The Marine

Twilight and the girls were obviously unsure about how easily I was willing to give Starlight another chance, but then I reminded them about Discord and Luna and they quickly changed their tones. Starlight was obviously run out of town after getting her stuff and she did carry my bags, it's just that it's going to be a long walk to the next train station so I might as well get comfortable with walking. Starlight was huffing a bit but she still kept up as we walked, hmm what can I do to make her keep up with us? I formulated a plan and held out my hand. "Just give me my bag back, it's obvious you can't handle it."

"What?" Starlight said, "I can so." She hefted my backpack and sped up her pace. Maybe I'll train her, put her through the 13 weeks of hell that I went through. Making ponies into marines? That'll be a fucking sight to behold, I at least had some suggestions written to Princess Celestia, before this whole cutie table map bullshit started. Like making the military wear camouflage, y'know instead of having them stick out like sore fucking thumbs on a battlefield. I digress, there was still plenty of walking to do and nothing so I whistled a tune, specifically the tune from Kill Bill Volume 1. It was just to fill the silence, because I couldn't think of anything better to do.

"Okay, I'm going to say it, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU MICKEY?!" Rainbow suddenly burst out at me.

"The fuck did I do to you?" I asked looking up at the pissed prismatic pegasus.

"You looked like you were going to kill Starlight not even an hour ago and now she's what? Your slave?" Rainbow crossed her arms while hovering above me.

"Rainbow!" Twilight shouted.

"No, that's a completely reasonable question to ask Twilight, and I'll explain. Rainbow, I'm a marine a killing machine broken down and rebuilt for war, but war isn't just about throwing armies at each other and hoping you'll win, half of all war is also about diplomacy. Which suggests I've also been trained to be diplomatic as well as ripping out your lower intestine and choking you to death with it as you watch." I explained, "If I can avoid a fight, you bet your sweet mother fucking rainbow colored ass that I'm going to take all the steps necessary to do so. From what I've seen from you ponies, you tend to go from one extreme to the next without trying to find a fucking middle ground, basically lacking the common fucking sense in your head so much so that it needs to be taught, let me reiterate. It needs to be taught!"

"We have common sense!" Rainbow attempted to defend herself and fellow ponykind.

"Common sense should tell you not to set off rainbow themed sonic booms around a residential area but you do it anyways, it should've also told Twilight not to waste all night studying and get a regular amount of sleep." I slowly broke down her defense. "Do you want me to continue because I can go on. I can point out every one of your character flaws right here and now and tell you why they're fucking idiotic as all known hell."

"We'll you're not perfect either Mick." AJ said.

"Oh, I'm a fucking nutcase on the best of days and I know it, but at least I take some time to do a little self reflection every now and again." I said while walking ahead. "The train station shouldn't be that far ahead now."

The girls stood there while Starlight walked with me. Starlight looked down at me, "Hey um, thanks for defending me back there..." She said nervously.

"I wasn't standing up for you I was explaining the reasoning behind my actions. You want someone to stand up for you, look in the fucking mirror." I said, "Although you standing up for yourself might come across as you being hostile so I wouldn't do so at this moment. Just take your licks for right now, it'll toughen you up a bit."

"I don't get it." Starlight said.

"You were practically the head of a cult that kept people away from their friends and family all because you thought cutie marks were a curse." I said. "You're fucking lucky you're only getting off with indentured servitude. In my world you would've been locked away for several decades, in the same building as people who like to murder."

"M-Murder?" Starlight asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

"Yeah, I come from a fucked up place. You'll learn about it very extensively while living with me, and you'll also learn the bullshit of this world and how to avoid most of it. Some bullshit you have to go through, just out of principal. Like paying taxes, or being sick. Fucking sucks but you got no choice." I said as I hopped onto the platform of the train station. "Two tickets to Ponyville." I looked up at the ticket taker or whatever the fuck they're called. I usually just call them service people because they provide me with a service I need. I sat on a bench as the other girls caught up and I looked at them not saying a thing.

Fluttershy looked at me and then looked at the girls. "Um, is this our first fight?"

"It could be, we're still a herd right?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah we are." I answered.

"Um...mind filling me in here?" Starlight asked.

Twilight cleared her throat and began to speak, "Mickey is in a relationship with Myself, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. He's the most viable candidate to give us male offspring because of his genetics."

"Oh yeah, the whole male to female population ratio." Starlight nodded.

"We in return, help keep him sane and sociable." Twilight said, "I'm only divulging this information to you because you're a fellow scholar and I feel that you have the right to be informed, make a move on our man and I will not hesitate to banish you to the nth dimension."

Starlight gulped, "Duly noted."

"You're almost sexy when you're trying to threaten people Twimight." I chuckled, "I however, have heard soul shatteringly worse threats from my drill instructors."

"How so?" Twilight asked.

"One said that he would shove me back into my mother so that way I could be born a man. Another said they would slap me so fucking hard that I would become a boy, so that way I had the chance to become a man. The rest were filled with swears about how I was this, that, and the other." I answered.

"Just where in tartarus do you come from?" Starlight stared at me.

