Characters: (that appear in this chapter only)

BloodClan:

Baylor: Captain of the Guard; tom; white pelt with a gray spot on his neck, back, and flank, he has brown paws and ears. He also has one black spot overlapped by the gray one on his shoulder, his eyes are a bright green; massive and muscular

Reaper: Previous leader; tom; a black cat with white paws and tipped tail, he also has a white muzzle, his eyes are a dark brown; large and lean; dead

Snipe: Brother of Maple; tom; a dark brown coat with black tail and paws, has red ears and stripe going down from his forehead to the tip of his tail, bright blue eyes; massive

Rogues:

Maple: shecat; a deep mahogany pelt with golden swirls, a white chest, muzzle, paws, and tail with one red spot at the end of it. She has soft blue eyes; petite with long legs

Snake: shecat, daughter of Baylor and Maple; a long golden pelt with darker golden/mahogany swirls, a white chest, paws, underbelly, underside of tail and tip of tail. Also has bright green and lively eyes with silver woven into them and dark brown ears; petite with long legs

Ace: tom, son of Baylor and Maple; has a thick dark brown pelt that darkens into a black as it nears his belly and down his legs, his face is black with dark brown tabby markings strewn across it, has a single white paw and soft blue eyes; Massive like his father

Soot: shecat; daughter of Baylor and Maple; a long silvery smoke pelt with dark gray paws and tipped tail, has white tipped ears and muzzle and a dark gray spot on her shoulder like her father's, one eye is soft blue and the other a green; petite with long legs

Loner(s):

Nook: tom; light gray pelt with a white marking down his face and it moves down to cover his whole chest. He has white paws and bright, but kind, yellow eyes; A little taller than average, lean

I decided to split this chapter into two parts, since it turned out to be really long. Part Two will be posted soon, since I was almost done with the whole thing anyways. Enjoy!

The Rise of Snake: Chapter Three

"Wake up Snake, come on! Today Momma says we can go out if you open your eyes," Ace stood over her, nudging her with his paw. She groaned and rolled over onto her side, she was now almost a moon old. Ace and Soot opened their eyes eight sunrises ago, but hers refused to budge. Her eyelids stuck together, and had only loosened a little over time. If she tried hard, a small ray of sun could sneak through. It was so bright, and Snake wanted to open her eyes even more. Ace laid down beside her, his figure towering hers. She sighed and tried once more, it hurt but she knew if they didn't open soon her eyes could be damaged. She strained against the invisible seal that kept them shut, and they loosened a little. This motivated her to try again, Snake strained against them, her eyelids burning from the effort.

"They won't open!" she mewled, and Maple, hearing her kit's distress, padded over.

"What won't open?" She looked down at her kit, Ace beside her. Snake hissed in frustration.

"My eyes, I keep trying but they won't!" She dug her claws into the wood, softened from time. Maple kneeled down, facing Snake, and she began to groom her eyelids in attempt to loosen them. Snake grunted, and tried once more. She felt the strain give in, and her eyelids broke apart. Light flooded in, and she quickly shut them again. Ace looked over to her, understandingly. At first, the light hurt since he wasn't quite used to it.

"Snake, look at me." Ace nudged her with his muzzle, getting her to turn her head towards him. Soot, hearing all the commotion, woke up from her nap and padded towards her family snuggling up to her mother. Snake opened her eyes once more, and focused on the center of his face since it blocked out some of the light. It took a minute, but soon she could vaguely see the structure of it. Her eyes focused a different kind of sensation, not quite pain… but something odd, pierced them. Ace's face came into full view, and she widened her eyes in shock. She swiveled her head, and took in Maple and Soot's features.

"You did it!" Soot jumped up, tail high in the air from excitement. She sat up, and took in her surroundings. The world was so strange, and different from the darkness she was used to. Snake took in her sister's appearance; she's beautiful, she realized. Those eyes, are mine like that? Soot had astonishing and rare eyes, one a striking green like her father's, and the other a soft blue like her mother's. Ace stood up, and flicked his fluffy tail over her face playfully. He pranced over to the ladder and jumped down it, Soot trailing after him, pads hitting the ground lightly.

"Come on, you can do it." Maple nudged her kit forward with her forepaw encouragingly, pushing Snake towards the ladder. She bounded towards it filled with the urge ti explore, and looked down. Anxiety began to prick at her pelt, it wasn't that far down but she had never left the loft before. The ground seemed to dance and swirl in front of her, and it left a dizzy sensation. Maple waited patiently behind her, and her siblings tackled each other near the barn entrance in make-shift battle. Snake took a shaky step down onto the first plank of many. She took a deep reassuring breath, and hopped down the planks, occasionally losing her balance. Two steps before the ground, she leapt down eager to get off. Maple masterfully glided down, landing gracefully beside Snake. One day I'll be that good, she decided.

