Staring intently into Jack’s eyes, Flitter sucked in a deep breath. A small smile spread across her muzzle as she stared at him. “Okay Mr. Kessle…. I… I would like to help you.”

The humans eyes widened noticeably as he pulled back. Jack stroked his chin lightly, before making a flicking hand gesture. His features split open in a toothy grin as he pushed his right hand towards Flitter. The mare eyed it curiously, before Jack wiggled his hand slightly. His expression turned impatient as he did so. Flitter looked back up at him as he did so. “W-what am I supposed to do?”

Jack let out a disgruntled sigh as he retracted his offered hand to type something into his PDA. “It’s a handshake. A sign of agreement among my people.” He shoved his hand back out, and waited expectantly.

It was Flitters turn to be surprised now. “Oh! Like a hoofshake! You should have just said so!” Giggling to herself, Flitter took the humans hand and shook it. The mare smiled up at the pouting human as he typed.

“I would have if my voice wasn’t neutered.” Jack's PDA spoke in place of him as he got up, and meandered over to his new supply stock. Flitter cocked her head to watch as he rummaged through the non perishables. Lowering her raised hoof, Flitter thought silently about what exact questions she should be asking this new human. While Flitter sat, stumped in thought, the PDA’s tinny masculine voice piped up again. “You hungry?” He didn’t wait for Flitters answer, as her stomach answered for her. Raising her hoof again to stop Jack, she was cut off by his soft laughter.

Humans don’t laugh… /Our/ humans don't laugh. Jack must be different. Somehow.

“You’ve got wings. Do they work?” The excitement on his face was at complete odds with the monotone statement/questions of his PDA.

Nodding slowly, Flitter pulled her wing in a bit closer. “Y-yes? I’m a pegasi. We’re supposed to fly.” She looked down at the can of fruits and furrowed her brow. “How do I open this?” She asked as she turned the can over in her hooves.

A small cry of disapproval escaped Flitter when Jack pulled the can from her grasp with ridiculous ease. Setting it down on the floor of the cave, he tapped in his next response. “That’s fucking badass. I wish I had wings, would have made combat drops easy as hell.” Flitters ears pinned against her head at the use of harsh language, but she soon found herself pulling back out of fear when Jack yanked a long, utilitarian knife from his belt. As if it were nothing, he jammed the knife into the cans lid, and had the lid off in remarkably short order. He offered the opened can to Flitter as he cleaned the blade off on his clothing.

Flitter swallowed nervously, before her hunger forced her to cave in. Between bites and chewing, Flitter voiced her next question: “How didn’t you notice my wings before? It’s not like I was hiding them.” She watched Jack with intense curiosity as he moved around.

Pursing his lips into a line; Jack furrowed his brow and looked away from Flitter. “I just so happened to overlook that part of ‘Talking Horse’. Sorry.” Flitter held her tongue as she watched Jack cut open a small box, and dump its contents into a small metal pan that sat over the fire. Flitter involuntarily jerked when Jack brandished his knife again to sharpen a stick. This time though, Jack had noticed. His smile disappeared instantly, and he sat back down on his haunches; turning all of his attention on Flitter. “Listen, stop jumping every time I move. I’m supposed to trust you, and you’re making me tense.” He stared intently into Flitters eyes as she relented an answer.

“I-I’m sorry…” She said as she let her head hang slightly. “You’re just…”

“Scary?” The tinny voice asked as Jack braced his chin on one of his hands.

Flitter took a moment before nodding her agreement. She didn’t bother faking a smile when she answered. “Yes. You… You scare me. You aren’t like any other human in any of the books I’ve read. You’re just-” Flitter rolled her hooves about as she searched her mind for the right word. She didn’t see Jack sit back and crack a small grin. “I don’t know how to explain this…” Flitter rubbed her cheek; she winced at the pain, but it did feel like the swelling was going down.

The mare’s pain made Jack visibly grimace. To Flitter's continuing surprise; Jack seemed to have a very large repertoire of facial expressions, rivaling that of even a pony in her eyes. The expression he wore now was pained regret; if Flitter was any judge. “Listen, this is all about trust, right.” He rubbed two of his fingers and thumb together as he gazed at the cave ceiling. “You don’t trust me because I scare you, and because I hit you. I don’t trust you, because at any moment you could rat me out, and my life would probably end in a very terrible way. I don’t want my life to end in a terrible way, thank you very much.” Jack set his PDA down and rubbed his temples with both fore fingers. Flitter furrowed her brow slightly as she watched the pained expression spread over Jacks features.

Despite herself, what Jack had stated was more or less correct. I’m terrified of him because of what he could do if I ever made him mad, or even if he felt like it. But… I also said I would help him, and he seems genuinely worried about me. Flitter set her chin down on her upturned hooves. The winds howled wildly outside and rain pitter-pattered off the cover that was pinned well against the cave entrance. Jack said nothing as he cooked his food over the fire. Flitter kept her eyes closed as she pressed her brain for any kind of answer. She never did find an answer, but she found a question that would serve well enough in its place. Looking back up at the imposing human, Flitter sucked in a deep breath to calm herself. “You need my help, don’t you?” Flitter stared at Jack for a moment before speaking again. “Why?”

