AvatarCat12: Hey, everyone! Sorry about the long wait, but we're fixing to see another episode of Avatar Cat 2. And joining us today is the kind and beautiful Asami Sato!
Asami: (Shakes his hand) It's really good to meet you, Avatar Cat. I've been reading this FanFic for a while, and I've really started to enjoy it.
AvatarCat12: Good. And is it okay if I tell you a little something? (Asami nods) When you made your debut appearance in The Voices In The Night...my jaw dropped since...
Asami: (Smiles and blushes) Thanks for the compliment, Avatar Cat. And if you don't mind, I'd like to say the disclaimer.
AvatarCat12: Of course! Go ahead.
Disclaimer: He owns neither The Legend Of Korra nor Warrior Cats. Bryke and Erin Hunter do.
Summary: Now that she is in Hawkfrost's clutches, Owlflame has no idea how to escape from her prison. However, she does figure out a way to pass the time: find out what the visions Goldstar has sent her really mean. But what she finds at the end will not be what she has expected. Meanwhile, Shard works with Owlflame's friends and Sunstar to find Owlflame when they think the Equalists have kidnapped her.
Uploading Date: November 18, 2012
Enjoy!
...
Into The Past
Owlflame felt like she was twisting around too much like a snake as Hawkfrost kept on using BloodBending on her. Pain shot through her entire body as she was forced down the stairs, the evil WaterClan tom using his tail to BloodBend. He was padding down the stairs behind her, deep in concentration and controlling her in a twisted puppet-like fashion.
They arrived at the bottom of the basement as Hawkfrost stalked down the stairs and levitated Owlflame towards a metal box that sat in the center. He levitated her into the box and turned her around to face him, an intense look of concentration on his face. She ignored the pain of her recent wounds and the blood trickling down to her paws as she glared at him.
"What are you doing?!" Owlflame mewled fearfully.
But her paws had already landed on the floor inside the metal before she had a chance to move anymore, Hawkfrost slammed the door in front of her face with all his might. Owlflame stumbled backwards from the blow, her forehead bruising from the impact, as she heard a small click from the outside. She was locked.
"HAWKFROST!" she screeched, throwing her weight against the metal door. "You can't keep me in here forever! Let me out, you crazy bastard!"
But it seemed he was ignoring her threats as he casually stalked up the stairs. Owlflame kept ramming into the door on the box, screeching her anger and fear out. Through the banging she heard a Satomobile starting before it drove away into the snowy wilderness. Owlflame stopped the banging to rest before she could start again. She was alone in this hut...with no one to help her out of here.
StarClan help me!
...
The sun rose over AirClan Island at sunrise as a telephone ringing reached Sunstar's ears. Next to him, his mate Dawnfall was sleeping...and Foxkit was in between them. During the night, his son had a nightmare about Dark Forest cats, so the AirClan leader let him sleep with them for the night. It was hard for him to sleep between them at the start, for his father's large size and his mother's swollen belly had almost given him no room; plus, it looked like Dawnfall would give birth any day now. But in the end, he managed to sleep at last.
As the phone rang, Foxkit woke up with a yawn, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He looked towards the phone and crawled over his father's broad face to pick him up. Sunstar grumbled a bit as he heard Foxkit picking up the phone.
"Who is this?" Foxkit squeaked. "It's six in the morning. This better be important!"
"Seems like your son's awake," Dawnfall purred to Sunstar as she got up and stretched.
"Before sunrise, he'll be your son," Sunstar joked back as he gently took the phone from his son. He made sure his voice was serious again as he meowed, "Sunstar of AirClan here."
The someone on the other line sounded worried as it meowed, "You better come over here. It looks like the Avatar Cat got kidnapped."
This caused Sunstar's breath to stop a bit. "What?! I'll come over right away. Dawnfall?" he asked, putting the phone away. "Can you keep an eye on the kits while I'm gone?"
Dawnfall nodded, and Sunstar could tell she was as worried for Owlflame as he was.
...
When he got to the city hall, he saw that the inside was a wreck. A photographer was taking a few pictures inside, taking shots of the wrecked staircase and charred pillars. A few MetalBender cats were on the scene (German shepherd sniffing the ground around them), and Lynxclaw was sitting next to Hawkfrost, who was having his bloody shoulder healed. It appeared he had been in a fight recently.
Sunstar padded through the doors, looking around in shock as he looked over at an Equalist paw glove. He looked up at the broken veranda before looking down to a bola wrapped tightly around a pillar. Looking away, he looked towards Hawkfrost as another WaterClan cat was adding a few cobwebs and burdock root to his shoulder. Lynxclaw was taking a few notes, looking to the side as a German shepherd sniffed nearby.
"What happened?" Sunstar asked, catching their attention. "What was Owlflame doing at City Hall in the middle of the night?"
The black-furred medicine cat stood up and padded away as Hawkfrost meowed, "As I told was telling Lynxclaw, Owlflame came to my office late last night. She was upset that I arrested her friends and asked me to release them...but that's when the Equalists attacked. I tried to protect her, but we were outnumbered. Then I was electrocuted...and when I came to, the police had arrived, but Owlflame was gone. I'm so sorry."
Sunstar bowed his head. The Equalists had become very low in capturing his apprentice like this. The time for non-violence had long passed now.
"Lynxclaw, mobilize the entire police force," Hawkfrost meowed to the dark tabby tom. "We have to find the Avatar Cat."
Lynxclaw nodded and padded over to talk with one of his warriors.
...
"We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you this special report."
Shard opened her eyes and turned her head towards the radio. Ignoring the wincing pain in her chest, she heaved herself to her forepaws, leaving her hind legs in a dragging position. It had been days since she had been brought over to the vet from the Sato mansion. Despite a few cracked ribs, she would survive.
The radio went on, "Late last night, Equalists had attacked City Hall, overpowering WaterClan envoy Hawkfrost and capturing Avatar Cat Owlflame. Details are still coming in, but-"
Click.
Shard turned off the radio abruptly and dragged out of bed, but she was still injured, for she grunted in pain as she limped. But that didn't matter; finding Owlflame and stopping Equalists mattered more. She didn't mind taking a lot more injuries than this as long as she did her duty. Being retired from the police force would not stop her.
The dusky brown she-cat limped over to a cupboard containing her metal armor and opened it. She looked at her leg and arm guards as well as her main body armor, brushing away the splints and bandages the vet had given her for her injuries. She moved her tail forward, and her armor was Bended onto her body as it slid down her neck and a belt was fastened around her hips. The front armor for her forelegs flew off of its handles and onto her legs, where they swiftly snapped in place.
