Eventually, he cleared his throat and cast a look up into the starry sky.

."This is it, then? I thought there were more egg chicks in this season's hatching. Was I mistaken?"

The chicks shifted awkwardly. Eventually one of them spoke up. "We're mostly all here, elder. There's just one missing."

The elder inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "Of course, the small one. Even she should have shown herself by now, if she was interested in coming. We will begin without her."

The chicks didn't seem at all opposed to this, and they chirped happily in response. They were tired of waiting in the cold.

."This is a story I'm sure you've all heard before, but it is most important to our tribe. It is our most revered legend, and one that deserves to be heard by all Pteris...

A long, long time ago, this forest was not as it is now. It was dark, stiflingly so, and rank with evil. The skies were black day and night, and horrible creatures roamed the wood, looking for innocents to prey on. Most tribes fled the forest, terrified of these shadow monsters, but one tribe stayed. It was concerned for the forest, and knew that something had to be done; that it could be cleansed. With no other options available but flight, they appealed to their gods.

The gods responded, and sent a messenger to wash away the dark. It was a Golden Pteri, forged in the likeness of the one tribe that didn't run away, and in its wings it held the light of the sun. The Pteri scythed through the black clouds and let sunlight spill down onto the forest. Then it soared over the treetops, and where it had been the wood was lighter, the leaves brighter. And the shadow spirits had nowhere to hide, so they fled.

Every morning, the Pteri returned, and for many years the forest was filled with sunlight and peace.

However, as in any story, peace cannot last.

Over time, the tribes that had deserted the forest returned, and they were in awe of the gorgeous Pteri that protected it. Most tribes' eyes were filled with wonder as they watched it soar overhead... but some were filled with greed. It was a stunningly beautiful creature with feathers of gold and sunlight... just think how much they could fetch from the trading house!

One day, while the Pteri was flying lazily over the forest, marauders appeared underneath it, and proceeded to fire a volley of forest arrows at the giant bird. The Golden Pteri easily avoided the arrows (since it was a gift from the gods, it had special powers), but was outraged nonetheless. As the days progressed, the attacks grew closer together, and more violent. The Pteri tribe that had first called the Golden Pteri to them tried to stop their fellow tribes, but it was no use.

Finally, livid with rage, the Pteri cried out loud and shrill, so that all could hear it. Its song was mournful, and spoke of how it came to the forest to help them, how they would have been doomed without it, and how they repaid it with arrows and stones and traps and greed.

The Pteri cried out that it was leaving, and would never again return to the forest, but even though most of the tribes didn't deserve anything, it would not leave them to die at the claws of the shadow monsters. The Golden Pteri spread its wings and flew high up into the sky, using the bulk of its powers to create a massive void. And into this void it pulled every last demon of the forest, and then it too vanished... never to be seen again."

The old Pteri finished his tale and tilted his head to the sky again, closing his eyes. "Our forest was free from the shadows after that day, but it became much darker without the Golden Pteri's guidance. It was no longer the beautiful, peaceful place that it once was. The tribes began to feud and fight over whose fault it was that the Pteri vanished, and the forest became dangerous once again. Over time there have also been rifts in the void... shadow demons have returned to our forest little by little, polluting the wood even more.

Some say that the Golden Pteri still lives, overlooking the forest from a mighty perch on the mountain. They say that if a normal Pteri reaches its roost and gives up a pinion feather to the mighty bird, they will be blessed with a free wish. But it is nigh impossible to reach the summit of the mountain, and only the strong, foolish and desperate ever attempt the flight. Legends also speak of a Pteri who will reach the summit some day and help to bring the Golden Pteri back to the forest... but that, my friends, is a story for another day."

The old Pteri winked, and the egg chicks groaned and whined. "Now now, none of that," the Pteri chuckled. "It's time to go back to the nests, all of you."

The elder used his wing to sweep dirt onto the fire to put it out, and then herded up the young ones and began the short trek back through the forest to their small community hidden deep in the thickets.

