Chapter 7: Apprenticeship

The patrol all returned to The Bending Tower. Misty looked at the yard: everyone was all in conversation with others, training or eating. No one seemed concerned as they returned. Did they not believe us? Misty thought. Campbell and I weren't imagining things!
Ash then trotted up. "Anything?"
"Nothing," Hazen shook his head.
"I didn't see a single thing," Rhett nodded.
"It's because I chased it off," Tiggerpaka smirked.
Ash - and the others - ignored Tiggerpaka. "Oh well. You're all dismissed."
The patrol then broke up and all went in separate directions - all except Misty and Campbell.
"So I heard the two of you want to be apprentices," Ash said.
"Yeah!" Campbell and Misty both exclaimed at once.
"Hmm. What Benders would you be?" Ash asked with a smile.
"Airbender!" Campbell said right away.
"Misty?" Ash looked at his daughter.
"Hmm..." Misty thought for a minute. She glanced around the clearing, looking at the animals. "I don't--" Her eyes then landed on Koro. He's an Earthbender, she thought. That may be fun... "Earthbender," Misty decided with a nod.
"Alright then," Ash smiled. "I think you two will be apprentices rather...soon."
Misty and Campbell exchanged excited looks.


"Oh Misty, I'm so proud of you!" Airia licked Misty on the forehead.
"Mom! The whole Bending Tower is here," Misty flinched away from her mother.
Ash then said, "Okay everyone." The Bending Tower all went quiet and turned Ash. Misty and Campbell, both sitting by their mothers, looked at each other with eager grins. "We need two new apprentices," Ash announced. "Misty and Campbell. They have shown that they are ready to become apprentices, and each will be mentored by one of our own Benders. Campbell, what Bender do you want to be?"
"Airbender," Campbell replied with a curt nod.
Ash then scanned the animals. "Nzuri will be Campbell's mentor."
"Great. I get an animal who's smaller than me," Campbell hissed.
Misty punched Campbell with her paw.
"Hey!" Campbell exclaimed.
"Nzuri'll be fine. Go to her," Misty said.
Campbell trotted over to sit next to Nzuri, who looked really excited.
"I chose Nzuri because she's been an Airbender for a while, and deserves her first apprentice," Ash said. "She will teach Campbell well."
Misty noticed Campbell looked a bit happier now. Well that's good, Misty thought.
"Misty, what Bender do you want to be?" Ash asked.
"Earthbender," Misty nodded, turning to look at Ash.
"Okay. Misty, your mentor will be..." Ash looked at the animals. "Koro."
Misty's eyes widened. Koro? she thought.
She then glanced at Koro, who gave a slight smile at Misty. Misty found herself walking to sit next to her new mentor.
"I chose Koro because he has shown that he is ready for an apprentice. Koro was a skilled apprentice, and I'm sure he'll pass on his skills," Ash said.
Misty glanced at her sister, Adele. If only she could become an apprentice too...

Author's Note:
Short chapter. :U

Chapter 6: Hunting for Shadows

When Misty and Campbell were darting straight through the bushes, they ran smack into Tiggerpaka. However, this didn't stop them, as they quickly got up to keep running, but Tiggerpaka stopped them. "Hey!" Tiggerpaka yelled. "What's the hurry for?!"

"Th-There was a-a shadow animal in the woods!" Misty exclaimed.

"Shadow animal?" Tiggerpaka hissed, a hint of worry on his face. However, it quickly went away. "Not to fear, Mistake and Crabbell! I can get this figure for you."

"First off, it's Misty and Campbell. Second, that was no ordinary shadow. We have to get help!" Campbell cried.

Misty and Campbell then turned around and darted for The Bending Tower.

"T-Tiredblade?" Tiggerpaka whispered worriedly.

"There's a shadow in the forest!" howled Misty as she and Campbell ran into the yard.

Dozens of heads turned their way. "What?" said Mistletoe, trotting up to them.

"A-a shadow!" cried Misty.

"Shadow...?" frowned Miguel, trotting up to Misty and Campell. "You need to explain further."

"We saw a shadow-wolf thing in the f-forest," Misty gasped. "It had like, fire coming off of it..."

"And white eyes!" Campbell added. "It was on the ground, but then it just appeared next to us and like, made this hissing sound! Misty and I got scared and ran for The Bending Tower. We need to catch this thing!"

Everyone exchanged looks.

"Are you sure?" asked Miguel.

"If we're not telling the truth, then Lephos and Sidew are innocent of all their pranks," Campbell said sarcastically.

"We're right here!" yelled Lephos and Sidew simultaneously.

Ash then came forward. "A shadow animal?" he frowned.

"Yes, dad! We aren't lying!" Misty exclaimed. 

Ash studied Misty, then nodded. "I suppose a group of animals could find it. Misty, Campbell, I want you to go on it to show where it was. Let's see...Hazen, how about you lead the group? Take Koro, Rhett, Liberty and Twister along," Ash ordered.

"Sure," Hazen said. "C'mon, let's go."

"We need to hurry! We'll lose it!" Campbell said desperately.

The group all gathered together. "Lead the way, Misty and Campbell," Hazen nodded.

"We get to help an actual patrol!" Campbell said to Misty as they ran out the exit. "Maybe Ash'll make us apprentices soon!"

"Now we gotta focus on this shadow though!" Misty said, jumping over a bush.

"Right," Campbell agreed.

"Slow down!" Koro called.

"We're trying to catch an intruder Koro, you need to hurry up!" Campbell yelled over her shoulder.

"You shouldn't disrespect a full Bender like that," insisted Liberty, catching up to Campbell's side.

"Eat mouse tails, Liberty," Campbell growled in reply.

Liberty gave Campbell a cold glare but did nothing more:

"We're here!" Misty said, trying to stop the tension between the two sisters.

Hazen scanned the area. "Okay, where is it?"

"It was somewhere around the fallen trees," Misty nodded towards the heap of trees.

Koro sniffed the air. "Don't smell anything."

