Note: The avians are a humanoid (harpy-like) species in this story, and the pigs are a race of dark-skinned humans.

From the moment Leonard set foot on the mythical floating island, known only as 'Bird Island', the little red-feathered avian had made a point of interrupting his plans. It had been a clash of wits, one that the king had intended to win from the beginning.

He honestly couldn't say how they went from arguing over the arrival of Leonard's second airship, to embracing passionately on Red's straw-filled bed, but neither one had complained about it. The king had woken first, and had decided to spend the quiet morning hours taking in his unusual surroundings, and the form of his new lover.

The bed was clearly made for a single person of petite stature, which was why Leonard had ended up dragging the covers onto the ground to continue their lovemaking. And now the golden sun was glinting off the dozing avian's freckled skin and crimson feathers. The little man was turned away from him, cuddling the covers close with his winged arms. A hint of black at the top of Red's spine caught his attention. With a careful touch, Leonard slid the covers further down his lover's back, and traced the letters that were now glaringly visible in the sunlight.

Eonardlay Udbeardmay

Pig Latin. Why would Leonard's name be spelling in Pig Latin down Red's spine? Unless it was a soulmark. Did avians even have soulmates? Then that must mean…

The feather-haired man began to stir, his back arching lazily. "What are you doing?" Red asked, his words slurred in a sleepy tone.

"Why do you have a name," my name, "tattooed on your back?" Leonard asked, his breath ghosting over the other man's fair skin.

The avian glanced over his feathered shoulder, raising a brow at his lover. "It's not a name. It's just squiggles." With a yawn, he sat up, allowing the covers to pool in his lap.

Leonard watched as the other man's golden eyes caught sight of his soulmark, which rested over the king's heart. When it had first appeared, it had caused quite a stir in his kingdom. No human writing had matched the strange symbol – the pictogram which had been etched in crimson on his dark skin.

Red bit his lip, slowly turning around so that he could stretch out a single feathered wing – tentatively pressing it against the larger man's bare chest. "You have an avian soulmate. I didn't realize that."

"Red, you have my…" The king froze as his lover rushed to his feet, scrambling to pull on his wheat-colored tunic. It was a truly horrid color for such a vibrantly-feathered avian. Once they were wed, he'd make sure his soulmate was dressed in only the finest clothing.

"Get dressed!" Red ordered, pacing near the bedroom doorway, his talons clicking against the floor.

"Where are we going?" Leonard asked, pulling on his pants first. His white tunic, made from the finest silk, was quick to follow. All the while, his eyes tracked his lover's petite form as he paced. The avian seemed to be deliberately avoiding his gaze.

"We're…" Red swallowed roughly, and fled down the stairway when Leonard approached. "We're going to see the judge."

The judge was a tiny man with grey and white feathers, and the largest eyes Leonard had ever seen. To make up for his short stature, he could normally be found on the shoulders of a hefty avian, who in turn was hidden beneath a feathered cloak.

"Set me down," Judge Peckinpaw ordered. The massive avian grasped him under the wingpits, hefted him over his head, and set him down gently on the floor. "Now, leave us!"

As the larger man rushed out, Leonard's gaze drifted sideways to where Red was kneeling, his golden eyes fixed on the floor of the one-room hut they were in. His lips were pursed shut, as is he was struggling not to utter a word.

"Red…" The judge's tone dripped with disappointment.

The crimson-feathered avian cringed, his shoulders hunching inwards. Even his headfeathers were wilting under the shorter avian's gaze. "I didn't know he was marked."

Marked? Did he mean the soulmark? Leonard suddenly found the judge in front of him, gesturing for him to unbutton his shirt. Slowly, he did so, revealing the pictogram over his heart.

"Crimson Cardinal," the judge finally stated aloud. Glancing between the two kneeling men, he finally let out a sigh. Spinning around, he made his way toward the curtain that served as a door. "Wait here."

"What was all that about?" the king asked, returning his attention to his lover. To his dismay, the petite man was clearly struggling to hold back tears, his wings clenched in his lap. "Red…"

"What?" Red snapped, his golden eyes refusing to rise from his own lap.

