Chapter 43: Paradise Apathy
I felt it was time to check on Starclan again. With Frecklewish by my side, we made our way to the barrier. My presence was now far too powerful to conceal. As much as I loath to admit it, I am a beacon of power. Any cat can sense it. When we reached the barrier, I felt something off about the barrier. The barrier wasn't porous like I thought. It was gaseous, just still. As I went to investigate, some familiar faces came running from Starclan's land. It was my kits, Birchface, and Ravenwing! I felt my heart leap with joy at the sight of my old friend and my kits. I still didn't know how to feel about the Ravenwing facsimile.
"Mama!" Yowled my kits excitedly.
Their adorable little faces were lit with joy as they pressed themselves against the barrier, trying to bring themselves as close to me as possible. What concerned me though was their state of being, namely their age. Whereas Foamriver and Buzzardpaw had aged since their creation, these three had not. In fact, they looked a little more transparent than I'd last seen them. As their mother, I was filled with concern. I still put on a happy face to conceal my worry.
"Hello my beautiful kits. I've missed you all terribly." I mewed through a smile halfway forced. "What have you three been up to?"
"We've heard all kinds of stories. Birchface teaches us to hunt and fight. It's fun, but it feels… hollow. We learn things, but when will we get to use them? Why do I need to know the threat of a hawk when none exist here? Why learn anything about medicine when no cat can get sick. It just feels pointless." Mewed Patchkit, the one I thought could have become a medicine cat in life.
There it was. The thing that I feared most. My kits were already starting to get a sense of apathy. What else is there to feel in paradise? The Unseen Stars are fortunate enough to have cats with conflicting personalities, a difficult land to survive, and rivalries to foster their growth. The Unseen Stars may be well off, but in all my efforts to create it, I ensured nothing came for free. As Starclan was displaying now, a life without purpose is a life that brings only unfeelingness.
Thankfully Birchface and Ravenwing hadn't decayed since our last visit. In fact, Ravenwing looked slightly fuller. It was likely due to his fanatical devotion to the prophecy and, by association, me that he'd discovered a sense of purpose strong enough to offset what the pulses tore from him. I doubted he remembered his time alive at all, so I wondered if I should even relate this cat to the Ravenwing I once knew. Birchface on the other paw likely found his purpose in caring for my kits, trying to keep them as together and entertained as Starclan could provide.
I needed a solution to this predicament. As long as those pulses continued, my kits would never grow up and never find purpose, making them even more susceptible to the pulses. If I could just reach them, I could provide them a barrier, energy from myself for the pulse to sap instead of their souls. Then it hit me. The barrier is just gas pressed into a thin sheet. I couldn't remove it, but I had an idea.
I pressed my paw against the barrier and began to force upon it my will. The rules of the Darkforest state barriers must always exist, but this one is a gas, so it doesn't need to be impermeable. If I taught the barrier the right rules, it would still function as the Darkforest requires, but it would give more leeway on what can be done within its bounds.
The first rule I changed was that barrier could be entered, but only left from the side it was entered on. This didn't do much besides make my paw sink less than a whisker length within it. The next rules would have to be for the safety of Starclan cats. Within the barrier, no cat can manifest their will. This meant no external powers were possible in the barrier. Frecklewish's indomitable would likely still work, but I couldn't do something like generate a spike, mindread, or do anything beyond what directly influenced me. The next step was the part I desired the most. The barrier was gas pressed thin, so my idea was to expand it, muddle it. Unfortunately, the action added an additional condition to the barrier. Any power use at all within the barrier would become extremely taxing, feeding the barrier strength and expanding it more with the burned energy.
I then pushed my well of energy into the barrier, making it expand drastically until there was about as thick as Thunderclan's camp. Every cat felt the barrier pass over them.
"Mapleshade, what did you do?" Asked Frecklewish skeptically.
I responded with a smirk before padding over to my three kits and giving them affectionate licks.
"You removed the barrier?" Frecklewish asked in shock.
"Not quite. The barrier is something immutable. I can't remove it. Instead, I changed how it works. The barrier's purpose is to prevent the Darkforest from entering Starclan and vice versa. What I did is made the barrier an intermingling ground. Darkforest cats and Starclan cats can enter it, but they may only leave it from the side they enter on. In addition, power manifestations don't work here. Any other power use becomes extremely more expensive."
Ravenwing, the now ever cultist, decided now was the time to sing my praises.
"Mapleshade, Mother of the Darkforest, your grace knows no bounds. I am humbled to be able to be in your presence directly. I felt your rebirth from within our lands and knew you'd become even more." He mewed reverently.
As unfortunate as it meant, Ravenwing worshiped me, so he fell into the group of cats I called my kits. He needed my guidance like any unnoticed kit would. Most importantly, he needed to become a real cat again. This cultist thing was slightly creeping me out. I wanted Ravenwing to have his own life, face his own challenges, and become more than this thing that groveled at my paws.
"Ravenwing, I have a request for you. As you walk in my light, know that things won't be easy. I will grant you and all the other Starclan cats here a measure of my energy to protect you from the pulses. This does not mean you are safe. Now that the barriers are muddled, Starclan needs healers. Darkforest cats can occupy this space, so there my be border disputes now. You were once a healer in life, so I think it is a good new purpose for you now. Patchkit was once interested in healing in life. I believe they could assist you in your new duty should you accept."
Ravenwing nodded eagerly after being given a mission by me. I didn't know if it was just excitement that I gave him something to do or if it was the idea of healing again, but I saw a spark in his eye that I'd known well from life when he became a medicine cat apprentice. With that, I passed energy around and idly chatted with Birchface as two of my three kits played. The third was with Ravenwing as he excitedly rambled about herbology and healing practices he still remembered. I was content in the thought that I bought my loved ones some time in hopes I'd eradicate the source of the pulses before they left more damage on them.