Second Chancesby White CometChaptersChapter 1: Dropping InChapter 2: Thoughts and FeelingsChapter 3: ConfessionsChapter 1: Dropping InManehatten. Once the pride of the Equestrian east coast. Now in the aftermath of the Great War, it lies in ruins. The usual hustle and bustle of the busy streets were now only filled with the sounds of Changeling boots stamping down in unison as they marched, combined with the deep rumble of truck and tank engines. Nevertheless, the citizens did their best to rebuild from the rubble. Despite the intimidation of the Changeling guns being pointed at them whilst they did. But for some, rebuilding wouldn’t fix everything. Peach Stone knew that feeling all too well as she plodded along one of Manehatten’s main high streets. On her back, she carried an old sack full of essential food she needed. Some acquired legally through rations… Some not so much… She occasionally tossed her long yellow mane with faint red highlights to the side to see what was going on around her, but other than that, she kept her head down. All she could see were Changeling soldiers mostly anyway, coupled with the destruction of the buildings and roads that had been hit by bombs during the war. The Changelings were on full alert these days as the threat of rebellion grew ever stronger. As if the universe could reach her thoughts, the sound of shouting and gunfire ahead of her quickly drew her attention. She raised her head only to see the panicked ponies around her running and screaming. The Changelings quickly tried to bring some order to the chaos, with the nearest bugs trying to organise an orderly evacuation of the civilians while the rest ran headfirst into the action. Page bit her lip, glancing back at the sack she had on her back. The items she acquired on the black market were not going to go down well with the Changelings if she was caught with them. But at the same time, if she was caught trying to escape… Her thoughts were interrupted by an explosion not far in front of her. Her ears folded back at the ear-piercing sound. Fear took over and without even thinking about it, her hooves took off into a gallop and she ran along the street, ignoring the gunfire and the shouting and only just barely looking ahead enough to see where she was going. She charged down an alleyway, her hoofsteps being impaired by the various trash cans and other obstacles littered throughout it. Thinking she was safe down the alleyway, she slowed her pace and gingerly stepped around all the obstacles. She took a moment where she fully stopped to try and control her breathing. Using all the control she had to try and at least get her breathing into some sort of rhythm instead of frantic wheezing. Her attention was suddenly drawn by a scream directly above her. Her head quickly snapped upwards to see a pegasus in the midday sky. His dark turquoise coat had a streak of crimson red running through it… blood… Peach gasped. He had been shot in midair! The pegasus fell helplessly through the sky, falling like a stone until he impacted on the arched roof of one of the highrise buildings that made up the alleyway that Peach was standing in, slowly sliding down the arch until he fell again down through the alleyway. Instinct kicking in, Peach ran towards the falling pegasus. All attention to the world around her went out the window, she only cared about catching him. Anything in her way just got kicked out of her way by her hooves. With only seconds to spare, she dived across the alleyway and placed herself between him and the ground. She let out a loud sharp grunt as the force of the impact forced the air out of her lungs. She felt the food in the sack on her back get squished under his weight and the impact, but that was the least of her worries. If anything it probably helped break his fall. If she had any breath left, she would be using it right now to breathe a sigh of relief. But instead, she tipped to the side to gently slide him off her back. She rested him up against the wall, trying to assess his condition. She could immediately see that he had been shot in the front left leg, just where his leg meets his barrel. It looked like the bullet went in one side and out the other. Peach couldn’t help but cringe at the injury. The stallion let out a mild groan, drawing Peach to look into his blue eyes briefly before his expression slowly sunk and his eyes closed. Fearing the worst, Peach quickly checked his pulse and breathing. He was alive, just unconscious. Before she could assess the situation any further, she heard the sound of Changeling voices approaching. Most likely looking for their kill. She looked at the stallion, then at her food sack… it was pretty big… She was starting to form an idea… “Earth pony strength, don’t fail me now.” Peach’s ear twitched upwards as she heard the faint groans of somepony next to her. She lifted her head when she realised that it was coming from the stallion currently lying on her well-worn beige couch. She held back a gasp as she turned her head to peek through the curtains, seeing the light barely cutting through them. It must be early morning. She bought herself to her hooves, feeling her muscles complain from sleeping on the floor. But she quickly shrugged it off, moving the blanket off her body and slowly approaching the stallion. “Hey, are you okay?” She whispered gently, peeking over him. The stallion's ears twitched at the voice. “Ugh…” He groaned, lifting his right forehoof up and giving his eyes a rub before slowly opening them. The lack of light in the room made it easier on his eyes, but it was still light enough for him to make out the details. He was in a living room of some description, resting atop somepony’s couch. The walls were painted a faded yellow and the carpet was a dark brown. But he didn’t remember getting here. The last thing he remembered was… His blue eyes quickly locked onto the orange iris of the mare standing beside him. Her gaze gentle and her expression welcoming. “H-hello?” He began, still very confused. “Where am I?” “You’re in my house,” The mare answered with a smile. “Do you remember? You took quite a fall.” “A fall?” He tried to recall, moving to sit upright on the couch. “Ahh,” He hissed, his right forehoof quickly squeezed into some bandages wrapped around his left shoulder. “Easy, easy,” Peach pleaded, bracing him with her own forehooves. “You were shot right there. It ain’t gonna be healed overnight.” The stallion gently rested his left forehoof down so it was supported properly. “I was shot?” Peach nodded. “You and your buddies got into a tussle with some Changeling soldiers. I was running away and… Well, you got shot right above me and… kinda landed on top of me.” Peach twisted the story a little, but it was still mostly accurate. She stood up, turning towards the doorway. “Are you hungry?” The stallion chuffed, “You don’t have to give me anything.” “Oh don’t be silly,” Peach replied, trotting out of the doorway. The stallion took the moment to examine the room he was sitting in. A living room of a Manehatten terrace house. Fairly narrow, but it probably went up a floor or two. Pretty decent living. And judging by the various family photos he saw on the wall, there was probably a family living here. Although it was oddly quiet for that. And so far, the only pony he had seen was this mysterious mare that may have just broken his fall and saved his life, if he understood it correctly. He looked down his body, assuming the mare had removed his jacket before letting him rest on the couch. No doubt to put those bandages around his shoulder as well. He wondered where she put it. Not that it would be much good if it had a bullet hole in it. Peach returned carrying a tray with fruit in her mouth, setting it down on the coffee table just in front of the couch. “I’m sorry it’s past its best,” She apologised, taking a seat next to the stallion. “It’s good enough to eat, I’m grateful you’d even consider sharing it,” The stallion replied with a smile, extending a wing and drawing up one of the bruised bananas. The banana looked almost as bruised as his body. “My name is Sea Salt by the way.” “Oh, I’m Peach Stone,” Peach replied with a smile, taking herself an apple. "I like your necklace, Peach," Sea Salt complimented, pointing a hoof at the medallion dangling down from around her neck. Its gold chain blended in well with her blonde fur. "It's not for sale," Peach retorted quickly, looking down at it herself. "I wasn't trying to buy it," Sea Salt quickly set the record straight. "I'm just saying it looks beautiful..." Peach smiled, lifting it up with her hoof and examing the medallion. A golden circle housing a beautiful blue diamond. "It was my mothers..." She examined it for a few moments before letting it dangle back around her neck. “So I take it you’re…” Peach leaned closer to him, “With the ELF?” She whispered into his ear. Sea nodded, “We were raiding them mostly for weapons. I wonder how well it went…” “I didn’t hang around to find out,” Peach replied, taking