Lost

[Slick]

Rushing beneath the ocean, I swam as fast as I could. The killer whale behind me made a sound that curled my blood as cold as the water behind me, and even though my muscles were screaming with the effort, I pushed myself harder. I looked behind me to take a look at my enemy... I saw the back of it's throat, and just when I though it was the end Whoosh! A sudden current sucked me in, and the killer whale's mouth closed less than an inch away from my tail feathers. Haha! That'll teach you to mess with Slick! I thought, and looked ahead of me, riding the current. Wait, which current was this? Where was I anyways? Well, I didn't ponder much, because on the brink of my vision blurring, I realized I hadn't come up to breathe for a long time. As my body drifted with the current, I blacked out -I was in the mercy of the Sea now...

***That Afternoon in high tide, Ocean Band Territory***

Slick laid on the shore, the waves gently lapped on his flippers. His breathing was slow and steady, the water long gone from his lungs. The small Adelie penguin waited on the shore of his new life, unaware where he even was...

((Normally, when I write in 3rd person, I'm not writing as the character, but more of the Narrator. ))

[Rain]

((Yeah that's what 3rd person is lol. So that IS what all of Polar Island is writing about ahaha.))

Rain heard a snapping noise and she peered over the top of her igloo. Her sense tingled and she glanced around. No one was there. How weird... The chill in the air seemed to whisper to Rain and she shivered. The Magellanic penguin wasn't cold, she was afraid. Rain knew something bad was coming, the very same thing that drove all the Bands away before. She wasn't there to witness it but she remembered...

***Two Years Ago***
A chick waddled slowly up to a hut made of twigs and leaves.
"Ocean?" the chick called inside. "Can I speak with you?"
A Magellanic penguin with crystal blue eyes poked his head out.
"Yes?" he narrowed his eyes at the chick and then widened them when he saw who the chick was. "Of course Rain, come in come in!"
"Ocean," the younger Rain said. "I'm having some issues."
Ocean laughed. As leader of Ocean Band, he liked this chick and was glad of her company. She would make a good gladiator someday. He waved his flipper for her to continue.
"The other chicks are making fun of me," Rain whined. "And my father keeps ignoring me!"
Ocean raised his eyebrows in surprise but said nothing. Rain glanced at him fearfully and concerned, she had hoped Ocean would comfort her. He was always there for her.
"Rain," Ocean sighed. "I'm going to tell you a story. It's about the old days, before you were born."
"Was my mother involved?" Rain shone her bright blue eyes on him.
"Yes, both of your parents were involved," he whispered. "We didn't use to live on this beach. We once resided on a island near Antarctica. It was very cold all the time but it didn't matter. There were plenty of fish and krill and only a few leopard seals and killer whales."
He paused, letting Rain absorb the information. He watched as her eyes grew wide. Ocean knew this was something she'd always remember.
"We even lived with three other groups of penguins. It was all peaceful and we made friends with others. But one day, a dark cloud hovered above the island and it rained and snowed more than ever. We even got hurricanes, torandoes, earthquakes and hail! We had never experienced anything like that before. Then one day, your father encountered a dark force that eventually drove us out. Many penguins died but the best survived. We scattered and are now living peacefully among the world."
Ocean sighed when he had finished and apologized to Rain for giving her nightmares. Rain did indeed dream about this that night but it was more of a curious dream. Rain had a feeling that something like this would happen again.

***Present Day***
Rain blinked away the memories as she heard a distant calling. It was her waves. She lifted her flippers and whipped them in front of her. Rain heard the distant roaring of the waves and knew she had succeeded in awakening the ocean. Rain closed her eyes and waited for the whispering to start.
"A male," one fish whispered.
"Down by the shore," another one added.
"Hurt," the first one responsed.
And so Rain hurried down to the Steep Cliff that marked the border between Ice Band and Ocean Band. She saw an Adelie penguin laying on the beach at the bottom and Rain plunged off the top. She didn't know how she was going to get back up but Rain never thought. She just acted. So Rain realized this new penguin was breathing, she stared at him and helped him up.
"Hi," she stammered.
The leader shook herself and turned back to this unfamiliar penguin with a steady voice.
"My name is Rain," she said. "And I'm the leader of Ocean Band, the tribe of the sea. Who are you? Where do you come from?"
Rain glanced back at the stranger and waited for his response.