Jacks expression remained neutral as he mulled the question over in his mind. He did not answer until well after taking his food off the open flame. His predatory eyes bored into Flitters as he spoke. “Because I do not want to die.” The tinny voice stated the answer flatly, and without emotion; it felt almost appropriate.

Flitter’s eyes widened, and her wings spread ever so slightly. Flitter gazed at Jack, her eyes wandering over the lengths of metal and the odd cloth that covered almost every extremity. Closing her eyes for a moment; Flitter sighed. “Why me?” Flitter had stopped looking around the cave; all of her attention was on the anomaly of a human in front of her.

He seemed to consider her question for a long time; during which the storm outside only grew worse. Jack ran a hand down his bristly cheek and shrugged. No answer came from his device. Flitter blinked, before noticing the slight smirk on Jack’s face. Pouting, Flitter tossed the empty fruit can at him. With a cackling laugh, he deflected it with contemptuous ease. As she went to pick up something else to throw at Jack, he held his hands up in defeat. He started typing as Flitter sat back down. “I saved your life in the clearing, right?” Flitter nodded, and opened her mouth to speak; only to be cut off by a swift prod to her muzzle. “Not finished. I’m all alone out here. I need help, or I would probably die, or get captured and tortured again. You seem like an alright kind of pony, so I’m hoping that you can help me. I saved your ass, so I’m hoping that you can help save mine.” He removed his finger from Flitters muzzle and set the small device down on the ground next to him.

Having just had Jack lay everything out in front of her; Flitter had a lot to digest. The mare shivered at the cold, despite the warm fire before her. She didn’t notice that Jack did the same thing. He’s… Very honest. Unlike some ponies I know. The thought caused Flitter to frown heavily. He said he wasn’t from here, and he’s... Flitter ground her teeth out of habit as she thought it all over within her head. It’s settled then. Sitting up a bit straighter, Flitter lent Jack an honest smile. “Mister Kessle, I will help you. I… I think I can trust you. I hope you trust me. I don’t want anypon- err… Anybody, to get hurt.” Flitter swallowed lightly, before smiling again. “I would like to be your first friend here.”

Jack pulled back, blinking in surprise. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it quickly. His eyebrows remained up near his fringe as he shook his head lightly. Eventually, a small grin spread once more on his features; putting Flitters mind to ease. “You know, I’ve never been friends with a magic fairy pony princess.” Jack scrunched up his features as he glanced over at Flitter. “You’re not going to make me go to stupid tea parties, right?”

Flitter rolled her eyes. “I’m a pegasi, and I’m not a princess.” A small giggle escaped Flitter as she thought about the tea party idea. “And no, I haven’t had a tea party since I was in primary flight school.”

Flitter giggled again as Jack pumped a fist into the air. Looking around, Flitter found that his little cave was actually quite cozy. It had a familiar feeling to it that put her at ease. Flitter didn’t even flinch when Jack got up and crossed over to her. She did however, panic slightly and squeak when he picked her up and hugged her tightly. His voice box spoke as he wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you for not having my balls cut off.” The panic Flitter felt quickly bled off after Jack's voice box spoke; a small smile spread across her features as she returned the hug with her forehooves and wings. As she did so, Flitter came to a realization. Jack was very warm. Incredibly warm, actually. Flitter didn’t have much time to ponder as to why before Jack set her back down on the ground. He chuckled lightly, before rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry. Hugs are a sign of gratitude among my people. I am quite attached to my balls.”

The statement forced a snort out of Flitter; followed by a smothered giggle. “I-It’s okay. It was a nice hug.” Flitter smiled happily. “And you’re welcome, though I don’t get why you’re so worried about your… Erm… Thingies.” She gestured towards his legs with her wing. Flitter furrowed her brow lightly. “Actually… Why are you so worried about that? It’s all you’ve really talked about.”

Jack simply shrugged as he walked over to his cot. “I watched a guy get his dangly bits get snipped over by the farm. Figured that’s how your people deal with folks who don’t play along.” Jack shuddered heavily, and rubbed between his legs out of sentiment.

“Wait… Apple Orchards? Is that where you saw this?” Flitter asked quietly as she scooted closer to the fire. Another stray gust of wind blew through the cave, ruffling her feathers and causing the fire to sputter weakly. Watching Jack nod his agreement, something clicked within Flitters head. “You… You don’t know, do you?” Flitter watched as Jack raised an eyebrow; before he shrugged. He rolled his hand in a way that looked like he was telling her to get on with it. Flitter swallowed. “W-well… We have humans here, but they’re pets. They aren’t very smart, and sometimes they need to get neutered or spayed.” Flitter rubbed the back of her neck as she looked away from Jack. “They also get very aggressive sometimes, and get highly territorial. Kind of like if dogs and cattle got combined and made dumb.”

