Equestrian Royal Intelligence

click.

Well shit. Throwing the carbine to the side, I looked at the zebra in front of me. I guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way, then, I thought. Pivoting on my forelegs, I bucked with all my weak body could muster. But instead of hitting my mark, the zebra dodged and grabbed my left wing. Excruciating pain shot through my body. Unable to hold my anger back now, I screamed.

"AURGH!!!" This is why I never excelled at hoof-to-hoof combat. I was never fast enough, never the strongest, and never could win a hoof-fight for my life. The zebra started dragging me down the hallway by my wing. The bone already broken, the flesh that attached my wing to my body started to tear away from the force the zebra was exerting. Picking up my carbine, I slammed the stock into the back of his head repeatedly. I said various curse words in between the repetitive hits. "FUCK. YOU. YOU. LITTLE. PIECE. OF. SHIT!" The zebra fell to the floor, his body limp. EJecting another magazine from my weapon, I loaded the third cartridge. Barely conscience, the zebra uttered his final words.

"My death will only rally others to take up my cau-"

"Go to Tartarus," I muttered, and with a swift pull of the trigger the zebra was no more in this life.

PEW!!!

Blood oozed out of the new whole in his head, slowly The zebra's eyes became still, no longer tracking my movements. Turning away, I noticed that a black border was starting to creep closer and closer into the center of my field of vision. I knew I would bleed out if I didn't tend to my wounds. Upon further inspection, my left wing was attached to my body only by a bit of flesh. Multiple bullets had pierced my left flank, one having gone straight out the other side. The pain was excruciating, and my body didn't want to move. The border was creeping closer now. The roar of the battle outside drowned out my cries of anguish. Slowly, I was fading away. Unable to do anything, I closed my eyes. May Celestia have mercy on my soul... ...at-tatat-tatat.

"What in Equestria!?! Medic! MEDIC!!!" A sudden jab of a syringe made me open my eyes. "Lieutenant! Stay with me! Sir! You're going to be okay!" That was quite the lie. The medic didn't look very hopeful. I knew that medics only carried the very basic medical supplies, not the equipment needed to fix me. Not by a stretch. Knowing this, the medic gave me all the painkillers he had on him. A magical field enveloped me, picking my limp body off the ground and placing me onto a stretcher. "He's fading! He's fading fast!!!..."

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Fire all around me. I sit in a corner, curled up in a ball. I can't move. I can't see. I can't breathe. Through the crackle of the flames, a voice calls my name. "Dasher?" "DASHER!?!" I let out a whimper. A mare gallops through the smoke and flames. She picks me up with her magic as burning pieces of rubble fall from the ceiling. I get thrown into the street... I see the house explode into hundreds of pieces. The world goes black as my head hits the pavement.

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BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

I jerk awake. Looking around, I find an alarm clock beeping incessantly. Pain is still a constant companion. Where am I? I looked forward and saw a poster advertising, 'Senior Pony Care! Only 20 bits a day! By Baltimare Hospital." They transported me to the biggest hospital outside of Manehattan to treat me? That is not a good sign...

"Mr. Dasher, I see you're awake." I turn my head to a white and pink nurse pony standing next to me. "Good for you. You've been out for almost a week."

"Whuff?" My confused groan makes the nurse smile. Trying again, I manage to say a few words. "Uhhhhh.... What do you mean I've been out for a week?"

"Well, you came in unconscious. Your body was riddled with bullet holes, and your wing..." The mare turned away. "Your wing was a bit 'dismembered.'" I noticed I couldn't see my wings, let alone feel the left one...

"W-where is my wing?"

"Oh!" The nurse turned back to me. "I didn't mean that! No, no, no, you're all in one piece. You're fine." I sighed heavily. They tell me I am fine, but I still want to see my body. On the table next to me I spot a mirror. I try to pick it up. The red magical field that usually would appear doesn't show itself. Drawing from a book for young unicorns that I read, I clear most of the other thoughts bouncing around my head and focus on the mirror on the table. Still, it doesn't move. Either my ARC is not on me, or they took it off... I don't know which one, since there are so many bandages wrapped around my forehooves. Whatever the cause, I roll on the hospital bed over to the table and pick the mirror up in my mouth. Yep, wings still there, everything is there! The loud sound of hoofsteps fill the room. Turning over, I looked at the three Guards that entered the room. The nurse turns and trots away at the sight of them. She turns her head to me and gives me a wink as she turns around the corner into the hallway.

"Sir!" The three Guards snapped to attention and gave a salute. The middle Guard, who I recognize as an uptight sergeant in charge of an anti-air cannon on the wall, stepped forward to speak.

"Your presence is requested, sir."

"By who?" I questioned. I was sitting in a hospital bed, unable to fly and could barely move. The sergeant continued, not answering my question.

"A ERAF Pegasus CP-13 is waiting at the airport for the flight to Canterlot."

"Who requested me?" Still no answer.

"You're rifle is on the aircraft, and we are currently load-" I've had enough of this. Using my Royal Canterlot Voice (which is taught to all in the Royal Guard, although ponies rarely use it), I decide to get the information out of him the way most strict drill officers do it.

"SERGEANT, I OUTRANK YOU! TELL ME WHO REQUESTED ME!" The sergeant backs away from me, surprised and scared. He never was the tough one at the Academy...

"Sir, I can't-"

"YOU BETTER TELL ME, OR BY CELESTIA, YOU'RE GONNA GET COURT MARTIALED AND DISHONORABLY DISCHARGED!"

"I-"

"WRONG ANSWER!!! TELL ME WHO YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT! WHY DON'T I JUST LET YOU EAT A HOOF-FULL OF SUNFIRE, YOU FUC-"

"Princess Celestia, s-sir!" The sergeant quickly pulled a box out of his saddlebag and plopped it on the bed. "N-now please get d-dressed."