This cannot be happening, Max thought as she stood por a árbol in the park. Little ángel sat under the tree, weeping her eyes out. Thick tears running down her cheeks. In her hands she held a little bird. She had caught it earlier as it fell from the sky and it had, unfortunately, died in her hands. And now little ángel was so shaken por it, she was breaking down.
What do I do, Max asked herself. ángel was crying, and this time she didn't know how to handle it. She had had a lot of conversations with her flock. But nothing so sensitive as "Death". She remembered how peaceful the día had started out. She and the flock planned on spending the afternoon at the park. They would have a picnic later, alhough that didn't stop Iggy.
Max sat on a hill. She leaned back and let the breeze catch her hair. It was so quiet here, she thought. No Erasers, no evil organizations, no red-haired-wonders that she would eventually sucker punch. It was just...calm. she loved it! Max watched from the colina as her flock played a game of frisbee. Nudge passed it to Fang, Fang passed it to Gazzy, and Gazzy passed it to Total, who did some kind of supernatural backflip and caught it between his teeth.
Probably mostrando off for Akila, Max couldn't help but wonder. She looked a few feet behind them and saw Akila, laying in a cama of flowers. Beside her, ángel was making a crown out of a few of those flowers. Once she was done, she put the crown around Akila's head. The bright rosado, rosa and yellow of the flores only made her solid white pelaje, piel even whiter, if that was possible. Yep, everything was going good. But wait? Max sat up and counted her flock. Angel, Fang, Nudge, Gazzy, Total, Akila...where was Iggy? Max's thoughts were cut off por a creeking noise. Suddenly, she had a feeling she would find Iggy pretty soon.
"Iggy!'' She spun around. A mess of fresa blonde hair looked up at her from thier picnic basket. A cookie dangled from his mouth. "Get out of the picnic basket!'' She pulled a dandelion from the ground beside her and heaved it at him.
"Btmhgry.'' He said.
''What?'' Max asked. Iggy took the cookie out of his mouth.
''I dicho but i'm hungry.'' Iggy protested.
''So? We're all hungry. tu can wait.'' Max said.
'' Fine.'' Iggy said. He held out his drool covered cookie to her. ''Do tu want the cookie back?'' Max looked at it. Then gagged.
''No thanks.'' She said. Iggy nodded smugly and put the cookie back in his mouth.
''Did'nt think so.'' He said, his mouth full. But right at that moment, the rest of the flock walked up. They all looked sad for some reason. Nobody dicho anything.
'' What up guys?'' Max asked, confused.
'' Um...Max...'' Fang began, but was cut off when someone sniffled. The flock parted way, revealing Angel. The blonde bird girl's eyes were blood-shot. Tears were running down her face. She took in another deep breath.
''Angel, what..." But Max stopped when she saw what ángel held in her hands. A tiny Bluejay. Probably a baby. It didn't move. Max knew right away that it was dead.
'' It was falling from the sky.'' Fang began. ''Angel caught it, but...'' Fang did'nt finish. ángel sat por Max and held the bird in her arms. Max put her arm around Angel.
'' It was just a baby.'' ángel said. "Max, why do things have to die?'' She asked. Max was silent. The pregunta caught her off guard.
''Did tu hear me Max?'' ángel asked, her blue eyes lighting up. ''I asked why things have to die?''
''Because...'' Max paused. She didn't know what to say. She took a breath. Time to wing it, she though. tu get it? Wing it? Oh, never mind. But Max tried to think back to the story Jeb had told them before the whole "Saving the world'' thing. She remembered Jeb had told it to Fang, Iggy, and herself when they were around eleven o twelve. How did it go?
"Because...'' Max started off again.
''Because the world needs Guardian Angels!'' Fang blurted out. The flock all turned and looked at him. It was'nt like Fang to just blurt things out. But he had helped. The story was coming back to Max now.
''Exaculy.'' Max said. '' There aren't enough Guardian ángeles in the world.''
'' What are Guardian Angels?'' ángel said. '' I mean, I know what an ángel is, i'm named after one...but what do guardian ángeles do?''
'' They protect people.'' Max said. ángel paused and thought for a second.
'' Like we do?'' She asked.
'' Well, kind of. tu see, when a person is born, an ángel up in heaven is assigned to be thier Guardian angel. This angle looks over them and make sure thier safe. It kind of helps them out of a bad situation every now and then.'' Max explained. ''So do'nt feel bad that this little bird is dead. He's probably looking over another little bird baby right now.''
'' Do tu think?'' ángel asked. Max nodded.
'' I'm pretty sure.'' They all just sat thier for a second. The rest of the flock looked in admiration at thier leader. How did she know when to say the right thing at exaculy the right moment? ángel continued to think.