Looking in the mirror, Shard saw that she was now fully fit, but she looked down at the badge. She could not bear to leave it behind, but she was no longer the chief of her police force. Without hesitation, she ripped the badge off her armor and put a cloak on over herself.
Finally, she managed to sneak out of the animal hospital unnoticed and over to the police station. Shard looked up at her mother's statue outside the police station, glinting in the sun. She guessed Nightfoot would approve of letting the others out of prison to help Owlflame's friends. When she was a kit, her mother said that if one of her friends was in prison, she would help them out no matter what. So she went inside.
The first cat she saw was Emerald Sato herself. The calico-&-white she-cat was lying on her back on the little nest in her jail cell. Shard opened the door, making her sit up, as she threw the door aside.
"Hope you got some rest, sleeping beauty," the former chief meowed. She flicked her tail to the side and meowed, "Now let's go. I'm busting you and your friends out."
"Thanks," Emerald purred as she got to her paws. "I owe you one."
When they found the brothers that had lived in the streets, it hadn't been hard to find them. They appeared to be arguing loud enough to scare the prey from here to BoulderClan, the former capital city of EarthClan.
"Are you done yet?" Redblaze growled.
But Stonetail whined, "Cover your ears! I can't go while you listen!"
Quickly, Shard Bended the door open with MetalBending, Emerald beside her. Redblaze had turned away with an irritated sigh while Stonetail was at the toilet, trying to relieve himself. When Redblaze turned to see them, his amber eyes were filled with relief.
"Emerald!" he yowled.
The tortoiseshell she-cat nodded and leapt over to him, licking him gently on the cheek. The ginger tom returned the same gesture, which made Stonetail look around with an embarrassed look on his face.
"Aaaagh!" he moaned. "Can't I have a little privacy in this cell?!"
Redblaze ignored him and meowed to Emerald, "Are you all right, sweetheart?"
"I'm fine, sweetie," Emerald purred, rubbing her cheek against his. "It's so good to see you."
Deciding that they could do this later, Shard meowed, "Hate to break up your lovers' reunion, but Owlflame's in grave danger. Anubis and his Equalists had captured her."
By the looks on their faces, Shard realized that they hadn't heard of the news. They probably didn't get to listen to the radio while they were here in their jail cells. Redblaze looked like he was the one who was worried the most.
"No..." he groaned, looking down to the floor. "No, she can't be gone." He slashed at the ground, snarling, "Shit! I should've been there for her!"
"Well, she IS missing, I'm afraid to say," Shard told him, turning away. "Now come on. We've got an Avatar Cat to save."
So Redblaze and Emerald ran out of the cell to begin their mission. But when Stonetail leapt down from the toilet, Shard saw that he forgot to flush, which was what Twolegs did after they made dirt. So she flicked her tail at the metal flusher, and the toiler emptied itself of whatever it was in there.
"You forgot to flush," she told Stonetail in an almost motherly way. She wondered if this was what it was like to maybe have kits.
The brown tabby tom chuckled nervously. "Hehe...thanks for catching that."
...
Owlflame did not stop in throwing her body onto the box, attempting to make the door budge. She grunted and groaned in pain, for she did not sleep at all last night thanks to her anger and fear. At first, she had yowled loudly, but she decided that actual physical force had to do; at least the bleeding had stopped. So here she was, trying to break out of her metal cell.
"Somebody!" Owlflame screeched, throwing her weight hard against the box. "Help! Please...!" She let out a moan of pain as her thudding softened and she collapsed, feeling tired. "Please..."
Please, StarClan...help me...
"I advise you to meditate a bit more on these visions," Sunstar's voice made her eyes open wide. "I believe Goldstar is trying to tell you something."
Really? But what will that do?
But she saw sense in what Sunstar had tried to tell her. Perhaps Goldstar had been trying to tell her something about the visions. Once she got a hold of what was going on, the visions would stop, and she could stop Hawkfrost. Even though she was not a spiritual cat, Owlflame knew she had to do this.
So the blue-gray she-cat sat up until she was sitting still with her tail wrapped around her paws. As she did so, she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, ready for whatever StarClan had to throw at her. But once she did so, she felt herself spinning as if she was on a bull trying to shake her off. Owlflame opened her eyes again to gasp in the scenery around her.
All around her, things looked...so different. United City looked a bit smaller than usual, and there was no sign of any Twolegs anywhere; this must have taken place before the Twolegs returned. Owlflame padded around the street, recognizing no cat here, before she arrived at the park, which was still a place where wild animals roamed. And, as she approached a fountain with pigeons gathering around, she saw him.
Goldstar!
Sunstar's father was gazing down into the water of the fountain, his fur glowing a brilliant shade of gold in the sunlight. His dark gray eyes looked troubled, though. Owlflame leapt up beside him, half afraid that he would see her. Cursing at herself that it was still a vision of the past, she kept her mouth shut.
"Goldstar? What the hell are you doing here? I told you I have this under control."
Both cats turned to see who it was. At first, she thought she was looking at Shard...but this cat's pelt was black, not brown. Her pale green eyes (unlike Shard's leaf-green eyes) were narrowed with half worry and half irritation while warriors stood beside her. There was no denying it; it was Nightfoot, Shard's mother.
"Usually, I wouldn't have to get involved," Goldstar meowed, his voice cool yet worried. "But if what those victims said is true, then we're not dealing with a normal criminal. So I'll come with you in case things get out of paw."
At that, Owlflame saw the look on Nightfoot's face turn from irritation to an affectionate and reassuring smile. "Fine," she mewed, flicking her tail as she started to pad away. "Follow me, Twinkletoes."
Twinkletoes? Owlflame laughed quietly to herself. While the warriors followed her, Goldstar's whiskers twitched as he meowed, "I'm a five year old cat, Nightfoot. You think you could stop with the nicknames anytime soon?"
"'Fraid not," Nightfoot purred, winking at him over her shoulder.
The handsome golden tom shook his head, but he leapt down from the fountain and padded after the black she-cat. Not wanting to miss this, Owlflame followed after him, looking around the city. Like she had thought before, United City sure looked different back then. No Twolegs were around yet, and there were still signs of more animals roaming around along with cats.
Finally, they had arrived at what appeared to be a fancy restaurant. Without waiting for an invitation, Nightfoot, Goldstar, and the MetalBending cats padded inside. Owlflame followed them, noticing a new cat at the far end of the restaurant. It was a black-&-gray tom, his yellow eyes narrowed as he nimbly nipped at the meat of a prepared chicken. Just then, beside her, Nightfoot stepped forth, his fur bristling.
"It's over," the black she-cat growled, flicking her tail at him. "You're under arrest, Nanulak."
