Sorry for the third-of-a-year wait for the next chapter, but I really lost drive on this story. If it weren't for all the reviews, I might have just stopped entirely.

I am in the process of going back and fixing earlier chapters so they aren't as riddled with grammar and continuity errors.

Fan Yay!

The Apocryphal One Your concern is appreciated. I'll miss Jay and Crash, too, but I agree, the show must go on!

There was a Book to Remember Jay with Ruffled Feathers and Briar with Inner Light would be some sweet Tribe names for Jayfeather and Briarlight. I considered delving deeper into the Pack's naming ceremony but felt it would have ruined the mood of the chapter. I do plan on writing a mini-chapter that describes what happens with the Pack after Jayfeather and Briarlight leave. I'm going to tell you a secret, you have to promise not to tell anyone else... I actually hate SkyClan thanks to Erin Hunter's new series!

milosuperboi I can not begin to express just how much I appreciate you not being able to express how much you love my fanfic. :3

MistLion don't get used to the uplifting chapters, it's about to get dark again. Maybe even too dark for whatever rating I put on the story. Craziness? How about a tsunami for craziness? Also I'm happy you liked the phrases I put in the chapter.

SavvySpirit I actually have acknowledged Jayfeather's "softness" in the story. Apparently, cats become less grumpy and angry when they aren't forced to live their life a slave to a destiny they never wanted. Of course I will always have Jayfeather be snappy when some other cat is dumb, but he hasn't really needed to snap at anyone recently.

Moonlight Talon of the Night I've been itching to write about the rest of Jayfeather's adventure. In the original version, Jayfeather and co. had descended the mountain by chapter 40, Ivypool was with them, and our bae was still trying to hide his affection for Briarlight to the others. Also, the mountain cats had just sentenced the baby sharptooth to DEATH, mua ha ha! I've had changes planned for literal years.

MarioManTJ That is some high-praise and I'm honored you feel that way. As for Jayjay and Cash getting love interests super fast, I thought I would poke fun at how youngsters don't really have a grasp of what love is and they just do what makes them feel good. As for Jayfeather and Briarlight, they are both much more wise and experienced so you see the contrast of how it took them many seasons to get to where they are now.

Luna Moth 8 years is indeed a long time to commit to a story. Maybe even too long. I've been on the verge of quitting many times and it's gotten to the point where I don't ever see myself going full speed ahead again like I did years ago. The only reason I write at all anymore is because of the nice folk like you who encourage me.

nadilaandlaprashthefireandice I've been reading Warriors for many years and I've been trying to replicate the style for almost as long. I'm happy you think my writing feels like a real Warrior's story because that means all my hard work is paying off.

P D Val de Fleur You say these are some of my best chapters, but I've been going back and rereading my older chapters and some of them were absolutely smashing. Some of them were a bit rough around the edges so I've been making plenty of improvements.

xleafpoolx4xlifex I'm glad you love my story so much! Might I suggest you follow it so you get notified when it updates- since it could be months between update. I'm not shamelessly self-promoting my own work, I'm just being helpful. :D

Jayfeather's swishing tabby tail guided Briarlight's paws as she followed him up the mountain. Her forepaws were strong from all the training she had done when she lost the use of her hind legs, but her hind legs were struggling to keep up. Going downhill or even on flat ground she probably would have been fine, but they had been climbing the steep rocks for half the day. She let her gaze drop down to the pale stone earth in front of her.

The air was growing cooler, her hind paws were growing tired, and she was convinced the ground was getting harder. She hoped Jayfeather would let them stop soon, but she didn't voice her wishes because she didn't want him to think she was slowing them down. He promised he would stay out of my head without my permission so I can think whatever I want without him knowing. Great StarClan I wish we could take a break!

She glanced back up at him, searching for any sign that he had heard her silent plea, but he didn't show any.

The sun had started its decent towards the horizon in the direction of the lake territories. Soon the sky would be filled with orange and purple clouds and they would have to find a place to sleep for the night. She was reminded of the story of when Bramblestar and Squirrelflight had journeyed with cats from each of the other Clans to find a new home after their first home was destroyed. They had discovered the lake after following the setting sun over the mountains, but now, Briarlight and Jayfeather were going the opposite direction, following the rising sun.

