i want you back [open]

Sitting just outside the medicine cat den was a certain black-and-white tom. His yellow eyes were fixed on the ground, and he was thinking hard. Featherlight had gone. She was dead. He had to admit that he missed sharing a den. Although he loved to be alone, his mentor had given him a sense of security. And now she wasn’t here anymore, and her nest was empty. What was more, Goosepaw had only just been apprenticed. He knew barely anything. Him and Featherlight had, what, one lesson together, was it? And now, the health of the entire clan was balanced precariously on the small tom’s shoulders. Maybe he could ask Mottleheart to share some advice, although he doubted he would want to now he had returned to warriorhood. He would have to enlist the help of one of the other medicine cats. But he didn’t know them well enough! He gave a tiny sigh and pulled his gaze to the sky. Fluffy white clouds drifted slowly over the pale blue sky. It was pretty. He let himself become lost in his surroundings, refusing to listen to the nagging voice in his head that told him he needed to tell another medicine cat about Featherlight. He could do that another time.

”It hurts, doesn’t it?” a voice mewed softly. Fernwing padded over to Goosepaw, offering him a rather sad smile. It was so unlike the happy, cheerful cat the Clan knew. ”Knowing that one of your best friends has left this world.” She sat down next to the medicine cat apprentice. She didn’t speak again for a few moments. Then she turned to Goosepaw and smiled again, a little cheerful than the first.

”You know, when I was born my mother died, because she was attacked my father’s former apprentice who turned rogue. Throughout my life, I could just feel Fernfeather’s presence. She was always with me, watching over me, making sure I was okay. She’s not with me in the same way anymore, but I still know that she’s watching over me in StarClan.

“I suppose what I’m trying to say is you won’t ever truly be alone, even if Featherlight isn’t sitting right next to you,” Fernwing concluded gently. ”It will be very hard, yes, but it won’t be impossible. You have Clanmates who care about you, and who will do anything they can to help you... like me.” She nuzzled the young tom, giving a soft purr of encouragement.

Goosepaw gave a little start at the voice, but recognised it almost immediately and the corner of his lip twitched upwards into a smile. Fernwing was so nice, really. He listened to her story and felt an overwhelming wave of pity for the grey she-cat. She was always bubbly and positive, helping out other cats wherever she could - even when her story was this sad. He gently touched his tail to her shoulder, giving a smile of his own. ”S-she must h-have be-been brave. A-and so a-are you. I-it’s just... I d-don’t know w-what I’m d-doing. I c-can’t keep t-the whole C-Clan healthy.” He gave a little sigh, looking up at the kind she-cat. ”W-what do I d-do?”

”Well, if I were in your position, I would ask Mottleheart for guidance,” the she-cat replied gently. ”He may be a warrior now, but he was still our medicine cat at one point. Perhaps he can’t mentor you like Featherlight used to, but he could still give you advice and help you through this difficult time. I would also suggest getting to know the other medicine cats more. That way they would be more likely to help you with what herbs heals what wounds and which combinations are best to treat certain ailments.”

She licked behind Goosepaw’s ear with a small trill. ”And of course I would be more than happy to help in any way I can. The last thing I want to do is leave you out to dry. It won’t be easy to learn what all that you need to without Featherlight, but I’ll make sure you become the best medicine cat WindClan has ever seen, even better than Featherlight and Mottleheart put together, because that’s what the Clan needs you to be.”

(OOC: I can’t help but imagine Fern and Goose developing a big sister/little brother relationship and it’s just so precious to me <3)