Nanulak?! Owlflame thought, recalling what Sunstar had told her about this cat. He had almost killed Goldstar and other cats when Sunstar and his siblings were kits.
Instead of denying it or admitting it, Nanulak lowered his head, meowing in a deep voice, "What is United City coming to these days? Used to be when a cat could enjoy his meal in peace," he added, lifting his head up with a slight sneer.
At this, Nightfoot MetalBended a spool of wire out as it caught Nanulak's neck, making him hiss and step away from his food. Nightfoot yanked him up, turning the table over, while a tabby cat subdued him with a scratch and turned him around to cuff him.
"What's the big idea?!" Nanulak snarled. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"We have dozens of witnesses, Nanulak," Goldstar meowed. "We know what you are."
Nightfoot nodded before turning to her warriors. "Take him away."
Nanulak was led away, but he turned to Goldstar, snarling at the AirClan leader, "I've beaten every phony charge you yokel Clan cats brought against me, and I'll beat this one too for sure! I swear it!"
Goldstar just stared back at him, but Owlflame could see the worry in his dark gray eyes. She wondered what he was thinking about, but she guessed it was for the city's safety.
But just then, she felt the scenery swirl around her until the restaurant was gone and she was back in her prison. What was even more amazing was that she could now connect with her past life. Owlflame had actually gone into the memories of a StarClan cat and was able to see an event that was in the past.
"Whoa..." she whispered. "I finally connected with you, Goldstar. But what are you trying to tell me? A way out of this box would be nice," she added as a small joke.
But Owlflame had no more time to joke, for she had to keep on finding out what her visions meant. So she closed her eyes and continued to meditate.
...
Shard, Emerald, Redblaze, and Stonetail had all went over to Sunstar's office in the City Hall where he worked. But Shard was irritated that whatever reaction she had expected from her former mate...wasn't one she was hoping.
"I have to go. Call me back the minute you hear anything," he was talking into the phone. He put it down and stood up, gasping, "Shard, what're you...shouldn't you be in the hospital?! And you three!" he barked to the three younger cats. "Shouldn't you be in prison?!"
Stonetail waved sheepishly while Emerald looked smug, as if she proved that they could bust out of jail anytime. Only Redblaze looked worried, and Shard knew why. He must have missed the Avatar Cat a lot.
"I figured you might need some help in finding Owlflame," Shard replied to Sunstar's meowing.
Redblaze padded up to the desk and asked, "Do you have any leads?"
Sunstar sighed and leapt down from his desk. "I've been on the phone all morning, but no good news have come yet."
"We need Nisa," Redblaze meowed. "Owlflame said she's the best tracker around."
"I'm afraid Nisa is missing as well," Sunstar murmured, lowering his shaggy head.
Stonetail tilted his head to one side. "Then where do we start?"
"My guess is that the Equalists are hiding underground, in the maze of tunnels beneath the city," Shard spoke up. She had memorized the entire city and its tunnels by heart.
"Underground?" Emerald's voice was disbelieving and filled with some anger. "Just like my father's secret factory. Figures," she muttered, looking away.
"Yeah, that makes sense," Stonetail replied, rubbing his chin with his paw. "When those chi-blockers kidnapped me and put me in their truck, it sounded like we drove into a tunnel."
"Really?" Redblaze had a look of insight on his face and looked a little happy. "I know where to start looking. Come on!"
At that, the three younger cats turned tail and ran out of the office. Shard found some sense in what the youngsters were saying. Cats who would be kidnapped by Equalists would have to be carried off into some dark secret place. The tunnel Stonetail was talking about could be one of those dark secret places.
"Wherever Anubis is keeping Owlflame, I bet that's where my officers are kept at too," she muttered partly to herself.
Sunstar nodded. "Let's bring them all back, Shard. Without the Avatar Cat and your warriors, this city may collapse soon."
...
Sunstar had gone back to AirClan Island and fetched his Asian Lung dragon, Ryu, so that they could go search for Owlflame and the Equalists. In a few minutes, with everyone on board, Ryu had taken off and began flying over to where Stonetail had once been taken too. At a small yard, the dragon landed, and everyone got out of his saddle.
"The truck with Stonetail took off down this alley," Redblaze meowed, lifting his nose in the air to sniff as he padded down the alley.
So the five cats ran down the alley as they reached an intersection and stopped as they prowled around, trying to find a scent. There were some fresh scents here, but they were confusing; some had Equalist scents, and others had rat scents.
"Which way now?" Emerald asked.
Stonetail suddenly took a step forth and sniffed the air. "Hmmm...this kinda smells familiar."
Shard stopped and sniffed the area; the Equalist scent was growing stronger. She took a deep breath and stomped her right forepaw on the ground as she felt the shockwaves travelling up her body. The waves seemed to be coming from deep within a secret tunnel, so she opened her eyes and twitched her whiskers a bit.
"There's a tunnel nearby," she meowed, heading to the right.
The others shared looks before they followed the dusky brown she-cat towards a slope. They each took turns sliding down until they landed in the leftover snow in the ditch. However, only Sunstar landed gracefully with AirBending, the wind causing his mane to ruffle.
Suddenly, Redblaze yowled, "Look! Over there!"
The cats began to run towards the tunnel, but it was blocked off by metal grates. Just when they came to a halt, Shard crouched low and pawed at tracks on the floor, leading into the tunnel. She stood up and meowed, "There are motorcycle tracks. I don't know what our ancestors would have called them."
"Owlflame has to be in there," Redblaze murmured. "Somewhere."
As he finished his sentence, Shard lifted a forepaw up, and the metal grates slid up. There was the tunnel yawning ahead of them as if inviting them to enter. With a meow of command, she led the cat inside, eager to rescue her warriors and Owlflame in this time of trouble.
...
Commercial Break
...
The small pack had finally entered the tunnel and stumbled across four different tunnels heading in various directions. Redblaze had FireBended a small flame on his tail and held it up high to illuminate the area. There were several rats in the tunnels, but Shard did not want to stop to get one; they had to find Owlflame and her warriors...and rats could carry diseases.
"Let's try this way," Redblaze meowed, pointing down one tunnel.
"And what if Owlflame's not down there?" Emerald asked, stepping up beside her mate.
Redblaze replied, his voice a bit harsh, "Then we pick another tunnel until we find her. We won't stop until we get Owlflame back."
At this, he headed into the tunnel while the rest of the cats followed him. Shard looked behind her to see Emerald looking confused and hurt, feeling some sympathy towards her. She knew what it was like for a mate to reject them for another. But Sunstar was with Dawnfall now, and she would not try to interfere in their relationship. Noticing that Redblaze and Sunstar were padding on ahead, she went to catch up with them.