a bite of her apple. She was used to the tangy taste of an expired apple by now. A silence fell between them as they continued to eat, but Sea Salt couldn’t help but feel a little bit awkward about the situation. “Are you sure you want me to stay here? I’m pretty much a criminal at this point, my face is probably on wanted posters alongside Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon.” “It’s fine,” Peach smiled widely, “You can stay here for as long as you need to. You aren’t in the way.” Sea Salt chuffed and nodded, glancing around the living room once again. More specifically, at the family photos. “What about your family? Will they mind?” Peach’s smile slowly faded away before she glanced away in a frown, her eyes drooping downwards. “I see,” Sea Salt answered flatly, swallowing a lump in his throat. “I’m so sorry… Are you all that’s left?” Peach nodded slowly. “Just me…” She scowled, “And only me because I wasn’t allowed to go to war.” “Too young?” Sea Salt asked as he picked up a picture frame from a coffee table, showing a tanned stallion with a dark brown mane, with the same red highlights in Peach’s mane. He was wearing a navy dress uniform, no doubt this was a graduation picture. “I was,” Peach answered his question. “That was my brother Barley,” Peach answered. “He was aboard the Pegasopolis when it was sunk…” Sea Salt could do nothing but sigh. “I’m sorry,” He repeated again, putting the portrait back on the table. “I was too young at the start of the war too. I wanted to go when I was old enough, but my mom wouldn’t let me. Said she didn’t want to lose me the same way she did dad…” Sea Salt gritted his teeth thinking about it. “Look how well that went…” “It makes me so angry sometimes,” Peach rubbed her face, holding back tears. “My brother is at the bottom of the ocean, my father is just another dead body on the battlefield, and my mother died during the air raids near the end of the war. All the while, I sat here doing nothing.” Peach held her head in her hooves. “Was it worth it?” “I think so,” Sea Salt wrapped his wing around her, gently pulling her towards him. “You would have ended up the same way they did. And if that happened, you wouldn’t have been around to save my life yesterday.” Peach blinked, looking up at him. “I… guess…” She smiled, looking up at his confident expression. “Thank you…” She slid a hoof around his torso, returning the hug. “Hey, I should be thanking you if anything,” He chuckled, then his ears pricked up as he remembered something. “Speaking of which, do you have my jacket?” Peach nodded, “I do, do you want me to get it?” “Please,” Sea Salt replied. Peach stood herself off the couch and dipped into the hallway briefly, only to return with the leather flying jacket. “I stitched up the bullet holes,” She told him, laying it down on the couch next to him. Out of the largest interior pocket, he pulled a dull faded book that was probably a dull faded green book, with the Changeling word ‘Lebensmittelkarte’ printed boldly across the top. The Ponish counterpart, ‘Ration book,’ was printed below. “Here,” He handed the thin book over to her. “Your rations?” Peach took the book. “I’m sure I don’t need to teach you how to suck eggs, but don’t go using it at the market, it’ll be traced back to me. Trade it on the black market, it’ll be harder to trace back if it’s caught.” “What makes you think an honest pony like me would use the black market?” Peach jested sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. “Nopony gets semi-fresh fruit without it,” Sea Salt answered, batting a hoof at the banana skin he left on the table. “Besides, a pretty mare like you must have no trouble sweet-talking your way into a good deal.” Page did her best to suppress a giggle, but she couldn’t help but let a few puffs of air whistle through her grinning lips as her ears folded flat. “You charmer,” She felt the heat rising in her cheeks. Something told her she was going to enjoy Sea Salt’s company… Chapter 2: Thoughts and FeelingsThe rain pounded down hard on the paved streets of Manehatten. The street lights barely did anything to help in the darkness of night. But Peach had walked this path so many times, she could pretty much do it with her eyes closed. She put more concentration into keeping her hooves out of the deeper puddles. She smiled as she approached her front door, unlocking it with her key and pushing it open. She almost wanted to yell something to announce her presence to Sea Salt, but knew better than to draw attention to themselves given the situation. She closed the door shut behind her with her rear hooves and pulled the hood down from her black cloak. “Hi Sea,” She quietly greeted in a normal voice as she removed the soaked garment from her body and hung it up over a hanger, hearing the water droplets bead off and drip onto the floor below. “Oh, hey Peach,” Sea Salt called from the living room. Peach set the sack she was carrying down against the wall and trotted into the living room where she saw Sea Salt standing in the middle and practising various exercises with his wings fully spread. “You’re getting better? How long has it been now?” Sea Salt nodded, “Two weeks today,” He answered with a smile. “I can almost put all my weight on it,” He explained, gently lowering his left foreleg down and gingerly putting weight onto it until he reached a threshold of pain he could tolerate. “Still a way to go, don’t injure yourself,” Peach said with genuine concern. “I know, I know,” Sea Salt replied, flicking his head and limping over closer to her. “But the call to action is gonna be any day now. I need to be ready for this,” He said, continuing to practice some exercises. Peach raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk. She couldn’t help but think that her concerns maybe fell on deaf ears, but she couldn’t deny that his energy motivated her. Although she did notice that some of Sea Salt’s stretches he was doing seemed to be less focused on his problem areas. “Are you feeling okay?” She asked. “Yeah, I-I’m fine,” Sea Salt halfheartedly replied, standing up as straight as he could before sighing a little. “What’s wrong? Let me help,” Peach reasoned. Sea Salt chuffed, “It’s nothing,” he went to bat a hoof at her, only to wince when his weight shifted onto his bad leg. “It’s just… Well, sleeping on a couch for over two weeks ain’t exactly been kind to my body. I’m getting cramps and sores everywhere. Doesn’t help that I’m cooped up here either…” “Oh…” Peach replied. Her ears folded flat as she thought of something but instantly dismissed it. “Well, sorry I’m a little late, but we had to disperse a trade when it was discovered. I don’t think I was followed, but I took a few detours to try and throw them off,” She explained, turning towards the doorway. She trotted forwards towards the kitchen, grabbing the bag she had bought in on the way through. “I hope you like carrots and hay…” “Anything you’ve got, I’m starving,” Sea Salt followed her through the hallway into the kitchen, still sporting a slight limp. They both sat down at the aged wooden dining table. Peach poured out some carrots and some neatly stacked piles of hay. “I hope you don’t mind it raw. It’s late, I’m kinda tired, and don’t feel like cooking.” “It’s fine,” Sea Salt replied, picking up a carrot. The two sat there in silence for a moment before Peach swallowed and decided to break the silence. “So… you’re really still gonna go ahead with the resistance?” Sea Salt looked back at Peach flatly. “...Yes, I am,” He started his answer, then glanced away. “It’s something we’ve been working towards ever since those damn bugs took power. I can’t give up on it.” He looked back at Peach, “Don’t you also dream of a free Equestria?” Peach nodded. “It’s just…” She sighed, looking away, “I just want you to be safe…” Sea Salt half-smiled. “Then come with me, then you can be there to catch me when I fall next time,” He joked. Peach couldn’t help but smile. “I’m sure I will…” Her expression turned a little more serious. “But… Ugh, how do I say it,” She racked her brain, scratching her left temple with her forehoof for a moment. “This may be a little uncalled for Sea, but… Well, ever since I lost my family… you’re the only pony I’ve had to talk to…” she looked back at him, “You’re my only friend,” she spoke sincerely. “Ah, well,” Sea Salt scratched the back of his neck, his ears flattening. “What can I say? I’m honoured. If anypony should be grateful it’s me, you probably saved my life. Celestia knows if I’d ever get out of a Changeling prison alive…” It didn’t take them long to finish their quick meal. “Well Peach, I think you’re a very caring pony with a big heart. I’m honoured to be your friend,” Sea Salt spoke in the most honest tone he could muster. “I’m glad,” Peach answered with an awkward smile before releasing a sigh. “Well it’s late and I’m tired. I’m gonna go to bed…” She stood from her seat, stretching slightly. “Yeah, I probably should too…” Sea Salt agreed, slowly bringing himself to his