Journey Across the Skies

Journey

Across

The

Skies

By Destiny





         A shadow fell over the land and all the parrots of Fly Free Flock (F.F.F for short) gasped. Nothing like this had ever happened before! Why now? "Lightmist is mad at us! We must leave this land at once!" the leader, Kiwi cawed. Bluefeather's eyes shone with worry and fear. No parrot had ever denied Lightmist's power so why was she angry? The beautiful blue parrot flew into the sky and tried to find out if this was Lightmist they were dealing with or if it was Peaches, Lightmist's irritating and irresponsible sister. A white parrot flew down onto the Fly Free Flock and confronted the powerful parrot, Kiwi.



         "Do not be afraid my dear friends. There is nothing wrong. I am not mad and this is Peaches' work. She decided to send a sign that you should move because she does not like our home in the clouds but I understand you do not want to move. I will scold her later but for now, I will have to tell you to leave this land because I am also upset with the darkness of this land. We must leave to find trees to protect us. This open grassland is just too much, I'm afraid!" Lightmist said with a voice like silk.



         Bluefeather flew down beside Lightmist and told her that there was a flock of creatures that walked on two claws with their wings hanging by their sides and they didn't have tails or beaks and on their heads were some weird material and they were very tall. Another parrot was standing on top of the creatures black shoulder. One half of them were black and the other half blue but their heads were tan. They had no feathers and they couldn't be birds of any sort. Lightmist's violet eyes suddenly blackened with fear as she said, "Nobeaks have invaded the land and we must leave very soon! They will capture us and treat us badly as they search the sea for a shiny material called gold."





         Bluefeather flew into the sky again and looked around to see if Peaches was anywhere to be seen. "Peaches! Where are you!" she shouted. "I'm right here. Lightmist has gone to talk to you and you have come to talk to me," a soft voice replied. The white bird nudged the blue parrot in greeting and lead the way into the cloud home that the two royal sisters lived in.



         Peaches and Lightmist's home was spectacular! The soft, white, puffy clouds made beautiful, milky white perches for the two sisters. Some mild rain drizzled on the two perches while a beautiful rainbow followed behind it. "That is Lightmist's perch. You may sit on it and I'll just sit on mine," Peaches whistled. Bluefeather nervously stood on the soft, white perch and she closed her eyes imagining what it would be like to be Lightmist, always sleeping under a light drizzle and a beautiful rainbow.



         "I want to know why you want to leave Peaches!" Bluefeather blurted out to the parrot. "Well, I love this place. It's just beautiful but I feel like this new home won't be safe for the F.F.F. I am part of it but Lightmist is the lead bird of the flock and that's why I make my own signs instead of going down to talk to you birds because no one would agree. If they got a sky sing then maybe they might listen. I'm glad you listened and came to visit me! No one ever visits me and I get lonely because when Lightmist is up here, she never talks tome. It stinks being the younger sister!" Peaches screeched angrily.



         Bluefeather looked at the darkening sky and let out a sigh. It was so beautiful! How could Peaches hate this place, especially when the moon glowed down on them and the twinkling stars were out?



         "You know, Lightmist loves you but you just need to stop sending signs down because that's what's making you not have any friends and not have Lightmist around as much. She doesn't do to many things when she's down there because there's just so much to do," Bluefeather pointed out, stretching out a wing under the moon. Peaches and the blue parrot were sitting on top of a stray cloud near the home. Peaches looked at her left wing and whispered happily, "I never knew that. Lightmist always ignores me and everyone just loves to fly away from me. Thank you for being a good friend and I promise that I won't send any more signs because that's just bad. I will just fly right down to the Fly Free Flock and talk to them and you will support me. Right?" Bluefeather nodded eagerly.



         Bluefeather flew down to the Fly Free Flock's home. Where the trees grew and there were about five trees. Since there were 40 birds in the flock, about 10 birds had to squeeze their feathers into the small trees. The parrots with nests took the biggest tree and the F.F.F fought over who got what space.



