AU. Five-year old Elizabeth and her best friend, the Songbird, have fled Columbia after the Vox destroyed her home.
AU.
Elizabeth was just five years old, when her world literally came crashing down, the only way out? Opening a tear into a different world. Now, she and Songbird must thrive in the new environment, separated from her own kind. Only the Songbird, a beast of leather and metal with a heart of gold, cares for her.
Elizabeth held the 'bird-caller' in her small hands, staring down at it, as if it might burst into a thousand pieces if she took her eyes off of it. The young girl stood alone on the balcony of the large library, sunlight shining through the large window behind her, casting her small shadow over the balcony, and onto the floor below. Her hands gripped the instrument, shaking as it nearly broke in two. She turned, the instrument's finish glittering in the sunlight like a jewel, or the pristine beaches she always dreamed of. Raising it to her lips, she blew, playing the notes she knew by heart. Setting it down onto the wooden floor, she waited, staring out the wide window expectantly.
'Please come, please come' she thought, stepping backward to get a better view of the clear, blue sky above.
She didn't have any reason to fret, of course, he always came, even when she wasn't expecting him. He was always there for her, whether it was his company, or he just brought books for her. It was mostly the latter, but he stayed when he could...
...still though...
A telltale screech filled the air, as well as the sound of heavy claws thumping harshly against the walls outside snapped her out of her thoughts. An enormous shadow blotted out most of the sunlight as it moved to the window high above, dousing her in its form. With a practiced hand, the great figure unlatched the window, and entered the room, squeezing its wings through. The wings were broad, and large, allowing him the capability of flight, even though there were a few holes among the outer edges.
The floor shook beneath her as he landed, his glowing, green eyes staring down at her, a small bag in his grasp.
"Is that what I think it is?" she asked excitedly, running up to him. She grabbed hold of one of his large legs, meeting his gaze.
He nodded, lowering his great fist to the floor. He released the bag from his gasp, and she went to it, opening it like a christmas present- quickly and excitedly.
"Thank you!" she said elatedly, clutching the books to her chest. He responded by rubbing his hand against her cheek, the small girl leaning into the affectionate gesture.
Taking the books, she headed down the stairs, her shoes echoing throughout the empty library. Elizabeth got to the table, and she set the pile down, moving papers and other miscellaneous things out of the way. As she did so, she saw him leap over the railing of the balcony, and land on the first floor. She smiled at him again, imagining he was returning the gesture.
He walked over to her, somewhat clumsily as he tried prevent his wings from knocking the books from their places on the shelves. He came to a crouch, watching her with interest as she dove into the books he brought. She sat down, a book in hand, and rested her head against his knee, losing herself in the adventure in the pages behind the cover.
He landed, his claws digging into the rock of the Monument, stabilizing himself as he made his way over to the window built into the stonework. Cracking open the window, he squeezed through, his wide, leathery wings slipping through as the wind raged on outside. Shutting it, he hopped down to the balcony, being careful not to damage the bag in his claws.
"Is that what I think it is?!" the small girl asked, excitement in her voice as she ran to him.
He stared down at his hatchling, hugging his kneecap as her sparkling blue eyes connected with his.
He nodded, his fist clunking as it gently met the floor, releasing the bag from his grip. She dug into the bag excitedly, pulling the books from the bag.
"Thank you!" she said joyfully, holding the books close to her person.
His large hand set itself against her cheek, gently rubbing up and down as she hummed happily.
She was his hatchling, and he'd always protect her, no matter what.
She took the books, and practically skipped down the stairs, careful not to drop her cargo. As she was about to reach the table, he leapt over the railing, spreading his wings to slow his descent. He landed rather roughly, his body making a commotion as he stood, walking over to the small thing already cracking open a book with a faded brown cover. With yet more clanking and grinding, he managed to crouch next to his charge, his great head tilting to the side so he too, could catch a glimpse of what she was reading. She sighed happily, then tilted, setting her head against his armored knee. He guessed that he was content, laying his arm down in order to support himself.
"See that?" she asked from below.
He was brought into the present, and arched his head, appearing to stare at the wall, when actually, one of his eyes was pointed downward, in her direction. She was pointing to a picture in the book, of a girl in pigtails, wearing a checkered dress, walking a path with a man of straw, as well as a metal man.
'A man of tin...' he mused, almost bitter.
"Where did you find this one?" she asked, pointing to the same book.
He shrugged, careful not to crush the fragile thing beneath him.
"Where you usually get 'em, huh?"
He nodded- the action would appear odd to anyone watching, given the position of his head.
She suddenly set the book down, and stood, himself doing the same. Plucking it from the floor, she set the book onto the table with the others, in a 'to-read' pile for later. Yawning, she stretched her small arms.
"I think I might take a nap," she said tiredly "could you please wake me up if Ms. Lutece comes again?"
He nodded, knowing the exception to his rules of protection applied to the mysterious woman. She was one of the few people he trusted, and he knew she knew the consequences if she harmed his charge.
Picking up his discarded bag, he slung its small strap over his shoulder, securing it into place as he flared his wings. Eyes turning to the girl, he thought a moment, before they closed. He'd stay with her, he felt he was needed. After all, as much as he protected her, he never really had the chance to just...be...with her. Taking one last glance around the library, he settled into one corner, his wings flexing as he crouched. His hunched form sat, and after a short time, his eyes went dark, shutting off as he took in the sounds of the silent summer day outside.
Unbeknownst to him, a thousand feet below, trouble stirred, in the form of the protesters of Comstock, namely, the Vox Populi. The mob had fought for control of the Monument, knowing that if they took down the Lamb, Comstock's reign would crumble soon after. The riotous group stormed the entrance, pouring out of the crammed cable car, armed to the teeth with knives, guns, and other makeshift weapons. All the while, many shouting 'Bring it down!' or 'It ends now!'. Unfortunately for them, the platoons stationed on the island were armed as well, most of them sniping in the parapets, or lobbing fireballs into the oncoming crowd. Bullets peppered the walls of the entrance, bouncing off the stonework as a few attacked from the sky-rails, bombarding the guards inside.
Songbird awoke, his eyes flashing yellow as he felt the floor rumble beneath his feet. He stood, taking a short time to stretch his wings. He then flew to the window, throwing it open as the harsh winds greeted him. He stretched his wings once more, and jumped, propelling himself as he cirlced the island, his eyes picking out a crowd storming the entrance. He grew enraged, angered at their actions. He wouldn't let them get to her, not if he had anything to say about it. Snapping his wings closed, he dove, as he grew closer, he righted himself, his claws outstretched, prepared to greet the ground rushing to meet him. He landed, crushing a few of the rioters and cracking the pavement beneath him. He swung his fists, flinging the armed protesters this way and that. The ones near the front took notice of his prescence, and turned to open fire, bullets tearing away at the top layer of his thick, leather hide. The battle went on, both sides refusing to back down until someone gave in. He turned, just in time to spy a group of the rebels come running out of the building, dodging and getting caught in the cross-fire.
"It's gonna blow, everyone out!" one of them shouted, miraculously being heard over the roar of gunfire and the clashing of swords.
His head snapped up to the peak of the monument, his mind growing panicked as he registered what was going on.
With a mighty screech, he shot off the ground like a rocket, speeding towards the one thing that meant more to him than his own life.
