That Which Goes Around

Since she had encountered the shadowy figures, Galestar had kept walking. Pacing through he vast, featureless expanse of swirling fog, she was uncertain of just how long it had been sine she had seen them. In fact, how long had it been since her banishment? What did it matter, it was eternal, the decision final. Biting her tongue as she shook her head in a wide arc from side to side, she fought back the bitter taste of regret and disappointment for what she had been a part of. Perhaps true death would have been a kinder fate, she was slowly going insane tracing her path through this fog with no sense of time, direction, or motive. Alas, this was the fate she deserved, earning it with the actions taken against the clans. Sighing, she continued trudging forward silently.

After what seemed like hours, a small shadow began to take shape on the ground ahead. For a heartbeat, Galestar considered turning away in a new direction, uncertain of what the shape may be. Another cat, perhaps? Surely not, she had paced these mists for what felt like generations in unbroken solitude. But.... What if it was? After a few moments more of hesitation, she cautiously approached the still mass. Drawing closer, a familiar face began to reveal itself from the tendrils of fog, and Galestar's heart twisted. A she-cat that had grown considerably from the last time she had seen her, yet not changed in the slightest, was slumbering. She was certain that the young Morningpaw had not been killed, and if she had perished from her wounds surely StarClan wouldn't abandon her to a place such as this.... So why was she here? What was she doing? Gazing down at the she-cat, Galestar warred with herself before settling down before her, opening her maw to speak for the first time since her sentencing.

"What are you doing here? Get up. This is no place to rest, little one." Her voice surprised even herself, unwavering and strong despite its lack of use. She didn't appreciate the way it echoed in the surrounding mist however, and hoped that she wouldn't draw any unwelcome attention.

The thin line between imagination and reality had always been, for Morningdove, just a little thinner. More than once over the last several moons, she'd found times she'd slipped into a state of even deeper sleep, waking up in starlit fields and wondering, Is this it? before coming to the abrupt (and admittedly mixed) realisation that, in fact, she'd simply begun to dream. But as her eyes slowly opened to take in nothing but a boundless fog, cold and unforgiving and carrying with it the stench of pure nothingness-- she knew in an instant that this was not one of those times. The unceasing ache in her bones told her that this was no mere dream, no reprieve from her torment; and the lack of anything even remotely familiar told her that this could not be WindClan, or anywhere in the forest. Which left one possibility, one suspected even in an instant and all but confirmed by the sudden presence of another cat, unnoticed until now- had she been here all this time?

"Galestar," the revolutionary murmured with none of the vitriol that the traitor's name would once have caused. Morningdove couldn't bring it in herself to hate the other cat any more; hatred was like fire, requiring fuel and space to spread. No, it was simply with a tired, almost-defeated sigh that she addressed Galestar. She knew what this meant, of course; Morningdove had heard tales of the former leader's astral banishment, forbidden from entering StarClan as a result of her crimes. And if now they shared the same ground, if now the same fog coalesced around them both, then- "So this is where sinners like us go to be forgotten."

A quiet breath, and slowly, ever-so-slowly, the fallen warrior pushed herself to a sitting position, tilting her head up to where the sky should've been- not necessarily to stare at the fog, or even lament the loss of the stars, but... well, it was that or look at Galestar, and Morningdove wasn't sure she could bring herself to do that just yet, even if she had complied with the other cat's demands despite herself-- no, Galestar carried no authority here, no matter what her voice might suggest. The spark within the she-cat burned just a little brighter, and she pushed down her thoughts, confusing as they were. "I can think of better cats to be stuck in eternal twilight with, but I suppose we deserve this. So much for being immune to consequences, huh."

Galestar's tail tip twitched as it wound around her front paws, her wide head tilting slightly as the she-cat before her gained her senses and sat up. She looked towards the sky, pointedly avoiding her gaze, something Galestar noted silently. Perhaps she should have just kept on walking... As she listened to the young cat, she sighed before shaking her head in a wide arc. "Listen to you. Can you even hear yourself speak? Here I thought you were smarter than all that." Galestar locked her eyes back on Morningdove's face. "To my knowledge, you've committed no sin. On top of that, you're not dead either." She reached out a paw and brushed it against the young cat's, twitching her whiskers as it passed through the solid one. "No, little one, I think you're just lost. And from the look of it, you've been lost an awful long time. It's not good, you know, you should really find your way back home."

