//------------------------------//
// Chapter Eight 
// Story: Another Life 
// by Ironwolves21 
//------------------------------//

 The infection in your mind and soul will never leave you. In fact, it is no longer an infection. It is a disease.

Riots eyed flickered slightly, but weren’t able to open. He groaned quietly before sitting up in bed. Riot tried to speak, but any words came out at a hoarse whisper. As he forced his eyes open, light did not flood in. Riot looked around the the dark, luckily finding a small cup of water on a stand next to the bed.

After downing the drink, he sat for a moment, taking in his surroundings. He was in a dark room, in a semi hard bed. Everything smelt like it belonged in a hospital. Was he in a hospital?

I...I can’t be here... I’m not here... I’m not here!

Riot squinted through the dark as his heart beat heavily within his chest; just barely making out a single door on the far wall. He moved to get up, but was halted when the bundles of tubes and wires became taught, causing him to grunt in pain. He stopped for a moment before yanked out the lines. A monotone squeal filled the room; emanating from a machine that stood near his bed. Ignoring it, he stood up on shaky hooves before moving towards the door.

Pushing his way out into the semi-lit hallway, he made a right turn. He didn’t know where to go, or even where he was at that moment in time.  All he knew was that he couldn’t stay there anymore. He couldn’t remember why he was here. Why was he here?

His thoughts went out as he walked, hearing agitated yelling and what sounded like a cart crashing through the hall opposite from the direction he was headed.. Everything was fuzzy. It was like he was thinking through a thick haze. He remembered running. That was what he was doing now. He was running. A sharp stabbing pain lanced at his chest, and his speed was cut; his body hitting the wall but not stopping. Riot fought for breath, forcing his sore lungs to cooperate.

The pain brought forward memories, at first a trickle, then a torrent. The stallion closed his eyes, doing his best to focus.

He had been shot. Shot like a rabid animal. He felt angry. 

He trotted down the hall and onto what he could only assume was the ground floor of the hospital. He could hear frantic movement a floor above him; they were coming for him. Riot looked about, then made a hard left turn through a door with a bright red sign above it.

The door clicked open quietly into the calm winter night. A blast of chilly air bit at him as his hooves crunched through the snow. Unable to see the ground properly, Riot stumbled, hissing in pain as he forced himself back up.  He shivered slightly at the cold, but otherwise his fur kept him fairly warm. There was a bench ahead. Riot trotted forward on his still unsteady hooves. 
Tired

The tall stallion plopped down on the treated wood surface; taking his front hooves and running them down his face, Riot looked around for a moment, taking in his surroundings.

Nurse Redheart came trotting out of the hospital, looking frantic, hairs sticking out of her normally-neat bun. She held a flashlight in her mouth, trying to light up the dark. It didn’t occur to Riot that she was probably looking for him.

Riot looked down at his hooves, allowing his body to go slack a bit against the bench. The light flashed over him, and the mare yelled out in surprise.

“Mr. Venture! There you are! Celestia, I was so worried, are you okay?” She asked, galloping to him and taking his head in her hooves. She looked him over, making sure he was alright.

Riot squinted, trying to look away as her flashlight blazed in his face. “Yeah, just a little horse...”

She was far too worried to say anything about the terrible joke. The white mare sighed in relief, allowing his head to leave her hooves. “What were you thinking!? You don’t run out of a hospital!

He looked about at the large structure that was shrouded in darkness. “Don’t like hospitals... Bad places.” His voice was still strained and husky, despite the drink he’d had. 

“Come on, lets get you inside.” She said, lifting him to his hooves. “You still have a lot of recovering to do.”

“What happened? I remember running, and angry ponies.” He leaned against the mare, not able to work his legs fully anymore.

The pair began to slowly limp back to the entrance. A few ponies looked out the large wooden doors, but Redheart waved them off. “You ran into some trouble with some of the townsfolk, you managed to not be beaten to death, but... One of them shot you. And while they didn’t kill you, those ponies hurt you really badly. Major concussion, serious fractures, internal bleeding; don’t even get me started on that hunk of lead we had to pull out of your chest. You’re just lucky that Celestia arrived in time to help you. Without her magical assistance, you wouldn’t have had a chance.”

He nodded, struggling to deal with sudden burst of info from the excited and obviously exasperated mare. “Alright...”

“You’ve been out for a awhile now, but you’re recovering fine. Things were touch and go for a few days, but you pulled through.” She patted him on the back, limping through the main doors with him. “Now lets get you back in bed, and get you hooked up.”

Flashes of a dirty triage on the frontline came up before him; the smell of thermite and antiseptic filling his nose. “No...I’ll be fine. Just need some rest.” He was finally able to speak at a normal level, but his voice was still scratchy and gruff.

“No, Mr. Venture. These are doctor’s orders.” She said, ushering him up onto his bed. “You’ll be better soon, I promise.” Redheart slid a hoof down his face when she was sure that nopony was looking.

One of the tubes and its conjoined needles sent shivers up his spine. Thoughts of blood loss and tetanus shots, malaria pills and blood worms accompanied the small instrument. Unbeknownst to Riot, he had growled lowly as she had brought the feed line near him.

She gave him a tiny fwap with her tail. “Hey, I’m trying to make you better.” She let out a small giggle. “What’s wrong, Riot, afraid of needles?”

He sat up on the edge of the bed, not looking at anything other than his hooves. He ran the edge of his hoof down his foreleg, feeling the healing line of stitches that had been pulled out recently. “They tried to kill me.”

Redheart looked down at him, a warm, kind look on her face. “It’s okay, Riot. We’ll have you all fixed up in no time, alright?”

Riot shook his head slowly. “It’s not right.”

The mare stroked his neck. “Shh, everything’s okay. We’ll make you all better.”

“Killing ponies isn’t right... It’s not natural.” He was looking at his own hooves now, which were shaking slightly. 

If she was perturbed, she didn’t show it. “We aren’t killing ponies, Riot. Just go to sleep, you’ll be alright here, you’re safe.”

He looked up at her with wide eyes. “You haven’t. I have. I’ve....” He looked down at his hooves again. His eyes weren’t betraying him. His hooves would always be soaked in blood, even when they were squeaky clean. 

Redheart sighed, and pushed his head back down the the pillow. “Just sleep, everything will be better when you wake up.”

Riot clenched his eyes shut, trying his best to hide. “Is there...Anything you can give me? I...I don’t want to see them again...”

The mare cocked her head. “What do you mean, Mr. Venture?”

“I don’t want to see them anymore... They’re always there, just beyond... Whispering at me. They hate me.” He shook his head, trying to lose the tears that were matting his cheeks. “I don’t want to see the things I’ve done...”

A needle was pressed in, its contents injected into his foreleg. A warm, bubbly sensation washed over the supine stallion. “Hush now, Riot......Just sleep, it’ll be fine in the morning.”

His eyes flickered, showing for a mere split second the fear he held for falling asleep. 

Bayonet out, rifle at the ready.

Hooves pounding over uneven soil.

Cracking shots and whizzing shells.

Liars and cheats, hiding amongst the dead.

Riot sat in a hastily made foxhole. Between his hooves was a measly little fire that was slowly warming up a kettle of coffee. He looked up as he heard melodious hoof falls in the deep snow. 

“Password.” He called out

“Crumpets smells.”

Riot smirked, hearing the sound of a hoof smack over the back of a steel helmet. “You’re late. Coffees almost ready.”

A yellow head with a white painted helmet perched on it appeared, peering down at him. “Hey there, Riot.” The stallion said, cheerfully. “Got enough for three?”

He waved his hoof, beckoning the pair in. Once the two were cozy, he fed the fire a bit more magic. “So, all quiet on the Western Front?”

The deep blue mare in combat armor laughed quietly, taking a sip of the coffee. “Oohhh, this is wizard.” She said with an air of reverence conjoined with a light Trottingham accent.

“Sorry your highness, didn’t bring any tea today.” Riot tossed the mare a small package. “But I did get my hooves on officer level mre’s.” He poured out Mumbles’ cup, then his own.

Crumpets’ eyes shot open. “What do you got, my darling?” She asked, smiling widely, hoping for some good food. “Any good ‘trotty food?”

Riot pulled open his own package and scowled. “I got pop tarts again. Fuck.”

Mumbles laughed lightly before opening his own. His smile fell away as he stared into the package. “Peas. I got peas and carrots.”

Crumpets bit her lip in anticipation, closing one eye as she slowly opened the package. She peered in with one eye, and cheered. “Haha! Veggie burger!” 

Riot stomped the ground as he pursed his lips. “Gorram it all!”

