Another Life

by Ironwolves21

Chapter Sixteen

I’m God. Your God. At least, I’m the only God listening right now.

Riot stood in front of the library; his duffel chafing his shoulder ever so slightly under his flight jacket. His face was stoic, but his heart beat like a war drum. He could see the chariot approaching in the distance. As he waited, Riot pondered over whether or not the military helicopters would be used for civilian purposes, or anything that didn’t require it to have magic rocket pods, flares, or door gunners.

His line of thought was broken as the library door creaked open, and the sound of hooves crunching through the snow reached his ears. Riot cocked his head just as the chariot began its descent.

Twilight smiled warily at him as she trotted through the snow; coming to a halt next to the larger, grey stallion. “It’s a beautiful day for a chariot ride isn’t it Mr. Venture?”

“Yeah. You catching a ride to Canterlot too?” Riot switched his duffel over to his other shoulder so he could see the small purple unicorn better. “Prolly shoulda’ guessed.”

His words caused Twilights ears to perk. “You’re going to Canterlot? Celestia said that there would be a chariot coming by for somepony in town, and that I could catch a ride with them. I didn’t think you of all ponies would be on the chariot.”

Riot shrugged, and started his explanation, but was quickly cut off as the craft and its pilots came to a skidding halt on the snow. The lead stallion looked over at the two. “Mr. Venture?”

The grey stallion nodded; tossing his bag into the hold. “Yeah, that’s me.”

The royal guard motioned towards the chariot. “Get on, we’re burning daylight.”

Twilight blinked, then stepped forward. “Princess Celestia told me-”

The guard cut her off. “We were ordered to retrieve you as well Ms. Sparkle. Please get on board.”

Twilight sighed at the lack of tact on the guards behalf, then trudged on and sat across from Riot. The chariot lurched into the air as they sat down, and started towards Canterlot post haste.

The flight went over a vast majority of land, but the guards, and the ponies who sat within, were silent. Riot kept to himself, fiddling away with his duffle. Twilight, who was struck by the awkwardness of the flight rubbed her fore hoof as she searched for a topic to break the horrid silence with.

“So, um...How’s your wife? I heard that you were married.” She offered a smile, hoping he would help make the flight less awkward.

Riot glanced up for a moment. “She left me.” His eyes went back down to the notepad, and he scrunched his nose up as a rocket streaked up and struck the chariot, killing them all instantly.

No. No, that won’t happen. You’re a civilian. Retired. You won’t get shot at ever again. Get used to it. Riot closed his eyes for a moment before pulling out his notepad in hopes of possibly finishing half the sketches he had..

Twilight bit her lip, mentally berating herself for not knowing. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t know!” He shrugged his shoulders as he sat; his pencil scratching across the notepad. Twilight cringed a bit, then lifted her hoof in trepidation. “Can I see what you’re doing?”

The mares hoof lowered slightly, and her smile died bit by bit as silence reigned. She started cursing herself internally, wishing she hadn’t made the whole ride so unbearable. Riot glanced down at his notepad, before sighing. “Fine. Just, try not to laugh alright?” He passed the canvas bound book to Twilight, who snatched it up in an instant.

Twilight nodded; smiling eagerly as she pulled the strap open. She quickly dove into the notepad, devouring it page by page. Within the first few pages, she stopped and cocked her head. “Did you draw these?” She turned the notepad about, showing a pencil sketch of a Paladin tank. Riot nodded his head, and Twilight quickly turned the book back around. “It’s been so long since I read a picture book!” She giggled a bit, then went back to reading.

Riot on the other hoof, wasn’t so pleased with his situation. Without his journal to keep him occupied, he now had to either find complete interest in the floor and his hooves, or he would be forced to acknowledge how high up he was. Riot swallowed, then shook his head a bit.

No drop harness, no clips, no fucking roof… One fuck up and these turkeys will watch me plummet. Oh joy.

Risking a glance over his shoulder, Riot breathed a sigh of relief; Canterlot was within view and approaching fast. Just as they neared the mountain capital, an additional flight of pegasi guards met their chariot. The lead guard exchanged a word with the patrol leader, who quickly nodded and led his group off.

