“That stinking, no-good, flea-ridden mouse-eater!” Jay shook off Zane and Nya’s arms, raging. “He jumped me! He waited for me in the alley and jumped me and stuffed me in the trash can like I was a garbage bag! Where’re our claw-weapon-things?!” He groaned, holding up a scratched arm. “I’m gonna get him back for this.” “If Talon jumped Jay here,” Nya gasped. “Then that ‘Jay’ we saw wasn’t Jay—!” “Lloyd!” Zane whirled around and raced out of the alley. “Look out!”
* * *
Lloyd and Jay ducked in and out of the alleyways of the little village, brushing past startled villagers. As they ran they kept glancing overhead at the rooftops, scanning for the dark tabby. Leaving the town square behind, they at last slowed, finding yet another dead end between two large buildings. Lloyd stared dismally at the only result of their search: a pile of garbage. Frustrated, he heaved a sigh. “It’s no use. He’s probably long gone.” “Yes.” Jay began to back away from Lloyd, eyes narrowed. “Still, there’s a chance we can find him. You go catch up with the others, and I’ll check out the main street. Perhaps someone’s seen him there.” “No, he wouldn’t go that way. Most likely, he’d have continued hopping across the rooftops and found a path leading out the village.” Lloyd bit his lip beneath his mask, thinking quickly. “Come on, let’s—” “That wasn’t a suggestion.” Lloyd turned and stared at Jay. “Huh? What’re you—?” Jay’s eyes flashed green. Lloyd unsheathed his katana just as the werecat lunged himself at him. Lloyd found himself slammed to the ground. Claws slashed for his face, but he turned his head so that they merely grazed his ear—painful as that was. In turn he stabbed the sword up at Jay. An eery yowl burst from Jay, his face turning white. He threw himself backwards and rolled away, just as his body shifted and shrunk. Lloyd stumbled to his feet, gripping his stained sword with both hands, and faced Eagle Talon. The werecat was now in his nekomata form. He kept his furry head low with his ears flat, glaring up at the human. He favored his bleeding forepaw.
“I have my ways. Just like I happen to remember something my mother told me a long time ago, when I was just a kitten.” Talon’s gaze remained on Cole’s dad. His voice quivered. “About the name of a certain ‘tom’ she knew… a cat she loved.” His face twisted into a scowl. “At least, I hoped it was a cat. I wanted him to be a cat.” Cole’s mind reeled with confusion. “What… are you talking about?” “Brookstone. That’s your name, isn’t it?” Talon closed his eyes, as if bracing himself. “Did you know my mother?” When a reply didn’t come, Talon’s eyes flashed open like green fire. He yanked out the knife from the sheathe hanging across his chest and pointed it at Mr. Brookstone, before Cole could do anything about it. “Did you know my mother?” “I—” “Tell me the truth!” he snarled. “I just want the truth!” “Talon—!” Cole tried to interject. “Tell me!” “OK, yes!” Mr. Brookstone cried. “Yes, I knew Silver Mist! Before all those snake wars started, years ago. I was just a teenager. We were…” His face grew red. “We were close. Very close.” Cole finally began to realize what this was about. Half-breed, half-breed! Eagle Feather and Tiny Paw are half-breeds! The voice of a young kitten chanted in his ears. He remembered the memories he’d seen when sharing minds with Talon, under Twig Foot’s power that night, in the bandit castle. Those rumors about Eagle Talon and Black Blood’s father… “No,” he whispered. Half-breed. Eagle Talon’s eyes widened. Even though he had been the one to voice the question, he looked just as shocked as Cole felt. “How close?” Mr. Brookstone hesitated. “How close?” Talon's voice broke. Lou closed his eyes. “We— we were lovers.” Dead silence. Cole actually felt the blood drain down from his face. None of the spectators dared make a sound. Talon’s face was equally ashen. “No.” Cole broke the silence. He felt as if someone had kicked him in the stomach. He staggered back, head reeling. “No. No, no, no.” Half-breed!
