Evolution is a strange thing. You can change into something completely different from what you were before. Take hawkmon for example. They can go from being a bird to a tree. Isn't that just plain silly? Hahaha, there are stranger things I do suppose. Such as a small blob of clay turning into a dog with hooves.


Theos looked at the ground impatiently. Two years had passed since they came to Ceresmons back. Now finally Neo had evolved into a Falcomon and their band was complete. Chi the Hawkmon, Chase, Eric, and eve the Piyomon, and finally Neo the Falcomon. The only one left to evolve was Theos. He was happy for Neo sure but it left him impatient for his own evolution.

Theos sat as close as he dared to Ceresmons head. The woman sitting on it in front of him. The others were out hopping tree to tree learning to use their wings and strengthen them. Theos looked at the ground before him pretty much counting the blades of grass.

"You look down child," Ceresmon finally said making him look to the female looking over her shoulder.

"All my friends have evolved and can fly," Theos said deflating.

"Come here," Ceresmon said patting the head beside her.

Theos looked at her suspiciously. His gaze going to the neck and head of the giant bird. It was thick and wide enough that he shouldn't be scared but he was. One wrong step and there would be nothing to hold on to prevent him from falling. He looked back to her and finally started moving. I remember being petrified. The wind was strong and the ground seemed narrower once I was on its neck. My first thought was to turn back then I wondered if I wanted to risk backing off its neck or falling by trying to turn around. It had been the first time I was afraid of falling since my first flight. It was like all those thoughts had been renewed. Falling from a tree was one thing but tumbling several thousand feet was another.

Theos finally made it beside her with a sigh. His body having been tense deflating as he rested beside her. She laughed at him and he looked up to her questioningly. Why did she request him coming out here.

"You know I once knew one of your kind that could fly. A brilliant beast he was. Graceful as any bird in the sky and any deer upon the ground. His wings made from nature itself and a lush green," Ceresmon spoke with a kind smile on her lips as she remembered it.

"My kind can fly," Theos said excitedly.

"Eventually dear," she answered. "When you evolve you won't be able to fly," she said watching him deflate and look at her with a stink eye. "Not for a long time anyway. It took him several thousand years to grow his wings. Even now though he is long gone. I have never seen another of your kind that could fly like him."

Why not? The unspoken question echoed in his mind. Why has only one ever known how to fly? Where are the others like him?

"Your species is so far and few between," she said sadly. "The odds or extinction are great," she said looking to Theos. "You must learn to fly little one. For only in flight can you escape the world on the ground," she said.

Theos didn't understand it. Going extinct? Plus she was telling him to fly on top of that even though she knew he couldn't. He didn't know what to make of it. And I didn't for a long time. She knew my life would be full of strife and sorrow. She knew it all somehow perhaps from watching the world from above like she did. She no doubt had seen a great deal. She told me to fly and escape the world on the ground but to me in time that meant to remain free. To step back and gaze upon the world from the highest peaks and just breath and revel in the feeling of the wind. Huh? Well you are young yet. In time you will find that place of revelation like I had done.

"You shouldn't be afraid of heights," Ceresmon said smiling. "You should head back to your friends and go exploring. You kind is wanderers by nature maybe exploring will bring you closer to your goal."

"Thanks," Theos said a bit dejected. She had left him with ten times more questions about what he was than what she had answered. He wondered if she was enjoying playing with him even as he turned around and made his way slowly back across. The words don't be afraid echoing in his mind until he was back on.....more solid ground.

He found the others contently sitting by the pond with several of the other nestlings. Echoed greetings met him and asked where he had been. He felt so small next to them now. He hoped he evolved soon. They no longer had to spend their days foraging freeing up time. Theos told them what Ceresmon said about exploring and they all liked the idea.

The next two days they spent exploring Ceresmon. From the forest on its back to the plains and shifting tail feathers. By the end of it all Theos hadn't evolve nor even felt the tingling of an evolve. Ceresmon had been wrong and he was more deflated than normal. He lay there on the plains as close to the wings as he dared to go. They were all that was left. The constant movement of air and the beating of wings made them impossible to explore though.

He didn't understand it why couldn't he evolve? He had heard the others that day. Eve and Eric wanted to leave. Chase and Chi wanted to stay and they had argued a bit. They all agreed to carry Theos down but when it came down to it. He was too heavy for one of them to carry and too squishy and small for more than one to hold onto. He hated it......he hated to be the reason for the fight.....he wanted to evolve.

"Hey there, you going to come eat," Chi said standing behind him.

"I'm not hungry," Theos replied not looking at her. She was silent a long moment.

