Ragged Hearts {Open}

Rag raced past his home, past the cats he didn't know and past his brother. He ran around the corner, claws scraping the ground. He didn't like this, no, not at all. His home wasn't even his to call anymore- it was those strangers home now. He wanted them gone- he didn't like it at all. He eventually skidded to a halt by an old friends place. "Jenna." He whispered hurriedly. "Jenna. Jenna!" He said more hastily, whacking the box with his paw.

He sighed, and before he could move that ever-present smell made his mouth run dry. Death. His ears perked up and he opened the side of the box, only to be greeted with the dead body of his friend. He was frozen, completely in shock. Jenna. He tensed as he prodded the body, finding no reaction. Again and again, he attempted to wake her up, but it was to no avail. His widened eyes softened. Marbles- her mate has to be around here somewhere, right? Right. Should I get Dusty?

Before he could think anymore, paw steps came close to him and he nearly jumped out of his fur. He turned around hastily, only to be greeted by an angry looking stranger. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was cut off as claws met his throat. It was a flurry of fur and paws before he could taste blood- salty and haunting. He tried to scream- for help, for anything- but the cat simply dug their claws into his throat before slicing his stomach and running off. He jerked his paw upwards in an attempt to get up, but darkness absorbed his vision and before he knew it, he felt blissfully calm, letting himself fall into an eternal sleep, no matter how much he wanted to scream for Dusty, for anyone.

Gold heard a scuffling noise near by and then the next thing she saw was a dead Rag. "Rag!! Oh no no no Rag!! Wake up please!!" The medicine cat meowed frantically putting her head on his chest, and hearing nothing she let out a sob uuntil the next thing she knew she was sobbing into his dead body.

Gray ran towards the commotion. His powerful legs making him more like a Windclan cat. When the tom got there, he was greeted by a gruesome sight. Gray's eyes widened in terror.
"Rag?" Gray whispered as he padded over to the dead cat. His eyes went cold. How would Dusty react? Gray pressed his muzzle against Rag's shoulder and held back a cry of horror. Another friend... dead.

Gold looked over at her leader. "What are we gonna do? Dusty is going kill someone for this!" The medicine cat meowed a little hysterically.

Felix, like Gray, hurried towards the commotion, and his eyes widened. He hadn't known Rag for long, but he considered him an ally, and wouldn't hesitate to defend him with his own life. But he hadn't been there.
He was in shock to see his gruesome body hanging limp, bleeding and battered. He had seen his sister kill cats like this. He had assisted her doing it. But she had never, ever killed a friend or ally. It was strange, he thought, how different it was to see an enemy's body dead, than a friend's. Same scenario, same outcome, different outcomes. Silently, Felix pressed his muzzle to Rag, trying to his how much he really wanted to let out a yowl of terror.

Dusty had heard a commotion near camp. He still hadn't completely decided whether or not he was going to leave- he'd decide that soon enough, but he first had to find a place. He padded over to be greeted by a bunch of cats gathered around a body.

A familiar looking body.

His heart pounded in his ears and he ran over, frantically looking over the body. "Rag!" He exclaimed, claws digging into the cold concrete as tears moistened his eyes. He felt for a pulse and found none. "No, no, no, no!" He exclaimed, nudging him constantly. "Wake up, wake up!"

---

The next few minutes were simply of Dusty yowling for his brother, and tears found their way from his eyes. He had noticed Jenna as well, but hadn't commented. "W-Who... Did you c-catch who did this?" He choked out, rubbing his eyes with his paws as he buried his muzzle into his brother's pelt.

Gray looked at Dusty with sadness in his eyes. Gray couldn't even imagine how hard it would be the other tom. Gray looked down then laid down right beside Rag and he curled up, fur brushing against the coldness of the dead tom. His muzzle pressed against Rag's. He began whispering things that no one else could hear. He was paying respect to Rag.
"Let the souls of our friends, your friends, and your family guide you to a better place," Gray said louder than what he'd original been saying. The tom arose and stepped away. He wanted to comfort Dusty, but he didn't know how to exactly.

Having heard the commotion, Sleet raced up before stopping dead in her tracks. No... Sadness swirled up inside her, for the dead and for the living, but she forced it back. It would be an insult to their memories to let my emotions get the better of me. Instead, she bowed her head and silently paid her last respects to Rag and the other beside him. May they be at peace...