Peachblossom couldn't remember the last time she felt so nervous for a medicine cat meeting, granted this time she was going to the meeting with a few extra paws. Glancing towards her newly named nervous apprentice Peachblossom couldn't help but find herself smiling softly, it had been awhile since she was able to bring along an apprentice, she could hardly hold in her excitement about being able to introduce Figpaw to Hareflight. The small molly gave the tom a quick bump with her shoulder, “You ready to head out kiddo? The journey isn't too terribly far but it can be quite tiring the first time around. Here you can eat this if you’d like. It's called Burnet. It helps keep your strength up on long journeys.” Dropping some in front of the apprentice before taking some for herself, normally she wouldn't take any but with how quickly she tires because of her extra weight due to the pregnancy. Beckoning the young tom to follow behind her Peachblossom lead the way.
The healer would be lying if she said this journey didn't leave her exhausted by the time they arrived. Her short legs made the trip feel like it takes forever no matter how many times she makes it. Waddling her way to their meeting spot outside the Mooncave Peachblossom, taking notice that the others had not arrived yet, flopped down to rest. Her breath is short and paws sore, “Seems like we are the first to arrive. Just take a rest and calm your nerves while we wait Figpaw. Try not to be too nervous. I promise everyone is really nice and will welcome you with open paws.” Peachblossoms tail gave away her slight annoyance that they were the first to arrive, usually they always came last and did not have to wait for the others to arrive. It wasn't that she was annoyed about having to wait for the others, it was more that she wanted to get home as fast as possible. Her kits were due any day now and she was tired. In reality she shouldn't have even made the trip but she couldn't possibly send Figpaw to his first meeting all by himself, it was her duty as his mentor to make sure he arrived safely. And of course she wanted to see her best friend once more before she became stuck in Thunderclan camp nursing kittens. Come on Hareflight, even the pregnant lady beat you here.
H A R E F L I G H T
Hareflight settled into her dreams, a familiar pattern for her. It was always the same. While the others had described waking in starry hunting grounds, Hareflight simply fell asleep, dropping into the momentary darkness one did when they had no dreams. This was how it always was - for her, it was mere moments of darkness between pressing her nose to the pool and waking with the others. It was calm. It was relaxed.
So it was quite a shock to wake to Peachblossom giving birth. Kicking into action, she helped anywhere she could, namely looking after a beautiful - but small - dilute calico. There was concern for Hareflight at first: the last thing she wanted to do was tell her best friend one of her kits had died. Luckily though, the kitten seemed to pull through fine and Hareflight passed it off to Peachblossom, smiling proudly.
"C-Congrats, Peachy," She whispered softly, falling quiet to allow Peach to enjoy her moment with her kittens. As Peachblossom began to speak to the small kit, Hareflight blinked in surprise, her chest swelling with love for her friend. Blinking away joyful tears, Hareflight smiled at the ThunderClan healer, leaning in to gently press her nose against her friend's fur. "And I know t-they will all accomplish so m-much with such a b-brave and i-intelligent mother. Y-You're going to do great, Peach."
Peachblossom watch eagerly as her young apprentice took his first lap of water, knowing that soon he’d be walking amongst the stars in Starclan. Memories of her first time entering Starclan, it was just when she was a kit, left alone, scared with no one around, happy that her apprentice won't have to do something like this alone. Peachblossom rested easily taking her time joining them knowing he’d soon be joined by the rest of the healers and the cats of Starclan. The small healer exhaled softly, enjoying the silences only being interrupted by the soft lapping waters, it was peaceful to her, feeling more at home then ever when in the cave. Her swollen paws leading her around the cave, stopping briefly by her friends side, Hareflight had already been well into her dream state by this point as Peachblossom settled down next to her. “Hareflight, I’m scared. Scared I wont be a good mentor, or mother. I don't want to fail Figpaw like I did with Morningspirit. I don't want to fail my children either. I don’t know what to do anymore.” While her tone was light and airy, her emotions weighed heavily on her. Peachblossom always struggled with expressing her emotions, but she needed to get it off her chest and with everyone in a trance it was the best time to get it out.
Happy with letting it out, the small molly moved back over to her apprentice, lowering herself down next to the tall brown and white apprentice. Flinching slightly as her swollen belly pressed into the cold ground, her muscles relaxed as her body was becoming more accustomed to the temperature. Her front paw dipped into the water, the swirling motions of her paw causing small ripples throughout the pool. Peachblossom locking eyes with herself through the waters reflection, taken aback when she realized just how far she had come with her life and to think that she was still young and had so much more time to make memories. Peachblossom was young and had still gone through so much from loosing not only one mentor but two even before she was fully trained, having to handle the great floods on her own, dealing with the death of Antlercreek, learning that her enemy was deemed the future leader of Thunderclan, but learning to accept and love her anyways, her first apprentice stepping down due to the overwhelm of her first disaster, and now she was here dealing with becoming a parent and gaining her new apprentice. “You’ve come so far Peachblossom.” The echoing voice of her “imaginary friend” who had followed her around since birth ringing in her ears. Feeling the pride swell within her she figured it was time to join her colleagues in the starry realm. Gently lapping up the cool liquid, swallowing it down everything felt weird, the water was cold but it ran down her throat like lava, her insides burning. Her belly stung, feeling her muscles tense up before the world around her went black.
~~Birth that no one wants to read including myself, plus some other fun things I have planned for later~~
When the others finally awoke Peachblossom was already mid-birth, she felt sorry for the felines who this was their first time experiencing something of this nature, especially her apprentice Figpaw. Thankfully the birth itself was quick and most of her kits seemed healthy aside from the small dilute calico kitten, Peachblossom was extremely lucky that such experienced healers were around her. Letting her best friend Hareflight take over making sure the little kitten made it through while she focused on her other kittens. Once the excitement and adrenaline had cooled down Peachblossom finally got a chance to get a good look at her children, silently cursing Snarlingbadger and his large genes for producing giant kittens. She loved them nonetheless, they were all beautiful and stable, she did fear for the small calico but for now she didn't have to fear. Nuzzling her children individually as she checked them over herself before taking a look at the cats around her who helped her through this. “Sorry for the surprise birth, this wasn't meant to happen until I got home. Thank you all for your help though.” Pulling her small calico kitten into her paws, such a small and helpless creature, it pulled at her heartstrings as she pulled the kitten closer, so thankful she made it through. “I need to wait for your father to name your siblings but I already know your name my love. Bunnykit. You’re named after the bravest feline I know, and the molly who saved your life. My best friend in all of the clans, Hareflight.” Her gaze moving to meet the Shadowclan healer, a proud smile plastered on her muzzle as she showed off her small kitten to Hareflight. “I know you will accomplish your greatest being named after such a molly.”
