He gently pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back, shivering with an anticipation which he shared. Their mouths tenderly danced together in a waltz as old as time itself. His head swam with the intoxicating scent of her. Everything about her appealed to him, each aspect perfect on different levels. Her body was beauty itself to behold. She pressed lightly against him. Her mind was keen. He pressed back with equal gentleness. Her spirit was sweet and kind. She shifted beside him, pulling them closer. They were both damaged, but in the same way, they were each other's support. He shifted closer to her as well. Her scent was like vapors of alcohol dancing through his nose, making him giddy and eager. He caressed her face, barely touching her. He wanted to do everything in his power to make her happy. He had hurt her beyond words and he cursed his foolishness every day. He hurt every time he saw her frown, fearing he was the cause. He worked every single day to make up for what he had done. He knew in his heart of hearts that he did not deserve the forgiveness she had given him and that made him cherish it all the more. His emotions welled up from deep within his chest when he considered how much trust she was placing in him. She reached up and softly stroked the side of his face. Neither one of them spoke, there was no need. They had dedicated their lives to each other in a sacred oath and neither regretted it. Here, in their marriage bed, they would each give the other a gift more precious than all the stars in the sky. The kiss deepened as they felt their needs arise together. They were linked in mind and soul; very soon they would be linked in body as well...

Brilliant sunlight peaked through Beacon's window. The Unicorn stallion raised his left hoof over his eyes, shielding them from the harsh glare of the early morning sun. He gave a jaw cracking yawn and licked his lips. He blinked his eyes and shifted in his bed. The dream came back to him in an instant and a lazy, contented smile grew on his muzzle.

He suddenly sat bolt upright in bed and rubbed his hooves in his eyes, grunting in frustration,
"No!" he whispered harshly, "Stop it Beacon!" he grit his teeth and shook his head violently from side to side, trying in vain to dislodge the feelings and images, "You have no right! No right!" he lowered his head back onto the pillow clenching his eyes shut, "No! She isn't... she isn't... she isn't yours! You have no right to think on that!" he flexed his jaw all the harder, muscles straining, "She has not, nor will she ever Accept you! You have no right to even think it after what you did to her!" he kept his voice quiet, but his breath hitched in his throat as the words died on his tongue.

He turned onto his side and curled up into the fetal position for many long minutes as he forced the images to dissipate from his mind. He didn't want them to go, he wanted them to stay. He wanted them to be real, but he knew he had no right. He had dedicated his life to her already, but in a completely different way. He knew she had no similar thoughts and desires, it hurt to know, but he was more than willing to accept it silently. His only concern was for the safety of New Humansville and to do what was best for Ashley, no matter the cost to himself. Every time he felt his mind begin to slip into the idea that he could be with her, that she would or even could have feelings for him, he reminded himself of his crime. Seventy lives had been lost because of his actions. Seventy precious and unique flames extinguished due to his blindness and pride. And two of those lives had been connected to Ashley: her sister and her sister's baby.

Beacon suddenly rolled out of bed and rammed his horn into a hole in the floor boards with all his might. It wasn't dirt but it was the best he could do in private. He had done the same every day since he and Ashley had moved into her house, and just like every other day he twisted his head to the side, putting pressure against his horn. He had caused so much pain with it and he wanted it gone. He knew he would never participate in such a slaughter ever again, but he also had no trust in himself. He felt the pressure against his head increase as the skin began to tear. Grunting as tiny beads of sweat seeped through his coat, he continued applying pressure until a single drop of blood spilled into the hole along the length of his horn. He relaxed his neck and withdrew his horn, his weapon of murder. Oh how he hated it. He hated it almost as much as he hated himself. He was too weak to deal with the pain of snapping it off. It would all end if he did. He would bleed out through the hole in his skull in a matter of less than two minutes. He was too much of a coward though, and he knew it.