She giggled, smiling happily at the package. “Hehe! Looks like my luck is finally-” The mare jerked forward, a bloody rose spraying out from her chest. She fell forward onto the frozen dirt at the bottom of the foxhole as the rifle crack finally reached them. Riot and Mumbles had a split second to react before the shelling began. 

Riot grabbed the mare’s shoulders, dragging her closer to himself. “Hold on lass! I’ve got you!” Crumpets spat out blood as she sobbed; hooves clutching at her wound and the stallion that held her down.

The shelling continued, and gunfire issued from a few of the holes down the line. Dirt rained into the foxhole, and Riot sheltered the mare with his body. The strong smell of cordite and gunpowder sprung into the air.

“Corporal! Get me that healing potion! He pointed at his heavy vest, where all of his gear lay. The lemon buck nodded as he dove towards the vest, wrenching open the top pocket. He tossed the mix to Riot, who caught it in his magic. “Just hold on Crumpy, I’ve got you...”

Crumpets whimpered into Riot’s hooves, unable to speak. She could barely lift her own hooves to hold onto his for support as the pomegranate mix poured down her throat. Her breathing slowed, becoming less haggard and weak. Riot breathed out as shells poured down around them. “I’ve got you...”

She smiled weakly, and breathed long, slow breaths against the stallion. The blood started to clot in the wound, and the spread of blood across her chest slowed, and then stopped completely. The mare tried to talk, but all that came out was a small gurgle.

Mumbles crawled over under the raining fire. “You’ll be fine Crumpy, don’t try to talk!” He squatted next to the pair. “Sir! What should we do?”

Riot shook his head, dislodging a layer of dirt that had fallen there. “Pass my my morphine, middle pocket, left side.”
The stallion nodded, and dug back into Riots gear. In a few moments, the tiny morphine syrette had been emptied into the mares foreleg. She swooned, before slumping against the foxholes edge.

KKAAABOOOM

The foxhole became half buried as the artillery shell blew the ground beside it to pieces. One of the smaller trees creaked dangerously, before collapsing just above the trio. Riot let out a low grunt as its branches scraped past. He blinked rapidly, then looked at Crumpets. She was still breathing, but it was obvious she was in a lot of pain. “We run her to Triage when there’s a break in the fire! No stops!”

The yellow stallion nodded, poking his head up from the slowly-collapsing hole. “It looks like the west side is getting hit by infantry, but the mortars are off target, and hitting us instead. We should be fine if we wait until the mortars stop for a moment.”

Riot nodded, then lifted over his heavy flak vest. “Hold still Crumpy, I’m gonna get you home.” The flak vest was pitifully loose over her form, but Riot hoped that it would do its job despite that.

The mare coughed weakly as she clutched to his chest. “S-sir...Ar-are my legs still there?” Her voice was weak and full of fear. Riot looked down and nodded, but this only brought the mare to tears. “I-I can’t feel them...”

Mumbles gulped visibly, putting a hoof on the mare’s belly. “Y-you’re fine, Crumpy....We’ll get you fixed up real quick, alright?” The stallion placed a hoof on her red-stained stomach.

There was a break in the fire, as the mortars repositioned. Riot stood up, but kept his head low. He wrapped the mare up with his magic before fastening a couple sticks and a bed roll into a makeshift stretcher. “Mumbles, take the left side! Lifting her in three, two, one, now!” He lifted the mare up, setting her down on the stretcher. All this warranted was a pained scream from Crumpets as she clenched her eyes closed.

Mumbles was whimpering quietly into the mare’s ear, telling her that ‘everything is going to be fine’ and that ‘you’ll be fine’. The pair of them dragged the wounded mare out, and took off into the darkness.

“F-Friendlies coming out!” Mumbles called, as they neared a couple of foxholes.

“MAKE A HOLE! CASUALTIES COMING IN!” Riots voice boomed over the fox holes, ensuring no friendly fire would put any of them down. The small bunker that they used for medical lay a couple hundred feet away. Riot doubled his pace, only hoping that Crumpets would make it there. 

She was smiling now. “I-I feel warm, S-sarge.....I-I feel.....Nice.” The mare’s eyes closed, and Mumbles gave her a shake

“No you don’t, Crumpy. You gotta stay awake, alright? Just keep those pretty eyes open.” Mumbles begged her, shaking her shoulder as she slipped in and out of consciousness. 

The mares eyes opened lazily, but they were dull and dreary. “S’okay...I’m jus’ sleepy...”

Riot barreled through the entrance, clearing a dirty table with his magic. “DOC!” A small nurse came rolling out of the adjacent bunker, but when she saw the bleeding soldier she galloped back in. Barely a second later the light green doctor had galloped out and slid to a stop by the table.

“How bad is it? Where is she hurt?”

Riot gingerly lifted the mare off the stretcher and placed her on the table. “She took one in the gut, but we managed to get her a healing potion before she passed out. She needs proper medical though, or she’s not gonna make it!” He pulled off the heavy flak vest, which seemed to have caught another round in its plating.

The mare’s eyes rolled slowly about in her sockets, taking in each pony. Her face was paling, and she was losing focus with every second. The nurse breathed out, floating out  a purple, bubbling potion. “Hold her head, I need her to drink this.”

Riot did as he was told; opening the mares mouth open and tilting her head so the potion could go in without problems.

The potion was put between her lips, and liquid started to slowly flow into it. Crumpets’ throat wasn’t moving, letting her mouth fill with liquid. Mumbles stroked her throat slowly, helping her throat along before she choked on it. 

Mumbles was breathing raggedly, still not used to such a situation. 

“You’re doing fine Corporal, just make sure she doesn’t choke on that potion.” Riot watched as the doctor wheeled away to grab his medical kit. His eyes went back down to Crumpets. She was breathing properly now, but her eyes were still foggy. He ran a hoof through her mane. “You’ll be alright Crumpets, you’ll be fine...I promise.”
______________________________________________________________-

Riot cracked his eyes open, then immediately shut them under the onslaught of winters sun. He rolled over in bed, only to have the tubes and lines go taunt again. “Fuck off...”

“Hey, he’s awake! Nurse Redheart!” There was a female voice, he recognized it, but was unable to place a name. There was a quick-paced clopping of hooves on the floor, and the door opened. “He opened his eyes!”

He held his eyes closed, trying to mentally stamp out the dream. He wanted to sit up in the hard bed, but knew it would just pull the bloody tubes tight again. He brought his hoof up; scratching at his face and eyes.

There was a hoof laid on his side, and warm breath on his face. A pair of hooves went around his sides, squeezing him into a warm, fuzzy chest. “You’re okay, Riot....It’s me, Vinyl.” She pecked him on the muzzle.

He wanted to say something, he really did. All that came out was a pained grunt as Vinyl’s hooves squeezed his side.

“Miss Scratch, please get off of my patient.” He recognized this as Redheart’s voice. There was a groan, and the warmth left. A new hoof was laid on his chest. “Can you speak, Mr. Venture?”

“Water.”

“Vinyl, get him something to drink, please.” The water arrived very quickly, the lip of a plastic water bottle placed between his lips. The cool liquid poured into his mouth, massaging his parched throat. As the liquid slowly disappeared from the bottle, there was  a hoof on his throat, slowly massaging the water down.

He pushed the hoof away, feeling his dry throat go back to its normal status. He sat up, ignoring the machine bleeping loudly as he pulled out a tube. He looked down, then started pulling the tubes out, much to Nurse Redheart’s chagrin.

“Hey, don’t start with that again.” She pushed at his chest with a hoof. “Down. Bad pony.”

Riot brushed away her hoof and finished freeing himself. “Don’t need no bloody wires to keep me alive.” He sat up on the edge of the bed, stretching his legs and yawning widely. He winced a bit as he stretched upwards, but otherwise looked fine.

“Damn it, Riot! You can’t forgo treatment! Do I have to get the security team in here to make sure you stay in bed?” She pushed at his chest, vainly trying to keep him on the soft mattress.

Riot swayed on his hooves, his face pinned in pain. “P-please...I..I need air...I need out...” 

Redheart nickered, shaking her head. “I... I can’t let you go alone. You’ll get hurt.” Vinyl stood nearby, sympathy plastered on her face.

He shook his head. “Bathroom...Bathroom then. Need something...”

The nurse huffed quietly, looking at the ceiling for its non-existant support.  “Fine. Fine. Vinyl, could you please go with Mr. Venture?”

The white DJ nodded, placing her hoof on his. “Come on Riot, let’s go.”

He nodded, slowly making his way towards the bathroom sign. He finally reached the door, shouldering his way in. Vinyl stopped at the door; looking in on him as she spoke. “I’ll be right outside alright? If you need anything just holler.” 

