Soar to New Heights~ A Bat 1x1 with Moony and Firebird!

[Moony-Mae]

Both Luna and Nocturno listened with rapt attention as Obsidian introduced the object of the expedition. The female nodded at some points and her eyes widened with excitement when the Sky Prism Leader gave her advice. She was still in slight shock over the fact that she had been chosen to partake in the journey. She wasn't sure how valuable she would be to the group, but she reassured herself with the knowledge that Borealis had specifically chosen her. He believed in her, and for that she was forever grateful. She took a quick glance around the clearing at the other scouts, only half of which she knew, and her misty blue eyes fell upon Nocturno, who looked anxious. The panicked look in his eyes made Luna think he had no idea of what he was doing here. She felt pity for him, but there was nothing for him to worry about. After having been through three lifetimes of adventure in the past, he was sure to be a great help to the team. Once he overcame his anxiety, anyway.

As Obsidian ended her speech, Phoenix spoke up. "Earlier today, I took my scouts for a little practice for tonight's expedition. We flew high up and surveyed the landscape around our caves so tonight we wouldn't need to waste time setting a course. The mountainous regions are to the northeast." He indicated this by sweeping his wing in the specific direction. "We're sure to find a suitable cave in that particular territory. I've been there myself long ago and explored the area. There are caves abound. You wouldn't believe the size of some; there are a few large enough to house eight Tribes, rather than four!"

Luna's curiosity was heightened even further at this, but Phoenix continued.

"The only drawback that comes to mind is that several other Colonies had the same idea long ago. All of the best caves are sure to be taken, so the Amberwings will need to make do with what the scouts find, or they will have to fight off the preexisting Colonies in order to claim a cave of an appropriate size." Having concluded his speech, he settled back and looked round to see how the scouts were reacting.

Luna was slightly unnerved about the fact that they might have to battle for a cave, but it would be worth it. After all, this mission needed to produce some results. Nocturno, she noticed, seemed appalled by this. She could almost see him trembling as he clung to his branch for dear life, as if couldn't fly back up if he let go. After their escape from Darkwraith, Nocturno seemed to have become much more fragile and afraid. Luna, on the other hand, was itching to spread her wings and travel to the mountains. She had never been before, but she sensed that they would soon become her and everyone else's new home.

[~Firebird Rising~]

The idea of having to fight for a new cave hadn't occurred to Obsidian before Phoenix brought it up, but she didn't miss a beat. She simply nodded in agreement, and immediately made a mental note to make plans for future mobilization of the Sky Prisms, should it become necessary. The fate of her own Tribe, and by extension, all of the Amberwings, was all that mattered to her, and the idea of driving out another colony, while unfortunate, was merely a minor hitch in the master plan. After all, inter-colony conflict wasn't unheard of, and the losing side's territory was a common spoil of war for the victor.

"Sounds excellent, Phoenix," she said, nodding to the other leader. Turning her emerald gaze to the scouts, she said, "If none of you have any concerns with traveling to the northeast, the quest can begin right now!" Her eyes glinted with excitement at the thought of what could be gained from this expedition. She didn't notice the worry on some of the scouts' faces, let alone the outright terror Nocturno seemed to be displaying.

Graphite was almost always nervous, so that was no big deal. However, he did have some serious doubts about the whole 'driving out other colonies' plot. He'd expected that the scouts would just find a bunch of big empty caves, and wouldn't have to deal with entire colonies already living in them. The idea of uprooting other bats from their homes and forcibly making them leave... it made him kind of squeemish. He just hoped that it wouldn't come to that, and if it did, he resolved to try and talk the other scouts out of considering it. At the very least, he could try to steer them away from other colonies if he heard anything with his advanced hearing.

Swallowing his fears and concerns, he flapped forward a bit. "I'm ready," he said, a bit louder than he'd meant to. When he felt the others eyes on him, he immediately jerked back, piping up sheepishly, "I-if the rest of you are, of course."