hooves. Peach trotted out of the kitchen into the main hallway, turning right to head up the stairs. She stepped onto the first step before pausing halfway up, contemplating something as she heard Sea Salt push open the door to the living room. No doubt heading for the couch. “Sea?” She twisted around to look at him. “Hm?” He looked back at her, partway through the doorway. “I was just wondering…” Her eyes glanced away and she awkwardly chuckled. “If you’re getting muscle aches from the couch… Well, you don’t have to, but…” She felt the heat rising in her cheeks, “My bed is plenty big… If you think it’ll help, you can take the other side of it…” Sea Salt blinked. “I, uh…” his ears flattened, “Well… I don’t want to ruin your sleep.” “I don’t sleep well these days anyway,” Peach batted a hoof. “I just want you to get better.” Sea Salt met Peach’s glistening amber eyes. Only then did she realise that she was asking as much for herself as she was for him. How could he deny such an offer? “Alright…” he turned to follow her up the stairs. “I’ve been told that I snore badly though.” Peach giggled as she trotted gently up the stairs onto the landing, pushing open one of the doors to reveal the bedroom. A square-shaped room with a dark purple carpet and plain white walls. The colour was obviously brighter in certain places on the wall and carpet. Sea Salt presumed that Peach was forced to sell or trade some of her possessions to survive. A story that unfortunately was not uncommon in Changeling occupied Equestria. The two of them took it in turns getting ready for bed. Peach made sure that Sea Salt was comfortable, insisting on helping him into bed beside the fact he was perfectly capable even with only three fully functional hooves. Peach trotted over to the wall to flick the light off, plunging the room into total darkness. Her muscle memory she had developed over time led her perfectly to the edge of her bed. She was almost ready to throw herself on it like she normally did before she remembered that she might land on Sea Salt if she did that. She sat herself down on the edge and slowly slid herself in under the covers, feeling the hairs on her mane tingle against Sea Salt’s back. She took that as an indication that she was as far in as she could. “Good night, Sea,” Peach spoke in a hushed tone. “Good night, Peach,” Sea Salt replied, sinking his head further into the pillow. Sea Salt couldn’t deny that this was the comfiest he had been in over two weeks, even considering his wound. But although he was comfortable, he could tell somepony was not. Peach seemed to have trouble drifting off. She wasn’t tossing or turning, but Sea could feel a type of tension in the air radiating from her. He wanted to do something, but he had no idea what to do or what to say. “So, you said you don’t normally sleep well?” He whispered over to her, still with his back facing her. “I’ve hardly slept well since the start of the war,” Peach replied, then sighed. “The nightmares are in my head and in the real world. I have no escape… Princess Luna never answers my cries for help…” “Pfft, you don’t really believe that Princess Luna still cares do you?” Sea Salt lifted his head slightly. “Her and the rest of the princesses turned tail and ran to New Mareland the moment all hope was lost. They abandoned us. Do you really think they’d help?” “They didn’t abandon us,” Peach protested, but kept her voice down. “Princess Twilight gave her life in the war. Celestia, Luna and Cadence are just waiting for the right time to return.” “Sounds like waiting for us to do the dirty work while they come in and reap the reward if you ask me,” Sea Salt replied bitterly. This wasn’t the conversation he was expecting at all. “Well, love it or hate it, all we can do is hope…” Peach sighed, “I don’t even know what I want… I’ve lost my whole family… I just feel so hopeless…” Sea Salt shuffled to turn around in bed to face her, although she still had her back to him. “I’m sorry you’ve suffered so much, Peach. I really am…” He began to extend his left wing. “I hope that whatever I can do at least makes you feel a little better…” He extended his wing down over her body. Peach felt his embrace wash over her like a warm blanket on top of the duvet. She felt his limbs snake over hers and rest gently on her, the weight of them a very soothing sensation as they were draped over her body. “It does...thank you…” She whispered, flopping her head deeper into her pillow. Sea Salt remained calm, simply holding the embrace from behind her. He was sort of expecting her to say something more… but to his surprise, he began feeling a rhythmic rise and fall of Peach’s chest under his hoof and wing, along with the corresponding inhales and exhales that matched with the motion. He couldn’t help but smile at the sensation. “Sometimes all we need is a hug...” He whispered quietly to himself before tightening his embrace of her and laying his own head down to rest... Chapter 3: ConfessionsFor Peach, it was like the Great War had started all over again. The enraged roars of plane engines rattled the furniture in her house whenever they flew over. Outside the windows, all she could hear was gunfire and the low rumble of tank engines as the newly-formed Equestrian Liberation Front engaged the Changeling forces. The sound of artillery shells hitting the ground initially made her want to jump out of her seat every time she landed. But she had been hardened to the noise by now. And all she could do now was the same thing she did in the last war. Hide in her home and wait it out. Except for this time, the war had literally started on her doorstep. The destruction caused by the first war still hadn’t been repaired, but this was going to take it to a whole new level. She could only hope that a bomb from a plane or artillery shell didn’t find its way to her house… But despite all that, all she found herself thinking about as she hid in her kitchen was Sea Salt. She had cared for that stallion for over a month, waiting for his injuries to heal. And now, he was off once again fighting. No doubt getting even more injuries in the process. Her life just felt empty without him. She thought she finally had somepony back in her life. But now, here she was. All alone… again… All she had left to remember was the letter he left the night he took off. She unfolded it in her hooves and read it again. She had already read it countless times, but all she could do was obsess over it while she wondered if she would ever see him again. Peach, First of all, I’m sorry. This probably wasn’t the goodbye you were hoping for, but I couldn’t tell you anything because it could put us more at risk of discovery. All I can tell you is to expect something big to go down any day now. I know this won’t have the same effect reading on paper, but I’ll try. I don’t know how to thank you for saving my life, taking me in and taking care of me for over a month. If you weren’t there to catch me, I probably would have been taken by the Changelings and probably wouldn’t even be alive to write this to you right now. You welcomed me with open hooves and I don’t know how I could ever repay you. Since the war has already started, there’s probably something I should tell you. While I’ll do everything I can to stay alive, there’s a possibility that I won’t live to see you again. So there’s something I want to say. The only trouble is, I don’t know how to say it… (There was several crossed out lines on the paper following this statement) Sea Salt Peach could only smile at the thought of what he was trying to write. She could even make out some of his compliments through the crossed out sections of the letter. That and when she combined it with her own thoughts and feelings, it only became clearer. He was away and was the only thing that was ever on her mind. There was only one conclusion she could come to. She loved him. He filled the empty space in her life. Without him, she just felt incomplete. And now he was gone. Possibly forever. She felt her eyes begin to water at the thought. A sudden loud bang of her door being kicked down. She gasped and jumped backwards, almost tipping her chair over. The sound was followed up by the sounds of Changeling voices, which made her pupils narrow. She had no idea what they were saying, as she didn’t speak the Changeling language, but she guessed they were looking for her. She had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide… she bought herself to her hooves, ready for whatever might happen. All she could do was tremble as she heard the sounds of hoofsteps on her floorboards getting closer and closer. All of a sudden, a figure appeared in the doorway of her kitchen, dressed in the black and grey uniform of the Changeling Army. His dark green eyes concentrated with a furrowed brow as soon as he spotted her. “HALT!” He barked, exposing his fangs. He immediately aimed his rifle at her. Peach couldn’t do anything else but scream at the sight, dropping to the floor and hiding her head under her hooves. But