Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter

Thank to my reviewers: Icethroat21, VioletteRose, Warriors-Skywing, Madame J. Pontmercy, star, and Oo-Rainpath-oO.

and to new reviewer: Kibbie9

And thanks to all you patient readers as well. Two days ago, when I wanted to post, I couldn't get on, and yesterday I was busy. So here you go some more chapters (You can all know how Brownfeather felt now):

Chapter 24

Fallingpaw stood under the ledge as Firestar spoke the ceremony words. She knew she couldn't let him make her own name for her. She'd end up with something horrible like Brindlenose had gotten. She had to come up with her own.

She knew she would hate Fallingtooth, Fallingfang, Fallingwhisker, Fallingtail, any such falling body part. Everyone would ask her if she was missing it then. Tease her about having no teeth, missing a tail, or being furless. She couldn't let Firestar pick those names.

Fallingpaw would be okay some names: Fallingtree, Fallingleaf, and Fallingrain. She knew it would have been extremely lucky if she were named Fallingfeather. Then she and Brownfeather could have matching names. She smiled, thinking about him. Then she realized she hadn't met him last night as they'd been planning. He had to be worried.

Frostpaw nudged Fallingpaw. She looked up. Everyone was staring at her. Fallingpaw felt incredibly embarrassed.

"Say 'I do'," Nightpaw hissed quietly at her.

"I do," Fallingpaw automatically meowed. She looked down while everyone chuckled.

"That's our Fallingpaw," she heard Lightningwhisker purr.

Fallingpaw narrowed her eyes and her tail thumped. That was her Lightningwhisker, the mocker.

Fallingpaw had to pick her name quickly. Before she'd be mocked the rest of her life. It was almost time and she wasn't even paying attention to what Firestar was saying. Her thoughts scrambled for a name as Firestar got ever closer to declaring her as a warrior.

Then she heard it.

"Fallingpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Fallingf-"

"Wait!"

Firestar stopped mid-name. He looked ridiculous. His eyes were wide, his mouth pursed, and he stared at her. The whole Clan started murmuring in the silence. What was Fallingpaw doing? What was she stopping for? Fallingpaw could suddenly feel their suspicious. Was she not worthy to be a warrior? Fallingpaw tried to ignore them.

"I'd like to choose my own name," she meowed.

Firestar blinked. "Very well."

He waved his tail for her to continue. Fallingpaw realized he trusted her. Her siblings didn't. Nightpaw's (or whatever he was called now) head was bowed and he wasn't looking at her. Frostpaw was still in shock, looking at her sister with wide eyes.

"I would like to be known as Fallingsnow," she meowed.

She knew snow didn't have anything to do with her. She wasn't a white cat and she didn't have a cold personality (well, maybe she did to a few cats). Snow wouldn't make sense to her Clanmates, but to Fallingpaw it held meaning. It reminded her of when Brownfeather received his warrior name. It had been a beautiful night.

Firestar blinked again, waiting for her to explain her reasoning. Most cats that choose their own names did. She said nothing. It was probably best she didn't say she hated the names he gave. A warrior shouldn't go out of her way to irritate the Clan leader. Not when he could punish her with cleaning out the elder's den or making her work like an apprentice all over again.

"Fallingpaw will be known as Fallingsnow," Firestar meowed. Then he jumped from the ledge and the new warriors licked his shoulder. "You will sit vigil after breakfast and until evening."

Dewstep started the chant. "Frostshine, Nightshade, Fallingsnow." The other cats joined after a short pause. The Clan had still been uncertain, startled by Fallingsnow's decision. Finally all the Clan was yelling out their names. The sun rose around them, lighting up the quarry.

Fallingsnow closed her eyes and let the voices roll over her. She was a warrior and had fought in her first battle. All was good.

-Line-

Darkfire was amused by the ceremony and Fallingsnow's decision. Clearly the Clan hadn't been expecting her to speak out. She was eccentric in her own way. Enough to stand out from her Clan members. And she refused to conform. She was not the typical ThunderClan cat. No wonder they got along immediately.

"Is this how it will be for me?" Hickorypaw meowed. She sat beside him, her amber eyes watching the new warriors be greeted by the rest of the Clan.

"Yes."

Hickorypaw had only been to one other warrior ceremony. It had been for Shade, Moonrose, and Bark. In fact, thinking about the three, Darkfire remembered that Moonrose, formally known as Moon, had a different ceremony too. She'd interrupted Raven as he spoke her name, confirming her as a warrior. She'd wanted a true warrior name. Just like the cats from the Clans. Raven had given her one at her request. He'd even offered the same to her siblings. They'd declined, fine with their plain, regular names.

