(discontinued, only here for documentation purposes) Echoes of Fire

CHAPTER 5

Night fell and Firestorm couldn't sleep. And apparently, neither could Leopard.

"I can't stop thinking about it," Leopard said quietly, her scales a greyish blue, "About Ace. And the others."

"They're fine," Firestorm assured her, "I promise."

Leopard looked down at her talons and back at Firestorm. "You're right. We should get some rest if we're going to search for them tomorrow."

Firestorm thought for a while before drifting off to sleep.

...

Morning eventually came and Firestorm and Leopard awoke just as the sun was beginning to rise.

"Emberblaze probably took them to her palace in the Sky Kingdom," Leopard pointed out.

"Then that's where we'll go."

Firestorm took off into the air with Leopard close behind her. The Sky Kingdom wasn't too far away– they just had to cross over the rainforest first.

As they flew over the thick jungle canopy, Leopard seemed to be a lot more like herself than she was before they had left.

"There's something about this place, even if I don't remember it, that really feels like home," she said, doing flips in the air while smiling bigger than Firestorm had ever seen her smile.

"It feels sticky and rainy to me," Firestorm stated flatly.

"That's what I'm talking about! It's amazing! Amazing and beautiful and perfect," she exclaimed, glancing quickly at Firestorm and then looking away.

"The Sky Kingdom shouldn't be far from here," Firestorm said as she pointed to somewhere far off to their right, "I think I can see the border off in the distance, that way."

They dived down towards the border and landed on the soft grass.

"The palace should be about 30 minutes away from here," Leopard said, looking from the ground to the sky.

"How do you know?"

Leopard smiled, "You get good at geography and tracking when you were an assassin for six years."

"Ah," Firestorm said, stretching her wings, "Let's go then, we want to get there as fast as possible."

After a while of silent flying they had finally reached the shining skywing palace. Leopard had stuffed her leather pouches full of daggers and throwing stars. She creeped around the corner of the palace. "There's two guards right there, should be easy enough to take out," she said as two throwing stars sliced through the air and perfectly hit both guards, "Bullseye."

Without thinking, Firestorm sprinted into the throne room.

"We got you now Emberblaze! Your guards are.."

About seventeen more skywing guards stood in front of her.

"..Gone."

"Firestorm!", Leopard yelled, "What in the moons are you doing? You frog-head, it was supposed to be a sneak attack!"

Also in the throne room was Seabreeze– surrounded by a pool of blood and barely breathing– and Emberblaze, on top of her golden throne.

"There they are. Hellfire, come here."

No.

Hellfire emerged from the left side door.

She's gone.

Hellfire, her long-lost sister.

She disappeared.

Hellfire, who was supposed to be dead.

This can't be real.

She's dead.

"Long time no see, Firestorm."