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A half-starved chick lay on a thick mahogany branch. It was a hawk but it was covered in olive down and its entire body was emerald green. The chick still felt the burning of the talons that had been pressed against his back. They were the claws of his mother and to feel them leave with such distaste was so upsetting to the chick he could hardly bear it. He let out a shallow breath and he ached for the love of his mother. Then he received it, but not from his parent.

Talons pressed into his back and carried him off. He let out a weak cry and a whisper from above said. "It’s all right little one, my name is Verde. I am just like you.”

He noticed that her talons were as green as his down and the green seemed to burn his eyes. There was green everywhere here, it was on his body, on this thing, all around him, and above him. Splinters of green-yellow light would flash in his eyes every moment or so.

The thing stopped and landed, placing him on a soft patch of moss. He was inside some sort of hole and he closed his eyes. Sleep was soothing to the pain he felt in his stomach. He heard annoying voices and then the thing opened his mouth. He obeyed out of weakness, at first, then he smelled meat. He kept his jaws open willingly as food was stuffed in. He swallowed eagerly and more meat kept coming. Finally, he was stuffed and he slowly began to lose consciousness. A deep voice was the last thing he heard, it said, "I name you Soren.”

Over the next months Soren grew and learned what it was like to be a special kind of hawk, an Emeralde. The Bird Society included every bird except the Emeralde; they were an abomination to the Society. The royal family of the Bird Society said that birds were all the colors in the sky and could breed children endlessly. The Emeralde were entirely emerald green and couldn’t reproduce. Since nothing green was naturally in the sky, they were persecuted and Soren was no exception. The Emeralde who had rescued him, Verde, was his foster mother now, for all the Emeralde were born to ordinary hawks and then they sent them to the forest. If the parents liked this or not was an unanswered question. and if they liked Emeralde appearing in their broods was one Soren often pondered.

Verde and Soren lived in a hollow with an owl named Ore. He was old and a friend of the Emeralde. He had often petitioned against the Bird Society about their plight but he had lost each time. Ore told a tale of lights in the sky in a distant land that were green but the Bird Society scoffed at him, calling him an old fool. He persevered though and Soren tried to be like Ore. He wanted to always say "Never give up!”. Besides, Soren loved the old owl for he was the one who named him and the wisest bird he knew.

Soren learned also of the talents that all Emeralde share. The Emeralde were faster than falcons, could see farther than hawks, they were stronger than eagles; they could swim better than the osprey, and they owned many other odd abilities. The Bird Society didn’t know about them since the Emeralde and the Bird Society rarely interacted. If an Emeralde were ever captured it would be interesting to see him fight back. Verde, however, was cautious and continuously ranted of the dangers of The Bird Society. Soren hated that and soon he wondered what it would be like to meet ordinary birds.

Soren never acted upon that thought for he was too busy hating his habitat. All the Emeralde lived in the Lowly Forest, a dark green mass of trees that hardly any sunlight could breach. There was so much green that Soren often got so annoyed with looking at it that he would just close his eyes to see black. It was a mild break from it but despite that Soren was still somewhat partial to the color green. It was a natural inclination of the Emeralde.

Soren still hated being stuck down to the ground. If he so much as stuck his beak above the trees the Bird Society was allowed to attack him, if Verde's information was true. Soren believed in Verde though, she was the most trustworthy bird he knew. Soren wished she was wrong though, in his bones he knew he belonged up there in the sky. That's where anything with wings belonged, even an Emeralde. One day Ore was out petitioning again and Verde was fast asleep. A ray of sunlight hit the ground and the desire to fly was burning in Soren's blood. He couldn't resist and he flew out and up.

Soren was flying higher than he ever had before. He didn't care about the dangers, no one was around to see and tell the Bird Society about him so what did one quick flight matter? It felt so wonderful up that high in the sky, so free and light. If only Verde and Ore were here, he knew Ore was allowed to fly up here but he and Verde were outcasts that could be killed on sight. The Bird Society might think the Emeralde didn't belong here but Soren knew that it was right for him to fly. If Ore were here though the birds might back off, maybe. But Ore wasn't here and yet that didn't make Soren come back to the safety of the trees.

Soren, instead of seeing himself breaking laws, thought of the air rushing through his wings, the great blue sky, and the bright yellow sun warming his back. It made more sense and was much more pleasant to him. Then a troop of a dozen auburn falcons came and circled him screaming, "Get out of the sky Emeralde. Make it easy on yourself and we'll kill you fast."

Soren was scared and adrenaline was pumping through his system. He was in true danger, these were falcons and it was surprising they hadn't divebombed him yet. The falcon's eyes were like deadly flames and their talons shining charcoal. Soren almost fainted, but he remembered the Emeralde talents the Bird Society didn't know of. He dived and the falcons dived after him. They couldn't keep up with him and soon Soren was running circles around them. The falcons were done playing now and their shrieks rang out angrily but Soren used another talent. He held his wings open and sparks flew from his feathers singeing their wings.

The falcons shrieked in agony and Soren flew higher, a good deal higher above them. They knew nothing of the Emeralde but hate and Soren knew that being cruel to them didn't help the Emeralde, for cruelty, hatred, and misunderstanding were what had caused the ruin of the Emeralde.

Soren sighed and looked up; the falcons were beating their wings against the air trying desperately to cool them. Soren looked at the sun and was reminded of the story of the first Emeralde who became a star when she flew into the sun. It hit Soren that no other Emeralde had tried that; he couldn't resist and so he began to soar upward. He flew higher and higher and faster and faster; soon he was traveling faster than ever before and he was flying into the sun. He lost all feeling and thought except for the thought of green wings, the wings belonging to the Emeralde.

With a burst of emerald fire he and all the Emeralde were gone. Emerald green stars now shone in the sky, visible both night and day. The Emeralde would no longer be called an abomination, for now green was a natural part of the sky. "It was meant to be" was what the wise owls, like Ore, told the Bird Society. Soren had discovered a talent neither the Emeralde nor the Bird Society had known of. The Emeralde could, and were meant to, become stars forever.