Once upon a dreary night

I'm only a simply colt, but today I feel like the best one in Equestria, because tomorrow, I can show Commander Life Blood how good I am In a real combat situation! Well at least a realistic one...

"Crimson!" Miss Chipper, the school teacher calls out, "start studying, or do I have to send you a tutor everyday?" she asks, adjusting her large round glasses

"Yeah, they'll definitely have to send you a special tutor, your mind is as absent as your cutie mark!" Iron Hoof jeers

I flinch at the remark, but recover with a witty comeback "Shut it Iron, your mouth is as loose as your mom's v-"

"Enough!" Miss Chipper yells at us, making the whole class flinch "I shall not tolerate such speech in the classroom, or anywhere!" she huffs "Now Crimson, Iron, to my office, NOW!"

jeez, what got her so uptight today? I wonder as I set down my pencil and follow Iron down the hall and into Miss Chipper's office.

We stare at each other furiously until Miss Chipper walks in, sits down behind her desk and ruffles her curly teal mane.

"Whatever will I do with you two?" she asks nopony in particular, setting down her glasses and staring at us flatly.

I am smart enough to keep my mouth shut, but Iron Hoof foolishly speaks up "You could expel me" he says, a sly smile working its way onto his face.

"No, you will have twice as much homework this week, as well as six hours of community service, and you Crimson" she says poking a hoof at me, my poker face allowing only the tiniest of frowns "Will help Miss Smith pack up her wagons-" I let out a small sigh "-and" I immediately tense "You will help Iron Hoof with his community service." Miss Chipper puts her glasses back on "If you don't comply you won't be going to Fort Solar with Commander Blood"

I frown grimly, I had prepared to go for months, there is no way I am going to miss out on this.

Without missing a beat I reply "Yes ma'am" my eye twitching as what my task entails burns its way into my mind.

Iron Hoof smirks at me, I promise to beat his shit in for that.

Chipper looks down at her papers, Iron takes that as his cue to leave. I turn to leave also, but Miss Chipper cuts us off "Stop! did I say you could leave yet?" I freeze, quickly turn back around and stand at attention, Iron merely stops and looks over his shoulder.

Miss Chipper continues "Princess Celestia will be there, I want you two to be the most respectable students there, do you understand?"

I quickly nod my head, a small grin threatening to break free, A chance to prove myself in front of the princess! and the commander of the royal guard!, My heart does a backflip in my chest.

As I expected, Iron only lets out a small snort and walks down the hall. I follow him, a small smirk pushing its way onto my face. By the time we get back the school has already been dismissed. I grab my homework and stuff it into my denim saddlebag, one of the toughest fabrics out there. I sigh as the door squeaks while I pushed it open, one of the constant problems with this school, nobody fixes anything unless it's life threatening. I quickly glance around, spotting Lightwing, the pastel green Pegasi. She waves to me excitedly. I walk over to her and pick up her saddlebags.

"That was scary, you started telling Iron Hoof who's boss, then Miss Chipper was all like 'INTO MY OFFICE NOW!' and then she dismissed us and walked back there, I heard the screams all the way out here!" she blurts out

I stare at her dumbfounded, then I perform a slow, exaggerated facehoof, dragging it down my face dramatically. I look into her blue and gold eyes "No, the screams were from the children over there." I say pointing to the swing set where the younger fillies and colts are squealing happily. "But I do have some work to do for trying to insult Iron like that."

"But he deserved it!" she exclaims, frowning at her forehooves

I sigh, lifting her chin so I can look into her eyes "He did, and he still does, but insulting him, especially in the open like that, won't help."

"but-"

"No, he must come down slowly, behind the scenes, where no one can easily stop us." I reply as she takes my hoof into her own, I absently check for a cutie mark on my deep indigo fur

"Don't worry Crimson, you'll get it sooner or later!" she says laughing, "I got mine only last month, remember?"

"Yes, I remember" I say, thinking of the time when she ran out of the bakery to tell her parents, flashing the winged gear on her flank around. She had claimed it was an aeronautical engineering cutie mark, I still think it's telling her to make all of her technic sets fly away forever, but, whatever.

"You up for lunch?" she asks, her stomach grumbling

I pause, noticing the absence of food in my belly, "I guess so, I'm starting to feel a bit hungry myself"

We turn to leave, only to be stopped by Iron Hoof and his gang of cronies, Iron holds a camera.