---

It was a long moment before another Pteri descended from the sky to land by the fire's remains. She was older than most of the chicks who had listened to the story, but was smaller than any of them. Her feathers were beautiful, mostly red, but with yellow, white and blue variations throughout. She used a claw to stir the coals and bring them sparking slowly back to life, and then hunched down in front of the meager flames, glad for the warmth. She had been watching from a distance, huddled in a bush near the fire, straining to hear the elder's story for the entire evening. She loved his stories, but could never come out into the open, since the other eggchicks heckled and bullied her because of her small stature and odd colorings. She sighed, the fire dancing back at her through her wide, young eyes, and wished there was some way that she could belong.

Suddenly, it hit her. The elder's voice rang clear in her mind as she glanced quickly into the sky, to where the dark silhouette of the great forest mountain loomed into the night. "They say that if a normal Pteri reaches its roost and gives up a pinion feather to the mighty bird, they will be blessed with a free wish." Oh, how she wished that she could be normal, or maybe even stronger! Then she could teach those bullying chicks a lesson.

The little Pteri knew that they would be waiting for her back in the nests, and in her mind she had no choice. She would reach the Golden Pteri's roost, get her free wish, and finally be able to belong in the tribe.

Rayne had no idea what she was getting into.

The wind was much colder than she had expected up in the high altitude, and she was having a hard time flying upwards with the thinning air. Rayne huddled up on a boulder overlooking the plateau where she had landed, wondering whether this was all a mistake. She was already getting lightheaded, and her wings couldn't support her if she climbed any higher. But she knew she must. There was no going back now. Looking down at the dark forest dwindling below she realized how true that statement was, and groaned quietly.

She rested a minute, and then pressed wearily on. She threw herself off the rock and beat her tiny wings furiously. Fluttering away from the mountainside, she managed to catch an updraft, and used it as an elevator to get higher up.

However, it wasn't enough, and soon she could go no further. Her wings couldn't beat any more, and she was exhausted beyond belief. With tears beading in her eyes, she angled towards a rocky outcrop, landed awkwardly and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Rayne had no idea how long she had slept on the rough plateau, but when she woke, at first she thought it was morning. There was a bright light shining, as though the sun was rising, but after the young Pteri had gotten to her feet and looked around, she noticed that it was still night. The light was coming from a cave that she hadn't even noticed before, and though the cave looked deep, the light flared bright from its depths. Groggy and aching from her uncomfortable rest, Rayne was drawn towards the light and into the cave...

When she stepped into the threshold, the glare suddenly dimmed, curiously. It was still bright enough to lead her inward, but not so brilliant as to blind her. She stumbled along the slippery stone, awkward on her Pteri claws, her mind still not comprehending what was going on.

Then she rounded a corner, and it became clear.

There, in front of her, shining brilliantly as the morning sun, was the golden Pteri. Rayne immediately cried out and fell to the ground in front of its magnificent chamber, her face to the floor. After a moment, when nothing had happened, she lifted her head and took a better look around.

No, of course it wasn't the golden Pteri. That was foolish of her to think. It was a gigantic gold statue, probably carved in honour of the Pteri, standing sentinel in this cave. There was a large, thick pedestal in front of the statue with a cauldron on its top, filled with a thick, metallic liquid. Around the pedestal's base was wound a strange, long, black and white creature. The light from the Pteri made the walls shine like gold, and the liquid in the cauldron sent glittering patterns up to the ceiling.

Rayne approached the shrine cautiously and stood in front of the cauldron, staring up at the magnificent carving of the Pteri. There was a sudden movement, and she glanced down in time to see the strange, centipede-like creature uncoiling itself from around the pedestal and climbing up on top of the pot. It appeared to be some sort of robot creature, half of its metallic body a bright white, and the other a terribly dark black. It fixed Rayne with its glowing green eyes, and to her surprise, began to speak.