"It probably doesn't have a scent," Campbell insisted. "I don't even think it's really a true animal!"

Liberty gave Campbell a look. "You're not making this up?"

"Of course not!" Campbell spat.

"Hey, break it up," Rhett insisted.

Misty glanced at Twister. Why isn't she saying anything about this? Misty wondered. It was her own apprentice fighting with their sister. Then again, Twister was just quiet in general. Misty couldn't help thinking about what training sessions between her and Liberty would be like.

"Well, let's get searching," Hazen said. "We'll split up. Misty, Campbell, sit here. If you see anything just howl."
Koro, Rhett, Twister, Liberty and Hazen all split up and headed for the fallen trees.
"What's Liberty's deal?" Campbell grumbled.
"She only asked some questions and was being calm," Misty insisted. Quit overreacting, Misty thought.
Misty then scanned the area, now focused on finding the shadow animal. It's gotta be here. I know we saw it! she told herself.
"Why hello, my friends!"
Just then, Tiggerpaka scurried into the area. "I am here to save the day," he smirked.
"Uh...I think we're fine," Misty said.
"No you're not," Tiggerpaka replied. "Now, where's Tiredblade?" he said. Misty just now noticed he had a vine in his hands, with a small rock tied to it.
"What's that?" Misty frowned.
"My whacker," Tiggerpaka puffed out his chest. "It whacks my enemies to death."
"Uh, that's nice..." Misty murmured. "Um, I think we've got it, thanks anyway."
"Nonsense, nonsense," Tiggerpaka smiled. "I'm on your trail, Tiredblade!" He yelled.
"Hold it," Campbell stopped Tiggerpaka has his one foot was up, ready to head for the fallen trees. "Who's this 'Tiredblade'...?"
"Oh, he's my number one enemy! Quite dangerous too. But rest assured, he's no match for m!" Tiggerpaka insisted. "He was one of those Firebenders."
"But...they disappeared..." Misty frowned.
"That's what they want you to believe," Tiggerpaka whispered. He then swung his rock around. "C'mon Tiredblade, let's go!"
Hazen poked his head out from the fallen trees. "Tiggerpaka, get back to The Bending Tower!"
"Hazy, I'm helping you," Tiggerpaka snorted. He then ran for the fallen trees. Misty saw Hazen roll his eyes and duck back under the fallen trees. Tiggerpaka easily scampered up the fallen trees and dove under them, disappearing into the heap of them.
Misty and Campbell exchanged confused looks.
Then, Twister ran back through the clearing and by the fallen trees. "I don't think it's around," she said.
Hazen pulled himself out from the fallen tree, carrying Tiggerpaka in his mouth. He dropped the meerkat. "In case you couldn't help noticing, I am not a shadow figure!" Hazen snarled.
"Excuse me, it was dark in there. I couldn't tell," Tiggerpaka examined the rod connected to the rock that was broken. "But you didn't have to break my whacker!"
"If you hit animals that are your acquaintances you don't deserve to have it," Hazen huffed. "Anyways, I believe the 'shadow' is gone."
Liberty, Koro and Rhett all came back together. "None of us found it," Koro announced.
"Guess we're going back," Hazen nodded.
"But I swear, we saw a shadow!" Misty exclaimed.
"Whatever you saw, it's gone now," Liberty replied, trotting off after the rest of the group.
"I hope the shadow doesn't come back," Campbell said. "The last thing we need is a shadow haunting us."