But she looked behind her to see Emerald drop back beside Stonetail and ask, "Hey, is Redblaze okay? He seems to be really worried about Owlflame."
Stonetail nodded and meowed, "Yeah, we all are."
"I know, but he's your brother," Emerald mewed, looking up to see Shard looking at her. So she dropped her voice to a whisper and asked Stonetail, "Do you think he likes Owlflame as more than just a friend?"
"What? No!" Stonetail chuckled as they stopped. "That's just gossip. Where did you hear that? You know what's coming outta your mouth right now? Crazy talk! Crazy talk's coming out of your mouth right now."
But the calico she-cat did not look fooled. Instead, she laid a gentle paw on his shoulder and asked, "What do you know, Stonetail? Come on. Spill it."
Stonetail looked down. "Nothing. I mean..." He gave a small sigh and continued, "Well...there was this one time during the tournament when I saw Redblaze and Owlflame nuzzling, but-"
"What?" Emerald yelped. "They nuzzled?"
She looked away and gazed sadly at Redblaze while Shard looked away. The former Chief of Police felt the same way when she found Sunstar and Dawnfall hanging around with each other often. But she and the AirClan leader had been falling out for moons, and they went away for their separate duties.
"Believe me, I was upset about it too," Stonetail meowed gently. "But hey, it was an accident. I'm over it now. I don't think it meant anything."
Emerald looked away, her voice breaking as she rasped, "I doubt that."
But suddenly, after a couple of steps, the former kittypet's ears twitched, and Shard heard it: the engine of a motorcycle. Just behind Stonetail, the headlights of the motorcycle were illuminating the back of the tunnel.
"Hide," Shard ordered.
So Redblaze extinguished his flame, and all five cats ran towards a pillar. Two Equalist cats who were possessing Twolegs drove their motorbikes into view and cycled away. An Equalist flipped a switch in the middle with his paw, and the pack hiding behind the pillar looked out at a wall as it flipped inwards, revealing a hidden passage while both of them drove in. The wall then flipped back into place as if it was just an ordinary wall.
Shard was shocked; out of all the places she had patrolled, she did not know that this one had a secret. But she knew that she had to get in there and help rescue her warriors and Owlflame. So she leapt out from behind the pillar, and the rest followed her as they ran up to the wall. With a splash due to the water in the tunnel, they stopped in front of it.
Taking a small breath, Shard closed her eyes and stood on her hind legs to touch the wall with her forepaws. She rubbed at it a bit, the cold metal tingling against her pads, and then she paused in the middle and rotated a paw to the right. Reaching the back of the wall as a red wheel control device turned and two metal columns slid out from the side, Shard pushed her paw up, and the wall flipped up. She nodded her head into the passage, and they ran in as the wall flipped shut.
They were now seeing the inside of the secret Equalist base. There were three motorcycles and two metal trucks not far away and a group of Equalists nearby, loading things into a gray tram. Shard and Sunstar took the lead as they took cover from behind a wall, their backs against the concrete. Meanwhile, the Equalists were loading their wares. Three of them were on the tram while one stood beside the tram, holding a clipboard.
"That tram goes all the way to our training camp," the brown Equalist tom meowed, flicking his tail to the right as the tram moved off. Then he turned to his right as another tram drove in as the next Equalist stepped off.
"Everything was delivered to the prison, sir," the gray she-cat meowed before they padded off.
When they were gone, Sunstar mowed, "That must be where Owlflame is held at."
"We need to get down that tunnel," Shard replied, nodding.
At this, she twitched an ear and ran off as everyone backed away from the wall one by one and followed her. They all managed to get into a tram, and it began to move shortly afterwards. Then when they were all settled in, Emerald started driving it while the rest of the group was out front. Unfortunately, two Equalists were standing guard just as an alarm sounded and blinked red at the end of the tunnel. The two Equalists looked towards the inside of the tunnel as the tram rolled out. But Shard knew what to do.
One by one, the cats leapt out in time before they were spotted while the tram rolled on. When it came to a stop, the front lights turned off, and the tram was empty. Confused, the Equalists padded over to the tram and peered inside.
"It's empty," the black-&-white cat meowed.
"No duh, Sherlock," the ginger tom retorted snarkily.
Choosing her targets, Shard shot her metal cables from her armor and out from the tunnel behind them. With a twist, when they reached them, she wrapped them around their chests as they were pulled into the tunnel, shrieking. She rushed forth and beat them down with swifts blows to the heads with her paw, knocking them out before tying them up and leaning them against a door.
Stonetail and Emerald sat near them, guarding them, while Shard stalked up the stairs, ready to find the prisoners. Redblaze was already waiting for her at the top of the stairs.
"You two," she meowed to Emerald and Stonetail. "Keep an eye on them. We're off to search for the prisoners."
Then she unsheathed the claws of her right forepaw and stomped hard into the ground. She could feel the shockwaves roll out from underneath her pad and throughout the room. Then...she could see a corridor with jail cells as the shockwaves moved through it.
"My officers are inside there," Shard meowed, lifting her head up.
"What about Owlflame?" Redblaze asked, sounding more worried than ever.
Shard could see how much he cared for the blue-gray she-cat. "I haven't forgotten about her. I just don't see her yet."
Then she continued padding up another flight of stairs while Redblaze and Sunstar followed after her. The three cats looked around each prison cell as they stalked down the corridor, before they made a turn around another. For now, things were quiet...too quiet.
Suddenly, two Equalists leapt out from a corner and got into attack positions as they swung their bolas in their jaws. Quickly, Sunstar whipped up a powerful blast of wind with his tail and threw it at them, knocking the Equalists backwards against the wall. Shard continued to pad down the hall when she saw Redblaze leap forth, grab the dark tabby Equalist by the throat, and pin him to the ground.
"Where are you keeping her?!" he snarled through a mouthful of fur, tearing at his face with his claws. "Where are you keeping Avatar Cat Owlflame?!"
Shard knew she had to leave the ginger tom up to his mission as she arrived at a jail cell. But when she looked inside...she saw something that made her green eyes widen in shock.
Her MetalBending cops were all lying despondently on their nests, some not having recovered from their wounds. Shard padded closer to the bars, not wanting them to suffer anymore, and Bended the bars aside loudly, making the cops turn towards her as she padded into the cell.
"Chief Bei Fong?" a brown-&-white tom meowed, dried blood masking his face. "Is that you?"
"I'm too late. That monster already took you Bending, didn't he?" When the warrior nodded, she sighed sadly, "I'm so sorry, my warriors. I would've given myself up to save all of you. Now let's get you out of here."
