Eveningkit's Medicine Cat Apprentice Ceremony

Mothglow had spent the last few days thinking deeply; considering a decision that would have lifelong consequences if she made it. She looked to the sky - once upon a time, it would have been for guidance; but StarClan had made it clear that their guidance would not help her. She had not received a sign, and she doubted she would any time soon. She was keeping an eye out, of course - she remained diligent in her duties, disagreements aside - but they had not shown any preference one way or another.

She had decided she would ask. The answer lied in the paws of Eveningkit. She poked her head into the nursery. "Eveningkit? Shadestrike? May I speak with you?"

"Mothy!"

Shadestrike lifted her head, blinking a few times before looking at the cat who spoke. "Eveningkit, what are you.." She turned her head to the cat that was at the nursery entrance. "Mothglow." She mewed. She stood up and padded towards her aunt, Eveningkit happily padding behind her. "What do you need?" She asked.

Eveningkit felt a little sad that her sister couldn't come along, but then again, Tanglepaw had left them both for the apprentice den. Her eyes had begun showing their true colours the last couple of days. One was becoming yellow-y green, some blue was around the edges of that eye and the only reason green was there because of the fade to yellow. Her other eye seemed to become this deeper blue. She had seen Shadestrike give her curious looks when she stared at her mother directly, but nothing too much.

"I've come here tonight to ask if Eveningkit would like to be my apprentice," Mothglow explained. "Now, Eveningkit - it's not like a warrior's apprentice. Even when you earned your full name, you'd still be my apprentice for as long as I remained a medicine cat. You'd be working under me for the rest of my life, essentially - it's a much bigger decision to become a medicine cat than it is to become a warrior. It's not always easy, and sometimes it can be painful. You'd be responsible for the health of ShadowClan, just as much as I would. Think it through before you give me an answer, alright? I think you'd be an excellent apprentice, but the choice will always be yours."

"Mothy, you know what I'm gonna say!" The kit squealed, trotting around Mothglow, her eyes shut and her smile big as she moved.

"Eveningkit-" Shadestrike stopped herself. Luckily, her kit didn't seem to hear her but looking back at Mothglow she whispered. "You've got yourself a pawfull! But... Do you think she can do it?" Worried yellow eyes watched her kit acting so carefree. Didn't she know the responsibilities? Didn't Eveningkit hear Mothglow? Of course she was very proud that Mothglow considered one of her kits in the first place but, she wasn't sure that Eveningkit, out of all her kits, would be the wisest choice. "Mama, don't you believe in me?" She looked down at her kit, blinking up at her with odd-eyes. "Oh, Eveningkit, I trust you. But..." She trailed off, she didn't want to stop her kit from becoming what she wanted, she knew that her kit would get the hang of it- well, she hoped. "But what mama?" Slowly, Shadestrike flicked her paw. "I will never stop you." She murmured. The kit backed away a little, her head lifting up at her mother again.

"But you tried, didn't you?"

She purred as Eveningkit accepted - just as she'd expected she would. Shadestrike's concern, however, made her pause. "She'll do just fine," Mothglow assured her niece. "Well before you were born, when I first became a medicine cat, I didn't even have an official mentor; I was taught by both StarClan and Amberdawn, one of the SkyClan medicine cats at the time. I didn't know anything at all - about StarClan or herbs or much of anything else, really - but I'd like to think I turned out just fine; and Eveningkit will have me every step of the way, and every other medicine cat to rely on as well. In the end, the choice has to be hers, Shadestrike - and I believe she's already made it."

Gently, she rested her tail on the warrior's back. "If you're afraid of losing her, for any reason at all... I can promise you that I won't let that happen. I lost my sister because I became a medicine cat, even if I didn't know that until far too late. Eveningkit, are you ready to go? It's a long way to the Moonstone."

Shadestrike paused before nodding. "I trust you, Mothglow." She mewed stepping back into the nursery with Foggykit.


"Oh, Mothy! Of course I'm ready!" Eveningkit mewed as her mother backed away. "We'll get there quicker if we start now, right?" Her eyes looked back to Mothglow. "But why did mama shoo me away? Was it big cat talk?" She questioned, her eyes sparkling. "Don't she want me to be a medicine cat?"

"I think she's just worried," Mothglow assured her soon-to-be apprentice. "But I also think she wants you to be happy, and you'll be happy with me, right?" That said, she began to lead the way; wandering through the territory and taking it slow, used to being accompanied by near-full-grown cats rather than a kit barely old enough to be apprenticed. Under the Thunderpath, through the tunnel, and all the way up to Mothermouth; finally pausing before the entrance to the Moonstone. "Once upon a time, my friend and teacher warned me about the darkness in this tunnel. Now, I'm passing her warning on to you. Stay close to me, and don't speak a word until we're before the Moonstone."

Sure that her warning would be heeded, she led the way through. Slow and steady, never faltering. When they finally emerged on the other side, the Moonstone bathed in light, Mothglow smiled faintly. StarClan's wrath aside, this sight was something she would never tire of; and tonight was a time for celebration. She would have a successor who was happy with her place, someday; and for now she had a friend and grand-niece at her side. "This is it. The Moonstone, where we share tongues with StarClan," she murmured, giving the kit a moment to take it in. "Are you ready?"

"Okay Mothy, well, I am happy!" She purred as she followed Mothglow out of camp.

The journey was amazing for the kit, so many places, it felt impossible to stay on the same path as her mentor without sniffing at all the flowers and the herbs, all the interesting creatures that ran away when she sniffed them. When they reached Mothermouth, Eveningkit froze, looked at Mothglow and to the tunnel again. She thought about Mothglow's words then opened her mouth to only close it again when she remembered not to talk.

