[Katara]

DARKSTAR

LEADER OF NIGHTCLAN

Dawn was approaching, and Darkstar knew the time had come. Slipping out of her den, she took a moment to observe the activity in camp that was slowing as the sky outside the cave began to turn from deep blue to purple. Most cats had finished their meal, and several were sharing tongues before they would retire to their dens for the day. It was early Leaf-fall, and though frost had covered the ground only a few sunrises ago, there was no sign of it now as the world outside sleepily awakened to a surprisingly warm morning. She spotted Clovermask emerging from the warriors' den with a couple warriors on her heels, making for the camp entrance, and caught her eye before she made it too far, flicking her tail in a silent signal. The deputy turned around immediately, understanding her meaning as soon as Darkstar leaped onto the Boulder Ledge. "Let all cats who wear the shadows as their own pelts gather for a Clan meeting!"

NightClan was roused from its sleepiness immediately at her summons, looking around curiously and gathering around her. She hadn't told anyone of the ceremonies she intended to perform this morning. Her Clan could certainly never call her predictable, and she liked it that way. Besides, she thought, watching as the apprentices moved into view, it's not like they look bad. Warning them about the ceremony earlier would've just made them nervous, and the last thing she wanted was to see them pacing about restless, wasting the entire night they could've been useful. And she'd not yet done such a large warrior ceremony. But it was a sign that NightClan was as strong as ever, appointing several new warriors even as Leafbare approached. When the Clan had gathered, she fixed her amber gaze upon the soon-to-be-warriors.

"Breezepaw, Roachpaw, Bramblepaw, Mousepaw, and Hawkpaw," she called, flicking her tail to beckon them, "please come forward."

Their Clanmates parted for the five apprentices, murmuring with excitement as the realization set in. "You all have waited long enough to receive your warrior names. You have proven yourselves many times over." Darkstar raised her amber eyes to the heavens, and spoke the words generations of Clan leaders had spoken before her: "I, Darkstar, leader of NightClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Breezepaw, Bramblepaw, Roachpaw, Hawkpaw, and Mousepaw… do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend NightClan, even at the cost of your lives?"

Her eyes flicked to them each in turn, awaiting their affirmative answers, and when she had received them, she gave a short nod and continued. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I grant you your warrior names." Darkstar leaped from the Boulder Ledge, landing before the five apprentices. "Breezepaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Breezewhisker. StarClan honors your determination and your intelligence." She padded toward the young tortoiseshell, resting her muzzle on Breezewhisker's head for a moment, before stepping back and allowing the new warrior to enjoy the sound of hearing her new name chanted by the Clan.

She turned her gaze to Bramblepaw next. Clovermask had praised the young cat when she'd returned with the patrol that had defeated Deathclaw, and she'd been impressed to hear of their determination and strength in leading the deadly owl to her demise. "Bramblepaw, from this moment, you will be known as Bramblesnow. StarClan honors you for your energy and your loyalty." She lay her head on Bramblesnow's, stepping back when the Clan began to call her by her new name.

She continued, stepping toward Roachpaw. He'd participated in the patrol that had taken down Deathclaw as well, and his bravery had not gone unnoticed. "Roachpaw, from this moment, you will be known as Roachflight. StarClan honors you for your strength and courage." Once more, she rested her chin on a new warrior's head, pulling back with her eyes gleaming as the Clan called out his name.

Three down, and two remained. Darkstar wasn't bothered in the slightest at the length of the ceremony, knowing moments like these were moments that her Clan cherished - moments they were fiercely proud of. She calmly padded over to Hawkpaw next, and spoke: "Hawkpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Hawkeye. StarClan honors your dedication and your reliability." After resting her head on top of his, she once again drew back, allowing the warrior to bask in the pride of hearing his new name called out.

Mousepaw was the final apprentice waiting for her warrior name. She was younger than the others, but ready nonetheless. Darkstar moved toward her. "Mousepaw, from this moment, you will be known as Mousepetal. StarClan honors your sincerity and modesty." She stepped forward, putting her chin on top of her head, and pulling away as the Clan began to chant her name.