He sat down on his haunches and hung his head, 'It's the right thing to do and I can't do it.' His thoughts drifted to the only reason he didn't: Ashley. He had to protect her, but his punishment was a daily ritual. He knew that no manner of pain he dealt himself would ever bring back Ashley's sister or the baby, but he could protect the one he cared about, the one that was left. He could keep her safe, he would keep her safe. The cost to himself was barely even on his mind, 'The more I suffer, the better. Maybe one day I can make it up to her.' he blinked away his distress, 'Maybe one day she'll say it... maybe one day she'll forgive me.' he chuckled bitterly to himself, 'Not that I deserve it.' he sighed and laid down on the floor, his chin rested on the wooden floor, his eyes drifting shut as a single tear slipped down his cheek, 'I'll never deserve it, not after what I've done. She can't forgive me after what I've done. I don't deserve it. I'm not worth it. I'm defined by my actions, and she's right not to forgive me. I've never done anything right by her. I don't deserve her forgiving me. If I were worth it, she would forgive me.' he shook his head emotions bordering on actual rage, 'I don't deserve it...' he clenched his eyes shut, trying in vain to stop the tears, 'She deserves so much better than me, I'm worthless, a murderer...' he rubbed his head against the floor sniffling as the circular thoughts danced agony around his mind, 'It's hopeless.' he nudged the floor, the only thing he was worthy of, 'The best I can hope for is polite dismissal.' he looked toward the door as if it held the answers, 'It's hopeless.'

* * *

Bobby Jewel opened his eyes and beheld the vibrant pool of bright red hair as it framed Alana's petite face. She had taken to wearing her Human disguise all the time. She was still a Changeling though. The ever present black earring in her left ear told the story. Vaiawa wore an identical one in her own left ear. The earring was the marker the two Changelings had determined should be used to identify their kind in disguise. Bobby hated it, it reminded him too much of the arm bands the Jews were forced to wear just prior to World War II. Bobby understood the concept, but the reasoning made him feel ill.

He just laid in bed staring at Alana's face as she slept. She was beautiful. Even though they slept in the same bed, there was no sexual tension or expectations. Bobby had offered to let Alana sleep next to him when she came back. She was frightened and almost alone and he wanted to ensure she was safe. He easily admitted to himself that she was beautiful, even if it was just a disguise. He could also admit that he felt an attraction to her and not a weak one either. Whether or not she had any sort of similar attraction toward him was beside the point, he wanted to make sure she was safe and he refused to press the issue. They snuggled together in bed every night when they fell asleep, but Bobby kept his hands from roaming. Alana was beyond gorgeous, but a gentleman only did so much, and an F.M.F. Corpsman might as well have been a Marine, there were even higher standards to be met there.

Bobby sighed as he gazed longingly at the almost impossibly attractive 'woman' in bed with him. He smiled and rolled over onto his back, enjoying the simple pleasure of her company. If it happened, it happened; even if it didn't, it changed nothing. Bobby's thoughts began to drift toward his concerns for the day, 'Tina's baby was supposed to be due yesterday, but I'll give it another two days before we induce her... Leo's been acting all sorts of strange. He isn't talking as much, he's barely eating, and he always looks like he's ready to fuckin' pass out from exhaustion. I can't have him on staff if he don't take care of himself. I'm not going to let anybody endanger the lives of my patients. Cessily needs to have her fibromyalgia checked out here soon. I don't know how the hell she does it. She just goes on working every day like nothing's wrong, but it's got to be torture for her. I need to talk to Rachel about how the nursery in the Maternity Ward is coming along. We have to be sure everything is ready for Tina's baby. I'm not having an infant sleeping on a plain mattress in a drafty room. Steady Hoof looked at me like I was crazy when I demanded to put up steel doors and install a Thamaturgic monitoring system, but I'll be dead before having any babies disappearing from my hospital.'

His thoughts were interrupted when an arm with an exceptionally fair complexion reached over his chest and pulled him close, 'Well,' he thought wryly, 'It's not a blow job, but I'm not complaining.' he smiled a goofy grin and reached over to pull Alana closer, 'In for a dollar, in for a billion. Might as well enjoy it while I can.' he closed his eyes again, content to just hold and be held by the beautiful 'woman' who shared the bed.

