Of Blood and Honor

When one opens her eyes for the first time, she becomes blinded. The colors, the shapes....everything she sees, she becomes so familiar with, she cannot define what is the truth, and what is false...until her sight is taken away, and she must open them again to see...to see the true colors of the night...and the true color of blood...

"Thunderstrike! Commander Thunderstrike!" A shrill, almost panicked voice sounded out over the cloudy city of the pegasi race, as a young pegasus stallion, cream in color, raced around, calling for the  commanding officer, "Commander Thunderstrike! I have urgent news!"

"Speak lad." Came a low, booming voice, as a massive beast of a pegasus loomed over the cloud. He was a dark, almost deathly gray-black, with leering yellow eyes, that seemed to flash like lightning, and his mane was short cropped, a dark blue, and it was damp from when he took his helmet off, holding the armor piece under his pit. "What is so important?" He leaped down from the cloud he was perched on, and the young stallion almost cowered in fear.

"I-It's your wife sir...she went into labor...the foal is on the way!" The stallion stuttered, backing away before he managed to stand straight, "Lady Sundrop has been requesting you to be there for her!" he turned, bounding away, "I c-can take you to her sir!" He said, and in his excitement, he didn't realize where he was going, falling off of the cloud in his rush with a yelp. "Waah!"

"Well why didn't you say so son?" Thunderstrike bellowed, and with a massive flap of his wings, he was airborne, heading home in his own rush to see to his mate. He plucked the stallion up from his drop as he passed and set him right, before he whisked off, the young stallion in tow.

"I-I just did sir!" The young stallion stuttered. He was a young teen, barely hitting puberty. His voice did its natural crack, high pitched and shrill. His coat was creamy, his eyes green as the land below. He was grateful the massive brute of a pegasus was gentle..when  he wasn't training his troops.

A single grunt was Thunderstrike's response to this. The massive pegasus was on his own mission now. One that was far more important than readying his latest recruits. His flight was generally silent, and when he approached his cloud home, he paused, hesitating as the wails of his beloved reached his ears. He knew she was getting the finest of medical attention, but something about hearing his mate, his love in such agony, it twisted his heart with grief, and guilt. He had done this to her...he had put their child in her..

A gentle hoof to his side wrenched the stallion from his thoughts, and he looked down at the young budding stallion, giving him a silent nod before he tucked his wings in, finally swooping down and landing outside of his home. He hesitated again, before he entered. Peeking his head in, Thunderstrike gazed around, slowly making his way to the bedroom, where his wife lay. He opened the door, and if his reflexes had not have been refined to near perfection, he would not have dodged the sudden vase that had flown at his head. But he did, only to hear a crash, and low groan of pain, and when Thunderstrike looked back, he saw that the young stallion who had fetched him had been unfortunate enough to take the hit.

"Work on those reflexes son. You are going to need them if you want to be a good husband and an officer." he grumbled, before he made his way inside. He gazed upon his wife, his beautiful wife, who was giving him a look of pain, loathing, and need. His heart twisted again, and he removed his armor, and without a word to the doctors, he slid into the bed with his laboring mate.

"Thunderstrike!" her word piercing his eardrums, "I swear...if I didn't love you..." Lanora Von Sundrop's words were cut off, as she let out another shriek of pain, before she sucked in a deep breath, her voice tight, "I...I would kill you for this! Son of Commander Hurricane or not!" she snarled, leaning her head back, as the stallion moved closer, holding her hooves, his torso supporting her, as she leaned against him, his chin resting between her ears.

"I know Nora...I am sorry...we both knew this would happen...and it was you who wanted a foal anyway." His booming rumbling voice sounded out, gentle and soft against Lanora's ears, "And we did agree that we would do this together..."

Lanora softened then, her groans quieting as she listened to the gentle reasoning of her husband, "Yes my love...I know..." her sunny yellow coat shone with sweat, her auburn mane plastered to her neck and face, as she held onto her husband. The doctors were gathered around her, muttering to themselves, as they worked to get the foal free from the mare's womb. Another wail, another contraction, Thunderstrike grunting as his wife clenched his hooves with her own. He thought furiously, thinking of some way to keep her mind at ease.

"Have you thought of any names?" he asked softly, kissing her ear, letting her know he still loved her. They had been putting it off for sometime, both rather unsure what they would call their foal. But now was a better time than never.

Lanora huffed, relaxing some as the contraction faded. She was pushing with all her might when they happened, but she rasped, her golden eyes flicking up to him, "I..I was thinking...um. Whirlwind...if...if it was a colt...to keep in your family name..." she gasped, another contraction, another clench, another massive push. It was speeding up, and looking to the relieved faces of the doctors, that seemed to be a good thing.

Thunderstrike was personally glad he had not offered his wings to his wife. They would have been broken and shattered by now. "Whirlwind....that sounds like a fine name...but what about if it were a filly? Hm?" he asked, kissing down her neck and face. He did not care if the doctors were near them, his main mission was to comfort and reassure his wife, and according to his mother, Private Pansy, the best way to do that, was to make sure her efforts weren't unappreciated. Even now, he could see some of the fear and tension leave his wife.

Lanora looked up at Thunderstrike, her eyes glowing softly, "I...I  was...thinking..Sc-Scarletta? if...if it is a filly, I want..I want her to..keep my family name..if you don't mind...my love?" She groaned again, softer, and the doctors let out an excited murmured, as suddenly, she was washed over with a sense of almost mind numbing relief. She felt a small object slither from her, and her ears pricked, hearing a new voice cry out. She couldn't see it of course, her eyes clouded over with blissful relief. She rested her head back, shivering, as she held onto her mate.

"Congratulations Sir and Lady...it is a girl." The doctor announced with pride, as the rest worked to clean up Lanora. He held the small bundle tenderly, and with a long wing, Thunderstrike took his daughter from him, bringing her close to gaze down at her with his wife.

"Scarletta it is, it seems." he mumbled softly, his chest swelling with pride. His daughter, his foal, was a dark orange, caramel almost, with a crimson colored mane, "Scarletta Von Sundrop...after her mother." He beamed, and without hesitating, he leaned in, giving Lanora a long, passionate kiss, pouring all of his love and raw emotions into it, letting his love know how much he loved her, how much he meant to her. It was the same kiss they had shared when they first confessed to each other their feelings. When they had first confessed their love. It was enough to melt the hard stony exterior Thunderstrike wore daily. Lanora melted as well, a shaky hoof moving up to stroke her husband's cheek, before she pulled away, looking at her daughter.

"Oh darling...she is beautiful..." Lanora murmured, stroking her daughter's cheek softly, "We...we did so well...she will be strong..and beautiful...oh I can see it now..." and upon her mother's words, Scarletta opened her eyes, revealing deep golden orbs, hazy and unfocused, as she squirmed again in her father's hold, her cries echoing in the room.

Thunderstrike chuckled, and he nuzzled his daughter, "Look at her Nora...already a fighter. Already trying to speak her mind...she will make us both proud one day...I can assure you that." he grinned, a lopsided grin, one that Lanora adored, and it was the reason she had fallen in love with the massive brute, who wore a cold hardened expression most of the time she saw him at work.

"We can only wait and see my love..." she smiled, resting her head on Thunderstrike's shoulder, her eyes closing as she rested a gentle wing on her foal's chest, smiling even more when her daughter grabbed onto her primaries, and she felt a love burst inside of her, one she had never experienced before. She was at peace. She had everything she could want or need...now she could rest...tomorrow would be the beginning of a new chapter for her, and her family.