((Sorry I poofed on you both.  Dx  I went on an unplanned hiatus and wasn't able to log on there or say that I was leaving.  -_- ))

Anila bit back a small cry of joy.  It was a foolish thing to do, even in the middle of this dark, frightening forest.  But the thought of others like her was almost too much to contain.

"I..." Anila started, but felt her tongue tie up as it so often did, then started again, "I have wings."  She let the cloak slide away, reealing the white feathers, now pressing firmly against her back.  "I can also control air, if I will it, but I don't prefer to.  Flying is enough for me."  She laughed, but it came out shaky.  She listened intently to Max and Dusk's stories, before adding, "Mutants?  I knew we were different, but the term 'mutant' seems a bit harsh...doesn't it?"  She flet her wings slide against her back.  Their warmth felt nice against a cool breeze beginning to stir, but a sense of foreboding now came with it.  Indignace rose up just as quickly.  She wasn't a mutant!  It wasn't her fault that she was like this.  It wasn't Dusk's or Max's either, was it?

Anila sat down, feeling that she was confident enough in their trust to take a rest.  "So," she began, "Might I suggest some sleep?  I, for one, am exhausted."

Max couldn't have agreed more with Anila's comment. She hadn't slept for days, or at least, it'd seemed like days. She was also quite hungry, not to mention thirsty. Watching as Dusk ran off and disappeared into the small stream like body of water, she slumped against a tree, not sure if she should continue her journey and escape farther away and towards a more secure area, or to stay put until they caught up again. She would have taken a drink out of the river from the small bank, but after seeing Dusk vanish and after some thought of the slimy fishes that swam inside, she decided to remain where she was for the time being.

Normally, she'd have been looking through the special book she used to have, that is, if she had it now. Instead, she had only her guitar to occupy herself, only strumming a soft melodious tune, humming along to it quietly. It was a song her mother used to sing to her as a child, seemingly she thought every child was sung to. This was no lullaby though, nay, it was a calming music, soothing and quiet, peaceful to the soul. Especially if someone with a good voice was singing it. She hated self pity, but those were the last memories she had of her mother; her calming voice and smooth words, her beautiful appearance, and the book she once had. She found tears rolling down her cheek but wiped them quickly away, aware she was no longer alone.

Anila smiled gently at Max as she strummed on her guitar.  The tune sounded vaguely familiar, but she fairly certain that she couldn't name the tune.  She studied Max for a while, unable to help herself from sagging against a tree behind her.  As the tears began to roll down the girl's face, Anila turned to study her surroundings.  A great big sycamore tree held promise for a peaceful night's rest.  Anila turned back to Max.

"If you don't mind," she started softly, "I'm going to go into that sycamore tree over there."  She motioned behind them, and to the left.  "I prefer to sleep in trees if possible."

Without another word, Anila unwrapped her wings from around her.  The ground lifted away as she coasted on a soft, gentle breeze that placed her into the strong, steady branches of the sycamore tree.  Leaves blotted out the inky white light of the moon that was beginning to rise, leaving Anila in near complete black.  Her wings shifted ever so slightly, warming her back while sending her cloak cascading across her chest to leave her warm there, too.

With a sigh of contentedness, anila let her eye s drift close, leaving her in a world of black.  The sounds of the forest swam around her, the rustling of leaves, the goraning of trees, the stroking of Max's guitar.  The sounds began to drift further and further away, until she was left in black again, but this time moe complete.  And then, in her warm ebonmy cocoon did Anila fall asleep.

Soon the wind swept over the ocean and light spread over the water, making the water warm. Dusk awoke from her slumber and slithered out of the water, her stuff instantly leaving. Her fins were suck back into her arms, leaing only marks to show where they once were. Her legs became legs again and her skin changed back to the pale color they were. Her silver eyes melted back to purple.

She wandered up to the two other girls. "Wake uyp sleep heads." she said as she yawned. That was Dusk, down with the moon, up with the sun..

Max's nose twitched, her ears pricking up as they caught what she as.sumed to be a voice. She sat up in surprise, startled at the sudden awakening, realizing it was Dusk. Being the cat like creature she was, she would have preferred stretching and basking in the sun, lazing away, over running around and being active. That was just her though.

She remembered the brilliant white of Anila's wings, when they were exposed to the world. It took strength to keep herself from touching them to feel how soft they were. She also remembered the gills on Dusk's side, a truly remarkable thing she would add. Then there was her, with a kitty tail and cat ears. It was these simple things, that made her rejoice within, knowing she wasn't by herself; she wasn't alone.

She looked upwards into the tree, to where she figured Anila was still asleep in the sycamore tree. Standing to move beside Dusk, she realized that sleeping positioned against a tree wasn't the smartest thing to do. There was a slight jerk in her shoulders and she decided it was a muscle that would soon loosen up with time.

"Good morning." She yawned, smiling at the one who'd awakened her.

"Wh...What?"  Anila struggled to find coherent words. 

The slumber she had just been awoken from was still trailing its sleepy tendrils through her head.  Memories surfaced.  The running the fear.  She clamped her mouth closed immediately, fighting back a speal of alarm.  Then, the later memories came.  Max.  Dusk.  Safety.  friendship.  Anila felt the tension drain out of her tired shoulders.

Now, she risked opening her eyes.  The sycamore tree was colored with warm bark and pale green leaves.  She tentatively hopped out, pleaesd to discover that a very small amount--very infinitesimal, indeed--of her soreness was gone.  She smiled slowly at the others, and then sat on the ground, cross-legged.