"Leaving so soon?" he asks with a devilish smirk, "we would hate for you to have your tender, loving moment interrupted by something as mundane as, lunch."

I audibly groan "what do you want Iron?" I ask, stepping in front of Lightwing

"Just some pictures, for when you and your special sompony get married" I hear a snort behind me, Iron puts on a victorious smile.

"We just though you would want it for your honeymoon, when you buck her silly. Not that you would last very long." he says, his evil little smirk growing

I backhoof him so hard he spits out teeth.

"Why you little bi-" Lightwing pounces him, knocking him to the ground, but she's knocked back by Irons' back hooves, she flies back several meters, obviously unconscious

My smiles instantly turns into a snarl, I quit the lawful good technique...

I send my hoof down into his eye, curbstomping him, blood and a clear liquid shoot from his eye as he screams in pain, writhing on the ground, trying to caress his face.

All three of his cronies hesitate before attacking, then they jump at me simultaneously, I catch the first one in the collar, using his own weight to break his collarbone, the other two barrel into me unhindered. I feel some of my ribs break and my left foreleg goes numb as I topple onto the ground, making me scream in pain. I painstakingly beat one in the face with my right hoof, the other bucks me in the side of the head with his hind legs, great, I probably have a concussion now, they snort as they see me struggle for consciousness, one raises his hoof to put me out, but Iron stops him.

"Wait!" he yells, obviously in pain "If we want to hurt him, we have to do it indirectly" he smirks painfully, his eye still leaking clear fluid, my mind tries to grasp at what he's saying, but fails to do so, the pain being to much of a distraction. Slowly he walks over to Lightwing, I lose any remorse for him. My horn sparks to life, I draw in a breath before I blast his three cronies away from me, he stops looking back. He only has time to gasp as I pull him toward me. I lower my horn as he flies back, only to be impaled by its semi sharp tip, he screams in agony, trying to squirm away from my deep indigo aura, but I'm not finished with him yet. I throw him into the air and slam him back down, a wet crunch emitting as he screams in agony again, I slowly stand up and stumble towards Lightwing, but Iron grabs my hind leg. I pause for a moment and kick out at his leg, hearing a loud crack satisfies me. I drop next to Lightwing and groan in pain, I see her eyelids flutter for a moment, but she remains unconscious, I shyly kiss her cheek where Iron hit her before I enter into the dark confines of my mind.

My head aches, and I hear a Celestia forsaken beeping, my dreams run rampant, I feel a slight throbbing in my side, and my left foreleg aches as well, my head swims...

Beep... Beep...   Beep...

I try to pull myself out of sleep, all my limbs struggle to respond.

Beep... Beep...   Beep...

I feel blood slowly returning to my extremities, I draw in a deep breath.

Beep... Beep...   Beep...

My eyelids flutter open enough to catch a glimpse of a pastel green color.

Beep... Beep...   Beep...

I take another deep breath, this time through my nose, I smell grass... and, autumn leaves, definitely Lightwing. I smile, pulling her into my hooves, her chestnut mane tickling my nose.

Beep... Beep...   Beep...

What is that infernal beeping noise? I ask myself, This is pleasantly surreal... even for my dreams. But why is that beeping noise here?, I try to remember what the beeping noise is, sounds like a heart monitor, but why would that be here?, I mused. Probably because of the fight, ha, I guess I'm in a hospital, my heart skips a beat... Oh dear Celestia... this isn't a dream!, I do a double take, Shit shit shit! morning wood is a positive, and rubbing against her flank!... aagh, welp, I'm fucked... My eyes fly open, I don't move, I don't want to wake her in this... predicament, but fate seems to hate me today.

"Crimson..." she snuggles in "your sooo warm" she lets out a contented snort, her wings pushing out from her sides a small blush forming on her cheeks.

Oh Celestia no, she's getting- I'm interrupted by her pulling me closer, I curse under my breath, a certain two parts rubbed together. Lightwing freezes, I bite my lip. She gets out of bed in blink of an eye, I think quickly, grabbing her tail as she dashes for the door, the sudden movement hurts my neck. I wait till she calms down, her wings settling back down at her sides, then I let go of her tail.

"Where do you think your going?" I ask, blushing

"I - I- umm... wasn't supposed to stay over, mommy and daddy wanted me back last night..."

"Really?" I ask "If that were the case they would have come to get you" my smile refused to die, so I'm stuck grinning like an idiot... great...

