Airibone

      Airibone looked at her with an excited, confused, terrified, embarrassed, and embarrassing expression on her face. Maila looked down to see the rest of her friend.

Airibone was slightly taller than her (once again) and looked a lot more muscular. Her tail was as long as her, and fluffy even more so than Maila's. It had a white tip on the end as well. Airibone's dreadlocks were a bit thicker, and about three inches longer, and her nose was now no longer slit-nostriled. Airibone's nose was similar to a cat's nose, wet, dark, triangular, and her snout came further out from her face. And lastly, yes. Airibone was a vibrant shade of bubblegum pink.

"Airibone!" Maila blurted. "You- you-" Airibone peeled her hand from the stone. Maila walked over to her cautiously, knowing she might not be feeling at her best.

"Hu, ya." Airibone whispered. They brushed tails reassuringly. Maila almost forgot about the gems.

"Oh ya, the seventh gem tuned pink! Like you!" She beamed, as Airibone looked up speedily.

"It did? That proves my theory, well almost. At the moment, it's still biased." Maila took a breath to start asking Airibone what that meant, but was cut off. "I need like two more gorisailn to try it. Oh! D'you think that Obalie or Orkijace will do this?" Airibone mumbled to herself, turning to Maila as her mumbles transformed into a question. Maila raised an eyebrow at Airibone.

"Do what? You forgot to fill me in." Maila objected. Airibone bowed her head apologetically, with a concealed laugh.

"Sorry. Touch this thing, change colour, and light up a gem." she ended. Maila smiled fakely with satisfaction, and agreed.

"Ya, they'll do it for sure. But, what's your theory anyway?" she asked, as Airibone began to trot over to the cave. Airibone shot her a glance that said 'you'll see.', as Maila followed.

When at the pedestal, Airibone taped the pink gem, and it began to glow, the same way as Maila's did. Airibone grunted comfortingly to herself, and exited the cave immediately. Maila jogged after her, panting from the hard work of following Airibone around. She moves fast when she wants to, geez! Maila thought furiously to herself.

Airibone touched the rock pillar once more, with no result, and spun around to face Maila. "Let's go and get them!" she stated. Maila nodded as they-together-climbed back up the walls of the canyon. Airibone reached the top first, with a smug expression on her face. "Race you back." she gloated. Maila noticed that Airibone's knees were facing backwards too now. She thinks she's super fast now. I'll make this theory wrong.

"You're on, bet?" Maila teased. Airibone glanced at the forest ahead.

"Oh ya, loser explains everything to Oouger." they giggled and shook on it. "GO!" called Airibone as she darted into the forest. Maila realized that Airibone didn't know that Maila just ran across the treetops, so Maila called 'no fair!' as she disappeared into the trees. Maila blurted a snort of laughter as she dug her claw into a tree trunk once more. She climbed up as fast as she could, desperate to win. She did not want to tell Oouger what happened to Airibone.

As Maila surfaced through the leafy canopy, she shockingly remembered that Airibone had like, the world's best sense of direction. Urgh, she may win! Dang it. Maila sprang into action, sprinting across the sunrise light tree tops. Along the way, she heard faint footsteps, far beneath her. She decided that she could probably stop for a second or two to see what it was.

She poked her head through the thick layer of leaves, to see Airibone running through the dense undergrowth, with the occasional glance over her shoulder. She's right here! Maila was just about to yank her head out and begin running again, when she noticed something peculiar. Airibone tripped over a log that wasn't there before. Squealing, she hauled herself up, and attempted to jump over the log. But, she was stopped, three vines flew down from the trees, wrapping around her forearms. Airibone flung them away, to be tackled by timber wolf like creatures. Maila leaped down to save her friend, when she saw a large figure, looming out from between two trees.

"Don't come back." it snarled. A few seconds had passed when it sharply sun around. "Kaszsvan!" it blurted, hissing as it retreated back into the forest's cover. As it said this, everything that was pining Airibone stopped suddenly, and sunk into the forest floor, leaving patches of . . . BROWN! Maila was breath taken. She continued to leap down, branch to branch, to meet her friend.

Airibone was lying on the ground, panting, as sweat drifted down her face. Maila got into a snarling battle stance over her friend, peering around. It's gone! Maila loosened up, taking a step away from Airibone. Where did it go though? She worried. Airibone was scrunching her eyes, with gritted teeth.

