Lero pushed the door open, eyes tearing up again. He’d always figure himself far from being a girly man. Not a tough guy by any stretch of the imagination, but not a wuss, or a wimp. But when he found what happened to Dash… It was funny. Before that point, Ramirez had been teaching him to be a soldier. Not only a soldier, a unofficial green beret. But not even Celestia, not even his brief stint as a play thing of the Fair Folk, scared him as much as the thought of losing his mare. And after he and Ramirez had killed or forced their pursuers to retreat, when he was holding her for the first time in months, her beautiful head in his unworthy lap, he cried. Not loudly, but not quietly either. Bawling came later when she had to have her wings rebroken. And both times, Ramirez just put a hand on his shoulder, telling him to let it out.

But now, everything was going to be okay. Dash’s wings were going to be okay, Lyra and Twilight, while upset he left without telling them, were relieved both their herd mates were alive and coming home. He now had the skills and strength to protect his herd, and a friend who would back him up. Pulling back the curtain, he exclaimed, “Dash.”

The mare jumped slightly, eyes wide with panic.

“No! Get away…. Please…”

Lero stopped, his voice catching in his throat, then stammered “Rainbow… its… its me…”

Dash whimpered, covering her head with her hooves. Putting a hand on his shoulders, the nurse said softly “Dash, sweetie, its your stallion. He’s here to see you.”

Dash shook her head under her hooves.

“It’s a trick. A dream…. I’m not really here… Lero’s not really here…”

Lero knelt next to the bed.

“Dash…”

Reaching over, he slowly ran his fingers through her mane. For a few minutes, there was only the sound of her sobs and Leros soft words of assurance. But slowly, Dash drew her hooves from her head, and looking over her shoulder, opened one eye. Lero’s throat grew tight at the orb gazing at him. It was… not dead. Within its rose colored glow, the fire that was once there had somewhat diminished. At the sight of her stallion, some of it had returned, but not enough to ease Lero’s feelings of inadequacy.

“Lero… big…. Big guy, is it you…?”

The human nodded, a few tears leaking out, the disbelief in his wife’s voice threatening to split his heart in two. Narrowing her eyes, Dash winced as she drew close, her wings now starting to hurt with the sedative wearing off.

“Prove it…”

At this, Lero chuckled.

“How.”

Putting a hoof on his shoulder, the mare growled “Kiss me…”

Lero happily obliged.

…………………………………………………..

One sedative, a few more kisses, and many tears later, Lero sat on the edge of the side of the bed, idly running a brush through Rainbow’s. Even though Dash winced with each pull the brush gave as it pulled a knot, the mare still gave a soft murr as Lero worked.

“Celestia… I’ve missed this…”

Lero chuckled, continuing his strokes.

“Happy to oblige love.”

“You shaved your beard and cut your hair…”

“Yeah… military reg’s at Ramirez’s insistence…” smiling he patted the front of his shirt. Under it, next to his dog tags, the feather his mare hung.

Suddenly, Dash looked at him again, her eyes sad. Looking back, Lero pulled the brush away, and gave an uncertain smile.

“Yes…?”

“You… you killed that zebra.”

Lero sighed, and looked away from Dash.

“I did.”

“Lero… you… I didn’t even recognize you. What… what were you thinking? You didn’t have to do that for me…”

Lero took the brush, and began pulling loose fur from it, his mouth set into a line.

“Lero… What… what did you feel…?”

The human looked up, and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

“Dash… when… when you made the sonic rainboom… not when you were on the podium or when Celestia gave you that wreath as a sign of your accomplishment… but when you were coming out of your dive, friends and the wonderbolts in tow. When you were looking down, and realized you had beaten everyone else by a landside, when you heard the cheers of the crowd…”

Lero looked back at Dash.

“When I put a bullet through that bitches side, when I knew I had ended the life of the cunt who was messing with my mare, that’s what I felt.”

Dash looked away. She didn’t like Lero as a soldier. She knew he felt it was what he had to do, and she would support him no matter what… But that look he had… That same coldness was in Lyra’s when she came home that night…

Dash shook her head.

“That… that doesn’t make me happy!”

Lero’s hand flinched away from her neck. Looking back at her stallion, Dash said “Lero… when I saw you like that… it was Lyra after the attack on those gryphon refugees. Not later, when she found out they were civilians, but the night when she got home. When she just sat in the darkness. That’s how you looked… Cold, as if killing was a casual thing. And… it scares me big guy. I couldn’t take it if you or Lyra ever left me…”

Lero shook his head, and giving a smile despite his anger at himself for distressing his mare, he patted her side.

“Dash… I’m not going anywhere. I did what I had too. I’m not sorry for it, but I am sorry it upsets you.”

