Warriors(the Fire Rises): Choises (English version)

Chapter 13

Firepaw almost couldn't believe it. "Blackkit... that was her name..."

"What?" Snowstar didn't understand him at first.

"My sister, I remember again. Blackkit..." he said, while walking towards her. "Blackstorm... When you left us, I thought you had died. When I first saw you in the clan, I didn't even recognize you. But there always was this feeling that you had something familiar..."

Blackstorm smiled at him. "I knew it right away, when Snowstar first showed you to the clan. I knew immediately that my brother, Rommel, had come back to me." She nuzzled him. "I've missed you..."

Snowstar looked content at the two littermates, but then she nodded to Firepaw. "Come now, Firepaw, it's time for your ceremony."

"My ceremony?"

"Yes, you're ready to become a warrior. When you joined the clan, you were already over 12 moons old, but you didn't have any training yet. Now after what you've done with Tigerstripe today, you are ready."

Snowstar leaped on top of the Burnt Log. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Burnt Log for a ceremony! Firepaw, Nightpaw, you can come forward."

Firepaw looked hesitant at Nightpaw first, but she just looked back at him with pride and happiness. "We're going to become real warriors, Firepaw!" Firepaw smiled back, before looking at Snowstar again.

"Nightpaw," Snowstar started. "Do you promise to follow the warrior code and defend the clan, even if it would risk your own life?"

"Yes, I promise that." Nightpaw nodded.

"Than I hereby ask Starclan to look down on this young warrior, and to call her by her new name: Nightflame, for her strength and bravery."

"Nightflame!" "Nightflame!" All Fireclan Cats yowled her name, while Nightflame looked as proudly as one could imagine.

Then Snowstar turned to Firepaw. "Firepaw, Do you also promise to follow the warrior code and protect our clan, even if it would cost you your own life?"

"Yes Snowstar, I promise." Firepaw answered with pride.

"Then I also ask Starclan to look down on you, a cat born a warrior, the bravest I have ever met in my entire life, and to also call you by your new name: Firespot, for your extraordinary tale."

"Firespot!" "Nightflame!" "Firespot!" "Firespot!" "Nightflame!"

His clanmates called out their names with excitement, while Firespot looked in Nightflame's leaf green eyes. "I'm sure you will be an amazing warrior." he said.

"But never as great as you..." she answered, while touching his nose with hers. "I was so wrong about you... I'm sorry."

Firepaw looked at her shyly. "Oh but that doesn't matter anymore... You were just trying to do the best for the clan, I can't judge you for that."

Nightflame smiled at him thankfully.

Firespot smiled back.

'Is this what love is? I hope it never goes away, because at this moment I feel the most content that I have ever been..."

THE END