"H-hey!" Somepony said as they shook me. My hearing was shot and my sight became obscured but the pony continued. "Oh come on now, hey!" they yelled but I was unable to respond and slowly blacked out. My slumber was abruptly interrupted as cold sensation rush over me. The liquid shocked my system and I jumped up. My body attacked me, straining and twitching in my affliction. The new wounds I received from the fall burned as the liquid seeped in and I fell back down. I Breathed softly trying to relax but the pain was too intense to control. It felt like my ribs were knotted up, my stomach was ravaged and my skull cracked. The other pony was now over top of me with a worried look in his eyes as he spoke. "Oh Celestia, don‘t you worry I‘ll fix ya up," He said.
I laid on the ground moving my head diligently to face him. I tried to reply but I was to weak. My head planted itself back onto the ground as mud slowly entrapped it. The other pony reached out and grabbed my hoof trying to pull me up. I grabbed on tightly trying to pull up with the rest of my strength. Shots of pain penetrated my ribs. The sensation felt like some pony was constantly dropping a brick on them. Breathing became harder as I tried my best to fight the on but couldn't. My hoof slipped out of his and I fell back down. The pain consumed me and I again fell out of consciousness.
I came back through and immediately saw I was laying uncovered in a bed. I blinked a few times so my eyes would focus. I felt a subtle vibration in my arm as I looked over to see an IV was in it. I looked down to see there were bandages around my waste along with metal splints. I let out a sigh of relief and rested my head again. The room I was in was massive and by its structure it must have been an old hangar bay. There were scavenged steam ship parts hanging off the walls and ceiling. Most, you could tell, were for decoration rather then actual use. I remained in my bed inspecting the hangar and the machinery attached to me. I couldn't feel anything since all my wounds have been stitched shut or treated. I was happy to see that I was alive but it was a tasteless form of bliss. I still couldn't fly and I was still a monster. Soon I heard somepony was approaching me with a subtle sounds outlining their steps. I listened closer to hear there was a slight clicking hidden in the background. I sank in my bed, slowly pulling the covers over my face as they came closer. I kept my eyes over the sheets just enough to see it was the pony from before. He was a normal pony, tan coat and black hair adorning something on his back. It looked like wings but they were metal and entwined with silk. they remained at his side as the clicking started again when they wings fluttered a little.
He leaned over and smiled before speaking, "You, little girl, are lucky to be alive. Your also lucky I found you and fixed your ribs, head and...well there was something I can't fix, yet!" He said happily.
"A-are *ugh* you talking about my wings?" I asked propping myself up on one leg. He only replied with a gentle laugh and trotted off. I finally got a good look at his back. It was a large, bronzed metal contraption. There was a multitude of gears simultaneousness moving and clicking as they did. The machine covered his back and had metal bars that ran down his sides. It looked as if they were stitched to his skin or melded on. He shook a little and his wings shot out from their cover. I watched as they beautifully glimmered in the candle light. The bronzed rod like structures were holding the silk cover on. You could see other metal straps going throughout the inside of the silk making it taught with the rods and machine. He walked over to a wall crouching down before beginning to fly up the side of the wall. The ticking became more frantic now as the wings vigorously flapped. I was dumbfounded at the spectacle before me. How could and earth pony be flying like a Pegasus? how is that possible? I wanted to ask but I didn't want to intrude on his hospitality.
"Go ahead, I know what you're thinking," He said flying back over to my bed side. He was holding a cup as steam rose gracefully from it and arched over his shoulder.
"W-how are you flying, your an earth pony?" I asked with my words sounding raspy and weak. He chuckled buoyantly as he set the steamy glass on the side table.
"I'm not an earth pony, I'm a brand!" He said refraining from laughter. I was in awe at this colts buoyant disregard for his label. A brand that is laughing about his exile. I couldn’t wrap my mind around this concept since I was destroyed and this, this one colt is unmoved.
"H-how are you laughing about so *AHH*" my ribs bit my sides out of this sudden rage. I gasped for breath and my back arched in the agonizing pain. The other pony rushed over to the IV and opened the valve wider. I quickly couldn't feel a thing as a numbing feeling flooded my senses. My back returned to it's normal state and my breathing wasn't as callous. He closed the valve shortly after and I felt bubbly and a little light headed.
I was in a state of confusion but managed to return to my question, "How are you so happy?" I said quietly.
"Ha, because I don't care. So on to the next thing, my name is Corkscrew!" He said reaching out his hoof.
I reached up to shake it, "M-my name is F-Fluttershy," I said in reply.
"Lovely name, well now you need to rest while I get to work," Corkscrew mumbled.
"What are you going to work on?" I couldn't hold back my curiosity.
"Wings of coarse, you need a pair don't you?"
"Of course but how? your wings are beautiful, how do they work?" I asked again.
Corkscrew let out a sigh and turned around, "You want the long or short version?"
"Long please,"
He let out a stressed sigh before starting. "Always the long, anyways were to start. Well my wing are made from Clockworks as you can see. It is a system of springs and gears working together. Clockworks, unlike Steam works, requires electricity to function properly. My wings are always on because I have tubing connecting to my veins. The blood is sent through the machine spinning wheels. The wheels use magnets to generate electricity. The electricity is then used to power the wings allowing me to fly but only if certain conditions are met," He stated. I didn't understand a word of what Corkscrew said with the Clockworks, blood wheels making electricity, and all this other nonsense.
"What are the conditions, how are they moving like they do?" I asked in confusion.
"Oh that is an easy question. You know that feeling of excitement you get every time before you fly. How your soul rises in your chest making you feel light as air or how your blood races through your body. That feeling, the feeling only a Pegasus can have for flight. My wings movement however is a form of magic. I put an animator crystal in the "heart" of the clockworks. The crystal, as it's name states, animates inanimate objects and allows them to move. A neat affect of this is that my wings are moving on there own. They move as actual wings would. They feel, work, and act as if they were my own wings," He said smiling. He was holding one of the wings in his hands rubbing at the stitching. I could see he still had a sentimental feeling for his old wings.
I sat up in bed, I wanted to get a better look at his wings myself. I noticed a flash from the wings. A spark of creation speckled the exterior of the wings and it had a bantam blue aura. A tear fell down Corkscrew's face onto the wing. I could feel he was still hurt from his exile, still hurt from his loss. I leaned over to get closer to him. I wanted to ask him how long it will take to finish the wings. How long till I can fly again. Corkscrew looked up at me from his wings and let them slide back into a recumbent position.
He reached up and gently rubbed my head "You need to sleep, I'll get to work on your wings," He said as he walked away. I put my head back on the down pillow letting the medication do It's work and drifted off to sleep. The last thought that occurred in my mind was what my wings would look like. I embraced the thought, letting it fill me with joy, allowing me to smile for the first time in years.