The Phoenix Colony

"Ok, lets go." says Fox. As the head out into the snow, Fox looks at the sky. It was clear at the moment but there are some clouds heading this way.

"Hey Brit could you do something about this snow and give us a little more light." says Fox.

"Ok." says Britney. Her body heats up, melting the snow. She cups her hands and holds them infront of her, as a small fire comes from them, light up the area.

"Thanks." says Fox.

 

My eyes are burning! "Somebody?" Chhys calls out, falling the sounds of Britney and Fox's footsteps. "My eyes are killing me, I think I need to wash them out. Help?!"

 

Fox turns around after hearing Kat call for help. "Use some of the half melted snow around us to wash them out. Hey Britney, how long can you keep this heat and flame going."

"I should be able to keep it going as long as its needed." says Britney.

 

Chrys started to throw handfuls of the stuff into her eyes, begging for this burning sensation to go away.

The world slowly came into focus, first the ground below her, then the flame in Britney's hand and then everything burst in on her, "Holy cow on a farm!" I can see, but I don't think i's my sight that I'm using.... "Oh, holy cow on a farm." Chrys let out again.

 

Derek sat on a rock outside the cave, his cloak drawn tight about him. It was cold, to say the least. He found ways to distract himself, mostly keeping an eye out in the night, but also by thinking about the events of the day. He had made himself an enemy in Chad, he was sure of it. Ben had left the tribe, and with him the shotgun. While he and Reva had gone out hunting some kind of government had been formed, at this Derek turned and spat, and Reva had been made leader. Ah, Reva he thought. Who'd have thought a nice girl like her would be stuck in a place like this with these kind of people.

Derek leaned back with a smile, resting against the cave wall. He continued his watch musing about how things just couldn't be any better.

 

As Kat got closer to them, Britney and Fox both has a shocked look on their faces. "um...wow. And I thought you were really cat like before." says Fox.

"Um....Kat, you eyes are different. You have cat eyes." says Britney.

 

What?! "What? Did you just say I have cat eyes? Is this likea joke the two of you are pulling?" She rubbed her eyes again, "they're probably red, I'll give you that. But I do not have cat eyes. Pft-cat eyes."

 

Britney walks closer to Kat, while still holding her flame. "Um...you really do have cat eyes. Your pupil is a slit, like what a cat would have." says Britney

"I wonder. Hey Kat, can you see in the dark?" says Fox.

 

She is really serious.Chrys thinks, looking into Britney's eyes, "You're not kidding, are you?" She asks, wanting to cry.

"Can you see in the dark?" she hears Fox ask.

"Well, I can see that rock over there, right by the flowers. Can you?"

 

Fox looks at where Kat points, "No I can't. So, atleast we now know how the planet is changing you. Don't feel too bad, its been altering my nervous system, and it is what gave flame girl here, hey fire abilities." says Fox.

 

Great, my life never stays normal. Burn ye fates, burn and dance with Hades! "Unfreakingbelievable!" Chrys shreiked, leaping into the air, and grabbing a branch to sit on, "This is bullocks with mayo and extra 'piss me the frick off why dontcha!'"

 

"Alright, alright, calm down cat girl. Honestly, considering the fact that you have been meowing and pawing at people, you shouldn't be too suprised by this. And Its not like you're the only mutant on this planet. Hell in my old tribe, we had a girl who could make illusions. She had Micheal Jackson singing in our cave. So come on and use those cat eyes of yours to help us spot some wood to use for the fire." says Fox.

 

Chrys jumped down, "Fine, I can smell something fressh over here." Sje said, walking back towards where Britney and her had been earlier.

"Does anybody else feel that?" A chill suddenly ran across her. "I smell something..odd."

 

Fox could sense it even without concentrating. Something was headed their way, and it was big and fast. "Look out!" shouts Fox, as she instinctively grabs Britney and pulls her out of the creatures way.

 

Chrys registered the other two hiting the snow, just as the wind was knocked out of her.


Chrys hit a tree, and continued to be swept against another tree, before falling to the solace of the snow, the sanctuary of unconciousness...

 

Fox looks over at Kat's limp body on the ground. "Damn, we could have used her senses. Oh well, it should go after us before it tries to eat her."

Fox kneels down on one knee and concentrates. The could sense the creature getting farther away. "Its not running away, its getting ready for another attack." thinks Fox. Sure enough it turns and starts heading back towards them. Fox could tell what kind of body it has from the movement of its muscles.

About two thirds of its body is a snake like tail. Its upper body has four very strong legs that it uses to run at incredible speed. It was opening and shuting its massive mouth.

"Britney, can you shoot those fire balls?" asks Fox. "Yeah I think I can if I try." says Britney. "Good. Now the direction I'm pointing is 12:00, understand." asks Fox. "Yeah, I think I got it." says Britney.

As the creature came charging at its prey, Fox shouts out, "3:35". Britney shoots the biggest fireball she can muster in that direction but the beast easily dodges it, and ends up infront of them at 12:00.

