A/U: Wow, is it sad that this is my longest chapter? But, it is also a turning point in the story. One more to go and than the epilogue, so hope you guys are looking forward to it like I am! Its been fun writing about Rockfall, Bubblepaw and the others.

Anyways, thanks to Nightkill and Shmancy-Fancy-Kitteh. For this chapter you will get...Songbird plushies!

-Six-

Night had fallen down below. Rockfall glanced up at the sky when he saw that there were no stars gleaming within it. He knew that this was because he was part of the stars. Songbird and her good friend Briarfoot rested under the moon. Rockfall stood where he was, unsure of what was happening. He was aware that something big would happen. His friends would need to learn who the new leader of their group would be. They would also need to form a Clan if they wanted to make a living amongst themselves.

Rockfall slumped to his belly as he felt tired for the first time in moons. He rested his head on his paws as he waited for daybreak. He watched curiously as the cats of the gorge moved about to curl up in their own nests.

One of the cats, a young ginger and white apprentice, looked down at her paws in an almost guilty expression. Rockfall's head tilted to one side when he watched her. There was something vaguely familiar about her ways of movement. The Clan avoided her like she was a parasite. She stayed with a cat who appeared to be her brother. He could feel Smokewhisper's stare boring into his pelt.

He looked over his shoulder to see the smoky gray cat approaching him cautiously. Smokewhisper sat down beside him and gazed up at the sky like he had earlier.

"Amazing thing, the moon," he murmured softly. "One can never tell how long the cycle will last, or what effect it will give us. Yet each passing moon signals the arrival of something new and exciting."

A sigh escaped from Rockfall's jaws when he looked down at his paws. "How did you...find LightClan?" he asked.

Smokewhisper's eyes darkened. When Rockfall met his gaze, the former SkyClan cat sighed bitterly. "My tale is like the others around me," he explained. "I was once the medicine cat of SkyClan. None of them knew what my powers were, or if I was Marked. But as soon as they discovered something different about me, they disowned me."

A shudder coursed down Rockfall's spine as Smokewhisper left him. He couldn't imagine anything worse than realizing that none of his Clanmates trusted him. Yet something told him that his own Clanmates would have abandoned him had they understood how powerful he was. Heathertail would have been dismayed to find out that her kits were different from the rest of their Clanmates.

Imagine what Onestar would have done, Rockfall thought with a shake of his head. Onestar had still been the leader of WindClan when Rockfall was a kit. But as he got older, so did the elderly leader. Onestar had lost his final life to a cough that had wreaked havoc to WindClan for over a moon before Rockfall became an apprentice. The former WindClan leader would have put up a fuss had he discovered what powers Rockfall wielded.

He stared down at his paws once more when the mental images began to overwhelm him. Rockfall had been devoted to the protection of his Clanmates at one point. That devotion had begun to fade away when he learned that there was a better place for the Marked. It was really Coppershine who'd been able to convince him.

"Dwelling on the past won't get you anywhere." Bubblepaw's voice made Rockfall's ears flatten.

He whirled around to face her, only to see that her eyes were gleaming with sympathy. Bubblepaw's face was twisted in a way that almost made Rockfall burst out in laughter. It was the first time in over a moon since he'd laughed. His chest hurt after he managed to calm down.

Bubblepaw purred after he settled on a clump of moss. Her silvery gray fur gleamed white against the moonlight that showered the ground.

"See? Laughter makes everything better," she mewed after Rockfall looked away in embarrassment. Rockfall let out a sigh of contentment after their pelts brushed. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so happy and relaxed.

I've never felt this way towards a cat, not even Coppershine, he thought. There was something almost strange about their relationship. Bubblepaw had made him feel better when he first came to LightClan. The others had tried their best to make him feel at home, but it was really the former RiverClan apprentice who did her best.

"Thank you, for everything," he whispered. Bubblepaw looked at him in surprise. "I would have never listened to them if you didn't bring me hope."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Bubblepaw murmured. She let out a sigh of happiness after gazing at the field ahead.

Trees had begun to surround them as the territory became familiar. The sun was slowly rising above the horizon, brightening the area even further. Rockfall's jaws opened so that he could taste the air. It was fresh with the scents of grass and pines. His fur felt warm as the sun bathed his pelt.

Bubblepaw suddenly rose to her paws after the sun had fully risen. It took Rockfall a few moments to realize that a cat had disappeared. His eyes narrowed when he saw that it was Songbird who padded forward. Her own eyes revealed nothing as she met his gaze.

"Rockfall, you must be the one to tell them who the leader will be," she meowed.

"Why me?" Rockfall hated sounding whiny. Yet he didn't know who the new leader of their newly formed Clan would become. A sense of worry began to worm its way into his belly. What if he made the wrong choice?

Songbird met his gaze; a knowing look gleamed within her eyes. "You were the last to join us. As is costumed to our laws, you must be the one to choose the leader of this Clan they are forming." She let her mouth twist in amusement when Rockfall looked down at his paws.

How will I know? he wondered silently.

He looked at Bubblepaw, but she only shook her head. Rockfall took a deep breath before he sat down. Songbird gave him a firm nod. She knew that he would make the right choice. She could see the doubt that clouded his mind, but something told her that he was a good choice. She sat down beside Lightfur, who was casually grooming his fur like nothing had happened. Redeye and Snaketooth were arguing over who would have made a better decision.

Rockfall sat under the base of an ash tree. His mind reeled as he thought of the possible choices for a leader. He knew that none of his friends had trained an apprentice before. Yet they were all good candidates. There was also the rogues that they'd met a little further back. Crowfeather and Squirrelflight had the most experience in leading a Clan, especially a young Clan like this one.

He studied the cats that had once been his friends during the journey across the mountain. Rockfall felt a bitter resentment surge through him when he realized that he would never get to lead them. Silently he had to remind himself that he would be their guide.

As he thought of the possible cats, a smirk suddenly fell upon his face. One warrior in particular would suite the Clan well. Rockfall looked down to see that Stormstrike was already speaking with Flowertail; most likely they were discussing what to do about the new leader. Rockfall lashed his tail as he realized what would happen if it was Stormstrike who became the leader of this new Clan.

Suddenly Rockfall rose to his paws when his decision was made. Songbird's eyes gleamed, while the others just listened intently.

"I've made my choice," he announced.

"Than you must share this news with their medicine cat," Songbird murmured softly.

Rockfall's paws kneaded the ground as he followed her towards the cave that one of the ancient SkyClan warriors had mentioned. He couldn't wait to share his thoughts to the medicine cat. For the first time since he'd come to this wretched place, he was happy to have died.