As the group all stopped in the shadows, Liberty saw what the light was: a crackling fire. They were in a cave; the fire was in a circular room that connected to a hallway on the other side; where it lead to, Liberty didn't know. "What's the fire from?" asked Sirius, head tilted in curiosity.
"W-We should turn back," whimpered Audrey.
"No, I'm curious," insisted Starlight. "You'll be fine, Audrey. Just remember your lessons."
"Okay," whispered Audrey, closing her eyes as if in concentration.
"I don't see anything," remarked Ryker.
"Me nei--" began Sirius, but she stopped. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Look."
The group looked. Liberty watched as a new shadow danced onto the wall. She looked from it to its owner, a young bobcat who was walking around and then sitting next to the fire, staring into it. "Hold it," murmured Liberty, moving her head forward for better view. "Is that--?"
"Bracken!" hissed Sirius. "What's he doing here...?"
"If you shut up we'll find out," replied Ryker.
"Hey! I'm only asking!" Sirius protested.
"Well your talking is going to get us caught. You girls never shut up," snorted Ryker.
Liberty watched as Sirius slammed her shoulder into Ryker's side, making him stumble. "Hey!" Ryker protested with a growl.
"Both of you. Quiet," growled Liberty.
They all fell silent. Liberty kept her eyes trained on Bracken as he sat by the fire. Is he going to actually do anything? she wondered, as Bracken kept watching the flames crackle. It can't be true that he's just going to sit here, right? He has to have other intentions.
"Is he even going to do anything?" Sirius demanded. "Because if not, this is going to get old. Fast."
"Sirius, you have to learn to play the game of patience," insisted Ryker with a slight chuckle. "You youngsters have no sense of it."
"You called me 'youngster' like an elder would. Then again, you are crippled like one," Sirius retorted.
"Would you two--" began Liberty with a growl, but she was cut off.
"Look!" hissed Starlight.
The group all turned to see another shadow moving alongside the wall. A black wolf - incredibly familiar - made his way around the fire. "Bracken," he said.
"Hold it, that's..." Sirius gasped.
"Ash," Ryker realized.
"What's he doing down here?" Starlight asked aloud.
Bracken's mouth split into a grin. "Ah, hello. Please. Have a seat."
Ash sat down on the other side of the fire so he was across from Bracken. This just seems strange, Liberty remarked to herself. It's a bit suspicious...
"The plan is going rather well," Bracken continued. "I suspect we should have everything as Vortex asked to be in few days' time."
"Who's Vortex?" hissed Sirius, who was shushed by Starlight.
Ash scoffed. "If we can get that vile leader out of The Bending Tower. No one's ever annoyed me so much before."
"You two are the same," Bracken pointed out mildly.
"We are nowhere close to the same," snarled Ash, standing up to his paws. "He is a vermin to all creatures who walk this land. We need to get him out of there soon. I will take over The Bending Tower. Ash doesn't stand a chance with me around."
"Whatever you say," snorted Bracken, smirking. "But you will make me your second-in-command, right?"
"You and I are the only ones alike in this place, Bracken. Of course you will be."
"What's going on?" Audrey said nervously.
"It makes no sense!" hissed Starlight. "Why is Ash talking about overthrowing himself?"
"Unless that's not...Ash," murmured Sirius.
"Oh yeah. How?" demanded Ryker.
"Maybe it's his look-alike. My mother told me that when she was in the Earth Kingdom during the rebellion, there was an Ash-look-alike in there," Sirius's face was brightening up as she came to the realization. She then sighed. "Except...my mom said that his look-alike was a girl. This look-alike is the same gender as Ash."
"We need to head back," insisted Audrey. "We got to tell someone about this."
They snuck away from the cave as Ash and Bracken carried on their insane conversation.
The group crawled out of the trapdoor and slid the chest back over it, looking around.
"There you guys are!" exclaimed a voice. Liberty looked as Rainbow - who was Streak, Nzuri and Patch's mother - ran over. "We've all been looking for you! Your mothers are going to be worried sick, I know the feeling! With us already having several Benders missing, you guys could have--"
"Rainbow, calm down. We're fine," insisted Starlight.
"Well, for Lifebreeze's sake at least tell us where you went!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"You'll find out," Ryker assured her. "But we need to find Ash. It's important."
"Oh..." Rainbow sighed. "He's not...here."
"What...do you mean?" demanded Sirius.
"Ash is missing, too," said Rainbow. "We thought he'd be with you guys...you haven't seen him, have you?"
Nervously and in unison, the group shook their heads no.
Author's Note:
DUN DUN DUNNNNN...
QOTD: What do you think is going on?
"W-We should turn back," whimpered Audrey.
"No, I'm curious," insisted Starlight. "You'll be fine, Audrey. Just remember your lessons."
"Okay," whispered Audrey, closing her eyes as if in concentration.
"I don't see anything," remarked Ryker.
"Me nei--" began Sirius, but she stopped. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Look."
The group looked. Liberty watched as a new shadow danced onto the wall. She looked from it to its owner, a young bobcat who was walking around and then sitting next to the fire, staring into it. "Hold it," murmured Liberty, moving her head forward for better view. "Is that--?"