Leonard shifted closer until they were nearly shoulder-to-shoulder. "I don't know why you're upset about this. I tried to tell you earlier, but you were in a rush to leave. Red, you have MY name on your back."

The avian's head snapped up, his headfeathers rising in amazement. "What?"

"It's in Pig Latin. The words on your back translate to: Leonard Mudbeard," the king told his lover.

"That's not… that's not possible. The name on your chest isn't…" Red reached out, his wingtips nearly brushing Leonard's bare chest. A horn bellowed from out in the courtyard, causing the avian to flinch, and draw his wing back. His headfeathers clung to his scalp.

Leonard glanced around curiously. "What was that?"

"The summoning horn," Red stated, his voice coming out as a shaky whisper. "They're calling the eagles."

"Eagles?"

"Giant avians with a wingspan at least triple my size. I caught a glimpse of one once, a very long time ago. He just… looked at me. Like he was going to return for me, someday," the avian whispered, his eyes wide with fright.

"Is that bad?" Leonard asked.

Red let out a terrified bark of laughter, wrapping his wings around himself for comfort. "They are only summoned for the most serious of offenses. Having… relations with someone soulbonded to another is a grievous crime."

The avian curled in on himself even more, his face nearly buried in his wing-feathers. Leonard rushed to pull him close. "Breath. Breath. You're not going to be punished if I have anything to say about it."

Leonard wasn't sure how much time had passed before Red's breathing had returned to normal. He felt the smaller man's wings unwrap from around himself, only to wrap around Leonard's back, even as he nudged his face into the crook of the king's neck.

"That's it. I have you. No one is going to hurt you. You're my soulmate, Red," Leonard whispered, stroking his hands down his lover's back.

"What about your soulmark? That isn't my name," the petite avian whispered, his voice slightly muffled against Leonard's skin.

"I don't care. I'm not sure who this Crimson Cardinal is, but he… or she means nothing to me. You're the man I want to…"

THUMP!

Something heavy landed outside the hut, shaking the floor beneath them. In his arms, Red's feathers puffed out. It would have been an amusing sight if he wasn't so terrified. Leonard shifted them both around, wanting to keep a close eye on the entrance. No 'eagle' was going to take his soulmate away from him.

A brown-feathered wing curled around the edge of the curtain, and swept it aside, revealing a bald-headed avian with enormous eyebrows who had to crouch to get through the doorway. His massive gut barely cleared the doorframe as he fumbled his way into the hut. Dark eyes swept the room, finally coming to rest on Red's petite form. "There you are! Come here."

Leonard let out an angry shout as his lover was yanked out of his arms. As he scrambled to his feet, he watched in confusion as the 'eagle' hugged Red close with a jolly laugh.

"You've finally come of age, little Cardinal. And the judge tells me you've met your soulmate, as well. That's wonderful news!"

"What?" Red was clearly in shock at the news.

"I am Mighty Eagle! The last of a glorious line of eagles that once made up the royal guard," the brown-feathered avian insisted.

"So… Red is actually this 'Crimson Cardinal' the judge spoke of?" Leonard asked, trying to wrap his mind around his lover having a secret name that even he was unaware of.

"That's right," the giant avian said. "All Cardinals are named after a shade of red, to symbolize their connection to the phoenixes of their ancestry. Although, most are just named 'Red' during their youngling years, to avoid being too obvious."

"Why all the secrecy? What IS a cardinal?" the king asked, watching as the 'eagle' finally released his lover. Red rushed back to his side, grabbing his arm like a lifeline.

"Ho ho! You are a lucky human, little man. I have not seen a soulbond like this one in… well, ever! Back when the Cardinals ruled our people, young Crimson here would have been a prince," explained Mighty Eagle.

"A prince? My Red is a prince?" Leonard gazed down at the petite man next to him.

"What's a prince?" Red asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"A ruler. Or, to be exact, a future ruler. Once you were crowned, you would have been king," Mighty Eagle declared.

"I'm not a ruler. I'm just me," the shorter avian argued.

"Well, no, not anymore. The kings and queens of old abdicated many generations ago, to allow for a more peaceful society… once we were away from our human enemies – no offense," the eagle stated, nodding at Leonard.

