Geez im sorry ths wasnt sooner, I got lazy over the winter break but here it is.

NOTICE: this is the last chapter. Not kidding.

Nod stuffed two rucksacks with anything he thought useful: clothes, shoes, knives, medicine, bandages, blankets, stone and flint, and all the money he collected over the years. Jason was in his kitchen, going through the cabinets for any food that wouldn't perish in the packs.

He hated leaving his house to the mercy of the incoming war. It was a beautiful home, hidden in a tall oak tree at the top. His room was right by the tallest branches, where the wind was strongest and the most likely place to be blown away. That had never scared him; it made him closer to the sky. When he turned orphan, Nod had inherited the house but Ronin took custody of him. He lived with the general, until the age of fifteen, when he had proven he could take care of himself. Moving back in had been harder than he thought; the memories of his family were almost overwhelming, so he continued to stay with Ronin. After he met M.K., he had found it easier to live in the place.

Now, just when he had gotten used to it, he was leaving. But it wasn't like he had a choice. Nod felt the urge to bring with him sentimental heirlooms and family portraits, but his practical side was winning over his emotional side. Yet there was one thing he could not leave behind.

The teen opened the bottom drawer of his dresser and took out a rumpled piece of paper. M.K. had described to him a device that Stompers used to capture pictures of different things, that could later be printed on special paper. She called it a digital camera, and even showed him an example of its work: the photo of her father, mother, and her as a little girl holding a puppy-sized Ozzie. In turn, he showed her his favorite sketch of his parents.

It was drawn when he was four and unable to sit still long enough for the artist to draw him on his mother's lap. So his parents had let him go play with the other children while they posed for the sketch. His mother gave it to him as a gift afterwards. It captured their union and love perfectly; his father, Aaron, had his strong arms around his spouse. Liscity, his mother, had her head resting against Aaron's chest and mischievous half-smile on her lips. Her long fair hair was blown back a little, like a breeze was teasing it away when the artist drew it. They were looking into each other's eyes instead of at the artist.

After his father past away, his mother came down with an illness and never got better. They say she died because her systems were too weak to fight off the sickness, but Nod knew better. It was the grief that really killed her.

Nod folded the sketch and put it in his pocket. Then he donned his long-sleeved, red jacket. The sleeves were baggy enough if he needed to hide the rose. Then the boy slipped on leaf shoes instead of his favored leaf shin guards.

Nod stepped out of his bedroom window and on the thin, swaying branches of the oak. Leaves strained on their stems as they were swept by the strong wind. With expert balance, he walked the branch like it was a steady bridge. Above him, swinging in the breeze was a camping hammock. It was Nod's preferred bed when he couldn't sleep. It was made from leaves, completely waterproof, and the strings were woven from spider web, one of nature's most sturdiest material. Nod jumped to the precarious branch from which it hung, untied the strings, and rolled it up to take with him. He bounded back to his window and made for the living room.

Jason was waiting for him with two sacks of food. He had been given some fresh clothes to change out of his soccer uniform: a simple black T-shirt, green pants, and brown boots that came up to his knees. Nod tossed him a pack and strapped on his own. "Ready to go?" the blonde asked.

"Ready."

The late afternoon light was beginning to fade to dusk. When night fell, it could be to their advantage but it could also spell their end. Under the cover of darkness, Nod and his friends could easily disappear. However, Boggans possessed excellent night vision, developed after centuries of staying in the dark. If the teenagers weren't careful, they'll be ambushed by a patrol.

On that note, Nod and Jason hid in a crevice in Turtle Rock. The sound of running water reverberated through the stone, a calming music that never ended, but Nod forced himself to listen for the sound of a hummer's wings...or the cawing of a crow.

To his relief, a green hummingbird landed in the ferns. Thryn and M.K. dismounted, carrying packs of supplies. A second later, Lex, Mason, and Ross joined them on foot. Nod and Jason crept out of the crevice. They had all changed out of their uniforms and into their civilian get ups. It made them less obvious that way.

"Okay Nod, so how do you plan on getting all seven of us birds to ride?" Ross asked. "I don't know if you noticed, but the daylight is almost gone."

