When Aly and I finally arrive at the clearing, it's deserted. However, there are signs that things were here.

I glance back at Aly. I had known her for a year now and she had become like family to me, maybe even closer. I didn't want to see her hurt.

"Get behind me." I half-whisper, half-growl. If anything happened to her, I would NEVER forgive myself.

Together, we make our way into the clearing. Hand in hand. Step by step. Then finally, Aly suprised us both by saying, "I found something."

"What is it Aly?" Cass asks nervously. Soundlessly, I pick the stick off the ground, grab his arm, and run all the way back to camp. I can feel his nervous breath on the back of my neck.

When we finally get back to camp, I let go of his arm. His blonde hair was sopping wet from sweat. Deciding it would be wise not to speak, I pressed the stick into his hand.

"A stick. You found a lousy stick!"  he roared. His green eyes flashed more venomously than usual. He reached out and grabbed my arm. I cringed, trying not to show how much pain I was in.

"Not just any stick Cass. This was the only stick in the area. No others were there." I whispered. His grip on my arm lessened. His eyes post intensity.

"What could it mean?" Cass asked hesitantly.

"I have no idea." And that scared me. 

Thanks Shadow! My name was originally Icicalwhisper, but it's sorrta long so I thought I'd shorten it. Icical was already taken so I decided on Whisper. :D I like your name also, and the Angle of Death. Didn't you say you were gonna write about it on the This RP is....thread? I don't write on that cause it's kinda out of my league...buy I haven't seen it lately...did it finally die? Or did you finish it? Alright, alright, I'll write now. Hmmmm....where shall I start? 

~Fang

I pace the pasture I was in. The last thing I remember was escaping. But where had that lead me? Another stupid cage. With other stupid humans. I roared.

Why was this happening to me? What did I ever do?

I lept up at the large white wall around me. It wasn't just tall, it was slick also. Like the edge of a cliff, and this was like trying to clime the edge of that cliff. 

But that never works. The cliff is impossible to clime, like it's against all animals and people. It practically pushes you off itself, the edge always being so slick, your claws can't find a hold, and you fly over the edge. 

I clench my teeth as my muscles tensed against the slick surface. With an awful scraping sound they scraped deep gouged in the slick wall. I let go, landing with a soft thump on the cool grass. I roared again, and people watching hit their hands together to make an awful noise. I cringed, retreating to the small pool. There I can't here anything but the comforting waves against my fur. Why did I like the water so much? Didn't cats hate water? 

~Icicalwhisper 

I woke, shaking my head. My tail unfurled from around my claws. I slowly rose to my talons. My wings grasping the ground with the one large claw on top. "Sunblaze?" I whispered into the darkness for my brother. 

"Icicalwhisper?" I heard a reassuring voice.

I blinked open my eyes, and the darkness of sleep slowly faded to show me bars. Yes bars. Was I in a cage? Is this what they call a cage? "Sunblaze?!" I called more panicky. 

"What." He snarled. I swirled my head to see Sunblaze right beside me,sprawled on his back with his talons up. One eye was half open, watching me.

"Where's Earthstorm? And that dragon. Did they do this to us?" The last thing I recalled was following a group of animals that had been fighting with the resistance against Catastrophe and my sister...And her dragon....And a bunch of other creatures..., We had just been defeated, and Earthstorm had remembered her true nature and protected us from the Dragon. They were following us following the group, and then something happened....But what? 

"Oh shush. Their just right....." He had opened both eyes and was looking around with his head still on the ground. "There." He finished worrydly.

I flicked my tail in shock and rose up to my back talons, my wings raising to scrape the roof of the cage. Beyond the cage was black...or. ....

I reached out and stricken the darkness with my wing claw. It rippled under contact, and was soft. "I didn't know you could feal..." Then it hit me. More violently I struck the darkness with my wing claws and ripped down. My claw went through the darkness, and as I ripped down the darkness was pulled from my cage and slid off my talon and onto the ground in front of the cage. "Darkness." I finished. 

All around us were cages. Cages with swacking parrots, pacing dogs, and roaring dragons. It was simply lit, as we could beat my see the others cages. Wait, Dragon? 

My eyes went back to the dragon. His face was half gone, and his red eyes shown with deep sadness.  "Half bone!" I called excitedly. 

He lifted his face, SunBlaze managed to whisper "No..." before the dragon burst with anger. 

"You!" He snarled. "Its all your fault! You mangy little-," he rattled the cage, trying to turn and claw at the bars. But he was way to big for the cage, and his wings stuck from the roof. 

"Shush." Sunblaze suddenly growled. "Someone's comming."

"Or something...." I whispered with a shiver to my words.  

I clear my throat. "Um, the Resistance has a huge uncovered science lab that I got the potion from. It isn't really the same as last time, because it has a mutation in it. As you know, the bird mutation. Also, don't worry too much about me. The scientists at the lab put a fake record in for me."

