WARRIORS AU: Swiftpaw lived

Chapter 1

Swiftpaw shifted his paws nervously as he explained the plan. 

"- and then we'll solve it! We will be so brave Bluestar will HAVE to make us warriors!" Swiftpaw puffed out his chest. Only Brightpaw's eyes lit up. 

"Are you sure?" Ashpaw mewed. "That sounds dangerous." 

"The life of a warrior is dangerous." Brightpaw pointed out. 

"Are you sure we can't just wait this out? Like, wait till Bluestar gets back to normal?" Thornpaw offered. 

"Cloudtail didn't have to wait. He got his name early." Swiftpaw growled. He had been good friends with Cloudtail, deep down he still liked him as a friend. But he had been training longer than him! HE should get his warrior name first! 

"True," Ashpaw looked down, clearly uncomfortable. 

"Whatever," Thornpaw scoffed. "Listen, if your plan for some reason succeeds, I'll be happy for you. No doubt about that. But," His gaze darkened. "It might not work. Remember that." He flicked his tail and padded away. Ashpaw and Fernpaw looked at each other. 

"I agree with Thornpaw. No use in risking our lives for something stupid." Ashpaw narrowed his blue eyes and followed Thornpaw. That left Swiftpaw, Fernpaw, and Brightpaw. 

"Well, I'm in on the plan!" Brightpaw announced. 

"What about you, Fernpaw?" Swiftpaw pressed. Fernpaw looked down and shifted her paws. 

"Look, I agree with you. But I'm not risking my life." She answered. 

"I understand. But we won't be! We'll just see what it is, fight it and come back! Simple." Brightpaw explained. Swiftpaw flicked his ear. 

"Maybe," Fernpaw sighed. "Anyways, I gotta go. Good luck." She shrugged and padded off. 

"That leaves us," Brightpaw murmured. Swiftpaw gazed into her beautiful blue eyes.

"I guess it does." Swiftpaw looked out into the distance. "We better get a move on, so no cat finds out." 

"Right." Brightpaw nodded. Swiftpaw dipped his head. 

"Follow me." He mewed. Brightpaw nodded. 

"This should be interesting." 

                                            ***

"S-Swiftpaw," Brightpaw whispered as they reached Snakerocks. 

"What?" Swiftpaw spun around and lashed his tail. "I can smell it!" He mewed happily. "We'll find it and prove Bluestar wrong!" 

"T-Turn around. Slowly." Brightpaw whimpered. 

"Wha- AH!" Swiftpaw screamed in horror as he looked up at a large dog. It barked and snarled at the two apprentices. Brightpaw's eyes filled with panic. 

"We have to fight it!" She screeched. 

"PACK, PACK, KILL, KILL!" The dog growled. 

"What?" Brightpaw backed up. The dog ran after her. Swiftpaw bared his fangs and leaped on the dog. Brightpaw turned around and bit into the dog's legs. We can win! It's two of us against one dog, Swiftpaw thought. Although, it's a bit strange to have only one dog taking all the prey. Suddenly, the dog lashed out at him. What? I thought Brightpaw was- Swiftpaw stopped. He was frozen in fear. It was a whole pack of dogs. At least 4 of them. They were outnumbered. 

"What do we do n-" Brightpaw stopped when a dog leaped up and bit into her side. Brightpaw snarled at clawed at the dog's muzzle. Swiftpaw spun around and attacked two dogs. He dragged his claws along their muzzles.  They yelped in pain as blood dripped from their face. Swiftpaw felt a sharp jab of pain in his ear. A dog had bitten it! Blood streamed down his face like an angry rushing river. The dog bit into Swiftpaw's side. Blood raced out of it. Swiftpaw yowled in pain. 

"Leave him alone!" Brightpaw snarled. She leaped up and stuck her claws into a dog's eye. The dog screeched in pain, now blinded. Another dog lashed out and bit into the side of her face. NO! Swiftpaw thought. As Brightpaw tried to break free, the dog dragged his claws along her face. Brightpaw fell to the ground as blood pooled around her. Swiftpaw batted the dog across the face and raced to her side. 

"Brightpaw!" He wailed. No answer. She moaned in pain. Her beautiful thin body was now stained red with her own blood. Swiftpaw stepped in front of her, protecting her from the dogs. 

"I'm sorry I brought you here." Swiftpaw choked out. He jumped up and bit into the dog's neck. This was the pack leader. It was bigger and stronger than the others. It let out a low growl and raced after Swiftpaw. Swiftpaw looked around. A tree! He tried to climb up it. He felt claws pulling him down the tree. I'm gonna die! He heard a growl from behind him... and then everything went black... 

                                                   ***

"He's awake! Swiftpaw's awake!" 

"No way!" 

"whoa!" 

"Wha-" Swiftpaw's amber eyes adjusted to the harsh light. He felt heavy and gross. He hauled himself to his paws. He was in the medicine den! Swiftpaw looked down at his paws and almost jumped back in horror. His whole body was covered in scars! Little patches of black and white fur were along his back and chest. 

"It'll grow back." A voice grunted. Cinderpelt, Swiftpaw thought. 

"Huh?" Swiftpaw struggled to his paws and fell down. 

"Two things. One, you'll have scars along your chest forever, and two, you'll never hear out of your left ear again." Cinderpelt licked her paw. Swiftpaw sighed. He was half deaf! 

"Swiftpaw." A voice seemed to wail. 

"Longtail!" Swiftpaw's face lit up at the sight of his mentor. 

"I'm so glad you're ok." Longtail licked his head. 

"Wait- where's Brightpaw?" Swiftpaw asked. Cinderpelt sighed and nodded over towards another nest. There, Brightpaw lay. Half of her face seemed to be gone. Her once beautiful white and ginger face was no more. "Oh, Brightpaw," he murmured so softly only he could hear himself. 

"Fireheart, Cloudtail, Sandstorm, and Graystripe saved you." Longtail gagged at the name Graystripe. 

"I always knew Fireheart was-" 

"Whatever." Longtail scoffed. He sighed. "I'll always be in debt to him. He saved my apprentice." Swiftpaw blinked. Did he really want to be saved? He would have these scars forever, what was the point? Should he have died instead?