"How are you doing back there?" carried Jayfeather's voice over the gentle breeze.

He was much better at going uphill than she was and the vigor in his meow sparked a tiny flicker of shame in her belly. She had been traveling for moons and it felt unfair that she still struggled so much. "I'm doing fine!" she replied tartly, lifting her chin. She did her best to hide how exhausted she was but there was no way Jayfeather wouldn't notice. He knew her almost as well as she knew herself.

Jayfeather didn't stop walking but the fur along his spine spiked slightly at her tone. Briarlight braced herself for his response. She expected him to either reprimand her in his notorious prickly way, or else offer some encouragement since he had to know she was exhausted. Instead, he didn't say a word and his silence cut her deeper than any scolding. She lowered her head guiltily. They were mates, they had to be able to be honest and open with each other. She knew her tired paws and rumbling belly were doing the talking for her so as soon as they stopped to rest, she'd catch them both something to eat. We were with the Tribe and Pack for so long that it's been a while since we had an opportunity to talk truly alone. Even before that, we were traveling with Ivypool, Jay, Crash, and Sol. She promised herself that she would smooth things over with Jayfeather once they stopped to rest.

Onward they climbed. She thought she could see the crest of the mountain but it didn't seem to be getting any closer. She was looking forward to the journey back down the other side since it would be easier on her hind legs and also she would get a chance to see what the other side of the mountain looked like. She had only heard stories about the great journey from the old Clan territories. According to her father, Graystripe, the old Clan territories had been centered around four giant oak trees and the Clans that bordered ThunderClan had been RiverClan and ShadowClan, even though now ThunderClan shared a border with WindClan instead of RiverClan.

She looked over her shoulder at the landscape she was leaving behind. At the base of the mountain were trees, the twolegplace she and Ivypool had been captured in, and beyond that she thought she could see the forest that surrounded the lake. Again, she noticed how the ground seemed to sparkle as if the setting sun was reflecting off its surface. This could be the last time I see the sun set over my former home. I hope they are all okay down there.

"This is as far as we're going."

Briarlight stopped suddenly, her paws stumbling slightly over themselves, but she quickly recovered and straightened up. She turned her head around to look back at Jayfeather who had his tail raised. His gray tabby pelt glowed orange and red under the last rays of sunlight. It wouldn't be long until darkness consumed the mountain.

"We'll find a place to sleep around here," he meowed, not turning around to face her. "Early tomorrow, we should reach the crest of the mountain and then be on our way back down the other side before sun-high. I've never traveled this exact route so I can't promise we won't get lost."

"We're on an adventure," she pointed out. "Getting lost is part of the fun."

"I suppose," he meowed distantly. "Let's split up and look for a place to stay the night. Hopefully there is some cave or crevice nearby that would shelter us from. eagles, hawks or any other creature that might be lurking in the mountains."

She grunted in understanding and padded away from him. Any other creatures- like a Sharptooth? There are wolves in these mountains, but they generally don't bother cats. She took one last longing look at Jayfeather's disheveled tabby pelt before padding off in the opposite direction. It would be cool but also scary to see a Sharptooth, a giant mountain monster big enough to swallow a cat in a couple gulps, but nobody has heard anything about them in many moons.

The sun was almost completely below the horizon and cast long dark shadows across the earth. Briarlight's sore paws could feel the cold begin to seep into her pads but she had grown accustomed to the evening chill with her time living with the mountain cats. She relished the chill knowing that as soon as they traveled down the mountain, the greenleaf heat would be upon them again. Newleaf would be over in just a quarter moon and by then, maybe they would have discovered SkyClan or whatever else Jayfeather was searching for.

Focusing on her current task, she weaved between the rocks and shrubs in search of a shelter they could stay the night. It was getting dark but her eyes were beginning to adjust. The moon still hadn't risen but she knew the half moon had passed a few days ago. When it did show up over the horizon, it would be brighter as it grew into a full moon. I wonder where we'll be when the full moon comes. It won't be for many days. We'll have made it down the mountain by then. But even as she thought about their journey, a pang of discomfort fluttered into her chest. She and Jayfeather had drifted apart slightly ever since they left the Pack's cave. They still cared deeply for the other, but they had barely spoken to each other at all since that morning.

