A dull roar was the first thing that registered in Swift’s mind. As it began to quiet down, he realized it was the steady beat of his heart. With his body beginning to slowly wake up, Swift opened his eyes. He couldn’t see anything but a never ending blackness. The smell of earth and moss was very strong, Swift confirming it when he carefully moved his left foreleg and shuffled in the soft mat beneath him. The pegasus attempted to stretch, wincing when his wing and leg were pulled slightly. He shivered when a dull ache reared in his neck, reminding him of his encounter. He froze as he recalled the attack. He ran through what happened in a chronological order, dread filling him as he foggily remembered being drug across the ground before blacking out.

Throughout this time his eyes had barely acclimated to the darkness, Swift working out that there was a concave dirt wall in front of him. He breathed deeply, taking in the new scents. The smell of the dusty earth told him he was underground. His eyes widened when another scent entered the picture. It was another pony, and it certainly wasn’t him.

Realizing he could be in great danger, Swift struggled to his hooves. All the while he ensured his leg was tucked beneath him to prevent further injury. He squinted in hopes of seeing in the darkness better before turning around. He could barely see the perimeter of the dirt hole he was in, noticing that the gloom was a little brighter on the other side. He shuffled towards the light, his hopes of freedom skyrocketing the closer he got.

Those hopes plummeted when he felt his hoof knock into something soft, warm, and fuzzy. He held his breath as the now dark shape in front of him stirred, its breathing changing slightly. The figure stopped moving and continued to rest easy, prompting him to release his breath. Little did he know that the figure’s ears were incredibly sensitive to most sounds, even more so when the very, very slight breeze released from the pegasus tickled the hair deep within it’s recesses.

A bright golden eye popped into existence, causing Swift to audibly gulp. He slowly took a step back as the figure lifted its head and turned towards him, the two slitted orbs peering into his soul. Swift felt increasing heat flood through his body as he became more fearful of the still figure. He watched as he knew to be a thestral slowly stand up. The pegasus glanced past it towards what his adjusting eyes could now make out as a covered hole. The thestral stood patiently, waiting for the shaking pony to make its move. Swift, feeling desperation crashing into him as his freedom was feet away from him, feigned moving to the right before lurching to his left. He should have known better than to think his injured form could hope to overtake the quick reflexes of a thestral.

As had happened before, Swift ended up on his back. He whimpered as pain flared in his wing. He closed his eyes and prepared for the thestral to tear into him, praying to Celestia that death would be quick and merciful. It was because of this that he was caught completely by surprise when he felt the thestral touch his chest gently. He opened his eyes and watched in dread as the thestral stood above his body and rubbed its muzzle into his fur while inhaling, his fear killing the urge to laugh as its breath tickled his fur.

‘What’s it waiting for?’

Seeming satisfied, the thestral moved up his body, pushing Swift’s muzzle aside as it smelled his neck. Swift shivered as it hovered over his bite mark, dreading the oncoming feeling he had experienced earlier. He closed his eyes as it stroked its tongue along the bite, slight flashes of pain coursing through him as the wounded skin became agitated. After a few more wet licks Swift opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

‘What the buck is going on?’

Swift glanced to the right, his now fully dilated eyes catching a surprising sight. The ear of the thestral looked damaged as it was hanging slightly as if it was in pain. A look of dawning graced his face as he realized it was the thestral he had bitten. That didn’t explain why he was still alive. The thestral dragged its tongue a final time across Swift’s neck before it began to back off of him. It’s muzzle stopped when it reached his lower pelvis. Instinctively reacting, his legs closed and he attempted to roll over to protect his soft underbelly. He stopped when the thestral planted a hoof to his thigh and lowly growled. Swift again shivered and broke out into a cold sweat as the thestral spread his legs. It sniffed the bite wound on his inner thigh before it repeated the same process it had done to his neck.

Swift’s body locked up as confusing emotions ran through him. He had not been touched like that in a very long time, causing a subtle stirring to make itself known down below. Struggling to understand what exactly was going on, Swift’s brain finally registered something he had not noticed before. The den he was in was filled with a heavy scent, one that he had smelled not all that long ago. It all fell into place as Swift’s brain clicked.

“The thestrals are also in the middle of their heat season.”

