Hello hello hello!
SilentsongOvO:Nah, rustpaw is not tainted just yet. He still thinks Brambleswipe is from Starclan ahaha.
He absolutely will! (and dw it didn't)
Think the "hello hello hello" and "and as always…" are becoming my trademarks lmao
And thank you!
Honeyferns: Yay! There's also a small connection in one of the earlier gathering chapters, but it wouldn't make any sense until the last chapter for driven apart is out! In terms of the time difference, there's like an entire generation between driven apart and obab :o
RUSTPAW IS A GREMLIN: MORE AT 6. We've got his pov and a bit of beebounce's in this chapter, so you can all see where he's at!
And thank you so much :DDD
SomeStormLeaf: She really is
F in chat for tigerstar, who unlike brambleswipe, is double dead.
Foxstar just materialises out of nowhere to change Fishclaw's name to Fisheye or something.
I will write a one-shot where Beebounce actually goes to the elders den and becomes progressively more and more confused.
I would NEVER kill off beebounce. NEver. AND yes, send Rustpaw to therapy 2k20.
And thank you sm! This chapter took an age to write but i'm glad you enjoyed it :)
Mintflight0245: thank you so much for all the reviews! I will/i have gotten back to them individually, depending on when this chapter was posted lol.
Thanks for reading, and as always, feel free to review and pm me :)
Today we have rustpaw's pov. Hope you all enjoy !
TRIGGER WARNINGS for blackmail, and slight/implied homophobia in this chapter.
Rustpaw had been on edge for the past few days.
He had a pretty good reason to be on edge. He threatened his mentor, for Starclan's sake! What was he thinking? Brambleswipe had just whispered, low, in his ear that Beebounce was watching, and he'd made that stupid gesture. It was so dumb. He wasn't even doing anything wrong. If anything, Beebounce would be pleased for him, having a Starclan mentor.
But that did open up a question. Why was Brambleswipe so worried about his mentor finding out? Why had she told him to do that? He wasn't doing anything wrong. He was training with Starclan, why would Beebounce not be able to see that?
For whatever reason, Beebounce seemed to have taken his threat to heart. It was actually pretty worrying to see, even for Rustpaw. He didn't even like his mentor, and it had been chilling to see him like that all day. He didn't seem to want to go anywhere near Rustpaw, which was troubling. Rustpaw had had to follow him around all day, lest he spill his secret. (He still didn't understand why it needed to be kept, but Brambleswipe had been pretty insistent.)
When Beebounce had gotten the chance to speak to his friends, Rustpaw had made sure to stay within earshot. All he gathered from that was that Beebounce's group of friends were the most sickeningly nice group of cats he'd ever seen. Somehow, Rushstorm had worked out that Beebounce was unsettled, and he had tried asking the other tom what was going on. Rustpaw had cast a meaningful glare towards Beebounce, who saw it,looked back at Rushstorm, and blurted out "Nothing's wrong, Stormy!" before running off.
(Rustpaw had never heard Beebounce call any other cat by a nickname, especially one as inane as 'stormy.' That was his first indicator that Beebounce was out of sorts.)
It was playing on his mind. And that was why, for the first time in ages, he wasn't sinking into his nest with anticipation for a night's worth of training. He just wanted to talk. Properly ask Brambleswipe why he couldn't tell his mentor about her.
When he awoke, he was in what he now knew to be Starclan territory. It didn't look as perfect as it had the first time he'd arrived. The field's grass had wilted, and dried. He wasn't too sure how, there had never been a sunny day in Starclan. The flowers that had surrounded the field had all drooped over, and died. He felt like the trees had grown closer to the field, but he couldn't be too sure. It felt stuffier, though. Everything was much closer together, compacted. He felt almost trapped, sometimes. Usually just in the first moments before Brambleswipe arrived, and it was just him and his thoughts. He strained his ears, but he couldn't hear anything but the familiar faint whispers from inside the woods. He shivered, and sat down on the grass.
Within moments, Brambleswipe slinked out of the trees. She'd stopped covering her missing ear in flowers, and that was the thing that Rustpaw always saw first. The jagged wound, the scars that rippled across her face and her body. He winced. He'd never asked her how she'd gotten them, but they looked painful.
"Greetings, Rustpaw." She mewed throatily, and Rustpaw dipped his head in response.
"Hello." He mewed. Quickly, before he lost his nerve, he blurted out a question. "Listen- why can't I tell my mentor about you?"
Brambleswipe blinked at him slowly, her green eyes shining. She sat down, and began to clean her paw. Rustpaw thought he saw a flash of something red on it, but he couldn't be too sure. "Because he won't understand." She explained simply.
