Another Path

After the fall of the dark forest warriors the lake clan cats were finally able to take a quick breather and return to their life as usual. Leaf-bare came and soon new-leaf brought new life for all of the clans near the lake. Life in the clans had returned to normal, the prey was running strong and new kits were being born while apprentices were becoming warriors. Jayfeather was laying by the lake side on the Thunderclan side of the lake, he was seeming to be looking for something but all he wanted was the chance to be alone and get away from everything and everyone.

Ever since his sister Hollyleaf had died he had been feeling depressed and lost more than when he though his sister had died in that cave all of those moons ago. Jayfeather dipped a paw into the cool lake water and felt its cooling sensation wash over his hot paws and gave him slight comfort. He was part of the three who were meant to hold the stars in their paws and he wasn't even able to save his sister from dieing at the paws of the dark forest warriors who and threatened their home only a few moons ago. There wasn't a day that went by that he wasn't looking for Hollyleaf up in Star Clan and wishing to tell her how much he missed her. Jayfeather was so into his thoughts that he didn't even hear that someone was sneaking up behind him to give the medicine cat a wake up call as he was tapped on his shoulder.

"AH! !" Jayfeather cried as he jumped in the air and turned around to see his brother snickering.

"Some of the best ears in the camp and you didn't hear me coming up. Your getting sloppy Jayfeather." A very happy Lionblaze said as he sat down next to Jayfeather. The medicine cat licked his paw and began grooming himself as he was trying to regain his composure.

"I was...deep in thought." Jayfeather said as he gives his paw few quick licks and started grooming himself embarrassed that he had let his brother of all felines to catch him napping.

"Still thinking about her?" Lionblaze asked and Jayfeather could sense that his brother was feeling awful about their sister's death as well but was trying to hide it. The biggest thing that was keeping his brother from feeling depressed was Cinderheart. The pair over Leaf-Bare continued to grow closer and closer spending most nights sneaking out of camp to spend time together by the lake. At this pace Jayfeather was expecting for Cinderheart to come into his den complaining of about being too tired or feeling sick and coming out announcing to the clan that she was pregenent. For Jayfeather the last thing he wanted to hear such news for some odd reason. Looking to the side Jayfeather wondered if he was jealous of Cinderheart?

Jayfeather looked at his brother with his blind blue eyes and felt his brother's unease. "Everyday." .

"To bad you can't take a mate for yourself. You would make a great mate."

"Me?" Jayfeather asked feeling surprised. "I'm...blind who would want a blind tom for a mate? Besides can you see me taking care of kits? Barely can stand helping our clan members with their issues?"

"Briarlight might? Believe it or not she is able to bare you lack of patience for others." Jayfeather could sense that his brother was joking around a bit but serious at the same time. "Think about it she lives with you, is pretty much your apprentice and I know she has been mooning over you ever since before she got hurt."

"No thanks it goes against the medicine cat code. We are not able to take a mate." Jayfeather said bitterly. Truth be told even though he's only seen her in his dreams he was trying to not do anything with her those long nights when they are sleeping together. Being a medicine cat he wasn't allowed to take a mat and from time to time he regretted following the rules. Jayfeather was in love with Half-Moon but she was dead and walked in a different sky than he lived under.

"I know, I know don't worry just joking around with you." Jayfeather felt himself pushed by his brother and he felt a bit more annoyed than usual. Why was Lionblaze acting like he didn't care about anything when only a few moons ago they lost their sister.

"I need to go back, Brairlight should be done sorting all of the new herbs by now and I want to go take a nap while I have some free time. If you need me you know where to find me." With that he gets up to leave, though stop as he heard his brother speak up.

"You are not the only one who is still mourning Hollyleaf's death you know." Jayfeather didn't say anything else as he walked back to camp, his mind was filled with thoughts of both his sister and Brairlight. It was strange to have feelings for someone he almost has never seen and who was in a way his apprentice. Everything he has experienced with love and relationships with others it always ended terribly. Graystripe and Silverstream, Bluestar and Oakheart and the most famous of all of those Leafpool and Crowfeather his parents. What good could ever come of allowing your feeling's to guide you?

Back in camp Jayfeather walked into his den to hear Brairlight shuffling about the she-cat was tending to the minor chores in the den as she smelled of fresh herbs now after a few moons of working along side him. Jayfeather was beginning to enjoy returning home from working outside in the woods to find someone waiting for him as he felt something brush up against him.

