Corkscrew sat outside for about an hour now. I remained inside staring in awe at my beautiful new wings. The feathery sounds of gears humming vibrantly as they worked calmed me. The wings fluttered and moved as I wanted them to, almost as if they were mine. I felt like a runway model as I posed in antithetic ways on front of the mirror. I saw Corkscrew look back and started chuckling silently to himself as he watched me. He continued to grin as he elatedly waved at me. I beamed back at him as I trotted daintily over to where he sat.
I got close to where Corkscrew rested and planted myself next to him. "Um, what are you waiting for Corkscrew?" I asked quietly.
He leaned over in his seat, "Old friends is all," He replied happily.
"Who?" I asked wondering how a Brand had friends.
"Hmm, I think you know them actually!" He said joyfully. I looked at him cock eyed when he finished speaking.
"who could it be?" I thought to myself, ruffling my coat as my wings began to settle. A chilled breeze darted in-between the trees, bristling the leaves and nipping my coat. Corkscrew shuddered a little and put his head between his front legs. He let out a harsh sneeze and then returned to his previous relaxed sate. His eyes were dead set on one spot, a clearing within the tree line. It was a large opening to where the sun founds its way through, graciously lighting the surrounding area bellow it. I looked through it as well to try and see what Corkscrew saw. I only saw small escort of Steam ships drift through the cloud cover. A steam punk or two jutted from the exterior of the wooded shells of the ships. I watched as a cloud sprouted behind them as they shot far ahead of the other ships. The sounds of gears sparking against one another satiated the air. Corkscrew got up, stretched his back and shot into the air.
I jumped from my spot, "Hey, w-wait!" I tried hollering at him. Corkscrew didn't hear me and continued off in his original coarse of flight. I bolstered back on my hind legs, the gears began to rhythmically dance in their place. My wings shot from their recumbent pose and began to briskly flap. Ready for flight I jumped up and quickly fell back down. I buffeted the ground, setting an indentation of myself into the cushioned grass. Saddened, I laid there with my flank higher then my head. A few bunnies poked their plush, white heads out of the bushes. A broken grin illuminated my face as I arduously braced myself. They rushed over to me with a helpful expression decorating their faces. I welcomed my woodland friends as hey assisted in my attempts to stand. My body was still callous from the affects of the anesthetic from the surgery done on me yesterday. The petite, snow coated bunnies set themselves bellow me. I heard belittled grunts as the jumped forcefully to bring me up. It was laborious work on their parts but I was back on all four hooves.
"Thank you little ones!" I said happily as the snow coated bunnies found their way back, disappearing into the bushes they once emerged from.
A muffled howl found its way to my ears and I looked up. "Fluttershy!" Some pony screamed. A blue and tan blur shot through a low flying nimbus and then towards me. I squeaked acutely, dodging left and right trying to find somewhere to hide. I dove into a thick brush of twigs and leaves, "No, go away!" I thought to myself as the sound of hooves boorishly digging themselves into the ground came from behind me.
A grunt came shortly after the landing as Corkscrew began to speak. "Fluttershy! Fluttershy, where are you?!" He yelled with a curious tone.
"Huh, I saw her on the way down, I think?" the other pony said.
"Same, but I don't know where she went. Well lets go check the hangar dash, she might have went back after I left," Corkscrew said. My eyes widened at the sound of that name, Rainbow Dash. My oldest friend from flight school, she stuck with me through thick and thin. I jumped blissfully from my cloak of leaves and spun around. Rainbow Dash turned around and a smug grin illuminated her face. She broke out into a gallop, her wings twitching with the intention of flying. Tears welled in my eyes as I too ran towards my long time friend. My heart skipped with the beat of my run and became more and more intense the closer I got. We were soon upon each other and we crashed into each other’s arms. I gripped around her waist tightly, leaving no space between her and I. Rainbow Dash embraced me with the same intensity as I began to cry.
"Y-your ok!" Rainbow Dash said in a muffled tone as she kissed me on the head. I couldn't speak for all my strength was being used in my hug. I didn't want to let go, I just wanted to be sure she wouldn't leave.
I sniffled a little, trying to alleviate myself before speaking, "Rainbow Dash," I whispered, gripping tighter to her coat. My joy overwhelmed my other senses and sapped my strength. I dropped to my knees but continued to hold on to Rainbow Dash. Corkscrew remained off in the distance, watching as me and Rainbow Dash reconnected old ties. A tear cascaded down his cheek, probably in memory of an old friend too.
He walked over to us and put a hoof on my shoulder, "C'mon let’s get to the hangar, there is one more person you need to see," He said with a caring smile.
"Wait, there is more people here, well who?" Rainbow dash asked. Corkscrew just smiled, shrugged his shoulders and walked away. The thought of someone new caused me to loosen my grip around Rainbow Dash, allowing her to trot off with Corkscrew. I slowly regained my composure, rising rashly from my jubilant state. I shook the tears from my eyes and trotted anemically to the hangar to meet up with Rainbow dash and Corkscrew. A scream emanated from the hangar, for joy or fear I couldn't tell. I froze in my tracks for a moment then slowly crept up to the massive hangar doors.
A familiar voice was the first thing I heard, "Rainbow Dash?! Corkscrew?! What are you two doing here?" The pony asked.
"Twilight Sparkle! Ha, still carrying books everywhere I see," Corkscrew said in a stressed joy. The hate towards other races except Pegasus burned within him. Twilight, on the other hoof, was a friend of Corkscrew so he overlooked it.
"Looks like the gang is back together!" Rainbow Dash said happily.
"Almost, so what did you need again Corkscrew?" Twilight asked.
I slowly got closer to the gaping hangar doors, cautiously peeking my head around the corner. Corkscrew looked over his shoulder, I knew he saw me so I swiftly pulled my head back. I heard the recognizable sound of hoof beats slowly approaching me. A hoof magically appeared in front of me, roughly gripping my front right leg. The pony effortlessly pulled me into the hangar and in front of Twilight and Rainbow Dash. I looked back to see Corkscrew was the one who had the firm grip on my leg. In a ghost-like way his grip disappeared, he winked and walked out of the hangar bay.
Twilight gasped at the sight of me, "F-Fluttershy? You’re alive!" She said with a surprised form of bliss. My heart sank in my chest, the sight of a unicorn had a disheartening affect on me. Even though it was Twilight my body's anxiety became easily known. I fought through my original senses and hugged Twilight.
"Y-yes, I'm fine," I said weakly. My body couldn't handle all this excitement in its weakened state and I collapsed.
Twilight looked down at me cock eyed, “Are you sure?" She asked as Rainbow Dash hoisted me up.
"Yeah, are you sure you're ok?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Because those new wings look heavy,"
"Oh, that what Corkscrew wanted!" Twilight said proudly.
"What?" Rainbow Dash asked in reply.
"He wants us to train Fluttershy, or for lack of a better word, re-teach!"
"Re-teach her how to what exactly?" Rainbow Dash said in a frustrated tone.
"Fly, of cores!" Twilight said with a confident smile. Rainbow dash looked back and forth between me and Twilight before nodding her head.
"Yeah! I think I can do that," She said in a boisterously, looking at me with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.