Fred ran through the city streets. Almost everywhere he could see humans hiding in the shadows. The group he was with were so stupid. They didn't notice or see anything; they thought they were practically alone in that city when in fact it was teeming with life. The only reason he hadn't spotted the Jungfrauenadler before it attacked was because he had been distracted by Lizzy.

Her visage flashed in his mind and he tripped over. The Jungfrauenadler was on him in a second. She shrieked loudly, causing him to flinch into a foetal ball.

Fred's eyes were squinted shut but he could hear crackling and snapping above him. He tentatively opened them again and saw now that while the lower half of the bird's body was the same, she now had the head and torso of a woman. No arms were present, they were still wings.

He glanced at her breasts (couldn't help it,) and then up at her face, before smiling smugly. He knew that she would find it irritating, but in his immaturity he just couldn't help purposely winding her up.

She glowered at him. "You little fool," she spat, speaking in ancient German "my Mistress demands the whereabouts of the seedling you stole."

"I don't have it!" he sang in clear, modern English, thinking quickly of a way to distract her, "maybe she should ask one of her children."

"You owe your fealty to The Queen, not her babes, and you always have done!"

"I don't owe fealty to anyone;" he barked angrily, "the Seer freed us all! I just happen to prefer the Twins and decided to give them the little necklace. You know how Freya loves her jewellery."

"INGRATE!" she roared, a shriek covering her word and reminding Fred that she wasn't a woman, but a powerful monster. "You utter words of sacrilege!. Even if I serve the Great Mistress Nerthus, I still hold a respect for her offspring. I hate you little elves… everyone hates you elves. Jumped up humans with wool for brains, sex on the mind and no self respect…The Seer was a fool to let you loose on Midgard-"

"And yet," Fred interrupted, "we ingrates still managed to out-wit you silly little virgin birds. Search me if you want, I don't have the necklace."

He held out his arms and lay very still as if awaiting her to search him.

"Then your entourage!" she roared in frustration, "they must have the necklace."

She stood away from him and looked back to whence they had come. Fred, thinking of Lizzy and Natalie, leapt up in a temper, "I told you that the Twins have the necklace."

"Lies," crooned the bird, "after the Seer freed you, you were loyal to no one. But now the Seer is gone- dead some say," She looked back at him and her head slowly began to morph into that of a bird, "and now your loyalty must return to the Queen. She's the one who made you and who freed you to Midgard the first time. We are returning to the grand days of old- soon everyone will know of Nerthus. She will rise again, only this time, the whole world shall be in her grasp."

"What are you on about? She never freed me!"

But the Jungfrauenadler was back in its full bird form and unable to converse anymore.

"That bitch never freed me," he continued dangerously, the bird beginning to seethe at his rude words, "she never did! I remember…I remember being angry…because…because she tricked me! She tricked me!"

The sky began to turn very dark and Fred felt the dark force he held deep inside his soul beginning to uncoil itself. Fred couldn't remember the situation, it was only flashing images, but he could remember his feelings. Long ago he had been promised something by Queen Mab… by Nerthus, but she had tricked him. He remembered the feelings of hate and misery that had remained in him for years, twisting him into something bitter and angry all until the Seer and the children came along.

Thick storm clouds rolled across the sky, flashes of lightening between the storm clouds followed by the rumble of thunder but no rain fell. The bird cried out its warrior shriek and stabbed its beak at Fred, who leapt backwards, away from it easily. He glanced at the ground and saw a large telephone pole. It was long and broken. Perfect.

As the Jungfrauenadler lifted itself in the air, circled once then swooped down at him, its dangerous talons out for the kill, Fred picked up the pole and in a millisecond faded just as the bird reached the ground, before reappearing again in the same spot, piercing her through her chest before she could get away.

The pole had red blood running down it and on to Fred, who twisted the pole for good measure. The bird screamed in agony before falling back.

Fred watched coldly as her feathers all fell away and all that was left was the naked body of a human girl. She had been a human once, all the Jungfrauenadler were, a young virgin girl stolen by Queen Mab to live with the fey. She had probably been a nun, judging by her shorn hair and as that was Nerthus' favourite hunting spot for her bird-like slaves.

After making sure she was definitely dead, Fred walked away. The clouds were still heavy and present, but the thunder and lightning had stopped. Had he caused the weather to change? He knew the Twins were capable of such feats, they were the gods of spring after all, but it made no sense for one as lowly as him to have such capabilities.

He rubbed his forehead in frustration. He was remembering some things and felt more aware of himself and his life than he ever had before. For centuries every day had been new and his life and the lives of his children were a blur. But now a string of memories was beginning to compile itself in his mind. He didn't like it; it was confusing and he couldn't get anything straight. Memories were like water, one moment he had them and could comprehend them, the next tat had drained away and he was lost all over again.

"It's Lizzy's doing," he muttered, unconsciously brushing a hand through his hair before focusing on the small white patch at the nape of his neck, "with all her questioning I am starting to remember. Who do I owe loyalty to? Who do I serve? It can't be me, I don't know anything. It must be the Twins, they wanted the Seer back and so I am looking for him on their behalf… but still…."

He steadily made his way back to the rest of the group. He could smell the blood of humans, and it wasn't just the blood on his clothes.

He thought about Lizzy. In his time as Natalie's friend (those memories were very clear to him now) he had strong opinions on her parents; he'd thought Mickey was a waste of space and he had thought her mother was a terrible human being. But Lizzy was something of a blur to him, despite the fact that she was so prominent in Nit-Head's life, it was as if he had ignored her existence. Perhaps it was because Natalie was fond of her? Maybe he only noticed adults that annoyed him?

He crossed into the street where the rest of the gang were. He could see them up ahead and could sense the drama. The smell of blood was stronger and he could tell something was very wrong. He looked for Natalie and saw her gripping Lizzy's hand tightly. Lizzy looked pale, but uninjured.

He felt his chest relax and frowned. When had Lizzy become as important as Natalie?

Fred hung back, watching quietly as he tried to figure it out. It wasn't unusual for Fred to do this; often in his life as an Imaginary Friend he'd had times were he had made himself invisible and simply observed events in front of him. Fred didn't have the mind of an adult, he wasn't allowed to, but he was a grown up and as a result his mind inevitably clashed within itself whenever he was in or witnessing a difficult situation. Considering the types of children he looked after, that often was the case he was in.

Fred looked at them all; Annabella, Mickey, Janey and so on…and realised that he had little to no feeling for them. Not even Mickey, who he had known as long as Natalie. But when he saw Lizzy, he felt a deep fondness and warmth for her. The fact that she was attractive wasn't the only thing about her; Annabella was attractive but he didn't care about her, he just liked looking at her. Big difference. No, Lizzy had some sort of hold over him, he didn't feel the need to protect her the way he did Nit-Head, but that made sense as she was an adult and so could look after herself. So what was it?

Lizzy had said that they used to be friends. Perhaps she was telling the truth. Perhaps they really had known each other. She had once been an adorable little girl who he protected. The feelings he had for her were perhaps his emotions remembering what he could not.

He walked towards the group, staring at her the entire time, still as deep in thought as he could go.

'But it's still different,' his mind argued as he closed in on the group and began to hear a soft weeping, 'the feelings I have for her are different to the ones I have for anyone else…'

Lizzy looked at him, her eyes very brown and warm and full of tears.

He gulped and his heart skipped a beat.

Definitely different.

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