Disclaimer: I do not own +anima, sadly.

Chapter Four

Memoir caught up with Tom and gasped, "you're a +anima?"

"Yes, I'm a parrot +anima, as you may tell." Tom said, a matter-of-factly.

"This, the flying, it's amazing!" Memoir looked around stunned.

"This is my second time flying, it's still very fun! I can guess that this is your first," Tom said, gaining altitude.

Memoir followed, "I'm not sure, I feel like I've done this before, but I have no idea," she changed the subject, "let's make the mountains our checkpoint."

"But that's so far!" Tom exclaimed, concerned. "It'll start being light the time we get there!"

Memoir glanced over, suddenly serious, "would you like to stay some where we could get caught?" in her mind she thought, more like me.

Tom avoided her gaze and said, "no, but since this is new to us, we shouldn't take it that far. Besides, we'll get tired."

She looked away too, "fine, I don't care what you're doing, but I'm gonna' make it to the mountains by sundown!" she flapped her wings and zoomed off, leaving Tom alone.

Tom started to cry as he too, flew faster to catch up with the other +anima, "You're so mean, Memoir!"

She looked back slightly smiling, "since I'm the closest to an adult, I control the rules and we are going to the mountains. If you're up to it."

"Humph," he groaned, "I still think it's too far away. We don't even have any food. How will we eat?"

"My friend once told me of a tribe of mountain people called the kun-mer-kle." She said, bemused at the last word.

Tom laughed, "it's Kim-Ur-Kle, silly. My parents owned a couple of them…"

Memoir got really angry, really fast, "your parents owned slaves?"

Tom held his hands up to calm her down, "I had nothing to do with it! My parents have a license, that I had nothing to do with!"

She ignored his comments, "your parents betrayed their own son, a +anima by having slaves, and my parents did the same with me! Damn you Duke!" she growled ferociously as she said, worried, "run away, Tom, before I do something wr-" she roared, flailing her clawed arms around, and grasping her head.

Tom took the council and flew away. But Memoir was persistent and chased him, which encouraged Tom to fly so much more faster.

The sky turned orange as to sun started to fall from the sky. And the chase led them to the mountains.

Twang! Something shot passed Tom and hit Memoir on her wing. It pierced her wing and blood poured from the wound. Tom turned and saw an arrow stuck in her black wings. However, before he could do anything, she called back her anima, and fell from the sky.

"Memoir!" Tom shouted, dropping altitude as fast as he could.

He managed to grab her arm, but only succeeded to fall since she was a teenager, and he was a child. He yelled as they dropped, spreading his wings to make them less aerodynamic. They crashed through the treetops and landed Memoir first. Tom recalled his anima as he stood.

Tom was panting when someone ran up, "Oh my god, did I hit you?"

In front of him was a woman with brown hair and green eyes. She held a bow and had a quiver of arrows on her back. She also wore funny clothing.

"No…but my…friend…she was hit…" he said between pants. He looked down at Memoir; her shoulder was pierced with an arrow.

"Opps, I'm sorry!" she called, hopelessly. She turned to Tom and said, "I'll take her to my tribe. You can come if you want." He nodded. "Can you help me put her on my back?" she said as her body changed into something that resembled a centaur.

He gulped and lifted Memoir up onto her 'back'. "Would you like to ride on me so we could go faster?"

"That's fine with me." He said getting on. He stabled Memoir and held on tight.

In silence she quickly loped to the tribe she was talking about. She called out for someone and another woman appeared. "What is it Gwillana?"

"This girl, I accidentally shot her with one of my arrows, please pick her up and get her to the healer." Gwillana said swiftly.

"yes." The woman ran off with Memoir in hand.

Gwillana returned to her normal state and asked, "You look troubled, is something the matter?"

Tom was surprised by the comment and said, "Well…you see…I never heard of a female Kim-Ur-Kle." He added "in my life" for good measure after that.

The woman just giggled, "That's because the males of our tribe keep us hidden from everyone. And the only men allowed here are the people married to us, but only to see the baby we gave birth to." She left information out because he was a kid.

"That's sad, Gwillana, right?" he pondered at the name to make sure he could use it.

"Yup, that's right," she said calmly. "But then again, the children also live here, male and female."

"Do you have kids?" Tom asked, trying to past time.

She shook her head, "none, I'm so very lonely…"

"I'm sorry," he said looking down.

She pulled his chin up and said, "Don't say that, it's not your fault. The men aren't interested in me, that's all."

"Oh, ok." He stood up and said, "I'm going to wander around, 'kay?"

Gwillana nodded.

He meandered through the various tents, touching every thing that looked interesting. He did this for a good hour or so, until Gwillana came up and told him to follow her. Being a good boy, he followed her without question.

They entered a tent and Tom saw Memoir sprawled out on a bed. She turned her head and said in a normal, calm voice, "hello, Tom. Nice to see someone that I know."

"How are you, Memoir?" he asked concerned.

She groaned, "I knew you were going to say that. I'm fine, Tom. I was fine half an hour ago. But they won't let me leave."

"You fell from a hundred feet in the air, I'm pretty sure a person can't be called that after that kind of fall." He said crossing his arms.

"It's good you're a bird +anima, huh?" she said, bored.

