Chapter 12: The Dream

Feather looked at Ash's paw. "It's getting infected," she reported.
Aww! Ash sighed. He looked down at his right paw, not very happy about how his paw was healing.
"Don't worry, it will probably heal before the moon is over," Feather nodded, "I know you probably think it's boring in here."
"It is," Ash mumbled. He trotted out of the healers' den and into the hall. Could things get any worse?
Just then, Ash fell to the floor, grunting. He saw Raoul falling down, and he kept running. Ash was a bit injured since Raoul made him fall. As Ash was about to get back up to his paws, Slice came and ran over him, making the wind knock out of Ash. "Raoul! Get back here with that snail!" Slice yowled, running after Raoul.
Ash got to his paws. He yawned; he was getting quite tired. Ash entered the healers' den and drifted off to sleep, hoping his paw would heal.
When Ash awoke, he was sitting in the forest, looking into the forest. He found that he couldn't move, but didn't really mind. Ash looked out into the forest, just watching.
Suddenly, a bunch of ants came running up to Ash. He tried to get away, but he couldn't move, and was glued to the spot. He wanted to scream, but his mouth couldn't open. The ants crawled up Ash, and it felt like they were made of fire. It burned badly.
Then, Ash awoke with a start. It was morning. Feather was perched on her branch, asleep. The sun was slowly climbing into the sky. Eclipse was asleep also, her ears twitching every now and then.
Ash's pelt still stung from the ants in his dream. He wondered what it could've meant. But I could be going crazy from my infected paw and that I'm confined to the healers' den with nothing to do, Ash thought.

Author's Note:
Something for y'all to think about over the weekdays. I won't be able to post on ANY blogs all school year, except for Friday afternoons, Saturday and Sunday. :C 

Chapter 11: Slice Gets Angry

Slice was in the travelers' room, with a snail on her back. She smiled at it, studying the snail. It slowly moved over her fur, heading for the floor.
"Hey, guys!" Nightgale announced, "Feather just made Tiggerkat a Reese Cup!"
Slice gasped, "I gotta see this for myself." With the snail still on her back, she trotted for the healers' den. She could smell Raoul, Max, Tiggerkat, Eclipse, and Ash in there.
"Hi," Slice said, "Is it true that-"
Slice gasped as she saw that Feather was about to take a snail from Raoul. Slice yowled and saved the snail before Feather could cook it, and she pinned Raoul. "What are you doing?"
"Eating... Eating snails?" Raoul squeaked.
"Oh no you're not!" Slice growled, "Nobody eats snails on my watch!"
The other snails began heading for the exit. Raoul picked a snail up to hand to Feather, but Slice growled warning. She wouldn't allow Raoul to eat any snails as long as she was still living.
Raoul ran. Slice put the snails down. "Do not cook them! Please!" Slice growled, and she ran after Raoul, who she saw still had a snail in his mouth.
Raoul raced down the halls. He was very fast, but Slice didn't care. She gave chase, trying to catch up him. It was hard, however. How does he run so fast?! She thought, trying to run faster.
Stone was in the hall. Raoul ran around him, and Stone growled. "Raoul, you're SUPPOSED to-" she was cut off as Slice jumped over her, and Stone growled ever louder.
Windows was in the hall, and Raoul tripped over him and fell. "Watch it!" Windows shouted, and he ran away. Slice saw her opportunity and ran after Raoul, who got up and kept running. Slice still ran after him. The poor snail was still in Raoul's mouth.
Slice jumped and yowled, ready to pounce on Raoul...

Author's Note:
AVENGE THE SNAILS, SLICE!

Chapter 10: Reese Cups and Snails

As Feather was making a Reese Cup, Tiggerkat watched eagerly. Ash watched too, but wasn't too interested. Eclipse was still asleep, her blueberry box guarded by her tail now.
Feather mixed the "chocolate" and "peanut butter" together, trying to make the thing Tiggerkat wanted. Her face was full of concentration. She didn't look up when she heard the fast pawsteps down the hall, heading for the healers' room.
The owners of the pawsteps were revealed to be Raoul and Max. "Word got around you could make Reese Cups, Feather," Raoul panted, "So you must be able to make snails, right?"
"Snails?" Ash echoed. "You ate snails?"
"Well, yeah!" Raoul wagged his tail and looked at Ash, "They're pretty tasty! You should try some!"
"Er... I'll pass," Ash stammered.
Eclipse woke up. "Oh... Hey, Feather. Why're Max, Raoul and Tiggerkat here?"
"Feather is making a so-called 'Reese Cup' for Tiggerkat," snorted Max.
"She will!" Tiggerkat insisted.
"I'll try to!" Feather murmured, obviously not sure whether she'd succeed or not.
Raoul walked up to Feather, "Well? Can you make some snails?"
"Go get me some and I will try to," Feather shrugged.
Raoul nodded and ran off. Max rolled his eyes and chased after his friend.
"Aren't they spending the whole day reviewing?" Eclipse asked.
"They must be getting a break or something," Ash shrugged.
Tiggerkat looked at the mixture excitedly. Feather took a bit of the mixture out, and rolled it into a ball. She took more out and kept adding it to the ball, making the ball larger and larger. Ash grew wide-eyed. Are Reese Cups real?
Tiggerkat beamed at it. "It's not the shape of a real Reese Cup, but oh well!" she grabbed the ball and ate it quickly.
As Raoul and Max returned with snails, Feather said, "Well, Tiggerkat, there are no more Reese Cups left in the land..."