."For many years the Golden Pteri hath slumbered in this cavern. Who dares to wake his sleep?"

Rayne shivered at the small creature's booming voice. "M-my name is Rannaya, but most people call me-"

The robot creature suddenly reared up, its tiny mechanical legs clicking in midair, and stared down at Rayne, who was hardly the size of the pedestal. "Have you come to seek the Golden Pteri's blessing?"

Rayne gulped, "I-I have..."

The centipede's green eyes narrowed. "Very well. Remove one of your pinion feathers and place it in the cauldron."

The small Pteri was hesitant. She was still young, and very small. Pulling out even one of her pinions could horribly damage her flight, and it would grow back slowly. But once she was done here, she wouldn't need it anyway! She would be strong, as strong as the elder when he was young!

Resolutely, Rayne raised her wing, reached over with her beak, and plucked one of her largest pinion feathers. It stung for a moment, but she didn't care. Delicately, she lifted the feather and set it in the cauldron, where it floated on the metallic liquid.

."Now, state your wish to the Golden Pteri."

Looking up into the proud golden eyes of the Pteri, Rayne spoke as loud as she could muster. "O', Golden Pteri, I wish to be strong..." She paused, but the Pteri's mighty stature made her continue. "I wish to be strong, and brave. I want to be able to help my tribe, and help the forest. Please help me, Golden Pteri, for without you I can be nothing."

There was a moment's silence, and Rayne began to feel the icy grip of doubt. Then the Pteri statue flared brilliantly, and the red feather in the cauldron sank down into the liquid. The centipede watched it for a moment, and then dropped off of its perch and crawled into the watery substance as well.

Rayne stood, stunned and confused, before the cauldron, wondering if she had said the right thing, and feeling fairly overwhelmed. Then the metal head of the centipede broke the surface, and in its tiny mouth it held a magnificent golden pinion feather. "It has been done," it boomed, and settled back on the cauldron's edge. Rayne noticed that its glowing eyes seemed very... sad... if that was even possible for a robot. It took a deep breath, laid the feather down beside it, and spoke again, softer this time.

."You must leave now. The Golden Pteri has spoken to me, and if his speculations are true, I will contact you shortly. You... may feel changes, but whatever you do, don't be alarmed. Try not to feel any strong emotions, especially negative ones, until I have reached you again. But for now... you must go."

Rayne was surprised by the creature's change of face. Before, it was distant, cold, but now it seemed almost as though it was... feeling sorry for her? No, that couldn't be it, but she was still perturbed.

."Thank you," she whispered, and then turned and left the cave. It was much darker than when she entered, and when she emerged on the cliffside again, it was raining.

As the rain hit her face, she felt a sudden elation. "I've been blessed by the Golden Pteri itself! Soon I'll be strong and brave, and I'll finally belong in my tribe."

To test her strength, she hopped up onto a large rock and leapt off, flapping her wings, but to no avail. Instead of taking glorious flight, she tumbled to the ground in an undignified heap. She wasn't stronger yet... in fact, she was weaker from when she removed her pinion. Groaning, she rolled over onto her back, letting the rain patter on her feathers.

After a couple of minutes, she felt a sudden tightening feeling all over her body. Feeling a rampant headache beating itself into her head, Rayne sat up quickly and clutched her wings to her face. It felt as thought hundreds of tiny needles were being jabbed into her head in quick succession. The strange feeling spread, and now it was piercing her stomach and her wings. Rayne squawked in discomfort, but remembered the centipede's advice. "Don't be alarmed..."

Instead of panicking, she got to her feet and stumbled groggily over to the edge of the cliff, where there was a small crater collecting water. The pain in her head was fading, except for a few points where it felt as though two of the needles were inside her head, jabbing into her brain. She staggered to the puddle and flopped down in front of it, staring at her own reflection.

Her scream could hardly be heard through the rain.

