"What exactly is a battle? Is it two sides meeting in a field and slicing at each other until one side stops twitching? Or is it simply a term to describe conflict of any kind? Battle of the minds surely isn't two brains, devoid of shells, attacking each other. It is simply two creatures trying to outsmart each other in a certain task. Rap battles and battles of the bands aren't musicians attacking each other. It is two, or more, talented individuals going head to head in a show of their talent. So why is it that the word "battle" is automatically associated with scenes of death and carnage? Could it be because it was invented, and a word is indeed an invention of a grammatical kind, during war? If there was no war, no death, no carnage, would the word "battle" exist? Would any words to describe two sides going at each other exist?

Think of this, Vol. War has helped define humanity in more ways than you can imagine. And, alas, war never changes."

--------

Fluttershy rechecked the bandages wrapped around the Night Guard's body. She, her gender being a surprise to the yellow mare, had multiple lacerations all over her body. The fact that she was still alive showed that she had a strong will. It also helped that Vol had hurried her back to the cottage.

Remembering the human, she looked over at where he resided. He was sitting in a corner of the living room with his pack on side and K9 on the other, the dog setting his head on Vol's lap. Vol was still dressed in his armor, minus the helmet that sat atop the pack, with one hand settled on K9's head and the other clasping a weird 'L' shaped object. Fluttershy could only guess at what it was but she assumed it was important to him if he was holding it in such a manner.

She had to admit to herself that, while imposing when awake, he was quite... well, she couldn't use 'adorable' or any word of such but that he looked content with the world. Which, if what he said before he left was true, was a good thing as his world sounded like a horrible place to live. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like for him to be raised in such a world.

She sighed. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had left not a minute after Vol did. Lucky for Fluttershy and Vol as they didn't have to deal with their reactions when Vol had practically kicked in the front door with the injured Night Guard in his arms. Fluttershy had been quick to clear her coffee table of everything so that Vol could set the Night Guard atop the furniture. With the aid of her animal friends, she gathered her medical supplies and got to work.

The yellow pegasus glanced back at the human. More specifically, she looked at the red cloth that was once again looped on his belt. It was a tattered piece of cloth with stains, which she deduced was blood, worked deep into the fibers. When she had taken it off, she had made to throw it away but an armored hand was quick to take it from her hoof. Since she was working on the Night Guard at the time, she only shot him a confused glance before going back to work. Of course, now that the batpony was stable, Fluttershy couldn't help but be curious about the cloth. It seemed to be of value to the human but the pegasus couldn't see anyway that it was valuable besides it's use as a tourniquet and she doubted he would wear it on his belt because it was a useful makeshift medical instrument.

Giving a yawn, the yellow pegasus moved to the stairs, filing away her thoughts for later. Going down the hallway, she entered the last room on the left and moved to her desk. She needed to send a letter to Twilight. She needed some... guidance as a lot had happened in so little time. Beings from another world, wounded Night Guards, hostile friends, it was all a tad too much for the yellow mare on her own. So, setting a scroll onto the desk, she grasped a quill in the crook of her fetlock, dipped it in ink, and began to write.

"Dear Twilight,

I hope your classes are going well. I'm sorry for writing you during your studies but I need your help. If you wouldn't mind, that is. I found someone in the Everfree today. He's not anything that I've seen in the forest before. He walks on two legs with two arms like Spike but doesn't have a tail. The only fur is on the top of his head and he's incased in metal armor that's much different than the Royal Guard's. He also has a dog, bigger than any I've seen, and is very dirty and... bloody. He claims to be from another world where he is forced to fight to survive.

Also, while taking a walk to clear his head, he had stumbled upon a wounded Night Guard and brought her here. I tended to her wounds but she is still out cold as of the moment I'm writing this. I'll try to keep her here as she doesn't need to be moving. Please, I need some advice.

Your Friend, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy set down her quill and stared at the letter for a couple seconds. Would Twilight get it? Will she help?

Shaking off her concerns, Fluttershy rolled up the scroll and banded it. On the band she wrote: "To Princess Twilight Sparkle from Fluttershy of Ponyville". With that, she handed it to a nearby critter who darted out of her room to put it in the mailbox outside. With that taken care of, the pegasus stood up and sleepily stumbled to her bed. Collapsing on the soft mattress, she quickly left for the Land of Dreams.

--------

"Incoming!"

Vol ducked as another plume of earth shot upwards to his right with a loud boom and shaking of the earth. Clutching the Assault Rifle in his hands, he peeked over his cover. He was somewhere really cold with some weird white powder covering the ground. The pounder was also cold and turned to water when heat touched it. However, that little discovery was pushed to the side when he noticed exactly where he had ended up. He was in another battle.

This time, his apparel was a set of white fatigues with black boots and white armor plated and helmet. A mask covered his head and goggles, which had been over his eyes, sat on the brim of his helmet. Some sort of smoke came from his mouth whenever he breathed and the American rifle in his hands felt cold to the touch.

Bullets flew by his head, causing him to duck down again.

"Fight or die, human. And believe me, death here is still a real death."

With the voice cackling in the back of his mind, Vol waited for a lull in the gunfire. When that happened, he stood up to the roar of human throats. People, dressed in white coats with fur hats, clambered out of their fortification and began to charge Vol's position. He spotted CARs in their hands. CARs that were firing rounds at him.