"Bracken!" hissed Sirius. "What's he doing here...?"
"If you shut up we'll find out," replied Ryker.
"Hey! I'm only asking!" Sirius protested.
"Well your talking is going to get us caught. You girls never shut up," snorted Ryker.
Liberty watched as Sirius slammed her shoulder into Ryker's side, making him stumble. "Hey!" Ryker protested with a growl.
"Both of you. Quiet," growled Liberty.
They all fell silent. Liberty kept her eyes trained on Bracken as he sat by the fire. Is he going to actually do anything? she wondered, as Bracken kept watching the flames crackle. It can't be true that he's just going to sit here, right? He has to have other intentions.
"Is he even going to do anything?" Sirius demanded. "Because if not, this is going to get old. Fast."
"Sirius, you have to learn to play the game of patience," insisted Ryker with a slight chuckle. "You youngsters have no sense of it."
"You called me 'youngster' like an elder would. Then again, you are crippled like one," Sirius retorted.
"Would you two--" began Liberty with a growl, but she was cut off.
"Look!" hissed Starlight.
The group all turned to see another shadow moving alongside the wall. A black wolf - incredibly familiar - made his way around the fire. "Bracken," he said.
"Hold it, that's..." Sirius gasped.
"Ash," Ryker realized.
"What's he doing down here?" Starlight asked aloud.
Bracken's mouth split into a grin. "Ah, hello. Please. Have a seat."
Ash sat down on the other side of the fire so he was across from Bracken. This just seems strange, Liberty remarked to herself. It's a bit suspicious...
"The plan is going rather well," Bracken continued. "I suspect we should have everything as Vortex asked to be in few days' time."
"Who's Vortex?" hissed Sirius, who was shushed by Starlight.
Ash scoffed. "If we can get that vile leader out of The Bending Tower. No one's ever annoyed me so much before."
"You two are the same," Bracken pointed out mildly.
"We are nowhere close to the same," snarled Ash, standing up to his paws. "He is a vermin to all creatures who walk this land. We need to get him out of there soon. I will take over The Bending Tower. Ash doesn't stand a chance with me around."
"Whatever you say," snorted Bracken, smirking. "But you will make me your second-in-command, right?"
"You and I are the only ones alike in this place, Bracken. Of course you will be."
"What's going on?" Audrey said nervously.
"It makes no sense!" hissed Starlight. "Why is Ash talking about overthrowing himself?"
"Unless that's not...Ash," murmured Sirius.
"Oh yeah. How?" demanded Ryker.
"Maybe it's his look-alike. My mother told me that when she was in the Earth Kingdom during the rebellion, there was an Ash-look-alike in there," Sirius's face was brightening up as she came to the realization. She then sighed. "Except...my mom said that his look-alike was a girl. This look-alike is the same gender as Ash."
"We need to head back," insisted Audrey. "We got to tell someone about this."
They snuck away from the cave as Ash and Bracken carried on their insane conversation.
The group crawled out of the trapdoor and slid the chest back over it, looking around.
"There you guys are!" exclaimed a voice. Liberty looked as Rainbow - who was Streak, Nzuri and Patch's mother - ran over. "We've all been looking for you! Your mothers are going to be worried sick, I know the feeling! With us already having several Benders missing, you guys could have--"
"Rainbow, calm down. We're fine," insisted Starlight.
"Well, for Lifebreeze's sake at least tell us where you went!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"You'll find out," Ryker assured her. "But we need to find Ash. It's important."
"Oh..." Rainbow sighed. "He's not...here."
"What...do you mean?" demanded Sirius.
"Ash is missing, too," said Rainbow. "We thought he'd be with you guys...you haven't seen him, have you?"
Nervously and in unison, the group shook their heads no.
Author's Note:
DUN DUN DUNNNNN...
QOTD: What do you think is going on?
Crystal here I'm on vacation right now so I'll be back at the tower in a few days
ReplyDeleteAnother Ash... Hmmm... Impostor?
ReplyDeleteAnother Chapter 51? You might want to fix it, GreatShot!
Anyway, poor Ash. First, he's being called "Same as... Ironfang (Right?)" then "Same as Vortex". I guess he's fed up with the insults.
*Le gasp*
ReplyDeleteMaybe some sort of shadow-self?
Oh! Wait! I know!
ReplyDeleteGeez! How did I NOT think of this?
Someone is impersonating Ash to talk with Bracken so if anyone finds them, it won't seem too suspicious. They are in a pact with Vortex. That's why the "Ash" called the real Ash "vile leader".
So, is Bracken really evil all along?
I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWellll I remember from before something that you wrote. so yeah I think it's their evil twin
ReplyDelete"I'm Glory!" Glory exclaimed, just as Koro opened her mouth to explain. The fox trotted forward. "The wolves tried to eat me. But they say they're nice."
ReplyDelete"Yes, and--" Koro began.
"I'll handle this intruder," Tiggerpaka puffed out his chest and walked forward. "You! Fox! Leave our territory or face my fury!" he exclaimed.
Ok when I was writing a chapter in the write your own chapter I saw this. ohmigosh that was hilarious.