Riot nodded slowly as the door swung closed. He leaned against the stall as his eyes went about the small room. They eventually fell on a small window that shone with the wonders of the outside. A small grin came to his haggard muzzle. The Wehrmacht Hyenas couldn’t keep him jailed, the griffons couldn’t hold him, what hopes did this place have? Riot steeled himself; turning on the tap to try and muffle any noises he made. The window popped open without much hassle, but he was going to have to really suck in his gut if he really wanted to escape. 

Riot sucked in a breath, ignoring his ribs pained cries as he jumped. His front hooves and head went through the window, and were quickly followed by his hind legs. Riot fell forward with a surprised yelp; his face becoming buried in the snow. Riot groaned in pain as he pulled himself out of the snow drift. His escape was a success!

The air was positively frigid, wind blowing the dregs of snow on the ground. He looked about, feeling his internal furnace fire up in the first time in what felt like forever. He watched as several ponies milled about, minding their own business. He looked down, then pulled off the flimsy gown. “Maybe get some food...” At that thought, he started trotting slowly to Sugarcube Corner.

As he entered the pinkish building, he was greeted by Mrs. Cake, who put a hoof over her mouth in surprise at his appearance. “U-umm, hello, M-Mr. Venture.”

He waved a weak hoof over at her as he moved to sit at the corner booth. He plopped down, then looked up as Mrs Cake trotted over. “Could I get a coffee? Or food?”

She nodded slowly, trotting back into the shop, sneaking looks over her shoulder. As Riot sat in one of the seats, the bell chimed, and a small group of ponies entered the building. He recognized all of them, Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.

Riot groaned inwardly as he pulled into the corner of the booth in a vain attempt to disappear. He remembered in vivid detail the full amount of bullshit he’d had to deal with from them. Mrs. Cake trotted back over, leaving his coffee and a slice of cake on the table as he hid behind a newspaper.
She nodded to him, but still looked disturbed. The other ponies, still chatting, trotted into one of the booths, sitting down.

Rainbow pointed out a snack she wanted, just as Pinkie bounced out. “Heya guys!”

Twilight smiled lightly at the bubbly mare. “Hello Pinkie, we’re just swinging by for some planning, figured you might want your hooves in it.”

“Ooh ooh ooh! What kind of planning? Party planning?” She asked, clopping her hooves together.

Twilight looked at Rainbow and Applejack, who looked at their hooves in turn. “Not really, some apology planning.”

“Everypony knows the best kind of apology is an apology party, Twilight.” Pinkie said, shaking her head like it was common knowledge.

The purple mare nodded curtly, then motioned towards the booth opposite of Riot’s. 

The stallion cursed even louder, yet still inwardly. He should have stayed at the hospital, at least there he could pretend to sleep and ignore everypony. The mares sat down, then started what sounded like a lengthy session.

Rainbow yawned loudly as she finished her treat. “Twi, I still don’t see why I have to apologize.”

The unicorn let out an exasperated breath before glaring uncharacteristically at her friend. “You almost beat him to death Rainbow.”

She held up a hoof to refute the accusation, but she just quietly uttered: “Alright.”She said, like a small foal who had been scolded.

Twilight floated out a short bit of parchment and a quill. “Now, where should we start?” She filled in her own sentence. “We’ll visit him when he’s awake in his hospital room. Do any of you think you could get Fluttershy to come out?”

Rainbow winced. “Maybe, although she’s still not big on coming into town still.”

Twilight shook her head slowly. “I still can’t believe what Buck did...Rarity, do you think you could loosen her up with a visit to the spa? That always seems to get her calm, and I don’t want any problems when we visit Mr. Venture.”

The white mare nodded. “Of course. I could use a bit of a spa date as well.”

The mares seemed to nod in understanding, then turned back to the list. “Now, we’ll need balloons. Pinkie?”

“You won't be able to even walk with all the balloons I have for something like this.” Pinkie said, acting very serious.

Twilight nodded once again. Riot laid his head down on the table and grunted in defeat. He looked up at the paper he was hiding behind.

 HOOFINGTON VETERAN-

Nope. Nope straight to the moon. Riots muzzle contorted in pain as his face made a silent impact with the table.

“Now Applejack, if you could work with Pinkie to maybe get some food together?”

Applejack groaned, hoof making slow circles on the wooden table. “Ah guess I could get something whipped up for it.”

Riot glanced up, feeling her disliking towards the entire idea. Hell, he wasn’t too fond of it, but she was the damn reason he was in this predicament. He scowled hotly, snorting quietly as he sipped at his coffee. A certain pink pony turned her head slowly towards his booth.

Her eyebrow raised, but her blue irises turned back to the ponies talking. She didn’t speak, either, which was odd.

Riot cringed heavily as he clenched his coffee. Shit. She’s on to me, the pink one will be the death of me...They’ll see me and gather another bloody mob to finally stamp me out and-

Pinkie opened her mouth. “Why don’t we take this upstairs? Wouldn’t that be better? I can get some cookies from the kitchen so we can eat while we plan, doesn’t that sound fun?” She said, bouncing in her seat slightly.

The mares shared a look, each nodding slowly. Twilight stowed away her list and stood up. “That’s a wonderful idea Pinkie, it’ll also give us some privacy if anypony were to walk in.” She ushered the rest of the mares out of their seats. “Come on girls, the princess was quite strict on her request.”

Riot held his breath until the short conga line of mares was out of sight. He exhaled painfully, grasping at his ribs. Riot looked about, but didn’t move from his spot. “Fuck my life...” Slugging back the remains of his coffee, Riot tossed the empty cup in the garbage and stood from his booth. The sudden realization that he didn’t have any bits to pay for it hit him.

He trotted up to the till, hoping that Mrs Cake would at least put up a tab. Riot waved weakly as he leaned against the counter. “Thanks for the drink and food, I don’t trust anything the hospital makes in those regards.”

She waved him off, still avoiding looking at him. “Oh don’t worry about it, In fact, it’s on the house.” Mrs. Cake smiled at him broadly, before looking away. “It’s nice to see you up and about again dearie.”

Riot blinked quickly, then smiled back. “Thanks.”  He winced a bit, but otherwise kept a straight face. “I’ll see you later Mrs. Cake, have a nice day.”

Nodding, Mrs Cake turned her back on him and trotted back into the kitchen. Riot shook his head slowly, then trotted out into the chilly afternoon air. 
__________________________________________________________________________

Riot looked around for the first time after leaving the shop. A thin layer of snow covered most of the ground. How long was he out, anyway? It hadn’t even been Nightmare Night yet when he’d gotten into trouble.

The idea of wasting away in a dank hospital room day after day made him shiver more than the cold nip in the air. Riot shook his head, then started towards home. He stopped after a few steps, wondering what day it was, what time it was...Was Hunter even home? Or was he with Aurora?

He shook his restless head, and continued his trot towards where he thought Hunter would be......maybe. Perhaps he should have thought before jumping out of a hospital window without any information.

His house loomed in the distance. Was it even possible for a one floor home to loom? He thought the idea over a bit before coming up to the door. He shook his head, then pounded on the door. Riot waited, and waited. No hoof steps, no talking, no nothing. He hung his head and turned around, looking at the town before him. 

What now?

He exhaled, and stretched. The scratchy plastic of his hospital bracelet made itself known. Riot turned, and scrounged around the front for the spare key to the door. He still had clothes here, so he could go into town clothed.

Riot kicked over a potted plant, then lifted up the small key up and into the lock. The door swung open and Riot trotted into the chilly home. He flicked at the light switch, but nothing came out. “The fuck? How long was I out for? Did they seriously cut off my power?” He flicked at it for a couple more moments before quitting and trotting into his room. The dresser was pulled open and empty, everything but his clothes had been removed.

Shaking his head, Riot pulled a wool sweater over himself, as well as a pair of winterized cargo pants. A spare pair of boots were quickly tied up so that everything would work. He smiled to himself for a moment, before realizing that everything except for the heaviest of the furniture was gone. A thought hit Riot, causing him to bound out of his room and towards Hunter’s.

The whole room was cleaned out. Not a thing. The closets were empty, the bed and the furniture were gone, as were all of his toys and clothes. Riot did a quick once over: Nope, empty. He quickly trotted out, and checked the rest of the rooms. Just as empty, nopony lived there anymore.

The only thing that was left was the hideous couch, the heavy-ass dresser, and his mattress with boxspring. He only noticed now that Aurora had taken the covers and sheets as well. Riot forced a low chuckle, only to break down coughing. He grasped at his sides in pain.