The words of Atlas echoed through his head. Swift felt his body begin to react to the thick wall of hormones flooding his system. His heart began to beat faster and something down below began pulsing with need. The thestral, which the scent flooding the room confirmed it to be female, continued her licking with her eyes closed. This egged Swift further on and he watched as his grey mottled length slowly began to unsheathe. This did not go unnoticed by the thestral as her sensitive nose picked up the new musky scent of his stallionhood. She opened her eyes and stopped licking, her own urges heating her to the core.

Swift watched in morbid fascination as the mare moved and buried her muzzle into his scrotum. She inhaled deeply, further fueling her instincts. She moved her muzzle up and inhaled the scent of his shaft, her ears filled with the roar of Swift’s pounding blood. Swift gasped when she gave his member a long lick, quivering as her heated saliva cooled in the air. The mare moved up his body until she was level with him. She spotted the unnatural lump in Swift’s right leg, moving closer to inspect the injury.

Swift watched as she nuzzled his leg, the stallion hissing when she shifted the damaged bone. As she moved her muzzle away from the injury, Swift caught a brief glance of her golden eyes. There had been something strange about them, almost as if there was an intelligence there. This all went flying out the window as the mare straddled him, his member being squeezed between the two of them. Swift’s hormone doped brain sent spikes of pleasure throughout his body as something wet and burning hot touched the underside of his length.

The mare above him began grinding away on top of him, rocking their forms back and forth. The pain in Swift’s wing was easily overridden as pent up stress rapidly began bleeding out of his relaxing form. He closed his eyes and drunkenly smiled as the mare above him began to growl very lowly, the vibrations reverberating into him at their point of contact. His member was painfully hard and was becoming increasingly slick as the mare continued to move along it, the stimulation of his medial ring bumping against her love button slaving her to nature’s laws.

Swift opened his eyes as she shifted upwards, his member trailing a couple inches after her as it was released. In his hormone addled state Swift knew what was going to happen next. His eyes widened as a clear memory ran across his mind.

A star studded night sky blinked quietly in the twin black pools, his flushed face reflecting in the foreground. The pools were reigned in by a beautiful shade of aquamarine. Swift watched with bated breath as they moved closer to him before something brushed against his lips, pushing firmer to lock themselves together. He leaned back and fell into the soft grass, bringing the white mare with him. After a few moments of this she released him, all the while continuing to stare into his soul.

“Yes,” she softly breathed out. “Yes Swift, I’ll marry you.”

“I love you Sky.”

“I love you too.”

A brief bout of panic struck his prone form.

‘I’m not ready!’

He attempted to wiggle out from under the mare above him, groaning in pain as he did so. He yelled in pain as a hoof pinned his broken leg to the floor beside him, tears burning down his cheeks. The mare hissed before shifting slightly again to line herself up with Swift’s member. The pegasus weakly attempted to struggle, groaning in pain as both of his injuries were shifted. The mare moved and Swift’s pain ridden world was suddenly washed away. His breath froze when he looked down, seeing his member buried to the hilt into the thestral above him.

The pulsing heat prompted him to exhale his breath. His will was eroded away as his hormones banished his reasoning. Her marehood squeezed him in its entirety as powerful contractions rippled upwards. He gasped as the mare rolled her hips forward and returned back. The gyrations dragged the head of his member along her tight walls in a most delightful way. The mare above him moaned lowly as she continued her movements. Swift let his head drop to the mossy floor as he moaned with her.

This continued for a minute before the mare stopped and shuffled her hooves to a better stance. Swift looked up in time to watch her stand, moaning as his stallionhood dragged along her insides on its way out. She stopped with just his head inside of her, shifting again to prepare her stance. Swift shivered as the cool air came into contact with his slick pride. Instinct controlled his next action as he placed his good leg on her flank. The mare moaned as he pulled her back down while arching his back, penetrating the mare in untouched spots. Swift didn’t brag, but from what he had seen he was a bit larger than average.

He helped the mare as she pulled back up, their joining parts making slight squelching sounds as they parted. Swift’s eyes rolled back as he felt her marehood pull against him as if it refused to let him go. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as she leaned back and sucked him back into her burning snatch. They fell into a steady rhythm, the two ponies rocking back and forth as their bodies twitched in pleasure.

