After the End
It had started slowly at first, his control was growing.
His control used to be crude, push and it goes there, pull, and it flies there. That wasn't the case any more. Now he barely had to think and the birds responded. He had to be careful or the clouds of birds started to block out the sky, though he had to admit that they could be a half-way decent umbrella if needed.
It hadn't seemed odd, that things would get easier like they had, until one day when Charlotte's friend Lisa visited. Aiden hadn't been on watch that day, but he still kept an eye out to make sure there weren't any animal attacks, or worse, people attacks. There hadn't really been any yet, but he wanted to make sure everyone was safe and happy just in case. He'd been playing in the house next to Charlotte when he looked up at her and told her "Hey Char, Lisa's coming."
He hadn't expected the look of shock on her face. "Aiden, how did you know that?"
It was obvious wasn't it? "I saw her, she's just starting up the hill now."
Charlotte smiled oddly, almost longingly, but also with a bit of fear. "Aiden, we're inside, how could you see the other side of the hill?"
It was then he realized just how he was seeing Charlotte's friend. "With... I saw her with my birds?"
Charlotte nodded. "Like Skitter used to."
Aiden trembled. The name was loaded with emotions. Skitter had saved all of them, had rescued them all, she had killed Scion. And then she'd vanished. Khepri, they called her now, like an endbringer. A girl with the power to control people completely, able to outwit Scion, and take down the closest thing anyone had ever seen to a god. ... Aiden didn't want that power. He didn't want to be like Skitter. He just wanted to play with his friends, his birds... He lapsed into silence.
Lisa's companion was with her when she arrived. A bird-like girl that made Aiden's heart pound, who he couldn't quite tear his eyes away from. She was beautiful, her wings magnificent. He wished she would sing, he was sure that her song would be just as beautiful as she was. Aiden wished he could be with her forever.
Charlotte had sent him out of the room, but it didn't stop him from being there with her, hearing from where he perched on the windows. "He's got her shard." Lisa was telling Charlotte, they were talking about him, but he'd been distracted by the bird-lady outside. She was looking straight at him now as he rested on one of her hands, no, wait, that wasn't him was it? It was a sparrow...
"It's more than that. It used to be weak, barely any control, now it's unconscious. He doesn't notice it, but the birds follow him, he's not turning his head to look at things any more, he's becoming detached." The bird lady was petting him now, ruffling the feathers at the nape of his neck where they were softest. her lips were pulled back in a smile. he liked it when she smiled.
"Like her." The words were spoken softly, but Aiden couldn't help but notice them. They were talking about him. Him, and Her.
"What do I do?" Charlotte asked, afraid.
"To protect him?" Lisa asked, not even waiting for an answer before continuing. "You can't." A pause. "I'm sorry."
The bird lady's mouth was closed, but Aiden could hear her, in his head, her voice was beautiful, so clear and perfect. He couldn't help but remember the words she sang, they were etched into his mind. "Cut Ties."