"Bittersweet"
The heavy wavering of the air against the strokes of Songbird's tattered, golden wings enabled flight with an easier passage as he adeptly navigated the dense clouds to his destination.
It was an easy target to spot, due to the fact that it was one of the largest structures in the area. Monument Tower – the home of his beloved girl. The rubbed-off and polished copper of the structure was well worn and beat down, but it still provided a safe-house for the young nine-year-old he housed and protected there.
To increase the mood of his time, Songbird reminded himself of the day it was. It was the young girl's birthday.
He'd taken a casual flight around the villages of Columbia to assort himself with his surroundings and figure out all of the presents that the little girl had wanted. He was nearly one hundred percent positive he'd gotten everything on it.
The din of his green eye peered at the handful of cards and presents that he held in his suppressed grip, leather rubbing against cardboard paper as he beat his wings with softer strokes to further his speed so that he could reach the Tower faster. He was already aware that his little girl was waiting for him there, expecting a handful of presents.
Well, don't worry. I got everything for you.
Upon impact of the Tower, he spread open his mechanical, golden wings and reached his free hand out to clutch the side of the rubbed copper on the battered structure so he could steady himself.
Since the building always rumbled when he collided with it, Songbird knew Elizabeth was aware of his presence. Shifting his furled wings pleasantly, Songbird balanced himself on one of his clawed feet and adjusted his grip on the building as he reached down to open the hatch that would enable his secure access into the Tower.
Poking his head in, Songbird gave a gentle chirp, the light of his glowing green eye absorbing the other colors of the room.
"Songbird!"
He knew that voice from anywhere, the person that he vowed to protect. It wasn't just an order, however, it was his will to keep this girl safe under his wings.
He remembered what had happened about a year ago that he hoped she'd forgiven him for. Through his lens, he recalled the memories, although they were broken and ripped apart like the thing he'd done.
Songbird's memories were broken and ripped apart, and he unsheathed his claws from memory. Although shredded the pieces were, he remembered when he'd hurt his little girl.
"Songbird? What is it like to… fly?"
It was a voice. Shuffling on the floor of the carpet, Songbird adjusted himself onto, he cocked his head to the left to look around.
Something wasn't right.
Eye flickering orange, Songbird unsheathed his claws and glared about, but his invisible attacker was nowhere in sight. Lashing his polished claws, the bird chirped malevolently, but once he realized nothing seemed out of place, his lens turned green again and he heaved himself down on the floor.
I guess I got all startled up for no reason.
Despite his reassurances to himself, Songbird could not forget that lingering feeling that something was oddly out of place.
Stop worrying yourself. It's nothing.
Remembering someone had spoken to him, the bird glanced down at his feet, his long, golden claws and saw her there. The only girl in the whole of Columbia that dared to come within one hundred meters of him.
Elizabeth.
His green lens peered at the girl beneath him and he chirped softly, spreading open his membranes to lure in his girl for a hug, and she gave him one, before she stepped back and looked at him.
"Well? Do you touch the clouds? You know, those fluffy white things in the sky?"
Yes. What about them?
Songbird nudged his girl in the stomach and she giggled. The soft green light of his eye fixed her in the center of his clear vision.
"I wonder what it's like."
Why? Why do you care?
Elizabeth backed away from her protector and approached the window that gave her a view of the freedom she would never have. "I believe that one day I will grow wings and just like you, will get out of this tower and fly all over Columbia…"
Wait. What.
Oh, no you're not!
Songbird's eye changed hideous blood-red and he screamed loudly. The outside world would hurt her! She could not get out! Would not get out! Not ever!
This idea could not stay in her head. Songbird screamed again and wrenched his mighty, leather fist around the girl and slammed her into the ground.
Elizabeth squealed and cried out from pain as her back smashed against the wood, held and pinned down by her guardian.
Screeching uncontrollably, Songbird fluttered and beat his mechanical, golden wings and tipped over a ton of bookshelves and paper drawings of himself that Elizabeth had given him, crayon boxes busted and a bunch of books that the girl loved tattered and unreadable.
