Crowpaw's body felt cold, and the pain burned deep inside Crowpaw. He opened his eyes, he was in the clearing where he had collapsed. The loss of Ivy still fresh in his mind, eating at him like he was a meek piece of prey. Crowpaw looked up at the stars, they seemed brighter than normal.
"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Crowpaw jumped as a strange voice spoke. He looked to his side and saw the same tortoiseshell he had been dreaming of for so long now, the one that took his Ivy away.
"Who are you?" Crowpaw demanded. "Am I dead? Why did you take Ivy from me?" His voice trembled with anger.
"So many questions, Crowpaw." The she-cat's voice was soft and soothing. "No, you're not dead and Ivy had to come with me. She had died very quickly, she didn't suffer, though I'm sorry you have to."
Crowpaw dropped his head, feeling defeated. "I wish I was dead. I can't handle this pain anymore, I've been living it with for too long." He looked up at the she-cat, pleading. "Please, I can't do this anymore. I can't breathe."
She shook her head. "You're not meant to die, Crowpaw. I'm sorry that you had to suffer so much, it's too much for a cat to handle." Her green eyes were saddened.
Crowpaw sighed sadly and shook his head. "Why am I here then?" He questioned, staring at the sky once again. "You still haven't told me who you are yet."
"My name is Mosscloud, I used to be a MoonClan medicine cat." Crowpaw stared at her, he hadn't seen another Clan cat in so long. "You probably haven't heard of me, I lived many seasons ago."
"Why are you here? Why are you talking to me?"
"Because, Crowpaw. Many moons ago, when your father died I sent a sign to Skyclaw. I sent him a crow, a crow that had to make a very long and hard journey."
Crowpaw flattened his ears. "I only used that sign so I could run away."
"There's a reason I sent it when I did." Mosscloud mewed. "I could tell that you were in pain, and in order to heal you had to leave your home in MoonClan, you had to go on a dangerous mission that would change you forever." Crowpaw stared at his paws. "And it certainly did change you."
"Yeah," Crowpaw mewed quietly. "I lost my home again, I've lost everything."
"You haven't lost yourself, Crowpaw." Mosscloud looked at him, so much wisdom trapped in her green eyes. "And you never lost your home, MoonClan is still there, waiting for your return."
"How could I ever go back there?" Crowpaw questioned, shaking slightly. "I ran away from MoonClan, why would they ever take me back?"
"Because there's something you must do for them." Mosscloud rested her tail across her paws. "My story is a long one, but the ending is the hard part." Her eyes clouded with nostalgia. "When I was an apprentice, I was told I had a great destiny to fufill. I figured it would happen during my life, but it didn't. When I died, I was shocked to find that I was trapped outside the realm of StarClan. I couldn't talk to the cats I once knew and loved, I was cursed to walk these skies alone." Crowpaw stared in shock at the she-cat. "I won't be able to roam StarClan's fields until my destiny is fulfilled."
"What is your destiny? Is it-is it something I need to do?"
Mosscloud shook her head. "No, but there is something you have to do." She lifted her head once again. "Sickness looms over MoonClan, threatening to take the lives of many if not healed. The current medicine cats do not know what herb they will have to use, as it only grows in one spot on MoonClan territory, a spot that only I know about. And as I cannot communicate with any cat from StarClan or MoonClan, I can't guide your medicine cats."
"So you need me to return to them and tell them where this herb is." Crowpaw dropped his voice. If I don't go home, then my old Clanmates will die. If I go, then I can save them but they might not let me stay or even believe me.
"Yes, Crowpaw. That is what I need you to do." Mosscloud nodded slowly. "The herb is called lungwort, its green with gray spots. It grows in a small cave in MoonClan territory, just beyond the training pond. This cave is where I grew most of my herbs, you'll find many more useful herbs there, but lungwort is what will save your ailing Clanmates. Return and tell them of this herb, and I'm certain you will be welcomed back as a hero."
Crowpaw shuffled his paws. "Somehow I doubt that."
"I figured you may struggle with this mission." Mosscloud sympathized. "A few moons ago, I noticed a cat trying to escape the boundaries of StarClan to follow a young traveller, I couldn't enter his realm but I could guide him to mine." Mosscloud turned to her side. "You can come out now."
