The Anthros

8

Grabbing the bag of packed food and water, Phoenix locks up the house and the sliding the jingling locks into her shirt, she slips on the backpack. Hopefully she could find an old master that had onced helped in raising her.

Before she could hesitate she spread her giant flaming wings and rose up into the blue, blue sky. Nothing felt calm; especially when she knew her friends were being mind controlled.

Flying past the long stretch of forest, staying high up in the sky since she woukd look like a bigger than normal bird and there were no clouds to hide her.

Rolling through her old masters, Phoenix makes up her mind to go to her last master she had. The one that had her the longest. He never had a name, Phoenix was sure. He never spoke loud; and he let her go to school, thinking he could trust her. Phoenix didn't know what he would say when he would see her.

Thanks to her great memory that stayed forever afresh, Phoenix flew miles and miles until she recognized the green trim house with six glass windows all in front. The door was hollow and brown. Chimes hung on either side of the door, tinkling as the soft breeze blew by.

Phoenix dropped the giant feet down in the speed of light, spreading her wings when she reached the porch, landing without a scratch. Tucking her wings against her back, Phoenix knocked shakily.

What was she doing? Could she even trust this guy? Even though. Even though....

"Um...erh....hello?" Came a quiet male voice from the slightly cracked open door.

He wore glasses on the edge of his oil slick nose. His eyes were small, squinted and blue. He was wider than when she last saw him. Grey hair. The man that left her with smaller, more common birds until she changed into a humanoid and he realized what he really was caring for. Her last master.

"Who...who are you?" Master asks in his gentle voice. He didn't rememeber her, otherwise he would have said something. Or he just doesn't believe she came back.

"Master," At this one word, his face turned pale white and he opened his door all the way, "I need your help."

***

He hugged her. Wrapped Phoenix in his arms. As if she were related to him. He was crying.

"I'm so sorry for what I did to you when you were a child. I-I didn't know you were a-a.... I'm so sorry! I looked for you...I thought I would never find you again." He cried.

Coughing a little and he jerks back, fear and worry in his eyes. He was worried she was going into another one of her sick phases.

It was relief his weight was off of her thats for sure.

"Erh...so...you needed my help?" He asks, beckoning Phoenix inside.

She took a step forward, cautiously. What would Rabbit be telling her right now? Probably to stay away. To not trust this old man.

Taking a risk, Phoenix went inside the house and let out a breath of saddness. It looked the exact same as she'd left it. Tile floors. Blue painted walls, tables covered in paper work and bills. Medication on a shelf covered in dust. Bathroom door shut. And the bird sanctuary. Her room was down the hall, but she didn't dare.

Spinning around to meet her master's fearing eyes, she sits in a chair. He does too, but more shakily.

"My friends...they're in trouble-" Phoenix starts but is interuppted.

"-why did you leave?" Master asks.

Feeling tears mist her eyes, she keeps strong. This master loved her, or he loved what she was. How could she tell him.

"...I had to-to help my friends. They n-needed me." She stutters.

Master's eyes are full of pain. Phoenix breathes out again. She had to toughen up.

"Look, Master, I know how you study birds, but I also know you study computer engineering. I know this is a big task for you but...I need you to hack the government's sucurity." She says.

"W-what?!" Master exclaims, eyes bulging.

She had to explain. Everything. Starting with how she met Wolf, Tiger, and Rabbit at the school he sent her to and how they told her how evil the government was for giving babies animal DNA and that she had to runaway from her home and help fight against them all the way to Tiger telling her what the government was doing to them now.

Master was astonished and silent.

"Will you do it, Master?" She asks, pleading.

Master was upset, but she knew he would soon get over it.

"I can't believe this. The government is going along with this? And your friends? Gosh. Yes. Okay. I'll do it. But only if you do something for me." Master says, looking worried, standing up.

Standing up as well, Phoenix nods. "What is it?" She would do anything to save her friends.

Master comes forward and wraps her in another tight hug. This time it felt more like he was keeping her still so she couldn't escape. What was he going to tell her? To live with him again?

Suddenly something sharp pinched her in the low part of her back, making her yelp. Her knees buckled with her woozy vision. The room was spinning. Everything was fading. She felt tile touch her head softly. Tears fell down her cheeks. How could she let him do this? What was he going to do?!

"If you want my help, you're going to have to do something for me." Master whispers in her ear, repeating himself.

She wanted to claw his face, even though his eyes were still full of gentleness. Then. Darkness.