A Marine in Debt (Being Re-Written)

*FLASH*

*Thump*

~~~~~~~~~~

A few days later

It has been a few days since I had accepted Celestia's 'job'. Honestly, before I did anything, I'm going for a nice long run after I'm allowed out of this place. I had ran out of things to do. I'm trying to spare my IPod's battery, I've counted every ceiling tile, (There are 42 tiles by the way.) Basically, the only fun I get is when Twilight or her friends come and visit, and the occasional nurse or doctor. I only have tomorrow, just until two, and I can get out of here. I'm ecstatic about that.

Yesterday

"Huh? What do you mean you can't come tomorrow?" I asked with poorly hidden disappointment.

Twilight looked at me with a small frown, "Tomorrow, Spike and I have to re-organize the library."

With a sigh, I rested my head down, dreading the next day. I suppose I could understand it, they have things to do. Also, it wouldn't be fair for me to demand they come and visit me.

"Alright, I suppose..."

Present day

With a sigh, I did the one thing that I could at the time. I closed my eyes, and tried to drift into a small slumber.

No luck.

Muttering a small curse, I tried to get a bit more comfortable, to no avail. That was practically impossible with these beds, but, they were admittedly better than the arrangements than what I was used to. Shifting and turning an awful lot, I finally got a bit more comfortable, and drifted into a light sleep.

I was hiding behind a wall. Gunfire streaked past the corner of said wall. Looking over, I saw a few Marines with their backs turned to me. It felt hot, and it looked like it was midday. The gunfire was never ending; as if they had someone shoot while another reloads, and when that person who was shooting runs out and the other continues. It was like there was a hundred soldiers firing at one position. Looking over once more, I tapped one of the turned Marine's shoulder. He looked over in question, only to realize, his face...

It was so familiar.

The one person I always could count on.

My brother. My motherfucking brother.

I gasped when I saw his face. It was forever since I've seen him. So, I did the one thing that popped into my mind right then and there. I grabbed him, and gave him the manliest hug ever.

"Gah! Too tight! Need air!" He wheezed. Oops...

"Sorry," I looked to him as he gasped for air dramatically. "You're a drama king."

"Ah, fuck you," He said in that brotherly type of way.

Shaking my head, I motioned to the nonstop rain of bullets, "What're we going to do about that?"

"We were working on that. We're going to give suppressing fire. Now, if that doesn't work out as planned, we're going to take a back alleyway and flank them," He explained.

"Sounds good." He motioned to me and another Marine to follow him. My brother's name is Scott, and he was two years and three months older than I. I myself am twenty-three, and I enlisted at eighteen. We came up to a waist high wall and crouched behind it.

A few cracks of gunfire boomed in the distance. Lifting my SAW up, I started firing in their general area. I unloaded a two hundred round belt into their vicinity. The recoil of the large, bulky weapon shook me, but I shrugged it off. Soon enough, my weapon made an audible 'clicking' sound, indicating that it ran out of ammunition. I placed my gun down against the wall, bi-pod extended to keep the muzzle from digging into the ground. I went and took out another box of two hundred, and I placed the old box back onto my chest. Reloading the weapon, I fed the belt into the rifle, and closed it. I pulled back the charging handle, and started sending bursts back into the previous area.

The enemies gunfire still boomed in the distance.

"What the fuck?!" I yelled out in an annoyed manner. I sent a few more bullets in their surrounding area.

Their gunfire still echoed.

"This isn't working as planned!" I looked over to my older brother, "We'll run out of ammunition as this rate. Plan B?"

"Yeah. I saw a great alleyway over there," He pointed to an opening between two buildings which were spotted with old bullet holes. It was about twenty meters away. "We can take that there, and it'll give us a great position to flank them."

"Alright. I'm going to provide suppressing fire as we run," He did a silent nod, before inching to the edge of the short wall. He looked to me and the other Marine in confirmation. He took off in a jog, which I followed behind. Albeit at a slower pace to keep my rifle steady. I was firing near the enemy position. Sadly, for me, I was a big target. I ended up taking a round to my chest, but the Kevlar stopped the round from penetrating. It didn't stop the wind being forcefully taken from my lungs, or the inevitable large bruise to show up. I grunted, but for some reason, I didn't feel next to no pain. It felt as it was there, but it wasn't.

"I'm hit! I'm hit!" I wheezed as I regained my breath. I then felt a set of eyes watching me, but then that feeling soon disappeared. Little did I know, is that a certain dream walking pony was watching this entire thing from the start.

A loud crack of a sniper rifle echoed in the distance. My eyes widened. I thought I was in the scopes of a Russian issued Mosin Nagant. Although sometimes a bit uncommon for a taliban to have, they manage to get them. They are spot on rifles, and that tends to scare me a bit. All you need is either a good shot or a lucky shot.

