CHAPTER ONE
snakeleap

Morning light fluttered into the warriors' den, splattering honey-golden rays into Snakeleap's eyes. The tom groaned softly, pearly white claws sinking into the soft ground underpaw, a headache pounding in his temple.

Every day started the same; wake up, deal with the camp guards, talk to his friends, see Slap if possible, go on patrol, have the last pick of the fresh-kill-pile, and sleep.

It was exhausting. Snakeleap could practically feel how brittle his bones were. He lifted himself to his paws, shaking dust from his pelt, and slowly stepped forward, wincing. His head was on fire and his legs moved slowly; Snakeleap wasn't sure if it was the side affect of grief, or something else entirely. He knew he should confide in Slap, talk to his mate about how horrible he'd been feeling, but Snakeleap wasn't sure he had it inside of him to. And we used to be so close...

A lump formed in Snakeleap's throat, stinging his eyes with tears. He quickly swallowed down the weakness, trying to breathe, but the overwhelming thoughts were nearly too much to handle.

It'd been nearly six moons since the death of his brother. Six agonizing moons of grief and despair, six moons since Archangel took over EchoClan. Several changes had been implemented to his Clan, and sometimes, when Snakeleap looked around, he wasn't sure he recognized his Clan at all. Everything felt foreign, like he was in a dream, except his dream was a nightmare that he could never escape from. Even when he slept, memories of Waspstar's death thrummed through his head, leaving him fully exposed to the sneers and claws that came the next day. It was torture.

Snakeleap ducked through the sheet of vines tangled over the entrance of the warriors' den, gray eyes following the trail of tendrils snaking along the clay caves. He twitched his thin, splotched tail and shifted his gaze over toward the mouth of camp. A growl rumbled softly in his throat when he spotted Archangel sitting peacefully next to the oak leader's den, white paws tucked comfortably beneath his fur. Next to him stood a huge black tom, scars crisscrossing over his matted pelt, dim amber eyes staring intently on Archangel.

Spiderstrike... After the takeover, Archangel brought in the black tom with little to no explanation. After two moons, Spiderstrike was made as Archangel's advisor, and the two were rarely seen apart from each other. Snakeleap didn't trust Spiderstrike with any bone in his body; any friend of Archangel's had to be as warped and diluted as he was. Though Spiderstrike hadn't distributed any signs of psychotic behavior, Snakeleap was waiting for something to happen, always watching the advisor with sharp gray eyes. It's only a matter of time before he does something... and when it happens, I'll be here to stop it.

Surprisingly, nothing too bad had happened since Archangel starved the pawful of EchoClanners after the takeover. The memory was still painful for Snakeleap, causing his claws to sink into the soft ground underneath him. Seeing his son forced into the elders' den, seeing the dead look in his eyes when Archangel had rounded those chosen cats into the middle of camp after three days... Snakeleap was sure he'd been completely broken.

Still, nothing truly compared to the grief surrounding his brother. While Waspstar hadn't always been an able and present leader, he'd been passionate about his Clan - and was always willing to risk himself for his Clanmates. In the end, though, Archangel's words punctured through Waspstar's walls, and his brother fell, taking the rest of EchoClan with him. Snakeleap could still remember the way his breath had hitched, how his body had frozen the moment he saw his brother's blood staining the ground. Blades of grass had bent under his orange paws as he raced forward, slamming past Chirpbark, pushing into Waspstar's flank.

Snakeleap forcefully shoved himself out of the memory, shaking his pelt loose of those terrible thoughts. He swallowed the bile in his throat and continued walking, paws shaking with every step. He ripped his gaze away from Archangel and Spiderstrike, next landing on a pawful of other cats that made his claws unsheathe- the camp guards.

Archangel had implemented a new rank into EchoClan shortly after the takeover. Camp guards, he called them, were Archangel's most loyal and oldest followers. They had more power over their other Clanmates, guarded the camp at night, and had free leisure to smack around any cats they wanted. Snakeleap, being Waspstar's brother, was often receiving the blunt of their torture.

There were also the subordinates, cats who Archangel had deemed too close to Waspstar and EchoClan to be a full warrior- cats like Swiftspeck, Dimflare, Birdcry, and even Chirpbark. If they proved their loyalty, they could become full warriors and have more freedom, but very few refused to. Therefor, they were stuck in camp surrounded by camp guards, or closely watched throughout the territory, given absolutely no privacy at all just in case anyone tried to run off. Snakeleap hated it, even more so because he was not only a subordinate but also the brother of Waspstar - a very likable target to the camp guards.

