Soldiering onby agentporpoiseChaptersChapter 1-Exposition.Chapter 2- RevelationsOld friendsChapter 1-Exposition.Walking over to his washbasin, he unsheathed his bowie knife, and using the reflection a small mirror had lent him, he set about with the destruction of a forest of bronze hair that had taken his muzzle hostage. Alloy was a big stallion, no doubts there. He had griffon’s proportions, standing 5’2 hoof to horn and 5’5 from his chin to his flank. His jaw, as well as most of his features, looked as though they were wrought from his namesake material, with a chiseled jaw, powerful neck, Enormous chest and barrel, all made of pure muscle. His cutie mark was a picture of an anvil and tongs. He had a short bronze mane and tail and a broken off, but sanded smooth, horn. All this would paint a picture of a gruff-gritty veteran warfighter (he would be guilty on that charge) except his eyes. They were bronze, as well, and possessed a stern fire that seemed never to leave them. However, if you saw him when he thought nopony was looking, you’d see big, sad eyes, full of sorrow and pain, drooped ears and a lowered head. When looking, however, he seemed strong and happy, willing to lend a chuckle or two to one of Mochas barrel-busting jokes, making small talk with anypony who passed by. He finished scraping his muzzle clean, and put on the uniform of the LTST(lunar tactical strike team), midnight blue combat pants with an army tee, the option of boots being left to the individual pony to sort out on his or her own, putting his desert eagle in its hip holster. He left his tent, last in the row, and began to trot to the briefings tent where Rainbow Dash was giving the week’s tactical summary. Being an insertion specialist entitled him, and roughly ten others, to the honor of mandatory attendance at these meetings, as well as any fireteam captains LTC. Dash had appointed. Making his way up the row, he saw his comrades beginning to stir. Thunderlane shuffled reluctantly out of the tent, shook his wings, and took to the air; Bon-bon tiptoeing out of her tent, and snapped right back in by a tendril of mint green magic, the owner of which was not willing to relinquish her cot-warmer and pillow so easily. Many other of his equantiances and air force ponies he didn’t know milled about, running this way and that helter skelter. He eventually made his way to the tent where he saw his friend Mocha duck into the tent, followed by several others. Mocha was a big stallion, strong by most standards, with short white hair and tail, a light tan coat, and coffee brown eyes. He had a very nice manner about him, he was always happy and warm even when somepony else wasn’t. Still, there was fire and iron just beneath the surface, waiting to be used. He entered the tent and took his seat next to Mocha, who was already focused in on the mare in the front of the room. “Fillies and Gentelcolts, I suppose you’re all wondering why I brought you here today,” Rainbow Dash said, mimicking a former member of the base senior staff, which elicited a few chuckles from the audience. “Anyway, the brass has decided that we must reinforce the 451st infantry at Desilberg, in an attempt to tip the balance of power in our favor” A collective groan went through the crowd, mutterings of “lunacy” and “Suicide mission” could be heard over the dull roar. The 451st had been entrenched in Desilberg for over two months with no hope of victory in sight. “Ok, ok, I get it” Rainbow yelled, making a “settle down” motion with her wings. “We have been analyzing the situation and this is the time we have to push. The dogs lost three strongholds, countless cities, and enough personnel to fill Tartarus to the brim. Which is why, Strike teams Alpha thru Lima will rendezvous with the 451st and break the stalemate.” “We set up a line of defense here at granite square, along the remaining uncontrolled fourth of the city.” She announced, tracing the location out on the pull down map of the city. “From there we push up through Granite, Shale and Obsidian streets, converging on the last remnant of the resistance. When there, we force them to either surrender or we kill on sight. Now, this is going to be a complicated mission, as such I’m pulling Blitzkrieg to lead teams Alpha thru Indigo and Alloy to lead Lima thru November. If we can take Leonberg this frees the 55th armored to push through, and there aren’t no stopping the 55th.Shooting up into the air Rainbow finished her speech, “WE WILL WIN Leonberg AND WE WILL WIN THIS WAR” she yelled, prompting the rest of the crowd to join her. When he was satisfied every pony had left, Mocha strode over to Rainbow dash. She was fairly tall, with a lean, well-muscled frame, her shock of Rainbow main sticking out deliberately from under her officer’s cap. Mocha thought she did look pretty in that uniform, her innate playfulness dominating the imposing nature of the outfit. He shook himself out of his wanderings, now was not the time “What the buck?” Mocha asked, slamming his hoof down on the table. “Why won’t you pull me for combat?” Rainbow had had this conversation many times with many ponies, giving her ample time to practice her reply. “Mocha, you’re more useful here as a field operative. And you’re too valuable to the outfit to risk.” She said striking her best “sorry but it’s out of my hooves” face. Mocha snorted, “Horse-Bucking-Feathers! I have the second best success to deployment ratio, right up there next to Alloy himself. Now we both know that the high brass is gonna pull him for some dumbass shit. This leaves me and blitzkrieg, and if you split the command, I could take a section. And you tell me that I’m more useful here. If the 451st needs one thing, it’s a leader. Seriously Rainbow…” he trailed off, Rainbow dash, gently sniffling “I know… I should pull you…but…,” she sniffed. “But what?’ Mocha asked, his expression softening and squatting down on his haunches and wrapping a hoof around her. “Bucking idiot…do I have to say it?” she asked, pulling him down for a kiss. He felt the warmth of her muzzle on his, the hot pressing sensation coursing through him. He felt their tongues touch. She had tautness, a firmness that he found so beautiful. Even though she was ripped, he felt nothing but warm softness. He smelt rainwater and lilacs, combined with the natural sent of pony. She kept him in this embrace for a minute, breaking it off, saying “I’ll do it, but please, for my sake, don’t die.” “Yes ma’am” was Mocha’s reply, his goofy cockeyed grin perfectly matching his ruffled mane and uniform. Both of them from what had just happened. Mocha stood to leave, straightening uniform, looking wistfully at Rainbow dash. “Mocha,” she said, shyly walking over to him, “I really do love you. Try to stop by my tent soon” she finished staring at the ground. Mocha raised Rainbows face up to meet his, bringing her in for a peck on the cheek, “a good soldier always follows orders. I’ll be by soon.” As Mocha started for the door, Rainbow called out “by the way, tell Alloy I need to see him” Mocha nodded his compliance as he exited the tent. DAMN! Did that really just happen? Mocha asked himself, still in shock from the ambush make out. He stopped for a moment, savoring the feeling of her breath is his lungs, the tingling sensation on his muzzle. He began walking, trying to find Alloy amongst the throngs of ponies. Everywhere he looked was a sea of tan canvas studded with exceptionally brightly colored islands. He saw some of his friends chatting, Fluttershy walking Dust Devil into the