Hey, hey, hey. I’m back with another chapter. People have constantly been bugging me to ‘bring back the guns’ and to ‘give them a reason’. Well, this chapter should fill that gap, for better or for worse.

‘H-Hey Ditzy.” I wave to her, still in awe at her appearance, “You look great tonight.”

“Thanks, this was my dress for the Gala.” She blushes, her eyes still unfocused and twirling, “You look pretty nice too, Jaycee.”

“Thanks, just a little something-something Rarity threw together for me.” I look down at my dress to see that I have not stained it in my mad dash to make it here on time, “I was never on base too long during my service, or else I would have some dress blues.”

“Dress blues?” Ditzy looks and sounds confused at the phrase.

“Dress blues are dress clothes for formal occasions that they give you when you serve in the Armed Forces, specifically the Army. I never spent much time on base though, too busy taking down corrupt politicians and enemy bases. Here, look at this.” I pull my wallet out of my pocket, which has a photo album of my various exploits during my time in the force.

“Who are they?” Ditzy points to a photo of me and my squadmates laughing with our arms draped around each other’s shoulders.

“Those are…were my brothers in arms, my squadmates.” I feel a tear coming up at the memory of my friends, “That one was Mako, the most crazy and fun-loving of the group.” I point to a picture of the 16 year old asian-looking runner. “Man that dude could run! He was our scout, had a thing for carrying around a SMG. Usually an MP5 or a P90.”

“Who were the other two?” She asks, still curious about my team.

“That one was Hunter,” I point to the tall African-American teen with an M14EBR strapped to his back, “Dude could hit a bucket of water from a mile and a half away without even trying. As you could guess, he was our sniper, as well as being the calmest member of our little group.” I grin at all of the philosophical terms he used to use. Why did you all have to die!?! I hold back a tear when I point to the final member of the team.

“That right there is Fox, leader and strategist of a group.” I point a finger at the third and final person in my picture (excluding me, of course). He’s a 14 year old American with a knack for breaking things down and examining them, “He always wore that bandanna, said it helped him think. Dude could take an entire base’s defense system, examine it for ten minutes, and come up with five foolproof strategies to break in and destroy it. He also had a knack for explosives, knew right where to set ‘em to make everything go ‘boom’.” I grin sadly at this remembrance, “He sorta kept our group together whenever something came up. Still miss him. Hell, who am I kidding? I miss all of them.” I frown, closing the wallet and stuffing it into my pocket.

“I’m sorry Jaycee, but if it means anything, I’m glad you’re here and I’m sure they are too.” The female pegasus smiles at me, making me forget everything, “I’m glad you told me a little about you past, I’d like to get to know you.”

“I’d like to learn a little about you, too.” I smile back at her, “You seem like a nice and fun mare.”

“Thanks, Jaycee.” She grins a little bit more, her blonde hair reflecting light from the sunroof (now moonroof) in a way that truly spellbinds me. I manage to shake off my stare, and ask a question.

“So, when’s the waiter gonna come? I’m pretty hungry.” I glance around in search of a waiter.

“Oh, one already tried to serve me, but I said I was waiting for you!” She smiles, making me feel happy.

“Thanks and sorry I was late, I had to drop something off for Danny.” I grin a tad, still waiting for the waiter. Irony, you never fail me.

“Hello, table for two I presume?” I am taken aback as a tan Stallion appears seemingly out of nowhere. He is wearing a white dress shirt and has a slicked back brown mane.

“Uh, yeah!” I respond, still shocked by the sudden appearance of the pony, “can we get one on the second floor, by the window?”

“Are you sure you can afford that?” He asks me, stupefied by my request.

“I have like three hundred bits for tonight, might as well get a good seat.” I smile at Ditzy, who warmly grins back.

“Okay then, right this way sir.” The waiter leads us up a spiraling flight of stairs to our seats, which overlook the majority of Ponyville. The moon shines above in the sky, cascading a brilliant display on the snow-laden land below.

“Here are your seats, I’ll be right back to take your orders.” I hear him walk away, but I never stop looking at the window.

“Wow…” I am speechless. I normally don’t like looking at the scenery, but this is just amazing. I can see everything, from individual snowflakes landing on rooftops, to snowponies made by the local fillies and colts. The sky is nearly cloudless, letting me see into darkness for infinity. I feel the presence of another pony standing beside me, so I turn to see a smiling Ditzy.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” She seems to examine the townscape in the same manner as me. Finally, she turns to me and begins to take a seat at our table. I look around and see no other ponies on our level, making me a tad less nervous. I commence to take a seat facing Ditzy.

“So, tell me a little about yourself.” I begin the conversation, setting the Army bag down next to me.

“Well, you probably already know I’m a single mom.” She frowns a bit, “My little Dinky means so much to me.”

“Yeah, speaking of that, where is your daughter right now?” I ask her.

“She’s spending the night over at Berry Punch’s house for a sleepover.” The pegasus smiles warmly, “Those two are the best of friends! They’re always there for each other.”

“That’s nice! Me and Danny met when we were ten, been friends ever since.” I smile at the memory of my friend, “It’s too bad he couldn’t meet Mako, those two would be tight! They both love the same kinds of music and they’ve got the same attitude.”

“Speaking of the Army, what did you do?” She asks me, “I mean, you said that Mako was a scout, Hunter was a sniper, and Fox did strategy. What were you good at?”

