Summary

Ash was born into the high security government facility and organization, C.H.A.I.N.S. This facility trained rapterians from 4 to 6 years old and trained them how to be killers, Hunters to capture other rapterians, Or killing weapons so they could be sold to war. The organization has gone on for years of torturing animals and has made millions to keep their business going. Ash was born with the uncontrollable power to create fire or turn anything he touched to dust. All of his siblings were scared of him and avoided him. Whenever Ash tried making friends with the younger rapterians, they would walk away because they didn’t want to get burned or worse. The scientists were even afraid to touch him, Feather, The head scientist. completely ignored him out of fear. Because of this, Ash turned very shy. He gained anxiety from being scared to touch anything. When he accidentally touched something and turned it to dust. He was punished by being locked in a cage that could stand his powers for 2 days with no food or water. It was torture and made Ash terrified to touch anything.. Ash knew that all his siblings were training to one day be in the military or killed one day, and he feared that one day he would have to fight in war. All the killing and fighting scared him, the only one who made him feel better was his oldest sister Frost, she was kind and always looking on the bright side but was never afraid to speak her mind. One day Ash’s mom was too weak to fight during training. Ash and Frost tried helping her to get up, But she was starving and could barely move. That's when the C.H.A.I.N.S. scientists decided to put her down. Ash knew that meant death, He tried to stop them but Frost pulled him back. Ash screamed and cried for his mother. His mother opened her eyes one last time to see her son and told him he would be okay. It was a lot for Ash ever since his mother's death but Frost still comforted him. When Ash is old enough to train, his mentor was one of the head rapterians of C.H.A.I.N.S, Lyra. She was cruel and abusive during training which made it harder for Ash. Whenever he was training he would refuse to fight because he was so scared to hurt anyone. This made the abuse worse that Lyra would claw him or even break his bones if he didn’t obey. It was torture going through training to the point Ash was even scared to wake up in the morning because of how scared he was of training with Lyra. But as painful as it was, he had to obey her or they would torture him or worse. Frost watched Ash and Lyra train and she couldn’t take it anymore. Every time she saw Lyra hurt Ash, It made her skin crawl, she couldn't let that happen any more. She knew C.H.A.I.N.S was no place for her brother to live a good life. One day, Ash was sleeping in his cage but was woken up by Frost. She told him to follow her. He was confused but listened to her. Frost was leading the exit of C.H.A.I.N.S. But Ash stopped and asked her what she was doing. When Frost explained her plan to escape, Ash was terrified and just curled up. What if they got caught and they killed his sister? What if they couldn't survive out there on their own. But Frost just smiled and hugged Ash, promising him she will always be there for him. Despite his fear and anxiety going through his head, he trusted Frost and followed her, Ignoring the fear. That's when one of Ash’s and Frost’s siblings see them trying to escape, and sound the alarm. When Frost realized they were caught, she picked up Ash and ran for the exit but was stopped by Snow Fang. Ash was terrified and was shivering in fear. Frost tried fighting Snow Fang but she was way taller and stronger then her, When she pinned Frost down. Ash screamed for Frost and attacked Snow Fang. He didn’t think his little body would do anything to someone as tall and big as Snow Fang, But he had to try to save his sister. As Ash tried digging his claws into Snow Fang’s fluffy fur, His flaming paws started slowly burning Snow fang. Snow Fang couldn’t handle the pain and she had to let go of Frost. Snow Fang screams in pain and backs away while Frost takes the chance and grabs Ash, Running out of the facility. Boulder found Snow Fang curled up holding her burn marks. She points to where the two went and Boulder goes after the two. When Frost noticed Boulder following her, She laid her paw on the metal floor as it slowly turned to ice. Boulder slipped on the ice and it slowed him down while Frost ran off with Ash. Frost and Ash make it outside of the facility but are stopped by a wire fence guarding the place. But Frost was able to make it through the fence by fitting through a small hole. They were finally free, While Frost was happy she made it and was finally free. Ash stared at the forest terrified. He never saw the outside world unless it was looking through a window. Looking into the many trees and bushes and grass in the forest made Ash whimper and curl up. Frost curls her tail around Ash, Promising him she will protect him. Ash is still scared, but trusts his big sister more than his fear. The two rapterians walk into the forest to find shelter or food. As the days pass, The siblings survive off of Frost hunting for food and finding small caves to shelter in. Ash was scared of exploring the new world, but being with his sister always made him feel a little bit brave. But one day. Ash and Frost were traveling through the forest when suddenly Frost's eyes widened and she stopped in her tracks. Ash turns around and asks her what's wrong but before he could say anything else, Frost curls her tail around Ash paws and tells him to stay quiet. Ash didn’t know what was going on but he could tell from his sister’s expression it can’t be good. He couldn’t do anything but whimper and curl up in fear. Frost smelled a predator nearby, and her suspicions were correct. Frost flicks her ears as she hears something behind her and she slowly turns around, Ash’s head following hers. And to their horror, There was a 4. 