* * *

Amber Eyes finished brushing her mane and tail then headed downstairs for breakfast. Her nose picked out the smells of pancakes and eggs. As her little hooves clopped down the stairs she wondered what would happen during the day. New Humansville was so exciting. It was like an adventure every day. She hadn't much liked the Diamond Dog attack, that was scary, but the Changelings, the New Humans, the discovery of a whole new Noun... it was amazing. The only downside was that there were no other Ponies her age for her to play with. Her sisters were all too young to be interested in what she liked and there were no Humans who wanted to play either. Her Mother, Long Wind, had lightened up about her going outside by herself among the Humans, but when the new Humans had arrived she had gone back and said she wanted Amber to stay away from the new Humans for a while.

Amber didn't understand why her Mother was so distrusting of their two legged neighbors. The Humans had always been super nice to the filly. They would make cute sounds and scratch her behind her ears. One or two had tried to pick her up, but her Mother was always there to put a stop to that. However, being doted over was only entertaining for so long. Amber was growing bored and because of the lack of distractions, she was almost a grade ahead of where she needed to be. She promised herself that she would find something to do besides schoolwork. She hadn't really been able to play for almost half a year, no filly could be expected to deal with such horrendous torture.

She reached the base of the stairs and turned to her right then walked through the Front Room and into the Dinning Room where the rest of her family was already eating,
"Morning everypony." she droned listlessly.

Looking around, it was obvious that her Petamines and Lamane had already left for their perspective jobs and it was only Amber, her sisters, and Long Wind at the table for breakfast.

"Good morning." Long Wind replied, "You took longer than usual to come down, Amber. Is something wrong?" she asked, the concern in her voice was obvious.

Amber halted before she even sat down at the table, eyes turned to the floor,
"Um... you always said you want me to be honest, right Mom?" she asked looking up and meeting her Mother's worried eyes.

Long Wind nodded, brow furrowing,
"Of course I do Amber. Even if it's not something I'll like, I do want you to feel you can be honest with me."

Amber Eyes took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and launched into her honest response,
"I'm so bored of being the only Pony my age living here! I've got nopony else to play with and my sisters are all too young and it feels like our house is more of a prison because instead of getting to know our neighbors better or finding something fun to do, I'm stuck in this house doing schoolwork all day, every day, non stop! I need to be outside! I need to be running and playing! I need to get to know our neighbors better, we all do! How are we supposed to be any kind of a community if we're all hermits? I want to know more about the Humans! We're going to be living here for a long time and for the first time, after EVERY SINGLE TIME WE MOVED, there's nopony my age to play with! I'm going crazy in this house! I love you and my sisters and everypony," a small tear ran down her cheek, "But I'm so lonely! This town is amazing but I can't explore, or run, or play, or do anything fun because you're afraid! I know you worry about me Mom, but remember back when you were a filly? You had friends, all I have are homework and walls!"

Amber shook her head, mane flying in all directions, and took another breath,
"I was nine when we moved here and now I'm ten. Did you have friends at your tenth birthday party? Did you even have a tenth birthday party? I'd like to know because I didn't!" Long Wind's eyes widened as she realized her daughter was right, "It was just after the Diamond Dog attack. Everypony was busy working, or healing, or crying and nopony noticed. I knew everypony was upset so I didn't say anything, but I wanted a birthday party. I wanted to have friends come over to play and celebrate, instead all I got was ignored." she raised her left forehoof and pointed to her sister, "Tender Touch got a party and presents. I... I... I don't like it here! I hate it here! There's so much going on, there's so much to see and I can't have any of it! I have to stay inside this stupid house like a prisoner all day! At least in Las Pegasus there were other Ponies my own age to play with!" she had meant to say more, but instead she dissolved into sobbing.

