Gorsekit's MCA Ceremony

Suntail groaned as he awoke. He blinked, making sure he was safe. He had gotten another nightmare. One where Nettlewing turned away from him after he said the truth. She chased him out and right before he woke up he was attacked by rogues. He blinked again, this time to clear his head of the horror filled dream. "Oh Starclan I didn't ask for this." At his own mention of Starclan he shot up. He ran to the Nursery where he spotted a sleeping tom. He ducked down to get through, the enterance seeming more menacing for a reason he just couldn't put his paw on.

"Gorsekit, wake up. It's time to go get your apprentice name." He nudged his son, though his eyes were on Nettlewing, the sleeping she-cat right near him. He lowered his ears, remembering the fight they had. Maybe none of this would've happened if he wasn't hit by that monster all those moons ago. If he wasnt looking for something that was now dead..

Nettlewing awoke at the sound of Suntail's voice, it was early, but no earlier than she was used to as a warrior. Still mad at her mate, she deliberately ignored him, nudging at her son to awaken. It was about time he left the nest, a part of her wished to fight alongside the young tom, but she knew that path would only lead to pain. Gorsekit was best off a medicine cat, where his duties would curb his ambitions.

"Gorsekit, it's time you got up."

"Ugh, what?" Gorsekit meowed sleepily, eyelids slowly opening with a flicker. It was early for the young tom, without a mentor, he'd been free to lounge about camp. Not that he enjoyed doing that, but there was little he was allowed to do as he was technically a kit. When he remember what today was, and why Suntail was in the nursery, he perked up. "Suntail, are we going now?"

OOC: Sorry I wasn't on I was banned for reasons. Hope ya feel better, Pika

IC: Suntail narrowed his eyes at Nettlewing, trying to shrug off the heart-throbbing fact she know rejected him as a loving and caring mate. "Enough secrets! My life is a lie..." He remembered saying to Cloudpatches when he was made a medicine cat.

As Gorsekit asked he simply nodded. "Yes, it's a long trip. Eat these quickly." He ordered and pushed a traveling herb to him. "Don't worry if they don't taste good, it'll help. I remember a kit that didn't want to eat her herbs when she was sick, so you might take after her." He purred, guesturing to his mother, trying to make Gorsekit laugh.

"Ha! Nettlewing was like that?" Gorsekit turned to face his mother gleefully, enjoying this tidbit about his mother's life before them. If he actually thought about it, his mother spoke very little about her life before she had them. She never spoke of their father either, but Gorsekit long since learnt he was better off not asking too many questions. His mother was exactly the sharing type, which was fine, he didn't care. With three swift gulps, he devoured the bitter herbs. "It's not great, but beats being tired. We'll get to Highstones before the sun goes down, won't we?"

Nettlewing rasped her tongue over her son's head once, before slinking out of the nursery. She had no interested in talking to Suntail at the moment. She felt quite betrayed by her mate's decisions and erratic behaviour. Despite the fact there could be reasons behind his actions, Nettlewing had no interest in listening, nothing could justify possibly revealing everything they'd done to the clan in her eyes.

Suntail looked to Nettlewing once again. At least Gorsekit isn't curious. You just would never understand, Nettlewing. You'd never understand sadness. Look what happened to your own brother. He nodded to Gorsekit. "Let's go." He gestured with his tail to the camp so they could begin their journey.

"Okay." Gorsekit trailed behind his mentor, keen to be allowed to leave camp for the first time. It had sucked being stuck in camp while his siblings were free to wander as apprentices, he was ready for the outside world. All the sights, the moors, the rabbits in the distances, the sheep, everything interested him.

When they reached the Thunderpath, he paused for a second before bolting across, not waiting for his mentor's permission. A reckless action, but he didn't want to appear scared. He'd heard his uncle had died here, and countless others, but Gorsekit feared nothing. Well, that was at least what he told himself.

Suntail cringed, going past the Thunderpath, his leg limply dragging as he walked across. As Gorsekit bolted across he gasped. He walked the fastest he could to the other side. "Gorsekit! What do you think you were doing? You could've gotten an injury like mine or been killed like your uncle!" He sighed after he yelled at him. "Be careful." He said boldly and continued to walk.