5 tall black bear towering over them. Frost picked up Ash by the scruff and backed away as the bear walked closer towards her. Frost had to think of something quick before it attacked. Frost was able to make a few sharp ice stabs at the bear’s fur and the bear roared in pain, while it was distracted Frost ran away deeper into the forest while Ash was shivering in fear, Hugging his sister’s soft fur for comfort. But the bear was faster and didn’t seem to get any more tired. It bit into Frost’s back, chomping into her spine. Frost dropped Ash as she screamed in pain and Ash cried for his sister. Frost yelled for Ash to run but Ash didn’t want to leave her to die, He couldn’t. But Frost yelled at him to run again and he had to obey as scared as he was. Ash runs further into the forest, Crying and still in shock. He was all alone now. He didn’t know if Frost was alive or even got eaten or torn to bits. Ash didn’t want to think like that, but he wanted to know what happened to his sister. But he had to stay safe or Frost’s sacrifice would be for nothing. After hours of pain and walking, Ash found a small village called the sahara village. He didn’t know anyone there or even know if anyone wanted to harm him or maybe even worked for C.H.A.I.N.S. Of course he didn’t know any of this and this was just his anxiety talking to him. Instead of talking to anyone, he found a stack of hay near a house in the village and decided to sleep there for the night. That night, Ash had a nightmare of Frost. When he saw her in the dream. Ash ran to Frost for a hug, Relieved she was alive. But he suddenly stopped when he got an actual glance at her. She was bleeding everywhere. Confused and getting more scared, Ash backs away slowly. He calls for his sister's name but she just whispers “it’s all your fault.” Ash gets more scared and tears up, denying her. He had to listen to her. Maybe she escaped, or maybe he could have saved her and left her to die. Maybe it was his fault, maybe he didn’t deserve her. That's when Ash wakes up, but the nightmare he thought was finally gone was far from over. Ash feels warmth near his fur and opens his eyes. His eyes widened with horror when he found the house he was sleeping near was lit up in flames. Ash stares at the fire and realizes it was him, He’s the reason the fire started. Ash jumps away from the house in fear, Looking around him. He sees other houses on fire, rapterians grabbing their children by the scruff or others trying to put the fire out. Ash wanted to help the villagers and see if they were okay. This was his mess, he had to fix it. He couldn’t let others get killed because of him. But the flames got stronger when Ash walked towards it. Ash wanted to help people, but he couldn’t if he was the reason the fire was getting worse and worse. Ash runs away from the village to the forest. When he looks back, He sees rapterians hugging their family or running from their burning home. Watching all the people suffer because of him tore Ash apart inside. Ash looks down at his paws, His paws still on fire. burning the grass he was touching black. Ash whispers how much he’s sorry and tears up. He never meant for this to happen, Where would those rapterians live now? Why did he ruin everything? Ash cries more as thoughts go through his head, Wishing Frost was there next to him telling him it’s going to be okay. But it’s not okay.. Frost isn’t here, He didn’t even know if she was alive. And now people lost their homes, all because of him. Ash wanted to leave so he didn’t make things worse, But he had to stay and at least see if anyone was okay. Luckily, Only a few rapterians were burned and no one was killed. But there were a few who were unconscious from smoke inhalation. Ash didn’t know how to feel, should he feel happy that they are okay or feel worse that they had to suffer? Ash notices and listens to a few rapterians reporting about a small gray kitten roaming around to the sheriff. Ash had to leave, Who knows what they would do to him.. What if they were no different from the punishments Lyra put him through. Ash left the village, still carrying the heavy guilt. He didn’t know how to feel, Empty? Broken? Numb? Hurt? Maybe all the above. All Ash wanted was his sister, But she wasn’t here. He probably left her to get eaten. Ash finds a small cave and rests there. At Least there weren't any wooden cabins he could burn or any nearby villagers whose life he could ruin. Ash curls up and falls asleep again, But it’s another nightmare. It’s Frost again, With blood staining her beautiful white fur. This time Ash tries looking away from her, telling himself it’s just a dream. But when he turns the other way, It’s other rapterians covered in blood he didn’t know, probably from the village. Like last time, they whisper it’s Ash’s fault. They don’t say what it is, But Ash knows exactly what they mean. All Ash can do is look down and cry, Curling up in a ball. He says over and over again how sorry he is. He knows it doesn’t fix anything but it’s all he can do. The rapterians look down at him and keep chanting how it’s his fault. That's when Ash wakes up again, His heart beating faster than any hare can run and his claws scraping the hard rock ground. Ash tries calming himself down, Telling him it’s just his fear and it isn’t real like Frost would tell