🕊️ opalpaw 🕊️
The young molly had stayed rather quiet as she watched the other medicine cat go about their duties. When it came to announcing the names of the apprentices who finished out their training, she let out a soft little chant in congratulations. When it officially came to the time to join the others around the blessed stone, she was almost hesitate, scared even to join them. Numerous of thoughts begun to shoot through her head as she stood there looking over to her mentor.
What if starclan never accepted her in her role? What if the moment she laid next to the stone she never woke up in the dream reality that the rest had experienced each half moon. Taking a few shaky breaths, the molly slowly walked towards the stone laying down beside the frames of her peers she dipped her noise towards the stone closing her eyes as she slipped off into a light sleep.
At first nothing had come to her, not a single sound, sight nor scent. That caused her to panic a little almost as if her fears were becoming a reality. But that was all soon to change when a small starry figure came into vision. It took her a moment to realize who it was at first her blue hues widening slightly as she took a step towards them. The molly felt a few tears prickle the corner of her eye as she smiled warmly to the figure, "Momma..... I miss you..." She whispered softly as she dragged a paw over her eye a rush of emotions pulsing through her. It had been a very long time since she had seen her mother so the fact that she saw her now made her feel.. off. There was so much she wanted to say but before she even had the chance to say or hearing anything it all begun to change.
Large dark clouds begun to cover the once light airy feeling that had warmed her so. In that current moment she felt cold, completely and utterly cold it was almost as if she was shoved into a large ice bath without the actual water. The wind had started to thrash about as snow begun too really come down on her. Distorted voices from those she has yet to meet begun to scream into her ears. Fear started to prickle through her as she started to push forward against the weather. "H-hello....? Mom...? Anyone...?" She called out fear very evident in her voice.
It had felt as if there was a clan of cats surrounding her yet not a single person was in sight. Her gaze shifted frantically around her as she looked around her as a way to see if she could see anything. That was all until she felt a strong force pushing her down against the ground any air, she had in her body seemed to completely evaporate from her. The mixture of voices and snow was all that she could sense. "Help...." she croaked out before she suddenly awoke up back into the mooncave.
Her heart was pounding frantically against her chest, her vision completely blurred for the moments being as she tried to calm herself down from what she had witnessed. She couldn't exactly understand what she saw, first seeing her mother then just all that.. Was that starclans saying she was meant to be a medicine cat or was it a warning of some sorts?
W A S P S I G H T
The cheers of his name made his chest swell with pride. Even though he was seasons into his training and his siblings had received their full names long ago, Waspsight felt like this occasion was so much further away than it now was. It was just one of those surreal life events, you know? One of those things that you've looked forward to for so long that when it's finally within your grasp, it doesn't feel real.
But now, it was his friend's turn. His bi-colored eyes gleamed with affection for Cherrypaw as her mentor announced that it was her turn now. He quickly stepped aside, giving room for the red-hued calico to move forward so that Rainysky could adorn her with her proper title. He sat quietly next to his own mentor as his friend completed her ceremony. When the RiverClanner was officially donned her full name as a medicine cat, Waspsight hopped to his paws and cheered her name at the top of his lungs.
"Cherryblossom! Cherryblossom! Cherryblossom!"
His heart burst with absolute delight. They had come so far from their early days and he couldn't think of anyone else he'd rather be by his side in this journey than his best friend. Even if they were from different Clans, they had made this adventure of growth together as healers.
Next to address them was Peachblossom, who expressed her happiness for them with a soft smile on her face, something that Waspsight felt honored to receive. "Thank you, Peachblossom." He replied, dipping his head in respect to his senior medicine cat's praise. He waited as the ThunderClan healer turned to her new apprentice, and as she gave him instructions on how to proceed from here.
"Welcome to StarClan's hunting grounds," Waspsight told Figpaw with a smile. The calico tom made his way to the water, stopping just before the pond to settled down in front of it, his paws curled under his chest. Closing his eyes, he leaned down to lap up a few drops of water and allowed himself to succumb to sleep.
In the realm of his ancestors, Waspsight felt oddly at home. It was no secret anymore that he saw the spirits of the dead like he saw the bodies of the living on a day-to-day basis. StarClan's hunting grounds were somewhat like a second home to him. It was a place where he could speak to his deceased friends in their own homes, instead of them lingering around the grounds of the living.
That's why he was never afraid of this space, unlike feelings his brethren may hold for this realm. Although... Something was a bit peculiar this time. Part of him was naively hoping for congratulations from his StarClan friends, but none of them were present to greet him. Instead, the space before him remained hollow and empty. He heard the scuttling of paws ahead of him and he knew right away that something waited ahead for him.
The duties of a medicine cat never rested, it seems.
Waspsight headed silently towards the source of the noise and slowly, the frame of what he recognized to be his leader, Juncostar, came into view. His eyes narrowed, knowing that what appeared before him wasn't actually the real Juncostar, but rather, an imitation. As he stood there, the form of the grey tom shifted and dyed a dark black before it grew in size and its jaws parted in an ugly sneer. It looked like it were laughing at him. The ShadowClanner stood his ground, unrelenting to the vision's unsightly nature. The silhouette turned and looked at him dead in the eyes before it vanished, leaving an ugly taste in his mouth.
