Honeypaw's Medicine Cat Ceremony

The night before had been rough on all of them. And yet, duty still called. Sagelight rose from his nest once more at the crack of dawn, his joints feeling stiff from lack of proper sleep. He stretched slowly before moving across the den to the sleeping form of his apprentice and niece, Honeypaw. Bright blue eyes regarded her fondly, although his general demeanor this morning was heavy from exhaustion and stress. Of course he was proud of her, she had come a long way and it would be very helpful to have another medicine cat on paw to help in emergencies. StarClan knows he needed a break...

"Honeypaw, wake up, it's time to get going." He was too tired to quiet his voice this time; she would surely be able to hear him. "Make two bundles of traveling herbs, please." Short and to the point. It was definitely unlike him...Hopefully he would feel better soon after everything settled down.

The voice of her mentor and uncle broke though Honeypaw’s dreams, and she peeked open her eyes to look up at him. She was confused at first by Sagelight’s initial tone of voice, but after remembering what had happened at the Gathering, she understood perfectly. She wondered what had become of Fourtrees and the other four Clans. Hopefully Sparkfire was still alive and well. Of course, she knew she had to ignore her crush on the beautiful and strong ShadowClan warrior, but she still cared a great deal for her.

Finally registering that he had made a request of her, Honeypaw scrambled up to a sit and offered him a sheepish, apologetic smile before traipsing over to the store. She hasn’t had a very restful night either; her dreams occupied or terrifying figures and eerie darkness, definitely brought on by the actions of the Righteous Few. She wondered if the other Clans had been able to defeat them. She hoped so.

Wrapping up two separate bundles of daisy, sorrel, burnet, and chamomile in ivy leaves, she tenderly carried them over to Sagelight in her teeth, careful not to puncture her fangs through the delicate foliage.

It suddenly occurred to her that she had no idea why Sagelight needed her to make these traveling herbs in the first place. She had made them easily from memory without a second thought, but now she couldn’t seem to recall why he needed them. She was sure he had told her at one point, but she couldn’t seem to remember. ”Um....” she began softly after placing the bundles down gently on the ground, looking up at her mentor with embarrassment, ”I-I’m sorry, but what are these for again? I-I mean, I know what they do, I just mean why did you want me to make them?”

Sagelight blinked at the sound of her voice asking him a question, having caught himself staring off into the corner of the den where an empty moss nest sat. What was that she said...? Oh, she was asking about...the bundles. Why she needed them. The pointed tom managed a weary smile as he knelt to lap up his herbs. Ignoring the taste in his mouth, he peered back at his apprentice, pride in his dull eyes. "Honeypaw, I think you've shown great promise as a medicine cat and you've come a long way with your training. That last request was a test and you passed with flying colors. I'm taking you to the Moonstone today for you to receive your full name. Congratulations." Sagelight leaned forward and bumped her forehead with his nose, rumbling a purr into her fur. He really was proud of her and he wished he had the energy to express that better.

Honeypaw stared at Sagelight in total shock, her mouth as wide as her eyes. Was he telling her the truth? Was she really going to be earning her medicine cat name tonight? With an excited squeal, she leaped up onto her paws and bounced around the den. ”Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I’m really going to earn my name? Thank you, Sagelight!” She quickly stopped jumping around, realizing with a start how incredibly unprofessional she was being, and she fell awkwardly silent with a shameful lower of her head. She scarfed down the herbs quickly to keep herself from saying anything more that would embarrass herself.

(OOC: We can do a timeskip after your next post! )

Her excitement reminded him of himself and a soft chuckle bubbled out from his throat. Geez, it had been a while since he last laughed genuinely. A smile still on his face, he allowed her to finish her herbs before he got to his paws and padded out of the den. The sun was just beginning to peek over the trees in the forest surrounding camp, the perfect time to get going on a journey. He stopped just before the entrance to camp and looked back over his shoulder, squinting at Honeypaw. "You know what? How 'bout you lead the way to the Moonstone this time, what do you think? I know you can do it, you did it all on your own with Redpaw while I was sick."

Honeypaw swallowed the remaining of the herbs and looked up at Sagelight. She gulped nervously at the thought of leading someone to the Moonstone again. It had been so difficult the last time. Right? ...No. No, it hadn’t. She had done a pretty good job remembering the route when leading Redpaw. Also, Sagelight knew the route better than she did, so if she did end up making a mistake, she was sure he would be able to correct her. She could do this. ”O-Okay. I’ll lead. Um, if you’re ready, then, we can get going.” Trying to push down her fears and doubts, the medicine cat apprentice led the way out of the camp entrance, and the two SkyClan cats began making their way to Highstones.

The two medicine cats made their way to Highstones in due time, although it took the better part of the day to get there. Honeypaw did well, as he expected; she just needed to apply herself a little, the nerves would ease with time and experience. Sagelight stared into the dark tunnel leading to the Moonstone with apprehension. Was everything alright again? Would StarClan even receive Honeypaw? He didn't have an answer. The tom sighed and ruffled his fur, trying to clear his nervousness. Hopefully things were better now...

He looked back at Honeypaw with a tired smile, albeit a proud one. "Ready? Let's go." Without another word, he slipped into the Mothermouth and down the winding tunnel, the floor worn smooth from generations of pawsteps. When he reached the cavern with the Moonstone, he stepped inside and turned to face Honeypaw. He had been preparing for this moment ever since he had taken Honeypaw as his apprentice. Sagelight straightened up and stared at Honeypaw with a fierce intensity, his bright blue eyes shining with an inner light, his usual flame of passion. "I, Sagelight, medicine cat of SkyClan, call upon my 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 to come." As if on cue, the Moonstone burst to life behind him, illuminating the room. Sagelight nearly burst into tears right where he stood, so relieved that not all was lost still. Regaining his composure, he continued.

