(Uhm… yeah. Some of the quotes are not accurate. You know them though, right? :P There are some spoilers for Sunset in here, even though the plot is made up for my own odd ideas. Brambleclaw does not go crazy in the series as far as Fading Echoes goes. xD This takes place… sometime after Fading Echoes though… COMPLICATEDNESS.)
.Liars, Conspirators, Deceivers:.
"N-no…" He thought, refusing to pull away from the dream; it seemed so real. The words echoed from his daughter's – or so he had thought – throat. "Not true, it can't be true. She… she wouldn't hide it…" These thoughts, he heard them before. He had thought of them that one night. Gasps engulfed him, his eyes focused on his mate, Squirrelflight. Her eyes were glazed over with sorrow. "She did… she hid it…" He cried inwardly. The tabby let his eyes mingle between Leafpool, Squirrelflight, Jayfeather, Lionblaze, then to Hollyleaf. Oh what crude irony. Oh what cruel fate. Liars, conspirators, deceivers. May StarClan smite them for their deeds.
He hid his shame; bowing his head was the most he could do. Inside he was seething, burning, cremating. He wanted the clouds to cover over, just to end this forsaken ceremony. "StarClan, what a cruel joke… What a twisted fate."
Suddenly the ground below him disappeared and he fell; fell for a long time. His fur whipped around him, flaring up messily as the wind rushed under him. Voices swarmed in his ears saying words he had known all too well.
"She's not our mother!"
"She's my sister, I had to protect her. You understand, right?"
"I killed Ashfur; he was going to tell the clan of my origin."
He wanted to scream; block the voices out of his head. Yet he continued to tumble, down, down, down, with the voices swarming, until the floor caught up with him. It was a hard landing; all the air rushed from his lungs.
Brambleclaw jolted awake, gasping for breath. The brown tabby had been reliving that nightmare for many moons, too many moons. Each day he woke up gasping for breath, other cats looking at him as if he had been struck by a parent. The feline shook the scraps of moss from his pelt, ignoring the glances from the warriors, and trotted outside. He was the deputy, no more kit nightmares for him. Brambleclaw flattened his ears. As if he had a way to stop them.
Either way, he still had duties to attend to. The dawn patrol still had to be sent out.
.:.:.:.
Later that day, the tabby sat in the clearing, polishing off a small thrush that he had caught earlier. It was a meager meal, especially because it was too young. Worst part was, that was the only thing he had managed to catch today. His hunting skills had gone down in the past few moons.
As he buried the bones of his meal, a familiar pelt walked up beside him. A sick feeling settled in his stomach as he breathed her sweet scent. Her scent used to be intoxicating, like a drug. Now it made him feel like he had swallowed yarrow. "What do you want," He growled, slightly harsher than he had expected.
Squirrelflight seemed slightly taken aback at his response, then growled at him, "I came over here to talk to you, have problem with that?"
"Slightly," He growled, "You did hide things behind my back and expected me to accept them."
"Look, you would help Tawnypelt if she were in trouble. I just did the same with Leafpool," She hissed.
"Tawnypelt can handle her own problems. You just helped Leafpool get away with treason."
The orange feline opened her mouth to say something else, but refrained. "Forget it. You're nothing but a complaining furball. Have fun."
"Yeah, yeah. You had everyone in it but me. Oh yes, I'll have a lot of fun inside the world where I'm not told anything, but my 'sons' and 'daughter' are in it. Yeah, lots of fun."
"I didn't tell them," She hissed.
Brambleclaw snorted, "Oh yeah, so Hollyleaf found out by herself, did she?" He let out an insane laugh and yelled, "Who else was told that Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf weren't my kits? Was this only a surprise to me?" The tabby began to babble on and on about it, leaving the clan baffled by the tom's odd behavior.
Squirrelflight backed away from Brambleclaw, her ears flattened back, "You've gone insane, Brambleclaw," She said, before quickly retreating to her den.
The poor deputy laughed again, amber eyes glazed over with madness. He quickly leaped off into the forest, the laughter fading quickly. Brambleclaw settled down near the roots of the Ancient Oak, his pulse raging as he calmed. His claws ripped at the ground as he cooled, feeling his heart rate slow. What a weird – no, frightening – experience.
When Brambleclaw returned, cats immediately avoided him. No one would be caught dead with the now emotionally volatile cat. They didn't want him to explode in their face. Sunset was very close now, and he retreated to his den. He wasn't tired at all, but he didn't want to face the Clan if they questioned him.
Inside the den, warriors were looking at him wearily, as if he were to explode at any minute. He flattened his ears and settled into the den farthest away from Squirrelflight, as had been the norm. He squeezed his eyes shut, already expecting the dream to swarm his head.
.:.:.:.
When Brambleclaw awoke, he was standing inside the Thunderclan forest, reeking oddly of WindClan scent. With an open mouth, the tabby drank in the scent of something metallic and sharp. It was warm too. With almost no shock, he realized it to be blood. On his claws, he had orange fur snagged between them with that same sweet scent that made him sick now with the added hint of blood. The color of the fur flashed to tabby and the scent of herbs engulfed him, also with blood. It flashed once more, turning a golden color. The scent of arrogance surrounded him, tainted by blood. He knew those scents and to his surprise, a smile curled on his face.
Words swarmed around him, "Kill the liars, kill the liars, kill the liars." Brambleclaw agreed.
His conscience swathed about the insanity, blocking it out, "Forgive the liars, forgive the liars, forgive the liars." This time, he screamed at it. His conscience continued, slowly dimming the sound of their complaint, allowing the insanity to take forth.
"Kill," Insanity said loudly.
"Forgive," The conscience cried, but it was too quiet.
"Kill!" The word exploded on Brambleclaw's lips and he curled them to show his teeth. He chanted over and over, "Kill the liars, kill the liars!" They all knew, all of them. They had to die.
His conscience tried one last trick. The ground below Brambleclaw faded below him, giving into water dyed a shocking orange and red. A resounding splash echoed in his ears as he tumbled into the depths. He screamed, water swarming into his mouth and nose; stinging his eyes and the open wounds along his body. He squirmed, kicking his paws out to keep above the water. He screamed inwardly to be saved – it would have been out loud, but he was choking over the water.