Mr. Brookstone stared pleadingly at his son. “It was a long time ago! We were both so young, it was before I met your mother… I hadn’t always known Silver Mist was— one of those creatures, a cat warrior—but when I did find out, I still loved her. B— but then the Serpentine Wars started, and there was so much fear and confusion…!” He stammered helplessly, “We parted ways, and she went back to her tribe, but— but I didn’t know she was…” All Cole could do was shake his head helplessly. “No, no, no— please, no…” The knife fell from Talon’s hand, clattering on the floor. Mr. Brookstone leaned against a windowsill behind him for support. He stared at Eagle Talon. “And— and you’re her son?” “I’m your son,” Talon replied dazedly. “I never knew my father. Silver Mist never told me who he was. Just his name.” “Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Liana rasped, finally speaking up. She stared unblinkingly in their direction. “If— if you’re Eagle Talon’s father—” She gestured vaguely at Mr. Brookstone. “And—and you’re also Cole’s father… then—” “That means… ” Jay whispered. “They’re—!” Wu exclaimed. “Brothers,” Cole and Eagle Talon chorused.
WHAT?!?!!! O_O
I did not see this coming. o_o Tigress you mad lad (mad lass?) o-o
“I have my ways. Just like I happen to remember something my mother told me a long time ago, when I was just a kitten.” Talon’s gaze remained on Cole’s dad. His voice quivered. “About the name of a certain ‘tom’ she knew… a cat she loved.” His face twisted into a scowl. “At least, I hoped it was a cat. I wanted him to be a cat.” Cole’s mind reeled with confusion. “What… are you talking about?” “Brookstone. That’s your name, isn’t it?” Talon closed his eyes, as if bracing himself. “Did you know my mother?” When a reply didn’t come, Talon’s eyes flashed open like green fire. He yanked out the knife from the sheathe hanging across his chest and pointed it at Mr. Brookstone, before Cole could do anything about it. “Did you know my mother?” “I—” “Tell me the truth!” he snarled. “I just want the truth!” “Talon—!” Cole tried to interject. “Tell me!” “OK, yes!” Mr. Brookstone cried. “Yes, I knew Silver Mist! Before all those snake wars started, years ago. I was just a teenager. We were…” His face grew red. “We were close. Very close.” Cole finally began to realize what this was about. Half-breed, half-breed! Eagle Feather and Tiny Paw are half-breeds! The voice of a young kitten chanted in his ears. He remembered the memories he’d seen when sharing minds with Talon, under Twig Foot’s power that night, in the bandit castle. Those rumors about Eagle Talon and Black Blood’s father… “No,” he whispered. Half-breed. Eagle Talon’s eyes widened. Even though he had been the one to voice the question, he looked just as shocked as Cole felt. “How close?” Mr. Brookstone hesitated. “How close?” Talon's voice broke. Lou closed his eyes. “We— we were lovers.” Dead silence. Cole actually felt the blood drain down from his face. None of the spectators dared make a sound. Talon’s face was equally ashen. “No.” Cole broke the silence. He felt as if someone had kicked him in the stomach. He staggered back, head reeling. “No. No, no, no.” Half-breed!
Mr. Brookstone stared pleadingly at his son. “It was a long time ago! We were both so young, it was before I met your mother… I hadn’t always known Silver Mist was— one of those creatures, a cat warrior—but when I did find out, I still loved her. B— but then the Serpentine Wars started, and there was so much fear and confusion…!” He stammered helplessly, “We parted ways, and she went back to her tribe, but— but I didn’t know she was…” All Cole could do was shake his head helplessly. “No, no, no— please, no…” The knife fell from Talon’s hand, clattering on the floor. Mr. Brookstone leaned against a windowsill behind him for support. He stared at Eagle Talon. “And— and you’re her son?” “I’m your son,” Talon replied dazedly. “I never knew my father. Silver Mist never told me who he was. Just his name.” “Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Liana rasped, finally speaking up. She stared unblinkingly in their direction. “If— if you’re Eagle Talon’s father—” She gestured vaguely at Mr. Brookstone. “And—and you’re also Cole’s father… then—” “That means… ” Jay whispered. “They’re—!” Wu exclaimed. “Brothers,” Cole and Eagle Talon chorused.
