Disclaimer- I do not own Warriors, though it would be great to own young Brambleclaw.:)

What's In A Name?

The warm Newleaf sun spilled into the cool, lichen-covered cave, outlining two ginger cats. One of them was Firestar, ThunderClan's heroic leader, and the other was Sandstorm, Firestar's beautiful mate. The two mates were contentedly sharing tongues as the sun started to rise in the gray dawn sky.

"Brambleclaw's vigil should end very soon," Sandstorm mewed gently to her mate.

"I know. He'll be a great warrior; the warrior his father never was but could have been," Firestar replied, overcome by pride for his former apprentice. He knew that Brambleclaw would live up to his expectations and be a great warrior.

"He learned from the best," Sandstorm purred affectionately. Firestar gave her a loving lick in return, and the two warriors padded out into the morning air and onto Highrock. There, Firestar got a good view of the camp. He felt pride flood him as he watched his busy Clan. Moons had passed since the battle with BloodClan, and ThunderClan was now restored to its former greatness.

"Do you think Brambleclaw is offended by his warrior name?" Sandstorm asked him thoughtfully.

Firestar sighed. He knew what Sandstorm meant. "Claw" was once the ending of Tigerstar's warrior name. Firestar knew that Brambleclaw wanted so bad to shake off his father's legacy, and he could understand if Brambleclaw hated his warrior name.

"You know why I named him that," Firestar mewed; loathe to talk about this sensitive subject. "I told you and Graystripe right before his warrior ceremony."

"I know," Sandstorm replied, "but Brambleclaw wants so bad to prove his loyalty to you. He probably thinks that you don't think he's loyal because you named him after his father. Brambleclaw looks up to you," she added. "He loves you like the father he's never had."

Firestar sighed again. He knew all this; Sandstorm didn't need to remind him of how much Brambleclaw adored him.

"I don't doubt his loyalty," Firestar mewed. "I once did, but after the BloodClan battle and after he refused to join Tigerstar at Fourtrees, I knew he was a loyal cat that I would want by my side in any battle."

"All the same, I think you should talk to him," Sandstorm mewed as she bounded off of Highrock. "Let him know why you named him Brambleclaw." She started to pad away.

"Where are you going?" Firestar called after her.

"I'm going on the dawn patrol with Graystripe," Sandstorm replied over her shoulder. "Think about what I told you."

As she padded away, Firestar reflected his own feelings for Brambleclaw. He knew that the young cat was eager to please him, and in many ways, Firestar thought of the him as his prodigy. He felt love for Brambleclaw; the same love a father has for his son.

"Your vigil's over," he heard Ashfur mew to Brambleclaw. Firestar turned his head around to watch Brambleclaw blink into the early morning sunlight. Firestar bounded off of Highrock and padded over to the new warrior.

"Did you have a warm vigil?" he queried warmly.

His former apprentice nodded. Firestar noted that he was oddly quiet and his amber eyes seemed distant.

"I'm very proud of you," he added, hoping that Brambleclaw would take pride in the comment. Brambleclaw gazed up at Firestar, hurt clearly showing in his amber eyes.

"Then why…?" He began to mew but trailed off.

"What is it?" Firestar mewed gently, running his ginger tail along Brambleclaw's flank, but deep in his heart he already knew what was troubling the young tabby.

"Why did you name me after my father?" Brambleclaw meowed in an anguished whisper.

Firestar groaned inwardly. He already had an answer to this, but that didn't mean he was ready for this to be confronted.

"Come," he beckoned with his tail for Brambleclaw to follow him. "Let us take a walk."

Brambleclaw got to his paws and followed his former mentor through the warm, leafy forest.

Firestar skirted the Sandy Hollow where his nephew, Cloudtail, was teaching his apprentice Rainpaw some fighting moves. Firestar mewed a brief greeting to them, and finally he and Brambleclaw arrived at Sunningrocks. Firestar leaped up onto the smooth, warm stones and gazed at the steadily flowing river that was part of RiverClan's territory. Brambleclaw leaped up beside him and Firestar turned to face the young tabby warrior.

"Listen Brambleclaw," he began. "I don't doubt your loyalty. I love you like a son, and I would want you by my side in any battle."

"You don't mean that," Brambleclaw mewed bitterly. "You still doubt my loyalty. You think I'm just like my father. A lot of cats still do."

Firestar heard the sadness in the younger warrior's voice and felt his heart break. He wrapped his tail around Brambleclaw and mewed, "I understand how you feel, young Brambleclaw. I went through the same things you did when I first arrived in ThunderClan. I thought I'd never prove my loyalty to any of my Clanmates, and it is frustrating, I know. But I want you to listen to me. The more somebody doubts your loyalty, the more times you have to prove them wrong."

"Do some cats still doubt your loyalty?" Brambleclaw asked softly.

"To this day, yes," the ThunderClan leader replied. "But it's mostly just the elders. You're always going to have someone that doubts your loyalty, Brambleclaw. But if you serve your Clan faithfully and with courage right until the very end, then that's what your Clanmates will remember. Not who your father was."

"I don't know how anyone could doubt your loyalty!" Brambleclaw exclaimed. "You're a hero!"

Firestar gazed at the young warrior with wonder. Brambleclaw admired him so much!

"So why did you name me Brambleclaw?" Brambleclaw asked him in a troubled tone.

Firestar gazed into those admiring amber eyes, leaned down to lick Brambleclaw on the head, and mewed, "When Tigerstar died by Scourge's claws, I felt the strangest emotion. I realized then it was grief."

"You felt grief?" Brambleclaw meowed in amazement, "but Tigerstar was your worst enemy!"

"He was," Firestar agreed. "But I realized then and there what a great and powerful warrior he could have if he hadn't given into his ambitions. Tigerstar was not born evil. Nobody is. Most likely, something made him evil. If Tigerstar were good, then he would have been a great leader like Bluestar. You Brambleclaw, look like Tigerstar, but you do not act like him. You are the the good version of Tigerstar, and if ever you become leader one day, you will be the Tigerstar that could have been."

"So that's why you named me Brambleclaw?" Brambleclaw mewed happily. It had all just been a misunderstanding!

"Yes," Firestar purred. "I felt as though I were giving Tigerstar another chance."

"Do you think I will be a leader one day?" Brambleclaw asked, his eyes lighting up.

But Firestar didn't answer. That was not a subject they needed to get into right now.

"For now, just work on being the best warrior that you can be," Firestar mewed, giving him a friendly lick on the ear. Brambleclaw dipped his head meekly, but then glanced up at Firestar with shining eyes.

"Can we go hunting?" he begged excitedly.

"Aren't you tired from your vigil?" Firestar mewed incredulously.

"Not at all," replied Brambleclaw, bouncing from paw to paw with an energy that is customary in all young cats. "You just said to serve my Clan the best that I can."

"All right, you great lump," Firestar responded with a purr. He jumped off the smooth rock and followed Brambleclaw into the forest.

Just then, Brambleclaw turned around to face Firestar.

"I won't let you down Firestar," he mewed with sincerity.

Touched, Firestar purred. Sandstorm had been right. All he needed to do was talk to the young warrior and he would understand.

But then again, Sandstorm's always right, a reluctant voice in his head purred as he happily hunted with the young warrior. A young warrior, who's loyalty he would always trust.