Something tugged his scruff. It pulled his enormous weight through the water, making the way to the shore. Salvation. Whoever this was pulling him, he had a savior. His teeth rattled as the cold water was pulled across his fur and skin. He hit the sand and he felt air rush reassuringly against his sodden pelt. He opened his maw to thank whoever pulled him free from the wet prison.
Then the scent hit his nose. He hissed aloud, feeling confusion waft off of the she-cat. She nudged him gently and he wanted to believe her, oh how he did. But that lie, oh that terrible lie. He shivered and his eyes grew hard. The intoxicating scent threatened to make him sick. He had to get rid of it.
He stretched his amber eyes to look into Squirrelflight's. His were distorted and seemed to be off as he thought of the blood washing over his claws. The sun was quickly ducking behind the horizon, engulfed by the waves. It was as if the sun-drown place was bleeding into the sky. An eye twitched uncertainly and an insane look followed on the tabby's face.
Claws unsheathed. He picked the claws up from the ground, the dark look in his eyes never fading. The sharp daggers slid across the she-cat's neck. Shock laced her face as the claws ripped her throat, killing her instantly. She slumped to the ground - dead as a doornail - and her blood completed a cycle by washing into the sea. As the cat bled into the water, the water bled into the sky, and as the sky grew black, it bled into the land behind them. Oh what a feeling. This is what it's like to be StarClan; to take lives from a soul in a single swipe. That's it! He'd play StarClan; such a kit's game, but yet so satisfying. A smile curled along his lips.
.:.:.:.
The next morning, Brambleclaw awoke, feeling as if the world had been lifted from his chest. He bounded over to his morning duties as if he were the one with stars in his paws. A glint in his eye made others wary of him. With a smirk on his face, he called out to the can to start the morning patrols. "Leafpool, lead a patrol with three cats to the ShadowClan boarder and check it. I shall take Lionblaze and Blossomfall to the WindClan boarder." His cheerful mew and twitching eye made the clan edgy, but they followed suit; he was deputy after all. Lionblaze and Blossomfall quietly followed their deputy down the path to their station.
When they emerged near the stream, Brambleclaw put his plans into action. "Blossomfall, go over there; I thought I saw something move," He mewed, almost unable to keep a straight face on how this was working perfectly. When the she-cat disappeared to look under the brush, the tabby's eyes flashed urgently to the boarder of WindClan.
"Lionblaze! Quick, there's a dog chasing a cat over there!"
The orange cat's eyes urgently lit up, but then looked at the deputy with a look of retort. "Why should we care?"
"Suit yourself, mousebrain!" The tabby yowled, leaping over the stream with agility. Unable to sit still, the tom followed.
When he found Brambleclaw, the tabby was biting at his legs and clawing his own sides. His face had been slashed by his own claws. "What are you doing!" He asked, backing away from the crazed deputy.
"Why, I'm staging a battle; and you're the enemy." Brambleclaw couldn't contain it any longer; his claws gripped the orange cat's face and he felt the tear of flesh under his claws. Oh the great warrior would bow under his claws, limp and lifeless in his revenge. The terrible secret had been in his mind before Brambleclaw found out; this was punishable by death.
Lionblaze hadn't had time to stop the attack as would have been the usual response. He was off guard by the sudden change in his personality. He tried to swat back, but the dark tabby was on his throat. Sharp teeth were sunk deep, crushing the windpipe and the tom was slowly suffocating. He managed to choke out a word, "Why?"
The response made the tabby laugh through closed teeth. He dared not release his grip until he felt the life completely disappear from the body. Ragged breathing still came from Lionblaze as he tried to rip the tabby's underbelly. The claws hit but left no marks. The amber eyes of the dying warrior were beginning to grow red from the bursting blood vessels and eventually the iris and pupils rolled into the back of his head. Brambleclaw let the cat slump to the grass, blood spilling out of his throat in a torrent. He began to rip at the cat's side, leaving claw marks to act as if he had been in a battle. His own pelt had been scarred by his own claws; he had no worry there. He heard Blossomfall calling them and he had to act fast now. He licked his claws free of the orange fur and made positively sure that Lionblaze had none of his fur under his claws. He rolled the body in some of the grass to wipe away his scent and Brambleclaw did the same to his tabby fur.
Now it was the challenge. He grabbed the orange scruff between his teeth, and looked at the body. "You should have been the challenge," He thought, almost smirking. However, he put on the most sorrowful face he could create. "Blossthomfall!" He cried, "WindClan 'tacked usth!" He yowled through a mouthful of fur. The she-cat had been on the other side of the river, scanning futilely for her clanmates. When she sighted the dead warrior and the urgent look on the deputy's face, she quickly bounded across to help. She supported Lionblaze between her and Brambleclaw, almost unable to stand straight from fear.
"Wh-wh-what happened?" She quavered, almost afraid of the answer.
He panted as he helped the dead weight over the river, "W-w-we were attacked by WindClan. I don't know why. They came out of nowhere and pounced on us. I was… I was lucky. Lionblaze didn't see it coming. I had seen a dog chasing a cat across the border and went to help, but they didn't tolerate us."
The two cats emerged on the shore, still dragging the soaking, limp cat. "I should have been there to help… this wouldn't have happened," Blossomfall said.
Brambleclaw hid a smirk, "Indeed it wouldn't have."
.:.:.:.
Lionblaze had been buried. Leafpool was wailing on Squirrelflight's shoulder, unable to comprehend that she only had one son now. Jayfeather was in the denying stage; he couldn't possibly believe that his brother was dead. Neither could Dovepaw, she was as distraught as Jayfeather. The clan grieved heavily for the great warrior; he never seemed to have a scratch on him after a war. But a patrol had killed him; what irony.
