The Pony Version's Better: Maiden in the Moon

by Sunset Reed

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Varieties of bird calls fused into harmony. Tania and Spike crouched near a bush to silently watch. Before a tree, Cher stood blissfully directing the movements of both white and brightly coloured birds. Her feathered performers flitted through trees and circled overhead in perfect formation. The white ones spread their wings and soared straight upwards while the coloured ones darted beneath. The white ones then dived and diverged. Three red ones and a blue one alighted on a branch and tweeted. Four more birds alighted on an opposite branch, and echoed the bird call. The eight then repeated the call and the remaining birds extended the song midflight, more alighting on branches until the trees seem to be growing birds. Cher was like a conductor, her arms pointing the formations and flicking upwards to cue them to sing. Her long blond hair flowed in time, like one extensive a feather. Finally, all the birds took off at once, circled one last time, and landed on the tree before Cher. They had organized themselves so that the white birds formed a star with the coloured ones at the edges. Then the song ended at the flick of Cher’s wrist.
Tania got up and approached the woman.
“HELLO!” she said a tad too loudly. The birds took wing in fright and left the tree. “Oh my. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to frighten your birds. I'm just here to check up on the show and it looks beautiful!” Cher took a few timid steps towards Tania and paused.
“I'm Tania Sparks. You must be Cher Sweetly.”
Cher scuffed her shoe in the dirt road. She stared at it for a while. It was pink toed, matching the butterfly appliqués on her jeans and her shirt. A lanyard around her neck had a tag on it identifying her as a worker at the training center.
Tania smiled weakly. “But, uh, most people I’ve met here seem to have a nickname of sorts. Do you have one you would rather I refer to you by?”
“Um…Fluttershy”
“I'm sorry, what was that?”
“Uh... errr. My name is um Fluttershy.
“Didn't quite catch that.”
“Flu*Squeak*ttershy”
A flapping sound heralded the return of the birds. They landed together back in the tree. There was an extremely awkward pause.
“Well, um, it looks like your birds are back, so I guess everything's in order. Keep up the good work.”
“Squeak”
“Ooookay.” Tania stepped back and faced the bush. Spike emerged to greet her. “Well, that was easy.” Tania told him.
Tania was pushed forcefully from behind and then Cher was standing in front of Spike.
“You’re a Freedian! Oh, I don’t know when I last saw a Freedian! You’re so sweet!”
“Well well well.” Spike sent a boastful look back at Tania.
“Oh, they say Freedians are so scary! But you’re not scary at all! That's just so incredibly wonderful. I... I just don't even know what to say.”
“Well, in that case, we better be going.” said Tania, grabbing Spike by the arm and pulling him down the path.
“Wait, wait. What's his name?” said Cher, jogging over to catch up. Her birds began following her.
“I’m Spike.” said Spike.
Hi, Spike. I'm Fluttershy. Wow, a Freedian! What is it like being a Freedian?”
“Well, what do you wanna know?”
“Absolutely everything!”
Tania groaned.

Comments

[Msande]

um call me ignorant but whats a Freedian?

[jroetzer]

443139 lolidk

[Atlantis Productions]

What's a Freedian?