         Kiwi nudged Bluefeather in greeting and asked quietly, "Where were you?" The pretty blue-feathered parrot cawed, "To see Peaches. She actually wants to see Lightmist for maybe a little bit. She's not that bad, Kiwi!" Just then, a ray of white light shone down on them and a milky white bird flew down. Peaches! Over here, Bluefeather almost cried.



         The beautiful bird looked calmly from one bird to the other. She nodded at her new friend, Bluefeather and landed in front of Kiwi. The massive bird backed up and glared at her. "I have come to talk to-," she started regally. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up! Since when does Peaches come to talk the F.F.F? You just send signs and get what you want, when you want it! You aren't even worthy of being Lightmist's sister! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Kiwi interrupted with anger showing in his dark eyes.



         There was a flash of hurt in Peaches eyes as she went on, "I know I have not been the best of the best these days and I want to make it up to you! I shall take one bird with me to find a forest with wonderful trees and leaves. Nuts and water! I will make you happy and Lightmist will like me! Any bird want to come?" She stared at Bluefeather and just as she wanted, she stepped up. "I would be honored to fly next to you. You are a good bird and I will always want to be your good friend and I would love to come with you." Peaches nodded and the two birds flew into the sky.



         "We should rest here, Peaches. My wings are giving out!" Bluefeather whined. Peaches nodded and the two birds soared down onto a branch in a single, lone tree. They had been flying for two weeks straight! All that flapping and gliding made Bluefeather dizzy.



         Peaches nuzzled her friend and pulled a tick off of Bluefeather. They had flown through large lakes and across an ocean. But they had also flown through a Nobeak's forest. Bluefeather had suggested they rest there but Peaches refused saying that a Nobeak would find them and take them away, maybe even clip their gorgeous wings!



         "Good place to sit, sleep, and clean but not the best place for 40 parrots including the newborns making it 52. Great for two!" Peaches mumbled through a beakful of tick. "You rest and I'll get your irritating ticks out. After this we need food, I can see a couple of mangos maybe six or seven wingbeats off or 12 or 14 hops on our two claws," Bluefeather offered. "I'll get them," Peaches murmured sleepily.



         About 6 minutes later Bluefeather pulled the last tick off of her friend and the last tick off of herself. Peaches woke up screeching in pain because the last tick had had a lot of time to dig into Peaches skin and not just on her feathers. "Well now that I'm awake, I minus well just get some mangos and bring them back. It would be helpful. After we eat maybe we could get a move on!" Peaches lamented sleepily. "All right."



         Peaches opened her soft, white wings and jumped off the branch they had been perching on. "Be careful! I've heard there have been sightings of Nobeaks in the area! Their chicks love to go and eat our mangos!" Bluefeather cawed after her friend.



         She slowly drifted into a sleep that she had been missing for weeks. "Kiwi? What are you doing here?" she asked. It was all so confusing! All 40 grown parrots had come. Just not all she guessed because she didn't see Freedom! She didn't see her other friend, Trixie either. She had hung out with Freedom a lot and he liked her. They had been friends since he had joined F.F.F and she wanted to see him but he wasn't there! "Lightmist has shown us how powerful she is and granted us and chance to walk in your dreams. She is not here because she's waiting for Peaches to fall asleep. How's it going?" Kiwi replied, snapping her out of her thoughts of how she missed her best friend, Freedom. His red, white, and blue feathers would have stood out among the blue, red, and green feathers of most birds. "Well, it's going all right. Peaches flew out to get mangos for us and we have been flying for weeks but we have a great chance of finding a forest for us to live in! Is Freedom and Trixie here? I would love to say hello!" she blabbed. "Well, it looks like we must say goodbye. You are fading away my friend," Kiwi lamented. A small red, white, and blue parrot hopped up to her. "I got here as fast as I could and- No! WAIT!" he cawed sadly. Bluefeather realized it was little Freedom and tried to fall back asleep but however she tried, she was waking up and wouldn't see Freedom and talk to him until the next night when she would fall asleep. She would miss her little friend for a long time...



         "Bluefeather! Are you all right? You were tossing and turning! Ssh, shh. It's alright," Peaches coaxed. The blue parrot nestled up to the white parrot and bit into a large and juicy mango. "This is great," she mumbled with mango falling out of her beak.



