Chapter Text
A small grey tabby tom slunk through the undergrowth. He paused every so often, a feeble cough escaping him. He continued forward, a spark of determination in his golden eyes.
He had to do this. If he didn’t, then all hope would be lost.
He halted when he finally reached the scent markers to the forest- no, to SkyClan territory. It had been many long moons since he had been here. Even more since he had *lived* here. Beneath the wonderful trees that he had grown up around, rushing through the forest without a care in the world.
But those days had long since passed. He was more than sixty moons old now. It had been more than twenty since he’d seen these trees, but they were every bit as beautiful as he remembered.
The tabby sat down, curling his tail over his paws and waiting. He shuddered despite the heat. A fit of coughing racked him again, and he barely managed to keep upright.
It wasn’t long before a patrol appeared through the trees. He recognized the she-cat in the front, though she had been little more than a kit when he had seen her last. Alder. She was followed by Blossom and a silver and white she-cat with dazzling green eyes. He had seen her before, too. He was sure of it. But he didn't have the faintest clue where.
Alder sniffed. “Who are you?” She demanded.
He got unsteadily to his paws. “A sick cat who’s here to ask for help.” He was slightly saddened that she didn’t recognize him, but he hadn’t exactly expected differently.
The she-cat stared at him. “Why have you come here?”
The tabby dipped his head. “I know Clear Sky.” He answered.
Her eyes widened and her fur fluffed out. “Alder-” She started.
“I heard him, Dew Petal.” The ginger-and-grey she-cat narrowed her eyes at the tom. “I know you, don’t I?” She asked slowly.
“. . . Perhaps.” He would have said more, but he was interrupted by a bout of coughing.
Blossom flicked her tail. “We should at least see if Skystar will help him.”
Skystar? Who was this Skystar? Had Clear Sky died? He would leave if that was the case.
Noticing his reaction, Blossom added, “That’s what Clear Sky’s called now.”
Oh. Okay. That was fine.
The rogue followed the SkyClan patrol back to their camp. Anticipation tingled beneath his pelt. He couldn’t wait to see Skystar again. It had been so very long. He knew Skystar wouldn’t be happy to see him, they did have a very rocky history after all. But he wouldn’t reject helping him, surely not.
He still had faith in him. Despite everything. Despite the unforgivable actions that Skystar had taken, he still had faith.
The gazes of cats fell upon him as he entered the camp. Many of them were unfamiliar to him. New kits, perhaps. Or maybe new recruits.
One cat was certainly familiar, though. The large light grey tom with a scattering of white spots. His thick fur was fluffed out, his midnight blue eyes fixed on the tabby in a glare. “Snake.” He hissed disdainfully. “What are you doing here?”
Snake’s heart started pounding in his chest. He had missed seeing this cat. He didn’t care that he was being glowered at. “Hello, Clear Sky.” He dipped his head respectfully.
Skystar leaped from his perch on the camp’s largest oak. “You didn’t answer my question.” He growled.
“. . . I’m ill.” Snake answered. “I know you still despise me, that is to be expected,” Not really. No one told Skystar to not listen to anyone and let a clearly dangerous cat into his group. But that was neither here nor there. “But. . . Do you have any catmint? Or tansy? Anything, really. I’ll take. And I’ll make it up to you- I swear.”
Skystar curled his lip. “You’re Slash’s rogue, why would I help you? You’ve already betrayed me once, or have you forgotten?”
Snake swallowed dryly. This was off to a bad start. But he couldn’t lose hope yet. “I’m not with Slash anymore.”
Distantly, he thought of his friends. Bee and Swallow, killed in a rogue skirmish that Splinter turned and fled from. Ember, slaughtered by a badger shortly after Beetle died from a fall. Splinter was still alive, but Snake hadn’t seen him since he’d left Slash.
Skystar’s gaze didn’t waver. “Say I believe you, that doesn’t change anything. You’ve done too much to me for me to just help you.”
Snake’s heart dropped to his paws. What? He. . . He wouldn’t?
“P-please, Skystar-” He gasped. “You. . . You have every right to hate me.” But he wouldn't have even had to join Slash if Skystar hadn't given him a tyrannical ultimatum! Sure, joining Slash was a horrible thing to do, but *still*! Snake had been completely loyal to Clear Sky until One Eye had permanently scarred him because Clear Sky let it happen! “B-but if you don’t help me. . . I’ll die!” Fear turned his blood into ice.
Skystar shrugged dismissively. “That doesn’t seem like my problem. You made your choice to betray me, and now you have to live with that.”
“I can’t live with it! Because I'm dying!” He felt horror clawing up his throat. “Please!” He begged. “Please don’t let me die. . .” He whimpered, ears flat to his head.
Skystar turned away. “I’m not going to waste my clan’s resources on a traitor.” he lashed his tail. “Now get out of my sight.”
A golden tabby she-cat slid into sight. “Skystar, maybe we should help him.” Star Flower suggested, nervousness glinting in her eyes. Snake stared desperately at her.
