"Dancing, dancing, appearing only on the full moon rise,
Souls of the dead spirit thee away,
To a place feared by none,
But awed by all,
The Forest,
The Forest Where Midnight Glows."
-Unknown
Hello dear children. I know you wonder why you were brought here, to this wonderful mystical place of magic. First, before I explain, perhaps with my story, oh yes, that'd be best. I must introduce myself before thy night disappears and you still know not what to call your mentor for many seasons to come. I am Shadowdancer, one of the many lost souls in this forest, but my only wish is to teach the younger souls the way of the night.
-
As I have already put it, my name is Shadowdancer but it was not so when I lived so many seasons ago. I was Midnight then, for I was birthed under the moon in its highest rise, at midnight. My father was never close, he being the chief of my village. I was to meet the Four Sisters tonight, at the mere age of seventeen moons. I was nervous. I had only seen four seasons but still yet was I to see the Four Sisters. Almost the only thing my father did for me was make me go to the Four Sisters earlier than I should have to seek my destiny.
It was midnight as I padded through the village and as custom, no one was with me. All was silent except for the faint sound of crickets chirping. I stopped outside the den of the sisters and waited for one of them to call me in.
Frost, the eldest sister, called me in first. "Do you know why you are here, Midnight?"
How did she know my name, I wondered. "I am afraid not, Sister."
Frost seemed to glance at me and I saw something odd in her gaze. She didn't continue for a moment, gazing. "You are here to see if you have the power of the elements as well. After all, we lack one of them and we are still waiting for the fifth. But yet some of you still wield power, if it not be held in the elements."
"I see." I meowed, not sure what else to say.
"Shall we begin?" Frost asked. I nodded, my icy blue eyes scared. "Do not worry, Midnight, it is not painful. In fact, it is painless." She smiled, before placing her nose against mine.
She stood there for quite a few moments and I started to get worried. What was wrong? "Hmm... This is quite strange."
"What?" I asked worriedly.
She brushed off the question, stepping back. "I did not detect anything."
"Well, then if I am special, maybe I do not hold the element of frost." I meowed.
"It is stranger than just that. Usually I can detect a life force but I can't now."
I was greatly confused, and it concerned me that she looked confused too. "I suppose it is of no matter. I am sure you are fine. Wait here for Spark, my sister." I watched her exit the den. I could tell she was lying. What was wrong with me?
My thoughts were interrupted as Spark entered the den, her pelt glowing like fire, with a rock in her paw. "Hello Midnight! I hear you didn't past the test of Frost. That's too bad." The fiery she-cat paused for a moment, and I tried to comprehend what I just heard. She must have saw me for what she said next. "Oh, I know. Every cat expects me to talk all formal like my sisters. Agh. But I think that's all a bit much. How can you do that all the time? Oh well, I suppose I should tell you how I test if you have the element of flamey flames or not. Well, it isn't as painless as the rest. How do they even do that? I don't get it. Anyways, let me show you. It gets boring when you have to explain the same thing over and over again." Spark grinned. A spark fell on the rock. Then the rock burst into flames. After a moment or two, Spark picked up the flaming rock and set it in a pool of water. "One, two, skip a few, alright I'm tired of waiting. Let's get this over with."
I stared at her as if she was insane as she slid the rock in front of me. "What?" Spark asked. "Oh, just touch it. Simple as that." With a tentative paw, I reached out for the rock. I yowled as it burned my paw. "I guess you aren't flamey then. If you're wondering how I test this, I can't feel warmth because I am immune to it, as I create fire. It would be quite bad if I wasn't." The sister laughed. "Well, I suppose I should let Leaf get on with whatever she does. See you later Midnight!" Spark yowled as she ran out the door.
I just sat there, stunned. What just happened? "Spark is a bit of a shocker isn't she?" A calm female voice meowed. I looked up and saw the voice belonged to what was said to be the most gentle and motherly of the Four Sisters, Leaf. I nodded. "Here, drink this." She handed me something wrapped in a leaf. I did, feeling calmer as I did so.
"Thank you, Sister. What is in it?"
"Crushed chamomile, coltsfoot, feverfew, and thyme. I have also added heather nectar to make it sweeter and go down easier."
"It tastes wonderful, Sister." Leaf smiled at my words, and picked up my burnt paw. I yelped.
"Sorry. I need to apply some aloe. It helps the burn. Spark never learns, does she?" Leaf rolled her eyes. I smiled.
"As I apply this, I can question if you have the element of earth or nature. Where do you get catmint?" I shook my head, not knowing. "What do poppy seeds heal for or do?" I once again shook my head, clueless.
"I do not know, Sister."