She knew she would be expected to conclude the ceremony now, but she wasn't quite finished. After leaping onto the Boulder Ledge, she fixed Breezewhisker and Bramblesnow with her gaze as she continued, "There is one cat that should be here today, receiving his warrior name alongside his siblings, but he is walking with StarClan now. However, I believe he deserves to be remembered with a warrior's name." She raised her eyes to the sky, where the warriors of StarClan still glittered above in the purplish sky. She had spoken with Smokefur for awhile about this before they felt they had gotten the words right, and she recited them now: "Spirits of StarClan, I ask that you look upon the apprentice known as Hollowpaw within your ranks. He had learned the warrior code and given up his life in the service of his Clan and I ask that you commend him now as a warrior. By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I grant Hollowpaw his warrior name. From this moment on he will be known as Hollowmask, and NightClan honors him for his fearlessness and his perseverance. We will honor his memory for many seasons to come."

The chanting of Hollowmask's name was strong, no doubt bolstered by the strong emotions the memory of his death elicited. Darkstar dropped her eyes from the heavens, and looked upon her Clan once more. "We welcome you all as full warriors of NightClan!" she declared, and joined in calling out the new warriors' names until the cave boomed with the sound of their joy and fierce pride. "Breezewhisker! Bramblesnow! Roachflight! Hawkeye! Mousepetal! Hollowmask!"

Her eyes gleamed as the chanting died down, and she raised her tail for quiet again. "According to tradition, you must sit a silent vigil guarding the camp while the rest of the Clan sleeps. Your vigil begins at dawn." It wasn't quite dawn yet, but the sky was turning quite pinkish now closer to the horizon, so it was well on its way. The new warriors would have a few minutes to talk amongst themselves before their silence was demanded.

---

TAGGED: Ginger, ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟, Fawn, Aqua, Fae Magic

[Fawn]

The kid has got a dark side

Push too far you'll see

The brush of Darkstar's maw on the top of his head carried so much more weight than her words. Words didn't always amount to anything, but here, here was proof he could feel that this ceremony was really happening. Roachflight's copper eyes gleamed, the color seeming to ripple with smug excitement as this day had finally arrived.

It soured him to think he had to share it with the likes of Bramblepaw, Breezepaw, Hawkpaw and Mousepaw. Was it really his moment to shine if he had to stand here next to these weaklings? Bramblepaw he minded less, she'd proven herself against Deathclaw, and even Roachflight had to admit she had guts. Breezewhisker... Whatever. Bramblesnow was here, that meant Breezewhisker was here too.

Roachflight let himself go deaf to the rest of the ceremony, tuning out Hawkpaw's and Mousepaw's warrior names and accolades as he watched the crowd instead. He studied their faces, watched them murmur. His parents stood close, looking proud. Roachflight unconsciously stood straighter, seeing Sablefoot observing him. It's not enough. This was supposed to be MY ceremony. Only me.

That poisonous thought cut across his mind like a razor sharp claw, leaving jagged pieces behind. Spiderbite and Mothlight were there too (obviously), and he narrowed his eyes at his older brother, as if Spiderbite's happiness somehow undermined Roachflight's accomplishments. He didn't want his brother's approval. He didn't want anything from that soft-bellied coward.

As for Cobrastrike... The look he gave her was almost cautiously nervous, Roachflight half-expecting his time with her to end exactly how it began; without compliment, without praise.

"Spirits of StarClan, I ask that you look upon the apprentice known as Hollowpaw within your ranks. He had learned the warrior code and given up his life in the service of his Clan and I ask that you commend him now as a warrior. By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I grant Hollowpaw his warrior name. From this moment on he will be known as Hollowmask, and NightClan honors him for his fearlessness and his perseverance. We will honor his memory for many seasons to come."

Roachflight's eyes widened, and he looked at Bramblesnow and Breezewhisker, seeing similar shock registered on their faces. Even him? The owl pellets they'd found at the base of the owl queen's tree told a tragic story. Tragic enough to make even Roachflight's heart feel just a little bit... sympathetic. For Breezewhisker and Bramblesnow, that is. It wasn't his fault that idiot had gotten himself eaten.

Letting go of his muddy, unpleasant thoughts, Roachflight tried to bask in the chanting of the names. But there were too many. His name was in the middle, and after three repeats the chanting fell away, the Clan not willing to run through them all again. Roachflight's stomach roiled. He would sit vigil with the rest of them.

But already he was scheming of a way to stand out from this fresh batch of warriors. He had to make it clear that he wasn't weak like the rest of them.

