Chapter 10 Disaster arises

Out in the rustic forest, Elina and Firestar arrived at the river where they met Laverna and Tigerstar. It was quiet except for the sound of the wind and the trees making their rustling sound.

"We have to be strong" said Elina trying to sound courageously. But she felt very nervous.

Firestar kept a cautious look around; Tigerstar had tried to kill him many times and he had always beaten him.

"We know you and Laverna are out there Tigerstar!" called Firestar. "Show yourselves!"

But nobody answered and it seemed no one was there.

They then heard a sound.

"Laverna?" asked Elina.

"Tigerstar?" asked Firestar.

But it wasn't either of them, it was Linden. Bibble, Dizzle, Squirrelflight, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf were with him.

"Elina?!" called Linden.

"Firestar?!" called Squirrelflight, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf.

"Linden!" cried Elina.

Linden, the puffballs and the cats joined up to Elina and Firestar.

"What are you doing here?" cried Elina. "You guys have to go! It isn't safe for you here."

"I'm sorry Elina," interrupted Hollyleaf. "But we had to tell Linden. It's an emergency."

"Something happened to Azura!" cried Linden.

"What?!" asked Elina and Firestar worriedly.

"She's sick!" cried Lionblaze.

They quickly headed back to the guardian's dorm; there they had an awful sight! There lying on one of the beds was Azura unconscious. Leafpool was hovering next to her feeling her chest.

"NO!" cried Elina.

They flew inside, on another bed was Sunburst with an icepack on her forehead with Glee and Brambleclaw attending to her. Sandstorm, Ivypool and Dovewing were gathered around the room with grieving faces.

"Azura!" cried Elina sadly.

"She's alive," assured Glee. "She was poisoned by toad venom."

"We've been tricked Elina," said Firestar in realization. "Laverna sent you that message to lure us away from the grounds."

"So Laverna and Tigerstar poisoned Azura!" exclaimed Elina catching Firestar's sentence. The other cats nodded in agreement.

Just then Jayfeather, Shimmer, Lumina and Faban showed up, they had heard everything.

"And all the other guardians," added Shimmer sounding genuinely worried. "We looked for another guardian for help, and they're all in the same shape as Azura."

"It's true," confirmed Jayfeather. "I looked at them, they all had the same symptoms and conditions Azura has."

"Can you and Jayfeather do anything Leafpool?" asked Elina hopefully.

Leafpool lowered her head.

"I'm sorry Elina," she said. "But I don't have any cures for toad venom or if it would even work on fairies. But from what it seems, they'll live."

"Leafpool is right, they'll be alright eventually," assured Linden. "But it'll only wear off with time."

"But the flight of spring isn't far away," said Hollyleaf. "They won't recover in time."

"Where were you?" Faban asked Elina crossly. "You were supposed to be on patrol with Sunburst and Brambleclaw! If there were four of you, two could've gone for help!"

"Come on," defended Linden quickly. "This isn't Elina's fault!"

"Of course it's her fault!" snapped Shimmer. "We're just lucky the enchantress wasn't there, or we'd have lost her too!"

Ivypool was furious she flew over to shimmer and got in her face.

"Shimmer you are a MOUSEBRAIN!" snapped Ivypool. "You're just jealous of Elina because she save Fairytopia from Laverna twice and you're treating her like crowfood!"

Shimmer leaned back cowardly by Ivypool's lash she even looked hurt. Before she could try to argue back. Sunburst broke it up.

"It's not all Elina," she said kindly. "We should've fought harder, shouldn't have we Brambleclaw."

Brambleclaw nodded.

"None of you fairies know my father like I or the other cats do, he's a very strong and powerful cat, he's very clever, so it seems like nobody can stop him."

The cats were finding something suspicious about Brambleclaw. They all knew he was not above admitting that his father had the qualities a good warrior and leader had too, but he was talking about Tigerstar in a way as if he was idolizing him.

"And Laverna has to be the most powerful fairy ever!" declared Sunburst.

The fairies and the cats looked at each other in confusion.

"My head," sighed Sunburst. "I don't know what I'm saying."

Elina lowered her head in guilt.

"No, Shimmer's right," she said. "this is all my fault! I should've been here."

"So the guardians are unconscious," said Faban worriedly. "Who will do the flight of spring?"

"No one!" cried Lumina in her mystic voice. "I can see it. The flight of spring won't happen! All of Fairytopia is doomed!"

The fairies and the cats were worried, and Elina felt worst of all.

Back in Sunburst's dorm, Laverna and Hawkfrost/Brambleclaw were talking with Tigerstar. Laverna/Sunburst was humming and flashing sparkles around the room and talking into the mirror. Tigerstar laid on his stomach on the bed and Hawkfrost/Brambleclaw was peering out the door to watch for any cats or fairies.

"Isn't it wonderful Maxie!?" cried Laverna happily.

"It might be if I had any moisture left in my mouth!" complained Max making gasping and hacking sounds. "Who knew you'd need so much toad spit to poison seven guardians!"

"With the guardians out of commission," went on Laverna/Sunburst. "It's only a matter of time before…"

"Tigertar!" cried Hawkfrost/Brambleclaw frantically. "One of the other apprentices is coming. He mustn't find you here!"

Tigerstar quickly jump and hid behind the bed, just in time for Faban to peer in. he listened to what the conversation.

"Sunburst, Brambleclaw!" cried Faban. "We've just received word from the enchantress. She wants to see all the apprentices and the cats, it's about the flight of spring!"

"The Enchantress? Wow!" cried Sunburst/Laverna. "We'll be right there!"

Faban then left. Tigerstar come up from the bed.

"Well, it looks like plan is going along just excellently," declared Hawkfrost/Brambleclaw with an evil smirk.

"Don't you just love it when a plan comes together!?" cried Laverna/Sunburst delightedly.

"Very impressive!" declared Max. "Now about me still being a toad…"

"Never mind that now," declared Hawkfrost/Brambleclaw getting in the mirror. "Laverna and I have to go see the Enchantress now." With that Hawkfrost/Brambleclaw hung up the mirror.

"Soon we'll have the Enchantress and Elina vulnerable enough," declared Hawkfrost/Brambleclaw to his father.

"And Firestar too" added Tigerstar cunningly.

Author's note; In the next chapter you're gonna have some surprise guests