Ash barely could kept track of Claire and that fake her. She on them, mostly, by seeing them turn the next corner. Her wings helped make up that lost distance fast; soon she was on the same hallway as them, but with less time for them to run. Ash flew close and tried to land on top of the fake, but missed. The two started to battle out in front of Claire, trading blows and moving around one another best they could, and Claire was pressed to the wall as she saw Ash fighting herself.
It took her a long time to come to words as the two of Ash fought. "What?... There's two of you?... Ash, why are you fighting?... Why does one of you have wings?..."
"That's not Ash, Claire!" one of them shouted, "She's been pretending to be me! She wants to hurt you!"
"That's a lie!" The other one shouted, "You're the one who brought her here! I'm trying to keep her safe from people like you!"
"You're the one that brought her here!" The other shouted back and went for a punch.

Copleand and Torrent came up not long after, panting, and looking at the two Ashs' puzzled. Each Ash paused and looked to their friends.
"She's the fake," she said in sync, "I'm the real one, Trust me!"
"Shut up!" an Ash shouted at the other, and tried to hit her, but it backed away flapping its wings, and then the other flew and attacked it.
Torrent watched them, for a while, and started to glare.
"Torrent?" Copleand looked at her, "Your power?"
"Uhuh..." Torrent said, and drew her head, "I can find the real Ash, and I can find the fake between them..." She got into a pose ready to pounce, "Follow my lead." She ran toward two, up the wall, and sprang at one of them. Her blade slashed through the feather wings, and the Ash dropped to the ground, holding her wounded wing.
"Nice one!" Ash shouted as she kept flying, "Now we can finish her!" She flew down at the imposter and readied her feet to drop kick. But, the feathers of this imposter, it was all it took to block her feet like a brick wall. "What? How are they doing that?"
The feathers started to meld into one another, and Ash jumped off them and away.
"Another monster?" Copleand watched this thing deform in front of them, the blood from it's former wings green and dripping. "Are you serious?"
"I am what ever I need to be," It said, as the feathered wings turned more like a pair of large hands with webbing between them. "And I need to get her out of here."
________________________________________________________________

Part 24

Title: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/41019572/

Part 23: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45069093/

Part 25: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45564778/

Ash © amberbreezeash

Torrent © dsizzle99

Copleand © Fuzzieredpanda

The imposter ©  tailsofnature

Circuit Grit, Claire, art and story © Me