He was definitely beginning to regret escaping the hospital now, the burning pain working up his sides like a flamethrower filled with rusty nails. The stallions mouth fell open as he gasped for air like a fish out of water. A low howl of pain escaped his lips as he sat down against the wall. The pain was beginning to ebb now, starting to leave him just as quickly as it had came. He exhaled, panting as he clutched his sides.

Riot stood up, then opened the door. He wasn’t going to stick around in an empty house with no soul left. He trotted back out into the street, then started towards...Anywhere but here. Back to the hospital, he had to figure out what the fuck was still wrong with him, what the date was, and what had happened to his family. The idea of returning sucked, but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice.

His hooves carried him forward, but he had no control over them. Sharp stabbing bits of pain attacked every few steps, reminding him how much of a mess he had made everything, including himself. Pretty soon, after trotting past groups of ponies who were more than happy to avoid him, he was nearing the hospital. 

He hadn’t even made it into the lobby before he was tackled. Riot wheezed in pain as he fell backwards. Fully expecting either a pissed off Redheart or Vinyl; he looked down at who had accosted him, and a smile appeared on Riots haggard face.

“Dad! You’re alright!” It was Hunter alright, and he was hugging his father like there was no tomorrow. He actually felt stronger, the colt must have hit another good growth spurt when he was out. Hunter’s legs and chest had begun to fill out nicely, and he’d even grown a few inches taller.

Riot hugged the colt back, but he couldn’t do it for long. Riot let go as he grimaced in pain. “H-hey buddy, you’re alright. I missed you.” A dozen thoughts went through his head, but a lot of them didn’t make sense.

“I missed you so much!” The colt said, standing next to his father. “Are you alright?” He asked as Riot held his side again. “W-why did you run away from the hospital? These ponies are supposed to make you all better....”

He closed his eyes as he sat up. “I’m sorry Hunter I....I don’t like hospitals. Not one bit.” That was all he could say. That’s what he told himself after all, surely it would be good enough for the young colt?

The colt’s expression turned hard, and he thumped the large stallion’s chest with a small hoof. “That’s no excuse, Dad...I hate needles, but I gotta get them because they make sure I don’t get sick. You have to let them fix you, Dad.”

Riot nodded slowly, knowing full well that Hunter was right. “Alright Hunter. I was going back to the hospital anyways...I don’t even know what day it is anymore.” Standing slowly, Riot clutched at his side again as he huffed in pain.

Hunter frowned. “Are you okay?” He went to his father’s side. “We need to go get Nurse Redheart...”

“How do you know Nurse Redheart?” He started walking forward, but then realized that Hunter was halfway up his chest now. Before the incident, Hunter was almost to the tops of his legs. A niggling fear started to attack the back of Riots mind, filling his head full of questions and what if’s.

“Well, she was the one taking care of you for all this time, so I talked to her when I came to visit.” The colt said, shrugging. Riot nodded, storing the info away. The hospital was in view now. After a bit of silence, the door stood in front of them. Hunter pushed it open, then ushered Riot in. “Come on Dad.”

Hunters voice almost seemed...Deeper now. Must have been a hell of a growth spurt. Riot shook his head as he approached the front desk. Before he could speak, a set of hooves were galloping down the hall towards him. “Shit...Here comes the beration squad. “

“Riot!” It was Redheart, trotting up to the grey stallion. “What were you thinking?! You don’t just run out of a hospital after you’ve been out for so long. Your muscles can’t take it right now!”

Riot shook his head, looking at the nurse. “You said I was out for awhile...How long was I out Redheart?” His eyes went towards Hunter. “How long...”

She looked confused for a moment, before recognition came into her face. “Riot.......The incident was thirteen months ago....”

Thirteen months...Riots legs wavered, and he leaned against the wall. “What...H-how?” He was starting to panic. He knew he had been out for awhile, but a full year? He wasn’t ready for this. He couldn’t be ready for this. Panic started to bleed into his features, causing the looks from Redheart and Hunter to soften in worry.

Hunter came over to him, putting his hooves around the large pony. “I’m sorry, Dad....I came to see you whenever I could. I’m sorry this had to happen.”

“No, no this shouldn’t have happened! How could this happen?” He was desperate for answers, and he was demanding them from Redheart. 

The mare looked down at the floor. “We...We thought that it was only a chest injury...Celestia did too...”

The sudden realization why his head had been hurting as well hit home. He had fucked up. Riot slumped a bit, then fell to his haunches. 

The door crashed open, and another white mare came into the lobby. It was Vinyl, she’d shed her glasses, and her normally pretty features were twisted by anger. “Riot!” She shouted, trotting up to him.

Riot didn’t quite hear her. He was still neck deep in his own thoughts. His hooves covered his face as he sat against the front desk.

Vinyls features softened as she trotted to his side, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Riot.....I really am.”

Hunter swallowed dryly, also putting a hoof on Riot’s shoulder. “At least you’re awake now Dad.” 

He couldn’t bring himself to look up. “A full year...I came back to an empty home...” His features scrunched up in sorrow as he stared at the floor. “A full bloody year...”

Hunter nuzzled the large stallion’s neck. “I’m sorry.....If you’d stayed here, we could have told you. You can’t just run off like that, Dad.”

“Everythings gone Hunter....I...I missed your birthday again, didn’t I?” He looked up at the colt sadly. “Again...”

Hunter sighed. “It’s alright Dad, don’t be silly. Just having you back is better than ten birthdays.” He gave the stallion another nuzzle, but Riot didn’t say anything. All he could do was lay his head against Hunters shoulder and force himself to not break down.

Nurse Redheart nodded to a pair of familiar guards who were standing close by. “If you two would please take Mr Venture to his room?”

They nodded, bringing Riot up to his hooves. They led him down the hall, but kept their distance from the grey stallion as they walked. They opened the door to his room, and ushered him inside. “This is you, Nurse Redheart should be along shortly.”

Riot nodded slowly as Hunter thanked them. He trotted over to the bed and laid his hoof down on it. “I can’t stay here....I can’t.”

He felt a soft hoof on his foreleg. He looked over, and it was Aurora, looking sheepish. “I-It’ll be okay, Ash. I know you’re strong enough for this. There’s no shame in this.”

“No shame?” He looked at Aurora; his flash of anger ebbing away in the face of exhaustion. “Shame is when you come home to an empty house, or when you’re such a bad husband that your wife leaves your for a mare, and takes the colt with her.” He leaned against the bed for support. “Why are you even here?” 

She looked hurt, unused to these now-old wounds being wrenched open. “T-things have changed.....Not by much, but they’ve changed.” The mare swallowed dryly. “Hunter wants to be with you, and I’m letting him do that. We can work out custody later, when my lawyer comes in, alright?” She asked, lowering her hoof as she offered a weak smile.

Riot closed his eyes, just wanting nothing more than the universe to crack open and suck her up. “Fine.”

Aurora sighed, and went to leave. “I-I’m sorry....It’s good to see you awake. The house still belongs to you, I can have the furniture sent back, too.”

“Don’t bother. You’ll just get it all back in whatever settlement comes through.”

“W-we don’t know how that’ll work out, I can still-” Riot held up a hoof, cutting her off as she drew herself up.

“Just leave Aurora.” He was still leaning against the bed, but he could see Vinyl and Nurse Redheart standing near the door. “Just go.”

The mare exhaled slowly, and trotted out, a pained expression on her features. Nurse Redheart came in next, sitting down next to his bed. “Alright, Riot. You’ve been in a coma for one year, Two months, and three days. Your wounds have mostly healed, but you’ll have problems with your lungs for the rest of your life.”

Riot took in the information, then nodded. “Alright, what else.”

“What else?” Redheart let out a short laugh of disbelief. “Celestia checked on you for the first bit, but had to leave due to royal duties. You’ve gained a small pension for your trouble, and will not have much trouble paying for your home even without work.” She put a hoof on his shoulder. “The townsfolk were horrified when they found out what happened. It was just a group of fanatics, not the whole town.”

“They’ll be back.” He sat up on the bed, then coughed in his hoof. He looked up at the ponies before him and forced a smile. “I’m fine, really.”

Vinyl shook her head. “No, they won’t be back, and no, you aren’t fine. You’ve been out for so long, your muscles have deteriorated, or something. You haven’t used them.”

He forced a chuckle. “Not the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.” A sudden thought hit him. “What happened to Wild and Kepler? I’m surprised I didn’t see them at all.”

“They are out of town right now, but they’re supposed to be back in a few days. You should have seen Kepler, she was out of her mind.” Vinyl shook her head. “She really loves you, you know?”

“She’s also a very good liar.” Riot grimaced a bit as he laid back on the bed. “I hate this place.” A fusilade of thoughts and worries hit him like a train. “Where’s my rifle and pistol?”

