Chapter 4: A Smart Pet

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               Gunter

"What are you telling me, that I'm not good enough?" I ask.

"No!  Of coarse not.  It's just that you're a human, not a pony, or griffon, or any other being of sentience."  Twilight tries to explain, "Humans aren't capable of intelligence.  You're simply well trained."

I spat on the floor in disgust I'd only felt on rare occasions, "The only ones to train me, were my parents and other humans.  I told you before, this is the first time I've been on this world, and I don't know how I got here!"

"That doesn't matter.  You're still human, you're still just an animal.  A really, really smart animal."

"Fuck it, I'm done arguing with you.  I've been shot, blown up, lit on fire, scratched up, and finally, more or less being dissected without anesthetics.  Granted, the anesthetic part in on me, but nonetheless, I'm irritated beyond all hell."  I get up off of the bed, and for the first time, I can feel something that I'm lacking in.  Clothes.  My balls were hanging in the wind, and quite frankly, it was rather cold.  I could feel my face heat up, no doubt going red, and I cover my delicates with my hands.  I only see confused looks.

"Ok, the hell did you do with my fucking clothes?"  I scan the room, and I don't need an answer.  My things are all in the corner on top of a grey blanket.  I'm already walking to the corner when Applejack starts to say, "Over there."

My things had all been tossed halfhazardly, but being the guy I was, I could find everything in that mess, even though it wasn't me who made it.  I found my underwear, socks, pants, and boots.  Socks first, then underwear.  After I got my legs into the pants, I tied off the inner belt, and once I got my boots on, tied off the legging belt that held the pant leg to my boot.  I opened up the velcro pocket that covered my knee, and slid up a military issue knee pad, which filled the entire pocket.  I felt satisfied that I'd covered myself to where I was decent, and turned back to the group, who was looking at me curiously.

"What?  Animals can't dress themselves?  Are they not allowed to wear clothes?"

Rainbow is the one who spits out the answer, "It's just... why are you getting dressed?"

"Well, from my homeplanet," I was sure to emphasize homeplanet to express my bitterness, "it was unlawful, and indecent to go about nude.  I'm not one to abandon my values just because I ain't home anymore."

"You NEVER went around without clothes!?  Any of your 'people'?"  Rarity seemed to scream this at me, but with an intense interest.

"Yep, except at nude beaches.  But I never went to one of those, most people didn't.  I think we had some amount of pride that wouldn't submit ourselves to such a indignation.  But then again, there were others who were just too horny for their own good."

"What was your fashion like?  Please, tell me everything!"  She looked hungry, staring at me almost like a starving animal.

"I lived my life as a Freedom Fighter, and then I was a Marine.  I was too young to remember any 'fashion'  before I entered the Rebels.  And we didn't exactly worry about fashion.  All we wore were jeans, T-shirts, jackets, and military garbs."

"Well, that's boring."

"How do you think we felt?  We lived underground, in wet, dark, and cramped tunnels that we had to dig in mere months!  We spent months at a time in the dark, waiting for the opportunity to hurt the Chinese.  We had NOTHING to do but read the same books over and over and over again.  Speaking of which, I actually brought some with me when I went on my last mission.  Haven't even gotten to read them all the way through yet, so I'll at least be entertained by something I understand, and probably like."

"You mean, you never got to see the sun?" Twilight asked.

"No, I saw the sun.  Like I said, we waited down there until we had an opportunity at a strategic attack.  I went up top then.  After a couple of years, my home was liberated, and I joined the Marines to keep up the fight.  I haven't gone back into many tunnels after that."

"This, fighting.  Is this where you lost your arm and leg?" Rainbow asked.

"And my eye.  But, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I got them defending my country.  There's nothing more honorable than that."  I say this with pride.  It was my one thing in life that I could claim as good.  I now refocus on the window, or rather, what was on the other side.  I saw a winter wonderland.  Winter meant cold, and I need to keep warm.  My wounds were adequately bound so they weren't going to come off easily, and were more than likely going to hold back any blood that might be loosened if I reopened them.  And that reminded me, I needed to do better than stitches.  But I knew I wasn't going to do what I was already planning in my mind.  I wasn't going to cauterize my wounds.  The fire would mutilate my tattoos further than they already were.  I wasn't going to have that.  I'd spent a lot of money on them, and I wasn't going to end up spending any more repairing them.  Besides, who knows when, or if for that matter, I could get them redrawn.