infirmary, and Gilda, seemingly out of place in the swarm of ponies. She, even by griffon standards, was big. As tall as Alloy and even, somehow, more muscular, some would consider her too big, but not him. “Hey, Gilda” he called, tearing her shortly away from cleaning her combat shotgun. Gilda looked up, somewhat startled at what she saw. Mocha was attractive, there is no getting around that. He was tall and reasonably strong, a certain goofy handsomeness that he possessed . He didn’t have Alloys bulk or blitzkriegs wings, but damn if she didn’t want to pin him down and… NOPE, she thought, he’s just a friend; I don’t want anything more than that. Yea, sure, another voice in her head prompted. And I’m not the only griffon in this outfit. “Damn, Mocha, you look like you've been run through the wringer, what happened?” she asked in her deep, but still feminine voice. Mocha whistled and pulled up a chair. “What happened?” Mocha rhetorically asked, his smile still glued to his muzzle. “Rainbow and I made out” he half-said, half-sighed and setting his chin down on his hooves, his eyes still out of focus. Gilda internally sighed, great, now it’s both of them, can’t I catch a break? NO! Another part of her yelled. This is a great day for your two best friends, now BE HAPPY FOR HIM. Noting Gilda’s sudden silence, Mocha spoke up, “Hey, Gilda you ok?” he asked trying to gently probe the issue. “Nah it’s nothing” she said, her voice indicating that it was just the opposite. “Bullshit, I’ve honestly never seen you so crest fallen” his serious tone contrasting sharply with his general demeanor. Gilda chuckled; he always knew just what to say. He might not be the , he was still the best stallion she knew. “ugh fine,” she sighed running her talons through her hair, “it’s just…well I thought that maybe Rainbow and I could’ve gotten back together, but… but what matters is that you’re happy” she finished, trying to put on a smile and pretend she wasn’t hurt. He brought Gilda in for a hug, not a marefriend/coltfriend hug, but a comforting embrace, enough for Gilda to know she was still his friend. “Gilda, look, I’m sorry, but I know you’ll get there. And between you and me, It was Rainbow’s loss” Mocha said, trying to restore confidence to the lonely griffon. “Oh!” he cried, “before I got, I almost forgot to tell you, See that Thestral over there?” he said, pointing his hoof to a mare chitchatting with fluttershy in front of the infirmary. Gilda nodded, the mare in question was reasonably good looking, with big blue eyes and a deep black coat. “Yea, what about her?” “Well, I’ve heard that she's on the market, thought you might give it a go” Mocha said, giving Gilda a go-get’ em punch on the shoulder. Gilda shrugged, never given much thought to the Thestral, but was she in a position to be choosy? “Ok, what the hay, I’ll go for it” she said, Mocha lighting up like a Christmas tree. “Well then,” he said, rubbing his hooves together,” I’ll let you do that voodoo that you do” Gilda chuckled Dammit, just when I thought she was done stabbing my heart. The general mood in the camp was happy, despite the somewhat grim circumstances that surrounded their occupation. The LSTS seemed to have a better chemistry than the Celestial regulars, with most everypony in the camp having served with each other prior to being enlisted. That, and the more liberal interpretation of certain regulations. Primarily the ones regarding how soldiers behaved toward one another, and how the sleeping arrangements were decided. The LSTS was comprised of those who were more suited to insertion missions that required quick thinking and combat excellence than following orders to the letter. Seeing as they were put into the most dangerous situations at the worst times, Luna saw fit to ignore what happened behind tied canvas. The camp itself was a large city of tents and makeshift buildings, spanning close to 5 square miles of tarps and canvas. The reason for the camp existing was the landing strip, and its cluster of hangars, housing the might of the 55th royal air force division. Before he knew it, he found himself in front Alloy’s tent, the last in the dual rows. Mocha rapped on the middle post eliciting a gruff “Come in” from inside the tent. Mocha ducked through the canvas flap, revealing a rather Spartan interior. The room had a washstand, a small stool, Alloy’s Mammoth assortment of weaponry, ammunition and guns ready to go. The tent also had bedside table and the stallion himself, stretched out on a cot, reading the art of war. “Hey Mocha, watcha need” Alloy said, without looking up from the text. “Rainbow wanted to see you.” He said, snatching the book out of Alloy’s hooves. Alloy sat up, turning to face the thief. “Well, Son of a… Damn, who happened to you?” He said, deriving the nature of Mocha’s disheveled appearance. “Give you three guesses” Mocha replied, sitting down and putting his hooves behind his head. “Hmm, lemme think. Gilda?” “nope, but I did talk to her today” “Midnight?” Mocha face hoofed. “I get it; you know I’m ok with bigger mares, but really, a Thestral?” “As if you haven’t wanted to run your hooves over that glossy black flank.” “Touché” “so third guess. OH I know” Alloy said clapping his hooves together “Shoot” “Fluttershy?” “Nope, that ship sailed and sunk a long time ago” “who then?” Alloy asked, honestly intrigued at this point. Mocha smiled, savoring the moment “Rainbow dash” Alloy’s face hoof could be heard around the world “Dear Gods!” he exclaimed, “How far did you get?” Mocha shrugged “we made out, kinda rolled around on the floor of the command tent.” Alloy put hooves to his forehead, “Ok, so what would any sane mare have read into that?” he asked, continuing to massage his brow. “That I kinda like her, that we're more than just good friends?” he said, somewhat tentatively. “Now, in Rainbow dash-ese, this means that you are now her coltfriend and will be forever and ever.” “And? What’s so bad about that?” Mocha asked, cocking an eyebrow incredulously. Alloy looked up, “because you done set yourself up with a psychotic, prismatic train wreck. How many colt/fillyfriends has she had?” Mocha shrugged and replied “I don’t know, two, three?” “Ten. Thunderlane, Cloudchaser, Lightning Dust, Raindrop, Roseluck, Vinyl, Pinkie Pie, Lyra, Myself, and Gilda. And do you know what happened with each relationship?” Alloy asked rhetorically, letting his anger seep slightly into his tone. “No, what happened?” Mocha asked, becoming more and more frustrated. “She single-hoofedly torpedoed all of them. See, I got thrown in when I decided to talk her through her breakup with Lyra and then she got attached. When I finally had enough, she went crying to Gilda, and now look where she is. Rainbow turned a strong griffon into a sobbing mess.” Mocha sighed, “Alloy, I know you’re looking out for me, but Damn man, I got control of my love life.” Alloy shrugged, you can show a stallion a land mine, but you can’t make him avoid it. “Maybe you’re just what she needs, but good luck.” He said clapping Mocha on the shoulder. “Speaking of Rainbow dash, tell her I’ll be by later. And Mocha, don’t take that the wrong way, I’m just trying to help.” Mocha nodded his thanks. Alloy might be somewhat blunt, but he'd take frank and helpful over eloquent and keniving. He ducked out, planning his evening with Rainbow. Chapter 2- RevelationsChapter 2 “What” Alloy asked, reeling from the news he had been given. Rainbow Dash ran her hooves through her mane. “Why do I have to tell him this,” she thought, racking her memory for the action that brought this level of bad karma down on her.