Sparrowpaw's Medicine Cat Ceremony

Ebonyleaf made her way through RiverClan cat. She'd been there so many times the past few moons, the warriors there threw a smile or a greeting her way as she passed - which she returned. The more proud warriors by then at least did her the courtesy of not paying her any mind. It was certainly a stretch to say that she'd come to enjoy this place, it was nothing at all like her home - and she never truly fit in during her visits, but she did have to admit she'd miss the trips across the river; if not to visit her own apprentice... Or soon-to-be former apprentice, anyways.

She hoped the brown tabby had remember their last words spoken. It was already late in the evening. Any cat, outside of her own clan, would be settling in for the night. Sparrowpaw wouldn't be able to, still. It was a long trip to Highstones and back. They wouldn't be due for return until the morning. She'd told the she-cat to eat nothing and sleep before then. And to stock up on herbs. Also to tell the leader of their plans. She might also want to get her pelt spotless looking for when she met StarClan. Or maybe Ebonyleaf was too much of a doting mentor?

The calico found her way to the she-cat's den, poking her head inside. "Sparrowpaw, are you awake?" she called, "Are you ready to leave?" It was thrice as hard to train an apprentice across the forest, and took thrice as long, but Ebonyleaf knew better than most of her apprentice's smarts and determination. She was more than ready for her ceremony.

Ebonyleaf found Sparrowpaw sitting upright, grooming down her fur again for what must have been the twentieth time that evening. Fishstar had been reminded, and re-reminded, and re-re-reminded of Sparrowpaw's absence for the night, and given very... extensive instructions on what to do if there was an emergency and she wasn't there. Her herbs had been counted and stocked, and her own bundle of burnet leaves for the journey hadn't left her sight since her mentor had first told her about their trip.

The trip. The trip. The trip. It hadn't left her mind for even a second, and her heart would begin to race whenever she thought about it. At times, she'd felt so excited that she thought she'd burst, to the point where she'd seriously considered taking a few poppy seeds to calm down, but for the most part Sparrowpaw had been able to keep her composure.

For the most part.

Sparrowpaw had tried to sleep too, like Ebonyleaf instructed, but she just couldn't. She felt too restless, and she'd tossed and turned in her nest half the day and hadn't been able to catch even a wink of sleep. The medicine cat apprentice hadn't eaten either, but maybe that was because of her nerves. Fish might as well have been yarrow if she couldn't keep it down, and she had to keep herself pure and fasted for the meeting with StarClan tonight.

The meeting with StarClan... Finally, finally, finally! Sparrowpaw was older than some of the warriors now... it was almost a little embarrassing.

Her head bolted up as Ebonyleaf's voice broke her from her reverie. "Yes!" she answered at once, a little too loudly. Sparrowpaw bowed her head, suddenly embarrassed by her burst of excitement. "I mean... of course." She bent down to quickly chew up the burnet leaves, whiskers twitching at the bitter taste. Even as a medicine cat, it didn't taste any better. Sparrowpaw looked back up, unable to hide the anticipating gleam in her eyes. "Are, uh, you ready?"

Ebonyleaf's whiskers twitched in amusement as th brown tabby shot up unto her feet, quickly lapping up her herbs and wrinkling her nose like a kit up at the taste. It was funny, the ShadowClan cat thought to herself, she didn't think that she'd ever seen Sparrowpaw this excited before - not even during her first ceremony. Back then, she was so little, and trying so hard to be mature and composed. But now, that couldn't seem father from the truth. While the RiverClan cat did seem to try and keep her dignity about her, the way she jumped up, and the pure excitement in her eyes only reminded her of a kit on their first time out of camp.

It'd been a long, hard, and fiercely cold winter. The calico was beyond happy that it was all over, and that she could finally give this she-cat her well deserved name. "Yes, Dear." Ebonyleaf purred, "I'm ready as well. Lets go before your clanmates get what's going on and stop you with a pawful of congratulations. She stepped outside of the den and into the clearing once more at the sky. In the distance, far on the horizon, she could already see the first warriors of StarClan running in. "Come on, nightfall approaches quickly this time of year. The medicine cat trodded quickly through the reeds, not taking but a few moments longer to completely disappear from the camp.

Sparrowpaw gave a small snort—an amused snort strained with a tinge of nervousness. "Right. I'd hope they'd know to stay out of my way now." Her Clanmates really were a pawful, but there was a certain warmth to her voice as she said it. Even if they didn't like her... well, in a way, her mate was her duty, and her kits were the loyal cats of RiverClan, young and old. She'd never be able to live a normal warrior life after tonight, but that was okay. Toms were stupid anyways.

She followed her mentor with a small spring in her step, taking a moment to breathe in the rich Newleaf smells that permeated camp that night. Her last night as Sparrowpaw, as the too-old apprentice. Once the sun rose, she'd be a real medicine cat, sworn to celibacy and the art of healing. It'd be a lie to say she wasn't nervous. Who wouldn't be, in her position? But ever since she was a little kit, exploring the camp and playing with leaves, she knew this was the path she'd been destined for, the only true path she could choose. There wasn't any questioning it.