Leaf smiled. "I do not see much aptitude for nature here. Try to move this pebble as I do." I watched, nodding. Leaf flicked her tail forward and the pebble flew along with it. I flicked my tail forward, but the rock didn't move. "Nor earth. I do not believe you have the element, I am afraid, Midnight."
I smiled. "I suppose I do not."
"You have a kind soul. Do not be hard on your paw, or it will hurt even worse than it did and you will have to come see me again. Goodbye for now, Midnight." She started to pad out of the den, and I watched the slim brown she-cat stop suddenly with grateful eyes.
"Oh, by the way, Midnight, the answers were in watery places as well as near human dens. Poppy seeds help one sleep and helps ease shock." I watched the green eyed she-cat then leave, smiling.
I stretched as the fourth sister, Star, padded in. "What? How did you get in here? It is not even the full moon!" Star exclaimed, before softening her voice. "How did you die, young one?"
"What?! I am not dead!" I yowled, leaping up, and feeling a stab of pain as I landed hard on my paw.
"Shhh. It is hard for some I know to accept it. You will be free to go onto the next life if you only just let go." Star whispered.
"I am Midnight, daughter of the Chief of this village, Opal!" I meowed with authority in my voice. I suppose my father helped me again that night, though he may have not realized it.
"Oh." Star meowed. "I know now. You look just like your mother you know, your icy blue eyes and thick black pelt. Comet was a great she-cat along with her sister, Star. It was a very sad day when she perished." I felt a pang of loss in my chest. After a long silence, Star spoke again. "It is strange. No life radiates from your body. It is almost as if you are dead. And to be frank, you look like it too, the silverish shine to your pelt. I think you may have the ability, but I am not sure. Meet me here in two nights when the full moon shines. We can test your ability then."
-
Star's words haunted me throughout those two days. 'It is almost as if you are dead.' I spoke to my father about the meeting with Star. He seemed to pay attention to me for once. It was a beautiful moment, at least to me that night, and I savored it.
On the day of the full moon, as the sun set, I sat in my den, waiting for moon high. But I hadn't slept well the past two days and my eyes started to droop. Before I even realized it, I was asleep.
-
I woke up to see the full moon shining down in front of my den. It was then suddenly blocked by the shadowy figure of a cat. I managed to speak in my stupor of sleep. "Who are you?" And then everything went black.
-
This next part I heard from Star herself when she finally came.
Star waited for me in the den watching as the moon grew higher and higher. She forced herself to sit there, but her instinct was fighting against her, telling her to go help those poor lost souls. "I must wait here for Midnight." She told herself firmly.
She saw a figure walk towards her and she sighed in relief. She didn't think she could fight much longer. But as she padded towards the she-cat, Star realized it wasn't Midnight. But it was a cat who looked just like Midnight, but the cat felt different, not like Midnight had earlier. "Comet?" Star whispered.
"Yes. I have come to meet you again, Star." The beautiful she-cat smiled.
"Is it my time?" Star gulped, not sure if she was ready for death quite yet.
"No, and I am glad. However, I need to explain to you why my daughter seemed... dead. Follow me. We can sit on the rock in the clearing and talk like old times." Comet seemed to fade a little then, as if she was lost in another world.
"But it won't be like old times, will it Comet?" Star knew the answer even as she asked the question.
"Unfortunately not. I would love to spend time reminiscing but we do not have all night I am afraid. I must leave at dawn." Star nodded as Comet murmured those sad words. They had arrived at the rock and sat down facing each other, as always. "I couldn't wait. Leaf told me I was having kits. I remember that day. I was so excited. A moon later, I had one kit, and it was Midnight. I had already known her name, even before I saw my beautiful daughter. I was horrified when I felt that she had no life force. I cried, I admit it. It felt as if everything had been torn away from me in one fell swoop. I swear I saw her little spirit hover above her body. And even though I felt no life force still from my kit, I saw my kit disappear and knew Midnight had come back. She must have felt my love. Though I loved her with all my heart, death took me instead two sunrises later. I was devastated. And I hovered there for a moment as she did, just two days ago. But my death was final. I couldn't return." Comet trailed off, misty tears streaming down her ghostly face. "Please let her forgive me."
-
I woke up again in a beautiful misty forest with blue-green grass and yellow daffodils. The oak trees seemed to reach to the sky. "Where am I?" I mused aloud.
"You are in the forest where the midnight glows." I knew I had heard that voice before, and I looked up.
I ran to my mother, tears streaming down my face. "Mother!"
As we cried and exchanged our stories, she told me that she would be my mentor, as I am to you now. I am now to teach you the ways of the full moon night, or rather how to bring the lost souls to rest in peace.