Rainbow nodded, giving an uncertain smile.

“No more killing…?”

Lero nodded. Sighing in relief, the Pegasus laid her head back on the pillow and yawned.

“Hey… big guy… I’m kinda tired…”

Lero gave her one last, and stood.

“Hey, you get some sleep. I’ll come by and check on you later, okay?”

“Night Lero…”

………………………………………………….

Meanwhile, in another corner of the Embassy, the chief of security folded his hands in front of him on his desk, giving a shake of his head to the zebra across from him.

“There is no anti-zebra conspiracy, sir. The Equestrian and United States ambassador are simply not having audiences at this time.”

“Where then, in the name of Sol, are they then?”

Grimacing, the chief lay back in his chair, patience now completely at its end.

“Listen buddy, you think I like playing goalie between you and them? I’m not here to hold their hands, and I’m certainly not here to babysit you.”

The zebra’s eye twitched, and nostrils flaring, he stamped the ground with a hoof.

“Unacceptable! You harbor criminals who dared to assault my people, and are hiding my wife! I demand you return her, and turn over these men immediately.”

At this, the guard stood up, and jabbed a finger in the direction of the current cause of his headache.

“Listen here, fella, not only is making demands of me an excellent way of getting your nose broken, you’ll have a fucking interdimensional incident at your door. So unless you wanna have the Guard and every soldier on this continent breathing down your neck, I’d suggest you get up, walk out this embassies doors, and don’t come here again.”

Jumping onto all fours, the zebra’s jaw dropped. Lowering his head, he stamped his hoof again, and snarled, “You will return my wife and those criminals immediately. Failure to act will be in direct violation of The Equestrian-Asana concordant of…”

“Actually, there is no violation.”

The head of security and zebra both looked at the source of the voice. Shrugging his shoulder, Ramirez said “The concordant only covered Equestrian soldiers acting on behalf of the Diarchy. Neither the driver or Lero are part of any military, but were under my direct command.”

“Then have you come to turn yourself in?”

At this, Ramirez chuckled.

“I’m in the United States army, sir. Last I looked, we are under no treaty with you, and therefore, are not bound by any treaties you may or may not have.”

Looking back at the other human, the zebra shrilly screamed “You worthless monkey! Arrest him!”

Cocking a brow, the guard crossed his arms.

“Do I look like the bloody Equestrian Gendarmerie? In any case, he’s right. You have no legal leg to stand on sir, and any ambassador will tell you the same. You were illegally holding a mare against her will. Hell, you’re lucky Lero and Ramirez didn’t black bag both you and every other male in your family out.”

Baring his teeth, the zebra snarled, “Under our laws, she is mine! I may do as I wish with my herd! You worthless monkey’s have no right to keep her from me, and I will have her back!”

“Or what?”

Smirking, the zebra said “Or I’ll kill the driver.”

The guards arms dropped.

“What? He was on sovereign embassy grounds!”

“You’d be amazed what doors a little gold and precious stones can open. Now, return her within the the next two days or…. Or…. What in the name of sweet grass are you laughing at?”

Ramirez leaned against the door frame, chuckling.
…………………………………………………………………

Meanwhile, about two miles away in non-descript building in one of the few cities on the continent, Malcolm twisted the head of his captor around, then smashed it into the table. Picking up a leather pouch, he pulled out a cigar, then picking up the candle the minotaur had been using to read by, he lit it.

Out of the corner of his mouth, he grumbled, “Told you I’d kill for one of these.”

Walking to the coat rack, he removed his shell pouch and belt, and put them on. Reaching into a cabinet, he then pulled out his revolver and shotgun, then without another word, left the prison.

…………………………………………………………….

“You thought that pudgy bastard was that easy? Nah… no way. He probably let himself get caught.”

The zebra’s eye twitched.

“You’ve may have immunity, ambassador…” Ramirez walked over, his smile fading, his features hardening as he drew close.

“And you may have the Diarchy’s and the U.N’s tits in a vice with all your legal chicanery. But I promise you… you come after Lero or his herd, I will come back to Zebrica, find you, and then break my foot in your ass.”

Groaning, the security chief face palmed. Just what he needed. Now this striped asshole was gonna be burying bearucratic red tape for months. Eyes bulging, teeth clenched, the zebra looked over his shoulder at the guard again, and hissed “Rest assured, good sir, this is not over. Both of you will regret this insult. It will simply be a matter of waiting for your superior.”

The chief guard shrugged.

"Fine. Hope you've brought your sleeping bag."

Author's Note

Chapter three up^^ Need an editor... badly. I'm posting something on the Xeno forum about this... Comments critiques are more then welcome