Rabbitpaw's MC Ceremony

Oceanlight knew for a fact Rabbitpaw was ready for her name to come. She had taught her everything Acornheather knew, and everything she knew. She tried her absolute best to make her the best medicine cat she could be. She was searching through herbs to find the best mixture for their journey. She remembered what could help them. "Ragwort leaves for strength, burnet for stamina, we don't have much of that, but it'll work. Honey could help, oh we don't have any... then use heather nectar." she whispered to herself.

     She looked for beech leaves, but there was none. She was worried. How could they even eat the mixture if they're not binded together. She walked out of camp looking for some. She broke into a run, trying to get the mixture ready in time. She ran as fast as her paws would allow her. She found the area where RiverClan and SkyClan meet. She saw the Beech Copse. That's where they go get them mostly. She made a leap of faith to the rock nearest of the other side. She got on to the other side and went to the Beech Copse. She desperately searched the snow for any leaves that fell recently, careful not to find a patrol. She finally found two decently sized ones. They were a light green. She grabbed them and headed back. When she got back, she saw that it was near sundown. It'd be impossible for them to get there in time. She set down the leaves in their place, and went to sleep.
     
     When she got up and looked over, the herbs were still in good condition. She looked outside, it was right in the middle of sunrise and sunhigh. She had time to eat and prepare the mix before it was time. She walked out and grabbed a nice pigeon, ate and started grooming. She walked back and started to prepare the mixture. She dragged a beech leaf to the center. She got some ragwort leaves and put three in it. She got some burnet. There wasn't much, so she put only one, it could still help. She then put in some heather nectar. She repeated it with the other leaf. She wrapped up the leaf, making two little pouch-like herb mixtures. She walked out of the den. "Rabbitpaw. We're going to Highstones." she called.

Rabbitpaw hadn't been doing much. Since the sun rose, the medicine cat apprentice had been moving about, organizing what was left in the den (which wasn't much) and hanging around camp trying to find something to do as she watched Oceanlight go in and out, disappear and then reappear several times. It was strange, watching her mentor moving around so much and being so insanely productive but when she came out with two little bundles in her mouth and told her that they were going to Highstones, the she-cat's heart quickly leaped into her throat. Highstones? Was this the time? With obvious excitement, she leaped to her feet before trying to compose herself. It had been so long! "Yes, Oceanlight," she meowed, quickly following behind her mentor.

Oceanlight smiled. She got inside and brought out the bundles. She bit into it. The instant her teeth punctured the leaf, sweet, sour, and bitter flavored flooded her. She chewed it and swallowed. "And, yes, it is what you think." She looked at her and walked away to the entrance. She sat and waited.

After being given the bundle, Rabbitpaw followed her mentor's actions, taking a bite of it before all of the features in her face twisted up. It was an interesting yet awful taste but the apprentice forced it down anyway before a large grin appeared on her face when Oceanlight hinted at the reason behind this trip. "Is it?!" she squealed. "Oh, thank you Oceanlight! I won't let you down!" Following with a new bounce in her step, she caught up quickly with the she-cat.

Oceanlight nodded. She headed out in the direction of Highstones.

(Time Skip)

Oceanlight laid her eyes on the mountain range. She walked up the path to Mothermouth until she saw it. She looked back and saw the sun was about to set. "Come." She walked in. She felt the way get narrower and narrower until she found the room where the Moonstone lay. As the moonlight set on the stone, it shimmered and sparkled as if all of Silverpelt were within it.


"I, Oceanlight, medicine cat of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her clan for many moons."


She looked down upon Rabbitpaw. Her time as an apprentice was a long journey, just as the way from SkyClan camp to the cave they stand in. Finally, it was time, she was certain, but now, it was StarClan's decision.


"Rabbitpaw,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?"

This was it. This was her moment. As she followed Oceanlight, Rabbitpaw couldn't help but look around, staring at the walls as they closed in around her. She didn't speak, even though she wanted to comment on what was going on around them so badly. Only when the small cave opened up and poured into a well-lit area was she left speechless and nearly breathless. She had been here once before, but it never ceased to amaze her. Looking up at her mentor, she paused, listening intently to the medicine cat's words, her brain racing with anticipation. "I-I do," she said, trying her hardest to say it confidently. She was too excited for her own good.

Being called Rabbitfoot felt like a whole new experience. For a moment, she didn't even feel like Oceanlight was speaking to her. This was a whole new level of excitement, however, she was surprisingly calm. With a quick nod, she glanced at the Moonstone before lying down and touching her nose to its cold surface. It was much colder than she ever imagined but energy surged through her as she fell into a deep slumber. Immediately, her eyes opened, taking in the sights around her. It was beautiful. The plains stretched on forever as the stars overhead glistened brighter than she had ever seen. It was comforting. "Hello?" She called out, waiting for someone to show uo.

StarClan... it was an odd place, to say the least. Well, of course it was odd, he was in the stars as a dead cat for crying out loud. Not only that, but Antdrop only knew a few cats from his past, and although he probably could've been making new acquaintances with other fellow deceased companions, he wasn't the most social of cats and in the end, preferred to stick with himself. Besides, the star filled territories in which he was able to roam on freely were way to vast and seemingly endless, so he hadn't strayed too far from where this area, an open field with short, green grassy clouds as far as the eye could see, with a single oak tree sprouting from the ground in the middle area of it.

Laying on his side with his head resting on the misty ground a little ways away from the tree, Antdrop lifted his nose when he though he caught a scent of someone, although it was somewhat hard to believe, seeing that no one ever really came around this empty land. Standing up, he gave his starry black pelt a shake, keeping his ears perked, and soon enough, someone called his name. Snapping his head around at an all too familiar voice, there she was; Rabbitpaw. His beautiful, flourishing medicine apprentice of a daughter, here in StarClan, her cream and white pelt filled with stardust that shimmered like her eyes. What in StarClan's name was she doing here?