Swift looked up at the bouncing mare standing above him as she moaned and squeaked. In the back of his mind he realized how exotic thestral mare’s were as they as a species were few in number. The thought only served to turn him on further. He lifted his head and watched as his member dipped in and out of the mare, his pelvic region getting drenched in the mare’s glistening excitement. His head was pushed to the ground as the mare used a hoof to restrain the stallion, keeping her constant movement against the stallion. Swift moaned at what he found to be a rather kinky action. The head of his length dragged along the contracting ridges within her, pumping against her like a piston. He felt the constricting depths pulse to her heartbeat against his stallionhood.

Her pace suddenly sped up as her breath began coming out in rapid succession of one another. Swift’s ears perked up as he realized she was nearing her orgasm. Following her lead, he pressed onwards as he too thrusted against her as she pushed downwards. She gasped as Swift plummeted into her, his drenched orbs slapping lewdly against her. Swift moaned as the suction within her increased tenfold. Her tightness became stronger as he was almost crushed within her. She began to shriek loudly as her contractions pulled Swift in further. The stallion grunted as a stirring from deep within made itself known.

His stallionhood pulsed harder and began to hurt slightly as his own pressure developed within. His head flared, pushing back against the squeezing depths and dragging further along her ridged marehood. Yelling with lust, Swift wrapped his good leg around the mare and pounded into her with everything he had. The thestral screeched louder as scalding liquid rushed out of their union and soaked the stallion beneath her.

The pressure and slippery friction along with the sounds of the orgasmic mare proved to be too much for Swift. He continued to yell as his length seemed to burst, strikes of pleasure racing to the base of his mind and back. His flared head lodged itself into her, halting their motion as his boiling foal batter spilled forth. The mare moaned as the pegasus dumped load after load into her aching snatch, the warm liquid prolonging her orgasm. Swift panted heavily as the last of his sperm exited into the mare, sticky white rivers leaking out from around the seal of their union. Swift’s leg collapsed to the ground as he moaned, his member still being squeezed as the mare’s orgasm slowly died down.

The mare quivered above him as pleasure still smoldered within her. Swift felt his member slowly soften and felt the mare shift to remove him from her. He shivered as a spike of pleasure from the slight friction caused his member to twitch, releasing a small final spurt into the thestral’s marehood. Swift closed his eyes and laid back to enjoy his orgasmic bliss. The cool air slowly cooled down his heated body, parts of him more so than others as he felt fluids crawling off of him onto the ground.

Two light thumps near his head caused him to open his eyes, revealing that the thestral was still standing above him with her two forehooves placed on either side of his head. His small smile disappeared as he noticed her eyes. The slits in her golden irises were more narrow than he remembered last seeing them. His eyes widened as she opened her fang filled maw and dived onto his neck.

He didn’t have time to react as his body locked up once again, the powerful suction freezing his muscles. Swift weakly gasped as the uncomfortable pressure settled into his body. The hazy darkness creeped in from all sides as his vision began to unfocus. Knowing that nothing would save him like last time, Swift gave a weak cough before exhaling. He closed his eyes and submitted to his inevitable demise, a single tear matting the fur by his eye.

The smell of antiseptic crashed against Swift’s senses, the dry air causing his eyes to water slightly. The polished white ceramic tiles, while slightly gritty with dirt, were still a dangerous slipping hazard for the speed he was moving at. A wooden door suddenly opened and blocked off the section of hallway Swift was sprinting down. Realizing that he would not be able to stop himself from crashing into the departing nurse, Swift lifted his wings and pushed down in a short flap, controlling his now airborne approach. The stallion used his skill set to expertly swing around the door at high speed, losing a feather when he slightly clipped his wing.

“Hey!” Swift ignored the call from the nurse and continued flying down the hall, blowing papers out of the wooden slots that dotted down walkway. If Swift had been paying attention, he would have seen how some details of his current surroundings were… wrong. He passed an open door, not realizing that it only consisted of an endless white expanse. Wisps of the cloudy material flickered on the very edges of his vision, but went unseen by Swift.

He reached the corner of the hallway and tucked his body to the right. He pulled out of the high G turn and raced towards the receptions desk at the very end. Swift flared his wings and stopped almost instantaneously, feeling the built up wind race past him and blast the receptions pony.

“What room is Sky Watcher in!?”

The mare behind the desk looked over her glasses before replying, “Name?”

Swift felt a bolt of anger shoot straight through him. “I don’t have time for this! My wife is in labour!”

