Sooooo... I'm sorry for this long pause. I had some personal problems that I don't want to talk about and a Fanfic about pokemon mystery dungeon that I decided to stop for awhile to "give me a break". Not only that ,I'm studying a lot for some exams and I don't have time for myself, but I swear that I'll conclude this story even if it takes years :)

Oh, there is something that I must tell you: I lost a lot of the ideas that I had when I posted the last chapter and my writing skills probably worsened because I haven't been using my english for a long time.

With that being said, I decided to add a chapter talking a little about the Pure Ones... althought I think that it doesn't tell anything at all xD

Any errors, please tell me and I'll correct them as soon as possible.
If some thing don't make sense, tell me too and I'll try to rewrite it in a way that it can be understandable.

I don't own Guardians of Ga'Hoole. Kathryn Lasky does.

Thunderclouds were covering the sky. The ocean was stirred. Kael looked to his sides. "Come on…" He only knows that that storm caught him off guard. "At least it is still night…" He kept flying through the tempest in a straight line. "Now, let's see… the island should be around here…" the Tyto Alba thought while triangulating to localize himself.

Soon, he saw it. That island surrounded by rocks on the south of the place that once was known as the St Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. The island was big and had three giant rocks that resemble "The Tridents" from the Northern Kingdoms. In the middle of that place, there was a colossal cave that the Pure Ones were using as headquarter. "I still don't believe that our leader wants us to live here… Sometimes it's difficult to breath and it can blow us anytime…" Yes, there was a volcano on that island.

Kael flew straight to the cave and landed on the floor. At the same time, two Tyto Albas came closer to him.

"Identify yourself!" said one of them.

"Sub-Lieutenant Kael. I just came back from my mission."

The owls let him pass without asking much, but then they grabbed his wing and throw him inside the cave, making him roll over some pebbles that hurt his body

"The coward is back home… HAHAHA" both owls started to laugh. Kael was a pacifist. He didn't like to battle and didn't know anything about war. All the missions he receives were to hire slipgizzles and hireclaws. He never killed an owl, but he was always successful with his missions, granting him the right to stay with the Pure Ones.

He stood up without saying a word. They weren't worth to hear something from himself. Then, he continued his walk to see the leader. When he passed a corner, a hot steam was released by a crack in the wall made of prehistoric stone. It was as if his feathers had dried instantly. He stepped back for some minutes and after the steam subsided he kept going.

Inside it looked like a labyrinth. Every creature that entered in that place unprepared were easy targets for the fear, making them comite crucials errors for they survival. The Tyto Alba knew a lot about that place, but he never get a chance to explore the deepest part... Not that he wanted. That place gives him the creeps, specially that particular place that some of the Pures Ones named "The Chamber of Torture"

Although he never entered in that chamber, he knew how to get there. That was the first place he made sure to remember the location so that he would never enter there. Not even by mistake. After memorizing that location, the next one was the way to where his leader were. He didn't have dificult because it had to pass in front of that chamber. Probably it was a kind of warning like "Disobey me and that chamber awaits you…"

Kael had nightmares just thinking about what happens in there. Some owls told him that the prisioners screamed their lungs out while their talons were cut and their wings were broken.

After some walking, he finally made to his leader's room. He hesitated to enter because his heart was still pounding fast. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and walked in.

There was a huge throne made of stone on the end of that chamber, which had a spherical shape. The walls of that part of the headquarters were firmer and with less fissures. On the center there was a hole in which he noticed a red and orange liquid flowing. That whole rock formation hid a volcano, so was that lava? Kael never saw the lava in that part. "Did the volcano wake up?" The heat made him a little uncomfortable and that feeling grew even more with that metal mask on his face getting hotter and hotter. He flapped his wings to get near his leader faster and kneel before him.

"General Titanias, I'm Sub-Lieutenant Kael. I just came back from my mission."

The owl had it's eyes closed when he spoke with his deep voice that could almost hypnotize one with fewer words.

"… and?"

"Success. Five blacksmiths agreed with our terms. They will be ready to come here on the last night of full moon."

Titanias opened his eyes. The Tyto felt intimidated for his red eyes that resembles a lot the red from the lava just behind him. His body had red feathers too. How can a Tyto Alba be red? Does he have Kraals blood on his veins? Well, that doesn't matter.

"Nice job… Lieutenant Kael"

That coment interrupted Kael thoughts and surprised him

"Excuse me?! Lieutenant?!"

"Yes. Your hard work is more than necessary to rank you up… and you work harder than a lot of others owls here…but you shouldn't be surprise since you are a Tyto Alba…Now you are dismissed."