Jack leaned forward; looking flabbergasted. He blinked, before shaking his head. He gave it another shake, before lifting his hand up and pointing his index finger in the air. He opened his mouth again, before closing it quickly, and letting his outstretched finger curl. He eventually lowered his hand, and placed it on his cheek again, all while adopting a very worried expression. Flitter assumed a worried expression as she sat down closer to Jack. “What’s wrong?”

“Huh!” Jack uttered a single laugh as he grabbed his device off the ground. he quickly tapped out a message for Flitter. “Just how many humans are on this planet.” He set the device down on his lap as Flitter answered.

Flitter furrowed her brow in thought as she rubbed her sore forehoof. “Well… Around one million, compared to I think… Eight million and a some ponies? Maybe? I’m not very-”

“HAH! HahahahAHAHA!!” Jack broke down into hysterical laughter that saw him flopping onto his back. Flitter edged away from Jack as he cackled. Eventually he sat back up; still chuckling to himself as he wiped tears from his eyes. Seeing Flitter was stunned into silence, he spoke in her stead. “That’s it. Eight Million.” He chuckled again, as if that number were some kind of overly hilarious joke. He beckoned Flitter over to his side. “I want to show you something.” He started tapping the device with his fingers as Flitter sat down next to him. Jack carefully held his black device out to Flitter. He gave it a shake, just like he had his hand when offering it.

Treating the small device as if it were as precious as a foal, Flitter gently took it into her hooves. Jack reached over her shoulder, and tapped the screen with his finger. Flitters eyes widened as the device responded instantly, bringing up an intricate painting of a giant blueish green ball, surrounded by glittering black. The image was very small however, and Flitter had to lean in close to see some of the tiny details. “What is this?” She asked as she looked back up at Jack. He smiled sadly, and answered her by writing in the dirt at her hooves.

‘HOME’

Swallowing nervously, Flitter carefully gave Jack his tiny device back. “It’s a very pretty painting.” She smiled up at him, only to be given another mocking laugh.

“Hah!” Jack shook his head and smirked at Flitter. He tapped at his PDA for a moment, and the answer for his rudeness followed quickly. “Not a painting. A picture.” Snapping his fingers, Jack stood up and walked over to his armour. Flitter cocked an eyebrow at him as he pulled the large helmet off and walked back over. Before she could protest, he slid the helmet over her head and plugged the PDA in.

Flitter sucked in a breath as the claustrophobic helmet hugged her head loosely. “J-jack? C-can you please-” Flitters words died in her mouth as an image jumped up before her eyes. It was the same image Jack had shown her on his little metal square, but much bigger. It was almost lifelike in its detail. Flitter squeaked in surprise as the image came alive in front of her eyes. The image moved off to the left, revealing a sterile white environment.

“Come on assholes! Let’s get a picture of this before Gunny finds us and tosses our asses out the airlock!” The voice came from everywhere in the helmet; startling Flitter once again. Numerous snarky comebacks fed through the audio, but eleven other humans floated over into view before the giant blue ball. The image shook, and one more human floated over. It was Jack. Flitter could recognize him, despite the distance. “Okay! Everyone say, ‘Marines in Spaaaaace!’

To Flitters dismay, the image froze in place, with the twelve humans floating mid frame. She blinked, and started moving her hooves around in hopes of starting it all again. “Why did it stop? I-I want to see more!” Flitter looked over at Jack. Through the helmets visor he looked slightly less intimidating.

Jack smiled, and the image popped back up in front of Flitter. It started to reverse; the humans all floating backwards out of frame until nothing but the blue ball remained. “That is my home. Earth. Population: Ten Billion, not counting the colonies of course.”

With Earth hanging before her; Flitters jaw dropped. Then, it hit her. All the sci-fi novels she’d read, all the comics she’d borrowed from her father, they’d all pointed at this moment. Flitter swallowed, and pulled off the bulky helmet. She looked up at Jack with wide eyes. “You’re an alien… I… Oh sweet Celestia… I’m friends with an alien!” Flitter stuffed her fore hooves up into her face as she squee'd.

“I’m not an alien.” Jack stated blandly as he picked the helmet up and dusted it off. “I’m a human being.” He set down the device and his helmet, before standing up and walking over to the ecstatic Flitter. He lifted a finger, but Flitter completely ignored it.

“Did you come here in a ship? OOoooH! You crashed landed here, and you need my help to fix your ship!” Flitter grinned ear to ear as she pranced around the cave. “This is Aaaamaaaazing!~”

Flitters prancing was cut short mid stride as Jack grabbed her under her forehooves and lifted her off the ground. He hefted Flitter up until she was at eye level with him, and started shaking his head. “Nuuuu.” He shook his head again, before setting Flitter back down on the ground. Running his hand down his face; he quickly sent a message out. “I am not an alien. Aliens have to meet a specific criteria before they can be called that. First, they need to have a ship. Two, they need to have ray guns. Three, they need to have some kind of tentacle.” Jack gestured towards himself, the to his cave home. “I don’t have a ship. I don’t have a ray gun, and I definitely don’t have any fucking tentacles.”

