A/N

I'm sorry! I got myself caught up in homework and other various things and couldn't update. I love Hamlet and all, but all the homework that came with it was a drag. Then I was writing another story that took me three days to put up, and well, it just took forever to get to this. Again, I apologize.

Altissimo: Very squeaky or high

Altissima: A type of tree.

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"Wow, look at all of those people! Can you guys see this?" Rahne whooped as Crepuscule pulled into a slow descent.

Crepuscule went double time, which was pretty darn fast, to get us all over here. I'm glad we managed to stop so soon, because it was getting to the hottest part of the day and I was worried about our rid. He was black, and with all the energy he was using, he was breaking quite a sweat. He needed to rest.

We landed a few hundred yards away from the town and tumbled and the girls and I jumped from his back. He seemed to sag almost, then straightened up. I patted him on the shoulder and I saw what looked like gratitude flash across his face before he cleared his face of emotion and stood, waiting for an order.

"Well, shall we?" Jean asked. " I'll do a quick mind probe of the area, and see if anyone we know is here."

"Yeah. Hey Crepuscule, why don't you stay here and rest? You'd only draw attention to us in town, and it may be better for us to keep it on the down low, if you know what I mean."

"Lady Danny, anyone in town has already seen me flying here."

"Yes, but they probably didn't get a good look at us. And the less they know about us, probably the better." I shooed him away and he looked a little put out, but he was really too tired to argue. I turned back to the other girls. "Did you find anything, Jean?"

"I…think so. But I'm not really sure."

"You're not sure? Why?" Rahne asked as she stepped on her tippy toes to see as far as she could into town.

"There are a lot of thoughts wandering around in there. I don't know if who I've picked up is actually someone we know or someone who thinks like them. I knew I should have been scheduling more practices with the Professor."

"Oh I'm sure that will help." Rahne said sarcastically.

"What do you mean?" Jean said defensively. I started walking towards the town with them on either side of me.

"Just because you work really hard will not prepare for being kidnapped by three foot monsters and kicked into another world. The only person that might possibly be prepared for that is Mr. Logan, and I bet even he'd be caught off guard by giant flying deer-dragons and wolves that walk on their hind legs and—"

"I'm sure he got used to you!"

"That's not the point."

"Port Town."

"Hunh?" Jean looked down at me. I once again was reminded of my shorter height and felt a twinge of jealousy. I pointed to the sign I had been reading.

"Port Town. It's the name of the port."

"…How original. Yet simple." Rahne looked at it with me. I tilted my head at it, and wondered if everything in this world would be so blunt.

"Let's go in and start looking!" Jean pushed us both into town.

It was a big town. Bigger than the city of metal. But it was more rustic. People were running too and fro, but the majority seemed to be big, squat tree-like beings. They were big around and their hair seemed to frazzle out every which way. Most of their bodies were of a dark brown color. The hair color was every color, from purple to gray, red to blue. I tried not to stare, they might take offense, but they were so strange and oddly beautiful that sometimes I couldn't help it. Stopping to stare at a family of these beings, I actually ran into another one, the biggest one I'd ever seen, though that wasn't saying much.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I said as I looked at him. He was shorter than I was, but he had to be over five times as wide. He puffed up a little.

"Watch yourself, girl, you'll hurt y'self running into a full grown Altissima, not a good idea, not a good idea, t'all." His voice was actually squeaky.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Hurt me? Bwahahahah! You're just a slip of a girl; I've been hurt more by flies. Go on, go shop, do whatever it is y'need, jus' be careful."

"Thank you sir." I nodded and watched him waddle off. I turned to say something to my friends, and realized that they had disappeared. "Figures they'd walk off. Worse than I am." I picked a direction and started walking deeper into the city. They'd find me or I'd find them. Everyone seemed to be pretty nice around here anyway.

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"SHOOT HIM! KILL THAT DIRTY ROTTEN--OWWW!" Somebody screamed out in pain in the alleyway ahead of me. I stopped walking forward. Walking forward when people are screaming ahead is usually a bad idea.

A man rushed out of the alleyway and tripped, sprawling onto the ground, hurriedly got up, and began dusting himself down.

He was a young man, with shoulder length (messy) black hair. He fixed a pair of slightly skewed glasses on his nose, and above his nose were a pair of brownish looking eyes. I couldn't tell if they were really brown though. He seemed human, or at least human like, I haven't seen a lot of humans wandering around here, and he was fairly tall. I think he may have been handsome, but his face was all dirty, and his clothes were all messy, so I couldn't tell.

