Chapter 2: An Unexpected Turn of Events
"There, that's all settled," Judge Peckinpah replied, once the formal agreement was written up and signed. Turning to Red, who was still cradling his hatchling, he commented, "This was your last day, Miss. Red. Who have you chosen to be the hatchling's other parent?"
Red opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Leonard. "What do you mean? His other parent is obviously me."
"So, you're going to take responsibility, and officially become Red's mate?" the little bird asked, eyeing the pig king.
"Are you talking about marriage? You're asking if I'm willing to marry Red?" the king asked, eyes widening at the thought.
"Share her home, care and raise her hatchlings, provide support in her times of need? Yes. That is what being a mate entails, Mr. Mudbeard," the judge replied.
Leonard clapped his hooves together in excitement. "Of course. If he'll have me." Turning quickly to his lover, he smiled down at him. "What do you say, Red? Will you marry me?"
"I — I suppose so," Red replied, pulling his little one close to his chest.
"We can keep your house here as a vacation home, but you'd have to agree to return home to Piggy Island with me. And, since I'm the king, you'd be my queen," Leonard informed him. "Er, I mean, my Queen Consort."
"We'd take our child with us, right?" Red asked, as if he was uncertain about Leonard's intentions.
"Of course. I'd never leave our little one behind. He's my firstborn, after all. My heir. The prince of Piggy Island. A Mudbeard, through and through," Leonard boasted, hands coming to rest on his hips.
"Alright," Red agreed, glancing away. Leonard was sure he could see a blush on his lover's cheeks.
"Wonderful! Now, would you like the doctors to give you some… contraceptive tips, Mr. Mudbeard?" Judge Peckinpah asked.
"It wouldn't hurt. I love children, but I don't think having a child every single year would be a good idea," the king mused, stroking his beard.
"You want… more of them? With Miss. Red?" the little bird asked, casting a questioning eye at the red avian.
"Of course," the pig insisted.
"I should have known," the judge sighed under his breath. Red had been, by far, his most difficult Lost and Found ward. It seemed she was better off with the pigs, given her strange ways... and even stranger hatchlings.
The flapping of giant wings caused everyone to look skyward, only to cringe as the giant bird landed face-first in the dirt in front of them. Mighty Eagle pushed himself to his feet, his gaze flickering over the court circle.
"RED! You're future mate has arrived," the giant bird boasted, striking what he thought was a stunning pose.
"My future what?" said Red, frowning.
"His future WHAT?!" yelled Leonard, his eyes narrowing at the interloper.
The judge tightened his talons, prompting the bird beneath him to take a step toward the eagle. Raising his wings in a calming gesture, he said, "Mighty Eagle! We are humbled by your presence, but it seems that Miss. Red has found a mate on her own."
"Oh." The eagle looked crestfallen for a moment, before a grin spread over his beak. "Well then, let me look upon the princess' mate, so that I — the Guardian of Bird Island, and the last royal guard of the Cardinals, may judge him worthy of her wing in matrimony. So, where is this guy?" The larger bird glanced around the assembly, winking at Red and the child in her arms, before resuming his silent search.
"Mr. Mudbeard has graciously agreed to be her mate. It seems that he is the father of her… offspring, as well," Judge Peckinpah informed him, gesturing to the bearded pig standing next to Red.
"A pig? You chose an egg-eater to rule Bird Island? Though, I suppose we don't really adhere to the old monarchy any longer, so shouldn't really matter…" Mighty Eagle considered this, stroking his chin. "Alright then, out with the old and in with the new, they say!"
Leonard backed up a step as the giant bird strode toward him, extending a long wing for him to shake. "Nice to meet you. I'm Mighty Eagle, as you well know. I'm sure Red talks about me all the time. I was her mentor during her quest to rescue our eggs from your people's terrible clutches."
"I don't talk about you all the time, and you were not my mentor," Red argued. The little one in his arms decided that it was a good time to wake up, and began to struggle inside his blankets.
"And is this the little one? Come to Uncle Eagle."
"Hey!" two voices cried as the child was plucked effortlessly from Red's wings.
"Oh, you are a unique little thing. Look at that green skin. Goochi, goo!" Mighty Eagle chuckled, tickling the hatchling. "You know, my great-grandfather told me stories about a mighty warrior that looked like a bird, but had a curly tail, like a pig. I'm too young, obviously, to remember when the pigs and birds used to share an island, but I'm sure this wouldn't be the first time a pig and a bird fell in love," the eagle stated, handing Red back his child.
"Wait… Pigs and birds lived on the same island?" Leonard asked, his eyes comically wide.
"Of course. It was only when your species' thirst for our eggs became uncontrollable that our people fled, seeking a new home. My ancestors were the ones who discovered this island, and led our people to safety. Once we were settled, the Cardinals decided that it was time to have a more equal society, and they gave up their royal title to live amongst the people," Mighty Eagle told him.
"These… Cardinals, was it? You said that Red was one of them. A princess, to be precise. How do you know this?" the king asked, glancing at his fiancée.
"It's obvious. Look at her coloring. Only the royal family had such vibrantly red feathers. They were said to be the descendants of the phoenixes of old, as close to gods as one could get. But that was a long time ago. I have no idea what they teach hatchlings in schools these days," the larger bird admitted, scratching his head.
"It mostly revolves around you," Red grumbled, holding his little one close.
"Really? Well, I am THAT amazing," the eagle replied, striking yet another pose.
"Well now, I believe it's time for dinner. I can't say I understood most of what you were talking about, especially the thing about princnesses and cardinackles, but we've already signed the treaty, and Red has a mate, so things are going splendidly," the judge said, shooing everyone toward the open door.
"I think I'll join you," Mighty Eagle insisted, plodding after the small crowd of birds that had been onlookers during the gathering. Soon, Leonard and Red were alone.
"Soooooo, you're royalty. That's interesting," Leonard said, chuckling nervously. It shouldn't have been a big deal, given that he'd pretty much asked Red to marry him — which would have made the avian royalty in the eyes of the world beyond Bird Island. But finding out that the crimson avian was ALREADY a royal was a lot to process.
"I guess. I'm not the only red bird though. I'm pretty sure Terence is older than I am," Red admitted.
"Maybe he's your brother," Leonard suggested.
Red shrugged. "Maybe. I've never seen any other red birds on the island, and only met Terence when we ended up in the same anger management class."
"There's no point in dwelling over all that now. Shall we go for dinner, my dear?" Leonard asked, extending his hoof to his lover. Red took his offered hand, and nodded.
It was only when everything was said and done, and Leonard, Red, and the little one were finally back on Piggy Island, that the king found himself unable to sleep. His thoughts were filled with the realization that birds had once LIVED on their island. It was already obvious that a physical union between their people could result in healthy offspring. There may even be pigs on the island with avian blood in their veins, even if they had no bird-like features. And it was the porcine race's lust for eggs, the unborn offspring of the avians, that had driven their species apart for so long.
Glancing to his left side, Leonard could only feel warmth at the sight of his beautiful bride-to-be sleeping peacefully next to him, their babe resting quietly in a crib near the bed. As the ruler of Piggy Island, it was up to him to fix the rift between their peoples.
Note: The birds are a very traditional species. Outsiders are fine, as long as their ideals aren't threatened. At least, this was my headcannon from watching the movie.