Yes, he'd heard all the jokes. All the same, he didn't complain about it: the ponies had every right to question his beliefs and his dedication, considering everything that had happened between the ponies of Equestria and the zebra empire.
But that was in the past, or so he liked to think, and besides: he liked Equestria. Well, 'liked' it as much as one could like a traitorous, sickly wasteland, but there were still good ponies here, good people, dedicated to helping others and protecting what little society and civilization there was left to be found.
The zebra smiled a bit, reaching up and brushing sweat out of his eyes before he pushed his hoof back through his short, spiky mane. He felt like he had been meant to be here: sure, it was hard, even grueling sometimes, as just an initiate to the Steel Rangers, but it was also a blessing. He knew these ponies didn't trust him yet, and yet all the same, they were slowly letting him in to their world, they had recruited him instead of casting him out, like he'd been cast out by his own kind... even if sometimes he thought they just liked having someone to help out in the workshop.
He went back to work, sorting boxes of equipment, sorting through scrap metal and other bits and pieces used to repair the power armor favored by the Steel Rangers. He hadn't seen a lot of other initiates doing this, but hey, that was fine, too. He was just happy to be here.
“Alphar!”
The zebra glanced up over his shoulder, and then he smiled at the pony who approached: a pegasus, handsome and with a mane and coat the colors of blazing fire, but with soft eyes and a lingering smile that always put him at peace.
His cutie mark was a wreath of fire, forming a heart: fitting, for a pony named Fireheart. But it was scarred over by a brand of lightning: Alphar wondered about that sometimes, but he hadn't really worked up the courage to ask.
“Fireheart, uh... sir.” Alphar said, trying to be respectful.
“Hey, no need for that. I'm not on duty right now. I just wanted to see how you were doing back here. I know it gets pretty hot in the forge area.” Fireheart answered, gesturing at him.
Unshorn hooves, feathered nicely. Alphar liked that, even if it was a little strange to him. Like his wings, like his cutie mark.
Ponies were so unique. There were such large differences between them and zebra, and so many subtle ones, too. And yet they were also very much the same: same drives, same passions, same desires. Alphar looked at the stallion, and then he laughed awkwardly as Fireheart looked back at him.
But he was kind, curious, yet didn't press the awkward moment as he asked: “So you've been doing okay down here?”
“Yes, uh... Fireheart.” Alphar smiled in return, with perhaps the faintest hint of a blush coloring his cheeks. “It's not so bad. The heat doesn't bother me that much, either... I grew up in a very warm climate, after all.”
Fireheart nodded a bit, then his eyes glanced almost questioningly at Alphar's emblem, and the zebra glanced back at it himself before he explained: “It's a personal symbol, like your cutie mark, but... not.”
“It looks impressive.” Fireheart noted, and Alphar laughed.
Yes, maybe it did: ponies said they were dragons, three serpentine heads spiraling out from the center, fierce, roaring. Sometimes Alphar felt that didn't quite match him: would someone fierce and courageous be an outcast like him?
“Thank you.” was all he said though, and there was a pause, pregnant and heavy, before he half-asked in his hesitant way: “I like yours, as well.”
“The brand or the cutie mark?” the Pegasus gave him a lopsided grin, and Alphar blushed a bit before Fireheart shook his head and said: “I used to be with the Enclave. But I left. I couldn't... follow their ways in good conscience. I was caught at a checkpoint, though, stripped of my gear, branded and thrown out into the wasteland... I'm still not sure how I survived. But I did, and that's part of why I'm here with the Steel Rangers now.”
Alphar nodded, giving a lame smile. “I'm sorry. I don't mean to bring up bad memories.”
“Not entirely bad. Largely just memories. Besides, it's only fair.” Fireheart paused for a moment, and then he asked with surprising, but appreciated bluntness: “Why are you here, Alphar?”
The zebra considered the question, as he met the eyes of the pegasus. The gentle eyes, that weren't accusing, that weren't cruel: curious, maybe even compassionate. “I suppose... I'm an outcast as well. I came here to get away from the zebra empire, and... to find meaning. I don't know how to phrase it.”
Alphar laughed a bit. He must sound so stupid, and yet he couldn't stop talking as he looked at that smiling, gentle face. “I've never really fit in with my kin. I loved the stars, even if they are so cold. There was purity in some of our beliefs, but manipulation too: we had so much we could have shared with the world, and yet we did not.
“Even now, if we could band together, I know that zebra and ponies could rebuild this world...” Alphar bit his lip, and then he shook his head briefly. “Well, I know that won't happen, but I like to think about it.”
“No offense, but you don't often find zebra who think so highly of ponykind.” noted Fireheart, and Alphar hesitated, then shrugged.
“I was raised... sheltered, maybe. I was taught to look at the world and find my own way, to think for myself.” Alphar halted, then he said softly: “And well, it's like I said. I never fit in entirely with my fellow zebra. I... try to see the beauty in things, more than just... how it can benefit me.”
“Dangerous way to live in the wasteland.” the pegasus said, but he didn't seem either accusing or entirely disapproving. “So you came here.”
“So I came here.” agreed Alphar, before he paused and added: “Well, not entirely willingly. But I ended up in the wasteland and...”
The zebra mused for a moment. Those early days were a blur: mostly just learning to survive where he'd been dumped in Equestria. Everything had been strange to him then: a whole new world, alien to him, and yet...
“It wasn't entirely bad. I wasn't really welcomed to the first settlement I found, but I was able to eke out a living there for a little while. I had food, and safety, and started to learn more about ponies.”
“And you defended them.” Fireheart said.
Alphar blushed and shrugged a bit. “It was the least I could do for them. They were... they warmed up to me, eventually.”