"GET HIM! HE'S RIGHT THERE!"

"Drat." He had a deep, well-toned voice, and he moved with grace that wasn't unlike Crepuscule's. And he was fast. He was passing me before I even realized what happened. He was wearing black pants, black shirt with what looked like a dark blue vest, and a navy overcoat.

Ahead of me, two large ogreish looking creatures barreled right out of the alley. One of them barreled into a wall, but reversed and turned down the road towards me like he didn't even feel it. Both of them were toting very dangerous looking weapons, that obviously shot people.

Then they BOTH came barreling down the road.

I tried to jump to the side, but didn't quite make it. Luckily, one of the brutes was more than happy to help me along. They quickly disappeared down the road.

"I am really getting tired of bein' kicked around." I muttered as I got up. I rubbed my back as a little shoot of pain ran up it and growled mentally. I started walking down the road in the direction I was going before I was tossed like a rag doll by Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dumber. I had to be careful because the rocks were hard and I still didn't have any shoes on.

I quickly shoved the man out of my mind. Obviously he had done something to tick somebody off, and I'm sure that the other girls don't want me to get us all into more trouble, which I seem to be adept at doing.

I paused for a moment. Why did that always happen? Am I really stupid or do I have some sort of complex that allows me to recognize stupidity but not stop from doing it? Maybe it's a genetic thing. I know Ray and Roberto do stupid stuff all the time, maybe it's a mutating thing. Or maybe it's a family thing, considering cousin Spike and my Uncle Robbie. Well, they only do stupid stuff when they think there's no way out. Conditioned reflex, maybe?

I shrugged. There was no way to change myself at the moment. I'm sure it takes years to change oneself.

Or maybe not, now that I think about it.

I made sure not to run into any more of the nice plant people. I figured that if some weren't as nice as the one I ran into, I would be in trouble.

Frustrated, I looked around for someone that could give me directions. My eyes fell on a large tomcat sitting in the shade. On a closer look I realized he had spikes down his spine and what looked like glowing ball on the tip of his tail. His fur was the most fascinating shade of black, which seemed to be incredibly shiny. And across his handsome black fur, were swirling circles of blood red.  As I approached, he opened his eyes slowly. They were orange, and flecked with gray. He had to be the most exotic cat I ever came across.

What may I do for you?

(I need some directions, if you could be so kind as to dispense them.)

Do you know where you want to go?

His voice sounded vaguely amused. He also had a very interesting timbre to his voice, something between warm fire and echoes.

(Not exactly.) I crouched down next to him. He looked up at me, blinking lazily.

Then directions I give will give you a direction, hmm?

His voice was accented by a low purr. I smiled and reached my hand out to his head. His ear flicked forward as I scratched behind it.

(Perhaps. But I'm looking for some friends. They probably smell something like me.)

Yes. The smell of the Human World.

(I've seen humans around here.) I frowned. He looked at me lazily.

They aren't called humans here. They are the Transpeople.

(Transpeople?) I grinned.

Transpeople and humans, still the same thing. But you are not quite. And who are you?

(Danny. Dann for short.)

Dann…simple and short, just like the life of flowers.

(How poetic.)

Poets are for those who have time to be, therefore all felines are poets.

He got up and stretched, then sat down on his haunches by my side.

You look for people who smell like the Human World…you should go to the market.

(The market?)

Yes. There are still those who would pay a pretty penny for a human.

(Slaves?) I felt a cold anger wrench through me.

Yes. And what shall you do now, that you know your direction?

(I'm going to free them.) I got up and dusted my shorts off.

All by yourself? That does not seem to bode well for your friends.

(Unless you want to help or have some other suggestion, Mr. Cat, I suggest you keep those comments to yourself. I'm going to do it, you just watch me.)

He looked at me, slowly digesting what I said. Then he seemed to smile. But then again, cats always seem to smile.

I think it would be interesting to watch, and perhaps, lend a paw.

(That would be great! Thanks a lot. I never got your name, what is it?)

Red Moon.

(Cool.) He jumped up onto my shoulders, a pretty good leap, even for a cat, and directed me down the street. He lay down across my shoulders like he was supposed to be there, but I didn't mind. Cats are usually like that.