Author's Note:
Check out some of my new blogs and such. ouo

Chapter 5: The Shadow Figure

Misty looked wildly around. "Wh-What's going on?" she demanded, the ground shaking beneath her paws.
"It's an earthquake!" Bracken gasped.
Everyone looked around, scared. Misty gripped onto the ground, hoping to remain steady, but as quickly as it came, the earthquake stopped.
All the animals exchanged looks, confused.
"What was that?" Slice frowned.
"Maybe an animal Earthbending took things a bit too far?" Miguel suggested.
Max snorted. "No animal has that kind of power."
"Quake did," Miguel pointed out.
"Yeah, well, that was Quake," Max replied.
"Is everyone alright?" called Ash's voice.
"No one's hurt," Dust nodded.
Misty noticed Raoul approach Ash's side, talking to Ash. Misty couldn't hear what it was, but she saw her father reply with a shrug. "Alright then," Ash said, turning back to the crowd. "I suppose it was no threat to us, so all of you may continue."
Slowly, the crowd of animals broke apart, each animal wearing a confused look on their face.
"I'm gonna go find Firefly. Catch ya later," Bracken nodded, darting off.
Misty watched Bracken go, then trotted off to find Campbell. As she did, she passed by Lephos, Sidew and Nyla, and perked her ears, listening to their conversation.
"What was that?" Lephos was asking his mother.
"A tremor. But thank goodness we're okay," Nyla was saying. Misty then saw Nyla's eyes grow wide. "Oh, poor Audrey, she must be worried--! I'm going to find her. You boys, behave yourselves," Nyla said, turning to Lephos and Sidew. Nyla then darted off.
Misty then felt some wind blow towards her, and turned to see Airia had flown over, landing with a woosh as her wings quickly folded. "Misty, are you alright?" Airia fretted. "The tremor shook..."
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Misty insisted. "What was that anyway?"
"Slight tremor, nothing bad," Airia said quickly, checking Misty over. "No cuts or injuries--"
"Mom, I'm okay," Misty replied. "Honestly. Is Adele fine?"
"Yes," Airia nodded.
Then, Campbell wondered over. "Hi Misty. Do you know what that was?"
"No clue," Misty shrugged.
"Well, me neither," Campbell agreed. "Wanna go for a walk? I'm bored."
"Sure!" Misty smiled. "I'm bored too."
Campbell nodded and headed for the exit. Misty followed her friend through, and they both entered into the forest.
Sunlight sparkled through the leaves and treetops and birds sang and fluttered around. It was almost like the tremor never happened - the birds all seemed to be flying around as if nothing was bothering them. Wonder what that tremor was like to the birds, Misty wondered.
"Where're we walking to?" Campbell asked Misty.
"I dunno. Anywhere I guess," Misty replied.
"Let's head for the fallen trees, we could practice for becoming an apprentice. Then maybe your dad'll make us apprentices if he sees we practice," Campbell suggested.
"Good idea," Misty agreed.
The two of them trotted in the direction of the fallen trees - Misty recalled being told by Charlotte that the trees all fell in a huge earthquake that made the ground feel like the storming ocean. I hope we don't get an earthquake like that, Misty thought with worry.
They finally made it to the fallen tree area. Misty looked at all the fallen trees - they were huge, and many claw marks on there from animals who had climbed over them through the seasons. "Must be a good place for training," Misty remarked.
"Agreed," Campbell said. "C'mon, let's check it out."
They both wandered closer to the trees. The closer Misty got to them, the smaller she felt. "I could never climb these," she admitted.
"Give 'em a try!" Campbell said with a daring look on her face.
Misty took some steps back and jumped up, digging her claws into the bark of a tree. Struggling, she heaved herself up, pulling onto the top of the tree with a grunt. She then turned to Campbell. "You try," she dared her friend with a grin.
Campbell smirked. "I got this, watch." Campbell then jumped onto the bark and heaved herself up, clawing her way up the bark. She then got to the top. "See?"
"Let's go higher," Misty suggested. She then leaped onto another tree, this one smaller than the other, so Misty got onto the top easily. Misty then lunged at the one stacked above that one, and dug all her claws in and pulled herself up. No wonder the apprentices are so tough, they climb these all the time! Misty thought.
Standing on the topmost tree, Misty looked at the ground below that seemed so far away. "It's awesome up here!" Misty exclaimed, as Campbell heaved herself up to Misty's tree.
"I can't believe we made it up here," Misty said.
"Misty," said Campbell.
"I mean, we're still a part of the young, and--"
"Misty!" Campbell hissed, sounding - to Misty's surprise - scared. "Look...where...I'm...looking."
Frowning, wondering what Campbell meant, Misty followed Campbell's gaze, and her jaw dropped at the sight - at the base of the trees was a shadowy-like black wolf, with bits of shadow-like fire coming off its back. It had white eyes, and was looking around.
"Wh-What is that?" Campbell whimpered, turning to look at Misty. Misty looked at Campbell, a look of fear on her face.
Misty turned back to the place the shadow-fire wolf was, but then gasped. "It's gone!"
Suddenly, Misty stiffened. She and Campbell slowly turned around at the same time to see the shadow-fire wolf right behind them, staring intently at them. It opened its mouth, as if about to speak, but all that came out was a hissing-spitting-choking sound.
Misty and Campbell both screamed and jumped down from the tree, scampering to get to the ground and to run for dear life.

Author's Note:
Creepy-ish chapter, I know. x3 I had to keep looking behind me as I wrote this because I felt like I was being watched. ouo

Chapter 4: The New Apprentice

Misty had came out into the yard, and Campbell slammed into her. She flinched and backed up. "Campbell, slow down!" Misty exclaimed.
"I was looking for you!" Campbell gasped. "You'll never believe what's happening!" she growled.
Misty shook her head, putting her paw on a part of her head that hurt from Campbell running into her. "What is it?"
"Liberty is becoming an apprentice!" Campbell scoffed.
"Good for her!" Misty said with a smile, but knew right away that was the wrong thing to say."
"'Good for her'? How come I can't be an apprentice?!" Campbell exclaimed. "I can be just as good as her as I wanted to!" she began. Misty sighed, preparing herself for Campbell's rant. "I mean, just because she's a better fighter doesn't mean she's going to excel in everything. I think I have a right to be an apprentice, too!"
"Well, my dad told me that to become an apprentice, it's not about age or siblings doing it together. I mean yeah, they usually do, but anyway, Dad said that they need to show that they're ready for it. Apparently since Liberty has a fighting talent, Dad wanted to make her an apprentice," Misty explained.
"But it's not fair--" Campbell began.
"According to the rules it is," Misty insisted.
Campbell sighed. "Rules, rules, rules, RULES. Misty, you can't always be a goody two-paws. You need to learn what it's like to live without restrictions. Don't let the rules rule you, okay? No offense, but really..."
Misty narrowed her eyes. "Fine, if you can't put up with it then don't hang out with me."
"That's not what I meant--!" Campbell started.
"Look, try being nice to your sister, okay? And I'm sorry, but our personalities don't have to be the same for us to be friends, okay?" Misty nodded.
"How do I be nice to her? She seems like a show-off," Campbell growled.
"Just try putting on a happy face, tell her you're proud of her. I mean, she's your sister, you're going to have each other forever," Misty said.
"I wish someone else was my sister, then," Campbell muttered.
"You think you have it bad, huh? At least you can talk to yours," Misty spat.
Campbell flinched. "Oh...oh. I-I'm sorry Misty."
Misty sighed. "I can't help it. I guess the Peacebenders--"
"Benders! Gather!" came Ash's voice.
"Ugh, boy," Campbell grumbled.


