Find Your Wings

Heatwaves

It took me around two hours maximum to find him... and I was in no good mood either. It hurt to see her still body just laying there in the hot sun, so I did the most honorable thing I could think up. I closed Flitter's eyes and covered her in a fallen leaf. That was all I could offer. I couldn't loiter around, feeling sorry for her or myself. Which meant Molt couldn't loiter either, even though I knew how he was. Our tree looked so empty already. It seemed like those murderers got what they wanted after all. I promised silently that it wouldn't stay that way for long. I promised Molt and I promised Flitter and Emerald. More importantly, I searched the numerous tree holes trying to follow a voice or a flutter of wings ... something.

I was seriously getting a little scared. I may have hurt the nymph on more than one occasion, but I did love my only brother. Flitter's words plus his own stung me hard still. I was still convinced that he was avoiding me, even when I was searching through this one random tree hole. I could hear a series of sniveling down the narrow tunnel, so I carefully stepped in. As if I didn't feel like a complete failure already... there he was, hidden inside here, lost and confused like on the day of the poisoning. I had to swallow down the lump that stuck in my throat as I watched him look like that.

"... hey."

He heard my voice and he jerked awake, removing his claws away from his face.

"H-Hoppy..."

"I was wondering where you were." I grumbled, turning to the opening when I thought I heard wings outside.

"I-I'm... I'm okay..."

I knew that was a lie.

"You are not okay." I sharply corrected, stating the obvious.

As expected, his eyes widened with horror when he finally got a good look at my scratched face. I turned my face away from him.

"Hopper. Hopper! Your... Your eye."

"I'm fine!" I spoke, raising a claw to keep him away from me. "I'm fine... Alive. Now don't go on mentioning it."

"I-I promise..."

"I've been looking for you. Don't just go flying off like that, again. You hear me?" I ordered with impassioned anger.

"Y-yeah, yeah. I-I'm sorry, Hopper."

"The flock is leaving. You have every right to go with them. But this time, I'm not following."

"N-Not following? But — but, Hoppy, you always come."

"Well, that ends today." I roughly replied, turning my back to him. "I promised Emerald. And I promised Flitter, that I'll make sure those monsters don't follow you."

"What!? Ya might! They might kill you!"

"At least I'm able to show my gratitude." I sighed.

"Hopper... p-please... Let me stay... I-I can help. I'm thankful too."

"Molt, do I have to say it? You're not exactly soldier material..."

"Y-yeah, but I can forage! I'm really good at it!"

It really touched me that he wanted to stay behind, with me. Maybe... maybe he did forgive me. This was especially new because he spent most of the time with Flitter rather than me, and for good reason. I fought a smile that tried to creep up and I chuckled a little. I couldn't let him though, for his own good. That smile faded away as if it was never there.

"Molt. You can't stay. It's really dangerous— you saw what happened!"

It was as if I shoved him with those words because he nearly broke down again. Softening, I came to him and looked him right in the eye.