Everlasting Love (Stormwind)

There was no trace of the silvery she-cat after a few more heartbeats, besides a set of pawprints on the ground where the She-Cat had been sitting.

Peach fidgeted nervously as the afternoon went on, passing between several other cats assigned to keep watch over her in shifts. She was anxiously awaiting both Rainstar’s announcement and Blossomsnow’s return to her nest.

Willowheart has to quickly scramble to keep her balance when the she-cat she had been clinging so tightly to suddenly disappeared. Staring at the spot Silverwish had been, she lowered her head and whined softly.

“I’m not leaving. I’ll be in your dreams, and do this as often as I can.” Silverwish Replied with a purr, nuzzling Willowheart. She starting to sound far-off and her fur lost its warmth and solid state. “And I’ll always be watching.” With that, the former medicine cat disappeared entirely, the sparkles that had been in her pelt remaining for a few extra heartbeats before twinkling out as well.

Willowheart whimpered, clinging tighter to Silverwish. “I don’t want you to go!”

Silverwish offered a sad smile at Willowheart. “I haven’t yet mastered maintaining a physical form. It’s difficult.” The she-cat became more and more transparent, the forest background appearing through her though she was still solid for now.

Willowheart opened her mouth to respond to that, only to stop in alarm when she saw that Silverwish was starting to fade. “No! Don’t go!” She cried.

“Don’t let that stop you,” Silverwish purred softly. “My mate and I got together before I even became a full medicine cat. Mossflower and Duststorm fell in love as he mentored her.” Silverwish smiled down at Willowheart. “I’m not saying you have to take a mate the heartbeat after you enter camp. But don’t let the one slip away just because you worry about your own age.”

The she-cat glanced down at herself in surprise, having become slightly transparent, and fading more by the second.

Willowheart blushed. “Silverwish!” She exclaimed, eats flattening with embarrassment. “I’m only twelve moons!”

“And don’t lose yourself in your work. Take some time for yourself. Sleep well, because you might get to see me now.” With a wink, The she-cat added “Go find that special someone.”

Willowheart sniffled quietly, tightly wrapping her tail around Silverwish’s. “Okay,” she mumbled.

Silverwish leaned down and gave Willowheart another lick between the ears. “I’m not upset, Willowheart. But you need to get rid of that old thing. It’s only taking up space that you and Brookwing need more.”

Knowing she’d likely be resistant to the idea at first, the starry she-cat quickly thought up a compromise. “What if you just tear a little bit off and save it in one of the empty nooks in the den for when you need it?”

Willowheart winced slightly. “It smells like you,” she mumbled, her ears drooping.

Silverwish gave Willowheart a few calming licks between the ears. She could feel that her time in the territory of the living would quickly be coming to an end, but she had a little time left, and she chose to use it to give a little advice. “I noticed you still have my nest in the den,” The she-cat mewed, in a mix of a teasing and scolding tone.

Willowheart reluctantly nodded against Silverwish’s side but didn’t move, determined to not let go of the she-cat until she had to.

“You have to remember, Willowheart, that you must forge your own destiny as well. It cannot be tied directly to mine.” Silverwish mewed firmly but gently, not loosening up her embrace of her former apprentice.

Willowheart relaxed a little at that and soon started to calm down the more she got to cuddle Silverwish.

“I’ll probably be the cat you see in your dreams and your visions, and besides that I can see you on unofficial business as well.” Silverwish mewed softly, nuzzling into the top of Willowheart’s head.

Willowheart hiccuped a relieved-sounding sob, burying her face in Silverwish’s fur again.

Oakfoot gave a friendly smile to The she-cat before standing up and padding off.

“Never,” Silverwish vowed, promising to herself that she wouldn’t be going anywhere in the she-cat’s lifetime.

Emberleaf nodded at Oakfoot, tilting her head to the side. “Yeah, see you.”

Willowheart blinked up at her aunt in some surprise. She hadn’t known the older she-cat had ever had a mate. “You won’t leave me?” She whispered.

(Happy Thanksgiving!)

“You won’t,” Silverwish soothed with a soft purr. “I used to see my former mentor all the time in my dreams.” The she-cat purred softly as she thought of the tom, blushing a bit under her pelt as she realized Willowheart hadn’t met him and didn’t know their history. “He... we were mates while he was alive, and that continued afterwards as well...” this explained why she’d never taken a mate while Willowheart was in the medicine den, and also the nights where she’d wake up panting.

“But besides that, I’ll be in your dreams quite often, Willowheart.”

Oakfoot glanced away before finishing off his shrew. He then looked back at Emberleaf, finding himself looking into her eyes again, not even noticing the scars on the beautiful she-cat’s muzzle. “...See you st the meeting?” The tom Asked, knowing he had a patrol to go on soon.

Emberleaf noticeably wilted at that, her ears flattening. “I don’t care,” she said sullenly. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Emberleaf almost absentmindedly rubbed at the fresh scars that were on her muzzle.

Silverwish again looked with a sad smile down to Willowheart, licking the top of the She-cat’s head affectionately. “I had little choice in the matter. While I’m not sure just what my role is yet, I am part of Starclan’s plan for Loveclan, in one way or another.” The She-cat continued to let their affectionate embrace go on. “But Willowheart, you cannot continue to allow what happened to me to dictate your life.”

Oakfoot nodded, his own gaze darkening a little bit as he remembered running into his father outside the warrior’s den.

“Why did you have to leave?” Willowheart cried. “I only just got my name!”

Emberleaf didn’t notice, bouncing a little on her paws happily. “I really hope it happens!” Her mood dampened slightly. “We could all use a distraction after the battle.”

Oakfoot nodded enthusiastically. “There might be team competitions as well. We’ll see wether Rainstar takes the suggestions we made or not!” The tom matched the pretty She-cat’s gaze and lost his words for a few heartbeats, with Echowhisper giving the tom another knowing smirk, barely holding back a giggle to avoid alerting Emberleaf.

“So did I, Willowheart,” sighed Silverwish, nuzzling her former apprentice softly. “You know I am always watching, but it’s not the same as actually speaking to you.”