“I tried to tell them that, but, frankly, you’re the only pony qualified for the job. This has to be covert, and I don’t trust blitzkrieg. He’s too impulsive and too gung-ho. We need the most seasoned hoof we can find. And, unfortunately, it happens to be you.” Alloy was dumbfounded. ON one hoof, he should be glad to get to get his payback on Sunbolt and Starburst, but on the other, he just wanted to leave it alone. “Rainbow, you know I can’t do this, I told them I wouldn’t take this job, and I won’t. ” “To be blunt Alloy, Luna doesn’t care about who you lost. What she cares about is that those two are put into the ground. And she’s gonna pay you very well for it.” Rainbow shot, beginning to lose her patience. Alloy was many things, however, rich was not one of them, and Luna knew this well as he did. “Rainbow, find me another hit. I don’t care who, but not them, Hitpony work is one thing, but not this. Those two took everything from me, Snapdragon was my life, and I won’t go back there, ITS TOO DAMN SOON!” he said, the last few words breaking into a yell. Rainbow ground her teeth, why does he have to have a conscience now. Alloy go kill a dignitary, Ok. Alloy, go kill a noble, Ok. Alloy; go kill the two ponies you actually have a reason to kill. NOOOOO! She couldn’t do this anymore, couldn’t take his shit. “FUCK YOUR PAST. HOW MANY PONIES HAVE YOU KILLED FOR BITS, BUT YOU WONT KILL THE TWO YOU HAVE A REASON TO KILL. FUCK YOUR SHIT!” she screamed, so forcefully that she shook dust from the ceiling of the command tent “HAVE YOR EVER HAD SOMEONE SO CLOSE TO YOU DIE, THAT YOU ALMOST FUCKING KILLED YOURSELF?”, he half yelled-half screamed . “ALLOY, THAT’S NOT THE FUCKING…”Rainbow didn’t have time to finish the response. “THAT’S WHAT I FUCKING THOUGHT “ he yelled. Fuck me, what did I do to deserve this? Rainbow rubbed her temples, alloy was difficult at the best of times, but this was fucking pushing it. “350,000. That’s how much they’ll give, thirty five hundred thousand bits. Alloy, that and the 100,000 you’ve put away from your hitpony shit, you’ll never have work for us again. Do you get that? This is what you’ve always wanted, right, a chance to get out. Alloy, if you can’t do it for hate, do it for greed,” she said, her tone dripping with venom and heavy with agitation. They sat their staring at eachother, the silence hatefull and deadly. Fifteen minutes passed before alloy broke it. “Why kill them now, hell, its been 3 years. Or did Command not consider treason and murder --grounds for assassination?“ He asked. Rainbow sighed. On the one hoof, she had been told not to tell him, but on the other, it made her job a whole hell of a lot easier. Of course, duty caved to sloth, and she pulled a file from amidst the stack of maps and papers that cluttered the rest of the table. “The Cerberus Project” she said, sliding alloy the file. “I’ll let you fill yourself in.” Alloy opened the file, leafing through its contents. He saw formulas, chemical balance charts, pictures, and a fair bit of writing. One of the pages read as followed Project Cerberus Subject no. 042 Test number 5 Dna sequence Timber-Theta Subject was taken from stasis chamber. Dna sequences beginning to take hold. Height increased 4.67 ft., shoulder span increased by 3.5ft Bicep muscle group growth astronomical. Subject stands 10.5ft tall, 6.5 ft. from paw to paw, 4ft from chest to spine. DGH compound and Gama-creatine produced quickest growth seen yet. Recommend use of this compound for all subjects. Subject fitted with armor components Tortuga 1-5. Subject somewhat on edge. Subject attempted to remove armor. Subject offered extra rations. Subject ceased attempts to remove armor. Subject ordered to destroy an equestrian heavy tank in 15 seconds. Subject growled, indicating rudimentary understanding of the difficulty of the task. Subject unable to do lasting damage to tank. Results deemed unacceptable. Subject given 50cc of Amphetoadrenalie-15 (henceforth referred to as amp-15). Subject exhibited dilated pupils and extreme restlessness. Subject given same directive. Subject attempted to pry turret off of tank. Turret section was dislodged after 14 seconds. Results unacceptable. Subject was given 100cc of amp-15. Subject was able to cripple turret section and tread components. Results approaching desired outcome. Subject given 150cc of amp-15. Subject was able flip tank upside down, and dent hull in. Results almost at desired outcome. Subject given 200cc of amp-15. Same results as previous test, with 2 exceptions. Subject rear paw pierced hull of tank. Results satisfactory. Subject was unable to remove foot from tank. Subject went bezerk, killing 2/3 of observational staff. Subject went into cardiac arrest. Medical staff unable to revive. Subject dna harvested for future use. Recommend 150cc as maximum safe dose. -Diamond Southpaw, Chief research technician for Subject 5 Really Southpaw, did none of the graduate chemists I hoof picked took the time to calculate overdose point? We don’t keep you dumbasses around for your good looks. Obviously, this is a major setback. On the bright side, we now have a known overdose point, as well as two working compounds and one well running dna sequence. I will implement these compounds in all future subjects, barring any new developments. Will have at least 10 combat ready prototypes for Leonberg, the research in high strength armor has been completed. Faust, they don’t pay me enough for this -Starburst, head of research Project Cerberus. “Is this what I think it is?” he asked, his expression somewhere between horror and admiration. Rainbow shrugged, “If this is to be believed, we have the first recorded super soldier. The idea, in essence, is to take an already massive Diamond Dog, pump him full of steroids, wolf DNA, and amphetamines, and send him charging at the front lines. Of course the science behind all that is much more complex, but you get the idea.” “And, doubtless, the marked couple are behind this?” he rhetorically asked. “Which is why they defected in the first place. The diamond dogs are the only military crazy enough to try this.” “And Leonberg is totally unrelated, right?” “He, sure. We believe that not only are the diamond dogs going to deploy the prototype at Leonberg, but that Sunbolt and Starburst will be there to oversee the first test run.” She said, pointing to another set of dispatches. “So, you people once again expect me to slip in to an active war zone, behind enemy lines, waltz into the camp, and kill the two most valuable civilian assets they have? Fuck, this isn’t a mission, this is a death sentence.”He said, his tone returning to normal “It’s not as bad as it sounds. They are holed up in a lab here” she said, pulling out a map of the city. The building in question sat four or five blocks south from the fighting. “Anyway, we expect marginal resistance. The most recent intercepted orders call for all essential combat personnel to be moved forward. This is what has command worried. We anticipate that within the next 4 days, the diamond dogs can mount a full push, and attempt to drive us from Leonberg. “So I go in and behead the snake? And what about the mighty mutts, are they on the hit list?” he asked. Rainbow Dash shrugged “Take the file, I want you to see if you think of anything, but if not, we’ll let the celestials get some action.” “Will do, Ma’am. I would also like to apologize for my outburst, it was unprofessional improper.” He said, standing up and saluting. Rainbow