Chapter Text
Parrot was confused on how well Clownpierce was swayed.
He had really given him everything. He had lead him to a vacant house in his city, and simply asked him to report to his throne room, giving him a package.
And now, here he was, up and dressed nicely for his appointment with Clown.
Well.
Dressed nicely was too much of an understatement.
He had been given clothes different from what he usually would wear, clothes much formal and heavier.
He had been given a white dress shirt, worn underneath a dark red vest, with a tailcoat which more or less resembled tailfeathers. Below, he was given black dress pants with red embriodery and dress shoes.
Holes had been cut out to provide for the wings, though Parrot struggled for his wings to go through them.
They weren't much his taste, and it was a burden to leave the house with such an outfit, for everything was too hot in the Nether.
Nevertheless, he reached Clown's castle, only to find the terrifying assassin waiting for him.
Trembling, he knocked the door.
"Parrot." ClownPierce looked up from a book, shelving it with his items.
"Cl- King Clown." He stammered, "You called me."
Clown looked like he was about to speak, and remained quiet, simply observing.
He pulled out a piece of paper.
Flimsily holding between his fingers, he spoke,
"I have a task for you."
He gave the paper to Parrot, who analyzed it.
Written on the neatly folded piece of paper, were a set of coordinates. Parrot looked confused, and turned his head to glance at Clown.
The Jester was looking over at Parrot's wings, and slowly tried to brush her fingers against it. Parrot flinched, taking a step ahead in fear.
"I'm not doing anything." He softly said, uncharacteristic of him, "Just.. observing how awful your feathers are."
Parrot shivered, "Why do you even care, bro?" He blurted out, closing his wings.
"I need you to trust me, Parrot." He simply said, "I can help you preen your wings, if you like. As a gesture of trust."
Parrot paused for a moment, comtemplating Clown's words.
Clearly, Parrot concluded, that this was a test for Parrot's trust. If Parrot trusted Clown enough to give his lifeline to Clown, the latter would grow trusting of him.
But if this isn't true, then why would Clown want to gain Parrot's trust in the first place, he wondered. It doesn't benefit Clown in any way, as Parrot's doing everything Clown tells him to anyway.
It's worth a short, he whispered to himself.
"...Fine." he hesitantly spoke up. "I needed them done, anyway...."
Clown sat on a cushion and placed another one in front of him, and gestured Parrot to sit. Doubtfully, he proceeded to sit, and relaxed his wings in front of Clown for him to observe.
"Do you... even know about preening wings?" Parrot asked, skeptical. "You're not a winged hybrid."
Clown softly giggled, making Parrot quiver, "I'm an owl." He slowly said, taking off his gloves, revealing small dark furs below. Parrot peeked from the corner of his eye, surprised.
"Is that why you have the mask?" Parrot asked, figeting with the piece of paper with the coordinates.
"...Not quite. It's better to keep people guessing, isn't it?"
Parrot remained quiet, as Clown looked over his feathers.
They were a sight to behold. Grime and small pieces of debris were stuck in the places, and feathers were half-pulled out and uneven. They looked like they hadn't been preened for months.
Clown paused, and lifted up a bottle of massage oil beside him, wet his hands, and started picking out the grime.
"You've never preened your wings before, have you?"
Parrot figeted with the threads of the cushion, silent.
"I asked you a question." He whispered firmly, plucking out one of his feathers agressively, making Parrot yelp out in pain.
"I-I have!" He said, hastily, "It's just been month since I've properly done it."
Clown hummed in satisfaction, picking out the debris next, they looked like casualities of explosives not too long ago. Small pieces of cobblestone mixed with residue of gunpowder.
"What about your feathered friend?" He asked, carefully picking between his feathers.
Parrot visibly sulked at the mention of Theo.
"Did he ever offer?" He asked again.
Parrot remained quite, choosing his words carefully. "He did offer." He finally said, "I just didn't let him. I just couldn't let someone preen my wings who I've known for ...months. " He trailed off, reminscing.