“But you do have a ray gun!” Flitter protested; pointing at his rifle. Jack scowled, and grabbed the rifle. Sitting down, and dragging Flitter with him, he pointed at a series of small letters.

Aegis Arms AER-72 Laser Carbine

M-902 NAC 2021

1000 Kj Output/ 48mm Macro-Fission Breeder Cell

Operational Temp: 1900’C

Jacks gestured harshly towards a single word. Laser. He poked at it, until Flitter looked at him in confusion. A disgruntled groan escaped him, and he went back to his PDA. “LASER. It is a LASER gun. Not a ray gun. Big difference.”

Flitter smiled as she looked away from the weapon; a slight giggle escaping her lips. “So… You’re not an alien then. If you didn’t fly here, how did you get here?” She scooched in a bit closer, and mimicked his smirk. To Flitters disappointment, Jack simply shrugged; before grabbing his now cooked food off the pan. Sighing, Flitter got up and trotted around the cave. To her surprise, it was all very orderly. It had a very familiar feel to it, but Flitter couldn’t put her hoof on it.

“I don’t know how I got here. I was running one minute, and falling the next. I woke up in this forest.”

Flitter turned, and regarded Jack as he ate. The human seemed to refuse to meet her gaze. Flitter sighed quietly, and returned to his side. “And that’s when you found me, isn’t it?” His nod was all that she needed. Smiling sadly, Flitter rested her head on his arm. “Thank you.”

The pair of them remained silent for a long while; with Jack eating, and Flitter resting. The winds outside had picked up again, just as thoughts of going home crossed Flitters mind. The thought of facing Cloud Chaser set Flitters fur on edge, and Flitter rubbed her forehoof nervously. Unfortunately, she rubbed her wounded forehoof. A pained hiss escaped Flitter, alerting Jack. He turned his head towards her, and cocked an eyebrow upwards. Flitter pulled her injured hoof away without thinking. “I-it’s nothing.”

Shaking his head, Jack gestured towards the hoof she’d moved. he bobbed his head, and gestured at it again with one of his hands. Flitter shook her head, and covered it up again. “It’s nothing, really. It just sting-” Flitter squeaked as Jack took her hoof in his hands, and pulled her over again. Flitter closed her eyes, expecting him to poke and prod at it, only he didn’t. Opening her eyes, Flitter watched curiously as Jack gently turned the limb over in his dexterous hands; looking over the injury. Flitter winced lightly as his fingers passed over the raw flesh; Jack perked up, and went back to it. Carefully moving the fur to the side, he looked over the injury. He glanced over at her and cocked his eyebrow again. Flitter refused to meet his gaze.

Sighing quietly, Jack let her hoof go as he reached for a small kit attached to his pack. Pulling it off with ease, he popped the case open, and pulled out a small tube. Popping the cap off, he gently grabbed Flitters hoof again. Flitter sucked in a panicked breath as the cold gel from the tube hit her raw flesh. To her surprise, the pain subsided quickly wherever the gel touched. Jack gently spread a thin layer of the gel over the length of her forehoof, before capping off the tube. Flitter eyed her slick looking forehoof with captivated interest; only to have Jack scold her for trying to touch it. After a minute of digging, he produced a roll of bandages and proceeded to wrap her forehoof up tightly.

Flitter lifted her injured hoof up and inspected the wrappings intently. They seemed to be somewhat stretchy; unlike the normal cloth bandages that Ponyville General used. If anything was certain, he’d done a good job. Her hoof barely throbbed anymore. Smiling to herself, Flitter nuzzled Jacks hand, much to his surprise.

Allowing Flitter to rest against his left hand, Jack tapped out a message with his right. “You seem to be handling this all well.” He laughed lightly, before lightly scratching the side of Flitters face.

Oh sweet Celestia that feels amazing…. Flitter cooed quietly as she pushed her face into the scratching digits. Jacks statement went right over her head for the moment. Flitter turned her head, trying to goad his fingers into giving the rest of her head the same attention.

She’s like a giant cat. Jack sighed, before chuckling to himself. That’s.. Holy fuck, that’s goddamn adorable. AND SHE'S SO FLUFFY! FUCK! Giving up on his line of questions, Jack freed up his other hand and took over scratching between the mares ears. The reaction was… Interesting. Flitters wings splayed wide as she groaned; her eyes fluttered in their sockets. Flitter's goofy grin grew weak as she slipped into the land of blissful unconsciousness.

Slowly retracting his hands, Jack leaned over and glanced at Flitters face. Furrowing his brow in worry; he snapped his fingers close to her face. The mare didn’t stir once. Slumping his shoulders and huffing in mock annoyance, Jack carefully picked the mare up. Well, at least I’ve found the ultimate weakness for these fluffy pony critters. He smiled to himself as he set the mare down on his canvas cot. The small pony shivered as a cold breeze blew through the cave; disturbing the fire and both the inhabitants. Jack grumbled quietly to himself as he tucked his thermal sleeping bag in around her.

The breeze blew through again; raising goose bumps all over Jack's body. Great. Now I get to freeze my nuts off. Whoop de fuckin doo. He rolled his eyes, and started digging through his bag for any thermal gear that would help.