him. But he gets interrupted as he hears voices. They are looking for a rapterian with gray fur, dark paws and blue eyes. Ash gets more terrified knowing they are looking for him. The right thing would be turning himself in right? But the flashbacks to Lyra breaking his bones, being locked in a cage starving and freezing from the cold. He couldn’t go through that again. He had to at least find Frost first to know if he really did let his sister die. But if there was a chance she was alive, he had to find her. She would do the same for him without question. Ash runs out of the cave, Trying to run faster with his little legs and find a place to hide. He was so focused on finding a place to hide he didn’t pay attention to what was in front of him and bumped into a tall wolf who Ash regconized as the sheriff. The sheriff glared at Ash and said softly he had to come with him. Ash thought about it, maybe it would be the right thing. But no, He had to find Frost. Nothing was stopping Ash from finding her, She was all he had left of his family. His mother was taken away from him, His father died in a military battle. His siblings were loyal to C.H.A.I.N.S. One of his siblings sounded the alarm because of their loyalty. It was just him and his sister, and he couldn’t lose her. Ash runs past the wolf heading towards a red oak forest. The wolf growls annoyed and frustrated like he was tired and goes after Ash. Ash had to find somewhere to hide, but was running from a wolf who was more experienced and faster than him. He could barely think. That's when he suddenly stopped running. There was a tall rapterian towering over him, Red bushy tail, Brown fur and yellow eyes. Just from her tall appearance frightened Ash a bit, He didn’t know the wolf or the rapterian. One was chasing after him and one was glaring at him. He had to think of something or he would be locked away for who knows how long. Ash hid behind the tall rapterian shivering in fear. He didn’t know her but he didn’t know what else to do. The Rapterian looked at him confused and the wolf stopped running as he saw her. Ash was so terrified he couldn’t hear what they were saying that well but knew it was arguing. The wolf growls at the rapterian one last time before walking off back into the forest. The rapterian sighs and looks down at Ash. She curls her fluffy red tail around him so he’s less scared and asks him if he’s alright. Ash is still in shock from the whole experience he never really got a chance to even breathe. He woke up from a nightmare and tried calming himself down but was interrupted by rapterians hunting him down and tried outrunning a tall giant intimidating wolf. Ash took his actual first deep breath to calm himself down and explained everything to the rapterian. The rapterian revealed herself as Bloodtail and reassured Ash he’s safe within her border. Ash didn’t fully understand what she meant by that but her soft but strong voice made him less scared from the whole experience. Bloodtail led Ash to her home, The Red tribe. To Ash’s surprise, Frost was there. Alive and well, Mostly. Her wounds were covered in cobwebs and leaves but she didn’t seem affected by it.. As soon as Ash’s eyes laid eyes on Frost he tackled her in a big hug. She wasn’t dead, it wasn’t his fault, He wasn’t a coward who just left her to die. Frost and Ash nuzzle each other's noses, showing their relief to see one another well and alive. When Ash asked how Frost survived. She explained how Bloodtail and a patrol found her being attacked by the bear. They were able to save her before her wounds became infected while half of the patrol fought and chased off the bear. She was taken to the tribe where she was healed and restored back to full health from the rapterians aid. While she explained, Ash was just happy to see she was alive. He never wanted to experience being away from his sister ever again. Ash wondered if he should tell Frost about the nightmares, but seeing what she's been through he decided to keep quiet. Ever since that day the two siblings have been taken care of by Bloodtail. The red tribe rapterians loved Frost, But everyone heard about the village and avoided Ash. Of course it hurt, But if Frost was happy then so was he. When Bloodtail found out about his abilities, She worried that other people would get hurt or more people would go after Ash for what he did. For the sake of everyone’s safety, She tried her best to help Ash learn control. But most of the time when they trained, Ash would accidentally set a tree on fire that Bloodtail would have to put out or even accidentally hurt Bloodtail. Ash tried his best to control it, But his ability felt like a ticking bomb that he had no power over exploding anytime it wanted. Ash would start having breakdowns and cry when he trained with Bloodtail because sometimes the fire would even burn his own paws. That's how powerful this ability was. Trying to control Ash’s power stressed Bloodtail. If she didn’t do something to help him control so many lives would be on her paws. Bloodtail did end up helping him to where Ash learned a little self control. She found out it sometimes mattered how Ash was feeling or how scared he was. And when he’s calm he has more control over himself. Because of Bloodtail, Ash did learn to have 50 percent control. Training everyday made both Ash and Bloodtail attached. Bloodtail saw Ash as a son of hers, And she would do anything to protect her. Ash saw her as a mother figure. She always protected him and was there to comfort him when he was scared. After losing his mother it felt nice to have a parental figure again. Living in the red tribe Ash made many