waved a hoof for him to stand relived. “Hell, Alloy this has been a long fight and you’ve gotten the plot end of it all. I’d be more worried if you hadn’t snapped. But I do accept your apology, and wish you good luck. Now if you’ll excuse me...” She concluded, motioning for him to leave “Ma’am, one more thing, go easy on the coffee…” he said, a sly smirk bedecking his face as Rainbow tried to process what had just happened. Her irate stammering quickly faded as he exited the command tent. He smiled in spite of what had happened. She was good , even if she had to be the bad guy for so many ponies. Old friendsThat went well, Mocha thought, wandering through camp. He found himself daydream walking to the infirmary, lost in thoughts pertaining to a certain cyan Pegasus, who he found himself suddenly preoccupied with. It was the sweetest indignant “harrumph” Mocha had ever heard that finally got his attention. “Excuse me Mocha, could you move, umm, only if that’s ok with you, of course.” Mocha searched for the owner of the voice, eventually finding the butter yellow Pegasus he knew it belonged to. “Hey ,Fluttershy, what’s up” he asked, trying to strike a conversation. “Anything interesting happen today?” “Well Mocha, if you don’t mind, I need to get through, Cloudchaser dislocated her wing, so…,” she said, gesturing for him to move. “Actually, could you come in here and help with that, this might be tougher than I can handle, if, you know, you’re not busy ” she asked, stopping on her way in. “Hell, anything for you Flutters , you know that” he said, gesturing for Fluttershy to lead the way. There was a time, when that level of cuteness from her would have stopped his heart in mid-beat. But those days were gone, seemingly never to be found again. He went into the tent, and instantly the smell of rubbing alcohol, horseflesh, and stale blood. He cringed, blood and gun smoke was one thing, but this smell, was beyond foul, beyond unnatural. As he followed Fluttershy thorough the rows of bed he saw ponies he knew, put out of commission for one reason or another. Vinyl was covered hoof to horn in white gausses; she had a close run in with a Batallion of Dimond Kommando Spetzial Servki[ /i] the diamond dog’s special operations unit. Owing to the savagery of these fighters, they had dipped back into the vaults, using the barbaric and horrific weaponry of the Hive war. When the changelings had made war on The diamond dogs, their first attack was a massive slaughter , thousands dead, millions more took to be consumed. And, being diamond dogs, they naturally devised a gruesome retribution. This took the form of flamethrowers and gas launchers, which, in the tight spaces of the hive, proved devastating. Now, only the most twisted and gruesome shock troopers used them, literally melting and burning those they ran across. Vinyl had helped save her unit from an attack, but not without cost. The chemical burns would heal, but exposure to oxygen and pathogens would allow for infection. So there she sat, counting the ticks of the clock, wondering if it was worth it. Most however, were far luckier than she was. There were broken wings, fetlocks, hooves, and a hoof full of gunshot wounds. These too were more gruesome than necessary, owing to the dog’s practice of arming paw soldiers with hollow point bullets. They made their way over to the bed where Cloudchaser was sitting, her wing pointing a hundred and eighty degrees the wrong way, as well as 3 inches from its socket. Instantly Fluttershy turned on her veterinary instincts. “Cloudchaser, what happened, she asked, her voice soft and sweet, like a wave of satin. “Well, I was flying a patrol, and I was going to land and I went in too fast, so I pulled back, and it popped, she said, giving a weak chuckle, followed by a wince. “I can fix it, but it’ll hurt a bit, ok” Fluttershy crooned. Cloudchaser nodded, her breath coming in short, pained spurts. “Mocha, you know what to do,” She said, allowing her voice to return to a matter of fact tone. Mocha undid his belt, doubling it over “Cloud, I need you to clamp down on this,” he said, making his slow tenor as soothing as he could. Cloudchaser opened her mouth and he put the makeshift bite guard in between her jaws. Cloudchaser nodded, catching Mocha's fetlock in a death grip. “Ok cloudy, we go on three” Fluttershy said, gently taking the wing in her hooves. “Ready?” she asked, receiving a nod of ascent from both participants. “Ok, ONE!” she yelled, forcing Cloud chasers wing into its socket. Even through the belt, he could hear Cloudchaser scream. “Two, three” Fluttershy finished, her voice becoming a meek whisper. “ MOTHERFUCKER, THAT HURT!” she yelled after spitting the belt out, not at the two of them but more at her own surprise. They helped Cloudchaser up, whose eyes were still watering from the pain of the process. “Now Cloud, go easy on it, no flying for at least a week” Fluttershy admonished Cloudchaser, walking her out of the tent. They made their way to the outside of the infirmary, the light of the setting sun beginning to streak its long, pink fingers through the crisp air. He was just admiring the sunset, even though he knew it was pollution from the factories in Leonberg. His thoughts, however, were interrupted by f Fluttershy unscrewing a pill bottle, and upending it in her mouth, munching down as if they were candy. Mocha magically grabbed the bottle from her hooves, reading the label. “Vicadin! What the hell, what are you thinking?” he said, more concerned than angry. “Mocha, I know full well how bad it is for me, but quitting is a hell of a lot worse. You know my anxiety makes me twitch. I’m a surgeon, I can’t have that!” She shot back, somewhere between cute and indignant “Please don’t let this get a hold of you” he begged, deeply concerned for her. “I promise I’ll quit,” she said “Do you really?” he asked “Mocha, I’m cold, can I…um…could you…please?” she asked, raising a wing, hoping he would take his place under the outstretched appendage. “I need an answer.” He said “Yes, now please, come here” she said, her seemingly infinite patience wearing thin. With an exaggerated sigh, he snuggled up against her barrel. “Fine”, he said, jokingly rolling his eyes They stood there, savoring the moment and each other’s presence. They had been so close once, and both of them secretly wished they could be again. But those days were gone. So they stood in silence, dreaming on what could have been. “Hey Flutters, love to stay and not talk, but Dash is expecting me, so…,” he said, pulling away from Fluttershy. Fluttershy nodded, shooing him in the direction of Rainbow Dashes’ tent. Following a short walk, she came to her own tent. Fluttershy ducked in, slipping into her cold and lonely bed. How long do I have to pretend that he isn’t tearing me apart? How many hours of, “He’s so perfect”, How many “I’m so in love’s would she have to sit though. What made her predicament worse, she thought, was that she knew exactly what Rainbow Dash meant. He was perfect, he was so kind, so funny, some pony that you could give you advice, or a kiss, and knew which one you needed. He was so good to be with, big and strong, his big legs wrapping her in an embrace, something she missed and craved. She missed her rock, her pillow, her stallion. She felt the tears beginning to come, the hot anger and sadness mixing and melting together in one big mass of emotion. So she cried, cried with nopony to hear her, cried into her pillow, when it should have been Mocha there to share her pain, to stroke her mane and comfort her, like he had been.
