Chapter 57: Forging Fate

When I pulled myself back onto my paws, I already knew I'd burned way too much energy. My chest felt tight as I had to gasp for breath from the simple exertion of standing. My chest was pounding and I had a headache that seemed to thrum with the beat of my heart. If I hadn't locked my legs, I'd probably have collapsed. I took a minute to steady my breathing as I assessed the situation. I had less than a day to fulfil the plan by reaching the Darkforest obelisk which was on the near opposite side of the Darkforest. I took a staggering step if only to assess my mobility.

I could in fact walk. Trudge is the more correct term. I could trudge and stumble slowly. I knew I had enough power to use the obelisk once as long as I didn't do anything drastic between now and when I reach it. As long as it wasn't through my power, I could probably leap through the layers, but that in and of itself is a problem. The layers don't align neatly at all. Often, they'll be floating many tail lengths in the air with some gaps being flat out unusable due to the height. I usually could clear some gaps with a jump, but that was out of the picture. Creation was also out. If I took the most direct route with creation, I'd be too exhausted to use the obelisk.

I sat down to compose myself and try to plan a route. Despite how tired I was, perception of the Darkforest took almost no energy. I sensed out the layers, attempting to feel where they aligned and how viable their use was. In the end, I planned a route that would take roughly half a day to cross and contained three risky jumps. This was the best I could do without making the time take longer than a day.

"Splitpelt. I need you. What needs to be done now is of the most importance. I trust you are strong enough. Do you remember how I moved through the layers?"

Splitpelt nodded firmly. He looked ready to face whatever was to come. It was my own fault we were in this mess, but I trusted him to get us out.

"I'm going to need you to open the layers at where I tell you as well as help me along. I'm… not in good condition, but I'm the only one powerful enough to use the obelisk. We're going to have to move through the layers twelve times to get to the obelisk. Three of which are jumps. I believe you have enough energy to move between the layers eight times and then you'll be wiped. Can you call for any cat you think in camp is of significant enough power to make a leap?" I asked.

"I'll be back soon." He responded with determination on his face. He bound off into the distance as I began my slow walk. Splitpelt and Frecklewish always seemed to have an instinctive sense of where I was, so I trusted them to find me when he was ready.

Walking was miserable. I did not have the energy to dry the sulfuric scented mud leaving me squelching along. Each step felt like it might be the last I could manage, but I continued. The mud stuck between my toes leaving a disturbing feeling of uncleanliness. What made matters worse was when I set one paw a little wide and tried to put my weight on it, causing it to shoot out from under me and leave me sprawled out in the mud. I almost gave up there. I was dirty. I was tired. I was upset, but I had a duty. It took me a couple heartbeats to work up the energy to stand again, my fur matted with mud. I continued, tired but not defeated.

I finally was within sight of the first jump point. It was only a couple tail lengths away. Unfortunately, it was one of the hard jumps, the worst of the hard jumps. It was luck that Splitpelt caught up to me with a full patrol of cats. With him was Snowtuft, Foamriver, Buzzardpaw, and Dawnstar. There would have been more if Dawnstar hadn't explicitly ordered the rest of the cats in camp to stay behind.

"This… is the first jump point." I panted while pointed at a very slight visual disturbance in the air. "It's the hardest one. The second jump is much easier, but we'll have to make a long jump to reach it, a couple tail lengths, and I don't think I can make the jump on my own."

Splitpelt hoisted me onto his back as we prepared a run up. Buzzardpaw, being the youngest and weakest of us, held the first gap open for us. It was both endearing and adorable to see the level of concentration on his face as he held the gap. With a run and a leap, all four of us found ourselves airborne so high we couldn't see the ground through the trees. Dawnstar was nest, both opening and holding it for all of us to fall through. The landing was a bit more jarring than Splitpelt expected because I came tumbling off his back, further splattering myself with mud.

I know he twisted his ankle on the landing, but he looked more concerned for me. "Are you alright?" He asked with honest worry.

"Yes. I'm alright. Just got the wind knocked out of me. That's all." I responded. "Just ten more jumps to go."

Dawnstar opened and held the next two jumps, which were both long jumps, before she decided she couldn't continue further. Foamriver managed to get us through two easy jumps before she was worn out. Snowtuft managed two jumps as well before it was just me and Splitpelt left. I had to watch the next four jumps wear down Splitpelt. By the third, he couldn't manage to carry me. After the fourth, he was ragged. He wasn't near as bad as me, but he looked ready to pass out. At least we could see the obelisk.

There it was in all its foul glory. The thing I'd use as a tool to change it all, a salvation and a curse. I knew I could use it once and survive, but the key word is survive. How much it would take from me was unknown. I'd only ever used an obelisk once by pure accident, and it had led to another great accident. Could I really trust it to do what was needed? I could not, but it was the only way. Things needed to change, and I needed to plant the root change of the prophecy. Crookedjaw and the entirety of the Unseen Stars was counting on me.

I dragged myself before the cursed object of prophecy. The black oily mess around it staining whatever exposed fur still peeked out of the mud covering my form. I knew I looked monstrous, a thing dead yet moving, the visage of a nightmare. Yet despite this, I had my mantra to hold me firm. "I am Mapleshade and I am unbreakable." Yet my mantra felt incomplete. I wasn't just Mapleshade anymore. "I am the mother of the scorned, parent to the damned, and believer in redemption. I am the Mother of the Darkforest, and the faith in me, the faith of those who believe in me will not be denied!"

I forced all my power to the surface, the mud and oil cascading off me like rain. The once stained fur coat glowed with the stars, our stars, and I felt the strength to continue. I walked with poise the last few steps, glowing with faith and power. I pressed my paw to the obelisk, willing my desire into being. I felt the obelisk tug at me, wanting more and more. It was a greedy thing, wanting everything I had, trying to expand my goal to the point it could consume me. I resisted. I focused on Riverclan's camp, the freshkill pile. There weren't many options that would give the sign I desired. Then I spotted it, a shiny red tail peeking through the pile of fish, a squirrel, something utterly uncommon to Riverclan. I focused hard on the squirrel, its details becoming clearer and clearer with my intent. Then I brought my power to bear on its jaw. With all the power I could muster, and a loud crack, the jaw of the piece of prey snapped sideways giving it a crooked jaw.

As I felt my consciousness fading as I reeled back from the obelisk, I could still see into Riverclan. The crack had been more audible than I'd thought. With a faint smile, I witnessed the Riverclan leader fish out the squirrel and spot the crooked jaw it bore. Then it all faded to black.