she cowered for all but a matter of seconds before she was being roughly handled by a pair of hooves, dragging her up to her own hooves. He jabbed her with the barrel of his rifle and said something in Herzlandish that Peach didn’t understand, but she presumed he was asking her to move. She trotted slowly out into her hallway where she encountered another changeling sporting the same uniform, also keeping a hoof on his rifle. Probably a precaution in case she tried anything clever. He conversed with his colleague in Herzlandish as Peach was escorted out of her house, down into the street. At the end of her road was a parked truck. Peach suddenly understood what they were doing. They must be locking up (or worse) ponies to prevent them from supporting or joining the Equestrian Liberation Front. A sudden bang from behind her caused her escorts to freeze in their tracks, so Peach followed suit. A moment later, they dropped down onto their sides. Motionless… dead. Before she even had time to comprehend the situation, her head flicked upwards towards the shouting of Changeling soldiers in front of her, aiming their weapons. The flash of gunshots firing into the adjacent street filled her ears. The ELF were here. “PEACH!” That voice… She spun around on the spot to see the very stallion she was hoping for. But Sea Salt seemed more concerned about something else as he flew low along the street, several other pegasi alongside him. “TAKE COVER!” He yelled at her, drawing his weapon. Peach instantly reacted to the voice she trusted, running along to the line of terraced houses. Living on this very street made her familiar with it, and she dived for cover in one of the doorways of the nearest house, pressing her back against the brickwork just in the nick of time as she heard the bullets begin to fly. She remained still with her flank against the wall, her body completely stiff. Even if she wanted to move, her fear of getting shot in the crossfire prevented her from doing so. All she could do was occasionally twist her head to take a peek at the action happening just up the road from her. Or more to the point, see how Sea Salt was doing. But it was all happening so fast she could barely make him out. As the fight progressed, the number of gunshots she heard slowly reduced, until she heard the sound of the Changeling truck revving its engine and driving away. A few more stray gunshots fired off, but it sounded like the fight was over. She tentatively poked her head around the corner to examine the situation. No Changelings… only ponies. It seemed safe. She carefully stepped out, one hoof at a time, and witnessed a sight she was unfortunately too familiar with. The only difference this time was that it was Changeling bodies thrown across the streets, not ponies. Well, a few ponies. And that’s what she was hastily moving to check. She sighed in relief when she realised that none of them was Sea Salt, collapsing onto her flank as she wiped the sweat off her brow with her hoof. “You didn’t think I would go down that easily did you?” She turned her head to see him standing right next to her… and her smile grew exponentially wider. “Sea!” She jumped up, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. Her body bumped against the rifle he had strapped around his neck, but she paid it no mind. “Thank Celestia you’re alright…” Sea sighed, returning her embrace. “I’m so sorry…” Peach chuffed. “Well, I saved your life, now you’ve saved mine. We’re even, right?” Sea Salt chuckled in response. “I guess we are,” He released her from his forelegs. “Are you alright?” “I’m fine,” Peach explained, “The bugs were rounding us up. You arrived just at the right moment.” “They’re trying to force us back down through fear and intimidation, but it won’t work anymore. Trust me. Manehatten’s in complete chaos right now, but we’re slowly gaining the upper hoof.” Peach nodded at his explanation. “So… what are you gonna do now?” “Well, we’re currently fighting on the street-by-street basis, popping up randomly. It’s confusing the bugs as they can’t mobilize that fast.” His eyes widened with intensity and a smile began to creep onto his face. “Once we get our hooves firmly planted though, we’re gonna start pushing them back. All the way back. And I’ll drive these bastards all the way back to Vesalipolis if I have to.” Peach could only nod unenthusiastically. She couldn’t deny it. She could see the fire in his eyes, the passion in his voice… this was his calling, and she wasn’t drawing him away from it. “Well… I guess this is goodbye…” She glanced away, “For real this time…” “Y...yeah…” Sea Salt rubbed the back of his neck. “But I just came to tell you… Well, I was meaning to tell you…” He sighed, “Wow I’m terrible at this… What I’m trying to say is--” “I love you,” Peach finished his sentence. Sea Salt felt like he had just been thumped in the chest. His heart was just calming down from the firefight, now he could feel it ramping up again. “Y-yeah…” His ears pricked up, realising what she said. “Y-you do too?” Peach turned back to look at him. “Sea, I enjoyed every minute I’ve ever spent with you. You gave me something to look forward to every day. A feeling I’ve been missing ever since I’ve been left on my own...” She felt the tears returning, “And now… you’re going away…” Sea Salt smiled, placing his hoof under her chin and gently tilting her head so his eyes could meet hers. “I’m so glad to have met somepony like you, Peach. Somepony so kind and generous to take in an injured stallion in his time of need and share everything with him. You deserve nothing of what's happened to you and your family, and I… I-I love you,” his words stuttered at the end, but he felt like he got the message across. Truth be told, he wasn’t thinking as fast as he was speaking. Peach suddenly pushed upwards and planted her lips squarely on his, lifting a foreleg up and craning it gently over his neck. Sea Salt was caught off guard by the move, but he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed it. He embraced her with his wings and returned the motion, gently massaging her lips with his own. The world around them disappeared. The engine noises and planes flying above seemed to just completely fade away. They only concentrated on the sound of each others heartbeat. Their kiss held for a few seconds before they withdrew, opening their eyes and gazing into each others daze. Peach could feel the heat in her cheeks, but probably nowhere near as much as Sea Salt looked. His whole face looked like a giant red tomato. The contrast to his blue fur made Peach grin. The sound of gunshots down the street distracted them from the moment, they both flicked their heads to the left at the same time. “Listen, I gotta g--” “I know,” Peach interrupted him. “Here,” She reached over her neck and unclipped her necklace. “For good luck,” she leant up and tied it around his neck. Sea Salt looked down at the diamond, holding it in his hoof briefly before looking back at Peach. “But… Peach, I can’t take something like this. I’m going into a warzone, and this is priceless!” “So you better bring it back,” Peach replied snarkily before pecking a kiss on his cheek. “Now go get ‘em!” “R-right!” Sea Salt backed away. “I’ll come back! I promise!” He spread his wings and took a little jump into the air, his wings flapping to make him over. “Goodbye, Peach! I’ll be back!” He declared before taking flight. “Good luck, Sea!” Peach replied, waving. Even though the waving was pointless as he wasn’t even looking, but something told her that it mattered that she was at least doing it. Logic told her to get back to the safety of her home quickly, but at the same time, she felt like this was important. She waited until he was fully out of sight before she turned and took a slow trot back to her house. This whole ordeal still left her shivering, and the shock of what had just transpired was still catching up with her. Both the good and the bad. She gave her neck a rub, feeling the absence of her necklace for the first time. She felt practically naked without it. Despite being the outcome she was hoping for, she was still somewhat disappointed. At least she found that the stallion she loved shared the same feelings for her. But at the same time, he was about to go off and fight yet another war. How long would it be before she got to see him again? Months? Years? That was if he came back at all. She had already seen how the first war went for her older siblings and her father. All she could do now was carry on like she and every other civilian pony always had done. And pray to Celestia that this time, things would go differently… Author's Note And that concludes this sweet little tale. Honestly it was more challenging than it looked as I don't really write slice of life type stories, so I was a little out of my element. I think I did alright though. I didn't want to go too mad with certain aspects because of the 10,000 word limit for the contest. I hope I struck the right balance. Thanks for reading and good luck to the other writers in the contest!
