Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2016 13:54:49 GMT -5
...I will post this story i was writing about Leafpool. it's kinda old and not even close to finishing.
~~
Leafpool’s amber eyes were dark with misery. “Which do you think would be easier for me?” she mewed softly, taking a short glance down at the death berries Hollyleaf lay out for her. “To die? Or to go on living?”
Hollyleaf was stunned. She couldn’t move.
Leafpool stared into her eyes in a chilling silence until Leafpool rose to her paws and slowly walked past Hollyleaf to leave the camp. Hollyleaf couldn’t even watch as Leafpool left.
As Leafpool walked her way out of Thunderclan camp, she thought about her life until now. “I wish I never noticed you, Crowfeather,” She spoke softly to nobody. “This was all my fault…”
She walked past the moonpool and began remembering the last time she walked this far past it. This was where she decided to leave with Crowfeather all those moons ago. A striking pain hit her chest as she realized she could no longer be Thunderclan’s medicine cat. She could no longer be a Clan cat at all. She ruined everyone’s lives with just noticing Crowfeather that day on the journey.
Before she could take another paw step, she heard the rustling of grass behind her. She whirled around, only to see that it was Jayfeather.
Eyes wide with shock, Leafpool stared at him, not knowing what to say.
“Leafpool!” Jayfeather called out. “Don’t leave!”
Leafpool dug her claws into the dirt. Her tail was down to the ground. “I don’t belong anywhere. You need to understand that I’ve enough trouble for everyone. I don’t matter. The Clans are what matters…”
Jayfeather bristled in anger. “Leafpool, I need you!”
“Don’t you get it!?” Leafpool cried. “You’re my real son, Jayfeather! I lied to everyone! I even lied to myself! I thought I was fine with Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw raising you three, but I’ve been heartbroken for moons now! I don’t want to be everyone’s burden! It would be better for everyone if I left like how I was supposed to!”
Jayfeather took a step backwards. “What!? What do you mean like you were supposed to?”
Leafpool calmed down for a moment and took a deep breath. “Crowfeather and I planned on running away together at this very spot…” Her eyes clouded over with pain at the memory. “We were going to leave the clans just to be together in peace. But then…Midnight the badger told us of a badger attack on Thunderclan, and I knew I had to come back to help. I knew right then that it was my destiny to stay a medicine cat…”
“But then—“ Jayfeather began. “You had us…”
Leafpool bowed her head in shame. “Yes…I was so terrified, but—“
Jayfeather beckoned with his tail and Lionblaze and Hollyleaf stepped out of the shadow of the bushes. Leafpool flinched in shock as they walked forward.
“Just don’t go, Leafpool,” Lionblaze begged.
Hollyleaf stayed silent at her brother’s side.
“I was terrified when you three were born,” Leafpool continued. “I was also angry because I felt that your birth got in the way of everything. I thought I could remain the medicine cat and die a medicine cat…Die after serving my Clan…But I was terrified when I realized that I loved you three…You were mine and Crowfeather’s…But I had to follow my destiny instead.”
Hollyleaf snapped again. “Destiny…! How dare you speak of destiny!”
Leafpool didn’t wince at her voice any longer.
“Leafpool,” Hollyleaf yowled. “You still chose yourself over us and the clan! You lied to the clan!”
“That’s not the issue!” Lionblaze yowled. “It’s clear Leafpool always loved us!”
“But she still—“
“Hollyleaf!” Lionblaze growled. “Can’t you see you’ve done enough?”
Hollyleaf turned and ran, but Lionblaze ran after her. “Hollyleaf, wait!” Lionblaze called.
Jayfeather stood still, his blind eyes focusing on Leafpool as best he could. “Leafpool, what will you do now?”
“I don’t know…” She said grimly. “If I stay, I can’t be the medicine cat any longer…”
Jayfeather growled, a sound Leafpool never expected to hear from him at this moment. “No!” Jayfeather said harshly. “That is ridiculous! What you’re punishing yourself for happened in the past! You did what you thought was best for me and my siblings! You shouldn’t be punished for things already past! Besides, you’ve been loyal ever since you returned to Thunderclan!”
“But I’ve been untruthful all this time…How can anyone trust me with their lives after this?”
Jayfeather stepped forward again until he knew for sure he was closer to her. “Leafpool, your skills are invaluable. I can understand if you still don’t want to be the head medicine cat…At least just stay and help me…”
“You’re suggesting I become your apprentice instead?” Leafpool mewed. She sounded so unsure of herself and of his idea. She was trying her best to not break down any more. If Jayfeather was this mature, she had to trust him and put her emotions aside.
“Yes,” Jayfeather nods. “I need your guidance and expertise. Leaving now would only prove that you are selfish. Stay with Thunderclan and prove to everyone you have always been loyal.”
