Chapter 5: Destiny Reminder

Ash flinched as he received yet another hostile glare from one of the Firebenders. He watched as it walked by and over to Twig, who was busy talking to Nyx. Ash sighed and walked over to Rusty and Dust. "Hey guys," he mumbled, sitting down by them.
"Well, someone doesn't look happy," Rusty said, turning his head to see Wildfire hissing at Airia, who was flinching and quickly trotting away. "Is it because Airia is getting picked on?" Rusty laughed, exchanging triumphant looks with Dust.
"What? No!" Ash exclaimed. "It's just that...well, the Firebenders are giving me a hard time too, and it's making me frustrated," Ash growled to himself and looked at the twins, and saw them rolling their eyes like it was not news at all.
"Oh yeah, the pressure is all on you, Ash! We're all just fine and dandy with full bellies, not starving and not being yelled at at all," Rusty snorted. He nodded to the scar over his shoulder. Ash rolled his eyes, and just when he was about to reply, Dust spoke up.
"No, Rusty, I think what Ash is trying to say is that the Firebenders are giving him a harder time than us. And I agree, they seem to loathe Ash more than the rest of us. Whenever he walks by, I notice a lot of the Firebenders glare at him and begin murmuring to one another," Dust explained. "I don't know why though."
Ash flinched as he recalled the day when Waterstreak, the leader of the Water Tribe, had told Ash that he was destined to defeat Ironfang and bring peace to the land. And Dust was right, the Firebenders did seem to hate him a lot. Is it because they think I am supposed to defeat Ironfang? Ash thought nervously. He quickly tried to stop thinking about it as a sick feeling of fear entered his stomach.
"Er...I'm going to go see Eclipse," Ash said quickly, and ran inside The Bending Tower, and trotted up the stairs and into the healers' room. Nightgale was in there giving an herb to Snakeseye, Dust's apprentice, and Eclipse was sitting over Streak, one of the young, who was asleep at the moment. Feather, another healer, was busy sorting herbs.
"What's wrong with Snakeseye and Streak?" Ash asked, trotting inside. Eclipse quickly turned her head as he entered, and so did Nightgale. Feather, however, kept working on the herbs, ignoring Ash.
"Snakeseye has a cut on his leg because he scraped past a sharp twig, and Streak has nausea," Eclipse sighed. She turned to Nightgale. "Nightgale, we need more leaves, we're low on storage." Nightgale nodded and ran out of the den, and Snakeseye laid down and examined the leaf that had been wrapped around his injury. "So what's up, Ash?"
"Um...the Firebenders have been kinda...well, scaring me," Ash admitted. "They seem to hate me more than the others." Ash sighed and looked out the window where a tree branch came into the room, and looked around the branch at the yard, watching the Firebenders everywhere and seeing Cinder fall, injured, making Ash flinch. He turned to Eclipse.
"Why is this scaring you?" Eclipse asked, and Ash recoiled. She doesn't know about my destiny, Ash thought, she doesn't know that she is supposed to assist me in the battle, either. Ash shook his head and looked at Eclipse, feeling uncertainty. "Ash? Are you okay?" Eclipse asked cautiously.
Ash sighed. "I guess I'll tell you...you need to know anyway." He looked at Feather, then turned to Eclipse. "Can we exit the room?"
Eclipse looked a bit nervous, detecting Ash's seriousness, but she shook her head. "Surely we can trust Feather, right? She's--" Eclipse stopped, "er, my mentor."
"No, she's more than your mentor, she's your adopted mother," Ash nodded, and Eclipse looked wide-eyed. Feather looked shocked too, and Ash could tell she was about to ask how Ash knew that. "Cloudsky told me in a dream when I was back at the Water Tribe." Ash saw Feather's eyes grow even wider, this time with longing instead of shock. "Okay, I'll tell you. Listen, Waterstreak told me my destiny. He said I need to defeat Ironfang. And Cloudsky told me in the same dream that Eclipse was supposed to help me. She was one of the Three animals two make a difference to defeat Ironfang." Ash looked at Eclipse's wide, blind eyes, and Feather's were wide too.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Eclipse demanded, "you knew my destiny and you never told me? And you never told us your destiny either? We need to start working to defeat those Firebenders, and if we know you're our hope to finally have a peaceful land for once, we need to work! This war has been going on since the beginning of Bending, and--"
"Eclipse!" Ash exclaimed, interrupting, ""I didn't tell anyone because, I'll admit, I was scared. I heard all of the stories of Ironfang, that he's the strongest animal in the land, and I thought I'd never be able to defeat him. And I was an apprentice when I learned my destiny, I thought it'd be a long time from now. And you want to start working to defeat the Firebenders now? I'm not even a senior Bender! Give me some time!" Ash fought a growl rising in his throat. "But, this is why I'm scared of the Firebenders hating me, what if they know I'm destined to defeat the leader who keeps them in power?"
Eclipse looked a bit frustrated. "It's obvious, Ash, they do know that you are the one to defeat their leader! So that's why they're hating you more. And I heard Hazen, Fireblade and Wildfire talking. They want you dead, Ash." Eclipse turned back to Streak, acting like she didn't want to talk to Ash anymore. Ash sighed and turned around, leaving the room to let Eclipse let her anger go. Ash trotted down the stairs and turned his head around. I hope her anger won't last long, I need her, Ash thought.
Suddenly, Ash bumped into someone, and he turned to see Hazen in front of him. "Hey, watch where you're going," Hazen snapped, and Ash flinched as he remembered Eclipse had said Hazen was part of the group who wanted Ash dead.
Instinct took over common sense and Ash growled. "I overheard you want me dead," he snarled, "Hazen, I'm your own flesh and blood, I'm your brother! Why would you want me dead?!" Ash then recoiled, realizing he made a mistake saying that.
"I'm a Firebender," Hazen growled, "I don't care that you're my brother. I'm reminded everyday that you're my brother! 'Oh, that sorry excuse of a Bender is your brother?' Day after day! If you're dead then that'll be one less problem on my shoulder." Hazen walked up the stairs, but then stopped and turned his head. "Who told you this?"
Ash's ears pressed against his head, but in fear. Ash knew that if he told Hazen that Eclipse had told Ash about the Firebenders wanting him dead, she'd be tortured. Ash quickly hid the fear from his face. "Why should I tell you?" he said boldly, and quickly walked around Hazen and out into the yard.
The first thing that met Ash's eyes was Slice and Miguel. "I trusted you!" Slice wailed. "I thought you'd stand by me! I thought you were my friend. And now you've joined the Firebenders, and you're telling me to go hunt and threatening me?" Slice growled, "Well you can forget it! You don't deserve to tell me what to do. And I don't care what the Firebenders do to me. I will not listen to you!"
Miguel looked calm, and his face gave nothing away. "Slice, some things have to be done," he said simply. Slice growled and she ran away, and Miguel looked after her, then walked away.
Maybe Eclipse was right, ash thought, maybe we do need to get a jump on things and stop the Firebenders.

Author's Note:
Poor Slice. :c And I also got a new story blog, check my profile on the sidebar to get to it! :)