That won't happen to you

Chapter 72

The day came when Ahsoka's life changed.

The day her siblings began to fly.

The first time one of them jumped out of the nest, it scared Ahsoka to death.

She tried to grab it, but it was too fast.

It spread its wings and flew its first real flight.

The first time it returned.

The second time also.

The third time it did not.

Ahsoka felt the boy getting farther and farther away.

The mother called a shrill sound after him.

But she did not fly off to bring him back.

The sound had been a farewell.

For the boy was no longer a cub.

He had grown up.

The next day, the second cub began flight attempts.

Sadly Ahsoka remained sitting in the nest, while one cub after the other flew away.

She herself had no wings.

She would never be able to follow them.

Finally, there was only one cub left. One in particular.

But one morning Ahsoka woke up, and no wings were around her.

Jerking up, she looked around frantically with her blind eyes.

But the cub returned. It snuggled up to Ahsoka to comfort her.

Then it nudged her lightly.

"I can't fly," Ahsoka said.

The girl continued to nudge her, harder this time.

Then she pushed.

With strength Ahsoka didn't think the animal had, she pushed her backward, and all the way to the edge.

"No! Stop it! I can't fly!" cried Ahsoka desperately, but by then it was too late.

There was suddenly nothing below her but air.

Desperately, Ahsoka grabbed for the edge of the nest, but she couldn't get a grip on it.

But before her panic could take hold, she landed on something soft, and then she realized what her sister had done.

She had pushed her down to catch her.

To fly with her.

Together they soared, and Ahsoka felt the freedom of wings for the first time in her life.

And that without having wings.

She let her sister carry her into the air,  enjoying the wind that brushed around her lekku, breathing life into her.

The shrill cry of their mother bade them farewell as they escaped the safety of the nest, and no longer as cubs, ventured out into the wide world.

They had grown up.

Together.

Nestled close to the fur, Ahsoka felt the wings rise and fall regularly, keeping them both in the air.

"Thank you," she whispered as the siblings drew even closer to the sky.

They had grown up.

And Ahsoka had gotten a little closer to herself.

They flew far. Turned corners, and looped, until finally they landed on a tree.

One of the giant trees that stretched hundreds of feet into the air, out of reach of anything that didn't have wings.

And even for much that did.

Ahsoka slid down from her sisters back onto one of the branches, which were as wide as Ahsoka herself was tall.

Her sister snuggled cuddly her head against her.