i sent my mind back to the cave with siik and fynd, eavesdropping some more, only more careful this time.

"Fynd, she's too young. Nowhere, in all of lore, has a nineteen-year-old done thed things she's done."
"Then maybe it's time for new lore, as she's doing the things now."
"It taakes time to craft a story."
"Time you have."
"Either way, I' m not doing it. I will not subjject our daughter to it."
"You know, this plan of yours is goingg to backfire and land us in a hellhole in the future."

it was confusing, but i would sort it out later.

Mother would surely know the signs associated with the feather. But, then again,.I wasn't sure I wanted to know them. Perhaps later, when I felt more like myself

I sigh and look at my sister, how was I going to tell her what I've done? I wasn't, i would just have to suspend my plan, and pretend some things never happened.

i flapped back and told what i had learned to the GOs. then i landed in thunder's cave, hopping he would appear.

I closed my mind to Thunder. There were some thoughts an older brother should never see. "Thanks for doing this," Isaid out loud. I really hoped he didn't catch on very quickly. It worried me that our family was falling apart.

I sigh. "Any time, sis." I fidget, then take off, completely uncomfortable, and unsure of what else to say. I head for my cave, trying to think of things to pull the Alliance back together, despite my own plans.

I watched Thunder fly off, then headed to my own cave. The scrawled message carved into the side wall had been covered long ago by shelves bearing all sorts if things. A large fire pit dominated the center of the cave. Surrounding it were dragon-sized couches placed low enough tok thed ground so the young ones could climb up. The couches, and the beds at the back of the cave, looked as though they had been grown from the stone ffloor of the caave.
Samuel was asleep, and Clat very nearly so. I tucked them both in to their respective beds, and made ready to sit by the ffire when Clat's voice emnated from the darkness. It reminded me of the false Clat I had been forced to kill many months ago. Yet it allso didn't remind me of thed imposter, as this Clat, the triue one, hadn't yet lost her innocednce.
"Tell me a story, Mother."
"What kind of story would you likke to hear?"
"A happy one."
"I'm afraid I don't know very many happy stories." Clat''s face fell. "But I do know of a story tghat has haunted me for quite a while now." I scooted over to allow Clat to climb onto my couch. We stared into the dancing fire together as I began the story.
"Once upon a time, but not so very long ago, a group of powerful, Pure dragons decided to leave their home world. They were guided by an older version of the daughter of the youngest among them to aspecial place called a Door.
"This Door would take them to aplace the evil ones could never touch, the Purest of all places. But the dragons were fond of their old home, and decided to leave gifts behind, for those who could appreciate them.
"The oldest of thed group left a bridge of ice, carved all over with thedir story. The youngest pulled one of her own scales and left it on the riverbank."
"But why, Mother? Why would she hurt herself like that?" Clat asked.
"To her, the pain meant nothing, not after the pain she had already been through. She wanted the evil ones to seethat physical pain meant nothing to her anymore, that they had nothing to use against her."
((Just wait. It gets WAY better. And doesn't the "place" Twera is describing sound a lotf like both Eden and heaven? Nope,not a coincidence.))

wow. nice story.)

i saw thunder enter and cocked my head at him. <eden was never meant to have darkness.why do you wish to bring it?> i ask in a melodic, soft voice. i hopped he would not recognize the hint of my deep voice n it, he would not feel my mind since i was shielding.

I hear the strange voice and look for the source. <Eden is supposed to be a prefect wold, yes, but how could that be possible? It simply can't. The darkness will find it's way here anyhow...> I find the voice's origin, a raven. <And it seems I'm not the only one who sees that, messenger of the night. I will use this power to destroy the evil of the Shadows, darkness is not evil, indulging in it is. I will do what I must, and I will pay the price.> The computer beeps, telling me that it's sensors detected something within one of the many search criteria, It could be anything from a insect containing a certain toxin to some kind of hideous monster, but I ignored it, regardless.

<no. this is the one place you all should never have come. this is the place where one who lived on earth could be reborn. where one who was borne here, is reincarnated to earth. in all honesty, since you came from earth, you are no longer alive. some short-lived humans had the right idea.> i say with a hint of sadness and fly out. i flutter into twera's cave and listen to her story.
(sorry, that had been bothering me for a long time. and, if u think about it, it makes sense.)

Not alive? Simply a pointless riddle, never listen to the parting words of a raven. But what if it was true? No, I can't figure it. My head was hurting, I tried working the computer with magic, but couldn't focus. Irritated, I curled up to sleep.

"After they left, a girl found the ggifts. She had been touched by the dragons, and could use the scale against the Shadows." I stopped talking. Something about the story didn't feel quite right. A peaceful place where the Shadows could not touch? That wasn't quite correct.

i cawed to get twera's attention and then said, <no. it is not.>

"Clat,, you really should get to bed now," I said out loud before switchingto thoughts. <So we ARE dead, then.>

<in a manner of speaking. if you with to kill the go's, you must take them to another world. one they have no powers in.> i say and fly out. i changed into a falcon and landed were Medusa was. "are you ready?" i ask. she hisses out a yes. "good. await orders." tell her.

<No. I have my own plan.> I fingered the nine swords lined up on a shelf. <This is something I must do alone. I know my destiny.>

oh great, another suicide? dose the world not have enough?

((Sheesh. Quit jumping to conclusions. I'm not about to kill off Twera. Not that quickly. Just wait and see))

hu. i always end up killing off my characters...and i do not want to kill off shadow so...nem might be in some trouble...we'll see.

