The Marines agreed to stop hunting as long as they had food. They even began tearing down their dwelling in the forest once the Gryphons dropped tents to them in the field. The Marines kept their weapons close at hand but were congenial with the flights of Gryphons who brought in food every day. The formerly captive Gryphons were taken back to Cha'rheid but the medical Gryphons stayed to ensure the Marines were kept in good health. Razor Wit was constantly busy once the Gryphon medics met the F.M.F. Corpsmen. The Gryphon medics were familiar with infection and bacteria, but once the Corpsmen began telling them how to manufacture modern medicines out of garden herbs the Gryphons were ecstatic. Oriana allowed the medics and Corpsmen to use her alchemical equipment to create potions and even shared a few of the more common Zebra recipes. Seeing as how tight-lipped the Zebras tended to be about their potions, the Gryphons leaped at the idea and the Corpsmen followed suit. As the medics and Corpsmen continued exchanging ideas and knowledge, the medical Gryphons began sending letters with the flights that brought out the food every morning. They were asking that the Marines be granted citizenship. Their requests went unanswered and no news was forthcoming from the flights that brought the food.

After the Marines finished tearing down their camp in the forest on the second day, they became bored. The Sergeants began taking groups of five hundred Marine out into the wider areas of the field for P.T. Each group would P.T. for however long it took them to do eight hundred situps, six hundred pushups, and run for fifty thousand steps. After their time doing P.T. each group would jog into the forest to one of the streams and cool off while another group prepared to begin their own P.T.

Even Marines could only work on Physical Training for so long so they began to hone their skills by sparring and wrestling. Major Heartford watched the matches and was happy to act as a referee. Darryl naturally asked to join in the matches. Artex and Rose decided to watch the matches to stave off boredom. The 'ring' was a circle of crates and the rules were simple: no intentional breaking of bones, no choke holds, no weapons, and the match is over if either combatant yields. The ring was large enough that roughly a quarter of the Marines could watch any given match.

Rose and Artex watched as Darryl stripped down to only his pants and faced off with Sergeant Dyson. Dyson was well-built but still too thin for Artex to think it was a fair fight. Darryl outweighed the Sergeant by at least three and a half Stones and he had seen more recent combat, plus he looked to be half the age of the Sergeant. Sergeant Dyson was a man with strong Italian heritage. He had high cheekbones, curly black hair, and deeply set, intense brown eyes. He stood five feet, nine inches tall with a runner's sleek bone structure and athletic, toned muscles.

The two men walked up to each other and shook hands then stepped back and took identical stances. Major Heartford whistled sharply and the match began. Marines cheered and yelled encouragement to Dyson while Rose and Artex just watched silently. Neither man moved at first, they both watched one another for any hint of movement. Artex understood what they were doing. He knew how Darryl fought so he studied Sergeant Dyson instead. The Sergeant kept his breathing steady and his attention wide, his eyes never focusing on any single part of his opponent. His hands were up in front of his face in a ready position with his hands open, palms facing outward. His left foot was toward Darryl, his feet were shoulder width apart, and his knees were bent.

In a split second, the fight began. Sergeant Dyson shot toward Darryl like a bullet out of a gun. Artex was impressed, the man never broadcast his intentions. There was no sign of tightening muscles, no subtle shifting of weight, no eye movement to give it away. One second he was standing in place, the next second he and Darryl were exchanging punches and kicks furiously. Artex and Rose watched silently as the two combatants punched, blocked, kicked, and attempted to grapple one another. The match ended with Darryl having thirty-seven hits and Dyson having thirty-three hits.

Darryl and Dyson shook hands and left the ring as the cheering died down. Rose turned to Artex with a big grin. It did not take him long to figure out what she wanted, "No way Rose." He said sternly, "If you go in there somebody is going to end up really injured and I don't want any incidents here."

Rose stuck out her lower lip, her eyes enlarging and shimmering in the sunlight. Artex almost had to kick himself, "No Rose. Please just let it go."