The tower was already beginning to crumble as he shot through the window, sculpted rock and metal showering him as he broke through the wall, clawing his way into the bedroom, where Elizabeth lay sleeping, oblivious to the happenings several floors below.
He gripped the heavy iron door, and pulled at it- his muscles burned as the door came free of its hinges. Relieving himself of it, he entered the room, pushing the frame as he entered, finding the young girl wide awake, and trembling in fear.
"What's happening?" she asked worriedly "What's going on?" He didn't answer as he picked her up, securing her as he ran. He felt her shaking in his arms, and it forced him to be come more determined to get her out alive. His hopes were dashed, as he felt the floor beneath him shift, indicating the tower was beginning to fall. Rock and girders were beginning to fall, as books and papers bounced off of the shelves, littering the floor. He couldn't fly out now, the entire window was bent, forcing it to be glued shut- and he couldn't just bust through the wall while he was carrying Elizabeth.
"Put me down, put me down!" she cried over the din.
He hesitantly obeyed, staying close and shielding her from the falling debris with a broad wing.
Making a break for the stairs, she ran as he moved to shield her- the small girl quickly grabbed the whistler, then frantically glanced around, as if something might leap out and grab her. She held her hands in front of her, as if she were stumbling in the dark. Bringing her hands together, they flung apart with difficulty, opening a window-like vaccuum, sucking in loose debris.
"C'mon! We need to go!" she shouted over the noise of the collapsing building, desperately tugging at his large hand.
He followed, ever obedient, and questioning how she managed to do this...and ready for anything, to protect her from anything. His vision blurred as he continued to feel her hand in his own, passing through the 'window'.
He collapsed, his armor making a racket as he felt grass beneath him. He vaguely felt Elizabeth's small hand stroke his head as he steadily lost consciousness. He willed himself to get up, to force himself upright.
"Shhh...please don't move, you'll...you're going to be fine...just...stay still okay? Everthing's gonna be alright-"
Though he didn't have much belief in those words, he was happy she was at least safe...
She waited, tears pricking her eyes as she sat beside her knight, hugging the great head, and running her hand along a dark eye, hoping he'd wake soon. Sniffling, she glanced around at her surroundings, finding the great bird and herself set on a patch of grass beside a dirt road, leading where or when, she had no clue.
'Please, wake up soon,' she thought, tears gathering once more as she felt the possibility he might not wake up 'I don't want to be alone...'
Her small form curled up, and sat in the safety of the crook of the bird's arm, shivering, despite the warm sunlight radiating down on them.
"Good fishing today?" Grist asked, his claws full with the net in his grasp.
"'Suppose," Sharpfeather, his friend, replied, carrying the other part of the net in order to keep it from dragging on the ground "have to count 'em when we get home"
The former nodded, and the two griffons continued carrying the net, the smell of fish permeating the air as they traveled, their destination slowly coming into view. In a hurry to get home before their cargo got worse under the summer heat, they picked up the pace, soon exchanging the grass for the dirt road ahead of them.
"Jus' a little further" Sharpfeather added helpfully, both of them stopping for the moment. "Yep" Grist responded, wiping his forehead.
"Well-" "Wait a minute..." Silence fell over the area, save for a small, miniscule noise in the distance. "I don't get it...what 'm I supposed t' be hearin'?"
Grist cuffed him upside the head.
"What sounds out of the ordinary?" he sighed, rolling his eyes.
Sharpfeather thought a moment, his ears listening intently to the silence.
"The snifflin'!" he realized.
"Exactly" the other confirmed.
"You want t' go check it out? They might be in trouble" Sharpfeather reasoned.
"Sounds like it's coming from up the road, we're going that way anyway, we'll see if we can't help 'em out"
Elizabeth felt Songbird's arm shift next to her, pulling her further into his embrace as his eye flickered to life, glowing yellow, then switching to green shortly after. Slowly, he got up on one knee, his hands on the ground as he pushed himself up.
"Please be careful," she said, concerned "we're not in a hurry, really"
He seemed to think on it, and picked her up, placing her on his shoulder as his claws dragged the ground, still exhausted from the trip through the tear. She appreciated it, really she did- here he was, carrying her, when his body must've been working overtime to catch up.
'Thank you,' she thought, rubbing the side of his neck 'for everything'
"The flying feather is that?" Grist shouted, dropping his end of the net, pointing to the monstrosity limping down the road. "Looks like it's hurt..." Sharpfeather replied, catching a quick glimpse before fumbling with the net, trying to pick up the entire thing. Now he didn't consider himself strong, but to his credit, he managed to gather the slippery net in his grasp before dropping it, a few fish slipping through the netting.
"Well, uh, what'dya suppose it is?" Grist asked, scratching at the light grey feathers lining the skin beneath his t-shirt, a nervous habit he couldn't seem to kick.
He scooped up the escaped fish, their smell reaching his nostrils faster due to the summer sun, and dropped them back into the net. He gripped his end, and lifted, working together with his friend as they hauled their catch further down the road. Ruffling his wings, he looked back to the mystery-creature, still ahead of them by a good distance.
"Well?" he said finally. "Well what?" Sharp responded. "What do you think it is?" he asked, tilting his head towards the thing. Sharp shrugged, a look of confusion adorning his beak as they continued to work. "Don't know," he said simply, then after a short time "I reckon if we'll meet 'em soon enough, if they're headin' into town" "You sure you want something like that just wandering around?" Grist asked, quirking a brow "It looks humongous!" "So are minotaurs, but you don't see anyone makin' a big deal about them" "Doesn't look like a minotaur, head looks smooth from here"
Sharp shrugged once more, shifting his grip on the net.
"Like I said, I don't know"
The continued walking in silence, the sounds of nature and the occasional rustle of the net between them the only sounds.
"Look!" Elizabeth shouted from the perch on his shoulder. He looked to where she was pointing, and found what he already knew was there: a village.
He thought he caught something scurry off in the corner of his vision, but found nothing but empty space. His loud, thumping footsteps echoed amongst the buildings ahead, huts and modern buildings alike all jumbled like an elaborate puzzle. He noticed the small girl upon his leathered shoulder give him a worried look, a faint tinge of red rebounding off of her blue dress.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her hand gently touching his neck. He looked down, and realized he'd had his fists clenched, and the red on her dress only confirmed his suspicions. Unclenching them, he chirped quietly, assuring her. He felt he could control himself perfectly well, but if someone so much as threatened to touch her, he got angry, he got angry and took it out on the offender. She was his responsibility, and he'd be damned if he'd let anything happen to her.
Looking down, he noticed (and came to the realization) that these thing weren't humans. They looked like humans, walking on two legs, yet they possessed beaks, wings, feathers, and claws, and to his greater confusion, feline features.
"Griffons!" Elizabeth said excitedly "Real live griffons!"
He didn't care what they were, they he didn't trust them, so he wasn't letting them near her. Anticipating what was going to come next, his left hand pinched the neck of her dress, preventing her from climbing down and investigating further. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading and lip quivering.
Damn it
He slowly set her down, the girl letting out a 'thank you' as she wandered the street, his watchful eye watching her every second. He might've been a beast of death and destruction, but even he couldn't say no to her sometimes- that face was just too unbearable to watch. If he could smirk, he'd do so, watching the girl's antics as she excitedly talked with a 'griffon' about the same size as her, shaking her (or was it his?) hand rapidly as the avian hybrid just regarded her with confusion, her words lost to her. She soon exhausted all of her words for the moment, allowing the griffon to return the favor, going on about her as well, then nodded to him. She replied in kind, his sensitive ears picking up every word.
