Amberheart Speaks: My First Love

Okay, this story has Amberheart from StormClan who is now put into the clans from the warriors series (it takes place somewhat in the future), so she is instead a ThunderClan warrior, and she speaks of her first love and mate, Tigerheart. (Instead of DoveXTiger it's AmberXTiger) I'm not that good at stories, but I hope you like it! =)

"Hello, who's there!? Oh, just a couple kittypets. Have you strayed too far from your homes? Who am I? I am Amberheart, warrior of ThunderClan. You have heard of the clans haven't you? Yes there are 4 clans in the forest; ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan. Wait, did you say that ShadowClan made you think of a cat you've seen in the past? A dark brown tabby tom? That must be Tigerheart you are thinking of. I know him because we are mates, and I had his kits. I was a fool to go off with a ShadowClan cat. Why is it bad, you ask? Because cats are not allowed to have mates from other clans, and ThunderClan and ShadowClan have always been at war. I can see from the gleaming in your eyes, that you want to hear a story. Very well then, make yourselves comfortable, and I will tell you a story about how Tigerheart and I came to be."

When I was an apprentice, my sister Dovepaw, now Dovewing, Lionblaze, now Lionstar, and I went on a mission with cats from the other clans to get the water back to the lake. Brambleclaw brought us up to the river that separates ThunderClan territory from ShadowClan territory. There Russetfur, the ShadowClan deputy, and two of her warriors, Toadfoot and Tigerheart were there waiting. When I first saw Tigerheart, and he saw me, my heart skipped a beat. It was always like that whenever he looked at me, but I never showed it. Sure enough, Ashfoot, of WindClan, brought Whitetail and Sedgewhisker with her, and Mistyfoot, of RiverClan, brought Petalfur and Rippletail. The wierd thing was that Mistyfoot stayed back and didn't join us, but instead gave us a mean look. Once we all set off up the river, Tigerheart padded next to me.

"Did you see Mistyfoot?" he glanced at me, chuckling, "She looked pretty angry." I stared at him trying to hold his gaze, without making a fool of myself.

"Yeah, she must still be mad at us for 'stealing her fish'." I giggled, and Tigerheart made a disgusted face.

"Ugh!" he meowed, "Who would want to taste fish anyway?" We both started laughing and Toadfoot turned around, gazing angrily at us.

"Stop giggling the pair of you," he snarled, "We're supposed to be on a mission here!" I flinched under Toadfoot's gaze, and Tigerheart looked at me sympathetically.

"Don't worry," he whispered when Toadfoot turned around, "He's a mouse-brain!" For the rest of the trip, Tigerheart and I talked, and we soon became best friends. What I didn't know was that one Gathering would change our lives forever.

When Firestar started speaking at the next Gathering, I heard movement from behind behind me and turned around. Tigerheart saw me and flickered his tail, telling me to join him as he went through a patch of bushes. I looked around to make sure no one saw me, and followed. When I went through the bush, he was there waiting for me.

"You made it." he purred, he looked at me, his pelt glowing silver in the moonlight, and his amber gaze fixed on me. I padded up to him and sat down.

"So," I meowed awkwardly, "What did you need me for?" he looked at me, his eyes not leaving mine.

"I needed to see you, Amberpaw," he said, "I couldn't go on without seeing you." I looked at him, my mouth open, searching for words, but he continued, "You're such a good friend to me, I just couldn't say good-bye." he bent his head, and I stroked my tail down his back. Then we heard the cats through the bushes, and we knew it was time to leave. Tigerheart looked up at me, "Meet me here in two days." he whispered, and I nodded my head. I could hear Whitewing and Dovepaw calling me, and I broke through the bushes, and they were there waiting.

"Where have you been?" Whitewing meowed, "We've been looking for you." I looked at her.

"Sorry, I thought I heard something in the bushes," I lied, "So I went to check them out, but there was nothing." Whitewing looked at me, not believing what I said, but went along with it.

"Very well then." she sighed and bounded towards the leaving ThunderClan cats. I looked over at the line of the ShadowClan cats to see if Tigerheart was there. He spotted me and winked at me, as his clan vanished through the bushes. I felt my face get hot, and Dovepaw stared at me.

"What are you looking at?" she meowed questioningly. I looked at her quickly.

"Uh, nothing!" she obviously didn't believe me.

"Then why do your eyes look all moony?" My eyes got wide, and Dovepaw gave me a sly look. "Who is it?" I bounded up towards the ThunderClan cats, trying to escape her question, but it didn't work. "Come on, Amberpaw, " she meowed, as she bounded up to me, "I promise I won't tell anyone." As we headed towrads the ThunderClan camp, we slowed down little by little, behind the other ThunderClan cats. I sighed.

"It's Tigerheart, okay?" she looked at me wide-eyed.

