I've been going through some internal tribulations over the past few eternities so I apologize for the long wait. Just one of the joys of having a slew of brain issues. It effects my work, gaming, writing, relationships, and sanity. Alas, the next chapter finally came out.

Mistlion Continue the feline fellowship shall. Though to the contrary, I think dying would be very relieving, not stressful. Everything most folks do in life is to stay as far away from death as possible. Once you finally reach it, there's nothing to fear anymore.

The Apocryphal One I'm glad the mountain arc is wrapping up, too. It's time to dive deeper into Jayfeather and Briarlight's relationship. Lol, your comment about the mountain cats being idiots gave me a good giggle. I thought it was crucial for the Pack's development that they find the solution to their own problems for once rather than let those around them do it.

Guest According to my poll, most people ship Jayfeather and Half Moon. I'm happy you still enjoy my story.

Shadowkitty Yup, sorry, this is a JayxBriar story. Says so in the description. BUT, I haven't forgotten about Half Moon. She will have her part to play when the time comes.

pickle03 I appreciate you reading my story even if you don't like the shipping. I did my best to organically have them come together rather than *poof* madly in love like some other stories go. You like Jay X Poppy/Kestrel/ and Willow but not Briar or Half Moon? You like to swim against the current so you get mad kudos from me.

Amberfall of Skyclan Instead of having the Clans come find Jayfeather, I just made Lionblaze the new protagonist for a few chapters.

Moonlight Talon of the Night I went about 3 weeks without touching the next chapter since I haven't been in a healthy mindset recently. This nice review is what got me working on it again. I'm glad you still read me story even though its been 20 chapters since your last review.

Jayfeather remained still and quiet with his head raised proudly as he listened to the other cats chattering around him like songbirds. The cave was full and he sat at the center of the gathering with Flora and Stoneteller nearby. The two leaders stood together on a high rock in the middle of the cave as they discussed what they would be saying during the meeting. Jayfeather wanted the leaders' announcement to be as much of a surprise to him as it was to everyone else so he was doing his best to not to listen in on their conversation. Of course, his hearing was too acute for him to not catch bits and pieces of what they were saying and he already knew part of it since Nettle had told him about the cave they discovered.

It was just past sun high and all of the hunting patrols had returned. With full bellies, the atmosphere in the cave was radiant with positive energy. Everyone was happy and excited and Jayfeather couldn't sense so much as the slightest trace of dissatisfaction. The tremor had taken some of their cats away from them but Flora and Nettle's discovery of the new cave meant the dead weren't truly gone. Even the most obstinate Pack cats were cheery as they joined the banter.

He could detect Briarlight nearby as well as Jay and Crash. Their scents blended in with the crowd but he could locate his mate's exact position by her gushing happiness as she stared at him. He had talked with Flora earlier and she agreed that it was about time the former Clan cats be on their merry way once more. As soon as the announcement was over, they would say their farewells.

"When's the meeting going to start? We've been waiting for a while." Jayfeather recognized the voice of Edge, one of the Pack hunters who had supported Boulder.

Nettle was nearby and quickly reprimanded her Packmate with a curt tone. "Shhh! This is a huge moment in our history. Flora just wants to get it right."

"Indeed I do," Flora purred, her voice carrying over the other cats' heads. "In fact, I believe we are about ready to begin. What say you, Stoneteller?"

Stoneteller grunted in agreement.

The cave went silent as the two leaders stepped up to the edge of their platform and gazed over the faces staring up at them. Jayfeather tucked his tail over his paws and listened carefully. Nettle was right; this was a momentous occasion not only for the Pack but also for the Tribe since the newly discovered cave might be how they communicated with their ancestors as well.

Stoneteller cleared his throat and spoke first. "As you are all aware, the Tribe's home and way of speaking with the ancestors was lost when the mountains shook and our cave collapsed. Thanks to Flora's gracious offer, we were able to regroup and gather our strength in the face of this catastrophe. We are still looking for a place to call our own but Flora and Nettle have found a place where both the Tribe and the Pack's ancestors can commune with us."

Flora stepped forward to join him. The Pack leader's pelt buzzed with excitement and pride as she looked down towards the gathered cats. "We have all suffered from this tragedy but together we persevered. One cat in particular has taken the mantle of leadership in a way I never could have expected. Nettle, please come forward."