I ran to where my brother was. Turning a corner, I see him down on the ground, grasping at a wound in his leg. The Marine next to him was calling in reinforcements. Shocked at the sight, I manage to quickly make my way over to his side. I took a piece of cloth I had and wrapped it tight around the wound, causing the bleeding to slow. I drug him into cover, only to actually notice where the bullet hit.

"No... no no No NO NO NO NO!" The sniper round hit his leg, yeah. But it hit the Femoral artery. There wouldn't be enough time... I looked away, and when I looked back, he was gone. Vanished into thin air. The other Marine was gone too. The gunfire that was echoing in the distance stopped, static.

I looked around in confusion, regret, guilt, and anger. I screamed out. And then I woke up.

Twilight's POV,

"Well, it looks like we're done a bit earlier this time, Spike!" I said to the irate dragon.

"Well, this time, we didn't organize the books fifty different ways, and restart again." He grumbled, exhausted.

I rolled my eyes, "You're exaggerating, it was only forty three times last week." He put a claw up to his forehead, effectively dragging his palm down across his face.

I giggled, "Hmm, how about you go take a nap? It's the least you deserve." I said, ruffling his spiky head.

Spike brightened up, and climbed upstairs quickly. But not before muttering a quick thanks. I considered going to the hospital to see Parker for a bit if we got done early. We rarely do, so this is good. With that, I trotted out of the library and to the direction of the hospital.

Some time later.

I had arrived at the hospital, and I went down the hall towards Parker's room. A scream then pierced the rather silent hospital. I recognized the scream as Parker's. My eyes widened. My movement turned from a trot to a fast jogging pace. His room approached, and as it did, so did the... sobbing?

I burst into his room. He was stumbling around the room like a crazy pony.

"Scott! Where the fuck did you go?! No no no NO!" He fell over onto the ground, sobbing. I made attempts to comfort him, but when I put my hoof on his shoulder, he grabbed me, spun me around, and slammed me onto the ground. I grunted at the pain, and then I really felt it. I was scared for my life at this point. Instinctively, my horn started to glow.

"I'm going to kill you, you fucking taliban bastard!" He roared, "You killed my motherfucking brother!"

"Parker! Stop! What are you doing? What are you even talking about?!" I was going to settle on pure energy... I don't want to do this, but I may need to...

Right before he went to grab me, he snapped out of it. "What?" He looked down at me, and he noticed I was shaking in fear.

"Oh my god... Twilight, what did I do?" He went to help me up, and I released a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"I heard a crash from your room, yelling, and sobbing. I entered and you fell to the floor, sobbing about someone named 'Scott,'" He paled at the mentioning of that name, "and when I went to comfort you, you flipped me over and smashed me into the floor..."

He put his hands on his head in shame, "I'm so sorry... It's just... The things I've experienced do that to me..." He looked at me, with a lone tear running down his face. "I'm not expected to be forgiven, but... Well, I feel as if I owe you a favor, to pay you back for what I did.."

"Hey, it's fine. I'm not sure on what you've gone through, but I'm fairly sure it was pretty bad." I explained.

He smiled at me, and then did something I didn't expect. He hugged me.

Some more time later.

Finally, the time has come. Twilight is checking me out of this damned place now. Despite what just happened about twenty minutes ago, she was fine... I still feel like a dick. She's been nothing but nice to me and I slammed her down belly up on hard, cold tiling... Banishing the thoughts from my head, I get up, and changed into what was left of my gear. Basically, just the pants. Feeling slightly disappointed in the condition of the thing. I picked it up, gazing solemnly at it. It could be fixed, possibly. I just held the top part; It wouldn't help anyhow. I heard the clip-clops of hooves coming this way down the hall. Looking up, happy at the prospect of leaving this building. I peek out the door, only to see Twilight about five meters away. She waved with a small smile. Grinning, I walked out.

"Hey, Twilight, I'll be back in an hour!" I laugh gloriously.

"Wha- Where are you going?"

"I don't know, somewhere! Gotta run! See you later!" I jogged past her, glancing back to see a confused look on her face. She facepalm- facehoofed? I have no idea.

--

I ran through the market, the town square, jumped over a wall, nearly slammed into a pony I've never seen before. That was just some of the events. I ran by Rainbow Dash, who was confused, shrugged, and gave chase. You know what? You wouldn't ever see this type of scene anywhere. A rainbow-maned, cyan pegasus giving chase after a jogging human who is ecstatic. Odd picture, right?

I took a sharp right, bounded over a small wall, only to meet a dead end. Panting, I turn around to see Dash, coming at me full force. She attempts to pull up, and successfully does at the speed she's going. Doing a semi back flip, she landed on her hooves and looked at me confused, and competitively.

