Call of the wild

After Bon Bon spends the next 2 hours explaining how sorry she is, the doctor finally arrives back to point out that the visiting hours are over for the hospital. Bon Bon gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, before leaving and promising me that she will be prepared for any punishment I may give her.

“Who have wonderful friends, Mister Starstruck.” Doctor Syringe states giving me a smile.

“Yes, I know; just I sometimes wonder about the future.” I reply.

“Oh, you want something more don't you?”

“*Sigh* Yes I want something more, but I'm not sure if they do! Well maybe Derpy.” I say.

“You mean Miss Hooves?” The doctor asks.

“You know Derpy?”

“Oh yes, I have known Miss Hooves; for about five years now.” The doctor moves and sits by my bed, “we met through a family friend, I have to say she is the most lovable pony I have ever met!”

“Yeah, I feel that way too but...I think she blames herself for my injury.” I state.

“Why would she think that?” Doctor Syringe asks, raising his eyebrow.

“I'm sorry doc but I promised not to tell.”

“I understand, no need to explain.” Doctor Syringe states, “But you will be happy to know, that you can leave any time you want; just no flying!” He says pointing a hoof at me.

“Cheers doc,” I reply by getting out of bed and stretching. “Maybe now I can help Lyra search for Derpy.”

“Well, good luck! Mister Starstruck.” The doctor says, as I leave the hospital room.

I leave the hospital feeling much better, though something has to be said; I know now why people hate hospitals, they are just creepy. I trotted away from the hospital trying to figure out where Derpy could have gone, then I realised Lyra has been searching for her for most of the day.

“Now, where would Lyra be I wonder?” I say to myself.

But no more than seconds after saying that, I get tackled by a blue blur.

“Yay! Your out!” Lyra exclaims, crushing me in a bear hug.

“Hi, Lyra, maybe you could loosen a bit!”

“Oh, sorry!” Lyra states, releasing me from her grasp.

“So, have you found Derpy yet?” I ask.

“Nope, I have looked everywhere; her home, her work place and even the park!” Lyra says, her ears dropping.

“Don't worry Lyra, I'm sure somepony might know.”

“Wait! Dinky, we can ask Dinky!” Lyra states, jumping around me.

Lyra runs off, leaving me behind.

“Wait! Who's Dinky?” I shout.

After catching up to Lyra, I swear she's faster than she looks. I almost collapse to the floor.

“Thanks...Lyra...For...Waiting!” I pant, trying to catch my breath.

“Oh, sorry! I forgot, pegasi ain't known for there ground fitness!” Lyra says, giving me a grin.

“Yeah, sure, make fun of the injured pony!” I say.

“Nah! You'll be fine!” Lyra points to the little red building ahead, “anyway, we've reached the school; so finding Dinky should be no problem!”

“And just who is Dinky?” I ask.

“Derpy's daughter, silly!” Lyra answers.

The answer shocks me to the core, I stand thinking about Lyra just told me. Derpy has a daughter yet she was willing to do that stuff with us? I mean what will her husband say? Or does she even have one?

“Um, Lyra? If Derpy has a daughter why did she want to do that...Sexual stuff with us?” I ask.

“I don't know, maybe she wanted something out of it! But she didn't tell us, just that she wanted to be there.” Lyra shrugged.

We approached the school yard where conveniently, the young fillies and colts were at play.

“So, Which one's Dinky?” I ask, as I turn to Lyra.

Lyra looks about the yard, only to point to a group of fillies playing with some sort of ball.

“There she is!” Lyra says as she walks off.

We walk up to the fillies who just stop and look at us, seriously at this point I felt they were going to scream stranger danger.

“Hi girls!” Lyra gives them a smile.

“Hi Lyra.”

“Hi Miss Heartstrings,” the last pony says, this one was different to the rest as her coat was a light pink and she sported a golden mane.

“Now Dinky, how many times have I told you? It's Lyra.”

“I'm sorry Lyra,” the young filly lowers her head. “Mon just says it's polite to call ponies by their last name.”

“Well, we are friends, so you don't have to call me by my last name!” Lyra states.

