Birchkit's MCA Ceremony

Though the awful chill of Leaf Bare was creeping up Adderfeather's spine, she'd managed to drift into the abyss of sleep, settled deep into her nest of moss and soft grasses. Paired with her thick, dark fur, it was enough to get her through the nights. This night, in particular, a dreadful downpour rained across the forest and threatened to send the shorelines across RiverClan soaring. It felt like it took moons to fall asleep with the awful thunder and lightning outside her den, but eventually, Adderfeather managed. It wasn't often that she found herself dreaming amongst the stars in such a manner as she was tonight, however. It was quite dark, and she found herself next to the rushing rapids of starlit waters, stranded on a lone rock in the middle of the river. Panic settled within the deep confines of her heart, and she couldn't pick apart the sounds of the roaring waters and that of her own pulse in her ears. It took her a moment to find her bearings, and once she did, she frantically searched around her, taking in her surroundings as quickly as she could.

Through the thick tendrils of silky fog, Adderfeather could just barely make out the black and white bark of a birch tree, fallen across the river from one side to the other. If she tried hard enough, relied on the training she received as a warrior apprentice... She just might make it to the branch... Right?

She wanted to believe that there was another option, but no matter how far she looked, no matter where she turned, she only found the dense fog she'd been surrounded with since waking up. So, with a deep breath in, she pushed off of the slippery rock, legs outstretched, longing to make contact with the thin black and white branch. Before her claws gripped the rough surface, her eyes snapped open, and she was greeted with the soaking wet pit that had become her den. Her yellow eyes widened with each second, chest heaving as she tried to recover from the rather... odd experience. It didn't take her long to figure out what StarClan was trying to tell her... She'd just been speaking with Wolfstar about who she might train as an apprentice. She wanted to scream at StarClan with all her might... But frankly, she just didn't have the energy.

Padding out of her den with her ears slicked back against her skull, she quickly made her way to the nursery, trying her best not to give her coat a thorough soaking in the process. "Birchkit! Wake up." She mewed through clenched teeth, dreading what was about to happen.

Birchkit knew he was sleeping but it still felt so real. He was back in the river but this time duckkit wasnt with him. He was barely holding onto the grass as the water pulled at his fur, wanting him to join it again. As the horrible water swept over his fur he knew what was to come. The grass he was holding broke and he tumbled into the awful rushing waters. Before birchkit could hit the rock he was woken up by someone. Lightning flashed showing that the cat was Adderfeather. He looked around with scared eyes before realizing he was in the nursery, and dry.


Birchkit looked up at adderfeather trying to calm himself down, wondering why she was here. Nightmares were just part of his trauma, she knew that, so that wasnt why she was here. "Oh, hi adderfeather, Uhhh is something wrong? Either way, thanks for saving me from the nightmare." He mewed ruffling his thick fur as it now calmed down.

Adderfeather huffed, hackles slightly raised against the wet and cold outside the nursery. "There's a lot of things wrong," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head. It may be StarClan's will, but that didn't mean she had to pretend to enjoy it. "You're going to be my apprentice. Get your furry rump up and come to my den, I'll make some herb bundles and we'll be on our way once the rain subsides. Got it? Good." She mewed, and walked out immediately without waiting for a response. She swiftly trotted back to her den, making her way towards her herb stocks. She made two separate bundles consisting of burnet, chamomile, and sorrel, and one with a bit of honey for Birchkit. She downed hers quickly, waiting impatiently for Birchkit.

birchkit was shocked to hear he would become her apprentice. He was barely able to survive a day, let alone be a medicine cat. Reluctantly he got to his paws and padded out into the rain after Adderfeather. He hated getting wet so quickly ran, knowing Adderfeather hated to wait.

He padded into the medicine den, shaking his fur before entering deeper, and padded towards Adderfeather and his bundle of herbs. He lapped up the herbs and waited with Adderfeather until the storm ended, thinking about why he was chosen.

