Prologue: Years earlier!
Blood ran down Bathsheba's arms and hands as she washed her wounds out. "I can't believe she scratched me like that." She said grumpily.
"It wasn't Frieda's fault, she needed something to squeeze and you were the closest to her and…" Mercury's voice trailed off. He didn't know how to say it. "..Well, you know.." He finally said when he found his voice with a shrug. Bathsheba huffed. Knowing he was right. "Yeah, I know." She said.
It was a crazy, long night for everyone in the colony. One minute, it was normal. Females talking, pups playing outside, moths being hunted. The next minute, the entire roost is covering its ears and everyone flies outside in hopes of escaping Frieda's ear-piercing screams. Mercury and Bathsheba were two of the unlucky bats who had to stay behind.
Mercury was to keep guard outside incase any danger came and Bathsheba had fallen victim of Frieda's sharp claws as she squeezed her hands, then wrists, then arms. The other bats that stayed were the colony's best healer, Dana and some of her assistant's and of course, the other elders too. Fortunately, it was finally over.
The unthinkable had happened. Everyone thought it was a myth, just an old legend. But it turned out, it could happen. Despite it being an old legend, it could happen. Bats and owls can mate..And have children!
Bathsheba and Mercury themselves weren't so sure how it happened-and didn't really want to know!-But one night, Frieda and Brutus went out flying together and were gone all night long. At first, everyone was afraid that Brutus might killed Frieda but were all relived to see her return home safe and sound.
But shortly after returning home, Frieda seemed sick. She kept throwing up and had very odd cravings. And at least one time, she got mad when Bathsheba disagreed with something she said and Frieda was mad enough that she shoved Bathsheba to the wall and called her an ugly fatso, then felt guilty about it and cried hysterically. But then she got real happy again when Bathsheba forgave her-that was the first and only time Bathsheba felt real concern for Frieda, since she never saw her act like that before.
Hours later, Frieda learned that she was pregnant.
Shortly after that, the colony found out Brutus was the father. When Brutus found that out, he fainted. No one knows if he passed out because of the shock from learning about Frieda being pregnant or if it was because he was shocked-or horrified, that he had fathered a child with a bat. Mercury and Bathsheba couldn't blame him for that, they found the entire situation strange and pretty shocking themselves.
Bathsheba took her arms out of the river and sat still while Mercury put this weird, moldy healing paste on them. Whatever the paste was, it had an odd smell to it and stung when he smeared it on. Making Bathsheba cringe.
Mercury chuckled at her. "If I don't put this on, it'll get infected and then you'll get sick and-" Bathsheba cut him off. "I know, I know! But I still hate it!" She growled.
Suddenly, a dark shadow flew over them. Startled, both bats looked up and saw Brutus looking back down at them. "Where's Frieda?" He demanded.
"Where do you think? In Tree Haven's healing roost." Answered Bathsheba with annoyance. By now, she just didn't care about anything but getting her flesh wounds tended to and then going back to Tree Haven to sleep. Enough has happened in one night and she just wanted it to end.
Brutus looked surprised by the short bat's tone. "Ignore her Brutus, she's had a long night." Said Mercury.
"We all did." Brutus agreed. "Atlas heard some screaming coming from Tree Haven..Was that Frieda?" Brutus couldn't quite put the question to words. But the two bats seemed to understand anyway. "Yeah that was her." Said Mercury. Brutus narrowed his eyes. "I must see her." He said.
Mercury got up from the ground. "I think I know what to do." He said then looked down at Bathsheba. "Keep rubbing that stuff on your arms, wrists and hands Bathsheba, I'll be right back." He said as he and Brutus flew away.
Bathsheba just huffed. "Sure Mercury, I'll be a good girl and stay here and put this slimy goo on my wounds." She quietly muttered to herself. Putting her hand in the healing paste and smeared it on her arm. All the while, silently cursing at the stings that came with it.
Frieda's breaths were slow but shaky. She wasn't in pain anymore, just sore and tired. Her body ached and it was hard to move. Sleep had never felt so good before. All she wanted to do was sleep in the warm, soft healing bed she was laying on.
"Waa! Waa!" The small cry came from her wings. Frieda moaned, not wanting to wake up but she forced her tired eyes to open. She carefully unfolded her wings to look at the crying baby.
