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// A Promise And An Apolgy 
// Story: My Little Viking: Steel Is Magic 
// by Laarsgaard 
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	I lay in the infirmary bed feeling warm and immobile as something the nurse called ‘morphine’ dredged its way through my body. I had no idea what morphine was but I had decided to befriend it and make sure it never left my side.

I had been put in here for the last day or so is what the nurse had told me. She had also explained to me about the chaos and destruction that had been wrought in the aftermath of the changeling invasion. She also told me that that was what the enemy forces were known as, changelings. I knew not what the word meant or how it fit but I didn’t care, they were gone and their queen, I prayed, was dead.

I could see bodies and blood alongside burned out buildings along the streets from my window and in my heart I was saddened some. These peaceful creatures did not deserve such treatment. I stopped my train of thought.

If I had been home and we lived near a place such a place as Equestria we would have tried to befriend them, enter into some kind of agreement. But these ponies had very little, it seemed, in fighting abilities. Yes they had powerful magic but that was all. I had never seen any of them actually fight besides the guards and even then most would not last against the warriors I had called allies. The thought made me realize just how much living here had changed me and how these small horses had affected me. It was rather confusing.

I didn’t have time to think on it anymore as Twilight entered and called my name.

“Twilight.” I called out to the purple horse. She walked towards me the door opened again and the other five of our friends poured in after her. I chuckled as Pinkie Pie sprinted up to my bed with a look of shock on her face babbling incoherently. The only words I could make out before she stopped dead before my bed were ‘so worried’, ‘big meany’ and ‘without you there’d be no mead!’.

Pinkie stopped before my bed and inhaled deeply all the while I was wincing in delightful pain at her antics. Pinkie continued to babble but Rarity came up behind her and placed a hoof over her mouth. She smiled at me.

“Sorry darling, you know Pinkie is, she’s just expressing how worried she was about you.” She explained. My smile only widened. The morphine was helping a lot as the girls crowded around my bed all bombarding me with questions and worries.

“Please, please.” I said holding up my good arm defensively. “One at a time girls.” Twilight decided she was going to speak for the group.

“Ol, how are you feeling?” she asked me setting a hoof on my knee. I looked at her happily.

“I’m fine,” I told them. “Don’t worry.” I looked at my bad arm which had been put into a white sling. My ribs had been magically reset or so the nurse had told me and a type of garment used to hold my ribs in place whilst they healed had been placed around my chest. Rainbow Dash raised up in the air her wings outspread.

“That was awesome what you did back there,” she settled back to the floor. “Even if it was a little scary.” She looked down at the floor somewhat intimidated. They all looked at me and I knew that’s what they wanted to talk about. I could see the fear behind some of their eyes, all except Pinkie’s whose eyes I could never read. Twilight spoke before I could.

“It was very brave Ol, but Rainbow is right, it was kind of scary to see what you did to those changelings and Chrysalis, even if she was trying to hurt us.” Now they all looked down from either shame or intimidation. I was confused by their behavior. I frowned at them. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked them. Applejack looked at her friends.

“Well Ol, we uh, seein’ you doin’ that to them changelings was, well, we just don’t want you to get angry with us like you did with those things.” the farm pony said. I looked at them and it hit me like a slap. They were afraid of me. I felt myself sober some at the realization.

“You, you fear me?” I asked them. Twilight looked shocked.

“No, no,” she reassured me placing a hoof on my good shoulder. “We just, we just are afraid of what you’re capable of.” She looked away as she finished the sentence. I was shocked somewhat but I could not blame them.

I had seen the lives these ponies had led and there was very little fighting or even arguing amongst their number. I looked at the small, talking horses that I had come to call my friends.

“I, I don’t know what to say.” I looked at Twilight. “You would think that I would turn my blades on you?” I asked her. Twilight removed her hoof.

“It’s just that, you looked really angry and, you’re so quick to become angry and we just…” she trailed off. I was still somewhat confused. Did they think of me as eternally angry? Had I not shown them my own kindness? I looked to Twilight.

“Twilight,” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Where I come from friends and family are incredibly important, quite possibly the most important part of a man’s life.” She looked up at me meeting my gaze. “To think that I would harm you is horrific, and to the rest of you.” I looked at them all. “I have come to call you all my friends and I have learned to trust you which, with all of things that are odd about this world, is a hard thing to earn.” I flared my nostrils angrily.

I took a few deep breaths and felt pain shoot through my ribs. I ignored the pain as I began to calm. “I would never harm you.” I whispered breaking apart from Twilight’s fear filled eyes. Twilight placed her hoof in my hand. I looked back at her.

