Post by » &Göldιê™; « on Mar 5, 2008 22:53:08 GMT -5
The day had passed like a dream to the pale, phantasmic form of the JungleClan apprentice who had been killed, shifting from life suddenly into death. And in a way, it was a dream, it was all just a bad dream that would fade from reality. Maybe he'd wake up one morning in the apprentices' den and none of it would ever have happened. Maybe he could speak to Phoenixpaw again, and confide in her his deepest secrets, how his heart dropped to his paws whenever he saw her, how his spine tingled. She made his blood flow faster as his heartbeat sped up.
He tried to tell her before, but the bitter rejection that he had suffered made his heart lurch with pain. Perhaps it would be better not to think of that, at least for now. Following the pale blue-gray form of the female cat that had come to guide him to StarClan, Ghostpaw padded wearily. The day had seemed to fade tonight as they spiraled up, towards the stars. He didn't pay attention to the way they were going; he was listless with the dull grief of the day's events.
It still made the pain feel worse than the wound he had suffered at the fangs of that canine. He had asked the patient and kind guide sent for him what it was, and she had replied that it was a coyote. It was a fierce beast that dwelled anywhere it was remotely possible to, and killed for pleasure. That had made him more concerned for Phoenixpaw's safety, but he had seen it run away, and knew it would not come back for her. Unsure of how he would deal with it if it did, he tried not to think about that.
He thought about many things, one including his brother, Rocky, the loner. Wondering where he was, he hoped that his brother was safe, too. And all the other cats of his Clan, and most of all, the one he would treasure as a jewel in his heart forever. He couldn't think about her right now, because it sent another rip of pain down his inside when he did. That was a wound that only time could heal.
Finally, after the upward ascent seemed to end, his paws touched solid ground, or the closest thing. He realized that he was in the cavernous room in which the Moonstone was, and braced himself to see its bright, glowing depths. But instead of this, he saw the same room, empty. It bewildered him; surely Riverfur would take him to the Moonstone, the most sacred place of the Clan cats, for StarClan to recieve him? But the she-cat did not stop or hesitate as he did.
Instead, she continued padding through the room. The dark smudge of a new cave entrance outlined itself on the wall. He had never known about it, but curiosity and desire to walk with StarClan instead of wandering the desolately lonely world drove him forwards. Padding through the entrance, surprise entered his expression. This was not the same room at all, or anything remotely close.
Riverfur padded through the middle of the clearing easily, but it took Ghostpaw a moment to adjust to the sight of Four Rocks so completely barren. And then, it happened so that it could have been the blink of an eye or a whole day, forever in time. Cats were there, they had descended from the sky. When he looked up, Ghostpaw gasped. There was no sky, just blackness.
There were no stars either. Blinking a couple of times, it took him a second to remember that the stars were standing before him, the ancestors of so many Clan cats. He wasn't a part of that history, but he felt the welcome of all the cats. They were converged into one group, but stepped forwards, first a few at a time, and then the rest. They pressed their noses into his fur, or murmured his name, their eyes always lit with the light of a thousand stars.
Ghostpaw felt a little overwhelmed, but the greetings ceased almost as quickly as they had begun. Riverfur was a part of the group, and he found her gray-blue fur in the crowd easily. Taking a hesitant step towards her, he stopped when she shook her head. Confused, he watched her, but she shook her head again and focused on something behind him. Gulping, he spun to face whatever -- whoever -- it was.
An ancient tomcat stood there. His fur was jet-black, and his golden eyes were knowing. Reverence and awe replaced the momentary fear that had encircled Ghostpaw. This tom was old. Older than time itself, it looked, and yet he knew that couldn't be true. He looked as young as a new warrior.
"Welcome," the old cat meowed. His voice was clear, and ringing with the wisdom that seemed to brim from him. Ghostpaw's initial intimidated feelings were replaced by a calm that filled him. "Thank you," he said respectfully, dipping his head. He got the feeling that this was a little more important than the casual welcomes and greetings he had recieved from the other StarClan cats.
"I am to the understanding that you already know that you are to join us. Riverfur has ensured that. She is a wonderful asset to our ranks." Flicking a gaze to the she-cat, she modestly ducked her head at the praise. The jet-pelted tom turned back to Ghostpaw.
"You do not join us as an apprentice. Some cats here have no name, but you will not be one of them. It was the will of StarClan to bring you here. It is the decision that was best for the good of JungleClan, and its future. I regret having to end your life so early.
"But," the ancient cat continued, "you were ready to be a warrior when you walked with JungleClan. So shall you be here. Ghostpaw, you are ready to become a full warrior of StarClan. Do you promise to embrace all that we stand for, to become truly one of us? Are you prepared for the tasks ahead, and the choices and sacrifices you will make?"
The questions overwhelmed Ghostpaw. He closed his ice-blue eyes, thinking. Allowing a calm to run through him. He already felt different; maybe dying did that to you. But he felt somehow more mature, more sure of himself and his choices.
And the answer came to him almost at once. He was ready for whatever would happen next. He would meet it as soon as it came, and let fate deal its next hand to him. Now that he knew it was the will of StarClan for him to join them, he felt an eerie, icy calm fill him that had nothing to do with where he was or whom comprised his company. It was deeply rooted in his heart.
It was there. That feeling that he truly belonged here, almost more than he did in JungleClan. And he met the topaz eyes of the ancient tomcat, strengthened by his own resolve. He could do this, for this was his destiny, and he would embrace it. "I am ready. I accept this role and everything it means, and though I do not bear it lightly, I bear it feeling honored to be offered it."
Almost as though the words had not come from him, he corrected himself, knowing that they truly had. They were the deeply rooted things that always had been there, never quite unlocked. He was meant to join JungleClan, and Phoenixpaw, and stay there a time, until it was decided that he would join StarClan. The inner fate of his life had been set before he was born. Though he certainly had a say in them, he would not have had it any differently.
The dark tom nodded once, a keen look in his eyes. "Then let it be known that you are now a full warrior of StarClan, recognized for your cherished wisdom and unbelievable courage. From now on you will go by a different name, one that gives you the true meaning you have always deserved. You have proven that you are ready to join our ranks by that bravery that it took to reach inside yourself and find who you truly are. Ghostpaw, from now on, I name you Ghostwind, for the wind of the ghosts would not taint your resolve nor your extraordinary abilities."
Standing before StarClan, the prior JungleClan tom nodded deeply. This was a great honor, to be named a warrior of StarClan, and he would not take it lightly. Savoring the sound of his new name on his tongue, he turned around slowly. As if on cue, the warriors of StarClan began chanting his name. "Ghostwind, Ghostwind, Ghostwind...
The StarClan warrior padded forwards to join their ranks, to accept his destiny, and fate as it had always been laid, as for every cat, for him.