CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"That's a pretty good question," Jay's Wing said, frowning. "I have no idea, have any of you?"
We all shook our heads. "What did the Originals say?" Dove's Wing asked.
"Nothing much," I replied miserably, my high spirits from besting Death (sort of) plunging. Were we really to be stuck here forever? The Originals wouldn't do that to us... would they?
"Let's move on," Wolf said decisively. "We can do this!"
"Just wander?" Jay's Wing grumbled. "Really?"
"What better idea do you have?" I asked, defending my friend.
"Fine," he sighed. "Let's move."
Lion's Roar walked up beside me and purred in my ear as we continued to walk in the Dark Realm. "It's so good to be done," he said softly.
"Yeah," I agreed. "Now we can go home and live our lives."
"Are you sure?" he asked, concern showing in his amber eyes. "Every other time we've had to wait until we died."
"I'll make the Originals take us home," I said fiercely. "They owe us big time. The least they can do is make sure no one bothers us again."
"I hope so," was all he said for a while. We walked in silence, all of us feeling just a little hopeful, but at the same time just a little hopeless.
"Will you come with me when I go?" I asked my mate quietly, staring at my feet. My soft white fur was caked with the dirt of the Dark Realm. I couldn't wait until I could go back to the cave and give myself a thorough bath. And then I would just love to go home as a human and take a day long nap before going back to my normal routine.
"Of course," he said automatically. "I've enjoyed my stay here in the mountains, but it wouldn't be the same without you."
"I wonder if Sam will come with us, or if she'll stay," I mused.
Wolf had apparently overheard us, for she dropped back and said, "Well, this was fun, but I'm ready to be a human again."
"I'm staying," Jay's Wing said firmly. We were now all involved in this conversation. "I'll miss you, brother, and you too, Snow," he said, carefully leaving Wolf out of that sentence, "but I love being a cat. I want a chance to live a normal life with a mate and kits."
"Likewise," Dove's Wing said softly. "I'm sorry to have taken away the real Dove's Wing's destiny, but I want to be a normal cat... even if my life does end in blood like Slaughter said."
"You didn't take away Dove's Wing's destiny," I disagreed. "I know what that's like...I was Shadow, remember?...and you're not acting like it at all."
"I think you were always locked away, dormant, in her mind," Jay's Wing said. "When the Originals interfered with your death, they simply unlocked the portion of your mind that was you. Now the portion with Dove's Wing's memories is the one that's dormant. You are her, and she is you. You're not two separate cats like us and the Other Leaders were."
"What unlocked Jayfeather from Jay's Wing's mind?" Lion's Roar asked. "And Lionblaze from mine?"
"Rock and the stick for me, and the Originals for you," the gray tabby answered.
The conversation soon waned and we kept wandering. The Dark Realm did not take happily to small talk, apparently.
I was beginning to dread that the Originals really were going to leave us here forever until we stumbled upon the clearing where we had first met with them.
"Oh, thank StarClan!" Wolf exclaimed as we reached the area. "Someplace familiar!"
Reinvigorated, we raced to the center of the clearing, where the Originals and Rock had suddenly shimmered into existence.
"We're done," I announced loudly, swishing my tail from side to side. "We have the permission of all five spirits."
"Good job!" Star praised us. Moon looked relieved and pleased, as did her mate. First and Also were happy as well, but not as much. Rock, as always, was silent, ugly and unreadable.
"We were watching you the whole time," Moon purred, her golden eyes bright. "You exceeded our expectations. You have done well."
"That's all well and good, but can we go back to the mountains now?" Dove's Wing said, her voice tired and placating.
"Of course," First said smoothly. He waved his hand and the air rippled. A thin slit opened up into the air. "But then..." He paused as Also elbowed him, scowling.
"Then what?" Wolf asked, her voice ominous. We were no longer afraid or in awe of these five: we had achieved our goal and were fearless.
Also sighed and rolled her eyes, tugging at her shirt. "There are some cats who would like to speak to you."
"Sure," Lion's Roar said calmly.
"Do you still wish to go home first?" Rock rasped.
"Yes," Jay's Wing said firmly. "I want to see my mate and kits. How much time has passed?"
"In your timeline, three days," Moon answered. "But in the real world, only one night. Time is different here in the Dark Realm."
"You will return to your nests and wake as if nothing had happened," Star assured us. "No one will notice your absence."
"I don't want to go back to the mountains," I said quietly. "I want to go home."
The Originals and Rock turned to look at me. "Well...we can arrange that, I suppose," First said, frowning in concentration.
"Come and say goodbye to Half Moon first," Jay's Wing said, begging just a little bit. "And the kits, and the to-bes?"
"Oh, all right," I grumbled. "I'll say goodbye." I was glad he had reminded me of that, though: I would miss my friends and would feel terrible if I had forgotten to say farewell.
"We'll come to you in your world when you're ready," Also told them decisively. "Then we'll take you to see those cats First mentioned."
"And then we'll go home?" Wolf pressed.
"Then you'll go home," Star agreed.
"All right then," I said, hugely relieved. "Let's go back to the Tribe."
I nodded to the Originals, dipped my head to Rock, then led our group past First and through the ripple in space he had opened up.
A cold blast of wind hit my face, and I breathed in the mountain air. We were back.