Text glared at the blade before him, still in disbelief over Magnum's story.
"Two years," the sniper mused, "two years I have been hunting that son of a bitch. I'll wait even more if I have to. I'll end him even if it kills me."
Magnum waved the bladed boot in front of Text, making the still-recovering soldier uneasy. "I’ve plotted the moment of his death for all these years.” A manic smile creased the pony’s face. “First and foremost, just for Armour, I’m going to jab that bastard with Gil’s blade. Right in the gut." Magnum swiped the blade through the air, causing Text to flinch.
"Then, when he's on the ground, groveling at my hooves for mercy," Magnum continued, reaching his other hoof into his jacket and pulling out a single bullet. "I’m going to take his precious little gun from him, and shoot him with this. Custom made just for his revolver."
Text looked closer at the round in the other pony's hoof, noticing a small etching in the side of it, reading 'Gil.'
"He's going to pay for what he did." Magnum mumbled, falling from the euphoric high of his rant and retracting the blade back into his boot.
Text merely stared off into the distance, his mind reeling. Everything he had been taught to believe was completely shattered in minutes, and his conscious mind struggled to cope.
Magnum smirked, placing the bullet back into its own pocket inside his jacket. Standing up, the silver sniper stretched his hind legs briefly before walking over to the set of descending stairs.
"Where are you going?" Text's mind returned back to reality, noticing the other pony heading for the stairwell.
"I'm out of food," Magnum replied casually, not bothering to turn around and confront his questioner. "I also need to get rid of this," he nodded toward the carcass lying at the base of the stairs.
"So if you're planning on leaving, then what's stopping me from doing the same?" Text bore a dark glance at his captor, who was preoccupied with lifting the body off of the ground.
Magnum thought a moment. "Not that I care if you leave or not," he let out a bemused chuckle, "but where exactly were you planning on going?" Magnum paused only for a moment, not allowing any time for Text to answer. "Back to the REA? You just shot your own soldier. Good luck explaining that." Magnum grunted, hoisting the dead body onto his back.
Text thought a moment and realized Magnum was right.
"I'll be back whenever," Magnum muttered, carrying the dead stallion outside and closing the door behind him.
Text took a deep breath, reveling in the first moments to himself he was allowed all day, taking the extra time to slow his exhale and calm his nerves.
Standing up from the table, Text stretched out his body and approached a nearby window. He glared off into the distance, scanning the horizon. The small town before him lay in ruins; just piles of rubble and shells of former buildings that once stood proud.
Text thought for a moment, going over his options. He couldn't return to the army, he knew that. He couldn't just stay here, either. He could return home, maybe...
Home... no. Never again. His mind betrayed his better judgement; he tried unsuccessfully to keep the floodgate closed to the memories he had long suppressed...
Text burst through his own doorway, a wide grin across his face. Just as he expected, his marefriend, Belle Pinceau, stood beyond the doorway, dropping her paintbrush in surprise.
"I got the job!" Text called out, immediately greeted by a shriek of excitement from the mare before him. She dove for the stallion, forgetting about the painting she had been previously preoccupied with, and embraced him with a loving hug.
"I knew you could do it," she whispered in his ear, the ever-present hint of French in her accent.
Text's grin grew larger through the embrace of his lover, a single tear rolling down the side of his face.
"I did it. I'm a writer now."
With a yell, the pony slammed his hoof into a nearby wall, promptly ending the flashback as quickly as it began. Taking another deep breath to calm his nerves and dispel his anger, he decided to go for a walk.
Text strolled slowly down the abandoned street, his eyes wandering through the rubble, analyzing every aspect of the destroyed city to keep his mind off of his past. He was soldier a now, and that's all he ever would be.
Deciding to head for the town square, Text took a right at the next turn, only to face another seemingly endless horizon of debris and torched buildings. As much as he tried to fight it, his impending memories continued to nag him, no longer locked away by the inner-sanctum of his mind...
Text took a few steps outside, staring off into the distance. His final decision had been made, but his mind continued racing with conflict.
"Wait! Text!" Belle called out from behind him, urging her lover to stay.
The stallion turned around and faced the mare, his eyes locking onto hers. "Belle, listen. They say the war won't last more than a month. I'll be fine," he reassured her.
"But... I'm scared, Text. What would I do without you?"
Before justifying her with an answer, he gently leaned in and gave her a reassuring kiss. "I'll tell you what. I will go and fight this silly little war for Celestia, I'll come back a hero, and then we'll get married. How does that sound?"
Belle simply smiled before extending her neck up to return the kiss, this one being much more passionate than the last. "Do you promise?" She smiled at him, staring deep into his eyes.
"I promise."
Text broke his casual walk into a full sprint, doing everything in his power to fight the oncoming memories. Before he knew it, he had arrived at the town square and had to grind himself to a stop. He stared in awe at the six statues erected at the center of the town square, damaged from the bombing but still surprisingly intact, for the most part.
Text recognized the six stone statutes before him almost immediately as the elements of harmony.
Making his way towards the statue farthest to the right, he recalled learning about the six elements of harmony in school, and about their many adventures to save Equestria time and time again. Many had thought they were just old foal's tales.