“Name sir?” the mare replied determinedly, giving him no leeway. She engaged the stallion in a staring match, neither willing to give ground.

Concerned about the mother of his foal, Swift backed down with an explosive sigh. “Swift Winds.”

The purple earth pony quickly filled in his name into a guest sheet before continuing, “Who are you visiting?”

“I already told you! Her name is Sky Watcher.”

The mare continued writing on the form before pointing down the hallway to Swift’s right. “Room 337. It’s down the hall and to the lef-,”

Swift didn’t hear the rest as he was already gone. He watched as the door numbers flashed quickly past, slowing down as he approached the correct room. The door to the room was closed, Swift taking the moment to breath deeply. Settling his nerves and tucking his wings, Swift knocked twice on the door before pushing it open… only to find the room empty. The pegasus looked around and realized that ponies had been in the room recently. The bed was missing and there were various hospital equipment scattered and left unattended. The hoofsteps of a pony behind him caused him to turn around. A doctor walked into the room with his face in a clipboard when he noticed the stallion.

“Ah, good evening. I’m afraid this room is off limits at the moment. Is there somepony you were looking for?”

Swift’s eyes narrowed in anger, “I’m looking for my wife. I was told she was in this room.”

The doctor’s eyes suddenly widened. “Are you a Mr. Winds?”

“That’d be me.”

The doctor lowered his clipboard before looking the pegasus in the eye. “I wish my most sincere apology to you.” Thoughts of the worst kind shot through Swift’s mind, causing him to suddenly begin worrying greatly. He watched as the doctor hesitated before speaking, “Mrs. Sky Watcher died giving birth.”

All thought stopped, his mind collapsing. Swift began to rapidly shake his head ‘no’, a very quiet hoarse whine passing through his lips. The doctor lowered his eyes and fiddled with his clipboard slightly. “It is also with my deepest regret to inform you that the foal did not survive the emergency c-section.”

The world stopped dead. Swift’s mind locked up, blocking any conscious thought from being acknowledged. The doctors words bounced inside his cranium while his lungs refused to work. A dull ringing in his ears prevented him from hearing the desperate shouts of the hospital staff as they attempted to stop the running pony. Swift’s body was on autopilot, taking him away from the danger and the source of his anguish. The next second resulted in a blast of cold air smashing into him, his fur ruffling in the cold night air.

The world crashed back into focus as Swift realized he was in a free fall. His muscles stiff, the pegasus struggled to create some sort of flight. Fighting the sluggish response of his wings, Swift was able to change his trajectory from falling to a controlled glide. The stallion aimed for a nearby cloud and crashed into it. Swift shakily stood up and shivered when the the cold night breeze blew against his damp pelt, sweat dripping off of him. All his bodies newly found ache and pains hit him with a nasty vengeance, causing him to moan in agony. A sharp heat pierced his stomach and Swift opened his mouth as his stomach emptied itself violently.

The pegasus lost control of his legs and fell into a heap. He feebly moved his head, sliding on the slick surface of his stomach’s contents. Swift moved his eyes skyward, watching the stars twinkle gently overhead. His teeth chattered as another gust of wind blew past. Closing his eyes, the tattered pegasus fell into a dream filled with nightmarish torments.

A light breeze tickled Swift’s ears, causing him to scrunch his muzzle in annoyance. He shifted his leg in an attempt to wipe his muzzle, receiving a rude awakening as he practically punched himself.

“Buck!”

He shot straight up and clutched his muzzle, wincing as his injured leg throbbed. He sensed light through his eyelids and slowly opened them. He paused as the images of his surroundings raced through his mind. He was laying in a soft cozy bed in a decently sized room. The walls were a stark white and hurt his eyes slightly. There was an open window with the curtains drawn open, allowing the breeze to roll in. The smell of blood caused him to panic briefly, a loud beeping next to him increasing his stress. He looked down and saw blood dripping onto his foreleg, which he now realized was wrapped in a hard plaster cast. His observations were interrupted when a brown earth pony mare streaked into his room.

“What’s going on in here?” she questioned as she approached the awestruck stallion. Swift attempted to back away, holding his good leg out to stop her approach. The mare ignored his actions and expertly knocked his only defense away before pushing him back into the bed. Swift panicked as recent memories pushed their way out of his waking mind, causing him to begin lashing out. To the mare’s credit, she was certainly well taught. She pinned his leg before wielding a syringe in her mouth, placing the shot directly into one of his veins. A warmth immediately coursed through his body, causing the stallion to relax.

