Emberkit's MCA Ceremony

Emberkit...or paw...or whatever nodded. Something inside of him told him to touch noes with the moonstone, but he waited for Gorsefeather's command to. The kit couldn't wait to see Starclan and what they had to say. He felt a strange force pulling him towards the glowing stone, but he obediently held his place next to Gorsefeather and waited. "I will, Gorsefeather."

"Now it's time for you to meet, Starclan." Gorsefeather gestured for the kit to follow in his action. He laid down, next to the rock, glance over at Emberpaw to make sure he followed. Then pressed his nose to the rock and closed his eyes. It was time to meet with their warrior ancestors, and for Emberpaw to be accepted by them.

His heart thudded as he nodded and lay down next to the rock. The amount of brightness made him close his eyes, for it hurt his eyes. Slowly, the ginger tom leaned forward with his head extended from his body. Suddenly, his nose hit a cold, hard surface and he felt drowsy, but he kept awake.

Suddenly, he was surrounded by flames, standing on hot embers which didn't seem to be burning his paws. One lone leaf fell down from the grey and stormy sky and landed on the embers, alighting into a flame. Emberpaw turned around to see a brake in the flames surrounding him. Emberpaw raced through the opening, just in time before the flames closed. He sighed in relief, then took in what was around him. Battle. Cats fighting, many dyeing, lots of bloodshed. "Starclan, what are you showing me?" The kit squealed, dodging out of the way of a rouge and a clan cat fighting. The only thing was, the rouge smelled like a clan cat. A group of many cats came from the stormy sky and landed, surrounding Emberpaw. The tom shrank back in fear. "Code breakers will destroy the five clans," they all said in unison, creation a powerful and loud voice.

He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he was back in Windclan camp. Emberpaw was sitting in the dead center of the area. He knew something was wrong; it was too quiet. He looked around. Everything seemed starry and dark, as if the camp was in the night sky. "Starclan," he called out. No response. "Why are you being silent? Isn't this my medicine cat apprentice ceremony?" Suddenly the sky broke open and the same group of thousands of cats landed and surrounded him. 

"Emberkit, you have been chosen for a great destiny ahead of you of prophecy and destruction and healing and loss. No matter what, you must always follow the code and honor Starclan and your leader. Care for the clan with all your might and heal and preserve their lives. Guide your fellow clan mates, treat them like a mother treats her kits. Love and help lead the clan to their destiny." Emberpaw took a deep breath and said; "Starclan, I will. I promise I will do all in my power to care for Windclan." he bowed his head before looking back at the cats. "You are honored for your bravery and wisdom, young child. Remember to be like the ember which you were named from and ignite into a flame. Light a torch and lead the way down the path of destiny."


Emberpaw's eyes flashed open as he was jerked awake from his dream.

Gorsefeather awoke to the sight of a nettle plant catching aflame by the heat of the sun. The moors were burning, catching everything alight, destroying the moors that he called home. He looked around lost stumbling over what he thought were stones, but they were the skulls of cats. They ranged from that of a kitten to grown warriors, each of them with their jaws widely open as if they were screaming when they died.

The medicine flinched away, the sight unbearable as he could imagine their torturous screams. He bound away, but he could hear whispering of the prophecy he'd been given when he first became medicine cat apprentice. 'Remember that your line must end with you, or you will follow the fate of your forebearers' haunted him as he bolted away, leaving behind the fires and death that tainted the landscape.

He ran until he reached a pure oasis of clear water running down from a waterfall. Only when he touched it, did it overflow, sweeping away the skulls and quenching the flames.

The calico stood impassive as the scene unfolded, fear coursing through him but he held his ground. And as he expected, from the waters rose cats with stars for pelts. The same cats that guided him before, and anointed him Medicine cat.

But out of the crowd a familiar she-cat appeared before him, a calico like him. Nettlewing, his mother.

"You, my son, are the product of code-breaking along with your siblings. Littlepath and Meadowfall. But this cycle must end with you. Remember, codebreaking will destroy the five clans. Do not let what you see come to pass." She leant in, licking his forehead as she did when he was a kit. She looked at him fondly, her eyes filled with love. It hurt him to know that they would only meet in dreams, his mother was long gone, and all he could do was grieve with the bitter knowledge he'd created the divide that drove her away. But as if she read his mind, she whispered before she left. "I forgive you, Gorsefeather. Love your sister, and guide this adorable apprentice of yours. He will make a fine medicine cat."

Gorsefeather wanted to respond, but the dream ended before he could. He woke up slowly to see his apprentice jerk awake suddenly. The calico guessed that Emberpaw most likely had a similar dream to his.

"Emberpaw? What did you see?"

Emberpaw stared at Gorsefeather with wide eyes. He took a deep swallow. "Fire, Embers, A leaf, Terrible battles, bloodshed, star-filled cats..." He paused before closing his eyes and saying; "Code-breakers will destroy the five clans." He re-opened his eyes. "I first found myself surrounded by fire and I was standing on embers which weren't burning my paws, then a random leaf fell from the sky and landed in front of me. After that, I ran out of the circle of fire into a terrible battle. Blood was everywhere! A rouge and a clan cat were fighting, but then a massive group of thousands of starry cats came from the sky and surrounded me. They said Code breakers will destroy the five clans. 

Then, I somehow ended up in Windclan camp, but it was in the sky somehow. The cats came again and told me that I had a destiny of destruction, healing, and loss." He described it the best he could, trying to remember exactly what the cats had said. "Gorsefeather, I'm scared." Emberpaw's voice cracked, but he didn't let tears fall. Not in front of Gorsefeather. You are honored for your bravery and wisdom. He had to be brave. "I have a feeling that the clans are going to have a rough future."

"It's nothing to be concerned about. I will speak to Falconstar about this when the time is right. For now, keep this to yourself." Gorsefeather warned, he knew just how dangerous misinterpreting a sign from Starclan could be, and the last thing he needed was some witch hunt due to this vision. He needed time to figure out what exactly it meant and perhaps what Starclan wanted them to do. Also he feared that perhaps this prophecy was condemning his sister, Meadowfall, who was pregnant with half-clan kits. It was all too much right now, and he was really starting to not appreciate Starclan dropping bombs like this at ceremonies.

For now, the priority was to get home to camp so he could speak think this over and speak to Falconstar. If five clans were going to be plunged into chaos, he would make sure Windclan came out the other side alive. "The first thing you must understand about Starclan is that they can be frustratingly vague yet give you all that you need to know. What might not make sense now, might make sense in the future. Now we've deprived our clan of a medicine cat for long enough, it's time we headed home."

"Yes, Gorsefeather," Emberpaw replied, bowing his head in respect. It was best to stay on his mentor's good side. The blazing orange tom looked like a burning ember, lighting into a flame as he got up, the moonstone's light pouring over him. "Let's start our journey back." Emberpaw turned around and padded into the dark tunnel, following the scent trail back to the surface. He paused once he got out to make sure Gorsefeather was right behind him.

The tom was worried; what had Starcan shown him? Code breakers will destroy the five clans. Who were the code breakers? What did they mean by destroy? How many cats will die from these "code breakers"? Will anyone survive? Can they be stopped? Thousands of questions raced through his mind. Suddenly, a question slipped from Emberpaw's mouth. "What do you think it means?" Emberpaw asked. He knew he should keep quiet, but he couldn't.