"All cats old enough to serve meet under the Great Tree!"

Robinpaw's ears pricked as she headed toward the Great Tree. Apparently my thoughts of denmates were closer than I thought.

Ashbranch leapt down from his place on the tree and beckoned with his tail. The three Testees walked stepped forward, quivering with excitement.

Well, one of the Testees looked excited, anyway. Russetkit and Whitekit looked more calm and resigned than their littermate, who were positively shaking with excitement.

"We are gathered here to witness a momentous event. Three Testees are ready for their Naming Ceremonies." He fixed Goldenkit, Russetkit, and Whitekit with serious looks. "Do you understand, young ones, that this ceremony will dictate your future- your treatment, your role, and your position in FloraClan society?"

Goldenkit squeaked out an excited "I do!" while his littermates simply nodded solemnly.

"Then the Ceremony will begin," mewed Ashbranch, taking her place back up on the Great Tree and glancing at Oakbranch. At his nod, Pinebranch, Maplebranch, and Cedarbranch leapt down from the Great Tree. Pinebranch stepped towards Whitekit.

"Whitekit, step forward."

He did so, without any hesitation.

"Whitekit, for six moons you have been Tested to determine your abilities and which Rank you should be placed in. Your Tester and the other Leaders have conferred, and we have determined your Rank. Whitekit, do you promise, on the Sun and Moon, to remain faithful to the Den of Leaders unto death, and to serve your elders to the best of your abilities?"

Whitekit nodded. "I do." He didn't seem surprised.

"Then by the powers granted to me by my position, and by the power of the Sun and Moon, your name will be Willowpaw. You shall never abandon your Den, and will reside with the Den of Lesser Leaders until death, motherhood, or promotion. Rowantwig, you are ready to receive your first Trainee. I trust that you will pass down all you know to him."

The dark brown tom stepped forward out of the crowd and touched noses with Willowpaw, looking calm and composed.

"Goldenkit, step forward."

Goldenkit was not as calm as his brother; he almost skipped toward Maplebranch in his excitement.

"Goldenkit, for six moons you have been Tested to determine your abilities and which Rank you should be placed in. Your Tester and the other Leaders have conferred, and we have determined your Rank. Goldenkit, do you promise, on the Sun and Moon, to remain faithful to the Den of Hunters and Warriors unto death, and to serve your elders to the best of your abilities?"

"I do," he replied, quivering.

"Then by the powers granted to me by my position, and by the power of the Sun and Moon, your name will be Leopardpaw. You shall never abandon your Den, and will reside with the Den of Hunter and Warriors until death. Crowclaw, you are ready to receive your second Trainee. I trust that you will pass down all you know to him."

The black-and-white tom pushed through the crowd proudly to touch noses with his ecstatic trainee.

Now it was Cedarbranch who spoke. "Russetkit, step forward."

Russetkit did so, looking resigned to his fate now. A defeated look covered his features, and he looked down at his paws.

"Russetkit, for six moons you have been Tested to determine your abilities and which Rank you should be placed in. Your Tester and the other Leaders have conferred, and we have determined your Rank. Russetkit, do you promise, on the Sun and Moon, to remain faithful to the Den of Hunters and Warriors unto death, and to serve your elders to the best of your abilities?"

Russetkit froze in shock, before finding his voice. "I...I do."

"Then by the powers granted to me by my position, and by the power of the Sun and Moon, your name will be Bearpaw. You shall never abandon your Den, and will reside with the Den of Hunter and Warriors until death. Starlingclaw, you are ready to receive your first Trainee. I trust that you will pass down all you know to him."

Bearpaw looked relieved-- and who could blame him? He'd been sure he'd be made a Servant...

Poor tom, thought Robinpaw sympathetically. He was so worried! But now...well he's quite lucky!

Starlingclaw stepped forward out of the crowd and touched her nose with his. She looked almost as shocked as her trainee.