Odd. You would think that they would just let a royal chariot through, especially one being towed by royal guards.

Riot ran a hoof through his mane, then shook his head as they neared the castle runway. “I hate politics.”

Twilight perked up, and finally noticed the presence of Canterlot. “Oh! We’re here!” She smiled again, then turned to the next page of Riots journal. Her smile became one of curiosity. “Is...Is this me?” She held up the book, showing the sketch of herself.

Riot glanced up, casually grabbing the journal with his magic then stuffed it in his jacket. “Yup. Come on kid, might wanna buckle up.” Riot steadied his grip on the side just as they finished circling the runway before landing.

The purple unicorn cocked her head, and started to ask why just as the chariot clanged against the ground. The jolt of impact sent her up, then straight back down with a resounding ‘thud’. Twilight rubbed her flank with a hoof, scowling slightly. One of the pegasi guards who had unbuckled turned to the pair. “Sorry about the rough landing Ms.Sparkle, but Celestia requires your immediate attendance.”

Twilight blinked, then got to her hooves. “Well I better get going then!” She picked up her things; tossing her emblazoned saddlebags over her back. Just as she hopped off the chariot, she turned her head to look at Riot. “I’ll see you soon, have a nice day. Oh, and happy Hearth’s Warming!” Twilight smiled curtly, then disappeared in a flash as she teleported away.

As Riot hopped off the chariot, he quickly found himself eerily out of place. The stallion glanced around as his paradrop duffle dug into his shoulder. He was surrounded by royal pegasi guard, who were all either stark white or off grey. Despite everything, Riot felt a certain amount of animosity from them as he started towards the edge of the landing strip. As the realization that he didn’t know where he was going, Riot was stopped by a semi familiar voice.

“Captain Venture in the flesh.” Riot cocked his head, catching a glimpse of the owner of the voice.

“Dr. Stuart?” Riot turned towards the burgundy earth pony stallion.

The stallion nodded. “Yup, now come on; these flyturks don’t take kindly to other branches of the military on their air strip.” Dr. Stuart motioned away from the airfield; Riot quickly fell in step beside the large stallion.

The pair trotted off the field and towards canterlot proper, but Riot couldn’t help but notice the burgeoning guard presence. The Doctor picked up on his curiosities. “We’ve been having...difficulties, as of late. The extra guards are only here to keep the populace calm.”

Riot cocked an eyebrow; glancing over at the doctor. “Difficulties? It can’t be that bad if they haven’t started issuing the rifles out.” Riot mulled his own thought over, then spoke again. “What’s up with that? I thought we were gearing up to outfit every guard with new arms and armour. At least, we were when I was still here.”

Doctor Stuart chuckled as they approached a vibrant market place. “Outcry from the nobles. They think that firearms will make Canterlot ugly somehow, more dangerous.”

The burgundy earth pony and the grey unicorn snorted in unison. “Idiots.”

Riot sighed, ignoring a bump from some aristocratic snob in the market. “Soddin’ idiots. They’ll kick and scream that they hate violence and guns right up to when they throw fresh foals onto bayonets for oil.” He spat; readjusting his bag to the other shoulder.

The earth pony next to him chuckled mirthfully; shaking his head a he led Riot through the streets. “That they will. We’re close to the hospital now, I assume this little walk hasn’t tired you out has it?” Dr. Stuart eyed Riot carefully.

The unicorn smirked, then shook his head. “Nah, I’m fit as a fiddle. Might have a couple extra holes and a few missing strings, but I still work.”

Doctor Stuart nodded, then motioned towards an impressive looking building. “There she is; the Royal Lunar Veterans hospital. Princess Luna is the reason this place exists, if the name wasn’t a dead give away.”

Riot looked over the large group of structures, which seemed to dwarf most others around it. “Looks impressive.” Riot glanced over the large concrete walls, and wondered if the complex was built like a bomb shelter.

