“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!!
Now that would be a truly horrid plot twist. o_o xD
“Why in the world would—?” Mr. Brookstone stopped abruptly, frowning. “Unless… Wait. Just wait a moment.” He got up from his chair and walked away quickly, disappearing up the flight of stairs. Everyone stayed in place, waiting expectantly. “We’re so close, guys,” Liana murmured, smiling with barely-suppressed hope. She sat squeezed in between Zane and Lloyd on the couch. “We’re almost there.” “Even securing one moonstone for us will ensure success,” Zane replied, sharing her smile. “Without even one of them, Black Blood cannot gain her nine lives.” “You lot just have to make sure you don’t screw up,” Matilda muttered, leaning against the wall. She was twirling her wand idly between her fingers, looking almost disinterested. “Or that what we saw and what Brookstone Senior might have is actually a real moonstone, one of the ones taken from the Moon Tribe caves.” “You’re optimistic,” Cole responded dryly. “And by the way, what is it between you and my dad?” “Whatever in Ninjago is that supposed to mean?” she retorted with a faint smirk. “You don’t seem to like him,” Jay piped up. He stood beside Little Leaf to the left of the couch. The witch snorted. “I don’t like anyone.” “I think you like us,” Liana said teasingly. “You just won’t admit it, because you like it when everyone thinks you’re just a jerk.” Matilda’s eyes flashed. “Who’s calling who a ‘jerk’, young lady?” “I agree with Liana, actually,” Jay grinned. “You’re probably not as bad as you make yourself out to be.” “Notice your friend Cole here, who is known to have a pretty darn big mouth,” Matilda flicked her wand at Cole. “is presently keeping his trap shut. You might want to consider that he might know me a little better than you do, lightning bug.” Now it was Cole’s turn to smile. “Watch out, Jay. She might turn you into a bunny. I’ve seen her do that before.” “Or take away your voice,” Liana said, eyes lighting up. “Or make the ground beneath you disappear,” Cole chuckled. “Or blow you up,” Liana added gleefully. Jay frowned. “Uh, is there some kind of story here I’m not getting—?” “Is this it?”
Startled, everyone looked at the doorway of the living room. A woman stood there, her back straight and tall and her blue eyes staring coldly at Mr. Brookstone. Long, curly blond hair fell in many waves down her back and over her bare shoulders, framing her pretty face. She wore nothing but baggy pants and a sleeveless gi-like shirt, accommodated by a leather baldric of sorts that carried a single hunting knife over the left side of her torso—the outfit looked more suited to a larger man than the small woman. Aside from the leather baldric, everything she wore was made of animal skins, even the cloth belt holding it all together. Cole gasped. He had no idea who this woman was, but he knew the clothing of a Moon Tribe shape-shifter when he saw it. He opened his mouth to shout a warning to his father. Matilda pointed her wand at the woman and took a breath to shout a spell. Little Leaf’s face blanched with recognition. She inhaled to say the name of the person in front of them. But Lou Brookstone beat her to it, astonishing all.
* * *
Ahh!! Who's that and what's she doing there?!! O.O Wait a minute-!
**** Akiak hesitated, then reached out and gripped her hand. The movement took her by surprise. “I’ll help Kissimi. I’ll help all of them.” His gaze was earnest. “I know now that this is all wrong. These innocent families are being tormented and destroyed because of my people. I’m going to make a change.” He set his jaw grimly. He spoke as if he were taking a solemn vow. “I don’t know how, but I will. I’ll help them fight this. I’ll help them make things right.” There was something final about the way he spoke. Perhaps they all knew this would be the last time they would see Skylor. The distant boom of cannons and cries of soldiers added to this grim note. Skylor squeezed his hand back, nodding. She didn’t need to speak to acknowledge his promise. He let go of her hand and stepped back.
