Chapter Text
Parrot never expected it would come to this. Yet he could no longer deny reality. A heavy shackle was locked tightly around his left ankle. Saparata had won. He had defeated both Parrot and the army that once stood beside him.
Now, Parrot had no one left but himself.
There had been no word from Theo or Reina for the past three weeks.
Flamefrags.
Wemmbu.
Spoke.
...
He had no idea where they were anymore. All he knew was that, in one week, he would be executed before his own people at sunrise.
His gaze drifted toward the empty wooden bowl resting on the floor.
There was no food for him today.
It was alright.
He had grown used to it.
...
Leaning against the cold stone wall, Parrot sat silently. His hair was a tangled mess, his eyes dull with exhaustion. His wings had long since lost their care, their feathers uneven and ragged, while his body had become frighteningly thin—as though nothing remained but skin stretched over bone.
Even his old enemies had never let him starve like this.
The faint glow filtering through the small barred window was the only light allowed into his prison cell. Evening was quickly approaching.
Come to think of it...
At this hour, he and Theo would usually still be inside the office. He would be buried in paperwork while Theo scolded him for working far too much.
A quiet chuckle escaped his lips.
What a beautiful memory.
"Theo..."
His voice was barely more than a whisper. No one would hear him. There was no one else in this cell. Not even someone to talk to.
Slowly, he closed his eyes.
He imagined the voices of the new players when they first joined the server. The way they smiled as they thanked him for the food... for the shelter... for giving them a place to belong.
Their eyes had shone with hope—as though they were looking at someone capable of protecting them.
"They must be disappointed in me now... aren't they?"
Parrot opened his eyes and stared at his own frail hands. Hands that had once been warm, always reaching out to welcome others... Now they were cold, simply waiting for the day they would die.
These were the same hands that had gathered an army to stand against Cindercrest. The same hands that had given away every treasure he found for the sake of the server. The same hands that had killed the one who imprisoned him. The same hands that belonged to someone everyone once called... brilliant.
What a tragedy.
He should have listened to Theo. Theo had told him they had no hope left. But Parrot had believed. He had been so certain. So confident that he could protect his kingdom.
Because that was the promise he had made to them.
Then he remembered the promise he'd made to Reina—that he would make Cindercrest pay for everything they had done. His own words echoed through his mind.
The certainty. The confidence.
Another weak laugh slipped from his throat, rough and hoarse. He hadn't been given any water for three days.
"Reina... I'm sorry."
He truly was disappointed in himself.
But... For some reason... He had accepted it. Maybe... Maybe this really was what was best for the server. Especially after learning the truth. After remembering what he himself had done in the past.
Some things...
Some sins...
Simply couldn't be forgiven.
Drawing his knees against his chest, Parrot rested his head on them.
During his first week in this prison, he cried endlessly. The guards had shouted at him over and over, demanding silence. By the second week, he'd learned to muffle his sobs.
Now...
He didn't even have enough strength left to cry.
'I wonder how my siblings are doing...' He thought to himself. Flamefrags, his oldest younger brother. Wemmbu, the second. And Spoke... The youngest. Parrot smile weakly.
Flamefrags... He had chosen Cindercrest for Lomedy's sake. Yet, in the very last moments, he chose Parrot instead. But by then... It had already been too late.
Wemmbu... Parrot couldn't bring himself to blame him. He knew Wemmbu never wanted to betray him. Something had simply forced him to.
And Spoke... It had been so long since he'd last seen him. Would he be disappointed... If he saw Parrot like this?
Pathetic. Even unable to protect even his own kingdom.
"I'm sorry... Please forgive me... Flamefrags... Wemmbu... Spoke—"
A violent cough interrupted him. Ah... He should stop talking. His throat was beginning to burn.
Saparata had called this justice. No food. No water. So that Parrot could experience what the old players had endured before they starved to death. Parrot didn't mind. He didn't mind being remembered as the villain now.
He knew he had never been a saint. He knew he wasn't perfect. But he had tried. Even if trying had never been enough. It would never be enough.
His wings... He couldn't even move them anymore without feeling exhausted. The same wings that had once sheltered his younger siblings like an umbrella... Could no longer shelter anyone.
