I'm so sorry! Sumimasen! Peiné! Pesaroso!

I know I haven't updated in a while, but that's because I was having too much trouble typing freakin' Amberpaw! You see, I wanted her to be a bit like Tigerstar, since, if you haven't guessed by now, she's his distant kin. The only problem was her personality overall. Every time I made her part, she turned out to be Tigerstar, Mary-Sue version! TTTT So, that's why she has the whole 'Everyone just gets in my way' kind of attitude. Sorry if this chapter sucks. It's also a little shorter than expected for these cats do play important roles, but some not as important as others.

Oh, and this chapter and the next chapter will be the last two that introduce the cats.

Disclaimer (Sorry about forgetting it last time!): Erin Hunter owns Warriors, not me. If I did, Hawkfrost would be alive, Onestar would be dead, and StarClan would hold a weekly dance off.

Gingerpaw

"Gingerpaw, why in StarClan's name would you do such a thing like that?" A harsh voice could be heard in the leader's den of LakeClan.

Gingerpaw looked up at her father and replied, "I was only giving her what she deserved, Summerstar. No harm was done."

"No harm?" Summerstar repeated. "Because of what you did, I have to face Leafstar next Gathering!"

The flame colored she-cat closed her green eyes and sighed. She hadn't thought of that when she started the fight. What had happened was last Gathering, when Gingerpaw was just a new apprentice; a dark tabby she-cat apprentice from TreeClan was bullying her closest friend, Minnowpaw, making snide comments about her heritage. The thing was that Minnowpaw was half MeadowClan, half LakeClan, or what the tabby called it, a halfClan. This had set Gingerpaw off, but she couldn't do anything due to the truce that was held at Gatherings. Because of this, when Gingerpaw happened to see her pass by while fishing from the lake, she picked a fight with the she-cat. Although the TreeClan apprentice was strong and left quite a few marks, Gingerpaw clawed a deep 'V' into her right ear.

"Sorry, Summerstar," she finally muttered.

"I'm afraid sorry doesn't cut it," the tom glared at her daughter. "I'll have to punish you. From now until the next Gathering, you must help Hawkpool and Shadepaw gather herbs. Other than that, you are not allowed out of camp under any circumstances."

Gingerpaw groaned. Helping the medicine cat and her apprentice was extremely boring, and she should know. This wasn't the first time she received that punishment. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. "Do I get to go to the Gathering?"

Summerstar's yellow eyes looked deep in thought. After what seemed like moons to Gingerpaw, he said, "I suppose. But don't think that I'll let you off easy the next time."

She nodded, her eyes sparkling. "Thanks Father! Uh, I mean Summerstar." She turned around and headed out of his den that was made out of the knotted roots of an oak tree. Wondering why she changed her words from 'Father' to 'Summerstar', she walked over to a silver she-cat with a distinctive black tail.

The she-cat turned around from talking with a black tom with a white tail tip. "Hi, Gingerpaw!" Minnowpaw mewed happily. "Ravenfeather was just about to take me to practice my fighting skills and we were wondering if you and Darkfang would like to come with us."

Gingerpaw nodded. "I'd like to! Let me see if Darkfang is up to it." With that, she turned tail and headed towards a dark she-cat sharing tongues with a light gray spotted tom.

"Oh, hello Gingerpaw," Darkfang meowed.

"Hello, Darkfang. Hi Leopardpelt," she nodded towards her mentor's brother. Turning back towards Darkfang, she said, "Ravenfeather said that if we wanted to, we could come with him and Minnowpaw to practice fighting. Can we?"

Gingerpaw flicked her tail impatiently as Darkfang thought for a few moments. Finally, she looked at Gingerpaw and mewed, "I don't see why not."

"Great!" Gingerpaw replied enthusiastically and ran back over to Minnowpaw. "I can go!"

"All right, then." Ravenfeather mewed when Darkfang walked up. "Let's head out."

"Gingerpaw, wait!" The she-cat flinched when she heard Summerstar call her name.

"Oh, hello, Summerstar." Darkfang dipped her head respectively along with Minnowpaw and Ravenfeather.

The leader flicked his ears in a greeting and then said, "Darkfang, didn't Gingerpaw tell you that she wasn't allowed out of camp until the next Gathering?"

Fox-dung! Gingerpaw thought angrily. And I thought I'd be able to get away with it, too.

"No, as a matter of fact, she did not." Gingerpaw felt her mentor's gaze burn into her pelt. "Why is that?"

"I got into a fight with the TreeClan apprentice that bullied Minnowpaw at the Gathering," she muttered. "The only way I can go out of camp is when I help Hawkpool and Shadepaw gather herbs."

For a moment, all that Gingerpaw could see was the anger in Darkfang's blue eyes, but it soon dissolved into dismay. "I see," she mewed. "Well, Gingerpaw, I'm very disappointed in you." Turning towards Ravenfeather, she added, "I'm sorry that my apprentice lied to us."

The tom just merely shook his head a replied, "That's all right, I don't mind."

"Gingerpaw, go and see if Hawkpool and Shadepaw need any help." Gingerpaw glared at Summerstar, but did as he told her. At one point, she turned around to see if Minnowpaw had already left or not. What she saw was Ravenfeather talking to Summerstar and Darkfang padding back over to Leopardpelt. When she caught her friend's eye, Gingerpaw mouthed, "I'm sorry."

She smiled when Minnowpaw just shook her head and mouthed back, "Don't be. Thanks, by the way."

Amberpaw

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join under the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" a yowl woke Amberpaw from her deep slumber in the apprentices den.

"I guess Crystalpaw and Mistpaw were right," a light ginger tabby, Gentlepaw, mewed in the nest beside her while Snowpaw and Gentlepaw's brother, Blackpaw walked in the den.