Skystar simply shook his head. “No.”
Snake let out a shrill wail. This couldn’t be happening. No. No! He couldn’t die yet! He had so much left to do! Skystar couldn’t just let him die! “Wait! Please! Please, rethink this! I don’t need much! Just a few herbs, then I’ll never bother you again, I swear!” He was shuddering and crying now, trying desperately. “PLEASE! PLEASE DON’T LET ME DIE!”
Skystar shot him a cold glare over his shoulder. “Go!” he snapped.
Star Flower looked away, refusing to meet Snake's eyes.
Someone grabbed Snake by the scruff and began to haul him backwards. Snake struggled weakly in their grip, shrieking in terror. “I’m sorry! I’M SORRY! I know I shouldn’t have betrayed you! I want to make it up to you! PLEASE! I’ll do anything!”
His pleas fell on deaf ears. Skystar never turned back to him. He was dragged away, tossed back into the wilderness to die.
***
Snake laid in his makeshift nest, barely able to draw in a single breath. He was coughing too much. He was too weak to even stand. He knew he was just waiting to die. He wanted to go to sleep, to at least spare himself a little suffering, but he was unable to drift into unconsciousness.
Snake couldn’t breathe at all anymore. No air would reach his lungs no matter how hard he tried. His vision became one small point against darkness. He let out one last feeble cough, and he knew no more.
His eyes eased open a bit later. He laid on cold earth, mist surrounding him. He sat up sharply, confused. He was supposed to be dead. Where was he?
“Snake?!” Gasped a familiar voice behind him. “Oh, oh no. . . I’m so sorry.”
Snake turned to her, blinking in confusion. “Bee? How are. . ?”
Right. He was dead. Of course. . .
Snake collapsed back into the dirt, and he sobbed.
***
It had been many moons since that day. Skystar hadn’t even thought about Snake in years. He didn’t consider it to even remotely be a possibility that that decision might be used against him.
Skystar hadn’t been expecting to die yet. His last life gone in a flash. It had happened so fast. The gathering going perfectly fine until the dog arrived. Skystar had acted on instinct to save Feather Ear. He didn’t think it would kill him, but it had.
Skystar woke in StarClan’s hunting grounds, just as he had every other time he lost a life. But this time, he wouldn’t be going back to the living.
“Skystar,” He turned at the sound of his brother’s voice.
“Grey Wing,” He dipped his head, a purr rumbling in his throat. “It’s good to see you again.” He paused when he noticed Grey Wing’s grim expression. “. . . What?”
His littermate shook his head sadly. “. . . Skystar, StarClan has been watching you for a long time,” Of course they had been. Where was he going with this? “You’ve always been harsh, but. . . We hoped that you would still make a fine leader.”
Skystar’s ears pinned to his head. “Are you suggesting that I wasn’t?”
Grey Wing nodded slowly.
Skystar slid out his claws. “Don’t be ridiculous! I have been one of the greatest leaders any group of cats has ever seen!”
Grey Wing’s tail swished slowly along the ground. “Skystar, you have made some good decisions, yes. You have grown from your past, but it is far from enough. So many cats have ended up dead from your decisions, far more than have been saved. Misty, Bumble, Storm, Turtle Tail, Rainswept Flower, Willow Tail, Snake, Shadowstar, and those are just the most major ones.”
Skystar froze, not listening to the end of his sentence. “Snake?!” He snarled. All of the other cats, he could understand, somewhat. But Snake? Why was he expected to help a traitor?! “That cat-”
“Asked for your help, and you turned him away. You knew how sick he was, but you offered him absolutely nothing. That cruelty. . . So recently. . . It was too far, even for you. Not to mention all the others. Tell me, Skystar, when was the last time you saved a cat?”
“I just saved Feather Ear! And I saved your son! I saved Jagged Peak’s kits too!”
“All of those cats are your kin. Who have you saved that isn’t your blood?”
Skystar had no answer. Not one that he could remember.
“. . . What are you saying?” Skystar asked quietly, dread beginning to worm through his pelt.
Grey Wing took a deep breath. “You cannot join StarClan.”
His tail bushed out. “WHAT?!”
This had to be some kind of sick joke. There was no way this was happening to him of all cats! He did everything he could! How could his brother look him in the eye and say this to him?!
“Grey Wing, what do you mean?! If I don’t join StarClan, where am I supposed to go?!” He dug his claws into the lush grass.
Grey Wing was silent for a long time. “Skystar, you are hereby banished to the Place of No Stars.”
Before Skystar had the chance to screech at him for this betrayal, he was grabbed roughly by invisible claws. He screamed in horror as he was dragged backwards. He scrambled to get a hold of the ground to escape this monster. It was a futile effort.
The wounds he had received in the dog attack burst open, sending flames of agony through his entire being. He yowled, pleading, begging for another chance.
It was hopeless.
He tumbled into darkness, his head hitting the ground as he landed.