“There, that’s much better. Now let’s take a look at that bloody nose shall we?”

Swift didn’t protest as he didn’t want the good happy feeling to go away. He liked this feeling. He liked his bed. He even liked this mare. Swift grinned drunkenly while the nurse tended to his injuries, waving off an arriving crash team responding to the tripped heart monitor.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he could actually function correctly. Even then it was still foggy at best. He could hear voices out in the hall but was unable to make out what they were saying. This went on for a couple more minutes, resulting in Swift to get increasingly impatient. He could feel the drugs slowly wearing off which allowed the pain in his injuries to begin radiating across his body. Just when he thought he couldn’t handle it any further he heard the door handle click. He watched in anticipation as it swung open and allowed the voices to be distinguishable.

“I will be quick, thank you nurse.”

Swift’s eyes widened as a tall white mare walked through the doorway. He knew immediately that he was in the presence of Royalty and attempted to salute with his injured leg. The mare raised her leg and motioned him to lower it.

“That is not necessary. You have already been through much, noble Swift. You do not need to worry about such trivial things.”

Swift lowered his leg before replying, “Yes, your highness.”

Princess Celestia approached the side of his bed and watched the stallion carefully. “Do you remember what happened?”

Swift blinked, images smashing across his cranium in that single instant. He swallowed, “Yes, yes I do.”

Celestia nodded in sympathy, “Good.” She settled on her rump before continuing, “I know you are in pain and that it may very well be painful to speak of this, but if you are able can you explain exactly what happened?”

Swift visibly shivered before nodding. “We were leaving Trevelyan, having delivered the message successfully. Strato and I decided to fly into the storm as it was something we trained to handle. At one point the storm separated us and I followed protocol. I waited outside the storm for a couple hours, it was hard to tell how long exactly as I had rested. Failing to have spotted Strato, I continued along my flight path to seek help.” Swift paused when he remembered their terrible screeches and shrieks.

The princess seemed to notice this and attempted to reassure him. “We do not have to continue this Swift Winds.”

“No, it’s alright your majesty.” Swift took a few deep breaths before continuing. “I encountered a group of rogues and took evasive action. I flew back into the storm in an attempt to lose them. I was engaged briefly before fighting my way lose. At one point airborne debris knocked me out of the air.”

“And that is where you sustained most of your injuries am I correct?”

“Yes ma’am. I became surrounded and could not flee. I remember being bitten before blacking out.” Celestia nodded sagely before letting him continue. “I woke up in a what I thought was a cave, later learning that it was a den.” Swift shivered violently, his heart monitor speeding up slightly.

Celestia laid a hoof on Swift, calming the pegasus stallion. “The rest of the story does not need to be told.” She locked eyes with Swift, radiating comfort until he finally relaxed. “Strato made it through the storm although he was far off course. When he failed to find you he did exactly what he was trained to do, gathering a search party from one of the local hamlets.”

Celestia frowned before sighing. “The thestrals were able to track you down, and what they found wasn’t pretty. You were in a den in the middle of a rogue nest. The search party outnumbered the rogues and were able to scare them off.” She paused, “They had interrupted the thestral that was feeding upon you when they attacked the nest, barely saving your life from what I understand. You were missing a lot of blood.” She frowned further, “They were unable to catch the mare that assaulted you.”

Swift shuddered as he felt the ghostly licks of the strange pressure within. The Princess gave Swift an inquisitive gaze. “Swift, I have one more thing to ask of you.” When the stallion nodded she hesitantly continued. “When the surgeons were looking you over, they found,” she lowered her voice, “bits of flesh in your mouth.”

Swift grimaced slightly, “I-I bit one your highness, specifically the one that almost killed me.”

A look of realization dawned across Celestia’s eyes. “That explains the further condition we found you in.” At Swift’s look of confusion she elaborated, “Swift, the only reason you are alive is because you *ahem* asserted your dominance over your attacker.”

“Wait, wait,” Swift interrupted while raising a hoof. “You’re saying that I signaled a desire to, uh, you know… make the four legged beast?”

Celestia blushed slightly, raising a hoof to her muzzle. She was able to nod slightly. Swift just stared at her in dumb astonishment. He blinked his eyes in slight confusion, “So, what now?”

