Of a Flock

Chapter Three

He didn't want to wake up. Wherever he was, he felt warm, like everything was going to be okay. Voices played in the background like a soft melody, one that he couldn't exactly hear, but it was almost relaxing.

"I don't know, we just found him," he heard somebody say, although he couldn't remember who. "Running from an iron golem."

"Are you sure he's a magpie, though?" a deeper voice asked.

"Yes, dad. He was entranced by Techno's crown. And it's not even that shiny."

He heard a low chuckle. "Oh. That's why he asked for rubbing alcohol."

"Wait, to clean his crown!? He doesn't let anybody touch it, though."

"I know. He's not cleaning it to let this young boy touch it. He's doing it so the kid will slide to him more. You know how important it is to have chicks link to somebody."

"But that's not fair! He'll get a head start on—"

"Wilbur! He's awake! Don't say anything about that!"

Sigh. He wanted to drift for a little longer, but he made himself open his eyes. A yawn escaped and he blinked his eyes rapidly. "G' mornin'," he cooed out.

Two smiling figures beamed down at him. One of them he recognized with the brown cape, curly hair, and owl-like glasses. The other, older man he didn't. He wore a green and white hat, with a similar matching cape that hugged around his body like the others. He shifted away from him slightly. The man chuckled and bent down to hold out hand close to his face. "Wow. You have bright green eyes."

Dream pulled up his own hand and touched his bare skin. He gasped and jerked away from them, hiding his face with his arms. "G-give it back, please!" he whimpered.

"Give what back?"

"The mask!"

"Heh," the boy—Wilbur—laughed. "But why? It's so weird."

"It's mine! You can't take it! Give it back!"

Dream felt the couch next to him dip as someone sat next to him and wrapped their arm behind his neck. "Hey, chick, you'll be okay. You don't need the mask," Wilbur whispered into his ear. Dream relaxed, but still didn't look up.

Wilbur's father sat next to his son. "You'll be safe here," he promised. "Want to know how?"

The young teenager hesitated, before nodding and peeking up at them. Their faces cracked smiles and they both stood up and fiddled with their capes. Their fingers unclasped the buckles and they let the material slide to the ground.

Dream gasped and lifted his head a little higher. "You-you also have wings!"

Wilbur's wings were large, the full grown feathers half black and half white. Lines of white curved around the black, making a wide scale pattern. Phil's wings were double his height and so he didn't stretch them out to their fullest, but they were a blazing white with very few spots of gray.

"Showing off our wings now, are we?" he heard a deep voice ask and he turned.

"Ooh!" he chirped, gawking at the enormous pink feathers behind the tall man, but his eyes kept bouncing back to the glimmering crown sitting atop his pink head. "Shiny!"

Wilbur nudged Phil. "Told you."

"Yes, son, I can see that. Now, what is your name?" Phil asked. Dream heard him, but he continued to stare at the crown and his wings fluttered when Techno came closer. It was only when their father stepped in front of his oldest son, blocking the flashing item, that Dream snapped out of it.