Jayfeather tracked the young she-cat as she stepped out of the crowd. She was obviously nervous as the others made room for her to pass, but there was a fire of determination burning beneath her pelt.

Jayfeather nodded approvingly as she stopped in front of him at the base of the speaker's ledge.

Flora purred, staring down at her daughter with the passion of any mother watching their kit grow up. She seemed choked of words for a moment before she could speak again. "I may be the Pack's leader but Nettle is the one who will guide us along the path to find peace and prosperity. In the eyes of the ancestors she was named Speaker of the Quiet Stars. From this moment on she shall be known as Starspeaker and she will be our spiritual leader and healer."

"Starspeaker! Starspeaker! Starspeaker!"

Jayfeather added his voice to the chant. The naming ceremony was a little unconventional but the Pack had many moons to prefect the ritual. He could still remember every word his mother, Leafpool, had spoken when she had made him a full medicine cat in the eyes of StarClan. Though nobody at the time really cared since it had all happened during a bad greencough epidemic and everyone was too panicked to celebrate his name change from 'paw' to 'feather.'

The newly appointed Starspeaker purred, blooming with pride. "Thank you all so much. I just wanted to say that I will do my best to speak with our ancestors and do what's right for the Pack."

Stoneteller cleared his throat again as the cheering cats settled back down. Starspeaker joined Jayfeather's side at the foot of the rock and he could feel the positive energy radiating off her as if she were a tiny sun. He understood the feeling of being hoisted up to bare the responsibility of taking care of one's friends and family. It was an empowering feeling but also a scary one. There were few feeling in the world quite as good as knowing someone was alive because of something you did, but there were also few feelings worse than knowing someone died because you failed.

"I only have a few more things to address before I leave the rest to Flora," Stoneteller meowed. His gaze was authoritative but no longer simmered with the hostility and contempt he had once shown towards the Pack. "Since the Cave of Pointed Stone was lost some of our traditions are going to have to change. I will still be known as Stoneteller but it is no longer practical for the Stoneteller to stay in their cave if that cave is no longer close to where they speak to the ancestors."

There were a few murmurs of disapproval from some senior Tribe cats but none of them spoke out.

"Also, starting tomorrow, I want half of all Tribe patrols to be searching for a new permanent home since we can't live here with the Pack forever. The fresh-kill pile is overflowing and Flora has been gracious enough to let us stay here for as long as we need."

"If you can't find a new home, you would be welcome to stay forever. The cave is plenty large enough."

Stoneteller hesitated his speech, clearly surprised by Flora's offer. "Erm, uh, thank you but the Tribe's tradition has always been to live separately from other groups of cats. The Pack has been hospitable enough and you deserve your privacy."

"So be it," Flora replied.

Stoneteller stepped back and Jayfeather could picture him nodding for Flora to say her part. All eyes fell on the Pack leader.

"I have a couple of announcements to make. Firstly, Jayfeather and Briarlight will be leaving us today to continue their journey. Stoneteller and I are both immensely grateful for their help and they will be sorely missed. After this meeting ends, if you were close to either of them, I suggest you say your farewells before they go."

Whispering broke out among the cats. Not everyone was a fan of Jayfeather since his idea to reform the Pack, and even up to just a few days ago some Pack cats would go out of their way to ignore him. Sometimes he would even hear cats talking about him from the corners of the cave but nobody had openly challenged him. Jayfeather liked to believe the Pack cats had a grudging respect for him since his fight with Boulder that fateful night.

Flora forcefully coughed to get the whispering to subside. "On other news, all Pack cats will be expected to have their new formal Pack names chosen by moonhigh tonight. In respect of our new Tribe allies, we will be taking mountain-cat names. If you are having trouble making one, ask a Tribe cat for help or I can pick one for you. I'd suggest including your current name or something that sounds similar to it so it's easy to remember."

Many more cats seemed interested in that news. Jayfeather had overheard some of them discussing how they liked the long formal titles the Tribe cats had. Most Pack cats already had names that could easily be modified into a mountain-cat name.

"That is all we have to announce," Flora meowed. "Meeting dismissed."

Talk broke out among the cats and they began to disperse. Briarlight wove her way through the crowd to join him. Her pelt radiated happiness.

"Hey."

"Hey, back," Jayfeather meowed. He expected her to touch noses with him but instead she just found a place to sit by his side. Starspeaker was still sitting on his other side.