Author's Note:
Snails and Reese Cups. Perfect combination. <3 XD

Chapter 9: Feather's Miracle

Ash trotted back up to the healers' den after the ceremony, getting used to his paw hurting. He was impatient for the moon to be over; Ash was quite bored sitting in the healers' den day after day after day.
Feather was sitting in the den, over the herb mixed. She seemed to be studying some things; there were two clay buckets, and she was looking inside one of them, studying it.
Eclipse was asleep, her paw over her box of blueberries, her sides heaving steadily as she slept. Ash watched her ears twitch, and she turned over, her blueberry box now unprotected.
Ash took one blueberry out of the box and ate it, then put the lid back, as Eclipse rolled back over and put her paw on the box again. Ash sat down on a mossy nest, it was quite comfortable.
"Feather, what do you got there?" Ash asked, wanting to break the silence.
"I'm not too sure," Feather admitted, "In one bucket is something brown-ish, and in the other is something black-ish."
Suddenly, Tiggerkat hopped in. "Feather, Nightgale says her paw is sore."
Feather nodded. "Okay. And Tiggerkat, I need your help with something."
"What?" Tiggerkat asked, hopping over to Feather.
Feather nodded to the two clay buckets. "Do you know what these are?"
Ash was confused; why, out of everyone, was Feather asking for Tiggerkat's help? He thinked, and then guessed, Maybe Tiggerkat travelled for a long time?
Tiggerkat was beaming; her eyes were big, and her legs were shaking. "Could it be...? This is peanut butter and chocolate!"
Ash cocked his head, "What?"
Tiggerkat rolled her eyes. "Peant... Butter... And... Chocolate!" she shouted, dragging each word out as if she thought Ash had bad hearing, "The two most important ingredients to make a Reese Cup!"
Now, it was Ash's turn to roll his eyes. "Again? More of this Reese Cup stuff?"
"Tiggerkat, are you sure?" Feather now cocked her head.
"Positive! Why would I not know of the thing I live for?" Tiggerkat hopped up and down. She looked at the "peanut butter" and "chocolate" happily. "Can you make me a Reese Cup? Pleeeeaaasssse?" she begged.
"I'll... I'll try," Feather said hesitantly.

Author's Note:
Tiggerkat'll hopefully be reunited with her favorite food again! XP Also, I made a new blog about TFEOB, it's called The Four Elements Of Bending Guide. Click here to see it! Please follow it and comment often! :D BUT, there are SPOILERS on that site, so read at your own risk. o3o

Chapter 8: Apprentice Ceremony

Ash woke up the next morning. He heard pawsteps in the hall. He poked his head out of the healers' den to see Raoul padding through the hallway, being escorted by Kabu. Another border collie was by Raoul's side; the animal was purple-black. They looked a bit anxious as the big lion walked with them down the hall; Ash knew they were heading for the yard.
When the animals were out of sight, Ash limped after them, following. He was still a bit sleepy, but worked on blinking the sleep from his eyes. He limped out to the yard, where Goldwing was having a meeting. Raoul and the purple-black dog stood in front of Goldwing. Kabu stood by Goldwing's side.
Next to Raoul and the purple-black dog, was some sort of anteater. It sat next to Raoul, looking at Goldwing. Ash didn't know what animal it was. When he looked at it, it flashed a glare at him, and Ash quickly went and sat in between Rusty and Dust.
"What's happening?" Ash asked them.
"Apprentice ceremony for Raoul, Max and Windows," Rusty replied.
"Windows?" Ash echoed, "Strange name."
"We have three apprentices to name," Goldwing called out, "Raoul, Max and Windows. All of them will become apprentices to one of the Benders. Now, Raoul, which Bender do you want to be?"
"Earthbender!" Raoul replied instantly.
"Okay. Raoul, your mentor will be..." Goldwing looked around, then his eyes rested on someone in the crowd. Ash followed the leaders' gaze. "Stone."
Stone walked forward and nodded respectfully to Goldwing. Raoul looked very happy. Ash knew Stone probably wouldn't return the favor. Good luck, Raoul, you're gonna need it, Ash thought.
As Raoul and Stone touched noses to show each other respect, Goldwing continued. "Max, what do you want to learn?"
"Airbending," Max replied calmly.
"Good choice," whispered Charlotte, who was sitting on Dust's right side.
Goldwing studied the crowd. He finally spoke, "Max, your mentor will be Spots."
Ash turned to look at Spots. Spots nodded, and he was wagging his tail rapidly. He padded forward to touch noses with Max, and they both looked at each other respectfully.
"Finally, Windows," Goldwing looked at the animal. "Which do you want to be?"
"Earthbender," said Windows.
Goldwing nodded, and looked around. "River, you will be Windows's mentor."
Ash noticed Rusty was beaming as a strong, tall orange male wolf with a few scars stepped out of the crowd. It touched noses with Windows.
"That's my father," Rusty whispered to Ash.
"You mean, our father?" Dust snorted.
"He looks like a strong warrior," Charlotte commented, looking at River.
Now, Dust was beaming more than Rusty was.
"Raoul, Max, Windows, your first assignment will be to spend the day touring the territory, Tower, and you will learn a bit about The Bending Tower," Goldwing said.
The three new apprentices nodded.

Author's Note:
LOL. Dust seemed to be happy of Charlotte's comment. Anyway, you know Raoul belongs to Ming132, and so does Max. Windows is Spino11's new main TFEOB character. Thanks for your awesome characters, guys! c:

Chapter 7: Burying Susan

The next day, Ash trotted down to the yard first thing. Susan's body still lay there, a huge scar on her neck. Ash trotted up to the body and sniffed her. She smelled like she was definitely attacked by a Firebender.
But, Susan mostly smelled of different Benders; mostly Stone, but also Rusty, Dust, Mystery, Willow, Nightgale, and many other Benders. They apparently were paying their respects to Susan.
Airwing trotted over by Ash's side. "I'm going out to bury Susan," he said, "want to come, Ash?"
Ash nodded; it'd be nice to be with the wise elder. Also, he felt comfortable being with Airwing, because Airwing was smart and could help with many problems Ash ever had.
Airwing picked up Susan's body in his mouth and trotted out of the yard, Ash following, limping due to his paw. They went through the gates and into the territory.
"Airwing?" Ash said.
"Yes Ash?" Airwing said through Susan's fur.
"Why do you think the Firebenders just attacked Susan? Why not all of us?" Ash asked.
Airwing said nothing for a while; he appeared to be thinking. Ash looked at him, then focused ahead and walked on.
After what seemed like a moon, Airwing spoke, still holding Susan, "I am positive that the Firebenders weren't too happy about you defeating them. So they probably want revenge on us, and most likely wanted to strike fear into us before going on full attack."
Ash nodded; what Airwing said was probably true.
Finally, Airwing stopped, and began to dig a hole.
"You put Susan in a hole?" Ash looked up at the elder.
"We bury every animal who dies, so they're still on The Bending Tower territory, showing their allegiance of The Bending Tower," Airwing dropped Susan's body into the hole, and put the earth back in place.
Once Airwing was done, he trotted back for The Bending Tower. Ash limped after him.

Author's Note:
Pointless chapter. :P Also, I made a role playing blog for The Four Elements Of Bending! Check it out; click here!