"It's okay....we won't leave you behind," Chi said sitting beside him.

"That's not the point," Theos barked surprising her. "I don't want to be reason you guys fight...." Theos said quieting.

"We all disagree at some point...." Chi said then paused. "So we had a disagreement. We are all still siblings and nothing changes that. That includes you too Theos," Chi said smiling.

"I can't even fly," Theos said dejectedly.

Chi had no response for him and the quiet was all that it took. Theos watched the wing go up then down before settling and he rushed out onto it.

"Don't," Chi cried standing suddenly. Her call was lost to the wind.

Theos hunkered down against the wind. He had finally done it. He had explored the wing. He turned looking back to her and the others that had come at her cry. Theos started back when he suddenly felt the wing move. It wasn't time yet. Ceresmon's wings normally remained still for a minute or so. It was too soon had it not caught a good gust? They went up and Theos went sliding towards them. Before he was there though the wing tilted down and Theos felt the ground leave him as he slipped off the side.

His eyes were wide with fright as he fell. Before he knew it he had passed the birds escorting Ceresmon and the chicks. They looked to him but none moved to catch him. He wasn't one of theirs why should they even try? Loneliness hit him like a wave and his gaze went to the blue sky. So this was what it was like to fly. To feel the air move around you and see nothing but endless blue. It was oddly calming. He suddenly wasn't scared of falling....but of landing of seeing an end to that endless blue. He closed his eyes trying to hold onto it all.

Suddenly he felt talons and his eyes opened wide as he slipped through. A Biyomon looked at him with tears in her eyes as she dove for him again. It was Chi and he looked past her at the others. Suddenly he just wanted to reach out and grab her. She grabbed at him again her talons unable to hold on to his body. He willed himself to reach out he desired it. He desired to get rid of that unbearable loneliness. Even if it meant having to watch others fly for him. Even a moment of happiness would be worth it all in the end.

He reached out his shape changing. She lunged at him again this time her talons wrapping around his leg. A leg able to hold back as it formed around her talon. Suddenly another talon grabbed a hold of his other leg. Together they stopped his free fall but instead slowly dropped. With a sigh of relief they landed. All six of them exhausted and hearts pounding from their chests.

Theos looked to his leg ending in a hoof. The imprints of their talons still in his flesh. He then looked up at them and smiled. He had evolved and he stood on wobbly four legs. He laughed heartily in relief.

"You're an idiot," Chi said smacking him in the head.

"Ow," Theos said but still smiled. His back end shaking a bit.

"What in the world is that shaking back and forth," Eve said looking at Theos. He looked back at his own rear also seeing the appendage wagging.

"It's a tail," Neo said.

"My tail feathers can't do that," Eve said trying and only ended up wiggling her butt.

They all laughed and explored his body curiously. He was so odd even he had to admit it. He was still clay but he was a bit more solid. He had to learn to walk with four legs under their laughing encouragement. The spent the rest of that day in that one spot.

"So what are you now," Chi asked flying beside him as he walked along the nearly invisible mountain path. His fear of heights was completely gone....and all it took was falling.

"Theowmon," Theos said after thinking a moment.

"We'll all stay in our rookie forms for a long time so now is the perfect time to give you a name.....let's see," Chi said the others swooping around her all thinking as well.

"What about Theos," Neo said shrugging a bit. All he did was replace a letter but it still sounded like a name.

"I like it," Chi said grinning. "Theos the Theowmon. it has a ring to it. It is your name though," Chi said looking to Theos.

"If its coming from you guys then it wouldn't matter," Theos said smiling. "Theos is a good name," he said smiling.

We traveled several days as we watched the sky. Their father a golden Crossmon acting as our guide so we didn't stray from the paths leading back to the nests. Once there their mother greeted them with open wings and they talked about who took after who. As far as their father was concerned they could all evolve into him. Which left their mother rolling her eyes. She believed Neo took after his grandfather and would probably end up a valdurmon. She didn't say anything but hoped that Chi would be like her and not go past adult and stay a birdramon.

How disappointed she must have been when Chi became a hououmon like her grandmother. Eve ended up taking after her mother and staying a birdramon. Neo evolved exactly like she predicted. Chase became a Crossmon like his father and Eric....Eric didn't make it past being an Aquilamon. He ended up fighting a ShimaUnimon and lost. Four out of five is not bad though. By bird standards they normally expect to lose two or more.They have a hatching season every five years. That is when Ceresmon shows up. Yggdrassil who knows how many children their mother had before she died. They had dozens of siblings before and after them.

I've talked long enough young one. Go bath and get ready for bed. I'll tell you more tomorrow.