A/N: Okay, guys, I've refrained from putting up this story, the first part of "The Feathered Trilogy", because I wanted to go back and severely edit it and elongate it. However, I've found I barely have time to get new chapters up for "Betrayal", so, I'm just going to post this in one big piece, despite its suckiness. :P So, forgive me, but I need to post this, because "Betrayal" is going somewhere I wasn't planning it to go. Haha, it's funny how books start to have a mind of their own. (: Love!

R&R please! 3

Chapter 1: A Strange Solution

Kate pushed her glasses up her nose, a bead of sweat running down her forehead. Her tongue was stuck between her pale lips as she bent closer to the microscope. Her hands turned the knobs expertly as she focused on the peculiar slide. On it was a piece of skin. She had found it at a crime scene. Her job was to find out who the victim was, since all they found was skin, blood, and feathers. Kate had been on this case for weeks and still hadn't found a DNA match for the sample. As usual, she saw nothing different from the last time she had peered at this slide. This case confused her greatly because the DNA was human, well mostly, but 2 of it seemed to be bird. Kate's frown deepened and she massaged her temples, thinking. It wasn't possible to be 2 bird, even though that would explain the feathers. Kate's brown eyes snapped open in realization. If there feathers , then the victim must have wings.

"Sir! Sir!" Kate shouted, running towards her boss. His hair was dark, a bit shaggy. His eyes the deepest blue she had ever seen. He was gorgeous, in a model-type way, no doubt about that.

"Sir." she repeated breathlessly. "I think I've found a solution to the case." she said, batting her eyelashes. Her boss smiled,

"Come to my office Kate, we will discuss it there." He led the way. Once in the office, he motioned for Kate to sit, closing the door behind them. He glided over to his desk and sat behind it, leaning back casually in his swivel chair, "So, what's this break through?" he asked, his blue eyes searching her brown. Kate cleared her throat nervously, not looking at him,

"Uhm...this may sound very crazy..." she trailed off, sneaking a glance at him. He smiled encouragingly. She continued, her hands fiddling with her lab coat, " As you know, the DNA in the sample was part bird, and we found feathers at the crime scene-" she took a breath,

"I've analyzed the situation thoroughly and have concluded that the victim had wings."

Chapter 2: A Date Gone Wrong

Kate finally glanced up to find her boss looking at her carefully.

"This is an interesting discovery..." he murmured, not looking the least bit surprised.

Then he said the most unexpected thing, "Kate, would you like to go on a date with me?" Kate stared at him, mouth agape

"I...I...uhm...sure?" she stammered, completely thrown off balance, "But sir, what does this have to do with the case?" her boss smiled,

"Everything Kate, everything..."

Kate and her boss walked along deserted streets. Kate was adorned in her best black jeans, and a blood-red cami, her hair pulled back in a clip, make-up lightly applied. Her boss wore his usual black attire, his hair looking wind-swept.

"Sir, where are we going?" Kate asked casually, not knowing any of the streets. She had been in New York all her life and she had never been to this place.


"You'll see." her boss said and grinned, "By the way, you can call me Blate."

The shadows seemed to shift as the couple walked along. Kate became uneasy, but Blate seemed not to notice.

"Uhm Blate? Are we almost there?" Kate asked, glancing nervously around. Blate stopped in his tracks, Kate beside him.

"No, we are not almost there, we will never get there." Kate stared at him in alarm,

"Blate? Are you o-" She was cut off by his piercing whistle. The shadows writhed as 4 wolf-like creatures appeared, circling the couple. Kate gasped in fright and clung to Blate,

"Wha-what ARE those things?!" she asked shrilly, eyeing one nervously.

"These are my friends." he responded simply, "Take her away!" Blate barked and shrugged the women off, leaving her to the wolves.

Chapter 3: Surprise!

Kate woke in a white room, on a steel bed. She rolled groggily off the bed and crawled toward the door, head aching. She found she had on a heather-gray shirt and pants, along with a long, white coat. She threw open the door to a long, empty corridor. Kate crept down it, looking for a clue to where she was and how to get the hell out.

