A/N: Pronunciations:
Ainnya
(On-ya)

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***
Sparrow heard her breath rattling in her chest. She could also hear her friends crashing after her. "Sparrow!" Miki's shrill voice screamed.

Sparrow skidded to a halt. The paw prints had disappeared.

Miki, Dot, and Marley trudged up behind her, gasping for breath. "What were you thinking!?" Miki snapped, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.

Sparrow stared at the ground, shame and anger battling for over all control in her head. "I heard something." She replied blandly. Dot slapped her arm. "Imagining things again? And now you've dragged us into it!" She complained.

"You didn't have to follow me!" Sparrow yelled, all of her patience dissolving as she angrily rounded on her friends. "You could have stayed on the sidewalk, or better yet, gone home! I don't need your criticism right now!"

Huffing, Sparrow looked back at the ground, expecting to hear the sound of her friends' receding footsteps. Instead, she felt a hand lay gingerly on her back. "Why would we want to do that, Sparrow?" Marley whispered. Sparrow shrugged. "You guys don't believe me. Why would you want to follow me on a wild goose chase?"

"We'll follow you where ever you go, idiot." Dot promised, smiling slightly.

Suddenly, Sparrow had an idea. "Then you'll follow me now, won't you?" Not waiting for an answer, she jumped on the space where the paw prints had vanished. She sunk into the dirt and felt the earth close over her head.

***

Tiquail thumped her tail impatiently on the dirt floor. "You said she was coming." Ainnya growled. Tiquail raked her claws through the ground. "I know I did. She was following me, I swear it on a life."

Ainnya lashed her spotted tail. "Risky promise, Tiquail."
"Which I'm not willing to make, Ainnya."

Silence fell between the two wild cats. They both stared at the dirt ceiling above them. Everything was still.

Ainnya looked at Tiquail, a wicked glow in her eyes. "You're willing to make the promise...yes?" She whispered. Tiquail slid her claws out. "If you wish."

Laughing darkly, Ainnya curled her tail around Tiquail's. Tiquail flinched, but didn't draw away. "Swear it." Ainnya hissed.

"I swear on one life that Sparrow was following me."

Golden light glittered around the cats. "Remember," Ainnya warned, "we take our promises very seriously." The golden light winked away as Tiquail growled. "I know that."

Abruptly, the ceiling above them opened and spit out a girl. Dark blue eyes, brown hair with red and orange streaks...yes. It was Sparrow.

"Hello Sparrow." Ainnya purred. "So nice of you to join us here."

***

"You...you...holy crud." Sparrow stammered, staring at the cheetah in front of her. The cheetah...grinned? Bared its teeth? She wasn't sure. "Yes, Sparrow. I spoke. You can understand us. My name is Ainnya. This-" She flicked her tail at the snow leopard "-is Tiquail."

Sparrow backed away. "This is not happening. Wake up, wake up, wake up!" She muttered, blinking rapidly. The cheetah, Ainnya she called herself, got to her paws and stretched elegantly. She yawned, showing off her sharp white teeth.

"Well, now that you're here, you can follow us." She purred, heading toward the small opening in the back wall. Tiquail blocked Ainnya with her tail. "Why would the girl follow us when she doesn't even know what's happening? Shouldn't we explain first? Give her some details?"

Ainnya growled at Tiquail, baring her teeth in a menacing fashion. "All in good time." She hissed.

Sparrow cringed, noticing the spiked up fur and stiff expressions of the two cats.

"The girl lost all trust when her father was taken away-" Tiquail began pointedly.

"How did you know about my father?" Sparrow interrupted, looking more closely at the snow leopard. Particularly her eyes... "You've been following me, haven't you?" She realized, staring into the blue depths.

Tiquail flicked her ears happily. "Clever as always, child." She rumbled. "I have a name you know." Sparrow snapped. "Oh, of course you would know. You've been stalking me." She retorted before Tiquail could reply. Her voice rose with every word.

"You stalk prey, Sparrow. You are not prey. No, no, no. I observed you." Tiquail snorted.

Sparrow scowled. "Did you see everything?" She asked. Tiquail nodded. "Even that time my mirror shattered while I was singing in the shower?" She questioned, remembering how embarrassing it had been trying to explain to her mother what had happened.

Tiquail's tail twitched in amusement, though she flattened her ears as if reliving a particularly loud moment in her life. "Amusing, really child, but you were a bit louder than I could handle. I lost my hearing in both ears for a day after that."

Sparrow smirked, completely satisfied with herself. Serves her right, Sparrow mused, for "observing" me my entire life. As she so delicately puts it.

"You deserved it." She snorted, speaking her thought out loud. Tiquail opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by a loud screech.

The ceiling opened up for the second time as Marley dropped to the ground with a particularly loud grunt. She looked around, and focused on the two wild cats, one who was showing her teeth and another who was bristling so much she was fluffed up to twice her size.

Marley's eyes widened. "Holy sh-"

Sparrow flung her hand over Marley's mouth. "Watch your language, sweetheart, otherwise we might have to wash your mouth out with soap." She hissed. Marley screamed into her palm.

"DUDE!" Sparrow yelled, trying vainly to shut her up. Marley licked her hand and Sparrow drew away quickly, wiping it in disgust on her jeans. "Ew...just...ew." She muttered. Marley smirked.

The ceiling opened up for a third time and deposited two screaming girls, who were hugging each other in fear.

Ainnya hissed, her pupils slitting. "Who are they?" She snapped at Tiquail, who flattened her ears to her head. "Her friends." Tiquail replied stiffly.

Sparrow winced at the fire burning in Ainnya's eyes. Her tail tip twitched angrily.

Miki and Dot stared at the two wild cats, who were glaring daggers at each other. Sparrow, in spite of herself, stood protectively in front of her friends.

Ainnya lashed her tail once and stalked out of the opening in the wall. "Come if you want." She growled over her shoulder. "But your flimsy friends won't last."