It had been too long - days - since I visited the aviary and hoped I wouldn't be reprimanded too badly. I was so close and I knew it. Brian would be coming over tomorrow to double check the latest set of results and if given the green light like I believed it would, the process could start as early as a couple weeks from now. It was finally time for me to have that talk with Windwhisper.

The large, greenhouse-esque building was my pride and joy. I never wanted a yacht or some other grandiose symbol of my wealth, even if others considered my aviary so. It had been likened to a mansion for birds. The 40,000 square foot building was home to multiple enclosures, an open pavilion, a medical rescue center, and bordered at the one end with an expansive open garden for both the housed and wild birds. The only thing the building symbolized to me was my level of caring and love for flying-types.

I entered through the utility door, ever mindful of my cane, and was grateful to catch Joyce in the room as her shift came to a close. Meeting with the greying woman was always a pleasure. A wafting odor of antiseptic stung my nose as I closed the door behind me. A pidgey was stood upon the first aid counter, a juvenile by its plumage, with one of its legs wrapped in gauze. It curiously glanced around the room with the reflections from the various cabinets piquing its attention.

"Oh good, you're out of the cave. Maybe you could work your magic. The little ones are infighting; there seems to be a bit of a rivalry going on. This little guy is the third I've patched up today."

Such a thing was common when the 'nest maker' wasn't around to keep order. Some things would never change, unlike others.

I gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Joyce. You know how I am with my breakthroughs. Beyond order, is there anything else I should address tonight?"

She answered as she dried off her hands. "Duskdancer wished to speak with you. She was very.. insistent."

I sighed. "Probably another territory dispute. I'm almost thinking of expanding the aviary to separate the diurnal and nocturnal birds."

"I'd have to wish you luck on choosing which of the groups to move." She paused for a second and looked at me with concern. "Do you need me to come with you?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed once more. "It would be equivalent to a show of weakness. I'm going to dig deeper into my deck and play a card I don't like playing. I'll call you afterwards. I'll be fine; I am their livelihood. If you don't hear from me within the hour then you can be worried."

She appeared to accept this reluctantly. "Alright, Roy. Good luck. Call me if you need me."

I smiled. I was grateful to have someone care so. "Thanks, Joyce. You have a good night. I'll take the little one back to their nest."

We held our arms out towards each others in a falconer's carry and the pidgey did a small hop over onto my outstretched arm, trilling in content with its new perch. Joyce gave it one last pet and wished me good night before taking her leave.

I locked the door behind her and looked down at my new companion, knowing him in the glance. I spoke in a language I rarely spoke around others.. their language. "I have been away for only five Suns, Cloudsong, and already you hatchlings are fighting? How will your mother feel when she finds you to be hurt in your own nest?"

He looked sufficiently cowed but spoke his piece. "Darktalon thinks because he's the largest of us that he's free to rule over us. He's mean and a bully and I won't let him hurt my friends without a fight!"

To hear such a strong conviction so plainly stated brought a smile to my face. Even in their young I could respect avian mentality. "I'm proud of you for sticking up for yourself but there's a reason we tell you to go to your elders. We find a solution that doesn't involve injuries or upset parents. I'll talk with the alpha about his punishment. Come to us next time, ok?"

He gave a small nod. "Yes, Nest Maker.."

I gave a slight stroke over his head and down his back to show my forgiveness. "Thank you. Now, let's get out of this stuffy room and I'll take you to your nest. I don't want your leg to be injured further."

We exited the small first aid station and proceeded out into the hallway that bordered the perimeter of the enclosures. The walls were dotted with pictures of our workers, birds, and accreditations. I wished the couple people still in our office a good night as I passed by. I always thanked my staff for helping to keep the place in order. Even now the next shift change was occurring to have staff members available for the nocturnal birds.

Enclosures were separated by climate style; however, the birds had a passway through to adjacent enclosures as long as both sides agreed to it. I wanted to allow the freedom of the whole complex but understood that potential disputes could make that idea a problem in the future. The alphas of the enclosures knew how to operate the switches for the retractable sections of the walls they were in.