"Hello, Rainbow," I smirk, running in the direction of Twilight's library. I sprinted, slowing down slightly to look back and not trip. I saw her, once again, giving chase, "Doesn't give up easy, does she?" I see Twilight's abode, a half a mile away. I put an extra boost in my run. I look back, and I can tell she isn't even trying. In about thirty seconds, I reached the door of the library, opened and closed it. I heard a screeching sound, like a car's tires type of screech.

"Take that, Dash." I chuckle, before turning around, facing the dark room, 'What the hell...?" The lights turn on.

"Surprise!" Said a small mass of ponies. Startled and acting on instinct, I reach for my .44, and yank it out of the holster.

A voice to the side of me speaks at an almost incomprehensible blob of words.

"Do you like the party?! Huh-huh-huh-huh-huh?" I shrink back at the word 'party'. Looking around, I notice the colossal mass of ponies. I turn around, bashing my boot into the door, sending it off of it's hinges, and take off.

--

"F-fuck that..." I mutter, panting from the sprint. I heard a couple things about Pinkie, saying she would throw a welcoming party to anyone who moved or joined Ponyville in any other means. I didn't actually take that seriously. I thought Twilight was joking when she said something about it. I was never a social person, I can deal with maybe ten people, maximum. There had to be at least fifty or sixty ponies there. It was cold outside, and, if my iPod is correct, it's only six. Something tells me it's a late winter... I can't stay out here long. If this world is any the same as my own, then it gets really cold at nighttime, and I don't have a shirt on. Muttering a curse, I start the inevitable trek back to the library. I think I have to fix that door...

I get to the library a few minutes later. Peering in, I noticed nobody's left, except the first six I met. They were speaking softly, as if disappointed. Even Pinkie was sad... her mane was, deflated?  Sighing, I looked to the door, which lay four feet from it's original position. I picked it up, and, on the outside, put it back into the place it was at. It was like my boot had never had that pleasant conversation with the door earlier..

I heard a singular set of hooves coming to the standing, unhinged door. I expected Twilight. A hoof pushed at the oaken door, and it fell over. It was not Twilight, rather, it was Rainbow. She looked at me with a mixture of disappointment, anger, and annoyance.

"What do you want?" She half-glared at me.

"Er, to apologize? I would like to explain myself before you throw me out of the town or some shit."

She looked at me once over, "Fine." She said, before she let me walk in the library.

They looked at me expectantly, "Where do I start?"

"Well, I'm sure you could start on why you flipped out and kicked Twilight's door off its hinges." Rainbow spoke, to which I glared too.

"Okay, fine. To make it brief, I thought Twilight was joking when she mentioned a party. I don't mind parties, I just don't like dealing with more than ten people, or ponies, at once. I already did it enough as a Marine. I wasn't normally too social. I avoided what situations I could, and had to deal with the ones I couldn't. I don't like being the center of attention, and being in a world with mutli-colored ponies doesn't help when I'm a human. I won't say why now, that's something I'll reserve for when I think it should be said. But honestly? I don't care. I'm not sorry about the door being broken down, mistakes happen. Because, God fucking forbid if I show an emotion other than happiness or joy! I understand you were trying to surprise me-- Trust me, you did-- but, in all honesty, you have no fucking idea what I have gone through in the past week! I was plucked out of my own damn dimension or universe- Whatever it was! Do you realize how much shit is on my damn plate right now? I'm the only fucking human being on this damned planet! Do you know how alone that makes one feel? Really. Fucking. Alone. Everything I ever knew, anyone I have ever loved; Taken away just like that, with no remorse. But no! You wouldn't understand that! Because all your lives are just so damn perfect! All this stupid shit, and you," I pointed to Rainbow, "Try to yell at me for booting down a door for being nervous? Well, I have one thing to say to you, Little Ms. perfect, Fuck you!" I heaved in anger, they just looked at where I used to be, jaw dropped, eyes pinpricked. I scoffed at them. I'm not sure why I ranted like that, but I need to get my anger physically under control.

I never really meant it to Twilight, given the fact that she was probably the only one who gave a shit about me here.

I went to 'my' room, gathered my various-- (Albeit it being a small amount.) -- items. Finally, I picked up my M249. I walked out into the main room, past the group of ponies, and out the doorway. I took the door that belonged to the library, and, leaned it up against the tree. Glaring back once more to the group of equines, I took my leave.

--

Twilight's POV

I.. I just...

'I'm the only fucking human being on this damned planet! Do you know how alone that makes one feel?'

I knew he felt... alone... but not that much...

'Really. Fucking. Alone.'

Even if he came here by an accident...

'Everything I ever knew, anyone I have ever loved; Taken away just like that, with no remorse.'

What he said kept replaying in my mind...

And there was one question of my own...

"What did we do wrong...?" I whispered.