Chapter 1: Dropping InManehatten. Once the pride of the Equestrian east coast. Now in the aftermath of the Great War, it lies in ruins. The usual hustle and bustle of the busy streets were now only filled with the sounds of Changeling boots stamping down in unison as they marched, combined with the deep rumble of truck and tank engines. Nevertheless, the citizens did their best to rebuild from the rubble. Despite the intimidation of the Changeling guns being pointed at them whilst they did. But for some, rebuilding wouldn’t fix everything. Peach Stone knew that feeling all too well as she plodded along one of Manehatten’s main high streets. On her back, she carried an old sack full of essential food she needed. Some acquired legally through rations… Some not so much… She occasionally tossed her long yellow mane with faint red highlights to the side to see what was going on around her, but other than that, she kept her head down. All she could see were Changeling soldiers mostly anyway, coupled with the destruction of the buildings and roads that had been hit by bombs during the war. The Changelings were on full alert these days as the threat of rebellion grew ever stronger. As if the universe could reach her thoughts, the sound of shouting and gunfire ahead of her quickly drew her attention. She raised her head only to see the panicked ponies around her running and screaming. The Changelings quickly tried to bring some order to the chaos, with the nearest bugs trying to organise an orderly evacuation of the civilians while the rest ran headfirst into the action. Page bit her lip, glancing back at the sack she had on her back. The items she acquired on the black market were not going to go down well with the Changelings if she was caught with them. But at the same time, if she was caught trying to escape… Her thoughts were interrupted by an explosion not far in front of her. Her ears folded back at the ear-piercing sound. Fear took over and without even thinking about it, her hooves took off into a gallop and she ran along the street, ignoring the gunfire and the shouting and only just barely looking ahead enough to see where she was going. She charged down an alleyway, her hoofsteps being impaired by the various trash cans and other obstacles littered throughout it. Thinking she was safe down the alleyway, she slowed her pace and gingerly stepped around all the obstacles. She took a moment where she fully stopped to try and control her breathing. Using all the control she had to try and at least get her breathing into some sort of rhythm instead of frantic wheezing. Her attention was suddenly drawn by a scream directly above her. Her head quickly snapped upwards to see a pegasus in the midday sky. His dark turquoise coat had a streak of crimson red running through it… blood… Peach gasped. He had been shot in midair! The pegasus fell helplessly through the sky, falling like a stone until he impacted on the arched roof of one of the highrise buildings that made up the alleyway that Peach was standing in, slowly sliding down the arch until he fell again down through the alleyway. Instinct kicking in, Peach ran towards the falling pegasus. All attention to the world around her went out the window, she only cared about catching him. Anything in her way just got kicked out of her way by her hooves. With only seconds to spare, she dived across the alleyway and placed herself between him and the ground. She let out a loud sharp grunt as the force of the impact forced the air out of her lungs. She felt the food in the sack on her back get squished under his weight and the impact, but that was the least of her worries. If anything it probably helped break his fall. If she had any breath left, she would be using it right now to breathe a sigh of relief. But instead, she tipped to the side to gently slide him off her back. She rested him up against the wall, trying to assess his condition. She could immediately see that he had been shot in the front left leg, just where his leg meets his barrel. It looked like the bullet went in one side and out the other. Peach couldn’t help but cringe at the injury. The stallion let out a mild groan, drawing Peach to look into his blue eyes briefly before his expression slowly sunk and his eyes closed. Fearing the worst, Peach quickly checked his pulse and breathing. He was alive, just unconscious. Before she could assess the situation any further, she heard the sound of Changeling voices approaching. Most likely looking for their kill. She looked at the stallion, then at her food sack… it was pretty big… She was starting to form an idea… “Earth pony strength, don’t fail me now.” Peach’s ear twitched upwards as she heard the faint groans of somepony next to her. She lifted her head when she realised that it was coming from the stallion currently lying on her well-worn beige couch. She held back a gasp as she turned her head to peek through the curtains, seeing the light barely cutting through them. It must be early morning. She bought herself to her hooves, feeling her muscles complain from sleeping on the floor. But she quickly shrugged it off, moving the blanket off her body and slowly approaching the stallion. “Hey, are you okay?” She whispered gently, peeking over him. The stallion's ears twitched at the voice. “Ugh…” He groaned, lifting his right forehoof up and giving his eyes a rub before slowly opening them. The lack of light in the room made it easier on his eyes, but it was still light enough for him to make out the details. He was in a living room of some description, resting atop somepony’s couch. The walls were painted a faded yellow and the carpet was a dark brown. But he didn’t remember getting here. The last thing he remembered was… His blue eyes quickly locked onto the orange iris of the mare standing beside him. Her gaze gentle and her expression welcoming. “H-hello?” He began, still very confused. “Where am I?” “You’re in my house,” The mare answered with a smile. “Do you remember? You took quite a fall.” “A fall?” He tried to recall, moving to sit upright on the couch. “Ahh,” He hissed, his right forehoof quickly squeezed into some bandages wrapped around his left shoulder. “Easy, easy,” Peach pleaded, bracing him with her own forehooves. “You were shot right there. It ain’t gonna be healed overnight.” The stallion gently rested his left forehoof down so it was supported properly. “I was shot?” Peach nodded. “You and your buddies got into a tussle with some Changeling soldiers. I was running away and… Well, you got shot right above me and… kinda landed on top of me.” Peach twisted the story a little, but it was still mostly accurate. She stood up, turning towards the doorway. “Are you hungry?” The stallion chuffed, “You don’t have to give me anything.” “Oh don’t be silly,” Peach replied, trotting out of the doorway. The stallion took the moment to examine the room he was sitting in. A living room of a Manehatten terrace house. Fairly narrow, but it probably went up a floor or two. Pretty decent living. And judging by the various family photos he saw on the wall, there was probably a family living here. Although it was oddly quiet for that. And so far, the only pony he had seen was this mysterious mare that may have just broken his fall and saved his life, if he understood it correctly. He looked down his body, assuming the mare had removed his jacket before letting him rest on the couch. No doubt to put those bandages around his shoulder as well. He wondered where she put it. Not that it would be much good if it had a bullet hole in it. Peach returned carrying a tray with fruit in her mouth, setting it down on the coffee table just in front of the couch. “I’m sorry it’s past its best,” She apologised, taking a seat next to the stallion. “It’s good enough to eat, I’m grateful you’d even consider sharing it,” The stallion replied with a smile, extending a wing and drawing up one of the bruised bananas. The banana looked almost as bruised as his body. “My name is Sea Salt by the way.” “Oh, I’m Peach Stone,” Peach replied with a smile, taking herself an apple. "I like your necklace, Peach," Sea Salt complimented, pointing a hoof at the medallion dangling down from around her neck. Its gold chain blended in well with her blonde fur. "It's not for sale," Peach retorted quickly, looking down at it herself. "I wasn't trying to buy it," Sea Salt quickly set the record straight. "I'm just saying it looks beautiful..." Peach smiled, lifting it up with her hoof and examing the medallion. A golden circle housing a beautiful blue diamond. "It was my mothers..." She examined it for a few moments before letting it dangle back around her neck. “So I take it you’re…” Peach leaned closer to him, “With the ELF?” She whispered into his ear. Sea nodded, “We were raiding them mostly for weapons. I wonder how well it went…” “I didn’t hang around to find out,” Peach replied, taking a bite of her apple. She was used to the tangy