This is the very first story I ever put down on paper - edited a couple of dozen times since the second grade, I assure you. However, i am entirely too aware that it is not perfect - far from it in fact. If any of you lovely readers have suggestions for me, feel free to suggest away!

Anyways - read, review, and enjoy!

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Dawn broke slowly, sunbeams filtering through the canopy of trees to the forest floor. One particularly invasive shaft of light passed over a curled-up form on its way down, and the warmth it left behind made the figure stir and shift sleepily.

Chiroptera awoke slowly, groggily rubbing sleep from her eyes. Her large, bat-like ears swiveled about, intuitively searching for any atypical sounds. She stared up at the leafy ceiling, sending a morning greeting to Chirokma, the maple tree she had been bonded to at birth.

It’s about time you woke up, sleepyhead, Chirokma scolded lovingly. Agrainma, Agraisha’s bond-mate, just told me that your parents have something special planned for your birthday today. She sounded very smug, for a tree.

Chiroptera groaned quietly. Oh, man! Mom and Dad know how much I hate celebrating my birthday!

It was unnerving, all those people staring at her like they expected her to do a trick. It wasn’t fair! They all expected her to be special, brilliant, and talented just because she was the Röukbat’s firstborn child. Every year they anticipated a show from her, a display of her abilities, and every year she disappointed. She wasn’t beautiful, or graceful, or any of the other things she should be. She was a miserable excuse for the Röukbat’s heir, and everyone knew it. She should just –

Stop! Chirokma’s stern voice broke into her thoughts. No more of that! You know just as well as I do that no one thinks such things about you because they’re not true!

Chiroptera groaned. I know, I know. She glanced up at Chirokma’s trunk gratefully. Thanks for snapping me out of that funk. I don’t know how to stop myself sometimes.

You know I’m always here for you. Chirokma replied. Just try not to do it again.

Chiroptera nodded, swinging her legs out of the bed made from the bed made from Chirokma’s intertwining branches. She stretched her arms and legs in preparation for the day’s duties, groaning when she realized that she had flyover patrol. Though her status as the Röukbat’s heir entitled her to many privileges, it did not exempt her from the chores every member of her clan had to finish, not even the most distasteful of jobs.

Too bad we can’t do our tricks anymore since Agraisha broke her arm. Chiroptera grumbled.

At least you can still talk to me, Chirokma comforted, so maybe you won’t be too bored.

Thanks for that. Chiroptera sounded resigned. If I don’t leave soon, though, I’m going to be late.

She leapt out of bed, heading for the entrance to her treetop bower, but clutched weakly at the wall as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her.

What’s wrong? Chirokma asked, her branches quivering with anxiety. Are you okay?

Nothing, nothing, I’m fine. Chiroptera answered, shaking her head to rid it of the clinging nausea. I think I just stood up too fast.

She straightened shakily, ignoring Chirokma’s cries of protest, and descended the spiraling stairs made from her bondmate’s branches. At the bottom, she entered the family hut and silently ate her breakfast to avoid awakening her sleeping kin, and slipped out the door to report for duty.

As she sprinted down the well-worn path (a necessity, as flying was not permitted in the communal areas) she tried to ignore the pounding headache that had crept up on her.

She had almost reached the relay station when she staggered suddenly, falling to her knees and clutching her head as pain lanced through it. The last thing she heard before her vision went black was Chirokma’s agonized cry.

Chiroptera!

---

Chiroptera awoke some time later to the comforting clack-clack of a loom and the smell of herbs.

She sat up quickly, regretting it almost at once as her head and body protested violently, and discovered that she was in a soft bed in the healer’s cottage. Her head was swathed in bandages and her mouth was dry and cottony.

The healer, a kind woman named Rishan, bustled over, abandoning her weaving. Taking in Chiroptera’s pained expression and her hunched shoulders, she immediately forced her back onto the bed.

Chiroptera allowed herself to be laid back down as she searched for her connection to Chirokma.

Chirokma? Are you okay?

A blistering reply came back instantly. Am I okay? I’m not the one who collapsed in the middle of the road! You...just...argh!!!

Please, calm down! It’s not like I meant to do it! Chiroptera protested.

I suppose not. Chirokma groused. But you better not do it again.

All right. Chirokma agreed, smiling a little at her slight victory. She turned back to the healer. “What happened?” she asked, “Should I be worried?”

“You fainted from the heat. It’s nothing to worry about, although you did manage to get a nasty bump on your head when you hit the ground.” Rishan replied, her voice soothing. “Even so, you shouldn’t be up and about for another couple of hours, and you shouldn’t exert yourself for a few days after that.”

Chiroptera started to protest. “But I have flyover duty and – “

“Ah ah ah!” Rishan scolded. “You might have more dizzy spells while you’re flying, and we can’t have you crashing, can we?”