[Moony-Mae]

Borealis was having second thoughts about this whole thing when his fellow Leader had introduced the possibility of obtaining a cave through the victory of a battle between Colonies. He had heard legends and even met a few mountain bats during his time as Leader, and one alone was not to be tangled with. The thought of his sister and friends having to face a whole cave full of the ruffians seemed a little dangerous. Still, his confidence in the scouts overcame his doubts, and his suspicions were dismissed to the back of his mind. Now, it was time for the scouts to show their bravery and loyalty to their respective Tribes, and demonstrate the reason why they were specially chosen among the hundreds of others.

Luna, following after Graphite, flew forward a few inches and spoke up boldly, "I am ready, too, for whatever should face us in the mountains." Looking around, she saw, one by one, the other scouts nod in assent. Even Nocturno gave a weak bob of his greatly trembling head. Luna sighed quietly. Nocturno just needed a little push, that was all, to get him to show the true hero he was in the farthest depths of himself.

"Well, then, scouts, if there's nothing left to do or say, off you go on your journey to the mountains!" called Phoenix from his perch on the hickory branch. Sage was heard to be calling many heartfelt goodbyes, and Borealis gave a wink to his sister as the small party of eight rose into the air. Luna grinned at her brother, then looked around for Graphite and Nocturno. She found the latter lagging behind the others, beating his wings halfheartedly and looking mortified. "What's bothering you, Nocturno?" she asked. "There's nothing to be afraid of! We're just taking a trip to the mountains, that's all!"

"T-there is something to be afraid of, actually," countered Nocturno. "You haven't met those mountain bats, Luna, but I have. Nearly all of them are vicious. They're like a different animal entirely; they don't follow our rules and they don't act or think like us. They're impulsive, savage, and bloodthirsty, which is why I've met them. Before I ran away from my family, my dad was looking for some henchmen, and we found them in the mountains. Ten minutes in their company was enough to scar me for life, and now we're returning to potentially battle them, something I'd never want to force myself to do. I'm such a fool; I have no idea why I signed up for this. We could all die, and it's all my fault for not telling you. I'm sending people to their deaths!" The last sentence turned into a wail, and poor Nocturno looked on the verge of tears. Not knowing how to console him, Luna looked around helplessly and spotted Graphite. "Why don't we see Graphite; he's been in your boat before," said Luna comfortingly, leading Nocturno over to the grey male.

[~Firebird Rising~]

[Happy New Year! ^^]

"Good luck and swift wings!" Obsidian called after the departing scouts. Her heart swelled with pride as they whisked past her. These were truly Amberwings, loyal and brave! They were now the embodiment of the Colony's strength. If they could make it through the mountains and find a new cave, all the Tribes could certainly do the same and live together harmoniously! A shadow of worry still prickled at the back of her mind, one that had grown in size now that the fierce mountain tribes were taken into consideration, but she forced herself not to think about it.

She spotted Graphite in the cloud, just as he looked back at her. With a pang, she realized this was the first adventure Graphite would be on that she would not. For a moment, the shadow overwhelmed her thoughts, as she frantically wondered how her brother would get on without her. Ever since they were infants, she had tried to be there to protect him – her nervous, stammering, clumsy brother.

As their eyes met, he sent her a small smile. In that moment, she remembered how far he had come in the last few hectic months. He rarely stammered any more, and he flew straighter than before. Even when he missed a wingbeat and almost fell out of the air while still looking at her, he caught himself faster than he ever could previously. Plus, now he had his powers. If any danger came their way, Graphite would probably hear it, and all the scouts could react in time. A small, bittersweet smile curved Obsidian's lips as she realized that Graphite really didn't need her anymore. He would be fine without her.

With that consolation in her heart, Obsidian stayed where she was and watched the scouts go until she could no longer distinguish them from the sky.

***

Once the scouts were really underway and he managed to get into a rhythm with his wingbeats, Graphite looked around for Luna and Nocturno. He knew he would have to get to know the other bats eventually, but for now, he still felt rather shy. He spotted his two friends near the back of the cloud, and with a shock, saw Nocturno almost crying. He heard Luna say his name over the wind, and slowed so the two could catch up.

"Hey, guys," he said uncertainly. "Nocturno, is something wrong? What's the matter?"