Galestar paused, regarding the cat in front of her quietly. There was no way for her to get out of here, and she had never once gotten the sense that there was a way out - so how was she supposed to help Morningdove? Bringing her paw back towards herself, she blinked before looking off to her right and then her left. "I wish I could give you a better idea of how, but... I don't know. Unlike you, I'm stuck here, this is my punishment. I think you need to confront yourself, and decide who and what you want to be, who you need to be for yourself and your clan. Perhaps that will give you the answers you seek." She spoke, her last statement almost sounding like a question as she pondered what could be done. She had no doubt the she-cat before her was not supposed to be there - but how was she supposed to get out?

The experience of being gently chastised by the ghost of a twice-traitorous murderess was... not unlike the experience of being picked up by a goose: disorienting, a little painful, highly alarming, and above all, a stark reminder that Morningdove, there are far more powerful forces at work than yourself. Her life was her story, and she was- however reluctantly- its heroine; but that in no way went against the possibility of other agents in play, other puppeteers pulling their strings and making the she-cat dance to their whims. Something, or someone, had pulled her here, and not without purpose; no, Galestar's presence was proof enough of that. Where dead cats were involved, coincidences were never just that. Something had summoned Morningdove with the express purpose of introducing the two of them once more (under arguably better conditions than their meeting at the Gathering, no less), and though she had defied those above before... well, this was not the time to do so again. The least the tabby could do was listen, so listen she did. Morningdove remained silent as Galestar addressed her, suppressing a chill as the spectral paw passed through her own. She simply listened, and thought.

And then eventually, Morningdove spoke, hesitant, but with just a hint of that same resolute spirit that had carried her this far; "When I was just a kit, I used to look up at the Tallrock and think, 'one day, I will stand there'. Ambition, maybe, or aspiration- or simply childlike innocence, made me think, 'one day, other cats will follow me, and I will lead them through the storm into a new dawn'. There was no reason to think it'd ever happen, of course; I was no different from any kit, aside from a habit of being nearly killed by my curiosity." (A faint part of her mused, Someone should make a proverb out of that.) "And then it did. Finchstar died- you know all about that, of course-" despite herself, she couldn't quite prevent a hint of anger lancing out with her words- "-and I ended up in very much the kind of position I wished for. And you know? It was terrible."

A slight pause, a twitch of her whiskers as Morningdove adjusted herself to look at Galestar. Her eyes were embers- more than smoke, but haunted, scorched from her path. "I was young, and a fool, and I thought that I was invincible-- but I knew the cats in my charge weren't. If even a leader could be killed, then a group of partisans, each nine times more mortal, definitely could be. Every moment I stood with them, I knew that I was putting them all in that same danger. Sure, they were willing, and sure, it was for the greater good, but that didn't make it any easier. The only reason none of them died in that fight was dumb luck and divine intervention. And I had moons to reflect on my mistakes, figure out how I should've done it better, and each time, I came to the same conclusion: you can't save them all, but you can dang well try."

"I don't know who I want to be," the she-cat admitted, her eyes flickering aside for a moment, "but I know what I want to do with my life. I want to try, and try again, and be less of an idiot about it next time. I want to leave the Great Rock to cats who actually know what they're doing up there, and I can't save every cat in every Clan, but even so, I don't want to stop trying, not ever. They deserve better than that. I don't know if that answers your question- I don't know what I need to do- but I know I want to make the forest better, safer, more loving." (Even if it meant retreading these steps, if it meant waking up, doing the Right Thing (tm), and being tossed back into oblivion for it? Even then.)

"But, of course, you knew all that already."