Nurse Redheart shook her head slowly. “Riot, don’t be stupid. She’s your sister. And I don’t care if you hate this place, you aren’t leaving.” She grimaced at his final question; taking her time to answer. “Celestia...Took the weapons. Said that it would be stored in canterlot. Your duffel bag is here, with the rest of your belongings.”

He scowled, but didn’t want to say anything regarding those lines of questions. “Fine. But keep my visitors to a minimum. I don’t want to see hide nor hair of those bloody ‘Elements’.” He capped Elements with hoof quotations.

She nodded, sighing. “Alright Riot. I know you want to see your family, but you need to do some physical therapy for your muscles. They’ve deteriorated so badly you won’t be able to get very far if you run off again.”

“Alright, alright.” He looked around. “I just got in bed too.” 

Redheart sighed. “Alright, you’ve already run off, and got enough exercise. You can stay here with your visitors, and then get some rest. You’ll start your therapy tomorrow.”

“Fine. Alright.” He laid his head back a bit, resting it on the flimsy hospital pillow. His eyes closed for a moment as he cursed both his luck and those stupid, stuck up little shitheads that thought he didn’t deserve what he had earned.

Hunter sat on his haunches next to the stallion, putting a hoof on his bed. “I missed you Dad. So did Miss Scratch, and Rarity, and even Sweetie. They all came to visit you too.”

“I don’t...I don’t remember any of it.” Riot wrapped a hoof around his pained waist. “I don’t remember anything to do with the princess either...” He thought hard for a moment, before his concentration was broken by a dainty hoof resting on his own.

It was Vinyl. She looked a little worse for wear, and her signature glasses had been tucked away for the moment. “Riot, we’re here for you.”

He looked at her, then down to the dainty white hoof that was hard pressed to wrap around his own. Riot placed his other hoof above hers. “I...I know. Thank you.”

The mare smiled warmly, and nuzzled his neck. “What is the last thing you remember?” She asked, looking concerned.

“Getting stomped, then my gun.” He rubbed the side of his head. “After that it’s just...Cold.”

Nurse Redheart took this as her cue, chiming in. “Buck went to ground, but the police eventually found him.” She gave him a coy smile. “They may or may not have put him in a military prison.” 

Riot shook his head; he wanted to celebrate that the pony who had started this was gone, but he couldn’t find joy in it. “Serves him right. Now the other three need to join him.” His eyes went over to Hunter and Vinyl. Hunter had definitely grown. What grade was he in now? The sharp pain of realization hit Riot. He didn’t know.

Vinyl noticed his look, and gave Hunter’s mane a tousle. “This guy sure has gotten big, huh? He hit a nice growth spurt a couple months ago, soon he’ll be bigger than you.” She chuckled, and Hunter’s cheeks gained a tiny blush.

“He sure has; I’m looking forward to catching up... With the both of you.” Riot gave them a weak smile as he laid back against the pillows. 

Hunter frowned slightly, trotting to the bed. “I’m just happy you’re back, Dad.” He gave his father a nuzzle.

“It’s good to be back. Not quite how I imagined my return, but it’ll have to do eh?” Riot chuckled a bit before looking around the room. “Celestia, the colours in this place are so damn depressing.”

Vinyl took a look around. “I know, I’ve been saying that for months, I volunteered some strobe lights and glowsticks, but Nurse Redheart shut me down for some reason.” She rolled her eyes at the other white mare.

Redheart shook her head slowly, and trotted out of the room. “Get some rest, Riot. I know you’ve been out for a long time, but you need some natural sleep.”

Riot waved a dismissive hoof at her as she left. “I’ve got all the time in the world lass.” He smiled at the two ponies still by his side. “All the time in the world.”

Hunter sat on his haunches next to the bed, nuzzling his father’s side. Vinyl smiled, and went around to Riot’s other side, looking down on him. “I think we should probably let you rest, huh? We’ll bring a couple of the ponies who wanted to see you tomorrow, okay?”

Hunter looked up. “Yeah, Sweetie and Rarity both wanted to see you.”

He exhaled in spite. “Fine, but I don’t want those bloody elements coming by as a whole. They already kicked me inside out, I don’t think a second attempt is needed.”

Vinyl chuckled, and took Hunter by the hoof. “Come on Big guy. Lets get you back to your momma.” The colt stood reluctantly, but stood rather close to Vinyl.

“Bye Dad, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” He said, beginning to trot out at Vinyl’s side.

Riots weak smile became mildly distressed. “Yeah, sure. I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early!” The pair nodded, then closed the door behind them. Riot looked about the room nervously. “I hate this place....”

By the sunlight streaming in through the window, he was pretty sure it was only about noon, but he was still physically and emotionally exhausted from all the running around, and finding out how much he had missed. The stallion put his hooves behind his head, and stared at the ceiling tiles, unable to rest with the thoughts stampeding through his mind.

Despite everything, his thoughts went out to Kepler and Wild. Were they still together? Or had they both kept to their usual way of business? The very idea of them being together was like powdered glass, cutting and slashing as it went through his mind. “Crazy ponies and their relationships...Blegh...” He went to roll over, but stopped as a lance of pain shot through his body. “I can’t even roll over...” He made a fusilade of noises regarding his general dislike for the situation, but none of them fixed anything.

He studied his hooves as they lay in front of him. He was surprised to see that most of the wounds in them seemed much duller, even nearing transparency. It seemed that on top of saving his neck, Celestia went and made him pretty again. He chuckled dryly, feeling the crest of his chin. A bit of horror hit him. His beard was gone.

Nurse Redheart must have shaved it or something equally as horrible. Mares never understood the meaning behind a solid beard.

Riot pushed up off the bed and trotted towards a small sink/mirror couple. The mirror managed to calm him a bit; realizing she hadn’t actually shaved him, his fur had just gotten longer. Riot chuckled lightly as he rubbed the hanging bits of fur and beard. “Fuck, looking shaggy...” He needed a proper trim, and it was unlikely that they would give him a razor here.

There was a quiet squeaking from outside, and another nurse rolled a cart into the room, laden down with trays of hospital food. “Hello, Mr Venture. It’s good to see you up and about again.” She placed a tray on the small table next to his bed, and retreated out of the room.

He trotted over to the tray, then lifted the lid up. He sniffed at the salad, then recoiled a bit. His hoof poked at the jello, but it didn’t wobble or give in the slightest. “Cripes, give me A-rats any day...” Riot grabbed the small carton of milk and a sealed toast package. He trotted over to the bed, hopping up and sitting on the tough mattress. His stomach growled in protest, despite the lack of edible food in the room.

The stallion choked down what food he could eat. His mouth wanted it little, his stomach less, but he continued, finishing off the toast and milk. He exhaled, and sat down on the side of the mattress. This was going to be his home for awhile still, he might as well get used to it.

They must have put something in the toast...

His eyes closed and opened groggily, and his tired body eventually forced him down into the hard bed. His magic pulled up a dainty blanket that couldn’t keep an open fire warm; draping it over his body. Riot pulled his hind hooves up closer, but found them still poking out from the ‘blankets’ edges. His eyes fluttered closed.

_______________________________________________________________________

His hooves went up, allowing him to rest comfortably in the bar. His drink was a hoofs reach away, but it did nothing to reassure him. The bar catered to many soldiers and guardsponies, the most prominent of which were the cocky Wonderbolts. Not that they came in at all, but every now and then one would wander in and get a free drink from Manny.

Riot looked up at the deep olive mare who ran the bar. He didn’t want to get on the wrong side of that pegasus. He had never liked heights, and she would be more than willing to drop anypony from cruising altitude if they pissed her off.

He shook off the feeling of dread when Mumbles and Wild trotted in. He lifted a hoof, beckoning them over. “Come on, I’ve been waiting forever!”

Mumbles brightened when he noticed Riot, and brought Wild over, sitting down next to the grey stallion at the bar. “Hey there, Sarge.” The yellow buck said, smiling. Wildman sat next to Riot’s other side, looking nervous next to the sergeant.

“Bout time you lads showed up, you get held up by some turkey in a wingsuit?” He chuckled, remembering the last wonderbolt that had passed through. The mare was barely past rookie, and had forgotten to change out of her suit. 

Mumbles shook his head. “Nah, just putting the rookie through his paces.” He said, prodding Wild in the shoulder.

“Good to hear it.” Riot waved over the waiter and placed a quick order before turning his attention to the red pegasus. “So, how're you liking your time in Dublin? The cold getting to you yet?”

The stallion smiled. “Hell no, I’m used to this stuff. I come from farther north, just below the mountains.” He said, waving the barkeep over.

Riot and Mumbles shared a look. “He’ll learn.” 

The barkeep trotted up, then nodded to the pegasus.  “Hurry it up kid, I’ve got plenty of shit to do.”

