Did You Think I Could Leave You Alone? [Closed]

She had fought the urge to slip into his dreams every night. Since the spotted tom had gained the title of deputy, the desire had only grown stronger. Leopardclaw had become such a fine, young tom. He was one of the few of her remaining kits. Cinderfrost was her only biological kin, but her former apprentice counted just as much. At least in her eyes. A purr rumbled in the starry she-cat's throat. Soon, they would be able to speak once more. As the light of day faded, and the warrior retired to her nest, she waited. The wait was almost overwhelming. Her new Starclan counterpart had to keep reminding her to hold back. They would both see him soon.

"Leopardclaw!" Grasswhisker called his name as soon as he had slipped into a deep sleep. All around them was the starry plains of her resting place. The golden spotted deputy sat quite a few tail-lengths away from her. But her eager paws covered the distance quickly. Her adoptive kit was here.

Leopardclaw felt a warm breeze caress his fur as the golden spotted tabby tom slowly opened his eyes, noticing to his surprise that instead of being surrounded by the soft moss of his nest and Lichenfang's calico form, he was laying on a patch of silvery-tinged grass, and his body felt strangely weightless and light.  He had felt this way only a couple times before; a broad, almost kit-like smile spread across his face as he jumped to his paws and turned towards his beloved mentor, the thought of the stars that swam in her tabby pelt and bright eyes for once not bringing him grief.  

With a cry of pure joy, Leopardclaw met the she-cat half-way and almost crashed into her.  With a delighted laugh, he buried his muzzle into the thick fur on the back of her neck as he embraced her, his body reverberating the tom's loud purring.  For a moment he could only stand there, soaking in the moment he always hoped would happen whenever he closed his eyes.  After a long minute though he pulled away, his wide hazel eyes reflecting more emotions than he could possibly name.

"Grasswhisker, it's so good to see you!  I've missed you so much...so much has happened since we last spoke!"  He was about to dive into everything; his new rank, Birdpaw and Orchidpaw, his apprentices....the Mist, finding his two eldest kits again, the battle against Smokefang and Swoop...but the tom couldn't seem to make his mouth move.  It was stuck in a perpetual overjoyed smile, his eyes glowing with relief and very rare peace.  He was content, for now, to just stand in her reassuring presence.

"I've been watching over you from the stars," She began, "I have seen it all. You make me unbelievably proud. It is an honor to have been your mentor." The purr that rumbled in her chest and throat was comparable to the crashing of thunder. Grasswhisker stepped forwards to rub her cheek against his. Being back with the tom she considered her son was such an unbelievable feeling. There were times she wished that she had been with the clan to chant his name aloud at his deputy ceremony. But, her place was in Starclan, watching over everything below. Her eyes sparkled with equal amounts of joy and sadness at the thought.

"So, Leopardclan the deputy, huh? I love the sound of that, my kit." Grasswhisker licked the top of his head, ruffling up the fur there. Even though he was the deputy of a clan, it could not stop her from seeing him as the tiny scrap that had once been brought into Thunderclan camp. He had proven himself to the clan over and over and if anyone was perfect for the title, it was her apprentice. Memories of his insecure moments and trying to find his place had all lead to this. She waited eagerly to hear his response. How long had it been now that she longed to speak with him?

Leopardclaw's already broad smile seemed to grow even wider with each passing word his former mentor purred, and the relief of knowing that she was in fact watching over him and his family filled his hazel eyes with a glowing light of joy.  Even thought many terrible things had happened to his family and clan over the past few moons, he knew that none of that had been StarClan, or Grasswhisker's, fault.  The clans had defeated Smokefang and her lurking follower by the courage and strength that had been granted to them by their ancestors, through their honorable code and the promises made to them through their guidance.  Some cats would be content to pin their problems on the cats who claimed to know all, but Leopardclaw had never felt the need to do that, even in the days when he had little hope or desire to continue on.  To him, StarClan had not allowed his kits to be taken by the Mist; they had brought them back to him.

T..thank you Grasswhisker!  I..I never expected that I would ever be chosen for such an honor, honestly!  Truthfully, when Blizzardstar had called out my name I thought at first that she had mispronounced Lionspark."  Laughing cheerfully, he closed his eyes mirthfully for a moment before returning her pleased gaze, looking much more youthful and chipper than he usually did in the waking world.  To his surprise though, Leopardclaw suddenly felt his eyes growing hot, and his vision blurred as he looked down at the ground for a moment, trying his best to quell the sudden dose of gleeful tears.  Deep within him, the sound of hearing her call him 'her kit' had struck something fragile and sensitive, leaving his raw emotions exposed and vulnerable.  Now though, in the presence of the she-cat he considered his true guardian, he didn't care if she saw him like this.  She would understand...she always did.

"Lionspark is a great warrior, but you are the right cat to follow in Blizzardstar's pawsteps." She continued to purr as she padded closer to the deputy. Her chin settled on the top of his head after she nuzzled him. Watching the tears prickle in his eyes kicked in her motherly instincts. Grasswhisker loved the tom as much as her own kin. It felt strange that he now stood just a little taller than her. When they had trained together, he had been barely more than a kit. The Starclan cat's eyes shimmered much like her pelt and hinted at her own tears. Their time together would be limited today. How she wished for them to be together forever... one day they would be, but not today.

"You're going to do great things, Leopardclaw." Her smile beamed wildly at the thoughts of the future. But, the present was a more pressing matter. Grasswhisker took a step back. Her tail tip twitched to summon another cat from off to the sides of the starlit plains. A grey tabby she-cat joined her long-haired counterpart. The newcomer smiled at him. He'd helped to save her life before. Even though that had lead to life in the city, it had also lead to the birth of her son. That was why she was here today.

"Hello, Leopardclaw. I assume you remember me... you helped to save my life. Both of you did." Wolffang shot a half-smile to both of them, "I have to ask you another favor now. It is about Coyotepaw. He needs someone to look after him. Blizzardstar is a good cat, but I know he will not do well under her care. You understand what he he going through. Look after my soon." The former rogue's words were more of a demand than a question, but she attempted to force in a much kinder tone.

Leopardclaw lifted a spotted forepaw to wipe the joyful tears from his hazel eyes as Grasswhisker stepped away a few paces, a broad smile still adorning his face as the echos of her loving words hung in the air around him. Heart soaring, the golden deputy was taken by surprise when the form of a second cat began to fade into the scene, a hauntingly familiar dark gray tabby pelt that held a surprising resemblance to his former mentor. His eyes widening, he couldn't help but recall the last time he had encountered this she-cat; bloody and battle-worn, snarling in his face as he tried to deliver her a message from StarClan, watching her run off into the unknown. "Hello Wolffang."

Despite his limited interaction with the former ShadowClan warrior, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret to see her starry form. He had held high hopes for her future, that hopefully she would reunited with her kits, and maybe her clan. She seemed happy though, more than he had ever seen her so in life, so the choke hold of grief quickly began to release him. With a more reserved smile, he listened to her plea; Leopardclaw had seen Coyotepaw around camp many times, and had even performed his apprentice ceremony when Blizzardstar was ill. Despite that, he had never taken the time to speak to him. Maybe it was his busy schedule, or him wanting to spend his limited free time with his family, but now hearing the tom's mother speak of his plight, so much like his own, he felt a bit of shame that he had not noticed this all before now. With a firm, reassuring nod, Leopardclaw smiled warmly and purred; I will."