A/N - It's NaNo, I need words, and this amused me greatly. It's literally just me ramble-writing, so don't actually expect anything good from it x)

In some random, alternate pocket dimension, two birds found themselves in a wholly unexpected situation.

The first, a swooping, black crow not made of feathers but something smoother and far more fluid materialised out of the inky void. His wings unfurled from his body like sweeping waves, with tiny flicks of white sketched across his body, marking the places where his feathers should have been.

The second was far less elegant, tumbling out of time and space in what could easily be compared to a snowball catapulting down the hill. With more than one surprised, flustered squawk, the snowball exploded into a puff of powdered snow, revealing two downy wings, with a tail and crest of sharp, spiked ice.

The birds righted themselves, and a large, black eye met violet, narrowed with suspicion.

"Alright, buddy," said the ice bird, fluffing itself up and hopping towards the bird made of liquid black. "I dunno what Manifested you're attached to, but I'm gonna freeze your tail feathers off so quickly you won't even KNOW what happened. Usually I'd just like, wait around, but you have all of three seconds to release me, because I gotta get back to my boy."

Manifested? asked the crow. What is it you speak of?

"Playing dumb, eh?" said the ice bird with a sigh. "Freeze time."

The crystals on the ice bird's head glowed, and with a powerful flap of those tiny wings, he sent a cascade of snow hurtling towards the crow--but it didn't make contact. It phased straight through the crow's black body, leaving the snow to rocket away, into the endless void surrounding them.

The crow glanced back at the snow, then cocked its head towards the ice bird, obviously confused.

The ice bird watched it disappear, settling back down into his feathers until he resembled a snowball more than a bird. "Alright. I tried. What'dya want?"

I think there is a misunderstanding, said the crow. I didn't know of your existence until about thirty seconds ago. I am as surprised to be here as you are.

"Great," said the ice bird. "Well, guess we just hang around and nap for a bit until something happens."

You don't want to try and find out more about where we are?

"What's to know?" asked the ice bird. "Giant inky void. Nothingness as far as the eye can see. Pretty sure that snow is still falling." His crest crystals glowed for a moment. "Yep. Still falling. I'm not flying into no inky void. Viri always said--if you get lost, you sit still and Jason will come find you."

Who is Jason? asked the crow, attempting to land on the nothing as Sae had. It took a moment for the crow to figure out that its claws could, in fact, perch on the emptiness. With a surprised ruffle of his feathers, the crow settled down and turned that intelligent eye back on the ice bird.

"He's my hatchling," said the ice bird. "Just don't tell anyone I told you that. Probably safe with a magic bird but like, his identity is supposed to be a secret and stuff, y'no?"

I see, said the crow. My hatchling's name is Athira. I'm assuming she has something to do with how we got here, yet I don't recognise this part of her mindscape.

"Oh boy, mindscapes?" said the ice bird. "You must be from one of those other Sin planets where everything didn't get all screwed up. How's that going for you guys?"

Uh, replied the crow. It's... well, it's a challenge. We seem to have two Sins with influence on the same planet, which is complicating things somewhat.

"Oof," said the ice bird. "Yep, that doesn't sound like fun. I'm glad that isn't my planet--that sounds like way too much transformation time and not enough nap time." He fluffed up his feathers, turning his beak back to preen them and release a flurry of snow, then seemed to think of something. "Whatever you're doing, just don't screw it up. My hatchlings have enough on their plate without needing to deal with a double Sin problem, though I'm sure the other one would have no problem talking them to death." The ice bird chuckled. "Aaah. Featherbutt. Gets me every time."

The crow puffed out its chest. My hatchlings are more than capable of handling it.

"Uh huh, you just well, y'no, didn't seem too sure about that. Just let me know if you need my lot to swoop over and save the day or whatever, yeah?"

They are dealing with two Sins--I shouldn't have to tell you the consequences if they combine, said the crow. I'd like to see your hatchlings try to face what mine do.

"Excuse you," said the ice bird. "Mine are only dealing with one Sin, yes, but like, we also kind of just broke the whole uh Colour-Pillar-Titan system thing that the universe was built on so there's also a Titan floating around--well, not floating, it's a mountain, really--who has maybe got a little bit corrupted over the eons and let's just say the whole thing is a bit intertwined and it's not great."

