this is an idea i had for quite a while and now that i have some free time with getting some stories done recently, i decided to jump into this one. this is an AU to avatar and henry's past and a prologue for an upcoming story; this one shouldn't be too long of a story.

enjoy~

The flutter of wings were loud in the empty air, their feathers rattling with each heavy stroke the crows made as they jumped and scattered around him, watching him and cawing at him. He felt them all around them, the scatter of ash onto his fingers, their claws digging into his back, shoulders, and head from where they perched on him, singing their annoying songs.

Kree, kree, kree they sang, joyous and perky as they jumbled around him.

He ignored them for the most part. Despite how loud they were, how they screeched like banshees around them, how each flap sounded like thunder; he couldn't hear them. When they dug their talons into his skin and probed him with their beaks, he didn't feel them. Even when one stood next to his hand, poking at his pinkie finger, he could only absently wonder if these birds would try to tear his flesh away and eat him away, kill him so he could match everything else around him.

He only reacted when one landed on the charred black and cracked bones of Wolfy, cawing at him.

He was almost faster than them, his arm swung out to swat it away from the bones. It cried out, barely dodging his lunge as it flew back. The rest of the flock followed it, landing on the ashen buildings near, all silent as they stared down at him. He settled his arm back to where it was before, stiff on the ashen ground, his figures covered in black and white dust, his turquoise eyes locked on the bones before him.

With the sudden silence around, and all the black eyes on him; he was suddenly aware of his surroundings. Like waking up from a dream, he blinked a few times at the bones before him, now finally hearing something else stir around him.

It wasn't the crows looming around him, watching him from above.

It was the wind tugging at the bits of ashes away from the scene.

Even in his still state, he knew instinctively that it has been absent the whole time.

It was a slight stumble of feet, the rustle of feathers, and the hiss of ash sliding beneath wide blades.

Slowly looking up, he stared up dully at the approaching figure that stared back at him, wary and curious. They were small, just a little smaller than him, just by a head. Their own hair was white, just like his, and looked just as soft to the touch. The skin didn't share the same Plegian tan that most people had in this kingdom, and shared his paleness as well.

But there were two glaring things that made this figure so bizarre.

While their hair and skin were shared and similar, the figure didn't have the same eyes as his. No, thie-her eyes, they were red. A beautiful, bleeding, blood red; and they seemed to glow bright against the dark area, where the sun hid itself away from the ruins he made. Gleaming against the shadows, those eyes locked onto him, studying and gauging whether they should approach or not.

There was no hate in those eyes. No disgust or fear.

Only wary curiosity that kept him still, intriguing him.

It wasn't those beautiful eyes alone that drew his attention, but the large, white appendages that hung out of her back, spread out wide and tall, making the small figure appear just slightly bigger from where he sat on his knees. Every time they moved, dipping down and raising up, a small cloud of ash drifted behind them. They were so white, whiter than the moon, and with them, her hair, and pale face; it just brought out the bold, vivid of color of her eyes.

She was just... beautiful.

No in all of his young years, would he imagine he'd see a sight like this.

To see such beautiful wings on the back of a small girl with blood red eyes.

Was she some experiment? Did someone tore the wings of a pegasus off and sew them to her back? Was it some spell? He couldn't fathom how she could have these wings.

The girl shared his wonder as she stared at him, her wings drooping a little as she relaxed, slowly curling in on themselves and huddling close to her body; even still, they looked ready to burst open in a moment's notice. Slowly, she took a step towards him, then another, and another. He didn't move an inch as he watched her, hardly realizing that she was coming closer to Wolfy's bones.

With her growing bolder, so did the crows.

They jumped down from their perch, softly and absently cawing around them. A few flew towards her, landing on her furled wings or on her wild, messy head. She barely noticed them clambering all around her, those red eyes locked to his.

They came to him as well. Perching on his shoulders, back, and head once again; but they didn't peck at him like before. They hung still, observing and murmuring amongst each other. When one drew near to land on the bones before him, everything snapped back into place.

He swiped at the black bird once again, sending all the crows scattering and making the girl before him freeze, her wings jerking out slightly front of her and crossing slightly, like they were large arms blocking for an oncoming attack. He resumed his crouch over the skeleton, glaring at her as he growled warningly. "Go away."

She was beautiful, intriguing, and enchanting.

He'd admit to that.

But she had no right to be here. No right to come near him or Wolfy.

No right at all.

She didn't leave like he wanted, but she didn't come closer either. Instead, her wings drooped a little as she peered at him, turning away to look around at the ruins, settling back to him and the skeleton before him. "Did you-" she cuts herself off, clearing her throat with a deep rumble, like she hasn't spoken in weeks. His ears automatically perked up at her voice, before he shook his head and silently scolded himself. He shouldn't listen or care.

Baring his teeth, he tugged at the whirl of magic inside of him, ready to let it loose and send the outsider away when she continued, oblivious or ignoring the magic sparking in the air. "Did you do this?" she asked, her voice much clearer now, so soft and soothing that almost broke his concentration. Almost.

"Yes," he said.

She casts her eyes around the ash and ruin, noting the other skeletons of the villagers around, burnt and broken. She held no pity in her red eyes, nor any satisfaction for what he's done.

She didn't care.

What her eyes flickered and glowed a little brighter, she turned around in a full circle, scanning the bones once more while he watched on. Her eyes dimmed when she didn't find what she was looking and she slumped sadly a little. Her wings curling closely around her, she gave him one last nod before turning away and walking off like he wanted. The crows around him all perked as she started to walk away, and with one large swoop, they all took off, flying after her, eager to catch up. Some landing on her wings, shoulders, and head once again while others hopped and flew after her.

She stopped for a moment, looking at him from over her shoulder, her eyes glowing once again. Shouting out, she told him, "He loves you." Before walking on, the flock of crows still swarming around her.

He sat still before Wolfy's bones, staring after her.

Glancing down at the skeleton, he reached out, running his hands along the black, warm skull; leaving a trail of silver behind his fingertips. Whispering apologetically once more to the bones, he stood up, ignoring how the ash crumbled and fell off his clothes; and followed after the girl.