Abruptly, Kissimi threw herself at Skylor and hugged her tight. Her voice was muffled by her face pressing against Skylor’s uniform. “I would have liked it if you were my sister.” Something within Skylor hurt at those words. Stunned, she stood there in silence… then couched down and returned Kissimi’s embrace. “Goodbye, Kissimi.” Reluctantly Skylor pulled away and found herself blinking back tears. Starting down th slope, she cast one last glance at Kissimi and Akiak. They were standing together; Akiak had a hand upon Kissimi’s shoulder while the girl cried quietly. “Now go,” Skylor murmured. Akiak hesitated. He looked as if there were more he wanted to say. “Go!” she snapped. The private took the native child’s hand and darted away with her. Within seconds, both of them disappeared over the rise of the hill. Resolve hardening, Skylor gripped the blaster in one hand and removed one glove with the other. As she walked she rubbed her fingers together and summoned a spark of electricity—the Element of Lightning. Several hundred meters away, she could see the soldiers gaining. Their gray armor and gold emblems on their caps flashed in the sunlight. When she could just barely make out the individual faces of the men, she stopped. She faced the line of soldiers on the mountainside, the ground slanting down from her so that she had the high ground. The men struggled up through the snow. A few hollered curses at her, though she could barely make them out over the wind that had begun to blow. She took a long, deep breath. Energy coursed inside her, in both her body and her mind. Mixed elements of fire, water, air, and earth began to surge and pulse, as if the very energy she’d absorbed and carried could sense the tension in the air and wanted to break free. Yet she stood her ground. She wanted the Polarians to come to her, so that she could show them who they were dealing with. An order from the back of the group of men had them all take out their pistols and aim up at Skylor. They stopped less than thirty meters of where she stood. Tulimaq’s voice called out, unseen. “Aim!”
“Silver Mist?!” Silver Mist? Cole’s mind reeled. That was the name of Eagle Talon, Little Leaf, and Black Blood’s mother. He’d even seen her himself, when he and Talon had exchanged dreams. He’d witnessed her demise. If this was Silver Mist, then how…? Cole had barely begun to wonder about this impossible phenomenon when the woman in the doorway spoke. Her eyes were cold as she spat in reply to Mr. Brookstone. “No. Her son.” Her form shifted and twisted, her body changing into a young, masculine human form. Cole recognized the dark-haired teenager even before the transformation was complete. “Eagle Talon!?”Most in the room gasped. Jay leapt to his feet and whipped his nunchucks from his belt, glaring at the werecat with open hostility. Matilda’s wand dropped as she gaped in surprise. Everyone else seemed too stunned to move. “What— what are you doing here!?” Little Leaf demanded. “And why—?” “Who is this?” Mr. Brookstone demanded. His face looked ashen. Cole opened his mouth to reply, but Eagle Talon beat him to it. “I am Eagle Talon, son of Silver Mist, warrior of the Tribe of the Moon.” The young man’s face was hard, yet Cole noticed his hands were shaking. “Silver Mist,” Mr. Brookstone repeated, almost as if in a trance. His eyes were wide with blatant shock. “Is— is she still in the tribe? Where is she?” Cole felt as if someone had knocked him in the head. He stared at his father incredulously. “You knew her?” “She’s dead,” Talon spat, ignoring Cole. He gazed only at Lou. “She was killed by hunters. A long time ago.” Mr. Brookstone inhaled sharply, looking stricken—much to Cole’s increasing confusion. “What are you doing here?!” Jay advanced, nunchucks gripped tightly. “How’d you find us?”
1. Oh! That makes sense! I wondered if it was him in disguise. XD 2. He knew her?! This could confirm a theory I have.
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.
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I suspected something was up, especially with the half-breed thing! But wow! They're brothers!!! YUS!!! Haha, I love this plot twist!! WAIT, that means Black Blood is his sister! O.O
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?
Abruptly, Kissimi threw herself at Skylor and hugged her tight. Her voice was muffled by her face pressing against Skylor’s uniform. “I would have liked it if you were my sister.” Something within Skylor hurt at those words. Stunned, she stood there in silence… then couched down and returned Kissimi’s embrace. “Goodbye, Kissimi.” Reluctantly Skylor pulled away and found herself blinking back tears. Starting down th slope, she cast one last glance at Kissimi and Akiak. They were standing together; Akiak had a hand upon Kissimi’s shoulder while the girl cried quietly. “Now go,” Skylor murmured. Akiak hesitated. He looked as if there were more he wanted to say. “Go!” she snapped. The private took the native child’s hand and darted away with her. Within seconds, both of them disappeared over the rise of the hill. *snip* She faced the line of soldiers on the mountainside, the ground slanting down from her so that she had the high ground. *snip*
*snip* “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.