“Impressive is the least of what it is Captain. Please, follow me.” Doctor Stuart trotted ahead, leaving Riot behind a few steps. The grey stallion picked up the pace, quickly closing the distance.
___________________________________________________________________

The doors of the hospital slid open as the pair drew near, drawing a low whistle from Riot and a smirk from the doctor. They continued into the foyer, where Dr. Stuart about faced.

“Captain Riot, Welcome to FoB Lima Victor.”

Riots eyes widened a bit, and a faint smile crossed his muzzle. Past the foyer, and beyond an onlookers eye, was what looked like the fire bases he had grown up working in. “It...”

“Feels like home?” Doctor Stuart was joined by a nurse, who wore military fatigues. “Yes, we tried to get it as close to ‘hell hole’ as possible, while leaving out the ‘hell’ and the ‘hole’.”

Riot nodded, trotting forward and past the doctor and nurse. “Yeah...Yeah, I think you got it about right.” A lemon yellow stallion passed through a doorway at the edge of Riot’s vision just as the doctor began to speak to his nurse.

Stuart snorted, drawing Riot’s attention away from the hallway. “Corporal Holtz just needs another round of physical therapy. His horn will work, he just has to want it to.” The nurse nodded, then cantered off. Stuart trotted up to Riot, then cleared his throat. “I need to check on some ponies, would you be alright on your own for a few minutes? Just stay on the first floor, I don’t want to have to chase after you.”

Riot could only nod, his eyes focusing on where Mumbles had walked through. “Sure doc...I’ll get busy right away.” Doctor Stuart trotted in front of Riot; quickly taking a few notes, before Riot glanced back over to him. The doctor nodded, waving a hoof towards the inside of the hospital.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Riots hooves clopped over the clean tiles, but the sound was barely audible to him at this point. As Riot approached the door Mumbles had disappeared through, he heard talking on the other side. The tall unicorn sucked in a breath; feeling his heart pound heavily in his chest.

Why the hell am I here? This is nothing. I bet it’s just a nurse and some fucked up soldier...

Riot steeled himself, then pushed open the door. He stuck his head in, and all thought ground to a halt. He was staring at a dead pony.

A deep blue mare in a wheelchair looked over at intruder, but before Riot could think straight, she had wheeled over and smacked him on the shoulder. “Captain Riot! You bloody mick, you have my dogtags!”

Crumpet’s Trottingham accent filled Riots ears, kickstarting his brain. He blinked, then stare at the wheelchair bound mare. “I thought you were fuckin’ dead...”

She smirked, rolling her golden eyes. “Uh-huh, that’s why you and Mumbles never visited? Bullshit. Where is that lemony fire-brand anyways? I figure he’s here with you?” She smiled broadly, but as she watched Riots surprised expression turn to one of sorrow, she immediately understood. “He didn’t make it...Did he?”

Riot sighed, nodding as he did so. “No. I think he’s buried here actually. I don’t really know...”

Crumpets pulled back a bit. “You didn’t go to the burial?”

He shook his head. “I...I was in the hospital....”

The mare sighed sadly, shaking her head slowly. “It’s alright Captain. We all make mistakes, and we all have our wounds.” She placed a hoof on Riots slumped shoulder. “That’s why you’re here isn’t it? You’re the special case that Doc Stuart wanted me to help on.”

She was so sure. Somehow, she knew more about Riot than he did. The stallion did the only thing he could at the moment. He simply shrugged and nodded. “I guess.”

One of the soldiers sitting in a plush chair lifted a hoof. “Ma’am, aren’t you gonna introduce your friend here?” The olive coloured stallion smiled weakly, his eyes covered by a roll of fresh gauze.

Crumpets smirked up at Riot; who could only grimace at the idea. She placed a hoof on his shoulder, motioning to the group. “This is my old captain, he’s the one who made sure I made it through the Aventine Forest alive.” The group nodded politely; smiles beginning to grow on their faces. Crumpets nodded at Riot, then leaned in a bit closer. “Come on Cap, tell ‘em your name.”

Riot cleared his throat. “Ahem...I uh...Hi. I’m Iron Venture. Retired.”

The group welcomed him, and an extra chair was brought out. Crumpets gave his rear a smack, goading him forward and toward the seat. Riot slumped down into the chair; not sure whether to make a lame excuse to try and slip out, or to actually sit down and weather this...Support group.