taste of an expired apple by now. A silence fell between them as they continued to eat, but Sea Salt couldn’t help but feel a little bit awkward about the situation. “Are you sure you want me to stay here? I’m pretty much a criminal at this point, my face is probably on wanted posters alongside Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon.” “It’s fine,” Peach smiled widely, “You can stay here for as long as you need to. You aren’t in the way.” Sea Salt chuffed and nodded, glancing around the living room once again. More specifically, at the family photos. “What about your family? Will they mind?” Peach’s smile slowly faded away before she glanced away in a frown, her eyes drooping downwards. “I see,” Sea Salt answered flatly, swallowing a lump in his throat. “I’m so sorry… Are you all that’s left?” Peach nodded slowly. “Just me…” She scowled, “And only me because I wasn’t allowed to go to war.” “Too young?” Sea Salt asked as he picked up a picture frame from a coffee table, showing a tanned stallion with a dark brown mane, with the same red highlights in Peach’s mane. He was wearing a navy dress uniform, no doubt this was a graduation picture. “I was,” Peach answered his question. “That was my brother Barley,” Peach answered. “He was aboard the Pegasopolis when it was sunk…” Sea Salt could do nothing but sigh. “I’m sorry,” He repeated again, putting the portrait back on the table. “I was too young at the start of the war too. I wanted to go when I was old enough, but my mom wouldn’t let me. Said she didn’t want to lose me the same way she did dad…” Sea Salt gritted his teeth thinking about it. “Look how well that went…” “It makes me so angry sometimes,” Peach rubbed her face, holding back tears. “My brother is at the bottom of the ocean, my father is just another dead body on the battlefield, and my mother died during the air raids near the end of the war. All the while, I sat here doing nothing.” Peach held her head in her hooves. “Was it worth it?” “I think so,” Sea Salt wrapped his wing around her, gently pulling her towards him. “You would have ended up the same way they did. And if that happened, you wouldn’t have been around to save my life yesterday.” Peach blinked, looking up at him. “I… guess…” She smiled, looking up at his confident expression. “Thank you…” She slid a hoof around his torso, returning the hug. “Hey, I should be thanking you if anything,” He chuckled, then his ears pricked up as he remembered something. “Speaking of which, do you have my jacket?” Peach nodded, “I do, do you want me to get it?” “Please,” Sea Salt replied. Peach stood herself off the couch and dipped into the hallway briefly, only to return with the leather flying jacket. “I stitched up the bullet holes,” She told him, laying it down on the couch next to him. Out of the largest interior pocket, he pulled a dull faded book that was probably a dull faded green book, with the Changeling word ‘Lebensmittelkarte’ printed boldly across the top. The Ponish counterpart, ‘Ration book,’ was printed below. “Here,” He handed the thin book over to her. “Your rations?” Peach took the book. “I’m sure I don’t need to teach you how to suck eggs, but don’t go using it at the market, it’ll be traced back to me. Trade it on the black market, it’ll be harder to trace back if it’s caught.” “What makes you think an honest pony like me would use the black market?” Peach jested sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. “Nopony gets semi-fresh fruit without it,” Sea Salt answered, batting a hoof at the banana skin he left on the table. “Besides, a pretty mare like you must have no trouble sweet-talking your way into a good deal.” Page did her best to suppress a giggle, but she couldn’t help but let a few puffs of air whistle through her grinning lips as her ears folded flat. “You charmer,” She felt the heat rising in her cheeks. Something told her she was going to enjoy Sea Salt’s company…
Chapter 2: Thoughts and FeelingsThe rain pounded down hard on the paved streets of Manehatten. The street lights barely did anything to help in the darkness of night. But Peach had walked this path so many times, she could pretty much do it with her eyes closed. She put more concentration into keeping her hooves out of the deeper puddles. She smiled as she approached her front door, unlocking it with her key and pushing it open. She almost wanted to yell something to announce her presence to Sea Salt, but knew better than to draw attention to themselves given the situation. She closed the door shut behind her with her rear hooves and pulled the hood down from her black cloak. “Hi Sea,” She quietly greeted in a normal voice as she removed the soaked garment from her body and hung it up over a hanger, hearing the water droplets bead off and drip onto the floor below. “Oh, hey Peach,” Sea Salt called from the living room. Peach set the sack she was carrying down against the wall and trotted into the living room where she saw Sea Salt standing in the middle and practising various exercises with his wings fully spread. “You’re getting better? How long has it been now?” Sea Salt nodded, “Two weeks today,” He answered with a smile. “I can almost put all my weight on it,” He explained, gently lowering his left foreleg down and gingerly putting weight onto it until he reached a threshold of pain he could tolerate. “Still a way to go, don’t injure yourself,” Peach said with genuine concern. “I know, I know,” Sea Salt replied, flicking his head and limping over closer to her. “But the call to action is gonna be any day now. I need to be ready for this,” He said, continuing to practice some exercises. Peach raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk. She couldn’t help but think that her concerns maybe fell on deaf ears, but she couldn’t deny that his energy motivated her. Although she did notice that some of Sea Salt’s stretches he was doing seemed to be less focused on his problem areas. “Are you feeling okay?” She asked. “Yeah, I-I’m fine,” Sea Salt halfheartedly replied, standing up as straight as he could before sighing a little. “What’s wrong? Let me help,” Peach reasoned. Sea Salt chuffed, “It’s nothing,” he went to bat a hoof at her, only to wince when his weight shifted onto his bad leg. “It’s just… Well, sleeping on a couch for over two weeks ain’t exactly been kind to my body. I’m getting cramps and sores everywhere. Doesn’t help that I’m cooped up here either…” “Oh…” Peach replied. Her ears folded flat as she thought of something but instantly dismissed it. “Well, sorry I’m a little late, but we had to disperse a trade when it was discovered. I don’t think I was followed, but I took a few detours to try and throw them off,” She explained, turning towards the doorway. She trotted forwards towards the kitchen, grabbing the bag she had bought in on the way through. “I hope you like carrots and hay…” “Anything you’ve got, I’m starving,” Sea Salt followed her through the hallway into the kitchen, still sporting a slight limp. They both sat down at the aged wooden dining table. Peach poured out some carrots and some neatly stacked piles of hay. “I hope you don’t mind it raw. It’s late, I’m kinda tired, and don’t feel like cooking.” “It’s fine,” Sea Salt replied, picking up a carrot. The two sat there in silence for a moment before Peach swallowed and decided to break the silence. “So… you’re really still gonna go ahead with the resistance?” Sea Salt looked back at Peach flatly. “...Yes, I am,” He started his answer, then glanced away. “It’s something we’ve been working towards ever since those damn bugs took power. I can’t give up on it.” He looked back at Peach, “Don’t you also dream of a free Equestria?” Peach nodded. “It’s just…” She sighed, looking away, “I just want you to be safe…” Sea Salt half-smiled. “Then come with me, then you can be there to catch me when I fall next time,” He joked. Peach couldn’t help but smile. “I’m sure I will…” Her expression turned a little more serious. “But… Ugh, how do I say it,” She racked her brain, scratching her left temple with her forehoof for a moment. “This may be a little uncalled for Sea, but… Well, ever since I lost my family… you’re the only pony I’ve had to talk to…” she looked back at him, “You’re my only friend,” she spoke sincerely. “Ah, well,” Sea Salt scratched the back of his neck, his ears flattening. “What can I say? I’m honoured. If anypony should be grateful it’s me, you probably saved my life. Celestia knows if I’d ever get out of a Changeling prison alive…” It didn’t take them long to finish their quick meal. “Well Peach, I think you’re a very caring pony with a big heart. I’m honoured to be your friend,” Sea Salt spoke in the most honest tone he could muster. “I’m glad,” Peach answered with an awkward smile before releasing a sigh. “Well it’s late and I’m tired. I’m gonna go to bed…” She stood from her seat, stretching slightly. “Yeah, I probably should too…” Sea Salt agreed, slowly bringing himself to his hooves. Peach trotted out of the kitchen into the main