Chapter 3

Firefly

It is different to wake up without any vision, it is kind of like when you wake up, but don’t open your eyes for awhile. The only difference being I couldn’t open my eyes and look around, not now, not ever again. I blinked and rolled over, feeling a presence beside me. Cloud Skipper.

I wrapped my hooves around him, my heart jumped suddenly, I smiled, it was nice to sleep with somepony, they were warm and just feeling them breathe was soothing. I moved my hoof away from him reached into my pillowcase, feeling a leather piece, I placed it over my closed eyes for a few seconds, then took it down and opened my eyes, exhaling as a blue aura outlined the room, giving me a better sense of direction. I looked over at Cloud Skipper, an interesting glow emanated from his outline, fading away like smoke after a few seconds.

I smiled, moving closer to him and wrapping my arms around him, exhaling deeply. I felt him stir, he yawned as he awoke.

“Good morning.” I cooed a little too affectionately.

“Well, good morning to you too.” He said, rolling to look at me.

I bit my tongue and took a risk, leaning into him more and curling my neck so my mane caressed under his chin and I could feel surrounded by his larger, stronger frame.

“You’re so warm.” I said with a sweet smile.

“Thanks, you’re pretty soft.” He said, raising a bit to give my head more room.

I giggled, I felt a sudden pressure in my chest, I felt my heart rate escalate a bit.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, before I heard shuffling in the opposite bed.

“Well isn’t that cute.” Ricco said groggily. “You two been fuckin’ all night?”

I frowned, feeling a bit of offense in his humor.

“No Ricco.  We didn’t do anything.  I don’t appreciate your tone.” Cloud said, I felt him move away from me, sitting up.

“Hey, I don’t judge too much, she’d be a good fuckbuddy.” He said.

I jumped out of the bed and just about attacked him before I stopped myself.

“I’m nopony’s bitch.” I snarled.

“I’m not a pony.” Ricco snickered back.

I turned towards the door, walking away before I felt a pair of eyes on me, I covered my flank with my tail, something I hadn’t normally done.

“Quit staring asshole.” I said, my voice laced with aggression.

I swung the door open and stomped out, slamming it behind me.

I was met face-to-face with Spitfire.

“Oh, um... good morning.” I said, hoping she hadn’t heard the conversation.

She eyed me quizzically for a few seconds, her fiery orange irises locked with my clouded violet.

“Morning, Firefly.” She said. “How are your eyes?”

“Better.” I said, trying to figure out if she was testing me.

“Princess Luna explained what she did to help, that is truly remarkable.” She said.

“Can I take that as a compliment?” I asked.

“Of course.”

“Well, thank you then.”

I side-stepped the larger mare and she walked into the room.

I heard a shout, then I turned around, seeing Cloud Skipper on top of Ricco in the middle of the room, the pegasus smashing his hoof repeatedly into the griffon’s face and beak.

I rushed back into the room, Spitfire stood there, watching with an amused smile on her face.

“Fuck you!” Cloud shouted, hitting Ricco again.

Ricco pushed him off  and got up, his talons extended and he rushed the pegasus, slashing at his neck, slicing off a bit of fur, then ramming him into the wall.

“Okay! That’s enough!” Spitfire shouted, her voice louder than I would have expected.

The two stopped abruptly, looking over at the wonderbolt.

“Anypony want to explain why the fuck you two are fighting?” The orange mare asked.

The two walked towards the door, Cloud pushed Ricco to the side so he could go first, I ran after him.

I knew it wasn’t the best question to ask, but I asked it regardless.

“Are you alright?” I asked, stepping in front of him to stop him.

He tried to push past once, firmly, but not hard enough to cause harm. I held him in place, lifting his chin and checking his neck, a small trail of blood was leaking from the cut down onto his coat. I didn’t think first, but I acted, moving my muzzle close and licking the blood from his coat.

Cloud Skipper jumped back, I saw a pink aura around his face and his wings rustle a bit, then I realized what I did.

I felt a blush invade my cheeks.

“I... I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that...” I said, cursing myself under my breath.

Okay, it wasn’t a mystery to me anymore, I was attracted to the stallion. I was very attracted to him, I felt safe around him whenever Ricco was pushing me around or when Spitfire was pissed off.

I felt my heart rate increase as he spoke.

“D-don’t worry about it...just give me a bit of a warning next time, okay?”

“Yeah... um... are you alright?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.  Just a few scratches and bruises.  Nothing a Royal Guard isn’t used to.” He said.

I gave him a friendly peck on his cheek and smiled at his dumbfounded expression.

“Thanks for protecting me... Cloud Skipper.” I said, my blush intensifying.

“You’re welcome.” He said, smiling softly.

I turned around, looking down the hallway. I turned back, seeing the stallion walking away.

“Hey! Cloud Skipper!” I called.

He turned around, “Yeah?” He asked.

“You wanna walk with me?” I asked.

He stood for a second, then spoke. “Sure.”

So we walked, occasionally using our wings to get around the city. It had been a few hours since we had woke up, the sun was up in the very middle of the sky, shining down to light the city.

As Cloud Skipper and I walked down the road, Ricco approached us, his expression had changed since this morning.

“Hello Ricco,” I said, watching him take his place on my right, where Cloud Skipper was on my left. “nice of you to join us.”

“Likewise.” He said simply.

“Are you alright since this morning?” I asked.

“Yes! why wouldn’t I be?!” Ricco yelled, then flinched, “Sorry, I just... Nevermind.”

I flinched at Ricco’s random outburst, then continued walking beside the two. I moved a bit closer to Cloud.

“Are you alright?” Cloud Skipper asked. “What was that?”

“Nothing important.” Ricco said.

“It’s pretty important, considering we’re going to go save the Elements of Harmony together.” I said, bumping Ricco lightly and noticing how soft his feathers were.

