Two arms. Two legs. A torso and a head. Weak human muscles. Pathetic human senses. Detrimental human skin. These were the things that ran through Amber's head as she waited for the helicopter to land back at the Sanctuary vehicle bay. She didn't look out the window nor did she say a single word to the pilot. There was nothing to say.

Words. They were another human thing. Words had so many uses, all of which worked to convey ideas to others. Or at least that was the idea. Words didn't matter in the wild, not when it was life or death, eat or be eaten. The world was so much simpler without them, would be simpler without them. Her world, certainly, had been simpler. But was it better.

Amber's world was about to include words once again. It was her choice to re-enter the world of words, wasn't it? So didn't that make the better by default? Because she was choosing the world of words over the world of of basic needs? That meant something didn't it? So why did she still feel so conflicted.

The pilot was saying something and Amber ignored him. It might have been to announce that they were nearing their destination but, then again, it might have been a hundred other things as well. Words. He was speaking them and she wasn't listening to them. Because, for such a long time, words hadn't meant anything. Words were a human thing and she wasn't human. Not anymore. Or was she?

The lights of the city were below the helicopter but Amber didn't pay attention to those either. The lights were the mark of the human world, the world she was coming back to. The world she hadn't actually meant to leave and yet, now that she was back she wasn't sure she would ever belong to again. She wasn't sure if she wanted to belong to it again. Life. It was simpler without human things like lights and words. Humans were complicated. And weak. She wanted to be strong.

Only when Sanctuary came into view was Amber finally drawn from inside her own head. Sanctuary meant family and family was the one thing she was certain of. It was because of her pack that she had agreed to come back, because only while human could she be returned to her pack. No pack existed for a creature millions of years extinct, except for the one back at Sanctuary.

The helicopter landed and Amber got to he feet, gathering up army green robes around her. She didn't say anything to the pilot who waved her off, nor acknowledged his pretense at all. He was not pack. He didn't matter. Not to her. Aura mattered. And Abyss. And all her giant red skinned uncles. All of them mattered. She looked forward to seeing them again and that was such a human thought. Perhaps she was still human after all. Maybe.

Aura had been thrilled when she heard the news that Amber had been located. Amber had been the only sister Aura could ever recall having. Aura recalled fondly the day at the the Plant Mutant's store with the boom girl. Their had been a lot of fire, at least a half dozen dead and the shop had been leveled. They had robbed a museum for the old rocks that powered her sisters mutation and she had gathered a large number of ancient swords. It was not until well after she learned most of which were useless for combat, many had been made purely for ceremonial purposes, most of these gem encrusted blades, Aura had thrown out when they broke.

Aura was early, Amber had not been scheduled to land for another fifteen minutes. Aura found her mind wondering to the last missing person she cared about, Meld. They had separated in Canada, Aura deeply regretted the move. Shaking her mind from what she deemed another past failure she looked up at the sky. She heard the helicopter before she saw it and turned to watch it. She only glanced at a Sanctuary staff member who advised her, that standing where she was would be fatal.

Moving back from the landing, Aura watched. Aura admired the form of the helicopter and the spinning blades that kept it aloft. Dressed in a black tank top and black shorts, Aura ignored the heat of the day for the most part.

Once landed Aura realized the helicopter opened on the other side. Moving around the machine Aura caught a glimpse of Amber from Behind at first. A glimpse of white skin confirmed what Aura already assumed. It was Amber, the only person she ahd met with that shade of skin.

"Been awhile dear Sister, it is good to see you well with my own eyes" she said with a smile. A pink wisp of her Aura flickered in front of her face momentarily, then With a shrug the Aura gathered around her wrist and from it formed a flyswatter. She was unsure if amber would recall, their trip camping in which Aura had learned to make it. SHe let the flyswatter fade away. "It is good to have you home as well. I have missed you deeply. I had fear Humans may have harmed or killed you" Aura continued.

Amber's first step upon the solid ground of Sanctuary sent a cascade of memories through her brain. Memories were another very human thing, something a predator had no use for, aside from remembering where safety lie and where prey lie. Memories were something so bitter sweet, some of them cherished and others better left forgotten. The good wants she wanted to keep, but it wasn't possible to have to good without the bad. That was something she'd have to learn to accept. Or relearn to accept.

