Hello, and this is quite special; it's a competition entry!
"New beginnings" "Flowers" "Spring"
This is mostly a jumble of moments in Briarlight's life, darting in and out from the present and the past. It doesn't have an actual point, and it's mostly close to series of drabbles then a full one-shot.
It's not the best, but I hope you will picture a forest full of flowers while reading this!
I. A fact
Later she found out Longtail was dead.
"Dead anyways," Millie would whisper under her breath.
II. Meaning
Blue eyes staring.
Amber eyes staring.
Green, brown, all staring.
Secretly.
But obvious enough.
Sympathizing words, yet seems so hollow.
What do you mean?
Briarlight knew the meaning. At least, she thought she did.
Was it purposeful, or just a remark, or . . . . something?
Whatever it was, she didn't care.
She was busy after all.
Watching . . . all the flowers.
Pretty.
Just like running.
Or maybe even walking.
What is pretty got to do with that?
Well, everything looks pretty when you can't do it.
That's how selfish the mind is.
But this time, it was the fate that was selfish.
Or Briarlight just shifting blames.
Briarlight wants to see flowers now.
Doesn't want to care anymore.
She hates long thoughts.
Complicated.
Disheartening.
No.
She prefers empty.
III. Secrets of the Wind
Briarpaw liked breezy days.
Some cats seemed to hate it; her sister, one of the haters, had tried to reason with her. And she failed. Many times.
"The wind bothers me when I hunt. And it messes up your carefully groomed fur, not to mention that it will give you coughs in leaf-bare."
Reasonable enough, but she always had objections.
Now, she is on top of a tall tree, perched like an owl looking about. A thin thread of breeze ruffled her fur, and she lightly giggled, wondering how on earth the air got through of the mask of leaves sheltering her.
It was fun watching all the cats going on about their lives. Briarpaw felt like StarClan when she was high up. It was her little secret.
A thread of breeze whisked through the leaves again, rattling the branches.
She leaned her head back and closed her eyes as more wind swooped around the tall tree, thinking nothing for a moment.
She was one with the tree.
A tall tree dancing with the wind.
Almost flying.
Almost.
IV. Flower Days
New-leaf was splendid as ever.
Sunlight weaved themselves through the pale green leaves, and warm air brushed past the newly sprung plants of all kind. Streams ran freely again, the light capturing the clear liquid every time the waves stirred. The best part of it was the flowers of all colors; pink, orange, yellow, purple to name only a few. How did she know that? Well, she was outside right now.
Briarlight was in a middle of the forest, mainly because of two reasons;
One, Jayfeather and Millie insisted that she needed to enjoy the outside.
Second, same as the above.
"You need to get some fresh air," Jayfeather had insisted.
"The blossoms are beautiful in this time of new-leaf!" Millie had encouraged.
And Bumblestripe had promptly dragged her outside.
She was annoyed, but thankful for their attention and devotion to her, but she couldn't help but feel like it was like a now or never thing, since she could die any moment.
Well, everything was now and never thing, even though Briarlight tried to make it not. She wasn't that frail yet, right? She wasn't going to die, right? She wasn't that . . .
A bee buzzed in her ear, momentarily distracting her from the endless trails of thoughts for once. Briarlight huffed with annoyance in return. She didn't fancy the yellow and black insect when it had stung her on the nose once.
Blossomfall—Blossompaw then— had called her "Beenose", while she massaged her swollen nose. And that wasn't fun at all.
"Go away, bee." She commanded, glaring at the small bee. Some part of her brain told her she was being crazy, but the other reasoned that everyone had a crazy streak somewhere, so she kept on her attitude. Maybe she was really crazy.
"Gah!" Briarlight let out a surprised screech as the bee abruptly flew away with a buzz, falling on her back with her legs awkwardly twisted.
Still in her sprawled postion when she arrived at the forest, she watched as the bee flew away, disappearing into one of the tall red flowers. When she looked more carefully, Briarlight noticed that many bees were flying around near the flowers, collecting honey. Her pelt prickled with discomfort, and she squirmed some way back.
Even bees are busy, Briarlight thought gloomily. And I'm here, relaxing my pelt almost every day.
"Watch out!" A high voice made her turn, and Briarlight saw a small moss ball rolling towards her. It was clearly made enthusiastically; visible paw marks were all over the muddy green surface. The ball eventually slowed, and stopped by hitting against her belly.
"Hello, Cherrykit, Molekit," She started while looking down at the moss ball, and was quickly cut off by the ginger kit.
"I told you not to roll that thing eveywhere!" Cherrykit exclaimed, her paws tapping impatiently in a rather familiar manner—Briarlight couldn't help but get reminded heavily of Berrynose. Like father like daughter I guess.
Molekit shrunk back. "What?" He questioned, grabbing the battered ball and dropping his gaze over it.
"You rolled it at Briarlight," Cherrykit meowed matter-of-factly.
