A/N: I changed my name to The Spirit That Comes at Night, as most of you know now, but you can either call me Spirit or Nightspirit! Or if you're stuck on my previous name, feel free to call me Nightwish. Thank you EVERYONE for the reviews! 50 with just 7 chapters! Lets try to get me to 100 with this story! Please enjoy chapter 7! Thanks!

Chapter Seven

The bright sun blazed into the camp, where Hollowstar stood with his tail high and Fireclaw by his side. Cactuspaw felt the burning eyes of Hawkpelt on her spiky black, ginger, and white pelt. Cactuspaw rolled her grassy-green eyes at the brown warrior and remembered the day her, Darkwater, and Silverdrop became warriors about two moons ago. The newly made warrior gloated in front of Cactuspaw and Splashfur. "Hey, Cactuspaw, will you show us a battle move Fireclaw showed you?" An excited squeal called.

Cactuspaw directed her attention toward the voice and noticed Alderpaw and Briarpaw coming toward her with Thistlepaw on their paws. "Not right now, I'm about to start my final assessment," she meowed with a flick of her long tail.

Briarpaw shrugged and glared with crisp amber eyes. "It won't matter, you're not useful for anything besides hunting," he meowed occasionally.

Gasps sounded from Alderpaw and Thistlepaw as Cactuspaw's fur bristled with irritation. "Where did you hear that from?" She snarled at the larger brown tom.

He shrugged again and meowed, "Hollowstar told me in a training session. He's right, you know. He's right about everything."

Cactuspaw opened her jaws to snap back a stinging reply, but was cut off by Fireclaw's rough growl, "Come, Cactuspaw, it's time for your final assessment. You need to catch up with Splashfur."

Cactuspaw stood with her tail high. She knew Splashfur was older, but it was unfair for Hollowstar to make her a warrior before Cactuspaw. She shrugged off the thought and padded after her mentor.

"Cactuspaw, I want you to catch a mouse and a lizard. This will complete your final assessment." Fireclaw meowed then flicked his tail toward the rocky path, "Find your prey there, it should be easy."

Cactuspaw nodded then left her mentor and headed toward the rocky path. "After today, history will change in the Clans. Prepare yourself for what comes next, young Cactuspaw," a she-cats voice ruffled her ear fur.

Her fur bristled and she whipped around to see Fireclaw looking at her with approving yellow eyes, and beside him, was a misty figure with glowing amber eyes. Her fur quivered at the sight, but ignored it and padded forward to finish her assessment. Cactuspaw opened her mouth and allowed the strong scents of prey enter her mouth. She lowered herself to the ground and crept herself toward a dense bush. Small snaps of twig and the scraping of teeth against nuts filled Cactuspaw's ears. "Got you," she whispered to herself.

With a leap of great effort, she leaped into the bush to pin down a large wood mouse with a single paw. Before it could let out a single shriek, she gave it a death bite to the neck. The scent of Fireclaw filled her nostrils. "Excellent catch, Cactuspaw. Now, you must catch a lizard, which can be difficult. I'll take this back to camp, be careful," he murmured as he picked up the mouse.

Cactuspaw nodded as watched the tom pad back to the camp. She leaped to her paws again and whipped her tongue across her lips to get rid of the mouse blood. Cactuspaw headed toward a large tree, known as the LizardTree. She angled her ears around the area and heard the scraping of claws against tree bark. Cactuspaw fixed her eyes on the tree. Knowing that lizards camouflage against the tree bark, she crept up real close to the tree and waited patiently. She lowered herself to the ground and remained motionless as she slid her claws out. A large, brown lizard moved slightly, and that triggered Cactuspaw's reaction. She leaped up on her hind legs. With one paw, she grabbed the lizard by the tail and pulled it down. As soon as the lizard hit the ground, Cactuspaw grabbed the lizard in her jaws, almost instantly, the lizard stopped squirming and remained motionless. She raised her tail and began to pad back to camp, where a new name was waiting for her.

"Cactuspaw, do you promise to protect this Clan's well being and ensuring the Clan's numbers?" Hollowstar called from the great stone.

Gasps sounded from other she-cats in the Clan, some from toms. "I-I do?" She replied with question ringing in her voice.

Hollowstar's eyes flashed with irritation and anger. "Are you denying your duties to you Clan?" He snarled.

Cactuspaw's fur quivered, "Of course not, Hollowstar."

"Good," he snarled. "Then by the powers of me, I give you your warrior name. Cactuspaw, from this day forward, you shall be known as Cactusthorn, in honor of your bristle-like pelt. We all welcome you as a she-cat warrior of RockClan."

She-cat warrior? What is that? She thought as she reluctantly licked her leaders shoulder. She leaped down the great stone and was greeted by her Clan calling her name. One particular cat caught her eye. A dark brown tom with white paws was padding toward her. "It's so great that you're a warrior! Now we can go on patrols together!" He meowed excitedly, but was soon joined by Hawkpelt.

"Yeah, I guess she can join us, Darkwater," she sneered to Cactusthorn.

"I have another announcement," Hollowstar called. Once the Clan directed their attention to him once again, he began, "Cats of RockClan, things are about to change! New duties will be settled, and if they are broken, there will be severe punishment."

Cactusthorn's fur stood on end and she felt her bones stiffen as the leader continued, "She-cat warriors, you will all retire in patrols and protecting the Clan. Tom's are built for that duty. She-cats will remain warriors, but will only hunt and be queens, nothing else!"

Gasps of shock shook the Clan. Cactusthorn's heart beat hard against her chest as she willed no she-cat to say a word. "That's not fair! That's not the way of the Clans!" A voice behind her yowled.

She turned to see Robinwing standing defiantly in front if her kits. A terrified Sunspirit stood beside her. Two kits tumbled at her paws with glowing eyes and flicking tails. Cactusthorn saw Hollowstar flick his tail. Eagletalon and Blacknight padded toward Robinwing with large smirks and extended claws. Without hesitation, both cats leaped on top of the squealing queen and dug their claws into her exposed throat. Cactusthorn leaped to her paws and bounded toward the two small kits that stared in horror as their mother died a slow, painful death. "What are the big warriors doing, Cactusthron?" A small white she-cat gasped.

"Nothing, Winterkit. Lets go with Sunspirit into the nursery," she murmured to the two small kits.

The other, a brown tom asked, "What about Robinwing?"

Cactusthorn shook her head slowly, "Robinwing won't be with you any longer, Nutkit."

The kits green eyes grew glossy and full of tears. Cactusthorn lead the two kits into the nursery as the two toms picked up the dead queen and laid her in the center of the camp. "This is what will happen if any she-cat speaks out of term! You will show the toms respect from now on." Hollowstar snarled from the great stone.

Cactusthorn felt a fire burn within her, a fire that stared wild and was uncontrollable. Her fur rose as she silently vowed: My clanmates need me now, and I swear to StarClan, I will protect them!

A/N: *GASP* what will happen next?!

Question: Who is the cat that has visited Cactusthorn in the past two chapters? Guess!

Lets get me to 55 reviews! :)

Thanks!

-Nightspirit