A/N: So sorry that this took so long to write! I'm starting another story, Stranded, and feeling generally unmotivated...

Hope you enjoy this, and if not, go check out my other story, Snippets. If not, you can click on "greysky3" at the top of the page, and you'll find a convenient little list of my other stories!

End rant. Read on!

The door opened the next morning to reveal the two whitecoats that called themselves Ivy's parents. I knew seeing them would only be torture for her. Ivy's face turned hard, seeing Dr. Hinters step in. Dr. Jameson followed.

"Hello, Subjects. We're going to test all of you as a group today. Follow me, please." How nice of her to say please to the prisoners. We got up groggily anyway. Gazzy yawned and stretched, Angel brought Total along who said he'd defend us. As if.

We wove through hallways and hallways, and even with my super-human sense of direction, I was soon lost. They led us to the same door I'd sort of rescued Ivy and Chase from. They opened they door and the room was white and plain. I saw Ivy start to shake and Chase was whipping his head around nervously.

I'd heard their horror stories about this room. Whatever it would be, I'd survive it, both flocks included. There was a sound of gears turning and Ivy freaked.

"No, no, no," she said to herself. I noticed the room was actually getting bigger, fast, and it was soon the size of a football field. I felt small in the middle of this impossibly big room.

When Ivy saw it was bigger, not smaller, she let out her breath in a whoosh. There was a crackling sound I'd come to know as the intercom. Guess the whitecoats were too scared to talk to us in person.

As I watched, plants started to appear. Were they real? They appeared like they were holograms, but when I touched one it felt as solid as a real plant. Tall trees with thick branches appeared, covered in vines. The ground spurted moss, and tropical plants were populating the ground.

"HERE! EVERYONE!" I shouted at the flock that had dispersed a little, weaving their way through the trees. They all ran back. I counted my flock, Total, and two little bird kids.

The jungle was thick now, and I couldn't see anything past the thick growth of trees and shrubs. The air was thick and heavy with moisture, and the chirping of exotic birds filled the place.

"The final test is to begin shortly," the voice on the intercom announced. I braced myself, waiting for the worst. There was a sharp whooshing sound and I barely had time to throw myself to the ground.

Darts had just flow past us and impaled themselves on trees behind us. Everyone had gotten down except Chase, who was holding his arm. Blood oozed from where a small dart had buried into his arm. I rushed over; ready to pull it out, but to my surprise it yanked itself out.

I opened my mouth in surprise. Chase was as bewildered as me.

"I think I did it," he said. I watched as the dart moved around in the air like it was flying. Chase's face lit up into a grin through the obvious pain. "I can move things with my mind!"

"It's called telekinesis, genius." Total rolled his eyes.

I managed a small smile, and a glare for Total, before I felt the mossy floor under me suddenly become soft. My sneakers squished, and looking down I saw that I was standing in sand. I started to lose footing and I realized it was quicksand. Chase, who was next to me, and Ivy, who had come closer to see; were also in the small pit of sand.

"Uh-oh," Ivy said quietly. Massive understatement. I tried lifting a foot, but there was only a squishing sound as I sunk deeper.

"Someone get a branch," I said, as calmly as I could. Fang was the first to react, breaking a hefty branch off of a nearby tropical tree. He handed it over to me.

"No, not me. Them first," I said. He looked at me as if to say, are you sure? Once you're out you could help. I shook my head, motioning over to the two terrified little kids. They have more to live for.

A sad glint in Fang's eye showed he'd understood my grim thoughts. He moved over to Chase and Ivy. "Who's first?" I asked.

"She can go," Chase said. What a little gentleman. Fang handed Ivy the thick branch and she held on. Luckily, they were only knee-deep. Since I was heavier, I was in to about my thighs, but I didn't tell anyone. I couldn't worry about myself right now.

Iggy came over to help, and slowly, they pulled Ivy out of the sand. It made sucking sounds as she got out, scrambling towards the solid ground. Her pale hospital gown was caked with wet sand.

Fang held the front of the stick and Iggy the back as they handed the branch to Chase. Gazzy broke a branch off himself, hoping to pull me out.