_____________________________________________________________________________

The image of Cloud Chaser and Goldie, writhing and moaning together on the couch permeated Flitter's dreams. Watching the two of them interlocked with each other made Flitter sick. The painful burning returned deep in Flitter's belly, and only grew hotter when she made eye contact with Cloud Chaser. Flitter watched as her sister rutted her hips against Goldie. Cloud Chaser smiled broadly at her. “You haven’t done anything to deserve him. You don’t deserve to live in my home. You’re worthless. Nopony will ever care about you.” Cloud Chaser looked down, and stroked the rapidly fading Goldie. She got up, and trotted over to Flitter. Running a hoof down her baby sisters muzzle, Cloud Chaser grinned like a viper. “You should kill yourself.”

Flitter clamped her eyes shut as her tears ran hot. “S-shut up!” She turned her head away from her venomous sister.

The mare drew closer, and nuzzled Flitter gently. “Why should I? I’m just saying what you’ve been thinking.” She kissed Flitter on the cheek. “Do it. It won’t hurt anymore. I promise you.” Flitter sobbed as she opened her eyes, and looked over at the knife she held in her hooves. Cloud Chaser pressed against the hilt of the blade, pushing it closer and closer to Flitters chest. No matter how hard Flitter wanted to scream, or cry, or gallop away; her body refused to listen. She was trapped, watching this monster murder her.

The walls of the dream shuddered, and a dense fog rolled over everything. Cloud Kicker hissed violently, before being blown clear across the muddy field that was rapidly expanding around Flitter. The poor mare barely had a moment to collect herself before the ground opened up, and swallowed her whole.

Jerking up with a start, Flitter gripped her blanket tightly as she cried out in terror. Her hooves shook violently as she sobbed into her blanket. After a moment, Flitter opened her eyes, and glanced cautiously around her room. Only, it wasn’t her room. It was a cave. Flitter sniffed, and wiped her eyes clean. The remains of a fire smoldered in the center of the cave, and somepony was snoring. Wiping her eyes again to try and clear out the remnants of sleep, Flitter glanced over towards the snoring. Jack was sprawled out next to the cot she had slept in, a black winter hat was pulled over his eyes, and his mouth hung open wide. Despite herself, Flitter couldn’t help but giggle weakly at the sight.

BLEEPBLEEP

The loud noise shook Jack violently into consciousness while Flitter squeaked in terror and hid under her cover as he lurched upwards and flailed his arms. “Haurk…” Peeking out from under the cover, Flitter watched as Jack stumbled around his cave for a moment, before wandering outside. Flitter gripped her cover tightly as she swung her hind legs over the edge of the cot.

“Jack?” She called out quietly. “Are you there?” Flitter stared intently at the cave entrance; the shimmering rock wall holding her attention captive. Flitter jumped despite herself when the wall seemed to part, and Jack stumbled back in. She watched as he wandered over to his pile of supplies and grabbed a bottle of water. Jack slugged back a large dose of water, before offering the bottle to Flitter. He gave it one shake, before shrugging and putting it away. Carefully climbing out of the bed, Flitter sat down on the rocks by the fire. “Are you okay?” Flitter asked quietly as Jack stared through squinted eyes.

Jack waved a hand, before flopping over onto his back. “Nueagh…” Seeing that Jack was indisposed, Flitter got up and stretched out; her wings popping quietly as she did so.

Rubbing her sore face, Flitter looked toward the rock wall that Jack had left through earlier. Approaching the shimmering wall; Flitter prodded it experimentally. The rocks felt more like a coarse fabric, and that fabric contoured to her hoof as she pushed on it. The rock wall remained the entire time.

“Flap is on the side. Close the door when you’re done.”

Flitter looked over her shoulder at Jack; who was slugging back water like noponies business. She smiled to herself, and proceeded out of the cave. The morning dawn was just cresting over the mountains, filling the sky with the vibrant colours of morning. Flitter sucked in a deep breath, and spread her wings wide. The morning air was incredibly crisp today, and it had a hint of cold bite to it. It would be an excellent day to go flying. Flitter flexed her wings, but did not take off. Biting her lip, Flitter quickly trotted off into the trees to take care of her more earthly needs.

Returning several minutes later, Flitter found herself soaring above Whitetail Woods on an excellent thermal. Her wings had been threatening to cramp up when she’d started, but they’d eventually loosened up enough for her to take to the skies. It was still very early in the morning, and Flitter hadn’t seen a single other pony up in the skies. Having filled her desire for flying, Flitter landed as close as she could to the mouth of Jacks cave, only to find the man himself outside it. Landing deftly nearby; Flitter cantered over to the tall human. Jack glanced over and waved lazily, before returning his gaze to the forest.

“So what are you going to do today?” Flitter asked as she trotted up beside Jack. He wasn’t wearing his armour, but he did have his carbine slung over his shoulder, and a funny looking hat on his head. Jack didn’t answer; simply choosing to motion for Flitter to follow as he pulled out his PDA.