“OK!” Dinky says, as she makes the cutest face you would ever see.

“Lyra!” I say, pointing to Dinky.

“Oh, right! Dinky have you seen your mother around?” Lyra asks.

“Nope! Not since yesterday, why?” Dinky replies.

“Nothing much, me and my friend here just want to talk to her that's all.”

“I haven't seen her, I've been staying at sweet belles all night.” Dinky says, waving back to the fillies behind her.

“Well, OK, Dinky.” Lyra says. “I guess, we should let you get back to playing,” Dinky smiles and runs back to her filly friends.

“Now what?” I ask.

Lyra walks to a nearby bench, and in the most awkward way; sits down. I stare at her for a moment, Lyra deep in thought.

“So, Lyra...” She turns to me, “Any other thoughts in that noggin of yours?” I ask, tapping her head.

Lyra sighs. “No! I have nothing!” Lyra seems to shrink into the bench.

“Is there anyone else?” I say as I slump into the bench next to her.

“Hey! Lyra how's it hanging!” We both look up.

“Rainbow Dash!” Lyra shouts waving at a cyan coloured pony, lying on a cloud.

“Who's that? Your coltfriend?” Rainbow asks, pointing to me.

“What!?” Lyra almost faints.

All I can manage is to hold back a small laugh. “Um, no; Miss Dash, Lyra and her friend Bon Bon are helping me while I recover!” I state.

Rainbow Dash leans over her cloud and sees my bandage. “Ouch, how did you manage that?”

“Well, I...”

“He ran into a tree!” Lyra quickly replies, while holding my mouth shut.

“Uh, huh; so what you up to?” Rainbow Dash asks while settling back into her cloud.

“Well, we are trying to find Derpy! Have you seen her?” Lyra asks, gesturing to Rainbow.

“Not today!” Rainbow says, thinking. “But have you tried the tavern north of town?”

“Um, what tavern?” Lyra asks.

“Oh, right yeah! Well a week ago this new place outside of town opened up, It was a nice small place. Though it was a bit rough around the edges.” Rainbow rambled on about how the inside wasn't reminiscent of the outside, and how it had that home away from home feeling. However this wasn't helping us find Derpy.

“Miss Dash? Sorry to interrupt but does this have a point?” I ask.

“Yeah sorry, I do tend to ramble sometimes!” Rainbow rubs the back of her neck. “But I saying about this place because it was Derpy that showed me the Tavern, she said she had been going there since it opened!”

“So, she might be there now?” Lyra replies.

“Yup,” Rainbow answers.

“Thank you, Miss Dash.” I gesture a small salute.

“No problem dude!” Rainbow returns my salute gesture. “Good luck finding Derpy, Lyra!”

“Thanks Dash, happy napping!”

“Will do!” Rainbow replies, as she once again settles back into her cloud.

Me and Lyra take our leave and head north out of town. After 20 minutes we come across a fairly new sign added to the post near Ponyville cross roads.

“I guess we go that way then!” I gesture.

“Mm, hmm.” Lyra replies.

“Hooves and Heads, strange name for a tavern; Don't you think?” I ask Lyra. She just shrugs.

“Lyra is something wrong?” I ask, as I turn my head to her.

“I'm just worried about Derpy!” Lyra states.

“Me too! But then again I’ve seen Derpy always so happy, It's hard to imagine her not like that!” Lyra nods.

“I know, but no pony is immune to hurt feelings.”

“I can vouch for that!” I reply.

We continue to talk for what seems like hours before reaching a small building sitting beside the road, It was white and black with the latter criss crossing in a stripe pattern. We approach the building. Hanging from the doorway is a sign displaying and image of a pony head back to back with an image of a hoof.

“I guess this is it,” Lyra states, not looking overly impressed.

As we walk up to the door and go to push it open, it flys open and a pony comes barrelling out; Followed by shouts and sounds of breaking glass.

“Um,” me and Lyra both say at once.

I get Lyra to stay back as I push open the door only to have a glass bottle whiz pass my head.

“Starstruck!” Lyra says, approaching me.

