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Rue sighed. "For me, it's genetic, But for my parents-" she hesiated, then decided she would tell her. After all Setsuko had told her about her parents. "Well, they were experimented on by scientists, at a place called the School," she began. "The scientists did a bunch of tests on them, taking blood smaples, making them swallow radioactive dye to see how they would react. They escaped with help from a guy named Jeb," she said. SHe stopped speaking, having been taught to be secretive. Plus she had said alot already.

Setsuko understood only about half of what Rue had said, but that was enough. "Genetic," She sighed. "I have a bit of a problem with genetics." She paused, glancing at Rue. She normally didn't talk about this, but if Rue wanted to know, she would tell her.

"What's the problem with it?" she asked, looking at her, nesling deeper into the thick branch, her dark hair swept over one shoulder.

"Well," Setsuko began, "It takes a while to explain, sort of. You see, as I mentioned earlier, not everyone in my world can bend. To be able to bend is a spiritual trait. You never know who's gonna get it. Even if no one in your family is a bender, you can be one, or vice versa. In my case, I have that trait, like my parents." She sighed again. "My problem is, I'm half-nation. Therefore, I have the ability to bend, but my body doesn't know which element to control. In the end, it's...both. But that's not a good thing. Because of this internal struggle, I often...pass out after large amounts of bending. The disadvantage of being the world's first and only bi-bender."

Rue nodded, a bit confused by this new world Setsuko was talking of, but getting the main concept of it. "It must be rough," she said sympathetically.

"It is, kinda." Setsuko agreed. "But I still have my friends. Samiia, Misaki, Kuilak, all of them. They don't pressure me." She smiled faintly again before turning to Rue. "What about you?" She asked somewhat quietly. "Is it hard to be part bird? How many others are like you?"

"My siblings are like me, and my parents. I have seven siblings and well, I onl have two parents, but six take care of me and the rest," she said, frowning slightly, wondering if the words would make sense to someone outside her family. "And yeah, it is hard." she said, not wanting to dive into details.

"Oh," Setsuko replied softly. A chilly wind swept through the area, rustling the leaves of the tree and swerving through Setsuko's long, brown hair as well as Jaci's thick grayish pelt. Setsuko squinted into the distance. The sun was covered by menacing clouds, blockinh some of the light. "There's a storm coming," She murmured, a slight edge to her voice. She had learned that similar signs at home--windchill, darkening skies, sickly clouds--signaled a terrifying snowstorm. Jaci shifted uneasily.

Rue looked up. "Crap," she said softly. She sat up, resting her back against the gnarly wood. "WE should go find somewhere lower and more sheltered, like a cave or a hollow in the base of a tree or something," she said, unfolding her partly open wings. She dropped to the ground, her wings slowing the ffall. She pulled them in, hiding them from view. Her chocolate eyes were already scanning the ground and surrounding area for somewhere that would shelter them, she didn't want to be outside in a storm, exspecially one that looked bad.

Setsuko nodded in agreement. "Jaci, climb down" The blue lion did so as Setsuko jumped off the branch only to land on a soft cushion of air, which disintegrated quickly. Setsuko joined Rue in looking. It wasn't long before she spotted a place. "Over there!" She exclaimed, pointing to a gaping hollow in large set of boulder on the other side of the lake. She grabbed her glider and hoped back into the tree (she couldn't take off with Jaci from the ground). "Coming?" She asked Rue as Jaci scrambled back into the tree.

Rue nodded, heading towards the hollow, wind already starting to blow across the clearing, chilling her. She opened her tawny wings, flying across the lake, wrapping her arms around herself, hoering near the middle of the body of water to wait fr Setsuko.

"Jaci, huphup." The blue lion jumped on the back of Setsuko's glider, and the two took off, following Rue.

Rue finished the rest of the flight, Setsuko following. She wrapped the windbreaker tighter around her, wishing it was warmer. She landed, skidding slightly in the dirt. She quickly walked nearer to the rocky chelter, waiting for Setsuko to land.

As Setsuko neared the ground, Jaci jumped off, scrambling into the cave. Setsuko followed, folding up her glider. "There," She said, entering. "We should be safe now."

Rue entered after her, the dark clouds already near, almost overhead. She pulled in her wings, leaving them open slightly, nnot enough to ram into the walls of rock. "It sounds like it's gonna be pretty bad out there," she noted, the wind howling in response.