Flyer

Staring from atop a hillside, Woodchip adjusted his helmet one last time. Weeks he had spent studying up on flying and now it was time to put his knowledge to the test. The books stated that one would first need wings and even went into detail about the aerodynamics. He didn't understand that part sadly, so he just fashioned two shoddy ones out of tree branches and leaves.

"Ok Woodchip," he mumbled to himself as he walked up to his makeshift ramp. "You can do this."

Crouching down, he cautiously approached the edge, being very careful not to look down. That was the number one rule in the "Flying for Beginners" after all, so he set his eyes upward at the endless tapestry of blue. Endless possibility.

A smile began to break out across his face, as he pulled his wings open with his hooves. Finally he would feel the freedom of flight.

"One...two...three!"

And then he jumped.

He wasn't in the air two seconds before he began to drop in altitude. Panicking, he began to flap his wings rapidly, hoping for some height gain, but the action only aided in his fall. He was soon in a full out dive, headed straight for a pond.

The landing wasn't soft, even if it was in water. Woodchip was sure he cut his right leg on something when he felt a searing sting erupt from it when he hit the bottom; the swim back up wasn't easy either, the drag from his wings making it all the more difficult.

So the relief he felt upon breaching the surface of the water and getting safely to shore was unbearible. Collapsing from exaustion, Wood Chip gave himself a minute to catch his breath; Yeah, twigy wings were a bust. Another pain erupted from his leg, causing him to turn his head and look. Yeah he cut himself all right; blood seeped through a slit about three inches long up his calf. Gosh, he'd be lucky to walk on it.

"Hey look guys, it's Chipmunk!"

Wood Chip raised his head in alarm as a group of older colts approached him.

"Nice flying out there squirt," another member teased. Wood Chip cringed, did they really see that?

"Yeah, I like the part when you crashed into the pond."

They all broke out into laughter.

"What are these?" the leader approached the small colt, taking one of the wings in his hooves. "Hey look guys, it looks like Chipmunk wants to be a bird!"

The other members laughed again before breaking into a series of crude tweeting sounds.

Wood Chip huddled in his place as the tweeting grew louder and more intense, soon beating in his ears like a drum. He was sure one colt kicked dirt in his face and another tore one of his wings off. A few tears fell from his eyes before another colt chided him for being a baby.

Suddenly a wisp of air blew by Wood Chip's right ear, followed by alot of yelling. He dared to look up and was beyond surprised to see the colts being plummeted from all directions by a pony that was smaller than them. A pegasus. She was fierce too. When she knocked one colt to the ground, she would turn around and nail another as if she knew where they were coming from; and she didn't hit them softly either.

"Get outta here!" She yelled in Wood Chip's direction. He didn't need to be told twice.

Turning tail he bolted, trying his best to ignore the searing pain from his leg.