close friends he thought he would never have, One of those friends being Alex. Ash and Alex met when Bloodtail asked Alex to teach Ash how to hunt because of how scared he was of killing any small animal. Alex respected Bloodtail and almost always did as she asked, So he accepted. Ash was terrible at hunting, He was scared to hurt smaller animals, Tripped and stumbled a lot on rocks or small twigs. Ash just thought he wasn’t really good at anything, Having flashbacks of his training with Lyra. But Alex was nothing like her. He helped Ash learn how to hunt, Would catch prey for him when he couldn’t and actually taught him how to hunt better and even fight. Alex and Ash developed a close relationship and they became best friend figures. Ash felt like his life changed for the better when he met Bloodtail. Everyone in sakura still knew about the sahara village incident and was scared of Ash. It bothered him a bit, But when he had Frost, Alex and Bloodtail. It didn’t matter to him. Of course he didn’t want to be seen as a monster and people to fear him, But he knew he was going to be okay when he had his family. Of course, Nothing lasts forever. One day Ash traveled a little too far from home. Bloodtail didn’t really let Ash go too far from home because of everyone hunting down and searching for the mysterious rapterian that burned so many homes at Sahara village. Ash is more introverted and didn’t mind staying near home, But after a while he was tired of seeing the same old thing and wanted to explore more. He didn’t mean to walk too far from home but Ash didn’t think of that as he was amazed by the beautiful sights of Sakura he never got to see. Sakura is far from a perfect place but it was a beautiful sight to see. Ash got so distracted by the scenery he had never seen before that he didn’t even think of how far he had gone. When Ash realizes he went way too far from home, He starts walking back home but suddenly stops. Ash looks up to see a village, The same village he burned down. Ash anxiety starts flooding in again, The flashbacks come flooding back to his brain at once. The heavy amount of guilt he had for destroying homes of innocent rapterians started weighing him again. Ash didn’t feel safe anymore, He just wanted to leave and get back to Bloodtail. But as he’s about to run off two young rapterians see Ash near the village and suddenly scream in fear, Running back into their houses. The screams caught the attention of the older rapterians and they all glared at Ash. All Ash can see is disgust, Hatred and anger in their eyes. They knew who he was and it was obvious they hated him and would never forgive him. Ash tears up as he runs into the forest. Trying to avoid burning anything near him Ash tries calming himself down, Remembering what Bloodtail taught him. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t. The screams of the two rapterians, The older ones glaring with hatred in their eyes. He was sorry, Truly sorry. He wishes he could have taken it all back. But he couldn’t. The damage was done and they would always see him as a monster. An apology won't fix the trauma and they would probably lock him in a cage if he tried. Ash can’t calm down and his thoughts made things worse. Ash breaks down crying, curled up in a ball as fire formed around him. The fire created a big cloud of gray smoke forming in the sky. Frost and Alex were able to see this in time. Alex was confused but Frost knew exactly what was going on and quickly ran towards the fire while Alex followed her. Ash was trying to put out the fire, His face still full of tears. Frost suddenly heard his sister's voice and he froze. Frost went to hug Ash for comfort, But Ash backed away. Ash felt ashamed now. What did his sister and best friend see in him now? An uncontrollable emotional wreck who can only hurt others? That's how Ash saw himself everyday. Frost and Alex tried comforting her brother, But Ash cried for her to stay back. Ash looks around and sees the fire around him burning a nearby tree. Luckily the tree wasn’t close enough to others to start a forest fire but it was enough to make Ash breakdown more. Ash stared at his paws then at Frost and Alex. He couldn’t tell their emotions from their widened sadden eyes. Were they worried? Scared? Disappointed? Ash wanted to hug them, But he couldn’t. He could hurt them or turn them into nothing but dust. Ash couldn’t risk it, he couldn’t hurt anyone. Ash just whispered sorry and before Frost could ask, Ash ran off deeper into the forest. Frost cries for Ash to wait but Ash ignores her. He didn’t know where he was going or what he was even doing, He just had to get away from them before he killed someone. After hours, It started to rain as it usually does in sakura. Ash doesn’t know how long he ran. He was tired from it and could barely breathe. Ash sighed and lay down near a small tree and took a few deep breaths. The soft raindrops started putting out the flames on his paws and faded off and Ash felt more calmer. After a few minutes of piercing everything together Ash sighed, Realizing how childish it was to run away and worry his family like that. Ash lifts his tiny self off the ground and decides to explain everything to Frost and set things right. But as Ash starts walking back home, He stops and lifts up his ears. He hears footsteps walking closer to him. Ash paws start lighting on fire again as he gets more nervous. Before he could call for who is there, Something knocks Ash off his paws and he falls to the ground. Before he can get back up something that Ash could only assume was a giant paw held him down. Ash cried for help but a deep voice growled