Sorry! I've been on vacation, but now I'm back! I'll try to update more often=D

Disclaimer: As I have learned that nobody will take my bribes, I'll say it outright: I do not own any of it…=J

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Jumping, Daine realized that something was different, though she couldn't quite put her paw on it. Shrugging, she leaped into the air and spread her wings. As she launched herself into the limitless sky, she felt a rush of joy. She spun in the air as she raced to catch up with the dragon she saw earlier.

ooo

When Kalasin got back to her room, she gasped. "Where's my sparrow?" she wailed.

She left the seed on the ground and ran to the open window. When she found no sign of it, she sat down hard. "Ow!" She got up and looked where she had just been; there's was a claw, and with a string attached to it. Of course it wasn't from the sparrow, she knew that. But then where'd it come from?

While pondering that, Kaly didn't notice that a badger who had been walking past stopped and almost choked himself on his meal. He would recognize that necklace anywhere. He had been the one that had given it to Daine. But why was it here. He hurriedly left towards his home.

ooo

"Then why don't you just ask Numair what he did?" Alanna was finding this very aggravating.

"Of course we tried to," replied Jonathan. "But he's just locked himself in his rooms. And you should know that he can do that better than anyone else."

Alanna grimaced. She did know. She sighed. "Well, can't you do anything? There must be some reason he's still in there."

"Not unless we want to destroy that whole wing of the castle, along with Numair, no we can't do anything," replied the Queen.

"Well, we're bound to find out eventually," said George, who was leaning against the doorway.

"I just hope that it's before Numair screws thing up again," Alanna said.

ooo

Numair was in his workroom, laboring to keep the Chaos under control. The effort wasn't easy; it fought him until his Gift vanished completely. But then his Gift would regenerate faster than it had before.

He refused to let anyone know that he had made a mistake. It had seemed like such a simple plan at the time-to control the chaos for the kingdom's own use. Now, though, it looked to be impossible. How could he have possibly overlooked this possibility? He guessed that he had been too preoccupied at the time.

Noticing that a tendril was escaping its container, he shoved it back in with as much force of his Gift that he could muster. He felt as if he would collapse at any moment, until he felt an alien Gift flow into him. He was too busy to notice.

ooo

Alanna and George were in their rooms at the castle, each thinking quietly. By now they were used to it when a blob floated past them. It sure happened often enough. But when he saw that a hint of purple was seeping out of his wife, George yelped.

"What is it?!" She had never heard him do that before.

"It's coming out of you!"

"What's coming out of me," Alanna asked. She hated it when people weren't specific.

"You're Gift! It's coming out! Are you doing anything?" George seemed to be concerned for her.

"Now, why would it be-" She stopped short as she turned around, and saw too that her Gift was going away from her. She tried to grab it, but she just went right through it. The same went with trying to recall it.

"I don't know! It won't come back either!" she exclaimed. This was just too much.

"Whatever it is, we're going to find out. I can't wait to get Numair.." George seemed to be thinking some gruesome things.

Alanna was staring helplessly at her flowing Gift. She didn't like not being able to do anything.

oo

Daine had been following the dragon for some time, until she saw her start descending into the forest below. Following suite, Daine went into the shade of the leafy ceiling. She landed next to the dragon, and when the dragon saw Daine, she had immediately sensed who it was. Dragon or no, this was her adoptive mother.

Skysong shrieked her anger, which could have probably been heard all over the royal forest.

Daine was about to reply when a great weight fell onto her back, pushing her down to the ground.

"YOU IDIOT!" was the first thing that the Badger God had to say to Daine.

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I hope you liked it! As always, please review! I'm always open for comments, and I'll try to update soon!