“After you scared off those bandits.” Fireheart pointed out.
“What else could I do to prove I meant them no harm? It was selfish, really.” Alphar shook his head, and then he said softly: “Besides, it led to better and greater things, didn't it? I didn't even know what the Steel Rangers were, let alone there were a few in town. I should have left things up to you.”
“But you didn't, and that's why you were recruited. You proved yourself.” Fireheart smiled at him, leaning towards the zebra pointedly. “I like to think that everything happens for a reason, Alphar. And maybe you were meant to be here, all along.”
The zebra smiled in spite of himself at this, and then he nodded hesitantly before he confessed: “Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I don't know what role I'm supposed to play here, though. You're all very... strong, and smart, and much better at survival than me. And so far-”
“Hey, let's not start that now.” Fireheart said gently as he stepped up to the zebra, and admittedly Alphar's breath caught a little, his blush deepened as the pegasus came closer to him. His eyes wandered, almost bashfully, down, then back up to the pegasus' face, meeting his gaze. “You'll find your role here. There's much more to surviving out there than just being good with a gun or able to use your power armor to its fullest, you know.”
Alphar could only smile lamely, and then Fireheart asked curiously: “You know, they told me you were hiding out in an old church. Any particular reason?”
The zebra hesitated for a moment, and then he said truthfully: “At first, it was just the most defensible location I could find at the edge of town. Close enough to the settlement it wasn't difficult to go back and forth, far enough away I wasn't... intruding. But as I spent more time there, I became fascinated with the... scripture, and the books, and the stories.”
“What, are you thinking of converting?” teased Fireheart, and Alphar chuckled.
“I don't know if you'd ever have called me particularly religious. Like I said, I was... perhaps not the best example of a zebra out there.” Alphar answered, before he thought for a moment and answered, in a slower voice: “But some of the scripture I read... I don't know. It resonated with me, deeply.”
Fireheart only tilted his head, and Alphar licked his lips before continuing: “It's hard to put into words precisely why, but it just felt... good. There was a philosophy, strong moral teachings that seemed right in so many of the stories. A connectedness. A righteousness without superiority.”
“That's an interesting way to word it.”
Alphar laughed a bit, giving a lame smile, but he couldn't help but say: “It seems right, though. At least as far as I understand it. I suppose that's because of the culture I come from, but... I don't know.”
He tapered off for a moment, but Fireheart just looked at him, gave him that gentle smile, and it soothed him enough that he was able to say, however hesitantly: “I guess that I like the concept of unity. That so much seems to be geared towards... friendship, companionship, togetherness. Where I come from, we push so hard to learn so much that we... a lot of zebras forgot about those things, I think.”
Fireheart nodded, saying quietly: “A lot of ponies here have forgotten those old ways, too. But I think it's good to have someone around who can remind them of that. If you don't care about people, life isn't really worth living, is it? I mean, what are you living for, especially out here? Bottlecaps and trivial comforts?”
“Dangerous, though.” Alphar said, giving voice to one of the old arguments that was always worming around in his head. “People can hurt you.”
“And the wrong sort of people will. But if you stop trusting people, you never find where you belong, or the people who really matter to you.” answered Fireheart. “I had a choice: to remain an outcast or join up with the Rangers when they found me and recruited me. So did you, too. And here you are. I think you know it as well as I do, that... that you can't live without people. You just have to find the right people.”
Alphar smiled a little as Fireheart laughed a bit, then rubbed the back of his head and admitted: “Sorry. I'm not great with words. Do you get what I'm saying, though?”
“I think I do.” Alphar answered softly, before he bit his lip as he said finally: “I want to help people. I want to be able to bring them that... comfort, that kindness. I want to defend them and protect them, but I also want to help the victims, offer... offer something more, something that maybe helps it make a little more sense.”
Fireheart nodded slowly, and then he glanced up a sharp whistle as a unicorn entered the storage room, a stallion calling: “Hey! What are you doing in here, Fireheart? The zebra causing trouble?”
“I just got lost in conversation with Alphar here, sorry.” Fireheart turned, and Alphar couldn't help but notice the pegasus shifted slightly, putting himself between the zebra and the newcomer, who glowered a little at them both. “I think we should give him some more duties. Test what he's really ready for.”
Alphar blushed at this, and the newcomer snorted before the unicorn said moodily: “We'll see about that. For now, come on, meeting is starting. Don't want to keep the Elder waiting, do ya?”
“Good point. I'll see you again soon, Alphar.” Fireheart said, winking over his shoulder at the zebra as he walked away.
“S-See you!” was all Alphar managed to reply, a little late, as he awkwardly waved as the two vanished through the door.
Then he smiled, chewing awkwardly at his hoof for a moment as visions of Fireheart's kind eyes, his gentle smile danced all through his head, and he reflected that soon couldn't come quite fast enough.
They had gotten here a little late, and the raiders that had attacked had left quite a mess in their wake. But it was never too late for them to do their duties, and Alphar was only glad to see that most of the caravan had survived.
The zebra moved quickly through the encampment, eyes gazing back and forth, assessing the situation rapidly. He didn't yet have his own set of power armor, but he wore a uniform that was decorated with the symbol of the Steel Rangers, and a bright white collar around his neck, two preaching bands with emblems of the sun and the moon hanging from it.
“Are you a paladin?” queried a nervous voice, and the zebra stopped and smiled as he turned his eyes towards the speaker.
“No, I'm a chaplain, rather. A stallion of the cloth, here to offer what comfort I can. How can I assist?” he asked the young mare, stepping towards her and bowing his head politely to the wounded pony.
She bit her cheek, hesitated, looked at him uncomfortably, but then she looked quickly back over her shoulder, and the zebra followed her eyes before nodding as he said gently: “Okay. I'll see what I can do.”