Galestar sat silently as she waited for a response, a response that finally came on a hesitant, but resolute, voice. The she-cat spoke of her aspirations, of her hopes as a kit. It was a dream shared by many, but only a few got to taste and experience that dream. The side of her lip rose slightly in a grimace as the younger cat's voice was tinged with anger, an anger that was founded even if it still rubbed the dead cat's fur the wrong way. The grimace faded as she nodded in understanding. Being a leader wasn't an easy path, she knew that first-paw. Too young this she-cat had realized it too.... Perhaps not too young. Her eyes narrowed slightly as Morningdove continued, nodding occasionally as she spoke. Finally, the answer came, and Galestar purred roughly at the response. "An admirable response, and a good one as well. You've been doing a lot of thinking, haven't you? Keep in mind that sometimes, despite our desires otherwise, you don't have time to weigh your options before making a decision. Sometimes, you have to follow what you think is right in a moment, and accept the consequences one way or the other. I think you know that far better than most cats, especially those your age." She mewed, standing and stretching, claws extending into the mist covered ground as her back arched. "Despite what you seem to think, I don't know everything. I have many moons to my name, but even the wisest of us is prone to mistakes. Situations and circumstances change, and we need to adapt with them. That is something the Righteous Few, myself included, failed to realize.... I realized it far too late to make amends. If what you say is true, then I want to help you return to where you belong. On one condition."

Galestar took a couple steps to stand before the she-cat, looking slightly up at her due to the height difference. "Don't make the mistakes I - we - did. Listen to those around you, and let them help you instead of trying to do it alone. Advise your leader, your clan, but know that in the end the decision is not yours to make, and support them. If someday you do find yourself standing upon Tallrock, remember where you started." Galestar blinked slowly, taking a deep breath. She had no idea if this would work.... But she had to try. No matter what happened. She had spent many moons in StarClan, watching over the clans. She had spent the last several moons wandering the mist... Perhaps if she retraced her steps to that spot where she saw that light, Morningdove could break through. Leaning forward, the she-cat touched her ethereal nose to the young warrior's, focusing on the path she had taken from there to get to here, and then past that into her memories of StarClan's territories and the clans below.

For barely a moment, a flash of indignation crossed the fallen warrior's viridescent eyes; of course she'd been doing a lot of thinking! Because your friends made it so I couldn't do anything else---and as soon as it had appeared, the thought cut itself off, a slightly more sensible Morningdove taking its place. Galestar had, despite her former allegiances, treated her with kindness during this meeting; it had been a long time since the last; and even then, the traitor had been instrumental in the success of the Clan cats. It wasn't unbelievable to suggest that she genuinely had found redemption and changed her ways, and to treat her like a heinous villain even so would be... well, entirely acceptable, but still something that left a sour taste in Morningdove's mouth. No, Galestar had earned the chance to speak here, and so the warrior bowed her head in acknowledgement, stayed her tongue, and listened; not as an obedient youth, but as what she liked to think of, however inaccurately, as a respectful equal. One veteran to another. (If nothing else came of this, Morningdove had at least learned to shut up when it mattered.)

And as she listened, the tabby spotted truth in the older cat's words; words born of nine lives lived and more, of the knowledge of having gone bad, turned back to the light, and then seen precisely where she'd gone wrong. The Righteous Few had forged ahead with their plans without the consent of the masses; even in StarClan, they were a minority, and StarClan itself had been their undoing. Perhaps if they'd stopped to plead their case, they could've seen sense before things came to the shuddering halt they did. (Or, Morningdove thought, They'd have had more supporters and won. But either way, it cost them the war.) So intent was she on taking in Galestar's words, she'd almost missed the telltale signs of someone who was about to do something very heroic and very stupid. (Anyone else might have missed it entirely, but Morningdove specialised in heroic stupidity, and it wasn't too hard to spot if you knew what to look for.)

