Chapter Text
An interrupted Gathering was rude, but not unheard of. StarClan interrupting a Gathering however, has only ever happened once in the Clans history. Hollyleaf, for the life of her, could not point out what had caused this being to come down to them. The Gathering was peaceful, the air was cool with a spring breeze and a full moon illuminating the clearing. Cats mingled, the sky was clear, and the Leaders had begun wrapping up their announcements.
Nothing explained why, for a moment, pure, primal fear iced her veins, freezing the molly in her place. When she finally got the courage, she turned around. She didn't know how she knew to turn around, but she just knew that behind her was something ethereal, god-like, and powerful.
Hollyleaf had seen StarClan cats before. She had seen the stars dusting their fur and floating around them. This was not the same.
Maybe it was because her mind couldn't comprehend what it was, but the being outlined in a blinding light took every shape imaginable. It was everything and nothing, blind and all seeing, deaf with hearing sharper than the smartest rabbit. There were too many eyes but there was also none . Every color imaginable flashed across its body in impossible patterns. Did it have wings? Horns? How many legs? She couldn't tell. She would never be able to tell. This creature was far above her, far more powerful than anything she could have ever known. A horrifying thought crossed her mind. Was this creature the reason for the blocked messages?
"Soon."
The voice boomed with a thousand voices, all around her, within her. It became a part of her, and her heart hammered in her chest as her entire being was focused on each word this creature spoke.
"Soon, cats with the power of true heroes will come." Were they looking at her? Were they looking at everyone?
"Born into the heart of your Clans, they will reshape our world as we know it. Among them," And then the flashes came.
"A spider," A cat with too many legs.
"A whisperer," A cat wrapped in trees and vines.
"A giant," A cat with large shoulders.
"A part monster," Silver poked out of his legs.
"An unreachable one," This one flew- no, was pulled through the air.
"One who can create anything from her fur," Something long, shining and dangerous sprouted from dark fur and stars.
"One stronger than rock," Red fur spiking into dangerous, unbreakable peaks.
"A boulder's tail," The ground shook as they jumped, impossibly thick tail launching them forward.
"One that sparkles as bright as the stars," A diamond on his forehead, shining stars surrounded an unreadable smirk.
"One with lightning in his fur," Dangerous static stuttered through golden fur and determined eyes.
"One who can eat through the thickest trees," Something pooled under her paws, and the liquid sizzled eating through the tree underneath her.
"A bird with darkness in his fur," Raven dark fur, sleek like feathers and the very essence of shadows peering through.
"One who can hear all," Something hung off her ears and she shot them into the ground, pinpointing anything and everything touching it.
"One who can command all," Messy lilac fur and tired eyes.
"One mistaken for a frog," An odd looking face, impossibly long tongue, and powerful, misshapen legs.
"One who can fly higher than any bird," She tapped herself and flew into the sky, impossibly high, impossibly *slow*.
"An unseeable one," Vines. Vines and flowers hanging on nothing .
"One who can create thunder with his paws," Exploding stars and fire lit up underneath his paws, angry red and white light flashing with thunderous booms.
"One who has the sun and the moon in his pelt," Ice on his right, fire on his left. He sat with his back to her, fur perfectly split down his back.
"One who can take away these powers with a glance," Dark fur, glowing red eyes.
Hollyleaf was relieved of the visions for just a moment. They lower their gaze, somehow making eye contact with each of them, all of them, none of them as they uttered their final words of an impossibly long prophecy.
"And one to lead them all." No cat flashed for that one. All Holly saw was green. Soft, forest green surrounding vibrant toxic green.
Mere moments later the creature burst into flames, sank into water, disappeared in a wisp of smoke and crumbled to dust before their eyes. Everything at once, they existed and then no longer did. Bursting into galaxies and worlds a mere cat like her would never be able to comprehend.
Silence fell over the Clans. No indication of what had just transpired was there to prove that what they had seen wasn't a collective fever dream.
Body numb and mind reeling, Hollyleaf swallowed dryly, her green eyes locking with amber. Leafpool. She shared a look with her, and she knew. Did anyone else? How many? Were they all given different information?
Whatever questions she had could wait. Right now, the Clans were on the verge of rioting.