His stomach growled again, reminding him of the hunger gnawing relentlessly at him. There was no food. And perhaps there wouldn't be any until the day of his execution.
His eyes squeezed shut as another wave of pain twisted through his stomach. 'It's hurt.. It's hurt so bad..' He thought to himself.
A thin layer of sweat formed across his forehead while his trembling right hand weakly clutched his abdomen, almost as though he were trying to comfort himself.
'I'm the oldest.
I managed to raise three children...
Even when I was still just a child myself.
I can do this.
I can hold on until that day comes..
The day I won't have to endure this pain anymore..
The day everyone cheers for the death they've all been waiting for.'
He bit down on his lower lip.
With what little strength remained, Parrot forced himself onto the thin mattress. Curling into himself, he hugged his own body tightly, staring blankly at the cold stone wall.
The voices of his younger siblings echoed softly inside his mind. Maybe... Maybe remembering the past would be enough to distract him from the hunger.
If he remember correctly. The first boy was Flamefrags, his little sunset.
Twenty-six years ago, in the middle of the forest during spring, the nameless body of a small child lay abandoned among the trees. Curious animals slowly began to gather around the child. The first to approach was a mother parrot. (An actual parrot btw)
"Oh my... Whose child was left here?" the mother parrot murmured anxiously. The baby looked no older than five months old. He was so tiny, lying peacefully inside a woven basket wrapped in a soft blanket.
Several other parrots soon flew over after noticing that one of their flock had suddenly stopped. "Why did you stop?" one of them asked.
The mother parrot turned toward the others. "Sorry... I found a baby here. And... I think he's one of our kind, though he's a hybrid."
"A hybrid?" another parrot exclaimed in disbelief. "Out here in the middle of the forest? How could he possibly end up here?"
The mother parrot lowered her gaze to the sleeping infant. "I don't know... Maybe... Maybe he was abandoned."
The possibility made the other birds fall silent.
They all looked down at the baby, who continued sleeping peacefully in his basket, completely unaware of the conversation around him.
What an unfortunate child.
"We can't just leave him here," one of the parrots finally said. "If it starts raining, he'll get sick."
The mother parrot suddenly thought of her own children... The chicks she had lost. For reasons she couldn't explain, simply looking at the baby stirred her maternal instincts once again.
"We have to find a way to take care of him."
"Wait, have you lost your mind?" another parrot immediately protested. "Take care of a hybrid child? We're animals! Our bodies aren't even as big as the baby himself!"
The two parrots quickly broke into an argument in the middle of the forest. The others understood what the mother parrot was trying to do.
But at the same time. They were nothing more than small, helpless animals. Their voices grew louder and louder. Eventually, the commotion stirred the sleeping baby. His dark eyes slowly fluttered open as he looked around.
He didn't cry. The birds immediately fell silent. The forest fell silent. Not because the birds had stopped arguing—But because the baby was awake.
Tiny black eyes blinked slowly as he stared up at the colorful parrots surrounding his basket. His expression held neither fear nor confusion. He simply watched them in complete silence, as though trying to understand who or what they were.
"..."
None of the birds dared to move.
"...He isn't crying," one of them whispered.
"Shouldn't a human baby cry?"
"He's a hybrid," another replied quietly. "Maybe they're different."
The mother parrot carefully hopped closer, tilting her head as she observed the infant. She expected him to burst into tears at any second.
Instead...The baby reached out one tiny hand toward her.
The gesture was slow and clumsy, as if he were trying to touch the bright green feathers covering her body.
The mother parrot froze.
"..."
"He... reached for you."
"I know."
For reasons she couldn't explain, something inside her chest tightened. She had once watched her own chicks reach toward her exactly like this.
Before...
Before the storm had taken every single one of them. A painful silence settled over the group. The mother parrot gently rubbed the baby's tiny fingers with the tip of her beak.
The child let out a soft, delighted giggle.
A sound so innocent...
So warm...
That every bird fell silent.
"..."
"We can't leave him here." One of the parrots sighed. "And what exactly do you expect us to do?"
"We're birds. We can't carry him. We can't feed him. We can't even keep him warm during the night."
Each sentence struck harder than the last. Because every word was true. The basket alone weighed more than several of them combined.
The mother parrot lowered her gaze.