I opened my bag, and searched for a spare shirt.  I knew I had some things, but not much.  I was still rewarded with tight, elastic long sleeve shirt that would cling to my body, and keep me warm.  This was black, and I put this on first.  Then, a grey t-shirt, and the tattered remains of my combat jacket.  Out of habit, I put my helmet on.  I dug my hands through my pockets, looking for my neck-warmer.  I found it in my inside jacket pocket, and was somehow undamaged, and NOT covered in blood.  I quickly took off my helmet, and put on both articles on in their turn.  I look back over at them, and again, I see confusion.  "What now?"  I say tiredly.

"Why are yuh putting more clothes on?"  Applejack asks.

"I'm going outside at some point, and it's fucking freezing out there.  I ain't going to freeze while I can do something about it."  I say as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Planning for the future.  Interesting."  Twilight says quietly.  It didn't seem like any of the others heard her.

"And why is that interesting?" I ask her.

She's pulled out of her thought by my question, and looked nervous, "Why is what interesting?" she tried to sound convincing, but she honestly sucked at it.

"You're a terrible liar Twilight.  You said, 'Planning for the future.  Interesting.'  Now.  What do you mean by that?"

Everyone's looking at us, clearly interested, "Well, most animals don't concern themselves with the future, just the present.  You're preparing to go outside, where you know it'll be cold.  That is another difference you have from the other human's on this planet."

That's... not all that interesting.  The others seemed to share the same thoughts, if their expressions were anything to go off by.  "Honestly, that's not very interesting.  In any case, I'm going to find somewhere else to stay while I figure things out."

"Oh no you aren't!  It's freezing outside, and you aren't going to be wild."  Twilight says with a certain, convicted tone that I immediately disliked.  What the hell is the matter with her?  Is she trying to get in my way?

"I ain't wild, and I can deal with the cold.  I've been in colder regions than this."

"You aren't going anywhere."   She's staring at me blankly, and her tone was firm and rooted.

"And why's that?"

"Because, I'm thinking about adopting you, or getting you a nice home at the least."

My mind stopped thinking, stunned by what I had heard.  A-adoption?

"Well, it would mean that he'd be safe, but I don't know how well it would work out between the two of you."  Applejack said, and I had to agree.  This aggression Twilight and I had going was definitely going to be a problem, one which I would prefer to avoid.

"Either way, I want us to be able to keep an eye on him.  He can't be going off to get himself hurt, or hurt somepony, or even just go wild.  No, we need to protect everyone here."

I groan angrily, scowling, "First off, I can take care of myself.  Second, the only time I'd hurt 'somepony', is if they were trying to hurt me.  And third, as far as I'm concerned, I'm either more civil than you, or I'm already wild." I sighed, annoyed, "But if I'm going to be forced into being a pet, I'd suggest that you take turns with those who can, and want, to take care of me."  I turn to the group, away from Twilight, "And if it'll make you feel any better, I'll do my best to help out and earn my keep."

"Ah, don't worry about a thing Sugarcube!  While yur offer is mighty kind, you don't need to worry 'bout it.  I'd be happy to take you in just fer yur company."  Applejack assured me warmly.

"Yeah!  And the stories you could tell must be awesome!" Rainbow chirps in avidly.  Right, stories.  Any stories I had, I wasn't very keen on telling.  The others seemed to agree, except for Rarity.  She said that I'd get in the way of her work, but I honestly couldn't give less of a shit.   Pinkie just wanted to party and play games with me, and Fluttershy was just, welcoming.  She didn't say anything about why, just that I was welcome.  Then, we organized a schedule.  First, Rainbow Dash would take me in at her home for the night.  Twilight wanted the first night to begin her tests and observations as soon as possible, but Applejack, being the voice of reason in the group, convinced her that we both needed time to cool off.  The second night would be Twilight's, then Pinkie, Applejack, and finally, Fluttershy.  Rarity was still insistent that I would get in the way.  I think she was just irritated that all I could say about my world's fashion was military garb, jeans, and thick coats.

