Chapter Eight

The bell rang, signaling the start of a new school day. This wasn't just any school day. It was the last school day. This would be Hollypaw's last day at Apprentice Academy. Nine moons ago she never would have believed it, but she actually found herself admitting that she was going to miss the dreary gray school.

Here she had sprained her first paw. Here she had made her first friend – and lost her first friend, now that she looked back on it. So she made a second friend, Willowshine. She had gotten her full name a few sunrises ago. Willowshine had been Mothwing's apprentice, and the golden she-cat had insisted that they carried out the proper medicine cat rituals, so Willowshine had journeyed with her former mentor to the Moonpool to get her name. Jaypaw and Leafpool had gone with them, too. Hollypaw's brother was now Jayfeather.

The school had burned down one fateful day back in late leaf-fall. It had taken the building team three whole moons to get it up and running again! It wasn't even running very well. Leafpool kept complaining about how un-clean it was because there was no running water.

All the same, Hollypaw loved the school. All it took was one little fire for her to discover how empty her life would be without Apprentice Academy. It was only there that she could see Willowshine, because they were in different Clans. And now they were graduating and she might never see her friend again!

"Hollypaw, is everything all right?" Willowshine whispered to her. "I don't think you heard a single thing Millie said about the graduation ceremony."

"Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered back.

"Nervous?" Willowshine asked.

"Yeah," Hollypaw answered. The class had elected her to make a speech at the end of the ceremony. "I hope I don't get choked up mid-sentence, though."

"If you do, I've got you covered." Willowshine laughed.

"Girls!" Millie scolded. "I know you're excited to be graduating, but school isn't out yet."

"Sorry Millie," Hollypaw and Willowshine meowed together.

"Now get into line with the other apprentices."

Hollypaw looked up, alarmed. The rest of their homeroom class had lined up near the door. "Mouse dung!" she muttered. She and Willowshine joined Jayfeather at the back of the line.

"Way to start the last day of school," he muttered to Hollypaw, grinning.

"Be quiet, mouse-brain," she retorted quietly, prodding him in the ribs.

"Hollypaw!" Millie snapped. Her kits were due any day now, and pregnancy was making her short-tempered.

"Sorry Millie!" Hollypaw squeaked.

Millie opened her mouth to respond, but suddenly a loud crackling noise filled the room. It was the loudspeaker. Hollypaw gritted her teeth, trying to endure the sound in silence. The speaker hadn't worked very well before the fire, and now it was just a torture device.

Firestar's voice came on over the speaker. "Let all students old enough to catch their own prey – crackle – join here within the auditorium – crackle - for a school meeting." Hollypaw snickered quietly. She liked how he had modified the leader's traditional call to his Clan mates to fit the school's needs, but it still sounded funny.

***

Class by class, the students filed into the auditorium. Hollypaw swallowed nervously. Her speech was rolled into a ball, clutched in a death grip in her right paw.

"Remember, I've got you covered," Willowshine murmured.

Hollypaw nodded. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she'd be sick.

"Stage fright?" Lionpaw teased. He had been named the P.E. class's most valuable player. The gold medal hung around his neck.

Hollypaw swatted at him playfully.

Firestar cleared his throat. Instantly all the friendly talk died away. "Before the ceremony begins," he meowed, "one of our students has volunteered to make a speech. Hollypaw, if you will."

Hollypaw stood up. Her legs were shaking so wildly that she was hardly able to stand. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. The black apprentice walked to the stage at the front of the auditorium. She hoped she looked more confident than she felt. I have the Power of the Stars, she told herself. I can do this.

She padded up to the microphone in the center of the stage. Firestar stepped aside. Hollypaw cleared her throat, preparing to speak. She smoothed out her speech on the podium and began to speak…

***

"Great StarClan that was the worst ten minutes of my life!" Hollypaw muttered under her breath as she sat back down next to Willowshine.

"You weren't that bad!" her friend protested.

"I stumbled over the words and nearly barfed all over the new stage!" mewed Hollypaw.

"It was classic," Lionpaw meowed. "And the PTA president got it all on tape!"

"Oh, no, really?" Hollypaw gasped. She buried her face in Willowshine's fur.

"Back off, Lionpaw," meowed Jayfeather. "And be quiet. The ceremony's starting!"

Brambleclaw came to the microphone with a long list of names in his paws.

"Applepaw, Breezepaw, and Cinderpaw," he meowed.

The three apprentices made their way up to the stage.

