The spreading of wings

"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings". A quote once stated by the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime. While he has never said it in the Generation One cartoon, it does appear on his bio on the toy counterpart. These words were also spoken by Optimus Primal (a Maximal leader) and his movie counterpart in the Michael Bay films. He says this quote (usually to Megatron (or any incarnation thereof)) when fighting for the rights for humans or his Autobot brethren against the Decepticons. When he speaks these words, he is essentially saying that everyone should be free to choose their own path and no one should be held against their will, or that of the will of others.

These words hold water for another being. Darlene the barn owl. She has only recently experienced freedom after a life time of enslavement from Lucifer the great horned owl. It all started when Darlene was big enough to leave the nest for the first time. She made a nest of her own and was able to hunt for her own food. Little did she know, that she would eventually become food herself. As she was swooping down to catch a field mouse, she was soon swooped up by a great horned owl. A one Lucifer by name.

She had begged him to let her go. The hawk said that it was nothing personal and that he has too eat to. Quickly and without hesitation, she that it if she let her go, that she will hunt for him every night. Lucifer said, how will I know that you're not saying that just to save your skin. Darlene told him that he swore on her life as an owl. After a brief moment of pause, Lucifer released his grip slightly. Darlene was just about to wiggle out, then Lucifer tighten his grip again. He told her, no funny business or else you wont get a second chance. Darlene gulped in fear and nodded as he began to let her go.

She flew down to a nearby rat, killed it and brought it back up to Lucifer. Lucifer took the rat, and ate it in one bite (This wasn't meant to be a pun or anything. Owls actually do swallow their prey whole and in one bite). Lucifer said, very well. We have an arrangement. Every night, you are to bring one rat to my nest. If you ever miss a night, then I will eat you myself.

Darlene agreed to this as she took to the skies. Night after night, Darlene honored her agreement and brought Lucifer one rat a night as promised. After a week has passed, Lucifer came to the realization that he could do that with other owls in the area. Soon after, all of the owls were bringing him tasty meals like rats, mice, voles and even rabbits. This had gone one for sometime. While Darlene and the other owls had become stealthier and leaner fighters, Lucifer had sat in his nest getting fatter and fatter.

Darlene had noticed this one day. She had gathered all of the other owls who had been fetching food for Lucifer. She told them that we are capable of finding our own food. Why should we have to bring our hard earned meals to him? There was a point where he was capable of hunting and finding his own food. Now he has gotten slow and fat. I don't know about all of you, but I am resigning from being Lucifer's employee. I'd rather die a free bird then live as Lucifer's food servant. All of the other owls cheered in agreement to this.

The other owls flew with Darlene in order to tell Lucifer that they will no longer be bringing him food. Lucifer then said that they better, or else he will be forced to eat them all. They all laughed at Lucifer. Darlene said that ever since we brought you all that food, you have never left the nest. You've gotten slow and fat. Without us, you have no source of food. You've taken us for granted as she and the other owls flew away.

Lucifer, enraged by this, attempted to fly to catch them, but fell to the ground due to his weight gain and lack of movement and never flew again. Ironically, he himself became food for a very lucky coyote. Darlene was so happy that she was finally free to be from Lucifer's enslavement.