Once upon a time there were two birds.
There was nothing for these birds but each other. There was no sun to bask in, no trees on which to perch, no sky in which to feel the wind, no sun or stars to give day and night meaning. But these birds were happy, for they had each other.
They flew in endless circles around each other. They grazed each other's wings as they soared and could think of no better sensation than the other's touch.
When they wished to speak, they sang to one another. They sang ballads of sorrow which they had never experienced. They sang tales of longing although they had never longed for anything. Mostly, they sang of joy, their life was full of joy.
When they grew tired of flying and singing they lay down next to each other on the great white plane they called home. They rested their heads on one another's backs and sank into their shared warmth.
One day, something strange occurred. One of the birds sang to the other about an exhaustion that the second bird had never known. The first bird wanted to sleep, a thing that neither bird had ever desired.
Another day the first bird sang to the other about pain when they moved their body. The second bird did not understand. They had never felt pain.
More days passed and the first bird lay down and sang to the other about peace, a peace so complete that they would never feel the need to fly again. The second bird looked at the first with confusion, and then fear. Fear was not something either was familiar with.
The second bird bade the first to get up. They plucked at their wings and pecked at their back until the first bird was made to stand.
"Good," said the second bird. "Now fly with me. I wish to dance through the air and feel your feathers on my back."
The first bird did not know what to do. They had no will to fly, no will to dance. But, their friend looked so happy, so desperate for happiness that they rose and lifted their wings to the air.
The two birds flew together as though nothing had changed, but it had. The first bird flew crooked. They began to wobble in the air. After several loops the first bird suddenly plummeted to the ground and crashed onto the floor below.
The second bird did not immediately notice the absence of the other. When they did, they were shocked, they felt an emotion sharper than anything they had ever felt before. They scoured the great plane for their friend.
When they found them, they saw that something was terribly wrong. A long white rod jutted out of one of their wings and from that rod red liquid oozed in large amounts. The little bird did not know what to do. They lay down next to their friend in the way that they had always done before. This time however, they felt a great hollow shape forming under their breast.
"Don't be afraid," said the first bird.
"I am not afraid," whispered the second. Neither birds believed it to be true.
The first bird started to sing. They sang a new song which they had never thought to sing before. The song was not of sorrow or longing or joy. The song was about their friend.
As the first bird sang, the second bird watched as the first grew quieter and quieter. They felt the heat of their body dim and the shine of their glossy feathers dull.
The second bird felt a sensation they never wished to feel. They felt water wash from their eyes over their cheeks and chest. Then, they watched as a peculiar thing happened.
From the curled feet of the first bird sprouted wisps of green, a color they had never seen in their world of black and white. The green rippled out from the first bird in magnificent waves. Soon, it covered the ground of their white plane.
Next, great peaks formed out of the tail feather of the first bird. They were a dark gray and as they grew, white summits emerged and showered the birds in cold flurries.
The red blood of the first bird thinned into clear blue and rushed in currents to fill the basins created by the feather mountains.
From the bone of the first bird sprang creatures that neither had ever seen. Some of the creatures floated into the rivers and glistened in metallic silvers, blues, and reds. Some of them prowled out of the bone with large fangs and sulking figures. Some of the creatures flew, as the birds had once flown together, and some walked while emitting noises of great excitement and joy.
The second bird was not joyful. They spread their wings over the first. They tried to hold down the mountains, contain the blooming flowers, and smother the laughing crowds. They did not care for the pleasures of this new, vibrant world. They did not want noise and color for with every new pigment, with every new sound of music, a bit of their friend disappeared.
"No, stay still," said the first bird, as the other pressed upon their dissolving figure. "Don't stop the mountains from forming, don't stop the flowers from spreading their petals, don't stop the people from singing the songs of joy that we once sang."
"Never," said the second bird, clinging on to their friend.
The last of the first bird to disappear was their inky black figure and twinkling eyes. The black dissolved into the air and their eyes rose up to fill the new sky with light.
The little bird was left alone, without their friend, on the green grass of earth.
For many rotations of the new sun they did not rise from their spot. They waited patiently for the world to condense back into their beloved companion.
When they finally moved, it was only to stretch their rusted wings.
The bird flew circles in the blue sky and grimaced at the crystal lakes, emerald trees, and small, wide-eyed animals. Their disdain only grew with every new wondrous thing that they saw. They hated this world for stealing from them the only thing they had ever needed. Nothing could ever be as beautiful as their friend.
After days and months and years of flying and crying and singing songs of longing and loathing, the bird tired and found a tree on which to perch for a small rest.
As the bird sat on the tree they watched the new world pass by. They started to notice things they hadn't before. In the mountains they saw the arch of their companion's back. In the wind they heard the songs that their friend had once sang to them. In the stars they saw the playful twinkle of their gaze. From the sun's rays they felt the warmth they had shared. In the animals they recognized love.
Before long the bird realized that they didn't hate the new world so much after all. They cried tears different from the ones they had before. For the first time in a long time, they were happy.
© Jasmine Carder 2023