The Life of the Rejected: Bramblepelt

by mm me me big boy

Bramblekit was not born disabled, contrary to popular belief. No, it was more just a deal with the devil, the use of her legs for her not so much better life. But mercy, you say? It is better than not having a life at all, right? Yes, but revenge is much sweeter. Rated T for mild language and harsh situations.

7. Chapter 7

There was one time that I came to my senses. The night I found out about it all.

It was a new moon. The night was completely dark. I had been pondering everything I had been doing for the past moons. My neck and left foreleg was completely dried dark brown, painted a fresh bright red every day with a fresh stream of blood. It made me feel light-headed, but by this time, I had figured out how to ignore it.

It was nights like these that made me think. The clear dark, the nothingness, nothing blinded by the blood running into my eyes….I shuddered. I decided to take a walk to a rock in a hidden cove that I had found with Owlfeather. I pushed out of the camp entrance and shied away instinctively when a bramble grazed my bloody gash. I sat on the rock and smiled as I gazed up at the empty sky. If only I could've taken Owlfeather out here, he would've enjoyed looking at StarClan with me….

All of a sudden, a seizure gripped me. I began to spasm in pain. I banged my jaw against the cold stone and yowled in pain as my teeth were jarred. I began to roll madly, uncontrollably. Something was controlling me, something dark, darker even than the night sky above me. I saw a flash of green eyes in my throbbing vision and I immediately knew: Mapleshade was reprimanding me. But it was more awful than anything the villainess had done to me. At least, I knew that it was some outer force tearing me apart with its own strength, not some cat dangling me by the strings like a puppet and making me tear myself apart.
And then I realized with dread. That must be exactly what was happening to me. The fog cleared; it all made sense now. The cut on my forehead had been healed and the blood no longer poured into my eyes. I whispered into the silence, "You're just controlling me, aren't you?"
Then the veil was dropped over my eyes once again. I stopped jerking and foaming at the mouth and it was normal once again. "I am loyal," I cried out into the night. "I am loyal to the Dark Forest! LOYAL!" I then threw my head back and screamed, howled, agonizing, painful, breaking the night.

Once a guard dog, always a guard dog. Never a wild bear.

Once a servant of the Dark Forest, always a servant of the Dark Forest.

Never a believer in StarClan.