"Oh, yes… Thank you, sir!" said Kael while left the chamber as the happiest owl in the world. When was the last time he was promoted? He was so happy with the promotion that made a wrong turn somewhere and got lost on that labyrinth.

"Oh for Glaux's sake…why this only happens to me?" he muttered to himself while his happiness vanished. He kept walking until his claws ached and his mask lost temperature. He passed through corridors that he never explored and most of the times found himself on a dead end. It was on his third dead end that he heard a sound. He triangulated for some seconds and recognize the noise as the voice of someone. Then, he went on his hunt for the owl that was talking. While walking, he heard the sound of water too. The water was agitated. The storm from minutes ago subsided, but the ocean was still agitated. When he thought he was getting near the water, he heard the voices and stopped abruptly.

"Are you sure about that?" whispered the first voice.

"Yes. I made this plan together with the General. I call it 'The Great Ambush'. We still have chance to dominate everything. Ga'Hoole will fall. – said the voice… and for Kael's surprise, it was a girl. How many girls have he met since he was born? Zero?

He made a mistake to lean on a wall and some pebbles fall, making some noise.

"Who is there?!" The first voice echoed through that part of the labyrinth. Kael did not have another choice but to reveal himself.

"Can I ask what both of you are doing here?" He tried to sound authoritative while facing both owls. The owner of the first voice, a male Masked Owl, started to tremble.

"S-sub-lieutenant Kael? W-what are you doing here?"

"First of all: it's Lieutenant Kael now. Second: I came back from my mission thirty minutes ago and third: Shouldn't you be in your positions?

"Y-YES SIR!" the owl started to run as if he had seen a ghost. Kael signed and looked to the other owl that was facing away from him. When he tried to walk near her, she turns and they lock eyes.

"Lieutenant Kael… I feel that you are a little tense right now. Would you honor me with your company to see the ocean?"

The Tyto Alba analyzed her offering. Yes, he was tense because of that conversation he heard and really wanted to see the ocean so he could fly again. He didn't have objections and had nothing to do for the next three hours.

"All right, I accept your invitation. I admit I'm a bit bored."

"Great!" Said the owl with some excitement in the voice. "Come this way." She headed toward a corridor that was on her left. Kael followed. The environment became fresher and the walls seemed more cold and wet. They walked for a short time before stopping. Before them, there was a "curtain" of moss blended perfectly with its surrounding.

"Enjoy the view…" she said while opening that natural window. Kael's sight went blank for some seconds. The moon reflecting on the water maximized it's brightness. When his eyes got used with it, he became paralyzed. The horizon, the moon reflected on the ocean, the clouds… everything was truly beautiful.

Kael felt the gentle zephyrs touching his body and for one second he thought that he didn't have feathers. His entire body shuddered. Inside the cave was very hot and there wasn't many connections with the outside. It was a good to feel that cold.

A small movement made him glance to his side and didn't want to believe in what he saw. That owl was taking out her mask! That was strictly forbidden!

"What are you…!"

"Ah, it's so good to feel the wind on your face." The owl interrupted him, putting her mask on the ground. That face as white as snow, those black eyes that had the color of the night… Kael couldn't take his eyes off her. Her beauty was attracting him.

She gave him a small laugh. His beak was wide open and he didn't notice it. After closing it, he walked away in embarrassment, but she put her right wing on his shoulder. "Why don't you take off your mask too? I'm sure you will like the sensation."

Kael stopped and turned his body to face her. His heartbeats were fast and his guizzard trembled, just like his legs. Before making any rash decision, he wanted to know some things about her.

"First of all: Who are you?"

"Ethel. My name is Ethel, but most of the Pure Ones knows me as "strategist".

He kept asking.

"About that conversation that you were having with that Masked Owl… was it true?"

She sighed.

"Yes. I'm very good in doing plans, but I was obliged to make this ambush to conquer The Great Tree of Ga'Hoole. Can you keep a secret? I hate this place. I'd prefer to live in that tree with the Guardians but every time I try to escape from here, one guard always spot me and I always gave the same answer that I was only studying these stupid rock formations.

Kael was astonished, but instead of say something, he looked to the battle claws that she was wearing… and she noticed it.

"Never had one?"

"I'm pacifist. I don't like to fight."

Ethel was admiring him. He was a Barn Owl just like her, good physique, nice feathers… and when she thought that she really wanted to see his face, he put one claw on the mask. The male was still uncertain about some things, but decided that it was safe to be with her. He unlocked the lock of his mask, but couldn't remove it. He was afraid because that would be his first time breaking a rule. What if someone appear through that space? What would he do?

