OMK GO CL! ITS AMAZING! I LOVE IT! KEEK ON WRITING!

Yay Little Reader! We're friends! *high fives*

I absolutly LOVE your writing style, CL! I also LOVE how you wrote Claaws, I'm actually not that observent in real life either. ;)

Vox sorrta reminds me of Fox, like a name for a fox. Vox the Fox. I think I actually read that somehwere...like Dr. Suse or somethin'... 

Noon says zumn. Keep on zooming!

Speaking of zooming, do you know what ever happened to Hoover the Hovering Robot?  

wuzn- What's that? Uhhhh... its the capacha that replaced you when you went on strike. Do't you remember him? I wonder what happened to him. If he's someone else's capatcha or what.

how about a black peacock?

I'm currently working on Part 5! Please don't let this die!

Part 5

~~

Two brilliant white wings flapped idly as an albatross soared over the rocky cliffsides near the ocean. Casting its gaze over the land below, it roved the terrain in search of food. Letting out a frustrated squawk, the albatross circled back again, not immediately spying any food. All it saw, in fact, was a straight line of humans, slowly making their way across the beach as waves slapped at ther heels. The albatross turned away. It had no business with humans. Shaking its feathered head, the white seabird caught an updrift and headed further out to the ocean.

But down below with the humans, there were much more complications that just the discovery of food--though admittedly, that wasn’t quite off their list. It could be noted, to someone watching from above, that there was a distinct split in the group. A girl with coppery skin and black hair led the way, marching determinedly along the shoreline, while another girl followed close behind her, a rather annoyed look in her pale crystal-blue eyes. The rest of the girls in the group seemed uptight and nervous, occasionally glancing at the sky and bristling at the whisper of wind, as if they expected something to jump out at them. But one girl in particular walked alone at the back of the group, her figure hunched and tight. Her pale brown hair hung limply over her shoulders, and she was constantly fidgeting with a small bird charm around her neck. So deep in thought she was, in fact, that she didn’t even notice when another girl fell back beside her, concern in her dark eyes.

“Hi, Booksy,” Ember said, breaking the silence. Booksy jolted up, gasping, as she realized Ember was right next to her.

“O-oh, hi… Ember…” Booksy said, trailing off and biting her lip. For a second no one spoke, until Booksy suddenly burst out.

“Why was it me?” she asked desperately, the owl charm swinging around her neck. It was sudden, true, but Ember somehow thought this had been coming all along. “I--I don’t know any of these people, we just met, and now this Vox thing has to come along and curse me?” Ember waited patiently as Booksy paused, tears clinging to her eyes, her whole frame shaking. “I know, I saw how everyone looked when I changed, I know they’re all judging me but it’s not my fault and I don’t know how to stop it or--” At this point Booksy simply stopped talking and broke down, her shoulders shaking. Ember’s heart twisted at the sight. If she was honest to herself, she would feel exactly as Booksy did right now--confused, afraid, and at the breaking point. But yet she didn’t say anything, only waited until Booksy’s sobs quieted down. Then she put her hand on her friend’s shoulder, looking straight into her eyes.

“I know,” she said quietly, trying to sympathize as much as she could. “I have no idea why any of this is happening, either. It’s all such a confusing mess, and I don’t know where to start--but if it helps, I know for a fact that no one here has ever blamed you for any of this. If anything, it’s Vox who’s responsible for all of this. Booksy, you’re smart and funny and none of this is your fault. Believe me.” Booksy looked at her, and seeing that her eyes were sincere, she took a deep breath and calmed down.

“Yeah, I--thanks, Ember. It’s just so strange, you know, being blasted with all this new stuff without any warning,” she apologized, wiping her eyes.

“Also, are you kidding?” Ember added, her tone lightening and punching Booksy gently in the shoulder. “You can actually turn into a bird? That’s so cool!” Booksy grinning, now looking considerably lightened.

“Well, I guess so,” she said modestly. “It was the coolest feeling in the word to be able to fly. I wish you could feel it.” She smiled and briefly closed her eyes, as if imagining the elation of hovering in the sky. “I wonder if it’ll happen again?”

Ember looked at her friend, surprised. “You think?”

“Well, Vox can’t have only planned it for me. I don’t think that would be very bright to do that, and a giant all-powerful being who speaks on the wind must be at least fairly intelligent. And it wouldn’t be fair or--logical at all if I were the only given this power!” Just as she said that she heard a low rumbling from somewhere near her, a deep baritone. Spinning around, she couldn’t see anything, but all of a sudden a large shape burst from the cliffside and catapulted itself down the rocks, hitting the sand running, throwing up clumps as it raced across the beach.

“Are you kidding me?!” Danie screeched as the wolf headed right for her, blowing the group apart as they all scrambled to get out of the way. “WHAT?” The girl only manage to throw herself to the side just in time as the wolf lunged at her, its jaws snapping on the space where she had been just a second ago. Ember felt an odd chill of deja vu as she remembered when a thickly-furred wolf pack had chased after Danie, completely ignoring her and Ember. What was it about her that attracted these predators?