Once the storm had subsided, Adderfeather pushed her way past the reeds, exiting her den. "I don't have all day. Get your furry rear end out here, and let's get going." She snapped, ears slicked back atop her skull. She shook out her dark, fluffy fur and began taking the familiar route to highstones. She dreaded the trip there, and more than anything, she dreaded the trip back.

---

Once they'd finally reached the moonstone, Adderfeather wasted no time in beginning the ceremony. "StarClan, I present to you... Birchkit, the kit you chose to be my apprentice. He has accepted the path of the medicine cat, and will dedicate his life to healing all who need it. From this moment until you earn the full title as medicine cat of RiverClan, you will be known to all as Birchpaw." She mewed, recalling how Softcloud had conducted her ceremony in a similar manner. "Hurry up now, lay there and touch your nose to the stone. StarClan will greet you." She murmured, settling down herself as she waited for Birchkit to do the same.

Birchkit nodded and touched his nose and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes he wasn't in the cave anymore but in starclan. Birchkit looked around not knowing what to do next.


(Sorry this Sucks)

Applebriar was both nervous and excited. It would be her first time talking to a living cat; and it wasn't even a Moonstone! This was a medicine cat ceremony! Her mother, Whitemist, had made sure she looked presentable for the kit she'd be speaking with. He was a child of Wolfstar and Violetbriar, her kin, her legacy. This was important.

"Welcome, little one. This is StarClan," Her voice echoed, regal sounding, and she hoped she didn't startle the poor thing. Her iridescent coat shimmered with stars and faint ginger tabby stripes. Her eyes were glowing with an unearthly white, blue hints behind it. Her thick fur was swamped with starlight, and her furry paws were surrounded by star-speckled mist. Applebriar's eyes sparkles with youthful energy, and a smile tugged her features despite her struggles to stay poised. "I'm Applebriar. Your mother's mother's father was my brother, and I sacrificed my own life to save his."

There was no bitterness in her voice, only soft acceptance. She'd chosen to die for her brother; had wanted to. He'd had a family, a mate, a kit. He had deserved to live longer than she and he'd lived a good life. "I've seen your struggles first paw, 'kit. Our kin have watched you closely. You have to place more trust in yourself. If you cannot trust yourself, how can you trust others? Your judgement will be blinded by your own self loathing and you'll make preventable mistakes."

"But, it doesn't have to be like that. Have courage, Birchpaw. You're alive for a purpose, a reason! Be great! You have what it takes, I know you do! You must find your purpose in life and dedicate your entire being to it. When you find what you are living for, you must never, ever let go of that dream. Know your limits, and test the boundaries, but never lose sight of your goals and your morals. Be confident, Birchpaw. A heartbeat of hesitation could mean life or death. If I hadn't reacted to swiftly, you might not be alive today. Don't doubt yourself or your abilities."

"Every cat makes mistakes. That's a part of life! What's important is to remember that mistakes aren't failures. They're lessons. Learn from them, and grow to love yourself. For who you really are. When the river runs dry, it isn't your fault. When herbs die of frost, it isn't your fault. You cannot control everything, but you can accept things and go forward. Courage, acceptance, self-sacrifice, and dedication."

Applebriar paused as she looked down at the monochrome calico tom. "Those are the core traits that I'm passing onto you tonight. Whether you listen to my words or not, remember one last thing, and don't ever forget this." Applebriar and the surroundings were fading now, and as the starry she-cat leaned in, her whisper echoed around the misty clearing.

Birchpaw listened to her with an amazed look on his face. He couldn't believe he was related to this very wise she-cat. He took every word in, knowing he would live by what she said. As she started to fade away, Birchpaw smiled at the last thing she said. And it was a real smile at that.

Birchpaw awoke to see himself back in the cave with Adderfeather in the corner. He padded up to her, nudging her, as to say he was ready to leave.