Horrified, the little Pteri stumbled backwards, her wings clutched to her forehead, where a large piece of metal was quickly forming, like some sort of sentient helm intent on devouring her head. She could hear the rain pinging on the metal already as it hardened and fastened itself to her head. There was a noise of metal on metal and she pulled her wings away. Through the rain, she could make out the metal plate that was beginning to clutch her wing and send circuits through her feathers. She shook her wing, as though trying to shake the horrible thing off, but it just clung tighter. When she flapped her wing, a large red light on the back began to light up.

Glancing back, she saw a rubbery membrane stretching up her tail, and squawked in horror again. And the same metal plates on her head were quickly overcoming her stomach. She couldn't escape the terrible transformation that was wracking her body.

Rayne's tears disappeared into the rain as she whirled around, trying to see what else was happening to her. She didn't care what the centipede said, she was panicking and she couldn't stop; didn't want to stop. She didn't notice the cliffside that she was very close to, and she didn't know that the rubber now coating her talons would be very slick on the wet rock...

The next thing she knew, she was falling.

Rayne let out a scream of terror, and everything went green...

Yes. Green.

She could feel the wind whipping past her as she plunged away from the mountain side, feel the rain pelting her, hear her heart beating frantically in its cavity, but Rayne could see nothing but a very brilliantly bright green.

The green disappeared as fast as it had appeared, and Rayne surely would have screamed again had her throat not been so dry already.

She was still falling, but now there was no rain; no clouds. Instead, in the sky there was a huge violet spiral, like the eye of a hurricane, with streaks of black and blue and green. The spiral churned constantly, and there was a ghastly howl in the air, though there was suddenly no wind.

Rayne felt close to unconsciousness and very faint. This was all too much, and all too soon. She closed her eyes and tried to fold her wings as close to her body as possible, trying to wish it all away.

But her wings wouldn't fold. Instead, as she brought them inward they snapped out with a vicious furiosity and her fall was instantly slowed. Rayne's eyes snapped open, and she saw the powerful glow of the two crimson stones on the back of her wings. The brighter they grew, the stronger she felt, and with one mighty stroke of her wings she turned a horrific fall into a miraculous flight.

Rayne almost laughed aloud at this sudden change. She WAS stronger! She would have never been able to save herself with her old wings. At least her wish wasn't totally wasted.

She was so low to the ground, now, that when she evened out her flight she was sweeping the leaves of the tall trees in the forest. She screeched happily into the air at the exhilaration of her powerful and agile new flight, and soared over the forest to where her tribe's village was located.

However, when she reached the place where she knew it was, the village was... gone? Rayne landed gently in the middle of the clearing ringed by the gigantic oaks that held the Pteri nests, looking frantically back and forth. But the trees were bare of any nests, and there was no sign of any other Pteris anywhere.

Suddenly, there was movement in the shadows... and in a moment's breath the darkness between the trees was alight with glittering green eyes. Rayne felt a shiver run down her spine as she heard what sounded like hissing, grating laughter from all around her, and suddenly the shadows began to move forward.

No, it wasn't the shadows themselves, but the creatures that hid in them. They seemed to be almost a part of the darkness, and when they moved forward the shadows dragged longingly after them. The horrible creatures were coming from all directions, slowly but surely, circling the poor Pteri where she stood.

Rayne looked around wildly, but knew that she wasn't familiar enough with her new wings to chance flying from a standstill, and she had no room to run. And if she made any sudden movements, who knew what these monsters would do! Paralyzed with fear, she huddled down as small as possible.

The shadow creatures stopped, leaving a circle a few metres in diametre around the frightened Pteri. One of the largest creatures loomed forward, gigantic and wolflike, and stared down mockingly at Rayne.

."It seems we have a visssitor," it hissed, and the shadows laughed raucously. "How very, very odd... The only living things we've seen in the past thousand years are that ssstupid bird and itsss little pet... I wonder why we have the pleasure of seeing a new face... albeit a small one, today?" The creatures muttered amongst themselves like a gust of wind. "What do you think, fellowsss?" The wolf-shadow asked, turning to its entourage.