"Don't even try," I warned. "You're not strong enough. You'll be sucked in too." Meanwhile, the suction was continuing, slowly pulling me down until my waist was starting to get covered by sand. It was more like mud, thick and wet.

They pulled Chase out with another horrible slurping sound. He slowly walked over to the edge of solid ground, standing besides Ivy. They both had matching sand stains on their hospital clothes.

Fang headed over to me. He looked me straight in the eyes, and I saw doubt. I gripped the branch and felt him pull. Iggy came from behind and pulled on the branch too. I felt the sucking, and I was slowly rising. The quicksand was pulling me in, but I was getting there.

Gazzy pulled on Iggy, and Nudge pulled on Fang. Angel tugged on Nudge, but I doubted they were helping. I smiled anyway as I felt myself get out. There was a sucking noise again, and I found myself on firm, mossy floor. I almost kissed the ground in relief.

I got up, panting, trying to brush off the sand. Even though the room was hot and humid, I was chilled to the bone. Near-death experiences can have that effect on you. "Okay," I said, disoriented. Everyone looked at me, expecting me to be the leader.

Chase started moving things, making plants fly around. Ivy was watching with admiration. "I guess we just wait it out then," I said. In the meantime, I decided to count, just in case. Fang, Nudge, Chase, Ivy, the Gasman, Angel—

"Where's Iggy?" Gazzy asked. He took the words right out of my mouth.

"Iggy? IGGY!" I shouted. I looked around, he'd been there a second ago. My eyes filled with tears. I took a tentative step forward. No sight of him anywhere.

"IGGY?" I asked again. No response. I snapped. "WHERE IS HE? IS THIS SOME OTHER FREAKING TEST?"

"Find him, then," the intercom answered. I looked all around me, seeing nothing. If they'd taken Iggy away, they were going to pay big time. I ran forward, hoping I'd fall into whatever trap there might be ahead so I could just go and find Iggy.

I stopped in front of a river. Iggy was on the other side, sitting down, eyes closed. "Iggy?" I asked him. He didn't respond.

Maybe they wanted to test my swimming abilities? Too easy. I felt around the floor and found a small fruit. I threw it into the water. It landed with a small splash. Then all hell broke loose: tiny little fish started swimming towards it. They had razor-sharp teeth, and they attacked the fruit.

It was gone fast and so were the fish. "Piranhas," Chase breathed. I turned around. Everyone had followed me here.

"You sure?" I asked Chase.

"I wish I could forget," he muttered, and I felt like he didn't want to tell me the story of him and piranhas. I could already guess it was no fairytale.

I turned back to Iggy. He was still sitting with his eyes closed. What the hell is he doing? The test was way too easy. I'd just fly over, not get devoured, and get Iggy back.

I unfurled my wings and started flapping. I was over the river quickly, and I landed lightly on the other side. I looked around, but no one was in sight. Because that would be too easy, right?

"IGGY! GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE!" I shouted. Nothing. I looked to where I came from and didn't see anyone. The flock had disappeared. I was about to burst into tears because this was too much like a nightmare when I heard something.

It was a faint but distinctively Nudge-like voice. She was calling my name. I flew over to the other side, and there they were.

"We saw you freaking out, screaming for Iggy, but he didn't react," Angel told me. Her big blue eyes were worried. Sure enough, Iggy was still there. He hadn't moved a muscle the whole time.

"It's, like, a big mirage over there," I said. "Iggy's somewhere else."

"Where exactly he is would be helpful," Total grumbled. I glared at him and he shrunk away.

"Okay, well, this test has been long enough. Just give us Iggy back," I said to the room.

"Fine," the intercom said. Iggy came tumbling down from thin air, crushing me in the process. He got up quickly and I hugged him, squeezing the wind out of him.

When I calmed down, I looked him in the eyes. "WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU, IGGY? YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!" I shouted.

"I, um, disappeared. Then I just fell on you," he apologized. I paused. Maybe it wasn't his fault. I sighed.

"The test is over," the intercom told us. They'd given me a good scare; I'll give them that. But no one takes my flock away from me. They'd pay. As the trees and plants disappeared, I was already making a plan.

A/N: Review. Do it.

Fly on!

~greysky3