AN: After a few months of hiatus I am finally back! Sorry for the very long delay, but I've been busy with work and all of that fun stuff. I only get a few minutes at the computer but with Christmas coming I should have more chances to update. Enjoy this long chapter, it leads to the actual beginning of the story XD

Chapter Two

A full moon hovered in the night sky as the ThunderClan cats pressed on. The Gathering was about to begin, and Thistlestar was eager to tell the Clans what had happened between Dustyhead and Sageleaf. The light brown tabby glanced over his shoulder to see her eyes were filled with anxiety.

I have to get this right, he thought as his stomach clenched at what he was about to do. He was surprised that Brownleaf had given no signs of telling Thistlestar what he was planning. Maybe she did believe that creating a Clan was the right thing to do.

Either way he was going to fulfill his plan. For Sageleaf's sake, and the sake of cats who had also suffered their fate, he needed to go on with this.

The island soon came into view as Thistlestar came to a halt. ShadowClan was on the island along with RiverClan cats. The ThunderClan leader glared at Dustyhead before Redstripe and Dawntail stood beside him like a barrier.

"The Clans will know what you and your... mate have done," he sneered.

Dustyhead raised his chin and didn't dare say a word. Thistlestar's yellow eyes flashed with anger before he turned around and led the way once more. Redstripe looked like he was ready to pounce on Dustyhead while Dawntail's eyes glowed with glee. She was pleased to see how worked up the Clan had gotten. Dustyhead couldn't help but roll his eyes at her attitude.

Once the Clan crossed the treebridge cats turned to look at them suspiciously. Dustyhead could tell that cats were glaring at Sageleaf, whose ears flattened. A few however looked more surprised than angry that a loyal WindClan warrior had joined ThunderClan.

"Dustypaw, it's good to see you again!" A ShadowClan apprentice bounded forward to greet him. Redstripe's lips curled in a snarl, and the apprentice seemed to not have been phased by the powerful warrior's appearance. It was Owlpaw, a speckled tabby tom who was one of ShadowClan's fiercest apprentices. Dustyhead had befriended him though a few moons ago when they were both at their first Gathering.

"Actually it's Dustyhead now," he replied after receiving a nip at the shoulder from Dawntail.

"Really? I got my name too - I'm Owlheart now." Owlheart's eyes glowed with pride as he glanced over his shoulder.

"Good for you, now get lost furball," Dawntail spat. Owlheart glared at Dawntail, whose teeth bared menacingly in response. The ShadowClan warrior ducked his head and backed away, joining his Clanmates in their silence. "You don't get to chat idly; you're being punished."

Dustyhead tried not to glare at her as he joined his Clanmates. Thistlestar stood proudly beside Hawkstar, RiverClan's leader, and Brightstar, ShadowClan's leader. Soon WindClan arrived shortly after WindClan. Once every cat was accounted for the leaders began the Gathering.

"I would like to begin first," Thistlestar announced when he rose to his paws. When no cat protested Thistlestar narrowed his eyes and glared at Dustyhead. "We have found traitors among the Clans," he began. "My own warrior, Dustyhead has found a mate in WindClan."

Immediately yowls of protest followed Thistlestar's words. Ashstar's amber gaze burned fiercely when he looked at Thistlestar. The ThunderClan leader seemed unnerved by Ashstar's accusing gaze as he glared coldly at Dustyhead. The light brown tabby's ears flattened as he felt the stares of every cat burn through him.

"My warriors have done no such thing, Thistlestar," the dark gray tom snarled. His voice was filled with so much venom that it almost shook Dustyhead off of his paws.

He stared at Ashstar in alarm. If a fight broke out now he would never have the chance to make his announcement. Part of him wanted to keep his plans a secret, while another part wanted to see if more cats were willing to follow. He knew that the warrior code couldn't keep away true love.

"Oh really? Why don't you take a look at Sageleaf and find out for yourself?" Thistlestar sneered.

As if his words had been a cue, Dawntail and Redstripe pulled apart from keeping Sageleaf pinned to the ground. The silver tabby's green eyes were dark with fear as she looked at her leader. It took Dustyhead a few heartbeats to remember that Sageleaf was Ashstar's daughter. He swallowed and tried to hide the concern in his own eyes.