“Thank all of you for coming.” The mare said, clearing her throat. The warm smile on her features fell slightly. “I know that some of you aren’t feeling well today, but I ask that you please bear with me.” She smiled softly, receiving a few nods in return.

Riot let out a long breath; this was most definitely not what he wanted to be doing. He wanted to get up and trot out the front door; this whole place made him feel out of place, dysfunctional, broken.

A peach coloured mare turned to Crumpets, and started saying something that Riot couldn’t quite make out. He decided to ignore them for the moment, and occupy his time with ‘guess the career ender’.

There was the olive stallion from before, with the bandaged eyes. Probably either some kind of explosive, or a run in with incendiaries. The peach mare was missing a leg, but seemed to have some kind of prosthetic in its place. Definite IED. A large brown earth pony across from Riot had bandages strapped across his chest, and every time the stallion would breath, Riot could hear a tiny little hitch. Shitty sniper was the cause for that one.

There were a few that weren’t so obvious. Like the yellow mare, who couldn’t sit still; who couldn’t seem to calm down no matter what. PTSD, like he had. Maybe got stuck in a foxhole full of the dead. There was another stallion, he was a kind of purpley grey. The pegasus stared off into the distance, not taking notice of anything around him. PTSD again, sole survivor, more than likely.

During his observations, Crumpets had asked him a question. Not getting an answer, she prodded his shoulder. Riot blinked, then looked over at the wheelchair bound mare. “Sorry, I was off on my own for a second there.”

Crumpets smiled sadly; nodding knowingly. “That’s alright Riot. What I was asking, was if you would like to tell us about yourself.” She snickered a bit at Riots reaction, and quickly cut him off before he could speak.”It’s so the rest of the group can get to know you better. We’ll do that same in return.”

Riot knew he’d be asked these questions eventually; he just hadn’t expected them to be asked here. And by a dead pony no less.

What kind of things do you like doing?

’Oh well I like being self destructive and snarky. I also enjoy long walks through hell, and my wife has left me.’

Riot sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Alright. You win.” He looked up at the group; most of which was focused on him; those that could at least. “I was a Captain with the royal equestrian army. Second Battalion.” He took another breath before continuing. “I uh...I have a son, who is growing up very quickly. His name is Hunter.”

Someone in the group raised a hoof, then asked a question. “Do you have a wife?”

The question was one that Riot had wanted to avoid in its entirety. Riot glanced at the floor, his hooves pressed together as if he were a school foal. “No. Not anymore. She... She...”

His thoughts were halted when Crumpets placed a hoof on his shoulder. “It’s alright, we understand. Maybe you want to talk about what you do for a living now?”

Riot nodded, taking notice of the supportive smiles. This is weird...
“Well, before Hearths Warming Eve, I worked as a bouncer for a small club. It was an alright job; the DJ was a little... neurotic, with her advances and all that.”

A few ponies in the crowd chuckled. The large earth pony with the bandaged chest raised a hoof. “What made you want to work at a club?” He paused as he regained control of his ragged voice. “You don’t seem like much of a club goer.”

It was Riots turn to chuckle, but Crumpets was the one to speak next. “Yeah, Rocker’s got a point there Cap’. You hated clubs, couldn’t stand being near them. What in Equestria make you want to work at one?”

Riot scrunched up his muzzle, shooting a pointed look at the deep blue mare in the wheelchair. “I needed the money. The paper work for my...Pension; hadn’t come through. Not yet anyways. It was one of the few jobs open that I figured I could handle....That and I may have burned a few bridges, so some of the others weren’t exactly open to me.”

The green stallion with the bandaged eyes raised his hoof. “What happened?”

His question caught Riot off guard, but considering the his company Riot should have expected it. “I uh...I had a flashback, in a park. I was...I was defending some shit hole hill in Hoofington.” He sighed heavily. “I attacked some innocent pony, who could have easily been my wife, or my son, or my friend… All cause I wigged out for a second.”