WHAT?!?!!! O_O
I did not see this coming. o_o Tigress you mad lad (mad lass?) o-o
“Give me the moonstone, Talon.” Lloyd stifled a sneeze. He could feel his nose stuffing up. The cat bared his teeth in a sardonic smile. “Fox dung to that.” “Fox dung, yourself!” Lloyd charged. Talon jumped backwards, dodging the sword by a hair. He arched his back and fluffed up his fur, which made him look twice as big. “Don’t make me kill you, Lloyd. Black Blood wants to do that herself.” “You won’t kill me.” Lloyd retorted, blinking through puffy, red-rimmed eyes. “You love Little Leaf too much for that.” Talon darted for the entrance of the alley. Lloyd raced him to it and swung the sword across the entrance. The blade clanged against the stone walls just before Talon’s face, trapping him inside with the ninja. “How could you do this? Cole’s your brother!” Lloyd demanded. “And Black Blood’s my sister.” Talon sprang low and barreled into Lloyd’s legs, sending them both toppling onto the ground. They wrestled wildly, Lloyd grunting and Talon growling. Lloyd kneed the big cat in his soft belly. Just as Talon let out a pained “Oomf”, Lloyd lunged upwards and shoved his opponent down to the ground, immediately placing himself atop the werecat. Talon shifted into his human form. Lloyd saw the blue-silver moonstone glimmer in his right hand. He grabbed for it. Claws from Talon’s left hand slashed for his face. Lloyd reeled back, dodging the blow, then jabbed the blade of the sword just beneath Talon’s jawline. Talon froze in place. The ninja and the warrior cat glared at each other. Lloyd grunted, “Give me the moonstone.” “You’ll have to end me first!” Talon twisted his head down and snatched the sword’s blade by his teeth, yanking on it. Lloyd held onto the sword, then let go. Talon’s head flew backwards, catching him by surprise. The weapon clattered in his jaws, catching the flesh around his mouth. He spat it out, angrily, rasping his tongue over the cuts. The feline features retreated into his skull, slowly becoming human again.
“Give me the moonstone!” Lloyd held Talon down by sitting on his chest, grabbing his neck with one hand and gripping his left wrist with the other. Talon snarled and snapped his half-cat jaws in Lloyd’s face. The ninja barely flinched. “Give—me—the—moonstone!” he shouted. Talon’s eyes flashed. “You want the moonstone?” Lloyd didn’t see the moonstone when it smashed into his head.
* * *
Black Blood paced restlessly. She and forty other cats, all in their small bakeneko forms, were waiting on the top of a hill that overlooked the village. Many as the cats were, they were hidden well by the tall grass and pine trees. They were close enough to the human town that the cats could make out the individual villagers going about their day in the stone streets, but far enough away that any humans who happened to glance up at the nearby hill by the farming fields would not be able to see the many cats lying in wait. Yet even if a villager did see them, who in all of Ninjago would suspect a group of simple feral cats planning to attack a town? “Perhaps Eagle Talon was caught by the Sons and Daughters.” Black Blood stared coolly at the cat who’d spoken: Lion Claw, who was sitting neatly alongside Raven Frost, Broken Fang, Rip Claw, and Sky Pelt. They, as well as the army of cats, had all been waiting on the hill for some time, having just traveled all the way from the northern mountains. Black Blood responded to the large, scarred golden tom. “Eagle Talon would have sent me a message if he had been captured. He is not a mouse-brain.” Lion Claw inclined his head. “Unless the Sons and Daughters got rid of him before he could warn you.” “The Sons and Daughters of the Elements do not destroy,” Black Blood sniffed. “They are too weak and foolish for that.” “Tell that to Twig Foot,” Broken Fang muttered. Black Blood glared icily at the female cat and opened her jaws to reply, but she was interrupted by the sound of swishing grass as some animal barreled its way through. Every cat stiffened and bristled.
