Will of Fire

Chapter 20 - A new family

By: TheXIIILightning

"So, what do we do now?"

I asked Lightning. We had just finished eating a few apples that we stole from a merchant, and we are now discussing what to do next. We always used the same plan, I would distract the merchant while Lightning flew away with whatever he got his hooves on. Carrots, apples, tomatoes, anything he could carry in that short time.

The only problem was that after a few months of doing the same thing, over and over again. The merchants were starting to know who we were, and it was getting harder to steal food.

"I don't know, we are in the red right now. So I guess a good deed."

After our first month we developed a code of honor, like the ancient knights. We are still kids, so we couldn't really buy the food, but we could at least pay for it in other ways.

For each bad deed we made, we would make a good deed. If we stole from somepony, we would help somepony else. For yesterday's lunch, we helped a old lady carry her groceries home. We had already stolen food for the day, but she still gave each of us an apple. It wasn't exactly a good way to live, but it was the way we choose to. Even if the merchants hated us, the rest of the town still spoke well of us.

"The streets are getting a bit crowded, hop on." Lightning lowered himself to the ground, so I could get on his back.

"Are you sure? I'm getting a bit heavy for that."

"Nah, I can totally handle it. Hop on, we can get a better look from the roofs." He flapped his wings once, to prove a point.

"If you say so..." I got on his back, and soon enough he landed on a nearby roof.

"Phew, maybe you're right. You ARE getting heavy." He grinned.

"Watch it!" I playfully jabbed him on the shoulder. "You don't make fun of a ladies weight." He hopped a few steps ahead.

"A lady? Where? I can't see one." He landed on top of me, well not really 'landed'. More like put two hooves on my back just to annoy me. He was still flapping his wings to keep his weight off.

"Yeah, yeah. You know I'll get you for that, right?" I kept walking, jumping the occasional gap that appeared in between houses.

"Sure I do. But not right now at least."

He shot me a raspberry and started flying faster, so I ran after him. After a little while he stopped ahead of me, peering his head into an alley. He motioned me to come closer, and to keep quiet. Once I got beside him, I knew what he meant.

There was a grey pegasus colt with a white mane, roughly the same age as us I bet, being cornered by three bullies. He looked a bit bruised and his mane was disheveled, provably from a fight with those three. He's strong, one of the bullies was in the same shape has him, but since one of them had a switchblade in his mouth, and the other a bat. He's not going to last much longer.

"What do we do?" I asked Lightning, his expression was serious.

"We help him of course." He didn't even flinch. He was way to determined to do so.

"But it's dangerous, REALLY dangerous."

"Yeah, but we can't just leave him." He started flexing his wings and focused on the bullies. I know that face, he's making a plan. Trying to come up with a way to help that colt.

"What do you want me to do?" He smiled.

"Do you see that trash can, and that ledge?" He pointed behind the colt. There was a tall can, tall enough that I could get down there on my own.

"Yeah, I see it."

"I want you to get near the edge, and look tough. I'll go down there, and do the same." I get it, we will scare them away.

"Roger that!"

Lightning jumped down, landing on the head of one bully, the one with the bat. Then, he quickly got in front of the colt and flared open his wings.

"Hey! Get out of here or I'll have to get serious!" The bully he hit, shook his head and growled.

"Oh yeah!? You and what army!? That's my queue... I went to the ledge, and looked tough. The bully laughed.

"That's not an army!" Lightning took a step forward.

"She isn't." He slammed his muzzle against the bully's. "But I am!" They all took a step backwards.

It's working!

"Get out of here before I get mad!" They looked scared, but then they looked at each other in an unnerving way.

"Mad?" The one with the switchblade said. "It look's like you're the 'mad' one, getting into a fight unarmed." They gave a step towards Light. But he didn't even flinch, like he was expecting that to happen. He gave a loud chuckle.

"Hey dude?" He addressed the colt. "Can you still fight?" That colt gave a grin, and went beside him, limping.

"Of course, I'm not weak." Wow, he's brave!

The bullies gave another step back. Clearly scared of a guy that fought the three of them, and one that isn't scared of their weapons. I jumped down, to add to the fear-factor. Now it was the three of us against three of them. Everything was going according to plan, until...

*COUGH*

The colt fell to the floor, coughing blood. He still tried to get up, but the coughing got worse.

"Well, well, well... Looks like it's three on two now." The colt with the bat stepped forward.

"No, it's three on one, and you're still outnumbered." Lightning got in front of us. The colt coughed again.

"No, I can sti-" He coughed up a bit more blood. I went to support him, and he stained my white coat with red.

"Dude, you need to learn when to quit." Lightning laughed. "Just like these guys." He flapped his wings once, creating a gust in the alley.

The injured bully ran away, but the others didn't even acknowledge him.

