"The Last Goodbye"

Darkness reigned over the ThunderClan camp. Long shadows lurked in the corners.
That same evening the deep terror had sifted through the entire Clan. The pack of ferocious dogs that had attacked so many cats had tried to take the lives of two foolish apprentices...

Brightpaw was in Cinderpelt's lair. She felt everything hurt and each wound burned like fire itself.
She could barely see well, and when she tried to touch one of her eyes, she only perceived a painful emptiness. And it was painful to know that she had lost something that she surely could not live with for long...
Yet the dark and frightening memory of what had happened that morning pricked him like needles.
She only had a few memories, most of them had faded like the moon at sunrise.
Yet the fear still weighed on him. And she still felt so weak and tired. Despite that, she was dying to see her dear friend, Swiftpaw, who had defended her tirelessly.
The young cat had survived by a miracle. He had ended up just like Brightpaw or even worse.

She tried to move a little despite the pain of the cuts. She had to see Swiftpaw.
She opened her one eye and awkwardly searched for the apprentice. He scent revealed to him that he was near the corner of herbs that lay between a crack in the lair's wall.
She almost crawled over and collapsed next to him.

"Oh Swiftpaw, please, you have to live, I love you." She whispered softly.

The apprentice hardly moved and his breathing was becoming faster each time.
Tears trickled from Brightpaw's one eye, trickling down to the den floor in a small rivulet.

"Please, please, I love you so much Swiftpaw, don't go". She kept saying as she sank her snout into Swiftpaw's black and white fur.

Suddenly she felt the touch of a head resting on hers.
Lifting her head slightly she saw Swiftpaw looking at her with all the love in the world.

"Don't cry, Brightpaw, I love you too, but I can't stay... this was always my destiny..." He murmured with a broken voice.

"No! This is not your destiny, I should be in your place, if you go I will go too". She whispered hugging Swiftpaw tightly.

"No... you can't leave with me... because this isn't your destiny..." Swiftpaw licked him gently.

"But... there's no point in my continuing to live... I'll be a nuisance here...". She sighed sadly.

"No...it's not like that, Brightpaw. You will be very important here, and above all, promise me that you will be happy, and that you will live the life that you would have lived with me." The young cat looked at her compassionately.

"I promise..." She said with a broken voice.

Swiftpaw looked at her with infinite warmth. In he deep yellow eyes she could see the same brilliance of StarClan.

"I love you, Brightpaw...I will never leave you..." With a last look of love towards her, Swiftpaw took a last breath and closed his eyes, remaining still.

Tears ran down her face, she wanted to avoid them and be strong, but she couldn't.

"Cry, Brightpaw, cry". Cinderpelt's voice full of sadness and compassion whispered in his ear.

She turned to the medicine she-cat and hugged her as she cried.

"I loved him." She whispered with pain.

"I know dear, but now you have to be strong for him. And no, you will not be a nuisance, you will see that all together we will get ahead... "She told him with pure warmth.

That night the spirit of a brave apprentice departed for StarClan...

______________________________________

This is a story for the contest by SilverStar2021!  And it was an inspiration for everything that happened throughout the first saga :'3

Here Swiftpaw manages to make it to ThunderClan's camp alive, however after he reveals everything to Brightpaw he dies.
Swiftpaw always wanted to see Brightpaw happy, even if he knows he'll have to go...

Actually I was also inspired by a song:

In this AU Bluestar gives her the name Lostface, but before her death she decides to rename her.
She later becomes Cloudtail's mate, and becomes Cinderpelt's assistant.
As Cinderpelt knows that she and Swiftpaw promised never to forget, she decides to take her to the Moonstone to meet him.
However when all the medicine cats arrive a badger appears and attacks them, but Brightheart defends them by sacrificing his life.
In the end she really does meet Swiftpaw again :'3

If you want me to write the AU, comment! ;3

Thanks for watching!!! <333