Post by ❅Maplefrost❅ on Feb 23, 2017 19:37:51 GMT -5
Feb 23, 2017 12:01:21 GMT -5 @aquathepiplup said:
Now correct me if I'm wrong, but the Dark Forest is a place for certain cats.
I'm not going to include Ashfur because it was already confirmed he's only in StarClan due to bias, and because he's already written as a resident, there's no turning back now like they did with Thistleclaw, throwing him from one place to another before he was official written in canon as a DF cat.
"The Place of No Stars (informally known as the Dark Forest) is the opposite of StarClan's hunting grounds. It is a place where cats that have committed great crimes against their Clans and against the Warrior Code go when they die. However, cats who commit crimes but believe they are following the Warrior Code by doing them can usually join the ranks of StarClan instead, like Mudclaw or Ashfur."
Again, not counting Ashfur, because he did commit treason, did try to kill his own leader, frame his deputy, and tried to burn three innocent cats, of of which was a medicine cat. None of his actions can be justify.
However vise versa, Hollyleaf's can, because Ashfur threatened her, her family, made an attempt on her life, and wasn't even going to stop at that.
Thistleclaw, in canon, hasn't killed any cat. This is probably one of the reasons why the Erins found it so difficult to figure out where to send him.
"Vicky says that Thistleclaw was originally in StarClan and gave Tigerstar one of his nine lives, but when Bluestar joined StarClan, "she must have chased Thistleclaw to the Dark Forest." However, in The Ultimate Guide, Thistleclaw is not shown anywhere during Tigerstar's leadership ceremony.
Vicky has since then contradicted her original statement, saying that Thistleclaw went to the Dark Forest right away."
There is at least four ways to end up in the Dark Forest, 5 if you count the trainees.
1. You can suddenly appear there, like Darkstripe after death, due to crimes
2. You can earn your way in, like Mapleshade,choosing your own residence
3. You can be chased from SC to the DF, like Vicky initially thought for Thistleclaw
4. You can accidently wonder into DF, after death or from SC, like Flametail
5. You can be lured into the DF, even in your dreams, like Ivypool and the other trainees
With that beings said, let's talk about Mudclaw. Mudclaw didn't go to the Dark Forest because he wasn't truley evil. He went there because he believed what he was doing was justified, imo I agree with him too. The deputy is supposed to succeed the Leader, Onestar never served as deputy. The only witnesses to the apparent change was Firestar, the former kittypet, Brambleclaw, the son of Tigerstar, and Onewhisker, who is best buds with the ThunderClan cats and that's no secret. So of course Mudclaw and the majority of WC saw it was supicious. No signs were given to the Medicine cat either, and the tree that fell on Mudclaw just was confirmed not to be a sign either. Tallstar's dream about an evil cat, wasn't Mudclaw, and it was just a dream. And the ones that encouraged Mudclaw to lead the rebellion in the first place were his own clanmates, Mudclaw had every right to challenge Onewhisker's supposed claim to leadership. And also gave him a clear warning to step down, when he didn't he took action.
We all know how it ended, but to this day I still believe Mudclaw was the rightful leader, in the end Mudclaw also went to StarClan. And if some of you didn't notice, he was in the last series, helping prepare for the final battle against the Dark Forest. Which shouldn't be surprising since Mudclaw strives to not be like corrupted cats such as Tigerstar and Brokenstar. The Dark Forest would not be suitable for a cat like him just like how it wouldn't be for Hollyleaf.
Now lets get to the newest additions to the Dark Forest: Brightflower, Lilywhisker, Marshcloud, Deerfoot, and Tangleburr.
I know there was a lot of discussion about these cats, and how a lot of people disagree with their residence. But from me, I have no complaints.
Which brings me to the 6th possible reason why cats might go to the Dark Forest. Because they believed they deserved it. Remember when Blossomfall said she deserved to be the Dark Forest because of how she felt toward her sister? Well the same can be said about some of these listed cats above. Also cats that CHOSE the Dark Forest, like Mapleshade did, doesn't really make Brightflower's residence so farfetched. She could have blamed StarClan for what happened to her kits, or was just too unstable in the head, filled with hatred that she found the Dark Forest more appealing. Or maybe she still blamed her daughter for what happened, and didn't want to in StarClan with her?
What's my point? Basically there could have been a chance Hollyleaf ended up in the Dark Forest, before her redemption, yes.
Before her redemption, Hollyleaf could have went for a number of reasons. Because she killed Ashfur, because she felt guilt and might think she deserved the Dark Forest, because she felt that StarClan betrayed her, etc. But after her isolation, and her clearing her mind, she realized what she did. Imo Hollyleaf wasn't exactly sane when everything went down, but in the end she ended up punishing herself. She didn't even want to be seen, or return, it's Lion and Jay that dragged her back. She also was about to tell the truth when Bramblestar intervened. Like I pointed out before, half of what Bramble said was true tbh, Ashfur was threatening her family.
So basically, to summarize it, there's a number of reasons cats can end up in the Dark Forest, even now a cat can simply cross it's borders and end up in the Dark Forest, just as easily as a cat in the Dark Forest can go to StarClan, possibly Ashfur's case? What I'm saying is that there's no clear cut answer for Hollyleaf either way. The only thing that best summarizes her residency is because of her redemption, which makes no sense for her to be in the DF afterward. She fought for her clans, and StarClan, choosing her side, and dying to say another warrior.
I think the Dark Forest has been changed a bit by Vicky. I mean, they did put Brightflower in there. So honestly I don't even know how cats can get into the Dark Forest anymore. But yeah, Ashfur was definitely out of author favoritism.