"Ok, well I guess we're in agreement." Applejack says.

I gather up all my things into my bag, which I shoulder along with my rifle, and that M60, which I'd nearly forgotten about.  I didn't use it often.  I found myself using my M16 so often due to the readily available ammunition, less recoil, and the fact I could easily swing the barrel in any direction.  I was actually still fully loaded for the M60.  My addition ammo bag, a small duffle bag, was still full of the belts of bullets for the M60, extra mags of 5.56x45mm, and five extra grenades.  I attached my combat gear, which was basically a vest that went over my jacket that I could attach more grenades and magazines.  On it, I had six extra mags on, which lay across my belly, and four grenades across my chest, two over each peck.  Both bags on my shoulders, and my guns accounted for, I finished the process by attaching my belt, which held a few of my knives.  One was a Marine regulation K-Bar knife, a Bowie knife, and a hatchet made completely of black metal.  On my  pack was a machete, and a bayonet for my M16.  As the belt came to the other side of my side, and looped in my pistol and holster.  I'm ever so aware of another knife I had buried in one of my still intact pockets, a fixed reverse blade knife.  This was one of my personal knives that I'd held with me since the first time I went along on a mission for the Resistance.  It was in a sheath, but it easily came out if I grabbed it right, and the blade itself curled downwards, one of the two edges facing up.  It looked a bit like a claw actually.  I could slash, and at some points stab with it.  One thing that scared the crap out of me initially was that four of my grenades, which I'd had on my belt when I first came to this world, had been strewn about the floor.  But a wave of relief spread over me when I saw that none of the pins had been pulled out.  Bending those pins had paid off.  I used the grenade handle as a hook to attach the grenades to the belt, and I felt that I was done.

I look at Rainbow, who's staring at me, almost in awe, "Ready to go?" I ask, trying to sound cheerful.

"Yeah.  Uh, do you need any help?"

I shake my head, "Nah, I'm fine.  I'm kind of used to this."

"Yeah, well, your wounds can't be very helpful, can it?"

I know what she's getting at.  The bullet from back in Iraq hadn't actually broken any bones, but had ripped some muscles.  It was going to hurt, and be extremely difficult to walk, but oh well, I had my pride to worry about.  "I'll be fine."  I say reassuringly.  I let her lead me out of the room, down several halls, and out of the hospital, all the while looking back at me several times.  She's probably trying to make sure I'm still following her, or that I'm walking fine.  Once outside, I pulled my neck-warmer up to cover my face to protect me from the cold.  And we walk.  And walk.  We walk to the outskirts of town, and I realize that it's either just before sunrise, or the sun was just goning down.  So there isn't another soul in the street besides me and Rainbow.

"How you doing champ?" she asked.

I went over my body by feeling them through my nerves and weak tenses of my muscles, "Well, aside from the itchiness of my wounds, and the fact that the painkillers are beginning to wear off, I'd say I'm doing pretty good."

She looks back at me again, a questioning look on her face, "How do you know that?"

"I've been given painkillers a lot in my lifetime.  I was given morphine, yeah?"

Her eyes widened in mild surprise, "Wha- how?-"

"Like I said, I've been given a lot of painkillers.  So many, and so often, I kind of know the feeling of each one.  It's hard to explain, but I can still tell the difference."

She's quiet, "So you get hurt a lot?"

I grunt, "So often that I'm starting to get used to the pain.  I've started treating myself without recoiling, as you've seen, and there's times that I actually wait to get my wounds to get treated.  I don't even really need painkillers anymore."

I actually see compassion in her eyes mixed with a sort of sadness.  But she doesn't say anything.  Instead, she takes a right, takes a key out from underneath a flipped flower pot, and unlocks the door to a relatively small house.  But looks, as always, are deceiving.  Inside was actually much larger that the outside would suggest.  Most immediate to us was a living room.  This room cut off the rest of the house with a wall, but I could see through another doorway that there were other parts of the house.

