"One Night is all it Took to Fall in Love" (Originally Written April 2013)

I stood on the shore of the lake, feeling the gentle breeze in my fur. It was a warm day, almost hot. The greenleaf weather meant the days were long and sunny, and prey was plentiful. I could feel the pebbles of the shoreline beneath my paws. They were warm, as if the sun had heated them.

Everything about this time of year was great. All the cats in my Clan were well fed, there were plenty of kits to keep the Clan strong, and all four Clans were at peace. It had been only three moons since the Dark Forest battle, and my Clan had recovered well. We had a new leader, Bramblestar, who was noble and just, and a new deputy, Squirrelflight, who had renewed her relationship with the leader. I was glad to see that ThunderClan was well again. The Dark Forest battle had been deadly, but we were strong. I should know; I'm the ThunderClan Medicine Cat, Jayfeather.

I was standing on the shoreline, waiting. Waiting for the other Medicine Cats. Tonight was the half- moon, and we would be going to the Moonpool to share dreams with StarClan tonight.

A young cat bounced beside me. Seedpaw had only been my apprentice for two moons, yet she had already learned so much. This would be her second time going to the Moonpool. She was excited and could hardly stand waiting for the others to meet us. Her enthusiasm was enough to make me happy. I wasn't the happiest cat in the forest, but teaching Seedpaw was one of the few things that made me truly happy. She was a good cat.

Finally, after what seemed like moons, all the other Medicine Cats gathered on the shore of the lake. Kestrelflight from WindClan had been the first to join us. Littlecloud and his apprentice, Hawkpaw, met us next. Mothwing and Willowshine were the last to join us on the pebbly shore of the lake.

Willowshine...I despise every fiber of that cat's being, and she hated every fiber of my being. We had a mutual hatred of each other. I don't know why exactly we hated each other; we simply had since the first time we met. I dreaded the day when Mothwing finally retired and Willowshine was the only RiverClan Medicine Cat. I could hardly tolerate her!

LITTLE LINE BREAK

The trip to the Moonpool was rather uneventful tonight. I had received only good dreams. I was thankful for this; it meant the peaceful times were here to stay for a while longer. The other Medicine Cats decided to linger around a bit after we had our dreams. Seedpaw and Hawkpaw talked about their training, while Littlecloud, Kestrelflight, and Mothwing debated some kind of new treatment for greencough. Only Willowshine and I were sitting silently by ourselves, not joining in with the others.

I padded outside, lifting my face to the sky. I couldn't see the stars or the land around me, but I loved the way the air felt against my pelt and how the grass felt beneath my paws. The sensation of feeling things made up for the lack of eyesight.

I heard pawsteps behind me. Willowshine's fishy scent flooded my nostrils. I crinkled my nose, wishing she hadn't joined me. She sat down next to me, sitting there silently. Good, I thought, She isn't going to annoy me. We sat together for what seemed like moons. The other Medicine Cats might stay up all night and half the morning talking. I was content to sit outside, though. It seemed like Willowshine was, too. I was glad she stayed silent. Silence is one of my favorite things. It makes thinking so much clearer.

We sat out there together for who knows how long. When the others finally decided it was time to go home, Willowshine was the first to stand up. Her soft pelt brushed mine as she stood. For some reason, I felt oddly disappointed that it was time to go. Willowshine and I hadn't argued once this past night. Must the good time come to an end so quickly?

LITTLE LINE BREAK

My thoughts for the next moon stayed on Willowshine. I didn't understand why. I hated her! Why should I be thinking about her? But still my thoughts took me to her, smelling her sweet scent, feeling her soft fur. She was a beautiful cat. I knew only because I had seen her in my dreams. Even though I hated her, I wasn't blind to her beauty. Willowshine was a slender pale gray cat with deep, serious green eyes. If she hadn't chosen to be a Medicine Cat, she would have no shortage of suitors.

Apparently Seedpaw noticed I seemed distracted. She went and told my brother that I seemed off. Lionblaze asked me if everything was alright, but what could I say? That I was thinking about the RiverClan Medicine Cat? It was absurd! Lionblaze would think I was in love. I wasn't, of course. I was a ThunderClan cat, and Willowshine was RiverClan; we could never be together. On top of that, we were both Medicine Cats. The warrior code forbade Medicine Cats from taking mates; it also forbade cats from taking mates outside their Clans. If I told Lionblaze anything...

