Chapter 39: Dawnstar

With my new ascended status, more changes would be required. I realized I'd been overworking myself with exploring the full capabilities of the Darkforest while trying to run a clan and the subfactions. It was a simple case of too much on one cat and I couldn't be in two places at once. Frecklewish and Splitpelt did what they could to lessen my duties, but with how emotional I am and how often I have episodes that leave me unable to fulfil my duties for an extended time period, it became necessary to delegate some of my duties elsewhere, namely leading our primary faction.

As I padded towards my boulder to make an announcement, cats of our camp came to view me in both awe and reverence. I seemed to have a natural golden glow that washed over the observing cats. I could see their eyes open in wonder and feel how my aura affected them. It was like a wave of comfort. Each cat felt it differently. Those cats who were born naturally felt the pelt of their mother brush up against them. The amalgams felt something else. To them, it felt like unity. With my newfound sense of souls, I could feel amalgams aren't as complete as one would believe. The fragments do not fit together snuggly. They may choose to move in the same direction, but each piece vectors off at a lightly different angle creating a feeling of tugging and confliction. My aura seemed to influence these tugs, acting as a beacon for all the separate but tied together pieces to drift towards. The unity they felt was their pieces finally moving in harmony toward a shared goal, their guiding star in a black night. I gave them the feeling of being complete, a real cat and not an amalgam of many other cats.

I walked onto my boulder, not jumped or scrambled, walked. Reality bent to my intention, and I simply walked onto the boulder as if it were flat land despite it being elevated to a point where any other cat would have to jump to reach it. I sat down, observing the cats below gathering in my glow.

"Cats of the Unseen Stars, today brings with it a great change, not just for us, but for the Darkforest as a whole. As many of you felt and witnessed, I was in a state of pain and overstimulation. This was not a worldly illness. It was instead, something else. Ever since I entered the Darkforest, my powers have been growing. That day was one that proved power can be too much for a cat. My powers were consuming me, but I felt your prayers and care for me. I would not let myself die, because I care for you all. It was there that I made a change, both to myself and the entirety of the Darkforest. I am unfortunately not truly a cat anymore. I had to become something else, something meant to take on the responsibility of your belief. With this change comes duty. I am now dutybound to guide and protect all who believe in me, and as unfortunate as it sounds, I cannot remain the leader of the Unseen Stars because of this."

Yowls of alarm and disagreement echoed through the watching cats below. Who would lead them if I did not? Was I abandoning them?

"Silence. This is not a choice I made lightly. I will still be here to guide and protect you all. I am not abandoning you, but I can no longer fulfil the duties a leader must. I am no longer a cat bound to just our cats. I must be there for all cats in the Darkforest who ask for me. Thus I must step down. The one I choose to succeed me is Dawnfur."

Dawnfur froze, both shocked and paralyzed by the attention suddenly on her.

"Dawnfur, you've been both loyal and proven to be one of my moral compasses. I still have a promise to keep to you. You've already experienced being in a position of power from your time as a deputy in life. You understand the love of a mother and show the makings of a lioness. Now as leader of the Unseen Stars you must cherish every member of this great alliance as one of your own. You will learn that you must make sacrifices to protect all you love and hold the responsibility of not only keeping your cats safe but also happy. It will bring you great pain but also greater joy. I choose you because you are the one I think can shoulder the burden."

Dawnfur padded in front of me mutely, still unable to react properly to what was happening. We sat face to face, but through her soul I could see the difference. To her it was like looking up to something large, larger than a lion, larger than a twoleg, as large as a mountain, but somehow it wasn't intimidating. It was like this grand cat she saw me as was some kind of guardian, a giant who saw all her subjects as her kits. It wasn't far from the truth.

"Dawnfur, I now give you the name Dawnstar and present you with a direct link to my power. Use it to protect your cats and guide them on their way."

With something similar to the mind bridge I did with Buzzardkit, I created a small area in her mind, a way of instant communication. From that small zone I sent a message.

"Your mind is still your own. Do you feel where I am sending these thoughts from? It is my way of staying in contact no matter how far I may go. If you ever need me or my power, think of it here and I'll be there."

Dawnstar nodded softly at me, still trying to process everything. I knelt next to her to whisper in her ear, "you'll be fine. I know you will. Now you should turn around and address your cats and name a deputy."

Before Dawnstar recovered, Splitpelt and Frecklewish spoke their piece. "We will remain with Mapleshade, so we must rescind our status as well. As she said, we will still be here for you, but since her duties extend to the entirety of the Darkforest, we will follow her."

This announcement was met with silence. It seemed like every cat had predicted it happening seeing how much those two cared for me. Finally, Dawnstar snapped out of her state.

"It is a great honor to receive your blessing and duty. I, Dawnstar leader of the Unseen Stars, pledge our fidelity to you Mapleshade, the Great Mother and bringer of change. We will walk in your light to give every cat we can the chance at redemption. I swear this on my very being. May your watchful and caring eyes always see us favorably from the Mother Star."

A familiar feeling wrapped Dawnstar. It was her powers manifesting her wish. Her soul now had strings of razor-sharp energy acting as a defensive barrier, but it was also a duty made manifest. Breaking her swear would send those same bands of energy to decimate her soul until there was nothing left. My own barrier of soul shearing strings hummed in response. Dawnstar were now bound to each other by promises that could not be broken. I felt something else. My star now shined more brightly, now the brightest star in the sky. It shined with that same golden aura I now bore and emitted feelings peace to those who gazed upon it. I gazed lovingly at all the cats waiting below. They were all my kits in my heart. The only exceptions were Splitpelt and Frecklewish who meant something more. I am the mother who walks in the dark giving love to those that will accept it. I am bound to a prophecy that originates from the beginning. I am Mapleshade, Mother of the Darkforest, and bring with me change.