"Wait, I know this place," M.K. said. "Ronin and I crossed this creek on the summer solstice last year...when we needed your help."

Nod couldn't help but grin at M.K.'s memory. "That's right. And if you look over yonder, you'll see a very familiar meadow."

He jumped to the top of the rock, his friends following him up. Beyond the stream stretched a long, wide meadow and at the far end was a tall tree. The sound of a party could be heard across the clearing.

"No way," Mason said. "You want to steal Bufo's birds?!"

They let the last two hummingbirds go, taking the tack off and allowing them to fly into the forest, where their chances of survival were much higher. They needed bigger birds for the trials they were sure to face. They planned to hide at M.K.'s house, but Nod could not help but sense that they wouldn't stay long there. Ever since he had tumbled into that thorn hollow and joined forces with the rose, (albeit unwillingly) things have escalated from a small issue to big problems. It wasn't himself at stake anymore, so they needed to be prepared to run.

As they crept toward the tree, moving as silently as they could through the long grass, Ross muttered for the millionth time, "This is insane."

"Shut up!" Nod hissed.

"Someone has to be the voice of reason on this quest."

"If Bufo hears us, you won't have a voice at all."

"Yeah, because with all the laughing, music, and drinking that's happening at the top of that tree, Bufo will hear us idiots down on the ground," Ross's word dripped with sarcasm.

"Your both idiots if you don't shut up," Thryn cut them off before they could go at it again.

"Bufo probably has his thugs patrolling the area," Lex added. That was enough to stop all the chatter.

Sure enough, the teenagers spotted the dark silhouettes of big, brutish Jinn on the lower branches. They weren't as vigilant as the Leafmen sentries of Moonhaven. The thugs leaned against the trunk of the tree casually, even murmured conversations, and did not repeatedly scan their surroundings for movement of stalkers. All the teens had to do was move quietly and freeze in place when a goon looked their way. At this time of day, the light was uncertain. Sneaking past Bufo's lackeys was child's play for them.

Staying in the shadows, they hugged the tree trunk. Nod lead the way. He knew that there were ground entrances along the base. When he was sure they reached the spot, Nod dug his nails under the bark. It was a disguised, small staff door that was hardly used and it opened on silent hinges. The young Leafman quickly led his friends up the long flight of stairs that snaked all the way to the roosts. Other doors led off to the sides with noisy laughter and light coming out of them. The teens ran silently past them and kept going.

Nod hurried on as fast as he dared, but his energy was waning. It was partly because the rose took his strength when he exerted himself, but he had moved like this all day, without a couple of hours of rest. The prospect of sleep was sounding more appealing by the minute.

His limbs felt like lead by the time they reached the roosts. It was dim, with only a few lanterns lit. The birds were quiet, resting from the day's races. Nod shook himself out of his increasing exhaustion, knowing that the work wasn't over. Turning to his friends, he spoke softly, "Get a bird that you know you can control, and is good for flying long distances. We'll meet outside on the north-facing side of the tree.

They nodded their understanding and split up to pick suitable mounts. Nod already knew where he was going. "There's a bird that I want you to meet. He's a bit of a handful, but I think he'll like you." he said to M.K., a ghost of grin on his face.

Her eyebrow arched but she smiled, "Nod, you're a bit of a handful yourself. I think I'll be fine."

Jason was still standing there, awkward as ever. "Umm, could I come to?"

Before Nod could say "Forget it" M.K. replied, "Of course," and it's not like he could argue with her at the moment so he consented. But he was still keeping an eye on this guy.

Flitterbite greeted him as he walked into the little room that was separate from the other birds. His first meeting with the blue jay had been one of hostility and a sharp, jabbing beak. Now the bird thought of him as an old friend coming to visit. He had only met the jay earlier today, but with all that had happened, it felt like a lifetime ago.

The large animal lowered his head, and Nod scratched him under the beak. "Good to see you to." The teen hoped that Finch wasn't around to see what he planned to do with Flitterbite.

As M.K. and Jason followed him in, Flit's feathers flattened against his body and his crest lowered. He didn't know these people, so his first impression of them was that they were harmful. "Easy boy, they're with me."