"Liberty, your mentor shall be...Twister," Ash said. "I've worked alongside Twister, and I can think of no better pair of Bender and apprentice. I believe Twister will train you well Liberty."
Misty watched Liberty nod and go to sit next to Twister, who nodded at her with approval.
"Meeting over," Ash nodded. "Liberty, welcome to the apprentice rank."
Everyone all broke up, and Misty watched Liberty follow Twister into The Bending Tower - from what Misty heard, apprentices started with a tour.
"Dad! Dad!" Misty called, running up to her father.
Ash smiled down at her. "Yes, Misty?"
"When can I be an apprentice?" Misty asked. "Oh, and Campbell too?"
"You need to prove you're ready," Ash chuckled.
"But I am. And so's Campbell," Misty insisted.
"Well I haven't seen it yet," Ash said. "But don't worry, I'm sure you'll make a good apprentice."
"I will. I'll be the best," Misty puffed out her chest.
"Yes, yes. Now go on, I have work to do," Ash smiled. He then trotted off.
Misty scanned the crowd and saw Campbell sitting alone, looking a bit grumpy. Misty trotted over to her friend. "I put in a good word for us to become apprentices."
"Well, good," Campbell muttered. "I hope I graduate apprenticeship before Liberty. Maybe then others will see I can be just as 'amazing' as she is."
Misty sighed. "Enough with the complaining, puh-lease."
"You don't understand. It's like everyone focuses on Liberty and not me!" Campbell protested.
"I'm your friend, and Liberty's not," Misty pointed out.
"But--oh whatever, never mind," Campbell grumbled.
"Geez, fine," Misty muttered.
Campbell sighed. "Anyway--"
Just then, Bracken trotted over. "Hey guys!" he exclaimed, beaming at them.
"Hi!" Misty smiled at her friend. At least I'll get a distraction from Campbell's negativity, Misty thought in relief.
"Hey Campbell, tell your sister I said congratulations," Bracken nodded.
Campbell glared at Bracken and stormed off.
"What was that...?" Bracken asked, confused.
"She's...in a bad mood," Misty muttered.
"Oh." Bracken frowned. "Well anyways--"
Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound. Misty perked her ears. What the--
Then, the ground started shaking.
"Earthquake!" howled Charlotte.

Author's Note:
Sorry I haven't posted. School. ;u;
Oh, and I probably won't be online at all tomorrow. Going on a trip to Pennsylvania. If I were home I'd write a chapter, but since I'm not... :|
Short-ish chapter but whatever
And check the new pages and story blog I linked. :P

Chapter 3: The Elders

During lunchtime, Misty sat with Bracken, eating their prey. Bracken was in the middle of telling Misty about how his training was progressing. "It's great!" Bracken beamed, swallowing some of the rabbit he was eating. "Firefly's the best mentor ever. I got to learn all of these Waterbending moves."
"That's neat," Misty nodded, taking a bite of the rabbit she was eating herself. "I'm not an apprentice yet, though. I don't even know what Bender I want to be."
"Do Waterbending! We could train together more!" Bracken exclaimed.
Misty shrugged. "I dunno..."
"Come on Misty, I--"
Bracken was cut off as Firefly walked up. "Bracken, lunchtime's over."
"Aww!" Bracken cried. "Okay..." He stood up and followed Firefly out of camp. Misty watched Bracken leave before turning back to her unfinished meal, biting into it.
However, Misty then felt something bump into her. She looked up to see Lephos and Sidew - Raoul's pups - jumping behind her, crouched down as if hiding.
"What--?" Misty began.
"Shh! Misty, no one wants to hear what you have to say," Lephos hissed.
"Don't mind him," Sidew whispered. "We're just hiding because--"
"LEPHOS! SIDEW!"
The two Border Collie pups flinched as Nyla came out into the yard. Everyone looked Nyla's way, but no one stopped talking. Nyla then spotted Misty - with the two brothers hiding behind her - and ran over, looking mad. "Boys, what did you do that for?!"
"Lephos and Sidew aren't here," Lephos said.
"This is no time for one of your games!" Nyla exclaimed, narrowing her eyes. "It was not funny to throw your sister's rabbit into Ice River. She worked really hard to catch that, and for what? Just for you to waste it? What have you got to say for yourselves?"
"That our sister is a paranoid bug-brain and she deserved it," Sidew insisted.
Misty grew wide-eyed as Nyla snarled at them - which really wasn't in her nature. She was usually kind and soft, but apparently not now. "You two, come with me! You're also apologizing to Audrey."
"But moooom! It's the truth!" Sidew cried.
"She can't help it. Now follow!" Nyla hissed.
Reluctantly, Lephos and Sidew followed their mother inside the Tower.
Misty shook her head and ate another bite of her rabbit, then finished it uneventfully.
Sighing, Misty trotted over towards Airia, Charlotte and Adele - Charlotte and Airia were laughing, and Adele was staring off into space as usual. Misty noticed Campbell was missing. With a pang of regret, Misty wondered if Campbell was still mad at her for stating that Bracken was a closer friend with Misty than Campbell was. With a frown, Misty plopped herself down beside Adele. Adele looked up at Misty with big eyes full of curiosity. "Hi," Misty said. But as usual, Adele didn't respond.
Misty sat in silence for a while before Airia turned to Misty. "What's up, sweetie?" Airia asked.
"What's it like to be an apprentice?" Misty turned to her mother.
"Lot of work," Airia grimaced. "Hard. Being part of the young was much more carefree."
"But I'm so bored," Misty insisted.
Airia smiled. "How about an apprentice task for you?"
Misty jumped up. "Okay!" she beamed.
"Alright," Airia nodded. "I need you to go visit the elders."
Immediately Misty give her mother a work. "That's not an apprentice task!" she protested.
"You're right, it's not," Airia agreed. 'This job is even more important."
"How? It's not Bending lessons!" Misty protested.
"Ah, but the elders need to be entertained," Airia insisted. "They're probably bored in there. And let me tell you, the elders love young. You need to go talk to them. They'll tell you all sorts of interesting things, and they'll be more than willing to do so."
Misty nodded and trotted inside The Bending Tower and climbed up the stairs, passing Starlight, Rusty's daughter. "Hi Misty," Starlight nodded. Misty returned the greeting with a nod, and continued trotting for the elders' den. She then found it and headed inside.
The elders - Creature, a crocodile, Shell, a golden lion, and Sun, a silver wolf - were all sitting together, chatting quietly. They all turned their heads when Misty came in.
"Oh, hello. Uh..." Shell looked at Misty hesitantly.
"Misty," Misty nodded.
"Ah. Misty. I can never keep up with all of these pups 'round here," Shell chuckled.
"How could you forget my granddaughter?" Sun said. She smiled at Misty. "Hello, honey."
"Do you need anything Misty?" Creature asked.
Misty looked at Creature. "You trained my dad, didn't you?"
"He trained Ash?" Shell frowned.
"Yes Shell," Creature nodded.
"Oh. Duh, I forgot," Shell murmured.
Sun chuckled. "Shell, your memory is getting quite bad."
"Oh, I'm not that old," Shell snorted. "I just forget from time to time like any other animal."
Creature smiled. "I remember the day Ash first came to The Bending Tower, actually."
Shell frowned. "Kabu was one of the first to meet Ash, I recall..."
"And Airia was the first," Sun pointed out, obviously trying to keep Shell - Kabu's mate - from growing sad. "From what I was told, Airia pounced on Ash when she saw him and nearly killed him."
Misty grew wide-eyed. "My mom nearly killed my dad?" she whispered.
"Oh, it was nothing big," Creature chuckled. "She was just doing her job, keeping intruders from coming too deep into our territory. Besides, Airia thought your father was a threat."
"Sure, he was a total threat. Ash wasn't even that old when we found him!" Sun laughed.
"But look at him now," Shell pointed out. "Good ol' strong leader, for many moons to come I'm sure."
"Of course, he'll never match up to Goldwing," Sun said.
Misty remembered that Goldwing was Sun's mate - which was why she was insistant upon the fact that Ash would never be as great as him. "My grandfather and my father were both leaders," Misty said when she realized it.
"You're lucky Misty. You come form a talented family," Sun smiled. "Goldwing was a great leader, so was your father...maybe you'll be next!"
"I don't think I'd want to be. I'd never handle the pressure," Misty shook her head.
"How would that be? The kin of our current leader becoming leader next," Creature said, bemused.
"Oh, I think that boy...um, Raoul, that's his name, right?" Shell looked at Sun, who nodded, then looked at Misty. "Raoul will be the next leader, I'm sure. He may be a bit of a wimp at times, but he'll surely get us some great allies."
"Of course. He's very sweet," Sun agreed.
"I don't think Lephos and Sidew got those traits from him," Misty muttered.
Sun laughed. "No, they're troublemakers if I ever saw one. Er, two. I remember when Rusty and Dust were the Lephos and Sidew of the Tower."
"They were?" Misty said.
Chuckling, Sun nodded. "Oh yes! They were the naughtiest boys I've ever met. They almost got Ash killed because they kept goofing off." However, she must've seen the look of worry on Misty's face, because she quickly said, "but Ash is well and alive, and no one was harmed..."
"Oh, Rusty and Dust. They were a funny pair," Creature laughed. "They've matured now though - although Rusty sill has his moments - and I can only hope Lephos and Sidew follow in their footsteps."
"Yeah...I don't think they will," Misty snorted.