With worry clenching his starry heart, the black tom padded over to the she-cat who's form was now starting to become more solid and soon, he stood a foxlength away from her. "Rabbitpaw?" Antdrop choked, unable to withhold the emotion that was starting to take over. Every since he'd left the physical world, he'd been watching over his daughter, but being this close to her again, able to smell her earthly scent and see her grown even more than when he'd last seen her... it was too much for him.

As soon as she heard the voice, her ears shot up with her head on a swivel until she finally located its source. With a gasp, she froze, her brain suddenly confused as to what to do. Part of her wanted to run over to Antdrop and nuzzle him forever, but part of her was awestruck, frozen in place as she just stared. "A-Antdrop..?" she called. "Is it really you?" If she could cry, she would have. Her heart was doing backflips in her chest before she padded slowly over to him. "I... I can't believe it. You're... You're here!" Excitement coated her voice as she walked closer, finally pressing herself against her father lovingly. "A-And... I'm Rabbitfoot now. I'm actually here for my name, as a matter of fact," she said, puffing out her chest with pride.

Taking in his daughter's familiar yet starry scent, Antdrop embraced the moment as their forms pressed against each other, not wanting it to ever end. A purr emitted from deep in the black tom's throat as he took a step back to look at she-cat who looked older and wiser already. When she said something about her name being Rabbitfoot, his eyes widened as he looked to Rabbitpaw, no, Rabbitfoot. She was becoming the SkyClan medicine cat? Well, at least that answered his question of why she was here, and he couldn't have been more proud of her.

"I-I'm so proud of you," the black warrior mewed softly, half choking on his words, not really know how he should react. Was he supposed to be happy for her that she'd made it this far or sad that he wasn't able to be there with the clan on her big day? Shaking the thoughts away, he knew that all she really needed and probably wanted right now was approval, and that is what he needed to give her. "I knew you could do it, you'll be the best medicine cat SkyClan's ever seen," Antdrop added with a smile, his pelt twitching with excitement and other mixed emotions for his daughter.

Nothing felt better than her father's approval. Being able to see him now during the biggest moment of her life was dream-like. She never thought that she would be able to see him again but here he was, telling her that she'll be the best medicine cat Skyclan's ever seen. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside as her features beamed with excitement. However, it wasn't long before she began to feel herself being pulled away from Starclan's territory. She was running out of time. It was almost time to wake up already. "Thank... Thank you, Antdrop. That means so much to me," she told him, her voice shaking from the sheer emotion that she felt. The amount of joy and pride that filled her was enough to last for what felt like moons. "I-I'm so glad that I can make you proud. Because... Because every day since that... awful day..." she paused, trying to forcibly remove the thoughts of her father's death out of her mind. "I-I've tried to do better; to save as many of my clan mates as I could. I... I'm so sorry that I let you fall that day. I wish that there was more that I could have done..." Immediately, all of the joy and excitement that filled her eyes dimmed, leaving behind sorrow and shame as she began to fade out of the stars. W-Wait.. I don't want to leave just yet! She thought, trying everything she could mentally to stay with him longer.

While standing across from his daughter was a dream come true, as she spoke, he could see the sorrow and regret cover up the once excited she-cat, and he couldn't stand to see her this way. Taking a step towards her and lightly resting his muzzle on the top of her head, Antdrop closed his eyes, taking in every second of their little encounter. "Sweetheart, don't fret," he started softly, his throat closed up from all of the emotions. Although the tom was never the expressive type, him coming to StarClan had turned out to be helping all of his bottled up thoughts and feelings come into the light, and while part of him hated having to be in the starry realm, the other part always wondered if he was meant to come here.

"What happened the day... I will never forget, but if it's anyone's fault, it's mine," the warrior continued and took a step back so that their gazes could meet. "All my life I've been selfish, rude, and I regret not being their for you more. I won't allow you to blame yourself for what happened since there was nothing you could've done. Besides, you didn't let me fall..." he paused and looked down to his paws for a few moments before looking back to his daughter, a small broken smile on his face. "I'd fallen long before then," Antdrop mewed, a look of rue in his green eyes as he watched Rabbitfoot's form slowly begin to fade away from his vision. Of course he wanted to her to stay with him longer, but he knew that there was nothing he could do, even if he wanted to.

"May we meet again," the black tom spoke softly with a reassuring yet somewhat saddened smile sitting on his face as she continued to disappear. For as long as he could remember, he'd felt nothing but disgust towards his family, especially Crowstar, but now that he was alone... the only thing he wanted to do was be by their sides, and it pained him to watch over them from above, forever silenced with no company other than his guilt and regrets. If only he'd learned to love and accept his family for who they were, then things might have turned out differently.

Rabbitfoot couldn't help but smile as her father talked, even if what he said wasn't the happiest thing in the world. He truly cared for her and wished her the best. There was no ill will between them which had been weighing her down for moons. However, as she began to fade, her vision of Antdrop was getting fuzzier. Eventually, he would fade out entirely. Before she finally disappeared, she dipped her head to her father and nuzzled against him one last time. "I love you, and I will try to visit again!" she purred as she finally dissipated into starlight.

The new medicine cat woke with a start, her nose still touching the stone before she pulled away from the shocking cold temperatures that felt like it was burning the skin off of her nose. Sitting up, she let out a contented sigh as she glanced toward Oceanlight. "It is official," she mewed softly.