Nightpaw ran through the woods. She blinked back tears and focused on the footprints. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. She repeated over and over in her head. Zapkit is fine! Zapkit is fine! She gasped and slid to a stop at the edge of a cliff. The footprints stopped at the edge. Nightpaw stared down the ledge with a sick feeling in her stomach. The mystery predator wouldn't just jump off, would it? Unless it didn't see the edge. Nightpaw studied the footprints. No, the footprints don't change, as if the creature just kept running. She thought to herself, but with a jolt of realization, she realized they did change. The back footprints were right next to each other, with the front paws close in front. The footprints were also deeper. Nightpaw crouched as if to take off, stepped back, and looked at her prints. They were in the same pattern as the mystery creature. So the creature has wings. Great. She thought to herself, springing into the air. She glided across the chasm to the other side.

When nightpaw touched down, she realized that the paw prints weren't there. She paced the side of the cliff, studying the ground. Nightpaw was about to turn back, when she heard something. A small scuffle from a little ways down the ravine. She looked down. Nothing moved, but then.. Another scuffle. Nightpaw saw a few small pebbles dislodged from a ledge 20 feet down the cliff. They plunged into darkness, and then, nightpaw heard the slightest plop plop as if the pebbles hit water. Now that she thought about it, when Nightpaw pricked her ears, she heard the faint roar of rushing water. A river was at the bottom of the canyon. Nightpaw shrugged, knowing the only option was to investigate. The night was still young. Nightpaw glided silently down the ledge. She looked around warily. Nightpaw realized a pair of eyes glinted in the shadows of a cave a ledge over. Before she could move, a large furry body careened at her. Nightpaw jumped into the air, but felt large claws dig into her tail. She looked back, flapping madly.

"ZOROARK!!!!" roared the "mystery" creature. The zoroark had it's claws embedded in Nightpaw's tail.

"zoroark?" Nightpaw gasped out loud, wincing form the pain in her tail. "zoroark's don't have wings!" she tugged free and soared across the canyon to a ledge on the other side. her tail was a dead weight, and it stung terribly. Nightpaw realized in a moment why the zoroark didn't have wings. The pokemon flung itself across the cavern with a massive leap. Nightpaw screamed and shot upwards, but the zoroark grabbed her wing in it's teeth with a sickening crunch, and slammed her back down. Nightpaw lashed out, trying to remember her battle moves. She felt her claws rake across the zoroark's muzzle and she smiled in satisfaction. The zoroark roared, slashing it's claws across her face. Nightpaw screamed, clutching her left eye with a paw. when she brought it her paw down, she saw blood on it. The sight of her own blood made her woozy. The zoroark kicked as hard as it could, and sent nightpaw hurtling off the ledge. Nightpaw gasped, flapping her right wing as fast as she could, but her left wing hung at an awkward angle, dragging her towards the murky black rushing river below.

"HELP!!!" she managed, "HELP!" she felt her body slam into the water. Nightpaw lit up her rings, trying to see, but murky darkness pushed through. Nightpaw paddled weakly, trying to get her head above the surface, but the river dragged her down. She was faintly aware of jaws grasping her scruff, before she blacked out.

Nightpaw blinked open her eyes. The first thing she was aware of was intense pain. She realized she had only opened one eye, the other was sealed shut. When the world came into focus, Nightpaw saw a white shape at the back of the cave.

"You're awake," It mumbled. Nightpaw squinted. She saw dark blue as well.

"who-" She broke out in a bought of coughing. She coughed up water.

"I am absol." it growled, pushing to it's feet. "I sensed a storm was coming, though I knew it had nothing to do with the weather. Why didn't you run away from the Zoroark? Why did you fight it?" Nightpaw groaned.

"It took my kit."

"You look a little young to have kits, aren't you just an apprentice?"

"Yea, he's not mine he's a pich- wait, how did you know that?"

"I have watched your clan in the past, and I've watched ones like it, before I was marooned here."

"wait, there's other clans? marooned?"

"I too came looking for something taken from me. The Zoroark likes to take. It attacked me. I fought, but lost. I'm a good swimmer, so I found this cave. I've been living off Magikarp and Basculin for my whole life." The Absol turned to show it's stomach. Nightpaw winced. A long scar ran along it's stomach.

"what did you lose?" whispered Nightpaw. The absol looked away.

"My daughter." it whispered. "You reminded me of her. I couldn't just let you drown."

"oh." Nightpaw closed her good eye. When she opened it, she saw a single tear running down the absol's cheek. "Please, what's your name?" asked Nightpaw softly.

"Lumos." she answered.

"Lumos, don't you want to see if she's alive? I have to rescue Zapkit." Nightpaw struggled to her feet. Her left wing dragging on the cave floor, Nightpaw took a few steps towards the cave entrance, then turned back and looked at Lumos. The absol was staring at her.

"You can't fly." she challenged. Nightpaw shook her head and carried on. "Wow." Whispered Lumos, "I've never seen such determination." She ran to Nightpaw's side. "Hop on." Nightpaw awkwardly climbed on to her broad back, her left wing hanging over the side, her right wing out for balance.

"Ready," she said curtly. Lumos nodded and jumped. Nightpaw squeezed her eye shut. Lumos managed to grab a ledge on the other side of the river with both paws. She hauled herself (and Nightpaw) up. Nightpaw opened her good eye, her other remained shut.

"You ok?" asked Lumos." Nightpaw shakily nodded. She had wrapped her paws around Lumos's fluffy neck, but the absol didn't seem to notice. Lumos leaped higher across, landing perfectly on the higher ledge. She could jump almost as well as the Zoroark!

"Why haven't you done this before? You're more weighed down by me, but you could've easily done this by yourself!" Gasped Nightpaw.

"To be honest, I was scared," admitted Lumos, "but you've given me courage. Together we can beat Zoroark." Nightpaw nodded and looked at the sky. Still dark. Please Starclan let this be quick! I must get back to camp! She thought anxiously. Lumos landing again jolted her back to the present. The absol was almost to the cave where Zapkit and (hopefully) her daughter was. Absol jumped and landed again. And again. And again.

"we're-pant-here-pant" gasped Lumos. Nightpaw slid off her back and landed on the ledge. She stared across the canyon at the cave.

"What's the plan?" asked Nightpaw nervously.

"I'll go in there, and lure the Zoroark out. You'll have to go in after I've led the Zoroark away. Can you fly?"

"No" grumbled Nightpaw. Lumos examined it closely.

"Dislocated. I'll have to shove it back into place. here." She nosed a small stick over to Nightpaw. "bite down on that." Nightpaw obeyed. Lumos grabbed the base of Nightpaw's wing in her jaws, and shoved. Hard. The bone slid back into place with a click. Nightpaw's eyes went wide and she bit down on the stick. It snapped. Nightpaw gasped in pain, and flexed her wing.

"i-it works!" She gasped. She fluttered into the air. "Thanks! I mean, it hurt, but thanks!" Lumos nodded.

"Now for the plan." She said gravely. Nightpaw nodded. The time was right. She was getting Zapkit back.