She would never admit it to anyone but walking down into the cave was a struggle for the molly, her paws scream, her muscles pulsating with every step. I need to get home quickly, these kits are not going to wait much longer. Peachblossom did take notice to her best friend, setting the pace for the others behind her as to give not only Peachblossom time to walk slowly, but also allowed for the young apprentice to absorb seeing everything for the first time. Peachblossom fought back the pain pricking at paw pads as she tried to quicken her step to match pace with Figpaw. “Welcome to Moon Cave Figpaw. It can be a little overwhelming, but just wait sooner or later you’ll feel a strong connection to this cave. I know anytime I step foot in the mouth of the cave I can feel the spirits of our ancestors swirling around me, with every step I can feel their power.” Granted the molly was closer to Starclan than some of her companions she just assumed they could all feel the same thing Peachblossom did.
Being here with her apprentice, seeing his expression change at the breathtaking sight before him, it reminded Peachblossom of her time as an apprentice. The first time she stepped into Moon Cave side by side with Hareflight and Startledcrow was the start of Peachblossoms destiny, her purpose. The small molly tossed a glance back towards Hareflight, offering her a grin, she hoped Hareflight felt the same way she did.
Her rounded ears twitched at the sound of Hareflight speaking up, something she didn't do very often, when the Shadowclan molly spoke Peachblossom listened. Excitement flooded the peachy cream molly when she realized what was happening, her wait shifting between her paws as she tried to withhold her excitement, this was a moment that needed to be shared between mentor and apprentice, she didn't want to interfere. This was a big moment, not only for Wasppaw but also for Hareflight. She had trained her first apprentice from start to end, unlike Peachblossom who failed her first apprentice. The Thunderclan healer felt so much pride for her best friend, the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes weren't for Wasppaw but for Hareflight, having Wasppaw by her side allowed the shadowclan molly to grow more than she could have alone.
After allowing Hareflight and the newly named Waspsight to have their moment, Peachblossom stepped forward to the calico molly. “I am so very proud of you.” Her dialect had never been so clear and calm, yet still seemed to convey her fiery passion. Peachblossoms head softly barreled into Hareflights chest, her words becoming quieter, “I love you so much Hareflight.”
Another nervous voice spiraled into her ears, this time the voice belonged to Rainysky, the Riverclan medicine cat. It took only mere seconds for Peachblossom to put the pieces together, Cherrypaw was also getting her name! The Thunderclan molly adored the Riverclan apprentice, she was so nice, friendly, and smart. Cherrypaw had been through a lot when the sickness swept through the clans, and yet she still managed to recover and help Rainysky with the other recovering felines. Cherrypaw had been ballsy enough to approach Peachblossom during a gathering once and ever since then Peachblossom noticed Cherrypaw had wormed her way into Peachblossoms nest of cats she had a soft spot for.
She knew that Cherryblossom wasn't named after Peachblossom, but she still liked the idea that maybe she had influenced Rainyskys decision in choosing that name. Showing them the same respect she showed Hareflight and Waspsight, the molly waited for Rainysky and Cherryblossom to have their mentor/apprentice time. “Just wait Figpaw, one day you and I will be there, and I will be proudly announcing your full name to the group. One day.” After sharing words with Figpaw, the molly pranced over to Cherryblossom once she saw she was finished speaking with the others. “Cherryblossom, I like that name. It suits strong, independent, hard working women like us.” Peachblossom muzzle pressed lightly into Cherryblossoms shoulder.
Taking a good look at the two newest full medicine cats of the group, this was going to work, their ranks were slowly growing. Not only were the ranks growing but they were filling up with more strong willed personalities that would continue to make sure that medicine cats were treated fairly, even after she was gone. “I am very proud of both of you. Cherryblossom, Waspsight. Welcome.” Stepping back the creamy molly offered the two newest full medicine cats a wide grin, something she didn't show to others too often but these two deserved it.
“And you did a great job mentoring her Rainysky. I know Riverclan has their ups and downs but through it all you have also officially trained your first apprentice. I'm very proud of all of you, truly.” Peachblossom didn't exactly have a good relationship with the Riverclan healer, not bad either, but she still felt happy for him nonetheless. Training an apprentice wasn't easy, yet he was also able to complete it. She offered the gray tabby an encouraging nod before returning to her apprentices side. “Come on Figpaw, these medicine cats got to have their moments, now it's time for yours.” Guiding her apprentice to the water surrounding the stone, “Go on now Figpaw take a drink and close your eyes. I promise I will be there when you open your eyes.” Peachblossom stayed close to Figpaw, wanting to make sure she was there in case he needed her.
Cherrypaw
Medicine Cat Apprentice of Riverclan
“Waspsight! Waspsight! Waspsight!” The red calico called loudly, her bi-colored eyes shining in happiness as she called her best friend’s name the loudest. Cherrypaw had been overjoyed when seeing Hareflight performing the full name ceremony, her long tail waving back and forth in happiness. The male calico surely deserved it, he helped save the clans. Waspsight was the most compassionate tom that Cherrypaw had ever met, she was lucky to have him as family. It wasn’t until her eyes widened slightly when Rainysky had suddenly got up and went in front of her, her eyebrows furrowing for a moment as the molly was trying to figure out what her mentor was doing until it clicked what was going to happen.. Cherrypaw had to fight back tears that were forming in her eyes as she quickly whipped them away with her small paw, as she really didn’t expect that it would happen.. A smile formed on her lips as she had listened to her mentor’s words as she wanted to just move towards him and embrace the light gray tabby, to just thank him for looking out for her and being like another father.
As Rainysky spoke, it was like Cherrypaw saw everything coming together for her.. Getting her name and becoming a fully named medicine cat of Riverclan.
One day, she would become the sole medicine cat of Riverclan.. Looking after Riverclan and dedicating her whole life to helping cats in need, to make her parents proud.
One day, she would witness her own children being born in Riverclan, even with Sunowl beside her as they would raise their kits together while Darkstar and Sorrelember would perform their grandparent duties while Leapingfish, Duskpoppy and Eclipse and the others would become the best uncle and aunts.. A happy family, that’s all she wanted.. For her family to be happy.
One day, her and Waspsight would finally be able to retire after training their own apprentices.. Watching them with a fond smile as the two best friends would enjoy retirement and go visit each other, because the bond that the two formed was unbreakable.. Nothing could ever change that.