He quickened his pace to try and slide away without detection, but Stag - one of the camp guards - quickly noticed him, green eyes lighting up considerably. She flicked Wolf's flank and alerted him of Snakeleap's presence, and in a mere matter of seconds, the two were bounding over towards their first victim of the day.

SpiritClan, give me strength, he prayed.

"If it isn't old Snakeleap!" Wolf chirped, a smile making its way on his cheeks.

"Welcome to the land of the living," Stag snickered, poking fun at Snakeleap's late start, "Have any dreams? Talk to SpiritClan?"

Snakeleap lashed his tail, turning away from the two, ears flattening on his head.

Wolf's gaze grew hard. "Answer her!" he snapped loudly, slamming a huge gray paw into the side of Snakeleap's head. The orange tom whined when he hit the ground, body aching from the impact. A shadow crossed over his vision as Wolf stuck his muzzle in Snakeleap's face. "So, did you? Have any dreams, I mean? I sure hope it was about your old leader; so sad he can't save his poor little EchoClanners." Wolf cackled, leaning back. "You should've been there, boss. The look on Waspstar's face when he gave up..."

The words settled into Snakeleap's heart, and almost instantly his fur began to bush. He hated the way those mangy fox-hearts talked about his brother, hated them for their blinding loyalty to Archangel and constant abuse towards Snakeleap. What had he ever done to them? Simply lived? Was that enough to face their cruel words and claws for the rest of eternity?

The black hole swallowed everything inside Snakeleap, numbness creeping up his skin. As a younger cat he might have been able to cry, but now, Snakeleap was empty. Snakeleap was aged. He'd seen so much heartache and sorrow in his life, and sometimes wished there to be no more. But in Archangel's world, death and destruction seemed to follow everywhere; there was simply no room for anything else.

Swallowing down his pride, Snakeleap grit his teeth and pulled himself to his paws. The headache grew worse, pounding behind his eyelids, ears buzzing with pain. "Is that all?" he asked curtly, stomach rumbling with hunger. Snakeleap didn't want to push the camp guards any further, but knew any tone he used could be found as disrespectful.

Wolf glared at him, mangled tail lashing. In a mere matter of seconds the brute tom's paws were sinking into Snakeleap's shoulders, pressing him deep into the earth. "Now, is that any way to talk to your superior, Snakeleap? You're done when I say you're done! Do you understand?"

Snakeleap could feel the fight leave his body; his bones ached from Wolf's grip, and although he hated it, Snakeleap knew he needed to appease his... superior. "I'm sorry," he said softly, "I understand."

Stag snickered. "You'd better understand. Who do you think you are, talking back to us? You look no better than a waif!"

"Hey!" a voice snapped from the edge of the clearing. Snakeleap slumped under Wolf's grasp, both relieved and worried; he was glad someone was defending him, but worried that this cat would be hurt in the process. "Leave him alone!"

Stag's gaze whirled into a look of pure, absolute hatred. "What do you want, Dungflare?"

"Leave Snakeleap alone," Dimflare growled, stalking up next to his fellow subordinate. "He didn't do anything to you!"

Snakeleap looked up and watched in horror as Wolf lashed out, claws scraping against Dimflare's cheek. A soft hiss filled the clearing and Dimflare recoiled back, tail lashing around his feet. Wolf made a quick move again but stopped mid-air, laughing when Dimflare flinched. "C'mon," Wolf said, turning to his mate. "I bet Archangel will want to send out patrols soon." The two camp guards padded off without another word, making their way to their leader's side.

The former deputy was heaved upward by strong paws and groaned, turning gray eyes to Dimflare. "What was that?" Snakeleap asked, attempting to be stern; his voice didn't carry through, though, only echoing with apathy. "It's dangerous to argue- stop doing it."

Dimflare blinked empty green eyes at Snakeleap, giving nothing away. "I respect you, Snakeleap, and I still see you as my deputy." His voice dropped. "But I know how to take care of myself."

Snakeleap shook his head slowly, eyes wrenching shut with pain. "You'll get yourself killed." The headache pounded back in his temple, pushing along the edge of his head.

"Are you okay?" Dimflare demanded.

"Fine," Snakeleap rasped.