"Come on you two!" Snowpaw mewed. "Echopaw, Crystalpaw, and Mistpaw are becoming warriors and I promised Mistpaw we would chant the loudest for them."

"What's the point of that?" Amberpaw spat angrily as she walked out. "Clearly we'll be the loudest because of your annoying voice."

"Why do you have to be so terrible?" the dark tabby felt Blackpaw's glare burn into her pelt from behind. "You should be happy for them. They were our den mates after all."

She snorted. "Like I care. Crystalpaw is too hyper and Mistpaw is too much of a goody-goody."

"What about Echopaw?"

'Yes, what about Echopaw?' a voice in her head questioned. She and Echopaw did get along on a regular basis. He was strong, smart, level headed, and he took his apprenticeship seriously unlike the others. The only problem was that he practically drooled around Mistpaw. "Toms..." Amberpaw muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Snowpaw meowed everyone but Amberpaw sat down.

"Nothing!" she hissed and weaved her way through the crowd, sitting down in front beside her father and mentor, Angerstrike. When she was made apprentice, there were no available warriors other than Angerstrike, so despite the fact that the leader usually avoided having kin mentor kin, Leafstar had no choice. Of course, unlike what most parents would do, Angerstrike did not go easy on her. Hence his name, the tom was rough and quick to criticize.

Amberpaw noticed Echopaw, Crystalpaw, and Mistpaw were sitting near her, Mistpaw and Crystalpaw looking extremely excited. Echopaw, on the other hand, was just sitting straight and proud, his face serious, but his yellow eyes shining. He caught Amberpaw looking at them and smiled, showing he was indeed excited. Amberpaw smirked back, showing she was happy for her friend before turning back towards Leafstar, who was sitting on the edge of the Highledge.

After everyone was accounted for, Leafstar looked at the three oldest apprentices and mewed, "Crystalpaw, come forward." When the she-cat did as she was told, Leafstar yowled, "I, Leafstar, leader of TreeClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." Looking down at Crystalpaw, she continued. "Crystalpaw do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Crystalpaw, who Amberpaw noticed was shaking with excitement, nodded and shakily replied, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Crystalpaw from this moment you will be known as Crystalheart. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and attitude, and we welcome you as a full warrior TreeClan." Leafstar stepped forward and rested her muzzle of Crystalheart's head. Crystalheart then licked the leader's shoulder in return.

"Crystalheart! Crystalheart!" the Clan shouted, the apprentices (save Amberpaw) the loudest. Amberpaw did join in, but only quietly.

After the chanting died down, Leafstar looked towards Mistpaw. "Mistpaw, please step forward." As the silver she-cat did, Amberpaw noticed the nervous glimmer in her eyes and the apprehensive twitch in her tail.

"I, Leafstar, leader of TreeClan," Leafstar repeated the ancient words once again, "call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn. Mistpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Mistpaw looked at her paws and whispered, almost too quiet for Amberpaw to hear, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Mistpaw, from this moment you will be known as Mistpelt. StarClan honors your Intelligence and skill, and we welcome you as a full warrior TreeClan."

"Mistpelt! Mistpelt!" the Clan chanted as Leafstar and Mistpelt repeated what the tabby leader had done with Crystalheart. Amberpaw growled softly as she heard Echopaw chant her name.

"And finally," Leafstar shifted her weight to become comfortable, "Echopaw."

As the tom came forward, Amberpaw noticed that he had his tail held high and didn't look afraid nor excited, unlike Mistpaw and his sister. Immediately, she knew he would demand respect from the other Clans as a warrior without even trying.

"I, Leafstar, leader of TreeClan, call upon my warriors ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He had trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn. Echopaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," he said loudly, yet calmly.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Echopaw, from this moment you will be known as Echostorm. StarClan honors your strength and wit in battle, and we welcome you as a full warrior of TreeClan." She stepped forward and rested her muzzle on his head. He licked her shoulder respectively and stepped back.

"Echostorm! Echostorm!" Amberpaw shouted, clearly meaning to be louder than she was with Mistpelt and Crystalheart. She almost missed it when Angerstrike shot her a knowing gaze.

"Mistpelt! Echostorm! Crystalheart!" The Clan shouted and surrounded the new warriors as Leafstar jumped off of the Highledge.

Finally, as the crowd began thinning out Amberpaw made her way towards Echostorm. "Congratulations!" she mewed when she found the large tom. "I hope I can be as confident as you when I become a warrior."

Echostorm nodded and smiled. "Thanks. And I guess we'll find out in two moons, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Before they could talk any longer, Mistpelt ran over to Echostorm. "Come on, Echostorm! Crystalheart's saving us nests by each other."

Echostorm nodded and replied, "All right. See you, Amberpaw."

Amberpaw muttered a 'See you' and watched them walk away. To her anger, she saw Echostorm lick Mistpelt on the ear and she purred. Stalking back to the apprentices den, she felt as if she wanted to claw the she-cat's eyes out. 'I shouldn't feel this way!' she thought despairingly. 'She's my Clan mate, we have to get along.'

Suddenly, as she was settling down in her nest, a tom's voice echoed through her head. The voice sounded like her father, only a bit deeper and more sinister.

'Don't throw away your anger, Amberpaw. It will make you stronger."

Ooh, who's the ghosty? xD (Ahem) Now, I have some things to clear up.

TreeClan is in ancient ThunderClan's territory.

MeadowClan is half in ShadowClan and half in RiverClan's territory.

LakeClan is in half WindClan and half RiverClan.

This takes place, like, two hundred moons after Firestar's time.

AliKatNyah