"Why is it that you are here for the horrible and don't stay when everything is made good?" the Pack cat murmured.

Briarlight laughed cheekily. "We were here when the peace was made, the Pack was indoctrinated, and a way to speak with the ancestors was found. We've seen both the Pack and the Tribe at their worst and at their best."

Jayfeather nodded. "Briarlight is correct. Besides, I have a feeling that there are many more cats in our journey that will need our help. It would be selfish to stay here where everyone is safe and happy."

Starspeaker sighed. "I know. I'm just going to miss you, that's all. We haven't known each other for very long but I'm sure we could have become good friends if you made the decision to stay here in the mountains. There is so much we could learn from each other."

"Don't be absurd!" Jayfeather laughed loudly. "We are already good friends!"

Starspeaker purred and seemed to perk up a bit. "For a long time, we Pack cats were taught to disdain the Tribe and the Clans. My father's name was Flick and he was leader before Flora. He hated every cat who wasn't part of his own group and died of his injuries after a failed raid on a Tribe hunting party. None of us were adept with healing herbs so when his wounds got infected, there was nothing we could do but watch him slowly die day by day."

"I am sorry for your loss," Jayfeather murmured. He remembered Flick as one of the cats the Clans had met when he had first traveled up the mountains. He and his siblings had only been apprentices then but Jayfeather could still remember the jeers and taunts the Pack cats had made. He also remembered his brother, Lionpaw at the time, telling him how he had beaten Flick in a fight and chased him away.

"You don't need to feel sorry," Starspeaker meowed flatly. "Flick was a violent cat always looking for ways to sabotage the Tribe. It wasn't the claws of an enemy that destroyed him but his own hatred. Of course Flora was furious when her mate died, and for a long time she continued the war Flick had started. But that snow-season was harsh and the Pack barely survived. After that, Flora cut back her hostilities with the Tribe and focused on strengthening our own ranks. It was also around that time when she named us 'the Pack.'"

Briarlight stepped forward and pressed her head comfortingly against the Pack cat. "You all have been through so much but I'm glad Flora is leader now. I never met Flick but he doesn't sound like the kind of cat who would have considered making peace."

"I wish the peace could have come sooner," Starspeaker replied, her voice barley more than a whisper. "So many pointless battles and wasted lives could have been avoided. We really were monsters."

There was a moment of silence as if paying respects to the deceased.

Starspeaker gave her pelt a vigorous shake as if to shake of the webs of the past. "Before you leave, did you want to check out the new cave with the ancestors? We haven't come up with an official name for the place but I'm sure you will still find it interesting."

Jayfeather's tail twitched with interest. He had grown familiar with the Tribe's Cave of Pointed Stones where they originally met with their ancestors, and it made sense that he at least visit the new sacred cave. But he also felt like the cave was a special thing between the Pack and the Tribe and for once, a spiritual place that didn't require his intervention. He then remembered what Half Moon had told him when he had first started up the mountain. She had said they could only meet one more time before he died. As much as he missed the ancient she-cat, he wanted to wait for a more significant occasion before he said goodbye for the last time.

He lowered his head. "No thanks, Starspeaker. I'm proud to say that I am no longer needed to help you create a strong bond with the ancestors. We will be leaving as soon as possible."

The sound or pawsteps announced the arrival of two more cats. Jayfeather turned as Jay and Crash rushed over and slammed into him and Briarlight. He had been prepared and braced himself but that didn't stop him from almost losing his balance.

"Please don't go!" Jay whined, his claws scraping the stone floor in his displeasure. "Stay in the mountains just a few more moons."

Jayfeather laughed, propping himself up straight once more as the toms stepped back. "Moons? We've already been in the mountains for moons. You would have had better luck convincing us to stay if you had said 'days.'"

"I told you so. You should have asked them to stay for a couple more days," Crash muttered.

Jayfeather laughed again. "I would have denied that offer, too. Our work here is done and there are plenty more cats out there that probably need our help. You knew we wouldn't stay forever."

"But we'll miss you!" Jay pressed. "You were our first real friends after we escaped from Sentinel's gang."

"And you have made so many more friends here," Briarlight pointed out. She had been equally successful in staying upright against the fuzzy assault. "You two belong here in the mountains where you can do the most good and live your best life."

