A Rito named Midnight

Midnight

My name is Midnight. Unlike other Ritos, I cannot fly. I never finished flight school. Instead, My father taught me to fight with a sword and bow from the ground until the day he died. My mother died giving birth to me and my stillborn brother. I have no Rito friends. They all make fun of me. I am all alone in this world. However, that ends tonight.

I stand at the edge of the tallest cliff near Rito village. I can end it all and finally be free. Free from all the taunting and teasing. Free from my body with my useless wing that will never carry me. I take a deep breath. The cliff is high enough that I wouldn't feel anything when I hit the ground. I think about my family. What would they think if they saw me now? I hesitate. They wouldn't want me to do this! That's when I hear the voices. The voices I grew up with. The voices that say my life isn't worth living and I'm nothing but a waste of space. I close my eyes and jump.

8 years earlier

I whimper in pain as the Doctor of Rito village examined my broken wing. He shook his head sadly. "I don't think she will ever fly again. Her wing is broken in 3 different places and likely won't heal properly." He says. I hear my father gasp. "Are you sure!?" He asks in a panicky tone. The Doctor looks up at my father with sympathy in his eyes. "I'm so sorry." My father opens his yellow beak like he was about to say something but then quickly closed it. I won't ever fly again? I thought. The doctor leads my father away to talk to him without me overhearing. I look around the Doctor's nest. I wonder if he has any food? I wasn't too concerned about my wing. I was only 8 after all and didn't understand the weight of the situation.

The doctor put my wing in a cast and I went home. My father cried that night when he thought I was asleep. The neighbor from next door came by to check on him. They for awhile. I tried to listen in on thier conversation but I was tired and I soon fell into an uneasy sleep Even though I was worried, I eventually fell asleep. I dreamt of moblins attacking me and swinging their huge spiky clubs at my wing, then feeling a sharp pain and everything going black.

I was quite surprised when I woke up the next morning and saw the sun well into the sky. Why didn't my father wake me for flight school? I'm going to be late! That was when I heard someone tapping their wing against wood. I turned around to see my father standing there next one of the wooden support beams. "We're going to the archery competition in an hour. I'm not competing this time but it would still be fun to watch." He said. "Oh...Is the archery competition the reason why flight school is canceled?" I asked.

"Flight school is indeed canceled today because of the archery competition but even if it wasn't, you wouldn't be going." He murmured. "Why not!?" I ask. "You can't- I mean aren't supposed to be flying. At least for now." I hope I don't have to wait too long before I can go back to flight school. I think as we eat a quick breakfast and start getting ready to leave.