Author's note: I had a sudden urge today to write an OC death oneshot. In short, some cat's gonna die but he's made up so you don't know who he is yet… My goal is to draw tears from somebody, anybody! So tell me if I have reached that goal, or if I just suck and this made you laugh. Hey, I nearly cried writing it! Anyways, here I go…
Fading Mist
A single young apprentice sat alone, huddling under the protective leaves of a small tree. At first glance, the gray tom didn't appear ill, but just saddened, even bored perhaps. His eyes were half-shut, and though the air around him was clear, his melancholy gaze and his many black flecks gave the impression of dust swirling to any cat that passed. He turned his head feebly as an elderly black she-cat approached, a wad of leaves and berries in her jaws. She dropped them on the ground next to the apprentice, and rasped, "Eat up, Mistpaw. These should keep you well, at least until sun-high."
Mistpaw eyed the poultice with distaste. He prodded it warily with one paw as if expecting it to leap up and attack him, then, satisfied, leaned down to lick it up. At first taste, his mouth contorted into a grimace, and he collapsed on the soft earth, coughing. "Come on now…" urged the medicine cat gently.
His eyes beginning to water, the gray tom cast another look at his so-called cure, but this time it was more of an expression of disgust than cautiousness. Then, in one fluid movement, he dove forwards and gobbled up the remains of his medicine, trying to get it over with. The lunge turned out to be too much for him, and once he had swallowed the entire foul-tasting wad, his knees buckled beneath him and he collapsed again.
The medicine cat looked down on him with worried pool-blue eyes. "Mistpaw, you might need some more rest…" She offered, laying her tail on his head gingerly.
"No," spat the apprentice bitterly, "I've been resting for moons, Twilightheart! It's this cough that makes me so weak..." As if on cue, he doubled over again, his coughs wracking his whole body.
"And rest will help it go away," insisted Twilightheart, and then pointed with her tail to a spot out of the medicine cat's den. "Look, there's your sister! She's probably coming to see how you're doing."
Mistpaw turned his head to see a beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat striding gracefully towards the den. She walked straight to her brother, ignoring Twilightheart. "Mistpaw, are you okay?! Oh, you look even worse than the last time! I checked on you!"
Twilightheart stiffened, and she saw a light of hope go out in the apprentice's eyes. That was, definitely, the wrong thing to say. "And what have you been doing, Dapplepaw?" the old cat asked, attempting to change the subject.
"Mm, not much!" exclaimed Dapplepaw, her face suddenly lighting up as she turned towards Twilightheart, "But still, Wolfshadow says he'll talk to Rubystar about making me a warrior!"
"Oh, that's great," cooed the black she-cat, "Once Mistpaw recovers, he'll probably be a warrior too!" She cast a glance back to the ill tom.
"I doubt it," grumbled Mistpaw, "I've missed so many moons of training I don't even remember how to hunt!" He cast his doleful eyes down at a lone leaf on the ground next to him.
But suddenly Dapplepaw's attention was shifted as a young bracken-colored tom entered the room. She smiled, and seemed to forget about her cough-ridden brother for a moment as she pushed up next to the medicine cat's apprentice with a purr. "Elmpaw! I bet you've been helping Mistpaw recover a lot, haven't you?" She batted her eyes at the startled tom girlishly.
"Er… not really, I just do what Twilightheart says, to tell the truth," he replied quietly, giving a halfhearted smile. He took one uncomfortable step away from Dapplepaw.
"If that's true, then why aren't you carrying back that borage?" questioned the medicine cat sternly, though she was still smiling at Dapplepaw's antics.
The apprentice dipped his head in apology. "There weren't any by the usual spot, Twilightheart. I'm sorry."
"Oh, don't take it so hard on yourself, Elmpaw, it wasn't your fault!" crooned Dapplepaw, forcing herself back up against him again, "You're a great medicine cat, and a hero to this Clan, and—"
The conversation was interrupted as Mistpaw begin coughing again, great roars that seemed to rock the ground. "Oh dear…" mewed Twilightheart, and she leaned down to sniff at the young cat. Dapplepaw, on the other hand, jerked back as if afraid of receiving the disease for herself. "D-Don't worry, it doesn't travel through the air," Elmpaw reassured her quietly.
It seemed to be moons before Mistpaw's coughing fit was silenced, and even then he collapsed on the ground, his eyes closed, his flanks heaving. "Mistpaw!" Dapplepaw forced her way past Twilightheart to move in closer to her brother. "Mistpaw! Are you all right?!"
"He looks unconscious…" mewed Elmpaw worriedly, and Twilightheart nodded solemnly. "H-He could be on his last legs." But suddenly the cat convulsed again, and his eyes flew open. His mouth opened, and another wracking cough flew out. "Mistpaw!" shrieked Dapplepaw, throwing herself onto Elmpaw and collapsing in sobs, unaware of the start Elmpaw gave.
Mistpaw coughed once more, and again, until it seemed that he simply couldn't have any more air left in him to throw out. "M-Mistpaw?" sniveled Dapplepaw as he fell silent, laying his head down again.
"S-StarClan…" the gray tom murmured in wonder, his eyes wide as if seeing things unseen to the others, then lay still. Dapplepaw pressed even harder into Elmpaw's side, weeping openly, and Twilightheart looked down at the dead apprentice with remorse in her eyes. The den seemed to darken, for one light had swooped out.