         Bluefeather stretched her long wings and flew into the blue sky, she felt like she could fly for a miles. Bluefeather tossed her head in west. "Okay, let's go! We should get a move on," she ordered. Peaches shook her bright yellow crest and flapped her wings to catch up with the determined parrot.



         Two weeks later, Bluefeather was sitting on a branch in a tree with Peaches beside her. They both fell asleep and Bluefeather hoped to see Freedom again and this time, see him longer.



         Freedom! The little red, white, and blue bird swooped up to her and Bluefeather greeted the young parrot. "You have gotten larger," she said. Freedom who used to be no more than a hatchling had become a full-grown bird. He nuzzled her cheek. "Yes I have and you haven't aged at all because Lightmist has cast a spell on you. You have been gone for 4 years and I miss you. Come back to me!" Freedom's deep voice quivered as he saw her start to disappear. 4 years! 4 years! She had been gone for 4 years!



         Bluefeather woke shaking and looked up at the dark sky, filled with rain. Come back to me! Freedom's words echoed in her head. He had truly missed her! After 4 years, he had remembered her.



         Meanwhile, Peaches was still dreaming while Bluefeather was thinking of her special Freedom...



         "Lightmist! I've missed you so much! These past 4 weeks have been hard. I want to know how the flock is doing after these 4 weeks," Peaches exclaimed to her sister. "Actually, it's been 4 years but I put a spell on you and Bluefeather so that it seems that it's been 4 weeks and you won't age until you come back! Goodbye and good morning. I miss you," Lightmist corrected.



         Bluefeather was staring at the sky with a dreamy look in her dark eyes. She saw Freedom in the clouds. Her little friend had become a big, strong parrot. She missed him and she could even see his beautiful deep blue eyes and feel his soft red, white, and blue feathers as he rubbed up against her when he was a chick. She sighed, why did she leave on this endless mission? She could be with Freedom and she wouldn't have to be asleep to do it.



         "I want to go home Peaches! This mission is just horrible and impossible!" Bluefeather cried once Peaches was flying next to her. "I know you don't want to go back just because of this mission. Who did you meet in your dream? I know you didn't meet Lightmist because she met me. Who was it? Kiwi?" Peaches comforted. "No! It was Freedom; he misses me and needs me! He wants to see me!" the beautiful blue parrot sobbed. Peaches perfect face fell into a look of understanding. "Two parrots in love. I know how that feels. That happened to Lightmist and me once. Lightmist won of course because she is prettier and now Kiwi hates me but I don't mind because I don't need someone. Let's go back." The two parrots turned around together and headed back.



         They finally reached the F.F.F. Bluefeather noticed Peaches looking disappointed and decided to give away the directions to a beautiful forest she saw on their way there on the first day. "There is a beautiful forest that I hoped to keep for Freedom and me but you should have it," she offered. "It's two miles north," she added. Peaches' eyes immediately lightened up and she nuzzled Bluefeather. The pretty blue parrot searched the crowd for a certain parrot. "Bluefeather!" came a deep, soft voice. "Freedom," she whispered, nudging the silky feathers of the handsome parrot. "Freedom!" Lightmist called with her voice like music. "It's alright, Lightmist. She's here and so is Peaches!" Freedom cawed happily. Lightmist shot past the two happy parrots to her sister and the two birds spent an afternoon talking.



"The last time I saw you, you were a tiny chick. Have I really been gone that long? Do I have any grey feathers?" Bluefeather breathed. "Yes, you have been gone that long," he laughed. "No grey feathers. You are as beautiful as you were the last time I saw you," the handsome parrot added shyly. Bluefeather felt her heart rise in her mouth as Freedom edged closer as he whispered, "I've missed you so much!" Bluefeather edged even closer until she felt like they had something.



Suddenly a beautiful red, green, and purple parrot flew over. "Hey, Freedom!" she cawed cheerfully. Then, she glanced at Bluefeather and turned her beak up saying, "Come with me, darling." Bluefeather stared at Freedom, the one she loved. Fluttering away with a pretty parrot. "Wait! What's wrong, Dazzle?" Freedom called, flapping his powerful wings, propelling himself forward.



