Battle Scars

Chrome didn't come down for hours. For a while, Fluttershy decided to let him rest. He did look like a pony that needed a lot of rest, after all.

After two hours, though, Fluttershy went to wake him up. He wasn't going to feel better just lying down, and it was her job to help him. She trotted up the stairs, opened the door, and saw Chrome sleeping on the bed, his uniform lying on the floor. He must've been rolling around in his sleep, because the covers were lying on the floor. His one visible eye was forcibly clenched and his teeth were bared.

Also, without the cloak, Fluttershy could see his body, which was covered in scars. There was one long one traveling up his neck.

Fluttershy approached Chrome and picked up the blanket. She put it over Chrome. At that moment, his eyes snapped open, and he jumped out of the bed, knocking Fluttershy to the ground. He stood over her, growling for a second before remembering where he was. "Don't do that to me!" he yelled.

"I-I'm sorry," Fluttershy said, her eyes watering. "I di-didn't mean to scare you."

Chrome growled angrily, then got off of Fluttershy. He grabbed his crutch and put on his cloak. "Well, I guess my nap's done. So, are you gonna do some therapeutic crap to try and heal my 'scarred psyche'?" He put a mocking emphasis on the last two words.

Fluttershy wiped her tears with her foreleg. "N-no," she said. "I just want to talk to you."

Chrome looked the tiniest bit pleased. "Really?" he said. "Better than whatever the psychiatrists in Canterlot were trying to do."

Fluttershy walked downstairs with Chrome behind her and the two sat down on a couch. "So," she said, "um...you're an alchemist, right?"

"Royal Alchemist," Chrome said. "We're not normal alchemists. Some of us apply our alchemy skills to the war effort. Others, like me, are bodyguards"

"I didn't know we were at war," Fluttershy said.

Chrome flinched slightly. "We weren't," Chrome said. "Until about half a year ago."

"What happened?" Fluttershy asked.

Chrome looked at Fluttershy angrily. "I don't think that's any of your business," he retorted.

Fluttershy got a similar stern look. "I want to help you," she said. "Please, just tell me what happened."

Chrome sighed. "Fine," he said. "It started six months ago. Me and my captain were escorting Princess Cadence to the royal summit in Saddle Arabia. When we got to the summit meeting, everypony in the palace had been taken hostage. The captain and I tried to save them."

"What happened?" Fluttershy asked.

"We found out that gryphons had taken the place hostage. The captain and I got separated, and the gryphons ambushed me." Chrome stopped and massaged the bandage leg. "I'll never be able to use this leg again. I might not even be able to serve in the guard anymore."

"That sounds horrible!" Fluttershy said. "How did you escape?"

Chrome's eyes started to tear up. "I...I used alchemy to kill some of the gryphons." Fluttershy gasped, but Chrome didn't seem to notice it, and simply carried on with his story. "I couldn't hold all of them off, and the captain came to get me out. Princess Cadence made it out alright, luckily."

He wiped his eyes with his working foreleg and turned to Fluttershy. "What?" he asked, a barely noticeable cruel edge to his voice. "I'm a member of the Alchemy Unit in the Royal Guard. I've had to kill people before." His voice cracked on the word kill.

"I...I forgot about you being a soldier," Fluttershy said.

Chrome sighed, then got off of the couch and leaned on the crutch. "Well, I think we're done here," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "Can I go back to bed now?"

Fluttershy noticed Angel sitting behind Chrome, shaking his head. She almost smiled. It's about time you were helpful. she thought to herself. "No," she said firmly. "I think we should..." Angel pointed outside. "Go for a walk in Ponyville. You should probably get some fresh air. I'll introduce you to my friends."

Chrome sighed. "Fine," he said, frustrated. "Lead the way."