I wake up by Ember dragging the curtains aside and saying. "Wakey Wakey, it's time for breakfast. And then we will go to the hospital for Wish."
I may be many things, and morning person is not one of them. But even though i wanted to stay in bed i went up and was about to put on my pants, and once again realised that i didn't have anything like that with me, not that i needed it though.
"Do you need help changing your bandages?", she asked and nodded at my loosened wrappings.
"Um, no thank you. I'll do it my self if you don't mind."
"Of course not. I'll see you at breakfast."
*Phew.* I went to the bathroom to changed the unneeded bandages and to wash of my face, and then straight down stairs to the kitchen where i was warmly greeted by Flapping and Ember.
"Good morning Grand.", Flapping said and looked over his newspaper."You had a good night sleep? Toast?"
"Good morning, yes, and yes, please."
"Honey, some toast.", he said to Ember and returned to reading his newspaper.
Her horn started to glow and two pieces of bread flew up in the air and was struck by a firebolt each, then as quick as lightning a butter knife flew through the air and smeared it's butter on the toast, they later landed neatly on a plate in front of me.
"Wow.", I said and clopped my hooves.
"That was nothing.", Ember bragged. "You should see one of our shows."
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"Can we go now?", the golden brown mare impatiently said to doctor Stable.
"I need to do some standard tests first before I Can let you go, or more precisely, roll.", he said as he examined her grayish blue eyes.
"Roll?"
"In this.",he said and showed Wish her wheelchair.
"No way! I am not going to sit on that."
Young lady, two of your ribs on your left rib cage are broken. You are not walking on all four for at least three more days."
"How long will it take for her wing to heal?", Flapping asked nervously.
"Two weeks until it's healed. But I don't want her flying on it for three."
"Three weeks!", Wish and Flapping yelled in unison.
"At least.", The doctor added.
"But doctor. We are performing at the grand galloping gala in two weeks. Is there any way that she could be able to do it?"
"If you don't want to risk your daughter's health I advise you not to."
The room suddenly got quiet, and the Fire wing family looked at each other with sad eyes and had to accept the bad news.
"I'm ready to roll out now.", Wish said depressingly.
"I'm very sorry about this, i wish i could do something more but.."
"I said I am ready to go.", Wish interrupted.
"Ok.", the doctor said and helped her on to the wheelchair. Flapping took his place behind the chair and started to push.
"Bye doc, thank you that you did what you could.", Wish said a bit softer than before.
"No worries. I bet you will get a chance next year again, right?."
"Yes, probably.", Flapping answered.
But i could see what they all were thinking. Not at the Grand galloping gala we're not. We were quiet as we went out of the hospital and after a long walk of gloominess Ember spoke some warming words.
"Well, what if we cannot attend at the gala? We still are very much alive, and we have each other. Opportunities like this come and goes, but a family sustains, and thank to this colt we are able to enjoy this time together, even if it looks a bit grim."
I knew i should have kept my mouth closed, but seeing the family like this made me say it anyhow.
"I can take Wishes place if you want?"
Flapping and Ember both stopped at the same time, and all three looked at me in shock.
"I mean...", I started but got interrupted by Ember.
"You would do that for us?!"
"Well.. yes, I..." I did not get any longer before she embraced me.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you. Celestia as my witness when i say that you have done more than enough for us already, if you do this for us you should be sainted."
I had lit a hope in each of them and i did not want to put it out, so I agreed. They all shined at me and laughed in relief, and for the first time wish did so to. She had such a beautiful smile, even if it was a somewhat vague one.
"I will need some help though.", I said. "I dont know youre routine, and I'm not that good of a flyer."
"Not that good of a flyer?!", flapping exclaimed aghast. "Then how do you explain how you took care of that worgen hu? I think you are way better than you think you are. And don't you worry about our routine. Wish will train you.", he said lightly like there was not a care in the world anymore.
When Wish heard what he said about her teaching me she first looked at her knowing father with murderous eyes, and then she looked at me for a few seconds, and then turning her head straight forward to sulk.
For some reason she didn't like me. I think she didn't trust me, i just didn't know why?
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once we were home Ember decided that she should go and do some more shopping, then make some lunch and said that it should take a while and that me and Wish should take this opportunity to get to know each other and talk about the routine.
Whish did not protest when i went behind the wheelchair, although i knew she would have loved to, and we went back outside once again as I steered of somewhere randomly.