"I'm sure he will." Rustpaw countered. It was the most he'd ever disagreed with Brambleswipe, and he knew why he didn't usually. He could tell she was angry, the rage was practically radiating off her in waves. Her eyes, which had looked so calm and clear just moments before, were dark, and vicious. He backed off from Brambleswipe. She looked exactly how she did before she was about to jump into a mock-battle - her tail was lashing, her claws just unsheathed, and her jaw was hanging open. He hunched into himself, looking up at his Starclan mentor with wide eyes.
"I'm telling you, he won't understand." She hissed, and Rustpaw nodded frantically. "Let's just say there's some bad blood between me and his mother that he's sure to know about." She said, with a wry smile. Rustpaw wondered fleetingly what it was; he knew that Brambleswipe was related to him, but he wasn't too sure how.
"O-okay." He stuttered, and Brambleswipe sat back down, satisfied.
"Anything else you want to talk to me about, or shall we start training?" She mewed, her tone suddenly soft again.
"Yes, actually." Rustpaw said. "Look, I don't think what you made me show Beebounce is going to work." He admitted.
Brambleswipe looked puzzled. Her eyebrows raised, and her forehead furrowed. She tilted her head, and asked, "Why?" inquisitively.
"He doesn't really care about his life." Rustpaw mewed. He backtracked once he say Brambleswipe's expression. "No-not like that. I mean, if he thinks the clan is in trouble, he'll put himself at risk to protect the clan, and his friends."
Brambleswipe nodded thoughtfully. "So he cares more about his friends then himself?"
"I mean, I think so. I just think we'll need a bigger thing to hold over him than death." Rustpaw mewed, not quite understanding what he was saying before it was out of his mouth. 'Hold over him?' He thought, frozen with horror. Great Starclan, what have I done?
Brambleswipe's eyes gleamed. Rustpaw swallowed, and tried to look anywhere but his mentor. "I know what you mean." She mewed slowly, dangerously. "I know things about those close to Beebounce that would make your fur curl."
Rustpaw couldn't help his jaw falling open at that. "Isn't that blackmail?" Rustpaw asked, his eyes wide.
Brambleswipe sniffed the air, and shrugged. "Oh." She mewed, sounding pleased with herself. "I suppose it is."
Rustpaw swallowed, hard. "That's not very Starclanny, is it?" He asked, his mew tinged with fear.
"The stuff they've done isn't Starclan-like!" She hissed. Rustpaw stepped back.
"Wh-what have they done?"
Brambleswipe sat down. "Have you ever wondered how I lost my ear?" She asked. Rustpaw hesitantly nodded his head. "Well, your precious leader, and your perfect medicine cat couldn't be bothered to help me escape from a pack of dogs."
Rustpaw took a step back. "What?" He questioned, his fur bristling. "That's not possible!"
"They just sat in a tree, and watched. And they were hailed as heroes! Heroes! They're cowards." Brambleswipe snarled.
"Are you sure?" Rustpaw whispered. He felt like the forest around him was crumbling, and his paws were tied to the ground. All he could do was watch. Watch, as everything he'd ever known to be true about his clan fell to the ground.
Bramleswipe nodded. "I was there. And the rest of the clan is no better."
"What do you mean?"
"You know your deputy?"
Rustpaw blinked. "What's Rushstorm done?"
"He's Hawkstar's brat. He has blood from all over the clans, he's not fit to lead Riverclan." Brambleswipe spat out.
"What clans?" Rustpaw asked, not really knowing why. That was the last thing he needed to worry about. He didn't know why Brambleswipe was so angry; there was nothing in the code against cross-clan relations anymore. He supposed it could be the Hawkstar connection, the leader of Shadowclan was a vicious and bloody cat by all accounts. Still, it was hardly worth holding it against Rushstorm. However Rustpaw felt about him, he knew he was a good cat, and a good deputy. Nothing like his father.
"Thornfall of Thunderclan, and Honeywisp of Windclan." Brambleswipe mewed. "I don't know what your cousin sees in him." She leered, and Rustpaw blinked.
"What do you mean?" He asked, absolutely bewildered.
"Haven't you noticed Beebounce padding after Rushstorm?" She questioned.
Rustpaw nodded. "Yeah, but there's nothing wrong with that! If it wasn't Beebounce, I'd think that it's quite sweet, actually." He confessed.
Brambleswipe sneered. "But it is Beebounce, and that's something else you can use against him." She smiled at that.