A hoof laid down on his shoulder. Riot looked over to see Crumpets smiling, and the rest of the group smiling. It wasn’t really a happy smile; more like one of those ‘suck it up, we’re in the same boat’ kind of smiles. Riot shook his head slowly before speaking. “That’s part of the reason why I’m here.”
________________________________________________________________________

As Riot outlined his attempts at normality, the group listened. As he talked about the attack at the library, they grew angry, but remained supportive. As he spoke of rehabilitation, they understood.

They understood.

That was one of the things he had missed so much while he was in Ponyville. Nopony there understood what had happened to him, nor what he was going through. They couldn’t. Hell, even Wild didn’t know the whole deal, and Riot’s reasons against a heart-to-heart with him were many and varied.

That wasn’t the case here. These ponies had been there with him, they had survived the same hardships. They understood.
____________________________________________

Somewhere during the talk, Dr. Stuart had come into the room, but he didn’t stop the discussion. He just stood there, watching Riot open up. As the blind stallion started talking about his similiar situation with Riot, the doctor got the attention of Crumpets.

The blue mare wheeled over, nodding to the doctor. She spoke in a hushed tone, so as to not interrupt anypony. “Hello Miria.”

Dr Stuart nodded to her, still looking at Riot. “Is he really opening up that easily? I figured somepony like him would be harder to crack than a Z-100 tank.”

Crumpets giggled lightly, shaking her head. “Oh no, he’s a big softy.” She cast a glance over her shoulder at the stallion, just as he started discussing recreational works. “I hope we can help him.”

The doctor nodded. “As do I.” He breathed out for a moment. “Any word on the last shipment?”

The mare nodded quickly. “Yup, it’s already locked up and hidden away.”

Dr Stuart smiled broadly. “Good work Sergeant. The Nobles are really pushing to bring that new bill through, and I think Celestia may be forced to sign.”

They both sighed, shaking their heads. Riot had just finished his story, and was now chatting with several other soldiers. Crumpets smiled again as she watched him. The doctor smirked, bumping her on the shoulder. “Something there Sergeant? A little...Trench crush perhaps?”

Watching the blue mare turn red caused the doctor to break out into an amused chuckle. Crumpets huffed. “You’re just jealous...”

Dr Stuart simply shrugged. “I wouldn’t think too far into it Crumpets.”

The mare huffed again, rolling her eyes. “Well, let’s just finish up with this bit. We need to show Riot around the rest of our nice little compound.” She looked away for a moment, then shook her head.

Dr. Stuart nodded in agreement. “Could you show him around please? I need to finalize some things with Heavy Brass.”

Crumpets nodded, then shooed the burgundy buck out the door. She turned back to the group of ponies, who were exchanging stories and explaining injuries.

“I remember, this one time....Where was that...” The green pegasus with the bandaged eyes was the one who was talking now. “We had to escort these heavy bombers up the Trottze river, onto the target, and back home.” He smiled broadly. “It was an easy mission, we didn’t run into any resistance at all!” The stallions demeanor dropped dramatically. “Until we hit the dam...”

The sound of Crumpets wheeling over brought some attention away from the green stallion, but not much. Riot sat back in his chair; his eyes on Crumpets. He kept his voice low out of respect. “What’s up?”

She sighed, then smiled at him. “Nothing out of the ordinary; Doctor Stuart is a very… Busy, stallion. He runs almost everything in the compound. Of course, he hoofs a lot of smaller things over to ponies like myself, but he has the final say on everything. Like me being the one to finish showing you around.” She finished with a smile. “We can head out whenever you want.”

Riot nodded, then glanced over at the pegasus, who was currently flailing his hooves around to show the different directions of the attackers and himself, despite the fact he couldn’t see where his hooves were. Riot smirked. “Once he’s done; it’s an interesting story.”

The pegasus mimicked a machinegun, while shaking his hooves back and forth. “And then the fucker burst into flames! H-he did this kinda pirouet, and smashed into my bomber! Then the bomber exploded!” The stallion sat down quietly, now fully aware of how loud he had gotten. “That’s how I lost my eyes, the bomber blew up and I got hit with shrapnel.”