“A bottle of firewhiskey, and a shot glass.” The stallion said, sliding some bits across the table. The olive mare nodded as she took his bits and trotted away. 

Riot pulled out a cigarette and lit it with his magic. He smirked at Mumbles as he pushed a light cola across the table. “I know you’re not big on drinking.”

The yellow stallion shook his head. “Not tonight. Gimme a beer.” He said, pushing the soft drink away.

Riot shrugged, then grabbed a small bottle from the nearby waiter. He slid it over to the buck and cocked his own drink towards the buck. “To Crumpets.”

Mumbles closed his eyes and nodded, mimicking the larger stallions movements. “To Crumpets.” Both bucks took a short drink as the new recruit stared at them in curiosity. 

“Crumpets?” Wild asked, downing a shot of the firewhiskey, and shuddering at the burn. “A fallen comrade?”

“Friend. And she ain’t dead.” Riot placed his drink on the table before looking around.

“Not yet anyways...” Mumbles shared the action; his trademark smile snuffed to a minimum.

Wild exhaled, opting to drink directly from the bottle. “Here, take a pull. It’ll help.” He says, sliding it across the bar.

Mumbles shook his head, Riot only laughed at the buck. “Take your drink back kid.” He finished off his own drink before clapping Mumbles on the shoulder. “Finish your beer Mumbles, we’re on patrol.”

The yellow buck, sipped down some more of the liquid, and grimaced. “That’s why I don’t drink.” He stood, leaving the half-drank bottle at the bar. Wild stayed where he was, still sipping his whiskey.

“I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

Riot cocked an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. “Lights out at twenty-two hundred. Don’t be late.” He turned his back on the red pegasus and trotted towards the door with Mumbles hot on his heals. The pair exited out into the chilly snow swept lane, their winterized gear did its best to keep out the cold. Riot had dealt with worse, but Mumbles had always been a lightweight when it came to the elements.

The lemon buck shivered a bit, then sneezed loudly. He wiped his nose with a hoof before wrapping his large shemagh around his head and neck. Riot brought up his scarf, easily covering his mouth and neck. “Alright sir, where to?”

“East river patrol, we’ll hit the barracks and grab some extra gear. We aren’t due for the patrol for another twenty.” He pointed a hoof in the general direction they had to go.

Mumbles nodded, and made for the barracks with Riot, shivering. “W-why is so s-so darned cold out here?” He asked, rubbing his hooves together.

“We’re right out near the north sea, we’re gettin’ pummeled by arctic winds and the like.” Riot trotted forwards along the small path that had been dug out of the snow. “At least the city isn’t on fire anymore.

The yellow stallion followed him through the snow, and looked to the dark grey sky. “Frigging griffins, why can’t they live somewhere warm? Tropical. Or attack somewhere that isn’t burned to slag”

Riot let out a light chuckle as the half buried barracks came into view. “Just you wait, the next place we’ll be stationed in will be a boiling hell hole, and still be on fire.” His pushed open the door, then headed towards his bunk.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t have jinxed it.” Mumbles said, trotting inside as well. “Please, dear Celestia, please let the next group to pick a fight with you at least be rebels, so we can stay home.”

Riot strapped on his battle saddle and trotted up to the stallion as his armour strapped into place. “Don’t forget your helmet this time.” His own was already secure, along with a proper winter muzzle wrap.

The smaller stallion nodded, slipping the heavy metal soup bowl over his cranium, his compact horn slipping through the accommodating slot in his helmet.  He pulled his cold weather gear on, moving his hooves, trying to warm himself up. “I hate winter.”

“Come on buddy, at least it isn’t raining ash.” Riot offered the stallion a light smile, but it was covered by the face wrap. He clopped the soldier on the shoulder. “Come on, those Griffons won’t finish our patrol for us.”

Mumbles nodded again, trotting out, thick metal horseshoes making deep imprints in the snow. Riot took the lead, letting the smaller buck and his support gun follow him towards the east side.
____________________________________________________________________

They arrived after a short trot to find that nothing but snow and ponies had moved through the area. Riot waved to the patrol waiting for their relief. “Go on lads, they got the heater in the barracks fixed.”

The sergeant in the old patrol trotted up, saluting the Gunnery Sergeant. “Thanks for the relief Gunny. We haven’t had any action so far, hopefully it stays like that for you too.”

Riot nodded curtly as the trio of tired soldiers filed past him and down the street. He trotted to the shack, then grabbed a small radio. “Patrol Four Six Lima reporting in, beginning our patrol until ‘o three hundred.” He nodded to Mumbles, then started trotting down the street. 

Mumbles stomped his hooves a few times in the snow to warm up his legs, and looked over his weapon to make sure there weren’t any problems. “Stupid winter is hell on these things, if only Celestia would put a few more bits into the military to get us guns that won’t lock up in any temperature other than room.”

“On that bloody Mag, sure. My rifle works fine.” Riot hefted his rifle up, smirking broadly at the now sulking unicorn. His rifle was one of the best designs to ever come out of the royal armouries. It may not have had any fancy enchantments or synthetic parts, but stamped steel and a 30-06 cartridge was more than enough to ensure survival in even the worst conditions.

The yellow stallion blew out a breath. “Darn riflecolts always getting their gear first. What happens when you have a crowd of griffins coming down on you? You know what happens? The support gunners bring them down, but not if your weapon locks up after three shots.” He thumped his weapon, and cleared away some of the growing frost. “Maybe I should go into R/D.” He said, looking down at the weapon.

“You just need a bigger receiver Mumbles. Your weapon needs to breath, and all that expanding and contracting metal ain’t helpin.” Riot kicked over the remains of a snowpony as he walked.

The weapon got another smack. “This thing jams up with dust too, have you seen some of those Zebra rifles? They are amazing! The chamber is so roomy that a quick cleaning of it has the thing combat ready. You can bury that thing in the sand for a week, take it out, and fire it like new.”

“Maybe, we should see if our allies are willing to cough up some nice weapons for us.” Riot grinned at the buck before turning down the street. “Although I wouldn’t trust any weapon that comes from anywhere that isn’t Hoofington or Stalliongrad. You’re stuck with a Canterlot gun. It’s more fancy than it should be.”

“I know what you mean, this thing is closer to a range toy than a combat weapon. What I need is one of those RA EQ144’s, now that is a machine gun. Seven-point-six-two caliber, eight hundred rounds a minute, two-hundred back mounted box, and it’s light enough to load on both sides of a support saddle.” The stallion said, an air of reverence in his voice.

“Heh, I heard a couple of the testers naming the bloody thing the Back Biter. Already sounds like it’s got a reputation for biting the operator.” He chuckled a bit at that as he patted the rifle in his saddle. “Not this old girl, She’s a Back Talker, but she’d never bite me.”  

Mumbles waved a hoof dismissively. “I don’t care if it bites me, I just need something that can actually penetrate a griffon hide without jamming four times before I have to reload.”

“Fair enou-” 

There was a scream in the distance. A mares scream. “Fuckin lovely. Come on!” Riot broke out into a gallop towards the general area the scream had come from. Mumbles was hot on his trail, although he was hampered by the deep snow and his relatively short stature.

As the pair turned a corner, they saw a small group of ponies surrounding a small form on the ground. One of them brought up his hoof, and slammed it down on her, and she cried out again.

“Freeze! REA!” Mumbles shouted, racking the action on his weapon with a bit of magic.

A couple of the ponies turned away from the form on the ground and brandished several firearms. “Piss off!”

Riot took a step forward, his light ballistic face mask clicking down over his muzzle. “THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING!”

He couldn’t tell if they were drunk or not, but it seemed like a fair portion of them weren’t exactly planning on leaving, despite the firepower facing them. The largest buck trotted forward, brandishing a sawn off shotgun. “An’ jus’ what the bloody ‘ell makes you think you can order us around you piss head!?”

“You best leave that mare alone buckwheat, or none of you will ever see the light of day again.” Riot braced his legs as he set the sights of the rifle on the front bucks chest.

The large earth pony up front growled something past the heavy pistol clutched between his teeth, but it was unintelligible. “What he said!” The unicorn next to him shouted, racking the slide on his machine pistol. “Just back of, Pig, we’re teaching this sliteyes some respect.”

Riot took a step forward, not liking what they had said one bit. “Wrong answer asshole.”

The machine pistol let out a very, very short burst of fire, before a dull click issued from the weapon. The stallion had been holding it sideways, and one of the casings had stuck and jammed it. He shook it, slamming the side.

