Firefly's Elder Ceremony

The tortoiseshell couldn't help the turmoil that was raging on the inside of her head. Fawnshine's herbs had finally begun kicking in, allowing her to feel somewhat more like herself, when the news had been delivered her way. It was that night that she'd spent crying, feeling she'd failed yet another kit in some way. First, it was Murkyriver feeling the need to separate herself from Thunderclan entirely. Not only was it not to the other clan of her blood, it was to one of an ally. Next was Rosethorn, passing much too soon as her grandkit's birth took her away. Turtlepaw's disappearance stung too. Now... it was Firefly's turn. Her little flame. It seemed nothing could ever extinguish it, except for one thing: it had become apparent in multiple of her kits. Logic told her that it was something from Nightstalker's line that caused flaws in their hearts, the seizing chest pain she'd heard described from Murkyriver on time or two and the oddity that came from Firefly certainly having to be related. Not to mention that none of her other kits seemed to present it, even if Mottlestar herself had lost two of her lives to heart-related issues. Those were just the stresses of life... the pressures that came from being leader.

Tears dotted the corner of her amber gaze as she crossed the planks of the structure that jutted out of the water close to shore. It had been steady enough, and as she perched, it was with a heavy heart she called out "Let all cats safe from the bramble's thorns gather for a Clan meeting!" It carried her voice just as the Highrock back home did. She'd felt pain conducting Dayquill's elder ceremony, but this? This was an entirely new pain. It was one thing to watch your kits die... it was another to see their light slowly snuffed out.

There was plenty of time for the battle-hardened russet warrior to speak with a few ThunderClan souls to finally feel secure in her decision: retirement. If she pushed herself any further, she would meet an untimely death just like Rosethorn had. But even as she padded up to sit beneath her leader - her mother - with the same stoic look she always gave as though nothing was wrong, but this time with tears that mirrored her mothers. Her silence wasn't because she had all but given up. No. It was far from that. If she said something now before she could gather herself, she wasn't sure she could stop the tears. She loved being a warrior. With all of her aching and sick heart. And at one point, Firefly would have preferred to remain as she was and fight for ThunderClan till the day she inevitably died. It seems it took one squirrel-tailed deputy to change all of that in so little time. Thanks to Acornstem, Firefly found little shame in resting if it meant exchanging just a little more time to be around those she held dear: Mottlestar, Acornstem, Curlyfluff, and yes, even the obnoxious Sweetheart who was the spitting image of Rosethorn.

She blinked the budding tears from her eyes, the unscarred part of her face the only one catching a stray and dampening the fiery cheek fur. There would be time for tears later. For now, she would look strong in front of the clan and especially her mother who no doubt saw this as her fault in some way. Firefly would sooner blame the shadow-born tom that cursed her bloodline than to ever think her mother would be at fault.

Acornstem's heart felt heavy as Mottlestar's call rang out - but it wasn't breaking. She had come to terms with this shortly after the news was given and in all honestly, she was thankful for it. She...She hadn't realized how bad things had been for Firefly and as selfish as it felt after what Curlyfluff had gone through...She didn't want to know his pain. But it still wasn't an easy thing to know that Firefly was retiring - it had never seem a future that the warrior would willing accept but Acornstem had vowed her full support - their relationship was changing with this new path, but it was changing for the better. She padded forward, taking a seat next to Firefly as she curled her tail around her and rested her head on the soon-to-be-elder's shoulder.

Whatever came next, they were handle together - she wouldn't let Firefly face this new path alone.

Her claws gripped tightly at the wooden planks that rested beneath her, the wood splitting under just how much force the leader was putting into them. This was not a ceremony, in a thousand moons, she would ever wish on her companions to have to conduct. Yet, here she was. It had felt like just not too long ago she had been allowing Blazefang to enter into the blissful rest that was due her way to spend time with her mate, and here she was, looking upon her own daughter. She was much too young to have to leave the duty that she knew her little flame thrived off of, but it did not mean it would be over. If Mottlestar had any inkling of knowledge on Firefly, she knew that the russet warrior would still be out of camp hunting when she could... but without the burden of responsibility and expectations to push her to a breaking point.