Author's Note:
*Spoiler* - Shell actually is having a bit of dementia - this means memory loss, and dementia CAN be fatal. But Shell'll be fine, for now, at least. :)
Oh...
AND I'M BACK IN BLACK! 8D
By the way, new pages will be coming up soon - please check them out! :)

Chapter 2: Wyki vs. Liberty

Curled up against her mother, Misty lay down in the mothers' den. It was nighttime, so the mothers were insisting upon their kids to go to sleep. Campbell and Liberty had put up a fight, but Charlotte had won them over, claiming they wouldn't get to visit Tiggerkat the next day; Tiggerkat often amused the young, so they enjoyed visiting her. Misty looked at Campbell and Liberty, who had their eyes closed, trying to drift off to sleep. Misty turned to look at Adele one last time - she had her eyes closed - before closing her eyes as well, trying to get comfortable.
However, Misty couldn't fall asleep. Her eyes fluttered open, and she examined the room. Everyone was asleep but her. She trotted over to the window looking down on the yard; Airia had always warned her not to sit on the sill, because she didn't want Misty falling. So Misty kept away from the edge.
Maybe I'll go out to the yard, Misty thought. Most likely, the other animals of the Tower were asleep, either that or doing night training or hunting, developing their skills for working in the dark. Misty trotted out of the room and through the hallways, down the stairs. She crept out into the yard, which was empty. It looks so weird without anyone here, Misty thought. Her head lifted up and she looked at the almost-full moon. I wonder where the moon is...
"Misty?"
Perking her ears, Misty looked to see who was coming - Koro, a young male wolf-husky mix, Light's son. Misty had admired Koro's strength; he had been an apprentice for such a little time because he had amazing skills. So did Rhett, Koro's brother. They barely had to train.
"What are you doing out here?" Koro asked.
"Um...I couldn't sleep," Misty admitted.
Koro studied Misty for a while. "Hmm. But you should probably get back to your den."
"Well, what are you doing out here?" Misty shot back.
"I'm going to go get Rhett. He's hunting, and I think he needs to get his sleep," Koro retorted calmly. He then smiled. "I'll take you back to Airia, I guess." He patted Misty with his tail, indicating for her to follow him. Sighing, Misty trotted after the wolf-husky; she felt much smaller standing next to him.
They walked back into The Bending Tower, Misty following reluctantly. They trotted up the stairs and into the hallway. But, Misty then perked her head to see her father, Ash, coming around the corner. "Misty? Koro?" he said, "what are you guys doing up?"
"I went to go get Rhett, and found Misty sitting out there by herself," Koro reported.
"Couldn't sleep?" Ash asked Misty.
Misty shook her head, looking down at her paws.
"That's alright. Koro, you can go get your brother," Ash nodded.
Koro nodded back in respect and trotted away.
"Want to sleep with me?" Ash asked.
Misty nodded. "Okay!" she exclaimed. Misty never really had a lot of time to spend with her father, as he was always busy doing his leader duties and tending to the other animals of The Bending Tower. And when she looked for her dad, he was never to be found; most likely hunting.
They arrived in Ash's den. It was rather big, and had a pool in it for drinking, and a huge window with a view of the yard below and vines decorating the walls of the room. The moonlight shined through the window, illuminating the room. "This room is pretty," Misty said in awe.
"Well, I worked hard to be able to sleep in here," Ash chuckled.
In the corner, someone lifted their head. "Ash?" the silhouette yawned.
"Just bringing in Misty, Raoul," Ash replied. "Couldn't sleep."
"Oh," muttered the silhouette. "G'night." With that, Raoul put his head back on his paws.
As Ash settled himself next to the pool, Misty walked over. "How did you become leader?" she asked.
Ash smiled. "A little nighttime story wouldn't hurt, I guess." He cleared his throat. "When I became deputy, the Firebenders were rulers of The Bending Tower. The deputy before me was a lion named Kabu. Kabu was strong, full of courage and never gave up, even if it meant he had to die. He was forced to retire to the elders, even though he didn't deserve it..." Ash sighed. "Goldwing chose me to be deputy. I thought he'd choose River, though. You know who he is?"
Misty nodded. "Isn't he Rusty and Dust's father or something?"
"Yes," Ash replied. "But I did become deputy. Goldwing - he's your mother's father, actually - was murdered by a Firebender, along with your great-great grandfather, Airwing."
Even though she didn't know this "Goldwing" and "Airwing", immediately Misty felt sorry for them.
"I had to take over," Ash continued. "So I did...I lead The Bending Tower, Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom and a Tribe of non-Benders to the Fire Nation to exile them. And so we did. That's why today, The Bending Tower is at peace. And will be for many more moons."
"G-Good story," Misty said, failing to stifle a big yawn.
"I see you're tired now," Ash chuckled. "Go to sleep. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, dad."


