I not own SilverwingSunwingFirewing or any characters from them
This is my first FanFic, and first story not in school at that, so go easy on me
Coming back Introduction
Shade flew over the crystal clear water in the stream below. He watched the water and noticed that something was missing.
"Something's wrong…." He thought, "What's missing?" Then he remembered
As he looked in, he expected to see his reflection, but all he saw was a small water strider streaking across the water's surface.
Ever since Shade had given his life for his son, Griffin, he always missed being alive and being able to communicate with another. He had watched his mate and son every day since he was in his spiritual form.
Shade watched an owl soar through the air. He saw its graceful form in all its glory. The way the sun reflected off of its magnificent plumage made it look so alive. He envied it. Shade couldn't bare being dead. He may not have to eat, and he had to admit, it was pretty nice and easy going. A little too easy going.
"Is this really what waits for me for the rest of eternity? Is this all?"he began to lose control.
"I don't deserve this, I wasn't even two years old!" Although he was still ripe with youth when he died, he couldn't help but blush, or at least feel like he did, at the thought of regretting giving his life for Griffin and his friend Luna.
"There must be a way.."He thought, "There has to be a way for me to return."
Coming back Chapter 1
Griffin roosted in the shade, eating a puny little caterpillar. He still couldn't abandon the idea that everyone he ate was a little less damage to his precious forest.
Most of the grief for his father had passed over time, but it still left a mark in everyone. Every once in a while he caught his mother, Marina, staring blankly with small tears rolling down her face. Whenever he saw her like that, he knew she was thinking about Shade. He hated seeing her like that and tried to comfort her whenever she did.
Although he tried not to, he often found himself in tears in such away like his mother. His father had been so good to him in the time he him.
His father was a hero. He had saved his father, and the sun from Goth, a vampyrum. Goth is the reason Shade was dead, Goth had killed Griffin just before he was about to leave the underworld. Griffin hated Goth more than anyone.
In secret though he always somewhat blamed himself for his father's premature death. He saw it that if he hadn't let himself get attacked by Goth, his father wouldn't have been died. But most of that had passed.
Griffin stared at the open air ahead of him and spotted a large tiger moth fluttering by. He glanced at his puny caterpillar and grimaced. It was so insignificant and small to the dazzling moth. He gulped down the rest of his caterpillar and shot of after his pray.
He had the element of surprise on his side. "I'll have this in no time."He thought.
He glided silently through the air as he stalked the moth. Just as he opened his maw, the moth closed its wing above itself and dropped through the air.
"So close, no time for gliding now"He thought
Griffin bolted through the air at full speed pounding air with his long wings. The moth was no more than three feet away now. Griffin was fully aware of how tiger moths crafted echoes of itself to fool predators, so he relied completely on sight.
The moth sounded its echoes but Griffin was ready, he ignored his hearing as much as possible, eyes still on his food. Griffin banked, flipped his tail up, and hit the moth into his mouth.
He savored the moths delectable flavor. "Ooooohhh….. So good…" He said out loud. "I'm sure it is" said a voice from behind. Startled, Griffin fluttered up and let out a frightened gasp. "oh, it's only you." He said setting down again.
It was Luna, his best friend sitting next to him now.
"That was amazing Griff! "She said, "I saw the whole thing!"
Griffin blushed at the compliment, "Thanks." He said.
Griffin had always been friends with Luna. Lately, Griffin was with Luna all the time. Mating season was coming, and he always had the same question drifting in his head.
"Do I feel more than just friendship to Luna?"
Shade watched his son longingly. His son was talking to his good friend.
Shade wanted to live again terribly. He wanted to embrace his mate, Marina, and his son, talk to them, anything like that. He would do almost anything to come back.
Every day he thought of ways to come back. He thought of entering a dying animal until they departed to the underworld and somehow gaining life through that in the Underworld and venturing to the tree that led any animal to the place they most needed to be.
He thought that may be a possibility. Since he was in his purest form, maybe when an animal died with him inside, would act as a gate to the underworld, and being in his purest form, he may arrive there alive.
He knew it would be risky, he could be trapped in the Underworld, never find the tree, or, it just may not work.