The group nodded, then clapped for him. Riot stood, nodding to Crumpets. The chairbound mare clopped her hooves together, then addressed the group. “Great work guys, I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made today! The day is yours guys, so get out there and have fun. Happy Hearths Warming everypony!” She smiled at everyone; hugging the few who couldn’t see the smile.

Once the other soldiers had filed out, Crumpets let out a sigh of relief. “Alright then, let’s get you acquainted with the neighborhood.” She pushed open the door, then motioned for Riot to follow.
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“So Crumpets, how did you end up here of all places?” Riot looked about at the surroundings; feeling oddly at ease with the whole setting.

The mare did her best to shrug. “Well after I lost the use of my legs, I spent a lot of time in traction. You know, learning how to get around with two legs and a pair of wheels. Mostly learning how to be a functioning pony again.” Crumpets sighed sadly as they rounded a corner. “That part was the hardest.”

Riot nodded, knowing full well what she meant. “So, what all’s in this place? It looked pretty big from the outside.”

Crumpets giggled a bit. “Bit of an understatement that. The building you’re in right now is Lima Victor Proper. This is where veterans go for healing. On the east side of the compound we have the Barracks. Those individual units house around two hundred ponies, both veterans and medical staff; of course, that’s not including those who are propped up in the LVP. We have a small pool for calisthenics, and a few other amenities, like a track, and a basketball court.”

Riot let out a low whistle as they exited out into the courtyard. “All of this, completely detached from the civilians on the outside...I have to admit, I’m impressed.” Looking around, Riot started noticing how easily defensible the whole complex was. “I’m getting the feeling that healing and housing aren’t your only objectives, hmm?”

The mares wheels rattled over the smooth stone of the walkway; a few ponies skirted to the side, saying their hellos to the Sergeant. Crumpets nodded her head as they walked. “You could say that; Luna was in charge of the entire project. Turns out she’s leaning more towards tangible defenses, instead of harmony and love.”

He nodded in agreement. “Sounds like the kind of princess I could get behind. Wonder what brought on the sudden desire for more defenses though...” Riot started mulling the thought over, but Crumpets hoofed the answer over in a jiff.

“Don’t act like you don’t know! The Changelings nearly fucked us last year, it was only through blind luck and miracles that the city’s still standing.

Riot stopped dead in his track. “Wait wait, what!? Canterlot was actually ATTACKED!? How?”

Crumpets merely shrugged. “Their leader snuck in, and they came down hard during the royal wedding. Guard Captain Shining Armour somehow managed to use some kind of weird love magic to blast the Changeling Queen and her horde out into the distance.”

Riot could only shake his head in dismay. “Fucking royal guard, they couldn’t keep a tank safe at a pacifist convention.”

The mare chuckled in agreement, then nudged him towards a smaller building. “Come on, I think it’s time we found Mumbles.” The lack of reaction from Riot caused the mare to turn around. Riot had stopped dead in his track, the look of dread on his face. Crumpets smile fell, and she wheeled over to him. “You alright Captain? We don’t have to if-”

Riot held up a hoof, interrupting her. It fell back down, and Riot closed his eyes as he spoke. “No. No, I’ve hidden from it for long enough...Let’s do it.” Crumpets looked him over, then nodded. She motioned towards the small administration building and started wheeling herself along.

The pair trotted through the heavy double doors, drawing a sidelong glance from the receptionist. “Can I help you two?”

Crumpets wheeled up to the desk and placed her front hooves on top. “We need to find a friend.”

The stallion behind the desk nodded, and started pulling a large folder out of the desks holder. “Anypony in particular?”

Riot closed his eyes. “Corporal Flaky Mulberry. Deceased.”

The receptionist nodded, and pulled out a different binder. “Let’s see here...’M’...’M’...Aha! Mulberry, Flaky; killed in action due to friendly fire, buried at Memorial field, Canterlot. Plot number Two-Oh-Seven.” He looked up and smiled. “Does that help?”

Crumpets nodded. “Yes, thank you Sven.” She turned to Riot; who seemed distant. “Come on Captain, Memorial field isn’t too far.” Riot nodded; turning around towards the door.

