Mother of the Darkforest

by LostAndOdd

AU: Mapleshade had always been especially sensitive to spirits. Through life, she acted on what she believed was their guidance. After her kits' death, she began hallucinating. She believed they were Starclan spirits and followed their orders. Now she is in the Darkforest. As she tries to serve a penance for her crimes, she learns the truth about Starclan and the Darkforest.

64. Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Wayward Kit

I'd let time pass me by somewhat when I felt something, something that called to my nature. Somewhere down below a kit was being attacked. Frecklewish joined me on my trip to one of the reflection pools. From there, I guided our vision of the world of the living. From there, I witnessed it all, the cat with a twisted mind, the mentor warped by grief, the mother of the ice kit, and last, the small one I'd consider my own.

The warped one and the twisted one had the kit cornered as the ice kit's mother pleaded for them to stay their paws. The warped one jeered the twisted one on as he rounded on the wayward kit. The kit, despite his size, put on an impressive show of bravery as he tried to face the far larger cat. It wasn't even a fight. The larger one, with a single strike, knocked the kit prone. His twisted mind brought about cruel words for what was just a curious kit. There was intent to kill, but the mother of the ice kit finally showed some spine. The wayward kit was freed, but not without a passing swipe, snapping the melodious sounder off the kit's mark of kittypet.

The kit ran and I followed. I had to use some force to extend the Darkforest's territory beyond the forest to follow the kit. The kit was so scared and alone. I saw him curl up in a corner of those cursed trails where twolegs scarcely treaded. I reached out to him, calling him to the Darkforest, to my maternal protection, and he responded. I felt his soul coming up the reflection pool.

Soon a tiny kit with one white paw and adorably icy blue eyes emerged. Frecklewish and I knelt down to greet the kit.

"Hello little one. My name is Mapleshade and this is my mate Frecklewish. May I ask yours?" I inquired softly.

The kit was clearly intimidated by my size. I did have the rough proportions of the twisted one, but my fur was softer and more vibrant, somewhat reducing the intimidation factor.

"My name's Tiny!" The kit yowled in stark defiance of his shaking form.

The kit was clearly scared, but I had to admit, he was a brave little one too. Not many cats could face a cat like me when they believed I was a threat. This kit, despite his size, looked to be one who could challenge the world openly. He was the type to charge a lion head on despite his fears. Yes. He was the type of cat I liked most.

"Hello Tiny. I don't know how to broach the topic, but I witnessed what those three cats did to you. It was wrong of them. You did not deserve that. They were the ones who did wrong." I stated in a gentle yet firm tone.

Even though the kit was strong, he was still a kit. "Why did they do that? Why did they want to hurt me?" He asked with tears starting to spill from his eyes.

I could not play the gentle one for my response. Frecklewish seemed to catch that and wrapped the kit up in an embrace. "Those three… What they did went against everything that it means to be an honorable cat. The twisted one, the one who attacked you, he let his desires best any sense of morality or honor he had. The warped one, the one who jeered the twisted one on, he's let an old grief consume him and lashes out at anything and everything. Finally, the blue one, the mother of a kit lost in ice I met long ago, she let her fear of the other two rule her, not acting out when she saw injustice done until it was too late. These are their sins I hope you never carry."

My ear flicked at the movement within the Unseen Stars' camp. Dawn was breaking. The kit would need to leave soon. "Listen Tiny. I'll teach you what I know when I can. We'll teach you to hunt, fight, and lead, but the living world is a cruel place. You'll need to be crafty, fierce, and even a touch cruel to survive. These are things you'll have to learn fast if you are unable to return to your former life. I will aid you however I can, but I must preemptively give you one rule. Never harm a kit. It is the one thing I believe over all else. If you can follow that one rule, I'll stay by your side acting as council in your dreams should you ask for it."

I felt the kit fading as he was starting to be pulled back to the waking world. "Wait! Why are you helping me? Why must I leave?" The kit demanded.

"Because I am a mother, and like all mothers, I want to see you succeed. I see you as one of my many kits. Even if you don't see me as your mother, I already love you as one of my own. Unfortunately, it is time for you to go. Tread carefully, but do not let fear rule you. Go and make a name for yourself, one you'll wear with pride." I responded.

Just like that, the kit disappeared. His soul left to his living body carrying the experience of what happened this night.

Frecklewish soon brought up the question, "was that wise of you to ask a kit to be cruel?"

I shook my head, not really having a good answer. "I cannot say. Where he is now has none of the safety the codes afford to the clans. There is nothing stopping cats from abusing or killing him. Those types of cats only respect the powers that surpass their own. Cruelty, while a sin, grants the illusion of power. He'll need every scrap he can get to not just survive but thrive there. I believe between you, Splitpelt, and I, we could raise him to become a powerful leader needed to establish order in the Twoleg Place. Take a peek below and see the madness a lack of order gives the cats there. Fathers kill their kits, mothers abandon them. They kill each other for not even a scrap of a territory, a scrap of a scrap. The forest is Starclan compared to there."

Frecklewish solemnly nodded in agreement. In a world of rogues, I could not raise a kind kit.