Post by gingersnapsdacat on Jun 13, 2019 18:32:53 GMT
Heronflight walked down into the mines, her paws echoing in the silence. Around her, Dustytuft, her soon to be deputy, and Lilydawn, her trusted medicine cat, accompanied her.
“Lay down, and touch your nose to the stone,” Lilydawn instructed, taking her place beside the stone.
Heronflight quickly obeyed, closing her eyes. A rush of cold energy ran down her thin body, coursing through each and every vein. She raised her head, and her whole world was enveloped by an ethereal glow.
This must be StarClan! She thought.
The first cat to step forwards was a fuzzy brown tomcat. Although he had the appearance of a young warrior, Heronflight could see that his eyes held the sweet innocence of a young kit.
“My name is Hyacinthkit!” He purred, immediately touching Heronflight’s nose.
The soon to be leader felt her mind become flooded by stars, and soft grass, and a lonely brown kitten watching his brothers and sisters play. She could only assume the kitten was Hyacinthkit, and the others must have been his brothers and sisters who were still alive in the clans.
“I give you a life for hope,” the tomkit purred. “Sometimes you will be lonely, but don’t forget that you have an entire clan of cats who love and support you.”
Hyacinthkit gave her another happy grin, then trotted back over to stand beside Owlstar. Meanwhile, another StarClan warrior had stepped up, his ruddy fur glittering with golden stars.
“Thornflame,” Heronflight mewed, realizing who she was speaking to. “I tried to help Martentooth, I really did but-”
“I know,” Thornflame mewed, cutting off Heronflight’s excuses. “You did what you could, and Martentooth has become a good warrior.”
Heronflight nodded, though she still wished she could have done something more.
“I give you this life for learning. Never think that you know all there is. Even the youngest kit can show you something you never knew.”
Thornflame touched his nose to her forehead, sending a flash of images through Heronflight;s mind. But as soon as it had begun, it was over, and another cat stood in front of Heronflight. She could recognize him to be Hickorynose, an old clanmate of hers.
“I give you a life for peace,” he said, touching her forhead. “Your words have more power than you know.”
Now, a young tom came up to take his place. He looked familiar, like a distant memory.
“Robinkit?”
The apprentice sized tomcat grinned, but shook his head. “Nope! I go by Robin now. It kind of suits me, don’t you think?”
Heronflight rushed forwards embracing her brother. He had died just before recieving his apprentice name, unable to survive a harsh bout of greencough. Now, however, he looked strong and healthy.
“I give you a life for youth,” her brother purred, licking her nose. “Never forget the joys of being young.”
Now, a pretty ginger she-cat stepped forwards. Her eyes, although a strikigly sharp green, held kindness and compassion.
“Heronflight,” she spoke, her mew warm and inviting, “It is good to finally meet you.”
Although the two she-cats had never met in life, it was not hard for Heronflight to guess the identity of the cat in front of her.
“I have heard much about you Dawnpetal.”
“I have watched the way you care for Wildstep and your kits. I just wish that I could have done the same. Instead, I give you a life for Motherhood. Treat all the clan as your own, and show them the love I never could show my own kits.”
The brown and white queen dipped her head, feeling Dawnpetal’s cheek gently rubbing along her own. Warmth, joy, and happiness flowed through her like a waterfall, caressing every sense. But at the same time, Heronflight could feel a sense of longing, and regret for what never could have been. She could only imagine that was Dawnpetal’s own grief at never having seen her kits become warriors.
The next cat to step forward was MothStar. He did not waste any time with formalities, immedietly touching his furry face to Heronflight’s.
“I give you a life for perseverence. You will face challenges, but you must face them.” Without another word, he retreated back into the crowd, and yet another cat came forward to grant a life.
“I know we are from very different clans, but I believe our pride is still the same,” purred the brown she-cat. BearStar’s eyes shone with a passion that Heronflight had not seen for a long while. In StarClan, her vision had been restored, and her spirit was at its full strength.
“I give you this life for strength, both of spirit and claw.”
She touched her nose to Heronflight’s cheek, sending a warm and feirce blaze through the IvyClan she-cat. In that moment, Heronflight could see all of the hardships that the MistClan leader had felt. Losing kits, losing her sight. Losing hope. But all through it, she had to put on a brave faca for her clan, never letting them feel her pain. BearStar did not need to explain the life any further.
Now it was RookStar’s turn. Whereas in the last few moons of his life he had seemed dull and muddled, now his pelt shone with a blaze of star-flecked pride. \
“When I chose you as one of my deputies, I will admit I had my doubts. After all, you were already a mother, a mentor, and a warrior. But my instincts told me to ignore these doubts, and now, I am pleased with the choice I made. I give you this life for following your instincts, and trusting where they will guide you.”
Now, all eyes turned to Owlstar as she stepped forwards to present Heronflight’s final life.
“I give you a life for mentorship. You have taught many cats how to be warriors. Now, you must teach your clan.”
Heronflight dipped her head. In that moment, she could feel all the wisdom of the stars being bestowed upon her. She could feel every pawstep Owlstar had taken, and see every choice she had made. In that moment, she could understand everything.
“And now, it is my honor to call you Heronstar, leader of IvyClan.”
