Applepaw's Warrior Ceremony

Minkstar leapt to the top of the Great Rock, a smile on his face. He could still remember when he'd first taken his apprentice out for training, the hazy images coloured with an excited sort of nostalgia as he spun to look out over the camp, a warm glow in his chest. She'd gotten to warriorhood - his apprentice was ready to join them as a full member and leave the apprentice's den behind. A twinge clawed at his heart as the dimming faces of Wasppaw and Admiral floated up in his mind; something he did his best to pull away from as he opened his maw and let the summons ring through camp, the anticipation tingling at his paw pads again as faces turned up to look at him. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the High Rock for a Clan meeting!"

Applepaw shook out her short pelt as she exited the apprentice den, for what she hoped was the last time. It had been more than a day since Prickletail's ceremony, so she was already impatient that she get hers as well. Not only because she wanted to have less things for her brother to hold over her, but also because she wanted to begin her path to becoming the greatest warrior ThunderClan had ever seen. As well as deputy and leader, someday. But for now she would just be content if this could be her warrior ceremony... Please, Minkstar, you said I had talent, you said I was ready... Make me a warrior! Her large, gray eyes looked eagerly up at the High Rock, meeting those of her leader and mentor.

His eyes quickly honed in on a pair of hopeful grey ones as she slipped out of the apprentice den, and he flashed a quick encouraging smile in her direction, opening his maw again. "Applepaw, if you agree to go through with it, step forward for your warrior ceremony."

He knew she'd been anticipating this for days, more so ever since her brother had had his. They've got a lot of sibling rivalry going, haven't they? The wry thought flashed through his mind, a vein of nostalgic sorrow tinging its edge. Siblings.... Every apprentice I pass to warrior... is for you. And every ceremony is better than the last. The days of nervous dread felt so long ago - coloured grey and hazy like shreds of mist over the river dissolving under sunlight.

As Applepaw stepped up to the base of the rock, he continued, "I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and the ways of our Clan that I have done my best to teach her." Pausing for a moment, he added, "Please don't let her turn out like me, for all our sake's. I commend her to you as a warrior in turn, that she may grow into this Clan and know what it means to be a part of it."

"Applepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, defend and protect this Clan and all its members - whoever they may be and whatever they've done - no matter the personal cost?"

Sure enough, Minkstar's eyes glanced down to meet hers, and Applepaw felt her heart quicken in her chest. Finally, it's time. My warrior ceremony! Almost breathlessly, she stepped forward in front of the crowd of her Clanmates, hanging on her leader's every word. As usual, he departed slightly from the formulaic words, but today she couldn't have cared less. No matter what the words were, as long as they made her a warrior before ThunderClan and StarClan, he could tell whatever mouse-brained jokes he wanted. However, he seemed more serious than he had during her brother's ceremony.

Then, it was time. The question directed towards her. The warrior code, the basis for her life, would she keep it? Protect every Clan member, even dumb old Prickletail? There could only be one answer. This was a stepping stone to her success. "I do," she meowed firmly, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Prickletail, trotting into camp with a squirrel he was rather proud of, deposited it on the fresh-kill pile before catching Minkstar’s words. Hmm? Applepaw was becoming a warrior? There was a bit of turmoil within him, an annoyance that they couldn’t stay apprentices forever so he could be above them… humph. Still. She’d been nice to him at his ceremony so he supposed he’d better be nice to her.

He sat at the back of the crowd, his ears turning a bit red as Minkstar did whatever he did and mixed up the words. His green eyes narrowed as the leader continued. How come Applepaw got a better ceremony than he did? Applepaw, of all cats- but of course Minkstar would be biased towards his apprentice. Of course, Applepaw deserved the correct wording and form for her ceremony. Prickletail  slowly flicked his tail. Everyone would be furious if he interrupted his sister’s ceremony. They’d never forget it. Still… if she happened to look around, his fur would be bristling, his paws pressing a little too firmly into the dirt. Why was she better than him? She didn’t even care about the ceremony wording, likely she didn’t even know it, but noooo, she got the correct ceremony. She wasn’t better than him.

He could barely keep the grin off his face, forcing his maw into a straight line, though his eyes danced. "Then by the powers of StarClan I grant you your warrior name. Applepaw, from this moment on you will be known as..." He paused for dramatic effect, unable to stop himself. "Appledapple."

The grin finally came out at the sound of it. It was a pretty name, but stars did it roll off the tongue a little strangely. A tinge of a purr entered his tone as he went on, not just amusement but pride marking the sound, "We honour your loyalty and skill in battle, and welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

The ceremony ended, and he jumped down, listening to the new warrior's name ring through the ravine. Listening carefully, he thought he could hear a few stumbling over the odd, almost rhyming cadence of it, and briefly wondered if it had been a good idea to agree to this. Technically, some cats have had odder names.... Smallbean sprang to mind. His expression softened to a smile as he padded up to his former apprentice, briefly noting her brother off in the crowd before focusing his attention on her. "You'll make a good warrior, Appledapple - just remember to keep your head, and don't give your siblings too much trouble before they join you, eh?"

He moved off to let said siblings and friends gather around her, the crowd still chanting her new name.

As he said the words, her new name coursed through her veins like fire. Her warrior name. Appledapple. It was perfect. She loved it. Minkstar finished the ceremony, naming her best attributes, then came down to her. It felt like she was floating. A warrior, finally! She nodded at his advice, smiling wryly at the suggestion to be nice to her siblings (ugh, fine, maybe she would be just this once). "Thank you, Minkstar," she meowed seriously. "You were a great mentor."

That said, she turned to see her brother. He looked... jealous. Her eyes twinkled. "Hey there, Prickletail," she greeted him sweetly, putting on her most adorable face. She'd been nice at his ceremony. Now it was his turn to acknowledge her greatness. "Whaddya think of my new name? Wanna go on a patrol sometime? Brother and sister, just the two of us?" She nudged him with her shoulder, a friendly smile on her face that showed no hint of the tiny bit of smugness she felt.

As Minkstar finished, Prickletail felt his fur lie flat again. Appledapple? A mouse-brained name for sure. Her dappled markings didn’t look like apples. It rhymed in an awkward way and his his name was vastly superior in every way! Still. She seemed happy. He wouldn’t say anything, no. (He really didn’t want to end up on the other side of her claws) and he could let it hang over her. Every time he saw her he could bask in the fact that he knew how mouse-brained her name was and she was too mouse-brained to know. Ha.

And, of course, as soon as he’d calmed down, she just had to come over. To rub it in his face, he supposed. Humph. He’d better be nice to her, or else the Clan would never forget it. A bit of turmoil broiled deep inside him, still envious of her better ceremony… but it was temporarily appeased by her terrible name. After all, they’d forget the ceremony (unless he did something stupid and she attacked him) but they wouldn’t forget the name.

“It’s very original,” he mewed, desperately keeping his amusement inside. “Very… ThunderClannish.” Minkstar would be the only leader who could ever even fathom such a name- the tom seemed very eager to flaunt rule-things. Still. He was the leader. A patrol with just Appledapple? Aaah! ”Suuuuuure…” Oh stars. Was this a set up? Would she pounce on him as soon as they were out of camp? No. No she wouldn’t. Her anger was fast, fearsome, and ended quickly. Still. He didn’t want to really spend time with her or anything… “Just the two of us,” he agreed with a nod. “Good idea.” It’d be odd if he didn’t agree. Cats would talk.