"Mhm... come on. I'll bring you to Minktalon."

"No. I'm fine." Snakeleap jerked out of Dimflare's grasp, opening his eyes. He spotted a rivulet of blood trailing down the side of Dimflare's face, dripping crimson through his fur. "I'll come with you, though. You should get that checked on." I need to see Slap, anyway.

Dimflare hesitated, claws flexing, then nodded. "Fine." He briskly turned and paused, waiting for Snakeleap to begin walking, then fell in line with his former deputy. The medicine den yawned open a black tunnel screened by lichen, entangled vines streaking the outside of the clay exterior. The scent of herbs was strong as Snakeleap entered; he blinked rapidly, gaze adjusting to the darkness, and spotted the medicine cats.

Minktalon was working with Lilypaw, questioning her about herbs and their uses. On the other side, Slap was adjusting a set of berries and leaves, brows furrowed in concentration as he delicately separated fresh herbs from old herbs. Snakeleap blinked at his mate, wanting to approach him, but his legs were too weary. Besides, Dimflare needed tending to.

Lilypaw was the first to notice them. Her blue eyes widened slightly and she quickly tapped Minktalon's shoulder. "Snakeleap and Dimflare are here," the smaller she-cat said softly, pointing toward the mouth of the cave.

Both Minktalon and Slap turned, fixing their gazes on the two subordinates. Snakeleap blinked at Slap, trying to silently communicate with his mate, but the pale brown tom turned and continued tending to the herbs. Frowning, Snakeleap reluctantly turned away and padded over to Minktalon. "Camp guards again," he said, timbre soft and gravelly. "Would you mind tending to Dimflare?"

Minktalon dipped her head. "Of course."

Snakeleap noticed that most former EchoClanners still treated him with the respect of a deputy, but he truly wasn't sure why. Archangel was leader and Snakeleap had failed his Clan - and his brother. Why did cats still look up to him? The emotion must've shown on his face, because Minktalon was motioning over to Slap. "Go talk to him, we'll go outside," she whispered in his ear, brushing comfortingly against his side as she passed him to tend to Dimflare.

His heart in his throat, Snakeleap took a burning step toward his mate. They'd been having more problems than usual recently, but instead of arguing, Slap usually gave Snakeleap the cold shoulder or a bout of passive aggression. Snakeleap knew it was because of his worsening depression, as well as the way EchoClan had turned out under Archangel's rule - he and Slap could hardly spend time together, and neither were allowed to leave camp without one or two camp guards present. It was infuriating at first, but turned into a dull throb that only pierced behind Snakeleap's eyes now. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't save Waspstar - how could he save his relationship?

"Slap," Snakeleap finally said, sliding next to his mate, gray gaze soft and sad. "How are you?"

Slap didn't look up. "Fine," he mumbled, sorting the rotted herbs into a small circular pile.

Snakeleap's heart ached with something akin to hope. "Any word from..." He looked around before pressing closer to Slap. "SpiritClan? From... from Waspstar?"

Slap sidestepped, creating a gap between the two. "No, Snakeleap," he growled softly, finally looking up, gaze reflecting with hurt. "Haven't I told you enough times? No one has contacted me. Not SpiritClan, not your brother, not Fallenholly or Pale or..." He choked on his breath. "Flickerpaw...Okay? Are you happy?"

Snakeleap screwed his eyes shut, listening closely, wondering where everything had gone wrong. Becoming deputy? Archangel coming to the Clans? All the deaths, his possession? Looking at how horribly hurt his mate was only served to make Snakeleap even more desperate. In a way, he felt like their damaged relationship was allowing Archangel to win, but Slap couldn't seem to forgive him. It hurt, raw and tender, but Snakeleap understood. He was being pushy, especially about SpiritClan, but couldn't Slap see he just wanted answers? Just wanted something to save EchoClan with? A sliver of hope?

"I'm sorry," Snakeleap finally breathed, re-opening his eyes and gazing softly at his mate. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Slap frowned, looking slightly surprised. He opened and closed his mouth, seemingly trying to decide on something to say, before his eyes filled with an emotion Snakeleap absolutely hated. Pity.

"It's okay," Slap said. "I didn't mean to snap. It's just...you always come in here, asking me about SpiritClan, yet you never ask about me. Never ask how I'm doing. It...hurts, Snakeleap. I wish I could give you the answers you seek, but you have to find those for yourself. They're inside you; I'm not the one that can give you the solution."