So she led the way out of the prison cell, her warriors following her, where she came across Redblaze. The ginger tom was still pinning the Equalist down, his claws sinking a bit deeper into his neck. Shard knew that the Warrior Code said that a warrior did not need to kill to get victory or peace, but would Redblaze remember it?
"I'll ask you one more time," Redblaze was snarling while he rose a paw, fire surrounding the claws. "Where is she? Answer me, you bastard!"
"We don't have her, and the Equalists didn't attack City Hall," the cat choked, a speck of blood appearing on his neck. "H-Hawkfrost is lying!"
Shard felt stunned. Hawkfrost?! I never liked him that much, but surely...
Redblaze let out a gasp and released the cat. At this, Shard stepped forth and meowed, "I scanned the entire prison, and I found the warriors. But Owlflame's not here."
Redblaze meowed, "But why would Hawkfrost make up a story about getting attacked?"
"Because HE has Owlflame!" Sunstar spat, fury on his middle-aged broad face. "He tricked us all! He shall not get away with this!"
But the alarm sounded out through the prison, and the cats leapt away, looking up at the blinking red alarm. When they made it back, Stonetail and Emerald were standing in front of an empty tram, apparently having called it over.
"Come on, folks! Let's get moving!" Stonetail called.
So everyone got on. The tram moved off at great speed, but another tram was coming in from the tunnel behind them. Redblaze turned around and noticed the tram catching up to them, full of Equalists. Stonetail laid a paw on his older littermate's shoulder and stepped in front of him, lifting his paws, clenching his claws, and bringing them down. The escaping tram moved off as the tunnel walls collapsed, and they could hear the Equalist tram colliding into the rubble.
"Ha! Try chi-blocking that, fools!" Stonetail cheered, making a MetalBender smile at him.
Shard looked around her with a determined feeling across her face while the rest of the cops hung on for dear life. At the end of the tunnel was the Deputy (Anubis' black-furred assistant), a massive crowd of chi blockers and a couple of mecha tanks waiting in position for them. The Deputy's kali stick sparked with electricity in his jaws, and Shard knew what kind of pain that stick could cause.
So she turned back to the others and called, "We got more company."
Shard looked at the ceiling and made elaborate movements with her tail towards the ceiling, making it snap down.
"Hang on!" she called.
The tram moved up the makeshift rail, and Shard EarthBended a hole right in the center of the ceiling. Once it got there, the tram sailed through the air and landed roughly on the ground; everyone groaned from the impact, but they were unscathed nonetheless. Shard leapt out of the tram and EarthBended a hole in the ceiling, looking towards the City Hall after that.
If Hawkfrost really did kidnap Owlflame, then he would need to pay for kidnapping the Avatar Cat herself. She wondered why the WaterClan tom would want to do this; perhaps this had something to do with political power? But she shrugged it off, knowing that this would have to be between him and Owlflame.
...
Owlflame could feel her belly growl from starvation; she had not eaten anything all day. But she was still meditating in the box, wanting to find out more about Nanulak. When she went to the past again, she saw that she was in a courtroom with many cats meowing and whispering with each other. Owlflame sat down beside the main desk, looking for any cats she recognized.
There...was Nanulak, smirking evilly while Goldstar sat behind him with a frown. Up at the council's table, she spotted a row of cats to whom a silver tabby she-cat was talking to. One cat she seemed to recognize was a familiar dark gray tabby tom with pale blue eyes. This was very much Ashfeather. To his right was a tabby she-cat from FireClan and a ginger tom from AirClan.
The silver tabby prosecutor began to meow, "Nanulak has ruled United City's criminal territory for moons, yet he always managed to stay out of the law's reach...until now. Today you will hear proof from dozens of his victims, and they will tell you that he has maintained control of his grip on the underworld by using a skill that has been illegal for years," she added, her green eyes narrowing. "BloodBending."
Owlflame heard gasps around her while she saw Ashfeather's eyes narrow with suspicion. But then, from Nanulak's side, a black-&-brown tom stood up, his eyes glaring around the room. With a throat-clearing, he began to speak and pad over towards the council.
"The prosecution's entire case is built upon the make-believe notion that my client here is able to BloodBend at will, at any time on any day," he explained as he paced around. "May I remind the council that BloodBending is an amazingly rare skill and can only be performed during a full moon?" Nanulak smirked as his client went on, "Yet the bystanders claim that my client used BloodBending at any other time except during a full moon. Therefore, it would be a mockery of justice and the Warrior Code to convict a cat for a crime that is impossible to commit."
At that, he slammed a scroll down onto the table, making the jury members gaze on. Goldstar's gray eyes clouded over as he looked to the ground; Owlflame swore she could hear him send a prayer to StarClan. Once they all went for a break, she viewed over the facts of what she had heard and seen before her.
Like Hawkfrost, Nanulak had used BloodBending without the use of a full moon. Did this mean that they were related in some way? And what would happen if they let this evil cat go as he would continue his reign of terror? But she had to lift her head up as the council returned right when the trial began.
"Councilman Ashfeather, leader of the Southern WaterClan, will now deliver the verdict."
At the sound of the voice, Ashfeather stood up, looking around. Owlflame was amazed at how powerful and wise Silverheart's brother had been despite having a slight goofy look on his face. But then he began to speak, and she had to sit and watch.
"In my moons of warrior training, I have encountered cats born with rare and unique Bending abilities," the dark gray tabby tom meowed. He smiled slightly when he went on, "When I was a younger cat, I once defeated a tiger (with my trusty old boomerang, folks!) who could FireBend with his mind. Why, even MetalBending was thought to be impossible for all of history until our revered Chief of Police, Nightfoot Bei Fong herself, developed the skill all on her own."
Owlflame looked to the right to see Nightfoot standing regally with her warriors beside her. The black she-cat nodded slightly, although there was a small nostalgic smile on her lips.
Ashfeather went on seriously, "The great sum of testimony and evidence has convinced this council that Nanulak is one of these exclusive Benders, and he had abused his skill to carry out these atrocious crimes. We therefore find him guilty of all charges and sentence him to life in prison. No parole," he finished, hitting a block with a gavel.
Nanulak's attorney crumpled up the scroll, threw it away, and banged his hand against the table angrily. Yet Nanulak didn't reply right away; instead, he sat up as the attorney looked towards him. Suddenly, his yellow eyes began to dilate irregularly...and then...it happened.
Suddenly, Ashfeather groaned in pain as one of his forelegs was bent slightly backwards, going into a spasm and grinding his teeth; right away, Owlflame saw that Nanulak was BloodBending. And then the entire council too began to spasm in the seats, but only Nightfoot was unaffected as she threw a metal cable at the evil tom. But Nanulak cocked his head to the side, and the black she-cat dropped to the ground, groaning and twitching in pain. Owlflame's blood was chilled to the bone when he let out maniacal laughter at their pain.