The mare blushed and stuttered a little as the zebra headed past, walking towards a wounded stallion. Alphar took a breath and calmed himself as he stopped in front of the injured pony that was sprawled out beneath a ragged awning off one side of the large wagon the victim rested against, made as comfortable as possible as he wheezed for breath.
“Hello, my friend.” It was awkward and he was still bad at this, but all the same he reached out and gently touched the stallion's shoulder as he asked quietly: “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Who...” the stallion blinked blearily, and then he asked: “Zebra?”
“Chaplain zebra.” Alphar said with a hint of a smile, and the stallion chuckled rustily.
“Better than nothing.” he whispered. “I don't think... I'm going to make it...”
The mare automatically moved forwards, but Alphar gently barred her with his foreleg, not taking his eyes off the injured pony. For the moment, it was important that it was only them, as he reassured: “But from what I see, you've lived a good life and you're a strong pony. If it's time for you to go to rest, the goddesses will welcome you with smiles to the eternal pasture.”
“I've done terrible things.” murmured the stallion, as his eyes wavered.
“This is a terrible world. It forces our hoof at times. Tell me your regrets.” Alphar said, as he gently traced the Sigil of the Sun over the stallion.
The pony breathed quietly for a few moments, and then he whispered: “But I didn't have to do those things.”
“Would worse have come of it if you didn't? You don't strike me as a terrible stallion, my friend.” Alphar gently took the stallion's hoof in both of his, and he felt the pony squeeze it roughly, holding on to him with surprising strength. But he didn't pull away, only smiling as he said with almost tender faith: “Honest repentance and regret for our sins matters, as does why we sinned. None of us are free of sin and all of us have our burden to bear. Tell me, what weighs heaviest on your mind?”
Silence for a moment, and then a weak laugh before the stallion answered: “It's strange. But what I think of most is that I turned away... a pony in need. I was afraid. I sent him away from the caravan... I think... this is my fault. This is all... my fault...”
“Dad, come on, you just did what you needed to do to keep us safe...” blurted the mare as she hurried to his side, grasped his shoulder, and he smiled faintly at her, his eyes lightening for a moment.
“You did what you needed to do, to keep them safe. What you thought was best at the time. No one can fault you for that. And from what I see, you fought to protect them. If you have sinned, you redeemed yourself there.”
The stallion nodded hesitantly after a moment, closing his eyes before Alphar recited quietly: “But though you have sinned, you have not fallen from the grace of the sun, nor the gaze of the moon. The goddesses are here, still, and will welcome you home when it is your time.”
“I feel like it's my time.” the stallion said.
Alphar gently squeezed his hoof, and then he replied, soft and kind: “If it is your time, then you will be called home. But there is no need to rush, either. For now, rest. Do you need anything else?”
“No... I feel... better. Lighter.” murmured the stallion, before he closed his eyes and whispered: “I'm sorry I misjudged you, chaplain zebra.”
“I wasn't aware you had.” Alphar said kindly, and then he traced another symbol through the air before he leaned in and kissed the grimy forehead of the stallion, who smiled briefly before Alphar carefully excused himself.
He blinked a few times and steadied his heart as he headed away from the stallion, calming his nerves before he glanced up as a familiar voice called: “Hey, Alphar!”
The zebra smiled as Fireheart strode towards him, the pegasus waving a wing at him. His power armor whirred quietly on his body, proudly emblazoned with the symbol of the steel rangers, although he had removed his helmet for the moment and was carrying it under his other wing: he always said it was stuffy.
Alphar blushed a bit as the stallion fearlessly leaned in and gave him a quick kiss before slipping forwards and trading a quick hug with his... his partner. That's what they were these days, and it was funny to think of: out here in the wasteland, he was his mentor and bodyguard, and back home at the base they were lovers and best friends. Especially in private, where Alphar was much more comfortable sharing any affection than out here in the open, where even these brief intimacies could feel a little awkward.
It caused a bit of a ripple now and then. The two outcasts, enclave and zebra, hanging out together. But they didn't care about the rumors because they had each other, and they pushed one-another to be better people.
After all, it was Fireheart who had really inspired him after that first, fateful meeting to pursue more. To not just become someone who could help the Steel Rangers and fight their enemies across Equestria, but as someone who could offer comfort to both soldiers and victims.
In the past he probably would have been a noncombatant as a chaplain, but in this world, there was no such thing as a noncombatant anymore, nor were there rules of engagement except for the ones they set for themselves.
So he fought alongside the Steel Rangers, but he had Fireheart there at his side, to both guide him and protect him, at least until he finally earned his own set of power armor. But even then he hoped that he would still have the pegasus there with him: more than just being his bodyguard and mentor, he was his friend, and he gave him the strength to try when everything seemed hopeless, and to hold onto and cultivate faith in a world that was largely devoid of anything but nihilism and violence.
He smiled at his partner, and Fireheart smiled back before he asked: “Are you busy here, or can you come with me? We could use a bit of a pep talk.”
“I've only found a few ponies here that needed tending. I can come help out.” the zebra replied, and Fireheart patted him on the shoulder before turning and leading his boyfriend back towards where the Steel Rangers had set up camp.
'Camp' was really probably too strong a word for it: a jumble of equipment, and a gaggle of ponies in and out of power armor, sitting on some broken benches overlooking the rusted hulk of a jungle gym and a gnarled slide.
Fireheart joined the ponies, while Alphar strode in front of his modest herd: he noted a few unfamiliar faces, but he smiled, welcomed them as friends as he greeted quietly: “Welcome, all of you, to the gathering of the herd, beneath the eyes of the Goddesses, who smile upon us even now.”
