The Night Bird

by MisterEdd

TLC

True to his word, Red Cross cut the lights off, instead lighting a few candles, which Strix didn't mind as it was large amounts of light that stung her eyes. Oh goodness, I'm actually inside his house! While slightly messy, with thin layers of dust covering the coffee table and the wall-hung pictures, as well as discarded fast food wrappers, the house's interior was rather nice if a little too solitary. The owl-pony shifted uncomfortably on the dark green sofa, internally panicking on what to say or not to say. She hadn't intended on falling from the tree and meeting the stallion of her dreams face-to-face but here she was. The problem with her bad luck power was that for every instance that she employed it, an equal moment of misfortune would befall her sooner or later, acting as a sort of karmic balance.

Would you calm down already? The other owl-pony huffed. He saw what you looked like and rather than run away screaming, he invited you into his home and is taking care of you. This is a win!

Is it? I don't know what I'm supposed to say to him! If you haven't noticed, I'm freaking out over here!

A hoof swiftly smacked her across the face. Calm down! Breath in...and breath out. Strix did just that, already feeling much more relaxed. Very good. Now, unless he addresses you first, don't say anything. Keep your answers short and brief and thank him for his hospitality.

Some hoofsteps informed her that her host was returning from the kitchen and Strix immediately tensed up. Red Cross levitated a first aid kit onto the coffee table along with a towel, a bowl of water and some rubbing alcohol. He reached over and tentatively took ahold of Strix's injured wing, drawing a sharp hiss out of her. Dabbing the towel with the water, he gently began washing the appendage, pulling away loose feathers and scrubbing the dirt out. Strix blocked out the pain by gazing into Red Cross's eyes, becoming lost in the tenderness of those green orbs.

Pouring rubbing alcohol onto the towel, Red Cross said softly, "This is going to sting a little," before carefully applying it to Strix's forewing. A piercing screech erupted in the living room and Red Cross had to clasp his ears with his hooves in order to shut the painful sound out. Strix embarrassingly clamped her muzzle shut, ashamed by her display and furious with herself for hurting the stallion that was just trying to help her. Way to go, stupid!

"I-I'm so sorry, Red Cross! I didn't mean to..."

She expected anger or disgust but instead, Red Cross smiled at her. "It's okay. By the looks of it, you've broken your metacarpus and your ulna and possibly the basal phalanx. I'd be screaming too."

Well? Aren't you going to say anything? "Thank you. Still, I'm sorry I hurt you."

Red Cross dug through the first aid kit and pulled out a roll of bandages, carefully unrolling it so that Strix could see it. "It's fine, really. Now Strix, I'm going to need you to curl up your wing, please."

With a sharp intake of air, Strix slammed her jaws together and furled up her injured wing, muffling a shriek while Red Cross slowly began the painstaking process of wrapping the appendage up. All the while, Strix stayed silent as she watched the unicorn work, knocking some lesser and secondary convert feathers to the floor to help the process go by faster. No amount of flying or hunting could ever make the owl pony's heart thunder like it did while Red Cross was in such close proximity to her. She caught a whiff of his cologne, a divine mix of grapefruit and mint citrus that, combined with his natural mandarin-scented musk, left her breathless and longing for his touch. Don't sniff, don't sniff, please don't sniff...

Thankfully, Strix managed to control herself as Red Cross levitated a pair of bandage scissors and, using them to cut the end of the bandage, then employed a safety pin to keep it in place. Regrettably, he stepped back to look over his work. "There! We're all done. How does it feel?"

Strix observed her wing, gently lifting it for inspection. "It feels good. Thank you."

"Now tell him how good he smells."

"I'm not saying that."

She then noticed Red Cross just standing there with a notable blush. "Right, well, um, I'm going to get you some blankets so-so just sit tight. I'll...I'll be right back." The wind whipped around him as he dashed out the room and rushed upstairs leaving behind a very puzzled Strix.

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"Okay, that was weird," Red Cross mumbled to himself, digging through his closet for some spare blankets for his unusual houseguest. The owl-pony was actually talking to herself! And she apparently thought that he smelled good? Yeah, she was no doubt a bizarre individual but seemed harmless enough. As a colt, Red Cross grew up hearing tales of the owl-ponies from his grandmother, who painted them as bloodthirsty omens of death. So why didn't Strix attack him when she had the chance? A little thing like a wing injury shouldn't deter a predator.

He thought back to how skittish she was when he tended to her injuries. Poor thing must've been all alone for Celestia knows how long. No wonder she talks to herself! He found a thick cotton blanket and an old quilt, both of which were large enough to encompass Strix's body and made his way downstairs, finding Strix sitting exactly where he last left her, a little more at ease than before. She rotated her head to look at him and a funny thing happened: he stopped and gazed at her as if seeing her for the first time.

Her eyes were a bright yellow with flecks of gold and appeared to glow in the dim candlelight. Her pony-esque body was completely covered in feathers which adorned a sleek but toned form, one belonging to a female athlete that doubled as a model. Powerful hindlegs were supported on a pair of clawed feet whose talons could easily rend the unicorn to shreds but could also possibly caress him in a moment of tenderness. Unlike the longer, more eagle-like wings of a pegasus, Strix's were shorter but broader, built for stealth and ambushes and with their mix of blacks, whites and midnight-blues, it was akin to staring at the night sky. In short, she was beautiful.

"Red Cross? Are you alright?"

The unicorn snapped back to reality. "I'm fine. Everything's fine...here...now. How are you?"

Strix turned away but smiled broadly. "I'm alright thanks to you. So, where am I sleeping?"

"Just follow me upstairs and I'll show you!"

After closing the blinds and shutting the curtains, Red Cross made sure Strix was comfortably tucked into his bed, being extra mindful of her bandaged wing. "Right, I'll be downstairs if you need anything," he assured her and blew out the candles. "Good night, Strix."

"Wait!" Red Cross froze in the doorway and looked back at a pair of glowing eyes. From the sound of Strix's voice, it was as though she was frightened of something. After a brief pause, she stammered, "Could-could you...m-maybe stick around until I f-fall asleep. Please?" Although Red Cross couldn't see her face, the desperation and fear were evident.

"Okay." Red Cross sat on the edge of the bed's right side, being careful not to sit on Strix's good wing.

"Maybe a little closer?"

Hesitantly, he scooted onto the bed and felt something heavy press against his chest. Upon reaching over, he confirmed that it was indeed Strix's head and began to smooth over the feathers of her scalp, marveling at their softness. He was ready to stop but then a happy chirp told him that it was okay and continued his ministrations. I'm in bed massaging a female owl-pony that's got the hots for me. My life is weird. He then smiled. And I'm strangely okay with that.

"Goodnight, Strix."

A sigh of contentment answered him. "Goodnight, Red Cross."