Brambleclaw was laughing within. A patrol hadn't killed Lionblaze; he had. It was a benefit to the clan; now new warriors could emerge and wouldn't be shown up by him. Lionblaze had started to get cocky anyway. The tabby sat inside the medicine den, feeling the scent of herbs wreath around him. Jayfeather was absentmindedly tending to the wounds Brambleclaw had inflicted upon himself. He had too much grief to even care that the wounds were only on the front side of his body, not on his stomach or hindquarters. Once they had been dressed, Brambleclaw retreated to his den; even though it was only a little before sunhigh. All this adrenaline had worn him down; it was time for some sleep.
.:.:.:.
His dreams were no longer nightmares. To kill a cat changes you. Brambleclaw now ran through open fields, feeling as if he were a kit again with his mother and father. Even Tawnypelt was in his mind. Some laughing occurred, but it was not from him. It was a deep laugh; a proud hearty laugh that he wanted to hear over and over again. As the tabby ran through the open field, he felt exhilarated. He was StarClan with all of its power in his paws. And those who denied him would face the stars' wrath.
A cat's silhouette formed in front of him as he ran; someone he knew. This sight would usually strike fear into his very core, but this time, he wanted to see this cat. He would be the perfect one to answer his questions on what to do next.
"My son," The cat called. Brambleclaw could now get a good look at him. He was exactly like his son; a dark brown tabby with the same frightening amber eyes. Scars laced his face; the most prominent ones were the deep 'v' in his ear and the one on the bridge of his maw. "You have felt my pain," He mewed, a look of pride upon his face.
Brambleclaw would have none of it, "I don't want your crap, Tigerstar. I am not here to conquer the clans; I am not here to bring tyranny. I am here to stop it," He hissed, his eyes meeting his father's. "The cat I have killed was a great warrior, yet he was not of pure or right clan blood. He was the spawn of a WindClan warrior and ThunderClan medicine cat; made illegal by the right of the stars. He also harbored this secret that led me to believe I was his father. All of them did." He was shaking, feeling a wave of ire swarm his soul.
Tigerstar was hiding a smirk. Brambleclaw was on his side now; not to mention he thought he was doing right. This would be easy; he just had to convince his son that he was on his side. "Right, right," He mewed, arching his scarred back. "Traitors; she hid it behind you when your tail was turned; just a terrible thing,"
Brambleclaw nodded.
"And then her sister? The medicine cat of all cats fell in love with one of those scrawny rabbit eaters."
He hissed loudly in agreement.
"Oh, and then there was Hollyleaf. She knew all about it, along with her brothers. And they still kept it from you. Two of the three are dead, Brambleclaw. All you have is the blind one left out of them. Not to mention the other two; those spiteful liars," Brambleclaw nodded and listened for more, "Conspirators," The younger tabby was seething now, "And deceivers."
He erupted in fury at those three words. He was chanting them; feeling that spark of insanity rage up in his core. His mind wasn't able to think clearly; the deputy was undeniably crazy. "I'll kill 'em all! Liars conspirators, deceivers; all of them! I'll kill 'em!"
.:.:.:.
Amber eyes split open in the middle of the dark den as the evil awoke. The tom had slept through the day which was almost no shock. Tigerstar had enveloped him. He felt the stars at his paws as he looked through the top canopy of the den. They seemed to empower him. He felt an idea form inside of his soul. Apologies; perfect.
He moved to stand, watching Squirrelflight intently as he moved over to her. He pawed her side and gave the most regretful look he could give off. The tabby had a slanted smile on his face to look like an apology. In the quietest, most innocent voice he could muster, he asked, "Can… I talk to you?"
.:.:.:.
Squirrelflight had never been so enthusiastic about him speaking. Maybe his insanity had caused him to think a little; to realize that he was wrong. He played to her emotions.
The cats were so far out into the forest, no one could have heard a scream even if they had tried. "Look… I'm sorry about everything. I… I was stupid. You were protecting your sister; I should have respected that," He mewed apologetically. He let a gentle smile slip onto his face which was a smirk to him and a friendly smile to the orange she-cat. Brambleclaw moved forward to brush sides with her, feeling that scent swarm around him. His eyes began to water and he began to gag. He had to finish this; he was going to be sick. Holding back the bile that burned his throat, he listened to her speak.
"Thank you Brambleclaw," She mewed, a smile swarming her face, "I… I should have told you about it. This would have never happened."
He gave a slanted smile to her and fought the urge to cough. It was too sweet, her scent. He thought the only thing that could ever block it out would be blood. But maybe her blood would be sweet as well… He hid a groan at the thought. Cat blood should always be metallic, never sweet. He cleared his throat of bile and spoke again. "I have one more question; will… will you take me back as a mate?"
He had never seen Squirrelflight so happy; a smile enveloped her whole face and the sweet scent was drowning him as she grew happier. "Yes, yes I will."
Brambleclaw grinned again, smirking to himself.
There was silence for a long time before the she-cat spoke, "So what happened? I mean, what happened to Lionblaze on that patrol?"
The tabby could no longer take the scent. He broke the secret, "Oh so you want to know the truth?" A grin that no cat could say was sane encircled his face.
Squirrelflight saw and knew she had been foolishly led into a trap. She began to feel a sickening feeling settle inside of her heart and stomach; something told her she would not be getting out of this alive. "Y-y-you killed him?" She hissed. Her voice was so hushed and quiet; you would of though she was keeping a secret. Yet she wanted it to be loud; she wanted to be heard so the evil of this cat could get out. But her throat was so dry… she couldn't scream if she'd wanted too.
"Oh, yes. He was quite an annoyance. You see, other cats want to be the best in the clan, yet Lionblaze was in the way of all of that. He was always invincible in battles; did you see that? All the blood on his pelt was from other warriors. Yet I killed him; doesn't that make me more dangerous?" He asked, advancing on the she-cat.
She couldn't move; she was paralyzed by fear. She let out a small "Mmhmm," as she backed away from the deputy leaning in. Suddenly, she could smell the blood on his breath.
"You see, I have only three reasons to get rid of you. You're a liar, conspirator and a deceiver. You lied to the clan; you lied to me! I helped those kits grow up like they were my kin; I treated them like a father would. I would have done the same if you had told me," He mewed, feeling a spark of regret in his soul. It must have showed in his eyes, for Squirrelflight looked back up at him with sorrow.