Calming down a little bit, Songbird looked down with his horrible vermilion lenses, and realized what he'd done.
His little girl was crying underneath him, a small trickle of blood dripping from her wounded arm that had gotten struck from a shattered wooden plank underneath her. Songbird stared, unconsciously releasing his grip.
What have you done?
He stared in disbelief, staring at his little girl crushed beneath his intense grip. She was crying, and clutching her wounded arm.
And her eyes flickered with pain and betrayal.
Oh no… please… Elizabeth…
Songbird reached out for her with his leather glove, his eyes now yellow with concern, but she shoved him away and raced back to her room, crying.
She backed away from the massive Songbird, trembling quietly as she pressed her back against the door. "I-I… won't… I'll stay here… please..."
Elizabeth… I didn't mean to…
Songbird reached out for his little girl again, but she barreled beneath his fist and raced around, trying to grab the door handle to open the room but couldn't do it because she was trying too harshly.
You don't need to be afraid of me… please…
The bird reached out for his girl again, but she was trembling, clearly terrified of the massive gloves and entire mechanical thing in itself.
Elizabeth…
She'd never forgiven him for that. He hoped she would, hoped she had. For an entire month after that moment, the girl refused to talk to her protector, even when he offered her a Band-Aid to cover her wound so that it wouldn't get dangerously infected.
But no matter what, she refused to talk to him. For a year now, Songbird felt broken inside of his mechanical self and was now very gentle with his beloved girl.
Though it was not like Songbird could not have helped his attack, he was programmed to destroy anything that suggested removing the girl from the Tower. His brain thought she was an enemy, and he'd lashed out viciously. He regretted every heartbeat.
Nothing will ever hurt you, ever.
The bird pried both of his hands through and looked into the doorway. Elizabeth was standing there, a grin on her face. "Songbird!" she squealed again. "You're here!"
Songbird wrenched his mighty hand through the doorway and chirped softly, reaching a hand down to grip Elizabeth in his available hand and curl his wings around her in an embracing hug he always offered at his return.
"Do you remember what day it is?" asked Elizabeth as she trekked across the ground with her head held high, a smile on her nine-year-old face. "Do you?"
Tilting his gargantuan head oddly, Songbird didn't know how he could have forgotten.
Suddenly, he unveiled his hand and stretched it out to present to his little girl. A handful of well-wrapped gifts were in his grip, and if he could have smiled at her, he would have.
Just wait to see what I've got you.
Elizabeth grabbed the presents from her guardian's grip and brought them onto the floor, looking at the pretty striped decorations on them, a happy smile on her face. "I wonder which one is the cat," she murmured.
Hold on a second… a cat?
A… live one?
That was a big no-no.
Shifting uncomfortably, Songbird recalled when he had informed Elizabeth there were to be no live pets inside of the Monument Tower. Just because it was her birthday didn't mean that she was going to get a real live cat, did it? Songbird never even celebrated his birthday, not that he had one.
Trying not to have the same reaction he'd had when Elizabeth willed herself to fly, Songbird instead just forced his calm gaze to steady on her, the lens a still light-green in color. Dipping his head one way, he watched with interest at her reactions to the presents.
But he dreaded the moment she realized she wasn't getting a real live cat. How could he take that thing out? What did cats even eat? They removed waste like humans, Songbird knew that. Although he had no interest in when Elizabeth said she "had to go potty", the bird was informed of the ridiculous excretion of waste and how bad it smelled.
She wasn't expecting a real cat, was she? I got her a toy cat…
Reaching out with her nine-year-old fingers, Elizabeth retrieved the first present wrapped with stars and stripes. A little note was present at the side of it, and she grabbed that first. She read it aloud as if Songbird didn't know what was in it.
Elizabeth smiled as she spoke, "To my special girl. Happy Birthday." She looked up at Songbird and jumped up from the teal carpet underfoot. She gyrated straight into Songbird's arms and snuggled against him. "Thank you," she breathed into him warmly.
Songbird forgot temporarily about that cat and he pressed his leather head against the little girl snugly.
