Echo woke up, confused. she was in owl shape? oh, yes. she looked down at peri, who woke up and smiled with her eyes at her. awww... frost walked in.

"echo, you need to fix the magic."

"maybe i wouldn't be normally doing that."

"be that as it may you need to stay productive if you want to keep it."

"when she grows up she'll be a benefit. i know it."

"regardless, you have jobs to do. or you can just do owl stuff..."

"yeah, sure."

"ah, so i guess dominance fights are normal enough now?"

"what?"

"thats wolf stuff. you're ok with owl instincts."

"oh. did i say that? i have stuff to do in here."

"like take care of a useless defenseless baby bird."

"the pups are useless and defenseless."

"they'll grow up to help us. and they're half human."

"so will she. and no, i have stuff to do with my pool."

"why?"

"its just part of my job."

"mhm."

"i have magic, i can control water. and then ill be really tired so ill sleep most of the day."

"how convenient."

"i fix the artifacts with magic."

"sure." 

"fine, ill show you." echo pulled some water and snaked it out of the pool in a reverse stream, weaving under and around frosts paws.

"see?"

"ok, but that better have practical use."

"its literal magic. the only magic you have is shapeshifting and bites." frost looked down awkwardly at the mention of her bite.

"ok..."

"what exactly does your bite do again?"

"i dont like to discuss it."

"I'm pretty sure everyone else knows."

"is it relevant?"

"id like to know." 

"cant you ask someone else?"

ugh she would not say this if she wasn't really, really curios... and also stupid. "it would mean more if you told me yourself."

"fine! it..." frost mumbled something.

"what?"

"it controls..." she mumbled again, but she thought she got the just.

"you can control people?"

"i dont like to do it."

"its a powerful defense mechanism."

frost smiled a bit, relived she wasn't disgusted or suggesting she misuse it. obviously. it was a tool for survival.

"is it abnormal?"

"its comparatively extremely powerful. i dont know much about it, i only used it when they tested us and a couple of times by accident when i missed a death blow. never on a wolf or human."

"is it a magic you need to work at to be better with?"

"yes."

"you should practice it on animals. it could save your life or your pack someday." 

frost glared. "i am never going to use it."

echo shrugged. "its not... good, but its important. I'm sure it wouldn't be there if it weren't for a reason."

"i dont like to use it."

"do you feel like its evil?"

"a little i guess."

"its not nessacarly. you never chose it, but you can choose how to use it. instead of trying to stomp it out you could choose to use it for good."

"i guess..."

"but you still think its inherently evil. and by extension, you must be evil."

"yes."

"who told you that?"

"no one."

"then why are you letting it destroy your gift?"

"because... i just know its wrong. i feel it."

"maybe its just different. do you feel bad because you have a special power?"

"what?"

"if its abnormal i suspect it has greater power than others."

"how did you figure that out?"

"i dont know. dont change the subject."

"maybe a little bit."

"well why is that something to be ashamed of?"

"i feel bad that i have something other people dont..."

"why? if you use it for them then you are taking on a responsibility for their benefit. you arent really more than them, you just have a unique ability to bring to the pack."

"but its evil."

"why?"

"because controlling others is just wrong."

"it could be. but it could also be good and beautiful."

"maybe."

had echo really just randomly started spewing wise advice of the top of her head? shot, what if frost decided she wanted social interaction with her. she akwardly looked at peri, out of the trance.

"thanks... that really helped."

"mhmm." she nodded, not really having anything to say. frost seemed to understand and left. echo practiced her magic until she could hardly keep her eyes open and tended to periwinkle for about a week, at which point she no longer needed constant care. echo started to leave her alone in her nest and fixed up a good deal of magic.

her magical stamina having increased, she wanted to try growing things. even though her magic was the opposite of symphony, water was nurturing, so was the moon, so why couldn't she grow things? she found a young sapling and was about to try growing it when a rabbit fell out of the sky. oh, it was raining rabbits. she shouldn't even be surprised. she glanced up and saw an eagle diving down, apparently having dropped the rabbit, which was still alive, its leg broken from the fall. that wouldn't do. she grabbed it and hid it in her jacket, glaring at the eagle, which didn't look particularly impressed. she needed to get the rabbit to the fountain and get away. that eagle didn't look happy and her options were to fight it as a clumsy human, and almost certainly get her eyes ripped out, fight it as a much smaller owl but still have a chance, but drop the bunny, or just run. if she ran with the rabbit it might pursue her, it wasn't a normal animal, she knew it could sense her apprehension, or drop the rabbit and run. or just stay put. but the bunny was so cute, and young. not a baby, but not full grown either. could she heal it? she put her hand on its broken leg, jaring it, and quickly focused. it was healed. she dropped it and it ran into the bushes. the eagle was there, and angry. it wasnt natural, no eagle in nature would want revenge, or pick a fight with a human.

