Give Her A Chance

we can't force out who she wants to be.

"You've lost, Gale!" yelled at Luca, jumping with glee after he and the group saw the pigs retreat away. Handsome Pig, injured and angered, stumbles away along with them. 

Gale, distraught and bewildered, strongly groans in defeat. The machine she made her pigs built was blown to the ground, into smithereens, to nothing but scraps and dust. A deep, seeded anger burned in her heart, and all she could do was walk away as well. Even after the multiple defeats, the starling refused to leave. She refused to give up on what she was so desperate to do, to inflict the worst pain on her friends, to ruin as much stuff as she could; All for the sake of her own, selfish, crude benefits.

The quick memory of Luca's words infuriated her to where she wanted to run into him and hit him with his own bathtub ducky. But, she knew what would happen regardless. Gale turns around one last time, mainly glaring at Luca before officially walking away, already bellowing orders for the retreating pigs to come back and escort her to her castle.

Stella looked at her ex-friend dwindle away. Despite the actions she has done, the galah knew there was some sort of positivity in her. She couldn't exactly tell yet, but something flowed around her head - and heart - telling that there's a chance Gale would do better. 

Dahlia groans, approaching Stella. "Let's get back to what we were doing. I'm getting sick of that dastardly bird trying to mess with us."

"Yeah, her leaving us was something we had to get through ourselves - but now, we got to get used to her trying to destroy us!?" exclaimed Poppy, throwing her drumsticks onto the ground.

"Exactly!" Dahlia agrees to Poppy, looking straight at Stella. "She's no good, Stella. All Gale has done to us was be her dumb servants, and even after how much we've done for her; She does this. I've had enough of her! We've had enough of her!" 

Stella understood her anger, but the galah felt as if she was being too harsh. "I understand, but - maybe we can try to-"

The owl harshly interrupts her. "Try to what, Stella? Try to talk things out? Talking doesn't even work with this woman anymore- only violence and ignorance!"

"Mostly ignorance!" replied Luca.

"Regardless of what she's done, why can't we try and give her a chance?" Stella nervously suggests.

"Do you know how times we have? And all we've done in the end was get tricked. It's no use, Stella. No matter what we do, no matter how hard we try; Gale won't change. Gale's going to be who she is. We can't force her out of who she wants to be." Willow softly explains, sympathetically looking at her friend, looking as if she was interested in helping Gale redeem herself as well.

Sadly, Willow had a point. Gale did seem like she was to no return. Throughout the time being, they've tried multiple times to let her get better, but she always had a way to manipulate that chance. Stella still liked Gale, no matter what. Even after what she has done, she still sees her as someone who could change. And even through the negative remarks, through the peeved looks, to the disgusted and retched form of anger and disappointment;

Stella still wished she was able to speak with Gale more, but alone.

--

As the day became night, with the moon shining on the large tree that was their home, and with nearly everyone asleep, Stella was the only one who stayed up. She stares down at an old picture of her and Gale, with Gale holding an umbrella and wearing sunglasses, while Stella gushed in happiness near her, the sense of voices and laughter shook her mind. Looking at another picture, it was of her and Gale laying on the grass together. Tears felt like they were about to burst out of her eyes, a sense of extreme sympathy filled her, of the friend she knew, the friend she cared for, the friend she could always hang out with, the one she could cater to; The one she loved - as a friend.

Her eyes reminiscence closer to the picture, a photographic reminder began to inflate inside of her mind. She lays down on the bed, completely closing her eyes, clenching onto her blanket tightly.

---

"Wake up, you silly goof! Don't want you wasting this wonderful day sleeping." quietly said a voice, her eyes slowly opening as she turns her head to a familiar voice. She noticed it was Gale, who looked far before of what she currently was. Her eyes glittered with all the stuff she placed on her face, closing her eyes as she breathed into the soft air, staring at the environment around her.

"S-Sorry, Gale. I guess the grass is so warm, I couldn't help it!" chuckled Stella. 

"Oh, it's fine! We all have those mistakes." She says, straightens herself. "I'm just glad that we could do this together, Stella. We don't spend time enough together; just us two, you know?"

"I suppose so."

"Unlike everyone else, I enjoy being around you. I feel like I could be my dumb little self without everything thinking I'm some self-absorbed freak." 

"Why do you think that? You're not self-absorbed! You're a wonderful bird who does wonderful things." Stella encouraged, nonchalantly moving closer to her.

"That's true, but - augh. I'm wasting my time. I don't need to mope." Gale excuses, turning to her side.

Stella would lay Gale back down on her back side again. "You can always do that with me, Gale. 'Mope' all you want. If you got something to yell your heart out, then do it. No matter what, I'll always be your friend. You're a great bird, and I'll spend anytime with you everyday. Even if our friends think of you as that, I'll always see you as who you really are."

"And who am I?"

"You, of course. That's what makes you great."

Gale would quickly pull Stella into a hug before immediately dismissing it, laying back down. "Thank you."

"No, thank you, Gale. Thank you for being yourself."

--

Suddenly, she opens her eyes, the sheer silence of black and the light of the moon was still all over her. She looks at her left hand, noticing she was still holding the picture. Was it true to what her friends say? Could Gale really be at no point of return? Will she stay like this permanently? How can they be sure of it? Those were the question Stella wish that would be answered already. Her heart felt shattered at the constant reminders of how her friend is, and even through the worst moments, and the most crucial things she has done; Stella knows that her ex-friend would redeem someday. Even if it took until they were old.

Gale was family. A family that she felt she had no longer wanted to be apart in anymore. Whether she returns or not, all that Stella can do was wait.

Wait until she finally decides to not just come home -- But, to simply be a friend again.