Chapter 9

The Fault in Our Stars

Kassidy flew with Holden, Shade, and Ariel to another tree and then landed to be near the other Silverwings and as soon as they did they looked back at the tree that was once the Silverwings' beloved home. The tree fell apart as the fire ate at its old bark, branches, and trunk and would soon be nothing more than ashes and a stump. The Silverwings' childhood home-one that was their home for centuries-was no more.

Kassidy looked around her and most of the Silverwings were grieving for their home and it was too heartbreaking to watch. She looked back at the tree and she felt guilty because she couldn't save Tree Haven. If only the water would've worked with her but for some reason, it didn't. She never had that sort of problem with her water spell for a long time and now the water spell didn't work for her, but why? She didn't have a problem with it when she saved Holden, so why didn't it work this time? Did she lose her touch or was someone messing with her? Either way, she blamed this on herself because she was the only one that had the power to stop the flames from destroying Tree Haven and now it was too late.

"W-What was that strange smoke coming out of the fire?" Kassidy heard Breeze ask.

"The echoes of our history have been lost…" Frieda said as she kept staring at Tree Haven and all the Silverwings looked at her. "But history is kept in memory as well. As long as Silverwings fly our heritage will never be lost."

Kassidy looked at Holden, Shade, and Ariel and Shade and Ariel looked sad for the loss of their home. Holden looked as though he wanted to say something and then he closed his mouth and looked down as if what he was about to say was stupid. Over the last few days, Kassidy never would've imagined that things could've gotten worse and they have. It was as if her whole world was breaking apart by all the terrible things that were happening and did happen. She lost her parents, her Aunt, Uncle, cousins, and dog got kidnapped, and now Tree Haven-which felt like a home to her since her family's kidnapping-was now gone forever.

She looked down sadly and rubbed her arms from the water she was in. Even though her shoulder was stinging she didn't care, it didn't even matter if her shoulder was stinging or not. What mattered, the most was the situation they were all in right now.

"What now?" Shade asked.

"I'm not sure," Ariel said.

"Does your wing hurt? Can you fly?"

Kassidy looked at Ariel confused. "Wait, what happened? What happened to your wing?"

Ariel looked at Kassidy. "Don't worry about me, Kass. I'll be fine."

Holden got near Kassidy and looked at her burn. "That fire got you good… at least it didn't burn your face off…"

Kassidy looked at Holden. "Burn or not it still doesn't change the fact that Tree Haven is now gone… I deserve this burn anyway."

Holden was about to respond but got interrupted by Bathsheba. "We'd still have our home if we'd handed over those troublemakers to the owls!"

Kassidy looked towards the tree Bathsheba was on and she was staring at Frieda furiously. Frieda, however, was staring at her calmly. "Finding a new home is easier than to replace a child," Frieda said.

Bathsheba stared at Kassidy, Holden, and Shade coldly but she gazed at Kassidy very furious.

Frieda then flew to another tree branch and landed. "Since our home has been destroyed, we must begin our migration to Hibernaculum early."

The colony started to whisper and they couldn't believe they had to migrate early. Kassidy noticed that Holden was rubbing his head nervously at what Frieda said. She knew she and Holden would be migrating for the first time and she didn't know how it would turn out but she was concerned with how Holden would handle it. He was still trying to adjust to all this and she knew there was going to be a lot of difficult obstacles they needed to overcome. She also didn't know how Shade would handle it either, he was going to migrate for the first time as well and he was not at an average height as everyone else. Would they make it?

"Unbelievable," Bathsheba shouted. "Sacrificing our roost for a scrawny bat too small to make the migration, a human bat that can barely act like a bat compared to the rest of us, and a human witch bat that looks like a devil! General Brutus did make a point; she might bring destruction to everyone, her powers might be more dangerous than we all realize!"

Kassidy clenched her jaws and was sick and tired of being called a devil and she looked at Bathsheba. "Dangerous? I tried to save Tree Haven and then an owl comes out of nowhere and knocks into me!"