"...sort of like my father" "Well, you're father's pretty big" the griffon replied, laughing. He didn't understand...was there some sort of joke he missed?
"Yeah...I guess he is..." she replied, a small laugh of her own escaping.
Something about the avian rubbed him the wrong way, he didn't know what, but he was going to be watching her.
"Hey pal, you mind?" a voice from behind him shouted. He turned, and saw a larger griffon, staring up at him. "You mind not taking up the whole street?! Some of us actually need to get through, you know!"
He wanted to backhand the boisterous humanoid, unfortunately, he was too tired to fight off all of the avians in the surrounding area if he did decide to attack the loudmouth. He simply stood, and made his way towards his charge, still being stared at by the humanoids in the rather-cramped street. As if sensing his presence, Elizabeth turned, smiling up at him.
"Hello," she said, then pointed to the small griffon "this is my new friend, Artemis"
The humanoid stared up at him with no small amount of fear, her green eyes wide.
"H-hello," she stammered, her claw outstretched "it's- it's- nice to meet you"
She was staring at him, grinning like a madman.
'What?' he thought.
Elizabeth nudged his leg.
"Shake her hand" she whispered. He turned to stare down at her, as if to ask 'Do I have to?'.
Begrudgingly, his large hand took hers, careful not to crush it, and gently shook it. Looking back down at his charge, he saw she had a toothy smile on her face.
Pleasantries were soon exchanged, and he stood by the small fountain in the square, the townsfolk laying their gazes upon him as the two girls continued to talk. He shifted on his feet, his claws instinctively digging into the dirt as he leaned closer to Elizabeth. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't think the avian humanoids weren't interesting- the closest thing he saw to these creatures was the rare occasion he saw someone utilize Murder of Crows. His ears picked up the distinct sound of rattling armor rushing down the street opposite their position- his suspicion was confirmed as three humanoids in silver armor, each armed with a spear, entered the square. His wings snapped open, and he grabbed Elizabeth, much to the young girl's displeasure. Her protests went unheard, however, as he forced his wings down, shoving himself off of the ground and into the blue skies above. He kept a tight grip on his charge, careful not to crush her.
"Where are we going?!" she shouted over the roar of the wind rushing past them.
'Somewhere safe' he thought, glancing behind him as he flew.
It was no surprise to him when he glanced back, and spied the three soldiers flapping away behind him, attempting to catch up with him. He rolled, diving head first into a cloud bank in order to lose them. His back struck the clouds, as if they were solid objects- he let out a squawk of surprise as he landed, Elizabeth bouncing out of his loosened grip.
'No!' he shouted inwardly.
She screamed as she passed right through the clouds, falling at an incredible speed. He immediately recollected himself, and sprang up, now knowing to avoid the clouds as he raced to catch her. Snapping his wings shut, he dove, arms outstretched as he rolled, missing the gathered clouds. The clouds ended, soon, and he had a more direct path, speeding towards the screaming girl, her dress billowing as fear and terror filled her eyes.
Wind rushed past him violently, his free fall bringing him closer to his charge. A silver blur, and she disappeared from his vision. His head snapped up, and saw that one of the soldiers held her, spear hidden from view. He opened his wings, catching the draft, and soared upwards, toward his target. The humanoid saw him coming, however, and darted away, over his head, and towards the other two soldiers. He let out a primal screech, charging the group as they scattered, one being nicked by one of his wings. He saw the griffon-creature spiral, losing its helmet in the process, as it collided with one of the clouds below, grunting as he landed. The two looked at each other in confusion, before nodding to each other quickly, and darting in different directions. He sped up, giving chase to the griffon carrying his charge.
He caught up, if only a little, and beat his wings faster in an effort to make it to her. He hoped he got to them quickly, his wings were beginning grow tired, and he felt the telltale sign of his back burning from exertion, knowing he couldn't keep up the speed much longer. As he flew after him, there was one question that found itself lodged into the back of his head.
'Where did the other griffon go?'
As if to answer him in some cruel, cosmic joke, a loud screech filled the air, and felt something sharp attack him from behind, forcing him to falter, gradually slowing down. He flipped, throwing the soldier from his back as he sunk in the air, growing further apart from Elizabeth. He continued to give chase, even though his body practically commanded him to stop and rest. He wouldn't, not for anything, he wouldn't stop until the offenders were nothing but a pile of feathers. The soldier attacked again, this time flying out from under him, and slashing at his front with his dagger. He grabbed at the griffon, taking him in his hands- he squeezed, hearing the crack of several ribs; but not before the griffon slashed at the tube feeding into his beak. They fell, himself falling faster than the griffon. The tube flailed wildly as his brain clogged with darkness, filling his vision with it.
'I...I failed...Elizabeth...n-no...'
His body collided with the ground, himself losing consciousness as the soldier came down, landing not far from him.
She watched in horror as her guardian fell, his respirator severed, and crashed harshly, his body lying motionless on the ground.
"N-no...no...nonononono!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face.
'He can't be gone! He's...he's...he just can't!'
"Put me down" she said, her voice wavering. She didn't have time to question why he did, all that mattered to her was seeing to her friend.
The soldier's wingbeats slowed, and the touched down, a good twenty-something yards from the Songbird's motionless body.
"No...no...you...please...please, no..." she pleaded, running towards the figure.
Out of breath and tears staining her face, she all but collapsed, inspecting his body carefully. Gashes and cuts filled both of his canvas-like wings, the most prominent being between his wings.
She tried, with all her might, to lift his massive frame, only succeeding in fueling her tears. Still, she didn't give up- he was always there for her, she'd return the favor, whether she succeeded or not.
A pair of claws suddenly seized his shoulder, the sounds of the griffon exerting himself making themselves known as he assisted her. The two of them continued trying to flip Songbird onto his back, his weight making it difficult. After what felt like hours, they finally managed to get him onto his side, gravity doing the brunt of the work as Songbird's left shoulder impacted with the grassy ground. She grabbed the air tube hanging limply off to the side, and connected it as best she could, the smooth ends refusing to stay together as the griffon seemed to search the rest of the body for any other injuries.
"D-do you have anything I can tape this together with? At least temporarily?" she asked, barely looking the griffon in the eye. He nodded, removing a thin roll of gauze from within his armor.
She hastily grabbed it, and unfurled it, rolling it around the separated pieces of tubing. Two claws invaded her vision, and held the two together while she worked, making sure they were together correctly before tying a small knot. She tested it, hoping it would work for the time being. It was loose, but it should suffice until they could repair it properly. She lay her head against the bird's great chest, hearing the comforting and outlandish sounds coming from inside, like a clock constantly breaking down and repairing itself at the same time.
She sat back, exhaustion finally taking her as she stared up at the blue skies, the clouds from which she'd fallen remaining motionless, much like her friend.
"So...who are you?" she asked, her voice tired.
She received no response.
Lazily, she sat up, and spied the griffon standing over another, the second lying on the ground as he moaned in pain.
"Sweet mother of Grifia..." the first said, bending over his fallen friend.
"Hurts..." the second gurgled, groaning in pain. "Just...just hold on, alright? We'll...we'll get you fixed up, right as rain..."
She wasn't sure he believed his own words.
He croaked once more, and was silent.