Fox can sense the creature stand up on its snakelike tall. It has its arms extended ready to strike. "12:00, 60% upward." shouts Fox. Britney shoots another fire ball, but again she is too slow. The beast dodges it by falling backwards and swinging its massive tail. "Jump to the left!" shouts Fox.

Both Britney and Fox jump, however its tail changes direction while in the air. It knocks both of them backwards, towards Kat's limp body. Fox slams into the tree, with Britney slamming into Fox. They both fall to the ground.

Britney gets up to her knees and then checks on Fox. She rolls Fox over onto her back. "Come on, wake up. I need you right now." says Britney.

With that the creature lunges forward. Britney can hear its movement since its so close by, and tries to dodge it. Its to fast, and its claws tare into her side, and blood begins to pour out of her.

As she stays there on her hands and knees, next to Fox, she yells out "No this can't really be happening. I can't die here like this. Please Fox, I need your help." With that she stands. The blood that came out was on fire. And two massive balls of fire appears over each of her hands as she trembles in fear and anger. Some of the nearby plants burst into flames. "I will not let you kill us!" shouts Britney.

 

The monster moves in slowly upon its wounded prey. Britney continues to walk towards the slithering movement in the grass. Right before the monster is about to lunge, Britney shouts "You....will....not...get...by....ME!" as her body lets out a fiery explosion, and calls forth a wall of fire to send at the creature.

Due to the intense light and heat, it turns and runs, looking for easier prey.

By now, the sky was covered in clouds. As Fox lays there, her eyes slowly open. She can see the top of the explosion. A giant flame shoots up into the sky. It takes the shape of a bird. The fiery bird collides with a cloud and burning a gaint hole into the sky. "Was...was that a phoenix?" thinks Fox.

Fox turns on her stomach to see Britney standing there. The fire around her body has just died down. Fox gets up and runs over to her, as Britney begins to fall backwards. Fox, catches her.

"Did...did I get him?" asks Britney in a weak voice.

Fox closes her eyes and concentrates. The creature was moving through the forest slightly faster than the fire, and the fire was beginning to slow down, due to the snow.

Fox looks down at Britney and says, "Yeah, you got him."

Britney smiles and says "Liar." Fox lays Britney on her back and kneels down beside her. Britney says, "Come closer.", and Fox does so. Britney reaches her hand up and gently pulls Fox's head in closer and then kisses her. Fox pulls back and says "Britney,,,,I,,,"

"Please don't speak, just let me say what I have to." says Britney, as she coughs up some blood, "I love you. I have since the first time I saw your eyes. They are strong and defiant, but also cold and fearful. You're unlike any one I've met before. For better or worse, I think you will accomplish amazing things and by saving you, I atleast can die saying I did something important with my life. I hope I made you proud." says Britney. Her body begins to heat up and is quickly consumed in fire, leaving only ash.

Fox digs a small hole in the ground, with her hands, and gets as much of the ash as she can into it. After burying the ash, she looks up into the sky. She stares at the hole in the clouds that was burned open by the fire bird. The planets crimson moon was in the middle of it, giving the hole a dark red glow.

As Fox stares she says "I hope you can see the sky, its beautiful tonight." Tears begin to flow from her eyes, "Fly high, my phoenix. Fly until you find a world worthy of you." Fox kneels their crying, and for the first time since that day, nine years ago, she doesn't try to stop the tears.

Once again, she was too weak to protect the people around her.

 

Smith had sat through Reva's speech, quietly and then had went back to thinking about ways to improve came. He could bring up the blasting idea later, to increase the size of the now crouded cave. He hoped Reva was up to the job they had forced on her, she seemed the only nutral party around, she couldn't live under or with Fox but he had hoped this was a good change, live over her, now all smith had to do was help her out, support her dissicions. He was the first to get moving at he last order and he would try and keep it up. Though her leadership style reminded him of Fox, and Ben. More Ben than Fox thanksfully. If anything came bad of this he would be around to pick up the pieces and rebiuld his tribe. He had faintly realized someone had called him, but was lost in thought and the flickering of the fire to notice who.

Joey was happily begging food from people, until she was finally full, and hopped over to Reva and chirped up at her happily and rubbed against her leg.

 

Reva smiled - it felt like forever since she had - and picked Joey up in her palms, rubbing her thumbs over the little animals ears. Joey really seemed to like that and nestled down in Reva's hands, whiskers twitching and eyes friendly.

She transferred the smile to Chad, aware that their discussion of earlier in the day had been interrupted and too many things had happened to go back to it.

"You're lucky to have this little friend," Reva said, indicating Joey, "it's ingenious that she helps you to find food." Reva's eyes fell on the skin exposed at Smith's neck and arms and she frowned, putting Joey down in spite of the roo's annoyed 'chiruup' and reaching over to pull his collar away from his neck.

She had noticed the reddish patches before and simply shrugged it off as dry skin or something. Now she studied it and reached for an antiseptic plant spike.