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I suspected something was up, especially with the half-breed thing! But wow! They're brothers!!! YUS!!! Haha, I love this plot twist!! WAIT, that means Black Blood is his sister! O.O
aksjadhaslda thanks!! i dont know what to feel anymore XDD
The villagers gawked at the felines. There were over a dozen now. The golden-pelted cat stopped once they crossed into the village. The rest of them followed suit. All the humans witnessing their arrival, completely taken aback by the bizarre appearance, simply stared at the cats in utter bewilderment. Even the ninja, for that moment, only watched, startled more than anything else. Then, the town dogs began barking. All at once. Their howls and cries spilt the air—almost desperately. Several dogs burst from an alleyway and raced into the street, barking loudly. They stopped when they were close enough to see the individual cats. The cats stiffened at the sound of the ferocious sounds, but stood their ground. They glared coolly at the canines. The few mutts in turn growled, and bared their fangs as they barked again. Every hair on their backs stood up. The golden-pelted cat’s eyes narrowed. Zane saw the dangerous look in its eyes. “Look out—!” “Warriors, attack!” Lion Claw shifted into his human form with a screeching caterwaul. His dark, ragged cape flew behind him as he threw himself at one of the villagers, waving one glassy sword in the air. The people screamed and gaped in horror as the cats before them transformed into humans and nekomata. The enemy warriors barreled into the crowd, shoving people down with bites and scratches. Angrily, Cole threw himself into the fray. “Ninjaaaa—!” “—GO!” Liana, Zane, Lloyd, Nya, Jay, and Wu chorused as they spun and conjured Spinjitzu vortexes. Liana and Jay’s nunchucks flew in the air. The others’ swords glinted in the dimming afternoon light, and Wu’s staff made satisfying thunks as he found his target. Matilda snarled and shot a spell at Lion Claw. He dodged the green blast and fled. More cats followed him down the street, flooding the town with their high-pitched cries. Dimly, as he flung himself into the brawl, Cole was aware of more dogs rushing from the side streets and throwing themselves at the invading cats. Mutts, beagles, hounds, labs—he even thought he saw a tiny poodle run by him, yapping its little head off.
The town dogs know these aren’t normal cats, he realized. And they’re trying to protect their owners! The Moon Tribe warriors were going after the people. The ninja, Wu, Liana, and Matilda were holding them off, but several got past their guard and managed to corner a few villagers against a wall and slam others to the ground. These assaults, however, were quickly countered by the furious dogs. Snarling mutts and purebreds alike flung themselves at the enormous cats, regardless of their own safety. One large brown lab threw itself at the cream-colored, gray-spotted cat who had taken part in leading the charge and wrestled it to the ground. The cat screeched and slashed its claws across the dog’s muzzle, but still the dog fought. A Dalmatian and a brown mutt worked together to drive back two Moon Tribe warriors who had been going after a woman and her child. The poodle was running around yapping eagerly as a skinny greyhound snapped at the heels of one Moon Tribe man. The canines were persistent and unyielding in their defense. “Protect the people!” Lloyd called over the sounds of the chaos. “Fall back! Fall back and defend the village! Don’t let them get in!” Reluctantly, Cole and the others fell back on the defensive, clogging the main street with the battle. “This way! Get back!” Jay called to a nearby couple. He gestured with his sword toward the midst of the village. “Get back into the village! We’ll hold them off!” The couple, along with another mother with her toddler, several famers and two teenagers, fled from the snarling cats and ducked past the ninja, fleeing down the street as fast as they could. Others beyond this “safety line” met the survivors and fled with them. Within seconds, the ninja, the dogs, and the Moon Tribe warriors were the only occupants of the street. Cole found himself facing a long-furred, dark gray nekomata. He remembered the tom’s name: Gray Strike. Fur bristling all the way to the tail, Gray Strike reared up on his hind paws, and swung one forepaw toward Cole’s face in an uppercut. The ninja saw the blow and raised both forearms up in defense. The cat’s blow glanced off his gauntlets.
Gray Strike growled and swung again. Again Cole saw the blow coming and dodged it. As the paw swept by him, he lunged forward. He delivered a punch that scratched Gray Strike’s face. The tekko-kagi claws he wore drove in deep, deeper than he’d expected. The large werecat reared back. After retreating a few steps, he stopped, and stared at Cole strangely. Slowly, he raised one forepaw to his face and touched it. Three long, deep scratches stood out on the side of his face. Gray Strike looked utterly bewildered. Cole smirked. “You’re not the only ones with claws now.” He waved his hand in a mock-clawing gesturing. “Mraow.” Gray Strike’s ears flattened back on his head, then he lunged himself at Cole. Meanwhile, Zane drove off one white and tabby female. He had taunted her to venture near by darting forward and back in front of her. Now they were result was the two of them rolling furiously on the ground, both scratching each other. The tabby got the worst of the fall, and as soon as he knew which way was up, Zane again grabbed her head and raked his claws up and down. The tabby female screeched and wriggled herself free of Zane’s grasp. He scrambled to his feet, but the huge cat only turned and fled with her tail between her legs toward the village entrance, sounding the high-pitched caterwaul of a cat in pain. He caught sight of her face, and realized he had done some serious damage to her muzzle, her ears, and one eye. It was then, standing there taking a moment to stop feeling dizzy, that Zane saw the smoke rising from the far southwestern side of the town. Dark, thick, it rose in great blooming clouds and joined the black clouds overhead, almost blending in with the color of the sky. “Fire!” Zane gasped. As if his mere realization summoned it, another explosion shook the ground, again from that area of the village. A blaze of bright fire split the sky for one instant as its boom reverberated like the roar of a lion. As soon as it had appeared, the fire was gone, but yet another plume of smoke rose, and the distant screams of terrified people increased.
