//------------------------------// // Chapter Six // Story: Fragile Wings // by Crystal Moose //------------------------------// “Now Pinkie, I want you to think back.” “Do I have to, Doctor?” “I am afraid so Pinkamena. It is the first step to getting better.” Doctor Wits smiled at his patient. “You need to be strong. Now, tell me about when you went to visit your friend.” Ж I remember the walk to Fluttershy’s house. I was walking down the road- “What was the weather like?” -umm, it was sunny, I think. Yup, that’s right. I was really, really excited to see my friend. She had a new birdy. He was really cute. I think she called him a- ummm, I don’t remember. Fluttershy was singing with the little birdy on her head. “Tell me about the bird.” Do I have to? “Yes, Pinkamena. Please. What did he look like?” Well, he had yellow feathers… a-and blue stripes. “What type of blue?” Umm- I think it was like a light-blue but not totally light-blue like the sky but a little green but not green. “And what about the feathers.” Umm… they were yellow. “Just yellow?” Yeppers! “What happened as you were approaching Fluttershy?” Oooh, I saw the birdy so I knew I had to be sneaky. I didn’t have my sneaking gear with me, so I had to sneak over. “Did Fluttershy see you?” No, I was being sneaky. “So Fluttershy didn’t see you?” Ummm— Oh, wait! No. She waved to me. I was being sneaky for the bird. That’s right! “What happened when you got there.” I listened to the birdy singing with Fluttershy; he was so pretty. Cheep-cheep-cheep. “What did you talk about while you were sitting there?” Umm, I think we talked about— umm. I can’t— “Then do you remember what Fluttershy was wearing?” Huh? “Was Fluttershy wearing anything special?” Nopey-dopey! Fluttershy doesn’t wear anything around the house. “Do you remember what you were talking about?” Ummm- no... “What was the bird doing?” He was hopping up and down and chirping. “What happened next? I want you to really think about it. Try to paint me a picture.” I don’t have any paints. Or paper. Or brushes. Oooo, you should have paints and paper and brushes in here. You have so many nice paintings- “With your words. I want you to paint a picture with your words. Describe it to me as if I were going to paint the picture for you.” Ummm, I think I told Fluttershy how lucky she was: I would love to have little birdy friends like she does. She reached out and grabbed my hoof. She told me to hold still. I sat stiller than the time I had to watch paint dry. The little birdy hopped over to my arm. I watched him and was so excited but Fluttershy said I have to sit really really really reeeeally still. I was sitting as still as I could even though I wanted to jump up and dance. And sing. And throw a cute-little-birdy-on-my-arm party. With teeny-tiny birdy cakes. “How long were you watching the bird for?” I don’t know. Umm, maybe a minute. Maybe longer. He was reeeeally cute. “What was Fluttershy doing while you were watching the bird?” She was… watching me? She still held my hoof. She was smiling. She said thank you. “What was she thanking you for?” It-It was for the hairpin I bought her. A little silver hair pin with a butterfly on it; she had it in her hair. “You said earlier she wasn’t wearing anything? Oh, umm— I was probably thinking about clothes. Not hairpins. They’re not clothes, though you do wear them. In your hair. “What happened next?” ... “Pinkamena?” Do I have to? “Yes, Pinkamena.” I was watching the little birdy, he was dancing up my arm. It tickled… and Fluttershy kept looking into my eyes. I felt— ... “What did you feel?” Twitchy tail. “Calm your breathing Pinkamena. Slow, deep breaths.” Okay. “Now, go on.” My tail was twitchy, which usually means something is going to fall. I heard a crack. And I— ... I pushed Fluttershy out of the way. It almost hit her; the branch almost hit her! It would have, really! I didn’t mean— “Here, take some tissues.” Doctor Wits levitated a small box of tissues over to the mare. “Tell me what happened after the branch fell.” The birdy. His neck… He hit that rock. I didn’t mean to push him into that rock… I didn't know, I didn't see it there… I tried to wake him up, but he wouldn't move… I tried to pick him up, but his head lolled to the side— No. No. No! Nononononononono. No! “Pinkamena, slow deep breaths. Remember?” The doctor demonstrated. “But he won’t sing anymore. I broke him, and now he’ll never sing again.” Pinkie Pie hyperventilated as she spoke. She clutched at the neck of her gown. “I know it is hard,” he said sympathetically, “but I need you to keep going. Was the bird breathing?” No. He wouldn’t move. His neck was… twisted. It was— the rock had— I didn't see it there— I didn't mean to! I shouldn't have pushed her— "What was Fluttershy doing?” Nonononono. She was so mad at me. She flew away. “Fluttershy loved her animals, didn’t she? You told me that.” Yes! She loves her animals! That is why she was so mad! “Would she leave one of her animals like that?” No, she wouldn’t. Well— she did. She was so mad, she just flew away. “Where did she fly?” Away. She just flew away. “Does that seem like something Fluttershy would do?” Well, no. Maybe. “I want you to tell me about the bird. What colour was it?” Yellow. It was yellow. It’s little yellow wings. It’s soft little yellow belly. “What colour were it’s eyes?” Blue! I told you. They were blue! “Birds don’t have blue eyes.” They were! They were blue! I remember they were blue! “Pinkamena. What was on the ground in front of you?” Little yellow wings. Little yellow belly. “Breathe, Pinkie.” Little yellow- hooves. Little blue eyes. No. No! Nononononononononono. “Pinkie, who flew away?” -nonononononononononononononononononononononononono- “Pinkie, what flew away?” The bird. He flew away. And it’s all my fault! And now she’ll never sing again!