(VT) A Bird's Song

Short Story: A Bird’s Song

Story/Timeline: Minecraft, before the main storyline

Relevance & A/N: Hi guys! Here is something I’ve been working to complete on an off for a while now. It’s a type of song fic, an idea that just wouldn’t leave me alone. See, every time I hear this song, I get what I like to call a “music video” in my head. You know, when you hear a song and imagine a bunch of characters or scenes that go along with the lyrics? Well, I thought that it would be fun to write out what I was imagining while also giving you a sneak peek to a new feathered character. Or, well, he’s technically not entirely new. He's not an actual VT character, yet he technically isn't an OC either... The concept of his creation and the way he fits into VT is based on both Jordan and my story. Consider this a… prequel of sorts to the series. If you don’t know what I’m talking about here, read the Artists Comment to learn more about my FanFic-turned-novel series for VenturianTale to learn more. For those of you who do, enjoy.



    “Aww come on, Jordan! It’ll be fun!”

    “No!”

    “Please?”

    “No, Isaac!” Jordan huffed, trying and failing to move past his younger brother. Really, he should’ve known something was up as soon as Isaac began eagerly waving at him to come over to the makeshift stage he and Cierra had set up. Jordan had fallen right into his younger siblings hands, instantly cornered with no escape. Literally. He was stuck between where the stage met the building behind it and his younger brother was blocking the only way out of the corner.

    They wanted him to sing. On stage. To get a crowd over for their own performance.

    Jordan’s instant reaction to this of course was: Ha-ha, heck no!

    “It’s just a simple warm-up song!” Isaac pleaded, blocking Jordan as he tried once more to push past him. “Just one song, that’s all we’re asking!”

    Jordan shook his head, “No, Isaac! I’m not going to sing for you.” He looked to Cierra for help, but the purple-clad girl only grinned at him. She was currently sitting on the corner of the stage, watching the two boys in amusement.

    “He’s not going to stop until you do. You know that, right?” she said.

    “You’re siding with him!” Jordan cried, eyes wide.

    “I’m just saying…” Cierra shrugged. “You should just do it and get it over with or else you’re going to spend the entire day stuck in that corner.”

    “She’s right,” Isaac added. “I’m not moving.” He said this dead seriously, crossing his arms and looking at Jordan with narrowed eyes, as if daring his brother to doubt him. Jordan glared right back at his younger sibling, unwilling to give up so easily…

    …

    …Oh, who was he kidding? There was no way he was getting out of this.

    He sighed, unable to say no to his little brother. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

    Isaac whooped in victory and high-fived Cierra who had jumped off the stage. Seeing that they were distracted, Jordan made a final last-ditch attempt to run. As he passed by, Cierra quickly snatched his sword right out of his belt.

    Jordan skid to a stop and whirled around, “Hey! Give that back!”

    “Nuh, ugh!” Cierra sidestepped her older brother easily when he made a lunge for it. She then twirled the sword with a triumphant grin. “Call this insurance so you don’t run off.”

    “That’s not fair!”

    “All is fair in love and war,” Cierra sing-songed, moving away from Jordan so that he wouldn’t attempt to grab it for a second time. Jordan shook his head in final defeat, once again regretting his decision of coming into the market today.

    “Alright, get on the stage Jordan!” Isaac ushered him along.

    “Don’t push it! Tricky little Goomba…” Jordan shot back, his voice lacking any true venom as he did what he was told and climbed onto the stage. Isaac simply laughed.

    Jordan stood, watching the crowd of the market mull about their daily business. The new vantage point allowed him to see every booth, shop, and person in the area. He turned to look back at his two siblings and shrugged. “Well, you got me up here. So what am I supposed to sing, exactly?”

“I dunno, I didn’t really think we’d get you up there,” Isaac grinned.

    Jordan shook his head with a chuckle. “Figures.” Seeing that his siblings weren’t going to offer him any assistance, Jordan crossed his arms and turned back to the bustling crowd. He watched them absent-mindedly, trying to think of a good song to start off something like this. After a good moments thought, a small smile crept onto his face.

    “How about the old king’s song?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder at his younger siblings.

    “Sounds good!” Isaac said, not really feeling very picky about whatever song his brother chose to sing. So long as Jordan sang something, he was content. “Just start whenever you’re ready!”

    Jordan nodded. By now his heartbeat had quickened in nervousness, the crowd beginning to worry him. So he took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly. It was just one song. He knew all the words. He was a good singer. Everyone loved his voice. He could do this.

    Jordan’s heartbeat began to slow.

    He took one last calming breath and allowed his eyes to slide shut, imagining the sound of music playing around him. Jordan took a step forward, folded his arms behind his back and clasped his hands together. Then, once the time was right, he opened his eyes, his head tilted down so that he was looking at the wood of the stage beneath his feet, and began to sing.

    “Once upon a time there was a charming prince...”

    His voice was oddly soothing and gentle. Yet…

    “...warm soul and arms of steel...”

    …it was also bold and held an underlying tone of authority to it, as if Jordan was commanding everyone around him to stop and simply listen. The way his voice resounded around the market so clearly was enchanting, like a true storyteller captivating his audience with only the words of his Tale.

    “…but luckless on his love.”

    Jordan paused here for a breath, but only for a moment. When he started again his voice had grown louder. More confident. Jordan began drawing the attention of the crowd as the people began to hear his voice through the sounds of the market.