She hadn't meant to say she hated their home, or the town, but once she started she couldn't stop. She had been keeping so much inside it all came tumbling out all at once. She hated sounding spoiled, but she was really upset and it was so hard to sound mature when she was upset. She really didn't like crying. Crying was something foals did for attention and Amber immediately felt ashamed and selfish which, given her already emotional state, only made her cry harder.

Amber was crying so hard she barely realized it when her Mother and sisters wrapped her up in a huge hug. They held her until she had calmed down before they let go. They gave her some room, but stayed close, all sitting on the floor in a circle around her.

Amber sniffled and wiped her nose with her hoof,
"I'm sorry Mom." she said sniffling pitifully, "I didn't mean a lot of what I said. I just... I just want to go play... *sniff* and... and I want to have some friends. I don't... hate it here, I'm just... so bored all the time and you're spending so much time teaching and Dad and all my other Moms doing things that and everypony's still paying attention to my sisters I just... I know what you're doing is important and I know you're helping the Humans so much, but I need something to do too. My sisters are happy playing around the house, and I don't mind watching them for you and everypony, but... I want some time for me." she sniffed again and hung her head, "I know it's selfish, but I want to be a filly again. I'm not a grown up, I need to play and have friends..." she trailed off miserably and scraped at the floor with her right foreleg, "I'm a terrible big sister."

Long Wind shook her head and spoke softly,
"No you're not. You're stressed and bored and you lashed out. You handled your feelings poorly, but you owned up to what you said. How about you take some time today while I'm teaching and you're watching your sisters. Take some time and make a list of what you want and why you want it. Tonight when the whole family sits down for dinner we can discuss your list. How does that sound?"

Amber peeked up at her Mother,
"Really?"

Long Wind smiled,
"I'm making no promises but at least we can talk about what you feel and why. Hopefully we can all come to a conclusion."

Tender Touch spoke up,
"Don't be sad sissy, you can have one of my toys if you want."

Amber was touched by her younger sister's offer and tousled her mane,
"Thank you Tender, but they're your toys." she pulled her little sister into a hug, "Thank you though."

* * *

Eduardo stepped out of the C.W.G. Headquarters, which was still under construction, and onto the road to begin his patrol. He was exhausted. Being one of the very few people who spoke Spanish fluently, he was called upon several times every hour to help somebody communicate. Captain Joyner had offered him time off until the folks from Argentina had learned Velensovth, but Eduardo refused. He had a responsibility to the citizens of New Humansville and nothing was going to keep him from it.

He shifted his shirt, concerned that it didn't drape correctly over his new armor. He had decided to forego the helmet for fear that it made him appear too unapproachable, besides he knew he would be needed and people needed to identify him. He shifted the machete hanging on his belt, wishing for something more substantial. Poor Morris was backlogged like crazy after word got around of the Humans being able to carry whatever weapon they desired. Orders had flooded the lone blacksmith and Morris was churning out swords like crazy. Eduardo smiled at the thought. Let people carry something that only had one purpose, he had already told Morris what he wanted. Three short handled, long bladed assegai spears were in the works and Eduardo could hardly have been more happy.

He turned left out of the C.W.G. Headquarters and moved along the road at a casual walk. He nodded to and greeted Humans and Kavim left and right as they went about their lives. The knowledge that he was there to help any who needed it made his heart soar. In his previous life he had never imagined such satisfaction from protecting others. Thinking about his former life as a 'Card' was a topic of a great deal of internal debate for him. He mourned the missed opportunities that he had bypassed or had shrugged off because of peer pressure or the expectations of others. He had come to realize that his old life was one which bordered on slavery. He had 'obligations' and if he failed in those he faced the threat of being beaten if not killed outright, to say nothing of what the other gang members would do to his family.