Chapter 6: Darkclaw's News

It was about midnight. A breeze rustled the leaves, making the scene a bit spooky. An owl hooted, and flew off into the sky, as an animal came by.
The animal was as black as the night itself. She had a smirk on her face, and she crept through the area; she was a wolf. The she-wolf then made it to the entrance of a city; two torches were on either side of the door, both lit.
In front of the door was a snake. She slithered over to the wolf, flicking her tongue, and rose high. "Ah, Darkclaw, so glad to see you are back."
The she-wolf, apparently named Darkclaw, bowed to the snake. "Greetings, Poisonfang. I have been successful."
"Perfect," growled the snake, "please, go see the leader. I'm sure he'd be happy to know that you were successful in your mission."
Darkclaw nodded, and walked into the city. She headed for the middle, where their leader's place was.
The wolf heard pawsteps, and a black male wolf ran up to her. "Darkclaw! Are you okay?"
"Fine, Fang," Darkclaw replied; she knew the male wolf admired her. "I was successful."
"Good, good," Fang nodded, "and now you are going to the leader?"
"Where else would I be going?" Darkclaw replied calmly, and she kept walking, and could smell that Fang  was following her.
"Can you tell me about it?" Fang asked.
"Okay," Darkclaw whispered. She said nothing for a moment, then continued. "It felt good to murder the animal. I crawled through the forest, and detected an animal nearby; it was an apprentice, a weak one, might I add. Then again..." Darkclaw stopped walking and turned around to face Fang. "All of Goldwing's apprentices are weak."
Fang nodded, and looked at Darkclaw in awe. With a smirk, Darkclaw kept walking, and Fang kept following.
Darkclaw arrived at the leader's door. Outside of it was a guard; it was a wolf, which looked like an apprentice.
"Hello, Kirin," Darkclaw said calmly.
Kirin nodded nervously.
Darkclaw seemed to be waiting for Kirin to say something, but Kirin just kept looking at the she-wolf nervously.
"Kirin! Your manners?" Darkclaw snapped after a while.
"Oh!" Kirin gasped, "W-Were you successful?"
"Yes," Darkclaw growled, "And might I say that you might be sent out on a mission as important as this one was when you become a full Firebender."
Fang loomed over Kirin. "Now let us in," he snarled.
Darkclaw couldn't help but feel a flash of admiration for Fang. She liked how he acted intimidating to Kirin.
"Y-Yes," Kirin nodded, and opened the door. Darkclaw walked in, and Fang followed after her.
There were torches in the walls. The place was cold, but Darkclaw didn't mind as she procceeded for the back of the room. Fang was padding after her.
"Approach me," ordered a cold voice in the dark.
Bravely, Darkclaw padded towards the voice, and stopped. Fang stood by her side.
"Were you successful, Darkclaw?" the voice asked.
"She was," Fang said quickly, then flinched; Darkclaw knew that Fang messed up big time by answering for her.
"Fang, where are your manners? I asked Darkclaw, not you," the voice said calmly.
"I'm sorry, sir!" Fang bowed, trying to show respect.
Darkclaw expected the leader to attack Fang, but he didn't. Darkclaw waited in the darkness for the leader to speak again.
Finally, the voice spoke. "Fang... Please leave. This is something for only Darkclaw and I to discuss."
"But-" Fang protested.
The voice growled, and Fang ran off. Darkclaw looked after him, then turned to the voice.
"Now then," the voice continued, "Darkclaw, tell me all about it."
"I set off for the territory five days ago, as you ordered. I caught plenty of prey, and I even managed to steal some prey from the Water Tribe. I told them I was a loner, and I gave them some injuries when they challenged me. I also managed to kill an apprentice from the Tribe of Flying Birds, and they fear us more now. In Mt. Ice, I tried to eat a blue rabbit... But it was... To quick for me," Darkclaw sighed, then continued. "I finally made it to The Bending Tower territory. I stole some prey there, and then I could smell an animal from The Bending Tower. It was an apprentice. And, like every apprentice there, it was weak, I don't know how Goldwing trains those idiots! ...So, the apprentice was a monkey. I pounced onto it, and it screeched as I scratched its arm, making it bleed. The monkey made some earth rise and I fell into the bushes... Apparently, it was an Earthbender."
"Keep going," the voice said calmly in the dark, it was obviously enjoying Darkclaw's story.
With an evil smile on her face as she recalled the murder, Darkclaw continued. "I jumped at it and dodged another part of the earth rising and I sang my teeth into the apprentice's neck. The apprentice screamed and clawed at my arm. I'll admit it hurt, but I didn't let go. But then..." for the first time in the story, Darkclaw hesitated.
"Well?" the voice growled.
"A raccoon tackled me and injured me. It was Stone. I swear by the Darkbenders, it was Stone! I ran off, because the apprentice was already dead," Darkclaw finished.
"Stone?!" growled the voice, "she's dead!"
"Well, she must live at The Bending Tower now," Darkclaw shrugged.
The voice snarled, "She's a traitor! Stone was a loyal Firebender, and she betrayed me! That runt deserved to die! But Stone couldn't bring herself to kill the runt, could she?"
"Sire, is there anything else you need to know?" Darkclaw asked.
"LEAVE AT ONCE!" the voice snarled, and Darkclaw ran away.

Author's Note:
Meep! Darkclaw killed Susan. o3o Anyway... Darkclaw belongs to Anonymous, and Kirin belongs to Piplip131415, the creator of Akumu. Also, Susan was made by ME, she was not someone else's character. A few people were asking me that. :P

Chapter 5: The Dream

The group of animals who had visited the Water Tribe had all moved back to their own dens that evening. Ash had been sent back to the healers' den to go to sleep. Feather flew in after him, and Feather was followed by Eclipse.
Not everyone was asleep though; Ash knew that Stone, Susan, Twister and Eris were going hunting. Ash settled his head onto his paws, and drifted off to sleep.
Ash opened his eyes. He was in The Bending Tower territory. He looked around, and sniffed the air. A nervous feeling told him that something was terribly wrong.
Ash seemed to not be controlling his own body. He rushed through the undergrowth, fear inside of him. Ash looked down at his paws to see that they were raccoon legs.
He was looking out of Stone's eyes; Ash realized it with a jolt. Stone was crashing through the bushes, and she jumped into the air, landing onto a black wolf's back. The black wolf snarled at Stone and jumped, and Ash fell into the bushes. He lunged again, looking out of Stone's eyes, not controlling her at all.
Ash bit down into the black wolf's neck, and the wolf yowled in pain. He let go, and the wolf darted off. Ash looked down, to see Susan, Stone's apprentice. There was a sad feeling inside Ash, and he yowled to the sky in pain - sad pain.
Ash woke up. He heard the same yowl as he hard in his dream. He ran out of the healers' den, his paw aching. If his dream was true, then Stone as sad and Susan was dead.
Ash hopped down the steps and into the yard. Stone was there, yowling at Susan's dead body. Airia was next to her, and Kabu ran past Ash, obviously going to fetch Goldwing.
Ash ran up to Stone. "What happened?" he dared to ask.
Airia looked at Ash, "Stone was hunting with Susan, she was doing her assessment. When Stone was going to go get her, since Susan was hunting solo, Stone could smell a Firebender. Stone attacked the Firebender and it ran away, but Susan was already dead."
"So I was looking through Stone's eyes," Ash whispered to himself.