"I'm… I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you like this, Brambleclaw. I… I didn't know what to do, so I kept it from you and the clan. I… I never wanted you to turn into this. It's my fault… I'm sorry."
The tabby felt like crying; he wanted to lick her muzzle in reassurance; say he was so sorry for all the pain he had caused her as well. His amber eyes watered as he looked into her eyes, and the scent hit him again. His heart was thumping so quickly… it would never stop. After every thought, he heard it thud against his chest.
"So sweet… so sickening… needs to go…"
'Thump…'
"So sweet… not sickening… needs to stay…"
'Thump…'
"So sweet… so sickening… needs to go…"
'Thump…'
"So sweet… not sickening… needs to stay…"
'Thump…'
"So sweet… so sickening… needs to go…"
'Thump…'
His amber eyes shut closed and a single tear fell from his face. He felt the grip of insanity lift away for only a few seconds. In those seconds, he gave her the most sorrowful look he could manage.
He felt the claws grip his heart again and more tears fell as he lifted his claws to slash for the killing blow. In a single swipe, blood stained his claws. He had been right; the blood still smelled sweet.
She didn't even move to get away from him. The final look in her eyes was that of sorrow. Sorrow for everything she had caused. The orange she-cat crumpled to the floor, green eyes still glowing out that one look. The tabby looked away, unable to bare it. He had a burden on his back and it would not come off. Brambleclaw tucked Squirrelflight's own fur under her claws to make it look like suicide. He licked the blood from his claws, feeling the sickening bile rise to his throat as the sweetness sat on his tongue. Crimson regrets; thou mustn't be sweet.
.:.:.:.
As the tabby moved back to camp, he was sure to hunt. He would give an alibi when the clan found her body. He'd say that he had gone late night hunting. Besides, it would look like a suicide; her claws held her own fur.
A mouse was mindlessly scampering across the wet leaves in front of him, unaware of the disturbed cat that had noticed it. He immediately crouched into a hunting pose, watching the small brown figure maneuver over and under leaves before resting on its hind legs, nibbling a seed. Brambleclaw padded forward, claws unsheathed. In a single bound, the mouse was dead and limp inside the tabby's jaws. He sadly gripped it and marched off to camp, making sure to make a mess of the blood as he emerged at the entrance. Drops of blood crashed into the dirt to verify his alibi even more. He dropped the prey into the pile and marched off to the den. No cat was awake as he shuffled to his nest; no one stirred as he settled down for the night. Yet he lay for a long while, unable to sleep, just thinking. He felt… bad for once. Maybe once he fell asleep he'd find a reason to feel good about it. Try as he might, there was no way around the horrible feeling that was pulling inside of him. She had felt sorry for what she had done; that seemed to drive the very will from his breath to play this deadly game any longer.
"There is still treason among the clan however," He thought. A pit in his stomach filled with fire. Leafpool had caused this… and so had that rabbit eater, Crowfeather. They were reason that Squirrelflight was now dead; why Lionblaze fell to his claws. In the back of his head, a small voice sparked, "She also helped you become deputy."
In a retort, he growled at himself, "I never wanted to be deputy; StarClan gave her that message to relay to me. She had no help what-so-ever."
In his thoughts, he glanced over to the light brown tabby. She was gently breathing, never expecting anything. StarClan must have abandoned her when she left her post to be a warrior. Brambleclaw tucked his head back down and sighed. Insane as he was, two murders in one day would be enough for a cat. Maybe in a few moons when everything had calmed down.
.:.:.:.
Two moons had passed since the death-day of two great ThunderClan warriors. Squirrelflight had been found the next day after her 'suicide.' Cats did not know if she deserved a warrior's death ceremony; she did not die like a true warrior. Brambleclaw took the fall for it; saying it was his fault she killed herself. He committed no crime in saying this and Squirrelflight was given the right to a burial. (Much of this was also because she had been the leader's daughter.)
Leafpool was so distraught. Her eyes were crystalized with amber madness as she sat beside her mother and father; Jayfeather couldn't even get close to her to give her herbs to treat the shock. Instead, the tabby sat for the day, her nose pressed into her sister's cold fur. She wouldn't let the elders close to the friend she had just lost; spit flew at any cat that came to say good bye. It wasn't until Jayfeather had warriors restrain her so she could be given poppy seeds to calm her nerves. Brambleclaw had never seen a cat eat so many poppy seeds just to rest.
The gathering at the full moon was an inevitable argument. ThunderClan was blaming WindClan for murder, it was a done deal on what would happen. Onestar was hissing furiously at the accusation, making sure it was hard to hear Firestar over his noise. The rest of WindClan had faces curled up in disgust. Such an unjustified claim.
Firestar called forward Brambleclaw to speak on behalf of ThunderClan to what happened. He explained easily, as if it had happened moments ago. WindClan shut up for the rest of the ceremony, but they did not forget. They'd never forget.
The day of the two moons after the murders, Brambleclaw went with his normal routine. No cat could deny that he still looked shaken after the death of Squirrelflight. This was no mask; he really was disturbed. He wanted to forgive her; just one more chance to show her his love would be perfect for him. He knew that he would never see her again; his paws were set to the Dark Forest as he played with the stars and fate. He still felt odd; it was as if the insanity was slowly releasing its grip along the veins of his mind. The tabby did not want the insanity to go away; it was the only thing keeping the conscience at bay. Without it, he'd be a crippled pile of regrets that would die a slow death. With it, he was a killing machine with nothing to stop him. Somehow, the last thought sounded better.
Firestar was the one taking over most of the day's duties for him. Brambleclaw hadn't spoken since the gathering. Yet on this day, Firestar assigned him on a patrol with Leafpool and Icecloud to the ShadowClan boarder. He didn't care, nor did he want anything to do with Leafpool for once. He had formulated plans to rid the clan of her, but he just didn't feel like it today.
As the three cats moved out of the camp, he stood by his silent composure, allowing the two she-cats to lead. Leafpool was usually on edge during these patrols, yet today she was walking with a certain hunch in her shoulders and with an angered look in her eyes. She still hadn't forgotten her sister, obviously.