Then she saw Goldstar struggle to stay on his paws as he began to inch his way slowly to the crime boss. The rest of the audience was groaning and twitching in pain as well, groaning so loudly that it could scare bats from their resting places. Nanulak had managed to BloodBend everyone without using his paws or tail.
Owlflame woke up with a painful sensation in her chest, breathing rapidly. Nanulak was a monster...like Hawkfrost, he had been able to BloodBend without the use of the full moon. And this meant something along with the BloodBending Ashfeather had mentioned.
Nanulak...he's Hawkfrost's father!
...
"Thank you all for meeting us on such short notice."
Sunstar had called for a meeting at the City Hall at sundown. Shard, Redblaze, Stonetail, and even Emerald made sure they were there to be a part of the meeting. So far, Hawkfrost did not show up, but Lynxclaw was there. Shard's successor was sitting not too far away from Sunstar, his eyes bright with worry.
"Hello, Chief," Shard greeted him with a dip of the head.
The dark brown tabby nodded in return. "And you too, Shard."
"Have you had any news of where Avatar Cat Owlflame?"
Everyone turned around at the familiar voice. Hawkfrost was behind Sunstar, a casual look on his face as if he didn't know there was a war meeting...or he pretended to.
"We do," Sunstar growled, taking a step forth. "You kidnapped her, Hawkfrost."
At this, Hawkfrost's eyes narrowed in surprise as he took a step back and hissed, "I am shocked that you would accuse me of such an evil act. I already explained it to you. Equalists attacked and took her away."
Sunstar retorted, "But there were no chi-blockers here last night. You planted the evidence against them, didn't you?"
"That is a ridiculous accusation!" Hawkfrost growled as he took a step back.
"It's true! He took her."
At the new voice, everyone looked up. Hawkfrost's brown-pelted page was looking down from the second floor, his head poking out from behind a pillar. He went on, "I was here when Avatar Cat Owlflame arrived last night, but Hawkfrost insisted I should leave for the night. I was on my way out when I saw him bring her down to the garage." He swallowed a bit before he went on.
"I was just on my way back home when I heard yowling, so I hid behind a pillar," the brown tom meowed. "When I peered around, I saw Hawkfrost standing at the back of a monster and hiss 'Say goodbye to United City, Owlflame! You'll never see it again.' I heard her screech in rage while he locked the door and drove the monster away. I never knew he would ever do such a thing to the Avatar Cat."
"That is nothing but cloud-brained nonsense!" Hawkfrost spat up at his page. "Everyone knows you're nothing but a squeaky-voiced liar!"
This made the page shrink back.
"Shut...the hell...up, Hawkfrost," Shard hissed, giving the gray-&-white tom a death glare. To the page, she asked, "Why did you wait until now to fess up?"
The page looked to the side before mewing, "I was too scared to tell anyone because...because Hawkfrost is a BloodBender! He BloodBended Avatar Cat Owlflame!"
Everyone gasped at this, even Shard herself. There had never been another known BloodBender apart from Nanulak, who had attacked the city when she and Sunstar were kits.
"Don't make this worse for yourself," Sunstar snarled at Hawkfrost as his claws unsheathed. "Now tell us where you have hidden Owlflame."
Shard unsheathed her claws and stalked forth, preparing to give Hawkfrost some richly deserved justice. Redblaze stalked up beside him, his amber eyes alive with rage, while the others joined him. Then as they leapt forth, Sunstar summoned a puff of air with AirBending while Shard used MetalBending to slide a metal cable out from her armor. But what Hawkfrost did next...took them all by surprise.
Great pain shot through Shard's legs as she dropped the cable and looked up at Hawkfrost. It was like being a rabid fox, unable to do anything good while twitching her legs. Beside her, all the other cats were quickly shot down by Hawkfrost's BloodBending as they twitched in pain. They were all slammed to the ground with a sickening thud, Shard tasting the metallic taste of blood in her mouth as she lost a tooth.
Finally, Hawkfrost lowered his forelegs while the cats slowly dropped down one by one. The last thing Shard saw of the Northern WaterClan tom was him backing away from them and fleeing out of the City Hall.
...
Commercial Break
...
Shard groaned as she opened her eyes and rose to her paws. Around her, everyone had fallen to the ground unconscious, even Lynxclaw and the police force. Fighting the Equalists would have to wait; right now, Hawkfrost was their enemy...living up to his namesake, Hawkfrost the First from RiverClan.
"Wake up," she told Sunstar, slapping a paw across his face to wake him up. The golden tom sat up with a deep breath while Redblaze gently picked Emerald up by the scruff.
"Ugh..." Stonetail groaned as he sat up. "I had this terrible dream that Owlflame was taken away by this evil BloodBender. It was weird."
Emerald sighed. "It really DID happen, Stonetail. He knocked us out with BloodBending."
Quickly, the tabby tom leapt up to his paws. "What?! Are you serious?! So where is he? Is he here right now?"
"He's long gone," Lynxclaw replied, his face full of shame as he and his warriors recovered. "I'll alert the whole force."
So he and the other cats of the council turned away and walk out of the City Hall. Stonetail was standing on three legs, trying to twirl a foreleg around to get rid of aches in his shoulder.
Shard looked around at the mess that had been created. "We've only been knocked out for a little while. Maybe we can still pick up Hawkfrost's scent."
"It could lead us to Owlflame," Sunstar agreed, nodding. "Let's go, everyone."
...
Owlflame was still meditating really hard, feeling her mouth open and saliva drip from her fangs and to the floor. She was diving deeper into the memory, but things were getting uglier.
Goldstar was still struggling to get Nanulak while the latter leered maniacally as he had his pads upward and his claws flexed. Ashfeather was still trembling from this grip and looked over at Nightfoot; the black she-cat was down on the ground too. With a flick of his tail, Nanulak made her paws move backwards involuntarily to grab the keys from the cop beside her while she gasped in pain. Then he levitated her over to him, the key in her jaws as she unlocked the cuffs.
Once he was free, he lifted his forelegs upwards, clenched a paw, and Nightfoot and a cop fell unconscious, as did everyone else. Goldstar, however, was still up on his paws, but he groaned in pain as he tried to get to Nanulak. The evil cat turned towards the former Avatar Cat and lifted a paw up, levitating him upwards.
"Nanulak..." Goldstar groaned, struggling to speak as one foreleg moved to his back. "...you won't get away with this..."