From somewhere in the darkness, a hissing voice called out. "It'ssss the chosen one!"

The shadows immediately fell into peals of harsh laughter, and Rayne felt a twinge of annoyance stir somewhere beneath her fear. They were making fun of her!

Something stirred inside the little Pteri then. It might have just been recklessness because of all the changes going on, or maybe it was because she was about to die, or maybe it was even the work of the Golden Pteri's magic, but Rayne suddenly stood tall, her little head held high, and she glared up into the laughing face of the wolf-shadow. Not waiting for the laughter to subside, she coughed loudly to get his attention.

The wolf glanced down, a tad surprised, and grinned with all of its dark, pointed teeth at her. "Ssso the little bird isn't going to die with her head under her wing after all. How nice." His smile grew even more. "I think I remember bold meat being much more tasty than coward."

Rayne didn't falter as the shadows chortled again. "While we're young, wolf. If you're going to kill me, get it over with." The moment the words came out of her mouth, Rayne's eyes widened. She had no idea she could be that... forthright.

The wolf snarled and leaned down close. "If I were you, I wouldn't be telling a spirit what to do, bird. I was going to have a little fun with you before killing you, but if you're going to be cheeky about it, I'll have to skip the formalities!"

The shadow creature roared and reared forward with impossible speed, its jaws wide and ready to swallow her in their dark embrace. But Rayne suddenly felt her mechanical parts taking control again. Her wings flew up in front of her face, the red orbs glowing furiously, and suddenly a glittering green film appeared between her and the wolf. The monster slammed into the shield and rebounded, snarling in surprise and rage. Rayne lowered her wings and the shield faded; she was as surprised as any of the creatures in the glade, but she tried her best not to show it. Instead, she glared furiously at the wolf as he circled around. She was pleased to see that the other shadows were hanging back now, hesitant.

."What is the meaning of this?!" the wolf roared, back at a safe distance. "The little bird has some little toys, does she? Thinks she can play the fool with spirits, can she? Well, I, for one, am tired of playing! Spirits, rally! Crush the bird!"

The shadows obeyed instantly and without question, snarling, hissing and roaring, thousands of glittering black teeth glinting in the starlight. They moved forward as a mass again, but this time faster. "Prepare to die, bird," the wolf whispered, and Rayne felt fear burst through again. She was ready to huddle into a quivering ball, small and fragile and ready to die, but then a voice rang through the glade, and there was a sudden, blinding light.

."Stay away from that bird, spirits!"

The shadows hissed and shrieked, backing away from the source of light. The wolf, however, swung his head up, barking with rough laughter. "So the pet has returned!"

."You'll regret attacking her," the voice cautioned. Rayne thought it sounded somewhat familiar.

."Oh, really?" laughed the wolf. He was alone now; the other spirits were hovering in the shadows of the trees, trying to stay away from the light. "And why is that, pet?"

."Because... she is the chosen one. And if you attack her, she will strike you down."

Rayne tilted her head, confused... 'Chosen one?'

The wolf laughed again and stepped forward. "You can't fool me, worm! She may have a few trinkets, but she is no chosen one. You've made a mistake showing your face here again without the gold bird. Now both you and the little one will die!"

Rayne thought she saw the light falter, as though it was doubting itself. She wasn't the only one who saw it; the other spirits were beginning to climb out of their shadows again, snickering to each other.

."Lies won't help you now," crooned the wolf. "Why don't you just let us kill you quietly, it'll be easier for all of us."

."I am no coward. I will die to save the chosen one, if I must, and I will take you down with me!"

Rayne was shocked. Whatever that creature was, it would die for her? This was all some sort of misunderstanding! She wasn't a chosen one!

."Very well," sniffed the wolf shadow. "Kill them both."