So as Galestar leaned forward, the young warrior scrambled back, calling out; "Wait! Wait, waitwaitwait-- time out, pause-", her mind already flickering with the faintest of ideas...
Fact One: If Galestar woke Morningdove up, then Galestar would cease to exist. She had little power already, that much was clear- and to use it all to give Morningdove the spark of life she needed would very likely kill her.
Fact Two: Galestar was willing to do this. No trickery, no tomfoolery- simply genuine regret for her actions, and genuine goodwill towards Morningdove. She was willing to sacrifice herself to save others, just as Morningdove had.
Fact Three: Being stuck somewhere for moons on end really, really sucked; and at least Morningdove had been able to lean on others. Galestar had been alone- truly alone- for moons, and had used what little power she had, to... try and save Morningdove.
Which, all put together, came to one very simple conclusion: It's never too late to make things right. And so- "I-I can't accept this. Not fully. If you do this, then you don't-- you won't be here any more. You won't be anywhere any more. I've gotten this far without anyone dying because of all this, and I can't have that on my conscience." (Not technically a lie; there were far greater reasons to want to preserve Galestar for now, but it wouldn't do to play her hand too soon.) "Plus, I'm not the only cat you've hurt. As much as it helps that you're willing to do this, you're also escaping your own punishment by doing so. I'd need to make sure those cats are okay with it first-- like you said, no unilateral decisions." (Also technically true, but again, not her real reason for turning down the offer.)

"The real right thing to do here," Morningdove spoke, closing her eyes and praying that she could pull this off, "would be to keep just enough of your power to remain here after I'm gone. Not enough to do anything, mind, just to stay here. That's my condition. You don't go anywhere." And I make this count.

Startled, Galestar couldn't help the look of confusion that placed itself firmly on her face, despite her efforts to keep a uniform expression. Wait? Her eyes searched Morningdove's for a reason. Couldn't accept it. So she wanted to stay here forever? No, something more. Was she concerned for her? No, not entirely. Maybe a little? Can't have it on her conscious. Ah, so that's it. "We don't know that's the case, young one, I don't know what will come next, but I'll accept it." As the she-cat continued, Galestar's lip rose slightly again. That wasn't her intention.... But she supposed she could see where that thought would come from. Staring at the she-cat for a few heartbeats longer, Galestar sighed. "You make it sound like I know what I'm doing, little one. I make no promises, as I'm unsure of myself if this will even work.... But I will try. I'll stay right here, as long as I am able." She mewed, reaching her nose out once more. Recalling the path, she set her sights instead on StarClan's territory, rather than extending to the clans below. Morningdove should find her way from there just fine, or perhaps StarClan can guide her from there. Maybe that will reserve some of her dwindling power. Taking a deep breath, she projected these thoughts onto Morningdove. As she did, a tingling sensation started in the tip of her tail, winding it's way to her paws and up her legs, all the way to her head. Opening her eyes, she looked down to see.... Nothing. No, not nothing, there was the faintest outline of her legs, barely distinguishable from the mist. Her paws were almost completely gone. For a heartbeat, panic rose in her chest before she sighed, acceptance filling her being as she looked to the other cat for what she thought would be the final time. "Don't waste it."

A faint nod of approval from the fallen warrior; so Galestar had accepted her terms, and seemingly with no knowledge of the plot that grew inside the younger cat's brilliant mind. Galestar was willing to condemn herself to lifetimes of torment (for what else could the Mist be described as? There were few things worse than being alone, after all,) all to right the wrongs of her former self. True redemption, then, just as Morningdove had hoped -- so what came next, the path before her written among the stars, was as clear as the first light of dawn. It always had been. "Well, Softbreeze would kill me if you didn't, so- thank you." Meant in jest, clearly, but also with what seemed like the faintest grain of respect behind it, of genuine appreciation and approval of the spectral she-cat's new path. So when Galestar reached out again, the warrior met the former leader's astral touch with her own, her mind instantly drifting to something she'd never even seen-- the endless hunting grounds of StarClan, warm and inviting and- admittedly- somewhere she'd hoped to go, albeit under different circumstances entirely. But no, simply a visit, a mission. And as the Mist faded around her, the world transforming into starry, beautiful nothingness as Morningdove followed the path Galestar had illuminated for her...

"Until we meet again- thank you."

Galestar merely chuckled softly, her head shaking slowly as their noses met. The young she-cat slowly seemed to disappear, surrounded by twinkling stars. In the blink of an eye, it was over. Galestar, once again alone, surrounded by nothing but the bittersweet existence before her, slowly slumped to the ground, eyes fixed on where her companion had been just moments before. She had been asked to wait, and wait she shall. Resting her head on her paws, she closed her eyes.