"United City shall be mine once again, Avatar Cat," Nanulak sneered, laughing evilly. "I'll be back on day to claim it."
At that, he grabbed the golden tom's scruff in his jaws and threw him as hard as he could against the steps, knocking him out. Then he ran off out of the room, and the sound of a horse neighing told Owlflame that Nanulak had gotten away. She looked back down at Goldstar, realizing that he had lost a life; she wondered how many lives he had back then...and if he would wake up again.
Suddenly, when Owlflame though all was lost, the wind blew behind Goldstar as the former Avatar Cat woke up. And then...his eyes and arrow stripes began to glow, the glow of the mighty Avatar Cat stood up to his paws wearily, but his face was furious and resolute as he formed small balls of air around his paws and leapt away. Owlflame felt excitement rush inside her as she followed him out of the courtroom. She had always wondered what being in the Avatar Cat State was like.
They saw Nanulak's carriage as it made its way down an empty street, Goldstar hot on his tail. The golden tom preceded to move his Air Paws across the buildings, leaping from ledge to ledge. Nanulak hissed in anger when he saw Goldstar leap down towards him, spin around in circles, and (with one swipe) slashed at his face and severed the reins of the horse. The carriage lost its balance and fell on its side, skidding a distance, but the palomino horse sped out of sight.
"Wow..." Owlflame mewed as Goldstar circled the unmoving carriage. She had just seen the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga, the attack of the lion and the Avatar Cat's signature move. If only she had learned the spiritual side of her Avatar Cat duties, then she could use this move too.
Just as Goldstar opened the door of the carriage, Nanulak's paw shot out and swiped across his face. But before Goldstar could react, he suddenly gasped and fell to the ground on his chest. Nanulak leapt out of the carriage and stalked towards the fallen leader, his head fur a mess as he glared down at his victim.
"This time, I'll put you to sleep for good," he snarled, flicking his forepaws around as he sat on his haunches. "The Cutter won't need to worry about euthanizing you. And you know what? I think your broken body will be a good present for your bitch and spawn."
Goldstar gasped out loud, and Owlflame winced when she heard a sickening crunch; his forelegs were being twisted into unnatural positions. Then Nanulak lifted his body up, and Goldstar let out a gasp of pain as the evil tom stopped to slash at his face made his body slowly spin around like a leaf and his legs in very awkward angles. As one of his forelegs bent away while he was like a caught rabbit, Goldstar let out a shriek of pain.
StarClan, please! Owlflame pleaded silently, though her ancestors probably couldn't hear her in the past. Please help him!
As if her prayer was answered, Goldstar's eyes and arrows began to glow as he let out a yowl, breaking himself free of the BloodBending; air was swirling ferociously around him. Nanulak looked very surprised and stepped back to avoid being blown away by the with a terrible snarl, he yowled and lunged at him.
But Goldstar was ready. With the speed of an AirClan cat, he brought Nanulak to the ground, his teeth buried in the back of his neck while his claws sunk into his forehead. Owlflame felt like she was watching Anubis using EnergyBending to take away Bending, but with Goldstar...right now, this was a relief.
"I'm taking your Bending away for good," Goldstar meowed through a mouthful of neck fur, his blood leaking onto the black-&-gray pelt. "It's for all the Clans."
Nanulak hissed in fright as Goldstar's arrows and eyes flashed once. Then the latter's arrows and eyes stopped glowing as he stepped away from the black-&-gray tom, leaving the crime boss's unconscious bloody body on the ground.
"It's over," Goldstar panted, looking down at Nanulak. "This battle is finally over."
So you were trying to warn me about Hawkfrost, huh, Goldstar? Owlflame prayed as she opened her eyes. Thanks. I understand now. Everything.
Just then, she heard pawsteps pad down the steps, and Owlflame guessed she knew who it was. The speaker was clear when the cat snarled, "Thanks to you, my plans are in ruins!"
"So your little BloodBending secret's out, eh, Hawkfrost?" Owlflame hissed smugly. She heard an angry sigh as she went on, "And I know how you were able to BloodBend me without a full moon: You're Nanulak's son."
She had learned this when she heard Nanulak's attorney say that his client had been accused of BloodBending without the full moon. That, and Hawkfrost even seemed to share Nanulak's double coat colors (despite having different colors). Owlflame held her breath when she heard Hawkfrost speak once again.
"Yes, I was his son, but to win United City, I had to become someone else," he spat. "My father failed because he tried to rule the city from its rotten underbelly. My plan, however, was perfect. I was to be the city's savior. But you...you ruined EVERYTHING!"
Owlflame meowed, "Your time is up. You've got nowhere to go."
But she heard the sound of fading pawsteps as Hawkfrost sneered, "Oh no. No, I WILL escape and start a new life...and you'll be coming with me as my prisoner. And if you don't do as I say afterwards, I might let my claws slip across your throat."
"No way!" Owlflame snarled as she hard this, throwing her weight once again against the box. "You'll never get away with this, you fox-hearted bastard!"
But right when Hawkfrost's pawsteps faded away, she heard him say the name of a cat she had not seen for a while: "Anubis!"
Owlflame gasped and looked up. What was the Equalist leader doing here in this shack? Were they here to catch her and take her Bending away? Or were they looking for a new victim to (as they called it) equalize? Extra pawsteps had told her that the Deputy was there, supposedly whipping out his kali stick with the rest of the Equalists.
"It is time for you to be equalized," the cool meow of Anubis rang around the walls.
"You fools," Hawkfrost sneered. He must have used BloodBending, for the cats groaned in pain, and Hawkfrost sneered, "You've never faced Bending like mine. Not in a million years!"
But suddenly, Owlflame heard a hiss of shock escape from him when she heard another pair of pawsteps stalk towards him. Then she recognized the steps and froze in fear: Anubis was actually resisting the BloodBending power. Another yowl announced Hawkfrost's other attack, and a thud showed Anubis' stumbling. But then...Owlflame heard him breath normally as he rose to his paws and continued to stalk towards his victim.
Hawkfrost's voice was filled with fear as he rasped, "What?! W-What the hell are you?!"
"I am the solution," came the reply.
In the box, Owlflame closed her eyes, hoping that this would not be loud and painful to hear. But when she opened her eyes, she heard Hawkfrost yowl in agony and fall to the ground, making her look up. She knew what had happened to the WaterClan tom: his Bending had been removed. He was no longer a threat to United City.
"I'll take care of him. You four retrieve the Avatar Cat," Anubis meowed as his Equalists got up. "Don't underestimate her. Make sure you electrocute the box so you can knock her out before you open it."
Owlflame felt her heart stop. They WERE going to capture her...and they would electrocute her to do so.
