YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME [joining]

[Soleil]

[div style="margin: 0 auto; border-width:0; width: 70%; text-align: justify; line-height: 1.5; font-family: arial; font-size: 9pt;"]The ground was muddy and wet beneath her hooves. Sometimes it was mushy enough for her to sink up to her ankles, staining caramel fur a darker shade of brown. She had never been too bothered by dirt. Muddy fur was fixed easily with a nice warm bath, but that didn't mean that she found the trek pleasant. The squelching of the mud beneath her took away any stealth that she would have otherwise had, leaving her presence known and body vulnerable. Perhaps it was her past as a theif, but there was something unsettling about not having the upper hand. At any moment some crazy animals could leap from the shadows and ambush her, and without the powers she had grown accustomed to, she would be completely at their mercy. A huff left her at the thought, long ears falling defeatedly around her neck. It didn't help her nerves that she was comprised of prey animals, surely someone would see her as a snack (and not even in the flattering way).

It was many minutes of sticky mud and and dark thoughts before she finally came across a border, or at least what she assumed was the border. The directions she had received a day or two ago had all but faded completely from her mind. Her brain wasnt one for retaining information, but its not like she could write the instructions down. No, that would require a pen and paper and opposible thumbs, none of which she had. Stars, how she envied monkeys, with their funky little hands and strange tools. She wished she had the opportunity to draw or write or... whatever else they did with their creepy little fingers. Still, she doubted hands would look flattering on a form like hers, very little did. She knew she shouldn't wish to become even more of a mismatched mutant. Soleil huffed and sank to her haunches, rabbit nose twitching in a futile attempt to pick up any animalian scents. Impossible with all the mud stench that hung in the air. Her face crinkled up a bit, and she decided to call out, breaking all her rules of subtlety and suprise.

"Hello?"