Red Moon directed me through the streets until I found myself in a large, open square, with hundreds of people. Everyone was either shopping or selling. I saw a few chittering lizard people, but they weren't at all interested in me or the animal sitting on my shoulders.

Speaking of which, he was heavy. Obviously he was a good hunter.

I walked towards the center of the square, where it appeared that there was an auction taking place.

Animals. Furniture. People.

I glowered darkly at the display. There weren't many slaves, but still, one is just too many.

"Out of the way, girl!" Somebody rudely shoved me aside as he went through. Red Moon yowled and clung to my shirt. I reached a hand up to steady him even as I looked at the person who shoved me.

He was one of those bird people, decked out in a yellow and red uniform. He walked with a definite swagger, and his beak had been sharpened to a tip. His feathers were a mottled gray, and there was a sort of pompous air that radiated from him.

"Attention all you to be sold. I have an offer that you cannot, and will not, refuse! For service in the Far South's army, you shall be granted freedom after a predetermined period of time. This opportunity shall be accented by the fact that anyone that steps forward now shall be bought by myself while the rest of you will wait in these slime holes until the due sum comes in two days. You now have your choice. Who is willing to serve their army?"

The slaves, all chained in a line, all looked at each other. Then almost all of them raised their hands. I tried to pick out the ones that didn't. There was a young man, about my age, and what seemed to be a large dirty lump.

A large, furry, dirty lump.

Mr. McCoy.

"Those I shall buy now. The rest keep on hold for me." The bird man said imperiously to the seller, a grotesque man with half a nose. The seller bowed graciously but showed a scowl when the bird man left the market.

I moved forward through the crowd until I was right next to Mr. McCoy. On the way I passed the young man, who gave Red Moon the oddest of looks but then ignored us. But I swear he kept glancing at me.

"Mr. McCoy!" I hissed. He looked at me, surprised.

"Danielle?"

"Move you lazy beasts!" The seller roared as he tugged on the chains every slave was tied too.

"Can't you break free?" I asked, trying to keep up with the moving line.

"There's something inhibiting my strength. I'm as weak as a proverbial kitten."

"Whassa matta, girlie? You like him? Mabe you wanna join him, hunh?" The seller leered at me. He was standing right next to me. He was about to clap a hand onto my arm when Red Moon calmly stretched out a paw and sank his claw into the hand. "Gahh!"

He snatched his hand away and gave me a dirty look and kept going. The line had been moving throughout all this, and I realized I lost Mr. McCoy.

(Now what do I do?)

You know where he is and where he goes to be. He will stay in that place for two days. You have time to devise a plan.

(A cat that gives sound, good advice. I always knew that something here had to make sense.)

A cat is a cat in any use of the term. He said smugly. It is only when that term is applied to a human's understanding that it ceases to be.

(I'll buy that.)

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"We lost her again."

"She can take care of herself, believe me."

"Why are you so sure?" Jean asked worriedly.

"This is the girl who sleeps with live animals in her room and giant spiders in her lamps. She spends half of her time talking to strange animals and bringing dangerous canines home, and if she gets into any real trouble, she'll just call some animals, make a distraction, and hightail it." Rahne said, waving it off. Then she stopped. "I smell something. Let's step into the alley real quick, I'll shift and we can follow the scent."

"How do we know we want to follow the scent?" Jean protested as Rahne dragged her into the alley.

"It smells like vanilla perfume." Rahne morphed and walked out on all fours, nose to the ground.

"Vanilla…Kitty?" Jean followed the younger mutant quickly.

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A/N

I don't know if Kitty wears vanilla perfume, but I imagine it would probably be fitting.

Asteria: I promise to keep at it, no matter how long it takes.

Anon(girl):Heh, yeah gotta watch the language amongst the youngsters. Hope you liked this chapter!

PrincessOfWildfire: Lots of Stephen King books aren't for everyone's tastes. But I like Tommyknockers, or I did, I can't remember any of the storyline now except for evil aliens and possessed townspeople, stuff like that. Anyway, I'm glad you like the robed guy, and I hope you like this chapter!

Arain Rowan: I think we all hope that. Anyway, I'm glad you liked it!

Laureate: Now, if I told you about the mysterious robed man, he'd lose the entire shtick. Anyway, I'm glad to see you reviewing again and I hope you like this chapter! Oh, and Herman thanks you very much for the little sleeping bag!

Herman will take the reviews from his little bat transport.  Cute as well as practical. At least I got him out of those robes…