hallway, turning right to head up the stairs. She stepped onto the first step before pausing halfway up, contemplating something as she heard Sea Salt push open the door to the living room. No doubt heading for the couch. “Sea?” She twisted around to look at him. “Hm?” He looked back at her, partway through the doorway. “I was just wondering…” Her eyes glanced away and she awkwardly chuckled. “If you’re getting muscle aches from the couch… Well, you don’t have to, but…” She felt the heat rising in her cheeks, “My bed is plenty big… If you think it’ll help, you can take the other side of it…” Sea Salt blinked. “I, uh…” his ears flattened, “Well… I don’t want to ruin your sleep.” “I don’t sleep well these days anyway,” Peach batted a hoof. “I just want you to get better.” Sea Salt met Peach’s glistening amber eyes. Only then did she realise that she was asking as much for herself as she was for him. How could he deny such an offer? “Alright…” he turned to follow her up the stairs. “I’ve been told that I snore badly though.” Peach giggled as she trotted gently up the stairs onto the landing, pushing open one of the doors to reveal the bedroom. A square-shaped room with a dark purple carpet and plain white walls. The colour was obviously brighter in certain places on the wall and carpet. Sea Salt presumed that Peach was forced to sell or trade some of her possessions to survive. A story that unfortunately was not uncommon in Changeling occupied Equestria. The two of them took it in turns getting ready for bed. Peach made sure that Sea Salt was comfortable, insisting on helping him into bed beside the fact he was perfectly capable even with only three fully functional hooves. Peach trotted over to the wall to flick the light off, plunging the room into total darkness. Her muscle memory she had developed over time led her perfectly to the edge of her bed. She was almost ready to throw herself on it like she normally did before she remembered that she might land on Sea Salt if she did that. She sat herself down on the edge and slowly slid herself in under the covers, feeling the hairs on her mane tingle against Sea Salt’s back. She took that as an indication that she was as far in as she could. “Good night, Sea,” Peach spoke in a hushed tone. “Good night, Peach,” Sea Salt replied, sinking his head further into the pillow. Sea Salt couldn’t deny that this was the comfiest he had been in over two weeks, even considering his wound. But although he was comfortable, he could tell somepony was not. Peach seemed to have trouble drifting off. She wasn’t tossing or turning, but Sea could feel a type of tension in the air radiating from her. He wanted to do something, but he had no idea what to do or what to say. “So, you said you don’t normally sleep well?” He whispered over to her, still with his back facing her. “I’ve hardly slept well since the start of the war,” Peach replied, then sighed. “The nightmares are in my head and in the real world. I have no escape… Princess Luna never answers my cries for help…” “Pfft, you don’t really believe that Princess Luna still cares do you?” Sea Salt lifted his head slightly. “Her and the rest of the princesses turned tail and ran to New Mareland the moment all hope was lost. They abandoned us. Do you really think they’d help?” “They didn’t abandon us,” Peach protested, but kept her voice down. “Princess Twilight gave her life in the war. Celestia, Luna and Cadence are just waiting for the right time to return.” “Sounds like waiting for us to do the dirty work while they come in and reap the reward if you ask me,” Sea Salt replied bitterly. This wasn’t the conversation he was expecting at all. “Well, love it or hate it, all we can do is hope…” Peach sighed, “I don’t even know what I want… I’ve lost my whole family… I just feel so hopeless…” Sea Salt shuffled to turn around in bed to face her, although she still had her back to him. “I’m sorry you’ve suffered so much, Peach. I really am…” He began to extend his left wing. “I hope that whatever I can do at least makes you feel a little better…” He extended his wing down over her body. Peach felt his embrace wash over her like a warm blanket on top of the duvet. She felt his limbs snake over hers and rest gently on her, the weight of them a very soothing sensation as they were draped over her body. “It does...thank you…” She whispered, flopping her head deeper into her pillow. Sea Salt remained calm, simply holding the embrace from behind her. He was sort of expecting her to say something more… but to his surprise, he began feeling a rhythmic rise and fall of Peach’s chest under his hoof and wing, along with the corresponding inhales and exhales that matched with the motion. He couldn’t help but smile at the sensation. “Sometimes all we need is a hug...” He whispered quietly to himself before tightening his embrace of her and laying his own head down to rest...
Chapter 3: ConfessionsFor Peach, it was like the Great War had started all over again. The enraged roars of plane engines rattled the furniture in her house whenever they flew over. Outside the windows, all she could hear was gunfire and the low rumble of tank engines as the newly-formed Equestrian Liberation Front engaged the Changeling forces. The sound of artillery shells hitting the ground initially made her want to jump out of her seat every time she landed. But she had been hardened to the noise by now. And all she could do now was the same thing she did in the last war. Hide in her home and wait it out. Except for this time, the war had literally started on her doorstep. The destruction caused by the first war still hadn’t been repaired, but this was going to take it to a whole new level. She could only hope that a bomb from a plane or artillery shell didn’t find its way to her house… But despite all that, all she found herself thinking about as she hid in her kitchen was Sea Salt. She had cared for that stallion for over a month, waiting for his injuries to heal. And now, he was off once again fighting. No doubt getting even more injuries in the process. Her life just felt empty without him. She thought she finally had somepony back in her life. But now, here she was. All alone… again… All she had left to remember was the letter he left the night he took off. She unfolded it in her hooves and read it again. She had already read it countless times, but all she could do was obsess over it while she wondered if she would ever see him again. Peach, First of all, I’m sorry. This probably wasn’t the goodbye you were hoping for, but I couldn’t tell you anything because it could put us more at risk of discovery. All I can tell you is to expect something big to go down any day now. I know this won’t have the same effect reading on paper, but I’ll try. I don’t know how to thank you for saving my life, taking me in and taking care of me for over a month. If you weren’t there to catch me, I probably would have been taken by the Changelings and probably wouldn’t even be alive to write this to you right now. You welcomed me with open hooves and I don’t know how I could ever repay you. Since the war has already started, there’s probably something I should tell you. While I’ll do everything I can to stay alive, there’s a possibility that I won’t live to see you again. So there’s something I want to say. The only trouble is, I don’t know how to say it… (There was several crossed out lines on the paper following this statement) Sea Salt Peach could only smile at the thought of what he was trying to write. She could even make out some of his compliments through the crossed out sections of the letter. That and when she combined it with her own thoughts and feelings, it only became clearer. He was away and was the only thing that was ever on her mind. There was only one conclusion she could come to. She loved him. He filled the empty space in her life. Without him, she just felt incomplete. And now he was gone. Possibly forever. She felt her eyes begin to water at the thought. A sudden loud bang of her door being kicked down. She gasped and jumped backwards, almost tipping her chair over. The sound was followed up by the sounds of Changeling voices, which made her pupils narrow. She had no idea what they were saying, as she didn’t speak the Changeling language, but she guessed they were looking for her. She had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide… she bought herself to her hooves, ready for whatever might happen. All she could do was tremble as she heard the sounds of hoofsteps on her floorboards getting closer and closer. All of a sudden, a figure appeared in the doorway of her kitchen, dressed in the black and grey uniform of the Changeling Army. His dark green eyes concentrated with a furrowed brow as soon as he spotted her. “HALT!” He barked, exposing his fangs. He immediately aimed his rifle at her. Peach couldn’t do anything else but scream at the sight, dropping to the floor and hiding her head under her hooves. But she cowered for all but a matter of seconds before