Newtpaw's Warrior Ceremony

This ceremony was going to be far better than the previous one. Newtpaw actually deserved his warrior status. Bloodstrike had let a few days pass before doing another warrior ceremony after Bearflower's. He still firmly believed making her a warrior had been a mistake, but he wouldn't do anything for now. He had a feeling she'd ruin it herself somehow, then he'd be free to do as he liked. "Let all cats old enough to climb a tree gather beneath the Tallbranch for a clan meeting!" He sat calmly on top of the Tallbranch and waited for the clan to gather. Though his expression was still neutral, like it normally was, the air of tension was nonexistent this time. Hopefully Newtpaw wouldn't be scared off from the result of the last ceremony.

Newtpaw lifted his head from his paws, ears perking up at the sound of his father's voice. Suddenly alert, he scrambled to his paws, finding a spot near the middle of camp to watch Bloodstrike. There had been quite a few ceremonies lately, and the large tom straightened out as he pictured this being his.

His thoughts flickered to Bearflower's own ceremomy, and his expression soured. She hadn't deserved their dad's temper, not when she'd had every right to attack that mouse-brained RiverClanner. Newtpaw's pelt prickled at the thought, but he quickly shook himself back into an expectant smirk. Even if he thought Bloodstrike was stupid, he wasn't ruining his own ceremony. He wasn't getting exiled because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Maybe that's what dad'll say. I'm lots better at shuttin' up now.

Bloodstrike saw Newtpaw and watched his expression carefully. There was a bit of resentment there, but it hadn't been Newtpaw that Bloodstrike had been mad at. It still wasn't. Once the clan had gathered, Bloodstrike began to speak.

"Another warrior joins Skyclan's ranks today. Newtpaw, come forward." He gave his son a moment to step up before he continued. "I, Bloodstrike, deputy of SkyClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Newtpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Bloodstrike's tone was much lighter than the last, and far more approving. There was some worry in the back of his mind however, as Wolfstar still had not resumed his duties as leader.

Aha, so it was his ceremony! Newtpaw rose to his paws, stepping forward and lifting his chin high. The excitement on his face was genuine now, even if his chest tightened. He was being treated so much nicer than his sister. Reminding himself this wasn't the place for a show, he met Bloodstrike's gaze, wry grin widening.

"'Course I do," he replied, tone bright and even and proud.

Bloodstrike stared at his son for a moment, but it was nothing like the tense silence like last time. The scarred tom actually allowed a small smile on his face.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your name: Newtspring." And now Bloodstrike stared at Newtspring very seriously. "Newtspring... you went to battle with another clan as an apprentice. I know you didn't want to fight. I saw how scared you were. But you went into battle and fought until your body gave out. You didn't run. I know your mind is sharp and you ask good questions.

Skyclan is honored by your bravery and your dedication to the clan... and I am very proud of you. You are everything I hope Skyclan to be." Bloodstrike tipped his ears forward once. With that, the meeting was over. He hopped off of Tallbranch and approached Newtspring. He rested his chin on his head gently.

"Congratulations, son."

Newtspring shifted his weight as Bloodstrike started to talk, looking somewhere between thrilled and out of place. His own worries and frustrations about recent ceremonies still sat in the back of his mind, but the deputy's words quickly took over his thoughts.

He'd done his best not to think about the war, or... the aftermath. He'd been so excited to fight, more than eager to go to battle to protect something he cared about. And he'd lost it anyway– it felt like SkyClan had lost everything.

He hated to admit it, but he had been scared. Terrified, really. He'd gotten comfortable acting like himself again, but he was afraid of losing more every day.

He managed to refocus right as Bloodstrike hopped off the Tallbranch. Newtspring's eyes never met his father's form as he approached, and he leaned up when his chin came to rest on his head. Swallowing hard and pushing away thoughts of his sisters, he managed, "Thank you, dad."

Unlike Bearflower's ceremony, Newtspring's had gone without a hitch. Spottedfrog sat next to her sister, a few fox-lengths away from Newt, and watched her brother receive his warrior name. When Bloodstrike approached him, Spottedfrog leaned against Bearflower gently, attempting to provide comfort, but once their father moved away, she rose, bounding towards the newly named Newtspring with a grin across her maw. "You did it!" she turned to Bearflower. "We all did!"

Well... not all. Spottedfrog's tail drooped a little as she thought about Maplepaw, her demeanor at once going from thrilled to distraught. Maple should have been here, too... it wasn't fair that she'd been ripped away from them, from the chance to become a warrior, too... Her own mood killed, she said lowly, "She'd want us to be happy, so... let's do it. For Maple."

Bearflower, from where she sat, quietly waited until the deputy had ended the ceremony and padded away before following Spottedfrong and bouncing over to her brother with a wide smile on her maw. There was such a stark difference in the atmosphere that surrounded the entire camp during her brother's ceremony and her own. It left a slightly bitter feeling in her throat, not because she was upset with Newtspring, but because she was upset with Bloodstrike. On the bright side, the conclusion of Newtspring's ceremony meant that all of her littermates were warriors now... but Maplepaw deserved to be there with them. She made a hasty attempt to blink away any upsetting thoughts as she reached the tom with a soft purr.

"Yay! Congrats, Newtspring!" The she-cat cheered, flicking her tail approvingly.
Her head slowly turned as Spottedfrog brought up Maplepaw. Apparently, she wasn't the only one that had their sister in mind. Her expression became a lot more solemn as she nodded in response.
"We'll make her proud." She murmured as a small and sad smile took shape on her face.

Lichenblaze sat in the crowd, watching his apprentice with a puff of pride in his chest. It was rare these days that he smiled, genuinely, but his characteristic crooked grin filled his maw as he howled the new warrior's name, louder than the rest. "Newtspring, Newtspring, NEWTSPRING!"

When the ceremony had completed, the older warrior made his way towards his half-brother, giving him time with his sisters before making his presence known. He cuffed Newtspring on the ear affectionately, smirking. "Look at you, 'kit, you're a full-grown warrior now. How does it feel?" He looked his brother up and down, his expression growing more serious. "Y'know, we started off this relationship on the wrong paw for sure. An' I'm not good at sappy speeches and all that scat, but I gotta say, Newtspring...I'm proud of ya. We almost look like twins now, huh? Anyway..." Lichenblaze scuffed the ground with a paw, scoring lines in the dirt with his claws. "Good job. This ain't gonna stop me from putting sticks in your nest, though!" Grinning once more, he bumped Newtspring with his head, roughly, grateful for this moment of joy that filled his dark, clouded mind with light again.