Be Careful What You Wish For

Be Careful what you wish for

Chapter 10 – Mini Chapter –  ‘Bark at the Moon’

Pain.  Pure bright burning pain ripped through me.  My eyes opened to see a hospital room, medical equipment, and a very sleep deprived Lyra sitting next to my bed.  I tried to sit up, but I didn’t make it very far before a gasp escaped me.

“Don! It’s okay, just relax,” Lyra said.

“What happened?” I asked.

“You don’t remember?  You saved Sweetie and Button,” she said.

The memory began to drift back into my hazy mind.  I remembered being near the Everfree Forest with Lyra, and hearing two adolescent foals screaming for help.  Without thinking about it I had ran in and saw Sweetie Belle and Button Mash running from Timber Wolves.  I hadn’t even thought about what I was doing before I grabbed a fallen branch and swung it with all of  my might.

It had connected with the first Timber Wolf, and when it did the magical creature simply broke into a thousand pieces.  The other three stayed where they were observing the creature that had stood its ground.  I glanced behind me to see both Button and Sweetie standing there.

“Get on out of here!” I demanded.

They nodded and a moment later I was left with three snarling wooden wolves.  For a moment I wondered if they would simply content to back off when one of them lurched forward.  I readied my branch again and the damned wolf ducked under my swing.  It instead sunk it’s teeth into the flesh of my arm.

There was nothing manly about my scream.  I didn’t sound like Rambo when he pulled out an arrow and then cauterized the wound with gun powder.  Nope, I sounded like a kid that has just broken his arm, and then got dog bit for his trouble.  I wrenched my arm away from the wolf only to find deep cuts in it.

“DON!” Lyra screamed as she ran toward where I was.

“LYRA GET OUT OF HERE!” I screamed.

The wolves began moving toward me, and then one of them exploded seemingly for no reason.  The last two seemed to focus between the two of us and one of them lowered its head toward Lyra giving a deadly growl in her direction.  I watched her horn glow a brilliant mint green for a moment before the wolf was knocked back away from her and slammed into a tree.

I also watched the other wolf jumped toward her from her blind side.  I jumped on the things back and drove it to the ground.  It rolled around with me on the ground until it knocked me off and I felt it clamp down on my shoulder.  I screamed again as it shook me hard tearing away skin and some of the muscle there.  The wolf exploded and I felt another stab of pain.

I looked to see Lyra running over to me and then she stopped.  There was another deep growl and I turned my head to see a large wolf forming.  At that time there was an explosion and the large wolf ran off into the woods.  I looked to see Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Button, and Big Macintosh.

“What was that?” I asked as Big Mac helped me up into a wagon he had brought.

“That was some exploding powder that Zecora had taught me how ta make.  She said Ah aught ta use it when Ah check on her hut fer her,” Applebloom said.

I heard a voice and looked around the room I was in again.  The memory of my first encounter with the Timber Wolves wasn’t the most pleasant thing I’ve ever experienced.  I felt Lyra touch my arm with her hoof.

“I’m so glad that you’re okay,” she said before she started crying.

I forced myself up and pulled her into a hug.  My muscles screamed, and my skin felt tight in several places.  She hugged me back tightly and then she let me lay back down.

“I was afraid that we might lose you.  The Doctor had to get blood for a transfusion from Canterlot, and he was worried that you might not wake up,” she said.

“Lyra, I’ve got too many reasons to wake up,” I said, “How long does the doctor want me in here?”

“He said that you need to heal up a while before they let you out.  I think that Nurse Redheart said you would be here for a good month before they let you out,” she said.

“Oh man…  I hope that I still have a job,” I said.

“Don’t worry the entire town knows what you did.  Mr. Rich said that when you’re able to come back to work you’ll have a job, and Love Tap has offered to bring us home cooked meals while you’re in here,” she said.

The thought of not having to worry about eating hospital food brought a slight smile to my face.

“You’ve got to get to feeling better pretty soon.  We’ve got a wedding to plan,” she said with a sniffle.

I looked at her and motioned for her to lean down.  She did and I kissed her.  She returned it and then nuzzled my neck.