DISCONTINUED - Shapeshifter

13

"I-I'm sorry I can't do this... I'm too scared I'm sorry." [Your Name] apologies tumbled out her mouth in hushed whispers towards Ana, who faced her in the closed space she currently hid in. Ana, despite a raven, her eyes were glazed with empathy as the young shapeshifter broke down, all the traumatic events that had occurred recently clearly impacted her severely.

Evidently, the two had escaped from the compound belonging to the wings of freedom, both understanding completely nothing resided there for them or was beneficial to there cause. Which, at this point, was to be reunited with other shifters who had sought out sanctuary within the walls. However, it was too much for the young girl. Who had broken down yet again, figure trembling and calling out for a mother she never had.

Ana controlled the situation, ushering the girl into an abandoned bird's nest. A snug hole within a nearby tree, to comfort and support her. Yet most importantly to hide her.

"It's okay to be scared. It gives you the opportunity to be brave and overcome the fears you face. But to its core, you have to force your courage out of you, a strong person cries but a stronger person stands up and fights in spite of the pain." Hannah attempted to assure the girl by snuggling into space beside the girl's thighs. The girl at her words, sobs softened to sniffles. "You need to be strong right now, okay? If you're too loud they'll find us, so calm down and things will work itself out."

Ana's voice was akin to one of a mother, her soothing tone and words easing the girl to take heavy inhales, thus, her heart became tranquil and even though her eyes were sore, they didn't secrete any more teardrops. Ana audibly relaxed, finding relief in how her inquiries worked. "...Okay. I-I'll be strong."

"That's my girl. Now. I'm asking a lot, but I need you to shift into a small creature. They'll hurt you if they find you. This way we can escape without being noticed." The raven warned, observing carefully as the girl rubbed her eyes in apprehension. "I don't know... do you think I can do it...?"

"You have to try. Don't worry, I'll protect you-" the raven encouraged until she felt herself flinch. Her instincts shivering at an imbalance nearby and she whipped around, voicing the knowledge she acquired instantly. "Now or never, please, hurry!"

The subtle distress in the raven voice made the girl squirm but nevertheless, she attempted the changing of her form with frightened whimpers. Her form slowly twisted. Shrinking with faint clicks and surprisingly no pain was registered in her blood vessels and cells. After a few minutes, a dainty bunny with a dusty-sand yellow coat replaced the area the girl once perched. It's (colour) eyes staring gingerly at the raven, sensing the raven's pride at her smooth transformation.

Almost on cue, rustles of leaves were heard nearby and shouting could be heard from outside the hole. [Your Name's] rabbit body clenched, seeing the person balanced on the branch outside the entrance of the hole, Ana instantly used herself as a shield, draping her plumage over the girl in an effort to hide her. Both biting their metaphorical tongues as the figure scouted the area from the high tree arm. Looking for someone they knew off.

"Levi! Do you see her!" A distance voice called to the aforementioned threat, who spitefully did not acknowledge the question. He silently continued to scan the area, eyes narrow and relentless. They snagged on a stray black feather stuck between a branch, trailing up and staring directly towards a raven, burrowed in the tree.

Ana immediately screamed panicked and warning bird shrieks towards Levi, insinuating her distaste for him being close by and attempted to be as obnoxious as possible. The stoic male expression increased in annoyance, the exaggerated loudness of the bird evidently succeeding in its purpose. With a scoff, he stepped off the branch and let his body be carried by momentum as his gear whipped him away to another part of the forest. Now the plan was in motion.

"He's gone. And with that, so are we." Ana mused, stepping aside and allowing the girl - or bunny - to hop gently outside on to the branch. Movement frigid and alerted.

As mentioned, the bird took action, delicately as possible, her talons curled around the bunny's torso, lifting her up almost effortlessly taking flight. Before she knew it, wind flowed through [Your Name's] floppy ears as she was ascended over the forest, the trees minuscule in perception like insects.

"It's beautiful..." She couldn't help mumble, the raven cawing in agreement, her bird's sounds full of joy and happiness. Yet, the atmosphere became heavy again Ana eyes glazing and shifting at the sight below. Figures. Crowding around with bloodhounds crowding at their feet. But before she could act on the thousands of impulse through her brain, it was already too late.

A click, bang, sounds of metal slicing through the air and a thump were sonorous and close in the petite bunny's ears. She scanned the area in confusion and fear, unaware of the foreign noises until she began to free-fall. Split second noticing the hunters underneath them, guns poised up at an angle straight towards them.

[Your Name] whipped her head at Hannah for an explanation, her blood ran cold as her feathers were coated in red, expression unresponsive due to the hole through her skull.

Adrenaline fuelled her as she attempted to make a quick recovery, miniature wings on the bunny's back swooping inches away from death as she dipped away from the ground and onto a nearby tree. Returning to the position of inside the tree trunk, unable to comprehend in horror as Anas body bounced onto the ground, unmoving.

Dead.

[Your Name] couldn't breathe, her body quivered and eyes blurred with hot tears. "No...please...No..." Only mere minutes ago had Ana vowed to protect her yet the girl couldn't have done the same. Her eyes couldn't move away from Ana's dead corpse, especially when it started to unravel and uncurl as if her limbs became undead. Her nerve system caused twitching and bones to cackle, the raven's body plumage decomposing away to light brown flesh and the black feathers descending into thick black hair. And in a small and single moment... Hannah shifted to a human.

A murdered and dead human.

The young girl had to choke on her cascading tears and sobs as she watched from the secluded tree, as her body, laid forward into the grass, was found by the hunters who killed her yet had no idea they had performed such an action.

[Your Name], once more, had only herself to blame.
Her stomach twisted and churned at the realisation she would never reach the sanctuary and was more alone than ever before. No one even knew her name or existence. She was alone. She should have stayed at the wings of freedom premise. None of this would have ever happened.

However, as if Hannah had spoken reassuring words beyond the grave, the girl picked herself up, her tears momentarily stopping before she morphed into a Robin and flew away. She would grieve later but right now, she needed to get out of there, for Hannah's sake, and make due on her own.

If she was fated to be alone...

Then so be it.

And as she cascaded into civilisation in a busy street, hours gone by in the breeze, scared and alone, she could only imagine what the future had in store. Collapsing into an alleyway, she finally let herself break down. Her tears echoing in the cold crevices and she mourned late into the night.

Only her tears to remind her she was had truly survived hell and back. And now it was up to her to survive earth.