"Let's go kits, stay close to me. As soon as you misbehave were going back inside." She flicked her tail and padded out the barn. Soot trailed after her, like always. Snake stood at the entrance, eyes wide. The moor was so vast and strange, how will she ever find her way through?

"Look at it, the world's so big. Isn't it exciting?" Ace tumbled into her, energy pulsating from him. Snake glanced at him, not quite sure whether it was or not. He lashed his tail, and he could pick up her fear. He gave her a reassuring shove with his shoulder, and Snake licked it gratefully.

Maple looked back, noticing that only Soot was with her. "Snake, Ace; come over here!" Ace bounded off eagerly, he couldn't wait to explore. Snake groomed her chest nervously, and trotted off unsteadily, since she only had just opened her eyes, not wanting to be left behind.

"Wait!" she squeaked, and she lengthened her strides in attempt to catch up. Snake could scent her family up ahead; if only she could get to them she'd be safe. Her lungs began to burn, and her soft pads became sore. "Ace, Soot, Mamma?" She called out, hoping they'd come back for her. She kept at a steady pace, until a fallen tree blocked her path. Startled, she tripped and skidded into the tree.

A sharp pain rang up her hind leg and she yowled. She laid her head down, too afraid to move. They'll find me, I just need to stay here. Snake stretched out, and shifted to where she wasn't putting any weight on her leg. She began to feel heat rise on her left hind leg near the tendon. She whimpered, and buried her face into her forepaws miserably. She could no longer catch the scent of her family, and fear struck her mind. What if she was never found and died by this tree? What if something else found her first? Thoughts raced through her mind, of all the terrible fates she could meet. Snake let out a drawn out wail."Momma," she called out into the moor. There was no answer; but they must've noticed by now that she has disappeared.

Early noon drew out to late evening, and Snake was still huddled against the tree. Her stomach ached for mother's milk, and she longed for her family's comforting presence. How she yearned for her brother, he was always there for her, even when Maple wasn't. Soot made her laugh, and how she needed it now. Where are they? Snake lifted her head and looked around once more before letting out a shaky sigh. No one was going to find her here, she'd have to try and head back to the barn. Snake lifted her chest off the crushed grass with her forepaws, and slowly lifted the rest of herself up with her right hind leg. Cautiously, Snake put pressure on her left hind leg. As soon as she set it on the ground a jolt of pain shot up her leg and she winced, letting out a pitiful mewl.

With no other option, she set off away from the tree hobbling on three legs. Snake tried to follow any dented stalks of grass that she pushed past while running, but since she was so small she didn't really have all that much of an impact on them. She felt like she was going around in circles, and with the sun setting she began to lose hope. Soon, the moon replaced the sun, accompanied with bright stars. Snake made her way to the edge of the woods, and she settled near a bush to rest. Her stomach twisted in agonizing cramps from lack of food, and Snake felt as if she had no energy left in her. Looking up, she pondered at the stars. Where will I go when I die? The nagging question kept repeating itself inside her head like a mocking bird stuck with the same tune it had first heard. The stars seemed to reach down and comfort her, with their stretches of starlight. For some reason, they seemed to have some purpose, or meaning to them. To worn to worry about the stars, she rested her head and drifted off into a troubled and fitful sleep.

"Kit, wake up. Kit, hurry… now!" Snake felt her body move due to some unknown force. Drained from her eventful day, she didn't bother with it. "Kit, we need to leave now… before they find us." A gruff yet gentle voice urgently whispered. Snake ignored it, and felt herself be pulled into a deep sleep. She didn't refuse it, and Snake felt teeth clamp around her nape and the ground below her disappeared. Instinctively, her body and tail curled up but she remained in her trance. Wind blew around her, ruffling her pelt and stripping it of all its warmth. Snake gave in, and everything disappeared leaving her in complete darkness once more.

A Robin chirped its sing-song tune, signaling morning had come. The moon was slowly giving into the sun, which was raising itself ever so cautiously into the sky. Snake opened her jowls in a wide yawn, and cracked her eyes open, breaking apart the crust that had formed on them. She was greeted by the ache of her stomach, and dull pain of her leg. She tried to sit up, but some contraption held her injured leg in place so that she couldn't move it. It was restricted by two bindweed strips held together with cobwebs and moss. She could smell some weird poultice underneath the make-shift cast. It was a herd called comfrey, but she didn't anything about herbs and medicine. Looking around, she saw that she was in some sort of hole, with light streaming in from the entrance. "Hello?" she weakly mewed. Confused, Snake mewed louder, trying to catch the attention of anyone. Where was her family?