Leafpool mewed in agreement. “I see…I’ll do anything you tell me to then, Jayfeather.”
In silence, Leafpool and Jayfeather walked side by side back to the camp. Leafpool felt calm again. She almost felt relieved that she didn’t have to run away and punish herself. She had her children’s support. They were greeted with yowls of anger, but it was
not directed at Leafpool.
In the center of camp, Hollyleaf was arguing with Lionblaze, Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw, Sandstorm, and Firestar. It was a huge mess. Cinderheart was at Hollyleaf’s side, trying to calm her, but she could not get through.
Lionblaze stepped forward. “Hollyleaf, please! Stop this! Let Leafpool accept her mistakes and move on! You’re being ridiculous!”
Hollyleaf yowled out in pain. It was almost like a mournful cry, but Leafpool couldn’t figure out which. “Don’t you see, Lionblaze!?
Our existence is a mistake! We’re a violation! We shouldn’t even be alive right now!”
With one loud growl, Firestar regained authority of the argument. “Hollyleaf!”
Hollyleaf flinched back and tried to stop from yowling out in pain and torment.
“Hollyleaf,” Firestar said again, but he sounded more gentle. “I understand Leafpool. She did what was best for all of us. She knew how messy it’d get if she came out and confessed she was having kits with Crowfeather.”
Sandstorm nodded and joined her mate’s side. “And we’d have to deal with where you and your brothers would end up. Here? Or
Windclan? It would have been difficult.”
“Now,” Firestar mewed. “I’m not excusing her lying or getting her sister involved…but I can still look past all this.”
At last, Jayfeather spoke up. “I have an acceptable punishment for Leafpool.”
The other clan cats backed away and made a path for Jayfeather and Leafpool to get to Firestar.
Leafpool hung her head in silence as she let Jayfeather speak.
Jayfeather kept his head up and put on an air of authority over Leafpool. “She will no longer be the head medicine cat. I will be. She will serve under me and only help me. She will gather herbs and do other apprentice duties around camp. She will only take charge if I am not here, or if there are a lot of cats to treat. Is this acceptable, Firestar?”
The clan began to murmur around them, but Firestar finally nodded his head. “I will agree to this. Jayfeather, it is up to you to
decide when this punishment stops.”
Leafpool still kept her head down. “No…It will be this way forever. I can not regain my head position.”
“Are you sure?” Jayfeather asked.
Leafpool nodded. “Yes. You deserve to be the medicine cat you’ve trained to be.”
~~
Leafpool’s amber eyes were dark with misery. “Which do you think would be easier for me?” she mewed softly, taking a short glance down at the death berries Hollyleaf lay out for her. “To die? Or to go on living?”
Hollyleaf was stunned. She couldn’t move.
Leafpool stared into her eyes in a chilling silence until Leafpool rose to her paws and slowly walked past Hollyleaf to leave the camp. Hollyleaf couldn’t even watch as Leafpool left.
As Leafpool walked her way out of Thunderclan camp, she thought about her life until now. “I wish I never noticed you, Crowfeather,” She spoke softly to nobody. “This was all my fault…”
She walked past the moonpool and began remembering the last time she walked this far past it. This was where she decided to leave with Crowfeather all those moons ago. A striking pain hit her chest as she realized she could no longer be Thunderclan’s medicine cat. She could no longer be a Clan cat at all. She ruined everyone’s lives with just noticing Crowfeather that day on the journey.
Before she could take another paw step, she heard the rustling of grass behind her. She whirled around, only to see that it was Jayfeather.
Eyes wide with shock, Leafpool stared at him, not knowing what to say.
“Leafpool!” Jayfeather called out. “Don’t leave!”
Leafpool dug her claws into the dirt. Her tail was down to the ground. “I don’t belong anywhere. You need to understand that I’ve enough trouble for everyone. I don’t matter. The Clans are what matters…”
Jayfeather bristled in anger. “Leafpool, I need you!”
“Don’t you get it!?” Leafpool cried. “You’re my real son, Jayfeather! I lied to everyone! I even lied to myself! I thought I was fine with Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw raising you three, but I’ve been heartbroken for moons now! I don’t want to be everyone’s burden! It would be better for everyone if I left like how I was supposed to!”
Jayfeather took a step backwards. “What!? What do you mean like you were supposed to?”
Leafpool calmed down for a moment and took a deep breath. “Crowfeather and I planned on running away together at this very spot…” Her eyes clouded over with pain at the memory. “We were going to leave the clans just to be together in peace. But then…Midnight the badger told us of a badger attack on Thunderclan, and I knew I had to come back to help. I knew right then that it was my destiny to stay a medicine cat…”
“But then—“ Jayfeather began. “You had us…”
Leafpool bowed her head in shame. “Yes…I was so terrified, but—“
Jayfeather beckoned with his tail and Lionblaze and Hollyleaf stepped out of the shadow of the bushes. Leafpool flinched in shock as they walked forward.
