Chapter 100: Finale
This was it. My goals would finally be attained. My thirst for revenge would be sated. A part of me excitedly wanted to sprint to that cursed structure and land a sky shattering hit to it, but I restrained myself. This wasn't about just me anymore. I was carrying the efforts of every cat who ever had faith in me to complete this task. All the suffering and effort amounted to where I am not. This was not my success but rather our success, and I needed to treat this moment with respect.
I began to saunter towards the structure of my ire. Starclan cats were frozen at the sight of me, likely sensing my unquantifiable power. As I finally reached the obelisk, I could hear five sets of paws pounding their way over. No matter. They couldn't stop me. I drew forth my monumental power as I reached toward the obelisk. A hum was building in the air as I began enacting my will upon it. A sound akin to a tree before it collapses seemed to echo throughout Starclan. The obelisk was trying to resist me, pounding me with more visions of potential pasts, but I was stronger now. They didn't even stun me now. I could suppress and ignore them. A loud cracking rang out as the obelisk tilted slightly.
Unfortunately, that was not all that occurred. What I'd hoped had been the obelisk cracking under the pressure turned out to be something else. Froth the base of the obelisk ran a crack in the ground. It spiderwebbed out into the distance about as far as the width of the Thunderpath. I ignored it and pushed further, but the obelisk was not the one being damaged. The ground split into a ravine of sorts. The whole of Starclan actually shook at this push.
"Mapleshade Stop! You're going to destroy Starclan." Yowled Firestar, hesitant to enter range of my claws.
I only hesitated a moment. I ever so briefly considered not destroying the obelisk, thus sparing Starclan, but then a painful reminder put an end to that. It felt like I'd just ran through a thicket of thorns. Black ichor like blood oozed from these new wounds. This was no other cats' doing. It was my own. That promise I made to Dawnstar so long ago revealed its ugly head. This had to be done, not just for me. My life was no longer only my own. I am the Darkforest. Every cat who exists within my forest would be destroyed as well should I die. This not only included the Unseen Stars and the unrepentant. It included every cat who would have faded without my aid in the battle.
My hesitation was likely longer than I thought because a crowd had gathered with the five cats of prophecy at the head, Firestar, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Dovewing, and Hollyleaf.
"Don't do this! Think of all the cats you'd destroy if you did!" Yowled Hollyleaf, somewhat in fear.
"No! This has to be done. There is no other choice! If I don't do this, then every cat in the Darkforest as well as the Darkforest itself will be destroyed. This thing is an abomination that only creates meaningless death and cares not for lives. It is a thing! It does not think or care for us! It has destroyed many and will continue to do so as long as it continues to exist." I hissed back, my own power creating a blast of air making cats flinch and hunker down in fear.
"But do you need to destroy Starclan?" Lionblaze yowled back, his claws unsheathed as he prowled towards me.
With a growl, I lashed out a claw at the far too brave warrior, letting his ear get nicked so he'd have a clear reminder. "Your little trick won't work on me. I am far too much to be driven off instinct, so you cannot sway me to sheath my claws or guide me into taking a disadvantageous position. No. Your power does not work on me."
Lionblaze reeled back, now realizing he could not best me. He could not win by claw. Dovewing was the one to cut in before this turned into a bloodbath.
"Why are you doing this?" she questioned desperately, likely hoping to buy time.
Buying time sounded like a fantastic idea at this point. I didn't really want to destroy Starclan, but I knew I would if there was no other choice.
"Know what? Fine. That sounds like a passable idea. You'd best sit down. My tale is a long one." I answered, gesturing for them all to sit.
I do not know how long it took to tell it all. We actually had to take a break so the living cats could get some sleep and eat. Then I continued. Frecklewish and Splitpelt appeared with me to confirm my story. Even Crookedstar came forward to vouch for my character. After I finished, there was silence. It seemed to drag on for far too long. They knew they could not dissuade me. They held no loyalty towards the obelisk, but at the same time they did have loyalty to Starclan.
Jayfeather then gave us an answer I had not anticipated. "What if we give her what she wants?"
"Then Starclan would be destroyed!" Hollyleaf argued back.
Jayfeather shook his head. "That's not what I'm saying. What if we gave her the obelisk? Mapleshade did say that Starclan has a means to banish things to the Darkforest. The question is, can we banish the obelisk?"
"That thing is so deeply rooted that Starclan cracked when she tried to break it. Who'd even have enough power to do that?" Questioned Lionblaze.
"That's not the correct question. The real question is who'd have the domain to do that? Whose domain is Starclan?" I asked, realizing the answer instantly as I looked at the five. "Unless… The power of the stars could be referring to something besides your powers." I mewed now realizing how integrated their souls were to the structure of Starclan.
"You mean…?" Dovewing uttered slowly, getting a nod from me.
"I can feel it. Yes. You do have the domain! Do it! Give me the obelisk." I excitedly commanded, glad to have an alternative solution.
I felt it as their combined domain wrapped around the obelisk. At first, it was chaotic. Each cat seemed to be battling to gain control, but in the end, they ceded their control to Firestar who wrapped the obelisk in the domain. The act of banishing began. I could feel the obelisk entering my domain. At first, it felt like a burr in my fur, but as they continued, the sensation became more uncomfortable. It was trying to integrate itself into me. I fought it. I would not let it root itself into me. I bit at it, feeling it like a far too large sliver. I actually felt it gripped within my teeth. I pulled. It came slowly, whisker length by whisker length. I finally freed it from myself, and it looked like a big stick with a sharp end. This doesn't sound impressive, but if the stick was scaled to my metaphysical size, this thing was longer than the forest was wide. I cracked it in my teeth, feeling one last pulse of chaotic energy as the obelisk was destroyed for good. I heaved a sigh of relief now that my goal had finally been attained.
"Finally. It is done. My revenge is complete. Now, I guess I have to leave." I mewed quietly.
Starclan was not my home. I still had the Darkforest to care to. It was still a shame that I could not be reunited with my first kits. I briefly noted Firestar's newfound power. It seemed I would soon no longer be the only god. As I began to pad away, Firestar called out to me.
"Mapleshade wait! You… don't have to leave." He mewed, seemingly anxious to get my answer.
I actually laughed at Firestar's timid request. "Do you really realize what you just asked? I'm not just Mapleshade anymore. I am the Darkforest. To invite me is to invite every cat within me as well. Are you sure you want to do that?" I questioned teasingly.
Firestar paused, now realizing the implication of his question before thinking a moment. "Yes. I still want to invite you in. You can keep your cats under control right? As long as you can keep the bad ones out, I see no problem with you being here. I can't accept a family like yours being divided for so long. I want to spend some time getting to know how I feel about you. I don't want this to be the end."
I gave him a small smile. "I'd like that. Not to mention I get to teach you how to use your coming powers. We'll need to come up with your aspect. It'll be nice to have another god to chat with." I chattered joyfully.
"God?" He questioned with a gulp.
"You didn't think Starclan could get away with blessing a cat that many times without consequences." I teased back.
I could see it, a bright new future. Sure, we'd have no way to predict what was to come, but I trusted our wisdom and the cats of the living to make the right decisions. We'd forge our own path, no damned obelisk to guide us, and I couldn't wait.