(Ahhh! Much better! ^^ I think I can put the ax down now. XD)


Mitch shrugged. "I didn't do anything worth thanking." He stood up. "I'm going to go get you a towel. Don't move." He said still not smiling as he turned and walked to the pile of towels thay had further away from shore to make sure they'd stay dry.

Jora held the towel around her tightly her fingers turning white. She turned to Orion tears in her eyes. She hugged him crying quietly, her small white figure shaking from the sobs.

Alderic felt a little embarrassed watching Orion and Jora now he turned his full attention to A'ine hoping she was alright. Alderic looked over at the water after hearing a large splash and saw A'eda'n coming out.

Even with A'eda'n's skills and strength it took him longer then he thought to get to the other side of the lake. He saw A'ine sitting next to Alderic, the red head's arm around her. "What happened?" He asked looking down at him not wanting to scare A'ine by pulling her away from Alderic. "Jora passed out and A'ine thought it was her fault and just wigged out." Alderic said quietly as he rubbed A'ine's arm.

Phinesa looked at Saffy and smiled broadly. "Cool! It must be fun to get to transform like that." She said still happy as she rubbed the juncture between her head and horn again.

Saquia looked at her sister worriedly. "Are you sure you're alright?" She asked in a tone only a big sister could pull off. The younger sayter simple nodded again putting her hands to her side.

(That wonderful moment when you don't need the ax!)

Ember nodded, and turned back to look at the lake. She was really hoping she would learn to swim. She was grateful that Mitch was trying to teach her. She just hoped he'd still be willing to teach her after today. She wasn't all that cold, since it snowed where she came from. However, cold water was new to her.

Orion stiffened for a second, surprised by Jora's sudden hug. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, and letting her cry in his shoulder. "Hey, it's alright now, you're safe," he said, trying to think of comforting words, but he thought he sounded stupid instead.

Saffy leapt from the tree, shifting as she fell, so she landed, crouched, in her human form. She straightened up, and looked at Phinesa's head. She figured it was pointless to ask her if she was alright since Saquia already had. Instead she turned to Saquia. "Do you dance at all too?" she asked.

(XD I know right?! Hey do you like this Jora avatar better then the other one I had? ^u^)

Mitch came back over to Ember with a towel and a small bottle. "Here you go." He said putting the towel over her shoulders. He sat down next to her rolling the bottle between his hands. "You wouldn't happen to like snow cones, would you Ember?" He asked smiling at her lightly.

Jora stood there crying quietly. Orion's hug felt nice and warm to her, still being cold from the lake. "Why can't I forget?" She muttered quietly to herself as her crying lessened.

A'ine opened her eyes and looked up. She remember mostly what had happened before she couldn't think but had honestly expected to see A'eda'n next to her. She tilted her head when she instead saw Alderic who was looking up. She sat up slightly dazed and saw that A'eda'n was standing over them.

Alderic felt A'ine pulling away from him and moved to a squatting position next to her. "You okay?" He asked concerned. "I'm fine just a tad dizzy..." She said holding her head a little standing up.

A'eda'n quickly grabbed A'ine's arm knowing she'd start falling over.

Phinesa laughed. "No, well not like we did. She use to though..." She said with a slight sigh.

Saquia rolled her eyes as her younger sister answered for her.

(Yes! It's lovely! Plus you have more accessories to work with.)

Ember pulled the towel closer around her shoulders, and turned to Mitch, tilting her head slightly in confusion. "Yes," she said, looking at the bottle in his hand with confusion. She was glad he was back though. She didn't want to be alone at the moment.

Orion rubbed Jora's back gently, glad her crying was lessening. He heard her murmuring, and he said quietly, "You know, my sister always told me quotes. One of her favorites was: 'I want to live with all my memories. Even if they're sad memories . Even if they're memories that only hurt me. Even if they're memories I'd rather forget. If I keep them, and keep trying without running away....if I keep trying then someday...someday I'll be strong enough that those memories can't defeat me," he said, remembering the quote that his sister had loved so much.

"So what are you two doing out here anyway? Besides stalking me I mean," Saffy said, winking at Saquia. Saffy's voice made it obvious she was only teasing.




(The quote Orion says is from a manga called Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya.)

Mitch smiled at her and opened the bottle. He waved his hand around slightly making to cones of ice then filled them with little flecks. "Good. I only have blue raspberry with me though." He said slowly pouring the bottle over the cones a light blue liquid coming out making the flecks blue.

Jora slowly pulled out of Orion's hug stepping back just a little, her face down cast her hair falling over it to hide it. "I can't live like this... In reality I shouldn't be alive right now, but you and Alderic..." She said hugging herself a little. "And I haven't run in all my life... I... I..." She said shaking a little as she turned around starting to walk away.