[Slick]

((I like to write in 1st person though. ;D))

I stirred, blinking the salt water out of my eyes. Words, someone was talking to me? "...name is Rain, and I'm the leader of Ocean Band, the tribe of the sea. Who are you? Where do you come from?" it said -by the likes of it, it was a penguin like me, a female. Though not the same species, the voice was higher but different. "What are you squawkin' about? Ocean Band? Never heard of it." I said, hoisting myself up, and with a wobble I got up to see a Magellanic penguin looking down on me, and she seemed worried for me. "The name's Slick, and I guess it's an honor to meet such a pretty Leader." I introduced myself "I am originally from the Orphan School -but once I got out of the joint I've been migrating from here and there, enjoying the sights and animals on the way. I'm an adventurer, and proud of it! Although I was looking for the Reservation for my old friends, not 'Bands' or so you call them. I was altered off course by a darned Killer Whale! Nearly escaped with my life!" I told Rain, and looked down at my tail feathers. A small trickle of blood flowed from it, though it was nothing too serious other than missing a few primaries. I looked back at the so called 'Leader' and added "Though if you just point me to the right direction, I'm sure I can find my way back, of course, in a couple days while my tail heals..."

[Rain]

((Too bad!!!!!!! ;D))

Rain tipped her head to one side as the penguin shook himself and rudely introduced himself. She narrowed her eyes but cleared them up as the penguin started being sorta nice.
"Greetings Slick," Rain said gently. "I'll take care of you...and those," she added, pointing to his tail feathers.
Rain beckoned with her flipper and started walking in the direction of the Ocean Igloos.
"And that's nonsense," Rain commented, glancing back at Slick. "You're going to stay as long as you like."
She smiled and started walking again.
"Come and I'll tell you about our history."

[Slick]

((I will be writing in 1st person, because it's what I do. ))

For some reason 'as long as you like' seemed like Rain meant 'forever', but I wasn't about to ignore her and go- it's not like I exactly knew where I was. Plus, I wasn't going to turn down a chance to look around and learn new things... and get my tail fixed. I waddled after the Leader, my tail hurt a little as I did so "Alright, then I'll guess I'll go with you." I said "Where are we going anyways? To this... Sea Band of yours? Are there other bands here as well? What about different types of Penguins? Or maybe you have some other type of bird that looks like a penguin, but can fly... like a Puffin?" I asked, the question spilling out. The arctic was curious, all covered in Ice, though it was more comfortable than hot Australia was. Why is Rain so inviting? Am I some type of prized visitor, or prisoner? She seems rather keen to show me around... I wondered, my head looking around observing the tons of snow and ice.

[Rain]

((Like I said before, too bad!!!! ;D))

Rain glanced back over her shoulder to make sure Slick was keeping up. He had such potential to be a gladiator. Or a healer too. This would be good whenever the time came. Rain gazed up at the clouds, they were dark and hovering. Of course. That's the first sign of his force. Rain shook off the memories. Nothing was going to happen right now and that's what was important. As Slick barged into the questions, Rain spun around and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Slick," she said smiling. "One question at a time!"
Rain relaxed and closed her eyes, letting her mind sink back into the past. She had a perfect memory so she would remember what questions Slick had asked.
"First question and answer," the leader continued. "Where are we going? We're going to the Ocean Igloos. It's where all the penguins living in Ocean Band live, eat and sleep. And no, it's not called Sea Band, it's called Ocean Band. Second question, are there other Bands? Yes, three others. They are Snow Band run by Popsicle, Ice Band run by Fleur and Blizzard Band run by Frost. Snow Band are the soft-hearted and loving Rockhopper penguins, Ice Band are the smart and fast Adelie penguins, Blizzard Band are the cold-hearted and devious Emperor penguins and Ocean Band are the sneaky and trained Magellanic penguins. And no, there are no other types of birds living here. If there are, they're dead."
Rain turned on her flipper feet and stalked back towards the Ocean Igloos. She swiveled her head over her shoulder and called for Slick to catch up.
"Coming?"

