[spade]

Originally Posted by Clover

The smooth rock beneath her feet was familiar and even more comforting. This place was not her home, but it was a refuge, as she hoped it would be for Cricketpaw. She wanted many things for Cricketpaw- for her to be satisfied as a medicine cat, and be able to enjoy her life. For her to actually receive her full name, unlike Arcticpaw had. She mostly just wanted the young molly to live a happy, fulfilling life, devoid of the hardships that Geckoleaf herself had to face; loneliness, the feeling of everyone leaving her, the inability to hunt even if you so choose, and the feeling that you could never heal enough. But, she also had a greatest fear for Cricketpaw; that she would break under the strain of seeing so much death and sickness. That she would be mentally cut in two, after seeing so many cats she tried desperately gave die. Maybe it was just Geckoleaf, but those mental images could be debilitating to her, at times.

She watched her new apprentice for a moment longer, the way she seemed exciting seeming to light up her face. Her eyes gleamed with excitement, and the fiery tabby could sense the restlessness just beneath the surface. The smile on her face was sure and genuine, and she seemed ecstatic to be her, to become medicine cat- despite everything, she still seemed to want to endure everything that could happen to her yet. Geckoleaf's tail involuntarily flicked, both with pride and happiness; here was someone who could respect the work that the healers of the clans did, and participate herself. Here was a youth who respected StarClan and their ways. And here, in front of her, was a she-cat who would be willing to serve others, and sacrifice herself for their sakes.

Geckoleaf intently listened to the quietly uttered words of Cricketpaw, that seemed to echo quietly in the small, damp cave, her voice surprisingly soft, due to the strange way the walls seemed to absorb the sound. Geckoleaf's ears swiveled towards the bengal, the soft fur tickling the sensitive insides of her audits as they rotated. Every word seemed thought out, and her tone suggested that she was feeling calmer, more centered and present. The medicine cat smiled, her own wordless praise at the molly's wonderful ability to stay relaxed. "Alright then, follow me. Be careful- this path can be slick sometimes with dew, and I myself have occasionally slid," she mewed quietly, out of respect for the ancestors that seemed to dwell within this sacred place.

Turning tale, she hobbled her way down the smooth, worn stone path, her three good legs working together awkwardly, until she developed a slightly faster, although seemingly more bumpy gait. She crossed the small distance between the path and the Moonstone without looking back at Cricketpaw; she could easily keep up with a three-legged medicine cat. The Moonstone seemed to get brighter and more intense as she got closer to it, the light eventually hurting her eyes, until they adjusted to the added brightness. She stopped next to the Moonstone, waiting only a moment for Cricketpaw caught up, before launching straight into the customary ceremony; she wasted no time, as she felt a strange pull for her to officially become her apprentice, in the eyes of StarClan.

"Cricketpaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat? (It is.) Then come forward. " She turned away from the molly, and towards the gleaming crystal. "Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice. She has chosen to pursue the sacred path of a medicine cat. Grant her wisdom and insight beyond her years, so that she may serve her clan with grace and tact, and understand your will so that she may act in accordance," she said softly, ears flattening slightly as she finished. It was not the exact same thing that Marshsnow had said to her, or her to Arcticpaw, but it was still charged with emotion and it felt nearly painful to utter those words. "Cricketpaw, press your nose to the Moonstone."

A moment of clarity seemed to overcome Cricketpaw as her new mentor spoke the soft words to her; despite the hushed warning her tone seemed to comfort the she-cat even more. She slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself. All around her the cavern appeared to echo with whispers of her ancestors, and for a brief moment the new apprentice felt invisible felines moving around her. Her breathing quickened just a bit, adjusting to her surroundings, before oddly enough she found comfort in their presence. "This is where I'm meant to be," she murmured, the butterfly feeling returning as she lifted her eyelids, a new spark of hope for the new path laid out in front of her was evident in her eyes.

Heading the warning, Cricketpaw let her gaze remain on her paws and the smooth rock paths as she followed behind Geckoleaf. She was careful as she placed each forepaw down beneath her, testing its sturdiness before breathing a sigh of relief and moving on. Since they had left right after the ceremony in the Clan, she hadn't much time to rest her muscles, and was still recovering from her long journey back to RiverClan. The weight of sleep deprivation still dragged at her, whining and clawing at her muscles for her to stop and curl up. Albeit her body was tired, the young she-cat's mind was wide awake with excitement and nervousness- which only intensified as the glowing illumination of the Moonstone came into full view.

A small gasp escaped Cricketpaw, feeling as though as though all the air had been pressed from her lungs. The gleaming light of the beautiful Moonstone sent tingles down her spine, and unconsciously the fur along it rose as well. Now, the whispers that she could barely hear seemed more clear, though she still could not make out any words still. She could feel deep within her soul that many cats had been here before her, and it was calming to know that this was a sacred place that tied all cats together, regardless of their Clan. And now, it was her turn to follow in their paw steps and accept her destiny as RiverClan's next medicine cat. There was apart of her that feared she would not be good enough, or be able to learn everything from her new mentor. However a bigger part of her, a deeper voice from within, seemed to speak belief to combat the negative words that swirled within her mind. You can do it.

As Geckoleaf began to speak the words of a ceremony she had never heard until now, Cricketpaw nodded softly, murmuring the appropriate "It is," after the opening question. Her heart quickened its pace as her mentor now seemed to be speaking to StarClan, and a stab of anticipation shot through her. She sincerely hoped that her ancestors would accept her, and that they forgave her for the secret she kept, of having turned to the soft life of a kitty-pet for a few moons after her kidnapping. A deep breath seemed to settle her racing pulse and then bengal turned her gaze to the Moonstone, studying its structure.

At her mentors request, she turned fully to face the Moonstone, eyes still aglow with excitement and curiosity. She took a moment, letting it sink in that she was now on the path of a medicine cat. She would soon be able to have the secrets of her warrior ancestors revealed to her. A strange calm settled over her as she stretched her neck out, softly pressing her nose to the smooth surface. A shock traveled down her spine at its cold face, but her body remained still as her eyelids began to flutter closed, a deeper calm sinking into her body like stones in the river.