"...There has to be a way." Another bird shook his head. "Unless you expect one of the larger animals to help us."
The words made her pause. A larger animal... Someone strong enough to move the basket. Someone respected throughout the forest. Her eyes slowly widened.
"I know someone." The other parrots looked at her. "...Who?"
"The old bear."
Several birds immediately gasped.
"The bear?! Have you lost your mind?"
"What if he eats us?"
"He's a predator!"
The mother parrot shook her head.
"No. I've seen him before. He protects the forest. He only hunts when he must. He has never harmed anyone without reason."
The parrots exchanged uncertain glances. "...Are you sure?" She nodded. "I have to try."
Without waiting for another response, the mother parrot spread her wings and took off into the evening sky.
The forest stretched endlessly beneath her. She flew over rivers that shimmered beneath the fading sunlight.
Past towering oak trees older than anyone could remember. Past families of deer returning home. The cool spring wind brushed against her feathers as she searched.
Minutes passed. Then nearly an hour. Until.. There. Near the edge of a quiet stream stood a massive brown bear. He was enormous.
His thick fur swayed gently in the breeze while one powerful paw scooped salmon from the rushing water with practiced ease.
The mother parrot swallowed nervously. Even knowing he was gentle... He was still terrifying. She landed carefully on a nearby branch.
"...Mister Bear?"
The bear slowly lifted his head. Golden eyes met the tiny bird. "...Yes?" His deep voice echoed through the trees. "I... I need your help."
The bear blinked once. "My help?"
She nodded repeatedly. "Please. We found a baby. A hybrid baby.. He was abandoned in the middle of the forest." The bear remained silent. The mother parrot's heart pounded. "...He's only five months old. If we leave him there... He'll die."
The bear quietly set the fish back into the stream. For several long moments... He said nothing. Then he let out a slow sigh. "...Show me."
Relief washed over the little parrot so suddenly that her wings nearly trembled. "You'll come?"
The old bear gave a single nod. "A Child should never be left alone."
Without another word, the massive bear began following the tiny bird deeper into the forest, each heavy step shaking the earth beneath his paws.
The old bear eventually found the tiny child lying abandoned in the middle of the forest. Pity welled up inside him as he looked at the infant. After a long silence, he finally agreed to help. The child would stay in his cave.
And so, the nameless baby was raised deep within the forest, without the care of another human. Without a single trace of human intervention.
Days quietly turned into weeks. Weeks became months. Months became years. Little by little, the child grew beneath the care of the forest's animals.
News of the mysterious human child spread surprisingly fast throughout the forest. For some reason... The animals here absolutely loved to gossip.
Food was never much of a problem. The child mostly lived on fruits, vegetables, berries, mushrooms, and whatever else the forest generously provided.
As for clothes... Well, there was no need to worry.
The birds simply "borrowed" them from nearby villages. Whether the humans considered that stealing or not... The birds certainly didn't! Who cares?
Welp.
Time continued to pass. Before anyone realized it, the child had turned seven years old.
It was a miracle, really.
No one knew how a human child had managed to survive in the wilderness for so many years with nothing but animals to care for him.
He had never been given an official name.
So...
He chose one for himself.
Parrot.
ParrotX2.
Raised among wild animals and endless freedom, he had no idea what the world beyond the forest looked like.
To him...
The forest was the entire world.
Until...
The day everything changed.
While wandering through the woods one afternoon, Parrot stumbled upon an abandoned house hidden beneath creeping vines and towering trees.
It had clearly been deserted for many years.
Its roof was damaged.
Several windows were broken.
The wooden walls were worn and weathered.
No one knew who had once lived there.
Nor why they had left. But for reasons even Parrot himself couldn't explain...
He wanted to live there.
It felt...
Peaceful.
...
Parrot couldn't remember much after that. Only that, from that day onward, he slowly began venturing beyond the forest.
Meeting people. Though... Many of them weren't exactly kind. Parrot doesn't really understand why.
...
Three years later. Parrot was now ten years old.
The once-abandoned cottage had slowly transformed into a cozy little home through nothing but his own hard work.
He had repaired the broken furniture as best he could. Swept away years of dust. Patched the holes in the roof.
