A/N: this is great! I'm thinking about starting a new series like this one known as Before the Storm. If I get 40 reviews, ill put up the prologue and alliances! It's going to be uh-maze-ing! So review!

Chapter Five

Storm clouds rolled in the sky with the colors of dark grey and black. Cactuspaw's fur quivered as thunder boomed in the sky. Shorty after, lightning stuck the ground a few fox-lengths away. She leaped back at the sight and heard the yowled of her clanmates around her. Her punishment for not taking care of the elders was over and she had begun hunting and training at last. Fireclaw seemed to forget about what happened and treated her like an apprentice. She caught the black pelt of her sister, Splashpaw. She had loads of prey with her and she watched as her sister deposited it in the pile. "Splashpaw, come here!" She yowled to the black she-cat.

To Cactuspaw's surprise, the she's eyes were dull and full of exhaustion. When she finally reached her, she slouched down on the ground and grumbled, "What?"

"How's training? We've barely spoken since we became apprentices," she asked with a usual flick of her extremely long tail.

Her blue eyes burned with intensity when she responded. "It's terrible!" She suddenly snapped. "All Hollowbranch makes me do it hunt! He says that it's all that she-cats are good at! I hate him!"

Cactuspaw's blood ran cold. "Hunting? For she-cats only?" She whispered half to herself.

"Yeah," she spat. "We've done no battle training at all!"

Cactuspaw's green eyes flickered around the clearing. She didn't see the black ad brown tom anywhere in the clearing. Suddenly, the storm broke. Cactuspaw and her sister ran for the apprentices den. "So where is Hollowbranch?" She asked the black she-cat finally.

Splashpaw shrugged. "I don't know, he told me to come back to camp. He said he was going to join Cliffstar and Eagletalon on a patrol."

Cactuspaw's fur quivered. She didn't like Eagletalon or Hollowbranch. Her emerald gaze turned toward the medicine-den. She saw the dark brown pelt of Brackenfoot sitting in his nest. The older tom was hunched forward and wheezing terribly. She narrowed her eyes to see his ribs sticking out from under his brown fur.

Cactuspaw's fur suddenly bristled when a cat crashed into the clearing with blood oozing from a wound on its side. Cactuspaw's gaze fixed on the cat and she noticed it was Eagletalon. "What happened?" Fireclaw demanded.

"Am-ambush...TreeClan.." Was all the dark brown tom got out before he blacked out and crashed onto the floor.

Cactuspaw watched as the sand colored medicine-cat dashed out from the den to Eagletalon's side. "Jayflight, Sandwhisker, Cactuspaw, and Rushfall, come with me!" Fireclaw yowled as he charged out of camp.

Cactuspaw leaped to her paws and flicked he tail toward Splashpaw, who nodded her head. Cactuspaw bounded after her mentor and the patrol and shortly caught up with them. Small pebbles rattled and flew away as she skidded to a halt. She saw the black and brown stripped pelt of Hollowbranch flash beside her. Cactuspaw's eyes glittered with suspicion as she trailed away from the patrol to follow the mysterious tom. Once she caught up with him, she saw the frail body of Cliffstar in front of him, barely breathing. "It is time for she-cats to realize their true place! As hunters and kit-makers!" He snarled in Cliffstar's bloody face.

The brown tom lifted his muzzle and growled, "They'll never follow you, Hollowbranch."

Before Hollowbranch could reply, a new voice came in. "Oh, but they will."

Cliffstar snapped his green gaze to a dark golden tom. "Brackenfang? Help me.." He rasped.

A horrific laugh sounded behind a boulder and soon, a dark grey tom with amber eyes revealed himself. "Aww, the little leader is asking for help, Brackenfang!" the tom snarled.

"Shut up, Addertooth! Well, Cliffstar, it looks like a TreeClan cat is here. They'll believe me when I beat him, trying to save you!" Hollowbranch laughed.

Cactuspaw's fur rose on end. These were cats from other Clans! "Want to know our plan, Cliffstar? Brackenfang will take over TreeClan, I will take over RockClan, and Addertooth will take over OceanClan. Once we all are leaders, the she-cats will be below the toms! And toms will rule the forest!" Hollowbranch growled with a huge, evil smirk on his muzzle.

Cactuspaw watched from the bushes as Hollowbranch flicked his tail toward Addertooth, "Go! I smell RockClan heading this way!"

After Addertooth disappeared through the trees, Fireclaw leaped over a bunch of Hazel bushes with Rushfall, Jayflight, and Sandwhisker on his heels. Cactuspaw leaped from her hiding spot and starred in horror as Hollowbranch leaped at Brackenfang and scarred his shoulder. Obviously to Cactuspaw, he barely hurt the dark golden tom, but Brackenfang ran back into the trees with his tail between his legs. Cactuspaw leaps to Cliffstar's side to see his flank rise one last time. "Cactuspaw, protect RockClan." He rasped as his last breath escaped his body.

Panting, Hollowbranch turned to face Fireclaw. "I tried to save him.." He croaked.

Cactuspaw's fur bristled, the tom was lying! "Cliffstar's dead." She meowed as she forced to stay calm.

If Hollowbranch wanted to lead RockClan, he would be sure to kill her if she spoke out against him. She watched as Fireclaw and Rushfall picked up Cliffstar's bloody body and began to carry him back. Whatever Hollowbranch wanted, RockClan would be in great danger. The future of RockClan now lies in her paws.

A/N: Remember! 40 reviews for the new book AND the next chapter of this book! So REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! Thanks! :)

-Nightwish