The boarder emerged on their sights and they were quick to mark it. It only took a few moments of their time; no scents were scouted on their side. On the return journey, Leafpool began to lag behind, just so much that her stride met up with Brambleclaw's. The tabby could already sense something wasn't right. She wouldn't walk with him; not after what he had admitted to.
The she-cat leaned into his ear and whispered, "You're going to die for what you've done to me. My sister killed herself because of you. It's your fault." He caught whiff of her breath and it made him gag. It was rancid, like she hadn't downed anything in days.
Brambleclaw backed up in shock and gave her a look of misperception. This wasn't the kind Leafpool that had been the medicine cat; it wasn't even the depressed Leafpool as a warrior. She was almost as insane as he was. The light tabby gave a crooked smile of disgust at the deputy and her claws unsheathed. She leapt at the lost tom so quickly, he had no time to retreat from them. The claws ripped across his shoulders and caused him to howl in pain. He did the only thing he thought of as defense; his claws were out and he was ripping at the she-cat with all he had.
The cat refused to give in, she was clouting his head with claws and kicking his stomach with the hardest blows he had ever encountered. Icecloud must have heard, for she bolted back for them to see the fighting.
Leafpool had Brambleclaw's scruff inside of her jaws and was miraculously shaking him from side to side. Blood dripped from the sides of her mouth.
The tom felt useless; he was inside of a death grip. He flailed his paws about, hitting the ex-medicine cat's skin. Some hits were deep, but others were just small scratches. He screamed out the first words he had said in days and words he thought he'd never say: "Help me; she's crazy!" His voice was choked and hoarse as the skin pulled tighter around his throat.
Icecloud was pulling at the she-cat's scruff, trying to unlatch her grip on Brambleclaw. But she would not budge. Brambleclaw then hit the weak point: the very underside of her ribs and into the lungs. She let out a wheezing gasp of breath and let go. The tabby had very little time to regain his balance and breath before she dived at him again. She could not grab his scruff a second time, but she did rip apart his sides before Brambleclaw could pin her. Adrenaline was rushing through him as he gave the she-cat a terrified look. It was as if he was a wounded animal in the corner, being oppressed and beaten. Icecloud was dragging the thrashing she-cat away from him, but could not keep her. Like an animal, Leafpool was on the tom again.
Her claws were a flurry of blurred moves, scoring and clouting his body and leaving open mouths with red drool percolating out. He could take no more torment. He shot his claws out and hit her neck. The tabby could not stop; it was an impulse. The claws he had inherited from his father had no trouble slicing the windpipe; so vital yet so gentle.
Leafpool gagged. Her eyes went red from suffocation.
Still, she did not stop; claws were raining upon him. Blood trickled from the open wounds in her neck and she grew weaker. Brambleclaw fought back until the crazed she-cat was lying limp.
He panted; the wounds on his body stung and made him feel weary. Within moments, he collapsed.
.:.:.:.
Brambleclaw heard thuds. Blood must have been still thrumming in his ears and his heart must have been still beating hard. His eyes peered around the den he was in. The scent of herbs surrounded him; tansy, catmint, horsetail. Everything seemed to mold together though; it was all one big scent that confused him. His wounds still smarted but it was the healing of herbs instead of the throb of infection. His amber eyes looked around for Jayfeather; it was his medicine den after all.
He located the blind cat; he was in the corner, sorting poppy seeds. Brambleclaw could almost smell the regret coming off of him. The tabby found it best to stay lying than disturb the grieving cat.
"I know you're up. Don't even think about falling asleep again," Jayfeather hissed more forcefully than normal, "You need to eat and drink to live mousebrain. Your food is in front of you. Eat and you can rest." His last words showed his emotions.
Bramblelcaw couldn't help but scoff at the cat and say nothing more but grab the mouse that lay in front of him. A wet wad of moss was set next to him as Jayfeather stalked off.
"Yeah, what I thought," He hissed loudly in response to the tabby, "No regrets for it." Brambleclaw needed no more information to what he was pissed at.
The amber-eyed tom just rolled his eyes and continued to eat. Icecloud must've told him that the she-cat was crazy when it happened; the kill had needed to happen. He licked his maw clean of the mouse blood and lapped the water from the moss. Within minutes, he was asleep again.
.:.:.:.
Jayfeather was getting on the tabby's nerves. Every day, the medicine cat would snap at him for sleeping to much or never eating. Brambleclaw finally popped the question.
"Stop blaming me for what happened! She was crazy, don't you know! She attacked me for StarClan's sake and almost beat me to a pulp!"
"Oh look, the great warrior's complaining about a cat he killed," Jayfeather retorted, pricking the chervil with agitated claws. "She may have been insane, but you didn't have to kill her."
"She, was, kill-ing, me," He growled, enunciating every syllable to put emphasis on the phrase.
The medicine cat slumped and sighed, "Look," He hissed. Brambleclaw heard a small drip of water; he didn't know if it came from the water dripping into the puddle or if it came from Jayfeather standing over it. "I… I never told her I was sorry." He sniffed lightly, as if trying to hide it from the deputy.
The tabby's ears pulled back as he heard the medicine cat speak. "No one did," He added silently, "She went insane before you could."
Jayfeather could no longer hold it in. He leapt at the deputy, his blind eyes watered down with saltwater. "She was not insane! She… she was lost and… and confused… yeah, that's right!" The gray tom's claws were pricking his skin and yet he made no move to clout the gray's open face. He felt bad.
Yet, Brambleclaw continued to press on the subject. "You know she was insane! You just don't want to say it 'cause she's the last member of your direct family!" He hissed, feeling his tail begin to lash.
The medicine cat had his ears laid back as he shot back another retort, "Oh yeah? A cat killed herself because you refused to take her back! How is that on your conscience?"
He began to feel the claws of absurdity grip his soul. In the darkest voice, he said, "I have no conscience."
Jayfeather snorted at the idea, "You must have one; even Tigerstar had one. Being that he's your father, you should probably have one to!"
The tabby curled his face into a snarl at the mention of his father, "I have no conscience," He hissed, taking a small pause before allowing a demented laugh escape from his throat. He howled as he uttered his next words, "Because I had to make room for insanity!" The disturbed cat stood to his paws and the rumbling growl in his throat alerted Jayfeather to back away; this cat was not stable.