“Just don’t go, Leafpool,” Lionblaze begged.
Hollyleaf stayed silent at her brother’s side.
“I was terrified when you three were born,” Leafpool continued. “I was also angry because I felt that your birth got in the way of everything. I thought I could remain the medicine cat and die a medicine cat…Die after serving my Clan…But I was terrified when I realized that I loved you three…You were mine and Crowfeather’s…But I had to follow my destiny instead.”
Hollyleaf snapped again. “Destiny…! How dare you speak of destiny!”
Leafpool didn’t wince at her voice any longer.
“Leafpool,” Hollyleaf yowled. “You still chose yourself over us and the clan! You lied to the clan!”
“That’s not the issue!” Lionblaze yowled. “It’s clear Leafpool always loved us!”
“But she still—“
“Hollyleaf!” Lionblaze growled. “Can’t you see you’ve done enough?”
Hollyleaf turned and ran, but Lionblaze ran after her. “Hollyleaf, wait!” Lionblaze called.
Jayfeather stood still, his blind eyes focusing on Leafpool as best he could. “Leafpool, what will you do now?”
“I don’t know…” She said grimly. “If I stay, I can’t be the medicine cat any longer…”
Jayfeather growled, a sound Leafpool never expected to hear from him at this moment. “No!” Jayfeather said harshly. “That is ridiculous! What you’re punishing yourself for happened in the past! You did what you thought was best for me and my siblings! You shouldn’t be punished for things already past! Besides, you’ve been loyal ever since you returned to Thunderclan!”
“But I’ve been untruthful all this time…How can anyone trust me with their lives after this?”
Jayfeather stepped forward again until he knew for sure he was closer to her. “Leafpool, your skills are invaluable. I can understand if you still don’t want to be the head medicine cat…At least just stay and help me…”
“You’re suggesting I become your apprentice instead?” Leafpool mewed. She sounded so unsure of herself and of his idea. She was trying her best to not break down any more. If Jayfeather was this mature, she had to trust him and put her emotions aside.
“Yes,” Jayfeather nods. “I need your guidance and expertise. Leaving now would only prove that you are selfish. Stay with Thunderclan and prove to everyone you have always been loyal.”
Leafpool mewed in agreement. “I see…I’ll do anything you tell me to then, Jayfeather.”
In silence, Leafpool and Jayfeather walked side by side back to the camp. Leafpool felt calm again. She almost felt relieved that she didn’t have to run away and punish herself. She had her children’s support. They were greeted with yowls of anger, but it was
not directed at Leafpool.
In the center of camp, Hollyleaf was arguing with Lionblaze, Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw, Sandstorm, and Firestar. It was a huge mess. Cinderheart was at Hollyleaf’s side, trying to calm her, but she could not get through.
Lionblaze stepped forward. “Hollyleaf, please! Stop this! Let Leafpool accept her mistakes and move on! You’re being ridiculous!”
Hollyleaf yowled out in pain. It was almost like a mournful cry, but Leafpool couldn’t figure out which. “Don’t you see, Lionblaze!?
Our existence is a mistake! We’re a violation! We shouldn’t even be alive right now!”
With one loud growl, Firestar regained authority of the argument. “Hollyleaf!”
Hollyleaf flinched back and tried to stop from yowling out in pain and torment.
“Hollyleaf,” Firestar said again, but he sounded more gentle. “I understand Leafpool. She did what was best for all of us. She knew how messy it’d get if she came out and confessed she was having kits with Crowfeather.”
Sandstorm nodded and joined her mate’s side. “And we’d have to deal with where you and your brothers would end up. Here? Or
Windclan? It would have been difficult.”
“Now,” Firestar mewed. “I’m not excusing her lying or getting her sister involved…but I can still look past all this.”
At last, Jayfeather spoke up. “I have an acceptable punishment for Leafpool.”
The other clan cats backed away and made a path for Jayfeather and Leafpool to get to Firestar.
Leafpool hung her head in silence as she let Jayfeather speak.
Jayfeather kept his head up and put on an air of authority over Leafpool. “She will no longer be the head medicine cat. I will be. She will serve under me and only help me. She will gather herbs and do other apprentice duties around camp. She will only take charge if I am not here, or if there are a lot of cats to treat. Is this acceptable, Firestar?”
The clan began to murmur around them, but Firestar finally nodded his head. “I will agree to this. Jayfeather, it is up to you to
decide when this punishment stops.”
Leafpool still kept her head down. “No…It will be this way forever. I can not regain my head position.”
“Are you sure?” Jayfeather asked.
Leafpool nodded. “Yes. You deserve to be the medicine cat you’ve trained to be.”
