It had been cycles since Flit's wings had finally dried, and he had grown into them now. He was still small, but he found it much easier now to flit and flutter from flower to flower as he drank nectar, and moreover, he rarely needed to land. Eridanus had become his paradise; in Rift's garden he had made his home, weaving himself a nest with small and delicate paws. Day by day he became more adventurous as he became surer of himself, and ventured further and further from home.

He'd become lost then; the cavern was so big that Flit feared he'd never find his way home.

That was when he'd found the tunnel. He'd perched on a branch overlooking it, and watched for a while. Eridanus had been his entire world; Flit had never considered that there might be anything beyond it.

Flit had been fearful of the thought of leaving; but something kept drawing him back, insatiable curiosity bringing him ever closer to the hole. And now was to be the time that he finally dropped from hsis lookout branch and fluttered out into the tunnel. The untrained eye could have mistaken him for a butterfly, escaped from Eridanus' confines. Occasionally he'd stop, perching on a rock or ledge upon the wall, to glance back and ahead, and keep look out. It was a lot less colourful out here; and the timid little creature felt his anxiety mounting. There were fewer places in the tunnel for a mouse to hide.

More than once, he considered turning back. But surely, at the end of the tunnel, there had to be more than just stone?

It was as he alighted on a jutting stone on the tunnel wall that Flit saw the rat, and swayed; fragmented vision taking in every little detail. Flit had seen the occasional rat on the forest floor before- but he'd never seen one up close. He'd never considered talking to them- but then, most creatures didn't consider talking to him, until he spoke first. Little wings fluttered, bringing him closer. The rat looked familiar; with little pink paws and a twitching, whiskery nose. Flit was entranced by the sight of the young one licking the wall, but something akin to fear kept him at bay. Some instinctive part of him knew that he'd be barely a snack for a hungry cave rat. But this one was smaller than the ones he was used to seeing.

Was there food there? Did the walls bleed nectar? Flit hadn't realized just how hungry he was becoming. He'd left Eridanus some time ago, and he hadn't seen a flower since.

Flit fluttered onto a lower ledge, the orb on the end of his tail tinkling as it struck the cave wall. His ears flattened fearfully against his head and he alighted. He folded his wings against his back. Now there was just a small mouse's face peering down at him, feathery antenna waving.

"E-excuse me?" the little mouse began timidly."Can you talk?"

"Speech."

Flit startled in a similar manner to the stanger- as he sprang away and fled, Flit shot straight upwards, catching himself with his wings, and quickly perched on a higher ledge, looking down with whiskers fluttering. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he squeaked hastily. "I didn't mean to frighten you!" Flit had never scared anyone before- he was unprepared for the guilt that flushed through him, following closely as soon as he'd made it to safety himself. He was so small- how could anyone be afraid of him?

The rat's initial fear response would have suggested that they couldn't speak- but as the rat did, the small one's relief, and joy, were tangible- even if the question was very, very strange.

"Yes! I do! Of course I do!" he said, just as quickly. He flittered his wings as he turned around and leaned over the edge of the ledge which was, perhaps, four feet off the ground. He hesitated, then, cautiously, as though worried that this was a normal greeting, repeated the young one's question back at him. "Are... Are yours?"

He fluttered back down to the lower ledge, still clearly nervous, but pink eyes bright with curiosity.

"Speech."

The rat's excitement helped to soothe the nervousness that still lingered. As he scampered over to the ledge, Flit leaned further over, and it only took a fe moments more of listening and consideration before he fluttered down to meet him on the ground. The rat towered over him, even as Flit folded colourful moth-wings at his back and sat up, small pink paws folded against his chest. "Oh, no! How awful," he murmured, clasping his paws to his chest. The rat's mention of the den-home- a strange word for a place he'd never seen- filled Flit with a strange apprehension. "Others?"

He thought back to Wrath, and Rift- whose faces still didn't fail to bring a twinge of apprehension- but whose voices and words set the mouse's mind at ease. "I've met large creatures before- frightening- but they've never been unkind."

Flit perked up as the rat asked about where he came from. "My name is Flit! I come from... Eridanus." That was right, wasn't it? "It's a massive place, full of leaves and flowers, and wonderful smells! I made my home there! This is my first time outside. I... don't know if I like it so much." The fluttermouse, too, glanced around as the rat did. There were few places to hide here, only bare rocks. Should it come down to it, Flit could fly away- but he was fearful of what would happen to the larger and more grounded rat. "It also has lots of places to hide!" he added.

"Speech."

"Oh, Eridanus is lovely! It's a place full of flowers and plants bigger than either of us! There are so many different colours and smells and nectars to drink and fruits...! You'd love it." The den-home didn't sound nearly so appealing. Flit found himself wondering then, if there were different kinds of rats and mice from each room. Was that what he was? Perhaps there were other fluttermice and rats or... something! It would explain why Flit was so much brighter and had wings and ate nectar. "It doesn't sound anything like the den-home, though."

The fluttermouse pattered closer, pink nose twitching and feelers waving almost close enough to tickle the rat's belly. Then he was sitting up too- thick yellow mane puffing up. He looked up at the rat with bright pink eyes and his nose wrinkled as he took in the rat's... unusual smell.

The fluttermouse considered the rat's explanation- the words that meant 'me'. He looked thoughtful, tipping his head to one side, ears perking forward. "Well... I also know 'rat'. I've seen rats before, I think, and others have said the word. But I've never heard-- 'Archimedes', before. So that must be your name!" It was a very long name, and a bit of a mouthful. From Flit, to Wrath, to Rift, Flit had never really dealt with long names before. "I didn't know the word 'mouse' when I was first born, but that's what others compared me to." He couldn't help but wince at the memory of Rift's comparison, showing little yellow teeth. The big cat had- unwisely- noted that he used to eat mice. And that had been a harsh reality check for the little one.

"Yes, of course! Eridanus is much better than this place. I'd love to show you it!" The little Fluttermouse backed away, and then flitted up into the air, alighting a short way down the tunnel. Then he turned back towards the rat. "That is, if you want to come!"

"Speech."

The little mouse nodded, folding his wings back once again as he waited for the rat to catch up. "I flew here- so it might be quite a walk," the fluttermouse said as the rat caught up.

It had been a fun venture- the fluttermouse now knew that more existed outside the boundaries of their home cave, and he was ecstatic at the thought of having found Archimedes- like himself in so many ways, and yet so unlike him, too. But he was hungry now, and homesick, and he was excited to be returning home. Really, he'd wanted to for quite some time- it was bleak, cold and lifeless out here- and he didn't like it that much.

Surely there had to be more- but for now, just knowing there was a world out here was enough. As the rat caught up, the fluttermouse set off ahead in a slow waddle before fluttering ahead by a few paces. His crawling pace was awfully slow, even when compared to the rat's normal walking pace, more like the walk of an insect. "Oh, nectar is the best! It's what you find when you stick your head far enough into a flower. It's like water, but very sweet and sticks to your whiskers!"

He chuckled, using little paws to demonstrate a grooming motion over his face. After a moment he fluttered on, but only by a few inches.

"Speech."