[Slick]

((Still writing in 1st person! Muahahaha!))

"Ya, ya I'm coming!' I called back -I was still out of breath, tired, hungry, and my tail was throbbing. I'm an Adelie penguin, so why is this Penguin taking so much interest in me? Surely there are different bands not just because of species, but of other things as well that separates them? I wondered as I looked at the little huts made from ice. Igloos, I think they were called. I looked around for other Penguins, but nothing except for ice and clouds in sight. "So... Where's everyone else?" I questioned, taking note not to ask to many questions at a time, and my tail carrying a trail of blood along with it. "I mean, bands are normally made of large groups of Penguins... so how come your the only one of this Ocean Band that I see?" This Magellanic She-guin is so mysterious... I thought.

[Rain]

((She-guin, I LIKE IT!!!! Can't write right now, I'll come back later!))

[Slick]

((Just came up with it on the top of my head. ;D))

[Rain]

Jul 21, 2010 16:55:59 GMT -5 Slick said:

((Still writing in 1st person! Muahahaha!))

"Ya, ya I'm coming!' I called back -I was still out of breath, tired, hungry, and my tail was throbbing. I'm an Adelie penguin, so why is this Penguin taking so much interest in me? Surely there are different bands not just because of species, but of other things as well that separates them? I wondered as I looked at the little huts made from ice. Igloos, I think they were called. I looked around for other Penguins, but nothing except for ice and clouds in sight. "So... Where's everyone else?" I questioned, taking note not to ask to many questions at a time, and my tail carrying a trail of blood along with it. "I mean, bands are normally made of large groups of Penguins... so how come your the only one of this Ocean Band that I see?" This Magellanic She-guin is so mysterious... I thought.

Rain smiled as Slick complained about his coming. She laughed to herself and turned away so he wouldn't be offended. The leader knew the young Adelie was getting sleepy, hungry and feeling pain. They needed to pick up the pace. Rain closed her eyes and pictured Slick fitting in with Fleur and the new chick, Glacier. He would do. As they approached the Ocean Igloos, Rain took him to the healer's igloo. While there were no healers except for Rain who never specialized in that, all the herbs and medicine was there. She chose a nice thick piece of ice and ran it along Slick's tail feathers, wiping the blood off and making sure nothing was infected. As Rain found a good bandage for Slick, she told him more about the Bands.
"I know you're probably thinking just because you're one type of species doesn't mean you fit in with that Band," Rain said quietly while wrapping his tail up in seaweed. "It's about characteristics and powers too. I already told you what all the penguins are like but I never did explain about our unique powers. If you start glaring at things and those things turn to ice, you're made for Ice Band. If you start leaping into the ocean and realizing you stay up in the air longer than anyone else, you're a Snow Band penguin. When you dive underwater and catch krill, if you can stay there longer than any other penguin, you're for Ocean Band. If you start wishing it was sunny out instead of cold rain and suddenly the sun comes out, you're a Blizzard Band member."
She turned back to Slick, smiling as she told the stories of the past.
"Does that explain more?" Rain questioned.

[Slick]

As soon as I waddled into one of the igloos, Rain quickly got to work, fixing up my tail. I craned my neck around to watch what she was doing, taking notes in my head on what she putting on my tail. "A little," I answered, my tail's throbbing seemed to have ceased when I said so "Though I can't remember the last time I ever glared at things though!" I chuckled at the thought of me freezing something with my eyes. This she-guin has lost a little too many fish in her ocean if you ask me! I thought.