Chapter 1-Exposition.Walking over to his washbasin, he unsheathed his bowie knife, and using the reflection a small mirror had lent him, he set about with the destruction of a forest of bronze hair that had taken his muzzle hostage. Alloy was a big stallion, no doubts there. He had griffon’s proportions, standing 5’2 hoof to horn and 5’5 from his chin to his flank. His jaw, as well as most of his features, looked as though they were wrought from his namesake material, with a chiseled jaw, powerful neck, Enormous chest and barrel, all made of pure muscle. His cutie mark was a picture of an anvil and tongs. He had a short bronze mane and tail and a broken off, but sanded smooth, horn. All this would paint a picture of a gruff-gritty veteran warfighter (he would be guilty on that charge) except his eyes. They were bronze, as well, and possessed a stern fire that seemed never to leave them. However, if you saw him when he thought nopony was looking, you’d see big, sad eyes, full of sorrow and pain, drooped ears and a lowered head. When looking, however, he seemed strong and happy, willing to lend a chuckle or two to one of Mochas barrel-busting jokes, making small talk with anypony who passed by. He finished scraping his muzzle clean, and put on the uniform of the LTST(lunar tactical strike team), midnight blue combat pants with an army tee, the option of boots being left to the individual pony to sort out on his or her own, putting his desert eagle in its hip holster. He left his tent, last in the row, and began to trot to the briefings tent where Rainbow Dash was giving the week’s tactical summary. Being an insertion specialist entitled him, and roughly ten others, to the honor of mandatory attendance at these meetings, as well as any fireteam captains LTC. Dash had appointed. Making his way up the row, he saw his comrades beginning to stir. Thunderlane shuffled reluctantly out of the tent, shook his wings, and took to the air; Bon-bon tiptoeing out of her tent, and snapped right back in by a tendril of mint green magic, the owner of which was not willing to relinquish her cot-warmer and pillow so easily. Many other of his equantiances and air force ponies he didn’t know milled about, running this way and that helter skelter. He eventually made his way to the tent where he saw his friend Mocha duck into the tent, followed by several others. Mocha was a big stallion, strong by most standards, with short white hair and tail, a light tan coat, and coffee brown eyes. He had a very nice manner about him, he was always happy and warm even when somepony else wasn’t. Still, there was fire and iron just beneath the surface, waiting to be used. He entered the tent and took his seat next to Mocha, who was already focused in on the mare in the front of the room. “Fillies and Gentelcolts, I suppose you’re all wondering why I brought you here today,” Rainbow Dash said, mimicking a former member of the base senior staff, which elicited a few chuckles from the audience. “Anyway, the brass has decided that we must reinforce the 451st infantry at Desilberg, in an attempt to tip the balance of power in our favor” A collective groan went through the crowd, mutterings of “lunacy” and “Suicide mission” could be heard over the dull roar. The 451st had been entrenched in Desilberg for over two months with no hope of victory in sight. “Ok, ok, I get it” Rainbow yelled, making a “settle down” motion with her wings. “We have been analyzing the situation and this is the time we have to push. The dogs lost three strongholds, countless cities, and enough personnel to fill Tartarus to the brim. Which is why, Strike teams Alpha thru Lima will rendezvous with the 451st and break the stalemate.” “We set up a line of defense here at granite square, along the remaining uncontrolled fourth of the city.” She announced, tracing the location out on the pull down map of the city. “From there we push up through Granite, Shale and Obsidian streets, converging on the last remnant of the resistance. When there, we force them to either surrender or we kill on sight. Now, this is going to be a complicated mission, as such I’m pulling Blitzkrieg to lead teams Alpha thru Indigo and Alloy to lead Lima thru November. If we can take Leonberg this frees the 55th armored to push through, and there aren’t no stopping the 55th.Shooting up into the air Rainbow finished her speech, “WE WILL WIN Leonberg AND WE WILL WIN THIS WAR” she yelled, prompting the rest of the crowd to join her. When he was satisfied every pony had left, Mocha strode over to Rainbow dash. She was fairly tall, with a lean, well-muscled frame, her shock of Rainbow main sticking out deliberately from under her officer’s cap. Mocha thought she did look pretty in that uniform, her innate playfulness dominating the imposing nature of the outfit. He shook himself out of his wanderings, now was not the time “What the buck?” Mocha asked, slamming his hoof down on the table. “Why won’t you pull me for combat?” Rainbow had had this conversation many times with many ponies, giving her ample time to practice her reply. “Mocha, you’re more useful here as a field operative. And you’re too valuable to the outfit to risk.” She said striking her best “sorry but it’s out of my hooves” face. Mocha snorted, “Horse-Bucking-Feathers! I have the second best success to deployment ratio, right up there next to Alloy himself. Now we both know that the high brass is gonna pull him for some dumbass shit. This leaves me and blitzkrieg, and if you split the command, I could take a section. And you tell me that I’m more useful here. If the 451st needs one thing, it’s a leader. Seriously Rainbow…” he trailed off, Rainbow dash, gently sniffling “I know… I should pull you…but…,” she sniffed. “But what?’ Mocha asked, his expression softening and squatting down on his haunches and wrapping a hoof around her. “Bucking idiot…do I have to say it?” she asked, pulling him down for a kiss. He felt the warmth of her muzzle on his, the hot pressing sensation coursing through him. He felt their tongues touch. She had tautness, a firmness that he found so beautiful. Even though she was ripped, he felt nothing but warm softness. He smelt rainwater and lilacs, combined with the natural sent of pony. She kept him in this embrace for a minute, breaking it off, saying “I’ll do it, but please, for my sake, don’t die.” “Yes ma’am” was Mocha’s reply, his goofy cockeyed grin perfectly matching his ruffled mane and uniform. Both of them from what had just happened. Mocha stood to leave, straightening uniform, looking wistfully at Rainbow dash. “Mocha,” she said, shyly walking over to him, “I really do love you. Try to stop by my tent soon” she finished staring at the ground. Mocha raised Rainbows face up to meet his, bringing her in for a peck on the cheek, “a good soldier always follows orders. I’ll be by soon.” As Mocha started for the door, Rainbow called out “by the way, tell Alloy I need to see him” Mocha nodded his compliance as he exited the tent. DAMN! Did that really just happen? Mocha asked himself, still in shock from the ambush make out. He stopped for a moment, savoring the feeling of her breath is his lungs, the tingling sensation on his muzzle. He began walking, trying to find Alloy amongst the throngs of ponies. Everywhere he looked was a sea of tan canvas studded with exceptionally brightly colored islands. He saw some of his friends chatting, Fluttershy walking Dust Devil into the infirmary, and Gilda, seemingly out of place in the