She had only a moment to ponder on this thought, though, as the wolf was already turning to leap at Danie again. She cringed backwards, tripping and landing hard on the sand. She could only watch in terror as the wolf was about to descend on her, jaws slavering, but just then Nebula darted in front. Ember trembled, preparing to watch a horrible scene unfold, but instead there was a crack of wind, and all of a sudden night seemed to explode in front of the wolf, scaring it backwards. It whimpered at what it saw as the sudden appearance of a looming black wall, towering over the canine. Turning tail, the wolf fled with a bark as it decided the danger of the sudden hissing blackness was greater than a tasty meal of Danie. As soon as the wolf had vanished into the forest, Danie scrambled to her feet and stared at the black wall, which could now be easily seen as an inky black peacock, its dark tail feathers fluttering in the wind. Just as soon as she had become the bird, Nebula shook her head and suddenly there she was again, jet-black skin and starry wings, in her human form. And sure enough, around her neck hung a small charm on a silver chain, bearing the carved form of a peacock.

“That was interesting,” she commented, not even shirking or backing away from the silently shocked stares of the group. Scylla whipped her head towards the sky, not even bothering to search for a source this time.

“Vox!” she shouted, her voice echoing around the beach, only disturbed by the washing of waves. “What is this?” For a second no one answered her, but then there was a quiet thumping sound, and a voice exploded behind the group, crackling with annoyance.

“I’m not at your beck and call, high-flier. Learn some tact,” Vox spat, sounding groggy, before Scylla could say anything. “And as for Nebula…” Suddenly Vox’s voice was coming from near Nebula’s head. She jerked back, her dress ruffling, as Vox continued to speak. “It only had to happen. Would you have wished for a main character to die?”

Then Vox’s voice was near Booksy and Ember. The girls twitched back as Vox seemed to whisper in their ears. “After all, don’t you always cry at that scene?”

Scylla didn’t waste a second before replying. “Sure, but--wait, what are you implying?” Vox didn’t respond. “...also, why are you calling me high-flier? What’s the point?--”

“What she means is, why are you doing this animal thing with us?” Icy broke in, her whitish hair swinging. Scylla glared at her, and Icy flung the same icy stare back, snorting.

Claaws leaned over to Little Reader and whispered in her ear, “They’re so similar, they’re vastly different.” Little Reader chuckled, grinning.

Vox sighed, sounded bored. “Must we go over this again? This is your story. This is your plot. I cannot change your fate but I can guide you along a path. Ah--” they said as Scylla started to try and speak again. “For now, I suggest you simply continue. You never know what may happen. And until then… au-revoir...” Vox’s voice faded and twisted until it was nothing more than the cry of a seagull and the blowing of the sea wind.

“...We might as well keep moving,” Icy said, blinking as if she was trying to clear the swirling voice of Vox from her mind. “I honestly don’t think there’s anything left to gain here.” The rest of the group murmured in assent, once again forming their steady line. It could be noticed, now, though, that they were much less on edge. Claaws was chatting amiably by Little Reader, talking about some mystery novel; Booksy and Ember walked side by side, exchanging a few kind words; Eria, St Owl, and Nebula were clustered together, the formers good-naturedly pestering the latter, who would willingly change into a magnificent black bird every once in awhile; Joan, Kestrel, and Danie were tossing clever quips back at each other, hissing with laughter as each one got better and better. Icy and Scylla were still at odds, true, as they seemed to be vying for the leading position, but other than that the ragtag group seemed immensely more at ease, despite the close escape Danie had had and Vox’s ominous words.

Suddenly Ember stumbled, tripping over something embedded in the earth. Luckily, she and Booksy had been flanking the group, so no one had been bowled over by Ember’s fall. Scrambling to her feet with Booksy’s help, she glanced back at what had tripped her. A single black coal was half-buried in the sand, the tiniest flame flickering out on it. An odd twinge ran through Ember’s body, making her shiver as if she’d been dunked in the ocean.

“You okay?” Booksy asked, concerned. Ember shook off the feeling and nodded her head yes.

“I’m fine,” she said. She winced as she heard how raspy her voice suddenly was, how sore and hoarse it sounded. “I’m fine.” She kept walking with her friend, but her voice was still rough around the edges. Suddenly she remembered somewhere she had heard another troubled voice. Vox had sounded so panicked when Scylla had called for them. It seemed like… like they were running to get a call, nearly missing it, too. And they had been so quick to snap back at Scylla… what was it? Ember was jolted from her thoughts by a loud and painful cough that scraped at her throat, raw-red with pain.

Something was wrong with her voice.

Something was wrong with Vox.

AMAZING!!! Keep writing, I can't wait to find out what happened next!