One day.. Those dreams that Cherryblossom just had.. Would vanish, they would become only dreams.. Because as soon as Cherryblossom accepted her new name, Starclan and the other ancestors would have different plans for her.
“I do.”
“With these vows I bestow upon you your full name and welcome you as a fully fledged medicine cat. Congratulations, Cherryblossom.”
With that.. Cherryblossom had just sealed her own fate.
Looking up at the others, Cherryblossom had looked up towards Rainysky before moving towards the tom and with her paw, brought him closer to embrace him into a hug “Thank you..” Cherryblossom whispered softly, closing her eyes as she made sure to not injure the unborn kits in her mentor as a tear had fallen down from her cheek and ran down Rainysky’s fur “I really couldn’t have done all this stuff without you.” She said softly, as it was a moment shared between the two Riverclan cats. A family bond between them, as although Rainysky was mates with Cherryblossom’s uncle.. The red calico had viewed him as family way before that.
“Waspsight! Waspsight!” Rainysky joined the others in the chorus that went up, lifting the new names to the stars above. Rainysky himself felt a small twinge, he never knew how to feel about their Warrior ancestors these days. They seemed distant and uncaring to him now. He could still recall too clearly the events of the tainted pool, and incidents prior to it where their will had been cold and difficult to understand. He’d finally sided with the skeptics who remained suspicious of their true motives. He felt he’d been given no other choice, at this point.
“As our apprentices started around the same time, it seems only right that Cherrypaw join Waspsight.” He purred toward Hareflight, his eyes shining with good will.
“Cherrypaw, if you would..” He motioned her to the center of the cavern as a hush fell over all. At that moment it felt like just the two of them. His chest became oddly tight, and he had to work harder to push the words past his throat. The words no healer had ever spoken to him personally, as his appointment had filled a void. He’d needed to consult Hareflight for the vows.
“I, Rainysky, call upon our ancestors to look down upon my apprentice. She has trained diligently and has learned all that I have the ability to pass on. I have watched her grow into her destiny with pride and love.”
He paused to smile at Cherrypaw, his eyes shining with unshed tears.
Cherrypaw, 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?”
Some part wished she’d decline. Stay his little Cherrypaw forever and ever. But as he felt new life stir in his belly, he knew that nothing stayed still for long.
“I hope you know that it’s not just what’s in your blood. It’s what’s in your soul, you are special, independent of your lineage.” His gaze flicked to Waspsight for a fraction of a second. So minute, one might not even notice it at all.
“With these vows I bestow upon you your full name and welcome you as a fully fledged medicine cat. Congratulations, Cherryblossom.”
W A S P P A W
Wasppaw watched as the two new apprentices became acquainted with one another. The sight made him feel warm; if they were lucky, they could become as good as friends as he and Cherrypaw. "There's no need to be nervous," he told Opalpaw, wishing that he could give her some good advice, but he was sure that he couldn't say anything more than what Speckledmoss had already told her. Instead, he settled on something that he hoped she would be able to look forward to. "The moonstone is beautiful when the moon's light hits it. It's something you'll never forget."
However, the mood shifted for him when he noticed Figpaw whip his head around, like he were searching for something-- or someone. It piqued his curiosity. Could Figpaw see or hear spirits, too? Maybe he was a bit overwhelmed coming to the mooncave for the first time. Wasppaw knew he was, as the spirits were overpowering in a place this spiritual. He pondered if he should say something to help the young tom, give him some encouragement that spirits weren't always so in-your-face, but Peachblossom seemed to have enough standing around and was nudging her apprentice along. Not that he could blame her. The queen looked like she could give birth any minute now. StarClan, I hope not. He thought to himself.
The healers made their way into the cavern, slowly stepping into the moonlit pathed path. As the moonstone came into view, Wasppaw felt at peace again. All the chaos of the past moon withered away and the whispers of welcome relaxed him. But before they could get started, his mentor spoke up and stopped them. The ShadowClan healer stopped in his tracks, turning to look at Hareflight with an expression of perplexion. It was unusual for her to do something like this. What was going on?
Oh!
Oh, wow.
As the words she spoke slowly filtered into him, Wasppaw tried to close his jaws and unwiden his eyes. He didn't know why he was surprised to be receiving his full name-- it just felt like this day was further away, somehow. He stepped up to his mentor, stopping just before her as she spoke the mantra uttered before a medicine cat would receive their name. "I do," he replied, utter delight and even a bit of endearment in his voice as he spoke. He knew by looking at her that Hareflight was proud of him, but he wished that he could tell her just how much he appreciated her, too.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your full name as a medicine cat. Wasppaw, from this moment you will be known as Waspsight. StarClan honors your sense of justice, kindness, and honesty, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of ShadowClan."
Then, Hareflight stepped up to him and place her nose to his shoulder. She whispered to him just how proud of him she was and the newly-named Waspsight felt himself swell with emotion. He paused to gently nuzzle her forehead in return; it wasn't until now that he realized he had become taller than his mentor. "I couldn't have done any of it without you," he assured her. "Thank you for being by my side."
H A R E F L I G H T
Hareflight followed Peachblossom and Figpaw down into the cave, walking slowly and leaving space. Not only would Peachblossom's descent be somewhat of a struggle (although Hareflight was sure Peach wouldn't say so openly), Hareflight didn't want to rush Figpaw. She remembered her first trip and how steep the steps felt in the initial darkness.
Stepping into the cavern, she stretched slightly and glanced around at her peers. She smiled slightly at Figpaw's reaction, but quickly moved her gaze onward so as not to embarrass him. As it had many times tonight, Hareflight's gaze fell onto Wasppaw and she felt a swell in her heart. Oh, she had been so excited for this moment and it made her reminisce about her days with Saplingskies. It had also made her wonder how long she would be around to help him. Of course, he didn't need her help, not anymore. He was more than capable, even if sometimes he didn't believe it himself. She knew that some experiences as of late had made him feel differently about life, but she also knew that he would do tremendously as ShadowClan's healer when she was gone... whenever that might be. It was time to officially tell him as much.