"I wonder what Raven will name me?" Hickorypaw meowed.

"Something nice," Darkfire told her. Raven might not have had much experience with names, but Hollyleaf helped him. She hadn't liked him keeping the name Moon in Moonrose's name, but in the end it was hard to convince him the reverence the Clan's held for moon and stars. To Raven, all names were alike.

Darkfire got to his paws. "Lets go congratulate your cousins."

"It's so awesome that you're warriors!" Hickorypaw meowed to them.

Of course she hadn't ever spent a real night in the apprentice den with them and hadn't known them for long, but she acted as though she'd known them all her life. Frostshine and Hickorypaw had conversed before the battle, talking about Summerheat Camp and Frostshine's training. Watching them now, Darkfire liked how easily his daughter got along with the former apprentices. Frostshine purred and Nightshade's tail lifted in thanks.

The only one that didn't seem so relaxed with the openness was Fallingsnow. She seemed surprised at the way they spoke as if they'd been in the same Clan since birth. As though Fallingsnow had been away for moons and was returning to a different Clan. She leaned away as Hickorypaw bumped against her, not comfortable with the affection. Given time Darkfire felt Hickorypaw could overcome Fallingsnow's uncertainties. She was like Dewstep in that way.

Frostshine, Hickorypaw, and Nightshade got into a conversation on the best places in the forest to hunt. Darkfire knew they had to be tired, but they managed the conversation. He wondered if they would be up to their vigil. At least they'd get a meal before they had to be silent. Fallingsnow seemed to have taken it upon herself to start her vigil already.

She sat to the side, not involving herself in the conversation. She did glance at them from time to time as if wanting to join in, but she held her tongue. As if she didn't know how to join the circle of close friends. Darkfire moved to her side.

"You weren't so shy earlier," he meowed. She'd started the conversation with him the other day. Then again, she'd mostly listened, telling him a little about herself. Perhaps she wasn't a talker. Darkfire wasn't either, but somehow she'd gotten him to express himself. Maybe she needed a cat who would listen to open herself to.

"I'm sorry," Fallingsnow meowed, "I shouldn't have flinched."

"Is this about Hickorypaw? Don't worry, she won't be hurt. You can talk to her though and she'll claim you've known each other for forever."

She looked down as if she didn't believe him but wouldn't contradict him. He wished she'd believe him. He didn't like to see her left out. It reminded him too much of himself. But she wasn't being forced away from the group, she was excluding herself. If only she'd join in. Hickorypaw would accept her.

Darkfire wondered if Dewstep had often thought that about him so long ago.

"You did a good job. You fought well."

"Thank you," Fallingsnow meowed. "And thanks for saving me."

"You saved me too." He said nothing more. The sooner that was forgotten the better. Now that he thought on the battle, he hadn't seen Fallingsnow fighting beside anyone. No one had supported her decision at the warrior ceremony either. No, he decided, he was overreacting, thinking too much into the situation. He was only just back in ThunderClan and projecting his past onto the cats of now. He was no outcast. Neither was she.

Still, he had been trained to pick out problems in a Clan. To manipulate them. There was something about her that stuck him as unusual. He would have to pay attention for a few days. If mostly to convince himself that no, she wasn't being rejected by her peers.

"Have a good day," Darkfire finally meowed, thinking of nothing else to say. "I'm going to get some sleep. You'll have to guard me, huh?"

He gave a brief smile and walked away as she went to pick a bird out from the fresh-kill pile. Darkfire was hungry, but he could always hunt later. Right now he wanted to sleep. Only. . . where was he to go? He looked around. He probably wasn't welcome in the warrior den. He hadn't ever been invited inside when he was in ThunderClan on his probationary apprenticeship. The fallen log, his and Dewstep's den when they first arrived at the lake, looked to cold and lonely. He glanced around the camp but saw no familiar faces, Dewstep having disappeared some time ago.

Darkfire looked at his paws. Maybe Needlefur would appreciate his company. The tom was as much a stranger as he was. And even more alone as he didn't have family in camp. With one last look at Hickorypaw who had joined the newest ThunderClan apprentices, he headed for the medicine cat den.

So, good name, bad name?

Oh, yeah, I thought I found one song that might go with the story (took me long enough, not that any of you actually listen to what I suggest). The song is Free to be Me and is by Francesca Battistelli.

Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
On my own I'm so clumsy
But on your shoulders I can see
I'm free to be me