After a few minutes of silence she pointed at a direction that led us out of town and said.
"Go that way."
I did as she said and soon we were at some grass covered fields next to the everfree forest which was perfect for anything from a picnic to a outdoor summer party, I highly doubted we were going to have any of them.
"Show me what you got, hero.", she said in a playful tone with just a hint of sarcasm.
"Show you what?", i asked confused.
"Your gardening skills, what do you think?", she said and pointed at the sky.
"Oh.", I blushed. "Um, I don't know if that is such a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Well, because... Um?.."
"Just fly."
I did what she asked of me and tried with a running start... It did not go well.
I jumped through the air and flapped my wings frenetic to stay airborne. I was slowly rising and was soon above the trees and i thought to myself. *This didn't go to bad.*
I thought to soon. My head was leaning a bit to much towards the ground and before I knew it I was upside down, just like Rainbow dash in the poison joke episode. I panicked and tried to navigate through the air, but it was no use. I flew in none and all directions and then hit the ground with a loud bang.
".....? If you are trying to be funny...", Wish said "it's not working that well. Come on, show me what you got!"
I tried, and tried, and tried for about fifteen minutes until Wish finally said it.
"You're not joking, are you?"
"No.", I spat out together with some dirt from my latest crash.
She looked at me with shock and surprise engraved in her face.
"How is that possible? Just yesterday you were one of the best flyer I've ever seen."
"Yeah, that was kind of a special occasion for me."
"Special occasion?!!", she yelled, and did something i never seen or heard a pony do. She cursed... A lot.
I watched, hypnotized at her while she cursed all throughout the english vocabulary at least four times, altogether with some special Equestrian ones. She keeps on going for a good while as she stoops a few times to yell something inaudible at me.
When she's just about to tell me that I am a disgrace to the Pegasus race I see a shadow moving, just almost out of my gaze.
I turned and reacted just as I did yesterday when I saw the Worgen running out of the forest towards us. I darted through the air and circled around the Worgen who took a battle stance to show that he was ready for me. After a few laps I noticed blood on the top of it's head and I figured that it was the same Worgen.
*So you just got knocked out, hu?*
This time I didn't have the element of surprice with me, and that was a huge disadvantage. But the Worgen was a bit unsure. It looked like it hadn't counted on my quick reaction and it was really on it's guard.
We measured each other and waited for the other to do the first move.
The Worgen took a chance and swooped with its huge right paw that I easily avoided with a barrel roll and then striked upwards, aiming at its chin. I missed. But I kept on climbing a few meters and then fell with all my weight downwards, pretending to aim at the top of its head again. I must have convinced it, as it backed a few steps with its paws above its head. When i was about two meters from the ground, I spread my wings and leaned them upwards to do an upwards loop. It worked just as i planned, and i hit the Worgen in the face and heard the sound of cartilage and some bone break. It was not enough to fell it to the ground, but it was enough to make another opening as it grabbed its face, bent forward and whimpered. I landed in front of the beast, turned about, stood fast and kicked as hard i could on its chest with my hind hooves.
It fell hard on the ground and was now whimpering worse than ever. with a breath that sounded like a bagpipe full of holes.
*I must have punctured a lung*, I thought and approached it carefully.
As I reached the Worgen i could see that i had completely bashed its wolfish face and chest. Its eyes found mine and with a weak voice it said with a growling and gurgling sound.
"Me am dying.", It said sounding really surprised, like it was not even on its maybe list of things that could happen today.
"Yes.", I said a bit down.
"You... defeated me...two times??"
"...Yes."
It growled a few times on what seemed to be the Worgain language and then said.
"Come here...pony."
I neared the fallen beast with even greater care than before.
"Me am not...", It started after some time of silence but then started to cough up blood. "Me am not happy to do this pony. But It is one of our...What is it called?", it wondered and coughed again. "Customs, to give our greatest...owning to who ever that is able to defeat a Worgorg warrior more than one time. According to my peoples... rules me must give you this,", he said and took of a steel bracelet from his wrist and reached it to me. "if not me will not rest well in my Rorin Wragh, my forever sleep." It coughed up some more blood and said. "Take it." And locked it around my right hoof. "And use it,", it coughed. "more... wisely than i did."
The Worgen took a deep breath and yelled as loud it could with its wounded lungs
"Worgorg grorar erg Worgar!"
It took another deep breath and howled untill its voice was reduced to a sigh, and was then breathing no more.
