if Mapleshade's kits lived

Chapter 38

"Petal, how can we believe you; we all know what you did to your kits!" Patchstar hissed, "Patchstar, you have to believe her! she's changed, Mapleshade is still here, she faked it all, she took Oakstar's lives, I swear, we aren't lying!" Bramble meowed.

Patchstar glared at both, "Bramble, you're too young, nobody would expect you to tell the truth." Bramble sighed, and pleaded, "But I am, Patchstar, why don't you believe me?" Patchstar turned away. "I can't, Mapleshade is dead, and you saw her death." Bramble couldn't argue there, but he swore he had seen the familiar salty face of Mapleshade.

"But--" "No buts about it, I think you need rest, young cat." Petal swung her head down, "I know I have disappointed you in the past, Patchstar, but Mapleshade had possessed me, I can show you proof!" she got on her side, showing a giant scratch across her side. "This is the scratch Mapleshade opened up to get inside me and control my mind!" 

The tortoiseshell leader hesitated, his thick tail swishing, Bramble knew that he wasn't so sure about this, he knew that he was thinking, that scar...I saw it on her when she had amber eyes...

Bramble looked down at his paws, Petal's eyes filled with guilt. "I know you will never forgive me, but I still love you, Angus, and Larch, safe travels, old friends, see you...In another life." with that, the pale brown she-cat headed out, Bramble's blood ran cold. "Patchstar...What did she mean?" the tortoiseshell hesitated, he backed up, walking over to his late afternoon walks. "You can't take a walk at a time like this!" Bramble yelled, but the tom didn't listen.

"Patchstar!" tears rolled down his face, he was too young to know about or believe this had happened. Suddenly, a voice came behind him. "Bramble, are you alright?" he looked back at an orange tabby with a pinky-colored tail. "Rosepaw, I-Patchstar won't believe me and Petal... and, he just walked away like nothing happened." he told his friend. "Don't worry, he'll believe you eventually, don't you worry about a thing." she touched noses with him, Bramble felt hot under his pelt as it happened, he covered his face from turning red.

"Uh, sorry, sunburn..."