Eagle Talon bounded into the clearing. The young tom was bristling, panting for breath, and limping on one forepaw. Blood trickled from his mouth. “Eagle Talon!” Black Blood met her brother, briefly touching her nose to his ear—almost a sign of affection, which was rare for her. “What happened?” “I got it.” He spat out something on the ground. The cats gasped in union as they realized a dark moonstone glittering in the dirt. Black Blood’s green eyes widened with surprise. “How?” “It wasn’t easy, but I got it.” Talon shook himself. “All right, we’ve got the sixth moonstone. Now let’s go.” “Oh, we’re not leaving. Not while the Sons and Daughters are still here.” Eagle Talon blinked and stared at her. “What do you mean? Isn’t the moonstone enough?” “If the ninja were clever enough to find the moonstone before we did, then there is a chance they might do it again,” she replied, and inclined her head to the village below. “I think we ought to take care of these spinning, hairless rats before they do worse damage.” She couldn’t hide the note of cruel delight in her voice. Something like fear flickered in Talon’s gaze. “Please, Blood, let’s just go. It’s not worth it.” Was that… desperation she heard? A faint quiver betrayed something. She swung her head back to her littermate. He swallowed under her gaze. “What is it?” she murmured, too quietly for the other warriors to hear. “What did you discover in the village?” She could tell her brother was trying to feign ignorance. “What, you mean besides the moonstone? Nothing, the ninja are just running around trying to find me in the alleys. Come on, let’s just go home—” Black Blood lunged for Eagle Talon and slammed him to the ground, digging her claws into his neck fur. As he gasped for breath, she hissed, “Don’t you lie to me, Talon. Don’t you dare lie to me.” “I’m… not—!” “I’ll be the judge of that.” Summoning the invisible power she was so accustomed to now, she delved herself into Talon’s mind. A face of an old, gray-furred human tom floated in Talon’s head, and Black Blood grabbed at it to view it closely. Two words came with this recent memory-image: Lou Brookstone.
Then another word: Father. The blood in Black Blood’s veins ran cold. For a moment, she just stood there, still gripping Talon down with her claws. Shock made her head reel. Talon saw the look in her eyes. She could smell his fear rising. “Black Blood, no, he hasn’t done anything—!” Black Blood shoved her brother away and turned to the sorcerers. “Lion Claw, you lead Bramble Berry’s team down the entrance of the village, down west a ways. It’s not far. Broken Fang and Rip Claw, I want you to take the rest and come at the near side of the town. Set as many houses on fire and strike as many people as possible. Let no creature stand in your way. “Sky Pelt, you, Ivy Wing, and Rock Tail will patrol the outskirts and warn us if reinforcements arrive or similar trouble. Come to think of it, set the farming fields on fire while you’re at it, Sky Pelt. Perhaps it will do these humans good if they’re the ones without food this winter—” “Black Blood,” Eagle Talon interjected hastily. “What are you going to do during all this?” His sister stared coolly at him. “I’m going to right the wrongs done to our mother.” She flicked her tails at the sorcerers, then darted away. “W—wait!” Talon ignored the stares of the other cats as he flung himself at Black Blood, utterly desperate. They left the clearing where the army was, and Talon raised his voice as they drew further away. “Black Blood, no! He didn’t do anything! Just leave him alone, he’s only a helpless old human tom—!” “He ruined Silver Mist’s honor!” Black Blood roared. Her eyes blazed into Talon’s, revealing the mad fury within. “He ruined our lives! He made us work twice as hard for everything: for our honor in the clan, for our full names, for our acceptance as fellow warriors, everything! Just by existing. Just by being our father.” She trembled with anger. “I’ll make him pay. I’ll make him hurt, make him hurt like I have. Don’t you dare try to stop me,” she added when Talon took another breath to speak. “Or I swear to Ember Star, you will go the same way as he does.”