“FU-” BAM Riot’s rifle evaporated everything above the stallion’s eyebrows, but that probably wasn’t much of a change. He rolled the sights back to the next target, which had just pulled the trigger on his heavy pistol. Riot felt the impact on the round on the side of his chest, but his aim stayed true. The rifle howled loudly in the tiny alleyway, carving a deep swath through two of the gunstallions, just as Mumbles opened fire.

Mumbles kneeled, and leaned forward into the recoil. He bit down on the weapon grip, and opened fire. Compared to the rattle of the machine pistol, this thing was more akin to the roar of a dragon, spitting a relative cloud of lead into the small group. The lead stallion was nearly torn in two by the short burst. All the REA support gunners were taught one thing, short bursts just long enough to say ‘die motherfucker die’. And speak his weapon did, beating it’s own heavy, atonal music into the cold air. 

Each of the ponies in the crowd were suddenly covered in large rose blossoms of blood, travelling up their entire frames. A heavy pistol went flying through the air before it too took a round, tearing the slide away. The firing from Mumbles slid to a grinding halt, the weapon giving nothing but a dry click, just as the other stallion’s had.

“FUCKING PIECE OF UNDERFUNDED LOWEST BIDDER SHIT!” Mumbles screamed, diving to the ground to avoid the return fire.

Riot ducked down behind a heavy metal dumpster as his magic pushed Mumbles out into proper cover. He heard the unicorn curse and swear at his weapon, if things hadn’t been life and death, Riot probably would have laughed his ass off. Mumbles never swore. Riots rifle went up, and instantly put another one of the attackers down. He stood up, realizing that nopony in the alley was still standing but he.

Riot trotted forward, ignoring the pained breathing of one of the gunstallions as he trotted towards their intended victim. The pony had curled up into a tight ball, and was shivering heavily in between quiet sobs. Riot knelt down next to her. “Hey, you’re safe now. Where are you hurt?”

The mare looked up at him, and he immediately pulled back a bit as his eyes met her large blue ones. Her pupils weren’t normal, they were large slits. She squeaked in terror, then attempted to hide under her broken wing.

His jacket came off, and was draped over her in an attempt to at least warm her up. “Mumbles, radio for an medical team, we’ve got a wounded civilian.” He looked up at the stallion just in time to see a heavy pistol being pointed at him by one of the dying stallions. “LOOK OUT!”

He wrapped his frame around the mare just as the pistol barked. He yelled out in pain as the round caved in the metal plating in his armour. The attackers brains were quickly removed by Mumbles, who had abandoned his support gun in lieu of his own pistol. “Sir! Are you alright?”

“Gaahh... Yeah, I’m fine! Just gonna be bruised tomorrow.” Riot winced in pain, then looked down at the cowering mare. “Do you have a spare scarf? Anything warm?” He asked Mumbles.

The mare pulled away from him, still shivering heavily under the jacket. “La’lea...La’lea y’en do’mal gesh na gho....”

Riot frowned, not understanding her words. He wrapped his hooves around her, bringing her up and into his lap. The mare avoided looking at him as he tried to keep her warm. “Just stay awake, I’ll keep you safe.” The mare cringed as her broken wing flopped onto the ground, twitching weakly. 

She looked up at him with her warm blue eyes, it almost seemed like she was begging for him to just leave her alone and not hurt her anymore. He was nearly taken aback by her eyes. He felt...Odd. “Please...Don’t hurt me...”

Riot shook his head as Mumbles trotted over. “I’m not going to hurt you, I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” The mare curled up against him, trying to stave off the cold.

Mumbles kneeled down next to the pair and cocked his head. “I’ve called for an medivac sir, what about these louts?”

“Leave them. Not worth the supplies.” He looked over the bloody alleyway. “I don’t think any of them are alive anyways.” The mare squeaked in pain, her wing was cradled in her hooves as she licked at it in a vain attempt to try and heal it. Riot brought out a small healing potion. “Here, I’m going to set your wing, then you need to drink this. Not before alright? If you drink it before there’s nothing I can do.”

She looked up at him and nodded weakly, taking the bottle in her shaky hooves. Riot nodded slowly as he braced the drink. “Here, I’m going to use a spell so that it doesn’t hurt alright?”

“Wa’ man’os...”

He wrapped her wing in magic, allowing the pain relief spell to ease her down. There was a short click as her wing popped back into place. There was a yelp of surprise from the mare, but she was otherwise quiet. Riot stroked her mane as he lifted up the bottle. “Come on, drink up.”

She nodded, quickly drinking down the red liquid. The mare belched quietly, then blushed profusely as she shivered. Riot could hear heavy hoof falls in the distance, and he hoped it was back up. “Mumbles, go wave down our back-up. I’ll keep our friend here warm.”

“Right away Gunny!” The lemon stallion was off at a gallop. As he turned the corner, Riot looked back down at the mare. 

“What’s your name?”

She hid behind her mane as she spoke quietly. “Bau’v fla’men...”

He forced a grin, despite not understanding a word she spoke. “Well Bau’v, I’m gunnery sergeant Venture, but you can call me Riot.”

“M-my names A.....Auro....Aurora...”

He smiled softly down at the mare as she snuggled into the stallions stomach and hooves. “That’s a very pretty name, but I suppose it suites the mare who owns it.” The blush on her cheeks was more than enough to show that she was warming up.

A pair of military police entered the alleyway, along with a combat medic. Riot waved them over, then quickly explained the situation. “We heard yelling and came to investigate. They fired first, with deadly intent.” He looked at the plethora of bodies and a few spare bits that littered the ground. “We’ll need a clean up crew, that’s for sure.”

The officers nodded before motioning to the cowering mare. “What’s up with the civilian?”

“Intended victim. You fellas don’t happen to have a spare blanket or heat pad eh?”

The medic nodded as he opened up his bag, taking out a large blanket. “Here, wrap her in this.”

Riot nodded, then motioned to Mumbles. “Me and the corporal will take her to the barracks and warm her up a bit. Once she’s calmed down we’ll call you boys in to take a statement on what happened.”

The medic frowned at the idea, but seeing how she wasn’t hurt too badly he backed off, giving the officers free reign. The officers shared a surprising nod of agreement. “Alright Gunny, we’ll see you in a few.”
____________________________________________________________________________

After a short walk and a couple cups of hot chocolate, Riot, Mumbles and Aurora were sitting in the barracks. Mumbles was fighting with his LMG, and was lightly cursing under his breath as he tried to dig out a spent shell. Riot chuckled lightly as he looked about.

“Well, what do you think?”

Aurora looked up at him, confusion etched on her face. “Voch ah’nam?”

“S’cuse me? I still don’t understand you.” He placed his empty drink down on the table and looked at the odd mare. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anypony like you.” The mare fidgeted, looking obviously distressed at his words. He held up a hoof, trying to ease her down. “Easy, I’m just curious.”

“I’m...I’m a batpony.”

He blinked, realizing the obvious. “One of Lunas children?”

Aurora nodded slowly, sipping at her drink. “Not really, but close enough.”

“You mind tellin’ me what those lads wanted from you?” The mare was sitting on his bunk, but he didn’t want to encroach on her. Riot settled into his seat, and rolled his hooves for the mare to move forward with her story.

Aurora cleared her throat and looked about for a moment. “They....They don’t like ponies like me. They weren’t very nice...”

He nodded, trying to support her with a smile. “They’re gone now, it’s alright. Why were they after you?”

“I’m a volunteer, I’m helping with the relief effort. They were originally going after weaker ponies and a little filly. Over something silly I’m sure.... I stopped them, so they focused on me instead.”

Riot grimaced a bit, then laid a hoof on hers. “I understand, it’s alright.”

The mare exhaled, warming under his touch. “T-thank you....Y-you saved my life...”

“It’s my job, and I didn’t do it alone.” Riot motioned over to Mumbles, who was still fighting with his weapon. “But I’m glad we showed up when we did.”

“Believe me, I’m much more glad than you are.......The things they said they’d do....” The mare swallowed dryly, looking at the floor.

Riot looked over to Mumbles and grimaced. He eased over onto his bunk next to the mare; letting his hoof to around her shoulder in comfort. “It’s alright, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

She didn’t speak, she just nodded, and her wings fluttered at his touch. “Y-you saved my wings....”

“Why would somepony do this anyways? You don’t strike me as the kind of pony to piss off a whole mob of drunken twats.” He was glad the mare wasn’t freezing anymore, but he wasn’t sure what to think of the velvety wings that were edging slowly around him.

She shook her head. “I-I didn’t do anything but my job.....T-they d-didn’t like me because of what I am...” The batmare said, unfolding a wing. “I-I’m a bat pony, they c-called me names.....Sliteyes, Leather wings, Freak.....” She swallowed again. “I-I tried to fly away.....They snapped my wing with their bare hooves...”