Seeing her sister for the first time in more than a year, Amber smiled. Her black eyes blinked, trying to stave off the tears that threatened to trickle out of them. She had forgotten what it was like to have pack, to have family, and that was a memory she wanted to keep. Aura was exactly as she remembered her being, the same when Amber herself knew how very different she now was. Maybe she wasn't in appearance, but her soul, the essence of her being, was no longer human if it ever had been.

"Aura." Amber's voice was hoarse with misuse. Words. So many words that many so many things. She remembered struggling with words before, her stutter something she could never find a way to eliminate. And now? Now words meant something different. They were human, a mark of whatever humanity remained to her. Perhaps they weren't something she wished to do away with entirely. Perhaps that humanity was important. Or perhaps it wasn't; she was no longer in a position to figure that out.

"No one killed me," Amber answered. If her voice was hoarse, then at least it came out smoothly and stutter free. That was different, as so many things were now different. "I am glad to see you alive and well also." More words than she had spoken in many months. So strange to have words returned to her. She wanted to hug her sister, to show her with actions how happy she was to be home, but she didn't know if it was appropriate. Human rules of socialization that she had forgotten. So many things to relearn and remember.

"Abyss and the others have missed you greatly as well, Aura said knowing it was true. "I am well physically, though the humans have hurt me Here. She said pointing to her head. The wounds of learning her own past were still deep, but she would live and her sister was far more important to her.

Aura was unsure what to do in this situation, she was never a close and touchy person, but she also knew people tended to comfort each other through closeness. "Remember when we robbed that Museum? And when me, you and boom girl accidentally wiped out that plant mutants shop?" she asked, fondly recalling both adventures. The plant guy had been pretty mad but Aura had never quite understood if he was mad from the ruined building or if he just did not like them.

"So what have you been up to all this time? Aura asked curiously. She had heard vague details but not much more. Aura was curious about a great many things concerning her sister. Still she had dissipeared for a time herself, as had Syn and others. Aura wondered if such a thing was endemic to her people or just a result of Huamnitys control over their planet caused it somehow. It was true that many Sanctuary residents were being looked for by the local athoraties, herself included.

Aura waived her sister to follow, she knew light was no good for her and thought she might feel more comfortable within Sanctuary, instead of the roof of the Vehicle bay. It was a very cloudy but warm day as well. "The place is the same as it use to be, not to much has changed" she said which was true, Sanctuary walls and even rooms had been rebuilt but their was no sign of the remodeling anymore.

Amber wasn't sure what to think at the mention of her family actually missing her. She hadn't meant to leave and now that she was back, she wasn't sure any of her emotions even made sense anymore. Emotions meant nothing to a Predator and that's what she was now. Wasn't she?

"I will not allow any humans to hurt my pack. I am back now and as pack, we take care of each other. Right?" It seemed right to her. It was something both sides of herself could agree on. The human side said family was important and that family helped family, and the Predator side said that pack was important and pack was family. "If I must, I will kill for you."

Of course the question would come up regarding where she had been and Amber wasn't entirely certain how to answer that question. "I didn't mean to leave. That was an accident. I got shipped to Brazil and spent the last year there, living as a dienonychus. I think...I think I may have done some things that the human part of me condemns. I am no longer human." How could she possibly explain what those words actually meant, except to say positively that they were true? Would her sister still claim support of her, knowing what she had probably done? "My memory isn't very clear."

It was only because Amber knew how short the walk was between the vehicle bay and Sanctuary that she followed Aura outside. One advantage of her time away was her increased understanding of how her power worked and the reduced likelihood of accidentally shifting when stressed. She smiled slightly, upon seeing the familiar sight of Sanctuary. "I am glad to be home."

Aura listened to her sister with interest her words were odd, but it was the offer from Amber to kill for her that caught the Pink devil off guard. Amber had been rather gentile before she dissopeared, willing to break the law when needed. Perhaps her time in the forest's of south America had done her sister good and Aura had no idea what the name of the Dinosaur Amber named. Still Aura assumed it was a predator of some sort.

Amber had a stronger, fiercer feel to her Aura found invigorating. "You were never human, My sister. We are Mutants, we are the human predator. We are Mutants and many of us bear the shame of our pasts. We do what we must to survive, i have killed those of our blood simply because i did not know. I feel the shame but by living and insuring our people have their rightful place as this planets new dominant species. " Aura said with a shrug.