swarm of ponies. She, even by griffon standards, was big. As tall as Alloy and even, somehow, more muscular, some would consider her too big, but not him. “Hey, Gilda” he called, tearing her shortly away from cleaning her combat shotgun. Gilda looked up, somewhat startled at what she saw. Mocha was attractive, there is no getting around that. He was tall and reasonably strong, a certain goofy handsomeness that he possessed . He didn’t have Alloys bulk or blitzkriegs wings, but damn if she didn’t want to pin him down and… NOPE, she thought, he’s just a friend; I don’t want anything more than that. Yea, sure, another voice in her head prompted. And I’m not the only griffon in this outfit. “Damn, Mocha, you look like you've been run through the wringer, what happened?” she asked in her deep, but still feminine voice. Mocha whistled and pulled up a chair. “What happened?” Mocha rhetorically asked, his smile still glued to his muzzle. “Rainbow and I made out” he half-said, half-sighed and setting his chin down on his hooves, his eyes still out of focus. Gilda internally sighed, great, now it’s both of them, can’t I catch a break? NO! Another part of her yelled. This is a great day for your two best friends, now BE HAPPY FOR HIM. Noting Gilda’s sudden silence, Mocha spoke up, “Hey, Gilda you ok?” he asked trying to gently probe the issue. “Nah it’s nothing” she said, her voice indicating that it was just the opposite. “Bullshit, I’ve honestly never seen you so crest fallen” his serious tone contrasting sharply with his general demeanor. Gilda chuckled; he always knew just what to say. He might not be the , he was still the best stallion she knew. “ugh fine,” she sighed running her talons through her hair, “it’s just…well I thought that maybe Rainbow and I could’ve gotten back together, but… but what matters is that you’re happy” she finished, trying to put on a smile and pretend she wasn’t hurt. He brought Gilda in for a hug, not a marefriend/coltfriend hug, but a comforting embrace, enough for Gilda to know she was still his friend. “Gilda, look, I’m sorry, but I know you’ll get there. And between you and me, It was Rainbow’s loss” Mocha said, trying to restore confidence to the lonely griffon. “Oh!” he cried, “before I got, I almost forgot to tell you, See that Thestral over there?” he said, pointing his hoof to a mare chitchatting with fluttershy in front of the infirmary. Gilda nodded, the mare in question was reasonably good looking, with big blue eyes and a deep black coat. “Yea, what about her?” “Well, I’ve heard that she's on the market, thought you might give it a go” Mocha said, giving Gilda a go-get’ em punch on the shoulder. Gilda shrugged, never given much thought to the Thestral, but was she in a position to be choosy? “Ok, what the hay, I’ll go for it” she said, Mocha lighting up like a Christmas tree. “Well then,” he said, rubbing his hooves together,” I’ll let you do that voodoo that you do” Gilda chuckled Dammit, just when I thought she was done stabbing my heart. The general mood in the camp was happy, despite the somewhat grim circumstances that surrounded their occupation. The LSTS seemed to have a better chemistry than the Celestial regulars, with most everypony in the camp having served with each other prior to being enlisted. That, and the more liberal interpretation of certain regulations. Primarily the ones regarding how soldiers behaved toward one another, and how the sleeping arrangements were decided. The LSTS was comprised of those who were more suited to insertion missions that required quick thinking and combat excellence than following orders to the letter. Seeing as they were put into the most dangerous situations at the worst times, Luna saw fit to ignore what happened behind tied canvas. The camp itself was a large city of tents and makeshift buildings, spanning close to 5 square miles of tarps and canvas. The reason for the camp existing was the landing strip, and its cluster of hangars, housing the might of the 55th royal air force division. Before he knew it, he found himself in front Alloy’s tent, the last in the dual rows. Mocha rapped on the middle post eliciting a gruff “Come in” from inside the tent. Mocha ducked through the canvas flap, revealing a rather Spartan interior. The room had a washstand, a small stool, Alloy’s Mammoth assortment of weaponry, ammunition and guns ready to go. The tent also had bedside table and the stallion himself, stretched out on a cot, reading the art of war. “Hey Mocha, watcha need” Alloy said, without looking up from the text. “Rainbow wanted to see you.” He said, snatching the book out of Alloy’s hooves. Alloy sat up, turning to face the thief. “Well, Son of a… Damn, who happened to you?” He said, deriving the nature of Mocha’s disheveled appearance. “Give you three guesses” Mocha replied, sitting down and putting his hooves behind his head. “Hmm, lemme think. Gilda?” “nope, but I did talk to her today” “Midnight?” Mocha face hoofed. “I get it; you know I’m ok with bigger mares, but really, a Thestral?” “As if you haven’t wanted to run your hooves over that glossy black flank.” “Touché” “so third guess. OH I know” Alloy said clapping his hooves together “Shoot” “Fluttershy?” “Nope, that ship sailed and sunk a long time ago” “who then?” Alloy asked, honestly intrigued at this point. Mocha smiled, savoring the moment “Rainbow dash” Alloy’s face hoof could be heard around the world “Dear Gods!” he exclaimed, “How far did you get?” Mocha shrugged “we made out, kinda rolled around on the floor of the command tent.” Alloy put hooves to his forehead, “Ok, so what would any sane mare have read into that?” he asked, continuing to massage his brow. “That I kinda like her, that we're more than just good friends?” he said, somewhat tentatively. “Now, in Rainbow dash-ese, this means that you are now her coltfriend and will be forever and ever.” “And? What’s so bad about that?” Mocha asked, cocking an eyebrow incredulously. Alloy looked up, “because you done set yourself up with a psychotic, prismatic train wreck. How many colt/fillyfriends has she had?” Mocha shrugged and replied “I don’t know, two, three?” “Ten. Thunderlane, Cloudchaser, Lightning Dust, Raindrop, Roseluck, Vinyl, Pinkie Pie, Lyra, Myself, and Gilda. And do you know what happened with each relationship?” Alloy asked rhetorically, letting his anger seep slightly into his tone. “No, what happened?” Mocha asked, becoming more and more frustrated. “She single-hoofedly torpedoed all of them. See, I got thrown in when I decided to talk her through her breakup with Lyra and then she got attached. When I finally had enough, she went crying to Gilda, and now look where she is. Rainbow turned a strong griffon into a sobbing mess.” Mocha sighed, “Alloy, I know you’re looking out for me, but Damn man, I got control of my love life.” Alloy shrugged, you can show a stallion a land mine, but you can’t make him avoid it. “Maybe you’re just what she needs, but good luck.” He said clapping Mocha on the shoulder. “Speaking of Rainbow dash, tell her I’ll be by later. And Mocha, don’t take that the wrong way, I’m just trying to help.” Mocha nodded his thanks. Alloy might be somewhat blunt, but he'd take frank and helpful over eloquent and keniving. He ducked out, planning his evening with Rainbow.
