She instinctively held out and arm to move the girls back. But, she discontinued the action when she saw what it was as it poked it's head in.

"Tarska!" Orkijace cried, leaping in her direction. "How are you here?" she asked pleasantly. "Why are you here!" she detached herself defensively from the gloomy Tarska, leaning against the side of the cave.

"Did you tell?!" Airibone said, advancing on her. Tarska dogged her stare, and blew up at her hair coolly, as if to say 'enh,' Just then, Silvics and Oouger appeared at her side. Silvics had an apologetic expression on her face, and Oouger was fuming mad!

"How could you do this!" he barked. Maila decided to take all of the blame.

"I-" she started, but Airibone started too.

"I convinced her to-" Maila wouldn't let her do this.

"I agreed to take them here, with no persuasion. I'm so sorry Oouger-" she said, Oouger cutting off.

"Airibone," he said rushingly. "Why would you ask her to take you here?" Orkijace looked to Obalie, who was focused on the scene. Airibone went to answer, but Obalie took a few steps forward.

"She did not do anything." Obalie drew Oouger's attention well, talking so loud that she might as well yell at him. "I saw their powers," she said. Oouger looked at her with tired eyes.

"And- And I asked- I begged her to take me here Oouger." Oouger raised his eyebrows, and cut her off.

"Saw their powers?" he asked. "Maila, what's going on here?" Maila froze, unable to speak. We forgot! We tied the race! None of us told him! Oouger lifted on arm off of the ground, as if to take a step, but stopped and put it back down quietly.

Maila felt sick. Why is everyone here! She thought frustratedly. What have I done? I've just lost Oouger's trust, that's what I've done! Maila clutched her temples, feeling her thick, black hair. She felt tempted to tear it out at that very moment. I want to leave. She thought repeatedly. Let me go! She longed to be back at home, eating pikkoe salad with Airibone in the willow tree. This made her hungry, Maila's stomach gurgled. Why is my life doing this to me!

She remained there, still and silent. Just tell the truth! She thought over and over again. Everyone's eyes were pinning her. "It's all my fault," she confessed. "I took Airibone into the forest this morning before sunrise." Airibone took a breath to interrupt, but Maila carried on anyway. "Yes, she did ask me, but it was my responsibility -as the oldest- to say no." Airibone began to disagree.

"No, it's my bad! Oouger, she didn't do any-" She started. Maila overpowered her.

"Then, when we got back," Oouger began to study the cave. "Obaile and Orkijace were there and-"

"Maila, don't take all the blame! We-" Obalie started, Orkijace at her side nodding. "Let her finish," Oouger said calmly, glancing at them, having finished studying the cave.

"Thank you," Maila continued. "So I brought them as well, and here we are." Everybody was staring at her. "I know you'll never trust me again," Oouger looked at her emotionally and sincerely for the first time in while. He sat back on his hind legs and sighed, breaking eye contact.

"Can I speak now?" Airibone snapped at him. He looked at her briefly, with a single nod of his head. Airibone smiled fakely.

"It is not her fault Oouger," Maila watched as Airibone explained everything. "And that," Airibone glanced at Maila. "is the actual story. Not. Her. Fault." Airibone finished after a few minutes. Oouger looked at the others for confirmation. They all nodded. Silvics took a deep breath.

"You were attacked by a mysterious pack of timberwolves!" she squeaked. "Lead by a creepy figure!" Airibone nodded.

"Maila saved my life." she paused. "Wait, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE? Did you follow us!" Tarska's face exploded with surprise. You jerk, Maila thought at her angrily. Maila wasn't stupid, she could put the pieces together.

"Heh heh..." Tarska adjusted her beanie hat, and took a step away from Obalie. Oouger seemed tempted to laugh at the fact that Tarska was afraid to upset Obalie. But all in good reason, Maila tried not to grin. Obalie's a pretty great friend! And tough too. Tarska bumped into the wall behind her, scaring herself. "Uh-"

"C'mmon, spit it out!" Obalie called, following Tarska as she sidestepped away.