As the pair exited the small building, the receptionist went back to work, filing and sorting various folders and binders.
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The pair moved through the field, counting down the plot numbers. Crumpets rolled up to the plain grave; making sure her wheels didn’t mar the grass before it. Riot trotted up next to her, but didn’t say anything. The mare glanced over at the stallion seated next to her; pain crossing her features.

Riot kneeled down before the stone; his hooves scraping away some moss that had grown there. Some of the stuff wouldn’t fall away, gaining his ire. Riot started scraping a bit harder, determination crossing his features. Crumpets lifted a hoof, but it fell away as Riot grunted in anger.

“You....Sonuva...Bitch...” Each word was punctuated by a hoof scraping loudly across the granite headstone.

Crumpets placed a hoof on Riots shoulder, causing him to stop his attack on the offending green. He didn’t however look up at her, or even look away from his hooves. “Riot, I’m sorry, I thought this would-” The tall unicorn sniffed quietly; a stained hoof moving upwards to wipe his eyes. It fell away prematurely as his chest started convulsing. Riot screwed his eyes shut as pain wracked his chest while he wept silently.

The mare next to him placed a hoof around his broad shoulders; a simple attempt at supporting him. “I’m sorry.”
___________________________________________________________________

An Hour later.

Riot sat in a plush chair in front of Dr Stuarts desk. The burgundy stallion finished some of his paperwork, then set aside his drink. “So, Captain Venture. I’m going to get you to quickly outline some of the problems you’re having, mentally, physically, and socially. Once we’ve got these problems in the open, we can start the healing process.”

The unicorn nodded to the earth pony doctor. Riot sighed quietly as he leaned back. “Where should I start?”

Doctor Stuart merely shrugged. “Where ever works for you.”

Riot nodded as the doctor pulled out a fresh pile of paper and a new pen. Riot started rubbing the bridge of his nose while he spoke. “Chest pains, permanent brain and lung damage. Hallucinations, phantom pains.” Riot waited for a moment while the doctor wrote. Once he got a rolling hoof in return, Riot started speaking again. “Everything that was in the PTSD pamphlet I got from Ponyville general, Violent tendencies.” He took a breath. “I have dreams, whenever I sleep. Of when I was in the army. They come as if they had just happened the day before.” Riot scowled. “Everytime I close my eyes I see my friends dying.” Riot scrunched up his muzzle. “Sometimes I feel almost like I’m depressed; disconnected maybe. I hear-” Riot paused, and decidedly left that little bit out.

Once he was sure that Riot was finished, Doctor Stuart set his pen down and looked over what he had written. “My my, quite the laundry list of problems we have here...” The doctor set the papers down and looked up at Riot. “Well, I can offer you two choices. Option A; you come in as often as possible, maybe even move into the barracks if you can. We house you and keep you fed, and you help us heal you.” The doctor took a sip of his drink. “Option B; You say no to option A, and I get ten trench fighters to kick your flank till you agree to option A.”

Despite everything, Riot chuckled. “Well, I could use the exercise.” Doctor Stuart chuckled with him; slowly shaking his head. Riot sighed in defeat, with a small smile on his face. “Option A it is Doc. I can stay in Canterlot for a few days while the ex finishes up with her folks, and the bar I work at gets fixed up. Once those two things are done, I can probably work out coming here on weekdays every so often. The commute isn’t so far that I can’t do it on my own.”

The doctor smiled broadly. “Wonderful! I’ll have one of the corporals open up a room for you.” The doctor motioned to the duffel that was slung over Riots frame. “I assume these are your things?” A nod from Riot answered his question with ease. “Very well, Once you get settled in, Crumpets will give you your schedule and be your confidant.” The earth pony stood from his seat, and offered a hoof to Riot. The unicorn took it, and shook it while the doctor spoke. “Welcome back Captain.”

Comments

[Pensive]

Dr Stuart nodded to her, still looking at Riot. “Is he really opening up that easily? I figured somepony like him would be harder to crack than a Z-100 tank.”

Z-100 wouldn't happen to be related to the E-100 no?
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