Meetings in the dark

The trees whipped around her as she watched the small helicopter rise from the small clearing. Once the helicopter was beyond the line of sight, her gaze turned to the forest around her. Of course he had to set her down where there was nothing but a ton of trees, but at least she had her bike. With a black surgery mask tight to her face, her blue eyes surveyed the scene. The thick forest made it almost seam like night, at least where she stood.

She gripped the large handles of her motorcycle and began to walk quietly. She had no idea where to start. Her parents could be any where by now. Or any thing. She knew the dangers of coming to this island. The possibility of becoming a mutant. But she had to take that chance. Her parents could still be alive, and she would do what ever it took to find them.

Celes thus began the search for her parents. A search that could possibly cost more then most would pay.

Fintan Jones stared straight ahead of himself at the long gravel road that wound through the North Side of the Island. The road was rarely used. Plants pushed up through the old gravel.
The woods around him were silent except for the crunch of gravel under his boots. He was far from any town now.
Suddenly the silence was broke by the loud whirring of a helicopter. He watched it rise above the trees in the distance and fly away.
Curious, he picked up his pace. Fin quickly arrived at the clearing where the Helicopter had been. He spotted a girl walking away from him with a large Motorcycle.
He smirked, good humor shining in his pale eyes, "I don't think there's much for roads around here good enough to drive on."

Celes nearly froze when she heard the voice behind her. She had been prepping herself for a year for such and occurrence. But her bravery was failing her. She kicked the stand to her bike and propped it on the dead ground. She turned around cautiously, her hand gliding to the hilt of her sword.

She turned to see a boy not to much younger then herself. His hair snow white with tips of blue. He looked friendly enough, but she wasn't taking any chances. "I am just looking for my parents." Her mask muffling her words slightly. She turned to remove the kickstand, but kept him in her view through the corner of her eye.

Fin continued to watch her. Her words confused him. "The last time someone went missing in this area was a year ago. The Plane crash?" He drifted farther into the clearing and paused again. With his thumb, he pointed over his shoulder. "If that is what you are looking for, the path behind those trees leads to the beach. Much easier traveling."

Celes began to shake when she heard him mention the plane. Images flashed before her eyes as she remembered the day she learned of her parents fate. She turned the way he was facing. She didn't know whether it was a trap, or if perhaps he was truely being nice.

She looked around, she didn't know her way around here, and it was obvious he did. With a quite and careful voice, "Do you think you could show me the way?"

Fin smiled. "Sure can." He turned and started walking through the thin line of trees. He paused on the road to wait for her. His pale eyes followed a swallow that darted over the trees and disappeared.

Celes relaxed slightly as he smiled, but still kept a sense of caution about her. "My name is Celes." Her words were quite and careful. She began following the boy, with her motorcycle beside her. She tried to focus on every thing around her, but her mind was filled with so many thoughts. She gripped her cycle tighter, and tried to regain focus.

Fin glanced over his shoulder. "Fintan Jones. You can just call me Fin." His eyes returned to the path ahead of him. He often roamed though the north side of the island so he knew his way around. Soon the sound of waves crashing against rocks reached their ears.

Celes nodded her head, acknowledging his response. She tried to refrain from asking the 'elephant in the room'. Her senses seemed to heighten as the crashing waves soothed her. She wished she could remove her mask and smell the ocean air, but she couldn't risk it.

Her eyes made their way back to Fin. She couldn't help herself any longer. "So your.. a mutant." Her voice was shaking slightly as she tried to come to terms with the possible reality.

Fin chuckled, glancing over his shoulder at the girl. He raised his hand, palm up. A ball of white-blue flame sparked to life in his palm. "Who isn't."
He eyed the mask on her face. "That's not going to keep you from being infected. I knew a guy who wore a mask." He grimaced. "The guy ended up as a Epsilon. Went crazy after that and Savior had to take him out." He shrugged, turning back.

Her eyes widened as the orb of white fire filled his hand. She had known that the mutants were powerful, but she never knew that they had powers. Her hand trembled and grabbed at her mask. Shaking her head, she lowered her hand back to her cycle. She didn't care. It was better then nothing. Perhaps she could find her parents before... before what? Turning into one of them?

The ground below them slowly started to turn to a fine sand. The air became moist and salty. "So.. What is it like.. being a... a mutant.. Does it hurt?" Her words in reference to the white fire.

Fin laughed. Slowly, a white flame crept up his arm until the whole limb was covered. He lifted his flaming hand and looked at it. "Fire no longer burns me." As he dropped his arm to his side, the fire went out. "You need help with that bike at all? I looks pretty heavy."
His pale eyes wandered the sky. "Looks like bad weather is coming."

FIn chuckled. "You really haven't been on Zibyl long at all." The wind started picking up, whipping his white hair wildly around his face. As he continued walking, he muttered "Might even have a hurricane." He paused. Fintan turned Celes, and shouted over the wind, "We should stop for a bit. Wait the weather out. I have a bit of food we can eat."

He backtracked a little ways then cut into the forest. After a brief walk they came upon a small cave that was carved out of a rock. He slipped inside where it was quite roomy. A small white flame started in the middle of the floor, hovering inches from the ground. "I found this years back when I got lost out here." He settled into a bit of hay that sat in one corner. There was enough room for another person.

Fin laughed, pulling his backpack off and setting it next to him. He dug though it until he pulled his resent find. Earlier that day he had been able to steal a small uncooked duck. He grabbed a charred and sharpened stick from its spot leaning up against the wall. He skewered the duck before replying, "I'm set." Another bit of flame appeared under the duck to roast it. before he settled back to watch it.

He watched her take off the mask, then put it back on. "I'll tell you if you take off that mask. It has to be uncomfortable and its not doing anything except keeping you from eating. Plus Its hard to hear you." He smiled at her. "You know, not everyone gets infected. There's still humans here."

"I don't know, is it?" He smiled, his duck done. The fire went out. HE took a bite of the meat and staired off into the distance.

Fin shrugged, finishing the small goose. He burnt the remains to ashes before replying, "After you have been here for awhile you start to learn that Anything is possible." He smiled at her.