"How long have you had this," she put a finger on a red patch, it was rough and hard, "thing with your skin? Does it hurt at all?"

 

Cevin crawled out of the cavern and felt the sharp sting of the wind take his breath away. Night was beginning to fall. He silently walked through the snow only the crunching of snow and ice for company. His hands were itching fiercely now making his fingers little more than swollen sausages. His feet new the way to the spot. He let them guide him and let the alien world drown in a sea of his own thoughts.

The snow had covered the bushes and trees. He stared at the spot and knew, if he dug deep enough he could find some frozen, blood stained ground. Here, he met the man who could see in the dark. “Had I left you here, you’d probably still be alive.” The hunter snagged his makeshift mittens on a thorn branch and pulled them off. He pressed his hands into the show and began rubbing quicker and quicker until a familiar glow began to appear. He closed his eyes and focused. “Come on … this time … just this once do what I want.”

As Cevin felt the heat of the glow vanish, he knew it was over. He kept his eyes closed. It was getting colder out, if this didn’t work he would have to wait. “Please have worked. I just want to get this over with.” He opened his eyes and smiled. There, in the middle of the snow was ten inch knife blade. “No handle? Oh well … beggars and all that stuff.”

He grabbed a chunk of nearly frozen wood and made his way back into the cavern. The hunter sat in Owen’s normal place and began whittling. All the while he sang, “Amazing Grace”.

 

Smith was shooked to see Reva smileing.

"You're lucky to have this little friend," Reva said, indicating Joey, "it's ingenious that she helps you to find food." Reva's eyes fell on the skin exposed at Smith's neck and arms and she frowned, putting Joey down in spite of the roo's annoyed 'chiruup' and reaching over to pull his collar away from his neck.

"Ya, i'm lucky I found her." He said and smiled at his little freind.

"How long have you had this," she put a finger on a red patch, it was rough and hard, "thing with your skin? Does it hurt at all?"

Smith had forgotten about that, with all the trouble. "It used to itch, but.." He couldn't remember when it had stopped itching. He frowned as he realized he could bearly feel Reva's touch. "I think it's numb." He said and sctratched at the hard skin, He felt it but almost as if though clothes. He hoped things didn't get worse, to lose the since of touch, what a horrible thought.

 

Reva caught the arm after he'd scratched and took his wrist in her hand, pushing up his sleeve to inspect his arm.

"It's all over, look," she tapped her finger on the red patches, "here and here and here."

She tapped harder, looking at his face and seeing only gentle puzzlement. She dropped his arm and leaned back.

"I think the planet's affecting you, Chad. It's affecting all of us...somehow."

 

Smith looked worriedly at his arm, if this kept up, he'd be a total freak, he'd probably be chase out of camp. "I don't see anyone else becomeing an armored tomato." He said with a bit of panick in his voice. He looked at his palm, it was normal, he touched his hands togeather, at least he could feel here, at least not everything was going off the deep end. He looked up at Reva, he knew the fear had to be showing in his eyes, until now he had been trying to put it off as some allergic reaction, but she was right, his skin had changed, it was like hard leather. "Whats changed about you?" He asked softly, Joey had hopped over and curled up for bed beside his leg. He couldn't help but think that people thought he was soft, so now he could at least say he was toughening up.

 

"Whats changed about you?" He asked softly, Joey had hopped over and curled up for bed beside his leg.

Reva could tell he was worried as he rubbed his hands together, almost as though reassuring himself that he was really there.

Without thinking about it she took one of his hands and rubbed her palm over his gently before letting his hand go as she thought about the question.

"I.." She frowned, she had noticed but not noticed, "Sometimes I can hear things that are surely out of earshot for me normally. Unfortunately sometimes everything just gets too loud. At my old cave it happened when everyone was arguing and I passed out from the noise." She blushed, maybe he wouldn't respect her for that weakness so she went on hurridly, "And when I ran from the ceader I was able to stay ahead of it without falling. That's happened a few times...like it was nearly impossible to lose my balance."

She smiled, "And I have to tell you, I don't normally have great balance. You're talking to the girl who couldn't get across the low balance beam in school."

 

Smith smiled, now. He didn't understand why she had flushed before, but she didn't seem to worried by the changes. Then again, she wasn't becoming and uparmored tomato. He looked again down at his arms. He removed his glasses cleaning them on his shirt when it hit him. "My face." He said softly, he had never been a prety boy, but his minds eye saw his face, covered in red, hard patches. Even if everyone was changing, he was different. "I'm becoming a monster." He said thinking not only about his looks, but how he had treated Ben, how he now held a groudge against Derek, how he had killed a man who had possed no threat to him. He set his glasses down on the ground and reached up putting his hands to his face. Hard, rough, it was not his face. It wasn't even the right shape, he felt buldges on his cheeks, as if somethiing extra was growing there. Then he leaned forward and covered the rest of his face with his hands, he couldn't help but think maybe he had desereved this, asked for it, brought it upon himself.