"Give 'em hell!" shouted someone to his side. He didn't worry about them. If this was like the other dream, they were allies of his. So, with the earth still erupting in plumes, he brought his rifle to bear and squeezed the trigger. It bucked into his shoulder as he fired controlled bursts into the charging enemies. They began to drop like flies, peppered by the rounds of him and his "allies". Of course, that didn't mean it was one-sided. Vol could distinctly hear pained cries to his left and right as his "allies" fell to hostile fire.

One of the hostiles ran out of ammo and tossed his weapon to the powder, opting to sprint head-on at Vol with knife in hand and a war cry in his throat. Vol was in the middle of reloading as the hostile charged. Racking back the charging handle, he swung up the rifle in time for the enemy to jump over him and land behind him. Quickly spinning around, he felt a vibration in his rifle as metal met metal. The knife, redirected by the rifle, barely missed Vol's head as he finished bringing it to bear. He fired.

His rounds hit dirt as the enemy grabbed his weapon with his free hand and shoved it aside. Seeing the man's other arm begin to move back, Vol ducked. The knife collided with his helmet and bounced off, leaving him with a dull headache and the enemy disoriented. Taking this to his advantage, Vol kicked out and got the guy's knee with enough force to snap it backward, breaking the joint. As the man cried out in pain, Vol pushed his foot down and shoulder rammed him back onto the ground. With the enemy laying at his feet, Vol brought his rifle to bear. The man's face was uncovered. Vol could see his fear. It was so much like Rainbow's. The knife glinted in the sunlight.

He fired.

"You are, and always will be, a killer. It would do you well to remember this."

--------

Vol awoke with a start, bring his pistol to bear on the dark living room. K9 woke up from the movement and looked around the room with ears perked for anything out of the ordinary. His gaze locked on the occupied coffee table. Vol realized that the pony that Fluttershy had identified as a "Night Guard" was stirring. Without holstering his pistol, he stood up and moved to where the pony could see him and sat down. From where he was now, he was eye to eye with the wounded pony.

He was saddened to see fear and doubt in her eyes. He could see her try to back away from him, the pain from the movement showing on her face.

"Calm," he said softly, "It's alright. You're safe."

She stopped trying to move and simply stared at him, the fear being replace with curiosity and the doubt fading.

"I..." she broke into a coughing fit. Vol set his pistol on his lap and grabbed a canteen from his belt and unscrewed the top. Dumping a bit on his hand, he was satisfied to see that it was clean water. Shaking the water off his hand, he gently lifted her head and put the canteen against her lips. Tipping it gently, he watched as the pony drank greedily at the water. He pulled the canteen away, capping it as the pony licked her lips.

"Thank you," she said, earning a nod from Vol, "I-I remember your voice. You carried me here, right?"

"I did," Vol replied, sliding the canteen back into his belt, "You were fighting some strange creature and, no offense, seemed to be losing. So I stepped in."

"I remember the fight," she said softly, "I remember the Changeling looking to the side and then a thunderclap and then swaying as you carried me here."

"Changeling," Vol whispered, rolling the name around in his mouth. He would have to look out for more of these Changelings.

"Pardon my bluntness but what are you?"

Vol chuckled, "Your bluntness is alright, as it is expected. I am a human. My name is Vol. This," he motioned to the dog beside him, "is K9."

The dog, as if knowing he was introduced, gingerly rubbed his head against the pony and whimpered. This earned a soft chuckle from the Night Guard.

"Nice to meet you K9," she said before giving a soft cough, "I'm Moonlit of Princess Luna's Night Guard. Where am I?"

"In the house of a pegasus named Fluttershy in Ponyville. May I ask what kind of pony you are?"

"Ponyville, eh? Makes sense. And I am a batpony. We're not well known. We like to keep to ourselves."

"Ah, that explains Fluttershy's surprise than," Vol stated before Moonlit went into another coughing fit. Again, he took out his canteen, undid the top, gently lifted her head, and poured it into her mouth. When she was done, he withdrew the canteen.

"Can you... can you pour some on my head?" she asked softly, a tinge of embarrassment in her voice. Vol hesitated as he looked from the canteen to the pony. This was purified water, hard to come by. It was hard to come by. But now... this world looks like it must have plenty of clean water.

"I mean," Moonlit began, "If you don't-"

"It's fine," Vol stated with a small smile as he gently tipped the canteen over her head and let the water wash over her fur. She smiled and sighed in happiness.

"I didn't think you would," she observed after the canteen was emptied and put aside.

"I'm sorry. It's just that clean water is scarce where I come from," he explained.

"And where do you come from?" Moonlit asked tiredly as she yawned and closed her eyes.

"A place much worse off than here," Vol responded softly with a smile as he reach out and brushed back her ear, earning a soft hum. It wasn't long before the batpony was asleep once more. Seeing this, Vol grasped his pistol and slowly stood up a to not disturb the batpony. He then moved back to his corner, K9 trailing, and sat down. Both man and dog resumed the positions they were in when they awoke.

If there are more ponies like Fluttershy and Moonlit, Vol thought as he drifted to sleep, Than this won't be a bad place to live. Next Chapter: An Invigorating Morning Estimated time remaining: 24 Minutes