"Back away, Brambleclaw. You are not insane; you are completely normal," He mewed, sounding calm when his soul inside told him to rip the tabby's throat out.
"Don't trick me with your tomfoolery; I am insane my son," He hissed, using the term 'son' as sarcasm. "Here, let me show you!" Brambleclaw let his claws unsheathe and he was ready to fight the blind one.
He was laughing within; he was so cocky right now. This was a medicine cat; he'd win. The clan would know it would be him now, "You see; I'm the one. I'm the butcher! I killed Lionblaze; I killed Squirrelflight too! Leafpool was a complete accident; she turned insane at the right time for me. All I have left is you and that rabbit eater.
"Run little kitty; it will make this so much more fun for me!" He howled
Jayfeather didn't fight back; he only receded further into the den, trapping him to his final moments.
"You're mine, little herb kitty."
A splash of blood was added to the decor of the herbs in the ThunderClan stock. Brambleclaw couldn't help but roll in the riches of his kill.
.:.:.:.
After that murder, Brambleclaw knew he had to run. He had no shame in running out of the medicine den, screaming with the entire disturbance he had: "I killed him! He's dead!"
The cats of ThunderClan looked at the crazed tabby with shock as he was covered in the blood of his enemy. He was out of the camp before any cat could get to him.
Firestar ordered patrols out to find the forsaken cat. He told each cat to be careful; this was a dangerous animal. Three patrols went out, composed of three cats. And the new assassin had quickly taken down three of the nine cats as he ran. It was no problem to him; they were anxious already and they had no idea about the surprise. The claws would just shoot out of the dark and grip one by the throat until there was no saving for them.
Graystripe, Dovepaw and Sandstorm were brought to the camp dead and the few cats who had witnessed their deaths were traumatized.
"H-h-h-he's more i-i-insane th-than his father! Th-th-the claws! Th-th-they came out of the d-dark and k-k-killed them!"" Thornclaw screamed as he quivered against Icecloud, who looked as terrified as him. The normal leader of patrols seemed as scared as a kit.
Firestar was distraught; his mate, his best friend, his daughters and his deputy were dead. (Brambleclaw was well enough dead to him; he was so insane, he wasn't himself anymore.) Then there was the situation of the three cats the prophecy had told of; all three were deceased. StarClan wouldn't wish such a thing, would they? Definitely not in this time of need.
It meant only one thing; ThunderClan was in a time of turmoil. And the three cats of the prophecy were simply dead and gone. Not even StarClan could protect the most important cats to ever walk the forest from the raging madness that was Brambleclaw.
.:.:.:.
Brambleclaw's soul had no saving left. He was now fully consumed by the dark dementia and disturbance that wouldn't even touch the cats of the dark forest. They were too good for that. The tabby felt like StarClan, however. His paws must have been glowing, for he felt like the stars were in his paws. So much power; he was drunk over it. It was so intoxicating, yet so satisfying. It's like one drink of alcohol after another; it's so bad but yet it tastes so good.
The tabby was making an immediate beeline for WindClan territory. That rabbit eater would pay; pay for all that he had caused. If not for his seducing ways, no cat would be inside of this mess. It would be cold blooded murder; no disguises to mask it. He wanted the clans to know about him. He wanted them to know about the cat that StarClan drove to be so powerful, not even those who granted him power could stop him.
It was a small trek; He could smell the thick scent of the open moor clan. It would be drowned in blood after he was done with it.
To mask his scent, he rolled in a rabbit carcass. It was enough; now he smelled like one of them. He saw the camp ahead; it wasn't hidden at all, apart from a few bushes here and there. Quiet as a mouse, he snuck into one of the wilds, his mind blank of anything but his mission. Hours passed; nothing occurred.
Clan life was normal for this one; they never once sensed the danger lurking inside of their own territory. It was growing darker too.
Then the chance Brambleclaw needed emerged. Onestar was calling out for the dusk patrol. However, Crowfeather remained inside of the camp while six others went out, including the leader himself. The tabby thought to himself; "If I can't get to Crowfeather… I'll bring him to me."
Demented and disturbed, he moved out of the brush, eyes locked on the tom's black fur. Back when his father had been alive and leader of ShadowClan, the tabby taught his son how they moved through the shadows without being noticed. This was back when Brambleclaw had been a kit, however, and he was quite rusty at it.
The dark-gray tom had raised his head to a crunch of a leaf. His ears flicked and he turned in Brambleclaw's direction. As he did this, the tabby tail disappeared into another bush. Crowfeather allowed himself a small smile. It must have been Sedgewhisker playing again. He moved closer to the bush to get a better look at the rambunctious she-cat.
"Sedgewhisker, I know you're in there. Stop playing like a kit," He hissed playfully.
"… I'm in where? I'm eating addle-brain."
That voice made him stop cold; if the tabby was eating, someone else was inside the brush. Something wasn't right. As the saying goes, curiosity kills the cat; Crowfeather stuck his head into the leafy shrub to meet the amber eyes of a killer. Claws shot out of the dark to grip the tom's shoulders and he was dragged into hell.
Brambleclaw had no trouble pinning him down. The gray tom only had a look of shock upon his face; he couldn't scream as the tabby loomed over him.
However, it didn't take Crowfeather long to recognize the tom. "B-b-brambleclaw?" He whispered, afraid to scream loudly for the tabby might rip his throat right then and there.
"Yes," He whispered back just as quietly. The tabby gave the tom a rough clout to the back of his neck. The cat went limp and unconscious.
.:.:.:.
Crowfeather awoke later, still on the grass of his moor. The film over his eyes was still fuzzy and what he thought he saw were two suns in the dark sky. How wrong he had been.
When two black slits formed in the middle of the orbs, he realized the trouble he was in. He began to scream with all the drive he had, "Help! Help me! He's insane!" He cried.
"Shut up, no cat can hear you out here. Your clan is too far away," Brambleclaw hissed, his teeth now glowing in front of the tom's face. "You're doomed Crowfeather."