"Why? There's nothing in the warrior code against it, I don't see the po-" Rustpaw stopped talking. He'd caught up with the meaning in Brambleswipe's words. He was fairly certain that Rushstorm didn't know about Beebounce's feelings. (Somehow. Even Goldpaw had noticed it, and he spent his life inside the medicine cat's den.) He felt like Beebounce probably wanted to keep it that way. It's just Brambleswipe's way of keeping Beebounce in check. He realised. Personal leverage. That realization unsettled him more than anything else Brambleswipe had ever said. And the way her eyes had gleamed when she'd told him, like she was enjoying it. That thought made him feel sick.
"If you need anything else, the Windclan medicine cat used to be a kittypet. It wouldn't surprise anyone in Windclan, but Honeywisp is Berrysong's mate. And Rushstorm wouldn't want his half-sister to be upset." Drawled Brambleswipe, like she was bored, like the information she was giving out wasn't life-changing for the cats involved. Rustpaw swallowed.
Rustpaw shivered, and nodded. "D-do you want me to tell Beebounce I know this, then?" He asked.
Brambleswipe looked up from cleaning her claws, and answered. "Oh yes. Make sure you make it clear that you'll spill it all at a gathering if he doesn't comply."
"What would complying be?" Rustpaw questioned.
Brambleswipe sighed. "Deterring Rosestar, making out he's taught you your battle moves, stuff like that." She explained, before meeting Rustpaw's eyes. "Can I trust you?"
Dark blue met bright green. The apprentice faced his mentor, and dipped his head. "You can." He answered, his voice slightly shaky. "I won't let you down."
He was worried about what would happen if he did disappoint the Starclan cat.
- Beebounce's POV -
Beebounce padded out of the warrior's den, his fur already warm in the morning sunshine. Today, everything seemed so much more optimistic. He could hear the birds singing over in Thunderclan territory, and the air was sweet and fragrant with the smell of flowers. He felt like he could solve any problem. He could go and talk Rustpaw out of his threat. He could get Fishclaw and Frogtoe together, and be back in time for another swim with Rushstorm. (Maybe he could pluck up the courage to lick Rushstorm's cheek this time.)
That happy feeling disappeared the moment he saw Rustpaw walking towards him. His apprentice jolted his head in the direction of the sparse woods, and murmured. "I need to talk to you."
Beebounce nodded, and followed Rustpaw into the woods. His thoughts were swirling about like leaves in a stream. What does Rustpaw want? Is it something to do with Brambleswipe?
Rustpaw stopped dead in the path after a few moments of walking. He sat down, and Beebounce did the same. "So." Beebounce asked, as casually as he could. "What do you want?"
Rustpaw suddenly stood up. "You're not to breathe a word of this to anyone, you hear me?" He hissed, and Beebounce flinched. "Especially Rosestar."
"What's going on, Rustpaw?" Beebounce asked kindly. He really hoped that his apprentice just had a problem he had to solve, not… anything else. Nothing sinister, just normal apprentice troubles.
"I know about Rushstorm." Rustpaw snarled. "I know about his father, and I know about your… feelings towards him."
Beebounce's heart suddenly started pounding. How did Rustpaw know about any of that? Who had told him? The only other cats to know were Duckspark and Frogtoe, and he'd sworn them to secrecy. The rest of the clan speculated, he was sure of it. But they were the only two to know for sure.
Unless… Brambleswipe had told him. Brambleswipe had told him, and he was using it to stop Beebounce from talking. Even in this situation, Beebounce had to admire his apprentice's cunning. He had found the one thing that Beebounce couldn't let get out. Anything to do with Rushstorm.
He had accepted long ago that Rushstorm would eventually find out about his feelings, and he would drop him. It was just a fact of life. The one thing he couldn't accept was the truth about his heritage coming out. That would destroy Rushstorm, having fought for so long for a place in the clan.
"Alright." He said shakily, swallowing hard. "What do you want me to do?"
Rustpaw's eyes widened. "You mean you'r- alright. I want you to discourage Rosestar from- from whatever she thinks about my Starclan mentor."
The absurdity of what Rustpaw had just said made Beebounce snort with laughter. "You mean you think Brambleswipe's from Starclan?" He exclaimed. Rustpaw looked confused.
"Yes?" He said. "You mean, she isn't?" His mouth trembled, and Beebounce didn't have the heart to tell him straight away. Brambleswipe was probably the closest thing his apprentice had to a real confident. Even if she was a blood-thirsty kit-murderer, she was still someone to Rustpaw.
Beebounce sighed. "Go ask the elders about Brambleswipe later." He mewed,turning away from Rustpaw. "I agree to your blackmail" He said, from over his shoulder.
He would tell Rosestar. He just couldn't yet. Rustpaw would figure it out eventually, he just had to be patient.
Be patient, and wait for Rustpaw to work it out himself.
really hope that you all enjoyed this chapter!
goldpaw will start to play a slightly bigger role in this fic from next chapter onwards! just so you are all aware.