One spring morning, the Taillow family found themselves huddled together in a tight cluster, shivering. Cyclone roused from sleep and spotted her father perched at the opening of the tree hole their nest resided in. She hopped up to join his side and was astonished at the sight before them; Creeping Forest was completely blanketed in a thick, white cloak, with odd white flakes plummeting from the sky.
"What is..." Cyclone stammered.
"It's snow."
"I've never felt this cold in my life."
"You've only been alive for a short time. It stopped snowing shortly before your mother and I had your eggs. This is not right."
The pair was then joined by the mother of the family. She turned to her mate. "This coldness will give our foes an advantage. Are the kids ready to migrate?"
"Wha... migrate? Why!" Cyclone cried out.
Her father smirked. "Is my headstrong daughter actually scared?"
"No! I'm not scared of some cold, white crap! And I am not going to make it force me to leave!"
The parent Taillow said nothing back, being accustomed to Cyclone's stubborn arrogance. The pair just hopped back to the nest, rousing the rest of their adolescent children up.
"Tweety, Singy, Songy! Rise and shine, my darlings!"
"Ugh, why is it so cold?" asked Tweety, the lone male offspring.
The parents briefly explained what winter was, and how it shouldn't be happening at this time of year. They also informed their children that, to ensure the family's survival, they would have to migrate to a warmer climate for an indeterminate amount of time.
"So we're all just giving up?" Cyclone squawked.
"Chirpy, get real..." Singy sighed.
"Quit calling me Chirpy!"
Feathers puffed in frustration, Cyclone lunged at Singy, talons-first. Their father was quick to intervene, tackling Cyclone onto her back. The shock of the cold, as well as her father fighting back, stunned the young Taillow.
"Wow," Cyclone said breathlessly. "Dad... I didn't know you had it in you!"
The father just gave a sharp peck to Cyclone's head and stepped back, glaring. He realized that he and his mate may have dropped the wrong hatchling from the nest.
"Chirpy. This is not the time. Especially not now. We cannot stay in Creeping Forest. The Caterpie, Wurmple, and berries we depend on for survival are sure to be killed off by now. And as your mother mentioned, our most feared enemy, the Sneasel, thrive in this cold weather. If you remain here, you will be alone. You will die."
"I will not die," Cyclone spat.
Her father just raised his head and puffed out his chest. He looked to his mate and nodded.
"I see other flocks leaving," she said. "Let's go."
The parent Taillow flew from the tree hole, soon followed by Tweety and Singy. Songy half-heartedly leapt to the edge of the nest exit.
"Hey, Songy! Let's train together! Sure, this snow stuff sucks, but it'll be a fun challenge!"
Songy turned around to face her sister. In that moment, Cyclone noticed how dull Songy's once vibrant plumage looked, how she held her head low and shoulders high, how her large, dark eyes glistened.
"I'm sorry, Cyclone," Songy said. She then hopped from the tree hole and flew off to catch up with her family.
Without a second thought, Cyclone took off after her sister. "Hey, get back!" she cried out, voice echoing through the chilling forest. Despite her weak state, Songy effortlessly soared through the maze of trees and branches. Their previous training had paid off after all.
"Songy! Hey! If you leave me, you'll be weak like the rest of them! Like all Taillow! We don't have to flee, we can fight!"
Songy just beat her wings harder, convinced her noisy sister would attract a whole slew of unwanted attention. In the distance she saw not only her family but other Taillow, the birds instinctively forming a flock in preparation for the sudden migration.
The distance between Cyclone and Songy grew and grew. Shouting and breathing in frigid air began to take its toll on the young bird, so Cyclone glided to an old oak tree to rest, the snow-cloaked branch stinging her feet. She panted rapidly and puffed out her feathers. Songy was no longer in sight.
That cowardly traitor. Songy was no different from the rest of those defeatists. Why should some coldness and white junk force them all to give up their home and move away? It was a challenge. Cyclone's father said that if she stayed in Creeping Forest she would die. She'd prove him wrong. She'd prove them all wrong. Somehow.