((And now to reveal the plan))
I looked at the nine swords on their shelf. I had used the seventeen-year catch-up to create them. Each was enchanted with all the magical power I could spare, and then some.

how is that reviling?

((*sigh* It's called suspense. Fine. I'll just lay it out plain. SPOILER ALERT. Twera, as was said, created the nine swords during her wait. Each one is filled with her magic. From her years of study, she knows that the Great Ones can't handle a sudden surge of magic.))

((And here Thunder is with his own, dark version of Twera's plan. I think he forgot about his precious robots... He's created a chip that (supposedly) will allow him to use magic, and he learned the 'blades of the shadows' or however it translates... I wonder if darkness and light will join and prevail, or destroy each other.))

I wake up, it's still night and I'm almost as grouchy as when I fell asleep. In fact, the computer's clock shows it hasn't even been a full hour. I hold up my claw and focus, drawing the darkness until I hold a mass of negativity. I release it and take flight, heading for my sister's cave, she would know how to find the great ones. I must do this alone, I can't let anyone else risk themselves.

Instead of going to bed, I stayed by the fire, watchhing the night. I saw a darker shadow detach itslf from the midnight purple sky, hheading for the landing ledge. I took one look at the ledge and groanedd. It was covered in debris from the storms. I pushed my mind towards the newcomer. <Circle overhead for a time. The landing ledge is covered in debris. I'm also going to put out some lights. Wait until yousee the light to land. It's a pretty tricky landing in the dark like this.>

darkness and light shall most likely fight each other and the battle will last continuously until it consumes them both.))
i take off and turn into a small whippoorwill. i send my mind-carefully hidden-out and sit on the top of a tree and sing. another whippoorwill responds.

I worked diligently, throwing the branches off the cliff.

yes, that's diligently.

The work helped. It kept my mind clear, clear of aall the troubles. Being a leader was ggoing to be hard. I would havecto plan every move, every action.

(( Wow nobody even want to say something to Mizuko just nobody I can't believe this I might as well leave the forum cause I become a side character or something))

((You haven't started anything. How about you come out on the ledge for aa deep heart-to-heart with Twera? Start off by asking about thekids, then just go with thed flow.))

(Going with the flow would mean making a plan like all y'all))

((I never plan a story. I just get these vague ideas, like the heart-to-heart, and try to work them into detaails. I'd start off, but Mizuko has to bed on the ledge first))

I hover, trying to think of how I would ask. Twera would certainly be wary of the new darkness in me, and she certainly have her own plans for the Great Ones.

I watch as everything fall's in place for my plan beside almost getting caught by the GO's. I went through my gap to Earth. I keep flapping my wings as I charge to the former Shadow's Headquarters. I meet up with the Shadows" So everything down here in plan" I ask" Yes sir we are almost ready to go to Eden" I nod in approve" Good I can't be here long too much as stake" I fly back to my gap and go back to eden

Once the ledge was clear, I lit two stone bowls full of driftwood. The wood burst into flames very quickly. <You can land. Just watch the edge. It's a little crumbly.>

((*Shudders* I just realized how gruesome Thunderhawk's molecular disruption technique would be. Glad I didn't have him use it yet...))

I ease myself onto the ledge. Twera's cave was starting to resemble some kind of temple with the stone braziers burning. I futilely try to look at the bump on my forehead where the scales grew over the chip, for some reason worried that it looked ridiculous. <It is me, I- I want some information on the Great Ones.>

<That's fine. Just stay quiet. The kids are asleep.> I led him inside, half-noticing the odd lump on his forehead. Of course, I was sure all my notes and tomes on the Great Ones were buried somewhere.

I fly straight back to Twera's Temple(lol) and land on the ledge.<Hey what's happening>

<Thunder wants information on the Great Ones. Come on in. I still have some food left if you're hungry, love. Just be quiet. The kids are asleep.>

<Alright information on the Great Ones. How could I need the same thing> I come and eat some food as quietly as possible and I sit down

I rummaged around the shelves, hoping I had stored thed tomes somewhere in the open. <Ugh! They're not where I remember putting them. Mizuko, did anyone move this stuff around while I was gone?>

<No...But are they right here"I show my wing up to show the notes and tomes

<Yes, well, I've had troubles like that myself, books just seem to move about on their own.> The last part came out low and harsh, almost angry.

<But they're right there I find this interesting everybody has a plan snooping around don't even hide it>

((Mizuko, all I have to say is: Molecular disruption, don't f*** up.))

<Of course we have plans, but what all are you planning, Mizuko? All those jumps to Earth, the only thing left there is the Shadows.> I could smell the pollution from Earth's air clinging to him.

<Thunder, even I stillsmell like Earth. Don't be so hard on him.> I snatched up the leather-bound books and the notes and arrayed them on a longg, lows table, perfect for studying.

((///////////////////////////////IGNORE THIS POST IF YOU HAVE A VIVID IMAGINATION\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\­
Shall I describe Thunderhawk's molecular disruption attack to you? Originally it would reduce the target onto a nondescript pile of atoms, but I realized something: Molecular bonds are of differing strengths, an even breakdown to dust simply would not happen. Rather, some of the weaker bonds within the target's cells would break, causing the cells to expand and rupture. The target will develop blister like lumps all over their body, which will then rupture painfully. This will continue until the target completely falls apart. Sorry, I had to get that outta my head, it was messing with me...))

((Whoops. I have a vivid imagination and I read it anyway))