When Misty woke up, she first didn't know where she was - but then remembered she slept with Ash last night. However, when she opened her eyes, Ash wasn't there, neither was Raoul. The sun was in the sky. They probably went to go work, Misty thought, slowly rising to her paws. She yawned and stretched her legs before trotting out of the room and through the hallway, down the stairs and into the yard.
The yard was busy - the total opposite of how it was at night - and filled with animals. Misty spotted Campbell, Adele, Airia and Charlotte sitting by the prey pile. Both of the mothers were deep in conversation, Charlotte laughing, while Campbell was narrowing her eyes and watching...Misty followed her friend's gaze. Sure enough, Campbell was watching Liberty.
Misty watched Liberty; she was currently crouched down, eyes narrowed at Wyki, a black male wolf, with Sirius and Mirage - Wyki's siblings - watching. Apparently Wyki must have challenged Liberty to a play-fight, which Misty knew from watching Liberty in the past was never a good idea. Wyki, Sirius and Mirage had recently been born to Akumu, Flare's mate, so they probably didn't know much about Liberty and her fighting skills yet.
"Your move," Liberty growled.
Wyki narrowed his eyes and lunged at Liberty. However, Liberty simply quick dodged Wyki, and when the male wolf pup landed with a thud, Liberty pinned him down. He struggled to get up, but Liberty kept her paw on him. "Don't try to challenge me again, now."
"Hey!" Mirage exclaimed, jumping at Liberty. "That's my brother!"
Liberty easily jumped out of Mirage's way, making Mirage miss.
"And apparently both of you couldn't even fight a mouse," Liberty said coldly.
Sirius snickered.
"You're supposed to help us," Wyki pointed out to Sirius. "We're your brothers."
"My very annoying brothers at that," Sirius insisted.
"Liberty is good!" whispered Ekaj - Slice's pup.
Malroy, Ekaj's brother, nodded. "I wish I could fight like that."
"And you probably couldn't, with your bad eye and all," Ekaji pointed out.
Misty felt sympathy for Malroy - he had a bad eye that made it very difficult for him to see. He was born with it, and it made his training more difficult, from what Misty had heard from Lephos and Sidew.
Misty turned her attention back to Liberty and Wyki. "Whatever," Wyki was growling. "Trust me, one day, I will be able to knock you halfway across the territory."
Liberty snorted. "And mice might fly."
"Burn," muttered Ekaj.
Wyki narrowed his eyes and stalked away, Mirage and Sirius trailing after.

Author's Note:
Yay, pointless chapters. :D
Oh, and check my new story.
Also, look at Misitu's Art Central. It has a new look. :3