“I'm OK, it just missed me!” I reply, getting Lyra to sigh.

I enter the tavern only to see the place in chaos. Chairs and tables are over turned, stallions big and small are fighting all over the place.

“You should get out before your caught up in this!” We turn to the bar and see a pony dressed in a black waist coat looking at us, clearly the pony was distressed.

“What happened here?” I ask.

“Would you believe a lovers quarrel!” Me and Lyra deadpan, “no really! A mare from Ponyville came in here today and sat at the back booth, she has been coming here since I opened; good tipper too!”

“What did this mare look like?” Lyra questions.

“Well, she's over there!” The pony points to the far side of the mass of bodies fighting, low and behold we see Derpy cowering behind an upturned table.

“DERPY!” Me and Lyra shout.

It's no use the fighting is making too much noise, I try to think of a way to get to her but my mind goes blank until Lyra points out the earth pony walking towards Derpy.

“Starstruck, you have to do something! He looks like he means Derpy harm.” Lyra shouts out as I see the offending stallion approach a prone Derpy.

“Oh no he don't!” I say out loud as I charge the stallion.

I barrel into the stallion as hard as I could knocking him into a nearby table. I reach for Derpy only to be tackled myself by the stallion before.

“PITIFUL WHELP!” The stallion screams as he lands successive hits on me, I ignore the pain as I now see Derpy looking at me.

I can't describe what I felt at that point but, I felt stronger than I thought possible; I brought up my front legs and blocked several of his hits only to counter with one of my own! Sending the stallion reeling, I get back up and position myself between him and Derpy.

“Starstruck?” I hear faintly from behind me, I block it out as the earth pony comes towards me again.

I lift up my fore legs to block his attack but instead he turns and kicks me in the chest, I fly through the air under the impact and crash into the nearest wall.

“Starstruck!” I hear what can only be Derpy shout, I try to get up only to find my legs won't work.

“Stay down! You'll live longer!” I hear the stallion say as he walks back towards Derpy, who just screams.

WHACK!

“Ow!”

I look up, still trying to regain my bearings as I see the stallion wiping what looks like fruit of his face.

“Back off!” I look to the left and see Lyra holding fruit on leg while standing on her back legs and holding an apple in her other hoof. Lyra throws more of the fruit, hitting the stallion in the head and chest.

With Lyra distracting my attacker I pull myself off the ground, I look to Derpy who has resumed her position cowering near the upturned table.

I grind my teeth as I pull myself up, I wince as I look to my bandage and notice the fresh blood coating it.

“Damn, must have torn the skin again!” I say to myself.

I turn to my assailant from before, I see him moving to Lyra who has now run out of fruit to throw.
I move slowly to position myself behind him.

“Hey!” I shout, the stallion turns just in time to see my rear hooves make contact with his face.

CRUNCH!

My hooves make contact, the stallion just screams as my hooves break his muzzle.

“Leave...Derpy...Alone!” I struggle to say, pain flowing from my back and chest.

“Ugh, fine! Keep your whore lover,” The stallion says before leaving the tavern.

At this time I had only just noticed the guards enter the tavern and begin quelling the fighting, rounding up the instigators and carting them off.

I feel a hoof touch my side and turn to find Derpy, she lunges at me and pulls me in for the tightest hug you could have.

“Starstruck, You saved me!” Derpy sobs.

“Of...Of course I did, you're my friend Derpy!” I return her embrace, only to almost collapse.

“Starstruck! What's wrong?” Derpy shouts.

She looks down to my side and finds the blood seeping through my bandage, causing blood drops on the floor.

“No! Oh Celestia your bleeding!” Derpy starts to panic, “Lyra, he needs medical help!” She shouts turning to Lyra.

“Derpy...I heard what you said to me, that night.”

“What?” Derpy replies.

“I heard you said you liked me, truth is...I-I like you too!” I reach up and put my hoof on Derpy's cheek, “I also think your daughter is...Cute!”

That is all I could manage as my consciousness fades, but yet again just before I succumb to it completely I hear Derpy.

“No! Starstruck, not again; speak too me!”