The shadows leapt forward with a terrible ferocity, and Rayne cried out, falling backwards. "Put up your shield!" she heard, and instinctively lifted her wings. The green bubble formed around her again, and the oncoming shadows crashed into it, sending shockwaves rebounding back through Rayne's wings. She wouldn't be able to hold it for long.

But then something struck the spirits like an arrow of light, and they fell back, shrieking in pain. As it coiled back, determined to protect her, Rayne saw that it was the same centipede creature she had met in the Golden Pteri's chamber, except it was now floating in midair. Its carapace was gleaming, half inky black, half astounding white, and its green eyes were narrow slits. It yelled a quick command as the next wave of spirits bore down on them, "Focus everything on the orbs! Keep the shield up, no matter what happens!"

Rayne clamped her eyes shut and tried to concentrate on the ruby gems encrusted in her wings. She felt the shield grow stronger, but then the shadows struck and, though the centipede was blunting the blow, she had to fight hard to keep the shield in tact.

Perspiration began to trickle down her face, the heat of the struggle magnified by the metal plating on her head. Eventually, the strength of the shadows began to falter again; the centipede was beating them back again.

When the spirits drew back, Rayne opened her eyes and lowered her shield with a gasp. She tried desperately to stay on her feet, but she felt sapped of all energy. She wasn't sure if she could put the shield up again, nonetheless keep it steady. But she tried to look strong, if only to intimidate the spirits.

The floating creature didn't speak to her again, it was busy glaring at the shadows. Rayne noticed that its shell seemed to be heaving as well, however slightly. It must have also been exhausted from the attack, and trying to mask the pain.

Rayne cast her eyes beyond the white glare of the centipede, back into the shadows. The spirits were all lurking at the edge, and even though they were the ones who retreated, they were howling and grinning triumphantly. Rayne was confused, but then she glanced back to the centipede, and followed its gaze, which was now looking up to the sky.

The great, terrible spiral was still churning in the sky; Rayne had almost forgotten that it was there. But now it seemed to be swirling faster and faster, and black threads were dropping from its centre and coiling towards the ground. It took the little Pteri a moment to realize that the threads were dark spirits, more of them, and that they were all being drawn towards them.

The floating centipede muttered an oath and hissed quietly, "A respawn... I should have known." The spirits in the shadows were cackling and roaring even louder now.

The creature turned to Rayne again, short of breath, but still looking brave and resilient. "Rannaya," it whispered. "You must flee; run. There will be too many, and I won't be able to hold them back for long. You can still escape."

Rayne started. "But what about you?" she whispered back urgently.

."It is not I who matters." Its green eyes were hard. "You are the chosen one, and you mustn't die here. I am just a vessel of the Golden Pteri."

Rayne was stupified. This creature had saved her, and was risking her life yet again. She couldn't just let him die! But she said nothing, and instead nodded shortly. The creature nodded back and turned its gaze to the clearing's edge. There were so many spirits there now that the trees could barely be seen between the shadows. It was all blackness and green eyes, and the occasional flash of white teeth.

The wolf stepped forward again; no longer smiling. "Kill them."

The spirits leapt out of the shadows and drove toward the two figures in the centre of the clearing. Rayne hunched down, focusing on the gems in her wings to try to make them strong. The centipede coiled itself in a tight spiral, its white glow pulsing.

Rayne waited, her heartbeat flooding her eardrums, watching in horror as the spirits closed in.

In the last possible second before the shadows met, Rayne shot forward. Her plan was simple. She would grab the centipede and then angle straight up and fly up and over the spirits. Hopefully, if her wing gems worked right, they would be able to escape- both of them- before the spirits realized what was happening. Whatever the case, she wasn't going to leave it here to die while she escaped.

It is incredible how slowly time passes when one is faced with danger.

Rayne thrust her wings forward, shooting ahead towards the centipede. She reached out, talons held wide, wings spreading, and closed her claws around the creature's metal shell. It was then that her plan went wrong.