"Damn it..." the first cursed, standing as he removed his helmet, revealing the blue-tipped feathers atop his head.
He saluted, staring off into space as he held his helmet beneath his arm.
"Shriver...you were my best friend...since before boot camp..." he said, barely audible "thanks for everything, you were a damn good friend, and a helluva soldier"
The griffon turned, wiping the back of his free hand across his face.
Elizabeth felt a pang of...guilt? What for? She didn't do anything to harm him...was it regret? How could it be that? She barely knew him...
"Quick Wit" the griffon said, sitting just feet from Songbird and herself. "Wh-what?" she asked. "You asked who I was, my name is Quick Wit, second of the Third Patrol" "Oh..." "Yeah...pretty much...what's your name?" "Elizabeth..." "Strange name" "So's Quick Wit"
"Yeah...if I'm so quick, how come I just watched my best friend die right before my eyes? How come I couldn't do anything?"
"Are you cryin'?" "Yeah I'm crying," he snapped "my best friend is gone"
Her heart spiked in pain, knowing how much he was hurting, having almost gone through the same thing moments before.
"I know..." He didn't respond, the two of them just sitting in silence.
"Is there anywhere we can take him? Where he'd be safe, I mean?" she asked, after some time. "There's a farm a few miles up the road," he responded dejectedly "they've got a barn he could stay in, at least until medical can get to you" "Do you think they'd let us stay there?" "It's possible, they're kind folks- always offerin' a hot meal and somewhere ta bunk for the night to those that need it"
'I guess we'd count, then...'
"Could you please help me get him there?" she asked meekly.
The griffon sighed as he replaced his helmet, purposefully avoiding the body behind him.
"We can't lift him by ourselves," he said "I'll need to go and get help, can you stay with him and make sure he's alright?" "Of course" she said. 'Always'
"Right then"
He snapped off a quick salute, and took off, zooming towards the village. She sighed, and looked down at the Songbird, his eyes still dark as the gauze held, steadily restoring his air supply.
She began to whistle his favorite song, hoping it provided him comfort, and on a more selfish level, hoped it helped to bring him back.
Elizabeth watched in timid fascination as several griffons dug their claws under the Songbird's body, with several onlookers, as well as a large cart present in the field. They grunted in exertion as his frame was steadily lifted, his arms falling limply as the ground that supported them was removed. His frame sat on the large wagon, his wings hanging over the sides as he was set gently onto it.
A claw gently laid itself on her shoulder.
She turned, and found herself staring up at a griffon, this one appearing to be female.
"Y-yes?" she stammered.
Her new-found fear was understandable, she had just witnessed three of them take on the Songbird, heaven knows what they could do to her.
The griffon smiled sadly, empathy written on her face as she removed her claw.
"Poor thing- you must be so shaken up..." she said, crouching down to her level. "Y-yeah..." she replied meekly. "Well come along, we'll get you to the house, and maybe something to eat, yes?"
'No! What about Songbird?!'
"I...I want to s-stay with-" "Your friend is being moved to the barn on our property, you'll just be a stone's throw from him" "But- but why do I need to go?" "Sweetie, I know this is hard-" she said, cupping her face. Elizabeth flinched in response. "-but he'll get the proper care he needs, you can come out and visit him when he's a bit better- the team promised you'll get to see him as soon as he wakes up, okay?"
'No! That's not okay!'
Her body didn't listen, however, and she nodded slowly.
"Come along then," she said, holding out her claw "we'll go and check in with the guard, then we'll see about that meal, alright?"
She couldn't help but stare at Songbird's body as they passed it, approaching the same guard who'd helped her patch up her friend. The guard was talking with three others, all wearing the same shining, silver armor as he was. The female griffon tapped Quick on the shoulder with her free hand.
"Yes?" Quick asked, turning. "I'm taking her up to the farmhouse, is there anything else I can do?" "Not at the moment..." Quick replied, scratching at his beak "go on, I'll have Glint escort you" "Do we-" "Yes, it's protocol- now git"
He struggled to breathe, his tube disconnected from his mouth as his eyes struggled to stay open. Something blurry moved in his vision, the object black from his lack of oxygen. If it decided to kill him, it certainly had ample opportunity to do so- he was practically defenseless in this situation. He wheezed, believing it to be his last breath- if lack of oxygen didn't kill him, the beast prowling in his darkened vision certainly would.
His mind registered surprise, shock, and relief as air was pumped into his mouth, being fed through the formerly-disconnected tube. His brain still recovering, he vaguely felt something pull at his gloved-fingers, having little success as his motionless hand stayed put, followed by a distressed sigh.
'Don't...g...o...' he begged mentally, hearing the patter of feet getting quieter.
With great effort, he shifted his head, struggling to open his fist, allowing whatever it was that saved his life, to see what had piqued their curiosity. Moments later, something small and fleshy found itself into his open hand. He wasn't quite sure what it was, and he didn't care. He gently closed his fist, encasing the small thing in his embrace as he lowered his head, shielding the fragile creature in what he believed was a hug. It saved his life, and for that, he was grateful- he decided right then and there, he'd do all he could to return the favor; he'd protect it, and care for it, from now until the day he died.
"I see...and what about the creatures?" Sergeant Iron Feather asked, glancing at the corporal standing just a few feet away. "Sergeant Quick Wit has filled out his report on the incident, the other two of his patrol are...incapacitated..." "How?" "One's yet to recover from a head injury, the other...isn't with us anymore, sir" "Where are they now, corporal?"
He flipped through the stack of papers in his claws.
"They're being escorted to the Swipeston estate as we speak, sir"
"Good, they should be safe for the time being" "Sir?" "Yes?" "Why would we need to keep them safe? They've already killed one soldier, and injured another"
"I'll explain when I meet with Sergeant Wit, soldier" he said, bordering on annoyance.
"Y-yes sir" the corporal stammered, handing his superior the report before scurrying off.
Elegant Stitch peered through the kitchen window, clutching the curtain as she watched the guards outside mill about the barn, their armor glittering in the sunlight as two more figures appeared. The first was dressed in gilded armor, just as the rest of the soldiers were- the second was approaching the house, his grey t-shirt and flannel overcoat flapping in the mild breeze. She closed the curtain, releasing it as she turned to the small thing sitting beneath the kitchen table, appearing to make herself as small as possible, all while munching on a bagel she'd given her. The hatchling had yet to say a word, save for a small 'thank you' when she'd handed her the bread. The screen door opened, creaking as the the door behind it opened.
"Is everything settled out there?" she asked. "Should be," Heavy Lift responded, closing the door behind him "we just finished putting the thing in the barn, doctor's taking a look at it now"
"Him" a small voice squeaked from under the table.
Heavy glanced around the house, confused.
He was about to question the voice, when he spied Elizabeth.
He stared at her for a short while, before shaking his head, turning to leave the room.
"Heavy?" Stitch asked, following her husband. She took a glance back at the girl, still seated under the table, wide-eyed.
"Heavy, what's wrong?" she asked, both of them entering the living room. "I can handle the...the thing, him- whatever, out in the barn-" he said.
"What're you getting at?"
"Ellie, it looks too normal"
"'It' is a she, Heavy," she responded, rolling her eyes "and what are you on about?"
"It sounds crazy, I know-"
"Just spit it out" she urged.
"Something like that," he nodded to the kitchen "seems too sweet an inoccent, I mean- look at how small it is, compared to the size of the thing out in the barn"
"I...don't think I follow..."