He would try it. He thought about it every day.
"I'm going to do it."He thought.
Shade flew across his forest home; he spotted many fellow Silverwings hunting, and even saw Marina. He thought about going down to see her, but he didn't thinking about the task at hand.
As he spotted Tree Haven, he started his ascent upward until he saw the Medical Roost.
As he entered, he saw many patients on leaf beds.
He drifted down the middle until he saw a very elderly Silverwing female with what looked to be her daughter embracing her gently. He knew it was the elderly ones time. He was about to enter her but he hesitated.
He couldn't help but feel he was intruding. It was a special moment for the small family.
But finally, he did.
Coming Back: Chapter 2
Griffin hung on his roost with a very puzzled look on his face.
"Should I ask Luna?" He thought. Luna was fairly popular. Griffin knew there would be others perfectly happy to ask her the same question. It was very difficult to decide. He decided to let the idea settle in a while before he stepped to conclusions.
He flew off of his roost to go see Luna just as friends. He searched a while before he spotted his friend. She was with the usual friends, talking with one another.
He landed somewhat clumsily by his friends. The others used to not pay much attention to him, but know he could call them friends.
"Hi, Griff!" Luna stated happily "Hello." He said contently. He greeted the others right after.
All of them had grown but still had a bit of playful spirit in them. "Who's up for owl roosting?" Luna said. It was an old game of all the friends where the roosted as close to an owl until they were too nervous to get any closer. Griffin used to keep out of most mischief, but now he was perfectly fine with anything his friends happened to bring up. All of them agreed and they all searched for an owl until they found one not too far from Tree Haven.
As usual, Luna went first. She got extremely close to it until it gave her a glare, and she flew back. Everyone took their turns, no one getting very close to the owl as Luna, and then it was Griffins turn.
"I'm not going to look scared in front of Luna."He thought.
Griffin roosted by the owl already closer than all the others but Luna. He gradually got closer to the towering owl until he passed Luna's mark. He grinned back at the others proudly.
Suddenly, the owl jumped on the branch right above him and let out a loud squawk at Griffin. Griffin fell off in surprise and tumbled through the air. He heard the others gasp, and he finally landed on his head on the ground and let out a strangled, "oof!"
He heard the others laughing at him and he blushed in embarrassment.
Luna hurriedly swooped down to him and helped him up.
"Are you ok?" she asked, suppressing a giggle. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good" He said, still blushing.
Although he did fall on his head and embarrass himself, he was proud that he got so close to the owl.
After a bit of talking, they all said their goodbye's and left to their roosts to sleep. Griffin fell to sleep next to his mother, smiling and thinking about the day.
Shade awoke on a small island, he immediately recognized it as the Underworld. He always hated the place. It was filled with the dead and a vast gloomy landscape. But right now he was somewhat obliged that he had made it down. Now all he had to do was check if he had any life in his old body. It felt strange to flap after all the floating with ease and no energy. He felt out of shape.
Shade flew, looking for more bats to see if he had the glow of a living thing. After all, he sadly couldn't see if he glowed with his own eyes even if he was alive. He needed the sight of another. Everything was gray. He hated it. It was all so fake and lacking of the earthly tint of life. The leaves on trees were so unrecognizable. Oak leaves mixed with long gray pine needles along with some other unknown leaf.
Then he spotted a mangled old fox wing bat like his old Underworld companion, Java. "excuse me?" Shade said. "Yes?" said the puzzled looking old bat, "Am I glowing?" Shade asked with great anticipation, "Hmmmmm, strange question you ask, young'in, but as a matter o' fact, you are." Shades face lit up, "Thank you!" he exclaimed while hugging the fox wing. Shade flew through the gray landscape, leaving the old bat confused on its branch, but in Shades mind's eye, He pictured the landscape in beautiful worldly colors in his happiness.
In the distance, He saw an old looking bat trailing behind a small group of flying bats, Shade could tell they were pilgrims by their callings to the island. But the old bat in the back looked strangely familiar. He flew closer closely examining the elderly one. Then it hit him. It was Freida!
