Chapter 27: Escaping The Bending Tower

Confused, Ash stood glued to the spot. Why had a battle broken out? Why was the whole Bending Tower in on it? Once Rusty started, he seemed to cause a chain reaction, and Dust broke out fighting and then Charlotte did, and everyone else joined...Ash was the only one not fighting apart from Streak and his sister Patch, whom Rainbow had pushed into The Bending Tower for safety despite their protests; they were obviously scared their mother would die like Amur did.
Just then, Flamingclaws pounced on Ash, and he yelped in fear, worried he'd suffer the same pain as Crystal.  "You've been suspicious for quite some time, Ash. Why is everyone fighting like this?" he growled threateningly, "and don't lie, or I'll kill you for sure."
"I don't know," Ash blurted out. And he was telling the truth; he didn't know why everyone was fighting. However, ash Ash expected, Flamingclaws had an evil looked that made Ash sure he didn't believe him. Ash wanted to escape Flamingclaws's grasp, but was afraid he'd harm him if Ash did.
"I don't believe you," sneered Flamingclaws. He pulled his claws back and struck Ash. Ash yowled out as the pain started, but it quickly went away. A little bit of blood trickled from Ash's chest, but very little. He got to his paws to see Charlotte had tackled Flamingclaws.
"What do you think you're doing? You're not gonna kill him," Charlotte growled.
Ash recoiled. He knew that Charlotte seemed to love him, but felt sorry for her that he didn't like her back. Well, I have that too, Ash thought, remembering Airia.
"You can't tell me what to do," spat Flamingclaws. "We're your rulers."
"Not anymore," Charlotte whispered, and she slashed her claws over Flamingclaws's muzzle. He yelped, but then kicked Charlotte away, and she fell in the middle of a fight between Twister and Hachiko. Dust, who was nearby, quickly helped her up, whispered something encouragingly to her, and nodded towards Flamingclaws. Charlotte nodded.
Charlotte jumped into the air, riding the wind she was Bending. She hopped onto Flamingclaws's back and dug her claws into it. Flamingclaws bucked around, but surprisingly, Charlotte managed to hang on even when it looked as if she was going to fall.
Flamingclaws then used his hind leg's claws to scratch her. Charlotte howled out and slipped off. Flamingclaws was about to strike her again when Mistletoe shot into Flamingclaws's side, about as fast as Twister. She bit down on his neck, and he yowled out with pain, and stumbled back, about to fall back. Ash figured for sure he was about to die.
However, Flamingclaws tried fighting his weakening self. But, in the heap of battle, he didn't see a fireball coming. Luckily, he missed, but that opportunity of him being distracted was open. Ash watched as Rusty took it, jumping onto Flamingclaws, slamming him into the ground, a merciless look in his eye.
"Never lay paw on Crystal," Rusty snarled, and dug his claws into Flamingclaws's neck. Flamingclaws let out a final yelp before he went silent, dead.
With what all just happened, Ash forgot he was in the middle of a battle. He looked around and he flinched as he saw Hazen running inside The Bending Tower. Suspicious, Ash ran after his brother, growling to himself. He walked in to see Hazen was trotting up the stairs. Ash darted after him, and then looked to see Hazen was going into the healers' den.
Of course; Airia.
He wants to hurt her, Ash thought angrily, to get revenge on me. He knew Hazen wasn't happy with Ash choosing Firebenders to help him defeat the deer. Growling, Ash entered the healers' den and saw Hazen standing in the middle of the room. Airia was laying down, looking up at Hazen, and Eclipse was standing up by Airia's side. So was Nightgale. They all looked at Ash.
"Get out of here!" Ash growled at Hazen.
"You're here to defend Airia, aren't you? Because you like her," Hazen said.
Ash sighed. "Okay, fine, yes. Happy? Now, step away!"
"No," Hazen said with an icy stare.
"Why not?" Ash demanded.
"I have my reasons."
"You leave Airia, Eclipse and Nightgale alone," Ash ordered.
"Like I'm gonna hurt them," Hazen snorted.
"Don't lie to me!" Ash yelled, making everyone flinch. "You lie, you're a Firebender! All Firebenders are just good-for-nothing animals who just kill and torture for fun. You're going to hurt them, I know it! And don't try to convince me, because you won't. How can I trust you?"
Hazen grumbled. "I don't always lie. Look. I didn't lie, you are my brother."
"What?" Eclipse gasped.
"Yes," Hazen whipped around to growl at Eclipse, "we're siblings." He then turned back to Ash. "And watch this. I loved Mistletoe, and I still do. There's another truth. Happy?" Hazen then growled, and Ash was a bit confused as to why Hazen hadn't pounced on him yet. "The Firebenders are powerful, Ash, and you know it. They torture and kill, like you said, but it's not for fun. It's for good reason."