"Honeypaw, 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?" His eyes bored into hers, begging her to hold her ground. He knew she could do it, but did she know that?

The young molly gasped and squeezed her eyes shut at the sudden intense light caused by the Moonstone, having half-expected their warrior ancestors not to appear before them after everything that had happened. She squinted her eyes open gradually and looked at Sagelight, who looked absolutely majestic with the powerful glow behind him. However, his question to her gave her pause, and she fell silent to ponder on her response.

She wanted to be a medicine cat more than anything. She knew this was her destiny. But was she truly up for the task? Sure, she could memorize the herbs and their medical uses, and she knew how and when to use them, but would she be able to handle the stresses of constantly fretting over supplies and whether a patient would live or die? Would she be able to handle that kind of responsibility? Well ... she had handled Blossomstep’s and Wrenpaw’s injuries just fine without Sagelight’s help, and she did alright with leading Redpaw to the Moonstone for his own meeting with StarClan. And now that Sagelight was better, he would be able to help her through any adversity that may cross their paths.

With her beloved uncle and mentor, she knew she would be just fine. She also had her father, brother, and best friend to fall back on if she needed them. She was in the best position she could be in right now. She felt like— no, she knew that she will become a great medicine cat in her own right, because at the end of the day, she would never truly be alone.

”Yes,” Honeypaw finally meowed, looking Sagelight in the eye, standing straight and tall. She was still a little nervous, but she also felt confident in her own abilities, her reflection of her accomplishments boosting her own self-worth. ”I do.”

"Then, in the name of StarClan, I give you your true name as a medicine cat." Sagelight paused to smile down at his apprentice, pride swelling in his chest. He felt honored to give her her full name. Amongst all the hustle and bustle of recent times, he took time to consider what her full medicine cat name would be. Hopefully she would like what he gave her. "Honeypaw, from this moment forward, you shall be known as Honeysong. StarClan honors your patience and kindness." Finished with the sacred words, he moved forward and touched his nose to his niece's. "Congratulations, Honeysong, I'm proud of you." The tom rumbled a purr and stepped away, motioning towards the Moonstone with his tail. "You know the deal. Go on, meet with StarClan. I'll be waiting for you when you wake up."

The newly-named medicine cat apprentice’s smile grew wider than it ever had before. Honeysong. That was her new name. It was perfect. Tears of happiness beaded at her turquoise eyes and slowly slid down her fuzzy pale cheeks. She had worked so hard to get to the point where she was now, and she had both Sagelight and Mossbloom to thank. She had fulfilled her destiny, and now she could continue working hard and doing the best she could for her Clan, now knowing without a doubt that she had chosen the right path for herself. She felt like a brand-new cat now.

Honeysong closed her eyes and briefly nuzzled into her uncle’s touch, purring just as loudly. ”Thank you, Sagelight,” she mewed softly. ”I promise to continue making you all proud.” Once Sagelight stepped away, Honeysong turned her attention to the Moonstone, looking as powerful as ever, yet while still having about it an inviting aura. StarClan themselves were drawing her to them, and she would answer.

Approaching the mythical rock, the young molly settled down before it, tucking her paws underneath her soft underbelly to protect herself from the penetrating cold of the cave floor. Closing her eyes, she leaned her nose forward and touched it to the Moonstone’s frosty surface, immediately falling asleep in a chilly burst. Opening her eyes, she found herself in StarClan’s territory once again.

Before her, Honeysong saw a shape beginning to form out of the stars falling from the sky. At first, she was worried that perhaps one of the Righteous Few were going to greet her, but she told herself that the rest of StarClan wouldn’t let that happen. The stars glimmered and sparkled, forming a long-legged tortoiseshell tom that stood over her by a couple mouse-lengths. The tom wore a gentle smile as he greeted her. ”Welcome back to StarClan, Honeysong. My name is Spiderpounce. I am the son of your mother’s sister.”

Honeysong stared at Spiderpounce in awe. This cat was her cousin, her kin. Suddenly realizing that she was staring with her jaw hanging, she quickly shut her mouth and glanced away in embarrassment. ”I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. It’s just ... I didn’t really know I had kin aside from Spottedstar’s side.”

To the molly’s relief, the StarClan cat purred with laughter, his whiskers twitching. ”Yep, you and I are definitely related. I used to be just like you when I was younger, Honeysong: always scared and timid and unsure of myself. I still am quite often, that part of me will never go away. But it was thanks to the strength of SkyClan that I had finally been able to prove myself a loyal warrior.” He padded up close to Honeysong and touched noses with her. ”I can see it, Honeysong. You will do incredible things as SkyClan’s medicine cat. You have such a kind and gentle heart. Make sure to never forget that.”

Honeysong closed her eyes and took in her kin’s scent. He smelled of all four seasons all at once. ”I won’t forget. I promise.”

Seeming to be satisfied with her response, Spiderpounce stepped away from her. ”I am so glad I was finally able to meet you, Honeysong. I know you will make SkyClan proud. May StarClan light your path today, tomorrow, and forever.” He began to glow brightly, engulfing Honeysong’s entire vision, and she had been forced to shut her eyes again.

When she opened them again, she found herself once again next to the Moonstone, which had stopped glowing at this point. She could hear the soft breathing of Sagelight as he slept a few tail-lengths away. Her muscles stiff from laying the same position all night long, Honeysong rose up slowly to her paws and stretched herself out. Her heart danced with joy; StarClan had approved of her once more, and now, she had officially earned her medicine cat name. She couldn’t wait to tell Blossomstep and the rest of her friends and family back home.