"I, Firestar, principal of Apprentice Academy," Firestar began, "call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the subjects set before them, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

Hollypaw's paws pricked with envy. Not long, she told herself.

"Applepaw, Breezepaw, and Cinderpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and use everything you have learned at this school, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Applepaw called excitedly. Hollypaw couldn't believe that a ShadowClan cat could be so friendly-looking.

"I do," Breezepaw meowed proudly. He was smirking a little at Lionpaw.

"I do," Cinderpaw mewed.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names," Firestar announced. "Applepaw, from this day onward, you will be known as Appletail. StarClan honors your courage and loyalty, and we welcome you as a graduate of Apprentice Academy.

"Breezepaw, from this day onward, you will be known as Breezepelt. StarClan honors your loyalty and bravery, and we welcome you as a graduate of Apprentice Academy.

"And Cinderpaw, from this day onward, in honor of those who have gone before, you will be known as Cinderheart. StarClan honors your bravery and determination, and we welcome you as a graduate of Apprentice Academy."

Cheers erupted from the crowd as Brambleclaw handed the three apprentices their diplomas. Hollypaw was brimming with joy. The ceremony seemed to mean so much more now than it ever had when they were training the regular way.

The warrior ceremony dragged on for a long time. Hollypaw found her eyes drooping with boredom, and only managed to keep herself awake by the thought of getting her warrior name at last. Finally, Lionpaw became Lionblaze, and then it was Hollypaw's turn.

"Heatherpaw, Honeypaw, and Hollypaw," Brambleclaw called. He smiled warmly at his daughter as she padded onto the stage for a second time.

"I, Firestar, principal of Apprentice Academy, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprentices. They have worked hard to understand the subjects set before them, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

Hollypaw took in a deep breath. It was finally time!

"Heatherpaw, Honeypaw, and Hollypaw," Firestar mewed, "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to use everything you have learned at this school, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," mewed Heatherpaw softly. Glancing at the WindClan she-cat, Hollypaw could see how Lionblaze could love her, even if she was in a different Clan.

"I do," Honeypaw meowed.

Hollypaw swallowed, hoping her voice would be heard in the back of the audience where her brothers and friends were sitting.

"I do," she mewed triumphantly. As she looked out at the crowd, she saw Squirrelflight waving her tail excitedly. She had come! Even Leafpool looked proud of her, for some odd reason.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names." Firestar turned his gaze on Heatherpaw.

"Heatherpaw, from this day onward, you will be known as Heathertail. StarClan honors your honesty and loyalty, and we welcome you as a graduate of Apprentice Academy." Hollypaw could see Lionblaze cheering excitedly with the rest of the crowd.

"Honeypaw, from this day onward, you will be known as Honeyfern. StarClan honors your intelligence and kindness, and we welcome you as a graduate of Apprentice Academy," Firestar meowed.

"Go Honeyfern!" Berrynose called out. Everyone stared at him. Suddenly realizing that he had said it out loud, he clamped his tail over his jaws and sat back down, embarrassed.

"And Hollypaw, from this day onward, you will be known as Hollyleaf. StarClan honors your thoughtfulness and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full graduate of Apprentice Academy!" Firestar had to raise his voice at the end, because Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Willowshine were cheering so loudly.

As Hollyleaf walked back to where her brothers sat, she thought she must be glowing. She was so happy. She was a warrior at last! And it didn't even matter that she didn't learn hunting and fighting anymore.

"Congratulations!" Willowshine purred.

"Thanks," Hollyleaf mewed. "You too."

The ceremony ended as Shrewpaw of ShadowClan became Shrewclaw. As they stood up, Hollyleaf prepared to march out of the school, but the apprentices didn't move yet. Firestar had something more to say.

"It's been a good year," he meowed. "All of you coped brilliantly with subjects you had never even heard of before. But now the school year is over, and next year you will all go back to hunting and fighting and living by the warrior code."

Boos and hisses and other negative comments drowned out his last few words. Firestar silenced them with a few quick swishes of his tail.

"I thought you might react that way, so next year I will see you all at Warrior High School!" Cheers met these words.

And then Jayfeather did something Hollyleaf never would have expected.

He jumped up, tore off his dark blue graduation cap, and threw it into the air. Suddenly the air was thick with hats flying every which way.

"Have a great greenleaf, and I'll see you in leaf-fall!" Firestar yowled.

And with that, the students of Apprentice Academy poured out of all of the school doors and went racing across the school yard, graduation gowns trailing behind them as they went.