"Freida!" He exclaimed. She turned her head and saw the gleeful Shade smiling at her. "Why if it isn't Shade silverwing" She said with a smile. For a moment they just looked at each other in reunion.
Suddenly, Freida's face changed to a mask of worry, "Shade, Why are you here?" Shade explained the whole story starting from where he gave his life for Griffin, then asked for help to find the tree. "Shade, it was very brave to save your son in such a way, but it may not be wise to tamper with Nocturna's ways, you should really have just stayed in your spiritual form." Shade was not expected this and his face changed to a frown. Freida immediately felt sorry for Shade, "Ok, I will help you." Shades happy face returned as he said, "Thank you Freida, You don't know how much this means to me." Freida just nodded.
"Now Shade, close your eyes and concentrate, I will sing you the sound map" In response, Shade shut his eyes and concentrated. Freida closed her eyes and then sang him the map. "Thank you very much Freida, but, that's all?", "Surprisingly, yes, we are very close to the tree" Shade reviewed the map and, to his fortune, there was only one land mark until the tree. "I'll never forget you Freida." Shade said. "Hurry now, remember, the land can change." Said Frieda. Reluctantly, they said their goodbye's and he left.
Coming Back Chapter 3
Griffin awoke to a beautiful night. No clouds were in view, the bright stars blazing their glorious shine. The night was cool, but no winds disturbed the serene night quiet.
"Good night." Said Marina. "Good night, Mom" Replied Griffin. "I'm going to go hunt" He said and he abruptly left his roost to hunt. He was extremely hungry.
Griffin flew through the air, catching small bugs. He let out pulses of echolocation waves as he snatched prey out of the air.
Suddenly in the distance, he perceived a green-stripe beetle. It was even larger than a tiger moth. He had heard of them, but never seen them. They were supposed to be a very hard catch, but it's rewarding taste was worth it ten times over. Its shell glinted green and white in the enticing moonlight.
He couldn't resist. He streaked out towards it, pummeling the air with his wings. He expected it to have tons of vexing tricks, but instead, it turned around and tackled him through the air with surprising force. They fell/fluttered to the earth, and when they landed the beetle backed up, keeping its black beady eyes on him.
"Wow, you're a tough one aren't you?" Griffin said. Griffin flared his wings and stepped closer.
As soon as he lifted a leg, the beetle struck him with its sharp front arms. He winced in pain as he glanced at the two small gashes left in his chest.
"Ouch" He muttered. This time he had a plan.
When he stepped forward, the beetle lunged and in response, Griffin beat his wings blowing it back. While it was still stunned, he lunged and swiftly killed it with a crunch of its head.
He had bested a green-stripe beetle. He couldn't wait to tell everyone. But first, he had to see if all of the talk about its delicious taste was true.
Holding it in its claws, he bit into it. At first, all the ooze in his mouth just sat tasteless. But suddenly, an explosive blast of flavor coursed through his mouth. It was better than anything he ever tasted. His senses sharpened and he devoured the rest of it.
Everything was extremely clear and he felt strengthened. He took flight and soared surprisingly fast with ease, he could see each individual vein on every leaf on every single tree. He saw each puny blade of grass from that high altitude in great detail.
He had to tell Luna about it.
He soared with incredible speed, his eyes scouting the sky for her, Then, without warning she was right in front of him and with great agility, he banked under her and then hovered beside her.
"whoa." She exclaimed in awe. Griffin smiled and told her about every detail with the beetle. "Wow, Griff, That's amazing!" Luna said. Griffin blushed at the compliment "oh, it was nothing" He exaggerated, "I'm sure you could do it easily." He said with a smile "Thanks." She replied "Well I have to go, bye Luna", "bye, Griff".
Griffin flew happily through the starlit night to tell his mother about the whole beetle-experience.
Shade glided over a gray plane of dry, cracked dirt. Over the distance he spotted the landmark .
"ah, there it is" Shade said. It was a series of maze-like tunnels that he had to navigate.
He landed at its gaping entrance staring into the dark abyss-like hole. A chill went down his spine as he thought of what could be inside. He'd have to navigate solely by echo vision.