Alderic stood up smiling at A'ine. "Glad you're better. What happened to you and Jora anyway?" He asked tilting his head wanting to know from her what had happened. He was still sketchy on the truth.

A'ine sighed a little smiling at Alderic. "Well... I took Jora under the water in monster form and Orion swam up in his monster form. It triggered one of her more.. traumatizing memories and she swam away from me..." She said tilting her head down. "I've only started being in human form a few weeks ago so I'm still clumsy and I don't know how to help a drowned out person." She said in a confession like way.

A'eda'n held onto A'ine's arm until he was sure she could stand on her own. "Thanks Alderic for helping her out." He said smiling at the red head as Alderic threw him a towel. "No problem at all." He said smiling.

Phinesa smiled. "Well, Saquia was stalking me actually. She feels more at home in the woods so I made her come up her to play a game." She said before her older sister could.

Saquia rolled her eyes. "We were playing an old satyr game from back home." She elaborated on what Phinesa said.

Ember's eyes widened. She let the edges of her lips curve upward into a small smile. If she was honest with herself, she loved snow cones. And it was pretty cool how Mitch made them.

Orion ran in front of Jora, grabbing her shoulders to stop her from leaving. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, traces of anger underlying his usual gentle tone. He didn't like Jora saying she shouldn't be alive.

"Can I play?" Saffy asked, wondering what sort of game it was.

Mitch couldn't help but smile wider when he saw Ember's smile. "Here you go." He said holding one out to her, picking up a corner of her towel wrapping it around the cone. "It's pretty cold." He said taking a bite of his. He liked making people happy and it was great seeing them smile when they get a snow cone from an ice dragon.

Jora shook her head. "How many times do you think I almost died in my life?" She asked looking at him her eyes more red then brown. "When I was seven I fell in a rock slide, the only reason I made it out was because my mom looked at just the right second to see it. I was leaving to go down the mountain, for all she could have known I was fine... Same with that first lake. If she hadn't looked she could have thought that any of the other kids there was me." She said her voice cracking a little. "If I had made friends with someone who couldn't fly, I would have died falling off that cliff yesterday. If you didn't have water powers I would be dead right now." She said shoving past Orion, walking quickly.

Alderic smiled at A'ine and glanced back to see if Jora was better. He was a little puzzled when he saw her shoving past Orion angrily. He looked back at A'ine who looked worried now. "What's going on with them?" He asked her knowing she'd know better then anyone else.

A'ine slowly crept into Jora's mind. She pulled back quickly when she felt a fire burning in Jora's mind. "I... don't know... Jora's really upset." She said biting her lips as A'eda'n looked at her.

Saquia smiled. "I don't see why not. It's basically extreme hide and seek. You move around in the woods until you figure out where the other one is then you 'attack' them from behind." She said adding air quotes to attack. "Phinesa likes to go for tickling. I personally like to cover her eyes... If I could ever find her on my own." She said rubbing her neck as Phinesa laughed.

Ember took the snocone from Mitch, and took a bite. She hadn't had one in forever. "Wow, it's really good," Ember said, taking another bite. "Note-to-self: Don't start a snowball fight with Mitch," Ember muttered, half-to herself, half-to Mitch.

Orion didn't want to let Jora leave when she was so upset. He ran after her to catch up. "But doesn't that mean that people care about you?" he said. He hoped he could say something right to her for once. He always seemed to make her walk away.

Saffy laughed. "Alright! Let's play! Who's it?" she asked. She was excited to play this game. It sounded fun, and besides, she wanted to get to know Phinesa and Saquia.

Mitch laughed covering his mouth a little because he had just bitten into his snow cone again. His laugh was full and happy. "I wouldn't do that. I'm not much one for making people want to pound me with snow." He said smiling at her. "And thank you, I try to make them good." He said closing the bottle up putting it next to him.

Jora kept on walking her hands shaking. "I don't know why, I just keep ruining everything." She mubbled to herself.

A'ine bite her lip. 'Orion you should back off. Something's up with Jora.' She set to him looking at Alderic. She had the oddest feeling that he could help more then Orion.

Alderic nodded and ran to catch up to Orion and Jora.

Saquia smiled. "Everyone is. And everyone isn't it's kind of complicated." She said looking behind her at Phinesa who was already gone. "Great." Saquia sighed.

"I like snowball fights," said Ember, before she continued to eat her snocone. She was glad that Mitch had appreciated her attempt at a joke. Jokes weren't really her thing. Sarcastic comments were the best she could do.

'I'm making it worse again, aren't I?' Orion said, stopping. As much as he wanted to say something to Jora, he would probably end up making her run away again.

"So try to find and "attack" the other people, before they "attack" you?" Saffy asked, mimicking Saquia's air quotes.