Chapter Text
The sound of excited chatter filled the young avians ears as the others around him prepared the pod that would send him to Terra.
Or earth as its inhabitants called it.
His feathers ruffled as he let a shiver run through his body, he would be the first of his species to personally observe humans, he can't fathom why he was chosen for this honor, it seemed like just yesterday he was with group 48-D being trained under their Handler.
He doesn't miss them. They were rude(deep down, he knows they had every right to be. He is still much weaker than them.)
But things are different now! He was chosen, and here he is, waiting to be sent off to earth, away from everything.
...
It was fine, he is fine. After all earth has a very different hierarchy, with the help of a carefully crafted form shifting device he would appear as one of them, a young but mature 'human' who would have plenty to offer to a pack!
They would accept him. They even take in members of various species, which was practically unheard of. And his new handler reassured him they won't be too perturbed by his unusual coloring. on earth, it was called albinism.
He's ready. From his now extensive knowledge on humanity and earth's resources, he will be fine.
A large claw pulled his from his thoughts, resting on his shoulder, he looks up and quickly recognizes the red feathers of his handler, it's hard to tell what she's thinking, he understands that being in the military you have to learn how to control your body language.
"Youngling." She addresses him. "The pod is fully prepared, Your assignment will start soon."
'Already?'
"This mission is very important to the Federation. You are only allowed to present yourself as a human, lest you jeopardize the work put into this, " she continues, sending him a look for the chirp he made. "Yes?" She questioned.
His own claw darts to his chest, lowering his head in respect. "Yes, handler. This one understands." He stated quickly.
Her other claw lands on him, digging in to punctuate her words. "You will not disappoint us." A command rather encouragement.
She leaned closer to him, voice ringing loud in his ears. "Your name is Yuuto Fujioka. You will be notified when the time for retrieval arrives."
A name, he breathes. For this mission, she gifted him a name.
Chirps well up in his throat, the newly dubbed Yuuto holds them back as his handler pulls away, One claw still latched onto him, he winces as she drags him to the entrance of the transportation pod.
"Go." She directed.
Yuuto surges into action, quickly opening the door with a scan of his claw. His sharp, pinkish eyes glance over the small interior. Finding the form shifter next to a pile of human clothes slower than he would have liked.
He walks into the pod. In two steps, he's infont of it.
Yuutos claws grasp the circular device, Hesitantly pressing its embedded button. A pain rakes across his body, the form shifter doing its job, making his own feathers sink into flesh accompanied by a horrible itch through him.
Bones click crunch and snap as his wings are morphed into something smaller, more manageable.
The pain is more than he expected, more than what he was told. He falls to the floor as it gets to his eyes, the veins and pigment Reranging themselves, he thinks some of the nerves snap.
A darkness rushing over Yuuto. When the assault doesn't stop, he can hear the sound of broken chirps, but he can't feel himself making them. He can't feel anything other than the device working
After what feels like a hundred clicks, he comes back to himself, new senses and feelings taking the attention of his cloudy brain, the floor is cold as his freshly squishy hands try to push himself up.
He has yet to put on the clothes he needs to, human body's are more susceptible to injury without them.
His new body is shaking, heavy bones pressing against his flesh, he wants to get up, and the metal of the floor is almost bruising him.
A loud(too loud) sound shutters the room, Yuutos eyes feel wrong in their sockets as he tracks to source of it.
The door to the pod.
His handler stares him down through the window on it. This seems to be one of the few times he can see emotion on her.
It's disgust.
She appears disgusted by his writhing form. A chirp forces itself out of his throat, but it comes out ragged and raw. He can barely make the sound. His vocal cords were shifted too. he realizes.
Yuuto pondered slightly, would he have been happy if he knew it would be like this?
'Is this mission worth it?' Those seem to be last thoughts that grace his skull before that darkness from earlier takes him again.
Feelings of sadness and betrayal hum across his mind, he feels as if he is under water..
"Ah, my dear esteemed benefactor...."
'What that noise?'
"My proud, beautiful flower of evil."
'My? Was he being claimed already?'
"You are truly the fairiest one of all...."
"O magic mirror, thy wisdom I entreat... Reveal unto me the visage I seek.."
He doesn't understand the words.. maybe they weren't in his tutoring. In the darkness he sees flashes of a hall with round reflective surfaces floating near the walls
"You, whose image the Dark Mirror did beckon forth..."
More Images flood his mind, a Large Victorian mansion? fog swirling around the large building, one of earth's animals, a horse he thinks it's called.
that same hall Invades his mind again, it's like he can't move but something makes him walk closer to the floating mirror, a clawed almost sickly hand reaching out to him in it
"If your heart bids it, take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror."
'Take the hand'... his body lunges forward with out his knowledge, shoving his own arm out, He catches the hand it feels cold in his grasp, he doesn't have more time to think as it pulls him into the mirror with an inhuman strength.
He remembers the vague sound of a horses hoofs the ground.