“I-I get home sick okay?” Ricco blushed, “It was a crap of an apartment, but it was where I lived.”

I blinked. This big, rough griffon got homesick? “If it makes you feel any better, I kind of do too, I didn’t even think about what I left before I left it.”

“Ehh, maybe a little.” The griffon said, looking the other direction.

“Cloud, you live in Canterlot, where is a good place to go to pass time?” I asked, looking over at Cloud Skipper.

“Canterlot isn’t exactly an entertaining city.  There’s not all that much to do here.” Cloud said with a shrug.

“Oh, great.” I said. “Any nightclubs? Bars? Anything?”

“Well, there is Club Pon-3.  That place is pretty good.”

“Then we should-” I facehoofed, “We need to go back to the castle first, a Night-Club probably wouldn’t be doing anything special right now.” I said, “We can go spar until later, Spitfire would probably be happier too.”

“Firefly! You and Cloud Skipper are up!” Spitfire shouted.

I stepped out near Spitfire, and Cloud followed, getting a few hooves away from me and stopping, facing me. I grinned and winked at him.

“Don’t hold back, Skippy.” I said, taunting him, with the ‘Come hither’ hoof movement.

The stallion rushed me, putting his strength into his shoulders and putting his head down. I easily side-stepped his attack, giving him a quick smack on the back of his head. When he stopped, he looked over at me with a confused expression.

“Try again.”

He moved fast, getting up on his hind legs and swinging a hoof at me. I stopped the hoof with my own and flared my wings, smacking him across the face.

“Come on, you can get it this time.” I taunted again.

He chuckled for a second, then swung two hooves rapidly, I dodged the first one, but the other one caught me across the face, spinning me around and sending me to the ground.  As I looked at the floor, I got an idea.

I whimpered pitifully, trying to get some fake tears to come from my eyes, eventually letting them drip onto the ground.

I heard him kneel down behind me, he put his hoof on my shoulder.

“Firefly, are you-”

I hopped up, sending my hoof into the bottom of his jaw, then held his other hoof with my wing, pulling him towards me and pushing him backwards again with a hoof to his stomach, he lurched over and held his stomach, I stood up on my hind legs and dropped my body weight down onto his head with my elbow.

He laid on the ground for a second, obviously surprised.

I giggled a bit and helped him to his hooves, there was a cut over his eyebrow, leaking down his face.

“You okay?” I asked him, trying not to laugh at his expression.

“Yeah, I’m fine.  I didn’t really expect you to fight dirty like that.” He said, shaking his head.

“Hey, Cotton Flitter.” Ricco shouted from where Spitfire was, “She’s faster than you, anticipate her movements.”

“You want to try your luck against her?” He shouted over at Ricco as I helped him walk towards Spitfire and Ricco.

“You know what?” Ricco spread his wings, “Sure.”

Ricco used his strong wings to fly to the arena and land with a thud. I was surprised that the ground didn’t crack.

“I beat her once, I’ll do it again.”

I looked over at Ricco, then to Cloud, licking his small wound.

“Don’t worry,” I said, tasting the coppery flavor of blood. “I’ll be fine.”

I trotted over towards the arena, stopping a few yards from Ricco, cracking the joints in my neck and grinning.

“Let’s go.”

Ricco used his wings to burst towards me, I countered by using my own to go higher than him, landing behind him. I rushed him while he had his back turned, swiping at the back of his head with my wing. I felt something foreign wrap around my middle and throw me from his back, I landed on the ground with a menacing thud.

“One thing ponies don’t have, usable tails.” The griffon said, waving the said limb back and forth.

I quickly hopped up, waiting for the larger being to make a move. He just stood there. Ricco started to look at his claws for dirt.

I started slowly approaching him, watching his eyes scan my body for its every movement. I ended up right in front of him, as he towered over me, I smiled up at him.

I flared my right wing, shooting a few feathers in that direction. His eyes moved just like I wanted them to, seizing the opportunity, I quickly shot upwards and gave him a quick punch with my left hoof, then my right, landing before him again.  Before I could pull back, he grabbed my right foreleg joint and pulled the whole limb from its socket, causing a sickening crack to echo throughout the room.

“Only dislocated.” Ricco said.

A blinding pain invaded my brain as he spoke, I felt myself go flying back as he kicked me away, I heard myself scream, the pain was so intense I thought I was going to pass out, my whole foreleg felt like it had been ripped from my body.

I managed to stand up after a few seconds, the pain making my outline-vision almost fail altogether, a red aura replaced the blue.

I tried to stretch the limb, but found it to hurt worse.

I felt myself almost fall again, but I caught myself with a wing.

Wings.

I watched as my vision blurred, Ricco came closer and closer until I rammed into him, launching him backwards. He used his wings to catch himself and land normally.

“Are we done?” Ricco asked, untensing.

Blood pounded in my ears, fury built up until I felt like I was going to breathe fire.

My vision failed, then everything intensified.

Wind passed my body as I felt my good hoof smashing into something, somewhere in between, I was thrown through the air, slamming back down, luckily on my good side.

For a few seconds I thought I had passed out.

“Nopony... that still sounds weird, nopony answered my question.”

“Yeah... we’re done.” Cloud Skipper said, his voice drawing near me.

I just laid there, keeping still, wishing for the pain to go away.

“Are you okay Firefly?  How’s your leg?”

“H-how d-do you th-think?” I asked, feeling tears build in the side of my eyes.

“It should be fine.” Ricco said, “I didn’t do anything major.”

I felt myself getting lifted up, slowly, carefully I was placed on who I guessed was Cloud Skipper’s back.

I stayed quiet as the three of us returned to our room. Next Chapter: Chapter 4 Estimated time remaining: 58 Minutes