"W-w-what are you doing here? W-why am I here?" He stuttered, unable to keep from shaking. Suddenly, Crowfeather's eyes hardened, "You accused us of murder too; what hare-brained fool would come out here when ThunderClan is at the breaking point with us?"
"Because your clan is, in fact, innocent," He laughed, "You see, I needed someone to lay the blame on and WindClan was the closest to where we were."
The gray tom looked at the tabby with confusion. "Wait… you killed him?"
Brambleclaw smirked wildly and that gave Crowfeather the answer. "You insane bastard!" He cried.
"Lionblaze wasn't the only one to die at my claws," He said, his smile growing wider. He could hold back the laugh that formed in his throat. "Haha! Both of your sons in ThunderClan have bowed to my claws."
"N-no! Not true!" He hissed, his blue eyes watering. It was obvious, although he didn't show it, that the tom had some feelings for his kin.
"And that's not all. The suicide of Squirrelflight? That was me too."
Crowfeather started to back up, but a sudden pain in his right front leg prevented him. "Don't try walking, dear; I've broken your leg for you so you don't have move."
The tom only had one word for him, "M-m-monster!"
"Ah-ah-ah, I'm not done with my story," He hissed, the smile growing even wider which seemed impossible. His left eye twitched to give off the true look of insanity, "Leafpool's dead; I killed her too."
Crowfeather was bawling now; his true feelings were coming through. "N-no! You horrible monster! Y-y-you deserve to die!" He bawled. Adrenaline was rushing through his veins as the tom picked himself, injured leg tucked against his chest. He began to run off as well as he could. Brambleclaw had no problem, snagging one of his hind legs to trip him.
"Don't run; that makes Bramble sad," he said, his voice with the façade of sadness. There was still an edge of disturbance that lined the phrase.
The dark gray tom was rutted into a ball, cradling his crippled leg as the tabby loomed over him, "D-d-do your worst," He cried, "I've g-g-got nothing left."
The tabby said only one word: "Gladly."
The gray tom had gone hoarse from his screaming after Brambleclaw was done with him. Blood covered the ground as Crowfeather was slain into submission.
.:.:.:.
Many moons had passed since Brambleclaw's treachery. He had run away from all that he had known; he was living the life of a loner now. The clans had not given up the search for him; there was a new patrol called the 'Brambleclaw guard.' He was a highly dangerous criminal that needed to be sought out and executed before he did any more damage.
As he lived his life, he began to feel a certain emptiness; a pit inside of his stomach. It refused to go away. He ate all he could manage to gather; he even ate the grass on the ground to sooth his stomach. Nothing helped.
That was when he realized that the insanity was ebbing from his soul. This scared him; without the insanity he would be lost; he would be filled with the grief and anguish that he had caused so many cats. It would be as if StarClan was punishing him for all of these deeds by taking all the sadness of the clans and resting it upon his shoulders. Brambleclaw didn't want this to happen. If insanity kept that away, then by StarClan, he'd do just that. He had to kill; he had to keep those stars in his paws. If that killed him, oh well. At least the burden of sadness would never be upon him.
He went to RiverClan, seeking out the strongest warriors to exterminate. If he was going to kill, he might as well make it more challenging for himself. The first cat in his sight was the first to fall.
The cat, Robinwing, had been standing over a small pool of water, of which had accumulated from rain storms. He had never anticipated the claws that sliced his neck and the blood that poured into the clarity of the water.
The next to fall was another WindClan cat: Whitetail. Her pristine white fur was dyed red after he had finished with her.
The third was a ShadowClan cat and he had put up a fight. Smokefoot was his name and he decided that no death would happen when Brambleclaw attacked. The tabby was so crazed, however, that the cuts he had encountered from the opponent's claws never hurt. The gray tom was laying low in a matter of minutes.
But as this murder happened in ShadowClan, a molted she-cat slipped out of the shadows, watching the tabby with grieving eyes. There was sadness as well as she watched his amber optics shoot around, the pupils contracted and the lower eyelid pushing upwards on his eye. He was the picture of insanity; the picture of disturbance. She moved forward to speak to the tom, only to see the long, bloody claws slide out of their sheaths on his paws. "Brambleclaw," She said, unable to manage anymore.
The tabby wheeled around to face the speaker. His amber eyes returned to normal once, before going back to the insanity, "Tawnypelt," He hissed, turning his head at a ninety degree angle. "So glad to see you."
His muzzle was splashed with the blood of his kill and the fur had fallen out where the scar tissue formed. His ears were torn to shreds from his fights and his tabby fur was messy with mud and grime. His amber eyes were the most terrifying part of his composure, however.
"You're not yourself; you're not my brother I once knew…. You're not the cat I made the journey with to get here."
Brambleclaw spoke, "Neither are you. We change, Tawnypelt, we all do. I've taken a different change than you have. My fate is so different from yours." A smile curled on his face as he spoke. The tabby's voice was so distorted and different from when she had last heard it. He rumbled his words out of his throat instead of speaking with enunciation.
"You've changed more than you've needed to," She hissed back, "You're… him now."
The very words made the tabby's spine prickle with agitation. "I am not him. He wanted to conquer the forest; I've taken the very acts of treachery from it."
"What did Smokefoot do?" She hissed.
He didn't respond as he glared at her through eyes that declared his lost soul. "You wouldn't understand if I told you."
Tawnypelt snarled at her brother. "You are him. You know it."
"I AM NOT!" He screamed, his bloodied claws slashing as he moved closer to the she-cat.
"You are!"
Brambleclaw did not argue with words this time. His claws had met his sister's face and he saw the blood that fell. Something shocked him.
This blood; it was his.
This blood was the same.
This blood ran through his veins.
This blood ran through the cats he killed.
He gulped. His claws ran through the dirt as he tried to wipe it away; it was a sin. The stars were sins.
As he lifted his claws up, they were still red; they had been stained by his sins. He still rubbed them in the dust as if it were water that would wash his sins away. They needed to go.
Tawnypelt was helpless as she watched her brother flail in the dust, trying to wipe the stains off. He began to tug at the claws with teeth. His eyes were so contracted, that there were almost no pupils inside.