"Fine," she said sarcastically. "I was going to!" Maila rolled her eyes. "So, I saw saw you guys heading into the forest, and I thought 'Oh, Airibone's different too, and look where they're going!' Right? So then I thought 'Oouger's gonna love this!' So I went and told him about what I saw, and he dragged me along to 'show him where you went exactly' and Silvics came too." Tarska flipped her hair out of her face. "I'm guessing she's just too scared to be left alone for an hour." Tarska smirked. Silvics huddled into Maila sweetly. Too far! Maila couldn't stand how Tarska treated Silvics! She knew Obalie hated it too. Maila looked over at Obalie, who was now standing on her knuckles, hands in fists. Obalie took a threatening step towards Tarska. Thanks Obalie, She thought to herself. Airibone seconded the motion beside Obalie, scarring Tarske against the wall again. Airibone was about eight feet tall now, at least a foot taller than Obalie. That was about a foot and a bit taller than Tarska. They looked at Silvics kindly. There, see? Maila thought, looking down at her friend. We'll always stand up for you.

"So," Orkijace said awkwardly. "Can we get what we came for then?" Maila totally forgot about that! "I want to see what everyone looks like after. And Maila, where did you say the Kacchinka web was?" Maila glanced at Oouger and smiled quickly.

"Not if I beat you to it!" he called, racing out of the cave unexpectedly. They all looked at each other for a moment. Surprise overwhelming them. After a couple seconds, Oouger appeared back in the cave. "Just kidding, it's not a race." he laughed. Nobody joined him.

"Maila, what do you do for it to work again?" Obalie asked. Maila hesitated.

"Uh, just touch it," she said confused. "That's all Airibone and I did." Airibone nodded. Obalie shrugged and ran up to Oouger. "I'll race ya!" she said joyfully. Orkijace and Airibone followed.

"Maila, ya coming?" Tarska asked, walking over to the rest of the group. Maila nodded, helping Silvics onto her feet and arms again.

"Why not?" she exasperated. Silvics grinned up at her. Maila grinned back, trotting over to the cave entrance. Silvics followed her quickly, and her smile grew.

"Three..." Airibone pipped. "Two...." everyone got ready to sprint. "ONE!!!" All seven of them took of across the canyon, racing to the black, rock pillar. Airibone touched it first, slamming into it, Obalie slamming into her, and and Oouger after her. Everyone skidded to a halt before they added to the pile. Maila was too tired to run, after being chasing earlier. She came last, but she didn't care. She was already transformed.

"Who's gonna be first?" Obalie asked. Nobody responded "Well, how about me!" She said excitedly. Oh, it was a rhetorical question. Maila realized. She walked over to Obalie.

"Why the heck not!" she said happily, putting her right hand on her Obalie's shoulder. Obalie beamed.

"Wait, really!" she exclaimed.

"Sure!" Obalie looked around at everyone ecstatically! They all just silently agreed with it. Obalie spun around, took a long, deep breath, stood on her hind legs, and pressed her hands against the pillar. I wonder what colour she'll be... Maila thought, trailing of as she saw the answer to her question. Bursts of colour exploded across her arms. Obalie, opened her eyes and peered down at herself. Her face lit up!

"Guys are you seeing this!" she called, swiveling her head around to face them. Obalie soon saw her tail grow and flourish rapidly. Her tail got super fluffy, and it began to become the same as a squirrel's. Her expression said it all, she couldn't fathom it. Her joy was contagious, and Maila couldn't stop smiling at her ecstatic friend. Obalie was soon fully transformed, she had orange fur, long, frizzy, brown/orange hair, a nose that was similar to a bear's, and taller eyes. She was also significantly taller. Orkijace leaped in to embrace her friend.

"Wow! Oab, go touch something!" Orkijace cried, pointing at a small mushroom, growing by the river. It already had yellow spots on top, Maila had put there. Obalie noticed, and glanced at Maila with a complicated expression. Orkijace seemed slightly concerned about Obalie, but tried not to let it show. Instead, she just followed tightly close behind Obalie, watching every move she made when touching the mushroom. Tarska rolled her eyes, and walked over to the pillar, and began to examine it. She tilted her head close to it, careful not to make contact though. She sniffed it one, and moved around to the other side of it. She really wants to do it too, Maila realized. but she doesn't want to look well, 'phff' whatever that is. Maila walked over to Tarska, and took a breath to speak. Tarska noticed her, and lifted her head quickly. They were both about to speak but, were soon cut off.