Shh… shh… don't get all startled up… I love you…
After a minute of holding her protector, Elizabeth looked up to smile at him with gorgeous blue eyes that held eternity into them. Songbird longed himself to hold her longer, closer, and vow to never let anything about that outside world to hurt her. Wrapping his golden membranes around the nine-year-old, he pressed his head against her again before nudging her back to the presents she had yet to open.
Acknowledging his attempt, Elizabeth understood the gesture before she backed away onto the ground and grabbed the star-and-striped decorated present, before she used her grabby fingers and began ribbing into the wrapping paper.
Soon, she uncovered her first gift, which was that of some new books. He always wanted the most precious gifts for last.
Elizabeth smiled and put them to her side, briefly stroking one of the covers with her pale fingers.
Songbird watched with deep interest at her movements and actions. He was intrigued at what she was going to do with everything, what she would do with it. The bird just curled his wings together and watched as the next present was unwrapped, as well as its sweet note that went along with it.
Her gift was a plush doll of a little girl. Elizabeth wrapped her fingers around its body built just for little girls her age. Songbird felt his heart flutter when instead of placing it next to the books, she kept it right at her side to help her unwrap gifts.
Her third present of the ten he'd gotten her, all which were difficult to find, was an adorable box of art utensils for her draw with. She loved it – personally Songbird thought he'd burst when she was to first use it. He loved to watch her use the things he gave for her birthday, but this was to be her very special birthday. He wanted it to be exactly the way she'd planned. Well…
What about that cat…?
She won't even notice. She'll have so much more stuff to look at.
Songbird fluttered his wings and nudged his head down to lovingly nuzzle Elizabeth. She giggled and fell over, not painfully, she'd been squatted down the whole time. Iridescent blue eyes gleamed into Songbird's green lenses, and he chirped softly at her, extending one of his golden wings to pull her into an embrace.
Elizabeth accepted his comforting hug, her ebony hair brushing against beech-hued leather of her guardian's chest armor. She snuggled in again, then let go to return to her unwrapping of the presents. Songbird loved how polite and patient she was with the process.
She'll be beautiful, elegant, and strong one day. No one will diminish her flame. No one will hurt her.
Tilting his head, the massive bird just rested his cranium down as the fourth gift was unwrapped, a glass vial with a butterfly inside of it. Elizabeth already knew was this was, Songbird guessed. She loved letting insects go. Especially butterflies.
The fifth present was a simple stack of scrolls and feather quills she'd asked for. She liked to write down things with feather quill pens, he noticed, she he always bought her some when she needed them. These ones were expensive though, but Songbird only needed to jab a finger at them and they were his without another thought.
The sixth present was another special gift, it was a well-woven plush doll of the Songbird himself that the large bird had picked up from a nearby store. He hadn't acquired the largest size of the doll, no, but he had plucked the one including a card and box of chocolates, as well as the nursery rhyme scribbled down on a piece of paper. Songbird shifted his golden wings as he eyed the little girl Elizabeth give the bird a gargantuan hug, then place it next to her doll.
Songbird watched as she made the two toys embrace.
"Look," Elizabeth whispered as she pressed the two toys together. "It's you and me." She looked up at Songbird and smiled.
The large bird stared, mesmerized, his heart leaping from his chest as he watched the doll and the bird placed next to each other. He picked up both of the plush dolls and observed it. Using his massive fingers carefully, he put the brown-haired doll on the back of Songbird and made the two fly around together. Elizabeth giggled as Songbird swept the toys around in another arc, then crashed them into her gently. The little girl laughed as she watched the toys and gave each of them a never-ending hug.
Songbird was thrilled as he watched her, and he adeptly resettled himself on the floor with his wings wrapped around him. The seventh present was a painting of a sky, all complete with clouds. It showed Elizabeth what the air was like, outside of her prison. And it was Paris, too. She'd love that, Songbird knew.
The eight present was a well-decorated flower vase and seed packet so Elizabeth could grow some plants to coat her room with. As usual, her room was not plain and boring anyway, but Songbird figured that sparkly, glorious, pretty flowers would help add to the exotic effects of her already well-adorned bedchamber.
