Columbus
Legacy Name: Columbus

Ever wondered how captains know which way to steer their ship by watching the starry sky? Very few know the real secret behind the directions in the stars. Secrets that no amount of science or technology can explain. This story behind the secret is one to be shared:

Long ago, at the beginning of time, when the first wild cat couple fell in love, they had a litter of six beautiful cubs. Five of them resembled their parents, more or less. The sixth cub was different. While his brothers and sisters had striped fur, his fur was the colour of a moonless sky. A deep, dark blue that never seemed to fade no matter how many baths his mother had given him. His eyes were gold-hued and honey-glazed. The same colour was found in intricate patterns all over his body, a beautiful stark contrast to his fur. However, the most distinguishing aspect of his was neither the blue fur nor the gold markings. It was the silvery glow between his eyes. The glow was especially brighter at night.

"You are a strange one," his mother always said, admiring him fondly. His brothers were convinced that he was not one of them and his sisters never introduced him to any of their pretty friends. He came to be known as 'blue-back' - labelled an outcast just because of his appearance. The cub was never invited to play with his kin and he was the victim of pointed stares and rude remarks. He spent most of his time alone, trying to lick away the dark inky stain that was his fur.

It was a well known fact that humans were a huge threat to the wild cats. Humans needed their fur for warmth and their meat for food. In those days, the wild cats were a minority and their young ones were easily hunted by laying out traps for them or luring them with food. The cubs knew no better and trusted humans, only to be hoodwinked and taken far away from their parents.

One night, when the blue-back cub was resting in the shade of a thick shrub, he heard a high-pitched cry. He knew the nature of the sound well; it was from one of his sisters. His eyes popped open and his ears strained to get the exact location of the horrible sound. Without hesitation, he began to sprint towards the sound. The jungle was pitch black that night. The young cub tried to ignore the wild and eerie sounds and focused on his sister. There was not a single source of light around except for the silvery glow upon his forehead that allowed him vision of a few meters in front of him. For the first time, he felt grateful for his glowing spot. He continued running towards the squeals that were now growing louder.

Within moments, he found his sister. Her body was twisted at an odd angle. She was crying in anguish, unable to move. His eyes darted to her leg and saw it was caught in one of the human traps. As soon as she noticed him, the pitch of her squeals grew higher. If she continued to make this commotion, the humans would find them in no time! He knew there was no way he could release her from the secure binds of the trap. The only way out would be to chew her leg off and he was not about to resort to that just yet.

Suddenly, he felt his body growing hot. A deep rumble in his chest followed by a cold piercing between his eyes. In that moment of urgency, he closed his eyes, focusing, and let out a deep growl! The beam on his forehead seemed to glow brighter than ever. All he saw was a blinding white light. The light lasted for a few minutes, the growling ceased, his body's temperature went down but the coolness between his eyes remained.

As the intensity of the light died down, he slowly blinked his eyes a few times. When he regained his vision, he saw... dust? No, wait! Stars! Stars were swimming around him like dust in the path of light. Aimlessly they swirled, like tiny burning balls of light. He looked around and found himself in an endless expanse of darkness, surrounded only by these starry companions. The ink black blanket that he was wrapped in was cold and dismal but he took to it immediately. His surrounding was like a dark cloak with sporadic glitter that enshrouded him protectively, yet, gave him never-ending space within the cloak. He looked down, below his feet and saw that he was not standing on anything in particular but floating gently. Soon, he realized he could walk, run or leap as far as he liked. Just like the sky, he was limitless.

He could see his family, even from this distance; his vision all-compassing. With one giant leap, he returned home to his parents and siblings. As soon as she saw him, his sister ran towards him, tackling him onto the ground and licking his cheeks. This was the first time she had even touched him. She had escaped the trap and her leg had almost healed. Had he been gone that long? His entire family surrounded him, brothers patting him with their paws and sisters giving him loving nuzzles. His parents looked at him with pride in their eyes. He was more than happy about everything but thoroughly confused.

"Columbus!"
He looked around, scanning for the tiny voice.
"Columbus, here!"
The light between his eyes was glowing. It had a voice?
"Columbus, thank you for believing in yourself and finally releasing me. I am Polaris and I have been placed here, on you, the Navigator. It is your job, here on, to guide any lost soul home, as you did your parents to your sister. Your bright light lead them to her and they took her to safety."
He did what? All he did was go blind and be helpless!
"No, Columbus, that was all you. You are the guide. And with me, together, we will be the North Star. The most brightest star of all! And we will leap for eons, guiding people, weaving constellations onto that giant, black tapestry! And from this day, you shall be known as Columbus the Navigator."

Realization struck him hard. He was no outcast, he was meant to be this way. It was his duty. His... destiny. He finally understood why he was different from his family, why he had midnight blue fur and golden markings, why he had a glowing light between his eyes. Now that his family had completely accepted him, he felt whole. His purpose was known and he was ready to fulfill it.

To this day, he traverses various galaxies trying to restore balance to the universe, by weaving patterns into his infinite tapestry. The night sky is his canvas upon which he places stars that people take ages to read and understand. They are just coordinates, really, on a giant map called Space. Space that is totally foreign to others who have a fear of the unknown, is home to him. Sometimes, he leaps back to Earth, taking the form of a normal wild cat. Other times, he looks down upon his family fondly and keeps a watch over the universe to guide many a lost soul home. He might seem to be just another wild cat. However, he knows you more than you know him!

When you're lost, and you look up and see the brightest star in the evening sky, follow it and you can be sure to find your way back home.

And the next time you make someone an outcast just because they are different, remember, you just might need their help!