"Do you think if she wasn't important, that great bird out there wouldn't be protecting her? It killed one of the town guard, and injured another, for Emperor's sakes!"
"I...know, but..."
She was at a loss for words, going over the information in her head.
"What? We should just let it get away with murder?"
"No...but...couldn't we just...let them be for the time being? At least until the hatchling's father recovers?"
"Why would we want to do that? Honestly, you're beginning to sound just like Shift..."
"Oh stop it, she's not that bad"
"Are you kidding?! Crazy idiot brought all of Danny's toys to life! I couldn't walk right for a week! Damn toy soldiers..."
A small snicker found its way to their ears, traveling from the kitchen.
Stitch turned, and saw a small head of black hair spying on them, no doubt the source of the laughter they'd heard not moments before.
A small blush wound its way onto Heavy's features, the feathers on his face tinged red.
"I just don't know what I should feel, okay?" he said, quieter.
"Just watch this, okay?" she said, turning back to the small girl. "What are you..."
Stitch crouched down, and looked directly at the human girl, curiosity and confusion blending together on her features.
"It's alright sweetie," Stitch said sweetly, opening her arms to show she meant no harm "could you please come here a moment?"
She shook her head shyly, ducking back behind the wall dividing the kitchen and the living room.
'Well, she'll come around when she's ready, I suppose' Stitch thought to herself, standing.
"See H? She's more afraid of us than you are of her"
"I'm not afraid of her," he defended "I just...haven't...gotten used...to her yet!"
"Uh-huh" Stitch replied, totally convinced.
"What? I haven't!"
Elizabeth strained to hear the conversation the two griffons were having, her small ears picking up some, but not all of what they were talking about. Songbird was mentioned, along with what he did to the guard.
'They wouldn't really take him away, would they?' she wondered fearfully.
She stood, and carefully crawled to the arch leading to the next room. Standing quietly, she hid as she heard with clarity what the two were discussing.
"-would we want to do that? Honestly, you're beginning to sound just like Shift..." the male said.
"Oh stop it, she's not that bad" the female responded.
"Are you kidding?! Crazy idiot brought all of Danny's toys to life! I couldn't walk right for a week! Damn toy soldiers..." he cried.
She giggled, despite herself, and peeked out from her hiding spot, watching the two griffons as they talked.
She jumped as the the female turned around, staring directly at her. She quickly shrank, attempting to hide herself as their gazes fell upon her.
"I just don't know what I should feel, okay?" he said, barely audible.
'He's afraid of me?' she thought, growing more confused by the second.
"Just watch this, okay?" "What are you..."
The female turned around, facing her once more, and crouched, her arms open.
'She wants a hug?' she wondered, watching the female in timid wonder.
"It's alright sweetie," she said, arms still open "could you please come here a moment?"
Elizabeth shook her head quickly, and ducked behind the wall, as if to hide herself from the griffons.
"See H? She's more afraid of us than you are of her"
'I'm not afraid...' she pouted.
"I'm not afraid of her," the male said, sounding offended "I just...haven't...gotten used...to her yet!"
"Uh-huh" the female replied flatly. She imagined she was crossing her arms.
"What? I haven't!" the male shouted.
'I guess I'm the same way...' she thought, taking a chance and peeking out from behind the archway.
She jumped once more as a rapid succession of knocks were made on the front door. Scrambling back into the kitchen, she dove under the table, hiding behind one of the four chairs sitting around it.
The male answered the door, pulling it open as a griffon dressed in a white coat with a red cross on the breast stood in the doorway.
"How is he?" the female asked. "I've...er...I admit I've had my fair share of strange cases..." "Get on with it" "Well, the patient is stable for now, he's still unconscious," the doctor said "but...I'd suggest you hire a craftsman if you want to help him recover" "What?" the female asked. "The patient doesn't seem to be organic, at least on the outside- I can't properly diagnose him"
'He can't help Songbird?' she thought 'There must be something he can do!'
"I see...thank you, really..." the male said. The doctor nodded, and turned, walking away from the farm house, and toward the dissipating group of soldiers and onlookers.
He closed the door, then turned to face the interior of the house.
"Well...now what?"
She really had no clue.
Songbird's eyes flickered to life, yellow dimly illuminating the dark space encasing him. A loud groan escaped him as he shifted, his protective armor thumping against the ground as he thrashed. His vision was still blurred, as if someone had placed pinwheels in front of his eyes, and had them spin continuously. He became confused, his brain just now booting up and gaining awareness of his surroundings. Screeching, he felt straw beneath his hands as they blindly grasped for something in range. He found nothing however, and lay still, exhausted as memories flooded his mind.
'Elizabeth...falling...no...'
No...no! It wasn't true! He didn't lose her...he didn't! He...he just...
He did...he did, and he didn't want to face the truth, lest his mind burn, leaving nothing more than a shell of his former self. He ached, everywhere- every single part of his body sluggish and heavy as he lay in the darkness, his mind whirling in confusion, anger, rage, and sorrow.
He was supposed to protect her...and now...she...
Painfully, he folded his wings on himself, wanting nothing more than to lay there until death took him. He deserved it...she was gone...
Elizabeth jumped as another knock came at the door, this one more meager.
The female crossed the room, opening it to reveal a soldier clad in silver armor, the very same one that helped her patch up Songbird. Quick Wit, if she wasn't mistaken.
"Afternoon ma'am," he said, removing his helmet. "Wit, you don't need to be so formal when you aren't on business," the female chastised, leaving the door open as she turned "come on in, you want any coffee?"
"No, thank you" he replied politely. "Suit yourself" she responded.
Wit spied Elizabeth rustle beneath the table. She heard soft sound of his paws moving against the flooring, and held her breath, waiting for something to happen. It did- in the form of the griffon peering beneath the table, staring her directly in the eyes.
"Hello again" he said simply. "H-hi..." she squeaked. "You don't need to be afraid around me" he reassured, holding out a claw. She refused it, and shied away, not taking her eyes off the griffon.
He sighed, and adjusted himself.
"Listen...I'm sorry about what happened outside of town..."
"You almost killed him..." she said quietly, refusing to meet his gaze.
He winced.
"I..."
"He didn't even do anything!" she said, her voice growing louder.
"I..."
"He attacked you because you kidnapped me!" she shouted, her voice growing hoarse as tears began streaming down her face.
"I...I know that now..." he said quietly, his gaze falling to the floor "..and...I'm sorry...my friend got killed because we made a rash decision..."
'That still doesn't mean I'll forgive you...' she thought.
"For what it's worth...I- I just...I acted, all of us did, we weren't thinking, and-" "No, you weren't..."
"I'll...uh...come and visit when I can...y'know, to make sure both of you are alright..."
"Thanks" she said, no warmth in her voice.
"I'll just...let myself out..."
The kitchen door closed, and she was left alone in the kitchen.
Songbird awoke, his eyes flashing as they activated, settling on yellow as his head painfully shifting to the side so he could catch a glimpse of what was sitting on his chest. The small thing stared him directly in the eye, its green eyes wide and curious as it just sat atop him.
He decided it was female, given its eyes were so similar to Elizabeth's.