Author's Note:
Creepy. o3o

Chapter 4: Mistletoe's Ceremony

"Then with the help of the Peacebenders, you may get your wish. Mistletoe, when I tap your head, the Peacebenders' powers will make you stronger, faster, and a better Bender."
Ash watched Mistletoe's ceremony, his paw still hurting. Feather sat on his left, and Crystal sat on his right.
Goldwing stepped forward and tapped Mistletoe's head. Ash waited for something to happen; he saw Mistletoe looking rather excited.
"Mistletoe, you are officially a full Airbender. Welcome, Mistletoe," Goldwing smiled.
"Yay, Mistletoe!" Charlotte shouted.
Ash, Rusty, Dust and Nightgale all howled in approval. Crystal and Flare smiled at Mistletoe to show their happiness for her.
"Good job Mistletoe!" Eclipse yelled, smiling.
"Yeah Mistletoe!" Twister howled.
That was followed by howls, barks, roars, and shouts of approval.
Mistletoe ran over to stand next to Spots, clearly enjoying everyone congratulating her.
Goldwing walked away into The Bending Tower. Kabu followed after him, and so did Airwing.
Ash smelled someone behind him. He turned around to see Airia.
"H-Hi," Ash greeted her.
"I'm proud of Mistletoe," Airia commented, sitting down, "it may not be long before Charlotte becomes a full Airbender as well."
Ash sighed, "I bet I would be becoming a full Waterbender now, if it weren't for my paw!"
"It takes a while before you become a full Bender," said Fan, who was coming up, "I know it took me ages."
"Well... I'd better head back up to the healers' den, Feather would want me there," Ash commented, and he trotted towards The Bending Tower.
On the way, Twister walked up. "Hey Ash! I could hear you saying you want to be a full Waterbender?"
"Well... Yeah," Ash shrugged.
Twister sighed, "I only became an apprentice recently, along with Akumu. We're the newest apprentices, in fact, and I can't wait till both of us become full Benders, too. Both of us are good friends."
Ash nodded, and he walked into The Bending Tower.

Author's Note:
I'll bet you can guess who Akumu belongs to! :P Congratulations, Mistletoe! :3

Chapter 3: Walking Around

That afternoon, Ash was eating a big, fat rabbit that Spots had brought him for lunch. Feather was eating a rat that Willow had caught, and Eclipse ate a vole that Mistletoe had caught.
Ash finished his rabbit. Feather was perched on the branch that grew from a tree outside; the branch reached inside the den.
Ash was bored. "What do I do?" he asked Feather.
"You can take a walk, but no tough roughhousing, okay?" Feather said.
Ash nodded gratefully, and walked out of the den. He exited The Bending Tower and went into the yard, trying to keep his paw from touching the ground.
"Shouldn't you be resting in the healers' den?"
Ash looked to his left to see Stone glaring at him.
"Feather said I could take a walk," Ash said calmly.
Stone snarled. "Just be careful where you go." And with that, Stone walked away towards her apprentice, Susan.
Ash shook his head and limped through the yard. He sat at the side, and watched the others training.
Kabu walked past. "Greetings, Ash, how's your paw?"
"It's still hurting a bit," Ash shrugged.
"May the Peacebenders help you heal soon," Kabu nodded, and he trotted off.
Then, Charlotte and Mistletoe ran over. "Ash! Guess what?" Charlotte said.
"What is it?" Ash asked.
"Mistletoe is becoming a full Airbender!" Charlotte cheered.
"That's great!" Ash nodded. Wow, all of my friends are becoming full Benders - that may mean that after this moon, I'll become one.

Author's Note:
Meep. Short chatper, yush. I had no ideas... xD

Chapter 2: In the Healers' Den

Ash woke up the next day, in the healers' den as expected. He had to let his paw heal; Feather said that he'd be in the den for most likely a moon. Ash hated hearing this, because it meant he would have a lot of training to catch up on, and he wanted to become a full Waterbender soon.
"Morning Ash," Feather greeted him, flying over, "that comfrey Eclipse give you will help your paw heal better."
Ash grunted as he heaved himself up. "What's happening today?"
"Well, you, you're staying here. But other than that, usual stuff; hunting, practicing, and all of that stuff."
"When's breakfast?" Ash wondered aloud, "and where's Eclipse?"
"Still asleep," Feather replied. "The prey will arrive soon, some of the animals are still hunting out in our territory. How was the Water Tribe?"
Ash was grateful for Feather making conversation; he was glad to have someone to talk to. "It was good. The Firebenders had shown up near the end, and we battled them. Firefly used to be Treebark's apprentice, but he left, Darner used to be deputy and now he left, so Bluefall is now deputy... Er, do you know who I'm talking about?"
Feather chuckled, "Well, I do know about Treebark. I met him before, when I visited the Water Tribe with Cloudsky, who is... Well, dead. Cloudsky wanted to visit his brother, Waterstreak."
"How come Waterstreak is with the Water Tribe instead of The Bending Tower when Cloudsky lived here?" Ash asked.
"Cloudsky and Waterstreak's mother was a loner. Their father died before they were born. Waterstreak somehow got separated and he found the Water Tribe," Feather explained, "but both of them were old enough when Waterstreak got lost to remember each other."
"Okay then... Do you know who Firefly is?" Ash asked.
"Yes, Treebark had managed to contact me to tell me Firefly was his apprentice. Treebark's one of my good friends," Feather replied.
"And Darner?"
"No... I don't know Darner. Is he that male raccoon?" Feather asked.
"Yes," Ash nodded, "we brought back quite a few animals with us." Ash chuckled.
"I expected you to," Feather shrugged, "Nowadays, you usually find lots of loners looking for homes since the Firebenders are on the move, and they're causing havoc, and animals escape from them with their lives, which is very lucky, if you ask me." Feather's eyes clouded with grief.
Ash could tell she was remembering Cloudsky. He was about to say something else, but her heard pawsteps in the hall.
"Hi Feather!" Eclipse entered. "I came in as soon as I woke up."
"Good. So, any news?" Feather asked.
"Firefly's gonna be a Waterbender he says, and so is Darner. Slice, Crystal, Flare, and Nightgale, however, they're still deciding and for now will remain in the travelers' room," Eclipse explained, walking over to Feather. "Any blueberries?""
Feather chuckled, "There's some in that storage of yours."
"How do you know about it?" Eclipse pricked her ears, wide-eyed.
"I happened to stumble across it," Feather laughed, "You can go eat some."
Eclipse walked over to a board in the corner. She lifted it up, and under it, was a very thin box. She grabbed it, put the board back down, opened the lid, and ate some of the blueberries in it.
"What are blueberries?" Ash asked.
"They're, well, berries that are blue, hence the name," Eclipse laughed, "want to try one?"
"Er... Sure," Ash shrugged. Eclipse rolled one over to him, and he ate it. It tasted pretty good, very sweet.
"How is it?" Eclipse asked.
"Good!" Ash smiled, "what is it?"
"Fruit," Eclipse replied.
"What's a fruit?" Ash asked.
"Something similar to vegetables."
"So it's like, an herbivore thing?"
"Guess you could say that."
Spots ran in. "Ash!"
"Spots!" Ash smiled, running over to his friend. "I'm so happy to see you!"
"Same here," Spots licked Ash on the head, "Guess what? I'm a full Airbender now!"
"Spots, that's great!" Ash said. He was very happy for his friend, and began to wonder when he'd become a full Waterbender.