for him to shut up. Ash froze and had no idea what to do. Ash whimpered and stayed silent not knowing what else to do. The fire that was surrounding his paws didn’t seem to have an effect on this rapterian so Ash had to assume they were strong enough to handle burning fire. Ash looked up to see two rapterians looking down at Ash. Ash couldn’t make any features or appearances since they were wearing metal armor and helmets. One of the rapterian that Ash could make out as a female voice started talking. She seemed tired and said let’s just hurry up and bring him back to C.H.A.I.N.S. That was a name Ash never thought he would hear again. The same place that tortured him, Took his mother and siblings away from him and made his childhood a nightmare. He couldn’t go back. That would make all of Frost’s hard work crumble to nothing. He couldn’t go back just so they could break his spirit down and torture him again. Ash started screaming for help again, trying his best to wrestle his tiny body off the rapterian’s paw. But it only made the rapterian more mad and held Ash down. Putting more pressure to the point it was crushing Ash. Ash teared up and cried, He was going back to C.H.A.I.N.S. and there was nothing he could do about it. Suddenly Ash's ears lifted up to three familiar voices. Bloodtail, Alex and his big sister Frost. Alex and Bloodtail attacked the rapterian holding Ash down while Frost attacked the female rapterian. Ash could barely make out what was happening. But his attention was now focused on Bloodtail. Bloodtail yelled for Ash to run, Holding onto the rapterian so he was distracted. Ash started getting flashbacks to the bear and Frost. Frost yelled for Ash ro run and the last time that happened Ash burned down a village. But Ash couldn’t think of that right now and did as Bloodtail said. Ash ran off heading back into the forest. But something grabbed onto his tail and yanked Ash back. Ash turned around to see the female rapterian. She must have knocked Frost off and went after Ash. The rapterian paw started sparking up that Ash could now see was electricity. Ash struggles but the rapterian still holds onto his tail. Ash closes his eyes expecting to get electrocuted. But instead sees Frost in front of him as she falls down to the ground. Ash's eyes widened as he now realized what happened. She jumped in front of him so he wouldn’t get electrocuted. Ash looked up but the rapterian was gone and so was the stronger one. But that didn’t matter because all of his focus was on his sister. Ash shaked Frost, Begging her to get up. But Ash paws light on fire again and he has no choice but to pull away from her. Alex and Bloodtail run towards Frost. Alex stares at Frost horrified and it pained Ash to see his friend like this. Frost was weak and could barely stand, But she assured Alex and Ash it would be okay. But Alex kept denying her, She had to get up, She had to make it. Ash keeps begging for Frost to get up, Resting his head on her flank. Ash cuddled Frost, Sobbing. The last time he cried so hard to the point he couldn’t say anything or stop was when his mother was taken away from him. Ash didn’t think this would ever happen again, But here he was. Staring at his older sister struggling to even talk. He knew this was Frost’s end of her journey. As much as Alex kept denying her and tried waking her up, He knew there was nothing they could do but say goodbye. That didn’t make him cry any less. Ash tried getting words out, But whenever he opened his mouth he sobbed more, cuddling into Frost’s white fur. Frost weakly lifted her paw up and gently pressed it against Ash’s cheek. He could feel her paw shaking as she was struggling to hold it up. All she could say was two things, I love you and thank you for making my life worth the pain. As soon as she saw Alex and Ash heard her, She smiled and the light left her eyes. Ash stared at Frost terrified, Trying to take everything in. She was gone, He would never hug her or hear her soft voice ever again, Hear her tell him it was going to be okay now. Her spirit now rests in the lakes of peace. And it was all because of him. Ash ran away and she went after him. He was supposed to die but she gave her life for him. His sister was dead, And it was his fault. Ash looks at Alex to see Alex hugging the limp body of Frost. Crying, Trying to get out words but can only cry. Watching his best friend crying for her made him realize he killed Alex’s only true love. What would he think of him now? He would probably pretend he didn’t exist or worse, kill him and let him die slowly and if death is to mercifully break his bones and leave him to suffer like Lyra did. Ash just cried more, He wanted to be there for Alex but he felt as if the world shattered, And nothing was ever going to get better or fixed. Bloodtail walks over to Alex and Ash, She hasn’t said anything the whole time. But Alex and Ash could see the guilt in her eyes. She probably blamed herself. Ash and Alex hug Bloodtail, crying into her thick fur. Ash cries into her fur, Screaming for Frost to come back even though he knew that wouldn’t work. When suddenly he felt fur that wasn’t Bloodtail’s cuddle his soft fur. Alex hugged him to make sure Ash didn’t cry. Ash froze in shock for a second, He thought for sure Alex would hate him for what he did but he didn’t. Alex whispered to Ash in a soft voice that it was going to be okay and that he would protect him for now on. Ash was still crying, But the words Alex said, Knowing his friend didn’t blame him. Made him have some faith that maybe everything would be okay. After a few hours of grief, Frost was buried near a beautiful blossom tree, The