A pang of guilt and sadness shot through him, reminding him of his failure. He was provided one job- protect her no matter what, and now he could do nothing now that she was...gone. The thought made him sick to the core, a void inside himself as the space usually reserved for the little girl was open, and nothing could fill it. Drawing himself back to the present, he spied the small avian hybrid still on his armored chest, her feline legs sprawled beneath a simple white dress. One of her small claws reached out, her small fingers open. The appendage touched his eye, himself flinching slightly as he shied away from her touch.
'Who are you? Why are you here?' he wondered, watching as the avian as she played with his face, taking the courage to push onto his beak. Was fate perhaps giving him a second chance?
He banished the thought- none of the humanoids would replace Elizabeth, ever.
Her hand glided across it curiously, feeling the strange material beneath as both sides continued to inspect each other. Taking notice of his surroundings, he discovered one of the large doors slightly ajar, a crack of light slipping through into the otherwise dark room.
'She must have come from there...' he thought slowly, his brain just catching up, due to the lack of oxygen it'd received.
The hatchling continued to bat playfully at the tube feeding into his beak, oblivious to the yellow eye upon her.
'So small...yet so brave...'
Were all of them like this? As brave as this hatchling? That would certainly explain why the soldiers attack his charge, as well as himself.
His head perked up, shifting ever-so-slightly as a taller humanoid entered the room, her eyes wide as she stared at him.
'Oh creator...not again...' he groaned inwardly.
The female shrieked, her beak wide as the offending sound grated on his ears, further amplified by the interior of the spacious room. She then leapt into the air, her wings flared as she dove towards him- or more specifically, what was sitting on his chest. He twisted his head to the side, eliciting a jolt of pain as the hose followed his beak, slipping off the side of his body. Catastrophe avoided, the female quickly removed the hatchling from him, darting away as fast as she could, her breaths heavy. The hatchling chirped, almost inquisitively as the female continued to stare at him, her eyes following his every move, limited as they were. How he wished he could communicate with these things, it would make it so much easier on him.
She then bolted out the door, into the burning sunlight, the hatchling still in her arms.
Why must it always be him? Nothing these humanoids did made any sense...given, if he were different, and discovered him looming overhimself, he supposed he would be afraid, as well. But he didn't be afraid, nothing perturbed him in the slightest.
Except for that DeWitt character...maybe...
What? Where did that come from? That wasn't his mind talking...was it? Why did it sound so...so...what was the word for it? Alien? He was definitely sure of that...
What was happening to him?
Was he losing it?
Elizabeth sat cross-legged on the floor of the kitchen, having worked up the courage to sit just slightly under the table, still under its protection. As she sat, she stared down at the golden whistler sitting in her lap, gleaming in all its glory thanks to the sun filtering through the nearby window. She sighed wistfully, remembering all the times it'd brought Songbird, and the memories they themselves shared back in her lonely house. Picking it up, she blew, testing it as it let out a sour note.
'Guess I'm a little out of practice...' she thought, wincing after the bad note had been struck.
"What was that?!" the male, Heavy Lift, if she remembered correctly, shouted, bursting into the room.
"S-sorry..." she said meekly, hiding the whistler as best as she could.
"What was it?" he asked, curiosity and fear intertwined as one of his wings flicked out, a joint or two cracking as he did so. "I...I was just...p-practicing..." she stammered. "Practicing what?" he asked "It sounded like a *henhouse!"
"Lift! Language around the poor thing!" Mrs. Stitch called from deeper in the house.
"Damn hearing...just like a harpy..." he muttered.
"I heard that!" she shouted.
She giggled at the couples' antics, some form of comfort forming as Heavy sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Anyway, what was that you were saying?" he asked. "I was...just practicing this" she said, not knowing why she was presenting the whistler to him.
"Never pegged you for a musician" he said, a brow arching.
"Neither did I..." she murmured.
The two waited in awkward silence, quiet permeating the space between them.
He jumped, herself doing the same, as a panicked griffon flung herself into the room, a small griffon in her arms.
"Misty? What the h-"
He caught himself just in time, changing what he was about to say in front of Elizabeth.
"What in Goddess' name are you doing?"
"Monster...barn...thing...Danny..." she gasped, setting the griffon down as she bent over to catch her breath.
"He's awake?" she asked, hope filling every fiber of her being.
She shot a confused glance to her, before taking notice of her presence. The griffon's eyes rolled into her head, collapsing to the floor as the baby griffon toddled over to her. It cooed as it flopped into her lap, taking great interest in the whistler situated there.
"Awwwww," Elizabeth cooed, carefully picking the griffon up by the arms "you're just absowutewy adowabwe, yes you are, yes you are!"
She rubbed her nose against her beak- and in response, the baby sneezed, a small puff of air blasting out from her nostrils, and then began to wail.
"Wh-what did I do?" she asked, terrified she was the cause of the baby's distress.
"You didn't do anything wrong," he sighed, stepping away from the unconscious griffon "she just likes to fuss"
He plucked the baby from her grasp, securing her in his own arms as he turned to leave the room.
"Don't you, ya little stinker?"
The griffon continued to cry, a hiccup sounding off, as if in response.
"Why Danny?" she asked suddenly. "What?" he asked, turning his head. "Why'd you name her 'Danny', if she's a girl?" "Her full name is Dancing Wind, Danny is just a nickname for her"
"Oh..." she said, her small mind grasping the concept.
"You want t' go and check on your friend?" he asked, nodding his head outside "You can go on if you want, just be sure to tell us if anything changes with him" "I will" she reassured, standing as she picked up the whistler.
With that, she set off towards the large red structure sitting beyond the farmhouse, a small spring in her step.
Pushing the door open with a little effort, she found her friend, his wings spread behind him as the great bird lay on his back, his yellow eyes flickering in their sockets.
"Hello," she said, not running to him, in fear of hurting him more "I'm glad you're alright"
The Songbird release a small tweet, indicating he'd heard her. It took all of her strength to not charge him, and give him the biggest hug he'd ever received.
"Listen...the griffons out there, they're friendly- they're not destructive,"
She knew human nature, after going through the books in the library, the same behaviors were similar in the avian-hybrids.
"Could you please, just please try to be nice? Proper? Just like Ms. Lutece taught me?"
A weak nod of the head.
"Please be better soon," she prayed, planting a small kiss on his great beak as he shifted "I'll be right here, shhh, I'm never leaving you"
He couldn't believe what he was seeing- Elizabeth, right before his eyes! Alive!
His excitement could only be presented in a twitch of a wing at the moment, given his current condition.
"-I'm glad you're alright" she finished.
'The same could be said for you' he replied mentally, knowing full well she couldn't hear him.
He let out a squeak, comparable to that of a field mouse, watching his charge alive and well before him.
Stitch peered through the barn door, watching the hatchling and her bird, side by side as they lay in the straw. The hatchling's small snores made it even more adorable, despite her position next to the metal bird. Turning, she sighed to herself as she walked towards the picket fence surrounding the farmland, the open gate, specifically. Her wings flared out on instinct as a red flash before her cropped up, startling her. The feathered appendages then closed as the apparition spoke.
"Looky what the manticore dragged in" she half-joked, smirking as she rested her elbow on thin air. "Shift, what have we told you about surprising either of us like that?" "Take a pill," the dragon said, rolling her eyes "can't I just drop by to talk?" "And you're sure you don't want anything?"
"What could I possibly-"
"The bird and its hatchling?" she suggested.
"Bird? What bird?" the she-dragon asked quizzically, an scaled-brow cocking. "The same one that wandered into town earlier?"
