Ceres' Apprentice Ceremony

With a nervous sigh, Ivystar pushed herself forward onto her paws and began approaching the Willow Branch, a thousand and one things running through her head at that moment. At the forefront of her mind was one of her daughters- Ceres. Today, she'd be brought back into the Clan in a more formal manner, which meant an apprentice ceremony. Taking in Asylum cats wasn't a problem- RiverClan had accepted Brick into their ranks, after all- it was moreso that Ivystar was concerned about a certain disconnect between them because of the fact that she'd failed her. She'd been unable to protect her while she was a kit, and as a result, her entire life had been thrown off course. That feeling was something she'd found herself unable to shake, but despite that she pushed onward, if not for herself, for Ceres.

Leaping onto the Willow Branch, Ivystar turned to face the center of camp and called out, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Willow Branch for a Clan meeting!"

Ceres knew exactly what was about to happen once she heard the call. She had gone out of her way to request a Clan name of her own, the name that she had held before the Asylum had taken her and the others against their own will. Over time, she had grown to embrace the name Ceres. It was all she had known for all the moons that she had been capable of remembering things, but now, she wanted to erase any remaining traces of the Asylum from her body. She was apart of a Clan, now... a real Clan with other cats who would fight and train and eat and sleep alongside her. It was going to take a bit of getting used to, but she was up to the challenge. It would be worth it.

The calico quietly padded forward to join the group of gathering RiverClanners underneath the Willow Branch. Her eyes quickly locked onto her mother's and stayed there, never faltering or moving away. This was her new home, and she was determined to prove to every cat in the clearing that she was just as much of a RiverClan cat as they were.

Once Ceres had made her way into the clearing, Ivystar drew in a quick, shaky breath and cleared her throat, calling out, ”Ceres, please step forward.” Once she did so, Ivystar nodded firmly and continued. ”Though you missed many of your formative moons here, RiverClan is your home, and you have communicated your wish to remain here and undergo the training of a proper RiverClan warrior. You shall be accepted into the Clan as a full-fledged warrior once you’ve proven your loyalty to your Clanmates.” Ceres had also mentioned that she wished to take on a Clan name, and Ivystar saw it fitting to bestow her former prefix upon her once again, so that she may be the she-cat she was always meant to be- prosperous and true to the spirit of a warrior. ”From this day onward until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Cloudpaw. I will be your mentor.” Leaping from the branch immediately, Ivystar approached her daughter and gently rested her chin on the she-cat’s head, giving her a quick mew of encouragement before she stepped aside to allow the rest of the Clan to celebrate her homecoming.

The word home was extremely complicated for the newly-named Cloudpaw. For some cats, a home was simply a place where you slept and ate. There was no sentimental meaning to them. To her, a home meant much more than that. Ever since the very second she had discovered the truth about her and her littermates' origins, it was as if she had lost the only home she ever knew. She had spent a moon or so as a peaceful rogue, hiding out in the forest with Mirae and waiting for any word to come back from Shira who had gone on a quest to find their family. The entire time, Cloudpaw had wondered whether or not she would ever truly have a home one day. Perhaps being lost for the rest of her life would be her endless punishment for ever siding with the Asylum. However, standing here, being given a new name, a new rank, and a new identity by her birth mother in front of the eyes of her new Clanmates felt rewarding. There was now a happy ending to a rather sad story.

The she-cat couldn't help but wonder if the rest of the "missing kits" that she used to recognize as her family had found their happy endings as well. Shira's disappearance from RiverClan still prevented her from being happy to the highest extent, but Cloudpaw supposed that it wouldn't hurt to take a break for a day and celebrate herself and her new life as a RiverClan apprentice. A smile graced her maw as Ivystar briefly rested her chin on top of her head. Her new name rang out across the clearing as the rest of the Clan began to celebrate. This was the new beginning that she had wanted for the longest time.

"Thank you, Ivystar. I'll make you and RiverClan proud." Cloudpaw promised, nodding solemnly.