Thundering Darkness

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Pebblepaw had yet to learn how warriors managed to keep going, even after all the brutality and violence that they witnessed. If she was honest, she couldn't. Every day she woke up, and the bright greenleaf sunshine felt a little more ominous, a little more deadly, and Darkpaw's eyes flashed with even more interest as she watched her stumble.

Training was easy. It always had been for Pebblepaw. Shimerclaw was an excellent mentor, and Pebblepaw was easily skimming through her training. Personal life, on the other paw, was not. Before the fox, which felt so long ago, she had been peppy, arrogant, and generally less empathetic. Now, she felt like she'd done a complete one-eighty.

Every time a cat had so much as a miniature thorn in their paw, she winced in agony. When a cat so much as spoke harshly near her, she felt like she was going to be killed. Now, even she could feel her tail drooping throughout the entire day. The worst part about her 'new normal,' though, was the dreams which plagued her at night of the guilt of watching all her friends die around her.

"Hey, sharpyclaws, what did you do to the bedding this time."

Pebble instantaneously sat bolt upright, gasping for air. She was in the apprentices' den. She was safe.

"Down here," a tired voice murmured, and Pebblepaw looked down to see a tired Min looking forlornly at the tattered moss and bird feathers that could once have been called a nest. Min's eyes were friendly, but tired as she looked at the remains of the nest the two she-cats had shared for the past half moon.

"Sorry," Pebblepaw gasped, and scampered out of the den into the cool dawn light.

What seemed like the whole clan instantly looked up at her as she ran out of the apprentice's den. Her messy fur, full of moss. Along with the warriors, was her mentor, Shimmerclaw. She suddenly realised that it was probably the time when patrols were being announced, and felt instantly embarrassed.

"Well looky at the moss monster!" Sparkmist exclaimed, and meows of laughter from the whole crowd greeted her remark.

Shimmerclaw looked upset. Snowflight looked anxious. Carptuft looked bemused. Everyone looked at her. Pebblepaw abruptly wheeled around and bolted into the undergrowth, and out of camp. She wanted to run away, wanted to hide, wanted the world to just stop spiralling out of control. Pebblepaw thought she saw a flicker of black fur, but shook off her apprehension. Probably just a hare, she rationned. Nothing to worry about at all.

It was odd how quickly Pebblepaw's perceptions on reality could change. How she had gone from a bubbly, naive she-cat to this anxious, emotional wreck that she was now. Through it all, though, she had held on to her tentative friends. Thornpaw, the dutiful worker, Batpaw, the silent analyst, and Min, the lively. It was Darkpaw who scared her, Darkpaw who made her shiver.

Her paws trembled as she raced through the forest. She thought of Min, her new close friend, who had run out of the camp in search of trouble to fight. I won't do that, she promised herself. I just need some... alone time. Despite her vow, she found herself running towards ThunderClan territory.

"Mousedung!" Pebblepaw swore as she tripped over a large root protruding in the ground.

Pebblepaw was flung into the air, panic shooting through her like frostbite. She twisted and tumbled down a steep hill, and toward ThunderClan territory. It all happened so fast. Within a few seconds, her whole body collided with a tree, and she winced with pain.

Stars speckled Pebblepaw's vision, and she took deep, gasping breaths to remain on her paws. She shut her eyes, hoping that it would block out the ringing in her ears. Within a few minutes, she noticed something that should have been obvious to her much earlier on.

I'm on ThunderClan territory!

Pebblepaw whirled around, letting her jaws taste the air, trying to determine where her own scent markers should be. All she could scent was ThunderClan, and for a brief, agonising moment, she thought that she might die here, ripped apart by ThunderClan mange pelts. That was when she noticed something else. RiverClan scent. Then, she saw black fur, just as Darkpaw emerged from the bushes, smiling with all her teeth.

"Well, well, well. You're all alone," Darkpaw murmured half to herself as she sat down at the roots of a massive oak tree, and licked her paw casually.

Pebblepaw fluffed up her pelt, and stared at Darkpaw's fearsome green eyes, her unsheathed claws, the way she sat, serene and smug. She's been tracking me!

"Darkpaw!" Pebblepaw managed out hoarsely. "You shouldn't be on ThunderClan territory... it's illegal."

Darkpaw raised a forepaw and licked it. "And yet you are here as well," she mewed casually.

Pebblepaw looked anxiously at the trees around her. At the overwhelming stench of ThunderClan and winced inwardly. "You're right to be upset," she tried mewing fearfully. "It happened two moons ago, and I still feel guilt every day.."

Darkpaw sneered and got to her paws. "I don't 'make up' with murderers," she snarled, lashing her tail.

"Please try to..."

Darkpaw looked straight at her with round, green eyes and fury. "You killed him," she spat.

Pebblepaw looked straight back at her. The helpless pain and fury smeared across her face. She saw the real Darkpaw, then, for the first time in moons, perhaps for the first time ever. A can who was alone in a whirlwind of emotions. A cat who held her pain from others. Fear, mistrust, sadness, a competitive drive, fury, all mixed up and put into one cat. Darkpaw held it in well, but now it was all coming out.

"I won't let you kill me," Pebblepaw said, feeling sad. She wanted to let Darkpaw have her vengeance, but now, she had friends, a life, cats she cared for and who cared for her. She didn't want Min to be alone anymore than she already was.

Darkpaw padded softly toward her. Pebblepaw almost expected her to hand out her paw in truce. But Darkpaw's loathing had gone too far for that. Her green eyes narrowed slightly and she shrugged. "That's not a choice you get to make," she hissed. Then she leaped.

Pebblepaw was slammed to the ground, and Darkpaw pinned her easily. Pebblepaw used her small size to squirm out of Darkpaw's grasp and stand up. Pebblepaw unsheathed her claws, ready to meet her attacker.

How did it all go so wrong? she thought inwardly as Darkpaw regained her composure for another attack. Memories flashed through her. Had she been lying to herself when she'd thought they'd been rivals as kits? And what of the time when the two of them had shared a nest together after Darkpaw had dislocated her shoulder as a kit?

Now Darkpaw stood before her desperation glittering in her eyes. She wants to stop feeling it, Pebblepaw thought to herself. What we both feel, everytime we wake up; guilt and agonising grief. But... you can't fight fury with more fury.

Darkpaw, quick as a snake leaped at her, but Pebblepaw dodged and landed a blow on her shoulder. Blood spurted out. The two she-cats found themselves in a desperate fray, clawing, feigning, scratching. Pebblepaw felt agony sear her pelt as Darkpaw continued to rain blows on her, but she fought back, nipping and scratching.

The two she-cats twisted and rolled among the undergrowth and trees. Their eyes were locked on each other; both desperate. Eventually, it was clear that Darkpaw was getting the upper paw. Her blows had more impact on Pebblepaw, and it wasn't long before she was gasping for air, muscles straining.

Her paws flailed desperately, but Darkpaw soon stood beneath her. Pebblepaw fought against the waves of unconsciousness that seemed to be taking over. Darkpaw tightened her grip on Pebblepaw's throat with one paw, but something flashed in her eyes. Uncertainty? Darkpaw lifted up her bloodied paw, about to deal Pebblepaw the final blow, and Pebblepaw shut her eyes. Starclan, please let it be fast.

A fearsome war with ThunderClan. A death that she had caused. A cat, preparing to slice open her throat.

Great StarClan! Where did it all go so wrong?