Neither man nor mare realized they had an audience. One of the Woman Marines walked up and planted her fists on her hips staring at Artex. She stood five foot, six inches tall with shoulder length brown hair pulled up into a bun, "Let me guess, she wants to try her hand-er... hoof in the ring and you won't let her?"

Artex nodded, "Yeah and for good reason." He gestured to his pouting mare, "She's at least ten times stronger than any of you. If she lands even a single hit, it's going to shatter bones."

The woman snorted, "Yeah IF she lands a hit. She can run, I'll give her that, we've all seen her but matching one of us? I doubt it."

Major Heartford walked up to the trio, "Is something wrong?"

"Yes! There is definitely something wrong!" He gestured to the woman, "This lady... what is your name ma'am?"

"Monroe." the woman answered.

"Ms. Monroe thinks she can match Rose in the ring. Listen to me Major, if Rose fights... she can shatter bones with a single kick. I do not want to see any of your Marines accidentally killed in a match."

The Major looked down at the pouting mint colored Earth Pony then back up to Artex, "If she thinks she can match a Marine," he chuckled, "Well then she's welcome to try."

Rose looked up at her boyfriend hopefully, "I didn't catch all of that, my English still isn't very good."

Artex sighed and rubbed his eyes, "He said you can fight, but I still don't think it's a good idea."

Rose squealed in delight and immediately trotted toward the entrance to the ring. Ms. Monroe shot Artex a snide smile and followed Rose. Artex could not help himself, "Whatever you do, do not think she'll go down easy." The woman merely waved her hand dismissively.

Artex sighed and turned to watch. Darryl stepped up next to him as he finished pulling on his shirt, "Who is fighting?" His head was still inside his shirt so he could not see who was in the ring. Artex groaned and leaned forward on the crates in front of him, "Rose Thorn and a woman with a death wish."

"ROSE!?" Darryl scrambled to pull his shirt all the way on and looked into the ring, "Aww shit."

Major Heartford whistled and the match began. The Marines hollered and yelled in support of their fellow Marine. Rose's stance was odd to Artex. She stood with her entire right side facing the woman as she looked over her shoulder at her opponent. Rose raised and flicked her tail as the woman slowly inched toward the much shorter Kavim. Rose never moved an inch. The woman suddenly lashed out with her left leg in a snap kick. Rose flicked her tail into the woman's face before the kick could land. The light green mare crouched down and the kick went right over her head. Before the woman could even bring her foot back to the ground, Rose tucked her legs and rolled into the woman's right leg. Monroe lost her balance and fell forward. She turned onto her back and Rose was on her. Monroe brought up her hands, trying to punch. Rose took a single punch to the snout before she planted her forehead against that of the woman. She spread her hind legs and pulled them together, trapping Monroe's own legs. The two struggled for a few seconds before Rose held the woman down with the hairs of each of her forehooves holding the woman's wrists to the ground. The woman grunted and struggled fiercely but it was no good, she was well and truly pinned. The gathered Marines fell silent, eyes wide at the spectacle.

Monroe struggled for a few more seconds and finally gave up with a huff, "I yield."

Rose stepped off the woman and offered her right forehoof to help her up. Monroe accepted the offered hoof with a grin, "You know, for something so adorable, you sure do pack a lot of muscle."

"She said, 'You're pretty strong for being as cute as you are.'" Artex translated for Rose.

In response, Rose batted her eyelashes, attempting to look as innocent as she could manage. Monroe laughed heartily and walked out of the ring. Rose stayed where she was, "Tell them that I want to fight whoever is deemed the best. I don't care if they're male or female." She yelled at Artex.

Artex groaned as all eyes turned to him, "She says she wants to fight the best person and she doesn't care if it's a man."

The gathered Marines began murmuring to one another. Major Heartford walked back over to Artex, "The men aren't comfortable with the idea of punching or kicking a female who isn't a Marine, Human or not. Women Marines are still Marines so they don't count, but Rose isn't a Marine.