She froze as she heard a door opening. Her eyes widened in terror as she grabbed the knob of a nearby door, flinging herself into the room. The room was dark, and as she closed the door quietly, she flicked on the light. What she saw made her gasp. A steel bed lay beside her, straps hanging off the sides. A high-tech computer system sat on a steel desk beside it, wires of all colors, suction cups at the ends, snaked out of it towards the bed. In the corner, two 4 x 3 x 5-foot cages stood.

She walked over to them, her bare feet slapping unceremoniously on the white-tiled floor. She peered into the cages, but fell back almost immediately at what she saw. In the cages were two girls, with WINGS.

"Who...? Wha...? Where...??" Kate stuttered, her glasses falling down her nose.

"One question at a time woman, and calm down would cha?" The girl on the left muttered, rolling her purple-ish eyes. She had black, super-straight hair that fell to her waist, sharp mistrustful features, and huge, black wings. They're beautiful... Kate thought as she stared.

"Thanks, I like them too." The girl said, lifting one.

"How...?" Kate gasped. The girl sighed, exasperated.

"Questions again? I'm telepathic, which means I can read your mind." The girl said, as if she were talking to a 2nd grader. "By the way, I'm Arcane." Arcane tilted her head to the side, indicating the other cage, "That's Skye." Skye waved, her platinum-blonde hair shifting around her shoulders. Her green eyes inspected Kate,

"You don't know where you are, do you?" She asked sympathetically. Kate snorted,

"You a mind reader too?" she snapped. Skye smiled and wrapped a wing around her shoulder,

"No, just a good guesser. You're in The Institute, they take kids here, and experiment on them. Grafting animal genes with human genes, to see what happens." Skye said cheerily.

"And it looks like you are now one of the white coats." Arcane muttered, "A scientist." she clarified, reading 

Kate's thoughts. Kate frowned,

"What? That's horrible! I'm not going to do them, that's inhumane!"

Skye brightened at this, looking through the bars of her cage hopefully,

"Will you free us then?"

Chapter 4: The Price of Freedom

Kate looked taken-aback,

"Y-you want me t-to free you?!" she sputtered, blinking rapidly.

"No, we want you to sit on your bum and stare at us all day." Arcane said sarcastically. Skye glared at the dark-haired girl,

"Well, yeah, I mean, you're against the whole system right? So then fight back and free us!" Skye pleaded; hope shining in her lime-green eyes.

Kate looked skeptical, but nodded,

"Alright, how?" She asked, her newfound conviction creeping into her voice.

Skye and Arcane smiled,

"Over on the desk is a chip with a string on it. Insert that into the lock, and punch in 1-9-2-7 for mine, and 1-9-2-8 for Skye's." Arcane directed, pointing out where everything was. Kate did as she was told, and soon the girls were free of their cages. Arcane stretched gracefully, "The nearest exit is down the hall to the right. If we don't run into any Erasers, we should be able to get out alive."

"Erasers?"

"The wolf-men on steroids."

Kate blanched at the thought of those wolf-like things, and followed the girls out the door.

'Try not to make a sound' a voice drifted into Kate's thoughts. Kate looked to Arcane, to see the girl putting her finger up to her lips; Kate nodded and continued to follow the girls.

They got half-way down the hall with no problems, but then a door opened. Two laughing, model-type men emerged from the door. Their laughing stopped short though, when they spotted Skye and Arcane. One snarled and dropped to all fours, beginning the change immediately, the other quickly pressed a red button on the wall. An alarm rang out and Skye disappeared, reappearing behind the changing Eraser, and snapping his neck. Arcane ran and landed at round-house kick on the skull of the other Eraser. The trio bolted toward the door. Ten feet from it, a shot rang out. Kate gasped as searing pain shot through her body. Skye and Arcane whirled around, shifting into fighting stances.