"Hello Jayfeather how was your walk?" He heard the hopeful Brairlight ask. She has been asking him about his days more and more the she-cat always wanting details though Jayfeather was beginning to think she enjoyed hearing him talk more than what he had to say.

"Same as always it always is." He said enjoying the feeling of her up against him. Brairlight's scent filled his senses and eased his pain as the medicine cat gave a small purr. "Peaceful. Though..."

"You miss her a lot?" Briarlight asked nuzzling him. "Its tough losing a sibling. My brother and sister contently look at me with such hurt looks every time they see me and that tears me up inside. Blossomfall and Bumblestripe mean the world to me and seeing them uphappy..."

"I get it." Jayfeather snapped but not in a bad way. He's still the sharp tongued medicine cat he always was though was a bit less harsh than he was before the final battle. In part he had Brairlight to thank for that. She was able to handle him better than most other cats in the clan were able to and working for him puts her right in the line of fire every single moment of the day but she was seeming to handle it very well now. Jayfeather felt her nuzzle him more as she gave a small purr of amusement.

"Your not as bad as you try to make yourself out to be."

"Don't..." Jayfeather backed up, he couldn't see her face but just the way she was speaking was for some reason a turn on. Was it her voice or how she was speaking to him, no fear, no babying him like a kit for his disability just like they were old friends. Though a party of Jayfeather wanted to something a bit more, he wanted what his brother had with Cinderheart, what Squirrelflight has with Bramblestar. Even his mother and father were talking again at the Gatherings. Maybe he could never have kits with Brairlight but why should he deny himself a chance to experience happiness with her of some kind even if it was different from everyone else. "Don't...stop."

"Thats my Jayfeather." Heard her chuckle as Brairlight did as she was told with a smile. Jayfeather wasn't about to complain as this was what he wanted but as she slowly began to go down on him she stopped and seemed frozen in time...

"Brairlight?" Jayfeather asked outload and inspects her by rubbing her but she didn't respond. Jayfeather felt like the very air around him was frozen in place. Moving away from Brairlight Jayfeather moved outside to see if he could get some help and found that everyone outside were frozen in place as well no one moving around but were frozen like trees to where they were not moving a hair. Jayfeather didn't know if this could be a dream but why did everything feel so real though?

"What's going on here?"

"You are experiencing a Ripple of Time." A very familier voice spoke up. "Possibilities are able to be experienced and choices will be made. For every change made another possiblitity must be allowed to be accepted and by the end of your journey will you choose to live in your choice or will you wish nothing was ever changed in the first place."

"Rock...is that you?" Jayfeather was able to see again as he was standing in the familier unground tunnel that had been the meeting place between him and Rock for so long. Last time he was here he came with Dovewing and Lionblaze and were confronted by the Tribe of Endless Hunting who told them how to find the forth cat and ultimely defeat the Dark Forest cats. Now here he was again standing before the blind hairless cat that was able to see more than any other cat who ever walked these caves. "Is this a dream? I can see you-"

"This is a dream and not a dream. Dream enough for you to be able to see but real enough that will effect you in the real world if something was to happen to you. You Jayfeather have already noticed that time is standing still. Time has stopped because you have wished to change another's fates." The hairless tom appeared before him. Jayfeather was use to seeing the old feline but those blind white eyes would never ease to make him shiver as he tried to not look directly into them.

"Maybe but its because of other's mistakes that I was even born." Jayfeather said without even thinking over what Rock just said entirely. Rock was speaking about the impossible anyway, there was no way for anyone to change the past none the less know how it would affect the present and future.

"Brairlight wasn't suppose to have her legs crippled that day when the tree feel down ontop of her back and you know this." Rock spoke calmly. "And before you ask I came here to give you a chance to go back in time and save her from her fate.

"What..." Jayfeather did know how Rock knew all of this or how he knew how he felt about Brairlight. "Will she still-"

"Her feelings about you will be slightly changed but if you two were meant to be it will not take you long to make her have feelings for you again."

"What's the draw back?" Since Jayfeather knew there always was one.

"If you change her fate then you must allow someone else to change thier's as well. If I allow you to change Brairlight's fate then you must allow me to give someone else a chance to change their fate as well." Rock explained. "One selfish act for another."

"I don't know..." Jayfeather thought about his friend and felt terrible for what happened to her. Jayfeather knew he had strong feelings for her and wanted to help her so badly." Ok, lets do it."

Rock smiled and with a flash of light Jayfeather was once again blinded as he was being transported though time itself to the point in time when Brairlight lost it all. But will Jayfeather find a chance for love with the she-cat or find out that playing with time could leave him in a very hard place.