Shift shrugged.
"You know I don't come into town that often" "Well, just a heads up- the Guard'll be tight around here for a little while, at least until things die down" "Why would you tell me that?" "Because...I'm trying to be a good friend?" "Well know you've gone and taken the fun out of discovering it for myself!"
Stitch pinched the bridge of her beak.
"Shift...sometimes I question which of us is saner..."
"Keep trying," the dragon stated, idly filing her claws "I'm sure you'll figure it out one of these days"
"Uh-huh..." she replied, rubbing her eyes.
"So, what's you're brute of a mate gotten up to?"
"My husband," she emphasized "is putting Danny down for a nap, after that, it's back to life as usual" "You do realize there's a couple of aliens in your barn, correct?" "Why'd you call them aliens?" "Did I? Or did you just imagine it?" "Shift, I really don't have time for-" "Time? There's always time! It's all around us! Forwards and backwards and sideways and every which way you can-"
Stitch held up a hand, motioning for the dragon to stop her rambling.
"Will I ever understand you?" "Depends, what're you doing for the next decade?"
Sighing, Stitch turned, back-tracking to the farmhouse.
"See you around!" Shift called sarcastically "Rude..."
'Same to you, too...' Stitch thought half-heartedly.
Not that she hated the she-dragon, no that wasn't it at all- sometimes...Shift just acted...immature...for her age. Sometimes that was a good thing, most of the time. She lived a good distance from town, even further than the farm. She could only assume the dragon liked her privacy, why else would she isolate herself from everyone else? To confound them even further, she frequently dropped in, uninvited, and other times downright harassed the townsfolk. But, that was only on occasion, and during heat season, and that one time during the winter...
She shook her head, attempting to wash it of the she-dragon's image as she entered the farmhouse, the screen door behind her clacking shut as it met the doorframe.
"The Nuisance back again?" Heavy asked, gently closing the door to Danny's room, his claw wrapped around the brass doorknob. "How could you tell?" she replied, genuinely curious. "Your eye is twitching- you look like you could throttle a manticore" "Something like that..." she murmured. "Poor baby..." Heavy said sarcastically, embracing her. "Oh don't start that, you're worse than she is" she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Am not" "Are too" "Am n-"
She planted a kiss on his beak, forcing his face to turn from white to red in under a minute.
"Seven years, and I can still make you blush like a school-girl" "That's not fair...you know my weakness" "Damn straight"
"Can it hear us?"
"It should, it became fully operational just a second ago"
The click of a button being pressed.
"Attempt #785, subject is avian in design, fitted with custom weapons suited for its body mass and shape"
His skeletal head lifted from the table for the first time, blurry and fading figures swimming in his vision. Circles and a number of other shapes he couldn't identify entered his line of vision, dominating his attention as his head smacked against the metal table beneath him.
What was a circle? On that note, what was a shape? How did he know what a note was?
"Unlike other subjects, 785 has passed the three-minute mark with aid of the respirator"
"Shut it down, that's enough for today"
*Click*
Songbird's eyes shot open, a red glow quickly encasing himself and the sleeping form of Elizabeth beside him. His metaphorical heart warmed itself upon spying the small girl next to him, watching over his previously-hibernating body. He'd smile if he could. The red glow surrounding them quickly changed itself to yellow, a great thunking sound emanating from inside his head. Flexing his wings, he attempted to stand- he quickly found he could only sit up at the moment, his body still recuperating from loss of oxygen. A feeling ran down his entire frame, filling him with a mix of uncertainty and apprehension. What was going to happen? Was something even going to happen? What was this feeling inside of him?
His head began to ache, and he sluggishly held a hand to it, massaging it as he lay back down, mindful of the five-year-old lying beside him.
'Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve her...' he wondered.
Elizabeth unconsciously curled into his wing, hugging the canvas-like material as best as she could.
A green flash flitted in the corner of his eye. Turning his great head, he spied nothing, beside the mostly-barren walls of the dark barn- the wooden planks glowing a dim green, somewhat reflecting the golden light of his eyes as it rebounded off of them.
He searched a bit, finding nothing interesting in the straw littering the ground beneath them. His head struck the floor, not perturbing the sleeping girl beside him in the slightest.
A black figure darted through the trees, its gossamer wings glowing in the purplish haze of the setting twilight. It stopped, then glanced around its surroundings, its fluorescent blue eyes scanning the forest as it reached down, opening a cleverly-hidden passageway into an underground tunnel.
It passed into the tunnel, closing the entrance behind it as it did so.
The dank and dark tunnel glowed darkly through its night-vision-like sight, traversing the winding passage as it opened up into an arena-like space. Before it, sat an ornate throne carved from rock and other odds and ends. On said throne, there sat a beautiful, carapace-skinned creature, much like itself, though not comparable in the slightest to itself. Its draconic, white pupils opened, briefly startling the drone.
"What news have you brought from the surface?" it asked, the two-toned voice buzzing inside his skull. "New visitors have arrived," the drone replied, its muzzle to the ground "a- an iron bird, and- and a human"
A lock of ivory hair fell before the beautiful creatures face. A black, hole-filled, slender hand pushed away the lock, both white eyes staring down at the underling.
"This joviality does not please me in the slightest" the crowned-creature said, its voice borderline menacing.
"I kid you not," the drone said, fat drops of sweat running down his shelled-hide "I speak the truth, Lady Aphid"
"Rise" the queen stated.
The drone obeyed, its gaze still not meeting that of its superior's.
"You do speak the truth" the queen said breathlessly, taken by surprise.
The drone feared for his life.
"You are rewarded, leave me"
It disappeared from the room, all-too-happily.
"Is it possible? A human? After all these years?" she asked herself, the quiet buzzing filling the spacious room "Is it just as The Ancients predicted?"
Elizabeth stepped out of the barn, the sky now painted dark blue, mixed with streaks of reds and oranges. The darkening skies looked beautiful to her, the only window in her home usually gave her just a small peek at the outside world. But now- now she had the entire sky to look at! The thought filled her with giddiness- she could feel the grass beneath her feet! The wind blowing through her hair! And best of all, Songbird was with her. True, the closest thing she had to a parent was recovering...where was that train of thought going? Shaking her head, she continued her journey towards the farmhouse. The sound of wingbeats filling the air reached her ears, and she turned, searching the sky behind her. She found a dark shape coming down, its wings beating slower as it approached the ground.
"Artemis?" Elizabeth asked, curious as to why her new friend was here. "Just call me Art," the griffon responded, smiling as she ruffled her wings "everyone does." "Oh...well...um...I'm just...Elizabeth..." "I'm sure you're not 'just Elizabeak'." "Elizabeth." "That's what I said." "No you did-" "Sure I did! Now, what's up?"
"I...uh, the sky?"
Artemis burst into laughter, the sound quickly dying to a chuckle as the griffon wrapped an arm around Elizabeth's shoulder, and a wing over her back.
"You and I...are gonna be great friends, I can tell." she grinned.
Elizabeth blushed, trying to hide it from her new friend. No-one had ever touched her before, except for Songbird, and when he did, it didn't feel as soft as Art's embrace. She compared it to hugging a brand-new pillow, filled with dozens and dozens of feathers. Songbird gave great hugs, but this felt nice too.
"Y-yeah..." "Hey, wanna go inside? You must be tired after today!" "But...but you don't live here, do you?" "No," she admitted, releasing Elizabeth "but that doesn't mean I can't be hospitable."
