"For thou have been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy" psalm 61:3

The shade of the night faded as Sol rose, and for the tribe of antelope, the day had begun. From their huts and tents then walked, and stretched. Amongst the grass, bucks and doas roamed with their foals, idly munching the grass, or lounged under the trees near the village, nibbling the mobola plumbs that had fallen, or standing on their hind legs, picked the low hanging fruits hidden amongst the leaves. Soft voices and chuckles resounded through the air, and life was good.

Suddenly, all there stilled. As one, the antelope lifted their heads, eyes wide and noses twitching. Ears swiveled left and right as foals whimpered and drew close to their dam’s, or were herded indoors. What was it? Hyena’s, lions? Unlike Equestria, Zebrica was filled with many a feral beast, and though their warriors were deadly, the antelope were peaceful. An attack would simply spoil the morning. In the distance, a cloud of dust drew closer, a quickly escalating roar coming from it. As the cloud drew closer, the headlights of a tan colored truck could be seen. And as the construct sped on, shouts could be heard.

With the roar of the angry spirits that called its shell home, the truck barreled through the grass, and shouts filled the air as antelope scrambled, clutching their foals as the machine made its way. Beside it, and keeping close pursuit behind, zebra’s ran, shouting and cursing. The back of the truck was covered in a brown canvas, the back of which was open. From it, barrel of a rifle stuck out, muffled whumps of the silencer sounding as the truck beds occupant picked off the pursuers. As the truck barreled through the villiage, over the engine and even the shouts of angry zebra’s and terrified antelope, the radio blared.

The tribe’s chief limped out his tent, and looked around. Both eyes widening, the left one milky white, he watched with a bemused expression as their visitors. Next to him, his doa stood, yawning while their foal stood next to his sire. Eyes wide as his sire’s, the foal’s jaw dropped as the iron beast shattered the gate at the villages edge, and the ground shook for a time as the rest of its zebra pursuers made after it. As the beast and the zebra’s faded into a dust cloud once more, noses and heads poked out from doors and windows, or from behind trees and rocks. Closing his mouth, the chiefs son tilted his head.

“What the buck was that?”

The foal yelped and looked up at his now frowning sire, sticking out his bottom lip in a pout as he rubbed the back of his head, wincing at the sting of his fathers cuff across it.

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The zebra hunter’s hooves blurred under him as he kept pace with the truck, his teeth bared and eyes flaring as he came up to the door of the vehicle. Running past it slightly, he took a moment to pause and bend his legs, and a split second later, leaped at the doors window. Forelegs clutching his chest to the metal, the stallion began yanking himself up, and he looked up, muzzle inches from a humans. Down one cheek, a jagged scar ran down the man’s cheek, and between clenched teeth, a cigar jutted, the end of which smoldered, the ashes scattering as the cigar jerked up and down in time to the trucks movement. The hunter shouted, “Give us the…”

In a flash, the twin barrels of the mans sawed off shotgun pressed to his nose. One hand on the wheel, the human looked out the corner of his eye at the hunter, and his finger drew tight on the trigger.

“Ey, parshiviy! ee-dee na khuy!”

The roar of the shotgun sounded, the top of the zebra’s head sent off into a haze of gore to the ground below, the zebra sliding off the door to fall under the trucks carriage, the rest of the zebra sending a thud and a thump through the vehicle as the hunter passed under the wheels, his innards spurting out across the dirt. Shouts of rage from his compatriots sounded as they passed, promising vengeance on all within the vehicle.

Lero scowled as he poked his head through the window into the trucks cab.

“Hey! Fuck man! You get your license at the bottom of a cereal box?”

Scowling back, the driver pulled his cigar out, and shouted back “Hey, fuck you! Fucking Americans, all you do is piss and fucking moan!”

Pulling his head back, Lero responded, “At least we can fucking drive!”

Eyes fixed forward, the driver shouted over the engine “She okay?”

Looking down, Lero’s scowl softened as he slowly ran his fingers through blue fur of the neck of the mare laying at the trucks bed, her wings oddly bent. Lero gritted his teeth at their sight. The bastards had broke them, and they had healed at an odd angle. Groaning in her daze, Rainbow nuzzled against the humans leg, and settled her head into his lap. When they had finally found her, one of the zebra’s wives had been forcing a concoction down her throat, something to keep Dash docile. That… thing had been Lero’s first kill.