Chapter 1: A Day at The Bending Tower

Leaves swished on the ground as a black-and-white wolf pup trotted through the forest. She smiled up at the treetops; sunlight was shining brightly through the beautiful orange and yellow leaves. Birds tweeted too; it looked like a beautiful day.
"Misty!"
The pup turned and smiled as a gray female pup trotted up to her.
"Hey Campbell," the pup greeted the other.
"Going for a walk?" the gray pup asked.
"Uh-huh," Misty nodded. She kept walking, Campbell at her side. "What were you doing at the Tower?"
"Nothing, really," Campbell shrugged. "Except watching Liberty. She was--"
"Alright," Misty giggled. "No need to go on one of your rants."
"But it's just...I don't know why everyone likes Liberty so much," Campbell growled.
"She's your sister, Campbell, don't be angry at her," Misty replied.
"Why is everyone so impressed about her though?" Campbell demanded.
"Um..." Misty didn't quite know what to say; Liberty, Campbell's sister, was a hot-tempered she-wolf, and a brilliant fighter. She'd play-fight with everyone and always win, even against the guys, which was pretty impressive since the boys were pretty tough. The full Benders even respected her for her skills. "Maybe because she's a nice--?"
"No she's not. She snaps at the smallest things!" Campbell protested.
"Well then, I don't know," Misty muttered.
They walked along in silence until they approached Ice River. Misty stiffened. "Let's go back."
"Why?" Campbell asked.
"We can't go any further," Misty shrugged.
Campbell snorted. "Please. Look, we can cross if we want to. It can't be that dangerous."
"But my father said--"
Her tail up to indicate for Misty to stop talking, Campbell interrupted her. "Yeah, yeah, your father...you know, just because he's leader of The Bending Tower, it doesn't mean you need to demonstrate how to suck up to him, alright?"
Misty felt taken aback. "Campbell, we can't--"
"Fine, I'll show you," Campbell insisted. She then jumped over the river. "Okay. You come now!"
Misty looked at the river hesitantly. I can't let Campbell be over there by herself... Misty bunched her legs together, prepared to make a leap...
"Misty! Campbell!"
Full of relief, Misty turned to see Max trotting up, followed closely by his apprentice, Spot, a black-and-white Dalmatian. "What are you two doing?" Max demanded. "You know you two can't cross Ice River, it's not our territory!"
"We're sorry, Max," Campbell apologized, all of the sudden looking innocent.
Max narrowed his eyes. "Campbell, you need to learn to start following the rules." He then looked at Misty. "And Misty, I wouldn't expect something like this from you."
Misty shrank back. "S-Sorry, Max."
The purple-black collie studied Misty for a bit, but then sighed. "I guess you two could have done something worse...come on, I'm going to take you back to the Tower. Your mothers will be wanting you for lunch now, anyway."
"What about our training?" Spot asked.
"After I take these pups back," Max replied.
The four of them began to walk by in silence, until Campbell finally whispered, "See, when you're not an apprentice you can get away with anything. They don't expect you to break the rules, and when you do they excuse it, thinking you're too little to understand."
"But that doesn't mean we can go breaking rules!" Misty hissed.
"Yeah, but dad always told me: when you have an advantage, use it," Campbell replied.
Misty wanted to say that she didn't think that's what he meant, but they had arrived at the gates that were being guarded by Crystal, her apprentice Lephos, and Streak, and his apprentice, Sidew.
"Hello," Crystal nodded in greeting.
"I found these two by Ice River," Max said, giving Misty a look. Luckily, he didn't say further more.
"You can come in," Crystal replied. The gates opened, and they walked into a room with apprentices training their Bending skills and fighting.
"Go find your mothers," Max ordered. He then turned to Spot. "Let's go."
The two of them then left.
"Geez. What's with Max, being so strict?" Campbell asked.
"Well, he is a full Bender," Misty pointed out. "We need to listen to him."
The two of them then walked out to the yard.
Misty noticed Campbell narrowing her eyes. Following her gaze, Misty saw who she was looking at: Bracken, who was busy talking to his mentor Firefly, eagerly. "Ugh. Bracken," Campbell muttered.
"What's wrong?" Misty cocked her head.
"I just don't like him," Campbell grumbled.
Misty looked at her friend in disbelief. "Why not...?"
"Don't you know who his father is?" Campbell exclaimed, "Ironfang."
"So?" Misty shrugged.
"So, I heard that Ironfang was a cold-blooded murderer!" Campbell hissed.
"But...That doesn't mean Bracken is," Misty insisted.
"Oh, yeah? Well, do you think that maybe Bracken may have inherited some of Ironfang's traits? And guess what else?" Campbell dropped her voice to a whisper. "Ironfang tried to kill your father!"
Misty stiffened. "B-But that's in the past. Besides, Bracken's okay..."
Just then, Misty noticed Bracken making his way over to her. She felt sympathy for the young bobcat though; whenever he walked by, animals seemed to grimace and move away from him, flinching at his every move as if they expected him to explode. Sure enough, as he walked by, animals were jumping away from him as usual. Bracken seemed used to it enough, though, that it didn't bother him.
"Hi Misty!" he beamed, walking up to her.
"Hello, Bracken!" Misty greeted him.
"Hey," Campbell grumbled, not very enthusiastically.
"What were you guys talking about?" Bracken smiled.
Misty cringed. "Er...Just...What Bender we wanted to be," she lied.
"Oh? Cool!" Bracken grinned. "Waterbending is fun, actually. You should choose that."
"I think I'm going to stick to Airbending, thanks," Campbell said coldly.
"Okay then," Bracken shrugged. "I guess I'll see you guys later, then." He then trotted off.
"How can he be so naive?" Campbell demanded, as soon as Bracken was well out of earshot. "I mean, he doesn't even notice that no one seems to like him. He didn't even pick up on my sarcasm. He's just always so bright and happy..."
"And what's wrong with that?" Misty shot back. "I like him. He's my best friend."
"You mean you'd pick him over me?" Campbell narrowed her eyes.
"I didn't say that!" Misty protested. "He was just my friend before yo--"
"Fine," Campbell growled. "I'm going to find my mother, and get lunch..."
As Campbell trotted away, Misty called after her, "See you later!"
"Hey, kid."
Misty turned to see a small meerkat standing there, eating a bug. "How are you?"
"Hi Tiggerpaka!" Misty exclaimed, trotting up to him. "Can you tell me about the battle with the Firebenders?" she asked. The Firebender battle was one of Misty's favorite stories; when Tiggerpaka told it, he explained it greatly and always made it interesting.
"Again? Well, I suppose I have some free time..." Tiggerpaka shrugged. He then launched into the story.
"We were surrounded by Firebenders," the meerkat began. "They were everywhere. Reeking of rotting food, their sharp fangs glistening in the flashes of lightning...everyone was overwhelmed. The Bending Tower thought they were doomed, done for. But..." he smirked. "I then grabbed my stick and jumped at the Firebenders. I hit them all in the heads at once. They were quick, but I was much quicker. They didn't even have time to yell out before they fell over, killed by me."
"Cool!" Misty said enthusiastically.
"The Bending Tower applauded me, and I became one of their best fighters. The end," Tiggerpaka finished.
"But...my mother tells it so differently..." Misty said.
Tiggerpaka flinched. "Er...she got a bit of memory loss at the end of the battle, kid."
"She did...?" Misty cocked her head. "But it didn't seem..."
"Hey! Why don't you get lunch with your, er...lovely mother like you said you would? I...have some grubs to catch." With that, Tiggerpaka quickly scurried away, out of the yard and towards the forest.
Misty looked after the meerkat for a bit before turning to trot away, looking for her winged mother. She scanned the yard - everyone was sitting around and talking, finishing their lunch before going out to do their afternoon training and hunting. Misty then spotted her mother in the corner, talking to Charlotte; the two of them were close friends, as they both became mothers at around the same time.
"Hi mom!" Misty called.
"There you are!" Misty's mother exclaimed; Misty had heard others address her as "Airia" before. Misty always thought it was a beautiful name. "I was looking for you. Adele already ate her lunch, you still need to have yours."
Misty looked at her sister; she was slightly smaller than Misty, and had wings like her mother. But she never spoke a word in her life; Misty knew it was because Adele was deaf, and Airia explained that Adele would never be able to talk since she couldn't hear. For this reason, Adele also couldn't fly or do Bending.
"Um...hi," Misty greeted her. Adele just stared at her.
I wish my sister was normal, Misty thought with a sigh.
"What would you like for lunch, dear?" Charlotte asked. Charlotte was like a mother to Misty; she always seemed to care quite a bit for Misty, always bringing her a treat, like the time Charlotte found some honey and gave it to Misty, who had eaten it gratefully. Misty figured Charlotte liked Misty so much because Charlotte and Airia were close friends.
"I don't know," Misty admitted. She then thought for a bit. "I...Guess a mouse sounds good right now. I'm not too hungry."
"I'll go get it," Charlotte nodded, trotting off.
Misty sat down by Adele, who simply looked at her. "Um..."
"How has your day been, Misty?" Airia asked.
Misty turned from Adele to look at her mother. "Good. I...went to Ice River with Campbell, but Max brought us back, insisting on us eating lunch." She decided not to bring up that Campbell had crossed the river; it'd get her friend into trouble.
"Sounds good," Airia nodded.
"It was," Misty agreed, as Charlotte trotted up with a mouse in her jaws.
I wish I could be a part of the young forever, Misty thought, I'm much more carefree than the apprentices and Benders.