Roachflight

nightclan warrior | 18 moons | words| Katara Phoenix ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont=Spirax]

when you grow up your heart dies

Bramblesnow

nightclan she-cat 18 moons

[attr="class","bramble"]

The grazes she had gained during her scrap with the Owl Queen still burned. The scent of the peaty mud and avian blood that splattered her chocolate brown fur pervaded the air, almost disguising the morning scent that warned the cloak of night was finally receding. For once, Bramblepaw was not revelling in the excitement of the legandary battle they had just endured. Her golden eyes did not gleam with mischief or excitement. Her happiness was a dull, blunted edge. The scent suspended in her thoughts was not that of owl or blood. It was of those discarded pellets scattered across the needle-strewn bed beneath the trees where Deathclaw had roosted. It was not the expression of pride on Clovermask’s face as she surveyed the patrol and congratulated them on their victory that was seared into her memory, it was the look on Breezepaw’s face when she told her. Tonight’s victory felt so infinitely pointless if all today meant was that she would never bring her brother home.

Days rolled by. Greenleaf receded. And still Bramblepaw thought of the pellets. Even Roachpaw’s sour, desperate-for-attention demeanor did not annoy her or make her want to tease or torment him. It was so jarring to have gone from hoping to hopeless so suddenly. Her mischief became more forced, a ploy to hide the grief lurking behind her golden eyes. She had never lost anyone before. She found herself staring at Hollowpaw’s empty, cold nest for a long time before she fell asleep each day, the gentle breaths of the apprentices around her little comfort. She didn’t know how to face his loss. So she did the next best thing; she ran from it with every scrap of strength in her legs. She refused to talk to Greywolf about him, no matter what her mentor said. She threw herself into her training with every fibre of her being. Every night heralded the same mundane routine, Hollowpaw’s absence forever waiting in the corner of her thoughts. When the leaves at the edges of TreeClan territory changed from green to golden-orange, she felt shocked. Had so much time passed? She had barely even noticed.

“Let all cats who wear the shadows as their own pelts gather for a Clan meeting!” Darkstar’s voice made her glance sideways from where she stood, about to follow Clovermask out on patrol. Her questioningly raised non-existant eyebrow showed she hadn’t a clue what this was about. There were no kits about to be apprenticed, right? The chocolate brown molly met Darkstar’s fiery orange gaze, remembering just how desperately she had wanted to impress the tortoiseshell leader as a kit. Her throat bobbed as that memory resurfaced with full clarity, Hollowkit and Bramblekit working as a supportive team to encourage Breezekit to overcome her fears. That seemed like it had happened lifetimes ago.

"Breezepaw, Roachpaw, Bramblepaw, Mousepaw, and Hawkpaw," Darkstar said, her tail sweeping as a beckoning gesture. "Please come forward." The realisation smacked Bramblepaw in the face as though a tree branch had dropped on her head. Her mouth fell open, and it took her several moments to regain her composure and force it to close. Her happy demeanor restored, Bramblepaw puffed out her chest, the ghost of a genuine grin drifting across her face. This was what she had anticipated since her days as a kit. This was everything she had worked to achieve, everything she had dreamed of. Her warrior name. "You all have waited long enough to receive your warrior names. You have proven yourselves many times over." Deathclaw flashed through her thoughts. “I, Darkstar, leader of NightClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Breezepaw, Bramblepaw, Roachpaw, Hawkpaw, and Mousepaw… do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend NightClan, even at the cost of your lives?" The weight of those words truly hit Bramblepaw at that moment. She knew now what that cost truly was. Had this ceremony been taking place moons in the past, she would have answered with mindless autonomy, but now she truly mulled over the severity of her promise, the consequences it would have. “I do.” She answered as Darkstar’s eyes met hers. She couldn’t stop thinking about what her new name might be. Brambleheart! Bramblefang! "Then by the powers of StarClan, I grant you your warrior names." Bramblepaw felt a thrill as she felt Darkstar’s pride like a forceful wave. Darkstar being proud of all of them, including Breezepaw, was all she had ever wanted. "Breezepaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Breezewhisker. StarClan honors your determination and your intelligence." Darkstar touched her nose to Breezewhisker’s tortoiseshell head. Bramblepaw looked at her, golden eyes brimming with happiness for her sister. In the slowly growing light of dawn, Breezewhisker looked so much like Echobreeze. Her heart ached. She hoped Echobreeze was proud of her grandchildren, too.