She closed the door, and she looked about the room, trying to think.  About what, I didn't know.  I was thinking about the next night.  Twilight would no doubt want to experiment on my things, if her curiosity was anything to go by, and I didn't want her to get her hands on anything that might be dangerous.  If she pulled the pin on one of my grenades, then she'd probably kill herself, and would leave everyone confused, probably accusing me of it.  I had to leave my things somewhere that wasn't obvious, and with someone that wasn't so curious that they might hurt themselves.  Fluttershy, or Applejack would probably be best.  Fluttershy seems too delicate and nervous to probe, and Applejack seems honorable enough that she'd respect my privacy.

"Hey, when tomorrow rolls around, let's go to Applejack's.  I want drop my things off there before I go to Twilight's."

She looks at me incredulously, "Why?"

I pulled off one of my grenades, and hold it up to her, "This is one the big reasons.  I don't know if you have things like these, but this is called a grenade.  If this pin," I point at the bent pin, "is taken out, after a few seconds it'll blow up, sending metal shards in every direction, killing or maiming anything in up to ten feet.  Now, I'd prefer that didn't happen.  Also," I put my grenade back in it's place, "I would prefer that I keep my stuff intact, or as much so as it can be.  I'll bring a bullet just to give her something to keep her busy, but even then, I want to guide her through it to avoid her shooting something by mistake."

"Those are............... good points." She eyes my grenades nervously, "Those aren't going to just, go off randomly, are they?"

I shake my head, "No.  These are mechanical in nature.  I need to pull the pin to let a smaller pin inside of it shoot down to a cap that sends a shockwave to a small detonator, which blows up a chemical compound.  Let's just say, if the pin stays in, it's safe."

She nods, probably not really understanding my explanation, "Right.  Well, in either case, sure.  I can get you to Applejack's, buuut."  She scratch the back of her head with a hoof, "you're going to need a leash."  She didn't seem to like saying this, so I wasn't angry, but I was curios, "look, I believe you when you say you're intelligent, it's easy to see that just by watching you.  It's just, well, humans here aren't.  They're either wild, or pets.  And-"

I interrupt her by holding up a hand, "I get it.  It's just like my home with dogs.  We needed to exert our control over it in case it tried to leave or get in a fight with something.  Humans here are pretty much the same, aren't they?"

She nods, "You aren't mad, are you?"

I shake my head, "No.  I just appreciate that you're willing to help me."

She smiles softly, "Human or pony, you sure are a strange one.  That reminds me.  You need to try and look emotionless when you aren't interacting with anything.  I mean, you can smile, but only when you're interacting with something enjoyable.  Like with somepony you recognize, or something you like to play with, and try not to snarl or growl if you want ponies to be comfortable around you.  I think Twilight would like to keep your intelligence a secret."

"I can do that." My stomach growled, and I was suddenly aware that I was kind of hungry.  I drop my things in a corner, and started digging through my pack.  It held all the food I had, plus more ammunition for my M60.  I pulled out a ration, a Menu 3.  Vegetarian Ratatouille.  It wasn't a bad meal to eat, but it wasn't a very good one either.  I ripped it open, revealing all of the small plastic packages, all labeled differently for what they contained.  They were all cookable, so I dumped them all into the plastic bag along with plenty of water to cover all the packages, and then the small packets that reacted with the water, and heated up.  I folded the open end over on itself, closing it, and tipped it over, but held that end up slightly off the ground with my metal hand.  I registered that the plastic had gotten pretty hot, but one thing that I did appreciate about the arm, besides that it was extremely strong, was that I couldn't feel pain from it, unless it started to freeze or got too hot and then it was just artificial.

"What are you doing?" Rainbow asked.

Casually, I say, "Cooking my food."

She looks at the plastic packages, "You eat plastic?"

I chuckle slightly, "No.  The food is held inside."  Rainbow submitted herself to silence, sitting down next to me, watching the water beginning to boil.  After the clock in my head went off, I opened up the plastic bag, and took out the hot packets.  I sat them on the original package they'd been in, and opened up the main packet.  It didn't smell too good, but I knew I'd eat it anyway.