Zane was distracted by the sight of the smoke. He didn’t see a golden-haired, bearded man creeping on all fours from behind a fallen watermelon cart nearby. His dark, ragged cape helped him blend in with the background of the sidewalk shaded by an awning of a grocery store and a couple of toppled trash cans. The man grinned at the sight of the Son of Ice; the metal man was gaping up at the sky like a star-struck kit, completely oblivious to his surroundings! He chuckled, then began to chant a curse. A wave of hot, violet energy began to form between his hairy hands. “Fight like a real warrior, Lion Claw!” Matilda’s jeer, along with a blast of pink fire that sent the watermelon cart in flames, made the werecat sorcerer jump to his feet with a startled yowl. Zane started at the noise and whirled around. Matilda stood across the street in the middle of the battle, wand gripped in one hand. Lion Claw glared at Matilda, then Zane. He bared his teeth again in a snarl. “Make me.” “Ice!” Zane shot a sharp flurry of ice droplets at the werecat. Lion Claw ducked low and shifted into his nekomata shape. The ice pelted into the wall behind him, sinking into the stone like bullet holes. Lion Claw fled down a narrow alleyway, not casting a second glance behind him. “Coward!” Matilda joined Zane, lip curled. “There are fires at the southwestern side. The other sorcerers are attacking that way.” Zane gasped. “Then hop to it,” Matilda growled. “You sort out who’s going and who’s staying. I’m going after those sorcerers before they start throwing around Dark Sleep spells and Nap Attacks.” With that, the witch’s body shrunk and transformed. Zane watched Matilda’s brown tabby form dart away, ducking down the same alleyway that Lion Claw had escaped into. Zane turned back to the battle. One chocolate-brown Labrador was yelping pitifully as two werecats, one in human form and the other a nekomata, drove it against the wall of one building and slashed at its dark pelt. The werecat man jeered and stabbed his sword at the dog. The Lab snarled and snapped furiously at the felines.
Zane threw himself at the werecat man. He unsheathed his sword and parried the blow the Moon Tribe warrior was about to swing. The warrior turned on him with a yowl. Zane ducked a blow, and used that opportunity to shoot a block of ice around the nekomata’s paws. Its forepaws were fused together in a block of solid ice, momentarily crippling it. The cat hissed and struggled, but to no avail. Zane turned back to the man in time to be punched in the collarbone. The man’s blow was clumsy, but enough to throw Zane off-balance. He tripped over a cardboard box and onto his back. His katana clattered on the ground. He leaned over to get it. The werecat lunged for Zane. He saw the glassy sword glinting out the corner of his eye. He tried to scramble away. A snarling blur of brown fur slammed itself into the Moon Tribe man and sent him rolling. The Lab bit and ripped at the animal skin clothing as his victim writhed and caterwauled on the ground. The sword dropped from his grasp as the warrior attempted to shield himself. The Lab bit down on his forearm and held on. The warrior cried out loudly and struggled. Then he wriggled around and kicked the dog in the face. The Lab was sent reeling with a yelp. Zane was on the Moon Tribe man in a second. He had regained his sword, and now he used one hand to aim blade tip at the man’s throat. The other hand gripped his shirt. The Lab stumbled back to its paws and joined him. “Do you yield?” Zane growled through gritted teeth. The sight of the man viciously attacking the dog had summoned an unexpected surge of anger on his part. The man glared up at Zane. With his face up to the sky, his dark, vertical pupils shrunk, making the orange color of his eyes look bigger. He made no reply. “Do you yield?” Zane jabbed the sword tip at his throat. The Lab barked once. It was as if it were repeating Zane’s question. The werecat muttered, “I yield.” Zane let him up.The man scrambled to his feet and grabbed his fallen sword. Before he could turn on Zane, however, the Lab took action. It snarled and lunged itself at the werecat.
Who's that and what's she doing there?!! O.O Wait a minute-! 
![[derp]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/YqNTPqyQUocVMYXZgUAI.png)