The baby was bigger then most newborns-In fact, he was about the same size as the pups that were still outside! He looked different too, his wings were brown like Brutus's, and were more like an owls then a bats but the two stripes and the one diamond on each wing were brownish pink. He also had owl main, but it was similar to Frieda's, and his fur was defiantly like hers. He also had a bat muzzle, bat nose, owl eyes, owl markings around his eyes and a diamond, triangle shape on his head. His ears were like a bats, only slightly different.
Its been an hour since he was born, and yet Frieda still couldn't help but chuckle softly at the baby. All bats knew of the legend that owls and bats can have children together, the council of elders knew it. But Frieda never thought the legend could be true, let alone that her child would be one of these strange hybrids. Despite this, she still loved him.
The baby was clinging to her, whimpering. Frieda held him closer, drying away his tears and gently rubbing his head. "..Shh its ok, Little one, shh.." Her throat hurt when she spoke, but she fought the soreness to sooth her baby. Her voice was enough to calm him down and he fell back to sleep.
Watching him sleep made Frieda smile a small, soft smile. When she was younger, she wanted children but as she got older and became the chief elder in the colony, Frieda's dreams of having pups slowly became a thing of the past. But now, here she is. Recovering in the healing roost, with a newborn pup wrapped in her wings.
The sound of wingbeats made her look up. Mercury flew over to her, healing paste still dripped from his hands. He landed softly, careful not to wake the baby up. "Brutus is here, Frieda. He wants to speak with you." He said in a hushed voice.
Frieda sighed a small sigh. Brutus was the last person she wanted to speak to right now-actually, she didn't feel like talking to anyone right now, all she wanted to do was sleep. But she expected Brutus to come when the baby was born. Why wouldn't he? He's the baby's father anyway. (Or maybe he just wants to see if the legend is true.)
"Where is he?" She asked, in a quiet voice. "Over your head." Mercury nodded to the ceiling. Frieda glanced up and saw an owl shaped shadow. Brutus's shadow. She looked back at Mercury. "Thank you for telling me, Mercury. I'll speak with him now." She said. Mercury looked concern. "Are you sure your strong enough?" He asked. Frieda took a moment before answering. "Yes..I'll be ok." She said.
"Alright, call me or Dana if you need anything." He said then flew away. As Mercury flew away, Frieda wondered why he had that healing paste on his hands. Then remembered she was squeezing Bathsheba's hands, wrists and arms. She chuckled lightly to herself. Poor Bathsheba had bleeding scratches all over arms and hands and wrists. Frieda made a mental note to apologize for that later.
She looked back up at the ceiling. In the healing roost, theres a hole in the ceiling. Not big enough for owls to get through but big enough for them to see who ever is inside. The real purpose of the hole is based off another legend. The legend that if theres a hole in the healing roost's ceiling, Nocturna herself will gaze down at the newborn pups inside.
With a sigh, Frieda spoke. "Brutus, are you still there?" She asked quietly.
Brutus peeked his head inside the hole, looking down at her. He looked softer for some reason. All the times Frieda ever saw him, he looked serious, angry and determined. Now he just looked soft.
His voice sounded different too, like he was both confused, curious and..a little nervous?..But still soft, gentle even. "How do you feel?" He asked. "I wish I could sleep." It wasn't much of an answer, but it was all Frieda could muster. "I'll make this quick." Brutus promised. He eyed her wings. "Is it a..Boy or girl?" He asked again.
"Boy."
"Can I look at him?"
Frieda carefully unfolded her wings again, hoping the baby won't start crying again. To her relief, he didn't.
Brutus looked even softer as his eyes gazed down at the baby. Taking in his looks. From the top of his bat ears, all the way down to his owl legs and bat feet with owl claws. Looking at this child and knowing that it was one he and Frieda created together, was a strange feeling. Up until now, Brutus secretly hoped the entire Silverwing colony were playing a crazy joke on him or something!
But now, looking at the child with his own eyes. He knew it wasn't a joke, it was real. All he could say was: "..Wow.." After a minute, he forced himself to say something more. "He..He looks like you." He said. Frieda chuckled. "He looks like both of us." The baby moaned and started pulling at Frieda's main again. Shivering with cold. "I need to wrap my wings around him again, he's cold." Said Frieda, folding her wings and carefully wrapping the baby in a cocoon with his head sticking out.