He grimaced as her wings fluttered in distress. Riot rubbed her back in support. “It’s alright. I don’t think any of them will bother anypony ever again.”

Mumbles poked his head up from the cluster of tools and brushes. “There’s not many know cures for being dead you know.” He finished with a broad smile as he went back to work.

She shuddered, and shuffled closer to Riot, wrapping her wing around him. “W-where do I g-go now?”

“You’ll have to stick around here for a bit, at least until the MP’s show up. Then you can prolly go back to whatever housing the volunteer corp set you up with from the beginning of this mess.” He sat up a bit straighter, before feeling a jabbing sensation coming from the flak armour he was still wearing.

The mare nodded, rubbing her hooves together to warm herself up. “C-can I stay h-here tonight?” She asked, fear still showing in her slitted eyes.

Riot shared a surprised look with Mumbles before looking back at Aurora. “I...Suppose...”

“I-I’m sorry...I-I don’t w-want to be a bother....I-I’m just still......Afraid..”

Riot didn’t know whether to hug the poor mare or just stay as he was. In all honesty he was horribly out of his element. He was a grunt, not a hero. “I just don’t know what to say, I...” He solidified his resolve. “You’re safe here, you can stay as long as you need.”

Gunny Riot, Master of seduction.

Fuck off you.

She smiled widely, showing her beautiful smile for the first time. “Thank you so much!” The mare threw her hooves around the stallion, newly-fixed wing flaring out. His eyes went wide as the mare kissed his cheek in happiness.

Riot blinked rapidly as he looked between Aurora and Mumbles. The lemon stallion smirked dangerously at his team leader as he stood up. “I’ll go see what’s taking our boys in blue so long.” He winked at the now panicking Riot as he started trotting towards the door. 

Riot held up a hoof to stop him, but then retracted it as the mare snuggled into him.  What have I gotten myself into!? “No problem.....”

“Beu’n ne, yi’n fre’nne mae’dranach... ” Aurora was still hugging him, but the awkwardness had yet to reach her. Riot could barely make out what she was saying in the wash of clicks and squeaks. He hoped it was just more praise, he didn’t exactly want to be tied down by some odd cultural thing that demanded he marry her.

Riot patted the mares shoulder lightly as he refrained from hugging her. “Like I said, it wasn’t a problem.”

She realized that he had yet to return the affectionate gesture, and pulled away. “Oh...I’m sorry. I should translate....I just said that you are my hero...” The mare blushed, and fluttered her wings, as if she was trying to take off.

He waved off the notion. “Oh come on lass, I’m no hero. I’m just some pony in a dirty uniform.” He smirked at her before noticing her empty cup. “You want more hot chocolate?”

The mare nodded. “Yes, that would be nice. And you are are a hero! You and your friend both rescued me!”

Riot hopped off the bed and trotted over to the small machine as it kept the hot water near a boil. “So, what kind of volunteer work are you doing? You don’t strike me as a firefighter.” 

“Oh, I was a talisman mechanic.” She said, nodding. “I made sure the water pumps worked correctly.”

Returning with the steaming drink, Riot sat down next to the mare again as he hoofed her drink over. “Interesting, but they definitely needed that kind of work.” His mind wandered over to the thought of the city, and how it looked like a literal hell at night. Of course, that was during the fire. Most of the city was naught but ash now.

She nodded again, and held the cup in her hooves, blowing on it to cool it off. “You don’t meet many of my kind, do you?”

“Can’t say I have. But you’re very...” He was at a loss for words as he looked over the mares lithe frame and supple flanks. “Unique. Amazing even.” He was never good with finding words that properly displayed his feelings.

The mare blushed hotly, looking at the floor when she saw him sweep his eyes over her. “I-I....Thank you, Sir.” She said, swallowing. “T-those other ponies sure didn’t think so...”

“You can call me Riot, everypony else does.” He finished with a smirk, not wanting to think about the ponies whom he had blown to pieces earlier. 

“Alright.” She nodded. “That can’t be your real name.” The batmare said, stretching out her wings before kneeling down to lay on her belly.

“You’d be correct with that assumption.” Riot kicked his hooves out and propped them up on a chair that sat nearby.

The mare laid her hooves to the side, and relaxed, her back pressing against one of Riot’s legs. “Well, are you going to tell me?” She asked, looking up into his eyes with her slitted blue orbs.

The bucks eyes were transfixed on hers. It was like he was drowning, but instead of death, there was peace and comfort. “I...” He blinked a bit, looking away from the mare for a moment. “Names Iron Venture. I hail from a family of six, which is set up near the edge of the Emerald Isles, near the city of Cork. It’s me, my twin brother and sister, me Pa, me Ma, and Gran.”

She smiled. “Iron.....That’s a strong name. Fitting for such a strong pony.” Aurora said, and she noticeably pushed her back into his leg, rubbing her soft dark fur into his.

“It looks like you’re warming up a fair bit, that’s good.” He managed a smile as the mare looked up at him. “Glad we don’t have to deal with hypothermia.” 

“I wasn’t outside for very long.” She said, fluttering her wings again, the sound being not unlike a billowing dress moving. “I-I’m fine, physically, thanks to you.”

Riot smiled happily. “Good to hear!” She was coming out of her shell now. She spoke in near perfect equestrian, with a hint of Trottingham in her accent. There was a more major part to the accent, but he couldn’t recognize it. Riot coughed a bit, wincing slightly as he did so. “I should really take off this armour.”

She blushed again. “D-do you need help?” Aurora asked, putting a hoof on the heavy fabric of the vest. 

“I think one of the frontal plates has buckled on the inside...” He was pulling at the hem of the flak armour, but to no avail. “Yeah. That jackass with the heavy pistol buckled the plate.”

Her eyes widened. “W-what? You got shot!?” She said, putting a hoof on his chest. “Are you okay?” She asked, looking over his body for wounds.

He was quite surprised at how quickly she jumped him. “I’m fine, just some bruises and scratches.” The mare went forward unabated, probably not hearing him as she pushed forward. Subsequently, Riot lost his purchase on the bed and plunged to the floor with Aurora in hoof. The pair hit the floor with a heavy thump, Aurora squeaking in surprise on top and Riot wheezing on the bottom.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She said, pulling away, squeaking.

Riot lay there, still floored by the weight of the mare and his gear. “So...Is this how you seduce all of your stallions?” His weak smile shone through again

Aurora blushed again, looking more akin to a tomato than a pony. “I-I d-didn’t....” She giggled nervously; a tittery, tinkling laugh. The giggle soon turned into a laugh, and she collapsed on the buck in a fit of laughter. Riot started laughing as well as his hoof went around the mares waist. He went to say something, but was quickly consumed with curiosity and enjoyment over her laugh. The mare looked at him, and then down to his hoof. She smiled, and her wings fluttered, making that odd sound again.

Their eyes met again, but it was different this time. Oh shit....Is this? OH Celestia, is this really happening!? They drew a bit closer, both obviously filled with trepidation.  This, this is it...

In an instant their lips met. Both sets of eyes closed as they shared in the embrace. Aurora’s wings snapped out and became one rigid construct. Riot on the other hoof...Well, lets just say that he was quite glad that almost every male soldier was given a ballistic cup.

She opened her eyes, and slowly pulled back, holding his lip between hers. She immediately blushed and looked away. “I-I’m s-sorry.” Her wings tried to fold back, but were unable to with them so stiff.

Riot blinked rapidly; brain still failing to compute everything.”I...Wow...” He laid his head down on the floor, not noticing the mares frustration with her wings.

“I-I’ll j-just go, I d-didn’t mean to.” She said, standing, taking a few steps back. The mare bent at the knees slightly, making herself look smaller.

Sitting up, Riot finally focused on her. “That was awesome.” 

Aurora looked up at him, wings fluttering as they tried to fold back. “W-what?”

Riot looked into her eyes for the moment. “That was the best kiss I’ve ever had...” He blinked, realizing the impact of that statement, as well as how horribly sad it sounded.

The mare swallowed, and took another step back. “I-I.....I’m.......I’vegottogo!” She said, turning and galloping out into the dark winter night.

Riot stood up, realization hitting him. “Wait!” He galloped to the now open door. “Wait!” She was already gone. Riot lowered his hoof slowly as he stared out the door. “Fuck...” His eyes went about, then focused on his rifle and cold weather gear. “Still have half a patrol...” They wouldn’t  mind if he dropped in, considering Minty and Kratonis were blatant haters of cold weather.

Sighing heavily, Riot wrapped himself up in his gear and strapped his rifle to his side. In a scant moment he was out the door and into the dark. “The MP’s can chase her down.”
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