[C] Even A Blind Cat

[Lightningstar]

Title: Even A Blind Cat
Author: Lightningstar
Pairing: LionxHeather
Summary: Jaypaw gives his view on Lionpaw and Heatherpaw's relationship.
Editor: N/A
Cover: N/A

First Notes: N/A
Last Notes: There are some spoilers for Eclipse in here, so if you haven't read it I suggest you do before you read this fic. And the 'h' word at the end, but I don't think anyone here will mind.

Even A Blind Cat

When it comes to Lionpaw and Heatherpaw, I have quite a lot to say. Cats say I don't pick things up because I'm blind and could care less about nosing into others relatationships. Really, though, it's the exact opposite. If my brother is involved, I like to be on top of things.

I first noticed something was wrong with him after he came back from his first Gathering. When he talked to me, he seemed distracted and out-of-place, as if he wanted to be somewhere else. Either that had meant that something awkward had gone on there, or he had met someone special. Of course it had to be the latter. If it had been the former, everyone would have gotten over it faster. It would have been blown away liked a dried leaf on the wind. But no. Lionpaw had to go fall in love with a cat from another Clan. Why is he such a mouse-brain? Sometimes I feel like the only cat with any sense around camp anymore.

After that, the warning signs stuck out like a cry in complete silence (darn my blindness; I can't give visual examples for practically anything). Lionpaw would get all excited whenever someone mentioned a Gathering, and he would take every chance he could to go out on a hunting or border patrol that went toward WindClan. Hollypaw told me that he sneaked out at night sometimes. I couldn't believe the news. My brother had officially gone blind to the dangers that his relationship with Heatherpaw would bring.

Because, after all, I could not only see what was going on between Lionpaw and Heatherpaw, but I could also see what would tear them apart. As the days wore on, I could tell that Lionpaw was becoming anxious and was getting distracted more and more. They hardly ever talked at Gatherings anymore, and if they did they talked sparingly and cautiously. I knew something was up, and it wasn't pretty.

If only they had seen it coming. Then, maybe, it would have been a lot easier for them to deal with it. When WindClan attacked, Lionpaw was devastated. But inside his devastation lay something deeper, something much darker. He was angry. I knew exactly which cat's throat he would be going for first, and that's what made me nervous. When battles cries rang around the whole forest, I knew that one of them belonged to Heatherpaw and Lionpaw battling, blind to their former love for each other.

Sometimes I feel like the least blind cat of all.

After all, the anger that Lionpaw felt toward WindClan made him blind toward how he had felt for Heatherpaw. It made him blind toward how Heatherpaw felt for him, and how her feelings were hurt easily by his rejection. When Lionpaw came back to camp with barely a scratch, he was agitated and snappish. I knew exactly why. He had blamed Heatherpaw for everything that had gone wrong. He had gone blinder than me. That mouse-brain. That stupid mouse-brain.

I wanted to talk it out with him, but I knew it wouldn't work. He had already gone through so much (but he put himself through it, the pile of foxdung). He thought he had lost Heatherpaw, and he was right. He should have left her alone. He should have loved her enough to let her plead not guilty. He should have done a million things differently, but he didn't.

Why doesn't the world work out the way I want it to?

Lionpaw had royally screwed up. He had not only messed up his relationship, but his whole reputation around Heatherpaw. I knew that from then on, the light brown she-cat would avoid him as much as possible, and give him dirty glares whenever she could. The two cats would never love each other again. And, frankly, that's the sad part.

Well, actually, there are many sad parts to this fiasco. One of them is that Lionpaw and Heatherpaw will never, ever make up no matter what they do. The second is that even a blind cat could tell that their relationship would crash and burn like this when even they couldn't.

Just goes to show you, I guess. A blind cat can see more than anyone else. A blind cat can be more valuable than you think. And a blind cat can predict a broken heart.

And even a blind cat can tell that it's going to be Hell when Hollypaw finds a mate.