Celestia relaxed before sighing, “You recover. It’s the only thing you can do. The Crown will pay for any additional help you may need.”

The pegasus knew exactly what she was suggesting. “Yeah, yeah I guess you’re right.” The two nodded together, silently contemplating on the things that had been revealed. Deciding to move onto better topics he asked, “Where is Strato?”

Celestia smiled softly, “The world waits for nopony. He has been sent out to finish delivering the news you had previously carried to other nations. He proved to be rather stubborn to remove from your side.”

Swift grunted with small smile, “He may not look like much, but he’s a true friend if I ever had one.”

“Indeed.” Celestia patted Swift on the chest before rising. “You sustained a lot of injuries, said list containing a broken wing and leg, fractured ribs and severe bruising, your large blood loss proving to be the most concerning of these.” The regal mare smiled, “You are very lucky Swift. You can expect a paid leave during your recovery.”

“Thank you, your majesty.”

Celestia nodded before backing away. “Forgive me but I must take my leave.”

“The world waits for nopony,” Swift echoed.

Celestia smiled, “You take care of yourself Swift Winds.”

“You too, Princess.”

Swift watched as the most powerful mare in the world exited the hospital room. The pegasus sighed before snuggling deeper into the comforters, feeling sleep tug at his body. He thought of everything that had happened to him, releasing a long breath of relief as he knew it was over. He fell into a surprisingly gentle sleep for the first time in many years. His experience would fail to break him, proving to only strengthen him for the challenges he would face on the road ahead of him. Little did he know that, in time, life would reward him.

20 Years Later

The plant life of the Canterlot Castle Gardens was whipping about angrily in the strong, constant gale. The few that dared to venture outside had to fight against the wind in order to reach their destinations, whether they were in the air or on the ground. The castle staff were not so lucky, as they still had to attend to their duties. The Solar Guards stood stoutly in their golden armor along the walls, courtyards, and halls of the great palace. One particular hallway led to the more militaristic side of the castle, a recent addition in the past two decades. If one were to venture deep enough in the offices, they may be able to find a door with the stenciled title, Flight Trainer 2d Lt Swift Winds.

A white pegasus in an Airpony’s uniform approached the door, a manilla envelope tucked securely in her wing. She raised a hoof and knocked carefully on the opaque glass.

“Come in.”

She opened the door and walked inside, stopping at the front of a mahogany desk. She stared straight ahead before giving off a stiff salute. The blue pegasus sitting behind the desk set a document down before pulling off his reading glasses. “Ah, Spectrum. How are you this fine day?”

Spectrum, having rapidly befriending Swift a few years back due to her almost daily visits, relaxed. The mare glanced around his desk, noticing the stacks of paperwork. “Better than you, sir.”

Swift chuckled, “Eh, it’s not all that bad. Certainly keeps me away from home.”

Knowing she could be more outspoken with her superior, she smirked slightly. “You need a mare to fill that home sir. Living in your office is not healthy.”

Swift looked around his room, knowing full well that he spent more time here than anywhere else. There were several uniforms hanging from a makeshift closet along with other articles of clothing. There a few personal items strewn about his office as well. He looked back up at Spectrum and smiled, “Are you offering to fill in that position?”

“Buck no sir. You couldn’t handle me.”

Swift laughed jovially. “True, true.”

Spectrum’s smile faded a bit. “Seriously though sir, get out once in a while. You never know who you could meet.”

Swift shook his head, “I’m old, Spectrum.”

“You’re not that old sir. There are plenty of fish in the sea.”

Swift smiled appreciatively before nodding. ‘Since you asked so kindly I will see what I can do. No promises though.”

“That’s all I’d expect sir.”

Swift breathed deeply, knowing that she was right. Truth be told, Swift was sure that if he tried he may find a special somepony. That was before old memories burned slightly at the back of his head. No, he was better off if he didn’t.

“Alright Spectrum, I know you didn’t come in here to chit chat. What do you have for me?”

“Sir, I have a message from the General.” She opened her wing and expertly maneuvered it onto his desk.

The Second Lieutenant grabbed a letter opener and cut open the envelope. The mare waited patiently as the stallion opened the document, placing his glasses back on as he began to read. Less than a minute had passed before he looked up. “Why am I reading a personal profile? She isn’t a part of the trainees.”