[Moony-Mae]

[ You, too! :3 ]

Nocturno's panic rose with each wingbeat as he approached Graphite. Luna was worried he might fall out of the air, he was trembling so much. Any second now he could faint. She noticed other scouts looking at him curiously, wondering why on earth he was chosen to represent the Sky Prisms. Luna paid no attention to them. Aurora looked concerned and asked if there was anything wrong, but Luna shrugged off her fellow scout's worries, assuring her Nocturno was fine. He didn't seem capable of speaking for himself at the moment, and it looked like staying in the air was all he could manage. At least, though, what he was worried about wasn't irrational. The description of the mountain bats had Luna slightly scared as well, but it was nothing compared to Nocturno's display of fear. Still, she wasn't anticipating a battle with the mountain colonies if what Nocturno said was true. She wondered how Graphite would handle the news. He was certainly much more mature and brave throughout these adventures, but hearing about vicious bats such as the ones they would meet in the mountains was enough to chill anyone's bones. She approached Graphite uneasily, leading Nocturno with her. In response to Graphite's question, Luna shook her head grimly. "Tell him, Nocturno," she said.

It was a miracle Nocturno managed to recount the story of the mountain bats without having a nervous breakdown. He told Graphite everything in a panicked voice that was slightly higher-pitched than normal; from the sounds of their voices to their musty smell to their bone-crushing strength. "And the worst part," Nocturno concluded, "is that I didn't tell anyone about them! It'll be impossible for eight of us to fight off a hoard of those brutish bats! Every one of us are doomed. I've killed us all!" He looked ashamed at himself, but Luna smiled consolingly. "It'll be all right, Nocturno," she said. "We may not even have to fight. I'm sure there's at least one empty cave big enough for all of us, although they might not make ideal neighbors. Besides, from what you've said, they don't sound like the brightest bunch to me, and if I've learned anything from our escapades, it's that brain always beats brawn!"

Not entirely convinced, Nocturno turned to Graphite. "What do you think, Graphite?" he asked uncertainly.

[~Firebird Rising~]

[Sorry about the long absence... school became really hectic after the winter break ended! -_-]

Graphite had tried to remain calm while Nocturno told him all about the mountain bats, but by the end, it took him extreme mental and physical effort to stop from trembling as badly as Nocturno. Knowing that Nocturno was basically falling apart, though, he tried to stay strong. Masking his real emotions behind what he hoped looked like a stoic, brave face, he said, "Yeah, I think Luna is right. These mountain bats may be tough, but our colony has the advantage. We're smarterer!" He stumbled on the last word, and immediately flushed red under his fur. "Well, most of the bats in the colony, anyway..." he said sheepishly, laughing a little at his own expense.

"Plus, remember these?" he asked, gesturing to his oversized ears. "If any big brutes start flying our way, or even sneeze within a mile radius, I bet I'll hear them, and we can get out of trouble before we even get in it!" For the sake of his terrified friend's nerves, he hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

[Moony-Mae]

[ Don't worry! It's the same for me! School comes first, after all! ^^ ]

Nocturno seemed slightly comforted by Graphite's words. At the very least, he had stopped shaking like a leaf on a windy day. "That's all true," he said. "The mountain bats, which I think are part of a Colony they call the Stonecrushers, didn't seem to be able to tell which way was up and which was down. We have the definite upper wing in the brain department. I'm just worried it won't be enough to match their savage strength." He took a glance around at all of the other scouts, the brave bats that had agreed to travel to the mountains, whatever the cost. He felt a lump rise in his throat as the thought that their exploring party, numbering a mere eight, would easily be overcome by hundreds of Stonecrushers. They were truly brave, each and every one of them. Still, what Luna and Graphite had said rang true. With a small resigned sigh, he turned back to them. At the mention of Graphite's powers, Nocturno's sunken spirits rose a little higher. "And then, you have your future-sight-thingy, right Luna?" asked Nocturno, looking for more reassurance.