Even though the house was still old and worn, it was more than comfortable enough to live in. Most of what he knew came from the dusty books he had discovered inside the house.
Books about plants. Cooking. Building. Even simple medicine. Fortunately, the cottage stood beside a gentle river. The soil surrounding it was rich and fertile.
The birds often brought him seeds they found during their travels, allowing him to grow a small garden of his own. They were all incredibly kind. Although Parrot now lived by himself, he was never truly alone.
Animals visited him almost every day, bringing little gifts they happened to find. A shiny pebble. A colorful feather. An oddly shaped mushroom.
Sometimes even objects they had... "borrowed" from humans. Parrot never asked where they came from. He was simply grateful for every gift.
One peaceful morning, Parrot was sweeping the front yard when a tiny squirrel suddenly scampered toward him. He looked up and smiled brightly.
"Mr. Squirrel! What brings you here today?"
He gave the little creature a polite bow. The long skirt he was wearing brushed against the dirt, leaving another dusty stain near the hem.
The squirrel stood on its hind legs before excitedly pointing deeper into the forest. Parrot tilted his head in confusion. "...You want me to follow you somewhere?"
The squirrel nodded enthusiastically. "...Alright!" Parrot laughed. "Lead the way!" Leaving his broom against the porch, he hurried after the tiny guide.
After nearly thirty minutes of walking through unfamiliar parts of the forest... The squirrel finally stopped. Parrot quietly crouched behind a bush before carefully peeking ahead.
"...Whoa..." His eyes widened. In the clearing stood what looked like a massive obsidian structure.
Or...
At least, what remained of one. It had been completely destroyed.
Chunks of black stone lay scattered across the ground. Bright orange lava slowly flowed between the broken ruins.
Strange crimson blocks covered the surrounding area, unlike anything Parrot had ever seen before.
"What... is that...?" Then—His eyes caught movement. "...Eh?"
Lying among the rubble was a child.
A small boy with curly hair... And horns. His clothes were torn. His face was smeared with dirt and ash. Cuts and bruises covered his body. Parrot's heart skipped a beat.
Without a second thought, he rushed toward him before kneeling beside the unconscious boy.
"H-Hey! Are you okay?"
No response.
"...Did he pass out?" Probably. Parrot frowned before carefully slipping the boy onto his back. "...Ughh... So heavy!"
He complained with a tiny pout. But despite his grumbling, he tightened his grip and continued carrying the boy home. Every step felt heavier than the last.
Meanwhile, the little squirrel happily jumped onto Parrot's head, proudly riding along as though it had accomplished an important mission.
By the time they reached the cottage, Parrot was completely out of breath.
"...Haa... So... heavy..."
He carefully lowered the unconscious boy onto his small bed before stretching his aching shoulders.
"I think... you're even heavier than Mr. Bear..."
The squirrel sitting on top of his head let out a tiny chitter, almost as if it were laughing at him.
"...Hey. I'm serious."
Parrot puffed out his cheeks before looking back at the injured boy. Only then did he properly notice the cuts scattered across his arms and face.
"..."
A book.
He had seen something about injuries in one of the books.
"Oh! Wait here!"
...Not that the unconscious boy could exactly go anywhere.
Parrot hurried toward the old bookshelf tucked into the corner of the room.
The shelves were uneven, their wood worn with age. Dust covered most of the books, though many had clearly been read over and over again.
"Hmm..."
He tilted his head while reading the faded titles.
"Cooking..."
"No..."
"Plants..."
"No..."
"Ah!"
"There it is!"
He pulled out a thick, weathered book before placing it on the table.
The pages crinkled softly as he flipped through them.
"...Let's see..."
"'How to treat wounds.'"
"Hmm..."
He quietly traced each sentence with his finger as he read.
"'Clean the wound...'"
"'Wrap it with bandages...'"
He froze.
"...Bandages?"
Parrot slowly looked around his tiny house.
"...I don't have bandages."
After thinking about it for a moment, he nodded to himself.
"...Cleaning it should still help."
Satisfied with his own conclusion, he closed the book.
Making his way into the kitchen, he picked up a small wooden basin and filled it with the boiled water he had prepared earlier that morning.
It wasn't warm anymore. But at least it was clean. He grabbed a fresh cloth hanging nearby before walking back toward the bedroom.