Bluefeather looked at the two parrots staring at each other and realized there was a sunset right behind them. Freedom was looking into Dazzle's pretty blue eyes the same way he stared at her. She immediately felt like her heart was tearing apart. That was supposed to be her, touching her forehead to his. It was supposed to be her that he loved. She should've known! She should've known! Freedom needed a parrot to love and chicks to teach. That wouldn't be her having his chicks; it would be Dazzle. She felt a wave of jealousy come over her and she flew over them so that she could hear their conversation.



"Freedom! I don't understand!" Dazzle screeched. "I love, Bluefeather. I never said that you and I could ever work, Dazzle. I asked to be friends," Freedom explained. "It sure doesn't look like that! You and I met because you were lonely. Trixie told me to come and play with you because you needed Bluefeather but she wasn't here for you, was she? I was! I WAS HERE AND NOW YOU SAY THAT YOU WANT BLUEFEATHER! How could you! How could you! Are you crazy? It was supposed to be you and me! Not you and Bluefeather! Bluefeather is crazy and abandoned you! I have always loved you!" Dazzle screeched angrily in Freedom's face. The young parrot looked into Dazzle's beautiful eyes and sighed, "So beautiful, yet not what I want. I do love you, but it was Bluefeather who I love. She had saved me from falling off a cliff and then she came to take care of me and help me get over my fear of air. When I needed her, she was there-." "I was here! I was here when she wasn't and you and I had something until she came along and that ruined everything!" Dazzle interrupted. "Well, maybe I never loved you!" came the powerful voice of Freedom. Dazzle's voice broke. "I loved you so much Freedom..."



Bluefeather's heart broke and she couldn't stand to see the beautiful parrot sad. "Dazzle! Come here!" she called cheerfully. The pretty parrot glared at Freedom one last time and shot up into the sky. "Come with me," Bluefeather said. Dazzle's face brightened at the sight of a friendly face but it brightened even more when she saw Mountainpeak.



Mountainpeak was a tall and handsome parrot and Bluefeather had liked him when he was learning how to fly and now that he and Dazzle were both older and ready for mates, Bluefeather thought that they were perfect. "Hello. I am Dazzle," Dazzle whispered, flying closer. Bluefeather gave them some space and rocketed over to Freedom.



"Freedom! I'm over here!" Bluefeather called. She landed in front of him and their foreheads touched and Bluefeather's heart rose into her mouth as he reached forward and nuzzled her shoulder.



Two years later, three chicks sat in a nest, staring up at Bluefeather and Freedom, their parents. "They're beautiful!" Freedom exclaimed. Dazzle flew up with Mountainpeak on her tail. "Ahh! He's gaining on us! Victory, go left and I'll go right! He'll go after me and then you can get him as I turn around," she laughed. The strong parrot nodded as he chased his mate and fell to the ground dramatically as little Victory pecked his father's side. Bluefeather caught her eye and she saw gratitude and knew that she named Victory after Freedom. She knew that inside of that mother's joy, there was a part that still remembered the memories of Freedom. She still loved him.



The three chicks chirped, "Can we go play with Victory?" Bluefeather nodded her head. She stared at a bright gold and white chick and asked, "What do we do before jumping out of the nest, Flash?" A black, gray, and dark blue chick jumped up, fluttering tiny wings. "You flap! You flap! You flap!" Bluefeather laughed. "Very good, Shadow! How about you, Liberty?" She directed her last four words at a red, white and blue chick. "Well, you try to stay in the air by flapping your wings even more and gradually your wings get stronger!" she said quietly. Her brothers had been more eager then her to finish the test from their mother but she didn't care. None of them looked like Freedom! None of them were as special as her except maybe Shadow but he didn't look like Freedom! And well, maybe they all were unique but she was the coolest chick around. That's what Bluefeather had told her after she had told her about what Shadow and Flash had said once.



Bluefeather and Freedom always loved their chicks and had a great life.