Hareflight cleared her throat, stepping forward in front of the moonlit pool, the stone casting a light glow behind her. "I-I would like to start our meeting off with something incredibly important. Something I believe h-has been well deserved." Taking a steadying breath and smiling reassuringly, Hareflight continued, "Wasppaw, will you please step forward." She waited patiently for him to do so before giving a slight nod and continuing. "I, H-Hareflight, medicine cat of ShadowClan call upon my ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has t-trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat and has grown immensely in our time together, both as a healer and a-as a cat. He has been through numerous trials and approached each one with wisdom and kindness well beyond his age." She paused, glancing to him to meet his gaze, trying to emphasize just how much she meant each of these words. "Wasppaw, 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, e-even at the cost of your life?"
Hareflight waited calmly for Wasppaw's 'I do', pride swelling in her chest. She blinked a few times to clear her eyes before continuing. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your full name as a medicine cat. Wasppaw, from this moment you will be known as Waspsight. StarClan honors your sense of justice, kindness, and honesty, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of ShadowClan."
Stepping forward, Hareflight pressed her nose gently against Waspsight's shoulder, whispering just loud enough for him to hear. "You sh-should be as proud of yourself as I am of you. You deserve every bit of this and more. You've always been a smart and kind cat and you have only continued to grow over the moons. I am so, so proud of you, Waspsight. Congratulations."
With all of this said, and a few tears shed, Hareflight nodded to the other cats and took a step back to the edge of the cavern, waiting on anyone else who may have anything to say.
Figpaw
🌱 medicine cat apprentice of tc 🌱
Figpaw smiled good-naturedly in response to his SkyClan counterpart, turning his attention back to the other healers. More and more had seemed to approach him and suddenly the young healer felt a little claustrophobic.
Wordlessly, the tall tom slipped away from the group to catch some cold air. It was equal parts exciting and exhausting to meet this many new people at one time- and recently, Figpaw had done a lot of meeting new people. He felt like he could sleep for moons if time allowed.
'Ah good, I see you've made yourself useful.' His uncle's voice rang in his head. The oriental's head whipped around suddenly in search of his uncle but the dark tom was nowhere to be seen. Was he speaking in his mind? 'Come see me in the forest my nephew.'
Suddenly, Figpaw felt as if someone was looking at him and the dark presence of his uncle lifted from his mind. Quickly he turned his head just to see Wasppaw look away, only just getting caught. Had the older tom seen anything?
His mentor nudged him in the side, knocking him from his thoughts. His ears folded back, growing hot in slight embarrassment. "Yes Peachblossom," he obeyed and followed swiftly.
The apprentice felt the chill of the air before he truly saw anything entering the cave. Figpaw made sure to keep a close eye on his mentor, as he peered through the sudden darkness inwhich they were enveloped.
And then suddenly, his eyes adjusted and multi-colored specks of light began to fill the cave walls. What was this?! Glowing jewels of all types glittered along the walls until the cave opened up into a larger section.
In the center, a large glowing boulder lay in a silvery pool, its light filling every crevice of the room with an ethereal light. Figpaw wasn't sure he'd ever seen something so beautiful in his entire life. Bathed in its light, a single tear shed from his eyes.
As his colleagues arrived, Rainsky’s features slid easily into a smile. For once it appeared that the ranks had stabilized enough for him to begin to get to know these faces. He’d been to enough meetings now to genuinely look forward to seeing them now.
It also seemed that, as usual, new faces had joined their coalition.
“Figpaw hm? A fine name. I’m Rainysky, and this is my apprentice Cherrypaw (who my writer definitely didn’t forget is still here at this point in the timeline) She’s a bit older than yourself, but don’t let that fool you into thinking she’s more mature.” At this he imparted a teasing nip on one of her ears. He felt it was one of his many duties as her mentor to embarrass her in front of other youths.
“Hareflight!” He purred and gingerly touched noses with her. They shared a brief look of anxiety solidarity before turning to greet the others as well; he noted the pinch of tenseness between her shoulders that matched his own. “I’m well enough, yourself?” His gaze lingered on Wasppaw, perhaps a bit too long.
“The cold weather must be hard on your shoulder.” He meowed sympathetically to Quiethawk, sharing only a nod with the older tom with whom he was yet unfamiliar. “If you’re low on daisy or marigold we have plenty.” He added, though he wasn't sure how Darkstar would feel about his doling out their stores left and right. Rainysky had decided unless he was specifically told otherwise, he’d continue to act as he saw fit.
“Welcome Opalpaw!” He called over to the other new trainee, giving her what he hoped was a friendly and encouraging glance.
As more and more of the clans healers made their arrival Peachblossom hauled herself onto her paws, wincing slightly as her ankles screamed at her to sit back down. She loved getting a chance to see Hareflight again but part of her wished she had sat this one out, but Figpaw needed to meet everyone and it was unfair for him to miss out on one of the best parts of being a medicine cat because of her self decision to have kittens. She felt a sense of pride surge through her as her nervous apprentice took charge in introducing himself. Watching Hareflight stammer through her words and Figpaw stammer back almost made a bust of laughter escape her muzzle, although she swallowed it down. She knew they were similar in their personalities but seeing it in real life was humorous to the healer. Turning to her best friend she headbutted her gently, “It’ll be very soon now, Startledcrow confirmed not only is it a large litter but the kits are large as well.” Peachblossom stuck to her friend like glue whenever they finally got to see each other and this time wasnt any different. Her gaze shifted to the other healers, truthfully she didn't care much for others but she was slowly warming up to them, it's only taken her forever. “As far as i'm aware Startledcrow says they are all thriving and healthy. And due very soon so while I hate to move along the chit chat but would you mind if we started a little early, my paws are killing me.”
Waddling over to Figpaw she nudged the apprentice, “Come on Figpaw, it can be a little overwhelming your first time. Walk with me.” Leading the rest of the group into the cave.