    “Once upon a time an angel prayed for him.”

    Unseen, a bird landed on the building directly across from the stage…

    “They had a destiny...”

    …its blue, red, and yellow feathers ruffled as it folded its wings close to its body.

    “…Remember it?”

    Jordan looked up at the crowd, not moving anything but his golden-brown eyes. Once again he paused, the music playing in his mind’s eye. Unknown to him, the bird took a single step forward, watching him closely. Carefully.

    “Please, remember it...”

    Again, he stopped. People were beginning to notice him. Heads turned towards the sound of Jordan’s voice, curious. Like a sailor to a sirens call, one by one they stopped what they were doing and moved towards him. Ears rapt in attention and eyes wide in wonder, the crowd of the market became the crowd of the stage.

    Above them all the bird tilted its head, its blue eyes glimmering. I remember a story… It thought, still gazing directly at Jordan. But it’s a different story. A story no-one else knows.

    Seeing the crowd fall into place, Jordan took another single step forward and continued, “Though the shadows tried to keep…”

    I see two birds flying in a dance together. The bird thought, its eyes never moving from the stage. Jordan’s voice was growing louder as the music in his mind picked up.

    “Our hearts away forever.”

    One is small, yellow and grey. The other is a little larger, blue, red, yellow and black.

    “It never came true…”

    Once birds, now two children are dancing. One in blue, the other in yellow…

    “…My love was within you.”

    Azure eyes meet ice blue. Now a new picture; a group of friends, the spirits of Adventure, Nature, and Fire standing together…

    “Once upon a time there was an evil hag,” Jordan unclasped his hands from behind his back and began to walk to the edge of the stage. One arm stayed behind him, the other fell to his side.

    The picture changes, the bird continued.

    “Was known as Lady Dark,” Jordan reached the edge of the stage.

    And now it was as if Fai, the spirit of Fear himself had invaded Time.

    “Who made me wonder…” Jordan trailed off, as if thinking about something himself.

    Time then stops the blue bird and his friends…

    “And before I knew it, she poisoned my heart…” Walking across the stage, Jordan placed his free hand over his own heart, his face reflecting the sadness of the song.

    Time stops to show them…

    “And drowned yours with this sorrow...” Jordan’s voice rang clear and true throughout the silent market.

    …an entire world being enveloped in a black shadow.

    “And you're gone,” his other hand moved from his back, gesturing to the crowd.

    There was no Time. It had run out.

    “And I'm just torn...” Both hands returned to Jordan's heart.

    Shown so that a blue bird's soul could split, becoming two.

    “Please forgive me!-!” Jordan sang, his voice dripping in emotion. By now he’d let the music take over. He was lost in the song.

    Because… “I volunteer...” the bird cawed, its voice lost underneath Jordan’s. In its mind, the black shadow grew, enveloping a city of white marble.

    “Please forgive me!-!-!” Jordan sang.

    “I volunteer!” The bird sang back, unheard. The marble in its mind turned black. Then… the blue bird is gone. He’d asked to go. Stop the shadow.

    “Don't be a part of me...” Once again, Jordan trailed off. Above him, the bird was lost in in its thoughts. Then… all are gone, too. Asked to go. Stop the shadow.

    “I'll keep…” Jordan sang, the music in his mind picking up into a powerful crescendo.

    “…Remembrances of you,” At this moment Jordan’s V necklace caught the light of the sun. For a moment the golden metal seemed to glow. Above, the bird puffed out its chest in response, the yellow V-shaped marking across the dip of its neck catching the daylight as well.

    “Until heaven takes me, with him...”

    A world left behind. Now here, one soul splits… The bird could see the memory of an endless stormy forest creep into his vision, an endless new world stretching out before his eyes, shrouded in pelting rain.

    “I'll need it to survive...”

    …becoming two…In the bird’s memory, in his talons, through the storm, a golden light from something metallic could be seen through the torrents of rain.

    “Without your love!”

    The bird, lost in the memory, fell silent. It couldn’t see the sky nor Sun through the thundering clouds within its mind. Its wings suddenly felt sore, and it unconsciously hugged them closer. Remember? I remember…

    “Please remember me...” Jordan’s voice seemed to be begging, falling into perfect character.

    The memory slowly faded, and the bird was left looking directly at Jordan, its eyes glowing an azure blue.

    …because I’m the spirit…

    “Ooh! Please remember me…” the music in Jordan’s mind began to slow, his voice beginning to calm back down again.

    …and you’re the soul…

    “Just remember me...”

    …and we’re two halves…

    “Cuz I'll remember you...”

    …of one whole.

    Jordan let his voice fade out with the music in his mind. He blinked slowly, feeling the euphoric rush of singing freely begin to fade. Below him, the crowd cheered. He smiled down at the other villagers and was about to bow, but thought he saw something move up on the roof of the building across from him.

    But when he looked, there was nothing there.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


~ Song: Remember Me
 Artist: Ivan Torrent feat. Roger Berruezo
 Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATz72o…

    Well, there it is guys! I hope you all enjoyed reading. But before you go, I wish to ask you to try something. Listen to the song now that you know what I see. Try to imagine a music video in your head according to what is written. I can assure you that it will be fun to try. Everything from the point where Jordan begins to imagine the music all the way to the end is whay I literally imagine every time I hear this song. I wonder if any of you guys will be able to see it. I'm also curious if this happens to anyone else, so let me know down in the comments if you do this too!