she used the wind to try and divert it, but it somehow weathered it. she was in way to close range to use her bow... ugh she needed to ask frost for a knife, but it really wasnt the time. she tried to howl, knowing it was a bad imitation but also knowing frost would know it was her and hear the fear in her voice. she had no clue what to do. it beat down on her, claws scrapping at the flesh of her arms covering her face. it was to late to become an owl, her wings wouldn't work. it couldn't kill her, it was only an eag... wait hadn't she read somewhere that in theory a golden eagle could kill an adult human? (look it up, true fact according to the internet, which of course is always credible)... great, her life was on the line. was healing the opposite of growing or another facet? the opposite of growing was withering... could she do it? was it worth? it didn't matter she had no choice. she grabbed its ankles and pushed power into it, feeling the scales shrivel and die. she was killing it. she glanced at it, maybe if she just hurt it enough that it would have to leave... it was dead. she had killed it. she killed something besides a bug. she killed it on purpose. she... was bleeding. a lot. she couldn't really feel her arms anymore, but what skin was left was mostly red. in one spot she could see a hint of bone. she tried to heal herself and the effort took her remaining strength. 

she collapsed and laid there, hardly able to move. she could have probably rolled over to a more comfortable position, but she was to tired, she didn't care. from the corner of her eye she saw a glimmer of white fur.

"echo? are you ok?" she didn't respond.

"are you alive?" obviously. youre alive.

"secret, eden, go get water from the fountain i think shes alive!" frost ran over and started licking her arms. it stung. her eyes slid back to watching the sky. was she really possibly going to die because she wouldn't let a random eagle kill a bunny? 

"how did you get into a fight with an eagle anyway?" echo didn't respond. 

"how did a golden eagle get here?" golden eagles didn't belong in the forest? secret and eden got back, holding cups filled with water. frost poured them on her. that felt better. she closed her eyes and slept.

she woke up back in her corner in the main cave, frost frantically pacing beside her.

"why arent i..." she was so tired... so much magic... she fell back asleep. she woke up again and frost, who was sitting in her normal place talking to Zephyr bounded over.

"echo, are you ok?"

"yeah."

"you were just asleep for a day."

"what? is peri ok?"

"that's what you're worried about? you would have died if you hadn't gotten that water within minutes of when you did."

"technically it worked."

"what worked? why were you even fighting an eagle to begin with?"

"ahhh because i was stupid."

"did you pick a fight with an eagle? that wasnt a normal eagle either, it had some sort of spell on it."

"i know, i sensed it when it was to late. it dropped a really cute bunny. the bunny broke its leg and the Eagle tried to get it back-"

"you almost died to save a rabbit?!"

"i didn't notice it was different until it was to late! i figured i could just hide the bunny and it would go away, normal eagles wouldn't fight a human."

"then what?"

"i used magic to heal the bunnys leg."

"you have healing magic? why didn't you heal yourself?"

"i tried, but at that point i was exaushted from using so much magic, i couldn't even stand anymore. anyway, so the bunny ran off and i tried to use the wind to prevent it from flying, but it didn't stop it. so then i didn't know what to do besides try to call you, until i realized i might be able to wither it. i did, and accidentally killed it."

"accidentally?"

"if i could just hurt it enough to let it escape i would. i was about to let go and i realized it was dead." her voice caught."

"you're crying. for the demented eagle that tried to kill you." was she crying? her cheek was wet. apparently yes.

"I've never killed anything before..."

"get used to it."

"what else would i kill?"

"i have a feeling that's only the first- and most minor- thing you'll kill. we might be entering war."

"what?"

"that was an enchanted golden eagle. it belonged on the savvanah. it wouldn't be a huge deal if it weren't enchantated. it was meant to kill someone and look like an accident. probably you."

"what?"

"were going to ask china what it was doing there."

"it was probably symphony that enchanted it."

"well hopefully he's there. lets go."

"you meant I'm going?"

"yes."

"i dont think its a good idea, at least not now."

"do you still feel weak?"

"yes."

"fine, i can give you half a day to recuporate. area can take you to the fountain. but the eagles enchantments will wear off the body soon, and we need proof."

"ok."

"area! take echo to the fountain and bonfire."

"i can fly."

"i want someone with you the entire way to make sure you dont faint or something."

"is there any chance you'll let me take myself?"

"no."

"fine." echo flew alongside area to the fountain in silence. she felt much better afterwards... like something had left her. like poison. frost would have to know. she dried off and they went back.

"frost, -"

"echo its time to go."

"no, there was poison."

"what?"

"i felt it drain out. there was poison in me."

"that's very deliberate."

"clearly."

"were bringing everyone. eden, slate, watch the pups. this could be a war."

"are you kidding?"

"no."

"both sides will die. you will destroy both sun and moon and all natural forces."

"you aren't saying that for galaxy?"

"i couldn't care less about her."

"your telling the truth. ok. we'll only take secret, zephyr, and truth."

"of course i am." frost lifted the eagle and left, echo flying beside.