Sycamorekit's Medicine Cat Apprentice Ceremony

Roaringblaze strode towards the nursery with each pawstep weighted by a sense of deja vu, the event that would take place next baring a mirror semblance to time that had been world changing in his very own life as a kit- a medicine cat apprentice ceremony. After a bold display done by Sycamorekit days earlier, the medicine cat had known with little to no doubt after a display that the young cat was interested in the medicine cat profession. The little tom had a fire that reminded him of his own times when he had been a pre-adult cat. It had been that sparking energy that woke Roaringblaze up from the daze of his grief for Honeydrop, his beloved mentor, and brought him to where he was now- asking Sycamorekit to officially be his apprentice.

"Sycamorekit?" Roaringblaze poked his tiny head into the queens' den. His eyes glowed in the shadows cast from the various plants and branches weaved into the thick hollow walls, scanning the small space with beacons of pure unadulterated yellow. The den was overpowered by the smells of potent herbs and multiple cats, making it hard for him to distinguish the kit's scent in the mix of wafting odors. "Are you in here?"

Sycamorekit lifted his reddish head at the mention of his name. As an orphan, he slept alone in the back. Quietly, he slipped his way around the others to the point of standing in front of Roaringblaze. He looked up at the cat, but not by much. The small medicine cat was almost his size. Sycamorekit grinned. He wouldn't get a huge ceremony like the apprentices, but... He was special. He was the one, to save the clan after Honeydrop. "I'm here." he continued to smile a wide grin at the medicine cat.

Roaringblaze smiled in return at Sycamorekit's content response. "Good, I've been meaning to ask you a really important question, Sycamorekit." He stepped away and beckoned his tail. "Let's go outside."

The small medicine cat turned and padded out of the nursery, padding only a few rabbit-hops ahead of the kit to stroll almost beside his potential apprentice. Steering them towards a spot more private in the clearing, Roaringblaze then swiveled slowly to face Sycamorekit, pawsteps stopping as they stood out of another cat's ability to hear them.

"This is a good place," the medicine cat reckoned, wrapping his skinny tail around his paws as he sits down facing the little tom. He let out a breath and started his speech. "So Sycamorekit, I've noticed you're interested in becoming the next medicine cat of this clan." His face became serious. "I'm glad that you feel that way, but I want you to think carefully about your decision. Becoming a medicine cat isn't for everyone. You won't be able to have kits and fight for your clan. It's lonely and demanding in ways that our clan-mates will never understand. It'll be a lot of hard work to heal all your clan-mates on your own. But if you are willing to bear the burden, Sycamorekit- if you're willing to follow a different, much harder path than most of the cats in our clan- then I will do everything I can to make sure you know all that there is on how to be an amazing medicine cat." The seriousness dropped as his eyes started to twinkle with more cheer. "Starclan can have my pelt if I forget to teach you about a single herb." His face relaxed as he delivered the end of his long spiel. "So here it is Sycamorekit: are you certain you want to become a medicine cat apprentice, even if it means hardship?"

Sycamorekit listened intently to Roaringblaze, nodding his head frantically towards the end. "Yes, yes! That's all I want! Kits are silly anyway! I want to be a medicine cat more than anything!" The tom bounced up and down, his little eyes burning up with excitement.

Roaringblaze wondered if his words went out from one end out the other of Sycamorekit's ears at the way he was bouncing up and down despite his carefully-crafted, caution-filled offer. But none the less, there was only so much Sycamorekit could understand about what hardship means at that point in his life. So with that in mind, Roaringblaze would do everything in his power guide this young tom to make sure when the hard times come he'd be alright. He'd arm his apprentice with not only sharp-clawed knowledge, but also with the mental strength of stubborn endurance to serve his clan at all times.

"As long as you're sure, Sycamorekit." Roaringblaze replied with a bit of amusement at the kit's jubilant display. "Let's get your ceremony started then. Follow me, future apprentice."

He unwinded his tail from his paws and strode with complete familiarity into the medicine cat den wafting with the potent aura of dried herbs. The medicine cat barely looked as he picked out the herbs needed for their journey to moonstone, wishing it was green-leaf so that he could use honey to help swallow the foul-tasting mixture. He may be an adult medicine cat, but who says he enjoys eating traveling herbs?

"Eat up-you're going to need it for the journey," Roaringblaze told his future apprentice. Rolling over a pile of herbs to Sycamorekit, the small medicine cat stepped back to lap up his own pile of leaves. When they were finished eating- Roaringblaze's face looking like he just ate mouse-bile- he gestured for Sycamorekit to follow him out of camp into the swamp beyond.

Sycamorekit darted from side to side of Roaringblaze as the tom led the way to the medicine den. Sycamorekit had been here once or twice, nothing serious. Since his mother and father had died, Roaringblaze was the one to check up on him for ticks and such here and there. That's when he learned he adored the craft and knew he would do anything to be nothing but the best in it.

As Sycamorekit entered his new den, the sweet scent of herbs wafted into his nose and he took a deep, satisfied breath, slowly letting it out. The tom eyed the traveling herbs, asking about each one before he ate them (and not waiting for a reply) until Roaringblaze ushered him out. This was it, he was going to be that cat of the clan now.

