Sunspiderstar was sleeping when the turtle arrived. His steps didn't make a sound as he entered the den, but somehow, the leader seemed to sense his presence anyway, shifting slightly in her nest. Cider slowly looked up, blinking away the fog of sleep that lingered around her vision. His eyes, already adjusted to the dark of the night, recognized the turtle almost instantly. This was the turtle that followed Maplestar around. He'd never been told his name, but she remembered him well enough, always hiding behind the elderly loner while they spoke. /But.../ Sunspiderstar shook his head slightly, hoping it would make her more alert. /Why is he here?/ She'd just barely finished forming the thought when he saw the leaf the turtle carried. If he squinted, he could make out shapes scrawled onto it. The leader rose with a stretch, cautiously approaching the turtle, who stared at her, his forlorn eyes filled with an almost cat-like sorrow that was strangely uncanny to see on a simple companion. After staring at Sunspiderstar a moment longer, he dropped the leaf at her paws, slowly turning towards the den exit and walking back out into camp one step at a time. Carefully picking up the leaf, Cider followed him out into the moonlight. She curled his tail around his paws, carefully angling the leaf so it caught the pale white light that filtered through the branches. The shapes he'd noticed weren't simply shapes, they were letters. Written in blackberry juice, they appeared to have been scrawled onto the leaf with shaky claws, the lines wobbly and hard to decipher. There was no doubt it was a message from Maplestar, then, Sunspiderstar realized, heart sinking. She almost didn't want to read it, he had a feeling she knew what it would say. As much as Cider would have loved to have the hope she'd once held on to moons ago, there was just no denying the truth. 'Sunspiderstar,' the letter began, I apologize for any inconvenience, suffering, or loss I might've caused.' /Oh Maplestar,/ she thought, tears already forming in his eyes, /You did your best. Just like I have./ Funny, how both of the leaders felt like failures. But Maplestar uplifted cats, was a beacon of light, whereas everything Sunspiderstar touched slowly faded away. He continued reading, freezing as she got to the part he'd been dreading. 'I am dead. Or will be by the time you read this, because bless his heart, Buggs is not a fast turtle.' /Buggs,/ Sunspiderstar thought immediately, before grief, before sorrow, before surprise. /That's his name, then./ It took another moment for the truth to settle in. The old leader really had passed on to StarClan. The last cat who could truly understand the burden of leadership, gone. From now on, he would forever be alone in that regard. Death had seemed to surround Sunspiderstar, lately. Not just actual death, either, but also the death of personalities, death of the idealistic versions of cats he thought she had known. How strange, that he'd almost grown used to losing the cats she loved, one way or another. The only noises in the silent camp were the rustling of the leaves overhead, the whistle of the wind, and the soft patter of Sunspiderstar's tears as they hit the ground below. She'd also grown used to crying silently, but couldn't manage to steady his ragged breath as she read the rest of the letter. The old leader had requested to be buried in MossClan. It was his job, now, to lay her to rest. Cider felt almost... unqualified. He'd looked up to Maplestar so much, but they'd really only spoken a few times. Shouldn't it be her family to do this? But they weren't in MossClan, were they? He finished the rest of the letter, gazing up at the stars. "Oh, Maplestar," Cider whispered to her, wiping her eyes with a paw. "If you really are watching, I'm sorry. Please don't think you failed. I'll do my best to honor you." Sunspiderstar picked up the leaf and headed into her den, tucking it into his nest along with the horsetail she'd used to kill Leafhopperflight, and the pressed remains of Dobsonflydaydream's rose. She stayed awake the rest of the night, holding a silent vigil. Not just for Maplestar, but for everything he'd lost. Her friends, her positivity, his happiness. Maybe even his sanity would be gone soon, who could tell?
Cider stayed frozen until the sun rose above the horizon, reflecting off of the dew-covered grass. And at last he rose. After stretching her stiff muscles, the leader set off to fulfil Maplestar's last wish. She walked towards the border in silence, leaving Chicory behind in his den. After what simultaneously seemed like both an eternity and a second, Sunspiderstar saw a glimpse of brown fur. He came closer, and closer, parting the wildflowers around him until she could see her. Her eyes were already closed, and if Cider hadn't known better, she would have simply assumed Maplestar was sleeping. But her body was cold, and Sunspiderstar could tell that he wasn't the only cat that had came here. Others had been there before him, leaving flowers at her paws and smoothing her fur. And her companions were here, too, curled up next to her. The turtle, a lizard, and a spider. The lizard and spider moved as he tentatively reached for Maplestar's body, but Buggs remained still. Dead, as well. Perhaps he'd followed his friend into StarClan. Sunspiderstar carefully lifted the still elder onto her shoulders, a wave of grief washing over her yet again. She weighed so little. After a moment of hesitation, Cider took the turtle, too, deciding it'd only be right to bury them together. She turned back towards his home, the pale grey of the early morning sky turning pink, then orange, and then they were back. Sunspiderstar dug a hole right behind the leaders' den, under a birch tree that he'd always loved. He gently laid Maplestar and her companion into her grave before ducking back into his den, returning with a pawful of poppy seeds. She planted them in the freshly turned earth. In the spring, perhaps they'd sprout, and bring new growth with them. "I hope you're happy in StarClan," the leader whispered. "May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter where you sleep. Goodbye, Maplestar."
