When things began to fill their days, keeping them all busy from spending time with their fledgling, allowing her to help them in going about their duty, leaving them exhausted upon returning to their villa where they wanted nothing more then to turn in to their beds and rest for the night, before waking and repeating the entire day over again.

They had been too busy to notice the slow withdraw from their little fledgling, as she gave up trying to help them with their duties, got fed up with being told to wait and left standing in her place as they moved off to tend to something that needed tending to. Her other friends shot her guilty looks as they moved off to tend to the things that they needed to be tending to.

It had been another choosing ceremony, so she knew that things would get busy, but after a month's time of the hard labor and forgetfulness, she began to feel lonely again, something she hadn't felt since the very first time of her stay.

Jeremiah had been the one to notice first, having more time for her to spend with him then any one else, he was the one first to notice her withdrawnness, the way the shine seemed to dim from her eyes, and he had made his findings aware to the ones in charged with her care, and they each promised to look into it as they bustled about to their duties that needed tended to.

He knew that they were distracted with the newest additions to their flocks, especially when it got worse, and it lead him to the notion that the matter had never been addressed.

"Little 'Keelah?" the choir elder knelt down to her, lifting her chin for their eyes to meet, they were so dull, so affected by the loss of their usual shine, so full of pure sadness that it broke his heart to witness, "Is everything okay?"

She nodded, "I'm okay, 'Miah."

The choir elder didn't believe it for one moment though, but let the matter slide, in her tense state it would do more harm then good to push the fledgling at the moment, "They will come back. It is just a busy time for them." He rubbed his thumb over her cheek, "You know they love you, right?"

"I know." She fiddled with the edge of her small robe, "I love them too. I just miss 'em."

With their being busy, he took up the business of taking care of her in the manner that was needed, he took to tucking her in, within the Morningstar's room when he was forced into staying late, it was he who had asked his choir elder to do so, it was he who took her to the market district when she needed new robes and such, and it was he who took to grooming her wings.

It was with that action that he began to notice the true extent of the damage done by this horrid time, when he ran his fingers through the little soft feathers and came up with ones missing, they had been plucked cleanly, from the shaft completely. He kept it to himself though, not mentioning it to the silent little fledgling that sat before him so silently, he knew that the answer he would gain if questioning it would not be a truthful one.

This was a matter he took to the Healer himself, "Sir, I need a word with you." The Healer nodded, sorting through a new class, going through a list of names and sorting them between each one of his Virtues "In a moment, Jeremiah."

The choir elder knew that the 'minute' would be much longer then a 'minute' and shook his head firmly, daringly grabbing the archangel by the arm, tugging him around. The Healer stumbled slightly at the sudden change in footing, and his papers spilled to the floor under them, "No. I need you now. I need a word with you now."

It was so unusual for the choir elder to act out such as he was, to be so distressingly adamant action of getting his attention at that very moment, and he knew that this time it was imperative for him to give him the moment of the Healer's time that he had requested, and so he passed the papers he held off to the Captain of his Virtues and gestured for the choir elder to his office for the privacy of the conversation they needed to be having.

He shut the door behind him, sitting at his desk as the silence of the Archangel's office enclosed around them, Jeremiah settled himself in the seat on the opposing the archangel at his desk.

"Yes, Jeremiah." He folded his long fingers, "How can I be of assistance to you?"

"Not to me." He leaned forward to place a lone feather on the archangels desk, "To your fledgling." The Healer's eyes widened, as he leaned forward to pick the feather up, twirling it between two fingers as he examined it closely, it greatly resembled the galaxy color feathers that shined in the star light from their young fledgling, "Has Juda been pulling her feathers again?"

The elder shook his head, and it caught the Healer's concerned attention, "I don't think this was done by another individual." The archangel leaned forward, "That is a bold statement to make." Jeremiah nodded knowingly, "I found it in the Morningstar's bed."

He sat back in his chair, the archangel went back to staring at the feather in his fingers, "You think it's being done intentionally by herself?"

"Had any of you been paying much attention to your fledgling," it was most certainly intended to be a stab at the conscience, "You would have seen the change in her the last few weeks." He leaned forward and laid his hand on the edge of the archangels desk, "I think you and yours need to spend some quality time with your fledgling, and I think it needs to happen very soon, she is growing many unanswered bald spots." That brought more alarm to the archangel, and he closed his fingers around the feather he held in his hand."