Artex shook his head, "She doesn't care, trust me."

"Well then why don't YOU fight her?" The Major asked.

Artex held up his hands and shook his head vigorously, "No, no, no, no, no, no! I-I couldn't hit her!"

The Major crossed his arms, "Then don't expect a male Marine to be willing to strike a lady outside of a life or death struggle."

Artex lowered his hands, "I suppose I can see what you mean."

"Hell I'll do it." Darryl said taking off his shirt again.

Artex rubbed his eyes with his right hand, "At least YOU know that you're going to get your ass handed to you."

Darryl chuckled, "Monroe's mistake was letting Rose get a hold of her. Rose and I have sparred before."

Darryl boldly strode into the ring with a cheshire cat smile plastered on his face, "I know there's no way in Hell that I'll beat you. What say we give my brothers and sisters a good show eeh Rose? Let's make it flashy." he said in Velensovth.

Rose grinned back and held up her right forehoof, "Bring it on."

Darryl tapped his fist against her hoof and the two stepped back and took their stances. Rose faced Darryl and raised herself up onto her hind legs. Her forehooves were held near her head. Her right forehoof was bent oddly with the flat of her right hoof just to the side of her face. Her left forehoof was held straight out toward Darryl while Darryl had taken a boxer's stance. Major Heartford whistled and the match began. Darryl darted in aggressively with a quick left jab. Rose's left foreleg came up and blocked it while she bent her pastern and gripped Darryl's wrist. The movement was so quick Artex nearly missed it. She stepped toward Darryl and delivered a quick trio of jabs to his stomach with her right forehoof. The force of the blows knocked Darryl back, but Rose used his momentum. After the third jab, she held her right forehoof against his stomach and pushed upward. Darryl's body rose off the ground and directly over the mare's head. Rose twisted and spun and Darryl's body impacted the ground with a loud thump. Even on his back, Darryl was not helpless. As soon as his back hit the ground he tensed his stomach muscles and brought up his legs. He wrapped his ankles around Rose's neck and twisted, throwing her off balance.

Both combatants stood back up, Darryl on two legs and Rose on four, and charged at each other. Rose spun and lashed out with her hind legs as soon as they got close. Darryl leaned back and slid under the buck. His legs slid right between Rose's Front legs and he ended up facing her belly. He punched upwards striking her stomach and at the same time brought up his right knee to her muzzle. Rose yelped from the impact and backed away briefly. Darryl rolled and regained his footing. He stood up just in time to catch a cranium to the ribs as Rose literally applied her head in a flying headbutt that even Buzz Butter would be proud of. Darryl staggered back and Rose pushed her advantage. Rising back up onto her hind legs she punished Darryl's chest and stomach with a rapid fire series of light jabs. Darryl managed to catch his balance for just one brief second. He grabbed her left forehoof and stepped back, throwing Rose off balance. He brought up his right knee and struck her chest. He held his grip and began to spin.

Rose's hind legs came off the ground as Darryl picked up momentum, "Darryl!" she shouted, "You know I don't have a counter for this!"

Darryl smirked and continued picking up speed. He let go of the Earth Pony mare and Rose flew limply into the surrounding crates. The Marines behind the crates backed away as quickly as they could. Rose hit the crates hard and her weight shattered them, throwing up a cloud of debris and dust. The Marines watched a silent fascination as the dust cleared, revealing Rose already standing back up and sporting an evil grin. She cracked her neck and licked her lips. Darryl knew that look well, the mare's fighting spirit was roused. Rose widened her stance and lowered her head, still smiling. Darryl put his guard back up and smiled back, "I guess the warm up's finished, huh?"

Rose grinned, showing teeth, "LET'S ROOOOCK!"

The two charged back at each other as the gathered Marines watched in awe. Artex had been concerned, but once he saw the pair exchange the first couple of blows, he understood. They were putting on a show. It was an idea he could get behind. While Darryl and Rose continued throwing and receiving punches, kicks, headbutts, and body throws, Artex calmly approached Major Heartford.