Ironic, wasn't it? Parrot thought.
"What about your other friend?"
"...Reina?" Parrot sounded confused, "She isn't even a bird, bro. And besides, she just arrived a few weeks ago."
Clown stopped for a moment, and stayed silent.
Parrot peeked behind him to see Clown tilting his head.
Then he resumed after a moment of silence, carefully plucking out the half-pulled out feathers one by one. He placed them together in a pile beside him.
He then methodically adjusted some of his feathers back, and took a final sweep of his wings.
"That's better." He murmured, putting his gloves back on.
Parrot stood up and lightly fluttered his wings, "That... does feel better." He said, carefully.
Clownpierce still studied Parrot as he tested his wings further.
"It doesn't match." He whispered.
Parrot looked at Clown, confused.
"Your wings don't match." He explained, "They clash with your clothes."
He tapped his chin, "Could I dye them?"
Parrot stopped, "My feathers?" He hadn't heard of such a thing before.
Clown stood up, "Yes, it would disguise yourself too."
Parrot only nodded in agreement, bewildered.
Clown went to a guard and whispered something to them. They straightened up, saluted and took off, eventually coming back with a small bowl of water.
Clown brought out a small pouch filled with redstone dust, and mixed it with the water, dipping a brush in it.
Parrot laid out his feathers reluctantly, curious to see what will happen. His knowledge of his biology wasn't abundant, considering there weren't many avian hybrids around him aside from Theo.
Then again, he hadn't asked Theo anything about avian biology either, despite him knowing a lot about it. He just thought it was another topic to brush aside.
Clown dipped the brush in the dye and slowly brushed it against his feathers, coloring them in the same direction. They both remained silent, and Parrot wondered for a second why he was even going to such lengths.
But a chilling voice caused his pondering to be interuppted.
"Parrot." Clown repeated, "Don't move." He said, firmly.
Parrot didn't notice himself figeting with his cufflinks.
"Clown." Parrot pronounced the word carefully, "Why did you...accept my offer?"
The jester kept coloring his feathers, silent for a second. He slowed down his work, and murmured, "Parrot, you're like a parasite."
Parrot tried not to react.
"When you think of something you want to do, you never let go."
"It's one of the most annoying things about you. Though..." he paused, halting his brushwork, "It's useful if utilized in some way."
"You're important to the server, Parrot. You're powerful. Having you in my palm makes it useful for me."
He concluded, picking up the pace, now coloring on his other wing.
Parrot waited for Clown to finish and put his brush down.
"That looks better now, doesn't it?" He looked at his work admiringly.
"Leave it for a few minutes, then rinse it. We'll discuss the task after that."
Parrot only nodded stiffly.
Parrot re-entered Clown's chambers after an hour as instructed, his wings felt...different. His wings, which were a bright cyan before, with a mixture of orange, yellow and green, which now fully dark red, perfectly matching his attire.
Parrot felt...weird looking at the bathroom mirror. His wings no longer felt familiar.
Nevertheless, he was now in front of Clown who finally explained the task.
"Parrot. I've showed you my loyalty." He began, "I've given you so much, and asked for nothing in return."
Parrot could only agree, nodding silently.
"Nothing but your loyalty."
"Now you must prove it to me."
Parrot froze and nervously smiled, "Bro...I have nothing. You...know that. I've already showed you my loyalty by...being here.
"Parrot." He laughed, making Parrot nervous, "You really think that excuse for acting that you put up yesterday...would gain you my trust?" He snapped.
Parrot sealed his mouth shut.
"This task," Clown tapped the paper lightly, "will prove it. And it you complete it... I know you will be loyal to me."
"You will capture someone for me." He turned his back towards Parrot admiring his room, "It doesn't matter how you do it. Persuade them, trap them, ambush them, I don't care. I just needed them handed over to me."