Crash grumbled in grudging agreement. "I suppose that makes sense. Just promise you will visit us again, soon!"

Jayfeather enjoyed the feeling of being adored. He had grown accustomed to the sensation over the past couple moons but it still made him happy. Adoration wasn't something he had gotten a lot of while he was living in the Clans. Reluctant dependence, maybe, but rarely did the Clan cats look up to him. He purred and gestured with his tail for the others to come closer. "I can't make any promises since I don't know exactly where we are going, but if we have a chance to come back through here we will."

Jay and Crash padded over and pressed into his side. Briarlight joined and the four of them shared in a bitter-sweet embrace for a couple heartbeats. It was time for the story to go on but Jayfeather felt the familiar twinge in his heart as it was pulled in two directions at once. It was a similar feeling to when he had left ThunderClan and with equal intensity.

Crash and Jay stepped back and Jayfeather could imagine them standing tall in front of him. In a few moons they would both be even bigger than he was. "Come, it is time for us to go," he meowed, gesturing with his tail. "You too, Starspeaker," he added, his voice cracking slightly. He nodded his head to the Pack she-cat who had been watching silently nearby. He could feel the emotion welling up in his throat and his attempts to push it back down were failing. He really was going to miss all of the new friends and allies he had made. He quickly swiped his paw over his nose and kept walking.

As the five of them made their way to the mouth of the cave, Jayfeather could feel the many gazes of the mountain cats warming his pelt. Both Pack and Tribe alike had grown to respect the former Clan cat and they moved out of the way to let him pass. Regardless of whether or not they liked what he had done to their alliances, no cat could deny that he had changed their way of life forever.

"Our heroes have arrived," came Flora's purr from the cave's entrance as the small group approached. There was no mockery are jest in her meow, only sincere solemnity. Jayfeather could detect Stoneteller, Brook, Lark, Storm, and Asphalt's scents nearby as well.

Jayfeather lead the way forward until the cave opened up to the outside. The enticing heat of the day wafted in on a gentle breeze, ruffling the cats' fur. Briarlight rushed forward to give Brook a friendly hug, while Jay and Crash stayed back with Jayfeather and Starspeaker.

"So this is it, then," Stoneteller murmured once they were all gathered together. "Jayfeather and Briarlight, this is where we part ways?"

Jayfeather's heart ached in his chest but he knew it wasn't his destiny to stay in the mountains forever. "It is. I plan on leaving at once."

Stoneteller was silent for a moment and Jafeather could picture him nodding respectfully. "Then on behalf of all the Tribe cats you've helped here, we wish you both safe travels. Scree and Wing wanted to thank you personally for taking care of their injuries after their paws were damaged during the tremor but I convinced them to stay and rest in the back."

"I can't say the same about all of the Pack," Flora chuckled softly. "Some of them still hate your guts."

There was a rumble of mutual laughter.

"I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for on your journey," Flora added more seriously. Her tone was etched with a deep sense of respect harried by sadness. Saying goodbye to the former Clan cats was harder than she expected it would be.

"Thank you both so much," Jayfeather meowed, his emotions beginning to well up again. "It has been fun, sad, sometimes scary, but I'm glad we were in the mountains for as long as we were." He touched noses with each of the other gathered cats in turn, murmuring sad farewells.

Briarlight joined him, embracing each cat in turn. "When we first arrived, we said we wouldn't stay long," she meowed once all farewells were done. "We ended up being here for almost two moons."

"They were the best two moons of my life!" Jay chirped.

"Agreed!" Crash added, equally enthusiastic. "We'll never forget you!"

Jayfeather dipped his head to them one last time, unable to speak. It took all of his strength to wrap his tail around Briarlight's and lead her past the cave opening.

"Farewell and may you find whatever it is you are searching for," Flora murmured.

"Don't forget to watch out for hawks," Lark meowed.

"Or falling rocks!" Asphalt called.

Their stares warmed Jayfeather's pelt until he and his mate cleared the boulders around the cave entrance and were out of sight. With a heavy heart, he forced his reluctant paws to take him way from all of his treasured friends. He shot Briarlight a comforting glance and together they padded up the mountain with the heat of the sun on their backs.

As I was going back and rewriting chapters, I could actually tell what mental state I was in while I was writing. This chapter was a disgusting mess which means I was in a bad space at the time.