Her paws navigated the ground by instinct as the last rays of light disappeared and the clouds became an unusually fiery orange. It was pretty to look at and she stopped for a moment to take a deep breath, inhaling the last few scents of the day. To her surprise, she thought she could smell smoke. Did a fire start somewhere? She looked around for any traces of a fire, but the mountain looked fine. She took another deep breath, searching for the scent again, but the smell of fire was gone. Shrugging, she continued her search.

It didn't take long until she stumbled across a crack in the earth just big enough for a cat to squeeze through. She was curious to see how deep it went so she crouched down, about to crawl inside. This could be a safe place to spend the night. Suddenly, she heard pawsteps rapidly approaching and she straightened up. She was about to call out for Jayfeather to come and see what she found, when she realized the paws were much too heavy to belong to a cat.

She froze and held her breath as a huge shape emerged from the darkness. Its eyes glowed yellow and it let out a deep growl when it spotted her. Without a second thought, she ducked down and shoved herself through the opening in the rocks, and gasped as she felt her pelt tear against one of the jagged edges of the stone. The creature's jaws snapped shut behind her just as she pulled her tail all the way through.

For a terrifying moment, she could hear its claws scraping against the rock as if it were trying to dig its way to her. She was trapped in a small cave and death was gnashing its teeth just a few tail-lengths away trying to eat her. Fear trickled down her spine like raindrops during a storm. Please just go away, whatever you are, she silently begged.

The creature stopped clawing at the rock and let out a frustrated whine. It must have lost interest because its paws thundered away after a few tense moments and was gone. Silence fell upon her until the only sound she could hear was her own heart pounding in her chest. She took a few tentative steps towards the thin sliver of an opening in the rock, every muscle in her body ready to leap into action if the creature suddenly returned. She didn't know what it was but she could imagine a giant monster cat many times larger than a normal cat. Was that a Sharptooth?

Something landed right outside the cave with a soft thud and she almost jumped out of her fur in fright. But she quickly forced her fur to lie flat again when she recognized Jayfeather's scent.

"Briarlight, are you in there? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she called back, limping towards the entrance. Her shoulder ached from where she had cut herself on the rock and her heart was still racing, but she felt oddly safe now that Jayfeather was there. "What was that thing? Was it a Sharptooth?"

"I don't think so," he meowed, pressing his head against hers once she had crawled out of her hiding place. His pelt shook slightly as if he was cold, but she quickly realized it was because he was scared. "I'm pretty sure it was a wolf- it reeked like a dog and I've heard the Tribe cats mention them before. I was tracking it for a while and followed it when I realized it was heading in your direction. I'm so happy you are safe."

"I was lucky I found a shelter that a wolf couldn't fit through," she meowed, chorusing his relieved purr with her own. "If I hadn't found it in time, or if the opening had been a bit bigger- or smaller- the wolf might have gotten me."

"And if I were still a Clan cat, I would have thanked StarClan for keeping you safe," Jayfeather murmured. "But I know it was mostly just luck and your quick-thinking."

Briarlight pressed her head even harder against his and he stumbled slightly. "So now you won't even say 'thank StarClan' anymore? You really have gone all the way rogue."

He straightened up and, even though it was getting dark, there was a twinkle in his eyes. "What we have between us is too precious for StarClan to understand." His tone suddenly become more serious. "You are bleeding! Did it bite you?"

She craned her neck around trying to see her injury but it was just out of sight. In the heat of her terror, she had almsot forgotten about it, but now that her heartbeat was returning to normal, she could feel the blood dripping through her fur. "It really hurts, but no I wasn't bitten. I scraped it on some rocks as I was escaping the wolf."

"That's good," Jayfeather meowed, giving it a few quick licks. "A bite would have a much greater risk of becoming infected. I'll see what I can do for it but first we might as well use that cave you found. Is it big enough inside for us both?"

"It is," she meowed, and she turned and limped carefully back though the crack in the stone. Fire rippled from the injury around her shoulder but she grit her teeth against the pain. I should have been more careful. I'll be so mad if this ends up slowing us down.

She sat down near the back of the cave and curled up against the freezing cold rock. To her surprise, Jayfeather nestled around her, using his body to keep her warm. "Jayfeather, aren't you going to try and find some healing herbs?"