Crowpaw strained his eyes, trying to see who she was talking about. Crowpaw's heart overflowed with love and joy as he saw the star speckled pelt of his father. "Blacksky!" Crowpaw shouted out in pure joy and sprinted over to his father. He pushed against him, nuzzling his father's whole body. "I missed you so much!" He cried and for a moment, Crowpaw was a kit once again, loving up against his father. The most important cat in his life.
Blacksky put a paw over Crowpaw's back, pulling him in as close as he could. "I've missed you too, son." His voice trembled, but was so caring and familiar. "I'm so sorry you've had to suffer so much, nothing has hurt more than watching you in pain. I wish I could've done more. I love you so much, my son."
"I love you too." Crowpaw buried his muzzle in Blacksky's pelt, he would never forget this moment, he would hold onto his father's presence for the rest of his days. "I don't want to leave you again, please don't go away."
"I've never left you, Crowpaw." Blacksky said, resting his muzzle on Crowpaw's head. "I've been following you on this journey thanks to Mosscloud, I've been watching you and supporting you." Blacksky pulled back slightly, his yellow eyes brimming with pure love that seemed to heal Crowpaw's broken a heart, even just a little bit. "I'm so unbelievably proud of what you've done, Crowpaw. Never forget that, never forget how much I love you."
"I won't, father." Crowpaw's voice shook. "I promise."
"Thank you." Blacksky nuzzled Crowpaw once again until Mosscloud spoke again.
"There's one more cat that you should see, Crowpaw and it's an answer to one of the first questions you asked me."
Another cat stepped out of the shadows, this one filled Crowpaw's heart with a different kind of love. "Ivy." he breathed her name out, so sweet on his tongue. She quickly ran over to her and nuzzled her, she did the same.
"Oh, Crowpaw." Ivy breathed out, her scent the same as when she had been alive. Stars shimmered in her pelt, the sparkled deep in her beautiful green eyes. "You were right, StarClan is real."
"I knew that you wouldn't be able to continue your journey without her." Mosscloud spoke. "So I guided Ivy to StarClan, she'll return along with Blacksky when you go home. She'll be by your side forever."
Crowpaw looked at Ivy, unable to take his eyes off her. He took this time to memorize every little detail about her. "Ivy..." He breathed her name out, touching his muzzle to hers. "I love you so much."
"I love you too, Crowpaw." Her eyes flooded with so many emotions, love, pain, joy and sadness. "Don't let my death break you," She mewed. "We'll meet again, I promise. I'll visit you in your dreams, I'll guide you and love you every step of the way. When it's your turn to join the stars, I'll be waiting for you."
"But I want to be with you now." Crowpaw dropped his head. "I don't want to say goodbye."
"I don't either." Ivy's voice trembled. "But we have to, you have a mission back in your home, your true home."
"I told you before, you're my home Ivy."
"And I'll be there with you, even if you can't see me." She touched his muzzle again. "You'll never be without me."
"As will I." Blacksky stepped in. "You're never alone, Crowpaw. We'll be with you until the very end."
Crowpaw looked from Ivy, to Blacksky, to Mosscloud. I have a mission to do. He thought. He held the image of the two most beloved cats in his mind. And they'll be with me, even if I can't see them.
"Okay." His voice broke. "I'll do it, I'll go back to MoonClan."
"Thank you, Crowpaw." Mosscloud bowed her head. "We'll guide you back home, and you'll be able to save your Clan."
Ivy touched her muzzle to Crowpaw's one last time, he breathed in her scent, making sure to never forget it. "And treat your wound you mouse-brain." Crowpaw completed forgot that he was injured. "You'll find some marigold near a small stream, it will heal your wound."
"Thank you." Crowpaw breathed out. "I love you, Ivy."
"I love you too, Crowpaw." Ivy stepped back, standing beside Blacksky.
"Go on, Crowpaw. You can do this, I know you can."
Crowpaw took a deep breath, this was really it. He would have to go home, he would have to face his past instead of running from it. Would he be able to? Would they welcome him back? In that moment he realized that it didn't really matter, he had been given a mission and he owed it to the cats that he loved to complete his mission. I'll do it for them. He vowed. No matter what it takes.