//------------------------------// // Chapter 30 - Making Peace // Story: Pony-Z // by Black Light //------------------------------// Making Peace "I can't believe you kicked him in the face!" Twilight ranted as she paced in Pete's most recent hospital room. "You saw what he did Twily, he was asking for it." Armor told her sitting in a chair. "For trying to teach you a lesson?" She asked him. Armor just looked at her. "Okay so it was a very unorthodox method, but it was still a lesson." "Twilight, he was smiling when I kicked him. I'm pretty sure it's what he was expecting." He countered. "Right, he was smiling about being kicked in the head. That makes perfect sense. Are you sure you weren't kicked in the head?" Twilight responded. "You know I actually was smiling, but not about the kick mind you." The two in the room turned to look at Pete who was now sitting up rubbing his head. "It was more about the little quip before it." He explained. "Oh thank goodness you're awake." Twilight said relieved. "Come now Twilight, surely you've learned by now that I'm very hard headed." Pete said with a smile. He leaned back and rested the back of his head against the wall. "Though, an ice pack would be appreciated." "I'll go and get one. And no more fighting between you two." Twilight said as she left the room. "So...what was it you wanted to talk about?" Armor asked. "You're getting very good at perceiving the situation." Pete said with a chuckle. "Well two things. First off I would like to give a small and not very heartfelt apology. I tricked you, but for good cause." "I may as well accept, it's not like denying it will affect much." Armor said with a smile. "You're learning, good for you. Second...I need to talk to you about zombies." Pete told him becoming serious. "Do you know why I originally asked you to fight Twilight?" He asked. Armor was silent for some time. "...Because at anytime, any of us could turn." He answered. "Exactly, now I already understand and very much respect your denial to fight Twilight, but what would you do if she was infected. Would you still refuse to fight her?" Pete asked. Armor looked at the ground in thought. "I...I can't say that I know. I'd like to think that I'd be able to control my emotions enough to protect others, but I don't know if I'd really be capable of doing it. Thinking about it prior to, and being in the moment are two very different things." Armor told him. "A logical answer, but not necessarily the right one. You need to remember, an infected is not a pony anymore, it's a beast. If the time ever comes you must not hesitate. If you do it could result in someone else dying." Pete told him closing his eyes. "You're speaking from experience aren't you?" Armor asked him. "...You've heard what happened to Art no doubt?" Pete said and Armor nodded. "There was a bit more to that story than was told. The zombie that bit him...was my infected brother." Armor's eyes widened slightly. "I could've saved Art, but I hesitated on the trigger, all because of who the zombie looked like. When you're in a life of death situation, hesitation means death, and sometimes the death isn't your own." Pete told him. Armor silently nodded. "I'm guessing this falls under the whole, secrets to never tell anypony else type thing?" Armor asked. "Eeyup." Pete answered. Soon after the door opened up, and Twilight entered carrying an ice-pack in her magic. Pete took it and put it against his head. "Ah that feels so much better." He said with a content sigh. "Well it looks like you two didn't fight while I was away so I guess that's a good thing." Twilight said. "Why in the world would I fight with him?" Pete asked. "With the exception of Liz and Jay he's probably the next person on my list in terms of respect." Pete told her. "What?" Twilight asked surprised. "Listen, when two guys fight. It normally ends with the two being closer than they were at the beginning of the fight. Considering the amount of time I've fought with this guy of course I like hm." Pete told her. Twilight just rolled her eyes. "I swear you just can't do anything that would make sense can you?" "You'll get used to it I'm sure." Pete told her. "So any chance a medical professional has come by and given me I diagnosis?" Pete said. "As a matter of a fact they did." Twilight said. "You've got some major bruising. a possible concussion. and you had a broken nose. That was fixed easily enough." Twilight said. "And the estimated time until I can leave?" Pete asked. "About two days." Twilight told him. "Well I say in no days." Pete said as he slid over and stood up from the bed. Only to fall back down onto the bed clutching his head. "...Okay I think I'll stick with the professional opinion on this one." Pete said. "Do you have a problem with authority?" Twilight asked. "Well kind of. I was raised in an orphanage run by my government, and that sucked terribly. And after the infection started there wasn't really much authority left and any that was just misused it's powers." Pete told her. "So yeah, I actually do think I have a problem with authority." Pete told her. Twilight just sighed and rolled her eyes. "Just one time, just once, I'd like to have a conversation where I don't end up wanting to hit you." She said. "Wait so now you want to hit me? Must run in the family I guess." Pete told her. Twilight's horn glowed and the ice-pack was lifted from Pete's head. "No, give icy back!" Pete said turning to Twilight. "Icy?" Twilight questioned. "Yes, we've formed a bond these past few minutes and I gave him a name. He's very comforting." Pete said. Twilight just facehoofed and 'Icy' fell from her magic field and back onto Pete's face. "I'm going to get of painkillers for this headache your giving me, and then I'm going to go to sleep." Twilight said as she walked out of the room. Pete just chuckled. "Has she always been like that?" Pete asked. "Ever since she was a filly." Armor answered. "Now I just have to find out what to do for the next two days." Pete said. The two sat there silently for a few moments. "Okay can't take the silence anymore. Could you go fetch Jay for me?" Pete asked. "Well sure, but why?" Armor responded. "Simple, I want something interesting to happen, so I'm thinking of letting Jay loose on a prank spree." Pete told him. "...I wonder if I could get Discord to help him." Pete pondered. "Jay and Discord working together to prank the castle. That sounds borderline dangerous." Armor said. "...So that's a yes then?" Pete asked. "Of course it's a yes, it's about time something interesting happened in the castle." Armor told him. "Then fetch me my pawns my knight. I'm going to show this castle a type of fun it's never seen the likes of before. Think of how astounding it's going to be. My brains, Discord's reality shaping, and Jay's insanity. It will be a glorious game." Pete stated. "I swear you can be downright evil sometimes." Armor said. "Does that mean you're not going to help me?" Pete asked. "Hell no, of course I'm going to help. This is going to be amazing." Armor told him. "I just hope we don't end up starting a second apocalypse." Pete told him.