Author's Note:
Who knew a wolf could like a blueberry? XD Do you think Ash should become a full Waterbender soon? If you say yes, you win 10 blueberries. If you say no, you have to enter the Firebenders' city on a dare. Don't blame me. Rusty and Dust told me if I didn't say that during the author's note, they'd go find a new story to take part in. They seem interested in The K-9 Unit (Spino11's story blog)...
Also, check out my new story blog, Dog Invaders! Click here!

Chapter 1: Returning Home

Ash was overjoyed. They had been travelling for miles, and finally, they were home, after such a long journey. His paws ached, especially his broken one, which hadn't healed yet. He spotted The Bending Tower, looked up at it in awe, and limped to the entrance.
Outside were two guards - an owl, an albino fox, and a white wolf.
"Ash? You're back?" the fox perked her ears.
"What happened?" the owl flew over to Ash.
The rest of the patrol followed Ash. "We were successful!" Creature smiled.
Ash smiled at his mentor. He hadn't been more happier in life; he was home.
"Who are all those... Er, other animals with you?" the white wolf asked.
"Crystal, Flare, Slice, Darner, Nightgale, Tiggytiger, and Firefly," Fan explained, nodding to each of them.
"Hello," Crystal smiled.
"This is where we'll be staying? Nice place," Slice commented.
"We should let you into the place," the owl nodded, letting the others through the entrance.
The guards followed the patrol inside. Ash breathed in the sweet scent of The Bending Tower. He winced as he set his broken paw on the ground, and then picked it up into the air again. He had been traveling like that ever since he left the Water Tribe.
"Skye! Eris! Twister! I see you found our patrol and brought them back!" smiled Kabu, a white lion.
"Well, more like they found us," chuckled the barn owl.
Mistletoe, Charlotte's sister, ran over. "Charlotte! I missed you!" she shouted, licking her sister between the ears.
Charlotte smiled, "Aww... Thanks, Misteltoe. Same to you."
"C'mon, want to hunt together?" Mistletoe asked.
"You bet!" Charlotte agreed, and the two sisters darted off.
Airia walked by Ash, "Um... Your paw still hurting?"
"Y-Yeah," Ash nodded slowly.
"I'll... Go get Feather," said Airia, and she ran off.
Ash stared after her. He was glad that she was finally trying to be kind  towards him.
Goldwing passed Airia as she went inside The Bending Tower. He walked out. "Benders! Gather!"
The Waterbenders, Earthbenders, Airbenders, apprentices, travelers, and the one elder, Airwing, all joined together in the yard, everyone sitting in a group.
"As you can see, the patrol is back," Goldwing, the leader smiled. He turned to Ash and the others, "How was it?"
"Great!" Dust replied instantly.
"We defeated the Firebenders," Fan informed Goldwing.
"That's great," Goldwing smiled. "I'm sure you can tell us all the whole story later." he turned to face everyone, "Now, Cora and Diamond have found a loner in our territory."
Stone grumbled, "Oh, that's pleasant..."
"He needs a place to stay, so I gave him a spot in the travelers' room," Goldwing said, "his name is Raoul."
Ash looked around. Near the entrance, he saw a blue dog with white and red spots. On either side of him were Cora, the otter, and a she-wolf, apparently named Diamond.
Tiggerkat and Tiggytiger walked over to the loner and began talking with him. Raoul would be sharing the travelers' room with Tiggerkat, and maybe Tiggytiger.
"Cora, Diamond," Goldwing nodded to them, "take Raoul to his room."
The two Benders nodded, and Raoul trotted with them into The Bending Tower.
"Those who were in the Water Tribe patrol, you all need some rest. You will sleep in the travelers' room, with no distractions. You may sleep as late as you please," Goldwing said.
Good! I won't have to get up so early! Ash thought happily.
Just then, Airia and Feather came out from The Bending Tower. The she-hawk flew over to Ash. "You'll sleep in the healers' den tonight."
"Okay," Ash nodded, a bit disappointed; he wouldn't be sleeping with his friends from the patrol, but at least Feather would be able to heal his broken paw.

Author's Note:
They're back! Spots was one of Ash's friends, yes, he'll appear in the next chapter. Thanks to Ming for Raoul, SpiritHowl for Skye, Freyapaw for Eris, and Perry4464 for Twister!

