As Darkness Comes (Xelious)

[Maximum Ride]

The sun was just starting to fall over the horizon, fog curled in the air, and not a breeze stirred. Max sat on the out crop, watching the rugged world bellow her. The cliff was a new spot that the avian enjoyed to spend her time. Only a quick flight from the house, it was a place Max could run to when she felt like crawling up the walls. It was also a place where she could be alone with her thoughts, at least as alone as someone with a Voice in their head could be. Today, Max had more then enough on her mind to keep both her and her Voice occupied.

It was crazy that it bugged her so much, the words she had read from that Oceanwolf. The wolf had given the girl a lot to chew on, if Max was the paranoid type, she would probably have the Flock moved on. As it was, Max is the paranoid type, and the only thing that kept the Flock rooted in place was Max’s pride, Angel’s puppy-dog eyes, and Mom’s chocolate chip cookies, hot out of the oven.

Legs dangling over the side of the outcrop, wings spread out behind her, Max watched as the world slowly went to sleep before her eyes. A full moon was rising, the sky slowly turning from red to pink to blue to grey as it slowly darkened, night settling as a blanket over the forest. From the darkness spawned new life, as one part of the forest slept, another awoke.

[Xelious]

Well, now, this was certainly interesting. Emerald, he would have expected to see. But more hybrids in their woods? He recognized this one from her file, she was the one he'd told Emmy, in a round-about way, to ask for help. Whether she would give it was completely up in the air... but if Emmy hadn't asked, why was she here? Was this all just a coincidence?

The ghostly owl perched itself on a nearby branch, studying the girl curiously. So this is Maximum Ride, he thought. Strange that a girl so young could be such a problem for Itex, and then Chimera. He had to admire her for that, he hadn't become a big problem until he'd been at least a few years older than she was.

The owl was silent, not even hooting, as it gazed her with those pale blue eyes.

[Maximum Ride]

So quiet, so still, Max could almost imagine that things where back to normal, back to when the Flock knew who their enemies where, back to when they had a purpose in life, when things where, well, not simple, but . . . no, not less complicated, just normal. At least as normal as you can get when you’re a mutant bird kid on the run from mad scientists and their mutant dog kids. Staring out to the horizon, generally contemplating life, it took Max a moment to realize she had company.

Her eyes flicked to the owl, so content on his branch. “Come to join me?” she chuckled quietly, “You know, it isn’t polite to come unannounced, give us a hoot or something, geez, at least Fang eventually tells you he’s near by.” She regarded to creature in silence for a moment, wondering briefly if he two was searching for answers in the night. “You’re probably just wondering where to start your hunt.” Another chuckle, “How easy life must be, simple choices, do I fly here or there? Do I hunt mice or rabbit?” she shook her head, golden hair falling in her face. “Must be nice, my fine feathered friend, to be the top of the aerial food chain. Still, you do have your enemies, don’t you. At least we have that in common. On the ground, we’re both just as vulnerable to attack. Cats, dogs, wolves” she sneered the last word, distaste colouring her voice. “Still, all things considered, I’d rather be me than you.” She laughed, really, what was with these mood swings? “Owls don’t eat cookies.”

[Xelious]

The owl regarded Max with a skeptical look. Xelious was, honestly, amused. She thought he was a real owl. Then again, she hadn't tried to touch it... that was really the telling point. When your hand passed through an owl, then you knew something was up.

At the remark about cookies, the owl made an unusual movement. Its wing rubbed across its chest, like it was rubbing his stomach when hungry. Then it opened its beak, as if to make a noise, only no noise was emitted.

He'd hoped to encounter her somewhere more... civilized. Since he was a bird, he couldn't even make real gestures that a person could interpret, and obviously he couldn't make any noise. Spelling things out from letters on a newspaper or in a book was the best way to handle this... but he'd have to make do.