Blinded by the Truth (Jayfeather x reader)

Chapter 18

[Y/A/N] was awake! Jaypaw felt joy he never felt before in his entire life. If she dies protecting me.....

Jaypaw heard a thought, stuck on [Y/A/N]'s tongue while she tried to say it. Did you think I was dead, mouse-brain?

Jaypaw lay beside to her and pulled her close. "Never scare me like this again." Contentment floated in the air around them like lazy fireflies.

Jaypaw closed his eyes. He could hear [Y/A/N]'s strengthening heartbeat and he could feel it as well. His blissfulness was abruptly interrupted by Leafpool storming into the medicine den.

"Firestar wants to see you," she snapped. Be good, Jaypaw heard [Y/A/N] think. I'll try, he thought back.

He scurried away, glad to be out of range for Leafpool to snap at him again. He shuddered. Leafpool had found him with [Y/A/N] at the twolegplace. "Why did you even come here? I specifically told you not to," she had snapped. Jaypaw didn't remember her saying that. He didn't remember anything, except [Y/A/N]'s beautiful [F/C] fur turning mild red like her blood.

Rocks tumbled down, and Jaypaw heard several cats below mutter things he didn't want to hear under their breaths in annoyance. He scrambled into Firestar's den and heard the rustle of ferns as Firestar got up. He had a similar 'thunder cloud' over his head to Leafpool.

"Why do you not have a single scratch on you?" Firestar demanded. 

Jaypaw flinched. "I- The- I swear she was behind me...."

Firestar let out an ill-tempered growl. "Well, she wasn't. She's in the medicine den, dying," Firestar meowed drily.

"She woke up just now," Jaypaw added hopefully.

"Yes, she woke up so she can die in conscious pain," Firestar said sarcastically.

Jaypaw sighed and barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "She's fine," he insisted.

"Don't tell me what's fine and what's not!" Firestar roared. Jaypaw shied away, wishing he could disappear into the ground. Firestar took a few deep breaths as if trying to calm himself, then finally rasped, "Get out of my sight."

Jaypaw slid down the rocks and padded listlessly back into the medicine den. Around him, cats were whispering in hushed voices. He could hear little bits of their conversation.

"What did he do to [Y/A/N]?"

"He must have ran away without her."

"No wonder Firestar's angry."

Jaypaw growled and walked faster. As he pushed aside the bramble screen, [Y/A/N]'s thought drifted towards him. That didn't go well, did it?

Leafpool sounded smug as she asked, "How was it?"

"Amazing," Jaypaw snapped.

You don't have to be mean to her because Firestar was mean to you. [Y/A/N]'s voice buzzed in his head. Jaypaw sighed. I'm not trying to. I'm born like that.

After that, Jaypaw didn't hear [Y/A/N] anymore. Her body was as still as stone. So still that she could have easily been dead if it weren't for her steady heartbeat.

There was whitecough in the clan. Whitewing and Berrynose were sleeping in the nest dangerously close to [Y/A/N]. Of course, there weren't enough nests, and Jaypaw wasn't going to make himself one. So yes, he slept with [Y/A/N] at night.

She didn't mind. She couldn't tell him even if she did. So I guess she doesn't, Jaypaw concluded. [Y/A/N] twitched in the night, and sometimes, Jaypaw woke up, feeling horrified at images in his dreams. Not his, but [Y/A/N]'s. 

Jaypaw tried to enter her dream, but fire was everywhere. Its scarlet tongues threatened to burn him, and Jaypaw quickly pulled out of the dream. That wasn't [Y/A/N] was dreaming about. She was always thinking of fire so that Jaypaw could not read her deepest thoughts, and it had clearly became an unconscious effort.

That night, however, Jaypaw wasn't disturbed by [Y/A/N]'s dreams. As soon as he opened his eyes in a dream, Jaypaw saw vast meadows stretching out before his eyes. Obviously StarClan's hunting grounds. But instead, dark clouds gathered overhead, and Jaypaw swore he heard thunder.

In front of him was the most beautiful cat he ever saw in his whole entire life(To be fair, he didn't see many cats).

Her [F/C] fur was freshly groomed and a soft breeze was rushing through it. Her [E/C] eyes shone with a kit-like curiosity. "Come on, Jaypaw," she meowed, her voice as thick as honey. Jaypaw froze. She sounded exactly like [Y/A/N]. He tasted the air. She smelt exactly like [Y/A/N]. Great Starclan! No wonder Lionpaw seemed so fond of  [Y/A/N]!

[Y/A/N] pushed through the tall meadow grass with ease. "Wait up!" Jaypaw yowled and followed. But [Y/A/N] didn't wait. She ran faster and faster, until she was swallowed up by the distance. "[Y/A/N]! Come back!" He called, but there was no reply. The storm clouds dispersed, and the sun's weak rays pierced through.

Yellowfang's voice rang in his ears as he woke up. Accept your destiny. Only then will the storm be over.

Jaypaw woke up and heard [Y/A/N]'s heartbeat beside him. His own heart thudded wildly. What is Yellowfang trying to say?