"You are... expecting kits!" Ashstar's yowl echoed across the island. Dustyhead flattened his ears once more as more cats turned to glare at him. "You are expecting his kits?" Ashstar's voice was filled with disbelief when he gaped at Sageleaf.

"Yes, I am expecting Dustyhead's kits," Sageleaf replied. Her voice remained surprisingly calm as she held her father's gaze. "I love him, more than you could imagine."

Embarrassment suddenly washed over Dustyhead when he realized what she had admitted. He remembered the nights they had spent together when they were apprentices. At first those nights had been just for fun. But than he'd learned what Sageleaf was really like.

"Traitor!" A WindClan warrior had leaped to his paws and was bristling when he glared at Sageleaf.

"Enough, Harewhisker," Ashstar hissed. "This is a Gathering, in case you have not forgotten."

Dustyhead noticed that the other leaders were watching with keen interest. His claws unsheathed as he wondered if they were trying to figure out which sides to take. Brightstar looked more annoyed than interested as she listened to them argue. Smokestar however was more interested because of how close his Clan's territory was to WindClan and ThunderClan.

"Her kits will be killed as soon as they are born," the WindClan leader continued speaking as if the anger meant nothing. Dustyhead's eyes widened in dismay when he gaped at Ashstar. "After that, you two are no longer permitted to go to Gatherings." He looked at Thistlestar for approval. The ThunderClan leader simply nodded as if this conversation was boring him.

"Wait!" Dustyhead suddenly sprang to his paws and ignored the hisses of anger from his own Clanmates. "I've got another idea. What if Sageleaf and I left the Clans? There would be no harm in doing that."

"We would lose valuable warriors," Thistlestar spat.

"Not to mention Sageleaf is my daughter," Ashstar hissed.

"So you're willing to kill your own daughter's kits?" Dustyhead spat. "What I propose is safer for everyone. Anyone with a mate outside their Clan is willing to join us."

He glanced nervously at Sageleaf, whose eyes widened in what he guessed was panic. Now was not the time to assume the worse. If he could convince these cats that this was the right thing, than they could get away safely. Sageleaf and her kits could live on in a different Clan if it meant leaving behind everything they had grown up with.

Dustyhead blinked in surprise when several cats rose to their paws. Only a few however approached him cautiously. One was a dappled brown she-cat with ginger-tipped ears. He'd recognized her during border patrols near ShadowClan's territory. Her name was Foxear because of her dark red ears. The second cat to approach was a young gray and white she-cat he didn't recognize. Beside her was an equally young tabby tom with broad dark brown stripes.

"We will stand by you," Foxear meowed with a dip of her head. "No queen deserves to have her kits killed just because she is in love."

Her kits were killed a couple of moons ago! Dustyhead realized as he remembered hearing about ShadowClan's dilemma. According to one of the elders, Foxear had fallen in love with a RiverClan tom who was killed in battle. When Smokestar found out the truth, her kits were murdered the following day. He nodded thankfully to Foxear and was even more surprised when Brownleaf stepped forward.

"Our own medicine cat?" Thistlestar's voice shook with rage when he glared at Brownleaf.

"What you did to Foxear was wrong," the medicine cat spat. She was glaring pointedly at Smokestar, who seemed unconcerned by her rage. "I will not stand by and watch you kill innocent kits."

Dustyhead didn't miss the hidden message in her voice. She didn't add that it was his fault in the first place that the kits were coming.

The leaders looked at each other in mixed shock. Dustyhead knew that if they decided to kill their warriors now, they would look deceitful under the eyes of StarClan. He waited impatiently for them to make up their mind until suddenly Brightstar stepped forward.

"This has been an interesting Gathering... one I doubt we will forget," she meowed. "But I believe that Dustyhead has a point. He and his... followers will have to leave before the sun rises. If he is caught on Clan ground, we can kill them all." Her lips curled when she spoke of the two young apprentices that had joined Dustyhead.

He dipped his head in respect for their choice. Thistlestar's eyes glowed with hatred when he glared at him. He knew that this was far from over. When they left the Clans Thistlestar would try and search for them. And when that happened, his group would be ready for the fight of their lives.

AN: And now I will post an allegiance for the characters that have left. I've written down the characters who have been introduced so far. Anyways don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you think of it so far!