It hadn't been long since she was given her name and the ability to walk the path astray from her siblings, at first, she had been saddened by the notion of never being able to be able to do things with her littermates like she had done for the many moons spent inside of the nursery. Yet there was a part of her that was grateful for the chance to be able to do something special, to be able to help her clanmates in their time of need. A moon had come and gone before it was time for the medicine cat's annual meeting, they had every so often. The day had practically gone by in a bat of an eye, she had nearly forgotten that the meeting was in fact today spending most of the day dealing with a few troublesome apprentices she had to tear herself away to go along with her mentor. To say she wasn't deathly nervous for it was an understatement. Opalpaws stomach twist and turned as they had made their way to the enchanting mooncave, not a lick of tiredness could be felt within her. Granted it was probably being masked with the nerves she had felt. Falling slightly behind the small molly's ears flickered at the sound of her mentor's voice telling her to hurry up. Letting out a soft squeak she had started walking in a fast pace, "S-sorry S-speckledmoss!" She called out, when the other had come to a halt stating their arrival the young feline had nearly crashed into them not entirely paying attention. Ears flickering slightly as her blue green hues shifted about the small starry clearing her eyes wide with wonder. Admittedly it was quite a lot to take in giving a small nod to acknowledge her mentors statement a soft right falling from her maw before she had taken a seat behind them. As each cat was introduced one by one Opalpaw had started to whisper each name to herself as she let her gaze study each feline in turn trying her hardest to remember the name of each cat in turn. A sudden surge of shyness crept up on the small molly her cheeks growing intensely warm casting her gaze to the side as she tried to think of something to say, something to make her come off as cool. Not wanting to seem rude by no means the molly let out a soft squeak, "N-nice to meet everyone! I-i'm.... er....well Opalpaw like s-speckledmoss said!" Dipping her head in greeting before she grew rather quiet letting the soft tones of each and every cat that resided in this very room. When someone who was similar in age as herself approached her, she looked at them rather curiously her ears flickering as she dipped her head in greeting towards them a faint smile painting her lips as she listened to them talk for a moment. Pausing slightly, she thought of something to respond, "h-honestly kinda..? I-if im honest I'm just really n-nervous? I'm not too sure why though..." She whispered softly back her blue green hues studied the young tom as she spoke. "It's uh...n-nice to have someone who's t-the same age here with me it makes it a little easier so thank you" she added a grateful smile growing on her face as she gave them a gentle nudge. As each feline had started to talk towards her, all seemingly at once it had caused the molly to get rather overwhelmed to say the least causing her to quiet up rather quickly. Her gaze shifting between the older felines as if she was a deer caught in headlights, she could all but muster a weaker smile trying her best to stay calm as she tried to decipher who would be the next person she'd respond to, shuffling from paw to paw as she nibbled on the inside of her lip.
W A S P P A W
A purr of amusement rumbled from the tom's chest at his friend's reply. He was glad to hear that she had recovered from the incident involving the oil. Her collapse that day had worried a lot of cats, himself included. Cherrypaw was, after all, his best friend. "I wish I had forgotten what fish tasted like," the calico tom replied, only half joking at this point.
Soon, Speckledmoss of SkyClan arrived, with another young one in tow. Wasppaw turned to face her, his jaws open to greet the chocolate molly, only to shut in exasperated indignation at her teasing jab. "I do not bite!" He snorted, the tip of his tail playfully flicking the SkyClan healer's ear. Shortly after, Quiethawk of WindClan also joined the medicine cats. His entry was... Well, quite different than what Wasppaw was used to. He was much more loud and unashamed to be brisk than the other healers. His bi-colored eyes blinked in bewilderment at the tom as he introduced himself. "Hello, it's nice to meet you again. I'm Wasppaw." He replied with a simple greeting anyway, keeping his manners in mind. The ShadowClan tom then followed Cherrypaw as his companion lead the way over to the new healers to-be. He waited for her to introduce himself before he spoke up. "My name's Wasppaw," he said with a soft smile, introducing himself once more for the night. He took a moment to point his nose in the direction of his mentor. "Hareflight and I are from ShadowClan." He took a moment to clarify where they were from, since the scent of somewhere outside the Clans still clung to one of the new apprentices. Wasppaw's eyes flicked between Opalpaw and Figpaw as his friend went on with making small talk.
His amber-green eyes settled on Figpaw in the end. His brows furrowed slightly. There was something, a feeling of sorts ebbing from the young tom that he couldn't quite place. In his lifetime of seeing spirits like every day living beings, Wasppaw had learned how to filter out most of the noise so that he could live his life in peace. However, that didn't stop them from surfacing. Especially here, in the mooncave, where the dead named their home. He would admit, keeping up in conversation here was difficult. With all the whispering, the flickering shadows out of the corner of his eye, and the overall feeling of their essence nearby.
It was something like that coming from Figpaw. But it was different. It didn't feel as pure as the spirits of StarClan. It wasn't without identity, like Starling had been. And yet, it didn't feel like the sinister presence that was clinging to Juncostar when he returned home. Wasppaw didn't know what to make of it. There was something there, he could feel it. But it was almost like it didn't want him to know it was there, like it was hiding from him. It unsettled him a bit, to know that there was more out there than what was within his realm of understanding. He tried to ignore it, tearing his eyes away from the white-and-brown tom. However, he still found his mind racing, distracted as he listened to Cherrypaw continue as though she was background noise.
Cherrypaw
Medicine Cat Apprentice of Riverclan
The journey to the Mooncave was silent between her and Rainysky, but it was a comfortable silence. It seemed so long ago that Cherrypaw was here at the Mooncave, but as a spirit instead in her physical form. Her bi-colored eyes observed the entrance of the Mooncave, but instead of the familiar spirits that she had grown to know when she was a spirit.. There was nothing. She wondered if Wasppaw saw any spirits now? The two of them had such weird abilities, but they came together to help save the clans. The red calico had been recovering in camp after the Oil had disappeared within the clans, not to mention the little adventure that Wasppaw and Cherrypaw had and visited Wisteriastar. The Riverclan molly couldn’t help but think of her grandmother, and the conversation all three of them had. Although the former leader wasn’t in Cherrypaw’s everyday life, both made an effort to keep in contact with each other. Cherrypaw would even leave any herbs or treats for the kits while her extended family was soundly asleep in the barn, as they would be familiar with her scent by now that it wasn’t anything dangerous.
