Archive of Our Own ^beta

There once was a crow loved by Death. So Death granted hym a human form. She made hym to love her, and he loved her, and they were happy.

Death could not be with hym always, but she talked to hym through the crows, who had been hys family. He knew she was with hym.

He lived in a cottage for years, surrounded by the crows, yet he was alone most days. And he was lonely, for he could not fly. He couldn’t join hys family in the skies.

You see, there was one thing Death didn’t think of before turning the crow she loved human. He had no wings. He walked along the ground, among the grass and the other creatures, while always longing to be in the sky once more.

He longed to soar with hys family, high above the clouds and treetops. So he took it into hys own hands.

He knew how wings worked. So he made some. Again and again he tried to make himself wings to fly again. Using feathers from the crows that surrounded hym, now merely distant relatives of the crows he’d called family.

And eventually he did it. The brief elation as he finally flew melting into fear as he fell. There was no stopping, no slowing down, he’d jumped off the cliff and he’d failed.

“My love, why do you cry so?” Death asked, plucking her crow from the sky once more.

He stared up at her, gaze full of sorrow. “My dear, I cannot fly. I am without wings. What was I made for if not to soar in the skies?”

Death frowned, tears in her eyes. “I am sorry my love, that I’ve pained you so.”

He smiled at her, resting in her hands, mangled man made wings surrounding hym. “I know.” He said.

“I will fix this.” Death nodded her head determinedly. “I will make it right.”

“I know.” The crow replied, closing hys eyes with a soft smile when she lifted hym close for a kiss.

“I love you, my little crow.” She whispered, sending hym on hys way.

He laughed in delight, soaring once more on massive black wings where the mangled ones had been, crows surrounding hym as he flew home.

“And I love you, my darling.” Her Angel replied.