same one Alex and Frost met at. Ash and Alex would visit the grave everyday to feel like she was still with them. It was still painful but it brought a bit of positivity. Ever since that day, Alex and Ash always stayed close. Alex was very protective over Ash while Ash was just happy to be near Alex. Ash and Alex would always talk and hang out together, Even if the world was against them. At Least they had each other and trusted each other. But that's when Ash would notice strange behavior with Alex. He would tell Ash he would go hunting and leave the camp but wouldn’t come back for hours. He always came back tired and almost always had a wound or a scratch. It bothered Ash everyday the more he noticed, But he knew Alex was already coping with the loss of Frost and decided to not ask about it to avoid stressing his friend out more. As the months pass, Alex gets more suspicious and acts more odd. Sometimes scratches would appear in Alex’s sleep and Ash would also notice shaking and his claws digging in the ground. Ash got more and more worried for his friend, He always trusted Alex and he trusted him the same way right? Or did he think he was a walking mistake who can’t be trusted with secrets because he would have a breakdown and probably burn another village. One day Alex told Ash that he would be back and was meeting up with his good friend Willow. Ash met Willow a few times, She was a kind and compassionate healer everyone knew and loved. She was also one of the only ones who liked Alex for who he is and was able to make a good relationship with him. Ash was still concerned about what was going on, But trusted Alex. Alex left that day but didn’t return like the time he normally does. Ash waited at the front entrance for his friend, But the more it got dark. The more Ash got worried. Ash suddenly felt a bit of betrayal. Alex said they would share everything together, Why was he keeping secrets from Ash? Was he just trying to make Ash feel better and was actually mad at him for Frost? Ash’s ears fold the more he thinks about it, Maybe everyone was right. He’s a monster no one cares for and is afraid of. Another day passes, And Bloodtail is also worried. Bloodtail tells Ash to stay calm. Alex has enhanced strength and can take care of himself. Ash still felt hesitant, But still smiled trying to find hope in positivity. As the day turns back into night and Ash starts losing hope. Bloodtail and Alex both come back to camp, They both seem stressed and tired. As soon as Ash sees Alex he tackles him in a hug. Ash was so worried for him. He couldn’t lose Alex after he lost so much already. But when Ash looks up at Alex he seems heartbroken, tired, Depressed even? When Ash asks Alex if he is okay, Alex sighs and tells Ash everything. Training with the dark spirit Aurora to get stronger, Regina killing Willow, Alex trying to get revenge but his plan backfired. Ash was shocked and needed a moment to take everything in, Ash could understand why he was so upset now. He was scared that what happened to Frost would happen to Bloodtail and Ash. He wanted to get stronger and to protect them. Although Ash felt a bit betrayed Alex never told him, He was happy he finally knew. Alex became a fugitive in sakura because of Queen Regina. The only place no one was allowed to chase after Alex was in the red tribe territory thanks to Bloodtail. All the drama put Ash on edge but even after he lied to him Ash trusted Alex that he would be okay. Alex was too smart and fast to not get captured no matter how much everyone tried. Ash knew this and stopped worrying so much for him when he left camp. One day, Ash was sleeping on a small tree branch when he suddenly felt heat towards him. Afraid that he was burning something by accident, Ash opened his eyes and jumped in fear. This caused him to trip and tumble off the tree. This causes him to fall in a pile of leaves and burn them to dust because of how scared he was. Ash quickly got up and looked up expecting to see a tree on fire and smoke covering the sky. But the tree was normal, Just a broken branch Ash fell off of while being frightened. Ash tilts his head in curiosity. If it wasn’t his fire that he felt then why did he feel heat near him and heard the cackling of a fire’s spark. Ash looks around but his heart drops as he sees a butterfly land on his nose. But this butterfly was literal fire. A red shape of a butterfly with its wings flaming and sparks flying from them. As soon as it landed on his nose Ash backed away in fear. He had never seen something like this before and he was sure no book ever said anything about fire insects in Sakura. How is this even possible and why is it following him? Ash shakes in fear and curls up. But the butterfly just gently lands on his head. Ash closes his eyes, waiting for an explosion. But it was just the silence interrupted by the sounds of the lovely mother earth’s nature. Ash looks down and realizes he’s showing the same fear to the butterfly that everyone shows him. Almost every time he goes out of camp everyone avoids him or stares at him with widened eyes. This butterfly was just like him, It wasn’t his fault it’s wings were literal fire and burned everything it touched. Ash slowly reaches his paw towards the butterfly, But it suddenly flies off. Afraid that he startled it, Ash calls wait for the butterfly and follows them. The butterfly leads him deep into a part he never explored before. Ash suddenly stops paying attention to how far he was running and all his focus was on his new fire friend. That's when Ash stopped and realized how dark it was getting and how far he actually went. Ash looks up to see