“Lay down, and touch your nose to the stone,” Lilydawn instructed, taking her place beside the stone.
Heronflight quickly obeyed, closing her eyes. A rush of cold energy ran down her thin body, coursing through each and every vein. She raised her head, and her whole world was enveloped by an ethereal glow.
This must be StarClan! She thought.
“Yes Heronflight. This is the home of your ancestors. I am glad you have come.”
Owlstar spoke sweetly, greeting her former warrior. “There are many here that will be eager to see you.”
The moment these words left Owlstars mouth, many cats materialized around her. The first cat to step forwards was a fuzzy brown tomcat. Although he had the appearance of a young warrior, Heronflight could see that his eyes held the sweet innocence of a young kit.
“My name is Hyacinthkit!” He purred, immediately touching Heronflight’s nose.
The soon to be leader felt her mind become flooded by stars, and soft grass, and a lonely brown kitten watching his brothers and sisters play. She could only assume the kitten was Hyacinthkit, and the others must have been his brothers and sisters who were still alive in the clans.
“I give you a life for hope,” the tomkit purred. “Sometimes you will be lonely, but don’t forget that you have an entire clan of cats who love and support you.”
Hyacinthkit gave her another happy grin, then trotted back over to stand beside Owlstar. Meanwhile, another StarClan warrior had stepped up, his ruddy fur glittering with golden stars.
“Thornflame,” Heronflight mewed, realizing who she was speaking to. “I tried to help Martentooth, I really did but-”
“I know,” Thornflame mewed, cutting off Heronflight’s excuses. “You did what you could, and Martentooth has become a good warrior.”
Heronflight nodded, though she still wished she could have done something more.
“I give you this life for learning. Never think that you know all there is. Even the youngest kit can show you something you never knew.”
Thornflame touched his nose to her forehead, sending a flash of images through Heronflight;s mind. But as soon as it had begun, it was over, and another cat stood in front of Heronflight. She could recognize him to be Hickorynose, an old clanmate of hers.
“I give you a life for peace,” he said, touching her forhead. “Your words have more power than you know.”
Now, a young tom came up to take his place. He looked familiar, like a distant memory.
“Robinkit?”
The apprentice sized tomcat grinned, but shook his head. “Nope! I go by Robin now. It kind of suits me, don’t you think?”
Heronflight rushed forwards embracing her brother. He had died just before recieving his apprentice name, unable to survive a harsh bout of greencough. Now, however, he looked strong and healthy.
“I give you a life for youth,” her brother purred, licking her nose. “Never forget the joys of being young.”
Now, a pretty ginger she-cat stepped forwards. Her eyes, although a strikigly sharp green, held kindness and compassion.
“Heronflight,” she spoke, her mew warm and inviting, “It is good to finally meet you.”
Although the two she-cats had never met in life, it was not hard for Heronflight to guess the identity of the cat in front of her.
“I have heard much about you Dawnpetal.”
“I have watched the way you care for Wildstep and your kits. I just wish that I could have done the same. Instead, I give you a life for Motherhood. Treat all the clan as your own, and show them the love I never could show my own kits.”
The brown and white queen dipped her head, feeling Dawnpetal’s cheek gently rubbing along her own. Warmth, joy, and happiness flowed through her like a waterfall, caressing every sense. But at the same time, Heronflight could feel a sense of longing, and regret for what never could have been. She could only imagine that was Dawnpetal’s own grief at never having seen her kits become warriors.
The next cat to step forward was MothStar. He did not waste any time with formalities, immedietly touching his furry face to Heronflight’s.
“I give you a life for perseverence. You will face challenges, but you must face them.” Without another word, he retreated back into the crowd, and yet another cat came forward to grant a life.
“I know we are from very different clans, but I believe our pride is still the same,” purred the brown she-cat. BearStar’s eyes shone with a passion that Heronflight had not seen for a long while. In StarClan, her vision had been restored, and her spirit was at its full strength.
“I give you this life for strength, both of spirit and claw.”
She touched her nose to Heronflight’s cheek, sending a warm and feirce blaze through the IvyClan she-cat. In that moment, Heronflight could see all of the hardships that the MistClan leader had felt. Losing kits, losing her sight. Losing hope. But all through it, she had to put on a brave faca for her clan, never letting them feel her pain. BearStar did not need to explain the life any further.
Now it was RookStar’s turn. Whereas in the last few moons of his life he had seemed dull and muddled, now his pelt shone with a blaze of star-flecked pride. \
“When I chose you as one of my deputies, I will admit I had my doubts. After all, you were already a mother, a mentor, and a warrior. But my instincts told me to ignore these doubts, and now, I am pleased with the choice I made. I give you this life for following your instincts, and trusting where they will guide you.”
Now, all eyes turned to Owlstar as she stepped forwards to present Heronflight’s final life.
“I give you a life for mentorship. You have taught many cats how to be warriors. Now, you must teach your clan.”
Heronflight dipped her head. In that moment, she could feel all the wisdom of the stars being bestowed upon her. She could feel every pawstep Owlstar had taken, and see every choice she had made. In that moment, she could understand everything.
“And now, it is my honor to call you Heronstar, leader of IvyClan.”