Disclaimer: I do not own "Warriors". If I did, I would not have made Squirrelflight be so horrible to Brambleclaw in "Starlight". I do not claim to own any of these characters or events.

Rating: T, 'cause I wanna be safe

A/N: This is just after his warrior ceremony, after the original series and before New Prophecy

It's been a few moons since I saw my father die at Fourtrees. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Scourge kill him, tearing all his nine lives from him in one fatal blow. Those dogs' teeth over his claws, they filled me with dread. Filled every cat there with dread. I don't think there was a single cat there, except, perhaps, for BloodClan, that was not filled with a blind terror at that moment. Every cat had thought Tigerstar invincible. No-one could defeat him! He would stand against all comers; prey, cat, or Twoleg alike, and would emerge victorious, having slain his enemy.

In that moment, I doubted the strength of ThunderClan. The strength of the fire. The strength of my own courage. How could I ever have thought that we could win this war? Surely we would all be slain?

And Tawnypaw...how could she leave ThunderClan and go to follow Tigerstar? After all he'd done? Would have continued to do, if only Scourge had not set his claws on him? But she was my sister...if ShadowClan and ThunderClan fought, would I have the strength to set my claws in my own kin?

But then, Scourge halted his Clan, if you could call those flea-bitten, mangy pack of fox-hearted scum a Clan. He told us that we had three days to leave, or die. Firestar looked as if he'd already made up his mind to fight. I did not envy my leader and mentor then, ordering his Clan to battle, and perhaps condemning them all to death. But he was the fire that was supposed to save all the Clans, and I knew that he would fight to the death against Scourge, and that he would be the one to kill him. I also knew that ThunderClan would follow him; WindClan, too. And, maybe, ShadowClan and RiverClan. We would meet Scourge in three days, and we would kill him and his followers! We would not be defeated by that cowardly idiot!

I remember when we went to TigerClan to ask Leopardstar if she would join her Clan with ThunderClan and WindClan to fight Scourge. She seemed ready to agree, but all of us waited with baited breath. Firestar allowed me to find Tawnypaw, and she told us that she had decided to stay with ShadowClan and help them make it great again. My heart sank. My sister, my only sister, in another Clan. I had so hoped that she would come back to ThunderClan, that we could train together and sleep in the same, safe den. Or maybe...not so safe once Scourge had his way. I wanted her. I wanted my only sibling...someone who shared Tigerstar's blood. Someone who would understand all the pain I go through every day, having to prove myself again and again for my Clan. Without her, will I be able to continue to convince my Clanmates that I was Goldenflower's son as well as Tigerstar's? That I was a loyal ThunderClan warrior? That I would never, never betray them?

After the long, exhausting battle, we came home with a few less warriors than we had left with, and those that still lived were sorely wounded. Cinderpelt and Fernpaw worked hard to heal everyone's injuries. I never could see why Fernpaw didn't become medicine cat apprentice; she has great skill with healing cats. I guess it was because she was so deep in love with Dustpelt. Both had always wanted kits. But still...she would have made a fine medicine cat. I wonder...will I ever find someone with whom I could share such feelings with? Or will I always be a solitary warrior, forever traveling the harsh, uneven, and sometimes confusing path of the Blamed? I have committed no crime against my Clan, yet they still believe me to be as evil as Tigerstar.

If I had been born of a different pelt, perhaps ginger, like Firestar, and of different parents, would they look at me differently? I am sure they would. But, if I had not suffered as I have all my life, would I be the same cat?

I guess only StarClan know that.

Anyways, a few moons after the battle, Firestar called a Clan meeting. I didn't know what it was about, and when he told me to come up to the Highrock, I was greatly surprised. I bounded up to stand before Firestar on the Highrock, and saw my Clanmates from above. Some of them had distrusting looks on their faces, yet some also looked happy. My mother, Goldenflower, had a proud gleam in her eyes, and her fur seemed to shine like the greenleaf sun. I realized then what this meeting was for, and I felt my paws shake. Firestar began, "I, Firestar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice..."

My eyes were shining, and my paws prickled. I saw my whole life in the Clan before me. What was past, and what was to come. I would be a great warrior, one of the best in the Clan. I would fight battle after battle to preserve ThunderClan, and I would always keep the memory of this great cat, the Fire of ThunderClan, in my heart. I would follow him to the death, and I would learn from him, even as my apprenticeship ended. He had been born a kittypet, and had had to prove himself countless times to the Clan as well. I am not like him. I am not StarClan's destined cat, but I will do the best I can to keep ThunderClan alive, and I would show my Clanmates as well as my enemies that I can be trusted. That I can fight as well as they can. And...that I am not Tigerstar. I am Bramblepaw of ThunderClan...

Wait.

Did I hear him right?

"Bramblepaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Brambleclaw..."

No! Firestar, you can't be serious? Tigerstar...his warrior name was Tigerclaw! I'm to be...Brambleclaw? After all I've done...trying to prove myself to you...you give me the name of my father. You...you still believe I'm like him. Instead of wisdom and trust, I see only fear and hatred in your eyes as you look at me. Will I never be good enough for you, Firestar? Will you never trust me? Will you always see my father's shadow as you look at me? My heart...it is ThunderClan! I have done nothing to you! I have respected you since I was a tiny kit, playing with Tawnykit in the nursery! I suckled alongside your friend Graystripe's kits, Featherpaw and Stormpaw! Do you believe I wish them harm as well? Do you fear to turn your back on me? Do you have nightmares of my claws sinking into your flesh? Is...is that how you think of me?

What Smallear once said...that you only took me as your apprentice because you wanted to keep an eye on me? You wanted to make sure I wasn't a traitor like my father? I had thought you wanted me as your apprentice because you thought I could be a good warrior...that you wanted to pass on all your skills to me? But then you give me a name like this...Brambleclaw...

Very well. You are my leader, and I must obey you. If you were sent to ThunderClan by the will of StarClan, then I must follow you and them. If they told you that I should be called by my father's name...then I must accept that name. I will take it with me to StarClan.

But listen to me, Firestar. You may think I am untrustworthy, but I will keep on proving myself to you until you have to trust me! I will be loyal to you! I will fight for you! But, in return, you must try to stop seeing Tigerstar in me. You must accept me for who I am, not how I was born. I have not inheirited Tigerstar's evil. I am Brambleclaw of ThunderClan. A loyal warrior. I always have been, and I always will be.

I am not Tigerstar.