Sycamorekit's eyes widened as the pair left the safety of the camp. The swamp seemed to go on forever! "Wow, how far is StarClan?" The red tabby asked in wonder, his bushy tail sweeping back and forth. It would be a long journey he bet and he could brag about it to the warrior apprentices when he returned. He wondered if Magpiestar would announce it to the clan. So he asked that. "Will Magpiestar announce I'll be the next medicine cat apprentice to the clan? What about at the gathering?" The tom skipped ahead a few faces, then slowed again to match with Roaringblaze.

Roaringblaze glanced at his to-be apprentice thoughtfully as they kept a quick, steady pace towards Highstones. "I think Magpiestar will," he replied, not completely sure but mentally giving himself the task to talk to their shadowclan leader in order to make sure Sycamorekit wouldn't be disappointed. "And don't worry, Shadowclan's territory won't look so big when you get bigger-" he glances down at his small body, "or if you end up like me, older." He smiles at his apprentice. "Now let's not talk too much before reaching our destination, we need to make it to Highstones before nightfall." With that, Roaringblaze started to move quicker, silently urging Sycamorekit to move faster.

They reached the stones soon after they crossed from Shadowclan marshes into the moors of Windclan. Roaringblaze continued to move quickly, but constantly glanced over at Sycamorekit to make sure he was keeping up alright. The sun had just set, making the gaping mouth of the cave look like an abyss of darkness. Roaringblaze felt a tinge of nerves for giving his first- and hopefully last- apprentice ceremony. Starclan would be giving his apprentice his name, but Roaringblaze would lead Sycamorekit before sending him off into their ancestor's paws.

"It's easier to keep to the walls of the tunnel," Roaringblaze suggested to Sycamorekit. "It'll help you make your way through the darkness." He padded into the cave alongside his apprentice, having the young tom go before him before he followed. Every ounce of light was swallowed by the darkness, but Roaringblaze knew it wouldn't last long.

Sure enough, a brilliant light shone down on a huge pearl-white stone that glowed like the moon. "This is the moonstone," Roaringblaze told Sycamorekit. He turned to face the kit. "Before we begin the ceremony Sycamorekit, is it your dream to be the voice of starclan and heal your clan?"

Sycamorekit desperately tried to keep up with Roaringblaze, and he felt pleased on how well he did. He often stopped to sniff a leaf here and there. Ask a few questions. But he always caught up, only about a tail length ahead. They walked to what seemed for eternity, and they sky was already darkening when the huge rocks came into view. It was amazing. His eyes widened at the rock formation in front of him, but he wasn't allowed much gawking time.

Roaringblaze ushered the small kit up the side of the mountain, and he nodded quickly when Roaringblaze spoke, almost sprinting into the tunnel. He slowed down, walking alongside the wall and letting his reddish fur brush up against the stone. When they made it to the moonstone, he gasped. It was so beautiful! Sycamorekit craned his head away to look at Roaringblaze as he spoke. "Yes, Roaringblaze. It's the only thing I can see myself doing." he replied solomly, kittenhood fleeing into the past.

Roaringblaze smiled, proud of Sycamorekit's serious intent. He had the ability to become a great medicine cat someday. "Starclan, I give you this kit. He has chosen the path of a medicine cat and wishes to follow the path of the stars. Grant him your wisdom and knowledge so that he may understand your ways and heal others according to your will." His voice echoed with finality, setting in stone what was to come. "Sleep against the stone with your nose pressed against it- Starclan will give you your name."

Sycamorekit, with his heart thudding, laid against the stone and pressed his nose against it. When he opened his eyes, the flowing lands if StarClan laid before him. He gasped, outstounded.

Honeydrop was to be present for yet another medicine cat apprentice ceremony... but this time with a new role. No longer was she the brand-new mentor, shepherding the aspiring kit to the Moonstone, but now she was the wise old StarClan cat to grant the young kit their name. She let out an almost involuntary chuckle at the thought, but then Sycamorekit arrived in the starry plains, and she had a job to do. Smiling widely, the she-cat approached the young tom, hoping that his immature underrstanding wouldn't lead him to adopt the sane hatred towards her as most of the Clan. "Hello, Sycamorekit. My name is Honeydrop, former medicine cat of ShadowClan. I have been chosen to give you your name. StarClan and I approve of Roaringblaze's choice, and we find you worthy to become the medicine cat apprentice of ShadowClan." The golden she-cat leaned forwards and touched her nose to the tom's. "From this day forward, you will be known as Sycamorepaw. Train hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, follow their code and serve your clan to the best of your ability." As she stepped back, Honeydrop's smile grew sad, wishing suddenly that she could go back to the world of the living with the new apprentice- if not for her Clanmates, for her former apprentice. "Say hello to Roaringblaze for me, won't you?'

Sycamorepaw stretched his nose, touching the StarClan cat's starry nose with his own. It felt cold and warm at the same time. He felt unable to speak  in the plains, his mouth feeling like glue. He nodded and smiled to Honeydrop, as the vision in front of him faded. Back in the moonstone, Sycamorepaw and stood, looking around for Roaringblaze. "Roaringblaze, I'm your apprentice now! And Honeydrop says hello!" he eagerly walked over to Roaringblaze, his eyes wide with excitement.