Ramirez pulled his gaze away from his scope for a moment, regarding the scene behind him. Looking forward once more, his lips tightened into a grimace as his crosshairs locked with a stallion. Lowering the end of the rifle so the crosshair went between the legs of the racing zebra, he muttered, “Your ass is grass…”

The rifle’s silencer jerked up as its shot sounded, and a split second later, the hunter jerked back on his hind legs, a freshly made hole through its skull, the larger and more ragged exit wound making a squelching noise as it fell back and hit the ground. Ramirez turned his gaze towards another target, and the weapon clicked. Pulling his eyes away from the scope, Ramirez held the rifle up as he undid the now empty magazine, and patted his sides, searching for the next magazine. As he looked down a split second, a zebra, much larger and more toned then his brothers, leapt through the back of the truck, knocking over the soldier down. As Ramirez rolled out from under a stomped hoof, Lero laid Dash’s head gently on a folded blanket. Smiling, he said “Be right back love.”

In a flash, Lero rushed across the truck, and put grabbed the zebra by the Mohawk. Muscles flexing in his forearm, he jerked the stallion to the side, sending him with a somewhat mare like shriek onto his back. Pressing a knee to the zebra’s chest, and fingers around his throat, Lero looked down at the stallion, his other hand poised, the green handle of his survival knife clenched between his fingers. Squeezing the stallions throat tight, Lero growled, “Get this now… no one fucks with my mare? Got it?”

Adams apple working around the hand, the stallion gave a nod. Lero nodded back, and said “So… you work for me. Get it? And your only job is to deliver a message.”

The stallions eyes bulged, and again he nodded. Pulling his hand away, Lero leaned close.

“Say it…”

Rubbing his throat with a hoof, and drawing a ragged breath, the stallion grimaced.

“I… work for you… and my only job is to deliver a message…”

Lero’s clenched hand arched down, and the zebra’s eyes bulged as the cold steel of the knifes right side slid quickly down his cheek, the end of the weapon piercing the truck bed. Leaning further down, Lero snarled “You tell that fuck to pluck whatever wild hair he’s got up his plot, or next time, I’m bringing Lyra.”

At this the zebra sneered.

“Ha! He’d ravage her just like…”

The stallion jaw snapped shut as the knife jerked up, then Lero pressed the edge of it against his throat, eyebrows raised.

“I’ll… deliver the message.”

Lero smiled, and standing, grabbed a handful of Mohawk once more, which he then used to chuck the hunter bodily from the vehicle. Looking at Ramirez, he shrugged. Grinning back, Ramirez thumped him on the shoulder.

“Leave one alive huh?”

Lero looked out over the landscape, and scowled. Behind him, the zebra he’d let go struggled up, the last of his party nudging him. Sheathing his knife, then puulling his sidearm from its holster, Lero took a kneeling stance behind the trucks tailgate, and took aim.

“Only need one too deliver a message…”

Lero flinched as Ramirez’s hand went over the top of the weapon, and gently lowered it. Scowling, Lero glared at Ramirez, who only shook his head, then tilted it towards the still sleeping Pegasus.

“Go. Care for your wife…”

Scowl softening, Lero sighed, then nodded, and sitting back down cross legged, went back to stroking his mare’s neck.

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A man learns something the first time he takes a life. Not what he’s capable of, or anything like that. He learns whether, afterwards, he can sleep at night, or not. That night, his beautiful Dash snoring softly in the cot next to his in an office of the Zebrican human embassies, Lero slept like a baby.

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In 2015, mankind made first contact with another species. On October twelfth, Celestia and Luna, diarchy or Equestria, stepped forth and made their existence known to the United Nations, and by it, made their existence known to the world.

Much has happened in the few years Lero has been gone. At the end of world war three, where Lero’s brother lost his life, the Earth has entered a golden age. Many nations are more then willing to become Allies with Equestria, and with the opening of the gates, the two lands have begun trade. But, as is life, there are those who would employ violence to achieve their ends, either for ideology or greed. In the face of this, Lero became the protégé of lieutenant Ramirez of the United States green beret special forces, feeling that, as he was, he couldn’t defend his herd.

Ramirez has taught him well.

Author's Note

Back again, boys and girls, and we're off to a running start^^ Don't worry, this will all make sense in succeeding chapters. And yes, I am aware the tone is different in this, like the last one. But it's still a side story! Its the same verse, same mare's, same Lero, though the human has learned quite a few tricks. This is not a romance or clop, but a Nature vs Nurture story. I will no doubt have down votes and editing in my future.

Comments, critiques, and suggestions are more then welcome^^ I think I've improved quite a bit, though I may have missed a word or two here and there