Eagle Talon wasn’t sure if she actually meant what it sounded like she said, but he was not willing to try crossing the line. Yet… He pressed his consciousness into Black Blood’s mind, seeking out the thoughts she had surrounding Brookstone. Perhaps he could calm her, seek out the root of her anger, and— He almost staggered backwards, utterly stunned by the hot, fiery emotion that stung and burned to feel in his head. It was like a cornered animal; it slashed and clawed and burned and stung in Talon’s brain, like a never-ending storm. Hate. Just pure, raging, built-up, aching hatred. There was so much of it. “Black Blood—” Talon tried again. The black cat brushed past him and disappeared into the tall grass, running as fast as the wind. Eagle Talon stood by and watched her, mostly out of feeling dazed and helpless than anything else. The feeling of horror grew as he officially realized what Black Blood planned to do. She was going after Lou Brookstone, and it wasn’t for a happy family reunion. Not for the first time that afternoon, Talon thought, What have I done?
* * *
“Lloyd!” Misako leapt to her feet when the door to the Bounty’s bridge burst open and Zane and Jay hurried in. Between them they held up Lloyd. His head rolled feebly around his shoulders, and a bright red color stained one side of his head, soaking through the mop of blond hair. “What happened?” she demanded as the boys helped their friend to a chair. She glared suspiciously at Matilda when the witch walked in. She was closely followed by Wu, Little Leaf, Nya, Liana, and Cole. The ninja and their friends had parked the Destiny’s Bounty nearby the village, so after they had discovered a wounded Lloyd lying prostrate in a dirty alley, it’d only taken a few minutes for them to carry him to the ship. “Eagle Talon happened,” Zane responded darkly. “He followed us here. He stole the sixth moonstone that we had only just gotten from Mr. Brookstone, and he tricked us by shifting into Jay’s form while we were pursuing him.”
Misako looked stunned. “I thought this Eagle Talon was a friend of ours.” “So did we,” Nya muttered. “Turns out getting the moonstone pieces to the Moon Tribe is more important to Talon than friendship—or family,” she added. Cole felt the others’ gazes fall briefly on him. He looked away. Lloyd interrupted their thoughts. “Ah-CHIEE!” “I’ll get the first-aid kit.” Misako turned to leave. “No need, I’ll just give the boy a quick swig of this.” Matilda revealed a small glass bottle from the leather pouch on her belt and started toward Lloyd. “Don’t touch him,” Misako snapped, whirling around to glare at Matilda. “I won’t have you hurting my son again.” The witch scowled. “Merlin’s beard, Koko, this is a healing potion. Hear that? Heal-ing. It’ll fix his head in a jiffy and he can go running around again with the others.” “I don’t like your magic or your potions,” Misako retorted, stepping up to where Lloyd was seated. “What can magic do that good old-fashioned healing won’t?” “Make it go faster, for one.” “I don’t care how—” Lloyd groaned, “Mom, let ’er gib me teh potion.” Seated between them in the chair, he gave the women a look of mingled pleading and annoyance. “Just quit argub’ing, b’ease. I’ve had dis stuff before, it workth.” Misako hesitated, then muttered, “All right.” She watched cautiously as Matilda handed Lloyd the bottle and he took a small sip. “You can catch up with us, Lloyd, once you’ve fully recovered.” Wu strode across the room, heading toward a wooden trunk set aside against the wall. Misako asked sharply, “Catch up? Where are you going?” “Eagle Talon told Black Blood where we are, and now she’s probably on her way here with her entire warrior cat army,” Nya responded grimly. Liana added, “We have to get down there and protect the people. If we know Black Blood, she’s probably gonna hurt as many innocent families as much as she can while going after us.”