Kassidy wanted to say more but she felt the fire about to rise on her and she immediately tried to calm down. While she did she saw that many Mothers were bringing their children closer to them and many of the Silverwings were looking at her, Holden, and Shade afraid or mad at them like they were the monsters. Holden and Shade put their hands on Kassidy's shoulders to comfort her and even though her shoulder was still burning she didn't flinch. She also felt Ariel put her hand on her back to comfort her as well. Kassidy calmed down and didn't feel the flames rise up on her. She still felt a little angry, but she knew that it wouldn't solve the situation they were all in.

"Dawn is coming soon," Kassidy heard Mercury say and she looked up to see he was talking to Frieda. "We have to start moving."

Frieda turned to look at the colony. "Silverwings, we must ready our children for the long journey ahead!"

Shade turned to look at Ariel. "We can make it."

Kassidy and Holden looked at Ariel. "Of course you three can." She put her hand on Shade's shoulder. "Shade, I have to sing our migration sound map to you now. You need to know the way to our winter roost."

Shade looked nervous about what Ariel said. "The whole thing?"

"There's no time to sing it to you in stages like we usually do…"

Shade looked at Kassidy and Holden and then he looked back at Ariel and sighed. "Okay."

"Close your eyes, listen well."

Shade did as Ariel told him to do and then Ariel closed her eyes and started to sing the sound map to Shade. Kassidy and Holden watched as Ariel sang the sound map to Shade and as they did, Shade started to scrunch his eyes and clench his teeth like he was having a migraine.

"That doesn't look like a whole lot of fun if you ask me," Holden said.

"Will you not worry about if something is fun or not and be serious?" Kassidy asked a little mad.

"Geez, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

Kassidy looked at Holden. "Just shut up."

Shade all the sudden cried out in pain and Kassidy and Holden looked to see that Shade took a few steps back and he was clutching his head with his claws. He almost fell but luckily Kassidy was fast enough to grab Shade's hand and pulled him. Shade shook his head and then looked at Kassidy. "Thanks, Kass."

"Don't mention it," Kassidy said.

"Did you get all of it, Shade?" Ariel asked.

Shade looked at Ariel. "I-I… I think so…"

Ariel looked at Kassidy and Holden. "Do you two need the sound map?"

Kassidy was about to respond but Holden beat her to it. "I don't think so."

Kassidy looked at Holden like he was crazy. "Holden, are you hearing yourself right now? We might need it."

Holden looked at Kassidy. "Does it matter if we need it or not? We're only going to be migrating with them one time, it's not like we really need it. Besides we can just ask where we're going."

Kassidy crossed her arms and scowled at Holden. She didn't know if they would only migrate with them one time, she didn't even know if they would find the help they needed to transform back into humans. She didn't even know if they would survive out here.

She then sighed annoyed. "Fine, but if we get lost and we have no one that has the sound map I'm blaming you for it."

Holden sighed annoyed. "Fine."

A lot of the Silverwings were finishing up giving the newborns the sound map and as soon as they were finished they started to take off from their roost and follow Frieda and the other elders to their first destination.

"Hurry up you four," Mercury said to Kassidy, Holden, Shade, and Ariel.

Ariel looked at Kassidy worried. "Will you be alright?"

Kassidy looked at Ariel. "I'll be fine I've had worse pains then this."

"Then are you three ready?"

"We're ready," Shade said determinedly.

"Then let's blow this popsicle stand," Holden said. Shade and Ariel looked at Holden confused at what he just said. Holden looked at Kassidy as if to ask "What did I say?" and she just had her arms crossed and stared at him annoyed. Holden looked back at Shade and Ariel and rubbed his neck. "Um… never mind."