She blushes extra hard

"It's okay, here, sit down" I say, patting the bed beside me, getting up to a sitting position, she hesitates before rejoining me on the bed.

"I was so worried about you, you kept screaming in your sleep, well, until the princess showed up and did a healing spell on you. It made you feel allot better, well, that is, you stopped screaming at least..." she looked rather teary at this point

"It's okay Lightwing, I feel better now. But why did the princess come?"

"I don't know, she was just like 'POP!' and she appeared there, and was all like 'would somepony show me to this colt, Crimson Eon I pre.. ah.. pres.. um...' that word" she said, stumbling over it. Her strong point never really was grammar.

"You can ask her though, she said she wanted to meet you next week, during the tour"

My mouth hangs agape, the princess wanted to meet me? me!? "By the night! she wants to meet me?" I exclaim, my eyes widening

"Yes silly, you!" she said, punching me lightly on the left shoulder

"Ow!" I exclaim rubbing the offended shoulder

"Sorry, that one was.. dislocated." she says, eyeing me apologetically

"No harm done." I say with a mock injured look

We sit there for several minutes, pressing against each other before she speaks again. "I really have to thank you though, I heard what you did when Iron Hoof was coming for me, I think it was heroic" she blushes yet again.

"I couldn't let anything happen to you, no friend should let that happen to another" I pause for a moment "Where are the nurses? or doctors, we're in the hospital, right?"

"Nurse Gray said she wouldn't let anypony disturb us, not until I let them in" she replies

I look at her, amused "You know what she meant right?" She'll definitely fall for that.

It takes her a second, "ew, ew, ew!" her blush returns, I hold a hoof up to my mouth, trying to hide my smile.

"You should probably let her in now, I'm definitely feeling much better. How long was I out?" I ask, huffing

She jumps off the bed and heads to the door "You've been asleep for four days now" she opens the door "I'll be right back" she tells me as I watch her exit the room. It suddenly feels empty without her. I chide myself for being over possessive of her, she's only a filly, and I'm only a colt, we both have lives to live, but that doesn't mean- I try to think of something else, not wanting to have to argue with myself.

"Oh good, you're awake" nurse Gray says as she walks in, Lightwing following beside her "I think it would of taken even longer if it hadn't been for Princess Celestia coming to heal you."

"Did she really come for me?" I ask my pride welling up in me for no good reason.

"Mostly, she wanted to talk to witnesses to see the situation." Gray replies smiling at me "Are feeling okay? because if you are, your parents should be waiting for you."

"How bad were my injuries?"

She sighs, "You dislocated your left shoulder, two ribs were broken, one cracked, and the other... stabbed into your lumbar nerve cluster, your skull was cracked under your right eye, and you have a cracked hoof, surprisingly you didn't lose any teeth. You should really stay out of fights or you'll have to hire a bodyguard."

"And look like a weakling? Not a chance!"

"Are you ready to go then? You appear to be fine, at least the doctor says so."

"Yep, I'll see you later." I say sighing

Nurse Gray chuckles lightly, "Hopefully not, but knowing you, it's mostly likely."

I glare at Lightwing as she chuckles to herself.

I walk into our living room with my dad, Ember, on my right, and my mom, Darkshade, on my left.

"Are you sure you didn't want it to happen?" my mom asks me again.

"I told you a thousand times, it was a complete accident" I say rolling my eyes, my dad chuckles to himself.

"Oh come on Darkie, he won't tell you any different" Ember says, reaching over me and kissing her on the cheek, I flinch at their antics, my ears going flat against my head.

"Don't worry son, it will happen to you too someday" she says softly to me.

I ignore her, walk past them, down the hall, and into my bedroom upstairs. I glance at the mirror on my way to my bed, I pause. Something is very different, I look again, a scar runs a few inches down my left shoulder, A little more than dislocated, I think. It takes a second for me to accept, but I decide to make the best of it. I strike a pose, flashing a devious smile at my mirror image. I make several poses more, trying to come up with an epic victory phrase. I give up. I grabb a vinyl from my bookshelf and place it onto the record player. I frown at my setup, Sorry, maybe later beautiful, I think caressing the mixer, I sigh, hitting the play button, the song Serenity gently coming to life in my room. I flop down onto my bed, All the Celestia forsaken homework! I resolve to catch up tomorrow, I want to be up to speed by the time I meet the princess.