Berrykit’s Medicine Cat Apprentice Ceremony

She was ready. She’d gotten a good night’s sleep. She’d gotten the traveling herbs. She’d asked StarClan to tell her if she was doing it wrong, and they had said nothing. Everything was ready.

Hentooth stretched, long and luxuriously. The calico sunk her claws into the ground for a moment, before shaking out her fur and rising to her paws. She headed over to the nursery, poking her head inside. She’d told Sagewillow, but it seemed the molly was still asleep. “Come on, Berrykit,” she murmured, gently prodding the fluffball-no-longer. Once the tom had woken, she backed out of the nursery and gave him his herbs. “Bitter as dog-dung but they work, eh?” As soon as they’d both eaten their herbs, she led the way out onto the moor, careful to keep the pace sedate.


She’d been right to leave early. After all, Berrykit had no training of running. They’d kept at a slow pace, fit for an apprentice-aged kit. Now, at last, they reached Mothermouth. In a moment, they’d head inside, but first- “You absolute darn sure, kit? This is a big decision.” She’d give him an opportunity to back out, just as Smallbean had done to her. Even though she was sure the tom wouldn’t take it.

Berrykit groggily heaved himself up from his mossy nest in the nursery, ready for his ceremony. He believed that if Starclan wanted him to be a medicine cat, he would be a medicine cat. Hentooth had placed a small pile of herbs in front of him. Berrykit was a little nervous to eat them at first, eventually gulping down the unpleasant things. Those herbs are disgusting! He thought to himself.

Soon he followed Hentooth along to the Mothermouth. When they arrived, Hentooth had asked him an important question. "Yes. I-I'm sure I want to do this." He knew Starclan had their reasons, and he was going to accept them.

Hentooth nodded, flicking her tail, and without another word padded into Mothermouth. The light behind them grew fainter and fainter until only darkness met their eyes. The slow sound of Hentooth’s paws and a slight breeze that ruffled their fur was the only sound as they made their way deeper into Highstones, along paths worn smooth by generations of medicine cats. Hentooth knew her way around the place with her eyes closed, but she always peered into the darkness, just to catch that first glimpse of the Moonstone.

Finally.

A faint blue glow as they rounded a corner, and there it was, shining with the brilliance of the brightest stars, towering above them. Hentooth took a deep breath. It was time.

“Berrykit,” she began. To her own amazement, her voice reverberated and echoed, growing louder and yet still clear. She could pick out a few individual voices within it, clear, soft, striking voices, saying the ceremonial words with her. StarClan approved.

“Berrykit, is it your will to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?”

Berrykit and Hentooth had been wandering through the Mothermouth, slowly walking through tunnels for a few minutes. Berrykit had been waiting for Hentooth to stop, and she finally did. Berrykit was ready to see the Moonstone, but before he could, Hentooth had again asked him an important question. He thought about it for a bit, staring straight ahead, processing an answer. "Yes. It is." It was finally time. He was going to meet Starclan. Or at least someone from Starclan.

“Good. Ancestors of StarClan, I present to you this apprentice. He has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant him your infinite wisdom and insight so that he may understand your ways and serve his clan for many moons to come, even after I have joined your ranks."

The words echoed with the power of a thousand seasons, the wisdom of a million moons joining her clear voice. The power of StarClan. No matter how many times she witnessed it… it never ceased to amaze. With a tail flick she motioned for him to go forwards and touch his nose to the Moonstone… to dream.

Now it was his turn to witness the might of StarClan.

(OOC: Sorry for such a lazy write, I'm really tired and I just need to get this done    )

Berrykit stepped up to the Moonstone, ready to speak with a feline of great wisdom. He hesitated to touch his nose onto the moonstone, glancing back at Hentooth a few times. Here goes... He thought to himself, thinking what might happen when he made contact to the luminescent boulder. He stepped a little closer and booped to the Moonstone gently. It had burst with light and Berrykit realized he was going to speak to Starclan.

Unfortunately, the StarClan cat he got wasn't the most... reverent.

Murkpaw resisted - barely - the urge to fall asleep as he waited for the medicine cats to finally get to the Moonstone, wondering why in Silverpelt they'd picked him, anyway, and just what exactly they expected. Not like he cared, but seriously: why him?

He blinked murky hazel-amber eyes slowly as the apprentice materialized in front of him, and waved the white-touched tip of his tail lazily. "Welcome to StarClan, you're now an apprentice medicine cat. Congratulations."

(OOC: om my starclan this is rushed and short sorry-)

As Berrykit appeared in Starclan, he made out a figure in front of him. A small figure. Wha- Is that a... But before he could think any longer, the translucent cat spoke up. Uh, o-ok? That was kinda fast... Who are you? Berrykit akwardly questioned.

(it's fine! :) Murkpaw is kind of a rude guy, sorry X'D)

"We can always sit around all night if you want," Murkpaw stated blandly. Narrowing his eyes at the kit for a second, he snorted and waved the end of his tail vaguely, the stars in his pelt twinkling and cascading in gleaming rivulets through the darker parts of his tabby pelt. "A StarClan cat. Obviously. I died - now I live in starry paradise."

Leaning forward, he poked a forepaw at the other cat. "For some reason, you're still here." Maybe he hadn't believed him when he announced his new station in life. Figured. "Mff. Who are you, then? Let's pretend I care for a moment."