Maple wandered the river banks, like she'd been doing the past few years. It'd been 2 years since the rapids brought her to this strange, deserted hole in the mountains. It was peaceful, secluded, and best of all Beautiful. She hated it.

 She couldn't have sun time because she was vulnerable, she couldn't change her scales because she was an easy target, she couldn't find any fruit because all those stupid, smelly Skywings stole it all. How she craved to go home, to have sun time, to finally eat a mango instead of goat. 

 The smell of smoke filled Maple's nostrils and instinctively she looked up into the crystal sky, her teeth bared, her wings splayed menacingly, making sure her scales stayed the same mossy green as it had the past years.

 A small posy of Skywings flew over head, their obnoxious snickering filled the small valley, echoing around Maples scull. 

 She wanted to rip their heads from their shoulders. she backed away into her small hut as soon as the smell of smoke subsided. It was a smart design, looking like a boulder to the spying eyes above. She admired It every day, reminding her that she was capable. Maple entered her hut, the smell of banana's so imminent she almost fell over from the blast. She looked at a small jar in the far corner of the room, checking that the last remnant of the Rainforest she had was still safe. Her mid morning snack, a banana. 

She couldn't bring herself to eat it when she washed up here. She enclosed it in a small jar she found in a cave on the other side of the treeless valley. It was old, shrivelled, smelly and decomposing, but it made her feel safe. Her wings ached, she longed to glide in the blue sky above her, roll in the clouds, scream at the top of her lungs.

 Just like she'd done with her friend Buttonbush. her heart ached for her friend. Her only friend. She was sure she wasn't sane any more, since talking to her friend was the only thing keeping her sane. Or was it the other way round?

 Your a mess Maple, "Button we've been over this, that stream goes through Skywing territory. Even If I don't fly, I'm an easy target." 

 Oh Puh-lease, those stinky Skywings couldn't even see you when they were flying, how could they see you through the trees on foot? Was Button right? "You've always been adventuress like this haven't you?" Mind Button didn't answer. 

Maple knew she couldn't keep talking to this imaginary friend of hers forever. She needed to move. To go home. "Well Button, I guess home has always been worth it." she said, proudly. She pulled her belongings, well her jar, together and stepped out of the hut. The sun hit her ferociously, beating against her back, making Maple stagger. "No! You will not beat me! I'm going home and you can't stop me!" 

she roared at the sun. She opened her wings, lifted up into the air and followed the river to home. . . . . .  It was night. At this point she felt as if it was a relief. She couldn't imagine traveling home with the sun forcing her to the ground all day. But she also couldn't imagine flying in this pitchy blackness. She stumbled along the river bank, each stone deliberately trying to trip her over. She could here the distant roars of Skywings, the smell of smoke was deathly thick, it took Maple all her energy to not turn back. She knew she was close to the ending border, so close to the Mud kingdom, one Kingdom closer to the Rainforest. 

 Flapping of wings sounded above Maple, her scales crawling, making her want to scream. C'mon Maple, Your so close! Just a little bit further and they can't touch you. Maple exhaled a worried breathe and crawled forward, matching her scales to the mud and rocks beneath her. Each step she took seemed like a lifetime, as if the slightest movement would alert the Skywings above her. One wrong move and she would have a lifetime of regret. The Skywings above her circled around, she could see marsh land in front of her. She'd done it. She was free. Free of pressure, free of fear. Free to go home

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Made by HELLOOo-45

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