“Can you promise me?” she asked. I looked around at them all. They were leaning in expecting an answer. I nodded and shifted in my bed. I grasped Twilight’s hoof like I would a hand and looked the purple pony in the eye.

“I promise.” I told her. Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow. I sighed. “Fine, cross my heart and hope to fly stick a cupcake in my eye.” I said. They all smiled and began to giggle. Pinkie Pie went to throw her forelegs around me but Twilight stopped her.

“No, Pinkie.” Twilight said. Pinkie looked crestfallen. I sighed again my ribs flared up again but the pain was worth it for Pinkie. I opened my good arm.

“Come on Pinkie it’s okay.” I said with a small smile. Pinkie threw her forelegs around me as gently as she could. I put my good arm around her. Surprisingly they all joined in, laughing happily.

They pulled away and I began to listen to them discuss what happened during the ceremony and my actions against the changelings and their queen. Rainbow Dash was enjoying reliving me pulling the jaw off of the second beast using her voice recreated the sounds of the breaking bones and tendons tearing. Fluttershy put her tail up over her face and muttered her usual ‘oh my’ as Rainbow mimicked me in smashing the bone into the changeling’s skull.

Applejack made Rainbow calm down and Rarity began to comfort Fluttershy who was beginning to cry as she mentally relived the events in her mind.

The door to the infirmary opened once more and Princess Celestia strolled in. the girls straightened up, even Fluttershy, and bowed to their sovereign.

“Hello girls.” The Princess greeted them warmly.

“Your highness.” They replied in unison. Twilight stepped forward and embraced her teacher enthusiastically. The princess returned her students enthusiastic hug. I watched the ponies exchange for a moment. Celestia commended them for their bravery during the battle and how, even though they had failed, they had still tried their best to retrieve the Elements of Harmony. I was surprised to hear that my friends had taken part in the combat. Celestia then asked the girls to leave so that she could have a private discussion with me.

The girls left quickly chatting away amiably. The princess walked over to the window next to my bed and looked out onto the ruined city.

“You know,” the princess began. I looked out the window with her. “This is the first actual full scale battle we’ve ever had in this city.” She told me. “It was rather eye opening to see just how unprepared we were even with the warning beforehand.” She turned to look at me and I met her gaze. “If it hadn’t been for you, we would all be dead by now, or at least on our way to being sucked dry of our emotions.” She moved up to the side of my bed. “I owe you quite the debt warrior.” She said as she looked down upon me.

“For your service to the kingdom I release you from your bond here in Canterlot but ask for you to remain as guardian over my student.” She looked down at me. I looked into her eyes. She was a rather beautiful creature. Not in the manner of an appealing woman, but she was beautiful in a regal manner which had previously escaped my attention.

“I will gladly retain my position as Twilight’s guardian.” I told her. She nodded her head and turned back to window.

“I’ve come to speak with you on a personal matter as well.” She said. I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Please, princess,” I insisted. “Go on.” She sighed.

“I would like to apologize for my hostilities between us when we first met and up until this point.” She said. I was unmoved but she went on.

“But what was I supposed to think? I receive a letter from my best and brightest saying that a new, blood-soaked creature has arrived by accident from a summoning spell gone wrong. Then when I arrive I can see that this thing is quite possibly the oddest creature I’ve ever seen. I then take a peek inside of this thing's mind and the first and foremost thing I see is blood and fire. You appeared to me as a beast covered in long hair and caked in blood so I did not trust you Ol but after these events,” she turned her head and looked at me. “I must reconsider how much worth you have truly brought me and my student and your character which I have obviously misjudged by a huge margin.”

She turned from the window and moved back to my bedside. “But for now, I would ask for your forgiveness for my behavior.” She said. I looked up into her eyes.

“I accept your apology princess.” I told her. She smiled.

“Thank you Ol.” she said nodding her head in thanks. She then left without another word.

The nurse came up to me.

“You rather popular today aren’t you?” she asked as she took hold of my arm. “Now hold still while I put this in your arm.” She said happily and she placed a small needle attached to a clear odd rope that led up to a sack filled with water or some other clear fluid. She put the needle into my hand and placed a flat, clear and sticky rope over the top to hold it down. I felt warmth flood my system again and my eyelids grew heavy.

“You just go to sleep now, you’ve had a rough time with saving the country and all.” The nurse said joyfully. It was hard to tell if she was being serious.