"A ShadowClan cat?!" I told her to be quiet, and she spoke more softly, "Why him?"

"Because he's smart, funny, and cute," I meowed, "And I feel like I can be myself around him."

"I had a feeling you would fall for him," Dovepaw meowed, "You two never stopped talking to each other when we were trying to get the water back to the lake." I looked at her and giggled.

"Shut up!" I told her 'friendly-like', and we padded into camp.

"So," she meowed to me, "Anytime you two 'love-birds' are going to meet again?" I looked at her.

"Yeah, in two nights." I meowed, "But we're just friends." Dovepaw rolled her eyes, and I cuffed her playfully around her ear. Surprisingly, the next day, I had gotten my warrior name, and as soon as Firestar announced my new name, Amberheart, automatically thought of Tigerheart. The next day went flying by, and I was so excited to see Tigerheart that night. As soon as the clan was asleep, I made my way to the island where the Gatherings are held. There waiting was Tigerheart. I padded up to him, and his eyes gleamed.

"Listen, Amberpaw," he meowed, but I cut him off.

"It's Amberheart now." he looked at me, his eyes gleaming brighter.

"Congratulations on getting your warrior name, Amberheart!" he looked at me happily, but then his face changed, sort of to a nervous look.

"What's wrong?" I meowed, he looked at me.

"There's something I have to tell you Amberheart," his gaze fixed on mine, once again, and I felt my heart beating faster, "I'm in love with you." I looked at him, my eyes filled with joy and I purred.

"I love you too, Tigerheart." his eyes gleamed and he licked me in between my ears. "But how are we going to be together, even though we are in different clans?" Tigerheart looked at me, and smiled.

"We'll find a way, Amberheart," he meowed, "I can't be without you in my life." I looked at him, my eyes filled with love, and I purred.

"Neither can I." For the rest of the night, Tigerheart and I sat there overlooking the lake, with our tails inter-twined. I felt like the luckiest cat in the clans, and for a couple moons Tigerheart and I did see each other. Then one morning, I woke up and I noticed that I was weighing alot more than I should had, so I went to see my sister, Dovepaw. I bounded towards Dovepaw, as she was about to go out hunting with Lionblaze. "Dovepaw!" I meowed as soon as I got up to her, she looked my stomach and her eyes got wide. "What's wrong?" I meowed questioningly, and she beckoned me to go into the woods with her for a second. As soon as we got far enough out of ear-shot, she meowed to me.

"Have you noticed you look quite plump?" I looked at myself, and I realised what she meant. My own eyes got wide, and she continued. "Please tell me, you did not mate with Tigerheart." I looked around remembering what happened a few days ago, and she looked at me angrily. "How could you mate with a ShadowClan cat?" I looked at her the same way.

"If you were in love, you would know!" I meowed to her and stormed off. "You know, every cat is going to think that Mousewhisker is the real father of your kits!" she meowed to me, and I stopped in my tracks. Mousewhisker was a very kind and caring friend, but he never gave me that spark, like Tigerheart did. My clan thought that I was going to end up with him.

"I know," I meowed, turning to her, "But my clan will soon have to face the truth." And I padded off to find Tigerheart on a patrol.

Once I made it to ShadowClan territory, I heard a patrol coming, and hid in a bush, disguising my scent. Luckily the patrol consisted of Dawnpelt (Tigerheart's sister), Tawnypelt and her apprentice, Starlingpaw, and Tigerheart. As soon as Tigerheart came close, I whispered to him, "Tigerheart, it's me, Amberheart." he flicked his ear, telling me he heard. He went to the patrol and meowed to them.

"I'll check over here." Tawnypelt nodded her head, and Starlingpaw and Dawnpelt, went off after her. Tigerheart padded up to the bush where I was hiding.

"What is it, Amberheart?" He meowed his eyes filled with worry. I climbed out of the bush.

"I think I'm going to have kits." he looked at me, his eyes wide.

"My kits? Our kits?" I nodded to him and he purred, "They're going to be the most beautiful kits ever!" I looked at him my eyes filled with worry.

"But what are we to do?" I meowed to him, "We're from different clans!" His eyes searched for an idea and then his face brightened.

"How about we do this in secret? Before you are about to have your kits, make your way near the ShadowClan border. I'll get Flametail to go over the border with me to help you with your kits."

"But how are you going to know when I'm about to have my kits?"

"I'll come everyday and check for your scent along our border, I promise." Just then I heard Tawnypelt coming and she meowed.

"Tigerheart? Who are you talking to?" Tigerheart told me to run, and I ran, luckily I didn't think Tawnypelt saw me. A moon later, one morning, I had very bad pain, and I made my way towards the ShadowClan border as Tigerheart said, and I flopped down on the grass, trying not to wail. I stayed there til sunhigh, and yet no sign of Tigerheart. The pain was getting worse and I knew I was going to deliver my kits any minute. But where was Tigerheart and Flametail?

