Find Your Wings

You've Found Your Wings

The air went still and quiet. Far too quiet for my liking. As I was trying to ease my eye there was a sound that I couldn't bear to hear. It sounded like a painful cry or a wail from one of the nurses. I had to be strong, so I stood tall while repeating that name in my head, over and over again. Right when I started to fly, it was Molt who nearly rammed into me.

"Molt! Damn.... Are you okay?" I croaked, still in pain.

"Ah!" he shuddered, shaking his head in a tearful panic. "H-hop! Hopper... I-it's... Ya gotta come! It's Flitter!"

"What!?"

That was what I never wanted to hear. If she had ever gotten hurt.... I — I couldn't think about that right now.

"We got them t-to the burrow but one of 'em followed us.... I tried, Hopper... I really tried, but she wouldn't listen to me!"

Internally panicked as well, I had to grip both of his arms, tightly but securely so that I could look him straight in the eye.

"Molt. What. Happened?"

He began to sob....

"He got her.... He stabbed her...."

The stuttering grasshopper was right. We got back there as soon as we could. The soldiers were gathered, strangely, at the base of the tree. A part me yelled for me to not get close... but I had to. The sight we all were seeing was agony, so much that it made me sick. I didn't want Molt to even look at this.

Out of everyone, only one nurse had fallen while trying to protect her babies. One hornet chased them. This was probably all due to me... Grasshoppers were a decent dish for them. The flock hovered and landed around us as we all saw Flitter laying crooked against the blades of grass. I was speechless when I saw that she couldn't breathe. Her head was bent backwards, painfully, which was trying to hide the source of her agony. Her wings were spread out and frozen and her entire frame was shaking. Molt shuddered and I just stood in pure shock.

Emerald soon landed, after trying to keep her awake with the gusts from his wings, but nothing was working. She was completely immobilized. Emerald looked angry and crushed. But his eyes softened when he focused on us.

"You risked a great deal by doing that, Hopper." he hoarsely spoke. "Many more of us would have fallen."

I gazed up at him, with my eye bleeding still. Tears were stinging both of them. Before the Prime leader, Molt and I humbly bowed, begging permission to come near Flitter.

"Emerald." my voice shook for the first time.

I could see Emerald shaking with rage, but I kept my head low. Emerald clenched his eyes shut, having to listen to her gasp.

"Em — Em..." she tried to speak, wanting something.

He seemed to understand. Overprotective, he unwillingly granted us permission.

"... You two. Come."

"O-Oh..." Molt tried to hold back sobs as we slowly approached.

"Flitter...?" I whispered, cautiously, hoping that she could see us.

She was looking right at us. She tried to open her beak but it was too hard. I had to keep her from shaking. She knew how much we loved her.

"Hey..." I tried to smile, but I spotted the injury under her feathers, at the back of her neck. There was blood.

She swallowed and tried to smile. There were tears in her brown eyes, but she wanted to say a lot. I could tell. After a long time, she was able to see us together as the brothers we were. Softly, I stroked her along her throat. Molt did his best and hugged her....