the sun starting to set and the beautiful orange and yellow colors turning darker. Ash's heart skips a beat as he realizes he did the same thing the day his sister died. Ash panicked and started walking back before Bloodtail noticed when suddenly he heard a voice. It was a female voice, Calling for help. Ash stopped in fear as it got darker and the voice kept repeating the same cries of help. Ash knew he had to get home, but he couldn’t leave someone like that. He didn’t care what people thought of him. He was always there to help someone in need, No matter what. Ash towards the trees and walks closer to the sound. Ash calls for the voice to see if anyone responds. A few minutes pass, And Ash's ears lift up as he hears a call for help again. This time the voice sounds like genuine fear as if they were hurt. When Ash hears the voice, He runs towards the trees who had branches that almost covered the sky. When Ash follows the voice and comes out of the thick bushes. His eyes widen and he steps out of the bushes. His ears lift up and he suddenly doesn’t feel so terrified. What he sees is a beautiful fox with a flaming tail. She seemed annoyed but in pain. Ash wondered what was bothering her and looked down and he gulped, feeling his stomach turn. There was a bear trap clamped on the fox’s paw. Her paw was bleeding and even seemed to be twisted. But Ash gulped in fear because there's no bear traps in sakura. The only hunters are rapterians looking for food or bounty hunters looking for criminals to put away. This meant when he followed the butterfly, Ash didn’t pay attention to how far he really went and he traveled so far he walked into the human world. Ash felt his heart racing and his tail curl up against his legs as he put the pieces together. But he told himself to stop. He was terrified, yes, But there was a poor fox who was suffering and in serious pain. He couldn’t let his fear get someone hurt, Not again. Ash walked over to the fox, She was a bit hostile and pulled her head away. But Ash slowly put his paw out, showing her he meant no harm. The fox suddenly stopped trying to pull away and stayed silent. Her face seemed a bit unsure like she didn’t trust Ash. Ash didn’t blame her one bit, but he still had to help her. Ash laid his paw on the bear trap and it slowly started to turn to dust. The fox watched in amazement as the trap started falling into little specks of dust to the ground. When she was finally free, She lifted up her twisted paw and glanced at it. The paw was bleeding and bent in an odd manner and it worried Ash. The fox tried walking away but tripped and fell to the ground followed with a small yelp of pain. Her paw was twisted and was bleeding, She was in no condition to walk on it or travel at all. Ash knew he couldn’t leave her here, Even though the world feared him he was always willing to help others. Ash was kind, he helped the fox and let her rest half of her body on him while he walked her back to his home, away from the human world. While traveling with her, Ash learned the fox's name is Ava. Ava was sarcastic and kind of rude at first, But when she saw Ash genuinely wanted to help her. She became more soft, Still sarcastic and sassy but more kind and understanding. The more the two talked the more the two started to relate more. Ava both had a fire ability she couldn’t control. Because of this she accidentally burned down her own home. While Ava told him this Ash felt a bit of comfort. Finally someone understood him and wasn’t afraid of him. When Ash and Ava finally made it to the red tribe. Ash had to explain everything to Bloodtail and Alex because they were panicking and frantically asking Ash questions. Ash explained everything and neither Bloodtail or Alex were pleased with what they heard. As Alex is about to lecture Ash, Alex notices Ava. Ava is a bit confused with everything going on and kind of glares at Alex. The two kind of growl and glare back and Ash can already tell how the two feel about each other. It took a lot of begging but eventually Bloodtail got soft and let Ava stay with them until her paw healed. Ash was so happy and that's when Ava and Ash grew very close. Ash and Ava would spend time talking about their uncontrollable powers and Ash showing Ava all of the sakura lands and villages. Ava ended up noticing how the other rapterians treated Ash whenever he left home. Ava would end up defending Ash whenever they traveled together. If someone got scared or glared at Ash Ava would growl at them or snap off at them. Ash never wanted to make a scene so he always stayed quiet but deep inside he was thankful and happy someone cared that much for him. Alex did the same thing but ever since he was framed he had to stay off the radar. Ava and Ash grew very close. They relate to each other and always seem to know how to make each other feel better. After spending so much time with Ava, Ash developed a crush on her. He couldn’t help but think of her when she wasn’t around and he was always so happy when he was with her. After losing so much happiness and hope, Ash started gaining it all back when he was with Ava. When Ava finally is able to walk again. She’s able to find a nice home near the rainfall kingdom. A small fox burrows under a giant oak tree. Ava and Ash visit each other almost everyday or week. They cared for each other so much and wanted to protect one another. But, After a while. Alex starts getting weird again. Ash starts noticing it again and gets worried something bad will happen like last time. One day, Bloodtail and Ash wake up to Alex gone again. Ash starts panicking but Bloodtail orders him to not go after him. Ash didn’t