she was being roughly handled by a pair of hooves, dragging her up to her own hooves. He jabbed her with the barrel of his rifle and said something in Herzlandish that Peach didn’t understand, but she presumed he was asking her to move. She trotted slowly out into her hallway where she encountered another changeling sporting the same uniform, also keeping a hoof on his rifle. Probably a precaution in case she tried anything clever. He conversed with his colleague in Herzlandish as Peach was escorted out of her house, down into the street. At the end of her road was a parked truck. Peach suddenly understood what they were doing. They must be locking up (or worse) ponies to prevent them from supporting or joining the Equestrian Liberation Front. A sudden bang from behind her caused her escorts to freeze in their tracks, so Peach followed suit. A moment later, they dropped down onto their sides. Motionless… dead. Before she even had time to comprehend the situation, her head flicked upwards towards the shouting of Changeling soldiers in front of her, aiming their weapons. The flash of gunshots firing into the adjacent street filled her ears. The ELF were here. “PEACH!” That voice… She spun around on the spot to see the very stallion she was hoping for. But Sea Salt seemed more concerned about something else as he flew low along the street, several other pegasi alongside him. “TAKE COVER!” He yelled at her, drawing his weapon. Peach instantly reacted to the voice she trusted, running along to the line of terraced houses. Living on this very street made her familiar with it, and she dived for cover in one of the doorways of the nearest house, pressing her back against the brickwork just in the nick of time as she heard the bullets begin to fly. She remained still with her flank against the wall, her body completely stiff. Even if she wanted to move, her fear of getting shot in the crossfire prevented her from doing so. All she could do was occasionally twist her head to take a peek at the action happening just up the road from her. Or more to the point, see how Sea Salt was doing. But it was all happening so fast she could barely make him out. As the fight progressed, the number of gunshots she heard slowly reduced, until she heard the sound of the Changeling truck revving its engine and driving away. A few more stray gunshots fired off, but it sounded like the fight was over. She tentatively poked her head around the corner to examine the situation. No Changelings… only ponies. It seemed safe. She carefully stepped out, one hoof at a time, and witnessed a sight she was unfortunately too familiar with. The only difference this time was that it was Changeling bodies thrown across the streets, not ponies. Well, a few ponies. And that’s what she was hastily moving to check. She sighed in relief when she realised that none of them was Sea Salt, collapsing onto her flank as she wiped the sweat off her brow with her hoof. “You didn’t think I would go down that easily did you?” She turned her head to see him standing right next to her… and her smile grew exponentially wider. “Sea!” She jumped up, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. Her body bumped against the rifle he had strapped around his neck, but she paid it no mind. “Thank Celestia you’re alright…” Sea sighed, returning her embrace. “I’m so sorry…” Peach chuffed. “Well, I saved your life, now you’ve saved mine. We’re even, right?” Sea Salt chuckled in response. “I guess we are,” He released her from his forelegs. “Are you alright?” “I’m fine,” Peach explained, “The bugs were rounding us up. You arrived just at the right moment.” “They’re trying to force us back down through fear and intimidation, but it won’t work anymore. Trust me. Manehatten’s in complete chaos right now, but we’re slowly gaining the upper hoof.” Peach nodded at his explanation. “So… what are you gonna do now?” “Well, we’re currently fighting on the street-by-street basis, popping up randomly. It’s confusing the bugs as they can’t mobilize that fast.” His eyes widened with intensity and a smile began to creep onto his face. “Once we get our hooves firmly planted though, we’re gonna start pushing them back. All the way back. And I’ll drive these bastards all the way back to Vesalipolis if I have to.” Peach could only nod unenthusiastically. She couldn’t deny it. She could see the fire in his eyes, the passion in his voice… this was his calling, and she wasn’t drawing him away from it. “Well… I guess this is goodbye…” She glanced away, “For real this time…” “Y...yeah…” Sea Salt rubbed the back of his neck. “But I just came to tell you… Well, I was meaning to tell you…” He sighed, “Wow I’m terrible at this… What I’m trying to say is--” “I love you,” Peach finished his sentence. Sea Salt felt like he had just been thumped in the chest. His heart was just calming down from the firefight, now he could feel it ramping up again. “Y-yeah…” His ears pricked up, realising what she said. “Y-you do too?” Peach turned back to look at him. “Sea, I enjoyed every minute I’ve ever spent with you. You gave me something to look forward to every day. A feeling I’ve been missing ever since I’ve been left on my own...” She felt the tears returning, “And now… you’re going away…” Sea Salt smiled, placing his hoof under her chin and gently tilting her head so his eyes could meet hers. “I’m so glad to have met somepony like you, Peach. Somepony so kind and generous to take in an injured stallion in his time of need and share everything with him. You deserve nothing of what's happened to you and your family, and I… I-I love you,” his words stuttered at the end, but he felt like he got the message across. Truth be told, he wasn’t thinking as fast as he was speaking. Peach suddenly pushed upwards and planted her lips squarely on his, lifting a foreleg up and craning it gently over his neck. Sea Salt was caught off guard by the move, but he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed it. He embraced her with his wings and returned the motion, gently massaging her lips with his own. The world around them disappeared. The engine noises and planes flying above seemed to just completely fade away. They only concentrated on the sound of each others heartbeat. Their kiss held for a few seconds before they withdrew, opening their eyes and gazing into each others daze. Peach could feel the heat in her cheeks, but probably nowhere near as much as Sea Salt looked. His whole face looked like a giant red tomato. The contrast to his blue fur made Peach grin. The sound of gunshots down the street distracted them from the moment, they both flicked their heads to the left at the same time. “Listen, I gotta g--” “I know,” Peach interrupted him. “Here,” She reached over her neck and unclipped her necklace. “For good luck,” she leant up and tied it around his neck. Sea Salt looked down at the diamond, holding it in his hoof briefly before looking back at Peach. “But… Peach, I can’t take something like this. I’m going into a warzone, and this is priceless!” “So you better bring it back,” Peach replied snarkily before pecking a kiss on his cheek. “Now go get ‘em!” “R-right!” Sea Salt backed away. “I’ll come back! I promise!” He spread his wings and took a little jump into the air, his wings flapping to make him over. “Goodbye, Peach! I’ll be back!” He declared before taking flight. “Good luck, Sea!” Peach replied, waving. Even though the waving was pointless as he wasn’t even looking, but something told her that it mattered that she was at least doing it. Logic told her to get back to the safety of her home quickly, but at the same time, she felt like this was important. She waited until he was fully out of sight before she turned and took a slow trot back to her house. This whole ordeal still left her shivering, and the shock of what had just transpired was still catching up with her. Both the good and the bad. She gave her neck a rub, feeling the absence of her necklace for the first time. She felt practically naked without it. Despite being the outcome she was hoping for, she was still somewhat disappointed. At least she found that the stallion she loved shared the same feelings for her. But at the same time, he was about to go off and fight yet another war. How long would it be before she got to see him again? Months? Years? That was if he came back at all. She had already seen how the first war went for her older siblings and her father. All she could do now was carry on like she and every other civilian pony always had done. And pray to Celestia that this time, things would go differently… Author's Note And that concludes this sweet little tale. Honestly it was more challenging than it looked as I don't really write slice of life type stories, so I was a little out of my element. I think I did alright though. I didn't want to go too mad with certain aspects because of the 10,000 word limit for the contest. I hope I struck the right balance. Thanks for reading and good luck to the other writers in the contest!