Once making her way down to the pool, Cherrypaw felt a bit uneasy when looking at the stone. The last time she had been physically here, she went into a coma.. But a feeling of warmth overcame her as she thought about Mallowleaf. The molly couldn’t help but think of what the ancient spirit was up to, and was he proud of her? The many questions that she had. Spotting the familiar shape of Wasppaw, a purr escaped her as she bounded towards him and pressed her nose into his shoulder in greetings “Wasppaw!” She greeted, a huge smile on her face as she looked at her best friend. A chuckle escaped her as she shook her head in amusement “I will be honest with you, I had missed the taste of fish.. I had forgotten what it tasted like!” Cherrypaw teased and returned the gentle nudge. It seemed like everything was returning back to normal within Riverclan, well almost. Looking towards Peachblossom, she nodded in greetings and a gentle smile appeared on her lips “Hello Peachblossom! I hope you’re doing well, congratulations on the kits!” She said, as new kits meant new adventures for a clan! It wasn’t long ago that Wildflower of Shadowclan had given birth to former Riverclan Deputy Stormhowl’s kits in Riverclan territory… It was quite an experience, one she wouldn’t forget.
“Quiethawk, always nice to see you.” She greeted the Windclan medicine cat with a nod, he was quite a character.. Was like the crazy uncle that she never had (She didn’t know if she wanted a crazy uncle if she was being honest) Cherrypaw turned towards Hareflight and grinned “Hey Hareflight, I hope everything is going well.. Please send Saplingskies my greetings.” She said, as the molly thought of her Uncle. Looking towards Speckledmoss, she nodded in greetings “Hey Speckledmoss! Hope prey is running well within Skyclan.” She said, it wasn’t until her attention went to the two new apprentices and the calico heard Wasppaw’s voice and her bi-colored eyes widened and gently nudged her best friend “Come on! Let’s go give them a warm welcome.” She said, waiting for the male calcio to get up and follow her as the two of them moved their way towards Opalpaw and Figpaw.
“Hello guys!” Cherrypaw said politely, dipping her head in greetings towards them. She could tell they were perhaps nervous in meeting the other meddies, as Cherrypaw felt that feeling before as she was extremely nervous of meeting the others when Rainysky first brought her here. “My name is Cherrypaw, it’s nice to meet you two!” Waiting for Wasppaw to introduce himself, she looked at the two apprentices “How are you guys enjoying your training so far?” #fd3f3f
Q U I E T
quiethawk -- (possibly inept) windclan medic
The journey to the Mooncave is arduous, and at the end of it all, Quiethawk finds he has double the callouses from before and thrice the pain in his shoulder. It came as no surprise when Startledcrow informed him the damage to his shoulder was permanent-- as in, no herb on earth would return it to its former capacity. Then, their past medicine cat abandoned the position. Startledcrow, unable to take up the role again, vouched for Quiethawk as the only viable option since he managed to, in all the time spent in the medicine den, soak up enough medical jargon for it not to be incomprehensible mush in his brain. Oh, how standards fall when options are nonexistent. The thought never fails to leave a sardonic smile on his lips.
"Damn, my shoulder's killing me!" The grey-brown tom barks out, lacking the sweet friendliness (and familiarity) the others appeared to possess. A sweeping glance allowed the former warrior to count six felines in total, only three he recognized and one who was familiar-- the Windclanner had vague recollections of fallen branches and an injured Riverclanner. "Rainysky," Quiethawk greets, brusquely, such was his general countenance, a series of abrupt and agitated motions not unlike a tornado which came hurtling through, tearing a path and leaving destruction. Well, perhaps not quite the same level of violence.
"Peachblossom?" The Windclanner begins, hesitant as he tests the name on his tongue. It's pretty- dainty- which does not quite fit with the steel of her gaze, but she is an otherwise lovely molly (if he swung that way, of course), so the name does her some justice. She is, he notes distantly, heavily pregnant. The thought puts him on edge, the barest hints of paranoia settling over him, but he manages to brush it to the back of his mind in time to appreciate the Thunderclanner's character. She came to this meeting-- definitely determined. Quiethawk respects a headstrong she-cat-- Starclan knows his partner was more than a little mulish herself.
"And- not-quite-little apprentice," vibrant yellow eyes glanced off of Figpaw, unease touching the edges of his expression. That unease did not lessen as he regarded the rest of the group, "Hareflight, Speckledpaw," he cuts himself off, consternation overtaking already tense features, "-moss," he corrects, gaze flitting over to the younger faces. "Riverclan, Shadowclan, and Skyclan children one, two, and three?" Quiet tries after failing to muster a name to attach to these faces.
"I'm Quiethawk," the tom finally says, recognizing the irony in his name after his chaotic entry. He pastes on another smile- not friendly, as he does not go out of his way to win the camaraderie of cats from other clans, but not hostile, either. "Startledcrow thought replacing my predecessor with me was a good idea, so feel free to drop by and explain to him why it wasn't."
Figpaw
🌱 medicine cat apprentice of tc 🌱
The young tom had never had any real talent in blending in- his long limbs and large ears usually made him stand out amongst any crowd. Any yet despite being almost two-heads taller than his mentor, Figpaw couldn't help but take a step back behind his short-legged mentor as if she would protect him from oncoming danger.
When the feline got closer, a sweet yet slightly fishy scent filled Figpaw's nostrils. Did this tom come from the clan on the sea his uncle had told him about? He took in his stature and couldn't help but loosen up in response as he was addressed.
"I-I'm Figpaw," he told the healer, a term he'd rehearsed a couple times in his head on the walk over.
In the distance, a pair of cats seemed to dawn on them. Their matching pelts leading the young tom to (wrongly) assume their relation to each other. He awkwardly ricocheted back as the she-cat of the duo rushed his mentor in greeting, their strange yet almost familiar scent blending in with the rest.
Figpaw turned to the other healer who had joined her, but just as he was about to say something, the elder apprentice bounded off towards another group approaching them from behind. In the commotion, Figpaw almost missed Hareflight speaking to him, but managed to catch her words amongst the group of cats and the howling LeafBare wind.