Just then I heard a familiar yowl, and Tigerheart bounded towards me with Flametail at his side. Flametail gave me a few herbs to help deliver the kits. Tigerheart stood next to me, and was licking behind my ear.

"I told you I'd be here," he purred, "Everything's going to be fine." I managed to let out a purr, but the pain was so intense. Then my body heaved, and a kit popped out.

"It's a tom!" Flametail meowed, but I couldn't see him, because another kit popped out after him. "A she-kit!" Flametail meowed, another kit popped out right after that. "A tom!" Flametail meowed, I knew I had only one more kit left, and I was getting weaker, by the second. I used all my energy and the last kit popped out, "A she-kit!" Flametail meowed and Tigerheart and I both felt relieved. I looked at my kits and wondered what we should name them.

"What do you want to name them, Tigerheart?" he looked at me and purred.

"You name them." he told me. The first kit I bore was the brown tabby tom white white paws.

"How about Falconkit" I said pointing to Falconkit as he suckled on me. Tigerheart nodded his head in agreement. the next one was a golden yellow she-cat.

"Sunkit?" I meowed to him, and Tigerheart purred.

"Sure." The next kit I saw was the gray tom with white paws.

"Whitekit?" I meowed and Tigerheart purred once again.

"Of course." The final kit was a dark tortoiseshell she-cat.

"How about Maplekit?" I meowed and Tigerheart purred even louder.

"I love all of their names!" It was the best moment for me in my entire life! I had to most beautiful kits, and the best mate, but then I heard voices from beyond the bushes in front of us.

'I smell Tigerheart, Blackstar.....wait, I also smell a ThunderClan cat with him!" On the other side of the bushes I heard Birchfall talking to Firestar.

"Firestar, I smell Amberheart!' He meowed excitedly, and bounded in with Firestar, Whitewing, Dovepaw, Ivypaw, Mousewhisker, and Brambleclaw. Then at the same time they broke into the clearing, Blackstar, Tawnypelt, Rowanclaw, Littlecloud, and Dawnpelt did as well. They all looked shocked when they saw me and Tigerheart together in the clearing. The ThunderClan cats saw me and meowed.

"Amberheart?!" The ShadowClan cats broke through the bushes and meowed.

"Tigerheart?!" Tigerheart and I stood there, scared, of what was going to happen next.

"Amberheart! Why are you with a ShadowClan cat!" Firestar meowed, "You know it is against the warrior code!" Amberheart looked down, not knowing what to say, and then Blackstar turned to Tigerheart.

"I could ask you the same thing," he hissed, "Why are you with her?" Tigerheart looked at his clanmates and his gaze never left Blackstar.

"Because I love Amberheart," he meowed, "And I would do anything to protect her, and I'm never leaving her!" Blackstar was shocked to see that Tigerheart was blocking me, like he would tackle anyone who stepped closer.

Blackstar gave him a stern look and hissed, "Well, too bad, your coming back to ShadowClan whether you like it or not!" Tigerheart hissed at him.

"Never! Not without Amberheart!" Firestar looked at Blackstar.

"You know, Blackstar, by bringing them back to their own clans isn't going to solve anything," he meowed, "Those kits are Tigerheart and Amberheart's and you shouldn't separate them." Blackstar glared at Firestar.

"Your just too much of a softy, Firestar, your clan loves half-clan cats!" Firestar still stayed calm as he spoke.

"I personally think that they should choose whether to live in ThunderClan or ShadowClan, that way they could both be together." The other cats started to nod and Rowanclaw spoke.

"Maybe we should give them the choice, Blackstar, it would be better." Blackstar muttered something under his breath, but then spoke to me and Tigerheart.

"Very well then, which clan would you both rather be in?" Tigerheart and I looked at each other, and Tigerheart whispered.

"I think we should be in ThunderClan," he said. "They would be more welcomed there." I looked at him.

"But what about your clan?" he looked at me and purred.

"All I care about is you and the kits." I nodded in agreement and turned to Firestar, "With your permission, Firestar, we would like to live in ThunderClan." Firestar nodded his head, and Tawypelt and Rowanclaw looked so sad.

"Don't worry," Tigerheart meowed to his parents, "I promise I'll see you again." he touched noses with his clanmates, and we made our way back to ThunderClan camp.

"So, kittypets, as you can see things did work out between me and Tigerheart, our kits are now apprentices: Falconpaw, Sunpaw, Whitepaw, and Maplepaw. Everything turned out well and now my clan trusts Tigerheart and I again. We will always be soul mates, and I'll always remember him as my first love."