Author's Note:
Eeeee, this chapter was fun to write. :D
Who's your favorite character, so far? c:

Prologue

A full moon casted light across the dark area by the huge mountains. A group of silhouetted wolves gathered around in front of a huge course: at the beginning was a huge group of briars. After it was a large pit that seemed like it was bottomless. After the pit was a place with geysers, and at the end was a rocky hill. A big wolf stood at the top of the hill.

"Alright," growled a battle-scarred wolf, "you apprentices must run this course."

The smaller wolves standing in front of the battle-scarred one remained quiet.

"We'll have Ry go first," grumbled the scarred wolf.

A female wolf stiffened and fought back a growl. She stepped forward, and looked at the wolf, who glared at her. She wanted to snarl at him, but couldn't without being punished; she was training to be a Protector, despite the teachers obviously didn't want her. Of course he singles me out, she thought bitterly.
"Go ahead," said the scarred wolf.
Ry sighed and looked at the course ahead. Yin, Yang, let me make it out of here alive, she thought desperately. She looked at the briars in front of her, the first obstacle. She bunched her legs and made a leap, trying to get over the large patch of the briars. She got most of the way over before she landed, falling into the briars. She yelped and crawled out.
"Come on, Ry!" snarled the scarred wolf.
"I'm trying," Ry hissed. Luckily, the wolf couldn't hear her.
Briars stuck in her pelt, Ry made her way to the pit in front of her. She took some steps back and ran, jumping across. She made it to the other side, but her back legs slipped behind her, making her dangle over the pit. She let out a yelp of terror, and luckily pulled herself back up again.
Ry made her way towards the geysers, that were blasting hot water out. Ry ran across, trying not to get hit by any of them. She jumped just as a geyser exploded, catching her tail. She yelled out and landed hard on the ground, but quickly scurried to the other side.
The wolf waiting at the top of the hill scratched her face, making Ry yelp and fall back. "You little shaji!" he snarled, pushing her away. "You call that a session? My pups could have done better, and they were born yesterday!" he leaned in towards Ry. "If you want to be a Protector, good luck!"
Ry narrowed her eyes and walked away, sitting alone on the hill. She looked in the distance to see another Protector apprentice taking the course. She growled and picked at a briar on her paw. Just because I'm a girl, Ry thought angrily, they think I can't be a Protector...

Author's Note:
Sorry it's short. :U
A "shaji" is basically a bad word in the land of Yin and Yang, by the way.
In that land, girls are thought to not be cut out for being Protectors.

Welcome to The Four Elements Of Bending, series 2!

Welcome to The Four Elements Of Bending | Series 2 | Yin and Yang

Welcome to series two of The Four Elements Of Bending (TFEOB)! Yep, the first series is done, now the second one is starting. The first one was about how Ash defeated Ironfang and exiled the Firebenders, making them leave the land. This second series may not make sense if you haven't read the first; click here to see series 1.
Want to learn about this second series? Read the FAQ!

What is the plot of this series?
(spoiler warning) Series two is told from the point of view of Misty, Ash's daughter. One day when Misty wanders out of The Bending Tower - followed by some others - they get captured by humans and put into a strange creature with four round paws. The next day, however, they manage to escape. But, Misty gets a dream about having to save the world - Yin and Yang are fighting. And if one dies, the world goes with it. Can Misty and her friends save the world?

Are there character sign-ups?
Yep! But because last time I got way too many characters, this time it's only one sign-up per person. There are some additional rules that normal story blogs don't have, so please read the whole page before commenting your sign-up; that's very important.

Are there author sign-ups?
Sorry, but no. This is my main story blog, and I like to write it by myself. I don't want a bunch of other authors screwing the story up by adding in their own characters and killing off characters I don't want to be killed off. So no author sign-ups, sorry!

Can you link my story blog?

Sure! Just comment anywhere on this blog asking me to and I will. But if I don't link you back, it could be because you don't have a picture link, I can't find your story, you didn't link me back, or you haven't posted in a while. So be sure to meet these requirements.

Why is my character taking a while to come in?!

If you think your character is taking a while to come in, please do not beg for them to come in. This makes them less likely to come in because when you beg like that it really annoys me. You may have made your character a certain way so they come in at a certain time. So please be patient!

That's all for now! Follow, comment and sign-up! Thanks for reading!