"Hmph, it wasn't even that bad though. I don't see why everyone's so terrified." Gorsekit huffed, from the way everyone had spoken of the Thunderpath, he imagined it to be much more terrifying. But when he heard the dreaded rumble and swoosh of a monster passing, his ears flattened. It felt as though all of his fur stood on end, it was a chilling how the monsters moved, caring little for what laid beneath it.

"Fine, I'll be careful." That was as close of an apology Suntail was getting, like mother like son. Gorsekit bound up the rocks ahead of his mentor, easily bounding up the rocky soil with his nimble feet. It was a hike, but eventually he reached the top and waited for his mentor to catch up.

"Is this it?" He called out from outside Mothermouth, looking at the entrance warily.

Suntail nodded. "Yeah. Come on." He said and gestured once again for him to come. "Look, Gorsepaw. Do you see anything in that dark cave?" He said, before they padded down. A softly sparkling light faintly shown through the cave's enterance. He would wait for his apprentice to answer before going down.

It was pretty dark, but Gorsekit peered into the darkness, trying to look for anything odd. There was a faint glowing light deep within, it was soft and enchanting in a way he didn't expect. He'd never really believed in Starclan, but he couldn't deny there was something magically about the light standing out in the darkness.

"I think I see a light. Is that the Moonstone?"

"Yes, it is. Come on, let's go." He announced and padded forth into the cave. "Don't be scared if you are- Starclan is here." He said and disappeared into the cave.

Gorsekit didn't speak as he walked behind his mentor, his eyes flickered everywhere with uncertainty. The Darkness was all consuming, only the Moonstone glowed in the moonlight. When they reached the glowing rock, he felt hesitant to approach it, frightened for the first time in his life. Was being a medicine cat the right thing? He didn't even want to be a medicine cat, that was all his mother's stupid idea. And was a cat that didn't believe allowed to even take this position? Would Starclan reject him? Was there even a Starclan to reject?

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, urging him to flee, but he remained. It was frightening, there was no going back now.

"What do we do now?"

"Press your nose to the Moonstone and Starclan will guide you from there." He said, and pressed his against it.

Ooc: Short. Will post Suntails after you post again.

"...Okay." Gorsekit pressed his nose against the stone as instructed, and there was nothing? He'd closed his eyes naturally but there was just darkness, no great vision before him. But then before him something appeared, he saw a ray of sunlight falling upon a nettle plant. He approached the plant curiously, wondering if this was a vision. But when he got closer, the plant turned to smoke, clouding his sight. Blinded, he looked around frantically until eventually sting of smoke in his eyes left and he saw he was surrounded by cats.

"Who are you?" He called out to the crowd rather aggressively, like the plant, they'd come out of nowhere and it was jarring. He hunched up, ready to take on anyone if they made a move.

Suntail shivered as he pressed his nose to the Moon Stone. He closed his eyes and a rush of wind greeted him. Suddenly, he felt very... Hot.

He opened his eyes to see flames alight everywhere. The dream! No, it's happening again... The cat! This time they can save me! He looked frantically around for someone to save him. A she-cat walked over. "Nettlewing! Save me!" He yowled. But the she-cat glared. "Please." He asked quietly. She turned and ran off, leaving him to die. Sadness shone in his eyes as the fire consumed him and he fell into the deadly, rapid gorge.

Then everything went black. When he woke up, he saw his clan- his kits, Nettlewing... All glaring at him. Falconstar yowled, "Exile!" and clawed him on the face. Suntail ran the best he could far away before collapsing in a leaf pile. "Oh, Nettlewing... If only you understood what I went through. How I had to suffer for the lies. Our kits should know their origins... I don't want them living a lie like I did. Why can't you understand? Understand, please! I'm doing this for their sake, and they will understand, even if they hate me. I'll... I'd kill myself for them..." He broke into a sob as a starry figure ran over to him. "Suntail. Suntail, it's me, Honeydrop. What's wrong?" Suntail's ears perked up and he looked to her, tears streaming down like the waterfalls of the tallest gorge.

"Honeydrop... Nettlewing no longer loves me. I made a bad choice but I fell in love with her and... I didn't want to loose her like this... Not even lose her at all! But I love my kits so much I'd die for them, Honeydrop!" He yowled and Honeydrop sighed. "Suntail, be strong. I had a forbidden relationship, too. But you must understand this- You are the blazing sun with lets the nettles, the little gorse and the meadow grow. They rely on you. Though they don't understand yet, you will always be a part of them. Remember my words, Suntail..." And with that, everything faded away.