Jayfeather & Half Moon/Briarlight

5

  Leafpool was dipping moss into the clear water, washing Jayfeather's wounds in a gentle manner. Alderheart was back in the medicine den, watching over Briarlight while his mentor and Leafpool went out for a walk.

Jayfeather didn't know what had made him agree to going on a walk with Leafpool. His decision surprised himself, too. He sat beside the small stream, tail curled over his paws while Leafpool helped to patch up his wounds.

A cool breeze drifted through the trees, brushing his cheek in a caressing manner. Jayfeather's thoughts linked back to Half Moon almost immediately, remembering how she had once did that, too.

"What are you thinking about, Jayfeather?" Leafpool whispered, paws moving swiftly and expertly. Jayfeather's ears twitched, about to snap back. But then Briarlight's voice echoed in his mind, said a long time ago -

"At least you have cats that care for you, willing to accept you for who you are. I'll never be accepted - not truly." Briarlight's gentle mew reached him, breaking through his thoughts of Half Moon.

Jayfeather raised his head, blue eyes cloudy. "What?"

Briarlight sighed. "Are you thinking of that cat again? Jayfeather, how long are you going to linger in the past?"

Jayfeather's head turned back down, unwilling to meet her gaze. It was true. All he ever did was mope about Half Moon.

"I'm saying that Leafpool is a kind and understanding mother who wants to reach out to you again. I don't know why you're pushing away for." Briarlight muttered. "Why do you always have to push everyone away?"

Jayfeather walked out of the den then, anger fizzing through every fibre of his body because he knew what Briarlight had said was correct. That it was true.

"Thinking about life problems you'll never understand." Jayfeather muttered, rolling his eyes.

Leafpool purred in amusement, but Jayfeather could sense a touch of sadness in it. "Who said I'll not understand?"

Jayfeather turned to face her, hackles rising. "Right, because you handled the problem of your kits so perfectly well?"

Leafpool flinched, her paws shaking for a moment. She stood up. "Well, then I'm sorry, Jayfeather. I tried to help."

Jayfeather stepped away, tail flicking angrily. Leafpool turned and padded away.

A stab of hurt ricocheted through Jayfeather. Why do you always have to push everyone away? Briarlight's soft mew rang through his thoughts.

Half Moon's emerald eyes then appeared. I'll wait for you forever, Jay's Wing.

Jayfeather closed his eyes. At that moment, he felt a overpowering feeling of... failure. Failure for everything. Everyone had suffered because of him. Even Briarlight. She'd almost died saving him, when he wasn't worth saving for.

There was a small rustle in the bushes. Jayfeather spun around, alarm pushing through his cloudy thoughts and the sense of failure.

"Come with me."

Briarlight's order seemed like a light in the darkness. Blindly, Jayfeather stumbled after her, wondering where they were going until his paws met the pebbles that lined the lakeside. "The night is beautiful."

Jayfeather raised his head, imagining that he could see the millions of stars every cat spoke about. "Except the stars. They're always so... distant, cold. Lost."

"Sounds familiar," Briarlight moved closer to Jayfeather, pressing her pelt against his.

"Yes. The stars are like me." Jayfeather agreed. Anger at himself rose like a volcano, about to erupt. He was about to push Briarlight away when she spoke again.

"But they're not lost, you know." Briarlight's head moved to face the stars. "They're always together, playing in the sky. They're distant, but distant as one. They're not cold, they provide the twinkling brightness that makes the night beautiful. Without them, it'll just be a black screen of darkness."

Jayfeather blinked.

"You remind me of them, just that you choose to drift away from the others - like that one." Briarlight reached out to point up at the sky, and Jayfeather tried to imagine what she was pointing at. "That one's apart from the others. The one that doesn't share the joy or the dancing. If only that star could become one with the others. Life would be more fun, more meaningful before it dies out."

Jayfeather pushed his nose into her muzzle, breathing in her sweet scent as he felt a sense of nostalgia. Briarlight rested her head against his. "You can make the night sky light up. You already light up my world. Please try to light up others."

His sightless blue eyes turned upwards to face the night sky again. "It's hard."

"If you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm always here." Briarlight whispered, lifting herself up to go back to camp. "Let's go home."

Jayfeather smiled slightly. "Thank you, Briarlight."

"It's my job," Briarlight joked lightly, leaning her weight against his shoulder. "I'll be your eyes, Jayfeather."

Jayfeather purred, tail flicking over her ear playfully. "And I'll be your legs." 

AN: They're so sweet together :3 The picture attached above does not belong to me. I love the idea of it though! Hope you guys enjoy the story so far~ :)