"Get out, I'll hold them off!" Kate screamed, running at the men with guns. The girls did as they were told, glancing back as the heard more shots.

Kate was surprisingly still walking towards the men. Her body was riddled with bloody holes, even her head was bleeding, and yet she still stood.

"My good deed is done, send me now to Heaven." She chanted the phrase over and over, and as Skye ran out the door, the chanting stopped. The girls knew then, that their savior was gone.

-+-

Skye and Arcane spread their wings wide as they passed through The Institutes imposing doors. They gave several powerful down strokes, lifting themselves up into the morning. 'I've never seen the morning sky...' Arcane's thought invaded Skye's open mind. Neither of the girls had even seen the actual sky, only the artificial ones in the scenarios. Skye smiled bitterly as she remembered a song she had heard on the radio one of the white coats owned,

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly, I'll do what it takes, 'till I touch the sky,


Out of the darkness and into the Sun, But I won't forget all the ones that I love, I gotta, make a wish, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway...

Chapter 5: You Get What You Get

Arcane and Skye knew how to cover their wings by folding them in and covering them with a jacket.

Dilemma; they hadn't thought to take jackets while escaping.

Fortunately for them, there were dozens of clotheslines with tasteful clothing hanging in every alley. Skye found a light blue parka to match her white halter and jeans. For Arcane a sleek black trench (to her ultimate pleasure), to wear over her black torn jeans and cami.

Having no money, the two ambled around Manhattan looking for hot dog stands to steal from. Skye, being moralistic, didn't like the idea, but no food equaled an unhappy stomach. Both scored a hot dog and drink before Skye slipped up and got caught. The two split up as they were chased by some loyal customers. As Skye turned a corner, she ducked behind some trash cans. She hid as best as she could, she didn't dare use her invisibility power unless it was an emergency. Her pursuers ran past her hiding place and disappeared around another corner.

Skye sighed in relief and leaned back, hitting something soft. A second later a voice whispered, "Boo," in her ear. She yelped in alarm and shot into the alley, whirling around to face the trash cans.

Out stepped a boy. He wore baggy jeans and a hooded black sweatshirt, protecting him against the cold March air. A breeze ruffled his already tousled hair, revealing two steel-gray irises. The boy slid one hand out of his jean pocket, and held it out,

"I'm Grey. Who are you and why were you hiding?"

Skye stared at the boy's hand mistrustfully, not answering. Shrugging, he returned his hand to his pocket,

"Alright then, I guess I can just turn you over to--" Skye cut him off,

"My name's Skye if you must know, and I was hiding because food at the moment is hard to come by." She said coldly and turned away heading down the alley.

"Do you need a place to stay?" Grey's voice rang out, "We can feed you and give you a room if you work around the house." Skye turned around slowly, inspecting him with her lime-green eyes,

"Why would you give room and board to a thief? Much less a stranger?" she asked, her voice iced with suspicion. He shrugged and grinned,

"I do what I can for pretty girls in need."

Skye was silent for a moment, weighing her options. He was ignorant of her...differences, that much she could tell, and she really needed somewhere to rest her head for a couple of days, until they could earn some cash. Finally, she nodded,

"Have room for two?"

Chapter 6: The Complete Picture

"How's your friend gonna know where to go?" Grey asked, looking back at Skye as he led the way to his house. Skye smiled and winked,

"I have my ways of telling her." She had just finished thought-speaking with Arcane, giving her the address, and a description of the boy. Arcane had been highly suspicious, but then again, she always was.

As Skye watched Grey grin and turn back, she couldn't help but notice how utterly hot he was. His features were balanced, but distinct, and he was only about an inch above her 5'4" stature. Skye quickened her pace so that she was right beside him,

"So..." she trailed off, tucking a rogue strand of hair behind her ear, "How old are you?" She asked, her eyes running over his shape.



"Seventeen." he replied, catching her eyes with his, "Let me guess...you're seventeen too?" Skye shook her head, blushing,

"Nah, I'm 16, but close enough."