''Can I be a Guardian ángel when I die, Max.'' ángel asked. Max's corazón sank. She hoped that none of them would die any time soon. But with Itex and all of the people in the world who planned on using them for thier own selfish deeds, she was'nt so sure any more. She tried to push the though aside and faked a smile.
'' Sure, sweetie. I think tu would make a great Guardian Angel.'' ángel smiled.
'' I want to be one, too.'' Nudge added.
'' So do I!'' Gazzy added.
'' I think we all could be Guardian Angels.'' Max said. '' We kind of already are.'' She glanced at Fang who let a small (but promising) sneer cruzar, cruz his face.
'' Well, we've got the wing part down.'' Iggy said, then added. "Nobody start canto "I believe I can fly." Okay?'' ángel wiped a tear from her eye. she felt a little better now. But the little bird still lay in her arms. She woldn't feel right just leaving it on the ground.
'' Max...can we...'' And for the first time, Max read HER mind.
'' Of course, Angel. Guys, grab a shovel.'' Max ordered.
It was a few minutos later they lay the little bird in a hole they had dug in the ground.
'' Should we say a prayer?'' Nudge asked. Max caught Fang's glance out of the corner of her eye. He nodded for her to go up.
'' Um...okay. I'm not very good at this but...'' Max cleared her throat.
''I'll do it.'' Total announced. '' We are both animals. We're kind of closer.'' total cleared HIS throat. ''Little bird...um, we didn't know tu very long. But tu will be missed.'' Max rolled her eyes. Here we go. ''You were a good bird. A wise bird...'' ángel cut in.
'' tu taught us about angels, and we'll always be thankful for it.'' Akila walked over with the crown of flores that was around her head. She dropped it into the hole around the bird, then backed away.
'' May tu rest in peace. We'll fly with tu again one day.'' ángel said. Max and Fang used the shovels and buried the little bird. The funeral was over.
'' What do we do now?'' Gazzy asked. Max thought for a second.
'' All right guys, go eat.'' Max said.
''HALLELUJA!" Iggy yelled and ran off toward the basket.
'' Iggy! Don't eat all of the cookies! Leave us some!'' Nudge yelled and ran after him. The rest of the flock headed off at an easy pace.
'' Coming Max?'' Fang asked. Max stood and looked at the pile of dirt for a second.
'' Yeah, i'm coming.'' she said. Fang walked on, Max right behind him.
Suddenly a small chirp filled the air. she spun around. The grave was just like she left it. But to this day, everywhere the flock goes, they see a little Bluejay every now and then.
What do I do, Max asked herself. ángel was crying, and this time she didn't know how to handle it. She had had a lot of conversations with her flock. But nothing so sensitive as "Death". She remembered how peaceful the día had started out. She and the flock planned on spending the afternoon at the park. They would have a picnic later, alhough that didn't stop Iggy.
Max sat on a hill. She leaned back and let the breeze catch her hair. It was so quiet here, she thought. No Erasers, no evil organizations, no red-haired-wonders that she would eventually sucker punch. It was just...calm. she loved it! Max watched from the colina as her flock played a game of frisbee. Nudge passed it to Fang, Fang passed it to Gazzy, and Gazzy passed it to Total, who did some kind of supernatural backflip and caught it between his teeth.
Probably mostrando off for Akila, Max couldn't help but wonder. She looked a few feet behind them and saw Akila, laying in a cama of flowers. Beside her, ángel was making a crown out of a few of those flowers. Once she was done, she put the crown around Akila's head. The bright rosado, rosa and yellow of the flores only made her solid white pelaje, piel even whiter, if that was possible. Yep, everything was going good. But wait? Max sat up and counted her flock. Angel, Fang, Nudge, Gazzy, Total, Akila...where was Iggy? Max's thoughts were cut off por a creeking noise. Suddenly, she had a feeling she would find Iggy pretty soon.
"Iggy!'' She spun around. A mess of fresa blonde hair looked up at her from thier picnic basket. A cookie dangled from his mouth. "Get out of the picnic basket!'' She pulled a dandelion from the ground beside her and heaved it at him.
"Btmhgry.'' He said.
''What?'' Max asked. Iggy took the cookie out of his mouth.
''I dicho but i'm hungry.'' Iggy protested.
''So? We're all hungry. tu can wait.'' Max said.
'' Fine.'' Iggy said. He held out his drool covered cookie to her. ''Do tu want the cookie back?'' Max looked at it. Then gagged.
''No thanks.'' She said. Iggy nodded smugly and put the cookie back in his mouth.
''Did'nt think so.'' He said, his mouth full. But right at that moment, the rest of the flock walked up. They all looked sad for some reason. Nobody dicho anything.
'' What up guys?'' Max asked, confused.