"Whaaa!" Orkijace screamed in unison with Obalie. "IT- Whoa!" Obalie had turned the rest of the mushroom orange, and had also fallen back onto her butt from shock in the process. Tarska raised an eyebrow, and backed away from the pillar as Orkijace zoomed into Maila.

"Me too!" she yelled excitedly, leaping around Maila towards the pillar. Orkijace slammed dramatically into it with her back, belly exposed towards the rest of them. Her arms symmetrically sprawled beside her. Maila knew how dramatic Orkijace was when she was being silly, but Maila didn't think it was acting when Orkijace's fur turned an eye popping shade of red, and Orkijace screamed at the top of her voice in surprise.

"Whoa, wha- WHAAA!" she screeched, her voice echoing throughout the canyon. I guess everyone has a different reaction, Maila pondered thoughtfully, as she folded her ears down to the sides of her head. Everyone did the same, as their heads retreated into their necks, closing one eye.

Bulges formed on Orkijace's sides, slightly below her forearms. Oh! Is she alright? Maila worried, moving closer to Orkijace. The bulges became large nubs, which grew into a long, skinny, second set of forearms. Orkijace almost fainted when she saw them, taking her gaze away from the armor like plates appearing all over her other limbs and back. Her tail grew a good seven feet longer, and thicker too. It had platting all along the top of it, and two sarp spikes at the end. Orkijace closed and opened the twice like they were pincers. Her muzzle became lower down, and smaller. Her eyes grew slightly, and long eyelashes poked up along the ridges. Like Maila, her irises turned a soothing shade of brown. Airibone and Obalie still had grey irises.

When Orkijace was done, she peeled off of the stone pillar, and landed on her back legs and new set of second forearms. She soon noticed, and quickly swapped them for her old ones. She stood there staring at them wryly, folding them up, close her her sides. She flexed the claws on them, and swiveled the wrists for a moment before finally walking over to Maila.

"Wha-" she stuttered, peering up at Maila -who was still much taller than her- with wide eyes. Maila had no idea why she grew them, and just shrugged, making painful eye contact with Orkijace.

Obalie was rushing around, trying to find something Orkijace could turn red, occasionally trying some herself. By the time they found a rose, Obalie had turned at least twenty things of her own, a variety of oranges. Maila was actually the one to find the rose, she sat on it and all of it's prickly thorns. She strode over to Orkijace casually, and set the rose on the ground beside her.

"Try this," she offered. "generally, flowers are colourful." Orkijace nodded, and squinted at it.

"Haza!" she declared, smacking the rose with her left arm. It -to Orkijace's extreme surprise- suddenly overflowed in deep, blood like red. The petals were absolutely gorgeous! They were a beautiful, dark, velvety red. On the inside of the petals, they had a gradient from the same red of the other side, to a much lighter red, centered in the middle.

"Hey," Silvics peeped, looking over Maila's shoulder. "That's Airibone's colour!" The light red was almost pink, Silvics was right.

"Wow, good eye!" Maila said to her encouragingly. "I didn't really notice!" Silvics smiled up her snout at her. This was rare lately.

Tarska decided to go next, she -without saying anything- walked over to the pillar, and raised her hand to press it against the pillar. Oouger didn't see this, but he sat up quickly, and blurted.

"I'll go next!" He ran over to the black pillar, and Tarska put her hand back on the ground. She was about to walk away again, but Oouger stopped her.

"Alright," he said to her. "On three?" he asked, beckoning her closer. Tarska was looking for an offer, she swiped her hair out of her face, and faced Oouger.

"Are you crazy?" she said sassily. "Together? What could happen if we do that?" she got ready to join him. Maila could tell that she was super excited, but wanted to remain 'cool' still.

"I dunno," he admitted. "But let's just try it!" Tarska flinched her arm back from the pillar. She looked at Oouger skeptically.

"Fine." she said chill-ly. "We may blow up, or merge, or die, but like, whatever." Oouger hesitated, staring at her. "Three's good." she finished. Oouger nodded silently, looking back at the tall, black rock in front of him.

"One... Two..." They all braced themselves, ready for the worst. "THREE!" Together, Oouger and Tarska slammed their palms against the rock and tightened their faces, ready for impact!