//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9 
// Story: Blazing Wings 
// by FriscoPony 
//------------------------------//

2 days passed for Hurricane and Winter Chaser to get back to their senses after the great plummet. Comet kept wanting to visit hurricane both of those days but due to the nature of the incident, they were locked up in the infirmary and they were guarded 24/7. Neither of their bones was broken impressively, and they were both recovering rather well. Hurricane was the first to awaken 2 days later, and he immediately crawled over to Winter Chaser with whatever strength he had left in him. When he finally reached Winter Chaser’s hospital rack, he stared him down with a death look in his eyes as Winter continued to sleep.
“You,” he said raising his hooves. Then one after another, he began punching him, once, then again, then another, then another soon followed. Winter awoke with a start. “You ASSHOLE! YOU LITTLE BASTARD!” Hurricane then began strangling him with both of his hooves as tears filled his eyes. Suddenly the punches stopped as tears began to fill winters eyes as well.
“Hurricane, I-“
“Why Winter,” said Hurricane, “why did you say yes to him…why?”
Winter then turned away, “I was tired of being the sidekick, I wanted to lead, I just wanted to be as good as you if not better…I wasn’t thinking…
“Why didn’t you say anything?” said Hurricane.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t want to be my friend anymore…” Winter replied.
Hurricane smiled and hugged his friend. “I’m the one who should be sorry, we need to stick together, whatever the weather right?”
“Right,” said Winter with a smile. “Friends?”
“Friends,” said Hurricane.
In their emotional make-up, Stonewall stood in the corner. “Now that you two lovers are done making up,” he said with a growl in his voice, “You both have a date with the commanders.”
~~~
“According to your records,” said Ace looking at the recommendations from Coach Sky, “you both work better when you are together.”
Hurricane and Winter Chaser stood emotionless in their bandages, determined not to get themselves into more trouble than what they already were.
Ace then got up from his desk, while Stonewall and Blazing Sky stayed behind the desk and watched. Ace walked closer and closer until he stood eye to eye with Hurricane and Winter Chaser, the closeness between the three was less than a stack of fresh printing paper. You could tell by the disgust in his eyes that he was very angry.
“So if you both work together so well, then why the hell did you almost get both of yourselves killed, 2 DAYS AGO!” he said. “I want an explanation, now. I don’t care who speaks up, I don’t care who says what, if nothing is said, I’ll have both of your sorry flanks sent back to where you came from. So I suggest someone starts-“
“Permission to speak sir,” said Winter. 
“Granted Cadet Winter,” he said.
“Sir,” he began trying to organize his thoughts, “I was hired by a respected member of the royal guard to sabotage Hurricane’s chances at possibly moving further into his training here at the Academy. I did it out of envy sir.”
Hurricane was shocked that Winter would speak out against himself for him. He couldn’t believe it. He owed him big time. Ace walked over in front of Winter, and was now concerned, and interested. Even Stonewall and Blazing Sky couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“Is this true Cadet?” asked Ace.
“Yes sir,” he said. “Storm Sky recruited me to do this sir.”
Now Ace was baffled.
“Storm Sky is my father sir,” said Hurricane interrupting. “He never wanted me to join the air brigade, but rather he wanted me to join the Royal Guard sir. He never really was proud of me after that.”
Ace then sympathized with the two stallions. “Well what you  both did is wrong, but unfortunately we do have a scandal that is going on right now, so your punishment will be night guard duty for about a week, after that week is up I will contact Shining Armor to get this all sorted out. You are dismissed.”
“Thank you sir,” they both said, and then they left his office.
“What do we do now sir?” asked Stonewall.
“Now we wait, and hope that nothing else happens,” said Ace returning to his papers. “You both are dismissed as well.”
“Yes Sir.”
~~~
“Hurricane!” said Comet quickly getting up and hugging him. “Thank Celestia you’re ok.”
“I’m glad to see you too Comet,” he said hugging her back.
Comet then looked back at him, with Hurricane looking directly at her eye to eye as if they were about to share a kiss, but then they had a reminder of where they truly were.
“Well what do we have here?” said Spitfire walking over to the three. 
“Commander Spitfire,” said Hurricane letting go of Comet and quickly saluting. 
Spitfire laughed. “At ease Cadet,” she said. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I heard about what happened. You both have shown bravery in times of pressure, which I can tell you both I rarely see at the Wonderbolt Academy as well as here. Therefore, I find it appropriate to both commend you both with a minor promotion from cadet to cadet first class. Congratulations.” She then saluted the two newly promoted stallions. Winter and hurricane saluted back.
“Thank you commander Spitfire,” said Hurricane.
Spitfire smiled, “You are welcome, but last I checked your punishment starts in about a half hour,” she said sliding her shades back on. “Now go get in position! NOW!”
“Yes Ma’am!” they said getting their uniform’s ready for the night watch.
“Very good,” she said. “You’re dismissed.” With that, she returned back to the main building to conduct business with the other commanders.
Comet quickly ran and hugged Hurricane again. “Congratulations,” she said smiling. 
“Thanks Comet,” he said smiling brightly. Little did he know that in all of their emotional moments, they had forgotten that Winter was there watching the whole thing.
“So did you find a new marefriend already?” Laughed Winter.
“She’s not my marefriend,” they said together. When they realized the awkward irony, they both blushed and looked at each other. Winter merely laughed as he knew that a small romance was brewing to add to their adventures in the air brigade. In all of the joy however, something dark was lurking beneath the surface, as no one knew what Storm Sky was planning, but they were determined to get down to the bottom of things before things turned hectic.