"Is it over, er-gone?" she murmured quietly. Maila nodded as Airibone's eyes opened wide. "That's probably why this place is called the forbidden forest." Airibone grunted with sarcastic 'aw' in her voice.

Maila lended a hand to help Airibone up. She remembered the race and, gasped. Airibone gave her a concerned look.

"The race," Maila said urgently. "Can you continue?" she asked. Airibone was tough, and unharmed. Just shaken. Her friend smiled and drew a deep breath.

"I could, but we should just be together for safety reasons. And we can explain together. He'll listen if he's out numbered." Airibone answered smartly. Maila smiled with half of her mouth, and agreed.

"True. Well, let's get going then." she finished, taking a step to the side, leaning in the direction of the camp. Airibone began to walk with her, but after a minute, suddenly stopped.

"Wait, how did you catch up to me so fast?" she asked Maila. The corners of her mouth lifted.

"Common, I'll show you." Maila changed direction to a perfect climbing tree, and realization spread rapidly across Airibone's face. Maila nodded at her friend, and dart into the canopy, on the sturdy branches. Airibone followed quickly behind her. As they were walking, it finally sunk in to Airibone, about her attacker had said.

"Hey, ya know how back there, it-the thingy told us not to return or something like that." she began. Maila rolled her eyes slightly, and confirmed with a yes. "Well, let's hope we don't run into it again when we come back with Obalie and Orkijace. Right?" she giggled. Maila raised an eyebrow, and the smile left her face.

"We can't come back with them, not after that." she said blandly to Airibone who looked confused. Airibone shook her head and rested a paw on Maila's shoulder.

"Phff. Sure we can. We just need to stick together, and be more cautious." she reassured Maila with a nudge nudge wink wink expression. Maila shook her off, and presented her friend with a serious expression.

"We can't go back without Oouger there, and I don't think he has even a one percent chance of choosing to join us." she affirmed. Airibone stopped smiling aswell, and drooped her cat like ears. "Maybe, there 's always a way to do anything." she countered.

"What would that be, make friends with it?" Maila asked sarcastically. Airibone's ears now folded back, offensively. Maila immediately knew that she had made a mistake. Maila made an apologetic expression, nudging Airibone in the bicep. They met each other's eyes for a moment, before Airibone look away.

"You're right." Airibone said sadly. "It meant business." she said sounding stronger, as a smile found it's way onto her face. "I mean, did ya she those timberwolves?" Maila smiled back, with a quick 'ha, ya.' Airibone always knew what to say. Even when Maila didn't deserve it, her friend always knew. Maila lifted her view towards the sky.

"Did you see the sun yet?" she asked. Airibone looked up as well, "WHOA! What happened to it?!?" Maila laughed and said "Put the pieces together. What could have happened to it?" Airibone raised an eyebrow at her.

"You can't touch the sun though, Maila I'm smarter than that. Come on," she said slowly, gradually picking up speed. Maila just shook her head.

"Not smart enough, I did do that to it. Guess how." Maila taunted, Airibone looking beyond confused.

"You couldn't have, are you just tricking me? Or do you have long ranged magic or something? Wait, WHERE ARE THE OTHER TWO! Maila!" Maila barked a laugh.

"It's Wednesday dofus. The 'other two' don't rise from Tuesday to Thursday. Heh heh..." She trailed off bowing her head in laughter. Airibone rolled her eyes and picked up the pace. Maila called for her to wait up, holding back a giggle.

That's like being confused about the fact that we have eight moons instead of nine, or something. Maila thought, as she tried to catch up with Airibone.

Airibone gave Maila a playful shove, only to be knocked over by Maila moments later. Nearly falling through the canopy, Airibone grabbed Maila's arm, and hoisted her down.

"Airibone, we need to get back before he wakes up, come on!" Maila laughed, tumbling through a blob of giant leaves. She caught herself on a branch, and swung right back up after Airibone.

"Okay, race ya!" Airibone called, running off in the wrong direction. Occasionally stumbling over obscure branches. Maila cupped her hands over her mouth in both disbelief, and her shrinking of laughter.

"Airibone," she belted. "Wrong way, Oh! And in that case, the bet's back on!" Airibone spun around. "Looser explains to Oouger!" Maila finished, jogging into a sprint towards the edge of the forest canopy. Airibone ran with all her might behind Maila, who was almost there! How'd she catch up so fast?! Maila wondered, picking up speed herself.