"Bearpaw! Willowpaw! Leopardpaw!" called FloraClan jubilantly.

The leaders jumped out of the Great Tree, dismissing the meeting, and all the cats crowded around the new trainees. So Robinpaw almost jumped when Thrushnose was suddenly beside her.

"Robinpaw!" she mewed. "I've got so much to tell you!"

"Who are you and what did you do to Thrushnose?" Robinpaw mewed jokingly. "You're never gossipy!"

Thrushnose purred. "I'm just so excited to be a full member!" she exclaimed. "Plus, I heard so much gossip when everyone was talking to me afterword."

Robinpaw purred. "Well, what was this gossip?"

"Well," began Thrushnose. "I think that Deerleg will get kits by Ratmuzzle! They were acting so cozy together at my ceremony." She sighed happily. "I'm going to have little siblings!"

Robinpaw couldn't help but purr at Thrushnose's expression. "Aww! That's awesome, Thrushnose!"

Thrushnose nodded. "And they aren't the only kits coming! I think Tanfur's expecting."

Robinpaw's balance was suddenly unsteady as an image of her young brother shot through her brain. She pushed it firmly away. "That's awesome! We're running low on kits in this Clan."

Thrushnose nodded her head. "Especially with Finchfeather's kits becoming trainees today."

Robinpaw nodded. "Speaking of which, I should go meet my new denmates."

"So should I," mewed Thrushnose with a purr.

They made their way over to Bearpaw, who was looking excited, green eyes bright. "Hi," he mewed. "You're...Robinpaw, right?"

Robinpaw nodded. "Yeah. I'm your denmate."

"Cool," he mewed, before glancing over to his brother. "I'm sorry that you have to put up with him, though. He's a pain in the tail."

"Who, Leopardpaw?" asked Thrushnose, interested.

Bearpaw nodded. "He's quite the bragger."

Robinpaw wrinkled her nose. Well then...I can tell who is going to be my favorite of my new denmates.

"We ought to go meet him anyway, though," mewed Robinpaw's white-furred companion. "It's only polite."

Robinpaw nodded reluctantly. "You're right."

They began making their way towards Leopardpaw, muttering apologies as they pushed past the cats crowding Willowpaw.

I'm sure they're just all trying to become a friend of a future leader, she thought bitterly as she shoved past another cat.

"Watch it!" snapped Aldertwig.

Thrushnose's face fell slightly, and Robinpaw put a comforting tail on her back as they kept approaching Leopardpaw.

As soon as they neared, Robinpaw could tell that her previous assumption had been correct. His mew was full of self-importance and arrogance, and the silver trainee could barely suppress the urge to claw off his stupid face.

"And I'm sure I'll be the best hunter that FloraClan has ever seen," he announced, before noticing Robinpaw.

She shivered as he looked her up and down critically. His gaze shifted from curiosity, to pleasure, and then to something...not normal.

"Well, hello there, beautiful," he mewed with a twitch of his whiskers. "Here to meet the amazing hunter?"

Thrushnose hissed. "The only thing you'll be hunting for is common sense," she spat. Her tail twitched back and forth and Robinpaw noticed that she'd unsheathed her claws.

"Whoa, Thrushnose! Calm down," mewed Robinpaw. She turned to glare at the golden tom. "But no. Actually, Leopardpaw, I'm looking for an exit."

She shoved her way through the cats, fur bristling with anger. What an arrogant piece of crowfood, she thought. I wish I hadn't stopped Thrushnose from tearing him to pieces...

"Hey, beautiful, you do know I'm living with you, right?"

Foxdung.

This was going to be a long four moons.

Well! New characters! Also, I fixed the allegiances (I screwed up the age the first time) so that they could be trainees together sooner.

So, new characters! What do you think of them? Favorite?

Also, in honor of Valentine's day, what's your favorite ship/couple?

~Ember

P.S.: Thx Holly for editing this for me!