A few murmurs. They felt bad, and worse, uncertain: Alphar understood. And as always, he found a perfect metaphor come to mind from the scripture he had cobbled together, from the bits and pieces of old testaments and psalms and hymns he had gathered over the course of his travels with the Steel Rangers: “Near us stands a caravan. Like more than a thousand years ago, caravans like this one traveled across Equestria, bringing much-needed supplies from one village to the next.
“And at times, these caravans suffered raiders. But although they were not fighters, they never feared, for they knew the importance of their task, and they knew they were under the eyes of the goddesses.” continued Alphar, gazing back and forth over the small herd before him. “And they also knew well how barren, how hostile, how cruel the world could be, and so, when they were attacked by the desperate rather than the greedy, they did not resist nor fight, but rather offered to share their food and shelter with these would-be thieves.
“The strength of their kindness did not always win the day. But their honor and virtue became known throughout the land, and those touched by their good deeds would not forget it. And as the caravan traveled back and forth across Equestria, it soon became accompanied by those who had previously been the less-fortunate, the needy, the beaten, and who had grown strong, starting from when they had been shown the kindness of strangers.
“We, too, are strangers to these people. But we must never forget that the goods and supplies they carry feed us, and more than our mouths, the mouths of the many out there, stranded in the wasteland in the pockets of civilization that still exist. We must protect them, knowing, as those who came to the caravans of the past, they are as important to keep civilization alive as we are for protection and peace.”
There were a few murmurs and nods, and Alphar smiled briefly before he said quietly: “We cannot save everyone. But we are in this together. We will not relent to beasts in the form of ponies, or dissuaded from our task because of our fears for ourselves, the wounds we take on, the burdens we bear. Not so long as we bear this burden together. A thousand ponies can lift any mountain the Goddesses see fit to put in our path: they do this only to remind us all that a herd stands together, and can do things no pony could ever do alone and apart.”
That was more rousing, got a few more nods of agreement and approval, and Alphar smiled again before he moved into what little he knew of passing down the blessings of the Goddesses: some asked for forgiveness from the Sun, some for the courage of the Moon, a few to be prayed for to both Goddesses.
It was informal, a little rough, and yet all the same, he pulled it off, the same way he always did. It was his faith, his love of the ponies, and of the Goddesses, that made all this possible: he had never had the courage to face a crowd, let alone sermonize and preach, before he'd found the faith.
But once he got going, the words just all naturally fell into place, and he found himself speaking the words of the Goddesses to the ears of the waiting ponies as naturally as if he had always been meant to do this. And perhaps he had: maybe this was why he'd never fit in with any of his zebra brethren, no matter what he'd tried to do, where he'd gone to live.
Well, that, and he'd never had someone like Fireheart to look out for him.
Fireheart, who was there, waiting for him with a smile and a hoof-bump once he was done ministering to the flock. “You did great.”
“I tried my best. I don't even know if everything I said made sense.” Alphar said honestly.
“It did. You have a knack for knowing what to say, and when. Sometimes what grinds us down isn't the fighting, or the injuries we take. It's that we seem to be doing the same thing, day in and day out, and it never changes, or the younger guys wonder why they're being sent out here on these 'unimportant' missions. But you help bring things into perspective and remind us that we all have a role to play. All of us.” he emphasized.
Alphar blushed a bit, then nodded before he asked: “How about you? How are you doing?”
“I'm... okay.” Fireheart said after a moment, giving a brief smile. It was honest, though, as much as Alphar knew... things could wear on the pegasus at times. It was a pain the zebra understood, and yet he also knew it was unique to the pony, just as missing his homeland and the familiarity of the world he'd once lived in was unique to the zebra... even if all the same, he knew he'd never want to go back there. “Your words help me, too.”
“I'm glad for that.” Alphar said softly, and then he glanced up as a call went through the air, and he noted: “Well... looks like everyone's getting ready to go.”
“Then let's get going. Don't want to be late for your own evening sermon, huh?” asked Fireheart, and Alphar chuckled.
They headed away from the caravan, having done all they could here, and as Alphar walked away he felt a bit of solace in that, even though he wished he could do more. But his faith was strong, and he knew that all they could do was follow the paths the Goddesses had laid out before them, and trust that all of this was part of the grand plans of the horses of heaven.
And that one day, when it was all over, they would reach the promised pastures, where the Goddesses and their cohorts awaited... but Alphar knew to be worthy of ever reaching that place, first they had to live the best lives they could here, on mortal earth.
If he had learned there was one truth in this world, after all, it was that you could never truly enjoy the coming dawn if you didn't survive the long, hard night first.
The zebra couldn't help but smile, as awkward as it felt to take advantage of the barkeeper's kindness. Then again, as his partner had pointed out, they had saved the bar while on patrol, and the pony would have paid a lot more than the cost of free drinks for the night if that gang had succeeded in knocking the bar over for protection money.
And, to be honest, it was nice to be able to put up his hooves for a minute, especially since their patrol was over and they had the night and most of the next morning before they had to report back to the Steel Rangers.
He absently reached up and touched his collar: the white collar with the twin bands that illustrated the sun and moon respectively was specially made for him, and his service as a Chaplain of the Steel Rangers. Funny, for a zebra like him to be a devout follower of Equestrian divine belief, but it was something that just... called to him. That always had.
Then again, he didn't think he'd ever have been here without his partner's urging.
He smiled across at the pegasus, who winked at him from across the small, private table they had been given near the back, nice and secluded from the main crowd. Which was nice, because he wasn't very publicly affectionate, even if his partner Fireheart was a lot more... open with that sort of thing, to put it tactfully.
