Heyo, welcome back to another update!
Welcome to February... and... six more weeks of winter...
"Cats, tonight is a night of several changes," boomed Lightstar from the pile of rocks in the center of the gorge.
"Rumors have been spreading like wildfire around the camp about what went on just a small while ago," Dovestar mewed, her ears barely reaching Lightstar's broad but raggedy shoulders. "The following is the truth: a warrior of WindClan was choking on a Twoleg object, apparently found at the bottom of a Twoleg's pond, while a dog was starting to attack her and a RiverClan cat. The said RiverClan cat returned to camp and called for help, then led a sizeable group of warriors back to the scene."
Ivystar cleared his throat. "Most of these warriors were, coincidentally, newer members of the Clans. So far, they have not received warrior names due to personal reasons, or their leader's pure laziness. Tonight, these cats in particular, however, have proven their loyalty to the Clans by fighting alongside their Clanmates and protecting the defenseless."
"So, without further ado…" mewed Stripepelt.
Snakestripe's reluctance was palpable as he grumbled, "I accepted them into the Clan, and now I have to give them warrior names like they were once kits and 'paws?"
Dovestar coughed meaningfully.
"… Sand, Robin, and Rust, please step forward," said the tabby gruffly.
Blackfang half-smiled as he watched the three cats emerge from the heart of the crowd, shock clear on their faces.
"Sand," Snakestripe began slowly. "You have been a loyal warrior of SkyClan, I suppose. So, er, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
The former rogues, unfamiliar with this ceremony, had huge, appalled eyes at hearing this. But the pale ginger she-cat croaked nevertheless, "I… yes? I, um, I do? I do."
"Smooth," grunted Snakestripe flatly. "From now on, your name will be Sandheart." Without even giving the audience time to cheer her new name, he went right on to Robin. "Robin, would you please—"
"Excuse me, Snake—"
"— step forward—"
"Snakestripe, I have a—"
"— and not interrupt, thank you very much," snapped the big brown leader.
Bravely, Robin yelled, "Snakestripe, I would like to request that if you name me, you give my mate and kits Clan names too!"
"Fine!"
Tallpine growled warningly, stopping Blackfang mid-snort as Blaze, along with her and Robin's sons, Flame and Flare, stumbled timidly out of the nursery. They were still blinking sleep out of their eyes. The scent of their uncertainty and confusion hung thick on the air.
"Lovely, you weren't even out to see your mate's naming ceremony," said Snakestripe.
"Naming… ? I'm sorry, we were just napping, but I heard Robin yelling and woke, I wanted to make sure everything was alright," Blaze murmured. She caught sight of Flame and Flare tripping over their own paws in front of her and whispered urgently, "I told you two to stay in the nur—"
Snakestripe sighed impatiently. "Your mate here wants you all to be renamed. So get up here, and don't dilly-dally."
Blackfang was nearly knocked backward by her fear-scent as the queen and her kits passed him. Blaze halted so suddenly from her fast walk that there was a cloud of dust, leaving Flame and Flare coughing violently as Snakestripe droned on over their hacking.
"Do you, parents, promise to uphold the warrior code and so-on-I-should-be-worrying-about-more-important-things?"
"Now, say it correctly, Snakestripe," Lightstar snarled.
Snakestripe closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "… and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," Robin meowed.
Blaze gulped. "Well, what a question…" she squeaked and glanced worriedly at her sons. "I do."
"Then your names shall be, oh, I don't know, I've put so much thought into this… Robinflight and Blazenose."
This time, there was space between Snakestripe's careless sentences for cheering. Blackfang joined in, even making up for last time by tossing in a couple "Sandheart!"s.
Flame and Flare's choking was finally over once the dust had cleared and Kit thumped their backs a few times. Snakestripe gazed down at them, unimpressed, and muttered, "These two kits were born into the Clan but given rogue names for some odd reason. Today I will fix that. From now on— no, you will not be promising to die for your Clan yet"— the two young toms' hopeful faces were rolled over a few times by a monster— "… you will be known as Flamekit and Flarekit."
Rust went on to be named Rustclaw, Kit and Spark refused to be given fresh names, and Ivystar stood up to address WindClan's former loners or rogues.
"I'm proud of all of you," the gray tabby meowed earnestly. "Stem, Caesar, and Thorn, up here, please."
Caesar sauntered right by Blackfang, so close that his ratty tawny fur brushed the ShadowClan cat's nose. The musky yet nauseating scent of smugness, too much pride, and a lackluster bathing job clogged Blackfang's overpowered nostrils.
"Stem, you saved a Clanmate's life tonight. Thanks to you, Yellowglint is still here with us with barely a scar to show," Ivystar praised the moody medicine cat. In response, Stem merely jerked his head like the approval was a bothersome fly. "I know it should perhaps be another medicine cat naming you, but I feel I should and since SkyClan's meeting place with StarClan appears to be off-limits, I will now grant you the name of Stemleaf."
Stemleaf's chartreuse eyes flashed against his waterlogged-grass-colored fur, and he stepped back with a nod.
Caesar was offered a name, but at the last heartbeat, the light tabby refused it and insisted that his old name lived up much more to his "handsome personality." He passed back by Blackfang, and this time the black tom could've sworn there was a hairball rising up in the back of his throat.
Thorn was named Thornbush, and then it was ThunderClan's turn. But isn't it always ThunderClan's turn? Blackfang thought jokingly, knowing how much that statement would irritate Greeneyes.
"You have proved yourselves to be not just any Clan cats, but warriors, tonight. Be proud! Be high and mighty!" Dovestar narrowed her eyes at a point over Blackfang's head. "Except you, Caesar," she uttered. "You could be exempt from that for a while."
The cream-colored she-cat didn't even have to ask Tammy to move forward. Bark and her mother, Stripes, declined being given a new name, but Bark's father Spots decided to give it a go.
"Tammy, you are a wily and safely ambitious apprentice. When I first laid my eyes on you, to say I underestimated you was an understatement; since then, I have really been proven wrong. It is not yet time for you to receive a warrior name, but until you complete your training you will be known as Earthpaw."
Earthpaw beamed and flounced back to take her seat beside her mentor, and Dovestar continued: "Spots, if I'm not mistaken, you were the first cat to get to the leaders and wake us when the incident tonight happened. Thank you for alerting us; this makes you as worthy of a name as anyone. From now on, you will be Spottedstone."
Lightstar performed RiverClan's portion of the large ceremony by renaming Cinder to Cindertail, Ash to Ashfall, Prickle to Pricklepaw, and Tunnel to Tunnelpaw.
Blackfang sat up a little straighter as Stripepelt announced ShadowClan's newest names: Dice to Darkpool and Slate to Slateclaw.
There was an enormous cheering for Sandheart, Robinflight, Blazenose, Flamekit, Flarekit, Rustclaw, Stemleaf, Thornbush, Earthpaw, Spottedstone, Cindertail, Ashfall, Pricklepaw, Tunnelpaw, Darkpool, and Slateclaw. Blackfang even reluctantly yodeled Caesar's name a few times since the conceited tabby had taken his nose down from being up in the air to viciously fight the dog. Blackfang had been relieved he wasn't called to the battle; of course he would have been determined to save Yellowglint and Bluepelt, but it would be like reliving the memory of Tabbystripe and his unborn kits' deaths.
He didn't think he could face that literal memory yet. For now, blocking it out was the best.
Short chapter, and boring, I know. Next time will be more exciting and plot-driven!