Reunited

It was a peaceful morning at the Shane hideout. The reason it was so quiet was because we had nothing much to do and no one was stirring anyone up. I for once had been unsurely quiet ever since I woke up.

"Oi hello Ashley are you there?" Eli asked.

"Eh what?" I suddenly snapped back to reality.

"Ok what eating ya? I been talking to you for the past five minutes and you just seemed to be ignoring me" Eli answered.

"Sorry Eli. I guess I was thinking about other things" I sighed.

"Like what? Pronto wants to know!" Pronto demanded from where he was trying to get the remote to the TV off the slugs.

I hesitated for a second then answered, "my older sibling."

That got everyone's attention. Pronto and the slug stopped fighting over the remote and stared.

"You never said you had any siblings" Trixie noted.

"Older or younger?" Pronto asked.

"That's because I never saw him again after I ended up here" I paused then continued on. "Months ago I used to live in the Ice Cavern. I had a brother named Tiger. He was older than me by two years. We were known as the ice throwers due to our ability to freeze things and sometimes explode thing with ice. And control the ice of our Fighter slugs as you have seen me do with mine. We were the only ones who possessed the fighter slugs. There were twelve and they preferred to be called by number and they could electrify ice and do darkness. My brother has the first six. There was one problem for the people who lived there only use Ghouls and because we were different they tried to get rid of us. I got cast threw the portal that sent me here but I never saw Tiger again."

I stopped talking and tried to hold back the few tears that were threatening to over flow.

Why don't you just find the portal and go back?" Kord asked.

"A) you need a fighter slug to open it and B) you can't go through it unless there are more than two people around. I do know where the portal is and how to activate it" I answered sadly giving Danger a pat.

"We could go with you if you want" Junjie suggested.

"And Pronto want to know where the portal is!"

"If you really want to know…" I smirked and turned and walked off on the direction of where the mecha-beasts were.

"THAT DOES NOT ANSWER MY QUESTION!" Pronto yelled as I swung lightly onto Flame my mecha-beast.

"I never answer questions with a straight answer."

"WHY?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T"

"We had better follow her" Eli sighed and followed me with the others close behind.

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I ended up leading them to a clearing by a waterfall. The same place I had ended in when I fell through the portal.

"Alright why did you lead us here?" Eli asked.

I ignored the question. Per the usual.

"So where is the portal?" Trixie asked.

"Behind the waterfall" I answered as I swung myself on to the top most branches of a tree then jumping down with a leather covered book. "Come on."

The Shane Gang followed me reluctantly. Behind the waterfall was a ledge and on the back wall was a large carving of a snowflake.

"If this is some sort of joke Pronto does not find it funny!"

"Watch and learn."

I leafed through the pages of my book to find a certain picture that looked like the carving. My fighter slugs hopped out of their slug tubes and dropped down onto the six points off the snowflake picture in my book then created a small dome with their ice. Ignoring the odd looks the Shane gang were giving me I slipped off my ankle bracelet and tossed it into the air then sang the chorus to Fight Song.

This is my fight song

Take back my life song

Prove I'm alright song

My power's turned on

Starting right now I'll be strong

I'll play my fight song

And I don't really care if nobody else believes

'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

My ankle bracelet glowed with a pale blue light and there was a slight rumbling sound. I let out a surprised yell when a dark blue portal opened up under our feet that dragged us down and everything started spinning. I had not expected that to happen.

When the spinning finely stopped we landed in a clearing surrounded by large and small mushrooms. All our slugs were seeing stars.

"Uh I hate portal travel!" I groaned.

"Me to" Pronto added and we both threw up.

"Where are we?" Trixie asked standing up.

"This is Ice Mushroom Glade. Believe me some these mushroom do shoot ice spikes. Mainly the ones that are yellow so watch out and don't come within a metre of them or you're in trouble. Big trouble."

I snapped alert when I heard the sound of a mega-beast approaching the glade. The Shane gang heard the sound as well and we all readied our blasters as we saw a boy appear in the clearing riding a puma mega-beast. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt, navy blue long pants and a black jacket like mine. I squinted a little before spotting a familiar slug perched on his shoulder. A Fighter slug. A grin creped across my face as I recognised my brother.

"TIGER"

I pounced my stunned sibling and wrapped him in huge bear hug. When he got over his shock he returned my hug.

"How did you get back here?" he asked when he released me.

"With help. Tiger meet the Shane gang, Eli, Junjie, Kord, Pronto and Trixie" I introduced the Shane gang to my brother just before we heard voices getting closer.

"He has got to be around here somewhere. No one can just disappear into thin air."

"Spread out! Search the glade and find him."

"Let's get outta here fast" Tiger swung up onto Ray his mega-beast.

"Lead the way bro" I grinned as we sprinted off.

Later on we were back in Crystal cave where Tiger was hiding.

"HELLO, HELLO."

I laughed and introduced the Shane gang to Ki-Ki, Tiger's superb crested cockatoo who flew off her perch and onto Tiger's shoulder for a scratch behind her crest. Danger had a great time playing with mine and Tiger's slugs and playing with Ki-Ki. So did the Shane gangs slugs. It did not take long for the Shane gang to make friends with my sibling although he deliberately told them about the time I got Spook. The Frightgeist had given me a scare when I was younger, about five or six years old and I had run screaming to Tiger. I got back on him by reminding him about my first ice throwing lesson he had given me. I had 'accidently' froze him to a stick bomb mushroom and got a reaction from it. Kord and Pronto laughed so hard they could hardy breath.

"So is there a way back to the ninety-nine caverns?" Trixie asked after the cackling had died down.

"Yes but it's dangerous" Tiger answered.

"And risky and fun" I grinned evilly.

Tiger shook his head slightly at me. "If we are going to go we had better go now before the people in the aria find us and try to kill us."

"Would they really?" Pronto asked.

"Yes."

"DANGEROUS" Ki-Ki screeched.

"That's right Ki-Ki. They hate us and you" Tiger agreed.

"POOR KI-KI."

We all laughed.

"That is one funny bird" Eli chuckled.

"Yeah she is quite comical to."

At least half the trip to the portal was spent with me wearing earphones listening to music while the Shane gang got to know Tiger better. When we arrived at the portal location Tiger and I decided to return to the ninety-nine caverns with the Shane gang. This portal was almost the same as the last one except it did not need the chorus to Fight Song sung because all twelve of the Fighter slugs were together again and both mine and Tiger's ankle bracelets even though they were different were the symbol of the Ice Thrower's. Danger stood on guard while we got the portal open. Not a moment too soon either. Just a few second after we go the portal opened we were discovered. Tiger slung Six while I slung Eleven. We used our ice throwing skills to create an ice wall to buy us some time. We only just made it back but nothing could wipe out my joy of being reunited with my brother.

THE END

A/N: Song Credit: Fight Song by Rachel Platten