An Overdue Ceremony

[Ebonystar]

Sleek, black paws carried their owner toward the center of camp, toward the meeting place, and toward what the Clan leader knew was well overdue. Perhaps, Ebonystar thought, as she trotted forward with little more than the slight spring in her step to reveal that she was anticipating this highly, this would serve to rally the Clan better around itself - they needed the help now more than ever.

Springing up onto the small ledge that served as her perch when she called meetings, Ebonystar took a deep, calming breath; speaking to her Clan, while she had grown more used to it of late, had never been easy. This time, though, there was a ceremony to perform, one that had long been waited for by the Clan's youngest members.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey assemble now for a Clan meeting!" the leader yowled out, eyes scanning the clearing for the two kits who she knew were out and about on this day. With a smile on her face, Ebonystar added, "There is an important ceremony to perform today."

[. Mµ†è [kï±±ý]]

Daisychain was the first to show her magnificent face, wide eyes fulll of joy. So much, she felt as if making a scene of her kits running off to training every single day would be much too innapproproate. Paws carried long strides forward the already thinning she-cat, and muscles flexed with great difficulty in being stuck in the nursery.

Cyberkit had come not too long after her mother, and Mechakit followed looking, for once, in state of much serene happiness, yet unkowning to his tragic fate. Cyberkit glanced at Mechakit, and began prodding him with tingling paws. "We're Finally gonna be apprentices!!" she mewed excitedly, spinning around in sudden amazment. Cats were pouring from the Warrior/Apprenitce's den!

[Windstar]

Windblade sprinted into camp, and dropped the mouse onto the fresh-kill pile. Grinning playfully, she took her place by the ledge upon which her leader sat. The Deputy gazed round, eyes resting on Daisychain for a moment, before it switched to the two kits.

[Ebonystar]

Ebonystar looked down at her gathering Clan, eyes gleaming with amusement as Cyberkit and Mechakit appeared from the nursery entrance. Cyberkit, the more boisterous and energetic of the two, looked about ready to burst with excitement - Mechakit, on the other hand, the leader had a hard time puzzling out simply from the expression on his face.

The LedgeClan leader flicked her tail encouragingly to the two kits - soon to be apprentices - and waited as more of the Clan gathered around her. This was the first ceremony she had performed in quite a while, and she was excited as well as slightly nervous. What would happen to these two young cats, should there come a battle between the Clans and NightClan?

"Today, we gather to name two new apprentices of our Clan," Ebonystar continued, once the murmuring of the crowd had settled down. Motioning with her tail to aid the request she was about to make, she mewed, "Cyberkit, Mechakit, come forward."

[Snakestar]

Depthgaze padded into the camp, full of energy. He sat quickly on the ground beneath the Highstone and gazed upwards, his blue eyes shining. The new apprentices surely were a good omen, though it would be good to have more.

[. Mµ†è [kï±±ý]]

CYberkit bounded forward the moment Ebonystar's vocals rang out crisp and clear into her pricked ears. Mechakit followed, now welling with excitement. Would this be it? Surely it woudln't, but Mechakit had a feeling that something were about to happen. What, he could not say, or why he had the feeling, but he knew.

Cyberkit laid her ears flat, and skid to a halt to gaze up in wonderment at the massize rock in Ebonystar perched, like a hawk eyeing its prey. Only this was different. Catching the eye of Windblade Cyberkit straightened up, and ruffled out her chest hairs to make her appearence more confident. Mechakit, on the other had, had saw his mother and was overly tempted to run to her side, bury his muzzle within her comforting fur, and hide for the rest of his life.

[Windstar]

Windblade watched the kits, an encouraging smile on her face.
" I wonder who will mentor them..." She murmured to herself, tail flicking absently as she thought.

[Ebonystar]

A smile graced Ebonystar's features, as she watched the two kits named come forward. They were the future of LedgeClan, she realized; the future held for all of them, possibly farther into the future than she would ever see. Who knew? Certainly, one day these kits would become able warriors in the sight of StarClan - but beyond that, even the greatest of leaders could not predict.

She so enjoyed watching the young ones grow up, although often, it seemed to pass by so fast that one could hardly see the time but in a giant blur. So young, so innocent...Had she been like that once? It was growing hard to remember that time in her life, she realized - the time when she had been nothing more than a kit. She had been carefree then, as these two seemed; now, the word carefree seemed like an illusion to her mind.

So many responsibilities, all stacking up into one life - her life as leader, gathering and protecting the Clan she had always loved. It was well worth the effort, Ebonystar had long ago decided, to see these faces being able to smile in the sunshine. That was really all she could ask for in her life.

"Cyberkit," Ebonystar said more softly, although there was still a ring of utter sincerity in her voice, that all the Clan could here. "From this moment forward, you shall be known as Cyberpaw. To proceed through your warrior training, many important skills must be learned; it will be a difficult journey, and I can think of no one better to lead you through it than Windblade."

Watching her deputy closely for a reaction for a moment, the leader paused in the ceremony, waiting for the two cats to properly meet each other. Cyberpaw was sure to be a handful - but she was confident that Windblade would teach the young she-cat well.

Turning to Mechakit now, who looked more anxious about receiving his apprentice name than excited, Ebonystar pondered for a moment before continuing. She was fairly sure she had made the right choice as for the young tom's mentor -- or certainly hoped so, since she didn't know the abilities of any cat so well as this one.

"Mechakit, from this moment forward you shall be known as Mechapaw," she said warmly, encouragingly. "You will learn much during your apprenticeship, including the art of branching out to others. I shall mentor you myself, and teach you all that you will ever need to know."

Moving forward to touch noses with Mechapaw, Ebonystar then leaned back, and added, "LedgeClan welcomes you as its newest apprentices - congratulations, Cyberpaw, Mechapaw."

[Windstar]

Windblade shot a surprised glance at her leader, before smiling, and gracefully padding over to Cyberpaw.
" Congratulations." She murmured to her apprentice, touching her nose to Cyberpaws.

[. Mµ†è [kï±±ý]]

Cyberpaw had almost fainted, and now she was tingling with excitment as her nose touched Windblades. Out of the corner of her eye, she could just barely view Mechapaw doing the same.

[Windstar]

Windblade grinned wickedly at Cyberpaw.
" Ah you poor thing. Stuck with me as a mentor!" She meowed, still smiling, and padding a little bit away from the meeting place, flicking her tial for Cyberpaw to follow.

[. Mµ†è [kï±±ý]]

"Are you really that bad?" Cyberpaw asked Windblade skeptically, while following her also.

[Windstar]

Windblade thought.
" Not sure. I guess you'll have to decide for yourself." She meowed in answer. She kept walking, stopping at the edge of camp.
" Lets train then!" Windblade spoke, before racing off, grinning.

[. Mµ†è [kï±±ý]]

Cyberpaw felt her ears flatten against her head in suprise, then darted nimbly after her new mentor.

[Willowstar]

(( ^.^ ))