Something suddenly slammed into Cyclone, sending her tumbling off her perch. She landed clumsily in the snowy ground, her fatigue and surprise making her forget to open her wings. She frantically looked up and spotted her assailant, a Liepard dangling from the tree branch, scrambling to hold on with its claws.
"Missed! Curse this blasted snow!" the feline hissed, tail whipping in frustration.
Cyclone pulled herself from the snow and shook herself off. She spread her wings, flicked her forked tail, and flew to a nearby shrub to hide.
Wait, hide?
Don't be weak. Don't let this cold crap get to you. Don't be some worthless giver-upper like Dad, Mom, Tweety and Singy. And Songy. Stupid cat. Stupid cold. Stupid, jerk-face cat.
Hatred boiled within Cyclone. Her tiny body trembled, partly from fear, mostly from anger. A soft thud was heard, the Liepard having launched itself from the tree and onto the ground. Cyclone peered from her hiding place. The disturbed snow and stray blue feathers gave away where she was. So what. Let that purple, spotted idiot find her. It would regret it.
Seeing the shaking bush, the Liepard smiled to itself. This was too easy. It hunched down, wiggled its hindquarters, and pounced. The Liepard wasn't prepared for a screeching ball of fury and hate to come barreling out of the bush with scraping talons and a piercing beak, the latter jabbing it in the eye. The Liepard yowled and swiped its paw, missing its attacker.
"Dummy! Idiot! A...asshole!"
Cyclone continued throwing insults and fierce pecks. The Liepard turned tail and ran. Oh no, it wouldn't get off that easy. Fueled by rage, Cyclone kept up her assault on the cat, striking it with U-turn over and over.
"Damn pest! Let me alone!" Liepard snarled as it ran.
"Make me!"
"As you wish!"
In the blink of an eye, Liepard's long tail slashed through the air, striking a shallow cut across Cyclone's chest. The slash only made the Taillow more determined to show this predator who's boss.
She flapped her wings harder, flecks of blood flying in her wake. Using all of her strength, Cyclone crashed into the Liepard, sending the much larger creature slamming into an old, gnarled tree. Cyclone had built up so much speed she struck the ground and rolled painfully until she crashed into a snowbank.
Letting out a shuddered breath, Cyclone rose to her feet, crying out as a sharp pain shot through one of her legs. Dread hit her as she realized one of her wings hung limply at her side. She turned to face where the Liepard was. Surely, in an injured and bleeding state, she would become its next meal. Her gaze met the hunter's. The Liepard just stared at Cyclone, one eye squinted from the injury she inflicted on it. It lowered its ears and retreated, limping, until it was out of sight within the natural darkness of the forest.
Cyclone hunkered down into a resting position. Her body screamed in agony, yet she felt proud of winning this fight. Heck, she'd try and fight off the next fool who tried to mess with her. Even though she figured she would die soon, she'd go down fighting. Death didn't scare her.
A sudden calm warmth washed over Cyclone's body as positive thoughts flooded her brain. She was vaguely aware of the concept of good feelings to occur to one who's life was draining away, however she felt more invigorated than ever, as if something more than blood was pumping through her veins, making her feel bigger, stronger. She glanced down at her chest where the Liepard's sharp tail struck her and, to her astonishment, instead of a cut there was a wide, V-shaped stripe. It finally occurred to Cyclone that she was evolving.
Cyclone had no idea her kind could evolve. She knew it happened to other beings, she had seen Purrloin and Liepard, Pidgey and Pidgeotto, various caterpillars and coccoons. Her mother and father had just never mentioned evolution.
Swellow.
She knew that's what her kind were called, somehow. The term just appeared in her mind. Feelings of bitterness and resentment came to the young bird once more. So all this time, her parents could have evolved and faired better in protecting their own young, not to mention themselves? Surely they were aware they could become Swellow. Did they just not want to try? Weak, stupid defeatists. And they'd drag her poor siblings into their life of mediocrity, constantly timid and fearful. She thought about how Songy, once full of virility, grew listless and dull. All because she was abducted by some dumb Sneasel for all of three minutes.
Worthless.