All four of them then spread opened their wings and took off from the tree branch they were on and followed the rest of the colony. Kassidy took one last look towards where Tree Haven used to stand and all that remained was a stump and smoke coming out of it as if it was a cauldron. She then looked back ahead of her and hoped to find help to transform her and Holden back into humans and hoped to find her family.

The heat in this jungle was very hot, but it didn't come from the blazing tropical sun; it came from some hidden underground furnace. It usually rained and was usually misty, but it didn't come from the sky. Rather it came from tiny sprinklers in the flat ceiling. The plants here were fake and their fronds were stiff and odorless. It wasn't the real jungle, it was artificial and inside this artificial jungle were two bats that were gigantic. They were known as Vampyrum Spectrums.

For Goth, he knew this wasn't the real jungle and he wasn't stupid. In fact, it was nothing like his home. The humans captured him and brought him in here and now he was a prisoner. When they first put him inside, he smashed into the invisible walls, foolishly trusting his eyes when he should have relied on his echo vision. These walls were strong as stone; but by some magic Goth didn't understand, his eyes could see right through them, to the place where the humans came and went, peering in at him.

What made matters worse was that these humans fed him mice, tiny, cowering things. He was tired of the taste: meek and watery, as if they'd all come from the same brood. He craved variety.

Above all, he craved bat, live, pungent bat flesh.

He longed to hunt again.

There was barely anywhere to go in this prison and whenever he flew around in it he could circle it in a few hundred beats of his powerful wings. This prison was torture for him and he loathed the humans that brought him in here. Whenever the humans took him out of the fake jungle they would usually flash searing lights in his face or stick a dart into his side that made him plunge into a deep sleep. When he got out of here he longed hope that Cama Zotz would punish them. Didn't these humans realize who he was? He was a Prince of the royal family. Goth had long crimson red hair along with a beard, a beige mane, grey-brown fur, long purple wings that curled at the ends, and green eyes.

Goth was on a sinewy branch staring at the invisible wall and he watched despised as the humans were using their machines and other technology and usually watched him and Throbb. Throbb was Goth's brother-in-law and even thinking of him as a brother-in-law could only disgust him. He was an overweight bat with dark purple hair along with a goatee, a dark green mane, dark blue wings, teal fur, and green eyes. Of all bats and he had to be stuck with him, he would've gladly of eaten him in a heartbeat but if he did he knew his sister would've killed him. Although he also knew that his Father wouldn't have minded him killing off Throbb because he hated him as much as Goth did. Whether Goth hated Throbb or not he would keep him alive and he at least gave him space and didn't bother him too much.

Goth then took a glimpse at the band that was on his forearm and this made him growl, remembering that exact same day when the humans put those bands on him and Throbb. It was a bronze color and no matter how hard he tried to get it off him it wouldn't come off. He wanted it off him. It was the mark of a prisoner and it was an outrage.

He was trying to find a way to escape somehow and the only way so far he knew would be a way out was a secret door the humans would usually use and even that was impossible to escape through. He tried to open it when the humans weren't watching but it would never budge for him no matter what he did. Whenever the humans came in through that secret door they were always careful and Goth could never got through it.

Throbb was of no help at all and Goth couldn't stand the fact that he was always lazy. He wasn't a bright bat and all he seemed to think about was food or sleep. Throbb was on another sinewy branch far from Goth and he was snoring in his sleep. This was what he had to deal with for one month.

Goth sighed in frustration and got to the point that he was immediately bored out of his mind and wanted to take his eyes off those scoundrels. However, he wouldn't give up and would find a way out. He opened his large wings and released his grip from the branch he was on and flew to the ground and started to pace around. As he paced around he thought and tried to think of a plan but no matter what plan he thought of it didn't seem like it would work so he would scratch it.

As he paced he then noticed a strange looking leaf falling in the air and that stopped him in his tracks as he watched it slowly fall to the ground. Goth approached the leaf that fell and it was different compared to the other leaves he was used to and as he approached it his huge shadow fell on it. This leaf was an orange color and it was very small. He bent down and used only his claw and he picked it up and inspected it. He saw it came through something in the wall and he looked to see something he had never noticed before. In the white wall, there was a metal grate and it was too good to be true.

