Chapter 27: Breakthrough

Splitpelt and Frecklewish were feeling largely useless after my last recruitment drive. I did everything on my own without consulting them. Even in my previous recruitments, I ultimately did most of the work. Frecklewish couldn't forgive herself for botching Shellstar's recruitment only for me to just clear up the mess and Splitpelt knew in the fight with Northstar and Potentpaw, I was holding back to give him a chance to fight. Their biggest regret was just letting me bear the brunt of the work and take on the risks of innovation alone. We were supposed to be a team, but they were finding themselves stagnant. While I was constantly improving, they'd grown too content with what they could already do. They realized they couldn't keep acting this way.

Splitpelt and Frecklewish set off to train together. Their goal was to innovate something uniquely their own. They could not stand the thought that someday they'd just be liabilities. Soon they found themselves in the clearing I'd first demonstrated creation to our earliest recruits. It was a fitting location to make something new.

Frecklewish was the one to speak first after arrival. "We can't keep holding her back. We've been claiming to be partners, but here we are just piggybacking off all she does. I'm not going to accept that anymore. I want to be beside her even come the worst, and I can't do that as I am now."

Splitpelt felt the same. Being an amalgam of the founders, he knew better than most about the sadness and heartbreak that comes from being left behind. He'd known the gap between us was growing larger, and it terrified him. He'd known the fear those in power could have for things lesser than them. How could I ever love him if I had to constantly fear I'd destroy him by accident? His answer was to become powerful enough that I wouldn't need that fear.

"I concur. We aren't just doing this for ourselves to keep up. Mapleshade needs us to be her rock when times are tough, and we can't do that if she has to fear shattering us with just a breath."

Frecklewish may not be a cat with bloodlust as strong as Patchpelt and I, but her drive could put us to shame. When she has a goal, she'll either complete it or die trying. Splitpelt on the other paw had my same bloodlust. It was a crude weapon, but he'd been learning to refine it with his ruthless logic. The two squared off to duel until they had a breakthrough.

Splitpelt lunged first. His weight and savagery were on full display. It was as if the strength of a badger were paired with the agility of a fox. Frecklewish was somewhat rusty, but her reflexes were intact. She weaved through the barrage receiving scratches and glancing blows. It was definitely wearing on her stamina. Being a non-complete soul, she had much less stamina and soul to give in a fight in comparison to Splitpelt who had seasons upon seasons for his form to fill out. Besides his amalgam appearance, he was as complete as any cat who'd been sent to the Darkforest directly.

Regardless, Frecklewish did not give up. To fall to him meant she was unworthy of being in my presence in her eyes. She fought on dragging in the energies the Darkforest ambiently provided to last even a touch longer against Splitpelt. The clearing, once full of grass, was reduced to dirt and the trees full of leaves and needles were stripped bare. Frecklewish had drawn in the power that gave them form. Her usual slight transparency was being filled with her willpower and sense of purpose. Each second the fight dragged on, she rapidly neared becoming a complete soul.

Splitpelt was undergoing a lesson of his own. His usual blind battle rage was becoming clearer as Frecklewish continued to allude him. The fog of red that made fights so addictive and simple was fading. It wasn't that his bloodlust had lessened, it was more the fatigue had forced his mind into clarity. Those boorish swipes now took on more meaningful purpose. His attacks became more refined and targeted, forcing Frecklewish into even narrower dodges and leaving less room to counterattack. With his newfound clarity, Splitpelt deployed a clever string of attacks. He forced Frecklewish close to the now barren trees restricting her horizontal movement. Then he went for a low sweeping strike to force a jump. He caught her in the air and slammed her down. Finally he had a pin with his claws against her neck.

"Do you yield?" He asked harshly. He knew he learned a lot from the fight, but their growth still felt like it was not enough.

Frecklewish felt a measure of helplessness under Splitpelt's weight. She'd lost because of a trap, and she didn't want to accept it. They hadn't gone far enough. Neither had had their true breakthrough yet. She didn't want to accept it. She couldn't accept it! A lesson from me from early on in our power training occurred to her. She remembered how I'd blasted through her constructs with ease. She remembered my indomitability. In her mind she chanted, I cannot fail. I must be by her side. I will not fall. She needs me and I will be there. I will be her unbreakable barrier to fall back to. I am Frecklewish, the second star!

An eruption of energy threw Splitpelt across the clearing. Frecklewish now stood across from him, her form radiating with Darkforest energy. The air distorted in her presence. As Splitpelt moved to engage, Frecklewish struck. He narrowly dodged, but the attack itself had a shockwave that sent him stumbling. Splitpelt could feel Frecklewish's willpower and might manifested into an intense surge of strength. He was forced to be the one playing mouse while the logical part of his mind desperately searched for a solution. No matter what opening he saw, those shockwaves made the gaps too small. He couldn't get in. If only there were even one more cat assisting him.

A revelation came to Splitpelt as he remembered our dry stepping lessons. Originally the imaging of me leading him had just been his means of manifesting the skill. Now his epiphany led him down a different train of thought. He was an amalgam, but not one consisting of dozens to hundreds of echoes. He was the amalgam of four pieces of the founders, and each piece could be a shade on its own. His own mind unknowingly picked up on Frecklewish's mantra and formulated its own. I am one. I am four. I am the founders, origin of all clans. I am Splitpelt the third star!

Frecklewish's eyes widened in shock as Splitpelt literally split apart into four separate cats, of which she recognized from the statues decorating the camp. Splitpelt had separated int Thunderstar, Riverstar, Shadowstar, and Windstar. The four attacked with synchronicity that was only made possible by them sharing a mind. Frecklewish tore into thesefounder shades with all her strength, dispersing one after another, but they'd reform within heartbeats. She got tagged by the ones she hadn't been targeting, but her efforts to destroy some of them were actively eating at Splitpelt's pool of energy. As Frecklewish grew fatigued, the number of cats Splitpelt could maintain reduced. Windstar was the first to vanish, but vanish wasn't the right word. He more merged with Thunder. Then Shadowstar was forced to merge with Riverstar. Frecklewish eventually couldn't maintain her own brand of indomitability, but Splitpelt wasn't doing to well either. He couldn't even create one alternate cat. His own fatigue had him gasping. The two ultimately collapsed in a draw.

Through ragged gasps, Frecklewish managed to mew, "I think we found our breakthroughs. Listen, this fight has made me see you, the real you. We both want Mapleshade and would do anything for her. Would you be willing to share?"

Splitpelt, now seeing Frecklewish as more than just a hanger on, gave his response. "I think I can accept that. You've proven your passivity does not mean you lack strength. I'll share her as long as you do not let your skills decay."

The two shared a look as they realized they now shared a bond. It wasn't quite love, but it felt close. The two shared a purpose and a path. Things could only grow closer from there.