A/N: Wow! 113 reviews! Should I write a epilogue for this book? Let me know! Thanks, everyone! Here's the final chapter of The Thorns of a Cactus!

Chapter Fifteen

She starred at the angry medicine-cat with confusion and curiosity flared in her chest. "What are you talking about, Petalbloom? Is Hawkpelt not the right choice?" Cactusthron gasped.

Petalbloom's tail twitched with irritation, "No, mouse-brain! I tried to tell you before you infused in battle, but you're expecting kits! You shouldn't have been fighting so brutally! I must check you as soon as possible! Come to my den immediately!"

Cactusthorn gaped at the she-cat and turned to look at her own flank. Nothing looked extraordinarily different, except for a very small difference in her belly. She gasped again then stared at Hawkpelt, whose eyes were blazing with happiness. She padded up to her with her tail high, "Isn't this great?! I'll be leader, and you'll be a mother! Who's the father?"

Cactusthorn shuffled her paws uncomfortably. "I don't know, either Darkwater or Hollowstar," she muttered under her breath.

Hawkpelt cocked her head, "I certainly hope it's not Hollowstar. The last thing RockClan needs is another small copy of that rotten crow-food."

Cactusthron nodded in agreement that stared toward the medicine-den. She took a deep breath, and began to make her way. Once she pulled the strands of ivy back, she saw Petalbloom examining Silverdrop's hind leg. A large, gaping wound was exposed. Strands of muscle were visible through the she-cats blood-matted fur. "I came, like you asked," Cactusthron mumbled.

Petalbloom flicked her friendly. emerald eyes at Cactusthron, "Wonderful, perhaps you'd like to visit Splashfur one last time while I take care of Silverdrop."

Cactusthron hesitated as she looked toward the small, crippled she-cat. Her black fur was unkept and her front paws twitched rapidly. "Oh, Splashfur, I feel as if I'm in trouble.. What if these kits belong to Hollowstar? What will happen then?" She asked her black furred sister.

The she-cats pretty aqua eyes opened up. Instantly, pain flared in the deep blue depths. "Cactusthorn, my back, it hurts..." She managed to rasp.

"Splashfur! You're awake!" Cactusthorn meowed happily.

Her head twitched as she managed a small grin, "Not for long, I'm afraid StarClan is calling me. I can see Rabbittail, Cactusthron. I'm afraid, this is where my road ends."

Cactusthorn's green eyes snapped open wildly, "No! You can't leave me! I've lost so much, Splashfur. I'm alone! I can't be alone."

"You're never alone, Cactusthron. Darkwater, Fireclaw, Rabbittail, Shade, and I will look after you," Splashfur whispered as her last breath exited her body.

Her body shuttered heavily then remained still for all eternity. Cactusthorn lowered his gaze. "We're always with you," voices of her loved ones murmured in her ears.

"Cactusthron, you have got to push! You've had three kits, there's only one more!" Petalbloom screamed.

Cactusthron's body screamed with tiredness. Her muscles and belly hurt tremendously. And that was on top of the pain of kitting. Suddenly another pulse rippled down her spine, she yowled to StarClan and back. Soon, another kit laid by her other three. Two with dark town fur, one with bright ginger fur, and the last that was an exact copy of her. A loud purr rumbled in her throat. "What are you going to name them?" A small dusty-brown tom asked.

Cactusthron looked at the tom and replied, "I'll name the black and ginger she-cat Poppykit and the ginger tom Flamekit," in honor of Flame, she thought to herself, "I'll call the dark brown tom Darkkit and.." She trailed off as she saw the dark brown she-cat.

The small kits eyes snapped open immediately to reveal big blue eyes. The father is Darkwater, thank StarClan, she thought. "How about Quailkit for the she-cat," the dusty-brown tom asked.

Cactusthron looked down at the brown she-cat, "Good ideas, Dustkit, Quailkit is a perfect name."

"The perfect name for a perfect kit," he purred happily as he scooted into his own nest beside Cactusthron. His sister Rabbitkit was asleep, soundly.

"Flamekit, Poppykit, Darkkit, and Quailkit, welcome to RockClan," she purred happily as she nuzzled each kit individually.

"Now I'm no longer alone," she purred to herself.

"You were never alone, Cactusthorn. They are such wonderful names, dear," a voice soothed her.

She turned toward the entrance to see the faint outline of a cat with blazing dark blue eyes. She knew it was Darkwater, she watched as the tom padded away with his tail flicking happily. She looked through a crack in the nursery and stared into the midnight sky. "Thank you for your blessing, StarClan, keep these kits safe," she meowed quietly toward the sky.

"Always," voices rolled through her head as one.

A/N: That's it! Let me know if I should write a epilogue! I'd like to, but I don't know if I should! So let me know in a review! Review as many times as you'd like! Thank you, everyone!

Now, everyone, if you will, follow me to The Last Burning Ember, where VolcanoClan battles horrors unlike any other!

Thanks! :)

-Nightspirit