"It is good to have you home. Things here are as they always were, all Mutant's. Abyss will be here shortly im sure. The police have a team of mutants to deal with Mutant related crimes. I suppose they got tired of a high death rate. she said looking back with a smile. "AByss's sister has also come back to sanctuary" Aura said. Aura understood vaguely that Syn was family, she still saw her as a leader.

Abyss all but stampeded with five of his six brothers in tow the door came off the hinges and was tossed to the side, on the rooftop. It was material and un important, The third of four woman that were lost to him had been delivered back into his life, the only one that remained lost was Deathstar, but that was unimportant at the moment, she would return when and if she liked.

He grinned at the girl before him, she had grown some since he had last seen her and she didn't seem quite as small. the smile on his face said eveything that time hadn't given him the chance to exclaim. "Amber!" He scooped the girl into his arms and gave as much of a hug as he dared. 'We've missed you!" other large red arms surrounded her in a group hug, Mercury insured that Aura was smushed into the huddle as well.

"Our little family is whole once more."Jupiter announced ignoring the fact that Pluto was Awol.

Mars wedged his arms protectively around Aura and Amber and pried his brothers away. "let's not smother that family, now that it is."

Amber didn't know whether or not she was once human. Once she had felt human, she knew that much, but perhaps that was just illusion or cruel trick. Or not so cruel trick as, now that she knew she wasn't human she didn't greatly miss it. Some might say she was less than human, as a mutant predator, but she preferred to think of herself as more. She had experienced things no human could and come to the understanding that some of the things humans held so dear were inconsequential.

Amber smiled at her sister, feeling the peace of being at home among kin. "Perhaps we can go hunting sometime." It was her greatest dream to have a packmate to hunt with, the one thing she had missed in Brazil and, perhaps, ultimately the thing that had brought her back home. "I have always had to hunt alone." Her senses, she knew, would be superior to her sister's but she knew Aura had experience hunting. She would make a good packmate.

Amber didn't have time to say anything more before Abyss and his brothers came into view and, before she could so much as utter a peep, she was scooped up in a giant bear hug. She embraced him back, all be in far less vigorously, before her feet were once again permitted to touch the floor.

"I am sorry to have left you all and am very happy to finally be back home among pack and kin." She couldn't stop the grin of happiness upon her face. Despite everything, this was where she was meant to be, among these people.

It had been some time since Aura could recall hunting with someone else and even then the memories were fabrication. Still Aura liked hunting weather people or other more common game. The idea of using a partner in a hunt seemed wonderful, she knew amber was real and was family, or pack as she called it. "I would enjoy the opportunity, though i fear their is Little prey that be on par with us" she said first as a joke, but considering their powers, Aura was unsure much would get to far.

Then Aura swung her head around as the door to the roof was knocked away. The large red figured relaxed her and at once her aura almost faded away until she was pulled into the rather close hug. Aura accepted it, even letting her aura fade entirely. She smiled, happy her sister was once again counted among them. To many of their kind disappeared suddenly, it was an issue that bothered Aura.

"It seems to happen far to often among out kind, even i disappeared for a few months to Japan" she said trying to comfort her sister, Comfort was not one of Aura's stronger points she knew. She was simply to happy that her sister had returned safe and without harm. "Syn has returned as well, sister, she is a relation as well i believe" Aura said knowing Syn was related to abyss but not recalling quite how.

“Life takes us in odd directions at times my dear.” Abyss spoke quietly. ‘But the past is just that.” He then grinned and nodded to Aura. “ She would be an Aunt to both of you, and she might act the part if she deigns to.” Mercury grinned at that comment, Syn enjoyed being cold. Or so he thought.

“Now that we are all here, what shall we do? have you missed anything in paticualr? Hot showers, soft beds, steaks you don’t have to hunt?” Saturn suggested.

Jupiter shook his head. “ No food tastes as good as food you have caught yourself.” The thrill of the hunt made up for any edge that gourmet food might have had otherwise. It made him sad that he was likely the only one of his brothers that realized it. Still there was something to be said for a thick steak you didn’t have to work for.