“No.” Chiroptera agreed reluctantly. “But I can help the other sentries, at least! I won’t even fly a little bit; I’ll just stay on the ground and take messages. And if I feel even the slightest bit dizzy I’ll come right back here, I promise!” She turned a pleading gaze to Rishan, willing her to understand.

It wasn’t like she didn’t want to stay in bed all day, but she also didn’t want people to think she was getting preferential treatment because of who she was.

Rishan glared at her for a moment before acquiescing. “All right, but be sure to come back if you feel even the slightest bit of discomfort.” She nodded at Chiroptera, her look gently understanding. “Go on then, shoo!”

Chiroptera nodded once, clambering out of the bed and heading for the door, removing the bandages as she went.

“And be careful!” Rishan yelled at her retreating back. “Please be careful,” she repeated softly under her breath, watching as Chiroptera disappeared around the corner.

---

A few hours later she stumbled into her bathroom, stripping off her sweat-soaked clothes as she approached the tub. She slid into the waiting bath and scrubbed the day’s worries away, letting the strain seep from her body.

She stepped from the tub when she felt her skin begin to wrinkle, and she dried herself off thoroughly before stepping into her finest clothing, anticipating some sort of to-do for her birthday.

She turned out to be quite correct in her assumptions. When she reached the platform at the bottom of Chirokma’s trunk, she was greeted with cries of “Surprise!” and a shower of brightly colored leaves from Chirokma.

Her parents had set up an elaborate ball to celebrate her coming-of-age, and it seemed that nearly the entire community had been invited. She turned to Chirokma’s trunk as a thought occurred to her.

Yes? Chirokma asked in answer to her unasked question. What is it?

You helped them plan this! Oh, you sneak!

Chirokma merely shrugged, sending another spray of leaves down on her.

Chiroptera rolled her eyes and turned back to the party, nearly colliding with her father as she did so.

“Well, what do you think?” He asked, spreading his arms to encompass the whole gathering.

“It’s great, Dad!” Chiroptera said with false enthusiasm. “I really love the…colors!”

“I thought you’d like it!” he said, laying an arm across her shoulders and steering her towards a knot of people her own age. “Why don’t you go and talk with those girls over there? They seem eager to see you.” He gave her a small shove towards the group and departed, giving her a friendly wave and leaving her to face the sharks alone.

The girl closest to her gave her a predatory smile. “Happy birthday, Chiroptera,” she grinned, showing her pointed teeth, “I hope you get everything you want.”

“Ummm, thanks Ropteri.” She paused for a moment, searching for something appropriate to say. She was saved as a large hand descended on her shoulder.

Chiroptera spun around to face her savior and was greeted by a smiling young man. “I’m sorry to interrupt, girls,” he said, his handsome face leaving them swooning, “but I really must steal this lady away for a moment. If you’ll excuse us?” He pulled Chiroptera away without waiting for a response from the staring girls.

He turned to Chiroptera. “I hope you don’t mind,” he said, flashing a winning smile, “but it didn’t seem like you were enjoying yourself. I didn’t mean to cause you any discomfort.”

“Oh, no, you didn’t! I was…I mean…” Chiroptera stuttered, floored by his blunt statement.

He grinned at her as she tried to collect herself, his smile widening at her discomfort. She finally got herself under control.

“Thanks.” She said once she had her voice back under control. “I didn’t think I’d ever get away!”

“It’s my pleasure to serve, ma’am.” He said, sending a mock bow in her direction, his voice overly formal. “If I may ask but one boon from a beautiful lady?”

“I might grant it if I knew the asker’s name.” She said, her eyes glinting playfully.

“Oh, I apologize,” he said, appropriately contrite. “My name is Pteropon, and I would like to ask you for this dance.”

Chiroptera nodded her head and offered her hand to Pteropon as he led her across the floor. Soon he had her laughing and smiling, her mind free of any birthday-related gloom.

All too soon, though, other young men came to ask for their turn, and as she couldn’t refuse them without seeming rude, Chiroptera had to dance with each one of them. On her ninth turn with what seemed to be the same shallow, boring man, she felt her headache returning. Her partner prattled on about some hunt he had participated in, oblivious to her discomfort.

Her pain quickly escalated, mounting from merely distracting to blinding, and she started to gasp for breath. Snapping out of his self-involved haze, her dance partner began to lead her off the dance floor, but it was too late.

Bright-white pain lanced across the backs of Chiroptera’s eyelids as she squeezed them shut, and her body began to convulse wildly. Her escort dropped her to the floor and backed away as other guests called for the healer.

A bright flare of light from the twitching form on the floor caught everyone by surprise, and they were left blinking the spots from their eyes for a few moments after. The first one to see clearly gasped, a loud sound in the eerily silent room.

“She’s a human!” he cried, panic edging his words.

Great. Chiroptera thought as she slipped into unconsciousness for the second time that day. I knew I hated birthdays for a reason.