His concern for the rest of his family back on Earth had been put to rest when Veronica had explained that everybody from The Complex had been declared dead. The other gang members would leave his family alone hopefully. On the outside, he smiled and greeted everybody he passed, but on the inside his guilt still gnawed at him. Three people had met their end because of him, either directly or indirectly, it didn't matter. Three souls he had snuffed out during his time in the gang. The first was during a territory fight where he had stabbed another young man in the gut repeatedly until he could no longer hold his knife. The second and third were a 'hit', a drive-by where he had shot a man and woman who had been walking on the sidewalk. The man was a former 'Card' who had snitched on another member. He had wanted out but was refused so he went to the police for protection in exchange for testimony for crimes he had witnessed. Police protection was easily bought off and Eduardo made the 'hit'.

The young Hispanic man shook his head sadly at his actions. How stupid that old life was, how idiotic and useless. Drink booze, run and sell drugs and guns, sleep with women. His old life, he realized, was an absolute abomination of what life was supposed to be. His first wake up call was the day everybody woke up in the field. Everybody was confused, without purpose, but when Leo had threatened Pering, Eduardo had felt a stirring within him. Conflict and confrontation were things he knew well. He could handle conflict. Leo posed a threat to everybody's safety and Eduardo was secretly glad he had decided not to bash Leo's head with the rock he had already picked up. Once things became more smooth, and he had time for reflection, Eduardo realized that Leo was not just an obstacle to be disposed of. He was a Human being and he had a purpose. Leo had helped to bandage Eduardo's own injuries in the aftermath of The Massacre and that was what made him understand that everybody had a part to play and you never know when it might help you in turn. He had whispered a silent prayer of thanks and had sworn to protect others instead of hurting them if he could help it. Joyner had given him a chance and he was not about to waste his life a second time.

He turned another corner and came face to face with one of the young men from Argentina, the two nearly bumped noses. Eduardo stepped back and opened his mouth to speak but his breath was suddenly stolen away as a sharp lance of shock and impact flared up in his stomach stealing his breath. The young man had punched him in the gut. The man's right hand drew back and came forward again and again and again in rapid succession, almost blurring with speed. It took Eduardo half a second to recognize the motions of an knife wielder. With only a thought his hands whipped out and grasped the other man's knife hand by the wrist.

Keeping his hands locked on the man's wrist, Eduardo shoved his right shoulder into the man's chest, knocking his body away and extending his knife arm. Eduardo pulled the arm toward himself and stepped back with his left foot, bringing his right foot up and into the man's stomach in a swift, hard kick. The man grunted out a harsh yell and Eduardo placed his right foot between the other man's feet. He twisted his body to the right and pulled the man off balance and onto the ground. Thinking quickly, he let go of the man's knife hand and placed his left forearm onto the joint of the man's right elbow and applied pressure. The man let out a howl of agony as his elbow was dislocated. Keeping up his initiative, Eduardo let go of the man's wrist completely and turned him over onto his stomach. He reached up and pulled his left arm behind his back and planted his knee in the center of the man's spine.

It was only then that Eduardo noticed the blood seeping out from under his shirt. He pursed his lips and let out a trio of sharp whistles in quick succession. It was the signal for an Officer in need of assistance.

* * *

Vaiawa sat down across from Arch Magister Catalyst for lunch. Initially the shy Changeling had been terrified of the Arch Magister, but in the three weeks since they had met, she had cooled down. Catalyst wanted to know everything she could about Changelings and while Vaiawa had not exposed anything she considered a secret, she was willing to cooperate. Being in the presence of the Arch Magister also had the additional benefit of keeping her from being the target of hateful glares and thrown debris. The two of them were scheduled to visit the New Humansville Hospital that day so the doctors could study Changeling anatomy and biology.

Once Vaiawa's panic attack had subsided, Catalyst had assured her that nobody had any intention of dissecting her and the only experiments she would be subjected to were ones that both she and Catalyst approved of. Vaiawa was still feeling unsure about the whole idea, but the Arch Magister had assured her that she would be free to stop the process at any time and was likewise free to leave anytime she felt so inclined. Vaiawa was unsure but she was willing to trust Catalyst. The black mare had not misled her yet and she was willing to trust her until she proved otherwise.

