Prompt: Write a short story about your OC's friend leaving the Clan to join another one.

The moon was round and full, illuminating the night sky with a soft, ethereal yellow glow. The soft meows of cats filled the air, punctuated with the chirps of crickets and rustling of plants in the cool night time breeze.

The cats crowded in the clearing were in high spirits. It was the middle of greenleaf, and each Clan was prospering. Already that night there had been announcements of at least two new kits or apprentices in each of the Clans, and prey had been running very high for all the Clans. Cats were full fed, satisfied, and peaceful. So they chatted eagerly to each other, making small talk and greeting friends from other Clans with whom they had not spoken in a long time.

In one corner of the clearing sat two cats, each giggling and glancing around as if they had just exchanged a funny little secret that they wanted no other cat to know.

Nearby, a brown tabby she-cat watched them with amusement. She observed as they spoke, sitting closely and seeming comfortable with one another. She licked her chest nervously, flattening the white fur there, before finally making up her mind. She stood and crossed the clearing. In seconds she was standing next to them.

"Hey Hollowtail, Owlfeather." They looked up, momentarily confused. The young tom even seemed slightly hostile. But it was only for a moment, and when they laid eyes upon her, they lit up happily. She only noticed the simmering anger from her friend from how long she had known him. They could read each other very well.

Except, apparently, for this moment. He seemed like he wanted nothing more than for her to be anywhere but there. It was unlike Hollowtail to push her away, and she had only seen him this irritated once in her life, when she had been with Brackenleaf and his arrogant friends.

"Blazestorm! I thought you were talking to Birchfang. What are you doing here?" Owlfeather cheerfully said. Blazestorm had to bite back a purr of amusement. The white and black she-cat was always a pleasure to speak to. She had such a nice, compatible personality.

"I wanted to see how you were doing. I can't let Hollowtail hog you all to himself, now can I?" The two she-cats leaned into each other. Blazestorm knew it was against the Warrior code to have such a good friend in another Clan, but she couldn't help but remember the day the three of them had met. With their combined skills and strength, they had taken down a small, clumsy badger who had foolishly stumbled across the borders between their Clans. Since that moment of camaraderie, they had spent countless gatherings together and had grown into close friends.

"Don't you worry. I always have time for both of you." Owlfeather mewed, breaking Blazestorm out of her musings. They turned to Hollowtail, who still seemed put-off. "You'll share me, right Hollowtail?"

Blazestorm was surprised to see his look turn warm, any previous hostility rolling away.

"Only if you insist it. We'll be leaving soon, though. Then we'll have to wait a moon for our next meeting!" Owlfeather giggled at his mock disappointed expression.

"Well I've told you that I am always put on Dawn Patrol. If you want, you could see me every morning!" Hollowtail slapped his tail on the ground in annoyance.

"But then I have to get up before sunrise! Besides, it would only be for a moment, and then I'd have to watch you leave." Blazestorm watched as Owlfeather's whiskers twitched.

"Well I don't know how else you would be able to see me every day." At that moment, the leaders on the High Rock yowled, each jumping in a separate direction.

"LeafClan, to me!" Blazestorm and Hollowtail reluctantly stood, tails briefly entwining with Owlfeather.

"I guess we have to go. We'll see you next time." Blazestorm said in farewell. She was halfway across the clearing before she realized that Hollowtail had not followed her. He was still at Owlfeather's side, speaking to her in a low voice. She seemed surprised, her mouth hanging wide open with shock. As Blazestorm watched them, she saw Owlfeather's expression change to pleased, warming to something more by the second.

"LeafClan!" Blazestorm broke her gaze from her friends to see her leader impatiently staring at her. She quickened her pace, following the last of her Clan out of the clearing. The brown she-cat was only half surprised to be joined a moment later by her black pelted friend.

"It took you long enough to say goodbye." She teased good-naturedly. Hollowtail didn't respond, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Blazestorm sidestepped into him, giving him a shove. He blinked while stumbling before pausing and shaking his head.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I did." Blazestorm wasn't even sure that he really knew what he was responding to.

"Come on you lazy furball. Let's go to bed!" Hollowtail finally lifted his head, giving her a grin.