Rainbow had the complete opposite reaction, she hummed in delight, and taking a look at her, I could see from the drool beginning to drip at her lips that it smelled good to her.  I smiled, Good to know someone seems to like it.  I think I'll let her try some..  I ripped open a bag that had my utensils in, and took a spoon out.  I scooped up a bit of noodles and veggies, and held it up to Rainbow's mouth, "Want some?"  She just looks at the spoon, and licks her lips.  "Yes." and her mouth enveloped the bowl of the spoon.  I pulled the spoon back gently, giving her plenty of time to take the contents off.  When the spoon came free, Rainbow chewed happily, loudly proclaiming how much she enjoyed it with murmurs of pleasure.  Well, someone aught to enjoy this, and it ain't going to be me.

I handed her the bag and the spoon, "I think you should have it.  I don't particularly like it, but it seems you do.  And before you even say it," I say seeing her begin to object, "I WILL have enough to eat without it."

She took the bag and the spoon by bending her hoofs drastically to grasp the bag and spoon.  She kept staring at me with a strange look, but she eventually smiled gratefully, and dug in.  I resolved myself to opening another packet labeled "Applesauce" and poured it into my mouth.  Usually, people would recoil in disgust at me cooking it, but hey, it tasted better this way to me.  Next, I opened another label "Cornbread".  This was my favorite part of the meal.  The military had an odd habit of putting a small packet in with the bread that kept it moist, which made it go down really easily.  It also helped to taste REALLY fucking good.

While I ate it, I began thinking about how I was going to be acting like an animal in public for the foreseeable future.  It might actually be better to be seen like just any other human here.  If I act like one of those things, then they're more likely to ignore me.  That means that I don't have to engage with them in the same level as I normally would.  It would be nice to just relax and do nothing.  I don't think I'm comfortable with being social yet.  Plus there might be... ponies?- that would be a little interested in me for my intelligence.  I don't want to get experimented on like how it would work on my world.  Yeah, just act like an animal.  That's in your best interest.  Speaking of which.  I took off my coat (the blood having dried), and felt my chest through the bandages which had held.  The stitches were still holding, and now that I was actually focusing on it, it was actually quite clever.  There was actually three different sets of stitches, each one being a different thickness.  I pieced together that the larger stitches were the initial bindings.  The next largest brought more skin together, as did the smallest stitches after it.  The doctors had gotten the brilliant idea of cauterizing the areas nearest to major arteries, I wonder what they did with those?  Did they close those too?, but had left my tattoos alone.  This, I couldn't fathom.  I'd have to ask someone sometime.

I sighed, realizing that this was probably going to be the last time that I'd get hurt this bad.  A strange sense of relief and regret swamped me, resulting in a storm of unknowingness and confusion.  I may be safe, but I was no longer protecting my country, and the people in it.  I was no longer in aid of preventing what had happened to me.  I gave up thinking about it, shoving it out of my mind.  Instead, I grabbed up the remaining packets, one that was my coffee grounds, the other being cranberry juice, and the last a bag to mix the cranberry juice powder with water.  I shoved them in my front pants pocket, cleaned up after myself, and resigned myself to laying my head down on my bag as Rainbow finished up her meal.  When she had finished, she threw herself on the one couch in the room, sighing in content, "That was good!" she said.  I couldn't help but smile at this.

A knock on the door snapped us out of the peaceful scene.   We looked at the door, not moving.  Another knock, and a voice, "Hey Rainbow Dash?  Are you there?"  It was a very young girls' voice.

"Oh, horse apples!  I forgot!  I agreed to let Scootaloo and her friends have their sleep over here.  Gunter, I hope you don't mind, but you're going to have to act like humans here for now."

That wasn't good.  I knew that sometimes I talked in my sleep when I had a particularly bad nightmare, and if I was to keep up the ruse, then I really needed to get Rainbow in an this.  But before I could get Rainbow to stop and listen to what I had to say, she had opened up the door.  Three little fillies burst through, passing Rainbow to stop side by side in the middle of the room, facing her.

"Thanks for letting us stay Rainbow Dash!  I know this is going to be awesome!" the orange one with wings and reddish pink hair said.  It was the same voice from outside.  Their attention switched from Rainbow Dash quicker than she could respond to what the filly had first said.  That attention was focused on me.