“Checking my perimeter.” The device stated as they entered the clearing where Flitter had landed. Flitter opened her mouth to ask, but soon found it shut as she watched Jack pull an odd looking contraption from his pack. Flitter could only watch as Jack unpacked it. Jack slipped a strange looking pair of goggles over his eyes, before pulling on a pair of intricate looking black gloves. He gripped the contraption at its base, and hurled it into the air. To Flitters amazement, the things started buzzing and hovered in place. Jack taped his PDA several times, and waved his hands in an odd pattern. The contraption quickly buzzed off, leaving one of the pair in stunned silence.

“W-...What in Celestias name was that?” Flitter asked quietly as she looked over at Jack.

Again, he simply smiled, and motioned for Flitter to follow him. “Unmanned Aerial Drone. Gave it orders to ping my boundary markers and relay the info to my PDA. We’re walking the closest ones to do a visual.” Jack lifted himself up over a fallen tree with ease, while Flitter simply glided over it.

Flitter gazed up at the sky, hoping to spot a glimpse of the drone. “I didn’t understand any of that… But it sounds complicated.” The mare looked around the woods and stuck close to the tromping form of Jack. When he stopped without warning, Flitter nearly tripped over him. “Why did you stop?” She asked, popping her head over his shoulder as he dug around a pile of leaves and branches. She found her own question answered when he uncovered a metallic rod that was driven into the earth. Jack plugged a small wire into his PDA, then into the metal rod. Flitter didn’t even have time to question it before his PDA bleeped quietly. Jack unplugged the wire, and quickly buried the rod again.

“Post one, eight, and seven reporting green. That’s good. Means they’re doing their jobs and keep anything from getting the drop on me in the area they cover.” He pointed at his PDA and gave Flitter a thumbs up. The mare smiled happily, and followed Jack to the next few markers.

At marker five however, not everything was green across the board. As Jack crouched down by the marker rod, a lonely howl broke through the complacent silence. The howl had come from very close by.

Dropping to one knee, Jack yanked his knife from his belt, and affixed it to the front of his carbine. He started scanning the treeline with his weapon. Flitter drew in closer than normal and whispered in his ear. “That was a Timberwolf… They don’t normally come this far out of the Everfree…” She swallowed loudly as another set of howls answered.

“I don’t think they got the memo.”

Jack growled quietly to himself as he scanned the treeline with his rifle. Timber wolves… great. Hopefully they leave me alone. Last thing I need is a Gray reenactment with my ass as the main course. Jack jerked to the side as another howl sounded. Why the fuck aren’t you coming up on the thermals….

“J-Jack… I think we should go….” Flitter hovered next to Jack, her body ready to take to the skies at a moments notice. Jack didn’t budge an inch. His goggles pinged for a moment, and his rifle swung to meet the target. Flitters head snapped to the side, just in time to see the Timberwolf pouncing towards her. She didn’t have a moments notice to take off.

The Timberwolf had lined up a perfect kill; the small pony wouldn’t have stood a chance against its claws. Without warning, the wolf found its momentum turned against it when a seven inch steel blade was jammed into its chest; Jack twisted his body, using the wolfs momentum to force it over Flitter, and into a hardy oak tree. The wolf’s body shattered on impact; twigs and branches rained down around the tree.

WOODEN WOLVES!? Wait. Timberwolves. Oh. I SEE HOW IT IS. YOU PUNTASTIC FUCKS. Jack turned on his toes to raise his rifle towards the rest of the wolf pack as they all but materialized out of the thicket. The leader bayed and snarled at Jack and Flitter, but did not approach.

Flitters eye snapped back and forth between the wolves and Jack; she was unsure which would back down first. Her eyes widened as Jack stalked forward, his knife still stuck fast on the front of his weapon. Jack growled back at the wolves; his sharp teeth fully bared at them. One of the wolves pawed at the ground before it, only to have its paw blown to pieces by Jacks weaponry. He took another step forward past his boundary line.

THIS IS MY TURF, YOU PUNKS GOT THAT?

The lead wolf growled viciously, but relented. It’s packmates all retreated back into the forest, leaving their new leader to stare down the new-comer in the forest. It bared its teeth at Jack; its gaze was outmatched by the harsh glare of a gun barrel. Realizing that the battle had been lost, the wolf snarled viciously at the pair, before loping off into the forest with its pack mates in tow.

Once he was sure that the timberwolves had truly left, Jack started laughing maniacally. He pumped his fists into the air, before reaching down and picking up Flitter by her forelegs. He grinned insanely at her, before trapping her in a squeezing embrace. He only let her go to take his knife off his carbine.

“W-what the hay did you do?There was so many of them!” Flitter flapped her wings idly, before trotting over to Jack. “How did you do that?”

Jack grinned widely as he stared at the trees. “There’s a lesson in this. There is no better argument killer than superior firepower.” Slinging his rifle over his shoulder, Jack walked over to the dead wolves remains and proceeded to scavenge its large claws and teeth.