I thought that i would feel regret or sadness after killing it, killing a living thing, but an unexplainable calm was going through my body like a warm liquid. This was no tragedy. I had all right to kill it. If not it would have killed me, then Wish and then it would keep on harming others. By knowing that I could strangely enough forgive myself, and after sending a small, quiet prayer to whoever that listened, I turned around to face Wish, who was stunned and said one thing, and one thing only.
"I knew you were joking."
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Nothing happened on our way back, except for a few ponies glaring at us through the town, but I was getting used to it so I paid it no attention. I had asked Wish before we went back if we should go to the mayor .
"No.", she had answered. "First we will have to tell my parents, and then they can talk to the mayor."
I had just nodded and done what she said, and now we were home.
"Are you home already?!", We heard Ember yell from the kitchen. "I've not even started on the lunch yet,", she began and walked out the hall to greet us. "I thought...? Oh Celestia Grand! What happened?! Your hooves are stained with blood!"
I looked down, and she was right. My hooves were dyed red by the fallen Worgens blood. I was amazed on how much the Hub had sugar coated the real world of Equestria. There were blood and death and real fights. I had eaven seen a unicorn carrying a real sword on our way back, with an edge and everything. But the show was originally for little girls so I guess that they couldnt show it eaven if they knew how it was.
"A Worgen.", Wish answered for me.
"Another one?!", Ember exclaimed.
"What did they say?!", Flapping shouted from the living room, and then galloped to Embers side. "Were you attacked by another one?!"
""No, it was the same one.", I answered. "And i killed it, this time for sure."
They both shared a worried look and as they turned back their eyes to us Ember said unvoiced.
"For now you will take a bath,", she pointed at me."you will go and lay down.",she nodded at Wish. "In half an hour we shall sit down for some lunch and you will both tell me what happened."
A bath and a delicious silent meal with no sound except for my voice explaining in detail what had happened later, we sat in total silence, as Ember and Flapping were thinking with their faces dead serious .
"This was really unsettling.", Flapping said. "It looks like the Worgens are getting braver and more stubborn. We have to talk with the mayor tonight at the party, and sort out this mess."
"What was that bracelet it gave you?", Ember asked and looked at me with her horn glowing.
"I don't know. He yu..." I didn't get the chance to finish until the bracelet, together with my hoof floated through the air towards Ember.
"I've never seen anything like it.",she murmured as she watched the wide and thick steel jewelry, witch was full of different kinds of celtic like knots and onyx stones, and what was the weirdest of all was that it was enclosed and didnt have a lock of any kind. "Can you take it off?", she asked as she let go of her magic.
"I don't think so.", I said and tried once again to remove it with no luck.
"You watch out for that jewelry.", Ember warned. "For what we know it may be cursed."
"I will watch out.", I promised. Still I didn't believe that so wasn't the case. strangely I Trusted the Worgen, and I didn't believe that his greatest possession would be cursed.
"Good.", she said and looked a bit less worried. "Now let's take it easy a few hours, then go to the party and don't let anyone know about the second attack until the major mayor decides to brake it to the town."
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BANG!!! "Congratulations!", Pinkie yells as she had fired her party canon. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, where is that Grand guy?"
It looks like Twilight either hadn't catched up with Pinkie pie, or more likely, Pinkie had just been Pinkie pie and hadn't listened.
"Actually, I'm grand.", I explained.
"You are?!", she exclaimed with a classical surprised Pinkie, face with her chin almost to the ground.
"Yes.", I laughed.
Aw, and here i prepared a double party for nothing... Wait a minute! Applejack!" she said and turned around to Applejack. "When is your birthday?"
"Not in another three months i reckon, why do you ask?"
"That's close enough. Hey everypony! It's Grands welcome and thank you for saving the Fierwing family party, and Applejacks birthday party!!"
"But Pinie.", Applejack protested, but was too late as Pinkie pie was already out to spread the word. "God dang it Pinkie!", she sighed. "Oh, hi ya there.", she said as she turned to me. "I'm Applejack if you didn't know, and of course i know who you are Mr Shield. Here, have a mug of sweet apple acres apple cider. A real drink for a real hero."
"Thank you." I said and took the mug she had reached me. "and please, call me Grand."
I took a sip from the container and two thoughts ran through my head. *Delicious*, and. *Alcohol?*
It was just as good as they said it would be in the series, maybe even better. But the alcohol took me by surprise. It made me think about how other things were different compared to the show.
