A/N Terribly sorry, peoples. I've had the worse cases of writer's block and spring fever in the world. D:

Anyway, I have a few things to talk about in my author's note, so be prepared to read lots of stuff that involves me talking.

First of all, I need a beta reader, for I'm too lazy to use Microsoft Word, which is the only thing that you can make stories on that has spell check on my computer. If you have a beta and can deal with my story, please mail me.

Second, that competition I mentioned in my last chapter is still going on. If you're interested in one of your kitties being in my story and know when Cats of the Clans comes out, mail me or post it in your review.

Third, I've been thinking and I thought that maybe a few of my readers would like to help me cure myself of my writer's block. I ish need ideas! If you have any good ones, once again, mail me or post it in your review.

Fourth and Finally, I'm going to make another Warriors story and it's going to be an ask the clan cats kind of thing and I was wondering since there are hundreds of those, would I get in trouble for doing it?

Thanks!

Echostorm jumped at Leafstar's call, his yellow eyes glittering with excitement. This would be his first Gathering as a warrior! Looking at Mistpelt, whom he was sharing tongues with, they both nodded and got up to join the others who were going. These cats included Amberpaw, Blackpaw, Blazingsoul, Oceanspray, Icestorm, Crystalheart and Blitzclaw.

"Are you ready?" Icestorm mewed when they came up.

"We were born ready," the tom replied while puffing out his chest.

Blazingsoul, who was listening to their conversation, purred. "I remember my first Gathering as a warriror. I was just as excited as you. When I got their, it felt like proving myself to the other Clans was the most important thing."

"How long ago were you a newly named warrior? Six hundred moons ago?" Blackpaw mewled teasingly at his father just to recieve a gentle cuff to the head.

Echostorm purred in amusement as the father and son each took a turn at joking with each other. For a split second, his mind went back to when he was just a small kit and his father, Darkstep, was still alive. As a matter of fact, he was named Echokit because was exactly like his father, right down to the length and sharpness of his claws. His tail drooping, the tom reminded himself that Darkstep wasn't there to see his only son become a warrior.

"Echostorm!" Miraclpool yowled. "Are you coming or not?"

The black footed tom looked up to see that the group of cats were leaving and his deputy was staring at him, curiosity glittering in the tortoiseshell's green eyes. He dashed towards her a muttered a quick "sorry" before catching up with his other Clan mates.

"Echostorm," Miraclepool walked up to his side, "what's wrong?"

"Why would you think something is wrong? Nothing's wrong."

She snorted. "Listen, you stubborn tom. Have you forgotten that you are my kit? I know when something's on your mind."

Echostorm sighed. His mother just had to be the one to find out. "It's just..." he pause before finishing. "I guess I'm just a little dissapointed that Father wasn't here to see me become a warrior."

Crystalheart, Mistpelt, and Amberpaw, who had been evesdropping, all came over to Echostorm. Rolling his eyes, he silently asked StarClan why he had such nosy friends and family.

"I'm sure Darkstep is watching you from StarClan," Amberpaw encouraged. "After all, even though you can't see him, he can see you."

"Amberpaw's right," Mistpelt picked up where the tabby left off. "I'll bet you two mouse tails that he couldn't be prouder of you and Crystalheart."

"Yeah," Crystalpaw meowed. "If Darkstep could, he would tell us how proud he is. Besides, we'll be able to see him again eventually."

Echostorm shrugged. "I guess you all are right, but can you do me a favor?"

"What?" The she-cats, other than Miraclepool (Leafstar had to speak with her), inquired.

"Don't try so hard to cheer me up. It can get kind of scary when Amberpaw acts hyper."

Crystalheart and Mistpelt laughed, while Echostorm mentally noted that Amberpaw stayed silent, although her eyes betrayed she was just as amused by the joke directed towards her.

After a few more moments of the four cats talking about random things, such as the weather, how much prey there was in the forest, and Amberpaw being ambushed by a ginger LakeClan apprentice.

"I swear that the she-cat had problems or something," Amberpaw continued her story. "I was just grabbing a drink from our side of the river, and she just glared at me and yelled, 'You!' then pounced me. That's where I got the slit in my ear from."

"Wow," Echostorm replied. "I didn't know LakeClan cats had such short tempers!"

Mistpelt nodded in agreement as they reached the tree-bridge that led to the island. "I wonder if Summerstar or Leafstar will bring it up. I wouldn't be surpirsed if they did. After all, it isn't everyday that an apprentice attacks another one without being provoked."