The ninth present was another set of clothes for the human plush doll Elizabeth had. The little nine-year-old girl put the clothes beside her human doll plush. Then, she went to the last present; Songbird swore he saw a glimmer of spark of hope cross his little girl's face as she used her prying hands to start shredding the paper of the final, tenth present. Songbird then saw her staring at what was inside of the present.
It was the cat doll.
Elizabeth's gorgeous blue eyes peered at its soft gray fur for a moment, and then she blurted out, "Where's the real cat?"
This was the moment the large bird guardian had been dreading. Flapping and fluttering his wings with nervousness, he gave a low tweet and shook his head, green eye flickering slightly. So, she had been expecting a real cat.
Elizabeth pouted for a minute, but for a minute only. Then she brightened up, scooped the cat, Songbird plush, and human doll in her hand then swept in her guardian for a big hug.
"Thank you for all of the presents," she whispered, burying her head on his thick stomach.
Songbird wrapped his wings around her and settled down, his gloves resting on the velvet carpet as he steadied himself. As long as his little girl was happy with what she got, then the large bird was at peace. It pained him to see Elizabeth so upset. Really, anyone who saw that girl in a depressed mood felt at least some sympathies towards her. It was hard to ignore her beautiful eyes and face looking so innocent and sad. It pained Songbird when Elizabeth cried, too. He just couldn't stand it.
And so, the Big Daddy-like creature just kept Elizabeth in his firm seizure, wanting to never let go of her warm body. But he eventually unraveled his wings from around her shoulders and let the little girl just get herself tidied up. She thanked him again for all of the presents she had received, before she paused for a second.
"I know you don't have a birthday, Songbird. But I have something to go get you. Can you wait here until I fetch it, please? It's really special! You'll love it!"
Curious that the little girl had made him something on her birthday, Songbird did as he was told and folded his majestic wings around his arms, spinning his fingers in slow circles as he waited for her.
Of course I'll let you grab it. Why wouldn't I?
Watching as Elizabeth scampered across the velvet carpet, Songbird looked out the window of the imprisonment and shuffled a bit. He wondered what she had made. Was it another wooden-crafted birdhouse he could hang outside?
So as he waited there, the massive bird recalled those times after his attack on Elizabeth. How lonely and unloved he had felt there, waiting outside of her door with a sprinkled cookie in his leather hand, knocking slightly on the expensive wood to try and bribe the injured little girl to get out of her room. She may have felt it or not, but as she had left Songbird alone she was leaving him desperate and crazy, unable to think and operate his mind.
I don't want to remember those days… Just get out of my head.
But he could not stop himself as he was absorbed into the sketchy memory that he harnessed a little while ago, back at the time when he was always waiting for his sweet little girl to open the door… and she never did.
Please come out. These are your favorite!
His gloved hand reached out to prod the mahogany of the wooden gate standing between him and his loyal observer. But no matter the temptation he had pressed upon the young girl on the other side, she remained statue-still in the room, probably curled up on her bed dripping wet tears onto the dusty-scented tomb pages as she read books.
Songbird wasn't giving up that easily. He nudged the door with his head, careful not to swing it on its hinges. But Elizabeth was still lodged into the other room, with no obvious indications she was intending to come out anytime soon. The little girl had been in there for over a day and the sixty-foot bird suddenly willed himself back to the time he wished he was ten feet, so at least he could pop in and comfort her.
She's afraid of me. You have no nose to smell that and find it obvious. She must think you're some sort of monster! I'm not a monster!
Terrified if his little girl thought what all the people down below in Columbia's villages thought, Songbird backed up until he inadvertently swept down a statue with his outstretched wings, unsheathed claws ripping up the teal carpet and curtains until he'd wrecked the whole place.
Feeling lost and alone, Songbird clamped both of his gargantuan hands over his head, the din of his once-green eye molding into a horrible reddish-orange. Instead of quiet chirps that gently prompted Elizabeth to come out, Songbird screamed his pain instead, shaking the whole of the Tower as he did so.
