Daypaw's quest

15- Finally

Daypaw stared up at the sky.

The sun was setting, and the camp was filled with honey-coloured light.

Rosestar leapt onto her rock. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the high rock for a clan meeting!" she yowled, and Daypaw felt pride flow through her.

Willowpaw has done so much for the Clan.  She thought. She deserves a warrior ceremony as beautiful as this.

"I," Rosestar began." Rosestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code code, and commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." She lowered her gaze to Willowpaw. "Willowpaw, do you promise to uplhold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do. I promise I will." Willowpaw breathed, her red-brown paws trembling.

Rosestar smiled. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Willowpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Willowcloud. StarClan honours your courage and intlligience. "

"Willowcloud!" Daypaw was the first one to start cheering, but all the others quickly joined in.

Willowcloud smiled at Daypaw. "You're the best."

Rosestar called the clearing to silence. "This clan meeting is over." she kept down from her ledge and gave Willowcloud a friendly lick on  the head.

She nodded to Daypaw. "Earthpelt wants you ready to go to the moonstone."

Daypaw gave Willowcloud a playfull shove. "Don't become a cool warrior without me."

Willowcloud giggled. "I'll try."

Daypaw bounded off towards the medicine den, almost crashing into Earthpelt.

The medicine cat jumped in surprised, then laughed. "It's okay to be excited. I was practically bouncing on my paws when I got my medicine cat name."

Daypaw tipped her head. "You?"

Earthpelt nodded. "Might be hard to believe, but it's true."

Daypaw glanced outside at the rising moon, excitement and anticipation churning in her belly. "Should we go?"

Earthpelt smiled warmly at her apprentice. "Come on." they padded out of the den.

With every step Daypaw took, she could feel the half-moon washing her pelt, and the starlight sinking into her paws.

As they passed the WindClan border, A black tom with green eyes and a pretty golden-cream she-cat with lighter paws and golden eyes slipped out of the shadows.

"Lightfeather. Nightshift." Earthpelt dipped her head respectfully.

"Congratulations, Daypaw!" Lightfeather mewed. "Are you excited?"

"Very." Daypaw bounced on her paws.

"She almost caused a crash in my den right before we left." Earthpelt nudged Daypaw, who flushed with embarresment.

"Where is Desertpool?" Nighthift asked, glancing around.

"He is meeting us at the Moonpool." Earthpelt meowed, flicking her tail forwards. "We should get moving. We are wasting moonlight."

It didn't take long for them to reach the moonpool, and when got there, a sandy tom was grooming himself.

"Desertpool." Nightshift nodded.

Desertpool jumped, spinning around. "Oh! You are here." he brethed a sigh of relief. "I thought you were something else."

"Nightshift does have the elegance of a badger." Lightfeather teased.

The black tom flushed.

"Let's go in." Earthpelt pushed forwards, and lowered herself to the ground. "I, Earthpelt, medicine cat of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice." Earthpelt began.

"She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her Clan for many moons. Daypaw, 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?" She stared expectantly at Daypaw.

"I do. I will try my very hardest." Daypaw blurted.

Earthpelt beamed at her apprentice. "Then by the powers of I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Daypaw, from this moment you will be known as Daybright. StarClan honors your fairhfullness and hope, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of ThunderClan."

"Daybright! Daybright!" The other medicine cats cheered, and Daypaw was overwhelmed by the amount of warmth in their mews. 

Earthpelt stepped aside. "Have the first sharing with StarClan."

Daybright lowered herself to the ground, and dipped her head to the moonpool.

the sharpness of the cold bathed her senses, and Daybright found herself in StarClans hunting ground, with Fawnspeckle stanfing in front of her.

"I am proud of you." the starry cat mewed. "You have fufilled the prophecy. You have brought peace to the clans."

"I didn't do it by myself." Daybright felt a pang of grief as she remembered Skyhearts broken body on the cliffside. "Is she here? Skyheart?"

"I'm here." a pale grey-blue she-cat slipped out of the trees, her eyes glimmering with wisdom.

"Skyheart!" Daybright rushed over to her friend. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." Skyheart's mew was thick. "I'm sorry I had to leave you."

"It's okay. It was your time." Daybright pulled away, smiling sadly.

"Daybright, you were the best friend a cat could ask for." Skyheart sniffled, her eyes watering.

"You too." Daybright dipped her head. "May you hunt in peace." she whispered, as she dropped out of the dream, and back into the ban of the moonpool.

Daybright opened her eyes, and saw that the medicine cats around her were stirring and yawning.

"Did you share with StarClan?" Earthpelt asked.

Daybright nodded. "I saw Skyheart. And Fawnspeckle. They said I had fulfilled the prophecy. That they were proud of me."

Earthpelt smiled. "Me too. I am so very proud of you, Daybright."

Daybright smiled, and let the fresh, warm morning air blow through her fur.

The clans were at peace.

He mother was alive.

Her sister was a warrior.

Everything was perfect.

Finally.

(ohmygosh EXACTLY 1K WORDS NOT INCLUDING THIS LITTLE AFTERNOTE! CRAZY! Anyway, there will be an epilogue, so I'm not going to say goodbye just yet. I promise this book will be finished by the end of February. So look forward to the epilogue, it's coming soon!

I love y'all so much, and I'm so glad you've been with me on this crazy journey. See ya!💛)