Flitter shook her head in disbelief. “You… You are the strangest living thing I have ever met Jack Kessle.” Before she could continue, Flitter's stomach growled ferociously. Flitter blushed brightly, and covered her mouth in embarrassment. Jack simply grinned at her, and beckoned for her to follow.

“Come on Sparky, lets go scrounge up some grub.”

_______________________________________________________________________

Resting comfortably on Jacks cot, Flitter stared up at the shimmering camouflage canvas that was pinned above her. She cocked her head, and looked at it from a different angle as her stomach digested quietly. Jack was busy cleaning his weapons on a flat rock. Sighing, flitter rolled over onto her side. “Jack, what did you do before you came to Equestria? And can this tarp thingy change colours?”

Looking up from his duties, Jack frowned lightly. Standing up, he crossed over to the tarp, and plugged it into his PDA. The image swiftly changed to a motley cover of leaves and moss. As he sat back down at his impromptu workbench, he couldn’t escape the feeling of Flitter staring at him. Eventually, he relented. “I was a soldier. Just before I came to Equestria, I was a-” There was a pregnant pause as Jack scratched his chin in thought. “I was an indentured soldier. Before that, I was a marine. Arm-Can Federation Marines.”

Flitter sat up on the cot, intently interested in Jack now. “You were in the army?” She sputtered when Jack stuck his tongue out and gagged violently. “A-are you alright? Are you choking?”

“Hah!” Jack shook his head, and tapped out the next bit. “No. Army is a joke. The kind of guys you send to a place to warm a seat. You want something done, you send in either the Foresters, or the Marines. Foresters are about as close you can get to spec-ops with reg forces. Just so you know.”

Furrowing her brow heavily, Flitter fluttered over to Jack and socked him in the shoulder. “You take that back!” Flitter smacked him again when he laughed; all humor had bled away from the mare, and her face had gone red. Jack pulled back in surprise. He held his hands up in a placating move.

“Easy. Don’t take it personally.”

“I am taking it personally! My dad was in the army, so you take that back right now!” Flitter stomped her hoof on the rock and ignored the flare of pain. She sniffed as she glared at Jack. We regret to inform you-

Jack flicked his wrist lazily, before rubbing his face. “Okay, listen. I’m sorry. ACF army is a joke. I didn’t mean to disrespect your dad. But there are huge differences between the army and the marines.”

Flitter sniffed again, and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hoof. “Oh yeah? Like what?” She spat the sentence out indignantly. He was ambushed by- Fought valiantly- Flitter shook her head again to dispell the memories.

Sitting back against the cave wall, Jack crossed his arms. “Well, the marines are a full volunteer force. When you finish boot and get your OS, you’re fucking family. Marines NEVER, leave family behind. That’s the big fucking difference between army and the marines. No-one left behind. No matter fucking what.” Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A broken whimper escaped from his cot, where Flitter had laid back down. Letting out his breath, Jack shook his head. “Your Dad got killed, didn’t he.”

When Flitter didn’t answer, Jack hoisted himself back up to his feet and treaded over to his cot. He sat down heavily, disturbing the curled up pegasus. “G-go away… Just…” Flitter sucked in a shaky breath, but failed to hold back her wet sob. She didn’t fight back when Jack gently picked her up, and set her down on his lap. Cradling the smaller mare against his chest, he gently stroked her mane as she sobbed against him. Focus on the now Jack. Focus on the now. It’s all in the past. Focus on the now. Jack closed his eyes, and his grip tightened ever so slightly on Flitter.

I don’t want to remember… I am in the now. I will not go back. The thoughts sent a pulse of pain through his skull, along the line of his grisly scar. Jack sucked in a deep breath, and held it in.

BLEEPBLEEP

Jack forced his eyes open and glanced down at his watch. Letting out a silent breath, he gently stroke Flitter once more, before carefully setting her back down on the cot. The mare wiped her eyes and shook her head slowly. “I… I’m sorry Jack… I shouldn’t have yelled at you…” Flitter wiped her eyes again. She looked over at Jack, just as he pulled a plastic container from his pack. “W-what are you doing?”

He didn’t answer as he took out what would constitute as a half dose for each pill. Carefully setting the container back in his pack; Jack quickly swallowed each pill in familiar succession. His body shuddered violently for a moment, before returning to normal. “Taking my medication.” Jack set down his pack, and meandered back over to his cot, where he sat down next to Flitter.

“M-medication? You’re sick?” Flitter cocked her head to look up at Jack. He does look a little ill…

Jack simply smiled emotionlessly, and answered with a shrug before sitting back. “That’s what a lot of people say I am. Sick. I take the medication so that I get a little peace and quiet every so often. A little going away present from my time fighting for my country.”

Flitter rested her head on his lap as she looked up at him. “W-wanna talk about it?” Flitter tucked her legs up underneath herself. “M-my dad used to say that talking about things usually made things just a little bit better.” She managed a weak smile, one that Jack didn’t mirror.

“It’s a part of my life that I don’t want to go back to. Ever. Still do though.” Jack snorted to himself as he rested an arm on the mares back. “I got hurt, and they left me behind.”