Emotion filled Snakeleap's throat, so much so that he had to swallow it down just to breathe. When he looked at Slap all he could see was what EchoClan once was- what it had been under Waspstar's rule, how happy he and Slap had been. The thoughts sent prickles of tears into his eyes, causing the former deputy to turn his head away. He tasted bile and saw Waspstar, bleeding out beneath his paws, over and over and over again.

"He's my brother," Snakeleap finally said, filling the silence. "Waspstar...he's my brother, and he died. I failed him." The orange tom fixed his gray gaze on the kind, round eyes of his mate and everything came spilling over. "I...I couldn't...I couldn't save him, Slap, I couldn't- I failed him, I failed him and now he won't speak to me!" The panic hitched in his voice and Slap nimbly rushed forward, brushing his tail over Snakeleap's muzzle.

"Shhh," Slap whispered softly, paranoid but concerned. "C'mon, let's go further into the den."

Snakeleap numbly followed, the intense notions far too much to handle. The anxiety was stabbing spikes into his stomach and he continued mindlessly blabbering on, voice hushed but still horrified. "I failed him, Slap, he won't talk to you or me or anyone because I let him down, oh, he must be so angry..." The cave shifted into shivering trees, and when Snakeleap looked down he saw blood coating his fur, saw Waspstar's broken body strewn beneath his claws. A whine ripped from his throat, and everything felt cold, so cold so cold so cold-

And then there was warmth. Something beside him, a shape, a bundle of fur that was filled with such intense concern Snakeleap was completely pulled out of his flashback. When the memory glazed over, he realized he was on the floor of the cave, tail wrapped around his body and paws on his head. But there was still that warmth... Looking to the side, Snakeleap managed to make shaky eye contact with Slap, and his eyes once more filled with tears. "Slap?"

Slap looked heartbroken for some inexplicable reason. Then, "Why didn't you ever tell me it got this bad?"

Snakeleap frowned, slightly confused. "Bad...?"

"I've never seen you have a flashback like that before..." Slap brushed his muzzle forward and pressed his nose into Snakeleap's cheek.

"It wasn't that bad," the former deputy murmured, staring down at his paws. His first flashback had been the worst, but even now the memories still haunted Snakeleap. He couldn't let go of his brother's death. He wasn't sure he ever could.

Slap didn't respond for a moment, still slumped in the same position, nestled close to his mate. Finally, after another several heartbeats, Slap asked, "Do you really feel that way? About Waspstar?"

Snakeleap bit back the snap of, Yes! Of course I feel that way! But Slap was right to be anxious, and Snakeleap was aware that his state of mind wasn't entirely healthy right now. But the silence was stretching thin and Snakeleap needed to respond before he worried Slap further. "Yes," he said, squeezing his eyes shut. "I do. I failed him." He choked on his breath and bent his head, chest swirling with agony.

Slap placed a paw on Snakeleap's chin and lifted his head, causing his eyes to slide open. "Hey. Look at me...None of this is your fault. Okay?"

"But...but I was his deputy-"

"If Chirpbark had still been his deputy would you have blamed him for Waspstar's death?"

Snakeleap frowned. "Of course not..!" And then he realized what Slap was saying, and his ears heated up with embarrassment. "It's...it's different. I was his brother."

"Chirpbark was his best friend, and yet you still would not blame him like you blame yourself." Slap blinked, tilting his head. "You've run out of excuses, Snakeleap. I don't know why you hold yourself accountable, but if you're going to push blame on someone then push it on Archangel. He's the one who..." Slap breathed in shakily. "He hurt your brother, okay? So stop taking responsibility for something you didn't cause, and start understanding that the only cat to inculpate here is Archangel."

Snakeleap stared at his mate, shocked at the words but letting them sink in. When he thought about it, it made sense. While he did blame Archangel, he realized he blamed himself even more. Maybe it's because he was so tired, so upset, and seeing the determined gazes of EchoClan's young warriors hurt more than anything. H wanted to scream at them to stand down, but nothing would come out because then he'd be letting them down. And Snakeleap couldn't do that. He was their last link to Waspstar, and he wasn't helping anyone by moping around and being depressed all the time. He needed to step up. He needed to show his Clanmates - the ones that had always been loyal to his brother - how to express themselves without getting punished, or worse, killed. They needed his help, and Snakeleap was going to give it to them.