'' Um...Max...'' Fang began, but was cut off when someone sniffled. The flock parted way, revealing Angel. The blonde bird girl's eyes were blood-shot. Tears were running down her face. She took in another deep breath.
''Angel, what..." But Max stopped when she saw what ángel held in her hands. A tiny Bluejay. Probably a baby. It didn't move. Max knew right away that it was dead.
'' It was falling from the sky.'' Fang began. ''Angel caught it, but...'' Fang did'nt finish. ángel sat por Max and held the bird in her arms. Max put her arm around Angel.
'' It was just a baby.'' ángel said. "Max, why do things have to die?'' She asked. Max was silent. The pregunta caught her off guard.
''Did tu hear me Max?'' ángel asked, her blue eyes lighting up. ''I asked why things have to die?''
''Because...'' Max paused. She didn't know what to say. She took a breath. Time to wing it, she though. tu get it? Wing it? Oh, never mind. But Max tried to think back to the story Jeb had told them before the whole "Saving the world'' thing. She remembered Jeb had told it to Fang, Iggy, and herself when they were around eleven o twelve. How did it go?
"Because...'' Max started off again.
''Because the world needs Guardian Angels!'' Fang blurted out. The flock all turned and looked at him. It was'nt like Fang to just blurt things out. But he had helped. The story was coming back to Max now.
''Exaculy.'' Max said. '' There aren't enough Guardian ángeles in the world.''
'' What are Guardian Angels?'' ángel said. '' I mean, I know what an ángel is, i'm named after one...but what do guardian ángeles do?''
'' They protect people.'' Max said. ángel paused and thought for a second.
'' Like we do?'' She asked.
'' Well, kind of. tu see, when a person is born, an ángel up in heaven is assigned to be thier Guardian angel. This angle looks over them and make sure thier safe. It kind of helps them out of a bad situation every now and then.'' Max explained. ''So do'nt feel bad that this little bird is dead. He's probably looking over another little bird baby right now.''
'' Do tu think?'' ángel asked. Max nodded.
'' I'm pretty sure.'' They all just sat thier for a second. The rest of the flock looked in admiration at thier leader. How did she know when to say the right thing at exaculy the right moment? ángel continued to think.
''Can I be a Guardian ángel when I die, Max.'' ángel asked. Max's corazón sank. She hoped that none of them would die any time soon. But with Itex and all of the people in the world who planned on using them for thier own selfish deeds, she was'nt so sure any more. She tried to push the though aside and faked a smile.
'' Sure, sweetie. I think tu would make a great Guardian Angel.'' ángel smiled.
'' I want to be one, too.'' Nudge added.
'' So do I!'' Gazzy added.
'' I think we all could be Guardian Angels.'' Max said. '' We kind of already are.'' She glanced at Fang who let a small (but promising) sneer cruzar, cruz his face.
'' Well, we've got the wing part down.'' Iggy said, then added. "Nobody start canto "I believe I can fly." Okay?'' ángel wiped a tear from her eye. she felt a little better now. But the little bird still lay in her arms. She woldn't feel right just leaving it on the ground.
'' Max...can we...'' And for the first time, Max read HER mind.
'' Of course, Angel. Guys, grab a shovel.'' Max ordered.
It was a few minutos later they lay the little bird in a hole they had dug in the ground.
'' Should we say a prayer?'' Nudge asked. Max caught Fang's glance out of the corner of her eye. He nodded for her to go up.
'' Um...okay. I'm not very good at this but...'' Max cleared her throat.
''I'll do it.'' Total announced. '' We are both animals. We're kind of closer.'' total cleared HIS throat. ''Little bird...um, we didn't know tu very long. But tu will be missed.'' Max rolled her eyes. Here we go. ''You were a good bird. A wise bird...'' ángel cut in.
'' tu taught us about angels, and we'll always be thankful for it.'' Akila walked over with the crown of flores that was around her head. She dropped it into the hole around the bird, then backed away.
'' May tu rest in peace. We'll fly with tu again one day.'' ángel said. Max and Fang used the shovels and buried the little bird. The funeral was over.
'' What do we do now?'' Gazzy asked. Max thought for a second.
'' All right guys, go eat.'' Max said.
''HALLELUJA!" Iggy yelled and ran off toward the basket.
'' Iggy! Don't eat all of the cookies! Leave us some!'' Nudge yelled and ran after him. The rest of the flock headed off at an easy pace.
'' Coming Max?'' Fang asked. Max stood and looked at the pile of dirt for a second.
'' Yeah, i'm coming.'' she said. Fang walked on, Max right behind him.
Suddenly a small chirp filled the air. she spun around. The grave was just like she left it. But to this day, everywhere the flock goes, they see a little Bluejay every now and then.