"He doesn't seem so bad," M.K. commented. She sounded so easygoing that Flit's fear faded a bit, and he gazed keenly at her.

"Ah, he's not so mean once he knows you. Here..." Taking her hand, he gently brushed her palm on the sky-blue feathers. Flitterbite tensed but Nod's soothing words and M.K.'s relaxed demeanor were enough to calm him.

Nod grabbed the black racing saddle from its rack, and like he was trained to do, Flit lowered his belly to the floor, allowing Nod to strap it on. When that was finished, he turned to grab the bridle, but then dismissed it. "We don't need that do we bud?" The jay chirped his distaste, and Nod couldn't blame him. Flit didn't have good memories with that bridle. "We'll just do things the old fashion way."

The boy slung off his pack and secured it to the saddle, doing the same for M.K.'s. He took some of the food sacks Jason was burdened with and put those on to. Flit was ready to go. The young Leafman coaxed Flit out of his roost with a sunflower seed he snagged from a food bucket. The bird followed eagerly. As they walked from chamber to chamber, other birds shrank back from the blue jay, but Flit's attention was fixed on the treat.

Nod lead him to the outside branches, and they waited for the others to arrive with their mounts. Flitterbite kept trying to snap up the seed, but Nod kept him away; he wanted to give him the treat after he got on, just to make sure that Flit wouldn't fly away when he was done eating it.

"I hope they hurry up," M.K. said, glancing nervously at the treetop where the party raged on.

Nod dismissed it. "Relax, Bufo gets so wrapped up in his parties, he forgets why he's having one in the first place."

"The longer we stay here, the more likely we'll be caught."

Ross came out, hauling an unwilling robin behind him. Mason came up behind them, with a northern mockingbird next to him. They both seem to be snickering at Ross's futile efforts. Lex arrived two minutes later, leading a barn swallow. Now all they needed was Thryn.

"Can you believe the names they give these birds?" Ross said. "This robin's name plaque said 'Skywolf.' Bit eccentric don't you think?"

"That's the racing business for you," Nod replied. He started to contemplate whether Flitterbite's name sounded cool or was overdoing it as well.

"Anyway, what would you call him?" Mason challenged Ross.

"Definitely not Skywolf!"

"Then what?"

"...Skeeter."

Mason snorted. "Well that's not much better!" Ross looked ready to strangle his friend so Lex jumped in.

"I kinda like the racing names. They give the bird a larger-than-life appeal. Take my name for example; she's a swallow and her name is Airsnap. It's really fitting."

"Swallows are famous for their maneuverability," Nod agreed.

"What's your's called Mason?" M.K. asked.

"I didn't look when I picked him, but when our eyes met and we stared at each other for more than five seconds, something just clicked. Like we were meant to be..." he finished dramatically. Ross rolled his eyes to the heavens.

"Anyway, I'm going to call him Catcall."

"Appropriate enough," Lex joked. "Mockingbirds are talented for mimicking other birds' songs."

"And being annoying," Ross added.

As they bantered back and forth, M.K. kept looking around them like something was going to leap out. It was almost completely dark now, and Thryn still hadn't arrived. M.K.'s anxiousness was getting to Nod; if they stuck around long enough, trouble was going to catch up to them.

"You didn't get a bird Jason?" Mason queried.

The soccer captain shook his head. "Naw, I don't know how to ride one."

"If your remaining in this size for a while, then it's probably wise to learn how."

"Nod can teach you!" Lex exclaimed excitedly. "He's terrific with birds! It's like he can speak their language."

The two boys made eye contact, each wondering if Lex was being serious. Nod shrugged, feigning indifference. "Sure, I can teach you at some point."

Jason gave a friendly smile, but a furry hand emerged from the dark and clamped on his shoulder. With a shout of alarm, Jason was jerked away from them. Each teenagers' hand went to his or her weapon. Grinning at them with triumph was Bufo, his two favorite thugs holding Jason back. The Stomper boy had stood on the fringes of their pack ever since they met him, so it made sense that they had grabbed him first.

"You won't have the chance," Bufo stated, looking like a dog who had just received a meaty treat.

"Bufo, what's up? It's only been a couple of hours since I last saw you. Anything new?" Nod remarked, hoping his casual 'howdy do' tone would agitate the frog. Silently, he berated himself for not noticing the bookie sneaking up on them.

