The matted tabby swished her tail back and forth. "Can we change him back yet?"

The mottled tortoiseshell twitched her ears in reply. "Yes, we can change him back now, Yellowfang. We better go tell him."

Yellowfang flicked her tail and beckoned the tortoiseshell to follow her. They padded through the lush green forest and stopped at a gaping mouth of a cave. The tortoiseshell padded warily into the cave, followed by Yellowfang.

"Do you think we should change him back just yet, Yellowfang?" the mottled she-cat fretted.

Yellowfang snorted. "Why shouldn't we Spottedleaf? He's been stuck as a Twoleg for nearly a moon! ThunderClan has been worrying about Jayfeather, especially Lionblaze."

The cave opened up into the waking world, and the two former Medicine Cats padded through the trees, side by side. They reached the familiar willow tree and caught scent of the blind Medicine Cat.

Yellowfang padded up to him and prodded him with her front paw. His blind blue eyes blinked open, and he glanced at the two StarClan she-cats. A growl rumbled in his throat.

"For the love of StarClan, Yellowfang! What do you want!?" Jayfeather hissed.

Spottedleaf calmly padded forward next to the matted gray tabby. "We can change you back now, Jayfeather."

Jayfeather stared at the mottled Medicine Cat in surprise. Change me back? But, what about Autumn?! He wanted to screech out loud. His ears angled at the two she-cats. "Has it been a moon already?"

"Nearly," Yellowfang responded. "Why? Is there a problem with changing back?"

Jayfeather shook his head. "N-no. But when are you changing me back?"

Spottedleaf thought for a moment, then glanced at Yellowfang. "Tomorrow night at moonhigh, that's when we'll change you back." Yellowfang nodded with Spottedleaf's decision.

They padded out from under the willow tree, fading with each pawstep. Darkness slammed down on Jayfeather's vision as the two she-cats disappeared.

{...}

Sunlight filtered onto Jayfeather's face. He blinked his eyes open and shook the sleep out of his mind. He jumped up to his feet. They're changing me back today, he thought, disappointedly.

Leaves crunched and he pricked his ears at the sound of the willow leaves brushing aside. Happiness drowned Autumn's mind as she stepped closer.

"Hey there, Jay," she greeted him, cheerily.

He flicked his ears in response. His mouth felt dry, and his tail swished back and forth, nervously. How was he going to tell Autumn about leaving? How was he going to tell her about changing back?

"Jay? You ok?" Autumn cut into his thoughts.

Jayfeather shook his head to clear it and looked in the direction of her voice. He flashed her a small smile and nodded. "I'm fine."

Autumn folded her arms over her chest. "I know something's wrong. C'mon you can tell me, Jay."

He let a sigh escape his lips. "I...I have to go home tonight." There. He had said it. It was off his chest now.

Autumn whipped her head in his direction, her dark ginger curls bouncing around her shoulders. Her brown-amber eyes widened in shock and dismay. "H-home?"

"Yeah."

Autumn looked away from him for a moment, and felt tears sting the corners of her eyes. "Y-you can't leave! You're the only one who cares about me anymore!"

Jayfeather was taken aback by her outburst, and he cocked his head at her. He blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Y-you're the only person who actually wants me around anymore," she started. "M-my father is t-too drunk to realize that I-I'm gone, and my brother just doesn't look after me anymore. My friends have turned on me, and make fun of me. I don't know w-why, they just...did. Y-you're the only person I talk to because no one seems to bother about me. And...I love you, Jay. But I know we can't be together because of that rule..."

Tears cascaded down her face and dropped to the ground. Jayfeather's face started to heat up, and he blinked sympathetically at her. Autumn walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his lower chest. Jayfeather placed one hand on the back of her head and one on her back. She nuzzled her head into his chest and whimpered.

Jayfeather "looked" down at her and sighed. He didn't want to leave either, but what else was he supposed to do? As much as he hated to admit it, he had to go back to ThunderClan; he had his Medicine Cat duties to attend to.