Parrot swallowed, "Who...Who will I capture?"
Clown tapped the paper again. "Fly to these coordinates when you finish planning. You'll see for yourself."
Clown lifted up an elytra from a chest nearby and handed it over to Parrot.
"No thank you." Parrot shook his head.
"I insist." Clown firmly said.
"You'll be given whatever you need. You need to just ask."
Clown looked at him, "Do you understand, Parrot?"
Parrot stopped himself from feeling nervous.
"Yes...I do, My King."
Parrot flew down near the given coordinates Clown had given him.
Clutching the paper in his hands, and taking off his elytra, he peeked over behind the trees to get an idea of a place he was supposed to go.
Nearby, a small path were made amidst the trees, the road made of mossy cobblestone, with small plants emerging from the cracks of the rocks.
Parrot comtemplated for a short moment, then pulled out a small glass bottle from his inventory, gulping down the contents of the sour, translucent liquid.
His body slowly turned invisible, and he crept out of the bushed, following the cobblestone path.
The road led up to a quiant little villlage, comprised of tiny wooden houses, with swarms of people emerging out and moving out of their homes, working.
Parrot once again took a glimpse at the paper he was given. 20 blocks closer.
Surrounding the village, Parrot observed, were fields of golden wheat that slowly waved in the gentle wind. They looked ripe, and ready to harvest, Parrot noted. Luckily for him, two other people had noticed that too.
Crouching at the exact coordinates he was given, were two people that looked busy harvesting the wheat.
One of them looked to be a new player, their appearence unremarkable to the eye, watching the other with great curiosity. The other, which Parrot assumed to be a farmer, cutting off the wheat with a sickle in his right hand, gently holding the crop with his left.
The farmer seemed like a deer hybrid, their long light brown antlers visible from where Parrot was standing. They seemed to wear a yellow flannel shirt, the sleeves rolled up till the elbow, underneath dark brown overalls.
Parrot slowly came closely, trying to understand why the player seemed so familiar until they got ahold of their face.
Parrot froze in place, his heart getting heavier by every second.
He wasn't just a random farmer.
He wasn't just a random player Clown wanted imprisoned.
It was Lomedy.
Clown had instructed him to capture Lomedy.
Parrot took a few steps back, a wave of confusion hitting him.
Why?
Why a innocent player like him?
He didn't even do anything.
Why would Clown-
His thoughts came to an halt when he once again got a glance at the piece of paper crumbled in his hand.
Parrot stopped, and slowly hid behind a tree, waiting for he invisibility to wear off.
The potion's effect wore off, revealing himself once more.
Parrot stepped outside and waved both his hands, trying not to come closer.
He didn't want to get recognized.
The chungie proded Lomedy who eventually lifted his head. Parrot then waved at him to come closer.
Lomedy stood up and slowly walked up to Parrot.
"...Hi, were you calling for me-" Lomedy trailed off, his expression filled with surprise.
"Parrot! Bro I haven't seen you since..." his expression shifted, "...you were exiled..." he looked back, nervously. "What are you doing here, bro? It's dangerous for you out here."
Parrot froze, his throat closed up he opened his mouth to say something, something to make up an excuse but nothing came out. He fluttered his wings nervously.
He couldn't just trap an innocent man. He didn't even do anything.
If you complete it...I will know you are loyal towards me.
"Bro..." a voice completely unfamiliar to him spoke out, "I thought you were captured."
Lomedy shook his head in confusion, "Captured? What? Dude, I've been here all this time, feeding people."
"You've been here???" The voice exclaimed, full of faux worry, "Aren't you worried about him?!"
Lomedy took a step back, "Worried about who? I didn't hear anything."
"Flame's been captured by Saps!"
Lomedy's face first filled with worry, then he smiled, "Yeah bro, nice. You really think I'd believe that? That guy killed a thousand people. He's not gonna get captured that easily."
