Revelations

by The Tree That Fell Silently

They say she earned her beautiful name for being a beautiful she-cat. After all, her eyes were always shining like a sunny, blue sky. Her fur was the color of amber honey, and her tabby stripes fell down her pelt like rain. Oh no, that was not the case. Her mentor gave meaning to her name. He gave her a warning, and it's going to follow her forever. (One-Shot)

"Amberpaw," the old, saggy tomcat rasped, "You will be ThunderClan's finest medicine cat."

"Thank you," the young vixen dipped her head to her ancient mentor.

"I mean it," he coughed into his chest fur, "I can see it now, in your eyes; you will be greater than any other medicine cat before you. You will live to witness the Clan's revelations."

"Dogtail, I don't understand," she confessed, eyes widening with concern, "Shouldn't we be sleeping right now?"

She gestured to the four cats slumped over beside the quartz claw. The Moonstone was rippling with stars as the half moon danced across the night sky, pouring its light into the tall cavern from the wide opening above.

They, the other medicine cats, had already begun to dream with their ancestors, so why was her mentor insisting they wait?

"I want to make you a fully-fledged medicine cat," the short-breathed cat said at last.

"Now?" Amberpaw mewed with surprise. "Can't we wait till the next half moon? They're all asleep already! Don't we need a witness or somecat?"

Dogtail's tongue darted back into his mouth as his yellow eyes narrowed. "StarClan shall be your witness!"

His meow bounced against the cavern walls, and immediately the elderly tom began coughing into his fur. Amberpaw silently vowed to fix his cracked throat.

Suddenly, the coughing tom craned his neck as if to brush his nose against the hole in the cavern ceiling. "StarClan!" He howled, "I call upon you as our warrior ancestors!" He barked it almost angrily. "As Dogtail, medicine cat of ThunderClan, I present to you my apprentice who has learned the ways of the medicine cat Code."

Their fellow medicine cats didn't move a muscle as they continued to dream within the land of StarClan. For Amberpaw, however, Dogtail's scraping voice clawed at her ears. His voice echoed from wall to wall and even into the tunnels that fed into the cavern.

"Amberpaw, do you promise with your life to uphold our sacred Code and protect all cats and stand outside of Clan rivaly?"

Hesitantly, she nodded, "I do," and her voice quivered with uncertainty.

Dogtail's eyes flashed with a blazing fire as he spoke, "Then by the powers of StarClan, I gift you with your true name: Amberfall!"

Specks of doubt soaked into her paws and gnawed at her bones. Amberfall searched for meaning in her old mentor's gaze. He stared back at her with stars in his eyes.

"With the help of StarClan, you will heal your Clanmates for many moons, many seasons," he said softly. "Amberfall, please, rest your head against the Moonstone and dream with our ancestors."

She nodded and settled down in a rook beneath the quartz. Dogtail, satisfied, laid down beside her saying: "May my words guide you forever."

His fur sparkled from the light of the Moonstone. He gave her a warm nod before tenderly pressing his nose to the smooth gem tower. His old body relaxed and settled neatly into the cold earth.

Amberfall took a deep breath and finally pressed her nose to the stone like she had for every half moon before. Her body sighed and went still.

She began falling from the sky, passing through wispy clouds. The dark meadow rose to meet her paws. Stars stirred around the moss once she landed on the soft earth.

The haze of her dream cleared as the first cats stepped forward. She narrowed her eyes as the mist tugged at her fur. A brown tomcat approached her. Her heart dropped.

His fur was laced with frost and his eyes were an icy flame. "Amberfall," his voice was smooth, "StarClan welcomes you as a full medicine cat of ThunderClan."

"N-no!"

The tom dipped his head, not meeting her eyes.

"Dogtail!"