Her large beady eyes gazed up into the darkness that surrounded her so tightly. "Where.. am I..?" she questioned to herself. Her glittering lilac painted eyes soared around her vision, and glanced from one spot to the next. Nothing but large, sturdy tree trunks and prickled bushes were all that surrounded her. Gazing up towards the sky, the trees towered over her, allowing sections of the clouded sunrise to break through the branches. Her ears flopped downwards as she realized just how lost she really was. "Now I remember.." she pondered. She lifted herself off the ground with her torn gray gloves pressed against the soft dirt of the forest floor. Her knees cascaded her to an upright position, where she brushed off the leaves that had entangled themselves within her long, furry, golden spines. Her large, curled tail beat rapidly forwards and back as she took a good look around herself. Her ears perked up as she heard a rustle from a nearby shrub.
"Who.. who's there?" she asked, with a slightly threatening tone. The shrub immediately responded to her loud voice, leaves flying with fear. She took a few steps towards it and pushed some of the bush to the side and peaked in. Inside the shrub there was a small yellow bird-like creature, flapping it's wings violently in terror. It's blood red eyes wide, it let out a painful shriek. It had caught it's leg on a vine of prickles. The golden-furred girl's eyes softened, and she spoke in a tranquil tone, "Oh.. you're just a flicky. Hey, it's alright, I won't hurt you." The bird calmed and the flapping ceased. It's eyes blinked curiously, as if it could understand her. "My name is Crystal.. Crystal the Squirrel. I mean no harm to you. Please don't be afraid." She slowly reached for the bird's entangled foot. It flinched at her movement, but allowed her to untangle the vine. "There. You're not stuck anymore!" She tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes, a warm smile crossing her tan muzzle. "Thank.. you." The voice echoed in her head. "What? Did.. you just talk?" She glanced down at the flicky, eyes wide. The flicky tilted it's head, "Yes.. well no. I remember you, you grew up on Flicky Island! You can understand us.. don't you remember?" Crystal scratched her head as the voice filled her mind, but the bird was only chirping. "I.. haven't been back to my homeland in ages.. I've been wandering around, I have no home anymore." she replied. The flicky hopped out from behind the branches and onto the dirt. "Why?" it asked. "Oh it's.. a long story," she started, "let's leave that for some other time," she smiled reluctantly, "so do you have a name?" "My name is Penelope," the bird answered, "I am out here because there is some sort of war going on back on our home island, and I wanted to find a place to keep safe. That is..." she paused, "that is, until robots were sent after anyone trying to escape. That's why I was hiding.. I thought you were a robot." "Wait.. what?" Crystal gasped, startled, "Who's responsible for the war?" "King Chester," Penelope replied, "He decided that he wanted to re-build the land and use all the flickie's feathers for furniture and housing. He's getting rid of all the flickies, and readying for a brand new empire. I suppose he doesn't think us flickies deserve lives of our own."
Crystal gave Penelope a good hard look."Did... you say King Chester?" Penelope tilted her head and then nodded, "Why?" she added, curiously. Crystal's gaze wandered off into a break in the forest wall. "It really has been a while... I must go back," she said, with a hint of anger crawling into her voice, "Which direction is Flicky Island?" "I um.." Penelope stumbled on her words. "Augh, forget it, I have a good sense of direction," Crystal said, with an odd rage filling her presence, "Thank-you for your time." She started towards the break in the trees. "Wait!" Penelope yelped, attempting to run to Crystal's side, but toppling down in pain instead. Crystal spun around. "Oh!" she ran to Penelope's side, the warm glow filling her eyes again, "You're hurt." Penelope's leg was torn at the knee, and the small creature was losing blood fast. "Here," Crystal said hurriedly, ripping off the bottom of her red tank top and wrapping the fabric gently around the bird's leg. "W-wait, your shirt!" Penelope gasped, "You need that.. you don't even have a home!" "Shh," Crystal ordered, picking the bird up, "Don't you worry about that. Just focus on healing that wound up, got it?" She gave Penelope a smirk. "Please take me with you," the bird cried, "It's dangerous out there, at least I could get you help if needed." "We don't need you to get even more hurt, Penelope. Please just find a safe spot and heal up." Just as Crystal was about to kneel down and place the creature back on the ground, the bird let out a loud shriek. "No!" she ordered, "It's my hometown too, and I need to be there for everybody." The bird's eyes met with Crystal's, and they exchanged a glance, the squirrel's face showing a shocked emotion at the bird's outburst. Eventually, a smile snuck across Crystal's face, "I like your spunk," she giggled, then gently placed her in an open pocket of her forest green capris. The bird lifted it's head and looked up at the squirrel. "Thank-you.. again." Crystal smiled down at her new friend in response, then looked up towards the path, determined. "Hold on tight, Penelope, it's going to be a rough ride." She took one step back, then bolted down the path, feet pounding on the solid gravel towards the adventure that awaits.