His hands moved on their own, "Bro, Saps told him that he captured YOU. That's why he willingly turned himself in. And you were here??? Didn't you hear anything???"
Lomedy's expression faltered, "No...I didn't..."
"You should come with us. Me, Theo and a few others are making a resistance group. I was ...gonna go find Wemmbu. But now that I found you..." the voice softened, "Come with me."
Lomedy seemed reluctant, "What about the village? We could take them too."
The voice sounded urgent, "Lomedy. It's Saps. They're gonna kill the new players first."
Lomedy picked on the stray thread of his overalls, "Yeah..but-"
"Lomedy, bro we don't have much time! We have to go."
Lomedy took one finale look at the village, and sighed.
"Okay, okay. Let's go."
His mouth curled up into a smile. He didn't mean it. "It's only a few thousand blocks away."
Soft grass brushed against their shoes as they slowly walked ahead. Lomedy sometimes even skipped forward, both in a comfortable silence.
"I didn't ask," Lomedy interuppted the silence, "But you look so different now, dude. I almost didn't recognize you for a second. Even your wings are different!"
Parrot took out his map, observing it, "..Yeah, I thought a disguise would be nice." He spoke in a voice unfamiliar to him, "If i crouch a bit, no one would really be able to recognize me. Especially Cindercrest."
"That's smart!" Lomedy remarked, cheerfully. Though Parrot could notice the underlying solemness in his voice.
Parrot suddenly stopped. "Lomedy." He slowly said shuffling through his inventory, "Do you have any enderpearls? I have some wind charges, maybe we could reach at the place a bit faster."
Lomedy turned around and checked his inventory too, "No.... But I could check in my enderchest..."
He placed down an e-chest and began looking. "...I don't! I guess I thought I could borrow some from Flame.." he commented sadly.
"I guess we'll have to walk then, after all." Parrot heaved a dramatic sigh.
Parrot walked ahead, though the deer hybrid still had his nose buried in his enderchest, and pulled a holographic mace out, "...if only I could be..." he whispered to himself.
Parrot walked up and placed his hand on Lomedy's shoulder,
"It's not your fault, bro. If anything, it's Saparata's. He's the one terrorising the server. Lomedy, I promise we'll free Flame." Parrot paused for a second, choosing his words, "...And I know you'll be the one to do it."
Lomedy sighed and stood up, pulling out a diamond pickaxe to mine the e-chest and place it back in his inventory.
"...Thanks, Parrot." He softly said.
Parrot slowly came to a stop, crouching to adore the allium planted in the grass.
"Lomedy, can I ask a question?"
Lomedy stood a few meters from Parrot, sitting down on the grass, resting his legs. "Sure, bro. Ask away."
"Do you... regret leaving my kingdom for Cindercrest?" He brushed his fingers against the small buds of the flower, closely examining it. "Do you regret ...going against me like that?"
Lomedy stopped and slowly stood up, stretching. Then with a small smile, he simply said, "No."
Parrot's fingers tightened around its stem. Yet, he waited for the deer to continue.
"I mean... I really don't... but..." he tried to form this thoughts, "It was also kind of... wrong for me, I guess, to go against a king that was trying his best. I got that... but... it felt wrong, you know? To turn my backs on people that were starving because of you. But joining Cindercrest made me realize that... instead of relying on people in power... I could just... feed the people myself." He slowly said.
"I still hate how they just made up fake promises though... they really don't deserve to be one to rules the server. Especially Saps... unlike you, I doubt he's even trying to fight off bandits, or you know... protect people. All he wants to do this just... kill off the new players for a petty reason."
Parrot remained quiet, and twisted the allium's stem.
"Lomedy,"
The deer slowly lifted his head, "Yeah?"
"I'm so sorry."
He broke off the stem of the flower and the earth opened below Lomedy, swallowing him whole. He fell into a deep hole, popping his totem, exp sprinkling all around him. He looked confused.