She nods. "Okay. Anyway, I'll give you a basic outline of this place. There's the clearing with the huts-"

"Huts?" I interrupt. 

She rolls her eyes. "Yep. They had other things for us originally but the others protested and made their own huts. We are simply creatures now."

She finishes telling me about the arena, and when she does we stare up at the balcony. Looks like another bird girl has arrived- wait a second.

"Shadow," I say, with my direction still towards the balcony. "What is Riuex doing here?" 

I'm in shock. I actually hurt Aly. What's WRONG with me?

After putting the stick in a secure location, we have a meager meal of berries and nuts. Aly plays with her food, not seeming interested in anything. After a while, she says, "I'm going to turn in. Call me if you need me." And with that, she climbs her sleeping tree.

What have I done? I think I may have lost the only friend I have in this world. 

The Head of HSAP stands on the balcony with Riuex and some other officials. I can't hear them but I can read their lips.

"Harvest Day," I see the Head say. 

I can tell Riuex slightly objects but she steps back. All of the other officials nod their heads.

The Head gets on a small platform ship and carries a gun with a couple of other officials behind him on the platform.

"Attention all captives!" the Head shouts.

We all look up.

The Head smiles menacingly. "It's Harvest Day." 

Harvest Day. The day they take a few and kill. Then they harvest their wings and some DNA. I can't even think about it. But the way the kill them is the worst. The Head puts the three chosen in a forest and the fight to the death. The last one standing is killed anyway.

The Head looks over the crowd. Valaya squeezes my hand. 

He points at Kain, Maple, and Tomas.

Valaya lets go of my hand and I breath a sigh of relief. But it's not over.

Now we have to go watch.  

I wake up to the sound of gunfire. What? Where could gunfire be coming from?

Quickly, I run from my tree to Cass's. Cass, believe it or not, is still asleep. Therefore, I shake him awake.

"What? Aly what's the matter?"

"Gunfire. And it's coming from the direction of the clearing."

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

"Are you sure about this?"

"I'm as sure about this as much as I'm sure that your name is Aly. So let's go!"

And with that, we run to the clearing, hoping that it's not to late. 

"All right, that's enough everyone," I call out to the crowd of soldiers and bird people.

Everyone stops and I smile. "Thank you."

I direct my attention towards Shadow. "I think there's some things we need to clarify, Shadow."

Suddenly she lunges for a soldier and in a lightning fast motion puts a gun to his head.

"Free us," she says. "Or I kill him."

I shrug. "I have three things on that. First, his life was merely meant to be cast. He's a soldier. Second, I wouldn't free you no matter what. And third, I think something might change your mind."

She looks at me confused.

I smile again and pull out a small device. I touch a button on it, and a small screen appears. Alexandria is pictured on it, and a knife is to her throat.

"No," Shadow gasps. She blinks a few times.

"The price of them or the price of her. Tick tock Shadow, I had other things to say."

Shadow looks down and Mina glares at me.

I smile.

Finally Shadow, still looking down, releases the soldier. She whips her head up at me and glares. "Let her go!"

I smile and turn the screen off. "We'll see. Now, I need to clarify things before we kill this little Angel of Death once and for all."

All is silent.

I smirk. "Good." I then look at Shadow. "Now, I was there whenever your parents were killed and your brother was taken away. They were quite pitiful. You ran, being the coward you are, and left poor, defenseless Alexandria to be taken to the Academy to be trained into a living weapon. It was quite successful for she was quite young. And then came time when she was mature enough to join Elliot's army. And you were dubbed as a Resistance leader. So during that course, I created fake files of Alexandria's past for everyone who thought they could access them. And yes, that includes your files too. Yes, I made them dear, do get that stupid look of your face. Anyway, I proceeded to lie to everyone about the fact that they could not let you and Alexnadria meet each other. I arranged your first meeting. I left the computer on that one time for Mina to find out your 'past,' and the reaction was quite successful. That made you look for her. Of course, all of those events lead up to this point where you are here in this arena, surrounded by those the same as you. All your life, dear, you have been merely an experiment. A test. We would use you, yes, only to throw you away. We knew that when you met Alexandria everything would be torn apart. If only the Raid never happened. Oh yes, that is what they all called it. The Raid. The day that Alexandria was taken, your brother was taken, your parents were killed, and you ran away for yourself. But of course, the Raid could have never had happened without the help of dear Mina. Oh, did I forget to mention that? Yes, she helped kill your parents and destroy your life when she worked for us. So back to what I was saying, the choice lies with you."

"Who are you?" Shadow whispers.

I smirk. "Headmistress Rigga."

Some gasp. I don't care.

I look back at Shadow. "So the choice is with you, dear. Save an entire human-bird population, or save a little girl who isn't even on your side?"