Blackkit's MCA Ceremony

Mistedsong was rather thankful that he already passed through ShadowClan territory on the way to Highstones, because at that point it did not seem that far out of his normal way to visit their camp. He padded with anxious paws through the marshy forest, trying to keep his bushy tail as far away from the wet ground as possible without it being unnatural. He'd never been to ShadowClan's camp before, and he had not really anticipated going any time soon, but with Oakleaf's passing.. it couldn't have been avoided. The medicine cat explained his presence succinctly to the cats that asked as he made his way to Firestar's den to explain himself properly. Being in entirely foreign territory surrounded by cats much larger and more powerful than he made the tom far more anxious than usual, and it was all he could do to not visibly shake in his pelt.

After being granted approval by the ShadowClan leader, he followed the directions he'd been given to the nursery to find the cat he'd come for. "Blackkit?" he meowed into the entrance, unwilling to actually step inside another Clan's nursery. Experienced warriors knew that queens were not to be trifled with, and Mistedsong's fighting prowess was probably no more than a newly appointed apprentice at best.

Blackkit looked up at the strange cat that didn’t smell like his clan and got a little scared. “Y-yes...?” he stuttered out while getting to his paws and going to the new cat. He wondered what the older Tom wanted with him and if he could just hide in himself so they couldn’t see how scared he was. Most of his life, he has been getting maken fun of because of his stutter and cowardness but he couldn’t help it, it was who he was. “W-who..A-are..Y-you..?” he stuttered at the Tom with a still terrified expression.

Mistedsong's heart absolutely melted at the sight of the stuttering kit. He was reminded of himself as a kit after his accident, and he knew now why StarClan chose him to do this instead of one of the other medicine cats. He considered briefly how to best accomplish this; it was a lot of information to process for himself, let alone a kit barely of age. "I am Mistedsong, the medicine cat of SkyClan," he mewed softly, trying to sound as friendly as possible. "Oakleaf was going to choose you as his apprentice before he got sick, and he asked me to train you in his stead since he had to return to StarClan," the tom explained. "Does that sound like something you would be interested in? Do you want to be ShadowClan's next medicine cat?"

Blackkit tjoight about before smiling. “Y-yes..!” he stuttered out excitedly. He always wanted to be the medicine cat and didn’t know if he could as Oakleaf got that sickness and all. “H-how D-do I B-become?” he asked still smiling.

The medicine cat grinned at the small kit. "We will make for the Moonstone at once. StarClan will grant you your new position," he meowed, leading Blackkit to his Clan's medicine den. "I'm going to prepare some traveling herbs for you, as it's a relatively long journey for a young cat." He pawed through the stored herbs, taking note of how dried out most of the herbs had gotten, and how few herbs were actually available. "Oakleaf must have been sick for some time. There is.. much to be desired here," he meowed with a sigh. "I will help you to gather some before I return to SkyClan," Mistedsong reassured the kit.

He pulled a couple of cloud-shaped leaves away from the grouped herbs. "This is burnet, which is eaten for strength. It's also given to queens," A few small white flowers were added on top. "Chamomile is soothing and strengthening." Small rounded leaves and pointed curly leaves were the last. "Finally, sorrel and daisy leaves help to curb appetite. Eat these, and we can be on our way," Mistedsong mewed. He kicked himself for not turning the traveling herbs into a learning moment for his own apprentice when he'd chosen her as well.

Blackkit nodded and saved those herbs into his memory. He ate the herbs with disgust and then padded after Mistedsong.

[skip to highstones]

Mistedsong was a bit thankful that he'd had the time to rest in ShadowClan's territory, as it made the journey to Highstones seem far less arduous, at least for him. "Be careful now, Blackkit," he meowed, relieved that it was just his companion that'd startled him. "The rocks here can be slick or sharp, you'd do well to watch your step. There's not a whole lot more to see here than rocks until we get to the Moonstone."

The medicine cat padded forward, closer and closer to the looming Mothermouth. "Once we're inside the Mothermouth, it will be nearly impossible to see, so either follow my scent or stay close to my tail and stay as close as possible," he told the kit. "We still have a ways to go." The darkness of the cave swallowed the two cats quickly, as it was already deep in the night. The walls narrowed around them as they went deeper, and Mistedsong instinctively took the path to the right. "The path splits here. Make sure that you always go into the right-side tunnel. The left is dangerous and the path unstable."

The damp, smooth walls of the cave brushed against the tom's whiskers as he headed ever deeper into the cave. Mistedsong had always had a very strong connection with StarClan, and he could feel the fur on the back of his neck rising as they came closer to the Moonstone. After a few more moments, he saw a growing light signifying the end of the path. "We've arrived," the medicine cat mewed, starlight glinting off of his green eyes in a mischievous twinkle as he entered the vast cave that housed the Moonstone.

The Moonstone shone spectacularly with the light of the moon that entered through the hole at the top of the cave. It bathed the two cats in a bright white light, and within it Mistedsong could feel the cold but comforting presence of their ancestors. He hoped that StarClan knew what they were doing by having him train a cat from another Clan. "Blackkit, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan and return to ShadowClan as a medicine cat?"

He followed Mistedsong through the darkness when he saw a glowing stone ahead. He looked at it scared but then remembered it was the Moonstone. When Mistedsong started talking again he looked at him in amazement. “Y-yes..” he stuttered out still looking around the cave.

Mistedsong smiled softly at the kit, and fixed his gaze vaguely upwards, looking to his ancestors. "Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice. He has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant him your wisdom and insight so that he may understand your ways and heal his Clan in accordance with your will."

"Come forward, Blackkit, and press your nose to the Moonstone. It's time to visit StarClan," he meowed with an air of finality, waiting for the kit to follow his instruction before pressing his nose to the stone himself. Sleep quickly overtook him, anxious to see what awaited them in their dreams.

A warm, blissful sigh left Mistedsong's muzzle as he stretched his legs, the pain that usually knotted the base of his spine absent and his mind refreshed. He never tired of the energy that the fields of StarClan gave him. "Come, Blackkit, we're being expected," he mewed, padding over the hill they woke up on the other side of to meet the sea of cats with stars in their pelts. He greeted Oakleaf at the front, glad to see him again under less confusing circumstances.

"It's good to see you Mistedsong, Blackkit," Oakleaf meowed. "I wish I could have trained you myself, but I am sure Mistedsong will do a great job. From this day forth, you shall be known as Blackpaw. May the stars guide your paws in learning everything Mistedsong has to share with you."

The crowd of starry cats burst with life, seemingly endless cheers of "Blackpaw! Blackpaw!" erupting with no end in sight. The cacophony of voices was the last the medicine cats heard before they awoke once again in the cold cave of the Moonstone, the first light of dawn beginning to stream into the cavern.

Blackpaw was happy to see oakleaf again and looked at Mistedsong with a big smile. “A-are..Y-you..S-sure..I-I’m... R-ready?” he asked quietly as he followed Mistedsong out.

Mistedsong smiled at the new apprentice softly. "I'm sure you'll do just fine," he mewed. "Let's get back to your camp, you need to rest before we start trying to rebuild ShadowClan's herb stores."

Blackpaw padded after Mistedsong back to his camp and home.