"You are right," he nodded, looking back down to that feather he'd been given, "This requires immediate attention." He heaved a sigh, "I knew we had all been rather busy, but to think this as a result to our neglect." He shook his head, guilt etched over his features, and Jeremiah made no move to console him, in this matter, they had failed the fledgling he had granted guardianship over to them. "I will attend to this matter immediately."

…

"Michael, I need a word."

The Viceroy had nodded, not responding to his order with a verbal response, passing pages between himself and his Powers as they sorted out the newest training squadrons. The Healer knew that the matter at hand needed to be dealt with immediately, and with great care, so he stepped forward and tugged him around in the same manner Jeremiah had done to him only moments prior.

He had not flown here with this on his mind to be pushed to the side.

His older brother seemed surprised at his sudden harshness, the Powers behind him peering around their Commander as the Healer held up a feather for him to see with his own eyes, they went wide as he stared at it. The familiar coloring, the way it curved, he knew exactly to whom this feather belonged to.

"Has someone been pulling her feathers?"

The Powers behind him bristled at the thought that someone would dare harm their fledgling in such a manner.

Rapheal shook his head, "Someone has." And he watched his older brothers eyes widen at he implication he gave, nodding when his eyes sought his for confirmation, he passed the papers he held over to his Captain, "Nisroc, there is something rather personal I must attend to, I leave you in charge of things."

The Captain nodded, taking the papers from him, "Tend to our fledgling, sir."

They watched their commander leave the field, on quick wings, with the Healer.

…

"Gabriel, we need a moment of your time."

"Would be glad to give it," he was moving rapidly around his office, "Most certainly to you guys," sifting through scrolls with both hands preoccupied, "But I'm a bit full at the moment", their oldest brother held up the galaxy colored feather when he turned to bid them farewell, and the Messenger went cross-eyed as he stared at it "So can we raincheck—is that what I think it is?"

He himself had gone through a period, during the time when it was just them and their Father, that he had begun to pull his own feathers out at the agony he felt of being so alone to his own thoughts, and the scrolls he carried fell to the floor in horror as he stared at the achingly familiar feather, "Not her?"

His older brothers nodded, and he threw everything that remained in his grasp over his shoulders, shoving passed them out of his office, they followed soon after, marching down the hall towards the entrance of the Aerie "Zaves you're in charge!"

"It's about damn time!"

They each spun at that admission, staring closely at the angel leaning back against the stone pillar on the edge of the Aeries great veranda, "You knew?"

"Why did you think I kept pestering you for a minute?" he waved them away, "I can hold down the fort. Go fix my best friend."

…

The Morningstar was sitting among the stairs that lead to his Pantheon when they approached him, sorting through pages upon pages, it had been a surprise to them all when there had been elections for new ones to join the choir, it hadn't had a new election in eons, not since his fall and the ensuing war.

"Brothers?" he looked up at their approach, them tucking their wings in as they landed just before him, eyes going wide at the feather being held out to him from the Messenger's hand, "What can I—This looks familiar."

He knew exactly where the feather had come from, he knew who's wings it had been plucked from, who's color it matched, everything about the delicate little feather. And, now he knew why Jeremiah had been trying to pull him aside for all this time, and he had pushed him away unawares of the trials that were being had right under their noses.

"Where is she now?"

Another joined them, "In the garden." They turned to look up at the one who instructed them on where to look, Jeremiah looked saddened, as though they had let him down, and in a way they most certainly had, they had let down the fledgling that he had granted them, "Where she always goes when she is alone to herself."

They each thanked him softly, and he nodded to their appreciation, watching as they took to the sky to ensure the possibility of them making it to her side before another feather was pulled.

…

She sat there, alone, in the shadows of a large tree with tears gathering in her eyes at the aspect of spending another day alone. Another day pushed to the side. Another day she was forgotten about. Another day where she tucked herself into bed. Another day where she read herself nighttime stories. Another day where she fell asleep alone and cold in the big bed.