Chapter 2- RevelationsChapter 2 “What” Alloy asked, reeling from the news he had been given. Rainbow Dash ran her hooves through her mane. “Why do I have to tell him this,” she thought, racking her memory for the action that brought this level of bad karma down on her.“I tried to tell them that, but, frankly, you’re the only pony qualified for the job. This has to be covert, and I don’t trust blitzkrieg. He’s too impulsive and too gung-ho. We need the most seasoned hoof we can find. And, unfortunately, it happens to be you.” Alloy was dumbfounded. ON one hoof, he should be glad to get to get his payback on Sunbolt and Starburst, but on the other, he just wanted to leave it alone. “Rainbow, you know I can’t do this, I told them I wouldn’t take this job, and I won’t. ” “To be blunt Alloy, Luna doesn’t care about who you lost. What she cares about is that those two are put into the ground. And she’s gonna pay you very well for it.” Rainbow shot, beginning to lose her patience. Alloy was many things, however, rich was not one of them, and Luna knew this well as he did. “Rainbow, find me another hit. I don’t care who, but not them, Hitpony work is one thing, but not this. Those two took everything from me, Snapdragon was my life, and I won’t go back there, ITS TOO DAMN SOON!” he said, the last few words breaking into a yell. Rainbow ground her teeth, why does he have to have a conscience now. Alloy go kill a dignitary, Ok. Alloy, go kill a noble, Ok. Alloy; go kill the two ponies you actually have a reason to kill. NOOOOO! She couldn’t do this anymore, couldn’t take his shit. “FUCK YOUR PAST. HOW MANY PONIES HAVE YOU KILLED FOR BITS, BUT YOU WONT KILL THE TWO YOU HAVE A REASON TO KILL. FUCK YOUR SHIT!” she screamed, so forcefully that she shook dust from the ceiling of the command tent “HAVE YOR EVER HAD SOMEONE SO CLOSE TO YOU DIE, THAT YOU ALMOST FUCKING KILLED YOURSELF?”, he half yelled-half screamed . “ALLOY, THAT’S NOT THE FUCKING…”Rainbow didn’t have time to finish the response. “THAT’S WHAT I FUCKING THOUGHT “ he yelled. Fuck me, what did I do to deserve this? Rainbow rubbed her temples, alloy was difficult at the best of times, but this was fucking pushing it. “350,000. That’s how much they’ll give, thirty five hundred thousand bits. Alloy, that and the 100,000 you’ve put away from your hitpony shit, you’ll never have work for us again. Do you get that? This is what you’ve always wanted, right, a chance to get out. Alloy, if you can’t do it for hate, do it for greed,” she said, her tone dripping with venom and heavy with agitation. They sat their staring at eachother, the silence hatefull and deadly. Fifteen minutes passed before alloy broke it. “Why kill them now, hell, its been 3 years. Or did Command not consider treason and murder --grounds for assassination?“ He asked. Rainbow sighed. On the one hoof, she had been told not to tell him, but on the other, it made her job a whole hell of a lot easier. Of course, duty caved to sloth, and she pulled a file from amidst the stack of maps and papers that cluttered the rest of the table. “The Cerberus Project” she said, sliding alloy the file. “I’ll let you fill yourself in.” Alloy opened the file, leafing through its contents. He saw formulas, chemical balance charts, pictures, and a fair bit of writing. One of the pages read as followed Project Cerberus Subject no. 042 Test number 5 Dna sequence Timber-Theta Subject was taken from stasis chamber. Dna sequences beginning to take hold. Height increased 4.67 ft., shoulder span increased by 3.5ft Bicep muscle group growth astronomical. Subject stands 10.5ft tall, 6.5 ft. from paw to paw, 4ft from chest to spine. DGH compound and Gama-creatine produced quickest growth seen yet. Recommend use of this compound for all subjects. Subject fitted with armor components Tortuga 1-5. Subject somewhat on edge. Subject attempted to remove armor. Subject offered extra rations. Subject ceased attempts to remove armor. Subject ordered to destroy an equestrian heavy tank in 15 seconds. Subject growled, indicating rudimentary understanding of the difficulty of the task. Subject unable to do lasting damage to tank. Results deemed unacceptable. Subject given 50cc of Amphetoadrenalie-15 (henceforth referred to as amp-15). Subject exhibited dilated pupils and extreme restlessness. Subject given same directive. Subject attempted to pry turret off of tank. Turret section was dislodged after 14 seconds. Results unacceptable. Subject was given 100cc of amp-15. Subject was able to cripple turret section and tread components. Results approaching desired outcome. Subject given 150cc of amp-15. Subject was able flip tank upside down, and dent hull in. Results almost at desired outcome. Subject given 200cc of amp-15. Same results as previous test, with 2 exceptions. Subject rear paw pierced hull of tank. Results satisfactory. Subject was unable to remove foot from tank. Subject went bezerk, killing 2/3 of observational staff. Subject went into cardiac arrest. Medical staff unable to revive. Subject dna harvested for future use. Recommend 150cc as maximum safe dose. -Diamond Southpaw, Chief research technician for Subject 5 Really Southpaw, did none of the graduate chemists I hoof picked took the time to calculate overdose point? We don’t keep you dumbasses around for your good looks. Obviously, this is a major setback. On the bright side, we now have a known overdose point, as well as two working compounds and one well running dna sequence. I will implement these compounds in all future subjects, barring any new developments. Will have at least 10 combat ready prototypes for Leonberg, the research in high strength armor has been completed. Faust, they don’t pay me enough for this -Starburst, head of research Project Cerberus. “Is this what I think it is?” he asked, his expression somewhere between horror and admiration. Rainbow shrugged, “If this is to be believed, we have the first recorded super soldier. The idea, in essence, is to take an already massive Diamond Dog, pump him full of steroids, wolf DNA, and amphetamines, and send him charging at the front lines. Of course the science behind all that is much more complex, but you get the idea.” “And, doubtless, the marked couple are behind this?” he rhetorically asked. “Which is why they defected in the first place. The diamond dogs are the only military crazy enough to try this.” “And Leonberg is totally unrelated, right?” “He, sure. We believe that not only are the diamond dogs going to deploy the prototype at Leonberg, but that Sunbolt and Starburst will be there to oversee the first test run.” She said, pointing to another set of dispatches. “So, you people once again expect me to slip in to an active war zone, behind enemy lines, waltz into the camp, and kill the two most valuable civilian assets they have? Fuck, this isn’t a mission, this is a death sentence.”He said, his tone returning to normal “It’s not as bad as it sounds. They are holed up in a lab here” she said, pulling out a map of the city. The building in question sat four or five blocks south from the fighting. “Anyway, we expect marginal resistance. The most recent intercepted orders call for all essential combat personnel to be moved forward. This is what has command worried. We anticipate that within the next 4 days, the diamond dogs can mount a full push, and attempt to drive us from Leonberg. “So I go in and behead the snake? And what about the mighty mutts, are they on the hit list?” he asked. Rainbow Dash shrugged “Take the file, I want you to see if you think of anything, but if not, we’ll let the celestials get some action.” “Will do, Ma’am. I would also like to apologize for my outburst, it was unprofessional improper.” He said, standing up and saluting. Rainbow waved a hoof for him to stand relived. “Hell, Alloy this has been a long fight and you’ve gotten the plot end of it all. I’d be more worried if you hadn’t snapped. But I do accept your apology, and wish you good luck. Now if you’ll excuse me...” She concluded, motioning for him to leave “Ma’am, one more thing, go easy on the coffee…” he said, a sly smirk bedecking his face as Rainbow tried to process what had just happened. Her irate stammering quickly faded as he exited the command tent. He smiled in spite of what had happened. She was good , even if she had to be the bad guy for so many ponies.