The stallion rested comfortably back in his seat, one foreleg up on the divider, free hoof lightly holding a bottle of beer. His helmet casually rested to one side of the table, the clasps that held his armor to his body loosened a bit as he remarked: “See? It's nice to relax a bit, Alphar. You should try it more often.”
The zebra couldn't help but chuckle a bit, shrugging as he said after a moment: “We have been working pretty hard lately. But still, I always feel we should be doing more.”
“We do the best we can. And it's important we take care of ourselves too, you know. After all, if we don't relax and take advantage of these moments of peace, we'll wear ourselves down. And then we won't be able to help anyone.” Fireheart paused, then added gently: “And you deserve it, Alphar. The Goddesses want you to take care of yourself too, you know.”
“I just want to do what I can. And it never really feels like it's enough.” Alphar admitted, shaking his head briefly. “I just-”
“Just drink. That's what you just gotta do right now.” Fireheart said firmly, and the zebra sighed but then nodded hesitantly in agreement before he glanced up in surprise as a waitress slid up to their table with a wink and a smile, smoothly slipping a bottle of bourbon and two glasses onto their table.
“Hope you boys enjoyed the appetizer. Here's something special for you, on the house. Let me know if you need anything else and I'll be by later to check in on you again.” The pretty mare gave them a wink, and Fireheart smiled warmly as Alphar blushed a bit.
He started to hold up a hoof, but was quickly intercepted by Fireheart as the pegasus said: “Thanks very much, that's very kind of you.”
The waitress smiled as she slipped away, and Fireheart winked before he opened the bourbon and poured them each a glass, even as Alphar said hesitantly: “I feel like we might be taking advantage of their generosity here...”
“Oh, shush. Relax!” Fireheart encouraged as he pushed a glass to Alphar, who pursed his lips, and the pegasus couldn't help but give a wry grin.
Alphar looked mildly at his partner for a few moments, and then he sighed and nodded almost grudgingly, and Fireheart nodded quickly back before he picked up his glass and rose it, saying firmly: “To us, and keeping Equestria safe.”
“To us.” echoed Alphar, and he finally smiled a little more as he tapped his glass against Fireheart's before they both knocked back their shots.
The zebra felt the warmth spreading through his body immediately, and he was pretty sure that Fireheart did too as the pegasus smacked his lips before he grabbed the bottle and poured them both another round.
Part of Alphar hesitated, but then he sighed and knocked this one back, too, before asking: “Aren't we going to get in trouble?”
“Is that what you're so nervous about?” Fireheart looked at him with amusement. “We're not expected back at base until tomorrow. As long as we get back before the afternoon call, we'll be fine. You don't have a sermon tomorrow morning, do you?”
“Well... no.” admitted the zebra as he reached up and touched his chaplain collar automatically. “Maybe it's more nerves than anything else. I've been with the Rangers for a while now, but I'm still a long way from gaining the trust of a lot of ponies. I know that... not everyone likes what I'm doing, either.”
“You're a little strange, Alphar, true.” Fireheart admitted as he poured them another drink: slower, more thoughtful this time, before he looked up, meeting the zebra's eyes. “You won't win over everypony. And you shouldn't have to, either! But the Elders trusted you enough to vouch for you to the higher-ups and you've... filled a hole in the organization. You help a lot of ponies.
“A lot of us are too jaded to believe much in gods or goddesses. A lot of us have also seen scum peddling false hope and using that to take advantage of ponies... so naturally, it worries some ponies.” Fireheart paused, then said softly: “But the more you stick with it, the more even the most stubborn Rangers are going to come around. Hell, even Chaff seems to have your back these days.”
Alphar snorted as he knocked back the shot, replying wryly: “I wouldn't go that far.”
“Okay, yeah, maybe you're right, sure. But he's getting there. Even called you a jackass yesterday instead of a lying asshole, that's improvement, right?”
Alphar couldn't help but smile at this, shaking his head before he held up his glass when Fireheart poured him another, intoning: “Here's to being a jackass, then.”
“Hear, hear!” Fireheart grinned as he clicked his own glass with the zebra's, and then they both knocked back their respective drinks as a pleasant fuzziness began to nibble at Alphar's mind.
They slowed their pace, but of course they'd already imbibed so much, so quickly, that the alcohol was working its magic on them, making them both a little more relaxed, a little more loud, a little more silly.
It was nice to stop thinking so much for a little while, though. Sometimes Alphar did need some help and encouragement to get there, with the anxieties that constantly plagued his mind, the desire to not just fit in, but always do more, do better, be the best he could be at all times.
It was nice to relax. He really did need to get better at relaxing, Fireheart was right about that; Fireheart was right about a lot of things, really.
They looked at each other, eyes meeting, trading smiles as they just... talked. About everything and nothing, all at once, as the alcohol helped them both ease up a little more, and just go with the flow more than carrying on in any particular direction.
Alphar felt Fireheart's hooves under the table: his rear hooves touched and teased at his legs, playing footsie. He blushed a little at the contact, peering nervously around, but they were well in the back here, in their nice, secluded little corner, and the alcohol loosened him up enough to the point that he couldn't help but slide his hoofs back a bit, let Fireheart tease his legs open.
The pegasus winked at him, a little flushed from more than just his drink as he grinned cheekily at him, teasing: “I'm not even doing anything bad yet...”
“Fireheart!” blurted the zebra, blushing through his stripes as he nervously played at his chaplain's collar. “I... I mean, this isn't-”
“Shh, shh.” Fireheart soothed, winking at him. “Just enjoy it.”
Alphar huffed at this, before he blushed and looked up as the waitress approached. She only smiled at them, though, and without missing a beat, Fireheart grinned as he rose a hoof while he teasingly nudged Alphar under the table, saying easily: “Hey! We'd love a plate of nachos to share, if you don't mind!”