Matilda, whilst scrutinizing Lloyd’s head wound, muttered, “What I really want to know is, how did that cat track us down? We flew down here in the Bounty, so we didn’t even leave a scent trail for the most talented bloodhound to follow. I’m sure none of us said anything about where Mr. Brookstone lived, but he seemed to know exactly where we were…” Cole gulped. Matilda’s words hit him like a blow to the stomach. He now remembered how, when he and Liana had been in the forest, he’d felt a funny tingling sensation that was a little like mind-bending, and that had been when Eagle Talon had appeared. It was as if he could sense the werecat’s presence. What if when Cole had communicated with Talon through mind-bending, he’d given Talon a way to trace him? What if Talon had used the mind-bending connection Cole had so eagerly obliged him to track him down to his father’s house? He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Umm…” Everyone looked at him. He took a breath and said. “I don’t know if there’s a connection or not, but— maybe the reason Talon could find us so easily was because that he and I… We were mind-bending together.” “What?” Liana exclaimed, startled. “When?” “Last night. And this morning. I stopped contact after we met Kohuru and he ran off, but—” He shifted anxiously on his feet. “I feel this connection to him now. Like I can sense when his presence is nearby. I thought it was just me at first, but maybe it’s because we’ve been reading each others’ thoughts and sharing memories…” His voice trailed off when he saw Matilda’s face. Her eyes were blazing, burning through him like fire. Her hands rolled into fists. “You and Talon were… mind-bending together?” “I believe that is what Cole just said,” Zane said helpfully. Matilda walked up to Cole and slapped him in the face. “You stupid— mouse-brain! You stupid, idiotic mouse-brain!”
Stunned, Cole rubbed his stinging cheek and tried to retreat. Matilda advanced, shouting angrily. “Didn’t I tell you mind-bending involved a connection between you and the other person?! Why would you bend with Eagle Talon, of all people? Why not Jay? Why not Liana? Why not Lloyd? They aren’t angry shape-shifters trying to take over Ninjago! I thought you were smart enough to know better than to throw your powers around like that—!” “That’s enough! This is no time for debating over what has been done!” Wu interjected with uncharacteristic fierceness. Cole turned in time to catch the pair of steel tekko-kagi claws the old man tossed him. Wu was holding the box of the new weapons and handing them out to the ninja. “The Moon Tribe will be here any moment. We must warn the people to flee the area, and protect them from the tribe. Put these on.” He gestured to the steel claws in Cole’s hands. “You know how the Moon Tribe likes to fight their enemies. It is time you show them that you can fight just as well as a cat warrior.” Nya, Liana, and Jay were already strapping theirs on when Zane realized something. “The tracers. For Liana’s bow. We should put those on, so that she will not shoot us in battle.” “We’re going to be fighting in close quarters, so she may not have a chance to shoot anything,” Nya pointed out. “Better safe than sorry.” A loud boom suddenly rang through the air. Though distant and nowhere near the Destiny’s Bounty, it was enough to make everyone in the room jump. People’s panicked screams were not long in following the explosion. The ninja looked at each other, all thinking the same thing. “We’ve gotta hurry.” Jay put on his mask.
* * *
Armed each with their own preferred weapons, tekko-kagi claws strapped to their hands, and what little mind-bending they knew, the ninja raced from the Destiny’s Bounty back into the village. Some people were fleeing from the western side of the village while others were running toward it. More were simply standing in the roads by their houses and the local businesses, looking bewildered. Cole grabbed one passing man by the shoulder. “What happened?”