"This is fantastic.", I told Applejack. "It's even better than i've heard."
"You've heard about Sweet apple acres?",she asked.
"Of course. Your apples are supposed to be the best in all of Equestria."
"That's true.", she said as she laughed and blushed. "I'm glad you liked it. Now if you excuse me, I've got to... um?... Go and get some more apple tarts, there starting to run out."
I looked at one of the tables which were full of apple tarts, then returned my gaze to were Applejack were for about a second ago but not any longer.
"You kids should mingle, while Flapping and I talk to the mayor.", Ember said and hurried towards Major Mare.
Wish who now could maneuver the wheelchair by her self quickly rolled out of my presence. I was really confused to why she didn't like me, but I decided to let it go for now and just enjoy the outdoors party that took all of the place in the town square where the whole town were invited. I looked around the square and let the whole scenery with it's bright colors and happy music sink in.
"Oh dear!", I heard a ladylike voice say in slight dislike. "No, no, no, no no. This won't do!", The mare who could be none other than Rarity said to me after I had turned around to face her.
"Is something wrong, my lady?", I asked.
"Oh something's wrong alright." She stomped her front hoof. "You are supposed to be the guest of honor, and here you are, being outshined by moi.", she said and pointed at her self.
She were dressed in a white summer dress with bright blue details and a wide white hat, wich was mainly the reason i had called her lady, because she clearly looked like one.
"I won't feel right if I don't do something about it. Luckily I always have a sewing kit with me in case of emergency.", somewhere, probably from the thin air, she grabbed a colorful bag whit her horn, and a folding screen popped up blocking others views.
She worked her magic and I watched helplessly mesmerized until she was done not even a minute after. I was dressed in a black ceremonial militaryl coat with silver buttons, a white shirt, and a band with Equestrias colors going from my left shoulder across my chest, and the icing on the cake was the silver and sapphire shield that crowned my chest. she took my mane and made a ponytail, and then walked back a few steps to look at her work.
"You look absolutely smashing.", she said with sparkling eyes as she packed away all her things. "What do you think?", Rarity asked, and a mirror appeared in front of me.
"I think you did a wonderful work miss Rarity. Thank you."
"You know who I am?", she asked hopefuly.
"Of course, I've seen your works many times.", *From a computer screen that is, but it still counts.*
"Oh, so nice to hear. It's always good to meet a pony with taste of fashion." j
"Not as good as yours I presume.", I said with a smile.
"Oh, i don't know about that.", she laughed and blushed.
"Yea, yea.", Spike said and came out of nowhere and pushed Rarity away from me. "You both know alot about fashion, now let's go. We were supposed to help pinkie and the others with the surprise, remember."
"Oh, that's right. Thank you spikie wikie for reminding me. Um, I'll see you later mr Shield."
"See you later miss Rarity, and thank you once again."
"You're very welcome."
The evening was moving towards night, and it had been full of mares and colts shaking my hoof, foals and fillies gaping and telling me that when they grow up they wanted to be just like me.
I was not used to this kind of attention, and to put it lightly, it made me a little uncomfortable. Luckily i used to be a actor, so it was easy to hide my unease.
"Everypony! Can I get your attention!", mayor Mare uttered from a improvised stage. "Thank you.", she said. "Now if I may ask Grand Shield to enter the stage."
Now this was not quite what I had expected, and for the first time in my life in my life i had stage fright. I cursed a silent helvete, in Swedish, and thought.
*Goddamnit Mikael, you've entered the stage thousands of times before, just go up there and smile and maybe wave a little then go back down again, it's that simple.*
I was still a bit scared, but i forced myself on the scene where i summoned all the strength i had, to keep my body from shaking and for my smile to stay on.
"As some of you may have heard there was another attack by a worgen this day,",The mayor spoke through a megaphone "and it was attempting once again to take wishes, and Grands life. But also he, once again saved the day, and slayed the beast, thus saved more than one life, but countless others to come, and for this, and the heroic act before that we will honor him with the best I as mayor can grant him." She waved with a hoof and the drapes behind us was pulled aside.
In this moment I was considering if these ponies was insane or not. Because what was behind it was the mane six standing next to a ten feet long bronse statue of me standing strong and proud in the same outfit as I was in now.
Everypony applauded and whistled and then Pinkie pie was standing next to me shouting.
"Woo! What a party, congratulations Grand, and happy birthday Applejack!"
God dangit Pinkie, It's not ma birthday.