Softpaw's Medicine Cat Ceremony

Softpaw waited at the edge of Fourtrees as she patiently sat, awaiting the arrival of Mistedsong, a fellow medicine cat. Swiftstream was dead, and she didn't want to go to the Moonstone alone, so at the gathering, she'd been asked by Mistedsong if she'd like his company. She'd happily accepted. Tonight would be the night she got her full name under the watchful eyes of StarClan. She was beyond excited, though worried as well. Lichenstar had approached her one night to ask her to train an apprentice for Wildflower, as she was sickly and could not do so. RiverClan would not have a medicine cat if Wildflower were to die. As Mistedsong and Logleap both had apprentices, Softpaw was asked to take over for RiverClan, as she had been doing Wildflower's Moonstone trips for her.

The sky was a practically cloudless near-sunset, and she grinned as she saw the gray shape of Mistedsong, "Hey, Mistedsong! Over here!" She called out

The grey tom padded into the clearing, eyes taking in how odd Fourtrees looked without being swarming with Clan cats. Softpaw looked quite small in the empty clearing, but being honest with himself, he probably looked even smaller. "It's good to see you," Mistedsong meowed cheerily as he came face-to-face with the WindClan cat. "Let's get going-- I've walked more in the past moon than I have in my entire life and my nest calls to me." The medicine cat smiled a bit ruefully; he would definitely be relieved once Blackpaw gets his full name, as balancing both apprentices was quite stressful. "How are you doing? I know Swiftstream had been ill for some time, but.. she will definitely be missed," the tom mewed, sadness in his voice.

Hurt and another emotion- despair, perhaps?- filled her soft blue gaze as Mistedsong brought up her late mentor. Guilt prickled her pelt. Was she worthy of being a full medicine cat if she couldn't save her mentor? Despite not being all that close to Swiftstream, she still missed her scent, and occasionally she'd catch a whiff of her scent in the air, and her heart would flood with sadness. But, right now, she had a job to do. She didn't have time for sadness. "I'm sure your paws will thank you, too." She purred with an amused tone, brushing away her sadness.

---

que that time skip

---

Softpaw gulped as they approached highstones. The tunnel from them to the Moonstone lay between them ominously, the darkness swirling, threatening to consume them. Fear danced in her sky colored eyes. What if StarClan rejects me? Could they do that after she'd come so far? Would they do that?

Mistedsong could feel the anxiety wafting off of the apprentice as if it were a cold chill in the air. "Come, Softpaw. StarClan will accept you readily," he meowed softly, fluffy tail brushing along her side soothingly as he took the lead ahead of her through the tunnel. The walk into the oppressive darkness felt as if it took less time when he was not worried about the cat behind him losing their way, potentially forever. The Moonstone seemed especially bright on that particular night, almost seeming as if it was a physical embodiment of the life that the stars held in their paws. It looked to Mistedsong as if the stone pulsed-- like it was alive. The grey tom glanced upwards through the hole that the light shone through far above their heads, eyes finding the half-moon above the two medicine cats. connection with StarClan was the strongest he had ever felt in the cavern, as if he could feel the pelts of his ancestors brushing against him as he padded up to the rock. Something about the life that the Moonstone had on this night spoke to him, and despite the ache in his paws at the idea, he resolved to come back next half-moon to see if it was the same. "I'll see you on the other side," he mewed brightly to Softpaw, pressing his nose to the Moonstone and awaiting the sleep that overcame him.

---

Mistedsong stretched his legs, arching his back and enjoying the stretch in his spine that normally hurt too much to stretch properly. His paws no longer hurt, and his eyelids were no longer heavy with exhaustion, and his soul felt warm. StarClan felt like home, and Mistedsong was glad to have the chance to visit before he began his permanent stay. His green eyes roamed the lush grass, waiting for his companion to join him.

Softpaw closed her eyes and immediately, her vision was flooded with white. She blinked several times before her eyes grew accustomed to the light. In front of her stood a huge black tom, his pelt was sleek and shiny, and although tall, he was slender with wide shoulders. He had a smushed face and bright yellow eyes. One ear had a tear at the top, and scars decorated his pelt. His yellow eyes were hard as he stared down at her. Softpaw remembered the first time she'd met this cat; she'd been terrified of him. Now, however, her heart rejoiced at seeing him. "Oh, Darksong..! Where's Echolight, are you here to welcome me?" She asked, jumping up and purring, rubbing her muzzle against the tom.

His yellow eyes softened as he lowered his muzzle to touch noses with her. "Hello, kit. I trust your doing well? Haven't poisoned any cat with foxglove seeds, have you?" He teased, his voice gruff. Softpaw purred. Darksong had been the medicine cat before Swiftstream's mentor, the first medicine cat of WindClan. His life had been too short, but he'd been a warrior before a medicine cat, back with the tribe, before Softpaw was born.

A slender silver tabby padded up behind him. She came up to his shoulders, her silver pelt was delicately decorated with gray, and her friendly yellow eyes were round with joy. A single scar shown, on her left paw. She had white paws and tail tip, starlight glimmering around her paws. "Oh, Softpaw, dear we're so happy you've come. It's an important day, you know." Echolight mewed, delight purring in her voice.

Darksong cleared his throat, "Softpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do."
"Then by the powers of StarClan, we give you your true name as a medicine cat. Softpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Softcloud. StarClan honors your kindness and your outspoken justness."
"Softcloud! Softcloud!"

More voices chanted around her, halling her by her new name. "Go now, little one. RiverClan needs you, just as WindClan does."

"Goodbye Darksong, Echolight!"
"We'll always be with you little one, go now, the moonlight is fading."

---

Softcloud opened her eyes and gazed up at Mistedsong. "Mistedsong, are you awake? They accepted me. I'm Softcloud now."

Mistedsong smiled and cheered with the StarClan cats. Softcloud fit the she-cat well. When he awoke, he was reluctant to open his eyes and acknowledge how much his body hurt now. "Congratulations, Softcloud," he meowed, cracking his tired green eyes open and getting to his feet gingerly. "If you would like, we can go ahead and stop by RiverClan before we part ways. I believe Cottonkit was the kit that Wildflower wanted to take as her apprentice before she fell ill."