The crow tilted its head. That seems... complicated?

"Yeah, well, it is a little bit," said the ice bird. He examined the crow with a violet eye. "You sorta feel like a Titan, but not quite. Kinda like an offcut. What's with that?"

Despite its beak, the crow managed a smirk. As do you. I'll tell you if you tell me.

"Couldn't tell you that, even if I felt like it," said the ice bird. "But I can tell you that my name is Sae."

My name is Talon, replied the crow. He lifted his head, scouting the void for any change. This place feels strange.

"Everything feels strange if you stay awake long enough," said Sae with a yawn. "Wake me up if anything happens, I'm gonna nap."

Talon hopped over to Sae and rolled him out of the snow nest that'd formed around him. Sae squawked in protest, releasing another involuntary puff of snow as he tumbled over his back and struggled to flap back up to his claws.

"The heck was that for?!" said Sae.

Talon raised a wing. Look!

Above them were two humans, a girl and a boy. The girl was dressed in a purple and black suit with various sections of armour, her short, black hair roughly pulled back into a ponytail behind her head, while her pale skin was a stark contrast to the inky void around her. The boy also had black hair in a ponytail, with a pale green coat that reached down to the backs of his knees. Neither of them looked particularly happy to be there.

"Oh, hey," said Sae, recognising Jason in half a glance. "That's my hatchling. Jaaaaaaaaaaase, come get me!"

Thira! screeched Talon, taking off from the ground.

The girl turned around, noticing Talon and immediately kicking off the 'ground' to dive down towards him. They met in a tangle of liquid black, the bird weaving around her limbs to settle on her back like he'd done it a million times before.

"Where'd you go, Tal?" asked the girl.

Still not sure, replied the crow. I appeared here with that snow bird, Sae, a few minutes ago.

Meanwhile, the boy was left, attempting to figure out how to climb down and failing entirely. He cupped one hand to the side of his mouth and spoke words that were all too familiar to Sae at this point.

"Sorry?!" called Sae. "What was that? Ascend... Frost of... Vanilla? Nope--not the words--Oh you said Frost of Skypillar! Of course you did, silly me. Yeah, no, the transformation or whatever it is isn't working in here. Sorry, Jase!"

The girl glanced from Sae, then back to the boy. With a resigned sigh, she flew back up to the boy, offering him her hand.

"Need a hand?" she asked, as in the back of her mind, a memory of the same words said to a blonde haired boy in a collapsing tower flashed through her mind.

"If you would be so kind," replied the boy, accepting her hand. "Sae can be quite unhelpful at times. My name is Jason Frostsong."

"Athira," she replied.

Athira quickly flew Jason over to Sae, who was waiting expectantly in a pile of snow. She waited, arms folded with Talon on her back as Jason reunited with Sae.

"We get sucked into a void," murmured Jason as he bent down and scooped Sae up, placing him into a shoulder. "And you choose to ignore me?"

"Wherever we are, it's not working properly," said Sae with a one-winged shrug. "What'd you want me to do?"

"I'd say fly over to me instead of forcing a stranger to assist me, but I know what you'd say," replied Jason with a world-weary sigh.

Talon made a deep, rumbling noise that sounded somewhat like a laugh. When Sae said you had a lot of problems, Jason, I didn't think he meant that he was one of them.

"Excuse you," said Sae, hopping forward and pointing an accusatory wing in Talon's direction. "I am not one of his problems."

"Somehow, he's right about that," muttered Jason.

Athira rolled her eyes. "As much fun as being stuck in a void for eternity with all of you thrills me to the core, I think we'd better start looking for a way out."

"Fantastic!" said Sae. "I like her. Problem solver."

Athira narrowed her eyes at him. "I'll start solving your problem in a minute if you don't zip it with the inane comments."

Sae huffed. "I don't like this one as much, Jason. She doesn't even call you Featherbutt."

"Sae," said Jason flatly. "I appreciate you, but if you keep talking I'm going to do whatever it was that she just threatened to do."

Sae tucked his beak back into his feathers. "And to think, I was defending you earlier."