When Darkstar turned to Bramblepaw, her chocolate-colour fur prickled with anticipation. “Bramblepaw, from this moment, you will be known as Bramblesnow. StarClan honors you for your energy and your loyalty." Darkstar stepped forward. The brush of her dark nose against the top of her head felt like she had been plunged into a new identity. Bramblesnow. She felt breathless with amazement at the prospect of having a new name, a new role, a new life. All in one night. The Clan around her raised their voices to the ceiling to chant her new name. “Bramblesnow! Bramblesnow! Bramblesnow!” It was overwhelming. Bramblesnow met Greywolf's eyes, her heart hammering with delight. She wasn't that little silly scrap of mischief that Bramblekit was anymore. Darkstar stepped away, turning instead to Roachpaw, who stood nearby with his eyes sparking like fire. "Roachpaw, from this moment, you will be known as Roachflight. StarClan honors you for your strength and courage." Bramblesnow found it hard to look at Roachflight with the same contempt she had felt for him as a kit. He was still a tick in the tail alright, but it was hard not to respect the courage he had shown the night they’d both faced the owl together. She flicked an ear. He may be a flea-brain, but he was her clanmate. NightClan. And she knew that no matter what, she could rely on him if they ever had to fight beside eachother again. There was something sobering about the thought that no matter how much you disliked a clanmate, you were bound to them. Like kin.

A dark brown tabby faced Darkstar, his yellow eyes shining in the half-light. Hawkpaw. "Hawkpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Hawkeye. StarClan honors your dedication and your reliability." Bramblesnow hadn’t known Hawkeye well, she had mainly trained with Mousepaw, Roachpaw and her siblings, but even she couldn’t hold back a smile. They’d all come this far together, and now here they all were, warriors of NightClan. A genuine warmth spread through her, ears to tail-tip. Being a warrior would be fun. She knew it was going to be exciting to have so much more independence now. Mousepaw, her gentle, nervous denmate, was the last to receive her name. She looked so small among the burly, muscled warriors, her large ears and eyes distinguishing her from her clanmates. "Mousepaw, from this moment, you will be known as Mousepetal. StarClan honors your sincerity and modesty." Darkstar meowed, and Bramblesnow purred loudly, her happiness spilling over until she couldn’t contain it any longer. But before Bramblesnow could run over to her denmates and brush heads and muzzles with them in congratulations, Darkstar leaped up on the boulder ledge. Bewilderment shone in her golden eyes. What was she up to?

Darkstar fixed Breezewhisker and Bramblesnow with a measured, meaningful stare, her dark muzzle framed by splashed of fiery orange. "There is one cat that should be here today, receiving his warrior name alongside his siblings, but he is walking with StarClan now. However, I believe he deserves to be remembered with a warrior's name." She meowed softly. Bramblesnow choked on a shocked gasp, her eyes round as two moons, her maw parted in a stunned expression. She didn’t know what to do. Whatever she had expected, it wasn’t this. "Spirits of StarClan, I ask that you look upon the apprentice known as Hollowpaw within your ranks. He had learned the warrior code and given up his life in the service of his Clan and I ask that you commend him now as a warrior. By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I grant Hollowpaw his warrior name. From this moment on he will be known as Hollowmask, and NightClan honors him for his fearlessness and his perseverance. We will honor his memory for many seasons to come." That was it. That was all it took. Bramblesnow felt tears brimming in her eyes as she pressed close to Breezewhisker’s side, as much for her own comfort as for her sister’s. Her voice cracked as she raised her voice to join her clanmates, “Hollowmask! Hollowmask!”

Darkstar’s expression was one of ferocious pride as she gazed down at them, and Bramblesnow reached up with a paw to wipe away those stubborn tears. This was her warrior ceremony, she needed to look like a strong and capable NightClan warrior. She swallowed back her grief for Hollowmask, forcing her chin to raise once more to look at Darkstar with determined, if dazed, yellow eyes. "We welcome you all as full warriors of NightClan!" Darkstar yowled, and Bramblesnow hit her tail off Breezewhisker’s side with excitement. We’re finally warriors! It said. "According to tradition, you must sit a silent vigil guarding the camp while the rest of the Clan sleeps. Your vigil begins at dawn." Those next words made Bramblesnow inwardly groan. Toad-dung! She’d forgotten about the stupid vigil. Shouldn’t new warriors get to have a decent day’s sleep? Sighing, she resigned herself to a day of sitting around guarding the entrance to the cavern, listening keenly for something dangerous that would probably never come. “Breezewhisker suits you.” She whispered to her sister, giving her head a proud lap with her tongue.

Ginger Fawn Aqua Fae Magic Ghost the Undead Goddess 1,715 Notes

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