Prologue: Down the River

Night took over as a river swept downstream. It went calmly, not stopping. It shined now as the moon came out, followed by tiny, bright stars.
Strangely, in the water, were a bunch of injured animals - a snake, a squirrel, a hawk, some wolves, and more.
Two animals were walking in the night; a dark orange male wolf, and a dark brown male cat. They stopped when they saw the mysterious river.
"There's no river here!" the male wolf spat, and he rounded on the dark brown cat, "what do you think about this, Muddyfur?"
"I... I-I don't know what it is, Flamingclaws!" Muddyfur gasped, shaking as usual.
Flamingclaws sniffed at the squirrel in the river. He picked it up, and it screeched.
"Boneleg! What happened?" Flamingclaws demanded, growling.
"The Water Tribe defeated us!" Boneleg squeaked.
"What?" Flamingclaws snarled. He turned to Muddyfur. "Can you believe that?"
"N-No sir! I can't believe it!" Muddyfur trembled.
Flamingclaws looked at Boneleg. "Okay then. You're going to see our leader."
The black squirrel gasped, "No! Please! H-He'll kill me!"
"Shut up and face your fear! C'mon, Muddyfur, let's take Boneleg back to our camp!"
"R-Right then," Muddyfur whispered, and padded after Flamingclaws. Muddyfur had been forced to join the Firebenders; everything he did was normally against his will.
Flamingclaws didn't care about the other Firebenders. They'll regain consciousness and come back anytime now, he thought.
They both made it to the entrance. At the doors were guards - a lynx and a very small barn owl. The Firebenders took turns guarding.
"Ah, you found them," smirked the lynx.
"And you would've been with them if you hadn't fled from that sorry excuse of a pup, Nuewfoow," Flamingclaws snarled.
The smirk on Nuewfoow's face dropped. She quickly nodded, and let Flamingclaws, Muddyfur and Boneleg through. Boneleg was quivering in fear, but Flamingclaws didn't care.
They padded through their camp, which was an abandoned city; it glowed red because of some lit lanterns.It was mostly deserted, because many of the Firebenders had gone to attack the Water Tribe.
After a while of walking, they reached a building in the middle of the city. Outside were two guards - a white great horned owl, and a female raccoon.
"We're here to see him," Flamingclaws growled.
The raccoon nodded, and stepped aside. Flamingclaws went into the building. Boneleg came in reluctantly, and Muddyfur stayed planted to the spot he was standing.
Flamingclaws rounded on Muddyfur. "Well? Come in."
Muddyfur didn't say anything; he held a look of horror on his face.
"C'mon, Muddyfur... You're not going to abandon us now? When we need you most? If you do, I'll fight you, and there's a small chance you'd come out alive then..." Flamingclaws snarled.
"N-No sir! I w-wasn't going to abandon you! I... Was just wondering... Should I come with you into his place?" Muddyfur said.
"Yes!" Flamingclaws snapped, "Now come, or you'll have your fur on fire in less than a second!"
Muddyfur quickly ran to Flamingclaws's side. The three Firebenders entered the building. It was barely lit up by any lanterns; you wouldn't be able to see anything in front of you.
"Yes?" said a cold, high-pitched voice. Muddyfur squeaked in fear.
Flamingclaws bowed, despite it was pitch-black dark. Muddyfur quickly copied Flamingclaws. Boneleg stayed glued to the spot.
"We have news, Ironfang," said  Flamingclaws calmly, and he prodded Boneleg with his claw. "Isn't that, right,  Boneleg?"
"Y-Yes!" Boneleg gasped, scared out of his wits. He stepped forward reluctantly.
"Go on," said the cold voice.
"W-We lost against the Water Tribe!" Boneleg said.
"What?" growled the voice. "We are Firebenders! We are not to lose against those weak Waterbenders! How in the name of the Darkbenders did they win?"
Boneleg didn't say anything. Flamingclaws listened with interest.
After a while, Boneleg hadn't said anything.
"I command you to... TELL ME!" the voice roared. Boneleg let out a whimper; he obviously didn't want Ironfang to know that his worst enemies helped the Water Tribe.
"Boneleg, you're making Ironfang angrier then he would be," Muddyfur whispered to the squirrel.
Boneleg still wouldn't talk. Flamingclaws could tell he wouldn't say anything more.
"I see you won't say any more..." said the cold voice calmly. There was a flash of red, and it glowed in the dark. Boneleg screamed. Flamingclaws knew that Boneleg's fur was on fire.
Then, a dark shadow zoomed in front of the fire. Flamingclaws felt a cold pelt brush his. There was a scream, which was cut short. The dark shadow moved away, and the flames still burned.
Boneleg was dead.
"Muddyfur," said the cold voice. Flamingclaws could imagine Muddyfur flinching. "What do you know about the battle?"
"I'm t-terribly s-sorry! But I know n-nothing about it!" Muddyfur shrieked.
The voice didn't reply for what seemed like moons. But, finally, it spoke again. "Flamingclaws. What do you know?"
"All I know is, I saw our Firebenders laying in a river," Flamingclaws shrugged.
"They obviously got pushed into a river," Ironfang growled. "Who did this?"
"Fang told me that The Bending Tower were helping the Water Tribe," Flamingclaws growled.
"So The Bending Tower helped to defeat us! We'll get our revenge on the Firebenders... Flamingclaws and Muddyfur, you are dismissed. Take that sorry excuse of a squirrel with you, and tell everyone to gather for a meeting! We're going to plan our revenge..." the voice laughed evilly.

Author's Note:
Meep. Ironfang. And you just read him killing Boneleg. Poor little squirrel. Good prologue, no? ;) I can't wait to write Chapter 1... LOL.

Book #2: The Firebenders' Revenge

This is the second book in the first series of The Four Elements Of Bending.

*Spoiler Warning*

The title says it all- the Firebenders want revenge on The Bending Tower. Ash becomes a full Waterbender, and gets his first apprentice. New characters will appear, including animals that others signed up for. The other Benders that are Ash's age end their apprenticeship and will also, most likely get their own apprentices.

*End of Spoiler Warning*

So those whose characters didn't come in, they'll come in the second book. The next SERIES will be on a new blog, and there will be new sign ups. But not until the next SERIES comes out. 

Prologue coming soon! 

