mind over matter | 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐜

epilogue

Generation after generation passed, and cats later refused the salvation of StarClan were sent to Zinniapool's crafted new plane as punishment. It grew tedious after awhile, greeting each new vile resident. Murderers, dictators, nonconformists, the list went on.

She watched leaders rise and fall. Anguish took over the clans time and time again from the same mistakes that no one ever seemed to learn from.

Zinniapool found it pious after awhile, eventually growing to resent StarClan for their sense of moral superiority and hating her own clan in turn for dismissing her all those moons ago. The cat she used to be was fading away over the hundreds of moons she resided in the place she had settled upon calling the Dark Forest, and with it, soon she would too.

But she had crafted this plane, made it from her own terror-stricken mind. Perhaps StarClan did have a right to fear her, but this could've been avoided.

Zinniapool was perched upon the rupturing version of the Dark Forest's Highledge, her dimmed yellow gaze staring down at the three expecting felines before her. Hollyhaunt, who was sentenced for his betrayal to FallClan. Bunnypaw, an apprentice who was far smarter than any warrior tripled his age. He'd devised some kind of massacre a few leaders back, left FallClan in ruins. And finally, Treefrost. The deputy who had killed his own leader. How impatient.

Since she was fading away, the Dark Forest would need a new anchor, and she had decided she would allow the three to fight until one was left vanquished. Perhaps excessive, but she had nothing to prove, and she hadn't in moons.

"This is quite the scene." A tepid voice echoed and Zinniopool lifted her head as she stared upon the newcomer, an exasperated expression tainting her face as she rolled her eyes.

Swanflutter.

"Don't you have some con of sorts, or have you gotten bored terrorizing everyone?" Zinniapool retorted, trying to hide her contempt as the lightly-colored gray feline before her chuckled and settled beside her.

"I thought you'd be gone by now." Swanflutter ignored her question, her formidable green stare wandering over each of the anticipating cats below them. "A shame you're still here."

"I have to find a new anchor."

"This is quite the conspicuous way to go about it." The gray feline spoke flatly, but Zinniapool could tell she seemed slightly intrigued by the way her eyes flickered faintly.

"I deserve to have fun before I officially bite the dust." The former medicine cat spoke, matching the same apathy as the con artist beside her. Silence fell between them until Swanflutter finally looked at her, making the tabby shuffle slightly. Something about the gray feline left everyone a little unnerved.

"What do you think happens next?"

Zinniapool pondered the question, always just assuming that once you faded, you just ceased to exist. But deep within her memory, one conversation resurfaced. Something about all matter existing within a multiverse of many planes, and that matter never being destroyed. That must mean she had to go somewhere?

"Wherever I goes next, wherever my energy is stored furthermore," she paused for a moment in thought, "I hope the cat I once was will be restored. I can hardly remember a fragment of who I was all those moons ago, but it was good. It was warm. It was love."

"Don't tell you've gone soft, you were just beginning to impress me." Swanflutter feigned hurt, growing satisfied by the tabby's growing irritation.

"You really are heartless." Zinniapool retaliated, eyes meeting the demoralizing eyes of her counterpart who scoffed in response.

"You aren't one to talk, not anymore." Swanflutter countered as her eyes flickered back towards the three cats waiting for Zinniapool's command. "I said this to my daughter so I'll tell you as well; in the real world, the actions you made were the actions you consciously decided to pursue. There is no one to blame but yourself."

"We're not in the real world anymore, so no Swan, I don't blame myself. I was good, and because of something StarClan didn't care to understand, I was wrongly punished and condemned. Excuse me if I'm just a little bitter." Spat Zinniapool, her ecru gaze glaring vividly now despite gradually fading. "And you want to know the worst part? My family will never know what happened to me. They'll never know how evil Dimglow was. They just... they'll never know, and my legacy will always be hidden behind their memories of me being crazy or delusional. In my final moments, I was a hero to my clan. I brought them deliverance and yet I still ended up here. It's unfair."

"You are right. I'm sorry."

"No you're not."

Swanflutter chuckled at that, teasingly flicking her tail towards the other molly. "You're right, I'm not."

Zinniapool just stared at her for a few moments, losing interest in the conversation as she swatted the other feline away and stood to her paws, the three before her standing in suit. She was ready to leave this place behind her, this life behind her.

So if she wanted to allow herself a little entertainment before that happened, she would.

Who would she have to answer to anyways?

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈•ﾟ｡

Swanflutter!!

After a year, this is finally finished. The epilogue and the two chapters before it, I stayed up all night to write and finish and they are rushed and horrible, trust me I know. It took everything in me not to scrap this story entirely but I always told myself I would never do that.

Mind Over Matter was always meant to be a shorter story, but I ended up taking so much more out than I had planned because I simply didn't have it in me to write it. I was so excited for it initially, and while I still love the characters, I grew out of the story.

In another world, a more motivated me gave this story the justice it deserved.

But now I can finally move onto better fics that are much higher in quality (Grim Hollow sequel!!), but for those of you who stuck around and read this, thank you so much. <3 It genuinely means a lot to me!