Chapter 8: Dangerous Trees

Later, Koro, Nzuri, Rusty and Dust took Misty and Campbell out for a tour of the territory, despite Misty had seen most of it already. They stopped at the fallen tree clearing.
"So these are the fallen trees," Rusty said. "They came when a horrible storm created by Ironfang struck us. It meant to kill most of  The Bending Tower but failed, leaving behind all of these trees. It's good for obstacle courses, and apprentices train here."
"Yeah, and shadows come here too," gulped Campbell.
"Campbell, there was no shadow," Dust insisted.
"There was so, dad!" Campbell hissed.
Dust sighed. "You'll have to give up on it sometime I guess..."
"Read my mouth. There. Was. A. Shadow. Figure!" Campbell growled.
Nzuri gave her apprentice a look. "Apprentices don't talk back to full Benders."
Campbell started mumbling to herself.
Rusty then sniffed the air. "Smell that?" he turned to Dust.
"Yup," Dust nodded.
"Stop, guys," Rusty turned to the apprentices and Benders. "We gotta catch something."
"Wonder what they got," Koro frowned, padding up to Misty.
"Lifebreeze knows," Misty shrugged.
Rusty and Dust crawled for the fallen trees. Misty then realized what they were looking at: a rabbit, who had somehow got itself to the top of the trees. It looked to be nibbling on something. "Oh. There's a rabbit," she whispered.
"Watch them," Koro suggested. "You could learn a bit of hunting."
Misty then watched as Rusty and Dust split up and went on either side of the tree pile. The rabbit perked its head and looked around, but must've figured that it was nothing, because it started licking its back and shook its pelt.
Suddenly, the twins jumped. Misty watched as Rusty, growling, lunged up the fallen trees. Dust did the same and they both grabbed the rabbit at the same time, and it squealed in protest. Misty then gasped as the twins literally teared the rabbit in two.
Misty, Campbell and Nzuri squealed. "GROSS!" they harmonized.
"Ooh. Bit gorey," Rusty grimaced.
"Rusty?"
Misty, Koro, Campbell and Nzuri turned to see Crystal, Lephos, Mistletoe and Audrey all together, most likely on a patrol. "What is going on?" Crystal asked.
"Oh...Hey," Rusty said. "Um...you look nice today, Crystal."
"Rusty, I don't want you scaring these girls like that, okay?" Crystal asked.
"Ewww!" Audrey shrieked, seeing the torn rabbit.
"Come on Crystal, it wasn't our fault," Dust insisted.
"Be more dignified while catching prey. No one needs to see those...intestines," Crystal's nose wrinkled.
"Love you, Crystal," Rusty called out innocently. Dust gave Rusty a look and snorted.
"Rusty," Crystal gave her mate a look, then turned to Mistletoe. "C'mon, let's go."
The patrol trotted off.
Misty turned back to the twins to see Dust punching Rusty. "You're such a suck-up."
"Well hey, I don't need to get in trouble," Rusty replied.
Dust sighed. "Whatever." He turned to the others. "So moving on--"
Suddenly, it was back.
The earth started rumbling.
"What is this?!" Rusty yelled.
Misty flinched as the area began shaking. She struggled to stay steady, and looked nervously at the trees as they began swaying back any forth. "The trees!" she exclaimed.
Campbell tripped and fell over her own feet. The earth then got louder and the trees looked like they were about to fall.
"TAKE COVER!" Dust howled.
Misty hit the ground and tasted blood in her mouth. She felt something on top of her, and realized Koro had his leg over her, protecting her. Misty saw out of the corner of her eye Campbell was stumbling and she tripped and fell. Dust ran to her daughter and attempted to pick her up, but a tree slammed on top of them.
"CAMPBELL!" Misty shrieked.
"DUST!" Rusty yelled at the same time.

Author's Note:
Short-ish chapter. :<
Oh, please check out my new story, too! 83