Moment later, a neatly groomed gray tom padded in with bright and kind yellow eyes. In his mouth, he carried moss drenched in water. He lightly walked over to her and laid the moss down at her paws.
Wh-who are you?" she stuttered, struggling to find her words. She looked up at the tom, larger than any other cat she had met. Suddenly, she felt smaller than ever. He crouched down in front of her, as if he tried to seem less intimidating… which didn't work. His pelt was short and sleek, and there was a stub where his tail should've been.

"They call me Nook, what about you little kit?" He blinked, his gaze holding a warm glow in them. His ear twitched, and she saw that there was a large nick at the tip of it. Snake flattened her ears, how dare he call me little!

"Momma and Daddy say I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," she hissed, her pelt fluffed up in attempt to make herself seem bigger. This earned a small chuckle from Nook. She narrowed her eyes, not finding the humor in the situation.

"Well if I don't know, I can't help you then can I?" He mewed calmly to her, and she blinked back at him, unsure of what to say. Will he really help me? Momma always tells us not to trust anyone. Snake flicked her ear, mimicking Nook, pretending she was a ferocious wild cat.

"I don't you're need help. I can find my way home just fine." Snake promptly mewed. Nook shrugged and shuffled over, clearing a path to the entrance.

"Ok little kit, there you go. Safe travels." Snake cleared her throat, hesitating before she stood up on three legs. She looked towards Nook, secretly hoping he'd stop her. When he didn't, with a flick of her tail she hobbled past him awkwardly. Nook waited patiently as she limped by, flicking his ear continuously. At the entrance, she stopped and turned back towards him, her tail hanging in defeat.

"Fine. I'm Snake and I have a brother, and a sister… I live in a barn somewhere in that moor. I also have no idea where I am and how I'm going to get home," She huffed out, maybe he'll know where that is. With some hope she looked up at him, holding his gaze for the first time. She broke into small sobs, she missed her family and her hunger consistently gnawed at her. Nook nudged the moss towards her, and she sniffled, before testing its scent. Snake lapped at it, and the water ran down her throat soothing the scratchiness that dwelled there. It also subdued the hunger. She greedily began to lap it up, until the moss was dry. Nook grinned slightly.

"I think I know where that barn is. Tomorrow we can look for it, after your leg has had a chance to heal. You pulled you tendon kit, nothing serious but it hurts like foxdung." Nook mewed. Foxdung? Snake wondered… she'd never heard that word before. This tom was strange, but at the thought of going home she perked up.

"Ok! Ace and Soot probably miss me, momma too." She thought back to the morning before, Ace had been so concerned for her… what did he feel like now?

"Get some rest, it'll help your leg heal faster and you'll be more refreshed for tomorrow's journey." He curled up into a tight ball, his eyes shut. Snake watched him for a moment, before limping over to where he was. She laid down beside him, her leg awkwardly stretched out from the brace. Resting her head between her paws, it suddenly hit her how tired she was. Soon, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Maple sat at the barn doors, anxiously looking out into the moor. Ace and Soot sat beside her. "Momma, where's Snake?" Soot looked up, eyes wide and moist. Maple flicked her ear, indicating that she heard her. A moment later, she turned her head down towards her.

"I don't know Soot… don't worry darling, she'll be back soon." Ace Stood up, and took a small step towards the vast field of grass. His ears stretched towards it, straining to hear her high-pitched voice. He lifted his muzzle up, tasting the air. He couldn't find her scent. He took another step out, before Maple jumped up and blocked his path.

"Stay here, I'm going to get your father. I'll be back soon, I'm serious… don't leave this barn." Maple looked firmly down at her kits.

"I want to go look for Snake!" Ace fluffed up his tail in protest.He couldn't stop thinking about how alone and frightened she must be. He needed to go find her, before she got hurt. Soot looked up at her mother, waiting for her response.

"No, you must stay here. I'll be back shortly and we can go look for her. I can't lose you too." Ace's tail drooped, and he solemnly nodded. Soot nudged him, and padded towards the loft. She paused at the ladder, and waited for him to join her. Reluctantly, he turned around and followed her up the ladder. His paws felt heavy, every step was a struggle. Once her kits were safely up on the loft, she took one last look at them before dashing out the barn towards the city.