"We're in some kind of pocket dimension," said Athira, scanning the void above them. "But there's something strange about it, almost like--"

She cut off as to their right, a flash of fire and light ripped open the void.

Another figure came tumbling out--a boy with long, blonde hair that almost reached the floor as he scrambled up to his feet. Fire licked his robes, illuminating the gold trim in such a way that it looked like molten rivers.

"Oh, come on, Rena!" said the newcomer, eyes skyward, still having not yet noticed the group. "I was kidding, you don't have to illusion me into thinking that I'm... in some kind... of... void?"

The newcomer turned, spotting the group and trailing off.

"Sup," said Sae.

"Who by the nine are you?" asked the newcomer.

"Athira, Talon, Jason, Annoying," said Athira, pointing to them each in turn. "You are?"

"Nazine," said the blonde boy. "I'm a Phoenix Mythic. I thought my Kitsune friend had--"

The void shook.

Despite lacking a floor, all of them with feet stumbled with the exception of Athira, who picked her feet up and floated. She held Jason's arm to steady him, her gaze flicking around them like she expected to be ambushed at any moment.

Then, above them, the blackness lifted away like a blanket--which they quickly realised had been a blanket, covering the giant, swooping bars of an elegant bird cage. The blanket was tossed away by the vaguely humanoid figure on the outside of the cage as it leaned down, pressing its giant, crimson eye to the bars of the cage to examine its catch.

It laughed--or at least, it sounded like it, though it could have just as easily been a roar--and pulled away, crossing to the other side of the room where it picked up a knife and continued chopping something that vaguely looked like a vegetable. It called out to someone, its voice loud enough to make the golden bars of the cage tremble.

"Um, anyone catch that?" said Nazine, backing over towards the other four.

"Sadly, I skipped my earthquake speaking classes," muttered Athira, adjusting her stance. "I don't suppose any of you can fight?"

"If you skipped earthquake classes, I skipped how to fight something several thousand times your own size classes," said Nazine.

"Don't panic," said Jason, placing a hand on Nazine's shoulder.

"Look, sure, that's fine, but I don't want to be eaten!" said Nazine.

"Look at the walls," said Jason, sweeping his finger across the room as he pointed. "The walls are lined with golden cages, just like this one. It's far more likely that it intends to keep us, at least for a while."

Nazine stared at Jason. "Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

Jason blinked. "...Yes?"

Fire exploded right down the length of Nazine's hair, sending embers swirling out to the side. "WELL IT DOESN'T."

"Focus!" said Athira. She held a hand out to her side, which quickly coated in the same liquid black form that the bird was made out of. She smirked. "Whatever it was blocking my Colour before, it was tied to that blanket. We'll be fine."

"I'm hoping this works, then," muttered Jason. He extended his arms behind him, flexing his palms. "Ascend, Frost of Skypillar!"

Sae, who'd been napping on Jason's shoulder until that point, was immediately sucked into Jason's chest, managing to get out one final Gettem, hatchling! before he vanished into the glowing tattoo on Jason's skin. Snow quickly enveloped him, revealing the glittering crystal wings and his ice-white hair.

"You have no idea how happy I am that you've transformed," said Athira with a smirk. "Not just for the help, but because I'm assuming Sae can't talk while he's in there." She turned back towards the giant. "I could probably portal us out of here if you want, but personally, I'm interested why some giant in the middle of nowhere is abducting people into bird cages."

"What in the name of the Archangel's horn do you guys deal with on a regular basis to be this composed when there's some kind of... weird looking giant-cross-daemon thing just over there with a knife?" said Nazine.

Jason and Athira both looked at him in unison.

"You really don't want to know," they said.

"Besides," Athira added with a smirk. "With a knife that big, it's gonna have to have some pretty good aim to hit something as small as us."

She waved a hand, and within the void, a small tear in the fabric of space opened up. Through it, the top of the giant's head was visible, as were the wings it was chopping on the board.

"Are we still okay with this?" squeaked Nazine.

"This is about an average tuesday for me," said Athira. "Jason?"

"I've seen true evil," he murmured. "It takes a lot more than a knife to scare me."

"Fantastic," said Athira, and jumped through the portal.

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