"You have to catch up first!" He bolted away, leaving her to laugh and frantically run to catch up with him.

~~~

It was a few days later that his strange behavior seemed to return. Blazestorm watched as the black tom came into camp happily, strangely elated and cheerful. He would beam at any cat, and spread his joy throughout the camp. As the days had passed, that cheer died, slowly turning into contemplation and periods of anger.

The brown she-cat resolved to confront him that night. She turned her attention to the task at hand, patching up the camp's walls with various brambles and vines.

"Here you go!" Blazestorm accepted the piece of bramble that her Clanmate Mistleap provided. She turned around, weaving the plant neatly in a gap in the camp walls. When she turned around, the gray she-cat was still standing there.

"Hey Blazestorm? I was wondering. Do you know why Hollowtail is so... moody lately?" Blazestorm was momentarily shocked. Mistleap was not the type of cat to gossip.

"I have no idea. Why?" Mistleap looked suddenly shy, wrapping her tail around her paws and hesitating for a few moments. Finally she strengthened her resolve.

"Well I heard some of the cats talking, and they said that the reason he's so angry is that he asked you to be his mate and you said no!" Blazestorm blinked.

This was not the first time they had been mistaken for mates. It was true that every other pair of cats in the Clan that spent as much time together as Hollowtail and herself were mates, but did that have to mean that they wanted to mate? They really were just friends!

"Do you know who said it?" Blazestorm asked.

"I just picked it up from the den a few days ago. I think you were on patrol that day. No one knew where Hollowtail was, either." Blazestorm was still shocked, and Mistleap used the opportunity to ramble. "I'm only asking because I'm worried, you know? Hollowtail is usually so happy and carefree, but lately he is just so sad."

Blazestorm weaved the final vine between the rest and tested the bramble wall with her paw, settling her weight on it. It held, moving backwards only slightly. Satisfied, she turned around and addressed Mistleap.

"I think you're right. I'm going to talk to him. Honestly I should have before this, but I just haven't really gotten around to it. Do you know where he is right now?" Mistleap jumped to her paws, responding to a call from the deputy. On her way out, she called back to Blazestorm.

"I think he went hunting by the Crow-rocks! Good luck!" Blazestorm replied with thanks, already out of the camp.

Crow-rocks. That was very close to the border between MoorClan and LeafClan. It was a tree-less, rocky area where many crows-roosts were located; a perfect area to hunt from. It was also one of Hollowtail's favorite hunting spots. Blazestorm traveled quickly through the territory. It took her only a few moments more to reach the hilly area.

"Hollowtail?" She called out softly, after taking a look around. His fresh scent was still hanging in the air, through the fog threatened to bury all the scents in the area, but she couldn't see where he might have gone.

The brown she-cat wandered throughout the area slowly, keeping a lookout for his black pelt, When she finally caught fresher scents of him, it was from a gust of wind blowing from the boundary. She picked up the pace, padding towards the ever-growing scents. But what she found had her halt in confusion and sudden, startling clarity.

"Hollowtail?" The black cat's head shot up in alarm. Next to him, the familiar form of a white-and-black she-cat rose from the ground. "Hollowtail, what are you doing?" Hollowtail jumped to his paws, staring at Blazestorm as if she was a StarClan cat appearing from the sky.

"Hey Blazestorm!" Owlfeather cheerfully responded, walking up to her friend. "It's good to see you! Hollowtail and I were just... hanging about." Blazestorm nodded dumbly, watching her friend calm himself and scuffle his paws on the ground like an errant kit. She could feel something in her chest growing heavier by the minute.

"Blazestorm." The first words he had spoken to her in days, yet somehow they felt hollow, empty. "I..." Blazestorm shook her head.

"I know what you two are doing. You don't have to cover it up. I'm not going to tell anyone." Owlfeather appeared relieved and confused. It was Hollowtail who finally allowed his fur to lie flat.

"I know you're probably upset, Blazestorm. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." The brown she-cat shook her head again. What a stupid tom! But, first things first.

"Let's move away from the border before we have this heart- to- heart, alright?" When they had obscured themselves under the safety of a ledge, she sighed.

"Hollowtail, I'm not mad. Maybe a little annoyed, but not mad." Hollowtail looked confused.

"Aren't you upset? I thought after all we had been through..." Blazestorm gestured with her tail for him to continue when nothing came out of his mouth. "I thought you would be upset that I didn't say anything. I mean, you've told me everything about you."

"You silly tom. I'm a little annoyed that you've kept it a secret from me, yes, but I'm more angry that you are portraying it so obviously in front of the whole Clan! I'm upset because I can't for the life of me figure out why you're acting so crazy. You were so happy before, and I'm assuming it's because she said yes to being your mate. So why the mood swings?"

Blazestorm watched as Hollowtail's expression fell. He walked up to Owlfeather, leaning against her side and inhaling her scent, wrapping his tail around her own. His head hung low, Owlfeather licking the top in sympathy. She met Blazestorm's eyes from over his head. Blazestorm could see the emotions swirling within, and suddenly it all clicked.

"Is that your decision? You're going to go." Blazestorm was surprised at what came out of her mouth. She knew deep down that she wanted them to be happy, and if this was the only way, then...

It was a testament to their friendship that they could read each other so well. Owlfeather showed similar emotions to Blazestorm, conflict and tension filling her every movement even as some deeper desperation shone through, the longing to have him by her side in her own camp.

"I'll miss you. You, Hollowtail, who doesn't even like rabbits! They barely catch mice; how are you going to survive there?" It came out jokingly, causing Hollowtail to lift his head. Blazestorm was trembling from the strong feelings she was experiencing.

"I have to leave! I can't take the separation from her! For so long I've wanted to be with Owlfeather and now that I finally have her, every stolen moment is never enough." He padded to Blazestorm, laying his tail on her back.

"I know that if I go, everyone will find out what we have done and we will be shunned for breaking the Warrior Code so blatantly. Yet I'd rather be in their camp or even cast out as a rogue so long as I can be with Owlfeather." The black and white she-cat looked overcome with happiness.

The brown she-cat watched as they looked at each other. They seemed to be waiting for her to say something, hope shining in their eyes. They wanted her blessing.

"All I want is for you to be happy. If this move will make you happy, then so be it." As if a dam was broken, the silence became filled with a cascade of words and laughter from the mated pair. They had so desperately wanted her approval.

"Thank you for understanding." Hollowtail told her earnestly. She looked into his eyes, then Owlfeather, hoping to convey her trust, her affection for both of them.

Their little celebration was interrupted by the suddenly audible conversation of cats. LeafClan cats were near, and if they stayed in this cave any longer, they would get caught.

"If you really want to do this, go now. You won't get another chance if they catch us." The sudden goodbye that followed was something that tugged at Blazestorm's heartstrings. More likely than not Hollowtail and Owlfeather would be punished for moons for their offense. Blazestorm would most likely not be seeing them for a very long time at any gathering, and they would probably never be allowed to patrol the LeafClan border.

She watched as they bounded across the border, tails weaved together and bodies brushing in happiness every few seconds. Just before they went over the hill, Hollowtail turned for a brief moment, making eye contact with Blazestorm. The brown she-cat sniffed, tail raised in goodbye.

Even after they were over the hill and out of her sight, she stood, simply watching until the LeafClan patrol caught up to her and asked what was wrong.

In response, she smiled.