He grinned and put a hand on her elbow, to guide her to his front porch. His touch sent a tingle through her arm and down her spine and she gasped. He stopped and looked at her with concern,

"You ok?" he asked.

"Uhm...y-yeah...Fine!" she lied, pointing to where Arcane had suddenly appeared, "Arcane just scared me, that's all. Arcane, this is Grey, Grey, Arcane." she said quickly, looking away from Arcane's cool stare. Grey waved and Arcane nodded. He escorted the two into his small house, explaining that he only lived with his mom, and that she was out on a business trip for the week. Arcane narrowed her eyes at this,

'Be careful, this is way too coincidental...' she thought to Skye,

'Oh chill out Arc, have some time off from being suspicious will ya?' Skye thought back. Arcane didn't answer,

"Where's your bathroom?" Arcane asked Grey instead, unable to keep the flatness out of her voice. Grey motioned to the hallway,

"Third door Arcane, knock yourself out." she glared at him and left. Skye rolled her eyes,

"Ignore her; she's not much of a people person." Skye grimaced. Grey smiled understandingly,

"I'll show you your rooms."

Chapter 7: Our Little Secret

Grey led Skye to a room on the second floor. He opened the door, revealing a room with dark blue walls and purple furniture. The bed bore a satin purple comforter, a nightstand beside it. A dresser and desk also furnished the bedroom, three windows overlooking the neighborhood streets. Skye smiled in approval,

"I like it a lot!" she exclaimed.

"It's my mom's room, but you can crash here while she's gone." He explained, leading her to another room.

This one was mostly black and red, with only one heavily shaded window. "This is my sister's room, but she's at college for the year so, I think Arcane can stay in here." Skye nodded,

"She'll like it." Grey closed the door and led her to his room. It was decorated in oranges and well...grays. Skye sat on the orange bed and admired the room, "Nice colors Grey." she teased. Grey laughed,

"What can I say? It's a great color!" He walked over to his CD player and turned on a song. He slipped out of his sweatshirt, revealing a well built body. (There was no shirt on underneath to Skye's ultimate surprise...) Skye tried not to stare, but it was kind of hard, since he was so hot and all. Trying to distract herself, she hummed along to the song.

Is this more than you bargained for yet? I've been dying to tell you anything, you wanna hear, cuz that's just who I am this week...

Skye smiled, she loved this song. Grey came over and sat on the bed, dangerously close to Skye. She blushed.

We're going down down in an earlier round, Sugar we're going down swingin'...

Skye glanced sideways at Grey as he brushed back her hair softly. Her eyes closed as he leaned foreword, unbearably slow. His hand found its way to the small of her back as their lips met. As Skye leaned into him, for the first time in her life, she felt normal. Normal girls got kissed, felt this way. But Arcane's voice invaded her thoughts, ruining the moment.



'Be careful Skye, what would he do if he knew what you were?' Arcane gritted her teeth as pain lanced through her brain,

'No one asked you anyway.' came Skye's cold reply. Skye knew Arcane was right, but she didn't care, as long as this feeling lasted forever. Skye deepened the kiss, knowing where this was going and loving it. She had seen what the white coats did in their free time with each other. She loved the fact that it was...normal.

We're going down down in an earlier round, Sugar we're going down swingin'. I'll be your number one with a bullet, a loaded god complex cock it and pull it.

Chapter 8: 14 Shades of Grey

Two days had passed, and the two girls still hadn't spoken aloud to each other. Their only communication was sending bolts of pain to each other when provoked. Grey seemed oblivious to the feud, spending time with Arcane when Skye was moody, and vice versa. Neither girl had discussed what they would do when they would eventually leave, or even where they would go. Most things hung in the air as questions unanswered. Both girls knew they were being foolish, but neither could bring themselves to say so.

