Jaxler was in the meeting hall, he had his diner, a nice barrel of booze, and was sitting in his favorite seat. He had finished a long day of patrol and target practice. The day was coming to an end and he was about to drink away another day of repetitive mundane boredom, when he saw an orange pony walk into the building.
Flux sighs as he enters the dining hall, having nopony to eat with tonight. Glancing around, he notices the pony who saved his life in the caverns: Jaxler. He shrugs as he starts over to him.
'Who knows, maybe he'd like some company, too.'
"Um... heya Jaxler. Uh, want some company for dinner?"
"Hay Flux. Sure, drinking is always more fun with company"
Flux smiles when he agrees to his company, glad to not have to eat alone. He quickly grabs something to eat and a weak drink, then return. As he starts to dine, Flux trys to think of something to say to strike up conversation. All he can think of, though, seems a bit rude to ask.
'Well... he's a pretty straight forward pony, maybe he won't mind?'
"Um... Jaxler? Why, uh... why don't you like Stiletto?"
Jaxler slouched a bit. He really didn't want to think about alicorns right now, but he figured flux probably deserved some sort of reason for him disliking his marefriend. so he took a swig of booze and said "I don't dislike Stiletto I dislike alicorns..."
His answer just confuses Flux more.
'They're a bit intimidating, but that can't be why he doesn't like them. I don't think anything could intimidate him...'
He takes another bite before carefully continuing the topic, hoping to avoid any potential pitfalls.
"Um... all alicorns? But, uh, you haven't meet them all, right?"
"Yes all alicorns and no I haven't met them all but I still have my reasons."
He nervously takes another bite and another drink, finding the term 'liquid courage' to be a false one.
"Um... r-reasons?"
Jaxler didn't see any reason to say anything, he just moved his hoof over to where his left kidney would be. he was pointing out his huge faded burn scar.
Flux's eyes widen when he realizes what Jaxler is trying to say, but he can't help but keep talking.
"Um... but one alicorn being, uh... bad... doesn't mean they all are... right?"
"Who said this damned scar was the only thing horrible an alicorn has ever done to me and who said that it was all done solely by one alicorn?"
Flux looks away, unsure what else to say.
"Um... sorry..."
"Don't be sorry it's not like any of this is your fault."
"Um... what... what happened?"
"Please, I'd prefer not to talk about the event."
I look down at my hooves and mumble.
"Sorry..."
Jaxler noticed that Flux was a bit distressed.
"I know I already said this, but don't be sorry, it's not like any of this is your fault."
Flux shifts in his seat, uncomfortable with making Jaxler unhappy.
"But... but I brought up... something, um, painful for you."
"Heh, painful? Trust me, I have a pretty high pain tolerance, and as long as I drink a keg of booze every day or so, something as annoying as pain really doesn't bother me all too much."
He raises his eyes to meet Jaxler's, tears only just contained.
"But... but it must bother you, if... if you have to drink so much... if you w-want to f-f-forget..."
Jaxler bent over and picked up his crossbow. He then showed it's underside to Flux. Right above the trigger there was a some words carved into the wood that read "19th of Opal, 228".
"If I wanted to forget what happened why would I keep this crossbow for 28 years?"
"But... but what happened? Wh... what happened to... to m-m-make you hate them so m-m-much?"
"I refuse to tell you... but if you wan't to have a general idea of what happened, then take everything you love and set it on fire."
Flux stares in horror as Jaxler's words hit home.
'Stiletto? My friends? My family?'
He slowly gets up, eyes locked on his hooves.
"Sorry..."
Then he slowly makes his way for the door, half-eaten dinner forgotten.
"I SAID DON'T BE SORRY!"
At his outburst, Flux simply collapses into sobs; too wracked with guilt and sorrow to even apologize again.
Jaxler was confused as could be when Flux hit the ground crying. he walked over to the sad stallion and sat down next to him.
"Flux, I'm sorry, I didn't mean too... be such a belligerent drunken jackass. You didn't do anything wrong, It was me. I should have just changed the subject."
He continues sobbing, covering his eyes with his forelegs.
"B-B-But I k-kept p-p-pushing! A-And now I'm j-just making it w-w-worse!"
"So, you did nothing wrong, I was the one who yelled."
"B-But it hurts and... and I kept asking, in-instead of j-just d-d-dropping it!"
"Please don't think that I'm mad at you... Because I'm not angry with you, I'm angry with myself."
"But... but why?! I almost got you killed in the caverns, and the a-alicorns almost killed you, too! And... and..."
Flux breaks down again, frustration, sorrow and anger taking his words.
Jaxler just sat there silently.
Flux peeks up between his hooves at Jaxler, still sobbing.
"So... So why d-d-don't you hate m-m-me?"
"I don't hate you, in fact I'd go so far as to call you my friend."
"But they almost k-killed you, and y-you hate them! I al-almost killed you, w-why would you c-call me f-f-friend?"
"It's my fault that me and you almost got killed in the caves. I decided to go down with you even though I knew it was dangerous. And if you want to know why I see you as a friend it's because you where honestly the only pony in the entire fort who even bothered to talk to me when I was in a bed clinging to my life. Arbalest wondered in and Stiletto just followed you there and in the end only you decided to go out of there way to check up on poor Jaxler. You are the only pony who cared if I was alive or not, and that's why I'd like to call you a friend."
"Then... Then why won't you l-l-let me t-try to help y-you with... with whatever they d-d-did?"
"Because I would be a horrible person if I made my problem somepony else's."
Flux slowly start to calm down, forgetting his own issues to try to help Jaxler with his.
"But... But friends are supposed t-to help each other w-with their problems."
"There are some ponies in this world that are beyond help."
"N-Nopony is b-beyond help."
"Ya know, I really don't like it when ponies lie to my face."
"I'm n-not lying, Jaxler. As l-long as you're alive, y-you aren't beyond h-help."
"Being incorrect is the same thing as lying..."
"...No, it's n-not. And I'm n-not wrong, either. As long as you're alive, y-you can g-get help."
"Endlessly repeating a lie doesn't make it true."
"N-No, it doesn't. So s-s-stop lying to yourself, Jaxler!"
"I never lie."
"Then stop saying you're b-beyond help! Y-You're my friend, and I w-wont give up on you!"
"Then good luck, but I hope you realize that I've already given up."
Flux looks determined as he stands, looking Jaxler in the eyes.
"I've only started. So... what are you drinking?"
'Step 1: Get him to wake up in his own room.'
"I was drinking some really strong moonshine."
"Um, maybe I'll try something a bit weaker. I, uh, don't hold my liquor very well. But, um, I would like to join you anyway."
I follow Jaxler back to his table and order my own drink, carefully nursing it for as long as possible so I can have some hope to stick to my plan. I soon come to appreciate my decision to not try to out drink Jaxler: he's stacking barrels like most ponies stack shot glasses. After Jaxler drank what must be close to his own weight in booze, he gets up to stumble outside. Even in his extremely intoxicated state he remembers to bring his crossbow.
I follow him outside, finding he has managed to somehow pass out on top of the water purifier, cuddled up to his crossbow. I manage to get him down without dunking him, and carefully take him and his crossbow to his apartment. Once inside, I gently put him to bed and place his crossbow on his sidetable, then turn to head home to my own bed.
Sighing as I settle in, I smile.
'Step one: check.'