Wasppaw's Warrior Ceremony

Torrentstar had thought that this day would never come. His apprentice--well, former apprentice--was finally becoming a warrior.

To the RiverClan leader, Wasppaw was another reminder of his failures as a mentor. She had gained a nickname around camp, one that caused his muzzle to wrinkle every time he heard it--the "perpetual 'paw." The pain she caused him did not stem from any sort of ego or pride. Oh no, he had moved past that point a long time ago. Once, he might have felt the sting of wounded pride when cats whispered about her. But such shallow emotions could only last so long. When he looked at her, he saw the wreckages of a once brilliant flame; the fuel all exhausted, the flame extinguished, and only the dissipating
ashes remaining.

Torrentstar could still remember, as clearly as yesterday, Wasppaw's refusal to have her warrior ceremony. She had gone through the required training, was as qualified as any other warrior... but she had refused. He had been at an utter loss. Half in the hopes that it would do her some good, and half in the despair that he could no longer do anything, he had put her under Stormbringer's watch.

Torrentstar understood Wasppaw, really. The scars that marked him physically were not as deep as those engraved in his heart. But because he had tasted of that deep pain, he had been at a loss for how to help her. It was a chasm that one could only cross alone. All he had been able to do was wait and continue to watch over her. And at last... at last... this day had arrived.

From the start to the finish, Wasppaw was the most troublesome apprentice he had ever trained.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Willow Branch for a clan meeting!"

Torrentstar met Wasppaw's gaze, and the words dried up in the back of his throat. He could not begin her ceremony the same way he did for the others. She was different―different not just from the other apprentices, but also different to him. He drew a deep breath, before he began with his improvisation. "RiverClan, we gather today to witness a special ceremony. In our midst, we have an apprentice who has gone through more moons of training than any other. Although she earned her warrior name a long time ago, certain circumstances prevented her from accepting the ceremony. A few days ago, however, I was informed that Wasppaw has changed her mind. If you believe yourself to be ready now, step forward."

The expression adorning his apprentice's maw was reminiscent of the one she had worn in past days. Torrentstar grimaced lightly. Was he to be annoyed, amused, or relieved? "Then I, Torrentstar, 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. Wasppaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?" Here were the platitudes that he had spoken time and time again...

Torrentstar would never admit it to his apprentice, but he realized just how much he had missed her bantering at that moment. It was almost painful to hear her response, so similar in attitude to the one at her apprentice ceremony. The RiverClan leader arched one non existent eyebrow. For the stars' sake, was it so hard for her to go through a ceremony just as everyone else did? All he needed was the conventional answer, but he had known that it would be the last thing he would get. After all, there was no apprentice quite as unpredictable, infuriating, or agonizing as this one of his. Oh, how relieved he would be to get her off his paws. Truly, he could not wait. "I will take that as an 'I do.'" The large tabby replied, voice laced with sarcasm. One could not deny the look of obvious disapproval on his face; even so, the green eyes that beheld the tortoiseshell were... uncharacteristically soft.  "As the apprentice has clearly made her willingness known, I now give her a warrior name by the power vested in me. From this day forth, you will be known to all as Waspburn. Riverclan honors your initiative and independence through tough times. Tonight, as tradition demands, you will hold a silent vigil while the rest of the clan sleep."

Deciding on a name for the tortoiseshell had not been difficult at all. If Torrentstar were to be honest, he had settled on one almost immediately. Was fire not a fitting representative for her? Destructive and chaotic.... but so, so full of life.

As the leader then dismissed the meeting with a lash of his tail, the cheers of RiverClan cats rose in waves, filling the gold-tinted sky above.

It was done.