//------------------------------// // Battle Scars And Cooties // Story: Star-Crossed School Days // by mechafone //------------------------------// Spark Storm and Cheerilee walked through Ponyville together in the evening cool. Once Rarity had returned, she instructed the whole class (minus Mint and River) on how to get to Sapphire's home. After walking silently for the first five minutes, Cheerilee nudged Spark in the side to get his attention. He looked at her sideways, intent on keeping his black eye hidden from her for as long as possible. "You don't have to hide that, you know," she said with a large, lop-sided grin. "Mom's gonna let you have it for fighting, but...you did a good thing." Spark looked at her in surprise, temporarily forgetting to hide his shiner. Cheerilee nodded to confirm the question in his eyes. "That little brat's been a troublemaker this week, and he's probably not going to back off. It's always good to establish early that bullying is -not- going to be tolerated." Spark Storm blinked, and smiled thoughtfully. Out of the blue, his sister bonked him over the top of his head. "But it is -not- okay to fight!" Spark Storm groaned and stopped in his tracks, rubbing his head. "Ok, ok, I'll try not to fight anymore!" The door opened and a tall, white Pegasus mare poked her head out to look down at the two children. They were about to introduce themselves when her face lit up with recognition. "Oh! It's you two! Please, won't you come inside?" Spark stood there in confusion, while Cheerilee looked skeptical. "How do you know who are are, ma'am?" The mare smiled warmly at them and stood aside for them to enter. "My daugher told me what you did, Spark Storm. And Cheerilee, she told me how you said she was welcome in your home. Any friends of my daughter are welcome in our home." This cleared up the confusion. Cheerilee bowed her head respectfully, then poked Spark Storm until he did the same. "Thank you very much, ma'am." Cheerilee walked in first, followed by Spark. After the older mare closed the door, she turned to her guests. Sapphire's house was of moderate size, but tastefully decorated. Rarity probably had felt at home here. "I'm sure Sapphire would love to see you both. Why don't you go see her? You'll find her at the end of the hall, last door on the right. Go on, now. I'll fix you all a snack." The siblings followed the instructions to a door that was quite possibly the most girly door that Spark Storm had ever seen. The door had a fabric covering that resembled Sapphire's gorgeous hair. Cheerilee smirked down at her little brother. Four though he was, she knew he was smitten. Crushes were adorable at that age. She reached up to knock, the sound muted through the door covering. "Come in!" Cheerilee opened the door and held it open for Spark. What he saw inside was -not- what he expected. There were posters everywhere, many of ponies dancing. Graceful figures, posters of beauty defined. That he'd expected. What he hadn't expected is that half of these posters were of ponies fighting. Grappling, advanced throwing techniques being performed, and even a poster or two of ponies throwing down in a good old fashioned street fight. And there, on the narrow, frilly bed before them, sat Sapphire Snow. She smiled a big, pretty smile as she beckoned them closer with a hoof. "Hey. Shut the door." She said. She was lying on her stomach with her hind legs tucked under her for support. Her flank was wrapped up in bandages, with her elegant blue tail poking out at an odd angle. "Looks like you guys are just in time to see my battle scar!" She said almost proudly. Well, pretty proudly. Spark arched a brow in question. "What do you mean? That wasn't a battle, it was a mean, cruel prank!" Sapphire's eyes softened just a bit at the indignity in her new friend's voice. "Yeah, well, I see you've got a nice battle scar. A -real- one." Spark blushed, and idly touched a hoof under his bruised eye. "Yeah, well...You should see the other guys." Sapphire let out a barking laugh that belonged in a drunken bar. Cheerilee and Spark both wondered how much of her was girly and much of her was brawler. "Spark Storm, you're gonna be ok. Even without me for a week." The dark Pegasus blanched visibly. It would take her a week to get better? What would he do without her to...No. He took in a long, deep breath and let it out loudly through his nose and stood as tall as he could. Sapphire watched him do this with utter amusement on her face. "All right, that's fine. You better get back into school soon if you want any chance of getting back at those two before I do." Sapphire grinned madly at this, then winked at Cheerilee. "I knew I liked your brother. And I think he likes me, too." She said with a wink and batted her eyelashes at Spark. He abruptly left the house, screaming something about mare cooties. River slipped into the mansion around 7pm. The home was deadly quiet, the only noise the steady tocks of the many grandfather clocks littered about the vast hallways. He knew he'd missed his chance with his brother, because his personal carriage was gone. He'd been scheduled to head back to Canterlot the next day and spend the evening with River, but... River stood staring at the wall of his bedroom. It was a massive room. A huge work desk that would accomodate it's own buffet, a bed could fit five full-grown ponies comfortably, a wardrobe so full that Flash Picture would be envious. He literally had anything that any growing colt could ask for. But all River wanted was three hours to catch up and play with his brother. Was that so much to ask? Did he have to always be denied what he really wanted? It wasn't much, but it seemed that no matter how many times he reached for something a little more than what he was given, he was slapped down and told not to be greedy. It just wasn't fair...