Jayfeather's Choice

Chapter 13

"Holly Leaf was a brave kit." Half Moon said, grief sparkling in her eyes. Her voice, clear but shaky, rang out all around the camp. "She tackled every challenge she faced head on... even when that challenge was a large, vicious tom ten times her size." 

Jayfeather felt his legs trembling. Behind him, he felt Rock stroke his shoulders with his tail, sighing. 

"I'm sorry Jayfeather. It wasn't supposed to end up like this." 

"She will be missed.... and her death will not be in vain. She will be avenged." Half Moon's voice dropped to a whisper, as she touched her nose the the now still body of Holly Leaf. 

"Goodbye, my love." 

Jayfeather turned away, padding towards the hunting grounds. 

"Jay's Wing?" Lion Blaze turned around, staring at Jayfeather. 

Lion Blaze... he's also my kit. Just like Holly Leaf. It's only a matter of time before I fail him too. 

Jayfeather broke into a run, his throat burning and his heart aching with the thirst to see Holly Leaf once again. To tell her that he was sorry, to beg StarClan for one last chance. 

Does StarClan even exist here? 

Jayfeather squeezed his eyes shut, the image of Holly Leaf's dead body burned into his mind. He continued running, completely unaware of the long brambles scraping against his pelt. Or the jagged rocks poking into his paws. He only stopped until he reached a small river. The cool water rushed against his paws, calming him down. He took a deep, shaky breath, pushing the feelings of nausea and grief away. They would come later, and they would hit hard. For now, he only had to focus on recollecting his thoughts and separating reality from dreams. 

He collapsed in the stream, the cool water now soaking his fur. Blood washed from the small cuts in his pelt and paws, making the water run red. It instantly reminded him of the prophecy Brambleclaw had once fulfilled. 

Before there is peace, blood will spill blood, and the lake will run red

Was the same thing going to happen now? Was history going to repeat itself? Would there be a bloodbath, where he would lose the ones he cared the most about? 

I failed. I failed to save the Clans, and now I failed to save my own kit. I am a failure. 

"Jay's Wing." Jayfeather jumped as a familiar voice rang out from behind him. 

"Lion Blaze." Jayfeather felt a pang of loss. It was Holly Leaf that had died, but he still felt as though he had lost all of his kits. 

"You left Holly Leaf while there was still warmth in her body." 

Jayfeather tried to speak, but couldn't find his voice. 

"I..." 

"Do you even care?" Lion Blaze's voice was distant and cold. He was only 6 moons old, but was mature beyond years after the recent events. 

"Of course I care, Lion Blaze, don't be silly. Return to the camp. I need to gather my thoughts."

"We buried her. Said our goodbyes. Covered her grave with holly branches. And what are you doing?" Lion Blaze hissed. "Out here, taking a drink of water?" 

"I couldn't deal with my own failure. It's my fault." Jayfeather's voice broke.

"You are right." Lion Blaze hissed. "It is your fault. Half Moon tried negotiating with Gray Wing hours before the battle. Where were you? Sleeping in your den? Away from all the harm? Letting your own kits fight in a battle, letting them die?"

"Don't." Jayfeather growled. "You don't believe that. I know you don't." 

"You don't decide for me, old hag." Jayfeather felt as if someone just stabbed him in the heart. 

Does he really feel that way? Do I want to know? 

Before Jayfeather could stop himself, he slipped into Lion Blaze's thoughts. He was greeted by feelings of hatred, fury, and.... guilt? 

I couldn't kill him before he killed her. I should have ran away with them. We should have escaped the night before the battle, survived on our own. At least Holly Leaf would be alive. At least we would be away from Jay's Wing. 

Jayfeather stumbled backwards. How could a kit hate his own father so blindly? 

But again... Lion Blaze was right. He had done nothing. He failed. 

"Lion Blaze-" 

"Don't you dare speak to me like you're my father!" Lion Blaze screamed. "I hate you! Half Moon had tried to save us, and you never did! What type of father are you?" 

--

Smokeblaze stared at the falling leaves of a tree, focusing on trying to stop the leaves from falling. 

How did I do it before? she asked herself. Onestar told me to recall what had happened before...

How did I feel when I turned back time with Crowfeather? 

That's when it hit Smokeblaze. The key was letting her emotions go. When she was attacked by Crowfeather, she had just accepted the fact that she was going to fail her assessment. She let her emotions go, then that's when she activated her powers. 

I have to let my emotions go. But how, when the situation is this bad? How can I find peace in times like these? 

Smokeblaze thought back to the times when she was still peaceful- when she met with Onestar every evening, when she was still a kit, peacefully living in a fluffy cotton bed, when she was an apprentice, still unaware of everything....

She let out a gasp as she realized she had been successful. A green glow now surrounded her and time had stopped

Ummm... ok, how do I turn time back now? 

As if hearing her thoughts, the leaves falling from the tree rose back onto the branches. 

So now what? How exactly do I get out of this time dimension thing? 

As if hearing her thoughts once again, the green glow faded, and the leaves fell from the branches of the tree once again. 

"Onestar!" Smokeblaze screamed, hoping that she could somehow summon him by calling out his name. A rustle from the bushes told her she was correct. 

"Onestar! I did it! I turned back time- well, for a small thing only, but-" 

She let out a scream of fear as a large weight pinned her down. 

"Turned back time, you say?" Tigerstar asked maliciously. 

Happy memories, happy memories, think of something happy-

But she couldn't. Her fear overcame her, rendering her unable to find peace. 

"Hawkfrost! Darkstripe! Mapleshade! Make sure she doesn't get away. She's coming with us. Turning back time could be extremely useful." 

There was a flash of black light, then all of a sudden, she was in a dark, eerie forest. Tigerstar, Harkfrost, Mapleshade, and Darkstripe stood around her, glaring at her. 

"Come with us. This is your prison and new home." Mapleshade hissed. 

The Dark Forest... No! No, no, no! This can't be happening!

--

Sorry abt the short chapter, lol. I finally decided how I want this story to end and its gonna be rly sad buttttttttt oh well lol