When the claws wouldn't come out, he began to slash his chest. His own blood would wash it away; that had to work.
Yet it didn't.
He fell to the ground, panting and seizing up; his breathing was hurried and his heart rate was so fast. He felt as if he were dying; as if the realization would kill him. A tail brushed his spine and he screamed in so much pain, one would have thought he had been hit. Tawnypelt still felt so helpless.
Brambleclaw's breathing slowed as he returned to what he could call normal. He looked up at the she-cat who was standing over him, then ahead. His heart was thudding with the seizure's exertion and the pit in his stomach was forming as he saw the scratches on his sister's face. Within moments, the tabby was sprinting away from the clan territory.
.:.:.:.
Brambleclaw hadn't eaten in weeks; he was still terrified. Might he kill another thing, the blood would shock him to the point of death this time. In his time of terror, he sat inside a hollowed out tree trunk. His claw marks were scored across the inside, through the bark and the ground as he took out his anger and fear.
It was night as he fretted over his doom; the stars were like debauchery to him and the cats that had died. The ancestors had so much power; so much power to which they could abuse. Yet they controlled it. How… how was it possible? He, the cat who already had power in place and was controlling it perfectly, abused the same power that StarClan held. He held life in his paws; he could make a cat die. And that power had gotten away from him.
Yet StarClan, sitting so high and mighty in the stars, use this power commonly and they can stay sane; they have no problem finding their way out of tyranny and abuse. When he tasted it, he only felt ambition wash over his tongue. He had no way to control it.
"Maybe," He thought, "this is the power of immortals… Maybe this power is never for a mortal to experience."
Brambleclaw clawed the ground. He had killed the best warrior in ThunderClan, not to mention nine other warriors and a medicine cat. Medicine cats were supposed to be protected by StarClan, not perish by those who play the game. Eleven cats had bowed to his claws; he should have been immortal. Not even his father had killed that amount. The tabby tapped his claws on the ground as his cheek rested in the dust. He still felt like a mortal, for he hadn't eaten in weeks. Any normal cat would have felt like that, even if their soul was raging with madness that drove for blood.
In his thoughts, the tabby slowly closed his eyes. His breathing slowed. Death consumed him.
.:.:.:.
Brambleclaw rested beyond the starry mist wall that separated The Place of No Stars and StarClan. He could see silvery lines of the dead cats moving behind the sheen. He made a move to touch the mysterious wall, but voices interrupted him. He stayed back, listening.
"What do we do with him? He's far too dangerous for the Dark Forest even," A raspy voice started.
"Poor cat; it's really not his fault. Can't we take away those obscurities in his head?" This voice was slightly lighter than the other.
"We could, but his conscience would remain; he'd remember all he had done."
"It's not fair." The cat hesitated between her words before starting again, "The mind is too complicated to understand, isn't it Yellowfang?"
"Aye, there's almost no way to crack its puzzles," Yellowfang sighed.
"Could… could we try and tell him it's not his fault? I mean, after the insanity's gone?"
"Spottedleaf, do you really think he'd believe us? This is Brambleclaw we're talking about." Yellowfang gave the tortoiseshell a saddened look as the pretty she-cat looked at the ground.
"Enough. So, if there's no way to cure him, then we leave him as is?" A new voice butted in.
"I'm sorry Goldenflower. It's the way it has to be; he's better off with this insanity."
"I guess…" She sighed, looking at the misty wall. Brambleclaw was sure that the cat was looking right at him. "Could… could we give him another life? He didn't have a good chance at this one."
"Tigerstar would find him again, I'm sure of it. And with all three of the prophecy dead, we can't afford that. We… we have to send another prophecy and find three more cats to do this," The old medicine cat mewed sadly, "I'm very sorry."
"Oh…" The golden tabby sounded slightly heartbroken.
The longhaired gray she-cat hesitated. She didn't know what to say next. "So then, what do we do with him?" Yellowfang started again, looking at the group of cats.
"When the two-legs captured me, they kept me in a really thin webbing of some sort. It was really hard and tough though."
"If we don't know what it is, we probably shouldn't try and recreate it, Graystripe," Goldenflower sniffed.
"What about… nothing? Let him exist in nothingness for his crimes," Another voice said.
"How… how would there be nothing? There always has to be something," Yellowfang asked.
"Well… we could have a few things, like the ground and… white backdrop. But other than that… nothing. But... My head hurts now," The she-cat hissed, placing her paws over her gray head.
"Dovepaw might be onto something, Yellowfang. That would keep any dangerous criminal at bay, really," Spottedleaf mewed, "It's not very humane, but if it keeps others safe…"
"Well… nothingness it is then. Let it be heard that a portion of the Dark Forest will become blank for Brambleclaw," She mewed, looking at the misty wall that separated the two territories. Beyond that wall, the tabby sat, staring at the golden eyes of Yellowfang. They stared at each other for a long while before it broke. His new world disappeared from under him.
.:.:.:.
Brambleclaw felt the ground; he was sure it was there.
But he couldn't see it.
The tabby had heard the conversation and he knew what was going to happen. But he could have never guessed it would be this bad. He ran for hours and did not reach the end of this hell; there was no way out. There was no sky; it was as if he could jump as high as he wanted to and it would never end. The only way he couldn't go was down.
This was hell; he was sure of it. He wasn't hungry or thirsty, but he wasn't filled or quenched either. It was the weirdest feeling he had ever encountered; he wanted to drink but had no need to. And without water in sight, he couldn't even look at it.
Brambleclaw paws pulsed under him as he ran. He couldn't run out of energy either and he wasn't sure if it was a perk or a disadvantage. He didn't have to stop running; he could continue forever. But that also meant this hell would never end. He could continue indefinitely; no walls or sense of direction to block him. He could be running in circles and never know it.
The white also kept his conscience away. There was no way to even start to think about what he had done with this… confusing landscape around him.
This was hell; he was sure of it.
(I've been working on this for… months. :D I've put my other book away just to finish this… twenty-one paged story. It is now my pride and joy. :D Anyway… now I go back to writing Moonrise. YAY!)