The fledgling sucked in a deep breath, curling her fingers around the shaft of a long slick flight feather, grimacing as she pulled on it, it was like pulling out a rather large hang nail, yanking a band aid off in slow motion, and she sucked in a cry as it finally fell loose and a spot of blood appeared there. Another hole among a section of them. It was better to feel the pain, the ache of her wings after pulling her feathers, then to feel nothing at all. Better to feel that then the loneliness. So, she let a tear escape, and reached for another long flight feather, her fingers quivering around the shaft again, and she released a small cry at this time when it was pulled loose and free. More tears fell, blurring her vision, as she reached for the third one.

Always four, she always pulled four, for the four that forgot about her despite their promises not to.

A dark hand appeared in her blurry vision, staying her quivering hand where it lay curled around the third flight feather, and she hiccupped at being stopped.

"Oh, my little bear," that voice was familiar, and she swallowed another cry as she looked up to meet the gaze of the bright blue eyes that 'big bear' had, "What have we done to you?"

He managed to uncurl her fingers from around the feather shaft, curling her fingers into a little fist that he wrapped his long fingers around, carefully pulling her wing away, to pull her into his chest, "Let it out, let it out now," he rubbed at her back as she cried heaving sobs into his chest, and he carefully pulled her wings out to get a better look at them and frowned at the sight that carried through for them all to witness.

The Healer lifted her into his arms, rubbing soothing circles against her back, encouraging her to let the tears flow at all the balled up emotions she carried with her, he turned back to his brothers, they each watched him with their beloved fledgling in the precarious position they were currently in.

"Let's return home?" he brushed his hand over her head, and curled her around in his chest tightly, "We'll all go home."

He shared a look with his brothers, and they nodded in agreement, their Captains could manage everything in their absence, they had more important things to focus on at the moment then the newest electives in their flocks.

They followed him as he took to the air, his great emerald wings, heading in the direction to their private garden, walking slowly up the garden trail up to their villa. The fledgling had sobbed herself limp, hanging from his arms limply. He guided the into their blanketed and pillowed sitting room, nodding at the two eldest to sit down first, and they did, reaching up when he cradled the little fledgling and leaned forward to set her down between them.

The two eldest brothers took her in their arms, petting her head and murmuring words of apology and comfort to her as her wings stung from the freshly plucked feathers, the Morningstar hummed soft lullabies under his breath, rubbing a hand down her arm and brushing a finger over the bridge of her nose.

Raphael was sure that she was in good hands, "I'll be right back." The Messenger stood by and watched him go, watched their older brothers care for the fledgling among the pillows, and left in the Healer's wake, "Me too."

It was the Healer who returned first, with an arm full of supplies, and sat across from his brother to set his things down in the order of which they were to be used, and the Messenger returned shortly after him with the Morningstar's thick blanket and the worn book of stories he had on his side night table.

First things first, Raphael passed the fledgling a small cup, their equavalant of a sippy cup, and she sniffled, latching onto the cup in question and took to it without question. She suckled the warm sweet drink down greedily, and he smiled at her gently. It as in this moment she was truly a little young fledgling.

He pulled the small wing around, mindful of his movements, and reached for a small bottle and a clean cloth to wipe at the reddening pink bare part of the wing. She stiffened, whining around her cup, when he dabbed at the wings bald spot.

"Hush now, little bear, I know it stings a bit," he tried to work as quick as he could, knowing from when he'd cleared Gabriel's wings that the disinfectant stung, and that was the last thing that the fledgling needed was even more stinging, "I'm almost done." She nodded over her cup, a cup that was quickly running out of its contents, and gave another whine when it was emptied, the Healer smiled at the fledgling, "Do you want more?"

He smiled when she nodded, and he reached for the jug he had brought with him; chamomile and lavender always calmed her down when she was worked up. Michael smiled to the fledgling, leaning over to kiss her temple, as he took her cup to pass to his younger brother to fill once more, and then handed it back to the fledgling, who took it once again with vigor.

The Healer finished his washing of the bald spots, and nodded to the Messenger, who wrapped the blanket around the fledgling and handed the book to his older brother, to which the Morningstar gladly took, and they all gathered around their fledgling.

They would dig further into the fact of the plucking later, but for now, they would comfort her by presence, and so they cuddled around her, refilling the cup when needed, and listened to Lucifer's deep voice as he read a story from the thick worn volume.