Now you shall venture into a manga part. Of course, not the Maple parts, but yeah! OMS! What will Ruby learn?!
Chapter Ten
Changed
"B-but I thought he was gone!" Ruby whispered softly into her brother's left ear, unaware of the bewilderment in her voice. Socks stared right back at her, his blue eyes gleaming fearfully. "I don't know, Ruby," he replied truthfully. "I think he survived." Maple glanced at them, her green eyes glittering with confusion. Quickly, Socks explained, "There is a great chance that this… Scourge may be our brother Tiny." Ruby quickly added, "We're quite positive he is." Maple's eyes flickered with amusement, and then she meowed smugly, "Excellent! Then we should be able to get lots of food from him!" Maybe not, Ruby thought. Now she regretted being mean to Tiny, or ever thinking she'd never need him.
Maple sensed the odd way Ruby and Socks were acting, and demanded, "What is it?" Ruby shifted her paws, and then admitted, "We weren't very nice to him." Maple's flashy smile quickly dropped into a frown. "Why? He's so amazing!" Glancing at Socks, Ruby noticed that Socks was frowning as well. He doesn't like how Maple thinks Tiny is amazing, Ruby giggled helplessly. Noticing the look on Socks' face and Ruby's giggle, Maple's back fur bristled quickly. "I still like you best, Socks! Don't be upset." Blinking, Socks smiled widely.
"We'll still try, though," Socks mewed brightly, "For you." Grinning, Maple replied, "Then you two go, now. I will wait here and clean up our nests first." She walked back to an empty dark alley with piles of hay and moss there. Those were their nests. What a pity, Ruby thought, sighing. After Maple instructed them on how to get to Scourge's quarters, they walked onto the streets, and Socks exclaimed, "Did you hear that? She loves me!" Ruby smiled and answered her brother kindly, "Yes, and you love her too, don't you?" Shyly, Socks nodded. Oh, Ruby thought. If only I could be so happy over Blaze saying he loved me, too. I miss him so much. Knocking off the thought, she quickly stared up, and saw a wide, dark alley.
That must be Scourge's place, Ruby thought, remembering Maple's description of a huge, shadowy alley. So they padded into the alley, only seeing two huge cats standing at the entrance. Guards, Ruby gasped. Scourge was strong enough to have guards? There was a huge black-and-white tom with green eyes and a scar between his eyes, and a ginger tom. The ginger tom snarled, "Who are you? How dare you step close to Scourge's place?" The large black-and-white tom flicked his tail at the ginger tom and meowed, "Stop, Brick. Why do you two come here? Do you wish to see Scourge?"
Nervously, Ruby stammered, "W-we wish to see him, yes." Brick demanded, "What makes you think you can see him?" The bigger tom stared at them and asked coldly, "Yes, why?" Socks stuttered his words. "W-we're h-his s-siblings." The two toms glared at them skeptically. But the green-eyed black-and-white tom still mewed, "Very well. You can go see him and risk your own lives if you are not. Run if you are lying, right now." Ruby and Socks didn't move, though they were scared. Suddenly the tom's muscles tensed, and he mewed, "I am Bone. This is Brick," he introduced, flicking his tail at the ginger tom. "We will bring you to see Scourge, since you are so confident." No, we're not, Ruby almost whispered.
Bone and Brick led them into the alleyway slowly. Ruby glanced at Brick's fur, and noticed it would look very much like Blaze's beautiful fur if it weren't so dull, dirty, and muffled up. No, Ruby fretted, It will never be like Blaze's fur. Shadows loomed across their faces as they entered the murky path. Finally, they reached an end, and Ruby lifted her gaze to see a black tom with a white paw and icy blue eyes sitting on a massive pile of moss, sticks, ferns, and hay. Beside the pile were hills of bones of prey, one on each side. Ruby shuddered. What had her brother become? And did she herself influence all this? The small black tom lifted his piercing gaze to look at the arrival. He has grown larger, Ruby observed. And colder.
There was actually a flash of surprise in Scourge— Tiny's— frosty blue eyes at first. Then he quickly recovered from the shock, and demanded, "Who are these two?" Ruby winced. His voice got higher-pitched, and she noticed a purple collar on his neck studded with teeth— dog teeth. He had fastened claws on top of his own as well— dog claws, too. Tiny was different. He wasn't Tiny anymore. He was Scourge, and this cat, no matter what the history was, would kill. Bone tilted his head suspiciously, and mewed, "These two asked to see you. They claimed they knew you."
"Ruby? Socks?" Scourge whispered softly, his eyes wide. Ruby was almost surprised that he still remembered them. Of course, she thought bitterly. We've tortured him. Boldly, Ruby meowed, "Y-yes. We came here to see if you can give us some food…" Her voice trailed off. She was frightened. She was frightened of Tiny. Scourge snarled, "Why should I give you food?! It isn't my fault if you two are too weak or stupid to find your own food! My own cats can barely find their own food!"
Her fur bristling defiantly, Ruby protested, "But we're littermates! Does blood mean anything to you?!" Scourge glared icily at her, piercing her heart. "Oh, yes," he growled. "Blood is everything. But the only blood that matters is the shed blood of my enemies. Bone, Brick. Give them a share of food. But don't think I will let you again," he bared his sharp teeth at his littermates. He hissed, "Next time any cat from my Clan sees you in my territory, you will be immediately chased out or killed." Shaken, Ruby and Socks nodded unsteadily. Bone and Brick led them to a pile of food, and they picked out two skinny mice and a bony squirrel.
For the first time, Ruby regretted. She regretted ever being mean to Scourge, or, Tiny. Now she felt how Tiny must've felt when he was rejected by his siblings. Scourge had revenged, in the iciest way ever. Ruby felt like her heart was frozen. It was the first time she felt that. I'm sorry, she mouthed at the sky. Then they carried the food back to Maple, and searched for water for the rest of the day.
"I'm sorry," Ruby whispered as she walked away from the alleyway. "I'm so sorry, Tiny." Tiny had changed, and it wasn't in a good way... All thanks to her.
OMS! Ruby finally regrets!! xD Lucky you! I am not ending this until about two more chapters. Although Ruby regretted, and I am not so fond of Ruby, I shall give her a happy ending and let her regret FULLY... and give a tribute to both Pinestar and Scourge! You shall see...
And I will only reveal the Allegiances after the Epilogue. I just realized putting the Allegiances would be a SPOILER! xD
Of course, most of the things I made up in the Allegiances, such as... Blaze xD (He was a big favorite), and Belle! And Maple. Sadly, I had to kill Pinestar off! And lots of people loved that original dude, too. xD SORRY!
Everyone who reviews...
GET RUBY AND BLAZE PLUSHIES! Love you guys! xD
~~Rainy