(ROUGH DRAFT) Endless Sky ~Elemental Chaos~

Chapter Nineteen

Catching up quickly, Avaro was allowed to pair up with Lucerne. The duo carefully picking out cats to relay the information to. An ice elemental named Permafrost, a prophet named Ursa, a female earth elemental named Petal. Not a single Wild cat.
Each one they had come across looked too sketchy, neither wanted to risk it.
It was a shame to Avaro, he'd really wanted to know how the cats reacted to the trials.
By late afternoon, the group eventually gathered back together. Deciding to meet back up in the den, Renny tagging along.
"We got a few," Avaro stated, patting Lucerne's shoulder. "One was a bit sketchy on Spike's story though, mostly because he didn't believe such a cruel act can be done so casually,"
"No one would listen to me without Blaze," Renny sighed.
"Well of course not, no one has ever seen you before," Spike commented. "I would be skeptical too if some random stranger suddemly showed up, spewing some very controversial claims and wild stories,"
Renny frowned at her, but clearly knew she wasn't exactly wrong.
"No issues correct?" Lucerne asked, diverting the topic back. "Toothache didn't like what I said," Spike mewed.
"Toothache? That's a name?!" Avaro cried, missing the point completely.
"...Yes. He had a crush on me awhile back, but I wasn't and still not interested," the wild cat replied with a huff.
"But how did he react exactly?" Lucerne butted in before they once again skewed off topic.
Spike directed her attention to the celestial, leaving Avaro puffy.
"He said Wild cats do what they do to prove their strength," she explained. "And that Zeru knew what he was doing and would warn everyone if the world was going to collapse," Spike sighed, staring at the ground. "I don't know why we remained friends, he's unbearable at times,"
"You need better friends," Renny said, getting a foul look from Lucerne.
"That's why I have you all," Spike purred, Blaze puffing out her fur in pride.
"Well, at least it doesn't sound like Toothache is going to out us, right?" Avaro said, getting a shrug from Lucerne.
"He sounded more dismissive than accusing," Spike admitted. "So I am sure we're fine, he's known to be lazy,"
"Great!" The albino then took his attention to Renny. "I'd like to meet Cinder,"
"Eh?"
"Cinder, I want to see if he's alright,"
Renny blinked, looking hesitate. "I'm sure Sunset wont mind..." She said after a few seconds. "But is it just you or..." The potion maker looked around at the three other beings inside the den. "
"Everyone?"
"Everyone," Avaro nodded.
Renny inhaled sharply. "I'll be back, five giant cats and two grown men won't fit in one room. I'll set them outside and have you all come over," she explained before cracking open a portal and leaving.
"You know I don't mind staying here if I have to..." Spike mumbled, shuffling her paws.
"Well too bad, no one is being left out," Avaro huffed, sitting down on the cold ground. "We're all in this together,"
"That's sweet and all, but let people have a decision next time, alright?" Lucerne requested as he sat down as well.
Avaro scowled but didnt reply.
"You sure u want to come?" The celestial asked Spike.
"I'm fine here," she responded with a flick of an ear. "I can talk to a few more cats while you all are gone,"
"That'll be nice," Lucerne gave the wild cat a grateful smile in which she returned.
"I want to come still!" Blaze squeaked, padding over to loaf between the two sitting.
"Well you're coming still," Avaro chuckled, patting her head. The elemental purred and nuzzled his hand. She was clearly very glad to be accepted, Avaro couldn't imagine the anger she would've have if they excluded her. He'd rather not think about it.
A portal opened on the ground and Renny stuck her head through. "Greetings! You can all come now!" She exclaimed before vanishing.
"Alright! Let's go!" Avaro bounced to his feet and made his way over, Blaze hard on his heels.
"It's a quick dip, no fear," he said as he looked down at the hole. It looked like a hole to another world all right, the sky staring right back at him. Trippy.
"Just make sure to go in head first, ground portals are always funky," Avaro added before diving in, feeling the world quickly flip back upright as he crawled out. Warm grass was all around him, the sun flicking through tree leaves. A strange constant rumble was nearby somewhere, yet he had no idea where or what was causing it.
Claws scratching the earth announced Blaze's arrival as she pulled her way through, puffed out. "Why couldn't the portal be in the air?! It'll be easier to just drop into it then!" She complained, disliking the gravity twist.
"Air portals are a bit harder and I was rushing," Renny said from a nearby porch. That's when Avaro noticed the house.
A large two story house sat ahead of him. It had a porch, most likely a back porch, with a swing fit for two people. Renny was seated there, swinging slightly. There were a few potted plants and wind chimes outside the screened porch. Some simply spinning while others made low and high pitched clinks as the wind blew.
Something about this struck Avaro as odd. Not necessarily in a bad way, just odd. It had a different feel to it as oppose to the mansion in OCTown.
When he looked around he noticed a large white fence enclosing the yard. Cinder, his father, and adoptive mother were nearby exploring.
Lucerne had arrived and the portal closed, Spike having stayed behind.
"Welcome to my back yard, there's a blackberry bush in one of the corners if you guys ever get a bit hungry," Renny said as she swung.
Avaro didn't reply, he was just oddly overwhelmed by all the things around him. The noises he heard, the pollen in the air. It's nothing he'd ever experienced at home or in OCTown.
"You alright?" Lucerne questioned, nudging him and breaking him out of his trance.
"Uh, yeah, I'm alright," Avaro reissued and directed his attention to Cinder. His parents either haven't noticed the new arrivals, or just don't care. They were busily exploring Renny's backyard.
Avaro waved at the yellow cat. "Hey, good to see you're alright!" He exclaimed, slipping over to Cinder.