As usual, Vaiawa ate a small lunch as her body was still not used to what Ponies considered a 'normal' serving of food. Catalyst sat across from her eating her lunch absentmindedly while she continued her study of all things related to Changelings. She had a clipboard levitating in her magic aura while a pencil surrounded by a matching aura scribbled down notes.

"So how about family life?" Catalyst asked, "Do Changelings have two sexes or one?"

Vaiawa swallowed her tiny mouthful of what the Humans called 'hush-puppy' and cleared her throat,
"We have three sexes, four if you count the Queen."

Catalyst's head whipped up in an instant,
"How does THAT work?"

Vaiawa shrugged and took another tiny bite out of her 'hush-puppy',
"Male, female, co-lover, and both-female. Males are rare, but they do pop up once in a while. The Queen generally keeps them for herself so she can keep laying eggs with fresh semen. Females and co-lovers are the most common. Almost every one of us is one of the two, probably a good 80%. Both-female is a Queen. She can function as a female and a co-lover. As for how it works: the male provides the semen, the female provides the egg, and the co-lover is the incubator. Females CAN carry fertilized eggs, but they have to be removed so the larvae can hatch or else it kills the female. Both-females, as I said, are Queens. If a Queen dies Changelings can still reproduce by using males, females, and co-lovers until another Queen is born. A single Changeling can use their magic to become any sex that is needed but it needs a lot of magic to do so and since almost all our magic comes from love, it's not done very often and I've heard it's horribly painful. When Changelings talk about a 'Father' or 'Mother' those terms are only used to refer to the roles that the Changelings were representing in that kind of a capacity, not the sex of the Changeling. A family can consist of all females and there is still a 'Mother' and 'Father'. We use it because every other species uses it and every aspect of our society emulates some aspect of another culture to help us get used to the social mores and customs of other species. It helps us to blend in more easily."

Catalyst blinked,
"Wow. I do have to ask, which gender is considered the 'attractive' one?"

Vaiawa shrugged,
"There isn't one. You are what you are and if you need to change, you will. Changelings don't look at appearances amongst ourselves. The main ways we tell each other apart are by the placement and size of the holes in our legs, horns, and wings... and by scent of course. Other than that, we're all very similar, so we don't really care all that much about appearances. There are a few other indicators too. Ear placement on occasion, length of fangs, but those are hard to see without being really close."

Vaiawa finished her 'hush-puppy' and licked her lips appreciatively,
"That was remarkably tasty."

Catalyst shook her head in disbelief,
"How can you call one of those dough balls lunch? I'd still be really hungry."

Vaiawa smiled,
"I'll eat more as time goes on, but we have to be able to get by on very little. Love helps sustain us." she laid back her ear fins in a Pony expression, "Are you really sure you're alright with letting me take emotion from you?"

Catalyst waved her right hoof dismissively,
"You hardly take anything. I love discovery so there's more than enough for you, go for it."

* * *

Eduardo grunted as Steady Hoof helped him out of his armor,
"What good is this junk if a knife just goes right through it?" she groused.

Eduardo tried not to move as the Pegasus mare examined his wounds,
"I got no idea doc. How bad is it?"

The mare in the white coat smiled warmly,
"Actually the knife only seems to have penetrated the first half inch and no further. These are all flesh wounds, they don't even need stitches. I'll disinfect them and bandage you up, but you'll be good to go. I won't need to keep you for observation or anything." she turned to snag the alcohol, "What could have made that man attack you like that?"

Eduardo shook his head,
"I got no clue doc..."

The rest of his statement was interrupted by the examination room's rood being opened,
"Ortega," Captain Joyner addressed directly, "What in the world happened out there?"

Eduardo grunted as Steady Hoof pressed the alcohol soaked gauze to his wounds,
"Got shanked Captain. Armor didn't hold up."