It's so dark, is Mothy sure this is the right tunnel?... Oh! I'm slowing down, I have to keep moving.


I can't see anything... It's so scary. But I can't talk, that's what Mothy said.


As they reached the end the Moonstone's light hit her face and she stepped back, stunned. "Oh!" Her eyes widened as they tried to adjust to the bright light. "Oops.." She whispered. "Wait, is this the Moonstone? I can talk now, right?"

"Oh good... I don't like breaking rules!" She giggled. She paused, listening to Mothglow before looking at the Moonstone again. Her eyes were slits because of the bright light. Her black fur looked grey and her grey fur looked white. Her ginger fur looked like a bright orange. "It's.. so pretty.." She whispered. "Mothy, I'm ready!" She mewed, looking back at her black-furred (now grey because of the harsh light) grand-aunt.

"Then let's begin," Mothglow said softly. Her next words echoed the first ones that had been spoken to her in this very place, though the name she spoke was not her own. "Eveningkit, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?"

Eveningkit closed her eyes for a second, her head hurt because of the light. "Uh- It is!" She mewed, those words felt right. She opened her eyes, tapping her tail against the ground.

Mothglow nodded, smiling faintly. Tradition had its place, but Eveningkit's enthusiasm struck her as something special in its own right. And she had some words of her own, to deviate from part of this ceremony - much as her adoptive mother had done for Mothglow's own medicine cat naming ceremony. After all, there was no guarantee that StarClan would speak to Eveningkit. "Then from now until the day your training is complete, I grant you the name of Eveningpaw. Cats of StarClan, I present to you this apprentice; she has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways, and heal ShadowClan in accordance with your will."

The medicine cat paused, considering her own memories of apprenticeship. "There is one last gift I have for you, before you speak with our ancestors and we return home with much to discuss," she said softly. "When I was first apprenticed, my first mentor gave me a title - a sort of nickname. I still use it today, but you don't have to use the one I give to you if you don't want to. I just think it's only fair, since you've got one for me too. Just let me know if you don't like it, I won't be offended! But for now... Go on, Evie. I'm sure StarClan is waiting to greet you."

It was a simple nickname, admittedly; but it was short and simple and she thought it suited the enthusiastic newly-named apprentice rather well. Of course, the verdict on that was up to Eveningpaw herself.

Eveningk-paw looked at her now-mentor with gleaming eyes. "Evie is a cute name." She decided, turning towards the stone. "Uh, Mothy, out of curiosity, what was your nickname?" The two-faced apprentice turned her head back towards Mothglow. After Mothglow answered she smiled, it was rather small but it was definitely friendly.

"Alright, here I go..."


"Will you wish me luck?"

She turned back towards the stone, closing her eyes against the harsh light.

"Am I doing this right? You touch your nose against the stone, right?" She wondered aloud.


"That's how mama's stories went."

She bent down before pressing her nose against the stone, her eyes closed and her grey tipped tail automatically curled around her, brushing the fur against her cheek. She was asleep, her mind traveled to starclan but Eveningpaw would need a cat to wake her up, she didn't realise she was there yet.

"Kit?"

Eveningpaw stirred, looking around the starry territory. "Hello!" She mewed, spotting a brown tom in front of her.

The tom might of been a deeper brown in life and he had sea-green eyes. "Oh, I'm Treepaw. I was a Riverclan apprentice before I died." He explained.

"Oh, wait... Riverclan?"


"Yeah, is there a problem with that?" He snapped.

"Oh... No, it's just that mama said Torrentst-"

"Well I wasn't alive for that disgusting cross-clan thing! Do you want me to finish your ceremony or not?"


"Treepaw wait!"

Eveningpaw looked over the kinda-small tom's shoulder, a black she-cat with with spots and streaks on her face stood sternly, her eyes glimmered with disappointment. She definitely looked Riverclan. "Oh, sorry Eveningpaw, I'm Leafheart, Treepaw's mother."

How many Riverclan cats are there? She wondered. Leafheart seemed to see right into her mind. "Ha, don't worry, we will be the last you see, Treepaw just decided that he wanted to be in this ceremony." "Mother!" He hissed. "Come on Treepaw, you're no better than a kit, you know you're not allowed here when a ceremony is on!"

And then they disappeared, a new cat padding forward. "My name is Dawnbloom, a Shadowclan cat before Shadestrike's mother's mother was born." They chuckled. They came closer, they were brown with black points and a pink nose. "Hopefully we'll continue this without interruptions?" They looked around before coming closer. "Trust me, medicine cats are awesome, I might not have been one but a medicine cat was a close friend to me." Her blue gaze examined Eveningpaw, stunning her into silence.

"I was watching you and I feel that you need this message, take your job seriously, talk to and respect Starclan, heal your clanmates and any cat no-matter what clan or who their parents are or were." Eveningpaw noticed that Dawnbloom bent down closer on that last part. Eveningpaw also noticed she wasn't really listening. "Remember me and the previous medicine cats of Shadowclan that will guide you along your journey with assistance from your mentor." They took a breath, taking on a softer gaze. "But remember to have fun and be yourself, even when times gets rough, even when you feel you can't say anything for your own safety, I want to let you know that you can, you can share your voice." Again, the starry cat took a breath, pausing and taking her stare away from Eveningpaw. "Welcome to the path of a medicine cat, it's a hard one, but every medicine cat I've seen can push through, and now it's your turn to do just that, push through."

And then she awoke, with no reaction time, she took in the message but knew she might just forget it. She didn't believe something this bad could happen to her.