"I guess I am, im still a bit startled on Sunset's sudden appearance last night," Cinder nervously chuckled, taking a seat when Avaro flopped down.
"Yeah, I get it. She hasn't hurt you has she?" He asked, Lucerne and Blaze joining him on either side.
"Oh no no, she's a bit grouchy but I don't think she means any harm," the elemental replied.
"Well that's good to hear," Avaro sighed, relieved everything went smoothly.
"What is that noise though?" Blaze interrupted, her fur still fluffed out as when she came through the portal.
"What noise?" Cinder asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"That odd grrvvmmm noise," the little cat answered before going on with making odd noises, trying to replicate the rumble Avaro heard when he first arrived.
"Oh those? I think Sunset said they were cars on some busy road," the older cat concluded with a wave of his tail.
"Cars?" Avaro and Blaze said at the same time.
"I don't know, Sunset just said they were used to get to different locations faster," Cinder huffed, shaking his head. "She only told me this because some car passed by the house blasting some odd noise, which scared me honestly... So I asked about it,"
"That noise must've been music," Lucerne finally spoke, having been the only one not confused by the concept of cars.
"Ooh, music. Yeah I know about that, we used to play some back at my old home. It wasn't as good as some of the stuff I heard in OCTown though," Avaro chuckled, Cinder and Blaze still dumbfounded.
"It's just noise that sounds nice," Lucerne told the cats before pointing to the wing chimes. "You can almost count that, but music usually has a beat or rhythm,"
"What's that?" Blaze continued with her questions.
Lucerne thought for a moment, trying to think of a good way to explain it.
"It's like this," Avaro said, patting his thigh at a steady pace. "Some music can have faster beats," he increased the speed of the pats. "Or slower more calmer beats," he decreased the speed.
"They usually have multiple different sounds following the beat, sometimes even having someone sing along with it," Avaro finished, the two elementals looking more enlightened.
"It's easier to just listen to some music," Lucerne added.
"Can we do that now?" Blaze exclaimed excitedly, only to be disappointed when Avaro shook his head.
"We're not here for a party," he laughed. "Just to see how Cinder is doing and give him updates. We can listen to music another day,"
Blaze whined and tried the puppy eyes, but it clearly didn't work. So the young elemental resorted to sitting and pouting.
Avaro ignored the pouting and turned back to Cinder, pushing the topic of cars and music aside.
"I'd belive you'd like to know whats going on at your old home?" He offered, the fire elemental nodding quickly.
"Alright," Avaro said before, once again, diving into the story. Leaving out parts Cinder already knew and adding in newer information. He reacted just as expected. Horrified at Spike's test, fearful at Zeru's demands to kill him, hopeful at the people they assume are on their side. By the end of it, it was hard to tell what emotion Cinder way portraying. Fear? Confidence? Hope?
Maybe it was all of them.
"It doesn't seem like Zeru knows what we're doing yet, but it's only a matter of time," Avaro sighed. "By then we hope to have enough cats on our side to fight him off,"
"Do you plan on killing him?" Cinder suddenly asked, catching the dragon off guard.
"Ahh... Umm..." Avaro frowned and looked at Lucerne.
"No," Lucerne quickly answered. "We hope to have him understand, remember?" He gave a side glance at his friend who nodded.
"Yeah, if he knows they will all die anyways, he might be more willing to work with us," Avaro piped up. "Especially if we already have a bunch of cats wanting to leave anyways,"
"So why are you two throwing so much dirt on him? If in the end you want him on our side?" Cinder questioned some more, Avaro feeling under pressure.
"Well... We hope he wont be able to lead anymore," Lucerne started off slowly. "Maybe he will find a new place to stay. So no one has to be under control or dead,"
The elemental still looked skeptical, but accepted what Lucerne said. "Alright, whatever saves my friends," he meowed, curling his tail around his paws. "I don't care what happens to Zeru, as long as we get a new stable home to live in and be happy. I'm fine,"
Avaro nodded slowly, almost assuming that Cinder was hinting at them to kill the leader. Maybe he was hinting that. Killing Zeru at the real end would be much easier now that he thought about it. The previous issue being the cats freaking out over Zeru's death and knowing Avaro is behind it. But if they no longer liked him, who's going to care if one cat is left behind when they leave?
"I think we should be heading back now," Lucerne said, breaking Avaro out of his bloody thoughts. "Spike must still be waiting," he added before getting back up, helping Avaro up afterwards.
Blaze didn't move. She was still pouting.
"Come on now Blaze, don't be a big baby," Avaro laughed.
"I'm not a baby!" Blaze protested instantly, jumping to her paws and and baring her teeth at Avaro. Which only made him laugh more.
"Safe travels you two," Cinder mewed as Blaze stalked off to the porch.
"Thanks, enjoy your stay here. We'll make sure to get you to your new home safely, as well as all your friends, bye for now!" Avaro replied with a wave, following Blaze with Lucerne right behind him.
"Ready to head back?" Renny asked as she stepped out of the porch.
"Yep, all ready," Avaro answered, patting Blaze's head as she grumbled.
Renny chuckled and opened up a portal. This one having the ground below, so a simple hop through would drop them to where they belong.
One, two, three, four creatures though the hole, just outside Mystic's den.
"Wow, suddenly the air smells cleaner," Avaro commented. "And the noises much more natural and pleasing than that annoying rumble,"
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad," Lucerne said, the quartet making their way back inside the den. Only that they never did succeed. A large shadow stopped them as they staggered back, letting the creature make it's way out.
"I've been waiting for you all," Zeru meowed coldly as he stepped into the light. His eyes nothing more than slits.
"I'd like to have a little chat."