Brand New Day

"You're Vi, aren't you?" Alir asked.

Pernas looked up sharply, and he saw her. "Violet?" he asked, standing up.

"No," Vi said and wished her little bird toes would move. She felt like crying but really wasn't sure if birds could cry.

"Vi!" Pernas said, standing up. "Vi! Come down here, please!"

"I guess that means he's done with us." said the calf that didn't really care about the socio-political issues.

Vi looked at Pernas and at the glaring birds. She flitted down and landed on the ground, refusing to land on Pernas.

The other cows seemed to agree with the one that didn't care and they moved off to look for the best pickings they could find.

"Vi?" Pernas asked. "Vi, speak to me, please." he said, walking down and bending his knees to be closer to level with her. "Why did you do that? Why did you leave with Captain Carbonbuckle and let him kill you?"

"What are you going to do if I don't tell? Punish me?" She said gruffly and her voice sounded off as if she was extremely upset. Her feet shuffled as she hopped around a bit.

"Punish you?" Pernas asked. "Why would I 'punish' you?" he asked. "Please." he pleaded. "Just... why? Why did you start to hate me? One minute I'm having a concert, then Ralph attacks me, and then you're gone..."

Quiet.

"Am I that bad of a violinist?"

"Captain Carbonbuckle told you," Vi said and tried to ignore the comment about his violin playing, "You punished Ralph and he was human. Might as well squash me out of existance. I'm small enough now and I'm pretty used to it."

"Oh..." Pernas said, confused. "Wait... how did I 'punish?' Ralph?" he asked. "I don't get it..."

"You don't even remember," Vi hopped farther away, "Burning him to death. He was a chunk of charred meat!" She turned away and lifted her wings to prepare for flight, "Bye, Pernas."

"Wait a minute!" Pernas said, annoyed. "What do you mean burning him?" he asked. "I didn't kill him. Ralph's just fine. Go ask him." he said, pointing to the cave.

"Carbonbuckle said you would say something like that," Vi spat at him, "He was probably reborn already and grown up. Tell me why I should listen to you?"

"Don't want to listen to me?" Pernas asked. "Alir!" he called. "Go fetch Ralph!"

"Yes, sire!" Alir said, flying off.

"If you won't believe me," Pernas said, "Will you believe him?"

Ralph trotted in, apparently having been nearby. "Violet!" he said, surprised and overjoyed. "We were worried sick about you!"

"Ralph?" Pernas asked. "Did I kill you?"

"Huh?" Ralph asked, confused. "No..."

Vi wriggled but seemed reluctant, "But what about Xon?" She twitched her tail feathers slightly.

"Xon?" Pernas said. He looked a little guilty. "I did treat him a little roughly... but I didn't kill him. I was trying to find you and Cee, I asked them where you were, and he decided to be rude to me."

Vi's fire seemed to go away at that, "Why were you worried about me?"

"I'd heard that you'd left with Cee, and I didn't know what to think." Pernas said. "Everything was very confusing, and I didn't understand what was happening."

"So..." Ralph said. "You went with Captain Carbonbuckle and let him kill you, because you thought that Pernas had killed me?"

"I didn't let him. It was an accident," Vi said stubbornly, "He was trying to take care of me."

"Maybe..." Pernas said.

"I don't get how you died..." Ralph said.

"Poison, I think." Pernas said. "She got scratched by something, probably the cave wall. Man, Cee's tried to poison me several times. Never worked, though..." he said, his voice trailing off. "Wait... how do you get poison on a cave wall?"

"Poison?" Vi asked obviously not really remembering anything," I just remember being on his back and then waking up as a bird."

"Pernas carried your body out of the cave." Ralph said.

"You died on his back." Pernas said. "When I found you two, you were slumped over, you breathing was stopping..." he sat down. "Ralph, get Vi's father. Hopefully this'll make him feel better." he turned back to Vi. "He's been an absolute wreck."

"Did he hurt you?" Vi asked suddenly as she hopped over to Pernas and sat on his knee, "My dad hit you didn't he?"

Pernas laughed a little. "Yeah, a bit. But he can't hurt me. I'm a dragon." Ralph walked off, going to get her father.

"So..." Pernas said, looking at Vi. "Do you still hate me?" he asked. He turned to a nearby calf. "Do you still hate me?" he asked.

The calf said, "Yeah."

Vi said, "No, I'm sorry."

Pernas seemed saddened by the calf's remark. He turned back to Vi. "Don't be sorry." he said, holding out his hand. "You were tricked."