Reading off of the plaque on the first statue, Text mouthed the words written upon it:
Applejack: The Element of Honesty
Text smiled, casually moving onto the next statue, reading it as he had the last:
Rarity: The Element of Generosity
Moving down the line of statues, Text continued reading off each statue as he went:
Rainbow Dash: The Element of Loyalty
Fluttershy: The Element of Kindness
Pinkie Pie: The Element of Laughter
Arriving at the final statue, Text couldn't help but notice the other five granite ponies seemed to revolve around the final statue. He read of the plaque of the last of the six elements of harmony:
Twilight Sparkle: The Element of Magic
Text took a step back, marveling in the glory of what was thought to be a myth.
Taking a deep breath, the olive-coated stallion fought more memories from flooding in after his brief distraction. Desperate to avoid his past, he began to walk home again, trying to find anything to take his mind off of his memories he had blocked out long ago, but to no avail.
Rubbing his front hooves together in anticipation, Text nestled warmly into his seat in the taxi.
The driver, taking notice of the R.E.A pin on his passenger's chest, chose to speak up. "That's a nice pin you have there. You just finish your tour of duty?"
"Yeah," the war veteran nearly yelled from excitement. "Heading home to see my marefriend. I haven't told her yet, though. It's going to be a surprise."
"Oh, yeah?" The driver chuckled, amused by the soldier's excitement.
"I'm going to ask her to marry me, just as I promised two years ago..." Text's voice trailed off, his imagination anticipating Belle's reaction when she saw him. His daydreaming was cut short, however, as something outside caught his attention.
"Pull over!" Text called out, followed shortly by the driver slamming on the brakes.
"What's wrong?" He turned around to ask the soldier, only to be greeted by an empty seat and an open door.
Text jumped out into the pouring rain, glaring up at the massive structure before him. Text closed his eyes, sighing deeply. He knew almost immediately what had happened. He took one last look at the overshadowing factory before turning back to his waiting taxi.
"Something wrong?" The driver asked, a concerned look on his face.
"Oh, no... It's nothing," the solider lied, "there just used to be an old printing press right here a few years ago..."
Fighting tears from his eyes, Text walked slowly down the abandoned street. He knew fighting his past was pointless now, and he put all of his remaining willpower on getting back to the house.
With no opposing thoughts, his final repressed memory fought its way into his mind.
Text closed his eyes for a moment, trying to let his surprise pass. He could always get a job elsewhere, as long as he had Belle by his side.
"Alright soldier, we're here." The driver grunted, grinding the vehicle to a halt next to a small house.
"Thanks for the ride," Text mumbled, handing over the bits he owed the taxi driver, who immediately began to count his payment. Getting out of his transport, the war veteran approached the place he called home years ago. Text took a deep breath before reaching for the door and pushing it open.
"Belle, I'm ho-" Text began to call out, only to be stopped short by the sheer shock of what he saw. His mind went blank as the imaginary force of a stampeding bull hit him straight in the gut. Text wanted to feel pain, sadness, anger, something. Instead, he just felt nothing. Nothing at all. All emotion had been stripped from him within that mere fraction of a second.
"Text?!" Belle called out in surprise, causing the stallion on top of her to turn his head.
The soldier's expression didn't change as he turned around and faced the torrential downpour waiting outside.
"Wait,” His marefriend yelled, “I can explain!" She forced the mysterious stallion off of her and trotted for the doorway.
Text felt as though his heart had been torn asunder; any emotion he was capable of feeling had dissipated completely. He took a single step outside, absorbing the spontaneous wetness from the downpour above.
With one final look at his once wife-to-be, Text approached the taxi on the curb and entered it.
The driver, who had just finished counting his payment, gave the emotionless soldier a confused glance.
"Back so soon?" The driver asked, breaking the silence.
"Just get me out of here," Text answered, his deadpan expression unchanged.
"Alright, you're the boss," the driver shrugged, turning back to his steering wheel. "Where to?"
Text paused, thinking a moment. There was only one place left for him to go. Only one place he could still call home.
"Take me back."
Magnum groaned, the bags of apples on his back beginning to take its toll on him after a mile of walking as he approached his temporary home.
Opening his door, the silver pony looked around for the REA soldier. Although he would never admit it, he was beginning to enjoy the company.
"Took you long enough," Text called out jokingly from the other room.
"You know I could just let you starve, right?" Magnum retorted, slightly amused by the other pony's humor, a slight grunt escaping his lips as he set the bags he had been carrying on the table.
Opening one of the bags, the NLR mercenary took one of the apples in his mouth and walked into the other room, tossing the apple towards Text, who caught it between his hooves.
"Count yourself lucky, that's one of the last apples from Appleoosa before it got annexed." Magnum informed the other stallion, watching him investigate the apple before taking a large bite.
"Thanks," Text muttered between bites, clearly enjoying his treat. "Where did you get these, anyway?"
"I know people," Magnum shrugged as he headed up the nearby stairwell. "Now, if you don't mind, it's late and I'm tired."
"Where do you expect me to sleep, then?"
"Figure it out," Magnum said dryly, stopping on the stairs and looking back at the soldier, who gave him a blank stare.
"Tell me something... er, what did you say your name was?"
"Text."
"Ah, yes. Tell me, Text. Are you still breathing?"
"Uh, yeah, I gue-"
"You're welcome," Magnum smiled impishly before trotting the rest of the way up the stairs.