"What next?" she asked, now fully awake.

Another day on the run had begun.

"That's what I was going to ask." Dusk laughed, tossing her wet, seaweed filled hair over her shoulder. She put her hand on Max's shoulder. "You feel tense." she said silently, pushing the knot in Max's shoulder until it smoothed out. She had learned to do this by watching a tv one day when she had been on the run. She had been undercover and ordering from a restaurant when that came on tv.

She sighed. "Better?" She asked, turning back to the two girls...

"Sort of. Did you know that there are sharks in the ocean?" Dusk pointed out with a half-hearted laugh. Sghe tried to lighten the mood, but they seemed downcast, even she was a bit blue and not in the literal sense. "Anila?" She was older than Dusk, so maybe she would have an idea...

((Sorry for the fail posts, I just had to writre ANOTHER essay.))

((O:  I kept skipping over this...  *angry face*  I need to pay more attention.))

Anila gave a faint smile as Dusk rubbed Max's shoulders.  they were already becomeing the faintest shape of a team.  As Dusk indicated to the shark-ridden ocean, Anila gave a slight srug.

"Sharks will be sharks, right?  We just can't go swimming."  She had been trying for a light tone, but it came again as a shaky, serious tone.

Giving a small sigh of defeat, she sat down and leaned against a tree.  she was close to both Max and Dusk, but far enough away to jump up and flee if either of them decided to try and hurt her.  She felt her cheeks flush at the traitorous thought.  They were together now, eren't they?  But still, she had been on the run for a while.  It was poor excuse, but Anila was glad that she was still on her toes.

"Anila?" Dusk suddenly intoned, bringing her back into the real world.

"What?" Anila asked, then gave a smile at Dusk--even if the girl couldn't see it.  "Oh, um..." she said, out of ideas.

Max watched quietly as the two conversed in the somhow strange means of conversation. SHe didn't have anything else to add, though was surprised when she heard that Dusk could talk to fish. Sure she'd tried it before, speaking to woodland animals, but it failed. Apparently the squirrel she'd been trying to communicate with at the time disliked her, because she only remembered being hit on the head with an acorn. Or maybe it was a sign of affection? Either way, she dismissed the thoughts swirling in her mind and clouding her vision from the new world.

For so long, she'd believed she was different, so even if she'd been with Dusk and Anila for just a small while, it was still a shock to her that she wasn't alone in this world. IT was rare, but she'd felt something she hadn't in many moons. It was the small hint of happiness that caused her to perk up, and bring true, sheer joy into her heart. It was wonderful to know that you weren't alone in this world. Because honestly, this world is quite harsh.

((Failness. Oi, school is wearing me out. So much homework... -.-))

((Lol, me to.  :O  Not logging on for two days, aside from trips, is a new record for me, I think.  xD  Oh well, it's not like I didn't see it coming...))

Anila looked at Dusk in surpirse.

"Talk to...  fish?  You can do that, too?"  She supposed she shouldn't be too surprised--after all, she could control wind and had wings, but stil...  To communicate with another species was beyond Anila's abilities.

"Well," she said, turning to Max, "Do you have any ideas.  'Cause I'm fresh out."  She slumped against a tree, still aching from the night before.  As she looked around, a soft breeze scattered the dense la
yer of leaves in front of her.  "That's it!" Anila almost shouted, jumping up.  "Look!" she pointed to clusters of small, cherry-like berries clumped unerneath the foliage.  Their crimson hues went from magenta to blood red, to puirple and back again.  "They're Explorer's Berries," she said, beaming.  As she dug through them, she looked at the other two girls with delight.  "They're edible, I promise," she said as s he stuffed a handful into her starving mouth.

Max slowly crept over, seizing one of the small red ball-shaped fruit. She slowly brought it to her mouth, biting down on it. It tasted fine, triggering her to pick a couple more and place them into her mouth as well. To be honest, she was starving, and by the looks on Dusk and Anila's faces, it seemed that they were too. By now, Max's ribs could be seen if she lifted her tattered shirt. They weren't too noticeable, but she most likely didn't have the most healthy amount of body fat. Either way, it didn't matter to her because she had with her all the food she needed at the moment.

Max nodded her head at Dusk's clever question. Obviously, Anila would have known, seeing she was a pparently wise and filled with much knowledge. Well, at least more knowledge than herself. They were delicious, sweet to the taste, and extremely juicy. Just one could cause juice to drip down your mouth, and after each bite, it made her want more. She wiped her face with his torn sleeves, pering up at the other two girls.

Anila flushed with embaras.ment..and could that really be a hint of pride?

"Well, my mother used to take me walkingin the woods..." she said quietly.  "I was young, though.  I guess I sort of just...remembered?  i don't really have a better word for it."  And truly, she didn't.  The round berries were an item that sparked feelings of her childhood, remembrance with more than just her brain.

Anila picked up a few more, popping them into her mouth.  A bitter burst signified that one hadn't been ripe yet, but she wasn't complaining.  She wiped the sticky crimson juice as best she could off of her mouth, then stood up again, rejuenated.

"So..." she said, surveying her surroundings yet again.  Already the trees were becoming familiar, the tall,steady sycamore a ready place to sit down and relax in.  "Should we kee p mocing?  I've never stayed in one place too long."

And she hadn't.  Even after two days in the city she had been spotted.  Miles away, she doubted they would have to move for maybe three more days, but you never knew when you were on the run.  She shuffled herings across her back as she weighed the ideas.  Finally, not coming up with a good enough answer, she looked to the others for a plan.