"I'll go in the morning," he stated simply."I'll want to make sure there is no debris in the wound first and that wolf has proven it isn't safe to wander this part of the mountain at night."

"I guess that's true," she meowed, resting her head on the hard ground as Jayfeather's tongue cleaned her shoulder wound. To her surprise, she also felt strong paws kneading into her sore muscles and she let out a purr as her body relaxed. She hadn't had a back rub in a long time- her spine injury had made her unable to feel anything anyways. But now her body could feel the full strain of their long journey and Jayfeather's meticulous paws were exactly what she needed.

"Before you go to sleep, can we talk?" he whispered, his whiskers so close that they tickled her ear.

"About what?" she murmured. She didn't know why he was suddenly being really nice to her, but she hoped it wouldn't end.

He took a deep breath. "I don't know if you're mad at me, but you've been acting snappy since we left the Pack's cave. I feel like there is something between us and I don't like it."

She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. She had felt it, too. "I don't know what's happening, but I feel like you've been really distant with me," she ventured. "You didn't stop even once today while we were traveling to check if I was okay, and you hardly talked to me at all since we left the Pack's cave. I guessed it was because you were still distracted by all the suffering you can sense from the cats effected by the tremble."

There was a moment of silence as Jayfeather carefully chose his next words. "No, it's not that. I've gotten much better at blocking all the misery out. In fact, I can hardly sense it at all even when I'm focusing on it."

"Then why have you ignored me all day?" she meowed more loudly, her frustration rising. "We used to understand each other so well."

Jayfeather froze and Briarlight suddenly regretted opening her mouth. Their relationship had become slightly rocky over the past few days but she desperately didn't want to lose what they had.

"I'm being distant?" Jayfeather muttered, standing up and taking a step away from her. "We used to hang out all the time, but then one day you started staying away from me for apparently no reason. I thought I must have done something wrong."

Briarlight flinched. She had tried to become less clingy and possessive around Jayfeather but she didn't think he would care. She lowered her head in shame. "About that- Lark and Asphalt pointed out that I hang around you a lot so I tried being more independent. I really didn't expect you to notice any difference."

"Me not notice something?" Jayfeather laughed sarcastically. "Especially when it concerns you? Not likely."

"Then why didn't you notice how tired I was today while we were traveling if you know me so well?" she retorted, standing up as well. The sharpness of his tone put her on edge. "I thought you knew everything about what I was feeling."

"Because you told me you didn't want me probing your thoughts anymore!" Jayfeather snapped hotly, his temper flaring up. "There is only so much I can learn about how you are feeling by what you tell me!"

Briarlight's eyes widened. In the heat of the moment she had completely forgotten that she had told him to stop reading her thoughts not too long ago. He wasn't doing anything wrong and it dawned on her that the reason they had become distant with each other was entirely her fault. She collapsed to the ground as the fire burning in her chest puffed out in a whiff of smoke. "I'm sorry," she murmured, curling back up on the floor of the cave. Jayfeather had all the right to be upset with her.

A moment of silence followed her apology. It had been a long time since she had heard him raise his voice like that. She didn't look up- she didn't want to see the look of disappointment or anger on his face.

"What are you doing? Get up, I'm not mad."

She lifted her head. It was dark but she could see that his blue eyes had become calm and soft.

"I tried my best to ignore your thoughts and feelings," he meowed gently. "But it's like trying to cover your ears when the kits are crying about something in the camp clearing. You can't tell what they are complaining about but you still know it's happening. I knew you were tired today while we were climbing up the rocks but I pretended not to notice because I didn't want to upset you. It looks like I ended up upsetting you anyways."

Briarlight felt guilt fill her chest and she miserably pressed her head into Jayfeather's side. She hated herself for making the rift between them and then blaming him for it. "I don't want us to ever argue again," she meowed, her words muffled as she spoke into his fur. "Can we just forget this ever happened?"

He rapped his paw around her and pulled her closer to his chest until she could hear his heartbeat. "Forget what ever happened?"

She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. He didn't smell like ThunderClan anymore, instead he carried the earthy scents of stone and dirt.

"I still wanted to talk to you about some things before we went to sleep," he meowed, lifting his paw so she could step back. "It's about that dream you said you had in ThunderClan the night you left to come find me."

"Oh, what about it?" she asked, glad that the subject had changed.