"So, then everything's fine then. Leonard is my soulmate, and everything's fine," said Red, a smile blossoming over his face.

Mighty Eagle's delighted smile turned into a frown. "I'm afraid you can't stay here any longer, little cardinal. It is time to travel to the Eternal Isle of the Phoenixes to join your family. It is a floating island, much like this one, but it is home to your immortal brethren. Your soulmate is, naturally, to go with you."

Red's golden eyes widened. "I'm being banished?"

Mighty Eagle winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not banishment… not really. You just can't stay on Bird Island."

"But I..." Red straightened, giving the eagle his best glare. "I'm NOT going to this 'eternal island.' This is my home."

"But your true family is there. Your mother and father and siblings and cousins…" the eagle tried to explain.

"Who cares! I don't know them. And they didn't bother getting to know me," the petite avian argued, his headfeathers rising proudly.

"Red, that is enough."

All eyes snapped to the doorway, where Judge Peckinpaw now stood. His companion was nowhere to be seen.

"There are rules, Red. I don't expect you to understand them, but they must still be followed. You will leave this evening, once you've packed up your things, and said your goodbyes," the tiny man announced calmly.

"I'm not going to the eternal island," Red grumbled, clenching his wings into fists as he fought back tears.

"I agree," Leonard said, wrapping an arm around his lover's shoulders. The avian blinked up at him, his golden eyes wide in amazement. "You will be coming home with me – to my kingdom. You are my soulmate, and it is my duty to take care of you."

"Leonard…" Red's cheeks darkened to match his name, even as the human escorted him to the door.

"We will be taking our leave now," Leonard stated.

"It was wonderful to meet you, Crimson. I am truly sorry that it must be this way," Mighty Eagle sighed, his eyebrows drooping.

"Yeah. Me too," Red sighed, letting Leonard lead the way down the path.

"Come on. My men will help pack everything up," said the king, giving his soulmate's shoulder a squeeze.

"Thanks, Leonard," the petite avian whispered.

"You're leaving Bird Island? When will you be back?" Chuck asked, ignoring any concept of personal space as he threw his sunny wings around his slightly taller friend.

Red glanced toward the edge of the island, where Leonard's personal airship, just big enough for two, was resting in the shade of the much larger airship next to it. The bearded human was surveying his workers as they packed the luggage into the massive airship. As if privy to Red's thoughts, the man turned and waved to him with a cheery grin. The avian managed a partial smile, but it slid off his lips when he returned his attention to the only friends he'd made on Bird Island.

"I don't know, guys. It's a soulmate thing. I… I might not be back for a long time," the crimson-feathered avian admitted.

"What if we came to visit you?" Bomb asked, hovering over his best friends.

"Well, I'm not sure if that's possible…"

"Of course, you can! I'm sure Red would love to have visitors," Leonard announced, approaching the small group. He slung an arm around Red's shoulders, and gave him a half hug. "Any friend of Red is a friend of mine."

"But how will they get to your… king-dom?" Red asked, tilting his head up at his soulmate.

"The judge and I have been discussing a potential trade post here. Of course, it's important to take things slowly, at first. Avians are still considered to be a mythological species, so your presence will definitely turn some heads," the king chuckled.

Red couldn't help wrapping his wings around himself. "Will that be a problem? Maybe I should find somewhere else to…"

Leonard pulled his soulmate closer, nuzzling his headfeathers as his hand drifted up and down the shorter man's back. "It's okay, Red. We'll be fine, as long as we stick together. You are MY soulmate, and I won't allow anything bad to happen to you."

"Awwww!" Chuck and Bomb crooned, leaning against one another.

"I know," Red whispered back. Pulling back, he cleared his throat, and slapped a half-hearted smile on his face. "We should get going. But as Leonard said, you can always come to visit – once things settle down." He turned to follow his soulmate back to the airship, only to find himself tackled by his overly energetic friends.

"I'm going to miss you!"

"Kisses for the road!"

"Chuck!"

Note: I still love Red and Leonard. I actually had a good chunk of this story sitting around for a few years, but I finally had the motivation to finish it. Writer's block, you know how it is.