Airborne Wings

Chapter twenty-five- Ember

Ferno kept running, although his legs felt like soggy noodles. "Kyra! Wait up! Let us come with you!" Ferno panted. Kyra skidded to a stop, let Sasha and Rosie and himself catch up before all three of them ran together.

"What happened to Eve and Peacock? Did you see them run? What about Terra?" Ferno blabbed, remembering what had happened.

"I don't know, no I did not, and I don't know." Kyra answered.

"Kyra! AND HUMANS WITH HER! Up ahead! AHEAD! Foxes! FOXES!

Kyra picked up her speed, leaving Ferno and Sasha in the dust. Even when Ferno thought she couldn't go any faster, she did.

Before too long, they saw a limp black fox and a white fox watching it.

"Koda! Don't scare me like that!!!" Kyra sobbed as she skidded to a stop and hugged Koda tightly.

"...Huh? O...h, I scared... y...ou?" He whispered softly. For some reason, this reminded him of Terra. Out of nowhere, an uninvited tear slid down Ferno's cheek. Don't worry, Terra, I will find you again and save you... I will live in peace with you, so just be alive... Please be safe and please love me like I do you.

Sasha sighed. "Thinking of Terra, I'm guessing? Boy, get ahold of your tears! You can't be her man if you cry about her! You gotta be strong, and when the time comes, shed some blood from your enemies! You gotta TRUST that she's safe; that's what proves your love."

"But what if she doesn't love me? She tried to kill me—"

"You must trust in Terra." Sasha said. "If you don't, then you don't love her. Now, do you love Terra?"

"What kinda question is that?! Of COURSE I do!"

"Then trust that she's safe. Trust she loves you. Trust you'll be together soon. And I swear; I SWEAR, all of those things will happen when it is supposed to happen, where it is supposed to happen."

"...But I just met her..."

"So? Love is love, and you must be patient. Now, let us help Phantom and Koda, okay?" Sasha says. Ferno nods, and with a sigh, walks up to Koda and Phantom.

"I'm sure I'm not the only one who realizes Koda is hurt?" Hera's voice echoed through the hall. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt him,"

"ARE YOU SAYING YOU HURT MY KODA?! MY KODA?!?!?! YOU—" Sasha and Ferno both restrained her, knowing if they didn't, it would become a bloody mess.

"YOU—" She loosened her left talon. "SHALL—" She loosened her right. "DIE—!!!" She ran after Hera and extended her claws, as Hera easily dodged her charged slash.

"I do not wish to fight you, Kyra." Hera's talons moved so quickly, that all Ferno could see was blurred movement. Hera quietly moved over to Sasha and did the same thing even faster that Ferno couldn't see what had happened. But he knew that it wasn't something good.

"Phantom... get Koda and hop on my shoulder..." Ferno whispered so quietly that Hera wouldn't be able to hear him, but it would be loud enough to reach the fox's ears. She obeyed and landed on his shoulder.

He ran as fast as he could, hoping he could get away from Hera. But by then, it was already too late; a young mahogany-brown phoenix and Hera cornered him. They were on either side of him, blocking him from escaping any way. Except... Ferno let the warm blue light envelope him, and seconds later, he shrank into a small Fairy Wren, and Phantom as well as Koda were shrunk along with Ferno.

Ferno spread his small wings, dove underneath Chestnut's legs, and flapped out to the arena. Out he flew out of the doorway, and he shoved the wooden door closed, and shut the latch. Please survive, Kyra, Sasha, He thought. Come out of the wooden door... Out of nowhere, two bodies came whooshing out of the closed door. Two unconscious phoenixes by the name of Kyra and Sasha landed on the sand. Did my thoughts do that? Ferno decided to figure it out. Scratch at the door, Chestnut, Hera! He thought. Two pairs of talons scratched against the door. Ferno grinned and thought one more thought: Die forever behind the door, Hera, Chestnut! The scratching died down, and eerily, not a sound was made.

To Ferno's surprise, when he turned around, Milo was nowhere to be seen. Someone jumped down from one of the arena chairs and landed atop one of the front-row-seats of the HERA stand.

"We meet again, young prisoner,"

...Alder said.