“Me? I was whatever they weren’t.” I smile at my Jack of all trades attitude, “When they needed somebody to take point, I was there taking the hits, moving down dudes with a specially-made minigun or an LMG. When they needed an assault soldier, I was there with my assault rifle. When they needed a ghost that could move without being seen, though, that’s where I really shined.” I grin at my ability.

“What do you mean?” Ditzy shoots me a confused look, eyes twirling.

“I knew stealth, simply put. With my crossbow and my tomahawks, you’d be hard pressed to find a better silent killer than me.” I say this with a determined grin.

“S-s-silent k-killer?” The grey mare looks afraid of me now.

“Yeah, but I had my reasons.” I frown, “I protected my country, my world. I defended peace through necessary violence. If I didn’t do what I did, hundreds upon thousands of innocents would’ve died.”

“R-Really?” The mare looks at me again. Not with fear, but with a splinter of respect.

“Yeah, I’m a soldier. That’s just what I did. The end.” I frown as I yet again remember my friends, their dogtags burning a hole in my chest.

“I guess we should order now.” The mare suggests, “I already know what I’m having.”

“What’s that?” I ask, curious as to the pony’s tastes.

“I’m gonna get the fruit salad with a glass of Apple Family Cider.” She doesn’t even bother opening her menu. I, on the other hand, open my menu and stare at the sheet for a few seconds.

“I guess I’ll get the…” Spaghetti? No. Three-layer lasagna? Sounds good, guessing they use tofu or artificial stuff here.

“Three-layer lasagna. It’s not real meat like I’m used to, but I’m sure it tastes fine. I really hope they don’t derp the orders.” I look over to see a shocked looking Ditzy.

“What’s wrong, Ditzy?” The mare seems to have tears building in her eyes, “Did I say something?”

“Just ... Nothing.” She buries her head in her hooves, sniffling. Suddenly, I remember what Danny told me a few weeks back.

And remember, don’t call Ditzy Derpy, that’s what all the bullies call her to insult her. She’s really sensitive about that word, so try and be careful, okay?

Dammit! I just insulted Ditzy! I’ve gotta make this right.

“Ditzy, I’m sorry, I forgot that that word hurts you. I didn’t mean to insult you.” I say in an apologetic tone, trying to make up for my mistake, “That word has nothing to do with you where I come from, I’m sorry.”

“It’s…It’s okay.” She wipes her nose on her hoof, “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. It’s just that…that word brings up bad memories.”

“What do you mean?” I ask the mare, who has now recovered.

“How about we talk about it…later.” She says, obviously not comfortable with bringing the subject up in a public place.

“I’ll take you orders now.” I didn’t even notice the stallion coming up the stairs.

“Um okay, I’ll order the three-layer lasagna with a glass of apple juice.”I smile as I order, hopeful for the food.

“I’ll have the fruit salad with a glass of Apple Family apple cider.” I hear Ditzy say happily, lightening my mood a bit.

“Is that all?” We both nod at the waiter’s question, “Okay then, your food will be with you in a little bit.”

The rest of the night went by so fast, and I think we both had a great time. We talked, laughed, and got to know each other better. I honestly think I’m starting to like this mare. The whole night, I had grown closer to her and started to care about her. Now my watch says 7:00 and I feel that there is only one thing that can get me to relax as I walk away from the restaurant, waving a Ditzy as I go. There is only one thing I can do; and that is hunting.

---10 minutes later---7:10---

I pull up into the driveway of Danny’s house and frown slightly as I do so; this will be the first time I’ve been hunting without Danny. Nonetheless, I need meat; that fake stuff just won’t cut it. I park the bike and walk into the garage, ready to select my weapons. I look over the broad selection Danny and I had found in the crates and pulled from the wreckage of the plane. Okay then, I’m gonna need something with accuracy…like a sniper!

Yanking open the cabinet we had designated for sniper rifles, I feast my eyes over the selection at hand; an M14EBR, a Barret .50, an M40A3, a Remington 700, and even a McMillan Tac-50. Jesus, I only need something that’ll kill a deer, maybe a manticore. With this in mind, I grab the Remington 700, a couple dozen 30-06 rounds, and my trusty tomahawk, just in case. Hopefully, I can bring something back.

---20 minutes later---7:30---

I walk silently among the brush of the Everfree Forest, trying not to be seen or heard by any creatures that may be lurking about. My right index finger rests on the trigger of the rifle, ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

Suddenly, I begin to pick up noises. Spinning around and trying to pinpoint the direction that the noises come from, I begin to figure that it’s coming from the left. What is that?

Quietly approaching the source of the noises, they begin to sound more distinct. Is that…sobbing? Is there a pony out here? Better not let them figure out why I’m here.

I move closer and closer until I’m practically on top of the source of the noises. Peering through the brush, I cannot believe what I’m seeing.

I see a depressed, sobbing Ditzy crying into her hooves, mumbling something that I can’t quite make out. Her dress is no longer present, so I can only assume that she dropped it off at her house, but that doesn’t make the sight I’m seeing any less sad. This is the mare whose smiles light up my day every morning when I go to get the mail. This is the mare that I just spent an evening with, getting to know her. Is she crying about what I said back at the restaurant? I’ve just gotta right this wrong, no matter what.

Well, what do ya think? I think I did pretty good on this one. I really hope that you all comment, as that’s how I judge how many of you like it. I view comments as being more important than likes, for whatever reason, so please review!