“Sure, comin' right up, sug. I'll be right back with that for you.” the mare answered, and then she spun around and headed away, leaving them... relatively alone in their corner.
She hadn't noticed anything... had she? She certainly hadn't let on, and Alphar bit his lip and relaxed the slightest bit-
Then Fireheart slid out of his seat and across to the other side of the table, winking as he slid in beside the zebra, making him blush deeply as one of his hooves caressed his thigh and the other grabbed the bottle of bourbon.
“F-Fireheart!”
“Relax.” the pegasus soothed, as he leaned against the zebra, smiling into his eyes. He slid a foreleg around his shoulders, squeezing him gently with a smile as he picked up his glass with the other hoof.
Instead of bringing it to his own mouth, however, he brought it to Alphar's, and the stallion blushed even as his lips gladly received the drink, his eyes closing slightly as he drank the bourbon down. He shifted anxiously at every sound, every movement he heard from the rest of the bar, but at the same time, he couldn't help but shift into his lover's grip, even as tense as he felt.
He swallowed the shot, and then Fireheart poured another for himself, sipping it slowly as his hoof slid down from Alphar's shoulders, across his back, down, down to teasingly squeeze his rump before tickling across his tailbone. Alphar shivered at the contact, then let out a soft breath as Fireheart put down the glass as he grinned at him, while his hoof stroked the stallion's inner thigh.
“Fireheart...” Alphar breathed, through the furious blush that had turned him red through the black-and-white.
“Just enjoy it.” Fireheart encouraged, as his hand slid inwards, and the zebra flushed a bit as he felt the stallion's hoof tease at his sheath, his shaft bulging, his teeth gritting as he tilted his head back and tried to follow his coltfriend's advice.
His hips rolled as Fireheart teased him, stroking his hoof over the head of his cock as it poked free from his sheath, his testicles already throbbing with desire. His body thrummed as he tilted his head back, giving a soft gasp as his shaft steadily thickened beneath the table; whatever his reservations and his anxieties, the eroticism in the air, the naughty delight of his lover's touch, the closeness of their bodies and the alcohol-driven heat were all rollicking together into one hot desire-
He heard hoofsteps, and he flexed and flinched, but Fireheart only winked at him as he leaned forwards slightly, reminding him with the movement that the furnishing blocked most of the view. All the same, Alphar felt like the waitress was able to see precisely what they were doing as she slid the tray of nachos onto the table, saying easily: “Here you go, boys... don't make too much of a mess, huh?”
She tipped them a knowing wink, and Alphar blushed deeper, if that was possible, his face flaming even as his hard shaft twitched against his boyfriend's hoof. He couldn't even find the words to say, as Fireheart turned his eyes to him and teased: “See? No one cares. But you heard the mare, try not to make too much of a mess.”
“Ha.” was all that Alphar could manage, before he groaned at the feeling of that hoof stroking him, squeezing his shaft, teasing it with easy, slightly off-time pumps, and he bit his lip as he thrust his hips against the pump of the pegasus' hoof.
His grip was tight, eager, and Alphar did his best to hold back any sounds, leaning back in his seat, grinding himself against the chair as a hoof thumped against the floor and his forelegs pressed against the table. He tried to steady himself, but even his own mind was working against him, filled with lust and helpless desires and all the lack of inhibition brought on by the alcohol.
It was only a few short moments before he gave in to his need, swallowing his moans as much as he could, leaning forwards against the table with a hiss through his teeth as he thrust helplessly, making the bolted-down table rattle as his shaft flexed and throbbed in his partner's grip, cockhead nearly slapping against the underside of the table with the ecstasy bulging through it as gooey bliss squirted from the tip.
His load splattered the bottom side of the table and spilled across the floor, leaving sticky trails of his delight behind. His shaft twitched and flexed, bulging against Fireheart's hoof as the stallion grinned, leaning in against Alphar as he teased, hot breath against his making him shiver: “See? Not so bad, is it?”
“Made a mess, though...” Alphar answered after a moment, even as his head swam and he pressed into Fireheart, nuzzling his neck.
“We'll clean it up.” answered Fireheart with a wink.
Alphar smiled at him awkwardly, and then he blushed as the pegasus leaned in and kissed him as he gave his shaft a gentle squeeze at the same time, making his cock twitch and a faint moan escape into the jaws of the pegasus.
But then they ate, and drank some more. Another thankful survivor of the attack on the bar earlier ended up sending a bottle over to their table, and by the end of the night they were both thoroughly soused, laughing and giddy, neither of them even able to stand up from the table.
They actually ended up falling asleep against each other as the exertions of the day caught up with them both, along with the copious amounts of alcohol they had both consumed. The waitress came by to give them their check, and she hesitated to wake them up even as they began to gently nudge other patrons towards the doors.
In the end, the bartender and owner of the establishment decided to just let them sleep, so that was what the mare did. That resulted in, early, early on in the morning, Alphar and Fireheart both coming to in the dimly-lit bar, the zebra slipping out of his seat to stumble his way to the bathroom while Fireheart stretched and yawned, then looked blearily around.
He had removed his power armor at some point the night before, but honestly most of it was just blurs: he was sore and stiff from falling asleep sitting in the bench seat, blinking owlishly as he wondered what time it was.
Well, it was dark out, and that was a good sign to begin with: it meant they hadn't slept in at all. He felt dehydrated a little drunk still, but he was sober enough to walk a straight line as Alphar came out of the bathroom, the stallion saying as he passed: “Guess we must have fallen asleep and they let us stay the night.”