"..."
The moment he stepped inside—The boy was awake.
Bright eyes immediately locked onto him. For a split second, the boy looked stunned. Then, his expression hardened.
"You... WHO ARE YOU?! WHERE AM I?!"
His voice echoed throughout the tiny cottage. Parrot flinched slightly at the sudden shouting.
"..."
Is he human? Or anything? He look weird... Well no mater what he was, he .. Were certainly loud.
Still, he calmly walked over and placed the basin on the floor.
"Easy. I found you lying near that strange place in the forest. You were hurt, so I brought you here."
..
"Come here, I'll treat your—"
"YOU WEIRDO! How am I supposed to trust you?!" The boy cut him off, breathing heavily as though prepared to run at any second.
Parrot simply tilted his head. His expression remained as calm as ever. "...If I wanted to hurt you. I would've done it already."
He gently pointed toward the wounds covering the boy's arms.
"See? You're hurt. Let me clean them." His voice was quiet. Gentle.
Never demanding.
Never threatening.
Just... Calm. The boy stared at him for several long seconds. His breathing was still uneven.
Even now, he wasn't convinced. Especially when there was...
A squirrel sitting comfortably on top of the strange boy's head. What kind of person even had a squirrel on their head?
Eventually. The boy sighed. "Fine..."
Parrot's face immediately brightened. "Okay!" He dipped the cloth into the basin before carefully wringing out the excess water.
"I'm going to clean your wounds now. It might sting a little." The boy silently looked away. Parrot gently pressed the damp cloth against one of the cuts.
"Hss..." The boy hissed through his teeth.
Parrot notice it. "Oh... I'm sorry." Parrot immediately lightened his touch. "I'm really sorry..."
He softly apologized every time the boy winced, carefully wiping away the dried blood and dirt little by little.
His movements were surprisingly gentle. As though he were afraid of causing even the slightest bit of pain.
After cleaning every wound he could find, Parrot stood up and walked toward a small wooden cabinet.
He pulled out a neatly folded set of clean clothes before returning. "Here.. You can change into these. I'll wash yours later." He smiled innocently. "I'll wait outside."
Without another word, Parrot quietly left the room, gently closing the door behind him. The boy stared after him.
"..."
'He looked...About the same age as me.' He thought to himself.
His eyes slowly drifted toward the neatly folded clothes resting on the bed. After a brief moment of hesitation "...Fine." He quietly changed into them.
Outside the cottage, Parrot carefully lifted the squirrel from his head and placed it onto the ground.
"There you go, Mr. Squirrel. Thank you for telling me about that boy." The squirrel happily accepted a peanut from Parrot's hand. It chirped excitedly before scurrying back into the forest.
"Bye-bye!"
Parrot waved enthusiastically until the squirrel disappeared among the trees. Only then did he notice someone standing behind him.
He turned around. The horned boy had already changed into the clean clothes. Parrot smiled brightly. "They fit?" The boy gave a small nod.
"I'm glad." Parrot placed both hands behind his back before giving a cheerful little bow. "My name's Parrot! It's nice to meet you. What's your name?"
The boy instinctively flinched and took a cautious step backward. Even now... He wasn't completely sure whether he could trust this strange child.
But... Looking into Parrot's bright, innocent eyes. He couldn't sense even a hint of malice. "Flamefrags... My name is Flamefrags."
Parrot's smile somehow grew even wider. "Flamefrags! That's a nice name! It's nice to meet you!"
Flamefrags blinked. No one had ever sounded that genuinely happy just from hearing his name. Parrot tilted his head. "Are you hungry?"
Flamefrags immediately opened his mouth. "...No, I'm-"
Grrrrrr...
His stomach answered before he could. The silence that followed was almost painful. Parrot blinked once.
Then.. He let out a tiny laugh. "Hehe. I'll take that as a yes."
Flamefrags immediately looked away, his ears turning red with embarrassment. Parrot, completely oblivious to his embarrassment, simply smiled.
"Come on. Let's go inside."
Without another thought, Parrot happily led Flamefrags back into the cottage. To him... Inviting a complete stranger to live under the same roof, didn't seem strange at all.
After all... The forest had taught him that anyone who was hurt deserved kindness first. Questions could always come later.