Chapter 13 the rescue

Bibble and Dizzle saw Elina and the cats looking around and quickly flew up next to them.

"Elina!" called Bibble in his own language.

Elina and the cats faced them.

"Bibble, Dizzle, we have to find the real Sunburst and Brambleclaw!" explained Elina.

"Sunburst and Brambleclaw could be anywhere!" cried Lionblaze.

"How are we gonna find them?" asked Squirrelflight."

"Think Elina, think!" cried Elina to herself out loud.

Elina then looked down at her reflection in the water.

"Water!" cried Elina.

The cats quickly caught Elina's idea.

"Of course," cried Ivypool. "Remember what Sunburst said? She's a sparkle fairy, when sparkle fairies touch water they lose all their powers. Laverna, Tigerstar and Hawkfrost would use that weakness against her."

"Yes," added Squirrelflight. "And Brambleclaw was obviously with Sunburst when Laverna and Hawkfrost caught them. So, wherever Sunburst is, Brambleclaw is there too."

With that they headed off to check every place with water on the grounds of the crystal palace.

The other apprentices were continuing the flight, the Enchantress and the other cats were watching proudly.

None of them (apart from Hawkfrost) knew that hiding on a balcony was Tigerstar watching with an evil smirk.

Elina, Bibble, Dizzle and the cats searched in water near the dormitories. There was nobody there.

"You know," said Squirreflight. "Remember when Brambleclaw went to talk to Sunburst in the rustic forest? Maybe that's where Laverna and Hawkfrost captured them."

"You're right Squirrelflight," agreed Firestar. "Let's check there."

Meanwhile back at the crystal palace, the apprentices were still doing the flight. The blush was rising higher and higher. Though nobody noticed that Elina, Firestar, Squirrelflight, Lionblaze and Ivypool weren't there.

Elina, the puffballs and the four cats arrived at the river in the rustic woods and there they got a horrible surprise.

There underwater was a magic bubble and in the bubble was the real Sunburst and Brambleclaw, unconscious.

"Sunburst!" cried Elina.

"Brambleclaw!" cried Squirrelflight.

Elina, Squirrelflight and Firestar held their breaths and dove down into the water.

They swam over to the bubble. Elina reached in and grabbed Sunburst's hands. Squirrelflight and Firestar each grabbed one of Brambleclaw's front paws. Sunburst and Brambleclaw both looked like they were trying to regain consciousness as soon as their hands/paws touched.

With all their strength Elina, Firestar and Squirrelflight pulled them free from the bubble which burst it.

The took them up and set them down on the ground.

The two were now fully recovered.

At first Ivypool thought Sunburst was gonna be ungrateful and berede them for not showing up sooner.

But then Sunburst spoke.

"Elina," she said gratefully. "Laverna and Hawkfrost they…"

"We know," said Elina. "And it's worst then you think."

Squirrelflight licked her mate.

"Are you alright?" she asked sweetly.

Brambleclaw smiled.

"Thanks to you two I am," he replied in relief. "I thought we were gonna be trapped down there forever!"

"Sorry it took so long," apologized Lionblaze. "We would've gotten here sooner."

"It's okay," assured Brambleclaw. "They had you all fooled."

He looked over at Firestar.

"Well, well, well, Firestar," he teased. "Once again you show up to save me when I need you." Remembering when Firestar saved him from a fire as a kit and when in Mermaidia, after saving Firestar and Nori the mermaid from a plant cage, he and Elina almost got caught by them too, but Firestar and Nori saved them in return.

Firestar smiled back playfully. But then grew serious again.

"We have to get you two back to the Crystal palace."

Quickly, the nine friends flew back as fast as they could to the palace.