Silent Thaw got me a little mad at possessed-Bramble
Every stream of blood in Rootpaw’s body fizzled hot when Crowfeather raised his head to glare at the Thunderclan leader. Something in the usually passive tom’s gaze seemed… dangerous. Rootpaw would hate it if anyone glared at him in a way of such betrayal, such anger, and such hurt. Such loathing.
“Clearly, you do not remember, o wise leader.” Crowfeather’s soft voice grew hard and sharp in a few strained syllables. “Our little, innocent game of “Corvid”.
“Do not speak to me as if I broke the Code!” Bramblestar snapped, but there was something uncertain in his eyes. “As for you, you should-”
“Don’t tell my warrior what to do!” Harestar snapped, hazel-green eyes lighting with fire. “As a matter of fact, don’t even speak to him!”
“Harestar, let me finish, please.” Crowfeather mewed more gently before setting his strangely glowing eyes on Bramblestar again. “You played with me rather willingly, didn’t you? Well, how about we play this. When you leave that body of yours, you will pay for every transgression you have committed against me, my kin, my branches. When the night falls, you will not be safe in your body, or outside of it. Flower will come.”
Rootpaw’s attention shifted over to Kestrelflight, who was shifting confusedly. Was… was Crowfeather saying his very own prophecy? What was happening. Nobody else spoke when Harestar stepped forward on his branch, claws digging into the layers of wood.
“Since he has finished, Bramblestar,” Harestar glanced at Crowfeather, who jerkily nodded. “You and your evil-tainted tongue can go lick a badger’s messy hindquarters for all I care! As for Windclan, our part in this Gathering is over. Perhaps, for more than this moon if Starclan does not speak to us directly. Have a good night.”
Harestar leaped from the branch, tail signaling for the rest of Windclan to head out before his tail twined with Crowfeather’s. The Windclan deputy sent one last venomous glance at Bramblestar before trotting off with his Clan. Some apprentices were hooting with laughter at Harestar’s words before some of their Clanmates shushed them.
“Silence!” Leafstar was forced to bark, glancing at some of her newest warriors sternly. “But, in concurrence to Harestar, do NOT tell us what to do. That is not your place. We will hear from true Starclan when they come to Skyclan, but not somebody who wants to punish others just to appease them. We don’t even know what Starclan wants, or even if they care about this particular issue.”
“Speak it, sister!” Rootpaw glanced back and found Jayfeather pacing beside a weary-looking Alderheart. “I haven’t heard anything. No medicine cat has!”
“Exactly,” Tigerstar called out defiantly, glowering at Bramblestar with an unconcealed loathing. “And the message Shadowpaw received only happened after he knocked his head on a rock and ate some bad prey.”
There was a sneaky glint in Tigerstar’s eye that flashed in only Rootpaw’s direction. The Shadowclan leader was lying. Rootpaw looked over at Shadowpaw, who ducked his head to avoid the accusing stares. Bramblestar’s gaze faltered, and he scrunched his muzzle distastefully.
“I lost a life most recently. Starclan spoke to me then!”
“Well, they can keep their message to you.” Leafstar leaped off her branch as well, muzzle curling in a snarl. “You won’t be spreading fear in my Clan, I know that much. I have ancestors and family among Starclan as well, and I know what they would want.”
“Precisely!” Mistystar chimed in, gray muzzle lifting in distrust. “Thunderclan has been the beacon of many prophecies, but this is simply ludicrous.”
“And how are you so sure you’re the only one who has lost lives?” Tigerstar puffed out his chest, smirking at the wide-eyed look Bramblestar was giving them. “I recently lost a life. I indigested a deathberry by accident.”
“I know a lot of crazy things are happening…” Mistystar croaked as Leafstar helped her off of her branch. “But how do you eat a deathberry and not realize it?”
“I was hungry…” Tigerstar mumbled sheepishly, pawing at the tree bark. “The point is, I had a Starclan dream! They told me that personalities don’t change when a leader loses a life. See? I’m perfectly fine.”
“Still the smug sack of dirt sitting on a branch, I see…” Bramblestar rolled his amber… wait, blueish eyes?
Rootpaw shifted uncomfortably when the leader’s weirdly blue eyes gaze raked the crowd of cats that were glaring at him. A few looked sympathetic, but they were few. The rest seemed outraged, fur bristling, eyes shining, growls and protests slowly rising off the ground. Rootpaw saw his own father with a furrowed brow and flattened ears. He certainly does not seem to approve of whoever has taken Bramblestar’s body! Bramblestar’s ghost flickered into the corner of Rootpaw’s eyes, and he grinned down a him, a triumphant look on his face.