"Absolutely!" said Luna, a bit more brightly than she actually felt, for the sake of Nocturno's paranoia. "I have a feeling it'll come in handy! Coupled with Graphite's magic, we'll be able to guide our flock out of harm's way before those Stonecrusher simpletons even realize there are trespassers in their midst!" Her words even restored a little of her own faith in the journey, and her optimistic thoughts kept pushing those of fear and death to the far corners of her mind. The thing that was scaring her most at the moment was no longer the threat of Stonecrushers, whom they could easily outwit, but of Nocturno's ability to be controlled by Bone. She silenced these suspicions, though. Nocturno's mind had become much more immune to external attacks since Darkwraith. Besides, Bone was weak, and they were far, far above his domain. It was surely harder to get a hold of Nocturno the further he was from the fiery kingdom. She decided not to bring this up, or else Nocturno would lapse into terror once more, and so she kept beating her wings. Nocturno looked from Graphite to Luna and then back again uneasily, before shrugging away his doubts. He flew a little faster, with the knowledge in his mind that the Amberwings, as they had developed a reputation for, would triumph and settle down in a new cave in no time at all.

[~Firebird Rising~]

Graphite was glad that Nocturno had finally calmed down, especially since he knew the Sky Prism Tribe was being represented between the two of them. Even though he felt a little more confident after their previous adventures, he had secretly been really counting on Nocturno putting on a strong showing for the both of them. He believed that he was little more than a coward at heart, and while he hated that, he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the other scouts or in front of Luna. He especially didn't want to embarrass himself in front of her.

With thoughts of the terrifying Stonecrushers weighing on his mind, he strained his ears as hard as he could, trying to listen for anything unusual. It was a little overwhelming at first. They weren't very far in the mountains at all yet, but there were enough rocks and stones and hollows around to make any echo bounce around and magnify, jarring his ears and making his short fur stand on end. He did his best to separate the echos into their initial sources and gauge the threat of each. So far, nothing seemed to be the matter.

[Moony-Mae]

The colour in Nocturno's face was slowly returning to it. He reflected on all the things his friends had said to reassure him, and while the thought of the Stonecrushers chilled his bones and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, he was slowly regaining confidence in himself and the journey. He needed to toughen up, and symbolize exactly what his Tribe, and by extension, the Colony, was all about; bravery, honour, and cleverness. Right now Nocturno didn't feel he embodied any of that, but when the time came, he decided he was going to show his true self and push out the fear of the mountain bats. They had a job to do, and he was chosen for a reason.

He noticed Graphite looked a little strained, like he was concentrating on something. "Are you doing that echo-thing?" he asked anxiously. "Hear anything... y'know... weird?" Luna observed this, too, and wondered if he would pick up signs of anything, to quote Nocturno, weird. Surely the Stonecrushers weren't around just yet; they weren't even halfway to the mountains yet. Of course, for small bats such as themselves, there were plenty of other dangers, owls being a prime example. In spite of herself, Luna tossed a quick look over her shoulder around the forest they were currently flying through. They certainly wouldn't hear owls, masters of silence, coming, so a cautionary scan of the trees would tell her if there were any nearby. Her keen eyes saw no sign of the feathered menaces, and so she continued flying, a little faster than before.

[~Firebird Rising~]

"Nothing out of the ordinary yet," Graphite answered slowly. The surrounding echoes continually rattled around his sensitive ears, and he reflected on how much more difficult this would be once they were in the full-blown mountains. He was worried about hearing something, of course, but was even more frightened of not hearing something. Of not warning his friends in time. Of being the doom of the mission.

He knew that they hadn't been flying for long, but he already felt like it had been days. For a brief moment, he considered just flying back. Going home. Forgetting this whole thing ever happened. However, he didn't want to face Obsidian. He knew she wouldn't be mad at him, just disappointed. Overwhelmingly disappointed. Not to mention the fact that he would be considered more of a coward than he already was. Plus, his friends here, now, might need him in the future. He couldn't let them down. Any of them.

All these thoughts steeled Graphite's resolve and kept his wings flapping. Disjointedly flapping, but his flying was far truer than it ever was in the years past. Even though he didn't recognize it, his past adventures had made him strong.

He kept his ears open for any strange sounds, and as he thought about his own special ability, he remembered Luna's. He flew closer to her as she scanned the trees. "Have you had any premonitions about this journey?" he asked her quietly. "Anything at all?"