On the fifth morning of silence, both girls woke knowing something was wrong. Arcane could feel it; something in the air just wasn't right. Skye woke to see that her door was closed. This puzzled her, she never closed her door, it reminded her of her cage in the Institute. The girls quietly got out of bed and made their way down the hallway, making a silent truce. Arcane, for the first time in her 17 years, felt truly uneasy. She couldn't tell why, but the feeling persisted.

The whole downstairs was dark, the dawn light sparse, indecently throwing everything into shadow. Skye tensed as she heard the crackling of a fire. The two girls tip-toed toward the noise, stopping at the doorway to peer into the gloom. Arcane's extra-sensitive eyes found Grey's form in an armchair by the fire. The boy turned toward the two, half his face cast in shadow.

"Hey girls, why are you up so early?" he asked, his voice strangely eerie. The flames cast sparse light on the walls, making the shadows dance. A chill swept down Skye's spine,

"W-we couldn't sleep and t-then we couldn't find you so..." Skye trailed off, searching for the light switch. Arcane said nothing, just glared at Grey. 'Arcane, what is it?' Skye asked telepathically.

'Something's wrong, there are barriers around his mind. Skye, he knows I'm telepathic, we need to leave NOW!' Arcane's warning came too late. The shadows writhed as twenty or so Erasers surrounded the girls. Grey stood, walking over to the door and shutting it, also turning on the light. The two girls stared at him in shock,

"What...?" Skye trailed off, looking from the Erasers to Grey, and back again. "Why are...?" She asked, but Grey's face remained blank. Then something clicked. Grey was an Eraser, he had betrayed her.

Skye was speechless, "Why...?" she asked, tears clustering about her eyes. Grey's brow furrowed in anger,

"Because--" he said icily, "You know too much, you could have had a great life in The Institute. A roof over your head, three square meals a day--"

"And being experimented on?! Having needles poked into you, your blood taken and chemicals pumped into your system?? NEVER HAVING A NORMAL FREAKIN' LIFE?? Arcane interrupted angrily, her violet eyes wild. Grey snarled and slapped her, sending her sprawling. Skye gasped and bent down to help her friend, but Grey yanked her up by her hair,

"You mongrel! You killed my brother!!" he spat, his platinum eyes blazing. Skye stared back at him, uncomprehending.



"The day you escaped, you killed two Erasers, correct?" Grey hissed, his expression frightening. Understanding at last, Skye glared, her malice reflecting his,

"There is one thing you Erasers will never get, if we get away, leave...us...ALONE!!" Skye yelled, kicking Grey hard in the thigh and groin. Grey yelped and let go of Skye. The ring of Erasers howled and closed in on the girls. Arcane picked herself up and stood back-to-back with Skye, fists raised.

An Eraser advanced toward them just as the door exploded. Six figures flew through the shattered frame, literally. They had wings, just like Skye and Arcane.

Chapter 9: Numb

One by one, the Erasers fell by the hands of the two girls and six strangers. Soon, there was no one left. Skye turned to Arcane, a smile of triumph upon her face.

Her smile quickly turned to horror though as she saw Grey jump up from the heap on the floor. Something flashed in his hand as it made for Arcane's throat.

Arcane saw what was happening in Skye's mind, and whirled around to ward off Grey. Everything from then on seemed to happen in slow motion for Skye.

How Arcane punched Grey in his jaw, how Grey's hand thrust out anyway, the glinting silver hitting Arcane right between her ribs. Arcane fell, her blood rapidly staining her navy shirt. One of the strangers quickly detached itself from the group, it seemed to be a boy, about Grey's age, and he had midnight wings. He walked over to Grey's writhing body and put his foot down hard on his neck. Grey was dead.

\/

Grief weighed down Skye. She sank to her knees, her hands smoothing Arcane's ebony locks. She was too shocked to cry, she couldn't even make a sound for that matter. The same boy who killed Grey picked Arcane up gently. Another one of the strangers, a girl this time, bent down to Skye,

"Come on, we know someone who can help." Skye nodded and got up, feeling totally numb,

"Hurry." was all she could say.

