"Okay, so just copy me, alright?"
Pebblepaw, Goosenose, Cherrypaw, and Troutfang had gone out for battle training. The pine trees loomed above them, but they had found a dry clearing where they could practice.
The apprentices nodded and fixed their eyes on their mentors. As Goosenose charged at Troutfang head-on, Troutfang leaped away. As Goosenose tried to skid to a stop, Troutfang leaped onto her and pinned her down.
"Woah!" Cherrypaw purred. "That was amazing!"
All Pebblepaw did was nod slightly and look at her paws. She felt miserable as she faced Cherrypaw so they could practice the move.
Cherrypaw lunged at her as quick as lightning. Instead of leaping away, Pebblepaw shrieked and was pummeled over by Cherrypaw.
"Pebblepaw!" Goosenose scolded. "Were you even listening?"
"Sorry," she muttered.
"How about Cherrypaw try the move?" Troutfang suggested dryly.
Pebblepaw rolled her eyes and prepared to charge. She roared and sprinted at Cherrypaw, her teeth bared. Instead of just going straight, she aimed toward where the apprentice would leap away. With a surprise yowl, Cherrypaw fell over as Pebblepaw tackled her.
"She's not doing it-" Cherrypaw's whine was cut short as Pebblepaw struck her muzzle.
"Pebblepaw!" Goosenose snarled. "Get off her at once!"
"She hit me!" Cherrypaw cried, scrambling from under her. "She's a monster!"
Pebblepaw's rage seemed to blow away. She turned away, murmuring, "Sorry, Cherrypaw."
"What's gotten into you?" Goosenose growled. "You've been acting drowsy, grumpy, and aggressive!"
It's working, Pebblepaw thought miserably. Nobody likes me. Now that tom won't be able to kill them.
"Get back to camp and stay there!" Goosenose continued hotly. "Maybe taking a nap will make you more tolerable!"
She gloomily walked away, heading back to camp. But she didn't want to sleep. Sleep meant more talking with the evil tom.
But for some reason, her paws took her to her den.
No! She thought desperately. No sleep! Please!
But it wouldn't work. It seemed like her body was working by itself, completely disregarding what her brain wanted.
She unwillingly curled up and closed her eyes.
The tom's cold laughter rang through the air, sending shivers down her spine.
Pebblepaw found herself once again in the den of hard sticks; two legs swarming around her.
"You didn't want to sleep, did you?" the tom sneered. "News flash! You don't have an option."
Pebblepaw gritted her teeth, her tail swishing in annoyance. "How? You can't force me to sleep!"
The tortoiseshell laughed, his eyes shining with malice. "Well, how do you explain that you're sleeping right now? When you didn't want to?"
"What do you want?" Pebblepaw demanded.
"I'm giving you a new chance, of course!" the tom made an evil smile. "I know you're lying about not liking your little friends. I just like to watch you suffer."
"Then why do you keep them alive?" Pebblepaw asked before she could stop herself.
"Mm, but who would hate you then?" the tom sneered.
"You do a pretty good job at that," she muttered darkly.
"No, no, you've got me all wrong," the tom said with a malicious smile. "You hate me. I never said I hated you."
"What do you want?" Pebblepaw repeated angrily.
"Like I said, I'm giving you a second chance!" the tom replied with a smirk. "You can be friends with your little cat-mates again if you join me! Easy decision, eh?"
"Yeah, it's the easiest decision. No!" came Muckpelt's voice.
The she came striding in, her tail held high, and her chin raised.
"Someone woke up and chose to be rebellious," the tortoiseshell snarled.
"You're right," Muckpelt said proudly. "I sent a dream to Bramblestar."
"What?" the tom yowled.
Despite Muckpelt's brave attitude, Pebblepaw could notice the end of her tail twitching. She was afraid of the big tom, and rightly so.
"You will suffer dearly for that, traitor," the tom growled, his teeth bared.
"You're right," Muckpelt breathed. "I am a traitor. A traitor to Starclan."
The tom's eyes glittered with hunger as he flicked his tail. Suddenly, Muckpelt was pinned to the ground by something invisible. Pebblepaw could almost see the faint outline of many cats pinning her down.
"Executioners, do with her what you will," the tortie said dismissively.
Muckpelt screamed as invisible paws twisted her body, putting her in an unnatural and painful position. She then was thrown to the ground and clawed, her belly, her face, anything they could get their paws on.
"Stop!" Pebblepaw screeched. "I'll do what you want!"
Everyone froze.
"Pebblepaw, no!" Muckpelt yowled. "You can't!"
"Shut up," the tom said with a grin.
"Let. Her. Go." Pebblepaw growled.
The tom flicked his tail and Muckpelt was let go. She gasped in pain as she tried to settle into a position.
"I'm glad you have seen sense," the tortoiseshell meowed. "I will now tell you what to do."
Pebblepaw gritted her teeth but said nothing.
"You must convince Owlstar to go to war with Oakclan. It won't be very hard, mind you."
"War? Why?" Pebblepaw blurted.
"Quiet!" He hissed. "You are now waking. Remember what I have said. You may now speak to your little friends. And remember this: she is my toy. I will do with her what I will. If you do not please me, she shall face the consequences."
Pebblepaw's gasp was drowned out by a large sucking noise as she woke.
"Pebblepaw!" Goosenose hissed. "Wake up! We can try training again."
"O-okay," Pebblepaw mewed shakily.
She couldn't believe what she had agreed to. She had agreed to help the foul, mange-ridden tom destroy Starclan! What did that make her?
"Let's try training with Minkpaw," Goosenose suggested. "Minkpaw, would you like to try some battle training?"
"Let me ask Flyberry!" The little tom called cheerily.
With a heavy heart, Pebblepaw padded to the training area, her tail drooping. She was a traitor. She was no better than the worst murderer.
Poor Pebblepaw! What should she do?
Also sorry for the kinda short chapter :P
Credits to: https://www.pinterest.com/taninsid/
(The username has a strange letter in it so I put the link lol)
Look it's Goosenose!