“Nice of them.” Alphar said, feeling a little embarrassed. After all, they had-
“We were off-duty, Alphar, it's fine.” Fireheart said gently as he paused in front of the bathroom, looking back at his coltfriend pointedly, and the zebra nodded after a moment with a small smile.
Then the pegasus vanished into the bathroom, and Alphar turned his eyes through the bar as he wandered past the tables, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light. His head throbbed a little bit, just enough to warn him he'd probably had a bit too much to drink, but he'd had much worse hangovers, and far more unpleasant experiences out in the wasteland.
He was rather amazed by the show of trust. The cash register was locked but it sure wouldn't be hard to break into, and the assemblage of wines and liquors and beers across the back shelves were impressive. Plus he was sure that there was probably a trusty shotgun under the bar along with some ammo, and those things could be even more valuable out in the world then some loose change.
The zebra studied the bar, then glanced up as Fireheart came out of the bathroom, relieved and looking refreshed. He smiled as he wiped a bit of water absently from his face before his eyes turned to the bar, and he noted: “Really nice place. But I wonder if this is why they thought it was going to be easy to knock over in the first place. Guy who runs this bar seems almost too nice for his own good.”
“It's nice to see that nice ponies still exist, though.” Alphar said after a moment, and Fireheart nodded after a moment in agreement. “So should we leave, or...”
“I don't see any reason to yet. Seats aren't super comfortable but it's as good a place as any to rest up for a while. And we have it all to ourselves...” Fireheart half-lidded his eyes as he tilted his head towards Alphar, gesturing suggestively with his eyebrows, and the zebra blushed.
“Oh, well, uh...”
“Hey, you don't have to worry about anyone seeing anymore, now do you?” Fireheart pointed out, before he leaned in and nudged Alphar playfully. “We can clean up afterwards, if that's what you're so worried about, too.”
“No, I mean, well, yes, we should, but-”
“Just trust me, Alphar... I think you're going to end up enjoying yourself plenty.” Fireheart said as he slipped in, and Alphar closed his eyes and blushed as the stallion kissed his neck gently, then nuzzled down to his shoulder.
The zebra reached up, grasping into his partner and lowering his head against him, nuzzling against him as he whispered: “You make me do the strangest things...”
“I just like to encourage you to try new things out... you never know what you might end up enjoying, after all.” answered Fireheart in a soft voice, as he smiled slightly before he pushed Alphar backwards lightly, pressing his back into the bar as he leaned in and kissed him, slowly, firmly, passionately.
Their mouths worked together, their tongues danced as they pushed into each other: Fireheart firmly, bearing down against the zebra, who arched his back and ground himself with unabashed eagerness against the naked body of his partner. They traded breath as the pegasus' hooves slipped past Alphar to grip the bar, pinning his partner into it as his hips rocked, almost thrusting himself against the zebra.
Alphar groaned in pleasure, head lolling back as the kiss parted, the stallion's loving dominance sending a blaze of pleasure through his body, making him feel wanted, thrilling him with excitement that far overwhelmed any last vestiges of trepidation he might still have had. He clutched into his lover and propped himself back on the edge of the counter, sliding a rear leg up around the stallion's waist, feeling their sheaths, their excited maleness grinding together.
He felt the warmth, the heat, the girth of his partner as it slid free from his sheath, felt that sinful stickiness as it ground against his belly, and against his own burgeoning member. But it was good, so good, as he felt their heat, their bodies, their physical excitement all grinding together, as they kissed and squeezed and gripped into one-another.
Alphar felt himself being guided by the strong hooves of his partner, and he surrendered to the touch, the strength of the pegasus as he was rolled towards the bar, sprawling over it with a gasp as he felt Fireheart's strong body lay over his. His half-erect cock throbbed as his hips bucked, as he felt the solidity of the stallion's shaft sliding against his spine, grinding against his rump as his tail shifted out of the way, almost begging with his body.
Fireheart gripped him around the waist as he nuzzled into the side of his neck, breathing hard as he rocked his hips, thrusting against him: it felt exhilarating, as Alphar reacted to his every movement, the zebra's body flexing against him, grinding back into him, wanting him, needing him. His wings shivered as he took a long, grinding drag backwards, breathing harder as he let the head of his cock naturally slide its way to the zebra's eager, excited rosebud, feeling the shiver of his tailhole as the bulging head of his penis probed it.
“Do you want it, babe? Do you need it?” whispered Fireheart, as his chest ground into the zebra's back, as he felt every flex, every shiver, every twitch that ran through the excited form beneath him, sprawled over the bar, legs spread and body burning with lust.
“Y-Yes... oh, please, yes...” Alphar groaned, as he anchored himself against the bar and tried to shift his hips back, trying to impale himself on that delightful thickness he felt teasing his tailhole. “Please, Fireheart, give it to me, give it to me!”
Fireheart rocked with him, then nipped his neck before he ground into him as he thrust when the zebra rocked his hips back, grunting in pleasure as the head of his shaft penetrated the zebra's taut tailhole, sinking into the welcoming, wanting tightness of the stallion's ass. Alphar moaned out in need as his legs trembled and his hips bucked in delight, rump jiggling, thighs flexing as Fireheart's hooves dug against the hard floor to brace himself before he pistoned forwards again.
His cock sank deeper, burying further into the zebra's body, and the counter almost shook with the force of Alphar being pressed into it as his own shaft jumped and throbbed, stiff and excited, his balls aching with need between his legs, his body aflame with both love and lust. The sensation of the strong stallion bearing down on him was incredible, overwhelming him, making him feel loved and sexy and wanted in all the best of ways.
