Okay, sorry about that last chapter.

Stelmaria had only gotten a few hours of good sleep in before the sun rose up over the tree tops. The rain clouds had finally departed, making the sunlight brighter than ever. The yellow rays washed over her and warmed her usually shiny fur.

Letting out a yawn, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and opened them. Then, she remembered the events from the previous night. She shuddered, thinking of the look on Slade's face. But, today was a new day, and, she was going to make the best of it.

Stretching her limbs, she rose to her feet and shook herself. She looked up at the empty branches above her. Deciding she was the only one up, she didn't think it'd be necessary to bother the slumbering squirrels with a goodbye. So, she spread her wings and jumped from the branch.

A few effortless flaps, and she was off. She cast one more glance at the tree before disappearing behind the branches of another.

She flew slowly to take in her new surroundings, and, to tell the truth, she was really liking what she was seeing. Wide open spaces, beautiful landscapes, clear streams...Water! Her eyes lit up at the sight of the river. She was so thirsty.

Landing at the very edge, she bent her head down and took a good, long drink. The cold, refreshing liquid slid down her chin as she lifted her head once more to take a breath. Then, scooping some up in her paws, she began to groom her fur, washing out the clumps of dirt and bits of leaf. Pretty soon, she was her beautiful, glossy self again. The bruises and cuts weren't that attractive, but, her looks mattered little to her. She just felt better now that her fur was clean again.

Then, her ears pricked as she heard footsteps approaching. With her great hearing, she could make out the heavy steps of something large, and, the light steps of a smaller creature. Then, she heard voices.

"--Now, like i said before, Boogster," Said a light male voice. "Bumblebees are not meant to fly. The body's to big, the wings are to small. Do the math! It's not logical!"

Then, a second voice, this one slightly deeper, and, a bit older, said, "Don't start talking to me about logic, Elliot. And, this has nothing to do with logic!"

Then the first voice said. "Buddy, I've told you a million times! It's the Incredible Mr. E! And...what does logic mean, anyway?"

Stelmaria looked around to find the source of the voices. At first, she saw nothing, then, out of the trees, came a large grizzly bear and a scrawny mule deer that was missing both antlers. They ambled up to the water's edge, still chatting away. They didn't even notice her until they both sat down.

"Oh...hello." Said the bear, smiling down at her.

Stelmaria smiled back. "Hi."

Then, the deer saw her and smiled as well. "Hey, what's up?"

"I don't think i've seen you around here before." The bear said. "New?"

"Um...I guess you could say that." Stelmaria said with a sheepish grin. "Yeah."

"Well, it's nice to meet you." The bear said. "I'm Boog. And, this is Elliot." The bear gestured to his deer friend.

"Pst! Boogster!" The deer whispered. "Incredible Mr. E! Remember?"

The bear rolled his eyes.

The female bat laughed. "It's nice to meet you, too. I'm Stelmaria."

"Well, Stelmaria, welcome to the good life. You know, you could always hang out with us if you want to take a tour or anything." Boog said.

"Yeah." Elliot agreed. "It's always cool to add another buddy to the group."

Stelmaria laughed. "Thank you. I'd really appreciate it."

"Sweet!" Elliot said. "This is so cool! Our first female member to the team!"

Stelmaria grinned widely. She'd only been here a few hours, and, all ready she was beginning to feel welcome. Maybe now she could live a peaceful life, without having to worry about Slade 24/7.