Echostorm and Crystalheart muttered their agreements as the TreeClan cats began to cross the bridge. Looking over towards Amberpaw, Echostorm was about to ask her if she wanted to go first, but he noticed that the she-cat was looking at her paws, a guilty look in her eye, as if there was more to the story that she told.

Shrugging the thought off, Echostorm quickly padded over to the tree-bridge and crossed it, his claws instinctively sinking into the waterlogged wood. Slithering along the trunk, he quickly made it to the other side and jumped off onto the soft ground. Turning around, he watched Crystalheart and Amberpaw cross, along with the other remaining TreeClan cats. When they all made it to the island, Leafstar nodded, and they all separated, either finding friends from the other two Clans, or joining a group to brag about recent hunts or battles. Looking around, the tom saw an all too familiar black and white shape coming towards him.

"Tallpaw!" he purred in a friendly tone. "How is it in MeadowClan?"

"Hello, Echopaw," the tom replied. "Everything's fine. What about in your Clan?"

Echostorm's eyes glittered as he meowed, "Same with me, but it's Echostorm now. Mistpelt, Crystalheart, and I are warriors now."

The MeadowClan apprentice's eyes widened, clearly impressed. "Oh really? Congratulations!"

"Thanks."

Before their conversation could continue, Echostorm heard a yowl from the branches of the huge trees that the leaders sat upon in Gathering. Turning around, he noticed that Summerstar had been the one who yowled.

"We are gathered here under the full moon by the will of StarClan," the ginger tom spoke to all the cats. "Under these circumstances, the Gathering shall begin."

He sat back down on his branch, as if willing Leafstar or Silverstar to go first. After a few seconds, Echostorm watched Silverstar stand up on the branch that he was balancing on.

"The prey is running well in MeadowClan and our kits are healthy," he began. "The only true problem is that Twolegs have set up a temporary camp in our territory. They have these strange silver sticks that make loud, strange noises and kill birds that are flying above them on contact." He sat down as a ripple of shock and fear went through the cats below.

Echostorm felt his heart do flips. Twolegs could kill birds without touching them? I'd hate to see what would happen if they decided to use their sticks on us cats, he thought with alarm.

After the cats in the clearing calmed down, Echostorm watched his own leader, Leafstar stand up. "All is peaceful in TreeClan," she mewed loudly. "The Twolegs haven't bothered us, the prey is running well, and we have three new warriors. Echopaw, Crystalpaw, and Mistpaw are now known as Echostorm, Crystalheart, and Mistpelt."

The black pawed tom swelled up with happiness when he realized he was mentioned. His gaze never fell when cats of all the Clans looked at him, some murmuring their congratulations. Looking over towards his friend and sister, he noticed that Mistpelt looked embarassed, while Crystalheart looked a bit anxious. Smirking, Echostorm knew that he -once again, as a matter of fact- was the only one who showed that he was proud that he was a warrior now.

"Oh, and one more thing," Leafstar looked over to Silverstar, apparently remembering important information. "A patrol the other day chased a fox out of our territory and it ran onto MeadowClan's. I thought you would like a fair warning."

The silver tabby nodded. "Thank you, Leafstar. I will tell my patrols to keep an eye out." Turning towards the LakeClan leader, he added, "Summerstar, does LakeClan have any news?"

Summerstar growled and nodded. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." Raising his voice, he yowled, "Both TreeClan and MeadowClan have recently stolen prey from our territory!" He just flicked his tail when cries of refusal echoed throughout the island.

Echostorm hissed. TreeClan has been doing no such thing! Looking up at Summerstar, he screeched, "What proof do you have?!"

Leafstar, who had apparently heard him, nodded and growled, "Yes, Summerstar. What kind of proof do you have?"

The tom matched the tabby's burning gaze as he replied, "An apprentice scented MeadowClan and TreeClan on our territory."

Silverstar spat. "You caused this uproar just because an apprentice told you this?"

"You didn't let me finish," Summerstar spat. "My deputy, Ashcloud comfirmed this as well."

As the leader's argued, Echostorm looked up at the moon. How much longer would it take for clouds to cover it? Sighing he exchanged glances with Tallpaw. Both their yellow eyes seemed to say, 'Why would this happen?' That question must have been running through all of the cats' minds at this Gathering. After all, the Clans had been at peace for moons now!

"Summerstar," Leafstar's wise, melodic, voice cause Echostorm to look back at the three leaders. "I don't know how you could have possibly scented our Clans, but we assure you that we haven't stolen prey." Silverstar nodded to this.

"You seem close to MeadowClan, Leafstar," the ginger tom snarled. "Have you two, by chance, formed an alliance?"