The young tom smiled encouragingly at the molly, "It's nice to meet you too! I'm Figpaw." He mewed back with a gentle dip of his head. 'Hareflight, Rainysky.. Hareflight, Rainysky..' he started to repeat in his head to remind himself of all the names he'd learned so far.
Figpaw turned to greet the others, an older healer with a young she-cat in tow who seemed to be around Figpaw's age. He listened as her mentor nudged her forward into the spotlight, giving her kind instructions- although audible to everyone else. Internally, Figpaw felt grateful Peachblossom had given him this speech away from the others.
He approached Opalpaw's side with an awkward smile, "Hi," he whispered to her softly. From beside her he gazed around at the other healers and really took in the site before him. The chill in the air, the crunch of the snow, the stoney path leading up to the MoonCave.
All this talk about destinies, futures, and spirituality, it all seemed so grand, and yet they were just a few cats! Figpaw had seen metal cages, large monsters, and twoleg dwellings as high as the stars! And yet in his whole life he had never seen anything as strange as this. "Is this.. also really weird to you?" He asked Opalpaw, eyeing her nervously.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~Speckledmoss Medicine Cat Of Skyclan~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Come along Opalpaw!" Speckledmoss's voice echoed from outside the cavern and reverberated inside of the rocky walls. "We're almost there, I can scent the others already inside." The Skyclan medicine cat strolled into the Mooncave, her and Opalpaw's silhouettes gliding across the blue tinted walls of the cavern as they drew ever closer to the other Medicine Cats congregated. The hazel, white, and black speckled Medicine Cat finally came into view, trailing along behind her was a little ball of light gray, dark gray, black and orange. This would be the first time that the other Medicine Cats would be formally meeting her apprentice, and Speckledmoss couldn't deny that she was over the clouds with a cheery disposition. Finally, they joined the crowd of gathered felines, "Hello there, sorry we're late, our paws were a tad busy with Daykit and Nightkit, the two little dears wandered out of camp and ended up in a burr bush. Perhaps that shall be a lesson to the two that it's best they do not stray too far." She finished the explanation with an amused rumbling purr, before she cast her gaze over her shoulder at Opalpaw. "Well then, come on my dear, don't worry they won't bite. Well, actually Wasppaw might.~"
She snickered before flashing her gaze over onto the Shadowclan tom, a teasing smirk playing at her maw. "Everyone, this is my apprentice Opalpaw, she has just begun her training, but I see mountains of potential within her." She turned towards Opalpaw and gently nudged her forward with her muzzle, "Opalpaw, these are the other Medicine Cats, I've learned so much from them even though they're from the other clans - it would do you well to get to know them." With that, she took a step back, so her apprentice could come to know the others, once she stepped back Peachblossom's rather round and extended abdomen caught her eyes, and they began to shimmer with excitement. "Oh, Peachblossom! It seems that you're due about any time now, you're going to have your paws really full, I hope that the delivery goes smoothly and that they're all healthy."
W A S P P A W
Wasppaw shivered against the cold, his fur fluffing up against the snow that continued to fall. If he was being honest with himself, he still wasn't over the incident that happened a little while ago. Being trapped under tons of snow and almost freezing to death wasn't exactly how he envisioned the beginning of leaf-bare. Thanks to Juncostar and Scorpionthroat, they had been found; but, in the end, they weren't able save Applepaw's life.
But now, Wasppaw had a different view on life and death. He wasn't as naïve as he used to be. He had grown a lot this past moon. As he walked beside his mentor, he could feel the pride ebbing off of her and he reflected a smile back at her. He truly was blessed to have Hareflight by his side. She unconditionally believed in him, supported him, and loved him. He didn't know what he would do without her in his life.
As the two of them made their way into the mooncave, he picked up the voices of the other healers having arrived before them, outside of the usual jumble he received in this location. The calico tom followed his mentor over to the others to join in their greetings. He dipped his head in greeting towards Peachblossom, her new companion, and Rainysky before he went over to Cherrypaw's side.
"Hey," He greeted her with a grin, "I hope you've been doing better since the last time I saw you." The ShadowClan tom's voice held a bit of a teasing tone to it as he gently bumped her shoulder with a paw. He knew that she knew he genuinely hoped the best for her health, though. "Did you see? We're no longer the newbies."
H A R E F L I G H T
Medicine meetings were always exciting. Hareflight loved seeing all her friends, especially since there had been less of a reason to go see them as of late. However, this meeting would be especially exciting. Although she hadn't told him, she was going to be giving Wasppaw his full name. He had more than proved himself, especially with how he'd stepped up with the moonpool incident. Hareflight couldn't have been more proud of him. Occasionally as they traveled, she glanced over at him, a smile breaking her face every time. She didn't know what she'd done to deserve such a kind and extraordinary apprentice. She still didn't know that she did deserve him, but regardless he had learned well and he was ready. He was ready.
Besides... With losing Smokestar, Hareflight had realized how quickly she could be gone. She needed to make sure Wasppaw was ready. She just had to.
As they reached the mooncave, Hareflight quickened her pace, rushing to Peachblossom. "Peachy!! O-oh my--" She slowed herself in front of the molly, taking in her heavily pregnant frame. "Oh, congratulations, Peach. They must be coming soon." She nudged her head into the other molly, purring softly. "I'm so happy for you."
Clearing her throat, she turned her attention to the tall cat next to Peachblossom. Although she was slightly taller than Peach, this didn't make much of a difference when looking up at the other cat. "You must be a new apprentice. It's-It's so wonderful to m-meet you. I'm Hareflight." And, for clarification she added, "O-Oh, and don't worry about the stammer, dear, it's n-nothing to do with you." Hareflight gave him a friendly smile, the purr still going.
Turning her attention once again, she locked her eyes on Rainysky and gave him a bright smile. "Rainysky!! H-How have you been? It's so wonderful to see you again." Truthfully, she had missed her medicine cat companions much more than usual. She had been dealing with so much recently - as so many cats had - and it was a huge relief to be back with her peers. Her family.
#melrps #hareflight