Warriors: Pebblescar's Reality

Chapter 13

We've got an admin who's never written in this before writing a chapter. Can you guess who it is by the time you get to the bottom?

    Pebblescar's mind was in turmoil. Gem had personally known the rogue he'd killed? How was that possible? Of all coincidences...

   Pebblescar's thoughts took no time to direct his paws, and they took him out of the camp to one of the bigger trees in the forest, a large sycamore. He bumped against the tree, looked up in surprise, and realized where he was. With a sigh, Pebblescar curled his legs under him and settled into a position where he was pressing against the trunk in a place where the roots pushed above the earth and formed a sort of little hollow. He rested his head on his paws, causing the sound of the wind that had been whistling in his ears to suddenly be cut off by the raised roots blocking it. For a moment, just for a moment, Pebblescar let his thoughts go and his mind be free. The worries cleared away, and for that moment, he was in a state of pure bliss, feeling nothing but the soft dirt underneath his paws, the soft grass tickling his sides, and the rough bark pressing against him. 

   To his tired mind, that moment was enough to send him into sleep. For the first time in a long while, Pebblescar slept without the thought of which world he'd be in haunting him as he tried to rest. His breathing, shallow up till now, evened out until it was barely discernible over the sound of the wind.

---

   Pebblescar awoke with a start. He looked about him, confusion marring his sleep-muddled thoughts until he realized what had happened earlier. He rose to his feet, shaking his head, and started making his way back to camp. Which world was he in now? He tried to remember the last world he'd been in. Which world had he killed the rogue in? Oddly, he couldn't remember a thing. His mind was unusually, peacefully, blissfully, and utterly blank. All he knew was that he wanted to get back to camp. 

   Pebblescar realized that he'd only slept for a little while. The sky was tinged with the soft reds and yellows of approaching sundown, so it hadn't even been a sunrise since he'd murdered Samuel. Pebblescar reached the camp entrance and slipped through it, heading towards the elder's den, determined to learn more about whatever had happened with Samuel and Gem. 

   "Pebblescar." A familiar voice stopped and made him turn. Glimmerstream.

   He eyed her warily. "What is it, Glimmerstream?"

   Her voice was low and fierce as she stepped closer, her hazel-gray eyes glittering dangerously. "It looked as if you'd thought you were free of suspicion now. But know this, Pebblescar, I know that you killed Cinderclaw, and you know what? I think that Oakfire is missing because you murdered her. And mark my words, Pebblescar, I'll find the evidence, or I'll wait for you to slip up, and everybody will know."

   Pebblescar's heart beat faster at her words, but he didn't let his uneasiness show, instead letting out a short laugh to mask it. "You can't find evidence for something that doesn't exist. Go find some other answer to your mystery, Glimmerstream, because it isn't me." With that, he turned his back on her and stalked into the elder's den, feeling the young cat's eyes boring through him. 

   The cats inside glanced up, but didn't stop their conversations except to acknowledge him with a nod or a word, to which he responded likewise as he made his way towards Gem, who was talking to Fernspots, an ancient tom whose originally russet-brown muzzle was now completely white. He reached her nest and stood there for a moment before Gem noticed him.

   "Pebblescar! What brings the deputy to our-" she cut herself off abruptly as she remembered that he had temporarily been relieved of his duties, and Pebblescar felt rage rise up in him before he fought it down and tried to give off a pleasant demeanor. 

   "Oh, nothing really, Gem. I was just wondering if-" he was cut off by a yowl from the camp clearing. Pebblescar realized that the odd scent that had showed up a few moments ago was that of new cats. Curiosity won over him, and he said, "Looks like something's up. I'll talk to you later, Gem!" before he turned and padded out of the den. 

   Pebblescar only had a split second to assess the strange cats in the camp and realize they were the rogues before their hostile gazes had locked onto him and a strange sense of fear rose up in his chest.

   They'd found him.

   "You complain about killing innocents?" a ragged black tom standing at the head of the group next to another she-cat roared, probably in response to something Troutstar had said, though it was obvious that he was talking to Pebblescar.

   And suddenly, before he knew it, a black shape was hurtling towards him and before he could stumble backwards, it barreled into him and he was pushed backwards onto his back. Claws ripped at his belly and Pebblescar let out a guttural yowl before pushing off the rogue and flipping onto his paws. 

   The other tom landed on his side, but was up in a matter of moments, snarling and snapping at Pebblescar. Pebblescar managed to dodge what would've been a painful nip to his foreleg and clawed at the rogue's muzzle, causing blood to well up in a series of thin lines, but the tom was too rage-frenzied to care and instead just threw himself at Pebblescar even harder, this time managing to score his claws down his left shoulder.

   Pebblescar limped backwards, bleeding now from the belly and shoulder. The rogue had only been able to make those wounds because he'd been surprised, and no more was Pebblescar surprised. He shot forward, scratching the tom's flank and opening three deep gashes. He hissed and retaliated by trying to claw Pebblescar's throat, but the experienced warrior was too fast for him and instead reached above and slammed the rogue's front half into the ground, performing a perfect Upright Lock. 

   The rogue relaxed under his grip, and Pebblescar reflexively loosened his hold, realizing his mistake a second too late when the tom burst upwards and pushed Pebblescar down, pinning him and clawing at his belly with his hind legs, opening long gashes.

   Pebblescar struggled fiercely, but the rogue had him pinned good and strong. He turned his head to the side, almost ready to accept defeat, but then his vision focused on Minnowfrost, pressing herself up against Reedstorm, who had his tail comfortingly wrapped around her. Rage rose in him, giving him strength, and his vision turned red once more and he slammed the rogue tom away with his hind legs. 

   The tom tried to push himself to his paws once more, but something was wrong with him, and when he tried to speak, bloody bubbles burbled out of his mouth. But still he wheezed, and managed to get out, "You...ca-can't...Sa-muel...murder...get away..." He was cut off by a cough, causing more blood to bubble up and though Pebblescar would have normally grown nauseous at the sight, his anger left no room for any other purpose except for the kill this tom in front of him right now. He stalked forward, and using his front leg, turned over the tom and placed a paw over his chest, causing the tom to yelp in pain and cough out more blood. Pebblescar realized that he'd broken one of the cat's ribs and a sort of grim, sick satisfaction spread through his body as he pressed down more on the cat's chest and saw the only-moments-ago-ferocious cat whimper in pain.

   He leaned down until he was muzzle to muzzle with the cat. Even with all the pain, all the torture, the tom's gray-blue eyes still burned with rage and anger and grief. And loudly, enough for all to hear, Pebblescar announced, "Yes. It was me who killed him." And with a final, resounding crack, Pebblescar pressed down on the rogue's chest with brutal force and the light snapped out of the tom's eyes and they stared up at him, empty and emotionless.

   With a sick smile of triumph spread across his face, Pebblescar looked up to see that the entire camp was completely silent and Pebblescar's thoughts began to turmoil again as he realized what had happened.

They all knew he was the murderer now.

Written by Duskie.