"Did you name him yet?" Brutus asked again, he wanted to know these things about his son before things got too complicated.
"No." Frieda looked back up at him. "I wanted you and I to do that together." She said.
Brutus thought for a moment. Thinking over all the names he could think of. But only one stood out. "How about..Fergus?..I know its not perfect, but it sounds like us, and he looks like us so I thought, maybe.." His voice trailed off, what more could he say?
Frieda smiled, making him calm down a little. "I love it." She said.
That was enough to make Brutus smile back. His cheeks felt hot and he realized he was blushing. He then remembered what he really came here for and sighed. Frieda sensed he was trying to say something. "Brutus?..Is something wrong?" She asked.
"If he lives with you and your colony, he won't be allowed to see the sun. He'll be treated as a bat by all owls, even though he's my son." Said Brutus. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew he wanted Fergus to live with him and the other owls. To see the sun, and do all the things owls get to do.
"Its not just that." Brutus's continued. "He has to choose a side. Either the owls side, or yours. That choice will determine his life and his fate." This was something both Frieda and Brutus hated about the legend.
As the legend goes, the bat-owl hybrid children are often forced to make huge choices and decisions that can both change, and end their lives. They can choose to join the owls and become day flyers, or they can choose to join the bats and be forever night flyers. Its choosing one parent over the other, one group of friends over the other, one home over the other, one life over the other, and one species over the other. Its a horrible decision to make, one that Frieda and Brutus didn't like thinking about.
The two were silent for a moment, before Frieda finally spoke. "..I don't know what Fergus's decision would be, Brutus.." She suddenly had a pleading look on her face. "..But whatever it is he chooses, you still need to be his father..You can't abandon him because of his choices, he may need you one day and you have to be there for him."
Since learning that she was pregnant, Frieda reviewed everything about the legend and learned that when the hybrid chose one side, the other side would abandon them. Meaning, that the parent from the side that they didn't choose, often disown the child and forget about them. This was something she didn't want to happen to her son, so she swore to herself that she wouldn't abandon him if he chose to be on the owls side.
But she also wanted Brutus to make the same promise. Just in case..
Brutus's face twisted into a small scowl, making Frieda worried. "Brutus?" Ignoring the concern in Frieda's voice, Brutus spoke again. "If he chooses to join your side, he won't be considered an owl. He'll be just like you and all the other bats your colony, weak, good for nothing, dirty, stupid, foolish, troublesome-"
The small whimper that escaped from Fergus's mouth interrupted him. The baby hybrid clung to Frieda, hurt by his fathers cruel words. Frieda was hurt too, Brutus just insulted her, her child and her colony. She gave Fergus a gentle, comforting hug and kissed his head. She wanted to say something to him to make his tears go away but she had to confront Brutus first. She looked up at him, frowning. "How dare you say that about your own son." She growled.
"I'll say whatever I want." Brutus was almost shouting, making the baby cry louder. "If you want Fergus to live a long, happy life, then give him to me. I'll make sure the female owls can raise him." Frieda could only stare at Brutus in mute shock. Just minutes ago, he was gentle and soft and helped her name their child. Now, he's his usual self: Demanding, loud and scary.
It angered her to see this happen so fast. She held Fergus closer, almost shielding him with her body. "No." Her voice wasn't harsh like his, but had just as much meaning as Brutus's had.
"Give him to me!" Brutus was practically shouting now. "I don't want to hurt you Frieda, but I will if I have to!" His threat only made Frieda more determined, and only caused Fergus to hang on tighter to his mother.
"Think of what your doing, Brutus. If you take him away, you'll have to take me too. I'm the only one who can feed him, and he'll die if I don't." She said. This stopped Brutus is his tracks. He took a good, long look at his son and thought about hat he was doing.
He realized for the first time that Fergus was too small to be an owl. In fact, he was smaller then the owl hatchlings! Brutus also wanted Fergus to become a soldier, but his soldiers do a lot of fighting, some with creatures bigger then they are.
This made Brutus realize that Fergus would never survive being a solider. He could easily get killed in one of those fights.
Brutus considered what would happen if he were to bring Frieda back to his nest. Already, he knew that wasn't going to work. Bats live in caves and tree trunks, not in owl nests! And Brutus was pretty sure that if he were to take Frieda to live with him in his nest, he minus well would have to bring the entire colony to live there too, they wouldn't go anywhere without their leader.