She kept her strides steady as she expertly glided through the moor. When she neared the woods, to where she could see its outline, she began to slow down. Reaper dictated her thoughts, and she struggled to push them away. Maple slowed to a trot, as she padded through the woods. She ducked under a few fallen branches and leapt over some rotten logs. Ferns grazed her legs, brushing the dew off of the leaves and onto her pelt. She paused for a moment, when she reached the oak that she and Baylor used to meet up at. She could feel the trill rise in her chest, but she pushed herself on. Soon enough, she could scent the city ahead. It smelled of carrion, oil, and smoke. The stench burned her nose, and she sneezed. Maple slowly padded to the edge of the woods, and looked out to the streets. She had originally hoped Baylor would be patrolling this border, even though she knew it was unlikely.

Despite her hopes, he wasn't on this border patrol. Maple tasted the air, testing it for BloodClan cats. She slid out of the foliage, and swiftly ran across the streets, the familiar feel of pavement scraping at her pads. Maple silently trotted around the building, staying in the shadows as much as possible. With her senses on high alert, and muscles tense ready to bolt or fight, Maple stepped out into the streets. She needed to get to the Guard's training camp, where he'll most likely be. Without any hesitation, she dashed down the dark streets, the scent of BloodClan cats overwhelming her. Maple neared Reaper's old den, and she fought back the urge to turn around and flee. Flashes of memories ambushed her mind. She saw Snipe, ushering her into a bush. It began to rain, soaking her pelt. The sound of her paws pounding the pavement echoed through her ears. She could feel his rough and urgent lick on her forehead. "I'll be back soon, Maple. Stay here until Baylor comes to get you." He left her cowering behind the branches as he turned around and leapt out of the bushes to meet Reaper head on. Maple peered through the leaves, watching anxiously."Traitor!" Reaper's distinct caterwaul sounded, and he leapt at her brother with his reinforced claws outstretched. Snipe yowled in agony, and she could almost feel Reaper's claws tearing through her pelt. "Leave Maple alone you fox-hearted filth!" Snipe hissed out defiantly, choking on the blood from a deep gash in his throat. Maple buried her head between her paws, wrapping her tail around her petite body. "You'll pay for your treason Snipe. No one defies me and gets away with it!" Reaper lunged at him, raking his claws across Snipe's face. Snipe hissed, and rammed into Reaper's belly with his head, barreling him into the pavement. Reaper flailed his paws, trying to get a grip on the pavement. Before he could, Snipe leapt upon him, tearing at his pelt with his bare claws. Reaper howled in fury, unable to relieve himself of the unrelinquishing claws and teeth of Snipe. Fallen, eyes bright with hunger, ran over and dug his reinforced claws into Snipe's shoulder pulling him off. Snipe tumbled to the ground from the unexpected force and the two cats sprung upon him. BloodClan cats from all ranks, had gathered along the sidewalk and allies, raving. Baylor bursts through the leaves, and Maple instinctively lashed out her claws, failing to do any harm. He pressed his muzzle to hers, "come with me, quick." Maple nodded, and followed him out of the brush. Snipe, Fallen, and Reaper's caterwauls rang out behind her, and she pushed forward petrified and eager to escape the horror scene that played out behind her. Baylor escorted her down the road that led to the woods, she took the lead knowing being familiar with the escape route. She caught the eye of Rambo, who joined in the 'chase' to supposedly capture her.

Maple yowled in surprise when a heavy force rammed into her pushing her into an ally, pinning her beneath its massive paw. She looked up, breathing heavily. "Maple, what are you doing here!?" Baylor questioned her, concern and disquiet evident in his mew. Maple relaxed beneath his weight, breathing in his comforting scent. Baylor stepped off of her, his fur spiked up.

"Oh thank bones it's you, Baylor… Snake is missing, I need your help. Hurry, before Ace and Soot miss me." She stood up, and shook her pelt causing water to fly off. She panted, the images still dancing in her head. She shook it, trying to put them aside so that she could focus on the task at hand.

"Wait, Snake is missing?" He took a step towards his mate, disquietude laced in his voice. She nodded, tears threatening to pour over the edges of her eyes. He linked his tail with hers, "don't worry, we'll find her. But we must leave now, meet me by the oak. I'll be there soon." Maple flattened her ears, and she grew distant once more, a gruesome scene laid out in front of her that only she could see. Baylor pressed his muzzle to hers, drawing her back from it, and to the present. "You'll be ok; there are no patrols there yet. If you leave now, you'll have plenty of time before one shows up. I wouldn't have you go if you wouldn't be safe." She nodded slowly, and pulled herself from his safe presence. Maple looked back, longingly, before she raced off.