She stopped for a moment to question her logic, but was soon interrupted as the griffon scooped her up, the young girl in her arms as she flew towards the house, laughing with every push of her wings. Elizabeth however, was just the opposite, shrieking as she dug her nails into the humanoid's sides, clutching them for all they were worth.
"Putmedownputmedownputmedown!" she cried. "But...we're only a few feet off the ground!" Art argued. "Yes, and that's the problem!"
Elizabeth refused to look anywhere else, shoving her face into the griffon's furred stomach as her small arms still clutched her back. The rushing wind soon died, and she felt her own two feet touch solid ground once more.
"Th-thank you." she said shakily, clutching Art's shirt. "No problem..." the griffon replied quietly "I figured you weren't afraid of heights, especially with-"
She nodded to the barn.
"I...I wasn't...I mean..I use to dream of flying with the Songbird, maybe with wings of my own, if my books were right..."
A pregnant pause dominated the small space between the two.
"So...what happened?" Art asked curiously, leading Elizabeth towards the farmhouse. "The...the guards...Quick Wit...I think..." "Oh...yeah..."
"Well, um, let's see about getting you to sleep? Good?"
"Um...sure...I...I guess..." she said, glancing back to the barn one last time.
"Oh, aren't you two adorable!" Missus Stitch gushed, upon spying Elizabeth and Artemis lying on the couch.
Art blushed hotly, her face only turning redder as Elizabeak snorted in her sleep, rubbing her fleshy face into the feathers of a wing. She’d be lying if she said it didn’t feel comfortable, the same probably went for Elizabeak- beth, Elizabeth.
“Ah, sorry for breakin’ and entering, Missus Stitch…” Artemis apologized, the wing unoccupied by the sleeping human twitched, starting to feel prickly. She flapped it once or twice, pumping the blood back into the appendage.
“No trouble, dear,” Stitch replied, smiling “things are going to be a bit unusual around here, for a while…”
“More than a bit, I’d say.” Artemis chuckled.
Stitch nodded, throwing in a small laugh of her own.
“I was going to take Danny to the park, would you and Elizabeak like to come with us?” she asked.
“I think she just wants to rest.” Artemis replied politely.
Stitch nodded, heading to Danny’s room.
“We’ll be back in a few hours.” she called back.
Artemis nodded as she yawned, consciously curling against Elizabeak.
“Soft…” Elizabeak murmured.
Artemis couldn’t help but agree as she dozed off, covering the young girl with her other wing.
Elizabeth stood in the river, her feet and knees soaked to the bone. A breeze kicked up, chilling her further; she rubbed her shoulders and arms, attempting to warm herself up. It didn't seem to be all that effective, though it did help just the tiniest bit.
"Bonjour!" a voice called.
Confused, Elizabeth turned, and spied another girl- no...herself...staring at her.
"Bonjour, Elizabeth- je suis Elizabeth!"
"I'm sorry..." she apologized "I don't understand French..."
'As much as I wanted to...'
True, whenever she voiced her opinion on learning other languages, Madame Lutece had advised against learning French, stating that it really had no practical use for her future.
"Ne vous inquiétez pas , les autres seront avec nous bientôt!" she stated, a large grin splitting her across her face.
"Uh...okay?" she replied, confused.
"So, this is her?" another voice called.
"Oui, oui!" the other Elizabeth shouted ecstatically.
“Hm,” her older-self replied, crossing over her arms, covering the front of her once-white, dingy and dirty corset “how can we be sure?”
“La ‘magie’ est à l'intérieur de son.”
“Oh really?” the older replied, approaching her.
A knot formed in her stomach as her older-self knelt, gently cupping her face with a hand.
‘How are they not cold?’ Elizabeth wondered in awe- the Elizabeth in the corset was staring at her, inspecting her face intently.
Teenage-up Elizabeth tilted her head softly with the hand that was cupping her chin, seemingly lost in thought.
“Ah-hem.”
Corset Elizabeth moved aside, standing next to her as another Elizabeth, this one appearing much older than the three that were already gathered.
She approached them, dressed amazingly in a two-piece dress, a clean, white button up shirt, and a rather short black dress on the bottom, a single white stripe running down either side. Around the collar, she wore a short, red tie pinned together with a medallion, a white dove on a black background emblazoned on it.
Teenage and Other stepped in front of her, blocking her view of Adult-her.
“Vous n'êtes pas lui obtenir, pas cette fois.” Other Elizabeth stated firmly, holding the hand of Teen-Elizabeth.
‘What’s going on?’ Elizabeth wondered, thoroughly confused by what was happening ‘That’s me, right? Somehow? Shouldn’t I be safe with...myself…?’
A small voice in the back of her head replied ‘No.’.
“I must, you know this.”
“No, you have a choice.” Teen-Elizabeth stated coldly, her grip tightening around Other’s hand.
“I don’t...I have to...you know it.”
“I’ll burn in hell before we let you touch another.”
Adult-her seemed to be taken aback, and nodded; turning to step back onto the bank of the clear river.
“So be it.”
Adult-her soon disappeared, leaving the three of them standing in the iciness of the river.
"Wh-Who was that?" Elizabeth asked, terrified.
The other two glanced at each other, before Teen-her sighed.
"Why don't we go somewhere a bit more comfortable? I imagine this won't be very easy to explain." she said, walking to the bank of the river, opposite of where Adult-Elizabeth had headed.
She shivered, unconsciously following her two other selves towards a small log cabin sitting just over the crest of the bank.
The three of them entered, Teen-her holding the door for her two younger selves.
‘This is so weird...I wish Songbird were here with me…’ Elizabeth thought to herself, picking at her nails.
“You’re safe, you know,” Teen Elizabeth stated, taking a seat on a low stool “I don’t know how much that means to you, but you are.”
“It...I...don’t know…”
Other Elizabeth placed her hands on hers, rubbing gently. Elizabeth gave her a small smile, trying to show that she was fine.
“Who are you?” Elizabeth finally asked of the other two.
They glanced at each other, which seemed to becoming a common occurrence, the longer she spent with them.
“We’re you, in short.” Teen Elizabeth stated.
She laughed, then quickly came to the realization that neither of them were laughing with her. She kept laughing, devolving into sobs as she collapsed on the floor, coming to rest her knees against the grain of the floorboards.
Two arms wrapped around her, and she felt herself being lifted.
“I know, it’s difficult, isn’t it?”
She felt herself nod.
“It hadn’t occurred to me that you wouldn’t be ready,” Teen-her said softly, motherly, even “we assumed you knew.”
She clenched her fists as she continued to weep, her nails digging into her older self’s back. She didn’t notice the look of pain on her face, as she was too busy with her face buried in the crook of her neck.
The floor suddenly began to split open, and a dark blue winged-unicorn shot through, breaking through the roof. The entire world around her suddenly collapsed and dissolved, her other two selves now gone. Blinded, she tripped, falling into the dark pit the dark-blue blur had made. She screamed as she fell, flailing her arms as fresh tears leapt from her face, shooting upward.
With a muffled thump, she fell onto what felt like a soft pillow.
"It's okay, I've got you, shhh." a voice comforted, a gently brushing along the top of her head "you're okay, shhh."
Salty tears reached her lips, and she dozed off once more, the softness wrapping around her as slumber took her once more.
