Painted Flowers

Chapter 37 - The Waterfall Cave

Twinkling stars and a perfectly round glowing moon reflected off the surface of the waterfall basin. Zola was the first to step out of the reeds and onto the riverbank, a numb expression in her eyes. She approached the rushing water before turning to watch Layali and Zain emerge.

"It's behind the waterfall," she told them solemnly. "A cave."

Layali and Zain were stunned. From every angle that looked at it, they never would have suspected there was anything extraordinary hidden behind the crashing spray. Layali had visited this site so many times in her youth. She trained under her father here. Mosi had been slain here. The Meadow pack's dry season home had been named for the location that harbored the secret to the curse that had plagued generations of their kind.

Zola padded forward, onto the damp rocks, placing a shaking paw in the center of the water's flow, splitting it in half. Layali could see it now: a small, dark split in the algae-ridden stone. Zola took a deep breath before pushing her body inside. The flow of water closed again behind her.

Layali gave Zain an astonished look, who still held the Dark Brush protectively in his jaws. Warily they followed after the queen. Layali slipped on the mossy rock bed along the sidelines, almost falling into the pool, but she quickly regained her balance. Heart pounding, she pushed her paw through the waterfall, reaching for where she saw Zola find the crack in the wall. She hesitated before thrusting her way into the cave, and her pelt was drenched instantly. As she recovered from the cold shock, she heard Zain follow suit behind her. The trail ahead was pitch black, but it seemed to be fairly spacious.

Layali began walking forward blindly, casting her usable senses for her mother and her friend lingering behind her. "Zain, are you okay?" her voice echoed. "Touch my tail."

"Press your side against the tunnel wall to guide you," Zola instructed.

Layali obeyed, growing more and more nervous, fighting the urge to turn back to where she knew it was safe. After what seemed like an eternity, a faint light could be seen ahead, with Zola's fur framed against it.

Layali let out her breath. "Is...is that..."

"Yes."

The glow grew in intensity, suddenly flashing a blinding white. The three dogs shielded their eyes, and as it died down, a cavern was revealed, with slimy walls overtaken by algae and shrouded by shadow. Layali recognized right away how much this resembled the cavern where Dark resided on the top of the Painted Mountain. Right in the center of the giraffe-high ceiling was a hole, through which the moon conveniently cast its beams down, right on a pedestal in the middle of the floor. On top of the stone formation sat the Light Brush.

It was, as expected, similar to the Dark Brush, yet instead of black energy flowing through the grooves in its bark, a soft white light shone. It was shielded by a tangle of vines and reeds, as if it had grown that way specifically to protect it from outsiders. Zola stood unwavering in stark contrast to the others, clearly having visited this cave numerous times in the past.

The Dark Brush began quivering from Zain's jaws, and he gasped, dropping it into his paws. Zola whirled around and Layali, panicking, leapt forward to push Zain away from it. In response to the arrival of its counterpart, the Light Brush began casting its bright energy in the other's direction, and in return, the opposite color was sent. Black and white clashed, and a figure could be seen emerging from the center of it. The shape slowly revealed itself and transformed into the form of a transparent, ghostly dog.

"The power..." echoed an eerily familiar voice. "Oh, I feel it...I'm alive again."

Layali trembled violently alongside her friend, baring her teeth and pinning her ear back. In her freight, Zola scrambled to flee the cavern. Layali watched her go helplessly, knowing it was too late for herself to choose that option. At least Zain remained at her side; with her to the end, as he had promised. As the energy cast from the brushes slowly faded away, Light turned around with a grin on their face, acknowledging each onlooker in turn.