"A place that's a few steps away from wiping itself out of existence." I commented, "It's fun I should take you sometime."

"I'd rather not." Starlight looked down, "Is it too late to ask for a jail sentence?"

"Yes." I answered her obviously rhetorical question.

"He's joking, besides he couldn't go back to his planet if he wanted to." Twilight said and got a glare from me and then she realized her mistake, "Oops."

"See, it's shit like that. That shit is why common sense has to be taught." I look at Starlight while pointing at Twilight, "If she had a modem of common sense she wouldn't have put her foot in her mouth like she just did. Princess or not Twilight should've known that I would've parted with that information on my own given time."

"Mickey, I-" Twilight started but was cut off by another glare from me. "I've got no excuse, your information and privacy is not something for us to give out so liberally. I apologize."

"The train is coming." I said not showing any emotion in that brief sentence. I don't like being angry, anger is a tool used to focus on an enemy, but it's a balancing act you remember the board game Topple? Yeah it's a lot like that, now normally people would just use scales but emotions are much more that just one or two, there are hundreds of them. I want to be happy but these ponies keep overstepping in places that they shouldn't, I get they're trying their best to be helpful but I need to go at it at my own pace not theirs. The train pulled up and we took out seats, sitting in relative silence as we went back to Ponyville. I sat alone, staring out the window watching the trees go by.

Twilight came over and sat in front of me. "Hey."

I turned my attention towards her, "Hi."

"Mickey, I don't want us to fight. Could you please just tell me what's going on?"

"Sometimes I don't get you girls, you believe in redeeming people like Discord but when it's sudden you're not all for it." I say, "It's like you have to meet them twice or they have to be able to benefit you in some way in order for them to be considered 'redeemable' Starlight was misguided but not evil. With the correct guidance she could be a great benefit to the world."

"Why so suddenly?" Twilight asked, "I know that we believe in redeeming ponies but that takes time. You're expecting us to trust someone who was trying to take away our cutie marks not even hours ago."

"You expect me to trust you with everything I know immediately but I don't. I'm not saying you have to trust her, I know these things will take time. What I am saying is trust me."

Twilight paused and then looked in my eyes, "Okay."

"You're still wondering if we're fighting are you?" I asked her. "Just to clear the air, we're not so let's change the fucking subject, right now."

"We really care for you, but we understand why you want to go slow." Twilight said obviously agreeing to what I had decided upon seconds ago, "I did hear that you kissed Applejack."

"I kissed you first, are you jealous?" I asked.

"Technically, you kissed Zecora first." Twilight pointed out.

"Potato, potahto." I waved my hand. "I'm guessing that's why Rainbow Dash had a sudden case of period rage." I told Twilight who shuddered.

"Sunset explained to me what those were. I...I still can't believe that human mares go through something like that."

"Women, they're called women." I said, "But I'm guessing Rainbow is jealous that she didn't get a kiss."

"She'll never admit it but yes." Twilight said, "She wants a kiss."

"Then she should just ask, it's not a once in a blue moon type shit." I stare at Rainbow who looked away.

"Don't be passive aggressive, it doesn't suit you." Twilight looked at me, "I never noticed this but your hair is getting pretty long."

"Hmm?" I heard what she noted and then looked at my reflection in the window. My hair had become shoulder length and I had grown a beard. "Huh, I must've not noticed."

"How could you have not noticed?" Twilight asked.

"That whole shit with the anti magic could've done it, before that I was settling down to moving into Ponyville, and way before that I was thinking that I was going insane from living in the woods for too long. So yeah I probably wasn't paying attention to the length of my hair or the fact that I grew a beard." I said.

"I like the beard, it makes you look ruggedly handsome, however. I think you look better with short hair." Twilight reached out and gently ran her fingers through my hair.

"You do realize that that's the only time you're going to do that right?" I said, "So, you better enjoy it."

"I will then." Twilight sat next to me and gently caressed my head, running her fingers through my hair.

"Do you think the others will get jealous?" I asked her.

Twilight whispered in my ear, "If they do, I'll punish them."

"Never took you to be a dom Twi, more like a shy sub." I whispered.

"You'd be surprised at Fluttershy then." Twilight lightly nipped my neck. "Whenever you're ready." She rubbed my lap, I knew what she was aiming at.

"Gimme another month or so, maybe then if I'm comfortable enough." I whispered.

"Take all the time you need, we'll entertain ourselves in the meantime." Twilight winked and stood up joining the other girls talking with them.

"Hmm, Fluttershy." I looked over at the girls and they stopped their conversation. Fluttershy looked at me and I just used the classic two finger wave motion to get her to come over to me. She got up and slowly made her way over to me as I got up. "Sit down."

"Pardon?" Fluttershy questioned.

"Sit down with your legs facing the aisle, please." I asked her and she sat down, I gently parted her legs a bit and sat down and leaned against her. "Hold me."

Fluttershy lightly gasped, slowly wrapping her arms around me, Flutter Snuggles are best snuggles. My eyes darted over to the girls, over to Starlight, then Fluttershy softly whispered into my ear. "I've got you, it's okay."

"Thank you." I closed my eyes.