"You told me that you found a jay's feather in your nest soon after I left the Clan and I've been thinking about it," he continued, lying down. "Did the feather wake you up from your sleep or did you have a strange dream?"

"Hmm, let me try to remember." She lay down beside him so their muzzles where just a whisker-length apart. "It wasn't a weird dream, I was just hunting a bird in a tree when the branch I was standing on snapped and I fell. I woke up before I hit the ground."

"Did you see anything strange or odd before the branch broke?"

"Not that I remember. As I said, it was a pretty normal dream for me."

"What kind of bird were you hunting? Was it a blue jay by any chance?"

"You wish. Nope, it was a white wagtail," she responded quickly, vividly remembering that part of the dream. "I had never seen one before in my dreams so I guess that was different."

Jayfeather mumbled something as if he was talking things over to himself. "There's a chance it was-" he stopped mid sentence.

"A chance it was what? I always feel like you hide information from me," she meowed, feeling the frustration rise in her throat again. "You are always so mysterious."

There was a short moment of silence as his breath gently rustled the fur on her face. Then he gave her a quick lick on the cheek. "You are right, we need to be honest with each other from now on. No more hiding the truth for as long as we are mates." He took a deep breath. "There is something I have never told you, but it is important."

She pricked her ears with interest.

"Back when I was an apprentice, I had a vision or a dream that sent me back in time to before the Clans or Tribe were formed. I wasn't Jayfeather anymore, I was a cat named Jay's Wing. I met this she-cat named Half Moon and I guided her into becoming the very first Stoneteller for what would one day become the Tribe of Rushing Water. By the time I needed to return to the Clans, I had fallen deeply in love with her."

Briarlight's eyes widened but she kept her mouth closed.

"Half Moon is a very ancient ancestor who is almost completely forgotten by time, but she never stopped loving me even though she died many seasons ago. She says she only has the power to see me one more time before I die myself and then we will be together in the stars- but I also love you, too!" he added quickly, as if detecting the unease that was cultivating in Briarlight's heart. "It's complicated, but I think it could have been Half Moon who put that jay's feather in your nest."

Briarlight blinked, confused. She felt jealousy prick at her insides that some other she-cat had stolen Jayfeather's heart before she did, but she couldn't understand why Half Moon would want them to be together. Wasn't Half Moon worried Briarlight would steal Jayfeather away? Briarlight craved to ask 'who do you love more,' but she didn't want to sound petty. Jayfeather was opening up to her and she should be grateful.

"The white wagtail you said you saw in your dream may have been Half Moon," Jayfeather continued. "Wagtails are more common in the mountains than in the Clan's forest and Half Moon's fur is completely white. Also, I think Nettle and Flora said they saw a white wagtail right before they discovered the cave that had a connection with the ancestors. Helping the mountain cats has always been Half Moon's goal."

"W- why are you telling me all of this?" Briarlight stuttered, overwhelmed by this massive secret Jayfeather had kept from her. "Why would you tell me that you loved some other cat before you loved me? I don't know how to feel about this."

He reached forward and pressed his nose to hers, and for a heartbeat, all of her concerns disappeared. "I'm telling you all of this because I really do love you, Briarlight, and I know you are strong enough to handle the truth. Half Moon is a good cat who never meant any harm. I hope you get to meet her some day."

Briarlight wanted to look into his eyes but the sun had completely set and she couldn't see anything more than the outline of his tattered ears against the blackness of the cave. Instead, she just breathed in his familiar scent one more time and forced her fur to lie flat again since it had spiked up. The truth about Half Moon had come as a shock, but she was happy he trusted her enough to tell her. "I'm glad you told me and I hope I get to meet her some day, too."

Jayfeather let out a relieved sigh."Try to get some sleep, and tomorrow morning, I'll find some herbs for your shoulder wound. We can talk about Half Moon whenever you want or we never have to mention her again. It's up to you."

"We'll see," Briarlight purred warmly. She gave him a lick between the ears and closed her eyes. She was too exhausted to keep talking. Half Moon can't be that bad if she wants me and Jayfeather to be together. I also can't blame her for falling in love with Jayfeather. He's so brave, clever, and committed to all the good work he does. She felt a flame of gratitude simmer in her heart as she drifted off to sleep. I am so lucky that he is mine.