Bonds that Withstand Time (closed)

"Dayspr-" Downtuft cut himself off, clearing his throat. He.. Wasn't quite used to her new name yet. The warrior's voice was still a bit raspy, but recovering. Truthfully, he wasn't quite sure if his recovery was a blessing or a curse. With Softbreeze dead, what purpose did he really serve? His whole life that was his single most important goal; protect Softy. And he'd failed. The ginger tom had been out of quarantine for about a moon now, and he hadn't spoken to a single cat. Not even Shyfawn could pull him out of his grief, no matter how hard she tried. Then Smallbean disappeared, not a trace. Recently Sunnyskip and Ryesnap, too. And Sunpaw. Stars, Brookthistle had been out until moonhigh searching for them last night. Yet, life carried on. The moors didn't mourn for them. How, the tom would never know. The beloved hills of WindClan did not weep for their fallen, no matter how much their fallen cried for them.

Then there was Daystar.

His hope, his shining light. His will to recover. Downtuft hoped, prayed, even, that she'd still need him. Even if she were leader, he'd once been her mentor, and he knew easily how to read her. It may not have always come easy, but over the moons he'd learned. His biggest regret with Daystar was getting ill before she became leader, never able to console her worries he knew she had. Downtuft hadn't wanted to risk getting her sick. So he'd waited, agonized, begged for the illness to go away. Only Softbreeze went away with it.

Now he stood before her, in front of the cat he known since she was a kit, smiling at her. "Hey, kittenfluff. Sorry it took so long for me to stop sitting around moping," He chuckled, an almost bitter tone, but his eyes swam with pride for the wonderful she-cat little Daypaw had become. "I think this conversation is long overdue, huh?"

Although she had been given a few moons to adjust to her new role, being a leader was still difficult. The times that Daystar looked forward to the most was having quiet time in her own den to reflect on the day and think about what would happen the next day, and spending time with her closest friends to speak with them about their wellbeing. She truly did care about them. She cared about all of their Clanmates, but she knew deep down that she could never be the leader that they needed. She wasn't capable of being a decisive and quick-witted leader with a knack for battle and a strategic mind. She could only wish that she was.

She appreciated the fact that her Clanmates still saw her as a friend. They joked around with her, like Ryesnap had done during a hunting patrol. They confided in her, like Silverlight had done in the middle of camp. They protected her, like Ashfall and Swiftspirit had done, and she was grateful for every single one of them. She longed to pay them back properly, but she was unsure how.

Most importantly, she had spent an endless amount of time worrying about Downtuft. Illness was one of the scariest things to befall a cat, and it was even scarier for their friends and family. What would happen if the sickness overtook him? Daystar had never experienced the death of someone close to her before, but she wasn't ready to experience it now. She needed Downtuft. She needed her mentor, her friend. She needed some sort of consolation.

When a voice drifted into the leaders den, Daystar lifted her head up almost instantly. Her name had been cut off, but it was still the first time she had heard her warrior name in a while. Would she sound ungrateful if she said that she missed Dayspring? Although the voice was extremely familiar, she hadn't had the chance to hear it in a long time. It practically felt like a dream. When she turned her head back to make eye contact with the tom, she couldn't help but gasp in shock.

"Downtuft?" She asked, her voice shaky.

"I-I don't even know where to start." She breathed out as she padded over to him, eyes wide.

"I missed you so... so much."

Just hearing Daystar's again caused the tom's shoulders to relax. Stars, he'd missed her. "I missed you too, Day. Stars, I missed you. it's okay if you don't know where to begin, let's start off with the basics, huh? How's the new name treating you, leader of WindClan?" His eyes, despite the teasing tone, were soft and worried. "Even leaders need a break, Day. I'm here now, I just regret it took me so long." Downtuft mewed, taking two steps forward, peering down at her with loving eyes. "You've done well so far, Daystar. You chose a good deputy; Goldenfang is strong — and no, I'm not biased because she's my niece," Pausing, he flashed her a mischievous smile, snorting, "Okay, well, maybe I'm a little biased, but I still think you chose well!"

If Downtuft had to choose one cat he missed most during his quarantine, and Softbreeze wasn't an answer, it would've been Dayspri— Daystar. It would've been Daystar. He'd watched her grow up from a fluff-brained kit, to an uncertain apprentice, to a warrior WindClan could depend on. And then she'd become deputy, and Downtuft hadn't been so proud. "Congratulations, on the name, I mean. I never got to tell you, but I'm proud of you, Daystar. I really am. Go ahead, vent to me. Tell me whatever's been bothering you. Tell me whatever's made you happy. I want to know how you truly feel, Daystar. I want to be here for you." The tom's green eyes sparkled with sincerity. No matter how much he teased her, Downtuft would always be by her side, and that would never change.