know why she said that but she seemed to know something he didn’t. So he did as Bloodtail said and waited for his friend. As time passes, Ash’s anxiety can’t help but tell Ash something is very wrong. Ash tries calming himself down but he can’t. The last time this happened his best friend was framed for murder, How could he just sit down and wait for something bad to happen. As much as he didn’t want to, He snuck behind Bloodtail back and left camp to find Alex. Ash looks around for Alex, Calling for him but all he hears is silence. Ash sighs and realizes it wasn’t a good idea. He starts walking back but stops as he hears footsteps. Ash folds his ears and looks behind him. A giant deer was hovering over Ash. Ash’s heart sank as he realized who the deer was. Archer, A emotionless bounty hunter who would kill or attack anything that got in the way of his targets. Ash tried to run away but the giant hunter was like a shadow. Whenever he turned the other way the deer stepped in front of him. Ash shakes in fur and realizes he started creating more fire from his paws from how terrified he was. Ash curls up in fear as fire creates a circle around him. That's when Ash hears a familiar voice and opens his eyes. Alex steps in front of Ash, Hissing and growling at Archer. Ash's eyes widened and then he smiled a bit. Of course Alex was there when he was in trouble. He made his sister a promise to protect him. Archer and Alex fought while Ash watched terrified. Ash’s ears fold when he realizes Alex might not win this battle, Archer and Alex were both strong but the deer was bigger and had giant knives and antlers for defense. He could easily stab Alex just like that and leave him to die. Alex growls for Ash to run and Ash but Ash stays this time. Everytime someone told him to run he listened, and it always led to something bad happening. He wasn’t letting his friend get hurt because he was too much of a coward and all he could do was run away. Alex jumps and claws at Archer back but the deer easily throws him off. Alex quickly gets up and looks at Ash. Alex growls at him and asks why didn’t he run but Ash says if he’s running they are running away together. Alex stops and glares at him but when he realizes Archer is no longer stunned he nods. Alex and Ash run deep into the forest near a mountain. They had to get away from Archer. But no matter how fast they tried to run. Archer always seems to be a step ahead of them. That's when Ash and Alex stopped at a cliff. Ash panics but Alex tells Ash he had to listen to him and jump to the other side. As much as everything was telling Ash he couldn’t leave his friend. He didn’t have a choice but to listen. Ash eventually jumps to the other side, struggling to push his little body up and climb but he did it. Ash smiles then turns, expecting his friend to join him. But Alex just sighs and turns away. Just with that gesture, Ash knew exactly what was happening as if he was telepathic. Ash calls for his name and tilts his head to confirm his suspicions, And he is correct. Alex says i'm sorry and tears up. “They are after me, not you.” Alex says while crying trying to smile. As Alex turns around and walks away Ash screams and cries for his name. He couldn’t let his best friend get hurt, But there was nothing he could do. He was stuck on the other side of the cliff, and he couldn’t just jump back. Alex walks off into the forest and Ash falls to the ground crying. Everything hurts now. His friend was probably in jail or being tortured, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. It felt like going through Frost’s death again. Ash walks back to camp and Bloodtail panics questioning where Ash was. Ash tried explaining everything but couldn’t. Everything hurt, and he put all the blame on himself. Bloodtail suddenly stops and just lets Ash cry on her fur and hug him. As days passed, Ash knew Alex wasn’t coming back. But he still waited outside the camp, hoping he would return. The more he waited, the more Ash felt like breaking down and crying again. As the hours pass, Ash can’t wait anymore. He had to find Alex, He had no idea where he was. But he still had to try. Rapterians had a good sense of tracking which is why they are such great hunters and that gave Ash a little hope he would find his best friend. Ash didn’t want to tell Bloodtail, But it hurt leaving her. Ash knew Bloodtail had been through alot as well and she would be alone. But he had to find his friend. The only person he was leaving was Ava. Ava begged him not to go but Ash knew he had to. Ash looked at Ava and she knew he had to do this. Ava and Alex never got along but Ava knew how much Ash cared for him. Ash and Ava hug each other for the last time and say their goodbyes. Each didn’t know when they were coming back or how long they would be gone. But they had to trust each other. Ash stops by the train that always passes Sakura. It was one of the only ways to the human world with this train. As he’s waiting Ash hears someone call for Ash to wait. It’s Bloodtail. Bloodtail begs for him not to go, But Ash knew he had to find him. He couldn’t just wait for Alex to come back which could be years or never. As Bloodtail looks at Ash’s eyes. She knew she couldn’t stop him. Bloodtail had to let go and trust him. Ash and Bloodtail smile and say their goodbyes and Ash gets on the train to find Alex. He waves bye at Bloodtail as the train takes him away and he can see the pain in Bloodtail’s eyes despite her warm smile. Ash’s journey is to find his friend, he doesn’t know what obstacles are going to get in his way but he’s not giving up. He’s not losing Alex like he lost Frost. Never again.