Gwillana turned to face Tom, "you're a +anima?"

"Y-yes, ma'am."

"Are you too?" she asked Memoir.

She nodded, "yup, I'm a raven, and he's a parrot." She smiled lazily, her teeth showing.

"Oh, is that true?" she asked to particularly to no one.

"Naw, I'm just pulling your leg," she said sarcastically. "Of course we are!"

"Why are you so rude to me?" she said alarmed.

Memoir took a deep breath and explained, annoyed, "I've lived with guys all my life, and all the girls acted like I was an animal. It that a good reason?" her eyes were murky blue.

Tom said frowning, "that's so stupid! Gwillana is not one of those girls that would do that!"

"I don't like girls, got it?" she gritted her teeth.

"But that's-" Tom was interrupted by a hand.

"Enough. Her decision is her decision. Now, I would like your names, so I can talk to you properly." Gwillana lowered her hand.

Tom replied, "I'm Tom, and that's Memoir." He gestured to Memoir.

"ahh, thank you. Ho long will you stay?" she asked, putting her hands in her lap.

"One night," Memoir stated as soon as the question was said.

Tom lowered his eyes and said, "I'm not sure if I want to leave. Memoir, is it ok if I stayed behind, here in the mountains?"

"I don't care what you do. All I'm going to do is be free. That's all I want." Memoir shifted her gaze.

Gwillana could feel tension between everyone so she quickly stated, "you may sleep in my tent or stay here, which ever fits you," and left.

"I'm staying here," Memoir bluntly stated.

"I'll sleep with Gwillana, ok?" he left before she could answer.

"Good night to you too!" she called out.


In the morning, Memoir found her way to Gwillana's tent and entered it. She found a sleeping Tom and a busybody Gwillana. "Only here to wake Tom up for his final decision," she said before Gwillana could speak. "Tom," she called, shaking him.

He woke with a start, "wahh! Huh? Memoir what are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you if you would stay with Gwillana or come with me."

He stayed quiet for about ten minutes and then reveled his answer, "I'm staying with Gwillana."

"Okay," she straitened, "that's fine. I'll be leaving now."

"Memoir," Tom grabbed her hand, sitting up, "why won't you stay? It's nice here, and we, being a +anima, we aren't discriminated."

Memoir glared at him, "you think I could ever live like a normal person- a +anima at that." She took some deep breaths, "look Tom, I will be accepted only by Death. Nobody can feel the same way I feel."

Gwillana was startled at this conversation and how it was going. Alas, she sat silently and listened.

"Tom you can stay if you please but I told you before, my only goal is to become free. This is only the boarder, I am not free here," she said before he could ask. She pulled her hand away from Tom's and left the tent.

"Memoir!" he cried, running outside, only to find her flying away. She turned around, hovering in the air. "I don't want to leave, but I don't want you to leave either!"

"My decision is made, do what you want," she called, starting to fly away again.

"I want to know what you want to do!" Tom yelled, nearly screaming.

She turned around again and yelled back, "I would like you to come, but you're too happy with Gwillana! I can't find it in me to break friendships up!"

Tom scoffed, "oh yeah? What about that letter you wrote! You were sorry for something, so you made sure they know you're okay!"

"Shut up!" Memoir yelled as she flung herself at him. "Don't say that!" she yelled in his face. "I'm not like that!"

Tom fell over on the ground, scared of how Memoir's actions today, "Don't hurt me!" he screamed.

Memoir stopped what she was doing and said softly, "am I scaring you, Tom?" he nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Tom." She sat down and hugged him. He gladly hugged back.


Teddie: ……………2,327 words. It seems sooo looonnngg.

Memoir: of course. Now where are those monkeys?

Monkeys: (dramatic entrance (and in echoic voice)) we have your cookie jar, Teddie. Safe and sound.

Teddie: really!!! *runs over to the monkeys* thank you! *takes cookie jar back but something is wrong…* omg, where are the cookies?!?!?

Monkeys: we had to charge a late fee. *high fives another monkey*

Teddie: *cries a river*

Memoir: help us Husky!!

Husky: wait, how did I get in this?

Memoir: the monkeys are calling you a girl, you gotta' beat the snot out of them!

Husky: those stupid, little bastards! *beats up Monkeys*

Memoir: Nana, come here!

Nana: yes, Memoir?

Memoir: go bake 1,000 cookies! Pronto! Oh yeah, use this. *gives Nana a fast forward button* use it to make the cookies really fast! And you better give it back right after you're done! May the speed be with you!

Nana: hai! *goes and bakes 1,000 cookies in 5 seconds*

Nana: returned! *gives back fast forward button*

Memoir: thanks. *puts cookies in cookie jar* we're saved!

Teddie: *stops crying before the room is filled with tears* yataa!

Duke: Yay, I'm mentioned!

Memoir: I'm gonna' bite your face off! *transforms into Space Demon Memoir* Garooooaahhh!!!!

Duke: ekkk!

Husky: I killed those sneaky bastards. They'll never call me that again!

Teddie: *speechless*

Husky: WHHHAATTT???!!!

Teddie: oh, and 'hai' means 'yes' in Japanese and 'yataa' means 'I won' and the such. Anyway, don't click the button this print is above, not. Please!