I wasn't in love! I wasn't! I couldn't be, right? Had I learned nothing from my own parents' mistakes? Leafpool, my mother, had been a Medicine Cat until it was discovered that she had had kits. My father was Crowfeather, a WindClan cat! Lionblaze and I, and our sister, had been raised in a lie, not knowing who our parents were. I would never wish that on another cat. I could never take a mate.

I couldn't be in love with Jayfeather! I couldn't be! But why was I thinking about him? I didn't understand. I had always hated him. He was the angriest cat I had ever known. I had never seen him happy. I didn't even know if it was possible for him to be happy. Ever since Leafpool had announced many moons ago that Jayfeather would be her apprentice, I had disliked him. How many times had I wished his sister had remained Leafpool's apprentice? At least Hollypaw had seemed nice. Jayfeather was just a grump!

So what did I see in him all of a sudden? He hadn't changed, had he? Maybe he had. Jayfeather had an apprentice now, a little pale ginger she-cat named Seedpaw. A really cute cat who seemed eager to learn. I had only met her a few times, but the first I saw her with Jayfeather, he seemed...different. Softer, kinder, gentler,...happier? It seemed weird to even think that Jayfeather could be happy. But this side of him I had never seen before. He was nice- it was possible! He only ever spoke gently to Seedpaw, and even joked around with her! This little apprentice had changed him, and was slowly making me change my feelings for him.

Mothwing noticed I seemed to be lagging in my duties. She asked if I felt sick or tired from all the work I was doing. I couldn't tell her what was wrong, of course. I didn't even like it myself! At night I dreampt of Jayfeather, sweet Jayfeather, the one I love. But my love for him was illegal. We could never be together, and I didn't even know if he liked me.

My thoughts went back to that night. We were all at the Moonpool. After our dreams, the others all wanted to sit and talk for a while. I watched as Jayfeather went outside to sit by himself. He was all alone. Since Seedpaw was talking with Hawkpaw, Jayfeather had no one to be happy with. That was the night I tried to give him a chance. I followed him outside, sitting next to him. I sat so close our pelts nearly touched, my pale gray fur against his dark gray. I couldn't find the words to say to him. I didn't know what I could say. How do I tell someone I used to hate that I love them? Especially if that love is illegal?

I was distracted- there was no doubt about that. It had gotten to the point where I couldn't even think straight. I had to tell Jayfeather how I felt. I didn't care if he still hated me after I told him, but he had to know.

I told Mothwing I was going to take some herb to him, claiming that on the night of the half-moon he said his stock was running low. Mothwing believed me, but why wouldn't she? I felt bad for lying to her, but what could I do? I ran all the way to the ThunderClan camp. I was excited to see him, and a bit nervous, as well.

When I got to the camp, I was surprised that Jayfeather immediately welcomed me into his den. He showed me how he organized his store of herbs and told me what it was like training an apprentice. I had never seem him this talkative. He was so different! I wondered why he was acting like this, because Seedpaw wasn't even around...

Jayfeather walked with me to the ThunderClan border after a while. The sun had already set and the stars were shining brightly in the night sky. We sat together on the soft grass, talking for a bit before I had to get back to RiverClan. That was when he told me that he had been thinking about me for the past moon, just like I'd been thinking about him! I was really surprised that we had had the exact same feelings for each other. Of course, we'd had a mutual hatred for each other, so maybe it wasn't that weird to suddenly have a mutual love for each other.

We sat under the stars for a long time, just talking. It felt so nice to finally get to know Jayfeather. The more we talked the more I realized I loved him. It was morning before we finally parted. As I walked away, I realized how much I would miss him. This would have to be our only night together...

No...this can't be! Willowshine had to be lying. She can't be pregnant! She can't have my kits! We're from different Clans, for StarClan's sake. And we're both Medicine Cats. How could this have happened? We only spent one night together, and now she was going to have my kits. I had failed. I had failed as a ThunderClan cat, failed as a Medicine Cat, failed as Leafpool and Crowfeather's son. Had I learned nothing? Apparently so.

I couldn't be a father to my kits. They would never know I am their father. Hopefully no one would ever know. But I will know, and so will Willowshine. I told Willowshine I wasn't going to help raise our kits. I couldn't force them to lead half-Clan lives. I wanted them to only think of themselves as RiverClan cats. But I would love them from afar. These kits will forever be a reminder of that night with Willowshine, the cat I loved.

(Revision date- March 21, 2014)