Chapter 31: Waiting

Dust held up his tail. "Come at me," he said.
Rusty nodded, and took a few steps back. He began running, and kicked a rock at Dust. Dust hit it with his tail, and it landed into a nearby puddle. "Yeah!" Dust exclaimed.
"What are you playing?" Crystal asked.
"Some game we came up with," Rusty responded. "You kick a rock, and then try to hit it into the goal. In this case, it's the puddle."
"So interesting," Twig rolled her eyes. She was laying down, watching the brothers, bored.
Nyx was up in a tree. "Exactly what are we supposed to be doing?"
"I dunno, Diamond and Ash are gone along with Charlotte. Maybe they reported something to Kabu," Dust shrugged.
"You mean to say they're missing?" Twig asked.
"No... They left," Rusty replied, kicking another stone at Dust, who missed it, and it hit Crystal.
"Ow!" Crystal exclaimed.
Rusty recoiled, his ears flattened. "S-S-Sorry!"
Crystal, laying down, put her paw on the place Rusty hit it. "That hurt."
"I know, I'm sorry! I aimed wrong," Rusty whimpered. Dust snickered, and Rusty shot him a glare.
Crystal sighed and got to her paws. "Anyway, shouldn't we go look for--"
"We're back," came a voice. Diamond stepped out from the bushes.
"Hi," Rusty nodded. "Where'd you go?"
Ash followed Diamond. "Um... We had to take a loner to The Bending Tower."
"A loner?" Twig perked her ears. "A Firebender, maybe?"
"No... Not that I know of," Ash said cautiously.
"Well, whoever this loner is, we shouldn't trust him," Twig growled, unsheathing her claws.
Rusty looked at her. "But we defeated the Firebenders at the Water Tribe..."
"Oh yeah! That one beating and they're surrendering right away to our power, Rusty! We're so strong!" Twig said sarcastically.
Rusty growled. "Look, shut your little--"
"No, Rusty, Twig's right," Diamond said.
"What...!" Rusty stared at her. "But she--"
"The Firebenders never give up, Rusty. Don't underestimate them." Diamond perked her ears. "Wait... Where's Tiggerkat?"
Rusty and Diamond looked at each other nervously. Crystal looked at the twins. Twig and Nyx exchanged confused glances.
Twig, however, seemed to be able to tell Rusty and Dust were guilty. "Someone's in trouble..." she whispered.

Author's Note:
Uh-Oh... o3o