There was a blinding flash of light, probably what the centipede was planning to do to distract the spirits so she could get away. But because the two were connected, Rayne felt the light instead being driven into her. She was absorbing it, devouring it. And before she knew what she was doing, Rayne had turned away, back to the momentarily dazed spirits, glowing brilliantly with the absorbed light, and had thrown her wings forward. There was an enormous explosion, and a gigantic ray of pure light shot from her body and slammed into the spirits. Their shrieks were drowned out by the sound of the explosion of the laser of light, which Rayne struggled to swing around. It plowed into the shocked and fleeing spirits like a hammer of the gods, disintegrating them where they stood, leaving no remains.

As soon as the power had appeared, it left. The light ray vanished, leaving a roaring echo behind, and Rayne collapsed. She couldn't stand, she couldn't see. There was nothing she could do but fall to the ground, unconscious.

---

Whirrr... Whirrrr...

Rayne groaned and shifted cautiously. There was a massive headache beating itself into her head, and her wings felt as though they had burst into flame sometime during the night. She felt incredibly drained, too, as though the life had been sucked right out of her. Tenderly, she opened her eyes, and found herself staring up at the rocky ceiling of a smooth, shallow cave. There was a flickering green glow dappling the rock, seemingly the only source of light. As for the whirring sound that Rayne kept hearing, it sounded as though it was coming from inside of her head; she assumed- with a groan- that it had something to do with her new mechanical parts.

After a minute of listening to the self-repairs of her own head, Rayne pulled herself onto her feet, keeping a steadying wing on the cave wall as she did so. Looking around, the Pteri garnered that she was in a relatively small cave, probably one of the dozens that pock marked the mountainside. She could see the sky gleaming through the entrance, but it was hardly a reassuring sight, for hanging forebodingly in the black darkness was that same eerie spiral. Hastily looking away from the strange enigma, Rayne instead looked around the cave. It was fairly empty, though she seemed to be standing on a palette of ferns; a very simple nest. In the far corner there lay a few unidentifiable items and a small cage, and near the entrance a strange lantern glittering with green light sparkled and wavered in the darkness.

There was a movement outside the cave and a shimmer of white light, and the form of the centipede creature drifted into the cavern, hovering a few feet in the air, as always. It noticed that Rayne was conscious and quickly approached. "You're awake! I was hoping you would be."

Rayne felt a strange aura of well-being, now that the centipede was with her. Even though she barely knew it, she already felt incredibly safe when it was near. "Good... er, evening," she greeted, casting a wary look at the dark sky outside of the cave.

The centipede followed her gaze. "Oh, yes. It's midmorning, actually... but the sky is always dark here."

."I'd ask you where 'here' is, but I'm afraid I might not want to know." Rayne sighed, leaning back against the wall.

The creature looked somewhat ashamed, and coiled itself awkwardly in mid-air. "Yes, well, it is quite a story, and one that must be told, unfortunately. I'm... actually not sure where to begin, truth be told. It is a lot of information that I must pass onto you in a short time."

."Well, why don't you begin with who you are?" Rayne asked brightly. "That's usually a good place to start."

."Indeed, then that is where I shall begin. Though I am of no importance next to you, you may call me Tui. I am a Robot Lyins and caretaker of the Golden Pteri. As of such, I am now also the caretaker of you... I am to pass on instructions from him to you so that you can understand your new... powers, and better serve the Golden Pteri."

."Serve?" Rayne chirped curiously. "That makes it sound as though I'm his slave, or something. What do you mean?"

Tui sighed and settled down on a large rock. "The Golden Pteri has intrusted a great amount of power in you, Rannaya. The forest is suffering... Since he is no longer capable of cleansing the land himself, he needed a conduit through which his work could be done. He chose you because he saw spirit, potential and a will to change in your young soul."

."I wanted to change, but I didn't want THIS!" Rayne gestured angrily with a wing at the metal plating on her chest.

."Unfortunately, the Golden Pteri thought it fit that you be strong enough to carry on his will. I... did not approve of the cybornetics, but he thought it was for the best."

