Ebonykit's Apprentice Ceremony

Moonsage padded up to the Nursery, evaluating it half heartedly. "Ebonykit?" He asked, wondering if she was napping or not.

Ebonykit sat outside the nursery. "Yes?" she asked, flicking her tail back and forth.

Moonsage smiled, remembering when he was a kit. Good-times.. he thought fondly. Just because he wasn't the most popular kit of the bunch or the biggest, he certaintly had fun. "It's time for your ceremony!" He said, remembering when the words were first told to him.

"Really?" Ebonykit grinned and jumped up on her feet. The excitement shown in the gleam of her eye. "Are we going to?.. I mean.. right now? At this moment?"
Tongue-tied was an understatement.

^ Before :D. V After

She flicked her eyes back and forth from the ground to Moonsage and back again. There was only one reason that he would come up to her personally, instead of sending someone for her to come to his den... or too simply stern her about getting under his paws and constantly tripping him. Ebonykit tried to keep the corners of her mouth down, though she could feel a tingle rising in her paws and heart. Hand-in-hand with that, a small amount of heat rose in her face. What could she say? She was excited and as a result was also embarrassed that the elder tom might take notice. It probably wasn't a big deal, one would expect the kit to be over enthusiastic, but she couldn't help herself. The she-cat wanted to licked down her chest, less the chance the stared too much at the earth below her or Moonsage, looking like a dumbstruck mouse-brain.

Then the words hit, oh joy! Ebonykit couldn't help herself. Her heart jumped and a large grin flashed across her face... if cats could grin that is. This was the day she had been waiting for for so long and now it was finally here! She was going to be the next Medicine Cat of ShadowClan! The black calico practically jumped up on her feet. The small tingles of excitement in her paws turned to a burning, longing to run and start her run to the Moonstone. She wanted to see it, see the outside world and see the beauty of the gate to StarClan... something only most cats could only hear of. Not only that, but it would be her first time out of her home period, that is apart from the time she fetched the warrior Firefly out of the tree beside their camp.

"Really?" The words flew out of her mouth as she took in a gasp. Her mouth fumbled around, longing to find the right words to say... You never know, maybe she is going to end up like a dumbstruck mouse-brain. Wait, that's right. Ceremony... it's at the moonstone... remember what you thought and put it into words. "Are we going too- I mean- Right now, at this very moment?" Her mind and tongue were an epic battle to control what she said and how she said it... you could say it was a ... tie? Haha, get the pun? Okay, no really. Ebonykit eagerly awaited Moonsage's reply.

Moonsage looked down on her, but not in the sense it would have normally been referring to. He remembered the day when Moonmist had first apprenticed him, when she had come to the Nursery and poked her nose on little sleeping Moonkit. The excitement he had felt was extreme, and no event had ever proven more exciting... bar all of the lives he had saved, and all the cats he had healed. What fun it had been, to learn the ancient ways of the Medicine Cat, to believe that you were going to be the greatest, to settle your ambitions on one course... And what pain it had been, when he saw all of the other apprentices running and playing, and having fun. Where as he had been cooped up in the Medicine Cat den, learning the difference between deathberries and berries that were 'okay' to consume. What torture it had been to realize he would never have a companion, no one he could ever be close to. Of course, he should not fret. The Medicine Cat position was one of the most respected and envied of all. And he had loved it.

Now, it was his turn to pass on the learnings that his mentor had once taught to him, and pave this young kit's course into life. He looked down at her bright eyes, full of eagerness, with a drive to learn. She seemed impatient now, but Moonsage must have too, when it was time for his Ceremony. Barely able to keep himself from jumping up and down in anticipation. Looking back on it, he probably looked like a complete fool in front of his mentor, but she had probably had been thinking the same thing he was as this very moment.

"Ebonykit, it is time. Right now, yes," He said slowly, wanting to give her time to relish the thought of becoming a Medicine Cat Apprentice. It was only a small step in her journey, but if she could survive the hard work it took, she would become a great Medicine Cat in due time. Hopefully he could survive it. How was he going to keep up with this little bundle of fur if he could barely keep up with fresh kill that was dead twelve times over. He shook his head. He would get through it. StarClan, he could even learn something from this kit.

Ebonykit took in a deep breathe, giving herself a few moments to take in and control the power of the moment. It still took a few moments, however, she was known to be quite the excitable kit. She could spring out of a horrible mood only for the reason of doing something she happened to liked or seeing the familiar face of a close friend. Letting out the vast amount of air in her body, she managed to contain her excitement... at least to the point where she would not be doing odd cartwheels around the campgrounds.

But then, a thought struck her, one that she had not considered before. Taking a moment of her cheering to notice the look on her future mentor's face. It seemed almost lonesome. Maybe being a Medicine Cat wasn't all it was cracked up to be, at least socially wise. Sure, you got to be in touch with many members of the clan, curing their ache's and whatnot... giving mouse-bile to the apprentice's and snickering at them when their back were turned, but perhaps also secluded? The she-cat considered that she'd never really talk to her brothers and sisters that much, and Soulpaw would certainly be busy with all the training of his own, Ebonykit might rarely get to catch him until the both got their names. She glanced at the face of the black once again and saw that the look that had worried her was replaced by a face of pride and warmth. Hey, if worst came to worst, she could always go on and on about nothing in particular to him alone. She was sure Moonsage would love to listen to her rambling.

Well, there was no turning back after this. Ebonykit nodded her head, looking back at him once again. Whatever came up, she'd be ready for it. This was her dream and she wasn't going to give it up on some whim.
The calico nodded at Moonsage, the smile still plastered on her face. "Let's go then!" She meowed happily, taking her first steps away from the nursery, leaving behind her life as a kit. (Except for the sleeping schedule. ;D) "So, are we going straight to the Moonstone? Or what?" She asked, her body facing the camp entrance, a hint of confusion was in her voice.