"And?"
"And she is . . . well . . . she can get uncomfortable with you rolling moss balls at her!" The ginger tabby exclaimed, quickly glancing at Briarlight's legs.
"It's alright," Briarlight dully mewed with a spark of disappointment from the realization. "And a small mossball won't hurt me, Cherrykit."
"Well, you can't avoid them, right?" Cherrykit asked with wide, almost innocent amber eyes.
Briarlight frowned. "So?"
"If you can't avoid a mossball, then what if it was a rock ball! Molekit likes to throw rocks, then what are you going to do?" This earned a glare from Molekit, which his sister didn't hesitate to glare back.
"I. Do. Not. Throw. Rocks!" The cream and brown tabby protested. "It's you that started it!"
"But you finished it!" Cherrykit yelled back with her paws stamping. Briarlight winced as the young cat crushed a dandelion by one blow. Poor dandelion.
Molekit let out a growl, and tackled his sister with a what seemed like a battle cry. The two kits tumbled about in the grass, while Briarlight hastily tried to stop this sudden fight.
If I had all of my legs, I could have finished this off in a matter of seconds, Briarlight thought moodily as she grabbed Molekit by the scruff after just avoiding from having a nicked ear. The cream and brown tom was sure to give a disdainful hiss at his sister even when he was suspended midair. I'm sure that I wasn't this lively when I was a kit.
After quite some more time, the kits calmed down a little, but battled on with their eyes. Briarlight rolled her eyes as the two kits sent "death glares" to each other. I can't even remember what they were arguing about . . . oh yeah, my legs.
At this point, she wasn't enjoying the flowers at all.
Only the sweet scent clung to her nose as she watched the little kit's antics.
I used to run around.
I used to climb trees.
I used to avoid mossballs with ease.
Oh well.
V. My mother
Millie had cried that day.
It was quite shocking to Briarlight; she didn't know grown cats could cry like that.
She thought being a warrior meant being strong and brave, even as to not shed a tear.
Well, her young perspective had changed that day.
Life is not that simple, Briarpaw.
Especially when you think it's all fun and games.
Sometimes, life tends to change a cat. Like Millie, who became protective then ever. Like Bumblestripe, who followed his mother. Like Blossomfall, who was crushed by loneliness and jealousy.
Briarlight was a pebble tossed into a still lake, causing ripples that changed the underneath permanently.
Life was the one that threw the pebble.
Or maybe was it fate.
Or destiny.
She gets confused sometimes.
Now, Millie was in the medicine cat's den along side her, sending long, sour looks to every surface detectable.
This had become a regular thing, much to her and Jayfeather's displeasure.
"I think you should sweep some dust over here," Millie frowned while examining a corner of the den with her face close to the ground.
Briarlight rolled her eyes. Not again. "Honestly, a few dust can't kill me." She instead glanced at Jayfeather, who's tail was flicking back and fourth irritably.
The gray tabby was still frowning when she got up. "No," Millie said with narrowed eyes. "But you are always close to the floor, and StarClan knows what would happen if you continued to drink dust."
"I just cleaned then den not long ago." Jayfeather cut in loudly. "From your . . . many requests, Millie."
"Honestly, I'm fine." Briarlight mewed firmly, trying to end the argument.
Millie shook her head with a tut, but otherwise didn't object farther. Instead, her mother started to check her nest.
"I have to do my exercises." She quickly stated as she lifted herself from the nest, eager to get away.
"I'll come with you." Millie replied at once.
"I did this yesterday, day before that, and so on and so on. I can do this on my own, Millie." She protested with an exasperated mew. When her mother seemed to be skeptical, she opened her eyes wide and gave a pleasant smile. "It's just leg and upper body exercises!"
"Fine." Millie finally gave a short nod. "But you need to eat something first."
"I'm not really hungry."
"You are not going anywhere without eating first."
"You have a weird way of taking care of me, you know."
Millie faintly smiled.
VI. Ending
Briarlight prodded a tree with thin branches, causing it to shake. The browned petals fluttered down and weakly landed on the floor, not quite beautiful now.
The forest grounds were a mess of fallen petals, and the green leaves that had stolen the splendor's place, waved with the breeze as if to celebrate.
She sat under a tree, liking the breeze ruffling her fur. It felt like she had no body, just drifting.
New-leaf was passing by, and the air was already getting warmer. Briarlight hoped that she would feel much better in greenleaf. After all, she had spent enough time wasting about.
Maybe she should visit Blossomfall.
Maybe she misses her too.
Her sister.
Close, but far away then ever.
The blossoms reminds me of you, dear sister.
VII. Sunshine
Sun.
Always there.
Even in the storm when is not visible.
Always there.
She will be like the sun.
Not very visible, but still somewhere in her clan.
The sunlight . . . to bright for anyone to look or judge.
Sunshine.