Internal Changeling Affairs

Chapter Ten: Wide Awake And Wired

"his condition has been upgraded?!"  Twilight Sparkle squealed for joy at the news Fluttershy had just given her.  "th-that's the best news we've gotten all week!"

"I know, I'm glad to hear it too!"  Fluttershy replied.  "did I mention that he no longer needs the breathing tube?"

"this is incredible!  we should all head over there right away!"

"I don't think that's a good idea right now, Twilight"  Spike said.

"why the ~squee~ not?"

"Rainbow Dash is hammered, Fluttershy just killed somepony and has a buzz, Pinkie Pie still looks high on adrenaline, your coltfriend here keeps fogging his glasses up, Rarity doesn't want to be seen out in public wearing gray and the princesses are lighting up some make-up happy grass as we speak"

"He's not my coltfriend!  why does everypony keep saying that?!"

"who are you trying to convince, purple guy?"  Princess Celesta asked as she exhaled a puff of intoxicating smoke.  "everypony else or yourself?"

"teeheehee, lookit, lookit"  Princess Luna giggled.  "it's so cute, he's all nervous and stuff.  he looks so embarrassed.  hee hee, sis I think I'm plastered"

"I think I get the point"  Twilight said.  "I think it's safe to say that everypony could use some rest.  c'mon Steel.  let's get the hell outta here and have ourselves a sober and more intelligent conversation!"

Everypony in the room then burst out in laughter as Twilight Sparkle who was just trying to convince the group that she and Steel Piston were not in a relationship with each other was now grabbing him by the hoof and pulling him out of the room.

"um, Twilight"  Steel said as he was being pulled down a hallway about to buckle at the knees from nervousness.  "don't you think that announcing to everypony else that we're going somewhere private kind of defeats the purpose of-mmmfff!"

Twilight then interrupted Steel in mid sentence by spinning around to face him taking him by surprise and locked her lip with his.  At first he tensed up for he did not see it coming but a few seconds into the passionate kiss, his entire body went limp.  After two whole minutes, Twilight finally broke it off and began to speak.

"Steel, I know I've only known you for less than a week but it's like-"

"we have some kind of connection and it seems like we've known each other all our lives?"

"you see?  that's what I'm talking about!"

"Twilight, when you were in the backseat of my cab in the state you were, I felt like I just had to try to help you"

"and when you suggested I call you to pick me up, I knew that I just wanted so bad to see you again!"

"and when you did call me, I realized that you felt the same way about me"

"and Steel, right now you are way too focused on my eyes to realize that as we speak, I've just used my magic to drag you into this bedroom, place a 'do not disturb' tag on the door, lock it and toss you onto the bed"

Meanwhile, at the Hospital

Beep...Beep...Beep..."Cuppa Irish tea!  Cuppa Irish tea!"  screamed Shining Armor as he abruptly jolted out of his coma.

"hey, look who finally decided to do me the courtesy of taking the necessary step to get the hell outta here so I can do the same"  said the doctor in a rude sarcastic tone as he walked out of the room.

"oh yeah?"  replied Shining.  "well the next time you go cash your paycheck and you get a hefty overtime bonus, remember me you over-paid prick!"  After a little more cursing under his breathe and shaking his hoof at the doctor, Shining Armor paused for a moment to gather himself.

"wh-why the hell am I here?"  Shining asked himself.  "I remember chasing after some flasher or something but that's where it stops"

Shining then began observing the machines he was hooked up to, starting with the heart monitor and then following the fluid iv from his left foreleg to the bag hanging on the rack.

"whoa, somepony must have really ~squee~ed me up"

Looking around a bit more, he then glanced at his upper chest and discovered the reason for his state.

"I wish I didn't see that.  Nurse!  happy pills please!"

The next day

"BBBFF!"  Twilight exclaimed as she bolted into her brother's hospital room.  "You're awake!"

"Twiley!  glad you're here.  what'd I miss, sis?"

Twilight inhaled a deep breath and began to explain.  "my friends and I work for you at the CRGD now, Fluttershy killed a changeling, my col- er, friend and I found out that one of your own tried to kill you and there's a citywide hunt for him ongoing"

"Ok.  and all of this happened in four days?  because I was told that's how long I've been out."

"and a very eventful four days it has been, Shining"

"alright but what do you mean 'one of my own?'  are you suggesting that a member of the Royal Guard is responsible for the hunk of lead ripped out of my chest?"

"as crazy as that sounds yes.  my new friend Steel Piston and myself took it upon ourselves to check out the scene.  being the genius he is, he found the weapon in a trashcan and we matched it with the bullet taken from you"

"well- what kind of gun was it?"

"a Jolt Hydra .357 magnum owned by none other than Sergeant Goldstripe!"

"whoa whoa whoa!  do you mean to tell me that my own sergeant wants me dead?!  that's impossible and I refuse to believe it!  listen, Twiley I don't quite remember what happened but for some reason I just know that can't be the case.  and I know he wouldn't be stupid enough to leave his gun in a trashcan right next to me.  and who the hell is Steel Piston?"

"pleasure to meet you, Shining"  Steel said extending his hoof for a bump.  "Twilight has told me a lot about you"

Shining Armor obliged to the hoofbump and glanced at Steel briefly and turned back to Twilight.

"Twiley, this guy's gay"

"Shining!"  Twilight retorted to her brother's rude comment.  "why would you say that?!  you have no idea how much he has helped all of us in your case!"

"I say that because, well, just look at him.  nopony who's straight is gonna have that kind of mane-do.  and what's up with those glasses?  if he's not gay, he's at the least very, very metro-sexual.  and I don't mean any disrespect, I'm just calling it like it is"

"oh trust me, bro.  he is so not gay"

"oh?  and what is that supposed to mean?"

"SO!" Steel interrupted.  "how about that thing we gotta do and catching the criminal and stuff huh?"

"I'm so glad you're alright, Shining"  Twilight said.  "but we've got ~squee~ to do.  we'll see you arou-"

"whoa, Twiley!"  Shining Interrupted.  "since when do you swear?"

"like I said, it's been a crazy week.  we're outta here"

Twilight and the troop then left Shining alone in the recovery room with nothing but his thoughts.  They were on their way to capture who they thought was the one who tried to kill him, and nothing was going to get in their way.

"It just doesn't make any sense" Shining thought to himself.  "there's just no way it was my sergeant who shot me.  and that changeling that Fluttershy took down, there's more to this.  that can't be just a coincidence.  hmmm...I've gotta do something.  I'll bust outta this joint if I have to!"

End Chapter Ten