Airibone was right behind Maila, as they reached the edge. Maila risked a glance back at her friend, who was now close enough to reach out and flick Maila's ear. She did not want to explain to Oouger! Airibone barked a laugh.

"And you had a head start! Slowpoke..." Airibone trailed off, coming nose to nose with Maila.

"Ya, well I've had a shorter distance to run then you, so I have more energy to run longer! Your fuse will run out soon enough." Maila said cooly, now just turning her head to talk to Airibone. Even though that was NOT true. Airibone's energy fuse lasted forever, and ever, and ever. Maila knew this from experience. Airibone just looked at Maila with an eyebrow raised, shaking her head slowly. Maila nodded with an 'I know' expression, trying to speed up her sprint. Airibone's head snapped back to face forward as well, gaining speed to stay neck a' neck with her.

Maila felt her forearms getting a bit sore from all of the running, but she also felt the soft leaves pressing against her palms whenever a foot or hand landed, persuading her to take another step each time. She felt the cool moisture and morning dew, resting on the leaves, refreshing her, as the fur around her ankles and wrists absorbed it. Wait, the extra weight from the water may have been slowing her down, she realized! When Maila landed, she made sure that when she leapt that time, she spring herself into the air. While she was in the air, she violently shook her wrists, flicking all of the water off that she possibly could. Airibone got some of the splatter on her, as Maila realized how much longer Airibone's fur was then her. Oops, sorry Airibone... Maila thought, looking at her friend, as she glanced over to see what sprayed her. Airibone soon figured it out, and turned back to face forward. When she did, Airibone's eyebrows flew up, as her head retreated into her neck the rest of her, skidding to a hult. Maila wasn't quite as fast at figuring out that they were on the edge, and nearly flew off. Airibone seized her around the hips, and Maila hung suspended in mid air over the edge of the forest. The drop below her looked never ending, and absolutely deadly.

"Oh-AAHHHH h aha h! Tha-Thank you Airibone, whew." Maila screamed, scrabbling to climb over Airibone, onto the canopy. "Y-You just saved my life. Thank you Airibone." Maila finished calmer, bowing her head.

"Ya, for like the millionth time!" Airibone said smiling. Hiding the laughter and the choke of fear in her voice. Maila took a second to catch her breath, clutching the branches beneath her, as Airibone laid back on her side, laughing airily.

After a minute, they got back up, and got ready to slide down the tree trunks. Maila nodded her head slightly, in Airibone's direction. Airibone fastened her grip on the tree, and looked down slowly. Together, they slid down the massive tree trunks, leaving long, scrapping, anonymous claw marks in the bark, clear sap oozing out of them.

When Maila hit the ground, she forcefully detached herself from the trunk and peered around to see Airibone land with a loud thud beside her.

"Do the thing with the sap again!" Airibone coaxed. Maila raised an eyebrow, along with the corners of her mouth.

"Alright, you go touch that flower then!" She challenged, lifting her arm to point at a ginormous orchid, resting on a low branch. Airibone followed Maila's gaze, and skipped over.

"On three then, one, two, three!" They simultaneously reached out to bring colour to their targets. When Maila pierced the dripping sap, a stripe of bright, bubbly yellow raced up through it, on it's way to the top. Maila, now smiling in aw, turned to see Airibone's face light up as the orchid lit up with a marvelous, fuchsia pink, with a splatter of glowing specks, distributed across it. Maila let out a small laugh of excitement.

She walked over to her friend, and placed her own palm on the center of the magnificent flower, to find yellows of all sorts blooming around the bottom of the petals, mixing with pink to make a coral like colour around the edges.

Airibone just couldn't contain herself, furiously patting Maila's shoulder, to get her attention. When Maila looked over to meet Airibone's eyes, she realized that her friend was attempting to speak, but only air was coming out.

"Wha- h-hh! Look at what we just DID! Mail- Ma -m- MAILA! Look!!!" Airibone shrieked, pointing at the flower with all of her might. Every now and then, thrusting her arm at it again for reassurance that it was there. Maila nodded furiously, unable to stop smiling. Airibone quickly ran her claws through her dreadlocks, (as she normally did when she was flustered.) panting. Maila glanced at the flower once more, before deciding that they had better get going as fast as they could.