"What, so they can show off how great they are?" Ash snapped.
"No," Hazen said, "they want to be rulers. And they are at the moment. But..." he sighed. "I'll admit this. I...I don't..." he then shook his head. "They're going too far," he blurted out. "Crystal's torture was scary. Feather's death was horrifying. Normally I'd enjoy that. For some reason, I didn't seem to enjoy it as much..."
"Cloudsky," Ash murmured, somehow realizing it right away. Cloudsky had made Hazen be scared of it. He was nearby, it had to be him. Maybe...Cloudsky wants Hazen to become good? Ash suggested to himself. He felt it was possible; although Hazen was evil, Ash realized he did seem to have a few attributes of a good Bender instead of a Firebender.
"I...I can't believe I'm saying this, but Ash, I don't want to be a Firebender. It seems wrong," Hazen admitted. "The Firebenders will kill me though, if I join The Bending Tower. So please...can you and me fight a bit in the yard to make them think I'm still loyal? Then I could 'accidently' throw some fire into the Firebenders?"
Ash sighed. "Fine...but if this is a trick, you're dead. Clear?" He felt like he couldn't trust Hazen; when Hazen was a spy for the Fire Nation and had been at The Bending Tower, Ash always felt unease when he saw him. His instincts had told him not to trust Hazen, but he had ignored them.
"Clear," Hazen nodded.
They were about to leave, when Airia stopped them. "Ash?"
"Yeah?" Ash turned to Airia.
Airia walked up to Ash. "Is it true that you love me?" she whispered.
Ash sighed, feeling like he wanted to deny it. "Yes," he said with confidence, and, feeling, embarrassed, ran out, following Hazen.
It felt weird to be walking alongside Hazen not as enemies, and not being forced to. Ash studied Hazen hard, trying to see any signs of betrayal. But Hazen's face was blank, as the two walked out into the yard. Ash looked at the battle around them.
Ash could hear a yell, and turned to see Tiggerpaka standing in a tree. He swung from a vine, and Ash looked to see several chipmunks follow him on their own vines. Most of the animals stopped to look at this scene confusingly. Tiggerpaka landed on Graves, who barked at Tiggerpaka. The chipmunks, all squeaking, landed on other Firebenders. At first, the Firebenders laughed, but the chipmunks began biting them, and apparently it hurt, because the Firebenders yelped but then found their strength and began fighting the chipmunks. Ash shook his head to clear it.
"Okay," Ash said, and pounced on Hazen, pinning him to the ground. Hazen growled and kicked Ash away. Ash pounced at Hazen and bit down on him, going as easy as he could without making the fight look fake. Hazen yowled out and bit down on Ash, and Ash whispered, "let me go, growl and run into The Bending Tower as if you got a plan."
Hazen nodded and did as Ash told him. He let go of Ash and snarled at him, then backed up, turned and ran into The Bending Tower.
Ash looked to see Cinder, his apprentice was darting around brown tiger, confusing her. The tiger snarled and swiped its paw at Cinder, but she ducked and bit down on the tiger's paw. The tiger bared its fangs and went to bit Cinder, but Cinder made a waterball appear in the air and hit the tiger in the face, making it yelp. Cinder then darted off, so when the tiger opened her eyes, Cinder was gone.
She's doing good, Ash remarked.
Firefly then sneaked over. "Psst! Ash"
"What?" Ash asked. He was surprised and happy to see Firefly was healed enough to be out in the middle of a battle.
"There's a new plan," Firefly whispered, "everyone needs to act like they're fleeing. And then sneak into The Bending Tower and go into the leaders' room."
"What?" Ash said, but Firefly slipped away. It all made Ash suspicious; Snakeseye hushing Nightgale when she was about to say something, animals for The Bending Tower in hushed conversations yet stopping when Ash walked on by...and a "new plan" seemed weird. New? What was the old one?
However, when Ash was attacked by Graves, who was covered in chipmunk bites, he didn't question the new plan. Ash put up a fight with Graves, biting his ears and legs, and Graves countered with scratches and the occasional fireball that Ash had to avoid. Then, Ash yelped, as if in fear, turned with his tail between his legs, and fled.
"I beat the mighty Ash!" Graves yelled in a mocking voice as Ash left. Ash could hear several Firebenders laughing with pleasure. They know I'm supposed to defeat their leader, Ash remembered. Of course Graves would feel proud.
Ash didn't know where to go at first. But, he saw that Sun, Goldwing's mate, was whisking around the corner of The Bending Tower walls. Ash followed Sun's scent, and saw her creep down a hole. Ash followed, and it was dark in there. As he walked up out of the hole, he was in the leaders' room. Other Bending Tower animals were there too. Surprisingly, Stella was there as well. A ginger she-wolf was next to her, looking nervous. As he looked at her, she said, "I sneaked in. So did my friend Kirin. Goldwing said it'd be okay if I could join. Besides, the Firebenders are being jerks anyway." She sighed.