The Kanto/Johto enclosure, home to the pidgey on my arm, was the largest individual enclosure the building housed. It took in most species of temperate birds worldwide including those outside of the two connected regions. I nicknamed it the kJ enclosure because it usually required the most energy out of the staff to upkeep. Joyce gave me a look when I shared the name with her.

Reaching the employee door to kJ, I placed my right hand on the fingerprint scanner beside the door. A flash of light later and I stepped into the pleasantly warm forest. No sooner had the door closed behind me than the beat of wings approached me. The pair of pidgeot perched on branches beside me looking at my passenger.

"Nest Maker, you honor us with your presence and your care of our little one. Is our little Cloudsong alright?" The father, I could tell by the tone of the voice, turned his attention to the pidgey upon my arm. "You are much too young to be fighting. You're not even a fledgling and already you are hurt by another."

Cloudsong shriveled under his parents' gaze. I held up my free hand in placation. "Easy, Dawnbreaker. Cloudsong will be perfectly fine in a day or so. He is not the one who should receive blame. Trust me when I say I'll be adding the issue to my talk with Windwhisper."

The pair bowed to me. "Thank you." "Thank you for caring for my little one."

"You know I don't like being bowed to in matters such as this." I smiled at the mated pair. "Could you please lead me to your nest? I would prefer him to not fly until dawn tomorrow at the earliest."

"Of course, Nest Maker. We shall lead you there."

The pair slowly flew from branch to branch as to allow me time to navigate the shrubs, oaks, and maples. All around me throughout this walk, different kinds of birds greeted me in their customary squawks, chirps, and tweets. Despite all my knowledge on avians, I hadn't known where I was placing myself on the hierarchy when I created this aviary. Just by doing so I obtained the title of 'Nest Maker', higher than the species' alphas themselves.

I hadn't wished for such a position but after a month of entering rooms being called as such, I gave in. I truly ran the building by being so and the clout that came with the title spared me from most of the prejudice from the wild birds for me being human. I was hoping my solution to the problem would remove such prejudice but that was neither here nor there.

I was led towards one of the corners of the enclosure to a partially hollowed tree with grasses lining its inside.. It was my solution to the problem of building habitats in a relatively small space compared to an open forest. I had to import trees and brushes suited for being nesting capable. I was always proud to see my ideas become reality.

I raised my left arm up enough for Cloudsong to be able to step into his nest. His mother had already made her way inside before her hatchling and Dawnbreaker gave me as much as a grateful smile as he could from the branch he perched upon.

"Stars watch over you, Nest Maker, and thank you."

"Until the Sun graces us once more, Dawnbreaker."

With the customary nighttime parting, I knew my next stop was with Duskdancer, lest I end the night on a sour note. Windwhisper was much more cordial of a bird than the alpha 'krow.

The boundary of the murkrow and hoothoot nesting area was made apparent by the darkening mesh hung above the trees. It was a personal request I happily provided as I couldn't fully replicate the natural, dense forests of Johto due to the room being shared with other birds. With only the evening sun illuminating the enclosure, I crossed their boundary. Duskdancer was going to have to be retaught that while they had their own boundary, everything was my territory.

It was in this twilight that the alpha 'krow came to perch on a branch at my front and looked down upon me in clear disrespect.

She puffed out her chest and said her piece. "I once more request the surrounding trees bordering the Skycutter boundary. Our flock continues to grow while their territory sprawls further than their members require. We would make better use of the land."

It always came back to the fearow territory. Her grudge against them was almost as great as the one against me. I allowed myself to switch languages. She needed to know whom I was speaking as.

"They are expecting four more with the coming of summer and the copse of trees you request is their plan for raising the upcoming chicks. I have to deny your request. Your land is suitable for your numbers at this time."

She turned her beak up at me. "Fine, it seems I'll handle the matter myself."

I had to stop this now. I glared. "You will do no such thing."

"As if we should follow a human who speaks as if he's not. You have no right to fly above us!"

"If those are your feelings towards your Nest Maker," It was with displeased eyes that I gave my response. "Find another nest."