Bufo wasn't impressed. "Your capable of being the biggest moron in the forest Nod, but coming back here after that stunt you pulled this morning? Well, that's a new level of fool, and now blondie here will pay for it."

"Leave him alone!" M.K. snapped so fiercely Bufo took a step back. Nod grabbed hold of her hand so she wouldn't get too close to the dangerous gang boss.

The frog saw the move and smirked evilly. "So is this your girlfriend? Spiteful girls like her should learn their place." He let out a loud, throaty ribbit, summoning his goons on the lower branches. They would be here in seconds.

Nod advanced, intending to free Jason before they got here, but the big gypsy moth holding him hostage moved his hand to the boy's throat. With his strength, he could snap Jason's neck before Nod could stop him. Nod racked his mind, desperate for an idea to escape. The numbers were soon to be against them.

Something flew out and struck the gypsy moth in the head. The thug yelped in pain but didn't let go of Jason's neck, yet the distraction was enough for Nod to punch him the jaw. The moth stumbled back and Jason darted away before he could regain his hold. Ross lunged at the scorpion fly, knocking him out before he could attack. Bufo suddenly collapsed with a grunt, revealing Thryn holding her sword pommel like a club.

"Now that was satisfying," she smirked at the fallen bookie.

"You took your time," Nod chided.

She didn't have time to reply when they heard a shout from the surrounding branches. Having seen that their boss taken out, the big Jinn were rushing toward them, intent on beating up the offenders.

Ross, Mason, and Lex mounted and kicked their birds into flight. Nod made sure that M.K. was holding on before clicking his tongue. Flitterbite took to the sky, to safety. Thryn put her fingers to her lips and emitted a piercing whistle. A bright red cardinal flitted from inside the tree, knocking some of the advancing goons down. The bird landed next to her.

"Get on!" she yelled at Jason.

Bufo stumbled to his feet, having recovered from his knock on the head. The bookie clutched the Leafgirl's arm, preventing her from mounting. "You little..." His thugs were almost upon them.

Thryn slapped the cardinal's rear and it flew away with Jason. She turned, punching Bufo's chin and his grip slackened. A beetle Jinn lunged for her, but she was already ducking away. Like a cat, she leaped and used the Jinn's head as a springboard, launching into the sky. He grabbed for her, only for his hands to close on empty air. It looked like she was flying, almost weightless. Thryn landed lightly on the cardinal's back and positioned herself behind Jason, taking control of the reins.

They were free, all of them, and flying away. Bufo and his lackeys snarled in fury but they couldn't touch them.

Nod clutched Flit's feathers like a lifeline, crouching low into the wind. M.K's arms were around his torso, her head on his back. Dusk was gone, and the night's stars twinkled in the sky. The crescent moon illuminated a little light, enough to guide them while the darkness concealed them.

The sensation of wind through his hair was familiar and comforting. When Nod closed his eyes, he could almost feel Cricket beneath him, breathing hard and responding to his every touch. With his favorite girl sitting behind him, everything felt normal.

For just a moment.

Then the rose rustled against his skin and Flitterbite chirped. No, things weren't normal anymore.

That's okay, he thought, a small smile playing on his lips as he buried his face in his blue jay's neck feathers. That's just fine.

He let Flit navigate them through the empty night sky, their destination pointed to M.K.'s house.

The End?

So yeah this is the LAST CHAPTER, but dont fear, there is a sequel already in the makings. Heres some questions that were not answered by the end of this story:

What happened to the Queen, her mother, Mub, and Grub?

Will Ronin be able to fight off the invading Boggans and save Moonhaven?

Where did the wind bird come from and what is he exactly?

Who is Batlash under the mask?

What will the rose do?

What made King Jori and Queen Marise hate each other so much?

Wow, lots of questions to answer, but until then, I hope all of you enjoyed your Christmas, Hanukkahs, and Kwanzaas, and that you have a Happy New Year. Thanks to everybody who favored, followed, and reviewed. A big thank you to my muse, because I may write the story but she brings the awesome! :)

Keep a look out for the 2nd installment :)