"But what if you're just a normal Penguin then? Or is every penguin born with these... these.... gifts?" I questioned, still very skeptical. "I mean, I've seen a lot of things, but with what you're describing... well, Surely you can prove that your powers are real?" Sure, I've heard lots of magic things in Africa and Australia, but those were all myths. Things that aren't ever going to be real -but here Rain spoke of it like it was the norm!

[Rain]

Rain nodded as Slick said he understood a little better. She chuckled with him and smiled. She could have fun with this penguin. Rain prayed to Polar Band with all her might that Slick would stay. She liked him a lot, he was fun to be around and be with. She shook her head, but she had to get him to Fleur right away then. Rain glanced at his tail and changed her mind.
I'll let him sleep the pain away for a little while then, she thought to herself.
She looked into Slick's eyes as he asked her more questions. He seemed eager to understand.
"Not every penguin is born with gifts," she answered skeptically. "But everyone can learn them. It's not that hard."
She looked at the side of the igloo and back to Slick as she spoke.
"When you're a young wing, training to become a healer or a gladiator, part of your training is mastering and learning your powers," Rain continued. "Your mentor will help you to understand more about them."
Rain gazed at the ground, looking wistful as she remembered all of her training with Ocean. She smiled at the thought and shook it off.
"Prove it?" she asked again. "But of course!"
The leader beckoned with her flipper.
"Follow me!"

[Slick]

"Not every penguin is born with gifts, but everyone can learn them. It's not that hard." she said. Learning magic not hard? HA! I've never heard such a statement, it goes on my Top 3 -Somewhere between 'Every bird can fly.' and 'Plants are living things too.'.

I puffed out the feathers on my chest after hearing her state what I would become and huffed "Young Wing? I may be small, but I'm full-grown!" I snorted, a sign of astonishment for penguins. I would expect that this Leader knew that after seeing a whole band of my kind should know enough to figure that out, but I followed anyways, my annoyance quickly faded into curiosity. I wonder what Rain will do! Will she make the Ocean spit out it's fish? Make the waves wash over the ice to expand the Sea? Make the Water rise up into the air like little bubbles? I thought, the endless possibilities buzzing around in my head.

[Rain]

Rain rolled her eyes when Slick snorted. He didn't seem to believe her but once he joined a Band, he'd understand better. This penguin was impossible! He didn't believe ANYTHING! She sighed and hoped he'd understand soon.
"I know," Rain said patiently as Slick complained about being a young wing. "Most penguins coming over here are smaller and younger but you'd have little training before becoming a gladiator and healer."
She turned away from Slick's disbelieving looks. She focused on the ocean before letting her magic loose. Rain let her mind go blank and pictured the waves. Then she opened her eyes. The waves swirled and whooshed to over both of the penguins' heads. They were about ten feet tall and seven feet wide. It was incredible! She looked over at Slick, thinking he'd be impressed. Rain shook her head and turned back to the waves.
"Fall back," she called out to the ocean.
When the waves scooted backwards, Rain commanded them to move left and right. Then she gazed at Slick intently.
"Now do you believe me?" she questioned.

[Slick]

I was in awe as the sea came many feet over my head, but refused to crash on top of me. I felt like my eyes were about to pop out of my head. "Amazing..." I said as I watched the waves retreat and move side to side. I laughed, the whole thing seemed impossible and ridiculous, but there it was -mocking me! "Marvelous! Fantastic! I've never seen anything quite like that!" I exclaimed, my mind buzzing with what this strange she-guin could do. "So every band can do something like this?" I murmured -a rhetorical question. How in the world did no other penguin hear of these bands that could control such extreme magic -and learn how to use it yourself easily?

Something seemed to click in my head, as I looked at Rain who looked like she was enjoying herself. "Did something drastic happen to the Bands?" I asked. It made sense... with so very few penguins... no one ever hearing of this magic... if that didn't explain it -I am a Duck. "Or are we penguin's just going extinct?" I added in -a joke for good measure to try to lighten up the mood.