Chapter 9
Sorry I didn't get a chance to post yesterday, I try to write a chapter a day because I have nothing better to do, but I was graduating modeling school yesterday. Yay me! Haha… But anyways, here's Chapter 9 and even though the beginning's a little boring I think there's going to be action very soon. *Hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge* See what I did there? Nudge as in wink wink, nudge nudge? Get it? No? Oh…

I don't own Maximum Ride! Read and Review. I just noticed today that the review button was bigger… Huh… Well, anyone want to try pressing it to see if it works? And maybe leave a review? *me trying to be sly* Well, enjoy!

Max

Paradiso en Terra is beautiful, but its beauty is gaudy and overdone, nothing like the simple elegance and harmony of the Garden of Eden. Still, the Flock, with the exception of Iggy-who can't see- and Fang –who has no emotions except anger-, oohed and ahhed over Paradiso en Terra's splendor.

"Can we stay here forever?" Nudge gushed over a patch of flowers by the fountains. "It's so beautiful here, it reminds me of Eden. Well I've never been because I'm earthborn but Angel described it to me once when she heard a guardian thinking about it. Oh my, look at that-"she flits away to the distance, fawning over the plant life and statues, not needing anyone to shut her mouth for her. She seemed so overtaken with awe and wonder that she was silent for the first time in probably her whole existence. Gazzy and Fang were describing one of the human maids to Iggy, who was drooling at the mouth. The sexist pig, I snort. Well, he is earthborn. Angel was chasing hummingbirds and butterflies to and fro between the flowers. She's so innocent. She reminds me of a child.

And that left Dylan, who right on cue appeared behind me. "Flowers, milady," he smirks, yet manages to looks shy, while offering me a bouquet of white lilies.

"No thanks," I drop the flowers into a pond.

"I love that about you, Max. You aren't afraid to do anything," he follows me as I try to fly away. What's that supposed to mean? That rejecting him was a dangerous thing to do?

"Do you know what I love about you?" I stop in midair, smiling innocently.

"What?" he asks, smiling back, thinking I've fallen for his "charms".

"Nothing," I deadpan, "Why would I be afraid of you? I could snap your wings in half. Now leave before I actually do."

"Ouch," he acts wounded, "That was hurtful."

"It'll hurt more if you don't leave," I snarl at him. He puts his palms up in surrender and flies off. I look back and see Fang, his dark eyes stormy, his hands in fists at his side. What did I do now?

Fang

She looked like an angel from one of the tapestries hanging on the walls back at the Palace. Her russet wings were fanned out behind her, her brown eyes determined but still graceful. And he was chasing after her without a bouquet. I narrow my eyes. He's going to hurt her. I know that because I've known him longer than she has. I know how he thinks and how he acts. He's not good for her. She deserves better than him. Part of me tells me to ignore them because it's not my fight, another itches for a fight, and yet another wants me to talk to her. I felt torn.

Max

You have to keep the Flock together, Maximum, the Voice interrupts my moping and I almost fall into the fountain I'm sitting by.

Will you stop doing that, Voice? I'm going to die one of these days!

You must listen to me. That's the Voice all right. I had just almost drowned and it's still giving me orders. Well, what are you going to do now, Maximum? Ponder over how you may have just hit your head on a marble slab that would have done nothing to you? It's time to accept your responsibilities. It sounded disapproving.

It's dawn when I fly back to the Flock with the younger three sleeping at the base of a Caesar in battle suit statue. Fang was invisible, Iggy was perched on a branch of a willow, and Dylan was sleeping by a waterfall. I whistled a little, unable to mimic a lark's perfectly like Gazzy could. Fang appears, stirring from his sleep. He blinks a tired eye at me, and his lazy stance becomes rigid. I frown. Why is he acting like this? The rest of the Flock wakes up then.

Angel cocks her head as she reads my plans for the day. I can see the question in her eyes. "Alright, flock, I've decided that we should take a break. Do you see that mountain?" I point to the distance. The Flock nods, "There's a lake up there. It's beautiful, even better than here. Humans can't reach it; the mountain's too steep to climb. Which is why it's perfect for us. "

The Flock eagerly nods their heads and Nudge squeals a little. How is it even possible for someone to go from tired to energetic in less than three seconds? "But…" I say, "We need someone to stay after and look after the Royals…" I look slyly over to Dylan, who straightens. What are you doing, Maximum? The Voice sounds angry. I'm getting what I want; now leave me alone, I think back.

"I can stay," he says, making Nudge jump up in joy.

"Then let's go," I unfold my wings and the rest of the flock does the same. Simultaneously, we all rise into the air.

Fang

I don't know what she's thinking about this. I should ask Angel.

"Ask me what, Fang?" Angel drops down next to me. I forget that she can read my mind. I think of Max, not wanting to say it out loud, "She's hurt you know. You're hurting her. You should go talk to her."

"I'm hurting her?"

"You've been ignoring her, and it's hurting her. If you love her, than you wouldn't hurt her like that."

I almost choke, if angels could, "L-love her?"

"You know what I'm talking about, but you aren't the only one who does. The Flock loves her of course, but there's someone else too."

Max

The Flock loves it here. Emperor Titus's servants, most of them natives of the land, called the mountain, the Weeping Giant, because during the spring wet season, the lake over-filled and flowed over the side of the mountain, making it seem as if weeping. It's beautiful. The trees and land is undisturbed, and it's the one place on earth Emperor Titus can't own. It's the one place on earth, humans can't touch.

Fang flies over to me and I stiffen automatically. "Relax, Max, I just want to talk."

"Who are you and what have you done to Fang?" I take up a stance and hold my wings wide, "I'm warning you, give me Fang back or else."

He rolls his eyes and I smile. It's nice to have him back. He holds his arms out and I walk into them, happy to have made up.

"Miss me, darling?" I turn around. It's Ari.

And he's not alone.

Okay, I understand the last line was cheesy, but this is a long chapter and it required a lot of THOUGHT! I hate thinking. Just kidding. Review please? Merci… (French)