Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Akatsuki or any of the characters/concepts featured. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

'Mama! Mama! Will you tell me a bedtime story? Please, un?'

The woman smiled lovingly down at her son as the boy crawled into bed and tucked himself under the quilt.

'Of course Dei, which story would you like?' she asked. She walked over to one of the many oak shelves in the room and scanned the titles of the books, waiting to hear his choice.

'Tell me your story about the Flyers again, hm!' chirped the boy, hugging his teddy bear close to his chest.

'Dei, you've heard that one so many times. How about something new?'

'Please mama! I want to hear it again, un!'

The lady sighed and sat down on the bed next to the young boy. She gently placed her arm around him to pull him closer and turned on the lamp beside his bed, giving the room a dim yellow glow. The light reflected in the child's golden hair and made it shimmer. The boy's blue eyes lit up and he snuggled down, listening intently. His mother calmly cleared her throat and began.

'A long, long time ago, when I was just a girl, I went into the forest outside the city to pick blackberries. Now, these blackberries were the juiciest and most delicious blackberries that anyone had ever tasted, so I took a basket with me to bring some back for everyone to enjoy…'

The child leaned forward in anticipation and the woman put her hand to her mouth and giggled at his expression.

'But when I was out there some nasty people started a fire in the forest and pretty soon I was trapped in the flames!'

She put her hands in the air and waved them around wildly for emphasis, earning a few giggles of delight from her son.

'But someone saved you, mama! Didn't they, un?' asked the boy.

'They did. I was lost in the smoke and all I could hear was my family calling to me. I thought I wouldn't make it, but then I saw him.'

Deidara shuffled forward eagerly. 'Saw who mama?'

'One of the Flyers, child. He appeared out of nowhere and carried me out of the flames before I got hurt.'

'What did he look like, mama, hm?' asked the boy. His grip tightened on his teddy bear, making its brown button eyes bulge slightly.

'I know he was very tall and very handsome, and he had long dark hair in a ponytail with bright red eyes. But not the eyes of a monster.'

'And what about his wings, mama? Did you see them when he carried you away, hm?'

'They were very big and the colour of the night sky,' the woman whispered. She turned and looked out of the boy's bedroom window at the magnificent pale moon, remembering the event as clear as if it had happened yesterday. 'But I never saw him again…'

'Do you think I will see one, hm? Actually, I want to be one when I grow up! Even though I don't have any wings…'

His mother laughed, 'Who knows, child? Maybe you will be lucky. Not many people get to see the Flyers and they don't normally like to be seen, but I'm sure if you look hard enough you will find one.'

'Will you see your Flyer again, mama?'

She shook her head sadly. 'No, child. The Flyers are very strange creatures and they do not age; I would like him to remember me the way I was.'

'But they will always look after you, right?'

The woman leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on her son's forehead. 'Of course. They look after everyone, child. Even though they are no longer within the city walls they still protect us. That is what makes them so special to us humans. Now go to sleep; I don't want you to be tired tomorrow.'

Deidara pouted but obeyed and slid further underneath the sheet, still clutching his teddy bear. 'Good night, mama!' he called, as the mother drifted gracefully from the room.

'Good night. Sleep well, my son.'

The blonde waited until her footsteps disappeared before springing out of bed and wandering over the window to stare at the stars. What would it be like to meet a Flyer? Mama said they never aged, so he or she would be very pretty. Maybe he would be able to teach it things! Oh, he wanted to see one so badly! When he was old enough, he would go out looking for them! Yeah, Deidara the traveller! He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the window ledge, gazing up at the night sky and wishing with all his strength. He did this every night and he was sure that one day his wish would come true.

One day, he would meet a Flyer…