Chapter 79: Battling the Firebenders

The Bending Tower animals and the Water Tribe animals continued backing up, leading the Firebenders onto the rickety bridge. Ash flinched as the bridge creaked as he set his paw down.
Ash looked at Waterstreak, "Are you sure the bridge is safe?"
"Oh, it's fine!" Waterstreak shouted over the noise, "It's held all of us at once before, it can hold a lot, trust me!"
Ash still wasn't too sure, but he had to try. The Water Tribe needed their help.
A fire ball went over Ash's head, and he ducked. He couldn't tell who had thrown the fire at him, but it didn't matter. The Bending Tower and Water Tribe kept leading the Firebenders further and further away from the Water Tribe. They were now battling in the middle of the bridge.
Ash looked around wildly. It was very likely that someone could fall off the bridge and get killed. He was caught in a frenzy of fighting, and someone might hit him and throw him off.
There was a scream. Ash looked in the direction of it, and saw Slice tripping off the bridge. Yelling, she fell into the mist below.
"No!" Ash yowled. He ran to the side and looked into the mist. Slice was nowhere to be seen.
The Firebender who had thrown Slice over laughed. It was a lynx.
Stone growled and lunged at the lynx, "Nuewfoow! You killed Slice!"
Ash looked back at the mist below. He saw a shape moving there. Slice?
The fight was still going around Ash, but he kept his eyes locked on the shape. There, in the mist, Airia flew out of it, with Slice on her back.
"Slice!" Rusty cheered.
Ash was so happy to see his friend was alive. She smiled at Rusty and Ash, and then jumped off Airia. Stone got out of the way and Slice landed on the lynx, apparently named Nuewfoow. Ash watched as Slice bit down into Nuewfoow's neck, and the lynx screamed and ran away.
Rusty, Dust and Ash weaved between the fighters over to Slice.
"We thought we lost you!" Rusty gasped.
"I was fine," Slice smiled, "I couldn't believe it when Airia saved me."
"Me either," Ash laughed, feeling admiration for the winged she-wolf, "who knew that she'd save a former Firebender."
Something hit Ash on the back. Firetalon had sunk his talons into Ash's back. It was painful; it was like torture. Ash wailed in pain as Firetalon lifted him off the bridge, making it hurt even more.
"Ash!" came a voice, unmistakably belonging to Charlotte.
"Help!" Ash yowled.
"You'll never get help!" Firetalon laughed, "I'm going to drop you into the mist below!"
Suddenly, Ash saw something zooming for Firetalon. It hit him in the side, and Firetalon gasped. Ash looked to see who it was, Firetalon's talons still torturing him.
Ash gasped as he saw the outline of Cloudsky. Firetalon growled, "Cloudsky! That can't be you, you're dead!"
"Indeed I am," came a wise voice. Ash knew it was definitely Cloudsky. "Put Ash down, Firetalon."
At first, Firetalon looked scared; Ash could see the look of fear in his eyes. But it lasted less than a second, as Firetalon narrowed his eyes and dropped Ash. Yowling, Ash fell down and hit the bridge, his bones hurting with the impact.
The Water Tribe and the Firebenders were all on the other side. But Ash heard someone shout his name.
"Ash!"
Eclipse, Firefly and Nightgale all ran up to him; they had apparently still been inside the Water Tribe.
"Are you okay?" Eclipse asked, studying Ash.
"No, Firetalon just dropped me from the sky!" coughed Ash.
"I can't believe you landed on the bridge!" Firefly gasped. "Does anything hurt?"
"Everything does! But my paw hurts most of all!" Ash explained.
"Which paw?" Nightgale asked, worried.
"Front right."
Eclipse felt Ash's paw, and then gasped. "It's broken."
"It can't be...! I got to fight the Firebenders and get them to the riverbed," Ash protested.
Firefly sighed, "You can try, but it will hurt very bad."
"Anything to help the Water Tribe," Ash smiled weakly, and stumbled to his paws. He tried putting his front right paw down, and winced as it screamed in protest when he made contact with the bridge.
Ash limped over to the battle, closely followed by Eclipse, Firefly and Nightgale. The battle was now taking place at the top of a large hill.
On the way there, Eclipse found what Firefly called "comfrey". Eclipse picked it up and wrapped it on Ash's paw.
"Helps broken bones," Firefly had explained.
The group made it to the top of the hill. Now, the battle was taking place at the riverbed, which was below. Ash got down the hill as fast as he could; he could smell Eclipse, Firefly and Nightgale following him from behind.
The Water Tribe and the The Bending Tower patrol hopped to the other side of the riverbed. Ash leaped across, and his paw screamed as he made hard contact with the ground. To his surprise, Airia came and flew him over to the others. Eclipse, Firefly and Nightgale took rank with the Water Tribe and the The Bending Tower patrol.
Poisonfang slithered forward and laughed, "We chased you out of your own territory! Do you give up?"
Ash looked around. He noticed not every Water Tribe animal was with them; Creature wasn't either. He looked on the side where the Firebenders were, and saw Creature hiding in some toadstools, and many Water Tribe Waterbenders hiding as well.
Waterstreak stepped forward, "No."
Many laughs came from the Firebenders.
"No?" Poisonfang laughed, "You're all as weak as a squirrel-"
"Hey!" said a squeaky voice. Ash saw that there was a black squirrel standing behind her.
"Er, sorry Boneleg," Poisonfang rolled her eyes. She then turned to the Water Tribe and the The Bending Tower patrol, "If I were you, I would give up!"
"We'll show you what Bending is all about!" Waterstreak shouted.
Ash imagined a water ball coming into the riverbed. A water ball came, then another, then another, then another - all of the Waterbenders were Waterbending. They all stretched their water out, and, despite it hurt, Ash made his stretch out too.
The water filled the river, and from behind, most of the Water Tribe animals and Creature charged at the Firebenders. The Firebenders backed up, and Poisonfang fell into the water, screaming. Boneleg the squirrel fell in after her; after Boneleg came Fang and Firetalon, and more Firebenders plunged in, one after another. Then, they all swept downstream.
Dawn then came; they had been battling all night. Ash never felt there was a dawn as beautiful as this.

THE-END

Author's Note:
*water confetti drops from ceiling* THEY DID IT! And, I did it! LOL. I just finished the FIRST book of the FIRST series! Don't worry to those whose characters didn't make it - they'll come in A.S.A.P in the second book! I'll explain everything in the next post! Thanks for reading! What was YOUR favorite part of this book? 

Chapter 78: Leading Them Away

Oh no! Ash thought. They'd have to fight the Firebenders, and supposedly lose.
"Nightgale!" he hissed to the black she-wolf, "the next Water Tribe animal you see, tell them our plan, and tell the animal to spread the word to the other Water Tribe animals!"
Nightgale nodded and darted off.
Ash imagined a water ball hitting Firetalon, who was swooping down to get Eclipse. A water ball hit Firetalon in the face, screwing up his concentration. Eclipse fled down the hall.
Fang growled and leapt at Ash, and Ash dodged to the side. He jumped onto Fang's back and sank his claws into the wolf's side.
Growling in rage, Fang bucked all over, trying to get Ash off. Ash did jump off, and imagined water coming down. He moved his paws, and the water came and stretched. It landed on the floor, and Fang slipped, colliding into a black she-wolf. The she-wolf growled at him and ran away.
Firefly tackled Firetalon, who was after Eclipse again. He sank his fangs into Firetalon's chest, and Firetalon squawked hin pain, and put his talons into Firefly's chest. Firefly screamed. Ash made a water ball hit Firetalon's feathers. Firetalon fell to the floor since his wing was wet.
Then, Ash saw Nightgale say something into Firefly's ear. Firefly nodded, and darted off. Eclipse followed him. Ash knew that she was telling him their plan.
There was the sound of a snake. Ash whipped around to see Poisonfang coiled around Charlotte, flicking her tongue at her. Ash knew not to get too close, since Posionfang was venomous. Ash Waterbended a water ball hard onto Poisonfang, and she let go of Charlotte. The snake slithered off.
Ash ran over to Charlotte. "We have to lead the Firebenders to the riverbed!"
"So whadda I do?" Charlotte asked.
"Just make sure everyone knows that," Ash nodded.
Firefly ran back to Ash. "I told everyone in the Water Tribe your plan!" he said, ducking to avoid some fire flying over him, "We'll lead them to the riverbed!"
"Okay!" Ash nodded. He saw everyone in the Water Tribe and The Bending Tower running to the side Ash was on. The Firebenders were on the other side.
As the Firebenders fought everyone, they all backed up, and eventually lead them out of the Water Tribe. Ash gasped as they neared the rickety bridge.
Will the bridge be able to support all of us? He thought wildly.