“I was told that she is a last minute addition. Her records were to be shown to you due to her particular nature.”

“I can see that. Is there anything else?”

“No sir.”

“Thank you Airpony, you are dismissed.”

The mare clicked her hooves while saluting before she turned and left. The Lieutenant glanced over the profile one more time before setting it down. He folded his glasses and finished off his cup of coffee. He pulled himself out of his chair and stretched briefly before heading towards the door. He grabbed his officers hat before exiting the room.

He walked briskly down the corridors, nodding politely to the ponies that passed him and saluting those in charge. Swift walked between the barracks of the Solar and Night Guard towards a smaller bunk room. He stood outside of the door briefly to gather his thoughts before he pushed through. The room was filled with 30 beds in total, only 16 of them actually being occupied. The Equestrian Guard did not accept the fairly new branch of soldiers with open hooves.

Swift, as well as the Princesses, knew however that the new Messenger Corps would not go away quietly and expected it to grow within the coming years. The new breed of messengers would perform not only as messengers, but as advanced scouts and spies should the need arise. They would be the foremost warning of a threat to the nation of Equestria and, if Swift could help it, they would be the best of the best.

He cleared his throat loudly, causing 16 Airponies to drop whatever they were doing and line up quickly, standing straight and still as Swift perused through their line, his eyes lingering on the single thestral at the end.

He quickly glanced back along them before beginning to pace along them. “Listen up, as you may have noticed we have a new recruit in our presence. Airpony Dawn Breeze will eat, sleep, sweat, and bleed with the rest of us as a team! Now I know we are only a week into your course but I still expect you all to show her the ropes!” He paused in his pacing while fixing the recruits with an intimidating stare. “I expect zero problems! Understood!?”

“Yes sir!”

“Excellent! Get your gear together and head out! We’re doing air sprints today!”

“Permission to speak sir!” a stallion called from the line.

“Granted.”

“Sir, nopony is outside today.”

Swift slowly approached the pegasus stallion before responding, “How does this relate to my orders?”

A nervous sweat began to break out on the pegasus, “The weather isn’t safe for flying sir. Nopony would fly in that.”

Swift thrust his muzzle uncomfortably close to the recruit. “Why does that have anything to do with us, Airpony?” he whispered harshly. When he failed to respond Swift’s voice increased in volume. “Are we not the best fliers in the world!? Nopony better say the Wonderbolts! They are just glorified showponies. We are better, and to be better we need to be able to do our jobs the fastest, most efficient way we can! The weather will not stop us, especially a little breeze! 20 laps! Grab your gear and get going!”

Nopony had time to groan as they quickly rushed about to follow their commander’s orders. Swift watched as they filed out of the room, eyeing the thestral as she began to fall into the line. “Dawn! A word if you will.” The thestral paused, allowing the others to pass her. As the last recruit exited she approached Swift, stopping to stand at attention. While she had a calm exterior Swift could see the tension in her stance. “What are you so nervous about Airpony?”

The thestral’s eyes flashed with surprise before they hardened. “Sir, I am not nervous.”

Swift smirked before nodding, “Alright, then why are you… uncomfortable?”

She clenched her jaw briefly. “I am a new recruit for a newly instated program with high demands sir. Anypony would be uncomfortable.”

“True, true. In that case, let me bring light on a few things around here. One, and most importantly, we do not lie to one another. If we are to survive what may come we must be able to trust one another. We have to know that the pony next to us has our back as we have theirs. Understood?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good! Now, is there something you would like to address?”

Dawn bit her lip for a few seconds, thinking over her options as Swift waited patiently, having personally gone through the same process with every single recruit. The thestral finally spoke, “Truthfully sir?” At his nod she continued, “I’m concerned about how I’ll be treated.”

“A reasonable concern, assuming you are implying to the outlook on your species flight abilities when compared to that of the Messenger Corps?” The thestral’s jaw dropped when Swift hit the nail on the head. “Let me ask you this, do you think you should be here?”

She didn’t even hesitate, “Sir, yes sir!”

“Why?”

His question caught her off guard for a moment before she gathered her thoughts. “I worked hard to get here sir, harder than the others. I had to retake the initiation tests several times to get here sir. I know that the Sergeant was failing me on purpose as I was more than keeping up with the others.”