Realizing this, Brutus realized that there really wasn't much of a choice, Fergus would have to stay with the Silverwing colony. Its the only place he can grow and be safe.
Silence fell over them. Frieda not daring to break her gaze from him, and Brutus just glaring back at her. The only sound in the roost was Fergus's cries. Finally, Brutus gave up, seeing that Frieda wasn't going to let him take the baby. "..What do you suggest?.." He asked in a dark voice.
Frieda didn't even blink. "..Let him choose what side he wants to join..You can't force him to join your side, and I can't force him to join mine either..It has to be his choice.." Frieda hated this idea, but she couldn't let Brutus choose for him. That won't be fair.
Brutus didn't seem to like it either, but for a different reason then Frieda's. He simply didn't want any owls to befriend the bats. "When can he choose?" He asked.
"When he's ready." Frieda answered. She waited a minute before Brutus finally said something again. "..Very well.." He stood back up, looking taller then before. "But you better take care of him."
Frieda frowned at him. "I'm his mother, of course I'll take good care of him." She wished Brutus would just leave. She had enough of him.
They glared at each other for a another long moment, before Brutus finally lifted his wings and flew away. Without even a goodbye. Frieda didn't stop looking at the ceiling until his wingbeats faded away. She looked down at Fergus, who was still crying and hanging on to her.
She sighed and nuzzled him. Kissing away his tears. "..Shh..Its ok, Fergus..Your Daddy didn't mean that..He just loves you and wants you to be with him.." Frieda wished that was true, but she knew Brutus just hated the idea of his son being on the same side as the bats.
Typical Brutus, he and all owls see bats as traitors and dislikes them because they didn't take sides in the battle of the birds and the beasts. To this day, bats still hadn't chosen a side. Being half bat and half owl puts Fergus in the middle of the tension between bats and owls.
When Fergus finally fell back to sleep, Frieda sighed again and laid her head back down on the bed. "..Your more then just a hybrid, Fergus..Your going to grow up to be a big, strong male someday..And it doesn't matter what side your on, as long as its the one you want to be on." She whispered to him and kissed him one last time, before going to sleep.
She meant it too. Fergus doesn't need someone to tell him which side to join. He'll choose on his own, when he's old enough to.
A/N: I worked on this ALL DAY and since yesterday! Sure hope this is good, cause I do not want to re write this entire thing!
Anyways, I know I got all these other stories I have to work on, but I can't help myself! I love writing stories and I can't do just one story, I have to do a hole bunch of others too! XD
Ok, now on to the story!: This story follows the TV series, but it in an alternate universe where bats and owls can mate and have babies together. It was inspired by a crack pairing I thought of a couple weeks ago. Frieda x Brutus! XD
I know, it sounds weird and crazy, but its something I haven't thought of before and I thought it would make a great story so here it is! X3
Possible questions you might have (which I made in normal text so you guys could read them better): Sad face! XD
How did Frieda and Brutus end up with Fergus?
Don't ask, its complicated!
How big is Fergus as a baby?
About the same size as Chinook in the TV series..He was one BIG baby!
How old is Frieda in the prologue?
Middle-aged, I think. Sometime when she was a little younger then she was in the series.
Bathsheba and Mercury in the beginning?
That was a small joke! Ya know how in movies and in TV shows when a woman has a baby, she squeezes her husbands/friends hand and breaks it? Pretty much the same idea, only it results in scratch marks! I also wanted to do that as kind of a joke on how Bathsheba and Frieda dislike each other in both the TV series and in the book series: Frieda is in so much pain that she blindly grabs the closest person next to her(Bathsheba) and squeezes her hands so tightly she scratches her. As time goes on, Frieda's hands squeeze Bathsheba's wrists and arms and but the time its finally over, Bathsheba is bleeding from the arms and down. So thats why Bathsheba had cuts on her and as for Mercury..I don't really know, I just felt like giving him something to do! XD
Thats all the questions I can come up with, but if anyone has anymore questions about this then feel free to ask me through a review or in a Private Message. (PM)
One more thing! This is a completely different story then my usual stories. In this one, Magnolia, Andre, Flowerdawn, Raincloud and my other OC's don't exist. I wanted to try something new, ok? X3
Ok, anything else? no? ok! Then I hope you all liked this and please review!