With Jay once again bound to the infirmary bed we headed back ready to report what we had found. The General was definitely surprised and worried by our find.
"We have to seal off that cave. If there are that many down there we won't stand a chance."
"But what about those other birds down there General?" I demanded.
"We can't save them all James. We need to seal it off while we still have a chance."
Reluctantly I had agreed. What could I have done? I couldn't just disobey a direct order neither could I or anyone else risk those things getting out into the world and soon into the universe. So we had the cave sealed. When I brought that news to Jay... He acted like it was the end of the world. Screaming at me. Asking whether I knew what I had just done. Of course I did. Save the planet and probably the universe with the lose of many birds. It took a long time for Jay to recover from whatever had happened to him. For a week his body refused to recover even the slightest bit. He had actually started to get worse. His feathers started to turn black just as that canary's had. Then I thought back to when he took a bite out of that chunk of stone. They were eating them. And sure enough with a simple test we had found that some stones that he had eaten previously were slowly getting digested and moving into his bloodstream despite the stones properties. But nether the less hardships and all he recovered and soon after resigned. He moved back to Corneria where he lived for a long while. His last words to me before he left "Thanks for not forgetting me." Then after I question him his sad reply "Being forgotten is worse than death." We dropped by for visits every so often. Sure he had recovered but he was never the same. He had gained a natural sullenness to his personality. Almost like the life had been sucked right out of him. Then one day. The creatures. They escaped. We rushed to Jay worried of what would he would do come this news. Our fears were confirmed. That large black creature stood not too far from Jay and his new family.
"Jay! Quick get back!" I ordered.
None of them moved. We ran forward. Gripping who we could we pulled them back. Jay took a hesitant step forward. Right toward that creature that we all had struggled to get him away from. I gripped his arm. He slowly met my gaze. To my relief there was so red tint to his eyes neither was there that obsessive look. Just fear but that pissed me off just as much.
"Come." The creature ordered causing all of them to flinch as if the order hurt. Even two year old Falco was affected. What was this thing?
"I-... I have to go don't I?" Jay whispered to himself.
"No you don't. This thing isn't taking any of you anywhere." I said defiantly.
It growled fiercely at my words like some sort of animal. The creature lunged. It was far too quick for me to react to it. Jay... Jay he... He had shoved me. I felt the creature's claws glide by slicing the sleeve of my jacket but luckily no flesh. I remember watching in horror as things seemed to go in slow motion. Me falling as that thing's claws tore at Jays flesh. Blood. The screams. Jay was finished. Quickly after it targeted Jays wife who encouraged the two boys to run. They ran. It quickly finished her in one single strike. Whipping it's head around to watch the two children run it gave chase. All of this in a matter of seconds. Peppy was soon gripping my arm and pulling me up. I didn't think. I just reacted. I ran after them. Not them. No more deaths were about to happen today. No more would die. I searched but... Had I reacted too with only a few seconds delay. No. I couldn't be. It was a large wood. They could be anywhere. I remember clearly the despair that swept over me as I searched in vain. Well not completely. Peppy had called the cops. The bloody cops and soon had a search team out. After about an hour or so of searching they found Falco hiding in a small crawl space in the rock wall far at the back of the wood. He had an injured leg but nothing too serious. Cardinal. Well he was never seen again. Unless it took him somewhere else to kill him he had to be still alive but only the future would be able to say if that was a good thing or a bad thing. This is where my tale ends. Jays family destroyed and one everlost orphan. Along with the slaughtering of many other bird families but no attack came from the black creatures after. It was as if they had just disappeared. As for now? My time is up. How did I get here? Why was I here? I can't recall anymore. The only memories that I hold are the ones that I just refused to let go of. Constantly reminding myself of those times however painful they may be. Good bye. I do hope you won't forget me. Friends, enemies. Please don't forget me. Because being forgotten is worse than death.