“Acknowledged. I’ll keep this simple,” he said as he looked her right in the eye. “You ignore those who doubt you. I don’t train those by species, I train those who succeed. You work hard and you will have your place here.”

Dawn gave a small smile, “Thank you sir, that is much appreciated.”

“I have one more question for you. Your file, there were gaps in it. Any reason why?” Swift was understating it. Her file, while recent, was practically barren. As far as he could tell, she had simply appeared in Equestria a few months ago. This did not sit well with him as he had previously stated the importance of trust. If she was more than a simple recruit…

Dawn’s attitude dipped slightly as her leathery wings twitched, her hooves shuffling on the floor. “I-I’m originally from Transylvania sir. At least that’s as near as they can tell.”

Swift looked at her in confusion. “But, why would that be so abnormal? You are a thestral.”

“No, not completely.” At Swift’s further baffled gaze she continued, “I’m a mixed breed sir. Half thestral, half pony.” She paused while she closed her eyes. “There are a few cases of us existing sir. A couple ponies cross the border, generally Nobles, seeking to take part in the wealth of the mines and lumber. Mistakes happen. It’s normal for the fathers to denounce their hybrid children.”

Swift sported a firm frown, genuinely disgusted. His views were already low with the Nobles, but now he wasn’t sure if he could even give them any amount of respect after hearing such things. However, he still had not received an answer. “That doesn’t explain your lack of records.”

The thestral’s stance slacked a bit as her head dropped. “I don’t have any records because I didn’t have anypony to claim me, not even my mother. I don’t remember much, but I know I was separated from her at a young age. I wandered for a bit before the officials picked me up.” Her eyes watered slightly, “They placed me in an orphanage. It was a terrible place. I only stayed there for a few years before I ran away.”

The Lieutenant nodded slowly, gesturing for her to continue. “I lived off in the woods for the rest of my foalhood. It was only when I matured did I decide to move on. I had heard of Equestria from others and figured that such a place was right for me. It took a couple months, but they eventually allowed me a citizenship. I was required to attend some form of education as I only knew what I could pick up.”

“And then you decided to join the Messenger Corps?”

“I am rather strange sir. I fly much better than those of my kind, whether it be my altitude ceiling or ability to endure violent storms, due to my hybrid genes. I figured I was suited for the new program.”

Swift nodded before stepping away. “Well then, consider yourself an official member of the team. Welcome to your new family.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“We better get going. The others are not going to appreciate your cut in laps. You better go catch up.”

Dawn saluted sharply, “Yes sir!”

Swift watched as she exited before he cracked his neck and stretched. He trotted out of the barracks and headed towards the training yards. He reached his destination in no time, arriving in time to watch as the thestral joined her fellows in the air. The wind ripped at his hat, causing him to tuck it under his blue wing. He looked back up, beginning to yell at those who were slacking. Swift hid a small smirk as he watched Dawn leading the pack, still gaining distance between them and her as she pumped her wings hard against the harsh winds.

Swift’s attention was dragged away as he saw an airborne carriage rising into the sky, taking off from one of the castle’s courtyards. Swift watched it for a few moments, figuring it was a Noble on some ‘important meeting regarding the health and safety of the nation’. He flared his nostrils in disdain before he caught a brief flash of color in the sky. He looked up in time to watch a red decorative hat fly out one of the open windows of the carriage, tumbling violently in the wind. It trailed scarlett lace behind it, reminding Swift of his time as a Royal Courier. He missed that red scarf of his. He sighed with nostalgia. They were never able to find his gear after…

His eyes almost bulged out of his head.

‘That’s not possible!’

He head snapped to the right as a form passed right over his head before turning on the inside of a marker. The thestral was almost catching up to the packs tail, slowly but surely making up for her lost laps. Swift’s heart hammered in his chest as he struggled to think.

‘Dawn Breeze.’

Her name alone struck a chord within Swift. The pegasus stallion suppressed a shiver before he slowly calmed himself. He couldn’t be sure, and he might never be. All that mattered now was his job and his team. Attempting to solve the mystery would only bring harm, the pegasus unwilling to bring back the pain. He breathed in before he regained himself, turning his attention back to the sky. A small smile played on his lips. He didn’t need to confirm anything.

She was already family.

Author's Note

And I'm taking you all with me!

Here's a treat for my Guardian fans, it's of course from the talented marking!
First clop fic.