I must get a few things out of the way. Legalities and info so you don't get lost :3 This is my first fanfic, so don't kill me if it sucks. Please?

Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, and you are lucky. Because then it would have never been written! (Lazy me :)

Here's your info - Questions will pop into your mind. Don't be afraid to ask (in your many reviews you'll write, of course) but don't get mad if I won't give you a straight answer. It may ruin the surprise.

DarkClan

Leader:

Squirrelstar – Ginger she-cat with white on front left paw, dark green eyes. Mate to Eaglestorm. Mother to Briarshadow, Fawnfern and Rosestep. Formerly of ThunderClan

Deputy:

Tanstreak – Pale tan tabby tom, white on chest and back paws, blue eyes. Mate to Riversong.

Medicine Cat:

Grayberry – Gray she-cat with white on paws and tail tip. Blue eyes.

Warriors:

Leafpool– Pale brown she-cat with white on muzzle, chest, belly and paws, amber eyes. Mate to Blackfur. Mother to Ashpaw and Snowpaw. Formerly of ThunderClan.

Foxleap – Auburn tom, amber eyes. Mate to Cinderheart. Formerly of ThunderClan. Mentor to Snowpaw.

Eaglestorm – Blue-gray tom with white chest and paws, dark blue eyes. Scars under left eye. Mate to Squirrelstar. Father to Briarshadow, Fawnfern and Rosestep.

Blackfur – Black tom with white on muzzle, chest and paws, golden amber eyes. Mate to Leafpool. Father to Ashpaw and Snowpaw.

Thundershine – Reddish tortoiseshell tom with black paws, blue eyes.

Windfoot – Pale tortoiseshell and white tom, pale green eyes. Mentor to Ashpaw.

Shadowheart – Dark tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes.

Briarshadow – Dark blue-gray she-cat with black stripes and white on her muzzle, throat, chest, belly, paws and tail tip. Dark Blue eyes. Daughter of Squirrelstar and Eaglestorm.

Fawnfern – Light brown she-cat with golden amber eyes. Daughter of Squirrelstar and Eaglestorm.

Rosestep – Pale ginger she-cat with a darker stripe running down her back and white on her front left paw. Dark green eyes. Daughter of Squirrelstar and Eaglestorm.

Apprentices:

Ashpaw – White tom with gray on his nose and tail. Dark Blue eyes. Son of Leafpool and Blackfur.

Snowpaw – White she-cat with very pale stripes along back and tail. Dark Blue eyes. Daughter of Leafpool and Blackfur

Queens:

Cinderheart – Silvery tabby she-cat with scars marring her back left leg, dark blue eyes. Mate to Foxleap. Formerly of ThunderClan.

Riversong – Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with black on her nose and chin, dark green eyes. Mate to Tanstreak.

Elders:

Maplestripes – Brown tabby tom with white on his muzzle and paws, partially blind in both eyes. His rump is severely scarred and he is missing his tail.

Smokeface – Gray she-cat with patches of white and gray on her back, tail and face, white paws, amber eyes.

And without further adu, here we start, yes? :)

"It wasn't very long ago, young kits, when four warriors ran away from the Clan they were born in."

The elder's raspy voice graded on Briarpaw's nerves as she ran her claws through his bedding. She had heard this story in its many variations many times over. The blue-gray tabby looked over at her sisters, listening as raptly as the two kits between them.

We're almost warriors, for StarClan's sake, the young she-cat thought irritably. And here they still are, listening to nursery tales.

Maplestripes continued his story.

"Squirrelflight, Leafpool, Foxleap and Cinderheart of ThunderClan, a Clan like ours but very far away, made the tough decision to leave all they loved behind. You see, they had made a mistake that broke the Warrior code, and their clan-mates didn't trust them anymore."

Briarpaw snorted silently and balled up all the old bedding. She was doing her duties as a young warrior, and Fawnpaw and Rosepaw were listening to a story their mother could tell them in her sleep. And it wasn't even the best story.

She nudged the mossball out of the elder's den, her tail twitching. She preferred the ones her father could tell; tales of adventure and daring and near-death experiences. Ones where he had only himself to rely on and only himself to care for.

Clan life seemed too easy after stories like that.

She passed a group of warriors waiting to be told what to do, her mentor Shadowheart casting her a narrow-eyed nod of approval. Briarpaw took the wad of used moss she had out the dirt-place tunnel before returning to camp.

She paused by the edge of the clearing, casting her deep blue eyes around camp, comparing her father's adventures to those of Clan life. She couldn't help but scorn at the differences.

Here, life was too predictable.

Here, you had a cat in your sights every way you turned.

Here, there was no such thing as alone.

Here, survival wasn't a question. It simply was.

Briarpaw watched as cats filed out of the bramble tunnel that lead to the forest to do whatever they had been told to. Just like yesterday. And the day before. Where was the excitement? She wanted change.