Goth turned around to look at Throbb. "Throbb." Throbb didn't respond and kept snoring in his sleep and this made Goth furrow his brow. "Throbb!"

Throbb woke up surprised and he yelped and this caused him to fall from the branch he was on and crash to the ground on his stomach. He groaned and this made Goth roll his eyes as Throbb slowly got up. He then flew over to Goth and then landed next to him confused. "What is it, Goth?" Throbb asked.

Goth looked back up at the metal grate. "I think I might've found us a way out of here." Goth slowly smiled and as he did he crumpled the leaf in his possession.

Everywhere she looked all she could see was darkness. No speck of light could be seen and not even a soul could be heard. It was just her and her alone in the darkness.

Kassidy then noticed something about her has changed. She looked at herself and saw that she had her black clothes on and she also noticed that she didn't have her wings, her fur, or anything else that made her look like a bat. She was back in her human form.

She then looked around her again and then she noticed something up ahead of her. She squinted her eyes and she thought she could see two figures up ahead. Wanting to know who or what they were she began to advance forward. As she kept walking she started to notice something familiar about those two, they were staring at her and she could tell. As she got closer to them she then started to feel her heart beat fast as she then could tell that one of them was a male while the other was a female. The male had short black hair, an extended goatee, and blue eyes. The female had brown hair that was a bob cut, had blue eyes and wore glasses.

The people that Kassidy was looking at were her parents, Theresa and Mike.

Kassidy immediately started to run towards her parents and she felt happy on the inside to see them. She wanted to hug them and tell them that she missed them. The faster she ran the closer she got.

"Mom! Dad!" As she got near them she noticed that they were staring at her in a disappointing way. Kassidy's happiness suddenly dropped to confusion and she slowed her pace as soon as she got near them. They didn't look happy to see her. "Mom? Dad?"

"Kass, how could you?" Her Mom said. "How could you let that happen? How could you let the poor Silverwings' summer roost burn down?"

Kassidy's eyes widened in shock at what her Mom just said. She never would've expected her Mom to say such a thing like that. In fact, she would never say anything like that. "Mom, I tried to save it I really did but-"

"After all we've taught you and you couldn't use your powers in time to save their roost?" Her Dad said.

Kassidy couldn't believe that her parents were saying these things. "Dad, I-"

"When the owls dropped the sticks with fire on them onto Tree Haven you could've used your levitation spell to stop the branches from falling, but instead you flew off the tree."

"You also could've used your water spell from your own hands and not the lake," her Mom said, "and look what happened when you used the lake."

"This is your fault, Kass."

All the sudden, Kassidy saw fire with her right eye and when she turned towards the fire she saw that it was Tree Haven burning and all the Silverwings were trying to put it out and some were fleeing for their lives and screaming. Her breath was stuck in her throat as she watched in horror what was happening.

"We thought you were a good girl, Kass," Kassidy heard her Aunt's voice and when she turned to look at her she also saw her Uncle, her cousins, and her dog and they were looking at her disappointed as well. "But you've actually proven to us that you're not good… you're a demon."

"No… Aunt Jen please don't think that!" Kassidy said. "None of you think that I didn't want this to happen!"

"And now it's too late," her Uncle said. "You did this. You're the reason why all this happened."

"You were my hero, Kass!" Addison said as she started to cry. "I wanted to be a lot like you but now I don't want to anymore now that I now know that you're truly a monster!"

"I hate you, Kass!" Reese said as she started to cry as well. "You let those poor bats' home burn down, you're going to be nothing more than a monster!"