"Welcome to The Bending Tower," Ash smiled.
Nyx then flew over. "We have a plan, but I'm not fully aware of what it is. Goldwing sent Firefly to tell everyone, but didn't tell us what'd we do once everyone was in the leaders' room." She seemed excited. "I can't believe this is finally happening, and kind of working!"
"What is?" Ash cocked his head suspiciously.
"Um..." Nyx stammered, "Firefly...being able to tell everyone about the plan. Yes, that's it."
Ash was beginning to get a bit ticked off with all of this secrecy, but just went to sit down by himself. He watched as others began to enter. Airia came in, and Ash quickly avoided her gaze. Tiggerpaka wandered in, looking quite proud, beginning to boast about how he could communicate with chipmunks (the chipmunks even followed him into the room), Eclipse came in, helping Crystal, and Rusty quickly bounded over to her. Nightgale followed shortly after, carrying herbs. Twister and Akumu both came in as well, in conversation together. Twig trotted in, her wounds looking healed. Dust came in with Charlotte, Mistletoe following. Many other animals came in as well, Goldwing and Airwing arriving last, just when Ash thought they'd never all squeeze into the same room.
"Alright," Goldwing said, and everyone fell silent. "Nice job, everyone. We have a new plan. The Firebenders think we surrendered, they'll probably leave. This is off to a good start. Now, new plan!" he then paused, but continued, "in the elders' room there's a tunnel. It leads to a cave. We'll escape through that way."
"Escape?" Ash said confused. Why would Goldwing want to escape his own Tower? And what was off to a good start? Ash wanted to yowl out in frustration that everyone was keeping too many secrets, but just then, Hazen came into the room, and everyone gasped.
"It's Hazen!"
"He knows we're here!"
"He's going to get the Firebenders!"
With this, Dust and Rusty lunged towards him, trying to attack him. Hazen howled out and backed away into a corner, where Rusty and Dust growled at him. "What do you want?" Dust glared.
"Stop," Ash said, and everyone looked at him. "Hazen told me he doesn't want to be evil anymore. He says the Firebenders are getting too violent."
"Agreed," Stella said aloud. "I don't blame him."
Goldwing looked from Ash to Hazen. "If Ash trusts Hazen, I do too. Hazen, you're safe with us."
Hazen sighed in relief. Dust threw him a glare and threatened, "Don't try anything funny, I'm onto you."
"Follow me," Goldwing nodded. He exited the leaders' room, and everyone, not making a bit of noise at all, crept after them. At the slightest movements and sounds, animals occasionally flinched in fear. Luckily, no Firebender came.
Then, they all sneaked into the elders' room. In there was a hole. Everyone piled in, and it was pitch-black, no one could see anything.
"Ow! Rusty, that was my tail."
"Yipe! Dust, stop kicking me!"
"Sor-ee, but I can't see a thing!"
"Well, use your senses, Dust!"
"You should every once in a while, you know?"
"Quiet," Kabu ordered.
They all continued down the hall. Hazen suggested lighting the place up with fire, but Goldwing didn't want to risk anyone getting caught on fire. Ash walked alongside Goldwing near the front, curious as to where the tunnel would end up.
Finally, they all stepped out of the hole and they were in a cave. Everyone crept out of the cave and Ash realized they were still in their territory, but judging by the scents, far from The Bending Tower. The Ice River was nearby, the water trickling through the area.
Then, out from one of the trees stepped Hachiko. "Well, well well," he sneered, "fancy meeting you runaways here."
Everyone stiffened, but Goldwing and Airwing faced him with total confidence. "Leave and do not report what you saw," Goldwing said calmly.
"Oh, well, I can't quite do that..." Hachiko growled with pleasure. "The Firebenders ordered me to find you, they knew you wouldn't simply just flee. If you don't return to the Tower, you will all suffer. All of you." He glared at everyone, then flinched. "Stella? You joined these idiots?"
"Yes," Stella growled, "the Firebenders do not deserve to be rulers."
Hachiko glared. "Very well. You shall suffer, too." He then made a huge fireball appear in the air, and everyone gasped or yelped at the sight of it. Hachiko grinned evilly and looked at Goldwing and Airwing. "Say goodbye to your precious Benders!"
With that, Hachiko threw the fire on both Goldwing and Airwing.

Author's Note:
I won't be able to post again until Friday or Saturday, because our grade is going on a week-long camping trip. c:
See a new post on MAC here.
And be sure to vote on the new poll! :)