Suddenly, he felt his claw being touched. Ethel took of her battle claw and supported him. She was helping him take off that mask and after some seconds, the mask fell on the ground. His face was exposed. It was a little dirty, but the moon made the feathers whiter than normal, covering these smalls details. Both of them exchanged glances. Kael was becoming red. He never talked with a owl that made him feel like this: with his heartbeats racing and with his mind in blank.

Feeling a little uncomfortable, he tried to walk but stumbled on a rock and almost fell on the water if it wasn't by Ethel locking claws with him. Suddenly, both owls heard a huge wave approaching but couldn't do anything. The water came and threw them back into the cave, but now, they were totally wet. After recovering from that "water punch", both of them couldn't stop laughing. Ethel's feathers were messy and Kael had some seaweed on his head and on his chest.

The owls helped it other. Kael preened Ethel while she cleaned him. While they were doing their respective tasks, Ethel asked:

"Why are you with the Pure Ones? I can say that you are too good to be with them..."

"It isn't by option. I live with them since I was born… and since I was an owlet, I had to pass through a lot of trials involving resistance tests and fights. As I already told you, I'm pacifist so I never got used with the fight and just because of that I'll never be able to enter in a battle as a commandant or a soldier, even being a Tyto Alba. Not that I want, but for me I'll never enter in a battle even if the others owls make fun of me."

Ethel was charmed. For the first time in her life she met an owl that had such principles. She didn't want him to be corrupted by these Pure Ones. She wanted to protect him, to save him from that place. After noticing his eyes uncovered by that metal mask for the first time, she couldn't hold her feeling inside her. His eyes… those colors… she started to cry.

"Hey, what's happening?"

She wiped the tears.

"I'm sorry Liutenant Kael… it's just…" before she continued, he interrupted her.

"Please, just call me Kael."

"All right, Kael. You see… my homeland is the Shadow Forest. There, I always left my tree to play on the fields full of flowers. I played for hours and hours. On that time, I lived with my parents, but they were assassinated. The only thing I saw when I entered my tree was the body of my parents in front of me and these two owls covered with these masks..." she said pointing to the objects on the floor. "I was so furious that I killed them with my bare claws and after that, all I could do was to give them a simple burial. In their tombs, some different flowers that I have never saw bloomed. They were purple and white, and that purple color is the same of your eyes."

Kael was astonished with that comparison and with his discovery. He never thought about his eyes. Then he thought: "If she killed owls that were part of the Pure Ones, why is she here?" He would say something, but then they heard footsteps approaching.

"Quick, put the mask!" he whispered and threw the metal object near him to Ethel. After both of them locking the lock from the mask and Ethel put on her battle claws, they covered the passage with the moss and pretended they were talking about tactics at the exact moment that another Tyto Alba appeared.

"Lieutenant Kael, strategist, the presence of both of you is required in the General Titanias' chamber." And after saying that, he walked away.

Ethel sighed. "That was close…"

"Yup… So... Do your strategies always work?"

"Well… usually yes."

"Then let's make one to escape from here, and if the general ask for details from the 'The Great Ambush', try to find the weak points and tell me later."

"But why you want it?" She asked curiously.

"Didn't you just said I was too good for the Pure Ones? Maybe I'm a Guardian, and I think the same about you. You shouldn't waste your intelligence with these owls."

She gasped. The same owl who was afraid of breaking a rule now wants to be a Guardian?

"Why…?"

"Why would I do that? Well… I got curious with those flowers. If I stay with them, not only I will never see these flowers, but I'll only help destroy everything that's pretty in this world. Sometimes I thought 'Why I was born with these owls?' I never found a clearly answer until I found you. You… kinda of opened my eyes." He looked to his sides and them he said: "This time is my turn. Can you keep a secret of mine?" After asking and receiving a nod, he whispered. "I want to help people. I want to cure them and make them healthy. Some time ago I just gave up on this dream of mine because I thought it would be impossible while I'm here but after meeting you, this dream came back to me. If I want to make it real, I can't stay with them any longer. I need to expand my horizons. I need to go to Ga'Hoole…Will you help me?"

She nodded again. They met minutes ago, but it was like they have met for a life time.

"All right, after were finished with the reunion, find me in this same place. My tactics aren't perfect. I can guarantee that that I'll find it's weakness. Ga'Hoole will not fall. There is still hope!"

And them, the two owls went through the corridors, in the direction of General Titanias' chamber.

I hope you all liked this chapter xD
I'm accepting ideas :)

Next chapter I will go wake up Shard that is "hibernating" ^^

Glauxspeed!