The Secret

Raven's Return

Upon his return, Raven found out the news from Aliana. It was pretty weird: he didn’t expect this to happen. In other words, it was something no one could expect to happen. He wanted to do something, to help. But then, what could he do? And he didn’t even know all the secrets yet!


The Secret

"It's too soon for her," Aylin tried to explain. "She hasn't been there yet..."
"But isn’t she one?"
"Yes, am I not ONE," Birdy cried.

"So you are... but you don't know what it's like to be one indeed. Not yet, at least. And hopefully never. There's still a chance for you, Birdy. Unlike her..." Aylin pointed to Li with a sad look.

Adara let herself fall on a chair, as far from them as she could.
"What are you?" - Li queried again.

So Professor Chateaunoir tried her best to hide these things. She tried her best to avoid all the happenings. And where was she know? Exactly where she didn’t want to be...
"I'm neither one nor the other... I'm something new. That's why I can't sometimes control my mind. Because the other mind takes over the first one..."

Li nodded and stated, " I see." She walked over to a chair that was near Aylin and sat down. "You speak in riddles a lot."

Aylin smiled again. "You should understand. You know deep inside of you that I am not exactly like you, but still, I am one. Why do you need my answers when you, yourself, have them?"

Li shrugged and motioned towards Birdy. "She needs to know."

"Oh!... Yes, indeed." It took Aylin a few seconds to gather her thoughts. Once the hat gone, talking to herself seemed weird. "The truth is, the answer is still a riddle for us. I am a werewolf, alright - or, at least, this is what I seem to be. But my essence is different, since I am an animagus. I am the one who has to wear the curse and be one herself, until things get better. But we don't know when and how things will get better... Our plan failed, because yes, we had one, until the red light incident. And now... now we don't even know if I am fit to still carry the hat!"

Li cocked her head and studied Aylin. "Where is your hat, Professor?"

She refused to answer for a moment. "Let's just say..." - she hesitated - "Let's just say that it's too strong for me right now and I had to discard it. If I wear it, I endanger myself and you."

"Ah," Lightning replied. Part of her wanted to ask questions but the wolf in her, which was much stronger, didn't care. It wanted to know other things. "Will you change tonight?"

Their eyes met and Aylin tried to read behind that totally lost and empty look. "Snap out of it, Lightning!" - she hissed using her other voice. Adara and Birdy panicked. Maybe these sounded like words to her, but they sure weren't that to Adara and Bird.

Li's eyes lit up and sparkled red. "Snap out of what, Professor?"
She asked very slowly, as if speaking to a small child, in the same weird voice.
"Stop it!!!" Aylin heard Birdy's cry. "Stop it!"
When she turned her head she saw Adara was missing. Aylin jumped out of her bed. As Aylin's attention was distracted, Lightning doubled over in pain for the second time this day. This time she knew it was going to happen. Her eyes turned golden and she managed to mumble, "It's happening..."

"Birdy..." Aylin whispered. But her call only managed to scare her away. She took a step forward.

Lightning felt all her bones shift out of proportion. This was the worst part of being a werewolf. She fell off her chair as hair started growing from everywhere. After a couple more moments of extreme pain, a werewolf stood where Lightning had been.

But Birdy had taken her flight out of the room. And it was impossible not to notice how fast she could run... "Dammit!!" Aylin cried, suddenly hit by the pain. Her eyes sparkled also. She saw Li's shape, ran towards the door to lock it, but fell before she could reach it.

Li lifted her nose and sniffed the air. Her golden eyes moved from Aylin laying on the floor to the open door and a second later she darted out of the room chasing after Birdy.

Birdy dashed down the corridor until she found what she knew was a broom closet. She groped at the door knob, but it was locked. Birdy fumbled trying to get her wand out. "Alohamora!" The door un-locked, and she quickly locked herself in.

She lit her wand, and covered it with her hand, only to give off a bit of light, not enough to attract any attention from the outside. She climbed over the old benches and behind them, to the end of the broom cabinet. Her back sunk against the wall until she sat with her butt on the floor and knees out in front.

That feeling of watching "The Time Machine" was coming back again. She was way too confused. God Birdy! You go messing in other people's affairs, and what happens? You get yourself mixed into them! That's not how things are supposed to go! You're supposed to watch the movie, not play in it! She cursed at herself a few more times until she felt she had put herself through enough pain.

But then - then, "ALOHAMORA!", and the door creaked open, Birdy brought her knees to her chest and put her head on her knees. She was breathing quickly and huskily from running so fast, which was a dead give away to exactly where she was sitting.