcloud shrugged. "I guess so."

They hurried to catch up with the rest of their Clan. Nightcloud had never felt so alienated.

Crowfeather had a past, and Nightcloud had to accept that if she was going to love him. But why did he have to have loved before they had become mates?