Archangel wouldn't stand a chance.

Snakeleap opened his mouth to reply, but a presence at the mouth of the cave stilled him in his tracks. "You've been in here long enough," a voice growled. When Snakeleap turned, he spotted a tabby calico she-cat glaring daggers at both he and Slap. "Now get up! Patrols are being called out soon!"

Quickly obliging, Snakeleap pushed himself to his paws and shot a look at Slap that contained everything he couldn't express right now - appreciation, love, and even a small hint of determination. Slap's lips upturned into a smile and he flicked his tail, rising to his paws as well. "Go on," he said, voice soft and emotionless, gaze contrasting everything his tone held, "you'd best be off, Snakeleap."

The former deputy dipped his head. "Thank you." He turned on his paws and spotted Crew staring at them with a look of contempt. She said nothing, however, and lead the way out of the medicine den, passing by Minktalon and Lilypaw. "Go sit with your vermin," Crew spat, motioning toward a group of subordinates gathered next to the apprentice's den.

Snakeleap clenched his teeth but only nodded, forgetting about his headache as he padded over to some of his closest Clanmates. Dimflare, Cloverpool, Applefall, and Snowblaze stood side by side, talking quietly amongst themselves. Snakeleap straightened his shoulders and joined the group, pausing to glance at Dimflare. The pink scratch lined against his cheek stood out against his ginger fur, but Minktalon had patched it up well enough for it not to scar. "Are you feeling okay?" Snakeleap asked softly, still concerned about the young warrior- or, subordinate.

Dimflare nodded. "I'm fine," he said dismissively, then blinked. "What about you?"

"Fine," Snakeleap lied, remembering his headache from before. Still, he had to listen to Slap's advice - he had to be strong for his Clanmates. Though, the subordinates looked slightly suspicious, and Snakeleap narrowed his eyes. "What were you talking about earlier?"

There was a heartbeat of silence until Breezestorm joined the group, ears pricking when he picked up on Snakeleap's question. The gray tom exchanged a glance with Applefall and Snowblaze.

Snakeleap's tail twitched but he quickly soothed his emotions, not wanting to appear suspicious. "Well?" His deputy tone slipped out, causing every subordinate to clench their muscles and duck their heads.

"We have a plan," Breezestorm finally said, voice low and gravelly. Thankfully, the camp guards seemed to be talking amongst themselves, and every other group was sitting too far away to hear.

Snakeleap narrowed his eyes. "A plan? What do you mean?" Hope flared in his chest, but was quickly replaced by apprehension and worry.

Breezestorm picked up on the former deputy's anxiety and shook his head. "Don't worry, okay? And don't freak out either, but... we have a plan to escape EchoClan and start a rebellion."

The world went quiet around Snakeleap. His eyes widened ever so slightly, posture taking a shocked stance. "You mean..." He suddenly couldn't find his voice, as if it were buried under a pile of rubble in his throat. "A way out? A way- a way to save ourselves?"

Applefall nodded, placing his tail on Snakeleap's shoulder. "We've been planning it for a while. I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but we know how upset you've been about Waspstar...We didn't want to add any more stress."

Emotion swept into Snakeleap's lungs until he felt he couldn't breathe. "What's the plan?"

Breezestorm flicked his tail. "If anyone in this group is placed on patrol together, we're going to escape to the Moontunnels and set up camp. Then we'll find a way to get everyone back, one by one. No one will be left behind. And once we're all together...well," Breezestorm smirked, "Archangel won't stand a chance."

Snakeleap smiled, gray eyes shining with tears. "We're going to make it out," he breathed, and when he gazed upon Breezestorm he could see this cat growing into a fine, young leader. Galestorm and Lilybark would be so, so proud. "We're going to get EchoClan back..."

The group continued quietly discussing the plan, but there was something they didn't notice- a shape slinking in the shadows of the apprentice's den, green gaze sharply watching the cluster of subordinates. And as the plan was laid out in full detail, the warriors completely unaware of the eavesdropper, the gears began turning in Flamepaw's mind...

-
Yay! New chapter in and I'm going to start consecutively updating every Monday! Get ready for next chapter, because things are finally starting to go down!

What do you think? Who do you think we'll be seeing next chapter? Who are you excited to see? Tell me your thoughts! I'd love to hear! Thanks for reading everyone, and may SpiritClan light your path!

Up next: Talk of the rebellion buzzes into action.