"You're acting tough, but I bet you never got cut in your life." He sneered, getting closer to us. I took a few steps back, still supporting the colt as he coughed. Lightning took a step towards them.

"You're right." He headbutted the bat wielding bully. "I'm that good." They kept their heads joined by the forehead, I could see a small trickle of blood running down his forehead and a drop hit the floor.

I've never been so scared in all my life.

While Lightning was staring down one bully, the one with the blade ran towards him and pierced him on the sides, below his left wing. As I heard Lightning scream and fall to the floor, I paralyzed. I could see the blood on the knife, I could see the shocked look on both of the bullies faces, and I could hear Light grunting with pain.

He was getting up, flapping his right wing and holding the left one against the wound. He glared at those ponies and looked at me.

"Run..." He whispered, I was still paralyzed.

"DUDE! The hay did you do!" Mouthed the one with the bat. The other pony dropped the knife.

"I- I- I- I don't know! Hit him before he get's up!" The one with the bath turned his head, and swung at full speed.

Lightning was able to lift a foreleg to stop the blow, but it still hit him in the head with enough strength to knock him out. Those two ponies ran away, and I fell to the floor. I went towards him and started crying, shaking his body, trying to wake him up.

"Please, please, please, please..." Was the only thing I said for a long time. I kept shaking, Light's coat was now soaking wet with his blood and my tears. "Not you too. Please, please, please..."

*SLAP*

"Get a hold of yourself!" That colt slapped me, I just looked into his eyes. They were golden, confident, warm... Beautiful...

"We need to get him to my Grandpa, and fast, but you're the only one who can carry him!" He coughed once, and slipped Lightning's foreleg on top of me.

"B- But..."

*SLAP*

"But nothing!" He slapped me again. "Do you want him to die!?"

I shook myself, and put Lightning on my back.

"Lead the way." I said. He smiled and started to gallop, I went after him.

[2 Days later]

"How is he?" Sparrow asked me.

Sparrow. The colt we saved, he's been with me ever since Light got hurt. And I never left Light's bedside.

We were at his home, a small manor. His grandpa managed to bandage Lightning's wound, and said that when he woke up, he would be as good as new. Except for a new scar under his wing, the blow to the head wasn't even strong enough to give him a concussion.

"He's fine..." I dryly said. I wasn't in the mood for... anything really.

"And you?" He sat beside me.

"Fine... I guess..."

"Did you eat anything today?" He asked, full of concern.

"I'm not hungry..." I wasn't hungry yesterday, why would I be today?

"Ya sure? I made some apple pie."

"No thanks..." He sighed, and went back to his grandpa. He was near the stairs.

Sparrow's grandpa was an old earth pony stallion named Mentore, a former captain of the guard by what he told me. That's why he had this nice place. He taught me how to take care of Lightning. Since the first day, I've been the one to change his bandages, to give him water, basically everything. I just didn't want to feel useless, this was all my fault in the first place.

If he didn't have to protect me, he would still be... I started crying again.

"Suns-" Sparrow started, but Mentore put a hoof on his shoulder to stop him.

"Let her be. Such pain shouldn't be kept inside." He gave a warm smile at his grandson.

"Yeah, I know..." Sparrow hanged his head. But Mentore ruffled his mane.

"How are those ribs son?" Sparrow looked down to his bandages and gave a dismissing wave.

"Don't worry, ribs grow back."

They both chuckled a bit. But I didn't notice through my sobs.

"Hey... What's so funny?"

I gasped, I couldn't believe it. Lightning talked!

"L- Lightning?" I opened my eyes, and there he was, with the same stupid grin on his face.

"Hey Sunshine. You look terrible." He laughed

I hugged him and started crying again, this time out of joy.

"Hey now, I never broke a promise, right?" He rubbed my back while I cried.

"I- I thought I- I'd lost you!" I hugged him tighter.

"Too... Tight!" He gasped for air.

"Oh! S-sorry." I sniffed, and cleaned my muzzle.

We were both there, grinning like idiots, but this time he was the one to hug me first.

For the longest time ever...

"You know I'll never leave you, I'll always be there to protect you." He nuzzled me.

"And I'll always be there, to take care of you." I nuzzled him back.

A white glow filled the room, but I didn't care. I already had all, that I could ever need.

Sparrow was smiling, happy that everything turned out alright.

Also, to have witnessed the appearance of not one, but two cutie marks.

"You know Sparrow, I expect great things from those two." Mentore said.

They both looked at each other and Mentore pat him on the head.

"And from you too sonny. You wouldn't want your new brothers to beat you, right?

End of Chapter 20

I already gave you Trixie's, now it's their turn.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Now for the Hype. *Ahem*

It's great that they have a new family and all.

But what connection does this have to do with... anything else basically!?

Find out in the next chapter of...

Will of Fire!