"You're out of your mind!" Echostorm perked his ears at Mispelt's now not so gentle voice. Turning, he noticed that the she-cat had her claws unsheated and her teeth bared.

As if reading his mind, Tallpaw mewed, "I've never seen her like this."

"I know," he agreed.

Silverstar shook his head. "Summerstar, how in the name of StarClan did you come to this conclusion? What is wrong with you?" Stepping forward on his branch to get closer to the leader, he added, "Why are you so quick to accuse?"

"It's none of your buisiness, halfClan!" Summerstar spat the last word out and everyone, including Leafstar, gasped in shock.

Leaning down to get closer to Tallpaw's ear, Echostorm whispered, "Silverstar is of two Clans?"

The black and white apprentice nodded. "Yeah. His mother was a TreeClan cat and his father was a MeadowClan cat, or that's what our elder says. I think that's where Summerstar got the idea that he and Leafstar had formed an alliance."

Echostorm grunted to show that he heard as he stared at Silverstar, who looked like he was on his last nerve. His claws were unsheathed and his hackles were raise as he said, "Summerstar, I didn't know you were one to judge a cat on his lineage."

Summerstar just hissed. "Every cat should know that halfClans deserve to be scorned. They shouldn't even exist in the Clans."

"You are quite the hypocrite," Silverstar's voice was strained as if it took all he had to remain calm. "If I remember correctly, you have an apprentice who has a paw in two Clans, do you not?"

Sure enough, Echostorm heard a muffled sob and turned around to see a silver she-cat with a black tail crying. Beside her was a ginger apprentice -almost an exact copy of Summerstar- desperately trying to comfort her and at the same time glaring at her leader.

"That's Minnowpaw and Gingerpaw," Tallpaw whispered beside him. "Minnowpaw is half LakeClan and half MeadowClan."

"Ah," Echostorm replied.

Turning his attention back towards the leader, he noticed that Summerstar and Silverstar were still glaring at each other. Leafstar, who seemed uncomfortable, finally sighed and yowled, "This Gathering is over!" After that, she climbed down the tree she was in while the other leaders did the same.

Although it shocked Echostorm that Summerstar had taken a turn for the worse so suddenly, what shocked him even more was what happened while the leaders were about to gather their Clans. Summerstar quickly whirled around and pounced Silverstar, claws unsheathed. The older tom yowled in surprise and pain as Summerstar clawed his back. Soon, the two toms were a blur of silver, ginger, and blood.

Leafstar, who was frozen in pure shock until that moment in time, bravely jumped into the fray and attempted to pull the toms apart with Miraclepool behind.

"We have to help!" Echostorm turned around to see Crystalheart behind him. "We can't let Leafstar or Miraclepool get injured."

Echostorm nodded and dashed over to the four cats with his sister, nearly trampling Tallpaw in the process. Quickly gulping, he unsheathed his claws and jumped onto Summerstar and grabbed the scruff of his neck while Crystalheart and Miraclepool had done the same to Silverstar. The three cats attempted to pull the leaders apart while Leafstar stopped their flailing paws and terrible remarks.

Echostorm gasped as he barely dodged Summerstar's teeth. Getting back up on his feet, he saw that Miraclepool had jumped in between him and the leader.

"If you lay a paw on him, I will flail you, leader or not!" Miraclepool snarled.

Echostorm's eyes widened until they were two large moons. He knew that his mother was fierce and protective, but he had never seen her take on a leader without hesitation or any regrets.

Summerstar sheathed his claws, but never took his eyes off of Miraclepool. After what seemed like moons, he looked over towards Echostorm and muttered, "Be thankful for your mother, apprentice."

Echostorm growled and was about to correct the leader due to the fact he called him an apprentice, but one desperate glance from Miraclepool silenced him. At that moment, Echostorm realized that the island seemed darker. To his horror, when he looked up, he saw clouds covering the full moon.

"TreeClan!" Leafstar's yowl echoed through the island. "We are leaving, now."

"MeadowClan is as well!" Silverstar growled.

The three Clans immediately gathered with their Clan mates and the leaders took the lead. Taking his spot by Mistpelt, Crystalheart, and Amberpaw, Echostorm sighed.

After they had reach the point where they were halfway from TreeClan camp. He heard Mistpelt's troubled sigh.

"Oh, Echostorm, what is becoming of the Clans? What caused this?" she whispered.

"I don't know," was the only thing he could reply with. "I just don't know.

A/N Well, this turned out more dramatic then I wanted it to. XD Ah well, all's fair in love and war or something like that.

AliKatNyah