Mike raised his eyebrows, stepped over, and picked up the torso piece,
"No, it looks like it did actually." he glanced to the side where the shiv was laying, "I take it this is the weapon?"

Eduardo nodded,
"Yeah, had to bring it to make sure it wasn't poisoned. It's clean except for my blood."

Mike levitated the shiv up and slid the blade into the torso armor, it was halted quickly by the closely held scales,
"No, it looks like the armor itself held just fine, the blade of this knife is so narrow it slipped partly in between the scales and the chain underneath, but there's no actual damage or point of compromise for the armor itself." he set down the armor, "We need to make sure Morris doesn't make anything that can do what this did." he said holding up the knife.

Mike set the knife down and clasped his hands behind his back,
"Did he say anything to you about why he decided you'd look better as a kabob?"

Eduardo shook his head and sighed,
"He didn't say a thing to me. Why? Did he say why he did it?"

Mike nodded,
"He claims a member of the 'Cards' murdered his brother. He was getting 'justice' for it."

Eduardo lowered his head sadly as Steady Hoof finished applying the bandages to his stomach,
"Might have been. The 'Cards' killed a lot of people. They had ties to the Cartels in Columbia so it's possible." his face contorted in anger, "Damnit!" he pounded his fist into the bed, "I've gone and changed my life and I'm still hurting people!"

"It was his choice to stab you, not your's." Mike said seriously.

"But it COULD have been me!" Eduardo said loudly, "Before I came here, when I was still running with the 'Cards' I killed two guys who could have been his brother!"

Steady Hoof gasped at his admission and Eduardo turned his head in shame,
"I'm not that guy anymore doc. I've changed, but..." he sighed and closed his eyes, "It looks like my past has caught up with me." he looked up sharply, eyes locked on Mike, "I got to talk to him."

Joyner stepped back and held up his hands,
"No dice. You're the arresting officer and the victim and you're not handling his case. It's a conflict of interest."

Eduardo tried to stand, but Steady Hoof held him back,
"You're still my patient. Stay put." she turned to Mike, "Captain, can I trust you to make sure he isn't going anywhere?"

Mike closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose,
"Yeah. Go ahead."

Steady Hoof left, closing the door behind her.

Eduardo and Mike just stared at each other for a few moments before Eduardo spoke,
"Look Captain, if his brother was killed by a 'Card' then he's not going to change easily. I don't want my mistakes to ruin somebody else's life. I got a second change here, he deserves the same thing."

Mike's jaw clenched,
"He had his chance and he squandered it on trying to murder you Eduardo. Do you want him walking around here knowing that he's capable of doing it again?"

Eduardo met Mike's eyes with a steady gaze,
"You let me walk around here and I actually succeeded... three times. You're willing to trust me with training the C.W.G. Officers. You've got to listen to me, he's still confused and all he saw was a chance for justice that his brother's killer probably never saw. Yeah, he was misguided, but the guy is probably still in shock from everything that's happened."

Mike closed his eyes and massaged his temples,
"It's out of my hands Eduardo. There's a Rectifier here already."

Eduardo's jaw dropped,
"They heard about this and dispatched an agent in one afternoon?"

Mike shook his head,
"Naw, they have two in the town in case of emergencies. Apparently they arrived yesterday when nobody was paying attention. One of them has volunteered to monitor the case. I asked him about what he plans to do if your attacker is found guilty, the Rectifier I mean, he said he wants to wait until he knows all the facts before he decides. Your attacker's name is Troya Alberto by the way."

Eduardo closed his eyes and pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes,
"Troya Alberto." he whispered, "Name doesn't ring any bells." he took a breath and exhaled violently, "How can we get through to him?"

Mike shrugged his shoulders,
"Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill. If Troya is found guilty he'll be subjected to your memories. That's about as bad as Equestria's punishment system gets. He'll learn his lesson and he'll see things from your perspective."

Eduardo grunted,
"Yeah, but what if he's found innocent?"

Keep an eye out for typos.