Chapter 10: Everything

Skye sat in the waiting room, staring into space. The six strangers had finally introduced themselves. The black-winged boy, Grey's killer, was named Fang, and the girl who had spoken to her earlier was Max. In addition to the two was Iggy, a blind boy, a brother and sister named Gazzy and Angel, and another, older girl named Nudge. Max walked over and cut through Skye's haze abruptly,

"I know you must be confused-"

"Naw, I'm always like this..." Skye cut in bitterly. Max wasn't put off though,

"Arcane has known about us for awhile, and when you were in trouble, she contacted Angel; she's telepathic also, that's why we came." She paused, but Skye said nothing. Max sighed, "Gasman can imitate voices really well, and his sister can also breathe underwater, oh and Nudge can do this weird thing...it's kind of hard to explain. Anyway, what can you do that is...special?" Max asked, her eyes pleading with Skye to say something. Skye was quiet for a moment, but seemed to give in,

"I can...become invisible by vibrating my molecules at an alarming rate." she muttered, anxious to get back to her world, where nothing hurt. There was no pain there, nothing at all.

-+-

Arcane was in the ICU, being taken care of by a friend of Max's. The doctor came out about an hour after Arcane was admitted, shaking her head,

"Arcane went into a coma about 15 minutes ago. We haven't been able to wake her, I'm sorry." Skye knew what comas were; she and Arcane had been in chemically induced ones at the lab. Her eyes brimmed with tears,


"May I go and see her?" Skye asked, voice breaking in mid-sentence. The doctor's heart just about broke, she didn't think Arcane had a chance, but sometimes the truth was better unmentioned.

"Of course honey, of course..."

Chapter 11: Love's Worth

Arcane's form was stiff, her skin like old porcelain. Her lips and eyelids were purple-ish blue; it was hard to believe that she was alive. Every shred of Skye's hope disintegrated as she saw her best friend, almost a sister, lying there helpless. Arcane was never helpless. Skye reached out to take her friend's hand; it was unbearably cold,

"Arcane? Can you hear me?" Skye asked shakily, "Please, say something...or better yet, wake up..." she whispered, tears leaking down her cheeks."I don't know what I'd do without you...please, you have to wake up...please..." she pleaded, shaking Arcane's still form a bit. Skye let her head drop as the tears came full force. "Why you? Why not me? I deserved it! I was the one who loved the boy who betrayed us! It's all my fault...it's all my fault..." she cried, hating herself more and more as the seconds went by, "I'm sorry Arcane, I'm so sorry..." She couldn't help thinking about her actions the day before. If she had known this was going to happen, she never would have fought with her best friend. They had known each other since practically they were born. They had both been a part of the experiment "AVIAN". They, like Max and the Flock, had 2 avian DNA in them. Together they had chemicals injected into them, just to see what would happen. Skye had never known what it was like to not have Arcane by her side, in her mind, she felt so empty without her presence, so...naked.

"Arcane, listen if you can: I will do anything, anything...to get you back to me."

-+-

The early morning light played across the forms of the two sleeping girls. Platinum-blonde hair reflected the rainbow, the other's ebony locks turning deep blues and purples.

A doctor, smiling down on the two, walked over to check the monitors.

As if on cue, the machines started beeping frantically. The doctor yelled for a nurse and the blonde woke, confused. She was roughly pushed out the door, seeming to slowly regain her senses,

"Arcane! No! Let me back in!" she fought the nurses as she saw her friend being pricked with needles and pumped with oxygen. The monitors flat lined. A scream of anguish issued from Skye's lips. The doctors took out a defibrillator and tried to resuscitate Arcane. Once, twice, three times.

Arcane didn't respond.

The doctor dejectedly put down the machine.

"No! You can't just give up! Do it again! She will wake up!" Skye cried frantically, tears streaming down her face. The doctor looked at his watch.

"Arcane Rivers. Time of death: Sunday April 9th, 2006. 5:01:06 PM EST."

