Laments of the Dimension-Stranded ⁽ᴿᵉᵐᵃᵏᵉ⁾

The source of the smoke she had used for guidance to return was a small fire that had been ignited near the sealed entrance to the auto shop below the tin-sheet eave. A blurry figure crouched near the fire, but, in spite of the distance between them, Rainbow knew who they were. She drew near and collapsed onto her haunches with a weary sigh beside the fire.

“Hey.” She gazed into the crackling flames and refused to initiate eye contact.

Vincent reached into a pocket of his blue jeans and retrieved the carton of cigarettes. He ignited one over the fire, then drew it to his lips and puffed liberally. When Rainbow inhaled, the vile second-hand smoke invaded her lungs and overwhelmed her, which triggered a rapid succession of coughs and heaves.

He withdrew the cigarette from his mouth, extended his arm outward, and tapped the cigarette to discard some of the fresh ashes. When he was finished with it, he flicked the filter aside to discard of it.

Rainbow raised her voice. "I saw that mark you made for the grave."

“Crosses like that are supposed to be honorable. I figured... they deserved it, right? Even if they did make a stupid choice.” Vincent reached for his carton of cigarettes again, but he changed his mind midway through the motion and lowered his hand. “I, uh... I'm sorry about what happened."

Her ears folded guiltily. “I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said to you."

“It's fine. I’m not mad at you.”

Her eyes bulged and her pupils dilated with emotion. “But I said some terrible things..."

He shook his head dismissively. “I get it. People do that when they’re mad. They get emotional. But you don’t get into an argument with someone and break up. You pause and come back after you've thought it out. And you've thought it out now, right? You've been gone since yesterday."

She gazed into the crackling fire. In the silence that followed as she remained quiet and didn’t offer a reply, she was alone with only her unsolicited thoughts. Her imagination depicted the wavering flames as semblances of the soldiers. She visualized the facial expressions she had witnessed the moment before she had closed her eyes and everything had went black. Desperation. Shock. Pain. Slumped on the ground in the dirt like a heavy sack of cold coins. The vivid memories furiously that churned within her threatened to explode.

But…

She blinked, refocusing. The flames before her were inanimate and inexpressive, nothing but burning wood. She looked upward. “Hey, did you also have a dream last night?”

The unexpected question attracted his attention. “No. Why?" His eyes snapped to hers, and he fidgeted anxiously, his fingers flexing as his hands wrung in his lap. Without so much as a warning, before Rainbow could protest, he was on his feet, and he strode across the parking lot.

She observed for a moment as he walked several paces away from the fire and disappeared behind an abandoned vehicle, then she stood to pursue. “Hey.” She approached stealthily so as to not disturb him, placing her hooves delicately against the hard asphalt to generate minimal noise. He glanced over his shoulder, and when he initiated eye contact, she firmly affixed her eyes onto his and refused to relent. “What did she say to you?”

“What?!” He froze. His eyes widened in shock and his pupils dilated. “How do you know?"

“I talked to her too! Luna’s just trying to help. She's a wise pony. She has more experience than you and me combined. I trust her. You should, too."

He sighed and knocked the rear of his head firmly against the vehicle’s hard metal body that he leaned against as he chastised himself. Despite the fact he didn't wear his helmet, his dense skull still made an audible clang. “I shot them because they would have done the same to you and me. That's why." He curled his legs beneath himself and sat on the ground. "She was furious. She hated my guts. I could feel it. She looked... like you, the way you did yesterday. But… she forgave me, even after everything."

She sidled close and sat beside him. She knew when she looked into his eyes that an idea had surfaced in his mind. It was evident by his facial expression.

"Did she tell you?" His tone was a soft murmur.

"Tell me what?"

He lifted his hands and scrutinized them carefully, then heaved a soft sigh. "Nothing. It's nothing, alright? Don't worry about it."