Out of the dispensers came out bottles upon bottles of potions, splashing on the ground, weakening Lomedy. He couldn't move and could only look up, confused and worried.
"Parrot, bro, what are you doing?!" He called out, distressed.
Parrot only dropped another potion, slowly draining him of his health. He then pointed to a chest in the corner of the room, hidden behind the stone.
"Put all your items in there." He commanded, his voice stiff.
Lomedy didn't budge, "I'm not doing that, bro. What did you do to Flame?!"
Parrot pulled out his bow and drew from it, aiming at Lomedy's head. The deer paled, walking to the chest and placing all his items in.
Parrot checked the chest, to find it full of plants and normal items. Yet, he pulled the arrow back harder.
"All of them." He repeated.
Lomedy shook his head in confusion. "I kept all my items bro. What more do you want?"
"Your two totems and golden carrots, Lomedy. You pulled them out when you took the mace. You're not very good at keeping your items in your hotbar secret."
Lomedy's face twisted in horror as he silently placed the remaining items in the chest.
Parrot's mouth reluctantly twisted into a smile. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Parrot, bro..." Lomedy looked concerned, "What happened to you man...? I thought we were friends."
Parrot didn't seem to hear him, and pulled out a firework and lit it with the torch on his left hand. It flew into the sky and blew up into black smoke. Lomedy just watched, transfixed.
A nether portal appeared between the both of them, and guards spilled out in netherite. They held Lomedy by the arms, as he pleaded for answers from his friend.
But Parrot couldn't hear him for his voice was drowned out by the portal, which Parrot stared at, unmoving.
Eventually, the little buzz at the corner of his ear stopped. Yet he still didn't move.
Time slowly passed, and soon, the sun was setting on the horizon, the sky slowly turning pink which suddenly made Parrot snap out of his thoughts and walk through the portal.
Parrot emerged from the other side, in a trance. His body felt heavier as he walked to the little house tucked in the corner of the city.
He walked up to the bathroom clean up, and looked at his hands.
Dirt was covered in every inch of his palms, the little feathers on the back layered with grime.
He turned on the tap to wash them, and perhaps even go to sleep.
He rubbed them together with soap and cleaned it all off with water. Then, turning the tap off, he looked at his hands again.
They were still dirty.
Dirt had still stuck to the middle of his fingers.
Didn't he wash them?
Nevertheless, he turned the tap on and washed his hands again, keeping note of washing in the middle of his fingers.
He turned off the tap and looked at them again.
A little still dirt remained.
He turned on the tap again.
Washed his hands.
Between his fingers.
Rubbed them so that his palms turned red.
Turned the tap off.
Looked at his hands.
It wasn't going away.
He turned the tap on.
And again.
And again.
He washed his hands only to never wash the all the dirt away.
He washed them only to realize it was only going to be stuck.
He washed them again.
Why wasn't it going away?
He stopped.
Sweating, he clung to the edges of the basin, trying to figure it out.
Why? Wasn't? It? Washing? Off?
He stood here, comtemplating, when he caught a glance of himself in the mirror.
Wait, no.
That wasn't him.
He was looking at someone else in the mirror.
He looked at it's eyes, same color, same shape.
Except those weren't his.
Eyes so dull and drained of life.
No love, no emotion in them.
They weren't his.
He looked at the feathers.
No green, no yellow, no blue.
They were dirty, red, the color of dried blood.
They were neatly cleaned and yet.
They looked awful.
He opened his mouth to react, yet no voice came out.
No voice that was familiar to him.
The voice seemed false, full of deceit.
A voice who would lie, a voice who would pretend to care.
Parrot looked closer.
Who was that?
That wasn't him.
It could never be him.
Hands that were grimy and never clean.
Eyes that looked devoid of soul.
Feathers that looked so strange.
And voice that seemed so fake.
He touched his own face with those hands.
The face that was the only trait,
That defined him as Parrotx2.