"Whoooaaaaaa!" went the yellow filly with a- wait.  I recognized this one.  This was the one I'd saved from a manticore.  She looked fine, actually, more than fine.  She was gazing at me with wide, adoring eyes.  I had to resist saying hi.  This one continued speaking, "Girls, this is the human that saved from those manticores!"  She immediately shot up to me, hugging my arm adoringly.  My metal arm.  I couldn't resist smiling a little.

"Wait a minute."  She says deadpanned.  She removed her body from my arm, but still held my arm.  An almost silent *ting* came from my arm as she tapped my arm with a hoof.  "Is this... metal?"

I glanced at Rainbow, and meet her eyes, "Yeah.  This is Gunter.  He's had a pretty rough life, having been used in a lot of human fights.  Don't worry though, he won't hurt you.  He's got more tolerance and patience than any pony I know!"  She looks me dead in the eye, nodding.  The message was clear.  Don't disappoint me.

"Look at those scars."  A white unicorn with a curled mane says in amazement, "He looks like he's been in a lot of fights."

"And what's with his eye?" the orange pegasus asks.

"He lost his eye in one of his fights, Scootaloo.  That's the replacement eye."

"Are those Cutie Marks?"  The filly still holding my arm asks.

"Ugh!  Even a HUMAN can get a Cutie Mark!  Why can't we?" Scootaloo demands.

"Cool it!  Those aren't Cutie Marks.  At least, I'm pretty sure they aren't." Rainbow says unsure.

The other fillies slowly came to join their friend, and began petting and patting my head, arms, and legs.  They stayed away from my chest though.  Apparently, they knew about the rest of the fight.  They spent what felt like hours doing this.  Inside, I was fuming, irritated that I wasn't able to tell Rainbow able my little problem.  If I'd been able to tell her, I might've been able to go to sleep.  Even with these little fillies petting me.

Not soon enough, Rainbow saved me, "Ok girls, it's time for bed."  They all went, "AWWWWWWwwww!" but went off to another room without further complaint.  I got up, placed a hand on Rainbow's shoulder, and said, "We've got a problem."  After explaining the problem, Rainbow seemed to curse under her breath.

"Ok, what are we going to do about it?" She asked.

"I don't know, gag me?  I don't fucking know!  The only solution I ever found was to stay in a combat zone, then I wouldn't dream at all."

"Alright, let's use this."  Rainbow produces a rope out of know where.  I sigh.  I'd been gagged by a rope before, and it hadn't been very pleasant.  I take the rope out of her hooves, bite down on it, and tied the rope around my head.  I try to say, "Good night," through the gag, but could only let out a muffle.

I sat back down on the ground, tentatively laying myself against the ground, preparing to go to sleep.

Rainbow Dash

Gunter laid himself on the ground without another word, closed his eyes, and stopped moving except for his steady breathing.  Wow, and I thought I liked naps!  I pulled off a blanket from the couch, and draped it over his unmoving body.   Already, he was biting down on the rope, which I guess meant that the nightmare had begun.  What nightmare did you live through?  Sighing, I left the room, heading off to bed.  Curling up, I did my best to fall asleep.  But I didn't get the chance.

Gunter

The tunnel was collapsing.  I'd been running down the various passages, taking turns around several bends, but each time that I knew I was coming close to an escape, the tunnel in front of me would collapse.  As the dream rolled on, the angry chittering of Mandarin was being shouted, getting closer and closer.   No matter how fast I ran, they kept getting closer.  And then I tripped.  I fell to the ground in a tangled mess, but still scrambled to get up.  I looked back to what I had tripped on.  A body.  More specifically, the body of an American.  I turned my head down the tunnel, and there were more, all twisted in mangled messes from bullets, shrapnel, and explosions.

The noise started to begin.  The noise that never let me be at peace if I was ever resting out of combat.  It sounded like static, overlayed with the constant sound of gunfire, boys and men screaming, artillery landing, and the engines of tanks running all at the same time.  I held my head, screaming and begging for the noise to end.  My world was replaced by the changing of pictures of all my squadmates who'd died over the years, too fast for me to remember names, but long enough to recognize them.