Kassidy was breathing hard and her parents, her Aunt, and her Uncle kept repeating that this was her fault and as they did, Addison and Reese continued to cry and Raven was growling at her. Tree Haven continued to burn with the fire and smoke rising and all the bats continued to scream or try to save it. Kassidy put her hands on her ears as her parents, her Aunt, and her Uncle continued to say that this was her fault and she clenched her teeth as their voices got louder and the Silverwings' screaming got louder.

"Nooooooooooooooo!"

"Kass, wake up!"

Kassidy felt someone shake her and she immediately awoke with her eyes widened. She was sweating and breathing hard.

It was another daymare.

She looked at herself and she was still in her bat form. She then remembered that she was roosting in a deserted barn with the colony and she was roosting with Holden, Shade, and Ariel on a rotting beam. She also remembered that she was given medicine for her burnt shoulder. Everyone was exhausted after the journey but they still had a long way to go to get to Hibernaculum.

Kassidy looked to see that it was Ariel that woke her and she was looking at her worried. "Kass, are you alright? You were talking in your sleep again."

Holden and Shade were still asleep and so was the rest of the colony. Kassidy rubbed her eyes and she also wiped the sweat that was on her face. "I'm fine… just another daymare."

The dream was horrific to Kassidy. She could never imagine her family saying those awful things to her in actual real life. She hoped it would never happen.

Ariel put her hand on Kassidy's shoulder. "You know after I lost Cassiel I used to have daymares a lot like you. They were always horrible and whenever I woke up to one I would always shake and like you, I would always sweat." Kassidy listened to Ariel carefully. "But after I had Shade, my daymares rarely came back. I never forgot the daymares I had but it didn't stop me from raising Shade."

Kassidy appreciated that Ariel was trying to cheer her up a bit and it was working for her. She then wanted to know something. "Do you ever think about Cassiel?"

Ariel sighed. "Sometimes, but not always, he always had unusual ideas and sometimes they were foolish ones, he was curious like Shade."

"Either way, Cassiel must've meant something to you like Shade."

"Having a spouse is sometimes never easy for a lot of us. I'm sure you'll get to experience something like that."

Kassidy knew Ariel had a point. A lot of marriages don't go well for most people but sometimes they would go to marriage counseling to try and figure things out. Other times it usually lead to divorces if they never figured things out. If Kassidy lived she could get to experience that one day. She, however, wanted to focus on the present and not the future.

"Kass, you know you can tell us anything right?"

Kassidy looked down sadly. "Yeah…"

"Whatever it is you can tell us… but if you don't feel comfortable about telling me anything right now it's okay. I just want to make sure that you're alright."

Kassidy rubbed her arm and looked back at Ariel. "I just… I feel like this is my fault. I'm the only bat here with magic and I could've saved Tree Haven but I couldn't… My magic wasn't working for me and if I would've done it in time Tree Haven would've been saved."

Ariel looked at her sadly. "Don't blame this on yourself. We all tried to save it. Things will work out in the end for all of us and we'll soon find another summer roost that we can call home. Plus I'm sure you and Holden will find the help you're looking for. I'm also sure that you'll find your family, you're a good kid and I think your family is very glad to have someone like you."

Kassidy knew Shade had a good mom and she hoped that Shade would continue to love his mom like she loved her family and how she used to love her parents. Kassidy smiled weakly. "Thanks, Ariel."

Ariel smiled weakly. "Try to get some sleep. We've got a long way to cover tomorrow."

Kassidy nodded and Ariel went back to sleep. Kassidy looked down at the ground sadly and thought of the good times she had with her family and as she did she slowly fell asleep. As she went to sleep she hoped that her family was not hurt and if they were she would go after whoever did this to them and would make sure they got what they deserved.

A/N- Hey, guys, another chapter down. I actually named this chapter after a very good book and I thought this would be a good chapter title. In the series, we don't see what Goth and Throbb were up to a lot in these few episodes and I thought, "What were they doing while that other stuff was happening?" So I then decided I would write what they will be doing while our main characters are on their journey. Well until then I'll see you guys later.