The Princess's Hero

by The One Hammer

Punishment (edited)

Hospital rooms, sterile white, plain rooms usually meant for recovery and healing. The slow and weak ping of a once strong and steady heart echoed from the heart monitor, that was hooked up to a stallion. The gray stallion with a blue mane, once the example of healthy, now he fought for breath as he lay hidden under a blanket.

The door creeped open letting a brown colt to poke his head in.
"Dad?" The stallion's ear twitched.

Bleep, Bleep.

"Craft?" The stallion weakly turned his head. "Craft, come here." He croaked. "I need to tell you something."

"Ok, dad," The younger craft slowly made his way to the bed." Ya?" His father chuckled.

Bleep, Bleep.

"Always willing to listen, never stop that," the stallion said with a smile. "Craft, you're going to be put in a tough spot here shortly."

"Why?" Craft asked, fear rising into his heart.

Bleep, Bleep.

"I'm not going to be able to help you this time," The stallion put a hoof on his son's head. "You're going to have to take care of yourself."

"Where are you going?" Tears started welling up in both of their eyes.

Bleep, Bleep.

"I-I'm sorry, but I'm g-going to meet your mom," The stallion did his best to keep from crying. "You need to build a better world."

"W-wha?"

"Build a better world, Craft."

"Why?"

"Because dark times are coming, only a hammer can build a strong hold. It placeses reinforcements… and fasteners to hold things… together," The stallion started coughing, the heart monitor became erratic. "They… work the forge… they break down…blocking things… t-they're fast… hit hard…" doctors and nurses rushed in to the room.

Bleedeep, Bleedeep.

"Dad!"

"Get the colt out of here!"

Bleedeep, Bleedeep.

"Got it!" A nurse grabbed Craft and tried to drag him out.

Bleedeep, Bleedeep.

"No! Let me go!" Craft cried, kicking and screaming he was pulled away from his father. "Dad! Daaad! Daaaaddieee!"

Bleedeep, Bleedeep.

____________________________________

"Dad!" Craft woke his heart racing, his breath erratic, his fur damp, his eyes wet. Looking around he saw that he was still in his room in the castle suite. Craft swallowed. "Haven't had that one in a while."

RING! RING! RING!

"HOLY–!" Craft fell off the edge of his bed and landed on his face. "Ow." Slowly he peeked over his bed at what had spooked him, then glared at his alarm clock. "Shut-up."

____________________________________

9:39AM

Celestia sat in her throne to her side was her scribe, ginger unicorn mare. Celestia sat glaring down upon the brown stallion, who has been bowing for the last five minutes.

"Rise." Craft did as commanded but remained respectful. "So you can do what you're ordered to do."

Craft stayed silent, not wanting to blow what could be exactly what he wanted. Then again it could be the worst punishment he had ever faced, the last one crossed Craft's mind during his prolonged bow.

"Craft Hammer," The princess spoke as if she was a judge, and that's exactly what she was at this moment. "You have, even after I have told you not to on numerous occasions, participated in training with the royal guard using a forged letter with my signature, every time." Princess Celestia stood and descended the steps to her throne. "If you want to be a guard so badly," Celestia lowered her head to look Craft in the eyes, it took everything he had not to piss himself. "Then that's what you get." Celestia rose back to her full height. "Tomorrow You will be the personal guard to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, as she meets with the coyotes of the south."

Craft stood frozen with shock. On the one hoof he had gotten exactly what he wanted, the chance to protect and serve. On the other hoof it was her, the love princess, not only can she manipulate the emotions of others into falling in love. She tried to do the same to him.

"Captain Edge will be briefing you on this assignment," Celestia sat back down in her throne. "Dismissed." The princess watched as Craft left in a daze.

"Hopefully this will bore him enough to scare him off."

"What if it doesn't your highness?" The royal scribe asked.

"Then he may just be another guard, Inkwell"

____________________________________

Captain Razer Edge had seen many things in her life, more than most ponies, being the captain of the guard made sure of that. This was not one of them, what the older mare was expecting was a stallion, a big one at that, not this colt, who needed to hit a growth spurt, sitting across from her.

"You're kidding, right?" The yellow mare had to look down at Craft.

"No mam," Craft stood at attention just like he was trained to.

"The princess sent a colt to guard her niece."

"Yes," Craft' eye twitched as he held back his anger. "…Mam."

"Very well, do you have training?" Razer asked with a sumg grin .

"Yes I do," Craft answered with a sumg grin of his own. "Hammer, Craft T."

"You?!" The shock clearly evident on Razer's face. "You're the teenager that has been forging Celestia's signature to train with the guard!?"

"Um, Yes?" Craft sank back from the captain.