"Thunderclan, we gather in honor of a bright flame." Her voice rang out at its loudest. A final summon. A call to gather all cats who should be there to bear witness to Firefly's ceremony, and perhaps that was part of her bias in it being her daughter.

It warmed her heart, at least, to see the deputy taking a caring position at her daughter's side. A smile warmed the tortoiseshell's otherwise saddened features, but as was tradition for the tortoiseshell, she lept from her position atop the wooden structure. It was a steep dive from where she'd taken her place, but this was how Thunderclan honored their warriors.

Standing just across from Firefly, Mottlestar reared atop her hindlegs and placed her nose gently to the warrior's head. "You won't ever burn out, my little flame, no matter your title." She vowed, before taking a step back. "Firefly, it is my understanding that you wish to undertake your Clan-born rite, and join in honorable rest alongside the elders. Your tireless dedication to this Clan has founded a strength that was unseen before your time, and will not be forgotten, so long as your name continues. Is it truly your wish to step away from the responsibilities of a warrior, and spend the rest of your moons in honor-deserved rest?" Her voice crackled the further she spoke. Not just from the illness, but from the tears that slipped down her cheeks.

A slight smile cracked through her stoic gaze as Acornstem's fluffy tail curled it's way around her russet pelt, small head resting on her shoulder in comfort. Briefly tapping her cheek against the deputy's head. A reminder that she was never alone, and never wanted to be. A companion at her side, this 'bright flame' was ready to face a new stage in her young life. Though she couldn't help but wince as Mottlestar took the steep plunge from the wooden planks to approach her, knowing that sickness still lingered in her small frame.

The finality in Mottlestar's tone was starting to set in, every word crisp as she listened with both ears forward and at attention as her mother touched her cold nose to her stripped head: "You won't ever burn out, my little flame, no matter your title." A purr rumbled from head to toe in response, a quick lick to her mottled cheek before they separated. It was time.

Was it really her wish - her true desire - to never set paw on the battlefield or sparring grounds as a warrior? No. But pride needed to be set aside for her to be able to see her loved ones for a little while longer as her heart ripped itself apart inside her chest, beating irregular even as she sat here unmoving. "...It is." Her words came out choked, ears flicking back briefly as she fought to remain composed. Firefly would always be available to her clan, no matter her rank. But it was still hard.

It was not the confirmation that she needed. Far from it. If anything, the small tortoiseshell would have preferred her kit to have screamed in denial, to have hissed in her face for even daring to consider providing her such a title as elder. But instead... that was not what she got. The pain of the moment seemed to stop time for the leader as she heard the confirmation. Confirmation that she would have loved to even have misheard. But with the silence that permeated the air, she heard it, clear as the winds of snow that whipped around them all at one point or another.

Dipping her head, she took a moment to compose herself. "Then it is with the highest honor I shall grant your request." Her voice cracked just as her chest ached, and this time, not from a cough. "Firefly, your loyalty and talent in battle have more than earned you amongst our most honored warriors and elders. May your days in eldership be filled with peace, love, and relaxation, but may your flame never be extinguished or die. As that flame burns, always have the freedom to teach Thunderclan's next generation just what it is to be a warrior of Thunderclan." Tears flecked her gaze even more. Closing whatever distance remained between her and her daughter, the tortoiseshell rose onto her hind legs to rest her nose against Firefly's forehead.

Not wanting to let go for as long as she could, once Mottlestar finally did, she looked out amongst her Clan. "Let us all celebrate Firefly. Who she is, what she has done, and what she will continue to do for Thunderclan as our newest elder." It wasn't the joyous cheer of a warrior ceremony, but nor was it a solemn cry of death. It was of respect.

In such a sign, the tortoiseshell bowed, low and deep. It was a gesture she hadn't used in moons, having been of equivalent rank to almost all other cats. But for this? She would honor her little flame.