"With pleasure," the Deputy's deep voice replied.
Hearing the eager bloodlust in his voice, Owlflame looked around, trying to find a way to get out. But by doing so, she could hear the pawsteps coming down the stairs, so she was running out of time. Then she noticed that some of her fur was shedding its greenleaf coat, making way for thicker fur for leaf-bare. If she was to get out alive, there was one thing to do.
She concentrated on trying to lose herself of this extra fur, and she looked down to see strands of fur falling out and onto her paws. As she focused on losing some on her tail, she could hear the Deputy sneer, "I'm going to enjoy this payback."
Having already made a small band made of fur, Owlflame threw it to the ceiling just when she saw electricity burst through. She leapt up, grabbed the band with her front claws, and let out a screech as if she was in pain, hanging all her weight on the band Thankfully, her back paws were bent and not touching the floor of the box. Once she saw the electricity fade away, she dropped to the ground with a thud, making it sound like she had fallen unconscious.
"Open the box and tie her up," the Deputy growled.
Owlflame laid down in time just as the doors opened. Once the Deputy stopped meowing, she let flames surround her back legs and kicked out, knocking an Equalist backwards. She swiped the flames aside and looked over her shoulder towards the Equalists. An Equalist was getting back on his paws and threw a bola towards her, but she dropped and rolled, dodging the bola as it hit the box behind her. She slammed a forepaw into the floor, and the floor began to quake and roll, so this made the Equalists get thrown off balance. Once this was done, she fled up the stairs and out into the snowy night.
When she limped outside, she saw Anubis loading an unconscious Hawkfrost into the back of a truck. Quickly, with fright in her heart, she let out a sob of breath and raced away, Anubis hard on her tail. Owlflame swiped some snow up and Bended it to make the snow into spikes and hurl themselves as the white tom. However, Anubis leapt to the side, the impact of the spikes stirring up the snow, as Owlflame made a run for it. Anubis jumped up from behind the snow cloud and raced off after her.
Owlflame leapt down a slope and slid down, leaving a snow cloud behind her. She was finally safe from the Equalists now...for now.
"Did I not tell you to not underestimate her?" she heard Anubis sigh to the Deputy.
Once she was away, Owlflame began dodging a couple of rocks in the snow, remembering her mentor telling her about surfing with ice. However, she tripped over a tree root and yelped as she was thrown onto her back and continued sliding down the slope. She finally came to a stop and hit a tree trunk as snow fell from its branches and onto her face. Owlflame just laid there on the spot, wounded and tired, hungry and weak. Blackness swept over her vision, and she fell away to an uneasy unconscious state of mind.
She thought she could hear snarls, barks, and yips before she felt a blood-scented tongue lap at her head. Owlflame looked up in time to see Nisa standing above her, licking gently at her blue-gray fur. Not far away were the bloody limp bodies of three foxes; Nisa must have killed the fox leader and its friends to keep her safe.
"N-Nisa?" she rasped, laying a paw on her wolf's head as her mount licked her. "You came looking for me...good girl."
Nisa nuzzled her and lowered her head to let her climb back onto her. Much like a rescue dog, the black she-wolf slowly trekked her way across the snow and back to United City. Owlflame laid down on the saddle, too tired and weak to move. After nearly a day without food, water, and proper rest, she was looking forward to a very long catnap. But most importantly, Hawkfrost had finally been defeated, thanks to Goldstar showing her the meaning of her visions.
Thanks, Goldstar.
...
As Ryu circled about downtown, Redblaze heard a long howl echo around the empty city streets. The howl sounded familiar, just like when she had first met a certain dire wolf Owlflame had kept as a pet.
"That sounds like Nisa," he told the pack. "Let's see if we can find her."
So Sunstar steered Ryu towards the howl, and the Asian Lung dragon flew to the outskirts of downtown. There was walking down the streets, with Owlflame on her back, as Ryu flew out from behind a building.
Redblaze felt relief in his mind as he called, "Down there!"
Down below, Nisa had looked up and barked while Ryu flew down to the ground. Redblaze was overjoyed to see Owlflame again...but she looked totally injured. Dried blood covered her left cheek, her claws looked chipped, and a rib or two had appeared from the inside. But still...she looked so peaceful with her eyes closed.
"Owlflame!" Sunstar yowled as he and Shard ran over towards her. "Thank StarClan!"
"Where's Hawkfrost?" Shard asked her in a low voice. "How did you get away?"
"Let her breathe," Redblaze meowed, shoving them aside quickly. "She needs space."
He looked down at the blue-gray she-cat sadly, her blood dried on her cheek and some shed fur missing from her tail. Emerald was looking at Redblaze with a little hurt and confusion in her green eyes, but he didn't look at her right now.
Instead, he buried his nose in her soft fur as he mewed, "I was so worried about you, Owlflame. Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine," Owlflame rasped as if she had greencough, but she looked up at him and sat up with a gentle smile. "I-I'm glad you're here...City Cat..."
At this, she closed her beautiful blue eyes and rested her head against Redblaze's shoulder. He gently got her onto his back before getting her onto Ryu and laying her gently on the saddle. Once on board, he bent down and started licking the dried blood away from her scarred cheek with his tongue.
"You're safe now," Redblaze murmured, brushing his muzzle against her scarred muzzle.
He looked into Owlflame's face and stood back up so she could finally take a was a tiring mission, but after all this trouble, Owlflame was safe. That was all that mattered. He felt guilty about being worried for her when he was Emerald's mate, but after being away from the Avatar Cat, he realized something deep inside him he had denied for a moon or two.
I can't deny it anymore, Owlflame. I love you.
To be continued...
...
AvatarCat12: You glad this is over, Asami?
Asami: (Looking sad) Yes...but I was still upset that Mako was sorta cheating on me. But I'm really happy he's with Korra now.
AvatarCat12: That's good; at least you're still friends. I feel a bit tired from all the running today. Would you like to say the review thing and the preview for The Turning Of Tides?
Asami: (Smiles) Sure. (To the readers) Everyone knows what to do, right? Just write down a review after you read this chapter. Those who do will get a virtual figurine of Goldstar vs. Nanulak or a figurine of Hawkfrost. We do not allow flames on this FanFic or others, but we welcome constructive criticism and advice, but just as long as it's not harsh.
Preview: As Owlflame recovers, Anubis and his Equalists begin to wreak havoc in United City. But while this is bad news, there is some good news: the deputy of FireClan and the United Forces are arriving to help fight the Equalists. With time running out and even Dawnfall having her third litter, will Owlflame and her friends fight off their foes?
Both: See ya next time! And Happy early Thanksgiving!