"Not bad eh Major?" he asked smugly.

The Major nodded, watching the fight intensely, "She's good. I can see that she's pulling her punches though." he turned and regarded Artex, "This is an exhibition match isn't it." It wasn't a question.

Artex leaned onto the wooden crate casually, "Yeah it is. But just imagine how much damage Rose could do if she weren't holding back."

Major Heartford grunted, "She sure is strong for such a little Pony."

Artex could not hold back a hearty laugh at the statement.

* * *

Ultimately, and for obvious reasons, nobody else was willing to fight Rose. Instead, she and Darryl decided to do P.T. with the Marines to keep themselves busy. Artex asked Razor Wit to go for a walk with him. He had a small concern about how the Gryphons and Marines would get along without the tan mare to translate, but Razor assured him that the flashcards she had distributed to the Corpsmen would be sufficient. Artex looked at the sun to determine which direction was East. The two of the set off across the field in the opposite direction of the afternoon sun.

They walked out of earshot of the camp, but neither broke the silence between them. Each of them was content to simply enjoy the company of the other. Artex estimated they had been walking for half an hour or more before Razor broke the silence, "I sent a letter to may family before we left. When we return they'll be expecting us to visit them in Trottingham."

Artex smiled, "I look forward to it, sweetheart."

Razor blushed at the sentimental name, "Thanks Artex." The two lapsed back into silence for a time before Razor spoke again, "A-Artex... I'm not trying to be pushy, so please don't think that... but... uh... how long do you plan to wait until... until we get married?"

Artex smiled, "The only thing I'm really waiting for is completing the herd. I already have rings for you and Oriana. I haven't had one made for Rose yet though. I do like her a lot, but I need to love her before I propose." His eyebrows scrunched together as a thought occurred to him, "Do each of you girls get your own wedding, or do I marry all of you at once?"

Razor looked up at him and blinked, "I thought we discussed that already. You marry each of us individually so that every mare has her own special day."

Artex nodded along as she spoke, "That's good. You girls definitely deserve to all have your own unique days." He chuckled, "Heck, I want to give each of you your own proposals."

Razor smiled and giggled, "I look forward to it."

Artex smiled and stopped. He turned his head to the West. The sun was getting ready to set and the field was silent. The clouds in the sky were golden, pink, orange, and purple. He took a deep breath and let it out in a relaxed sigh, "Let's stop here and just watch the sunset."

He sat down with his legs crossed in the grass and moments later, Razor joined him. He knew they were too far away from the Marines to be seen so he slipped his right hand around her shoulders and pulled her close. She made a happy sound in her throat and nuzzled against his chest, "This is nice."

Artex smiled and looked down at the mare beside him, "Nice?" He asked, "Drat. I wanted this to be perfect."

Razor Wit giggled, "The only thing that would make this 'perfect' would be if we were already married or engaged or something."

The tan Unicorn mare suddenly heard a high pitched metallic sound. At the same time she felt something slide over her horn. Before she could say anything about it, Artex spoke, "O.k. NOW it's perfect."

Razor Wit froze. Her eyes slowly lifted until she was looking at her own horn. A golden ring rested on the spirals of her horn gleaming in the evening sun. She was at a loss for words. Fortunately Artex had the solution, "You were the first real friend I had in Equestria. You helped me learn the language, you helped me acclimate to life in this world, you've been with me every step of the way, and now..." he trailed off briefly, "Now I can't imagine life without you." He turned his head and looked lovingly down at his mare, "This life, I have because you helped me build it. You always believed in me. You were always there to help me." He reached up and stroked her muzzle, "I want to be with you for the rest of my life... Razor Wit... will you marry me?"

She sat in place. She was in shock and she had not been expecting it at all. She had built her life on words, and suddenly her words failed her. She decided to answer in the most simple manner she could. She lunged forward and kissed her fiance.

Let me know if you spot any typos.