"I'm sorry Autumn, but I have to go," Jayfeather murmured into her ear.

"I...I know," Autumn stuttered. She tilted her head up to him, and pecked him on the cheek. She unwrapped her arms from around him and took a few steps back. She looked at the ground.

Jayfeather's ears twitched, and he felt the feather that was clipped on his ear brush against his face. He reached for it, and fumbled around with it for a while until he gently clipped it off his ear. He held it in his hand for a little while.

"Here...I want you to have this, Autumn," he held it out to her. She looked at his outstretched hand for a bit and took it from his hand.

She looked down at it and smiled. She carefully clipped it into her hair and looked back up at Jayfeather. "I'll treasure it always, Jay."

Jayfeather's lips twitched up in a small smile. "And I'll never forget you, Autumn."

{...}

Night stretched out over the sky, the stars leaking in light. Jayfeather sighed; he knew Spottedleaf or Yellowfang would be there soon to change him back. His mind would not rid of Autumn, because he knew he would miss her terribly. She was the only other being who was very close to him, other than Lionblaze.

The darkness on his vision lifted, and he saw the starry outline of Spottedleaf. She twitched her tail and beckoned him forward, out from under the tree. They walked on for a while, and Jayfeather saw the gaping mouth of a cave. Without hesitation, Spottedleaf padded into the gaping mouth. Jayfeather trailed behind her.

A soft, illuminating gray light lit up the walls of the cave.

"Reach out and touch it, Jayfeather," Spottedleaf mewed. "When you wake up, you will be in ThunderClan."

Jayfeather warily stretched out his hand. He felt his hand go numb. The feeling shot up his arm until his whole body was numb. His eyes closed, and when he opened them again, darkness had blanketed his vision.

The familiar scent of the tunnels traveled into his nose. He bounded out of the tunnel, and felts lush grass beneatht his paws.

Paws...he was a cat again!

ThunderClan scent wafted into his nose, and he let so relieved to be home. But his heart wrenched as he remembered Autumn. Was that all a dream? Or was that reality?

His paws felt like they were out of his control and he sprinted towards the scent of his Clan.

His home.

He felt the brambles scratch at his side, and knew the bramble screen was right by him. The familiar scents of his Clanmates surrounded him.

"Jayfeather?!" he heard his brother screech in surprise.

The scuffling of paws stop abruptly and heads turned to face the blind gray tabby. Mews of excitement rushed to him as his Clanmates surrounded him.

"Where have you been?"

"What happened while you were gone?"

Firestar's scent drew nearer, as did Lionblaze's. "Jayfeather, where have you been?" his leader's mew was stern. "We have been very worried about you."

Lionblaze pressed up against his brother's side. "Im sure he didn't get into any trouble. Maybe StarClan had a task for him to do outside of the Clans."

Firestar flicked his ear, doubtfully. "I don't think so."

Jayfeather gulped. How was he supposed to tell him about Autumn? How was he supposed to say that he got turned into a Twoleg? Er...Human?

"I got lost in the tunnels," he started slowly. "I found my way out, but I was outside of Clan territory. I eventually found my way back."

Jayfeather felt the ginger tom's gaze bore into him, but Jayfeather knew that Firestar had believed him.

But what Jayfeather couldn't believe was that he had to leave Autumn; the one joy in his life. His gaze lowered as he padded toward his den, still surrounded by his questioning Clanmates. His mind swarmed with Autumn's scent and laugh. He couldn't rid her out of his mind.

But he knew he could never tell any cat about her. Not even Lionblaze or Dovewing.

Author's Note~

I hope you guys all enjoyed this! This was the final chapter, but I think I have a great idea for a sequel. :D Reviews please? Please take the poll on my profile if you haven't done so already!

Thank you guys for supporting and reviewing! I feel appreciated!

~Xelaric the Nobody