His ass flexed, pushing himself back against Fireheart as the Pegasus thrust again, and their sounds of pleasure mixed with the thrilling squelch of that girthy horsecock sinking to the hilt, the eroticism of flesh striking flesh as his body bore down on top of him. Fireheart's legs slid up, wrapping around Alphar's neck, hooves gripping the front of his lithe chest, and for a moment they both only panted together, shivering in thrill at the feeling of the stallion, buried to the hilt in the body of his lover, his aching testicles pulsing with desire as they hung heavy against Alphar's own.
Alphar groaned something out: something wordless, something hot, and needy. Fireheart snorted back against him, body flexing, grinding into his lover before he squeezed him, almost tenderly, before he began to thrust, firm and fast.
He ground deep into the stallion's ass, then pulled back almost to the tip, breathing hard as he nuzzled into the zebra's short mane, breathed against his neck, gripped against his chest. His body flexed with every piston of his shaft as he steadily found his rhythm, grunting in pleasure as he spread his legs a little further, gave himself more leverage to thrust harder, deeper into Alphar's ass.
And the zebra did everything he could to welcome him, to make the pleasure better for his lover as he gyrated his hips and bucked back against the firm thrusts of the pegasus, falling into rhythm with him as his tight tailhole milked and squeezed the stallion's shaft.
They moved together passionately, vociferously, their lovemaking so fierce that it rattled the bottles that lined the shelves behind the bar with every thrust, distorting the images of their glimmering reflections in the old glass. Near the end of the bar, a loose cup finally bounced its way off the countertop, falling with a distinct clang to the floor, but the sound was almost lost in the cries of ecstasy from Alphar as Fireheart pumped harder, faster, groaning and panting into his neck as their bodies thrummed with excitement against each other's.
They could both feel the pleasure building rapidly, spiraling quickly out of control as their rhythm became jagged, as their movements against one-another started to stutter and shake from the ecstasy of it all.
Alphar could feel his cock jumping and throbbing, his legs trembling, his balls pulsing with a hot fire of pleasure as his teeth ground together. His form shuddered as his hips bucked hard, groaning low in his throat before he dropped his head forwards with a gasp as the sensations running through him, the pleasure from Fireheart being over him, being inside him, all became too overwhelming to bear.
He made short, jagged thrusts, losing rhythm with the pegasus, rocking his hips hard back against his partner's bucks but never quite managing to keep in time as ecstasy poured through him, crying out in delight as his shaft bulged and throbbed before he arched his back with a cry of delight as he climaxed, painting the wall and the underside of the counter with thick, sticky strings of his load.
Again, again, volleys of his hot seed escaped, splattering into the bar, milked by the passionate pounding into his ass: an ass that clenched like a vise with his orgasm, Fireheart gritting his teeth as the jaggedness, the loss of control on Alphar's part only made his own pleasure greater as he leaned harder into the zebra, gasping in bliss as he pumped harder, faster into his body as his own cock stiffened.
And no sooner had Alphar's release ended than he felt his own orgasm become overwhelming. He pushed down into the zebra, gripping tight into his shoulders and raising himself high, making hard, rapid thrusts into his clenching tailhole as Alphar groaned as his face buried against the counter, his eyes rolling back in his head in bliss as he felt his partner's pistons quicken and roughen.
After a few moments, he felt the stallion's release: thick, hot blasts of seed erupting into his ass, filling him up, as his stiff cock throbbed like hot metal inside of him. Fireheart hissed in pleasure through grit teeth, eyes half-lidded, body flexing over Alphar as the zebra shook with ecstasy beneath him, only able to moan in bliss as his body responded almost automatically to the pistoning pumps of the stallion overtop him.
Finally, the pegasus began to slow, and as he did so, Alphar sank down, nearly sliding off the bar as he panted for breath, sweat rolling down his flexed body, mixing with the trails of ecstasy that spilled down his thighs and leaked from his stretched tailhole.
Fireheart sank over his partner's body, the two resting for a moment, feeling his thickness throbbing inside the stallion before he slowly, carefully dragged himself back and loose, and they both groaned as he pulled free from the zebra, his shaft flexing as it released a last spurt of his load and a bit of sticky whiteness spilling out of the stallion's ass to further blur and stain the black stripes of the zebra.
The pegasus let his body shift forwards and drop over the zebra, sandwiching him against the bar, and Alphar closed his eyes, breathing in stale stains of alcohol and tobacco, of musk, and sweat, and other familiar smells. His head swam a bit from the ecstasy of it all as they lingered together in the afterglow, as Alphar shifted only enough so that one of his hooves was able to grasp Fireheart's, who squeezed firmly back against his grip.
“Good.” Fireheart almost blurted after a moment. “That was good.”
“Yeah.” Alphar agreed after a moment, before he smiled a bit as he peeked back over his shoulder at the stallion, murmuring: “I'm lucky I have you.”
“Nah.” Fireheart smiled back at him briefly, and then he leaned in, and their mouths met in a soft kiss: it was a few sweet, long moments, before lips parted, and Fireheart almost reluctantly shifted himself up off Alphar, chuckling as he asked: “Beer?”
“Maybe just one more.” Alphar said after a moment, before he pushed himself up, legs trembling a bit from the excitement of it all before he added: “But I should get cleaned up first. And we should probably clean up some of the mess, too.”
Fireheart gave him a smile, but then he nodded after a moment, saying quietly: “You know, you're a good person, Alphar. Maybe the best I've ever met.”
“I've had a good mentor to push me to be better.” Alphar answered with a smile back, and the two traded a kiss again before the zebra turned to head on shaky legs towards the bathroom, and Fireheart couldn't help but chuckle as his eyes followed his lover.
They might make for a strange pair, but it was a strange world, and he wouldn't change that for a million bottlecaps.
Love, after all, was priceless.