Rainbow Dash

There was muffled screaming coming from the living room with loud bumps and thuds.  I pealed out off my bed and into the living room.  There was Gunter, flailing about the floor, DRENCHED in sweat, and screaming through his gag.  Somehow, he was still asleep. I grabbed him with my hooves, trying to shake him awake, "Gunter!  Wake up!  It's alright!  Wake up!"

"What's going on Rainbow Dash?" Applebloom asks.  I turn my head around to see the CMC in the doorway.  I know enough about fighting to know that if somepony kept it up long enough, their mental state would fall apart, and this HAD to be part of it.  I also knew that sometimes these ponies would attack others in their sleep without even knowing.

"Girls, stay back!  He's having a nightmare!"  I shake Gunter even harder, screaming at his face.  His eyes popped open, practically bursting out their sockets, the orb of his metal eye glowing orange, and the lines pointing to it yellow.  His hands gripped my hooves so tightly, it hurt.  After staring into my eyes for a second, his grip loosened, and tears came out of his one good eye, while the metallic eye turned to a dark blue.  The rope fell out of his mouth, which was downturned into a demoralizingly sad face.  Actually, sad couldn't come close to being accurate.  His lip and jaw quivered, and broken sobs escaped his lips.  I could practically feel my heart break.  As if we were thinking the same thing, we embraced each other.  I noticed that while Gunter was as tall as I was when I was on all four hooves, I was MUCH bigger than him.  I drew him up into my embrace as I sat down.  I could feel my own eyes begin to water, but I kept my tears in my eyes.  I held him tighter as he buried his face into the base of my neck, continuing to cry.  I felt horrible, seeing somepony who had been fine just a minute before being reduced to a crying child.

I heard the *CLIP* *CLOP* sound of the CMC's hooves, and the girls joined the hug, petting Gunter in feeble attempts to calm him down, but he just kept crying, and hugged me harder.  I slowly rocked him from side to side, and pet the back side of his head, the spiky hair feeling soft under my hooves, and cooed to him softly.  I sniffed, trying to stop the snot that was beginning to drip and suck it back up my nose.  Soon, it became clear that Gunter was going to keep crying for a long time.  And since that was no doubt going to happen, I figured it would be best to do it on something more comfortable than the floor.

"Ok, big guy.  Let's get you off to bed."  I push off with my hind legs, and I stand us up.  The size difference was made even more apparent, as Gunter's hands slipped down around my sides from me standing.  His head was now against my belly, and my hooves barely held him as I led him to my room.  It felt strange, almost to where I blushed, but I held myself together.  He came along without complaint or any resistance.  I brought him into my room, closed the door, and helped him into the bed.

    Gunter

I broke.  after however many years of death, destruction, and pain, I had finally succumbed.  I couldn't stop myself from crying and wailing as my mind wrought a bloody path through itself.  Every day, every month, every year came crashing down on me, and Rainbow was my only anchor to reality.  I was barely aware of her drawing herself back, pulling me along for her to sit, and begin petting me, trying to coo me into calm.  Smaller hooves and bodies joined her.  My mind began to calm itself, but only slightly.  I felt Rainbow's chest vibrate, and I know she's saying something.  All I can hear is my sobbing.  I'm brought up to my feet, and I'm no longer holding her strong neck, but rather her soft belly.  She walks me off, and I can feel me being put into what I could only assume was a bed.  We were in it, and a blanket covered us.

Rainbow held me closer, and I relaxed, my mind falling into it's regular numbness.  My breathing slowed down, my tears stopped flowing, and I finally stopped crying.  Now, I was feeling something else.  I was feeling, I had no words.  I'd never felt this kind of feeling before.  If I had to say anything, it was like the love I'd felt for any of my comrades.  The closeness, the care, the love, the... something.  I couldn't do anything, or think anything besides breathe, and think one thing, She cares.  I breathed in her scent, and I smelled the subdued smell of BO, sweat, and some sort of spice.  This is a good smell.  I could feel my body trembled as it reached it's final stages of calming down.  My hearing finally allowed me to hear something other than my sobs.

"There there, it's ok, you're ok.  Sshhh."  Rainbow was saying.  I heard her yawn, and then she continued, getting quieter and quieter until her voice ceased to speak words, but instead changed to whinnying snores.   I smiled sadly, feeling almost happy.