"After this, you will fight the final battle."
Brightspirit led Laurelleaf through the forest in his dream. Tussocks flowed in the whispering StarClan air, and fireflies gleamed around them like luminescent raindrops of the night sky. "It's time for you to see final sign." She seemed a bit uncertain, but she stepped forward sure-pawed. Laurelleaf followed behind, pelt burning in anticipation and nervousness. The news shocked him from head to toe. He was so shocked when Gorsestar told him the news from the recent Gathering. He knew that unknown evils would be unleashed into the Clans, specifically WindClan, his Clan and family, if Manglethorn ever became leader.
Laurelleaf walked on, more sure-pawed than Brightspirit. "I did figure out a lot too," he meowed. His tail lashed and sent a wave of grass flattening to the dew-soaked soil. "Manglethorn was the most sinister cat in the entire forest." Brightspirit padded on, silent. She seemed to be holding something back, and she nodded. "You will see the truth."
They soon reached a part of the forest that seemed to blacken. Darker and darker and darker it became as they went; the trees became withered and the grass transformed into dry weeds. The mushrooms lining the pebble path Laurelleaf and Brightspirit took shrank and begun emitting a reddish-green light from its round white spots, thus producing an ugly odor that hung in the air ominously. The StarClan forest was gone behind them as they padded on and on, until Laurelleaf couldn't see anything anymore.
The faint glow of starlight on Brightspirit's pelt was the only thing that kept him walking. He just couldn't see a thing except Brightspirit. She shimmered in the dark, lighting up several twig-lengths of nothingness. The path then started widening until Laurelleaf could no longer feel the cramped spaces against his pelt. His paws touched colder ground, which hardened as he walked on. The environment was so quiet around him that he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.
He seemed to hear the faint sound of squeaking rats in the distance, and he shuddered.
Brightspirit slowed down to drop back and whisper in his ears: "It's fine." Laurelleaf could hear his own heart pounding, and he knew this would probably be his final dream as a prophecy cat. And somehow, he doesn't feel prepared at all.
The darkness widened. Brightspirit stopped, and Laurelleaf faced forward. A small clearing. An opening in the ceiling. Moonlight shining in a small circle at the middle of the darkness. Laurelleaf's heart seemed to stop. Manglethorn and Maggottail's meeting place. Neither cats were there, but Laurelleaf could smell Manglethorn's scent. Cold air sent frost coming down from the ceiling. "Go forward," Brightspirit ordered. Laurelleaf stared at the gray tabby she-cat, who nodded at him. He took a deep breath and padded forward, withered grass crunching under his paws.
He stopped by the patch of moonlight and sat down. Laurelleaf looked at Brightspirit, but she only stayed in her place and nodded with determined green eyes. Silence seemed to stretch a few moments longer, and Laurelleaf lowered his head to sniff the ground. Before he knew, a small, pointed thorn sprouted from the ground, and the green-red plant grew and grew.
Twisted branches wove around each other, entangling and uncurling and spreading in all different directions. The green monster-like plant grew so much it touched the ceiling, its branches nearly pushing apart the tightly woven branches that formed the canopy. The moonlight was almost blocked when a force pushed upon the branches, stopping it from growing. Laurelleaf stared at the giant thorn plant, his eyes wide. What is this? He thought, horrified. When he walked around to investigate the twisted thorn, he realized the branches were woven specifically into a shape: a star. Manglestar. His neck fur stood up to the end, and he fought the urge to claw the huge plant into pieces.
When he looked up, he realized that the star-shaped branches seemed to grow blacker and blacker the higher they went, until the topmost branches were entirely black and weaving around the ceiling. Only the star-shaped trunk on the bottom remained red-green, while darkness spread all around it. Laurelleaf backed a step, his jaws gaping, until he bumped onto a mossy boulder behind him. He looked away from the final sign and shook his head. Manglethorn was going to spread darkness to the other parts of the forest and destroy the Clans. He flinched. Is that what the sign's trying to tell me?
Brightspirit was still eyeing the sign, as if something more might happen, and Laurelleaf turned to examine. Bugs burst out from the black parts of the thorns, and Laurelleaf screeched in alarm. Swarms and swarms of white, horrifying bugs with ten round wriggling legs soared towards Laurelleaf, opening their ugly jaws and swallowing Laurelleaf whole. Laurelleaf fought with all four paws, trying to claw off the bugs, but there were too many. Hordes upon hordes upon hordes covered his vision, surrounding his flank and gnawing at his skin.
"Brightspirit!" He called, terrified, but the silver she-spirit have gone. This left Laurelleaf thrashing and weak inside the horde of bugs, and he tried to stare through the overwhelming group of insects. There, in the faraway corner of the moonlight circle, stood a white tom with black stripes, watching as the bugs swallowed Laurelleaf whole.
Laurelleaf gasped awake. It was early dawn and cats weren't awake yet. Petalclaw grumbled around him, rolling away from him until she was sleeping in Berryfur's direction. Instantly energy pulsed through Laurelleaf like a fierce breeze that shrieked through the moor. I have to go stop Manglethorn from becoming leader now. He leaped out of his den, ignoring how he accidentally kicked Petalclaw in the body, and ran out of camp with all his might, past the temporary camp guardian Windyfrost, whose head was drooping from tiredness. Brightspirit's final sign shone in his mind: Manglethorn taking over the forest, spreading darkness all around him, and maybe even overwhelming every cat with his evil plans. I have to stop him before it's too late. Brightspirit seemed to materialize next to him and nod expressionlessly as he ran.
He kicked up the heather surrounding the camp carelessly as he leaped. Wind roared in his ears and cut through his paws. He sheathed his claws and ran, among the wind and with the speed of flight. He strained his eyes and flattened his ears and straightened his body, anything to make him run in the fastest speed possible.
Heading towards the direction of Highstones, Laurelleaf never felt any more determined and even scared in his life.
The final battle. I have to win this. No matter how much stronger Manglethorn could be, I must win the final battle.
The sky was a shade of gold, white, purple, and pink mixed together. The clouds seemed to glow magenta as the amber sun raised its head at the far horizon. Cold sunlight lit the burning clouds, and the thick cotton-like beasts seemed to be crowding around more and more until it looked like the sun would be fully hidden in the noon, after it rose to full height. A buzzard flew in the sky and screeched in the distance, circling a tree far below it. Freezing wind brushed Laurelleaf's pelt and clawed at his skin with sharp talons, but he shrugged off the pain and continued running.
The fate of the forest was on my claws. Earth crumbled beneath his claws as he strode and leaped.
Manglethorn would not become leader. And he never would.