Rayne sighed deeply, looking down at her wings. "I'll admit... they are helpful, but I still don't see why the Pteri chose me."

."You will understand, in time. But we should move on. The time is short, and we still have much to cover. My ward will not last for long, and the spirits will find our hiding place eventually." Tui gestured at the green lantern at the cave's entrance, which must have been repelling spirits.

Rayne shivered then, remembering the dark shadows that surrounded her the night before. "Spirits? Is that what those things were?"

."Yes, they are the same dark spirits that plagued your forest many years ago, before your tribe called the Golden Pteri from the skies. They were sealed here, in the spirit world, and over time they have grown even more restless and feral."

."So this is the spirit world; the cursed place that the Golden Pteri created when it left the forest." Rayne shivered again, looking out at the strange sky. "But how did I get here?"

."The Golden Pteri has inserted circuitry into your skull that can tap into your mind and alter your brainwaves. When activated, it pulls you from the living world and into this parallel shadow world. Though usually this technology will lie dormant, if ever you feel intense emotion- whether it be fear, anger, joy or love- it will instantly activate. The shock of your initial transformation must have pulled you here this time."

."But how do I deactivate it? I don't exactly feel comfortable in this place..."

Tui's claws clicked together nervously; he took a moment to continue. "I... believe in order to shut down the technology, you must become as calm as possible... though I am not sure. The Golden Pteri has not specified that to me. If my theories are correct, you should usually be able to cross back to the living world while you sleep."

."But I was just sleeping now! Why didn't I go back this time?"

."Perhaps you felt so much emotion last night that the circuits were over-loaded and could not shut down. It is highly possible. But perhaps my theories are not correct. I will have to contact the Golden Pteri for more information."

Rayne sighed again, pressing her head between her wings. "That's reassuring. So, there may be no way for me to get back to my world?"

."No, I am sure there is a way. Your purpose is to be able to move back and forth between the two realities."

."My purpose," Rayne echoed sadly. "But why does the Golden Pteri want me to do that?"

."You may not have known, but the barrier between your world and that of the spirits is growing weak. The Golden Pteri's magic is failing, and if nothing is done, the spirits will be able to break free and swarm your forest in greater numbers than ever. They would, in essence, be able to smother the forest in darkness in a matter of minutes, and seek revenge on the creatures living there-" Rayne made a small, frightened sound. "-and that is why the Golden Pteri needs you. You are to find the rifts in the barrier and destroy them before any spirits break through. You must be able to easily leap from one reality to the other so that you can seal the rifts on both sides."

."Sounds fun."

."It will be no easy task, true... and you will need training before you are able to seal the rifts and wreak any kind of damage amongst the ranks of darkness, but it must be done. And you were chosen."

The gods sent a gigantic golden Pteri that shone as bright as the sun to wash away all of the evil. The tribes rejoiced and returned to their old home, but many of them showed little respect to the gold Pteri, so it disappeared from the forest and let it grow into darkness again for many years...

They say a Pteri who finds the golden Pteri's nest will be blessed with a wish, so a young and very small Pteri named Rayne goes to find it, hoping that she'll be able to grow stronger with the gold Pteri's blessing.

She reaches the Pteri's roost, but when she gives up one of her feathers in order to achieve her wish for strength, she gets something that she certainly wasn't expecting.

Instead of just growing stronger, Rayne begins a horrible, robotic transformation. Rock solid armour grows on her head, chest and tail, and odd devices attach themselves to her wings that let her fly at near mach speed.

Along with these cyborg parts, Rayne is also pulled into the spirit world (where the Golden Pteri sealed the evil monsters) whenever she feels intense emotion. The Pteri had molded her into a powerful weapon with which to beat back the spirits and seal them away forever.

But Rayne doesn't want to be a hero; she just wants to be normal and live with her tribe in peace. However, she has no choice. If she doesn't fight the spirits, they will return to the living world and overrun the entire forest.