You're scaring her! Why are you so stupid?
But his massive screams of terror weren't of the want of death or alarm or surprise, they were filled with a clear note of sadness. He wanted and needed his Elizabeth back, she could not think of him as a monster! Surely the screaming wasn't helping. But he felt nothing else left to do except for curl up into a ball and wail his troubles. Maybe one day someone would heard it.
With his hands covering his eyes, Songbird's heart and muscles were pumped and beating too hard for him to hear the door for Elizabeth's room beginning to open. Washing away her fear, the copper brown-haired girl started to press into the center of the room, seeing her guardian inside of the room now made a mess, tangled up in the curtains with a trapped wing, wailing like a miserable owl with a hurt foot, the pain and sadness obvious in his wonderful melody of screeches.
Timid, Elizabeth took a few tentative steps towards her protector, who flailed his wings all over the place and screeched out in fear. She outstretched her hand and whispered in a really quiet voice, "Shh… It's okay…"
She took a few more shaky steps closer to her guardian, Elizabeth pressed her warm hand against the leather of Songbird's immense head. Startled, the large bird flared open his wings in surprise, but he looked to the side curiously and saw the girl he'd been trying to get out of her room, with her hand comfortingly placed on his head.
"You don't have to be afraid… Shh…"
Trying to wrench his trapped wing from its bonds, he screamed louder when it would not get itself undone. Elizabeth crouched over in the agony concerning her ears, but she just reached out with a confident hand again and brushed the top of the leather on Songbird's head again.
"Listen to me," she started more firmly.
Stopping his repellent screaming, Songbird looked down at the certainly-bold little girl standing beneath him. Realizing all that she'd done for him, as well as he for her, Songbird extended his golden, mechanical wings for a longing embrace he had wanted for so long.
Climbing up into her guardian and friend's secure hands and grip, Elizabeth pressed herself against Songbird as she closed her eyes, warmth absorbed into her cool skin as the large bird embracing her closed his wings around her body fully, coating her in the peaceful, silent blackness.
Reawakening from the past, Songbird watched as Elizabeth slipped out of the same room she'd had on that very day, coming out with a thing behind her back. Songbird pretended to peer around her and look at it, but Elizabeth stuck out her hand and shook her head fiercely.
"You can't peak," she teased. "Close your eyes and open when I ask you to."
Songbird wrapped his wings around himself and pretended to be annoyed as he heard the shuffling of an object below him. Curious, Songbird peered open his ears to listen before Elizabeth nodded in satisfaction.
"Okay," the blue-eyed girl said. "You can look now."
The huge bird uncovered his eyes with those majestic, golden wings of his and looked at whatever Elizabeth had in her hands – a hand-drawn picture with Songbird and her on it, holding hands, watching the sunset together with smiling faces.
Songbird's heart leapt again when he saw the two make-believe characters on the paper before him, so happy and content. Gently as he could, he worked his fingers around the picture and held it up for his large lens to see it better.
And, he loved it.
Just like on that day Elizabeth had helped Songbird with his breather, she raced into his open palm and held herself there, and the larger construct wrapped his fingers around her tighter and pulled his head down to nuzzle the nine-year-old girl, chirping with silent happiness.
Happy Birthday, Elizabeth…
"I love you, Songbird," was the reply.
I love you, too.
"Thanks for all the presents you got me," the little girl added.
Anything for you.
Dropping out of Songbird's clutch, Elizabeth raced to the open window and tugged on Songbird's leather glove to follow her. She plopped down next to the window and invited Songbird to do the same. When he had, Elizabeth retrieved the drawing from her guardian and pointed to the sunset, then back at the paper, then to the two of them.
"It's us, see? Just like in the picture. We're watching the sunset together."
So, the big bird wrapped one of his wings around the little girl and pulled her in close, feeling her warmth against his leather frame as the two, content watched the sunset together as it fell from the sky, purples and pinks blotting the surface of that airy sky like uneven ink spots.
And Songbird?
He could not have asked for anything else.