“Yes! I knew they wouldn’t fall for this! Oh Rootpaw, this is wonderful!” The ghost laughed cheerily, a laugh Rootpaw had heard at the first Gathering he ever went to. He never knew he could miss a laugh he never heard very often. “Thank you!”
“Don’t start celebrating…” Rootpaw murmured anxiously when Bramblestar’s body hunched over in a fighting crouch. “He about to do something drastic, I just know it!”
“Fine. My warriors will listen to reason-” The Bramblestar on the branch started.
“Foolishness!” Tigerstar tiredly yawned, stretching out with his tail in Bramblestar’s direction – a clear and vulgar gesture meant to aggravate the elder tom.
“And since you all won’t, we’ll be happy to leave. But trust me when I say the Codebreakers must repent!”
“Repent yourself on out of here.” Leafstar grunted, signaling for her Clan to follow her.
Tigerstar jumped down from his branch as well, going to lick his mate between the ears before flicking his tail. A small group of warriors clustered around them before they padded off. Rootpaw sat in wonder before Dewspring nudged him sharply.
“Let’s go.” Rootpaw’s mentor had a cautious edge to his voice. “I don’t want to stick around for trouble.”
“Okay…” Rootpaw trailed off when he saw Bramblestar’s ghost hooting in victory, giving his own possessed body two middle claws high in the air. “Hey! Come on!”
“Who are you talking to?” Dewspring jerked his head to look at Rootpaw sternly.
“Nobody, just myself.” Rootpaw quickly mewed as Bramblestar floated to his side with a grateful sigh. “When we get home… could I just rest? Please?”
“Of course. Not like I would force you into evening training. You should spend your time with your family tonight.” Dewspring muttered softly, pressing his nose to Rootpaw’s ear gently. “And stay in camp. Not that I don’t trust you, but things were getting tense. I want to have an apprentice that’s alive, you know.”
Rootpaw’s pelt grew icy with fear, and he shivered from the cold.
“D-do you think…Thunderclan might attack us?”
“Rootpaw, you never know what to expect. All I can do is teach you and tell you to be on your guard.” Dewspring gave the yellow tom a reassuring smile. “Just don’t be scared, okay? I’m sure everything will turn out alright sooner or later.”
“Y-yeah…” Rootpaw could not shake the fearful, cold feeling that had fallen upon him.
He almost started when there was a warmth at his right side, but realized that Bramblestar’s spirit was brushing against him, the amber gaze staring down at him comfortingly.
“Enemies love it when their adversaries are afraid.” The Thunderclan leader’s low, strong voice drowned out Dewspring’s, even if it was a whisper. “You need to be strong, and overcome your feelings of fear. Trust me, I’m no stranger when it comes to being afraid!”
“Thanks,” Rootpaw purred genuinely to the ghost, closing his violet eyes and inhaling deeply as a calm washed through him. “I feel a little better.”
“Good!” Dewspring said before padding forward, thinking the words were meant for him.
But Bramblestar only smiled wistfully, amber eyes proud and sad. When they made it to camp, Rootpaw instantly flopped into his nest, yawning. He turned his back to Needlepaw when she entered – he wasn’t quite in the talking mood. The last thing he spotted before he drifted to sleep was Bramblestar’s face peering into his before the ghost vanished through the bracken walls. Rootpaw was much too tired to care.
Rootpaw was a great apprentice, but of course he was feeling overwhelmed. With his warrior training, all of the things happening to the Clans, and Bramblestar constantly trying to communicate through him, it was totally understandable! The brown tabby ghost was lingering on the edge of Thunderclan territory, pacing, worries and fears gripping his mind. He stopped when he suddenly thought of something.
“I want to see them…” He murmured, padding in the direction of Thunderclan camp, tears prickling in his eyes.
He pictured their faces. Squirrelflight, Sparkpelt, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Alderheart. He wanted to see them all. The brown tabby floated through the oaks and bushes, soon soaring high above the treetops. He had to know if they were safe. The brown tabby stopped when he saw a flash of gold in the moonlight, and caught a familiar scent. He gasped, and skidded to a stop, high into the air.
“Foxdung!” He shouted when he realized he had flown past Thunderclan territory.
