A/N- Yay! Another chapter! WARNING: I can not be held accountable for all the things my twisted mind puts on the computer. It forces me to type.

Disclaimer- Can't come up with anything creative…darnit. Oh well, the point is: I DON'T OWN IT!

Chapter 13- Reunion

Two moons later

"Swiftpaw, wake up!" Leafpaw yelled, poking her sister in the side once again.

"What do you want Leafpaw?" Swiftpaw replied sleepily, sitting up.

"Hurry up, sleepyhead. You're going to miss Graypup and Rabbitpup's apprentice ceremony!" Leafpaw called, running out of the den.

Shaking her head, Swiftpaw stretched and followed just in time to see Graypup, Rabbitpup, and Cedarheart pad up to the Highrock. She wove through the crowd to her sister's side as Spiritstar leapt down from her post to meet the excited pups.

Turning to the larger of the two, she recited, "Graypup, from this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Graypaw. Longfang, you will mentor Graypaw. Please pass on all of your strength and wit to this apprentice."

Mentor and apprentice touched noses and moved off to the side.

Spiritstar then turned to Rabbitpup, whose fur was fluffed up with excitement. "Rabbitpup, from this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Rabbitpaw. Spottedchest, you will mentor Rabbitpaw. Our old deputy Burningheart was your mentor, please pass on all you learned from him to this young apprentice."

Spottedchest nodded with a determined glint in her eyes. She touched noses with Rabbitpaw as Swiftpaw joined everyone chanting the new names. She then followed Leafpaw as she rushed to congratulate their puphood den mates.

After the meeting broke up, she turned towards the gorse tunnel to go hunting. She was almost there when a voice called her name. She turned just in time to catch Hazelpup as she rocketed towards her. Swiftpaw rolled with the pup, ending up in a pile of fur.

"Hey Swiftpaw!" Hazelpup chirped when she'd disentangled herself, "What'cha doin'?"

"Well I was going to go hunt, but that was before you showed up." Swiftpaw said, fixing the pup with a stare.

"Uh yeah, about that…" Hazelpup stuttered.

"I tried to stop her." Whitefeather cut in merrily, joining them with Blackpup, "But you know how she is."

"It's fine." Swiftpaw shrugged, "What are you doing out and about anyway?"

"We're going outside to see some of the territory!" Hazelpup chirped, "Can you come? Please please please please please!" she begged

Swiftpaw pretended to think for a moment before saying slowly, "Well…I guess I don't have anything else that needs to be done right now…"

"YAY!" Hazelpup shouted, "Come one!"

With that, she raced out of the tunnel, leaving the rest of the party to catch up.

OOOoooOOO

"You'll never catch me!" Hazelpup teased as she danced away from Swiftpaw.

"Oh yes I will!" Swiftpaw called, charging in the direction of Hazelpup's laughing voice.

As she entered the training hollow, a vile scent flooded her nose and caused her to stop in her tracks. It was a scent she knew almost as well as her own. Bloody patrols came back with it clinging to their fur. It was worse than ShadowClan and Twolegplace combined. It was a scent that was always mixed with blood. And for anyone who got too close, it meant pain, suffering, and, eventually, death.

"Hazelpup get back here now!" she called, trying to hide her panic.

"What is it?" Hazelpup asked, popping out of a pile of sand.

"We have to get back to camp, now!"

"Why so soon?" she whined.

"Yes," a sinister voice droned, "Why so soon?"

Swiftpaw stood defensively over Hazelpup as a large dog materialized out of the bushes in front of her.

The golden mix sat a fox length away from her, his cold blue eyes studying her carefully. His mouth curled into a sneer, and he taunted, "Why if it isn't little Swiftpup, all grown up, if you can call it that. It's nice to see you again. Maybe this time you'll actually put up a fight, instead of always running away."

"I can't say it's a nice reunion, as it's not. But you couldn't keep up before, and this time will be no different." Swiftpaw snarled.

"Oh dear little sister, you don't honestly think you can beat us." He said, letting out a laugh that was more like a growl.

"Us? Last time I looked it was one-on-one." She sneered, "But of course you'd bring more. I don't suppose you could so much as defeat a squirrel, much less an apprentice."

She could tell he was angry when his ice blue eyes narrowed. "I'll show you." He jerked his head up and more forms materialized, surrounding Swiftpaw and Hazelpup. They snarled at her and snapped their jaws dangerously close to her. "Wait." He ordered them, "Not yet."

"Oh come on Fadingsun!" a lean gray female snapped, "We've been waiting all day! I want to show this traitor what's what."

"I know Breezewind." Fadingsun warned, "But you'll have to wait a bit longer. There's something I'd like to inform my dear sister of." Breezewind glared at him, but he was focused on Swiftpaw. "I've been made deputy."

"Well that's just amazing." Swiftpaw spat, "After all, I know you were the one that killed Foxfur."

"You think you're so clever, don't you sister? It's true that I killed that old fleabag. Now what are you going to do about it. You always were weak, and now let's see what the great Spiritstar has taught you."

With that he leapt at her. She managed to grab Hazelpup roughly and leap away. Putting her down, she murmured, "Stay close to me."

"Oh don't worry." Fadingsun drawled, "You're first, then we'll take care of the pup. Feel free to join in," he told the dogs surrounding them, "But I want my face to be the last one my dear sister sees."

Snarling, Swiftpaw leapt at him this time. She managed to score her claws across his muzzle before she was forced to dart away. She tried to dart underneath his legs, like she had been taught, but he landed a heavy blow with his paw. This sent her flying across the clearing and knocked the breath from her.

She yowled as an excruciating pain made its way up her leg, but she dragged herself to her paws and was just barely able to limp out of the way as Breezewind flew at her. She smelt the tang of blood as her side erupted in pain as well. She blinked stars from her vision and tried to fight back, landing a few blows as well. By this time the other dogs had joined in as well. She tried to weave beneath the legs of one of them. Unfortunately, her injured paw sent her off balance and she only gave him a few painful scratches before Fadingsun landed another heavy blow.

Her breath was knocked from her again as she landed across the clearing, but this time she was unable to stand. She collapsed in the dirt, fighting the blackness that tried to consume her. It was no use, and the last thing she saw was Hazelpup's terrified face. She then closed her eyes and sank into the comforting blackness, imagining that she heard a loud howl that became fainter and fainter as she went.

A/N- Muahahahahahaha! Cliffy! Yes I know I'm evil, but I already know what mostly the next chapter is, so I'll probably update faster. EyeOfTheTiger, I know I changed your characters a little, but I wanted to put them in and I needed evil people. It just worked. Please don't be mad, because you're my faithful reviewer (along with my new, hopefully-faithful reviewer, Gladewing- thanks) and I want you to be happy! More props go to Scarflower, the newest-new reviewer!