Chapter 12: Echoes of Angels that Won't Return

Skye ran out of the hospital, ignoring the shouts that followed her out of the building. She ran head-long into the forest beside the clinic, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She didn't bother turning invisible as she spread her snowy wings and lifted off into the dark sky.

Skye's eyes were red and puffy as she sat atop the Statue of Liberty's crown. She had no tears left, she was cried out to say the least. Her wings hung limply at her sides, tired. This had been her first flight in seven days.

Time flies when your friend's dying eh?


Skye no longer cried, but her grief was immense, it left her feeling hollow, broken. Skye hugged her knees as she sat, watching life in New York City continue, without Arcane.

She was angry. Angry at New York, for not caring, angry at Arcane, for letting herself die, angry at herself, because she couldn't save her best friend. As she brooded, something brushed her mind, and she started. The feeling was slightly alien; she hadn't experienced the feeling since Arcane had been admitted to the hospital. She couldn't even figure out whose mind was invading hers, her senses had been dulled by her grief.

'Skye' came a whisper, sounding so...familiar...

'Arcane?' She asked tentatively back.

'Yes' The voice replied.

'But you're dead Arc!' Skye thought, disbelief working its way into her thoughts.

'Yes Skye, I am. Listen, don't grieve anymore, my spirit now goes to another life, a happier one. Rejoice that fact Skye.' She said. A tear leaked out of Skye's eye,

'But Arcane, you were my best friend...how can I not grieve for you? I loved you...' Skye trailed off.

'I know Skye, and I loved you too, as a sister.' She said simply in Skye's mind. Skye's face clouded in sudden anger,

'Wait, how are you contacting me if you're dead?'
'As my spirit leaves my body for another, I am able to contact those I loved.' Was the reply.

'But Arcane, I feel so alone without you...' Skye thought, as another tear slipped down her cheek. A soft breeze caressed Skye's face as she thought this,

'Skye, you are never alone, besides, you have Max and the Flock. We are one Skye, never doubt that.' Arcane's voice said, becoming faint, 'My love as a sister has changed you Skye, you know that. Be strong Skye, be strong.' Skye felt Arcane's mind drift away at that, and wiped her face with her sleeve. Skye looked out toward NYC again, a smile now upon her face. Yes, she and Arcane were one, she realized. Arcane was her dark, and she was Arcane's light. But even if the light is extinguished, or the dark fades away, the other can still manage on its own, and survives. If she had learned one thing during her friendship with Arcane, it was this:

No matter how different friends may be, they will help each other through the hardest times, and make each other stronger in the end.

-+-

Epilogue

Three Months Later.

Skye sat by a pond, skipping rocks and thinking. Max and the others were out looking for their parents. They had willingly given Skye some time alone, but made her promise to keep in touch.

They had all also agreed to meet up in two more months in Washington D.C.

Skye had flown where ever her wings had taken her, and lately, it had been to this pond. She lay back and let the Sun's warmth envelope her. She had long since stopped mourning for Arcane, promising herself to only remember the good things about her time with Arc. A shadow of a crow passed over her, landing a few feet away. It sat there, unmoving. Finally Skye sat up, and stared at it, "Shoo, I'm relaxing." she said, and started to lay back down. The bird cocked its head, and she took another look at it, gasping in surprise. This bird wasn't a crow, it was a black falcon! "Aren't you unusual..." she trailed off, inspecting the falcon further. She had never in her life seen, or even heard of such a falcon. Its plumage was pitch black, and glossy, like a crow's, but its shape was most definitely a falcon. Skye looked into its golden eyes once more, and was transfixed. They stared at each other for a few minutes, unblinking, and then the most extraordinary thing happened, the falcon's eyes flashed purple.

Realization dawned on Skye, and she reached out to it with her mind, 'Arcane?' She asked tentatively, unfurling her wings. The falcon gave a call and took off. Skye scrambled off of the ground, smiling. Arcane's spirit was in that falcon, she just knew it.

'Everything happens for a reason, doesn't it?' She thought to herself, and took off.



--
END