Mothpaw's Medicine Cat Ceremony

This was an easy question, and the words felt almost familiar. Almost, but just different enough to be special. To mark this moment as something special, all on its own. Still, there wasn't a moment's hesitation as she gave her answer. "I do." She wanted to add on, to say Always, to say Of course But something about those two words was sacred enough, she wasn't going to alter it. Not when they'd already, presumably, changed things so much.

Mothpaw - no, Mothglow; that was going to take some getting used to after so long as an apprentice - stood quietly as Thornstar spoke. The words washed over her, a moment she'd been waiting for since well before her time as a medicine cat; and as her mother instructed her to stand tall she did so. The virtues she mentioned - things she'd almost thought she'd lost, inner light and love - brought a smile to her face. Even with all the darkness, even when it seemed to blind her, too...

It will be okay, she thought, remembering times she'd said those same words to others. Now she said them silently to herself. She made a note to say them more often, too - to herself and others alike. Things sometimes started to seem so dark there wasn't any light left, but that wasn't true... There would always be light left to look forward to.

The darkest nights still ended with the rising sun.

The next part, though, caught her attention. After all, it was all Thornstar; and Mothglow wouldn't have expected anything less. Still, how she ended it...

"I couldn't be prouder, rat. You've done well for yourself, and for the clan... know that."

Mothglow's heart filled with warmth; and she basked in that warmth just a moment longer before speaking again. "Thank you," she whispered first. Then, "I think I'm supposed to speak with StarClan now."

Not as a lost apprentice or medicine cat seeking guidance. But as a fully-fledged medicine cat celebrating her true name.

And with that thought, she fell into a familiar rhythm; touching her nose to the Moonstone and closing her eyes. Her breathing slowed and the darkness shifted into a familiar starry landscape as opened her eyes once more.

The faces that greeted her now were familiar ones. Featherlight and Lilacfall, who had greeted her the first time she'd visited the Moonstone. Who had taught her what it meant to be a medicine cat as best as they could, along with Amberdawn.

(She wished Amberdawn could see her now, but then... She'd just have to visit one day. And then she could.)

"Mothglow," Lilacfall greeted her with a purr, touching her tail to the newly-named medicine cat's shoulder with a twinkle in her eye. "It suits you. You've grown, you know - in spirit, at least."

Featherlight stepped forward, too. "You've learned and grown since we first met; and though your ceremony was... Unconventional... It served its purpose. After all, when traditions are lost all that's left to do is start anew. And I believe you've done wonderfully, especially given where you started."

"I think it's fitting that a new ShadowClan have a new tradition to accompany it," Lilacfall chimed in once more, recalling - and in turn making Mothglow recall - the brief time where ShadowClan had ceased to be. Another dark night that had been followed by a new dawn. "May this one endure many seasons before it starts to fade."

"As for you... We're proud of you. You led yourself to this path without our guidance, but embraced it all the same." Now, Featherlight stepped back, fixing her warm gaze on her fellow medicine cat once more. "Mothglow! StarClan welcomes you as a fully-fledged medicine cat, well-versed in our mysteries and secrets. As time passes and seasons change, may your inner light and endless love always endure..."

"And may you never forget that you are loved," Lilacfall finished softly.

"...Thank you," Mothglow whispered. "For everything."

As the two she-cats stepped back, a dark-furred, single eyed tom approached and bumped his shoulder against Mothglow's affectionately. The missing eye was certainly a new thing, as last she'd seen him he'd most definitely had two.

"Look at you, yeah? Li'l miss sparkles is all grown up." Sootstrike's warm grin and playful tone made it clear that he was happy for her. His long, bushy tail waved as he looked her up and down. "I'll bet sis is proud. You seemed so much smaller when I first met ya." The tom chuckled at that, knowing fully well that she'd not grown much since the night they'd first met. He just wanted to tease her.

Taken aback for a moment - she hadn't expected to see Sootstrike here, nor had she initially recognized him - she met his gaze with one of her own. "What happened to your eye?" she asked, the most pressing question rolling off her tongue before she even realized what she'd said.

His grin widened further, his remaining green eye twinkling with amusement. "You hadn't noticed?" He purred, waiting for her to piece it together. "Aw, I'm hurt. You're tellin' me you don't recognize my beautiful eye color, even in the face of another cat?"

"...That was you?"

"Who else would give her an eye?"

Mothglow shrugged as best she could. "It seemed rude to ask, so I didn't... And she didn't explain on her own. I figured it was supposed to be a secret of some kind."

He laughed. "Not a secret, no. You know sis isn't talkative when it comes to stuff like that. Stars, if you asked her she probably would just grumble something purposefully vague."

"So... Why? Why give up yours?"

"Because she gave hers for me. It's pretty simple if ya think about it." The tom didn't regret his choice. Two eyes or one, it's not as if he was using them much anymore. "She needed both eyes to lead her clan... all I can do is hope that it'll help her see clearly in the coming moons..." He trailed off, pausing for a moment as if considering something, before continuing with another wide grin. "But that's not something you gotta worry about right now. Celebration is what's important here, Sparkles."

"I think I understand," Mothglow said quietly. Could she give up something like that, for the sake of someone else? She'd like to imagine she could, but she also hoped she'd never have to. "But you're right. There's nothing to worry about right now."

"Good." The starlit tom stepped forward then, swiping his tongue over her head. "Tonight is th' first night of the rest of your life, Sparkles. Th' past is th' past, so don't dwell on somethin' that can't be changed. Keep on walkin' and you're gonna do great."

"...I guess to keep walking I have to wake up, don't I?" As eager as she found herself to wake up and move forward, now that it finally felt like she could... A part of her wanted to stay, here in the place where she could forget that anything had ever gone wrong in the first place. But she had to keep walking, she had to live her life. And she couldn't do that here.

(StarClan's peace was meant for the dead, and she was honored to share in it for even a moment... But the rest of the time she'd have to find her own.)

Sootstrike nodded, stepping back reluctantly. "That's right... I'll see ya soon, kit. You've done great."

As Mothglow's consciousness began to slowly fade and the shapes of those Starclan cats who cared so deeply for her blurred, another, fainter shape became visible behind Lilacfall. The unknown cat was significantly smaller than the other gathered cats, but they didn't appear to be particularly young.They were just tiny, with their fur the palest shade of white she'd only ever seen on one other cat.

As she slipped away, the cat opened their eyes to look at her... And that touch of deep blue was all too familiar.

When Mothglow regained consciousness, one thought was on her mind; the rest faded into the background for now. "We have to get home."

(Thanks to Kari for writing Sootstrike and helping with the post in general!)