But he recognized that scent. Lionblaze! His transparent heart could have exploded with joy when he swooped down to look his foster son over.
“Oh, thank goodness you aren’t…” He stopped when Lionblaze stomped through him, muttering vile curses under his breath.
“Stupid sack of fluff,” The golden warrior growled to himself – one of the less vulgar things Bramblestar’s ears caught onto as he followed his eldest son. “To exile me?! For hunting for my Clan?!”
Bramblestar’s jaw dropped in shock, and he realized with a terrifying weight in his stomach… he hadn’t seen Lionblaze at that tense Gathering tonight. His imposter… had the blatant audacity to exile his son?!
Bramblestar flinched when Lionblaze slammed his paw on a dead log in anger. The golden tom had broken the log, but had gotten some pretty bad splinters in return. Lionblaze growled even more furiously, tail lashing in all sorts of outrage.
“I can’t even… believe this! It’s like he doesn’t even know us, or even care!”
“I do!” Bramblestar ran after the large tabby, silent tears streaking down his ghastly cheeks. “I care about you! I love you!”
“I hate him!” Lionblaze mumbled hotly, before plopping on his haunches and cradling his splinter-prickled paw. “I hate him so much…!”
The last word was a choked sob. Bramblestar deflated, pressing himself around Lionblaze, wishing that the tom could feel him. Could see him. To know he actually loved and cared for him. But all he could do was cry along with Lionblaze, and each physical tear drop that fell on his fur sent a deeper sadness to his core. The golden tom finally managed to stand, blinking away angry tears, and sniffed the dead log he had split. Bramblestar sighed when the warrior climbed into the log with a mournful expression, holding his splintered paw out in front of him, in a little patch of snow.
“I know I’ve seen him mad, but he seemed so heartless…” Lionblaze said to the voiceless sky, wiping the last of his tears with his good paw. “Why won’t you speak? Why are you truly getting mad at us now? We give you all of our devotion and this is all we get, hurt over and over again… I’m sick of it!”
“No… we have to believe in our ancestors…” Bramblestar whispered with a curious glance at the stars. “Don’t we?”
Lionblaze seemed to fall in and out of an uneasy sleep. Bramblestar watched him for a few long hours, thinking. About Starclan. About family. About how much he wanted to slit his imposter’s throat. He gave Lionblaze a little lick on the forehead, sadness welling up when his tongue passed through his son. He would check on Lionblaze later. He floated upwards and dashed back to his initial destination.
I think I started at the part that got me the most ticked off, cause I do like to imagine Crow and Bramble and the rest of the Squad are still pretty decent friends. I added more spiritual elements to this, where the thing possessing Bramble is half demon while some other spirit has gone undercover to defeat the demon in Crowfeather’s body (because… reasons). But I think I’ll have all the named “Codebreakers” have some sort of power/hidden spirit that can help defeat Bramblefake, so it’s not just my favorite with the superpower. But my favorite thing to write are Rootpaw and Bramble moments, because sometimes Bramble might accidentally say a (lot of) curseword(s) when yelling at his impostor then Rootpaw will ask Tree what “EAT DIRT YOU MOTHER******* ***** *** ***************!” means and Tree nearly has a heart attack
It was so nice seeing the other leaders not putting up with Possessed Bramblestar’s shit and lying to him to work against him. It was also cool seeing Crowfeather speak up to him and actually give him a prophecy. And I love how in your notes you said that he and Bramblestar are still fairly close since they were part of the Journey Squad, so that makes him speaking up against him 10 times better
I absolutely loved all of Rootpaw and Bramblestar’s interactions so much, I really liked how chill they were with each other compared to the book. I also liked the notes about Bramblestar not exactly having the best filter around him fjjdk. Imagine Rootpaw not knowing what flipping off someone means, so after he sees Bramblestar flipping off his imposter he goes up to Dewspring, flips him off (not knowing it’s a bad thing), and asking him what it means. Dewspring would probably be mildly concerned and wondering how Rootpaw is learning all these obscene words and gestures lmao
So I said I’d cry reading about Bramblestar and Lionblaze and..yeah I ended up crying a bit lol. It’s just really sad seeing Bramblestar hear Lionblaze say that he hates him (cause he doesn’t know it’s not him) and wanting to comfort him but not being able to. Also after being sad and realizing that the imposter actually kicked Lionblaze out, Bramblestar was probably LIVID. NO ONE kicks out his son and gets away with it
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