Chapter 30: A Murderer and Her Victims

After my last mental breakdown, I realized something needed to change. I needed to confront my past. I needed to get over my fear of rejection. I needed one final confrontation with Appledusk. I needed to rest my thoughts on the tom I once loved and killed. I needed to know why I ever loved him and if I could really move on. My thoughts on romance were always haunted by his face in the moment he rejected me.

I left towards the barrier with Frecklewish by my side. My two oldest companions had already decided letting me travel anywhere alone was a bad idea, so she was my acting escort. At the barrier I called for Birchface again. My powers, now significantly stronger than my last visit, now weaved through the porous barrier with little concentration.

Birchface heard the call despite being on the far side of Starclan. His ears could almost not believe it, but he heard my words as clear as if I was standing right next to him.

"Birchface. I need to ask a huge favor of you. I need to talk to Appledusk one last time. If you want, you can bring Ravenwing and the other Frecklewish. I think it's time we talk about what happened and why it happened."

Birchface, who lived as a leadership candidate, was skeptical at the idea, but he brushed that thought aside. Maybe all the animosity would be dealt with after each cat gave their side of the story. Maybe the Mapleshade murder spree could be put to bed.

While I waited patiently at the barrier, Birchface set off to find the three cats slain by my paws. He found Ravenwing first. The cat was already nearing being an echo with how translucent he was. On his body he bore the marks of the obelisk. Black stains covered his paws as crude symbology painted over his starry pelt.

"Ravenwing."

Ravenwing looked confused at the sight of Birchface.

"Who are you?"

His mind was already fading due to how much of him had been eliminated from the pulses.

"It's Birchface, the leaders son who died to Appledusk at Sunningrocks. Listen. Mapleshade wants to talk to you."

Ravenwing's eyes lit up in recognition of the second name. "Mapleshade, the Queen of the Darkforest? She really wants to talk to me? I'm honored to he involved with a cat so important to the grand prophecy. Take me to her."

Birchface could only shake his head. The Ravenwing of old was long gone. Whatever this was that remained appeared to be a hollow shell of the once promising medicine cat.

"You don't remember her killing you?"

Ravenwing looked surprised. "She killed me? Really? I don't remember that. I guess I don't remember a lot of unimportant things. Nevermind that. I still want to meet her in person."

Birchface gave a hesitant, "OK, but I need to get two more cats first. We'll be getting Appledusk and Frecklewish."

Birchface then went looking for Appledusk. The easiest way to find him was to look wherever Mapleshade's kits weren't. He actively avoided them like they were rabid badgers. When he found him, he noted Appledusk looked to be in significantly better condition than Ravenwing. His form was closer to full and he was observing Reedshine and his kits through Starclan's observation pools.

"Appledusk. Mapleshade wants to talk to you. Are you willing to hear her out?"

Appledusk looked at Birchface harshly before realizing who he was looking at. A look of guilt spread across his face before he responded.

"Tell her no. I don't want to see her again. I don't want to remember her."

Ravenwing actually bristled at the rejection. "You seriously won't meet a cat of the Grand Prophecy when she asks for you by name? The heresy! Treason!"

Birchface turned to Ravenwing with a stopping look before turning back to Appledusk. "She wants to talk about what happened and move on just like you. You've been running away from your problems and living vicariously through your kits. It's not healthy. Give yourself some closure and let her talk to you this once."

Appledusk froze at the idea before slowly nodding. "Ok. Just this once. If she tries anything, I'm hightailing it out of there. I've seen enough of her claws for one lifetime."

Birchface set out for the last cat for his meeting. Starclan Frecklewish was easy to find. She was always near the training hollow practicing with other warriors or actively sharpening her claws. It somewhat frightened him to see this side of her, but she was still his sister, and she still loved him. Birchface found her dragging her claws down a tree with a fearsome look on her face before she noticed him. All that malice vanished as she saw him.

"Birchface! What brings you out here?"

Birchface was anticipating Frecklewish's rage at what he said next. "Mapleshade wants to talk about what happened. I think it's a good idea. Maybe we can all get a new perspective on what happened and lay the events to rest."

Frecklewish's smile was still there, but her eyes were filled with rage.

"You know I don't like you associating with her. She did kill me."

Birchface was already wincing at Frecklewish's response. He needed to bait her into the idea.

"Think of it like this. This is your chance to tell her everything you hate about her, give her a tongue lashing."

Frecklewish paused considering the idea.

"Yeah. I can do that but only because you asked me."

Thus, Birchface had his party of murder victims. He led them to the border feeling my power guiding him on the correct path. He saw me easily, but Ravenwing rushed forward like an excited kit.

"Mapleshade. Queen of the Darkforest and bringer of the Final Prophecy. I have heard your summons and have come to answer."

I gave Birchface a quizzical look. He could only respond, "I think the pulses have stripped away most of who he was. He doesn't remember his life."

As interesting as that was, I could only feel loss at seeing such a familiar cat stripped of his identity so soon. Those markings that covered his pelt felt sinister and misplaced like those patches of black water monsters sometimes leak that never gets out of fur.

"Truly a shame. I had hoped to somewhat apologize to him. To be clear, I do regret murdering the three, but I still believe you all deserved to die."

Starclan Frecklewish hissed at the comment, but I ignored it.

"Anyways, I've brought you all here to talk about what happened and what led up to my kits' deaths and my subsequent murders. I want to hear every cat's perspective so we can finally get some closure."