“I don’t know.” The man looked anxious. “I just heard Johnson’s place had a fire or something. I’m going to make sure my family’s all right.” Cole let him go and turned to the others. “Exploding houses. Does that sound like the Moon Tribe to you?” “Maybe a Moon Tribe warrior using Kai’s powers,” Nya replied grimly. “The sorcerers can make their own fire, too,” Liana pointed out. “Either way, it’s the Moon Tribe.” “We’d better get over there. We can’t let them hurt the villagers. Come on.” Cole started down the street. The others were following when Master Wu glanced over his shoulder. Suddenly, he ordered, “Wait!” The ninja stopped. Lloyd, gripping his katana in one hand, asked, “What?” Wu didn’t reply. He only stared at a spot several yards away from where the ninja were. Matilda, Lloyd, Zane, Cole, Nya, and Jay followed his gaze. The entrance to the village stood there, leading out to a cobblestone path that wound down from the little hill the town sat on. The country hillsides spread out beyond that, with the hazy silhouettes of mountains just barely visible against the dark gray sky. Thunder growled menacingly in the distance. Liana jumped at the unexpected rumble, and steadied her grip on her nunchucks. At first, Cole wasn’t sure what Master Wu was looking at. Aside from the few people standing in the street looking confused, there was nothing remarkable about the open entrance. He opened his mouth to ask what they were looking at. Then he saw them. Cats. Normal-sized, normal-looking cats. First it was just one: a broad-shouldered, golden-furred cat with one torn ear and an ugly scar running down the back of his neck. It was followed by a smaller, cream-colored cat with gray spots dotting its back and tail. Then a few more. Some tabbies, some spotted, some big, some small. They made no sound. They simply appeared from the grass and walked down the street. They crossed the threshold into the village, padding silently on the cobblestones. “What—?” Liana began. Nya hissed grimly, “Cats.”
“I don’t know.” The man looked anxious. “I just heard Johnson’s place had a fire or something. I’m going to make sure my family’s all right.” Cole let him go and turned to the others. “Exploding houses. Does that sound like the Moon Tribe to you?” “Maybe a Moon Tribe warrior using Kai’s powers,” Nya replied grimly. “The sorcerers can make their own fire, too,” Liana pointed out. “Either way, it’s the Moon Tribe.” “We’d better get over there. We can’t let them hurt the villagers. Come on.” Cole started down the street. The others were following when Master Wu glanced over his shoulder. Suddenly, he ordered, “Wait!” The ninja stopped. Lloyd, gripping his katana in one hand, asked, “What?” Wu didn’t reply. He only stared at a spot several yards away from where the ninja were. Matilda, Lloyd, Zane, Cole, Nya, and Jay followed his gaze. The entrance to the village stood there, leading out to a cobblestone path that wound down from the little hill the town sat on. The country hillsides spread out beyond that, with the hazy silhouettes of mountains just barely visible against the dark gray sky. Thunder growled menacingly in the distance. Liana jumped at the unexpected rumble, and steadied her grip on her nunchucks. At first, Cole wasn’t sure what Master Wu was looking at. Aside from the few people standing in the street looking confused, there was nothing remarkable about the open entrance. He opened his mouth to ask what they were looking at. Then he saw them. Cats. Normal-sized, normal-looking cats. First it was just one: a broad-shouldered, golden-furred cat with one torn ear and an ugly scar running down the back of his neck. It was followed by a smaller, cream-colored cat with gray spots dotting its back and tail. Then a few more. Some tabbies, some spotted, some big, some small. They made no sound. They simply appeared from the grass and walked down the street. They crossed the threshold into the village, padding silently on the cobblestones. “What—?” Liana began. Nya hissed grimly, “Cats.”
As in Cats, the movie?! My goodness, this is terrible indeed... o_o
I don't think I can properly describe how on edge and worried I am for, well, everyone, after all these recent story parts. Black Blood's intense hatred left me shook, but seeing this evolve into a full-blown Brookstone Family Drama™ is both morbid and hilarious (in a good way. Lou had it coming xD). This is amazing, Tigress!!
“It was probably overheated,” he replied, shaking his head. “You should have remembered to refresh the intercombustiongravitationaldoowhopililithingie at the end of every flight.” ***
Ha! I love that. XD Wait- the word gravitation is in there! I love it even more now.
![[y]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/WYWPH2VRo26pOFDid7QZ.png)
![[derp]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/YqNTPqyQUocVMYXZgUAI.png)