Let me just say that this chapter was extra hard to write since I really hated the scene where Fireheart and his patrol find Swiftpaw's body. It's so sad. Anyway, next chapter I believe I'm doing Lionheart and then possibly Tigerstar. Yay! (And I am trying to go in a somewhat chronological order, so please don't ask me to do any cat from POT or TNP. At least not yet. I'll get there though.) So please leave lots and lots of reviews!

EDIT: I got a review saying that Swiftpaw and Brightheart were siblings but to clear things up, they were not related AT ALL. If you go to Erin Hunter's website, they have family trees of all the cats. Brightheart and Swiftpaw are not brother and sister. I do believe that Swiftpaw loved Brightheart. It was good that Rubyrose brought this up though because it was something that needed to be clarified. Thanks for reading!

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Chapter 4: Swiftpaw: Ripped

Swiftpaw tried, he really did. But the giant black-and-tan monster was too quick, too strong, too bloodthirsty. Swiftpaw felt a rush of horror as the dog's wide, slobbering jaws opened and shot down towards him. Swiftpaw darted to the side, his black and white pelt flashing. The dog was faster. Swiftpaw let out a long scream of agony as he felt the animal's long teeth sink into his fur.

Swiftpaw felt himself being lifted into the air by the dog and shaken back and forth violently. As the world spun before his eyes, Swiftpaw felt a stab of pity for Brightpaw. Where was she? Had the dogs already killed her? He hoped she had the sense to run for her life and escape.

Swiftpaw felt his strength ebbing away and with a final burst of red light that engulfed all of his senses, his body drooped and sagged in the dog's mouth. Then everything went black.

When Swiftpaw came to, he was standing next to a sad-looking, limp body of a cat lying in the middle of Snakerocks. He nosed the body, confused. The cat was obviously dead, but it looked a great deal like himself. Cocking his head, Swiftpaw crouched down besides the dead cat and sniffed at it curiously.

The scent hit him like a Twoleg monster, smashing him with realization and despair. The dead cat on the ground was him. Meowing in hopelessness, Swiftpaw attempted to nudge his own still body, praying to StarClan that he was dreaming.

"Swiftpaw," a light voice called. The voice sounded like a rainbow; many different colors combined into one being, gently echoing along his consciousness, calming his fragile nerves and soothing his bristling fur.

Turning his head slightly, Swiftpaw caught sight of a dappled calico cat, bounding across the blood-stained grass towards him.

"Who are you? Will you help me? I-I think I'm dead," cried Swiftpaw, rushing to the calico she-cat.

"My name is Spottedleaf. I used to be the medicine cat for ThunderClan," the she-cat said quietly, licking Swiftpaw's ear with her tongue. "And I will help you. I am here to escort you to StarClan."

Swiftpaw felt a great swell of emotions rising up in his chest. "No," he mewed desperately, "I can't die now! I'm only an apprentice. I didn't get my warrior name! I-I need to live."

"Swiftpaw, life begins and ends like the rising and falling of the sun; it cannot be stopped," Spottedleaf explained kindly, "your time has come."

Swiftpaw shook his head frantically and took a step back, suddenly noticing that his fur had turned a pearly white color, his paws sparkling with what looked like small stars. He didn't want to die. He couldn't die! Swiftpaw made to turn and run back in the direction of ThunderClan camp but something stopped him.

A small white and ginger cat lay on the ground, a little whiles away from him. Her face was ravaged and bleeding. Her body was torn and bitten with wounds. Swiftpaw felt bile rising in his throat.

"Brightpaw..."

He threw himself at the she-cat, pressing his nose to her fur, breathing in her scent. She couldn't be dead. This was all his fault! He'd made her come with him!

"She's alive," Spottedleaf said, her melodic voice barely above a whisper.

"What? Are you sure?" Swiftpaw was amazed. How had she survived?

"She is alive, but she's hovering between the line of life and death," Spottedleaf said sadly.

"What can I do?" demanded Swiftpaw.

"Leave," Spottedleaf said simply, "come with me to StarClan. Your presence is making her spirit confused."

"What do you mean?"

"She wants to be with you," Spottedleaf murmured, "if you stay here and torment her soul, she will die too, so she can follow you to the stars. If you leave with me, there is a good chance she will survive."

Swiftpaw looked down at Brightpaw. Her chest was moving slightly as her body automatically took in air for her smashed lungs. He felt conflicted. If he stayed, Brightpaw would come and join him. They could go to StarClan together! Swiftpaw shook his head abruptly. What was he saying? He didn't want Brightpaw to die as well. There was only one thing for him to do.

"Okay, let's go," he said, his voice choked up with emotion.

Spottedleaf licked his cheek sympathetically. "You are doing the right thing," she breathed in his ear, "she can live to see another day."

As Swiftpaw began to ascend into the sky, led by Spottedleaf, he couldn't resist looking back once more. Brightpaw was still lying in the clearing. But now a white tom crouched over her, clearly upset, meowing frantically to a ginger cat who'd been inspecting Swiftpaw's body.

Fireheart and Cloudtail, Swiftpaw realized. He felt surprised that he felt no resentment towards either cat. He looked sadly as Cloudtail gently licked Brightpaw's bloodied head. Swiftpaw sighed.

"You are right for her," he whispered to Cloudtail, knowing the white warrior couldn't hear him.

Then he turned his back on the cats in the clearing and ran after Spottedleaf, into the sky, and into the paws of the bright stars waiting for him.