Ivypaw's Warrior Ceremony

Finally, she was ready. The time had come for the last of his surviving kits to rise as a warrior. The last piece of this... mixed legacy he had built. The tom was honestly happy for her. After so much work, Starclan had welcomed as a soon-to-be warrior. Yet... a small pain was kept in his chest. Though his daughter was going to be a new cat today, there was no way he could congratulate her the way he wanted. Just like Berrycloud and Sparkfrost. He bit his tongue as he climbed slowly to the branch. Each day, he felt his body go weaker but he didn't care anymore. After today, there was nothing left for him to do... Ivypaw will be a warrior and he will be just a sad tom... with no Fallowlight... most of his kits... and his mate. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the willow branch for a clan meeting!"

Nobody knew yet.

Ivypaw had kept the information she'd gleaned from her Moonstone Journey to herself, not daring to tell anyone. She'd made a constant effort to keep herself busy and to keep herself alone. She'd avoided everyone. Her siblings, Scorchclaw, and most of all, her father. She knew she couldn't avoid them forever, but for now, her attempts to avoid the pain of speaking to them were stronger than their will for contact. When the call came for cats to gather around the Willow Branch, Ivypaw thought about her options for a moment. She could remain in her nest in the apprentice's den pretending that she hadn't heard the call, or she could go out and face her father. The likelihood of this being her warrior ceremony was too high for her to ignore it, so with a bit of a grunt, she lifted her body from the nest and walked out slowly. Making sure to maintain a low-profile in case this wasn't her ceremony, she sat down right outside the entrance, glaring at the dirt beneath her paws.

The tom couldn't find his daughter at first but when she spotted her grey fur, he decided to move on with the ceremony. The large cat lifted his tail, asking for silence while every cat settled down around him. "Today, we gather one more time to celebrate another ceremony. Berrycloud and Scorchclaw had confirmed to me that one of our apprentices is ready to be part of the warrior's life. Ivypaw, if you believe this to be true, please step forward for your ceremony to begin." Due to the distance, the leader was unaware of the she-cat's expression. She was probably excited, like most apprentices but he couldn't yet understand why she was so far away. Maybe Ivypaw was just waking up from a nap in the den? Or maybe she just wanted to be alone. Maybe late he could ask her.

The excitement that Ivypaw had spent her entire life yearning for was absent. When her name was called, she slowly got up, padding closer to Jaystar than she had dared to go since she figured it all out. 'Starlord should be here.' Somehow, that thought had wiggled its way into her brain. The tom who had supported her throughout her younger days, who would have supported her now if he hadn't died. He would have gotten her through this. StarClan, he probably already knew of her origins! Her paws stopped when she was in front of the Willow Branch, and she finally dared to lift her eyes and meet her father's gaze.

The similar green eyes of both cats finally met and the second of silence between them felt like an eternity. For Jaystar, it felt like the time had stopped. This was it... his daughter was becoming a warrior along with his siblings and after this... his work in this life will be done. There was nothing left for him. His kits will be warriors of Riverclan. They will form families on their own and live their lives happily without him. That was the way it was meant to be. His crime... brought him the blessing of these three, strong cats but the curse of not being able to be the father he had to be. That was the real punishment of having a relationship with Goldeneye. "I, Jaystar, leader of Riverclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Ivypaw... do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" He mewed in a serious tone which hid his own pain. They could never know... the clan shall never know. What would happen to them if the rest found out they were his kits? There were only two paths: they were going to be accepted or exiled. And he couldn't risk their well-being. At least... with his silence... they could have a better life.

The answer to Jaystar's question was easy. Of course she did. "I do." She continued to look up at him, wondering what he was thinking at that very moment.

With those two words, it was settled. The large, scarred tom nodded at the young she-cat and opened his mouth once more. "Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forth, you will be known to all as Ivybrook. Riverclan honours your determination and dedication. As per tradition says, you will hold a silent vigil tonight while the rest of your clanmates sleep. I'm sure you will guard us well and may Starclan light your path from this day on." That was it. Now, his little Ivykit was no longer a small kit. Holding her grandmother's name, she had turned into a full-grown warrior, capable of defending herself and her clan. But letting her go... was still hard. Because it did not only meant that she was an adult now... but that all his kits were. He had lived for so many moons... he had done so many mistakes... he had lived, laughed, cried... all to this final moment of happiness. Jaystar was so proud of her success. To thrive even in the harshest conditions. But, from now on... she wouldn't need him anymore. None of his kits did. Not even his clan... without him, Riverclan would be fine with Scorchclaw. He will be a strong leader and a fine successor. Yet... Starclan had decided over and over again that his time to go wasn't now. He had to stay here, forced to see how his loved ones disappear, die or just... go away.

The silver tabby left the willow branch with a leap and he walked to the small she-cat. He smiled a bit but this time, the pain was visible in his green eyes, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. "Congratulations, Ivybrook. I am... proud of you." He didn't wait for an answer and walked away, disappearing in the crowd of cats. There was no need for one. All he could say to her... was that. And hopefully... that would be enough fo her and her siblings.

Almost as swiftly as it had begun, the ceremony was drawing to a close. But within that short span of time, RiverClan had gained one more loyal warrior. Ivybrook stood before her clanmates, their rising cheers offering her new name up to the heavens. Among the many voices was Scorchclaw's. The RiverClan deputy was seated at his usual spot beneath the Willow Branch, where he had had a front-row seat ceremony. As cats came up one by one to congratulate the newly-appointed warrior, he simply met her gaze and nodded once. It was a simple gesture, but one of acknowledgement. He had not forgotten the words he had spoken to Ivybrook on Moonstone Journey; this new name was a symbol of her dedication to her clan. Indeed, she had proved herself worthy of it. A small part of him was still worried about what StarClan had told her, but it had been clear that she did not plan on speaking about it. The only thing he could do was wait and watch to see what would unfold.