He jumped in, wishing himself luck. It was filled with stalactites and stalagmites hanging from the ceiling and protruding from the ground. It was difficult dodging all of them, sometimes slightly grazing a wing on one. Every once in a while, there was a large chamber that looked like it was carved out rather than naturally formed.
As he was about to enter one, his heart skipped a beat as he saw three vampyrum scouts, sitting by a fire. One had seen him. Immediately, he turned and took an alternate tunnel hearing the vampyrum shouting after him. "He was glowing, he's alive!" One shouted.
Shade was terrified. If they caught him, they'd surely kill him and steal his life. He searched frantically for a place to hide. When he couldn't find anything, he just wrapped himself tightly around a stalagmite. He heard two vampyrum fly by but one said he'd wait here to look around. All Shade heard was his frantic heart beat and the slight sound of the huge bat landing on top of his stalagmite. The vampyrum looked straight at him and stared. "I know what you feel, if you care for your life, leave." Shade wasted no time. He bolted out and randomly navigated the tunnels.
Coming Back Chapter 4
Griffin opened an eye. He had a fairly pleasant sleep. He had decided. He would ask Luna no matter how hard it would be. Without saying a word to his mother, a flew of his roost and into the moon light.
"Why am I doing this?"He thought to himself. "What's the worst that could happen?" He smiled to himself. That was a phrase he always said to Luna in some scenarios. He just used it as a joke among themselves. "Oh, she could say no and you would be devastated." He chuckled to himself. He was going to ask her anyway.
He scanned the sky and ground looking for her until he decided to sit down and take a breath. He fluttered down to a flat rock on the side of a little stream. "This is where Mom and dad became mates." He thought to himself. For a while he just sat there. "In a little bit, my life is going to change." It was a deep thought.
He wondered what her answer would be… "Griffin?" A voice from beside him said "huh?" Griffin turned and saw Luna sitting down next to him. He gulped "Hi, Luna" He said. "I just saw you sitting here and wondered what you were doing." Luna said. For a moment he just looked at her.
"Well this is it." He thought. "Hey, ummm... Luna?" "Yes?" She replied. "Well I was wondering-", A noise from the rushes on his other side interrupted him.
"Who's there?" Griffin asked with a hint of alarm in his voice. A moan left the rushes and his father stumbled out.
"Griffin, is that you?" Shade asked. Luna and griffin stared, wide eyed in disbelief. Suddenly, Griffin hurriedly wrapped his wing around his father, tears running down his face.
"It's ok Griffin, I'm back." Shade said as he embraced his son, tears also running down his face.
"We have to tell everyone!" Luna exclaimed. "Yes, your right." Shade said to Luna.
Together, they flew back to Tree Haven, joy loomed in the air.
"Is that Shade silverwing?" They heard someone ask.
"It's Shade!" another yelled.
Suddenly a crowd of bats followed Shade, Luna, and Griffin in shock.
Marina hung on her roost in Tree Haven. The old wood gave a smell of comfort to her. But it was more than that. There was something else.
Then she started hearing cries of surprise outside. "What's going on?" She thought. She thought. She flew off her roost and flew to the old trees knot hole.
Shade spotted Marina and shouted her name, "Marina!" Marina broke down into tears seeing her mate coming.
Griffin Smiled, tears drenching his fur. His father embraced her and she returned it. Griffin and his mother were the happiest they had ever been in ages.
Coming Back Chapter 4
It had been a long night. Everyone had gathered around the joyous family to here Shades story. After it was all over, everyone was returning to their roosts. The old tree seamed more welcoming than it ever had.
Griffin, Marina, and Shade all exchanged good nights and Marina and Shade fell asleep in each other's arms. Griffin watched them with a smile. They looked so happy.
He went over where a few families were still sitting after the story. He spotted Luna about to return to her roost.
"Luna, wait!" Griffin exclaimed. "Yes?" She said, "What I was going to ask Earlier," Luna watched him. "Will you be my mate?" Griffin said awkwardly. Luna just stared at him for a few uncomfortable moments. " Yes," Luna said, " Yes I will." She said again with a smile.
The end, I hope you all liked it.