“B-but…” Flitter scooched up a bit. “I thought you said that Marines never, ever leave anypony behind?” She furrowed her brow heavily.

“They don’t. The rest of my squad got-” Jack stopped typing, and set the PDA down on the cot. He took in a deep breath before rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fore finger and thumb. “We walked into a trap. Army patrol found a bomb. We were the only 2336’s in the area. The bomb went off while I was trying to defuse it.”

Cocking her head, Flitter sat up a bit. “I.. I’m sorry… I don’t really understand. What’s a bomb? Is it like a firecracker?” Jack wiggled his fingers and shrugged. “Kind of like a firecracker?” She managed a tiny smile when Jack moved his hands outwards to symbolize it the bomb being much larger than a firecracker. “O-okay… What happened to you?” Flitter pulled back a bit when Jack looked back over at her. It’s like he’s looking right through me… The look itself sent a shiver up Flitter's spine. To her surprise and relief, Jacks normal look returned as he leaned forward. She watched as he gripped the hem of his pant legs and pulled them up. Flitter stuffed a hoof against her mouth to try and cover her gasp. “Y-y-y...Y-your legs….” She mare shook slightly as she looked over the utilitarian metal legs, and the brutalized flesh they attached to. The prosthetic legs only stopped halfway up his thighs, where cracked and scarred flesh bulged slightly against the titanium ring. Jack quickly rolled his pant legs back down. Flitter swallowed nervously, before looking back up at jack. “W-what happened next?”

“My squad was ambushed when the bomb went off. They fought them off. My squadmates tried to get my body back, but they couldn’t. The army patrol left to get reinforcements. We got captured. Or killed.” Flitter watched as Jack rested the side of his head in the palm of his hand. “I’ll be honest. I envied the guys who died.” Jack stopped there, and gently squeezed Flitters hoof. After a moment, he looked back over at the small mare and smiled brightly. He released her hoof, and patted her head lightly. “You should probably head home sometime soon. We don’t want any search parties to come looking for you.”

Flitter nodded her head in agreeance and wiped her eyes. “Y-yeah. You’re right…” She slowly got up off the cot and out of Jack's lap. She finally managed a smile as she neared the door to the cave. Jack had gotten up and followed her.

“I’ll walk with you, if you want.” He smiled down at her, his black cap gripped in his hand.

Smiling, Flitter nodded. “I-I would like that Jack. Can I come visit you soon?”

That got a smile out of him! Flitter grinned as Jack tapped out his response. “Come and visit whenever you like, I don’t mind the company.”

The walk to the edge of the trail leading out of Whitetail woods was quiet, and uneventful. Before Flitter had even realized it, they’d reached the path to Ponyville. Flitter and Jack had said their goodbyes, as Jack didn’t want to get any closer to the town during daylight. Flitter didn’t blame him. She could see several pegasi in the air. She didn’t doubt that Whitetail Lake would be chock full of ponies. Jack took a moment to ruffle Flitters mane before turning about-face and taking off quickly back towards his territory. As Flitter watched him go, she couldn’t help but smile to herself.

I don’t think that could have gone any better. Flitter began to smile even broader. This is like the start of an amazing adventure. One that great ponies will write stories about. Flitter took off towards Ponyville, her wings welcoming the warm thermals above Whitetail Woods. It wasn’t long before Flitter started to run into other pegasi. It was still very early in the morning though, so most of Ponyvilles residents were only just getting ready for their lovely day. Landing deftly on her front porch, Flitter quietly trotted into the living room of her home. Glancing around, Flitter found that she was indeed alone in the house. Cloud Chaser must still be asleep. A foul grimace crossed her features for a moment, only to be swept away. I’ll just go wake her up then.

Glancing up at the clock, Flitter couldn’t help but smile. Only seven forty eight? If Cloudy sleeps in much longer she’s going to be late. Just like the rest of that lazy weather team. The door to Cloud Chasers room swung open silently; The mare herself was splayed out on her bed in a very unappealing way. Flitter rolled her eyes, and carefully trotted forward. She could smell the remnants of her sisters betrayal the night before. The roses were still on her night stand. Flitter sneered at them, before turning her attention back to Cloud Chaser. A cruel smirk spread across her lips as she leaned over, and started resetting Cloud Chasers alarm clock. Flitter back up just enough, and waited for the time to count down.

BRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNGGGGGG

Cloud Chaser jerked violently at the sudden intrusion to her peaceful slumber; her hooves flailed wildly in an attempt to shut off the terrible ringing. Before she could though, Flitter grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “You're still in bed!? Cloudy, you’re super late!” It was at that point that Cloud Chaser started to panic in her addled state. Flitter guided her towards the door, and gave her a shove. “Go! Don’t be late!” Cloud Chaser could only nod her head before taking off. Flitter watched with smug satisfaction as Cloud Chaser flew away; looking like death warmed over. I wonder when she’ll realize that she’s early. “Hehe!” Flitter giggled to herself happily, and trotted off into the kitchen to make herself a nice, quiet breakfast.