Warriors: Pebblescar's Reality

Chapter 14

Pebblescar's heart was pounding in his chest as his gaze swept across the mix of rogues and Clan cats. They know. They all know. They know and that rogue is dead and it's my fault and he's dead. A darkness swept through his mind, making Pebblescar's heart leap into his throat and choke his breaths back. They know. . .

"Pebblescar?" came the wispy voice of Troutstar. The leader padded forward slowly, his pawsteps clogged with weariness. Instead of the power-filled, energetic, fun-loving cat that Pebblescar had once served under, the leader had aged a thousand moons in only a few heartbeats. "Did you kill Cinderclaw? Did you kill Oakfire? Did you kill. . . that other rogue?" The gray tom's voice begged for the lies that Pebblescar knew he couldn't deliver.

"Yes I did," he replied, a surge of confidence entering his voice. "I killed all of them, and I'll do it in my dreams too. I killed all of them, and I'll kill you too." Pebblescar's jaw dropped into a wicked grin, eyes narrowing with a cloud of bloodlust.

"N—no!" shouted Troutstar, leaping in front of Pebblescar just as the dark gray tom rose to his paws, claws sinking into the soft ground and jaw gaping, showing his long white fangs. The RiverClan warrior's body hit the leader's with a clunk, and Troutstar fell to the ground, his pale gray pelt quickly turning crimson.

A collective gasp of horror thrummed in Pebblescar's ears as the cats watched their bleeding leader, who quickly got to his paws, shaking the blood off his head. Two pairs of eyes glowed: one hazel with a determination lit by the fires of revenge, and the other belonging to the murderer. "You," growled Troutstar, ears flattening against his skull. "You dare attack me in the territory I rule, try to kill my cats, and the whole time I thought you were the victim." The dark gray tom drew in a breath, meeting the eyes of his elder.

"I was merely attempting to. . . run," replied Pebblescar simply, flicking the tip of his tail. Troutstar was too shocked by the simple response to continue with his berating. "You jumped in my way because all you can see is a bloody murderer. You're the one without sympathy. You're the one who deserves to suffer." Pebblescar pulled his muzzle back, showing his rows of teeth. The leader flinched; the crowd took a step backward, eyes wide. Kits hid behind their mothers, apprentices whimpered in fear of this cat who once was in line to lead them, and warriors narrowed their eyes at their former denmate. It's my fault.

Troutstar finally managed to recollect himself. "That's a lie, Pebblescar," the pale tom spoke, a thin line of crimson still trickling down the side of his head. "That's the biggest lie I've heard in a thousand years."

The argument was stopped by the sound of paws crunching against flattened reeds. Glimmerstream, with a few warriors behind her, padded into camp with a smug expression decorating her face. "What's this?" snarled the she-cat, her blue eyes sharp. "Is Pebblescar finally getting what I've been telling you from the beginning? A trial, with Troutstar at the lead, calm as always, and a jury of warriors behind him? Oh, what's this." Her gaze swept toward the rogues. "An impartial group? I can hardly assume that—a greater conflict must be in play." She swiped her tongue around her jaws, taking a suave step toward Pebblescar.

"No!" shouted Troutstar, his mew ringing through the trees. "He—he murdered one of them, Glimmerstream. He murdered one of them, and they came for revenge. They saw him, and he confessed. We're going to drive him out." The tom flexed his claws.

"Not over my dead body," growled Pebblescar.

"That's kind of the point."

Without any more words, the entire Clan launched themselves at Pebblescar, claws extended and maws wide, yowls of anger spilling out of them. Their fellow Clanmates had been killed. The cats that they hunted, shared prey, and gossiped with. The cats that they grew up, fell ill, recovered, and played with. The cats that were each other. Each warrior of RiverClan knew that they could've been the one that Pebblescar chose to kill, or their sister, or their brother, or their kits, or their mate.

He's guilty.

Pebblescar's throat was on fire as he wiggled underneath the pile of cats. Each pelt blended into the next writhing mass of fur, claws, and teeth. The dark gray tom squeezed underneath a wall of apprentices, choking on the guilt. 

I'm guilty.

He tore free from the pile, claws unsheathed and spit flying from his mouth, mixed with blood. His entire pelt was drenched in the stuff, most not belonging to his. The pile of RiverClan hardly noticed as Pebblescar sneaked out the back of the camp, the fur along his spine raised. Then his vision went black.

Heart pounding, Pebblescar found himself in a far area of RiverClan. He was on the bank; his pelt was caked with mud and the blood was running off into the water. He could hear angry shouts from the camp only a dozen tree-lengths away. The dark gray tom dragged himself into a shallow pool beside some reeds. The clear water quickly became clogged with crimson, bleeding out in heavy streaks that appeared like a whirlpool around him. His breathing slowed as he dragged himself to the reed bed, scent disguised by mud and plants.

I'm safe for now.

Pebblescar closed his eyes, wishing to appear in the better, true reality that he knew was coming. But the dark gray tom only saw an empty matrix of blackness as his eyes stayed shut. The voices of Glimmerstream and the rogue and Troutstar screamed in his ears.

We're going to drive him out.

Is Pebblescar finally getting what he deserved from the beginning?

I thought you were the victim.

A familiar pair of blue eyes, matched with a stunning silver pelt, glowed in front of him. 

"You didn't have to do that, Pebblescar," spoke Minnowfrost, her voice as soft as downy feathers. "You didn't have to do that."

This chapter was brought to you by Rio Incorporated. Sorry about the little delay :)