Author's Note:
Bad death is bad. D8

Chapter 77: Planning

The next day, Ash woke up. Firefly was talking to Eclipse, who was at his side; they were both sorting through herbs. Treebark wasn't in the room.
"Oh, Ash, just to let you know, you're welcome to leave the Healers' den if you want. Treebark says you're healed," Firefly informed Ash.
Ash nodded. He got up and walked down the hall. Charlotte was in the hall, looking out the large windows.
"Hi Ash! Feeling better?" Charlotte said.
Ash nodded. He continued walking, and heard Charlotte padding up to walk alongside him.
"What're we doing next?" Ash asked Charlotte.
"Well, Stone and Airia are trying to think of a plan to defeat the Firebenders," Charlotte answered.
I wonder how Airia is doing, Ash thought, barely paying attention to Charlotte.
They both entered the Traveler's room. Everyone was in conversation. They turned to Ash.
"Oh hey, Ash, you're back!" said Creature.
"Feeling alright?" Nightgale asked.
"Fine," Ash sighed. He walked over and sat down in between Slice and Light.
"So, we got no plans so far," Crystal sighed.
"Right," Fan nodded, "and we need some. Ash? Any ideas?"
Ash thought for a while. Then, he spoke, "The only thing I can think of is to lead them into some trap."
"A thought," Tiggytiger nodded.
"Maybe we tell them that there are Reese Cups in the mountains and then we push them down it!" Tiggerkat exclaimed.
The group exchanged glances.
"Er..." Rusty said.
"I got an idea," Slice gasped, "I saw a riverbed on the way here. It was empty."
There was silence.
"And...?" Flare coughed.
"We can fill it with water, and wash the Firebenders downstream!" Slice finished.
Everyone looked at each other.
"That's a good idea!" Rusty nodded.
"Oh... Thank you," Slice beamed at Rusty.
Ash rolled his eyes. "Er... Anyways... When the Firebenders get here next, we should battle them and get them to the riverbed."
"Sounds like a plan," Willow nodded.
There was suddenly a blast in the hall. Ash ran out, to see many Firebenders lined up together; Poisonfang was leading them.
"Firebenders! Attack!" Poisonfang snarled, "Make the Water Tribe surrender for good!"

Author's Note:
Darn Firebenders, The Bending Tower animals didn't get to tell everyone else their plan! Hopefully their plan works... And do you support SliceXRusty? xD

Chapter 76: In the Healers' Den

Ash opened his eyes. He was apparently in the Healers' den. He felt completely fine, except his shoulders ached. He wasn't sure why, however; Ash had been knocked out because of a dream, not because of injury or knockout.
"Greetings, Ash. You woke up. In case you didn't know, you-" said a voice.
"Fainted in the middle of practice with Waterstreak," Ash finished.
"Yes, yes..." the owner of the voice came into view; a male otter with herbs in his mouth. "Do you know what happened?"
"No," Ash lied. He sighed.
"Treebark?" came a voice. Ash saw that, at the entrance, was a male orange wolf. "Waterstreak said he'd send extra help."
"Who is he sending, Firefly?" Treebark asked. Ash looked at Firefly. An autumn colored animal...
"I dunno," shrugged the orange wolf. He walked over and began sorting through the herbs.
Ash could hear pawsteps in the hall. He sat up, and his muscles screamed protest.
Then, Eclipse stopped at the entrance, "Treebark, I came as soon as Waterstreak told me what happened."
Ash heard something hit the floor. He turned in the direction, and saw Firefly staring at Eclipse, wide-eyed. Firefly had apparently dropped an herb.
"Um... Yes, I thank you for your help," Treebark nodded, going over to Eclipse.
"Is there anything I can do?" Eclipse asked the otter.
"We're low on poppy seeds. Ask Waterstreak if he has any in the storage," Treebark ordered.
With that, Eclipse nodded and trotted away. Ash turned back to Firefly, who was still looking at the entrance.
Then, Firefly shook his head and he walked over to Ash, with a ball of moss. "This has water on it," he explained, "drink it." Firefly then walked over to Treebark. "What else can I do?"
"Go with Eclipse," Treebark ordered.
"O-Okay," Firefly nodded, and he paced out the entrance.
Ash recalled the part of the prophecy... "An autumn-colored animal", Ash thought, perhaps its Firefly?

Author's Note:
EclipseXFirefly? XD Wonder what'll happen next. :3  

Chapter 75: Meeting Lightning

Ash watched Cloudsky fly away and he walked away, hoping to regain consciousness soon. He was quite hungry. I wonder if alive animals can hunt here, Ash thought, trudging through the undergrowth.
The bushes rustled. Ash whipped his head to them, his ears perked. Hope Ironfang's not back, he thought.
A male gray wolf stepped through the bushes. He smiled at Ash, and looked at him.
"Er... Hi?" Ash said.
"Hello!" the gray wolf smiled, walking over to Ash. "Still in the forest, I see, eh Ash?"
"Er... Yeah," said Ash catiously. He didn't know who this wolf was - for all Ash knew, it could be a Firebender.
"Heh, I was just at the Peacebenders' meeting. Good to see you, Ash. Your mother misses you," the gray wolf said, sitting down.
"M-My mother?" Ash echoed.
"Yes, your mother! I'm  your father. Please to meet you," a smile grew across the gray wolf's face, "my name is Lightning."
Ash beamed. "Father?"
Lightning smiled and nodded, "I'm not here just to see you, though! I've been ordered to give you a prophecy."
Ash was happy to see his father for the first time ever. "What's the prophecy?"
Lightning closed his eyes. "An autumn colored animal, the unexpected animal, mistaken for a weakling much rather than a hero, will rise."
Ash was rather confused, but before he could ask his father more, Lightning faded. And darkness engulfed Ash; he knew he was waking up.

Author's Note:
Who do you think the third is? Also, check out my new story blog, it's about cryptids! Click here!