That comment was the breaking point. It was then with a screech that she took a flying dive at me.

A twist of my cane made it attack ready. The situation was too fast for my tranquilizing darts to work, so I'd have to use its less-preferred method.

With a precise swing and a darting jab, I struck Duskdancer into her chest from between her talons as I ducked from her swooping strike. I might've lost a few hairs to how close the strike came to my head, but I dodged the blow while my own struck true. Landing after her crashing roll into an undignified heap, I wielded my sparking cane low, but prepared, for another attack as I addressed the paralyzed 'krow.

"It may not look so, but I'm always armed. Poachers are a risk to my facilities, but never did I think I would have to attack anyone in my nest. You envy the others' space yet your flock has hatched more chicks in the year you've been here than the three before in the forest. I would know, I owned the land around here before I had the nests built. You don't act in your flock's interest; you act in your own hatred."

I looked into the trees behind her and took stock of all the eyes peering back, all of the murkrow and honchkrow of the flock watching this battle of alphas.

"Do any of you stand with her?"

A few shuffled on their feet, a few turned their heads away, and one of the elder honchkrows shook their head in pity.

I returned my gaze to her and let the silence sink in for a few seconds. "Not a single supporter of your view." My tongue then slipped back into my Pidgean dialect. "You have no flock, and I no longer welcome you here."

I kept her in my peripheral vision as I took a deep breath to balance myself, then glanced over my shoulder. "Ripper, I know you're there. Would you please escort her out of our nest?"

The enormous fearow flapped down from the nearby branch he'd been overseeing the situation from and landed by my side with a swoop of air. A few leaves scattered from the force of his wings and the now dethroned Duskdancer looked on in hate and a slight amount of fear. Ripper was staunchly defensive of me after my defense of the oft prejudiced 'row line and had a bit of a protective streak towards his nest human, something I greatly appreciated on the rare times where situations escalated to this degree.

With a growl and a glint in his eye, Ripper towered over her and motioned to the nearby open overhang of the enclosure. After one last glare towards me, she begrudgingly acquiesced and took her flight of shame from her former nest and flew from the building into the surrounding forest beyond.

I sighed in relief in the situation's closure and returned my cane back to normal to lean on it a little heavier than usual. Tensing up in stress like that was never good for my leg. With Ripper's return, I gave a pat to his wing and nodded in thanks. "I'm sorry you had to do that."

He huffed and glared at her previous location, the dirt still displaced from her fall. "Be glad I did no more."

I sighed in agreement, then with a trailing pat, I hobbled over to our still awaiting audience and addressed them. "I will address your new alpha upon your decision. Take your time and come to me when you've decided. You're dismissed."

The flock of black feathers took to the sky and back further into their territory, probably to discuss what just occurred. I, however, had another of my own discussions to attend to. Bidding a good night to those still in the clearing, I made my way back over into Pidgean territory.

Windwhisper sat expectantly in her gracious hovel - a comfortably cushioned, hollow stump open to her surroundings - so news had travelled fast. I was hoping for a quiet evening of celebration, but at least I still had a chance to share some good news. I greeted my old friend with the customary act of welcome, an open-winged (armed in my case) swooping bow, given only to those held in great respect.

"Good evening, Windwhisper. I hope you're faring well."

She dipped her head at me in a smile. "As well as these old bones let me, Nest Maker. Now quit standing on ceremony and come give this old gal a hug."

The alpha pidgeot was a bird I had known for a good portion of my life. When the plans for the aviary were finally agreed upon, I returned to my hometown to invite her flock to be the first to nest in my new home and she, to my delight, accepted. I broke our hug with a grin and I could see the intrigue on her face.

"I take it you had one of your ideas work, Roy?"

My smile only went wider and I kneeled down before her. "By this time next moon, I will know for certain whether I will have wings of my own. I ask not as your Nest Maker, but as a friend.. Would you accept me into your flock?"

The surprise was easily visible, but quickly morphed into kindness. It was with a low, loving voice she answered.

"You know you're always welcome beside us, my little Stargazer."