It was a big step, a gigantic leap into the rest of her life, but Sparrowpaw was ready. She slipped out of the reeds after the ShadowClan she-cat, her gaze trailing up to the swath of stars above her. Were her brothers watching? Would her father be smiling down on her tonight? If they were going to Mothermouth, would she see them again?

Ebonyleaf simply held a small purr in amusement, giving any cat she saw on their way out a simple goodbye with the slight wave of her tail and leading them on their way. There wasn't much talk on the way there, either because her apprentice was lost in her own thoughts, or the she-cat herself lost in her own. Either way, time seemed to fly faster than the wind. Before they knew it, they'd reached the Mothermouth, just in the nick of time.

"Come on." The calico whispered, disappearing into the deep, dark cavern. When they'd reached the moonstone, they'd found it as beautiful as ever, the sharp light of the night pouring down unto the crystal and giving the entire cave a luminous glow.

"I, Ebonyleaf, Medicine Cat of ShadowClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice." She started to speak, "She has trained hard to understand the ways of the medicine cat, and with your help she will serve RiverClan for many moons." Her gaze flickered to the tabby once again. "Sparrowpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of the medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between clan and clan, and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

Time moved strange during their journey, as the moon rose through the sky and the warriors of Silverpelt began to appear one by one. She knew they must've been traveling for some time to be standing in front of Mothermouth's yawning black maw, but the journey felt like it'd happened all in the blink of an eye. This is it.

With one deep breath, Sparrowpaw followed her mentor into Mothermouth's teeth, letting her get swallowed into the darkness.

It felt like a lifetime until the pitch blackness gave way to a luminous silver light. The Moonstone. It shone like the river on a Newleaf day, shimmering in the moonlight... Beautiful, captivating, mysterious. She could still remember the first time she'd saw it, however many moons ago, and how puzzling it'd looked to her.

Steeling her heart, Sparrowpaw looked up and met Ebonyleaf's eyes. "I do," she told her, without a moment of hesitation. She'd known that since she was a kit. This was her destiny.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your true name as a medicine cat." The ShadowClan cat meowed proudly, "Sparrowpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Sparrowleaf. StarClan honors your sharp thinking and determination, and you are welcomed as a full medicine cat of RiverClan."

Ebonyleaf gently rest her head on top of the newly named tabby's, purring and staying a moment before pulling back and looking at her now-former apprentice. It was hard, and took a long time, but it was worth it. Sparrowleaf would be one of the finest medicine cats in the forest. "Now, it's time to greet our ancestors." She muttered, smiling. The calico pulled away and laid herself next to the rock, poking her nose to the Moonstone and drifting off into sleep.

Sparrowleaf. Just like her mentor. She felt a chill run down her spine hearing her new name, that tingling excitement, that feeling like her chest was going to burst. From now on she wasn't Sparrowpaw the too-old-apprentice, she was a full medicine cat of RiverClan. I won't fail.

She somehow managed to maintain her composure with one deep breath and turned with her mentor, facing the shimmering stone in the center of the cavern. What would she see?

This would be her first step. She laid down, and exhaling one last breath, pressed her nose against the stone. Darkness washed over her like the night tide, and when she woke, she was standing among a grassy plain. Stars swam around her like fireflies, and as she blinked, the warriors of StarClan began to appear in front of her.

A sea of bright eyes were all focused on her, medicine cats and RiverClan warriors long dead. Her heart leaped in her chest seeing a familiar flash of snowy white fur, and an older cat with her eyes that could only be the father she'd never met. "This is..."

"Congratulations, Sparrowleaf!"
"I'm proud of you, Sparrowleaf."
"You'll serve RiverClan well, Sparrowleaf."

With one voice, a chant began to swell up from the crowd. Sparrowleaf stood tall, drinking it all in.

"Sparrowleaf!"
"Sparrowleaf!"
"Sparrowleaf!"

I won't let you down!

Her eyes snapped open. The scents of heather and gorse, the feeling of Ebonyleaf's fur against hers... She was back in the waking world. How long had it been? Hours or mere moments? Sparrowleaf couldn't tell.

She stood, tail flicking. "Ebonyleaf, are you awake?"

There was a sudden pang of sadness as she stared down at her. No more visits from across the river, no more trips to ShadowClan territory, no more long training sessions away from the hustle and bustle of camp... She felt strangely lonely now, knowing that her apprenticeship was finished. Ebonyleaf would have to devote all her spare time to ShadowClan now, not to some RiverClan cat on the other side of the forest.

Would they at least be able to spend one last night together, just talking and hunting? It was a long trip back...

Ebonyleaf's ear twitched as she quietly stirred herself out of the deep sleep, stretching her paws out and sitting up. The she-cat slowly blinked her eyes open, "Sparrowleaf?" she muttered, clearing the last of the daze away. The medicine cat smiled. "How do you feel? Did StarClan welcome you?"