Sunnypaw's Warrior Ceremony

It was hard to believe how much time had passed since Asylum had been defeated, but Clan life had moved on. Her own kits were apprentices, now, and Spotlake had come to her saying one of Hayglow's kits, Sunnypaw was ready to be a warrior, and no doubt Muddypaw would follow soon behind. She had a certain fondness of Hayglow's kits, Sunnypaw in particular. The apprentice had a certain cheeriness that Lilacstar found refreshing. Almost as she had been at that age.

She was very proud when she climbed the tall rock (and yes, she actually climbed it for once) to call the meeting. "All cats old enough to run the moors gather around the Tall Rock for a Clan meeting!"

Sunnypaw bounded out of the apprentice den, joining the gathering crowd of cats. Her ears were perked and her eyes wide with excitement. She was old enough to run the moors now, after all. Turning her face up towards Tall Rock and Lilacstar upon it, she smiled up at the leader. She wasn't sure what this meeting was about, but she was certainly excited for it.

Right on cue, it seemed, the star of the ceremony appeared, joyous as ever. And it seemed that her energy was contagious, as it brought a smile to even her face. And as the rest of the Clan began to settle down, Lilacstar spoke.

"Today marks a special day for WindClan, the first of many to come since the departure of the Asylum. It is the day one of our apprentices joins the ranks, and becomes a warrior of WindClan. She has worked hard, and Spotlake and I both agree that her time has come."

A pause.

"Sunnypaw, step forward."

Lilacstar smiled as well, and Sunnypaw settled in with the rest of the clan, pleased that the leader was smiling. Everyone was happier when they smiled! Oh, an apprentice was going to become a warrior! She wondered who it was before the names that Lilacstar had said were pieced together in her mind during the moment of silence. Spotlake? That was her mentor! Did that mean?...

"Sunnypaw, step forward."

Oh rabbit tails, it did! Her whiskers quivering with excitement and glee, Sunnypaw got to her paws and padded forward, trying not to bounce on her pads the way that she usually did. This was a very important ceremony, after all! She remained standing once she had stepped away from the rest of the crowd, unable to stop the big grin plastered on her face as she looked back up to Lilacstar.

It took every ounce of will Lilacstar had not to giggle at the sight before her. Apprentices always wanted to look so proper during these ceremonies, with good reason, but it was always funny to watch how they tried to contain their excitement. And some, like Sunnypaw now, did a very poor job at hiding it. And a good thing, too, as Lilacstar might be worried if this she-cat ever lost her energy.

And so, with the Clan's eyes on the two of them, Lilacstar began the ceremonial words. "I, Lilacstar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has worked hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you a warrior in turn. Sunnypaw, do you promise to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"

"Yes!" Sunnypaw's voice came out as more of a squeaky than a mew, and she quickly cleared her throat and straightened up further. "I do, Lilacstar. I do." Her eyes darted to the crowd, was Hayglow there? Was Muddypaw? Was... Was Fawnstep? Were they watching? Was she about to earn a star? Her eyes focused back on Lilacstar, and her tail lashed behind her gleefully as she waited for what would come next. What would her name be? She was certain Lilacstar would pick a good one.

The brown and white tom had settled down at the edge of the clearing. His own pelt was vaguely reminiscent of the apprentice that was being presented towards the clan. Fawnstep had hardly interacted with his kits and often even forgot that he had sired them. Regardless of the fact, there were faint embers of pride that caused him to straighten up. He briefly met her gaze and offered a subtle nod. Hopefully young Sunnypaw would grow to be a strong warrior, one that he could be proud of.

With a purr, Lilacstar could not help but chuckle at Sunnypaw's excited outburst. And she also could not help but notice, with a faint glimmer in her eye, that even Fawnstep seemed to be showing some pride for his daughter's ceremony. She was aware that Hayglow had made the same agreement Lilacstar had when he sired her kits, that he would not need to be involved in their lives. So seeing him here now, Lilacstar was honestly happy. White her kits had her and Amberfluff, Hayglow had to raise her kits alone, so it was good to see the faintest hint that Fawnstep cared.

"Then, with the approval of my Clanmates, and our warrior ancestors, I give you your warrior name. Sunnypaw, from this day forward, you will be known as Sunnyskip. Like the stone that skips over the waters, WindClan honors your optimism and curiosity, and welcome you as a full warrior."

After the ceremony had been completed, Lilacstar hopped down from her perch, touching her nose to Sunnyskip's head, before beginning the chant.

"Sunnyskip! Sunnyskip!"

Sunnypaw's eyes met Fawnstep's, and when she saw the subtle nod tears welled in her eyes as her smile widened farther, stretching across her face as Lilacstar spoke again. Turning her face back up to the leader, she sniffled quietly as she tried to keep the tears of joy from falling. So he did care, even a little. And here she was, about to be a warrior. Muddypaw wouldn't be far behind. Lilacstar announced her name, and the newly named warrior gasped. It was perfect! Sunnyskip... Lilacstar jumped down from her spot and approached her, and when her nose touched her head Sunnyskip licked her shoulder. "Thank you, Lilacstar, I love my name!" She exclaimed before turning to search for Hayglow and Muddypaw in the crowd. Sunnyskip! She was Sunnyskip, and a full warrior of WindClan!

OOC: Darn I'm late. I thought I posted in Sunny's and Muddy's ceremonies but guess I didn't. ^^;

IC: Silverpaw had been watching Sunnypaw's warrior ceremony progress and he couldn't have been happier. It was always a joyous day when a clan meeting wasn't called for bad news but for good news, specifically when a ceremony was announced. The young apprentice was so proud of his half-sister. She deserved her warrior name- preferably one that really suited her -and much more. The tom couldn't stop his tail from trembling with anticipation for the name Sunny would be given. For him, that was the most exciting part. It would always be a reminder of how far you'd come in your life.

This was the moment of truth. The moment he'd been waiting for. As Sunnypaw excitedly spoke the words required to complete the ceremony, the younger apprentice held his breath. He nearly let it out by almost laughing at her little outburst but managed to control himself. When his mother began to speak, Silverpaw leaned his face forward in waiting and the moment she announced Sunny's warrior name, a grin broke out from his face. Sunnyskip was perfect!

Silverpaw wasted no time in hurrying over to the newly-named warrior and bumping his shoulder to hers. "Sunnyskip! Congrats on getting your warrior name! I'm so proud of ya! It suits you so well too! Maybe now that you're a warrior, ya can take me out to do some hunting, huh?" the tom said with a teasing tone. "Anyway, ya better tell me how warrior life is, okay? I wanna know." Silverpaw finished was another grin before stepping away and allowing others to congratulate Sunnyskip.