Old friendsThat went well, Mocha thought, wandering through camp. He found himself daydream walking to the infirmary, lost in thoughts pertaining to a certain cyan Pegasus, who he found himself suddenly preoccupied with. It was the sweetest indignant “harrumph” Mocha had ever heard that finally got his attention. “Excuse me Mocha, could you move, umm, only if that’s ok with you, of course.” Mocha searched for the owner of the voice, eventually finding the butter yellow Pegasus he knew it belonged to. “Hey ,Fluttershy, what’s up” he asked, trying to strike a conversation. “Anything interesting happen today?” “Well Mocha, if you don’t mind, I need to get through, Cloudchaser dislocated her wing, so…,” she said, gesturing for him to move. “Actually, could you come in here and help with that, this might be tougher than I can handle, if, you know, you’re not busy ” she asked, stopping on her way in. “Hell, anything for you Flutters , you know that” he said, gesturing for Fluttershy to lead the way. There was a time, when that level of cuteness from her would have stopped his heart in mid-beat. But those days were gone, seemingly never to be found again. He went into the tent, and instantly the smell of rubbing alcohol, horseflesh, and stale blood. He cringed, blood and gun smoke was one thing, but this smell, was beyond foul, beyond unnatural. As he followed Fluttershy thorough the rows of bed he saw ponies he knew, put out of commission for one reason or another. Vinyl was covered hoof to horn in white gausses; she had a close run in with a Batallion of Dimond Kommando Spetzial Servki[ /i] the diamond dog’s special operations unit. Owing to the savagery of these fighters, they had dipped back into the vaults, using the barbaric and horrific weaponry of the Hive war. When the changelings had made war on The diamond dogs, their first attack was a massive slaughter , thousands dead, millions more took to be consumed. And, being diamond dogs, they naturally devised a gruesome retribution. This took the form of flamethrowers and gas launchers, which, in the tight spaces of the hive, proved devastating. Now, only the most twisted and gruesome shock troopers used them, literally melting and burning those they ran across. Vinyl had helped save her unit from an attack, but not without cost. The chemical burns would heal, but exposure to oxygen and pathogens would allow for infection. So there she sat, counting the ticks of the clock, wondering if it was worth it. Most however, were far luckier than she was. There were broken wings, fetlocks, hooves, and a hoof full of gunshot wounds. These too were more gruesome than necessary, owing to the dog’s practice of arming paw soldiers with hollow point bullets. They made their way over to the bed where Cloudchaser was sitting, her wing pointing a hundred and eighty degrees the wrong way, as well as 3 inches from its socket. Instantly Fluttershy turned on her veterinary instincts. “Cloudchaser, what happened, she asked, her voice soft and sweet, like a wave of satin. “Well, I was flying a patrol, and I was going to land and I went in too fast, so I pulled back, and it popped, she said, giving a weak chuckle, followed by a wince. “I can fix it, but it’ll hurt a bit, ok” Fluttershy crooned. Cloudchaser nodded, her breath coming in short, pained spurts. “Mocha, you know what to do,” She said, allowing her voice to return to a matter of fact tone. Mocha undid his belt, doubling it over “Cloud, I need you to clamp down on this,” he said, making his slow tenor as soothing as he could. Cloudchaser opened her mouth and he put the makeshift bite guard in between her jaws. Cloudchaser nodded, catching Mocha's fetlock in a death grip. “Ok cloudy, we go on three” Fluttershy said, gently taking the wing in her hooves. “Ready?” she asked, receiving a nod of ascent from both participants. “Ok, ONE!” she yelled, forcing Cloud chasers wing into its socket. Even through the belt, he could hear Cloudchaser scream. “Two, three” Fluttershy finished, her voice becoming a meek whisper. “ MOTHERFUCKER, THAT HURT!” she yelled after spitting the belt out, not at the two of them but more at her own surprise. They helped Cloudchaser up, whose eyes were still watering from the pain of the process. “Now Cloud, go easy on it, no flying for at least a week” Fluttershy admonished Cloudchaser, walking her out of the tent. They made their way to the outside of the infirmary, the light of the setting sun beginning to streak its long, pink fingers through the crisp air. He was just admiring the sunset, even though he knew it was pollution from the factories in Leonberg. His thoughts, however, were interrupted by f Fluttershy unscrewing a pill bottle, and upending it in her mouth, munching down as if they were candy. Mocha magically grabbed the bottle from her hooves, reading the label. “Vicadin! What the hell, what are you thinking?” he said, more concerned than angry. “Mocha, I know full well how bad it is for me, but quitting is a hell of a lot worse. You know my anxiety makes me twitch. I’m a surgeon, I can’t have that!” She shot back, somewhere between cute and indignant “Please don’t let this get a hold of you” he begged, deeply concerned for her. “I promise I’ll quit,” she said “Do you really?” he asked “Mocha, I’m cold, can I…um…could you…please?” she asked, raising a wing, hoping he would take his place under the outstretched appendage. “I need an answer.” He said “Yes, now please, come here” she said, her seemingly infinite patience wearing thin. With an exaggerated sigh, he snuggled up against her barrel. “Fine”, he said, jokingly rolling his eyes They stood there, savoring the moment and each other’s presence. They had been so close once, and both of them secretly wished they could be again. But those days were gone. So they stood in silence, dreaming on what could have been. “Hey Flutters, love to stay and not talk, but Dash is expecting me, so…,” he said, pulling away from Fluttershy. Fluttershy nodded, shooing him in the direction of Rainbow Dashes’ tent. Following a short walk, she came to her own tent. Fluttershy ducked in, slipping into her cold and lonely bed. How long do I have to pretend that he isn’t tearing me apart? How many hours of, “He’s so perfect”, How many “I’m so in love’s would she have to sit though. What made her predicament worse, she thought, was that she knew exactly what Rainbow Dash meant. He was perfect, he was so kind, so funny, some pony that you could give you advice, or a kiss, and knew which one you needed. He was so good to be with, big and strong, his big legs wrapping her in an embrace, something she missed and craved. She missed her rock, her pillow, her stallion. She felt the tears beginning to come, the hot anger and sadness mixing and melting together in one big mass of emotion. So she cried, cried with nopony to hear her, cried into her pillow, when it should have been Mocha there to share her pain, to stroke her mane and comfort her, like he had been.
