God, perhaps you could have killed me? Anything would be better than laying in this bed being bored to tears. It was my third week in the hospital and I was ready to get out.

At this point I was allowed to get up two times a day to walk. Using, of all things, a walker; I mean me, a walker. Really? I guess I can see the point, they are worried I will rip the stitches open, and Twilight did custom make it for me, but still. It seems that car accident is still taking things from me, as they can’t use any magic whatsoever on me because of the metal in my bone.

I looked up from my internal reflection to see a nurse walking in. “Good morning, Miss Tenderhoof.”

She grinned slightly. “I have good news for you, Shane,” she held up the clipboard and made a show of reading it intently to drag the news out. ”So long as you agree to use crutches for the next few weeks and to visit Ponyville hospital four times a week to have the wound checked, Doctor House has agreed to discharge you.”

That perked me right up. I sat up, gritting my teeth to hide the pain. “Well, I guess I can agree to that.”

She gave me a nod. “I’ll be back in a bit with your discharge papers and to help you pack up . I was told Princess Twilight is already on the train, along with your marefriend, to get you,” she giggled.

I exhaled and my smile grew. “Really? I’ve really missed Jackie lately.”

She gave another giggle. “Oh? None of us knew that; you only complain about being away from her every shift.” She rolled her eyes in a good natured way and left the room.

---

It was with a bit of a surprise that there was no ‘Welcome Home, Shane’ party. There was, however, a big red stallion hooked to a wagon with an old faded green mare and a young filly waiting for me and Jackie to get off the train. The crutches had been made custom for me and I was just getting used to using them, still keeping the weight off my hip as best I could.

I smiled at the group. “Thank you Mac, Granny, Bloom; how are you all?” I asked as I was helped up in the wagon by Jackie and Bloom.

I got a few nuzzles, thankful they knew not to hug me just yet. It was the elder of the Apple family that spoke to me first, after the general greetings. “Well, Sonny, Ah was just happy as a pickle in water ‘til I go and hear somepony shot his fool mouth off an ended up in a whole heap of trouble,” she scolded me in good humor.
I could see the truth; she was upset, yes; but she was happy I was alright, too. Going by the way Mac and AB were looking at me, they were too.

I reached up and took my hat off once I was sitting up in the wagon, leaning back on the wall of it with hay to soften the floor and padding me for the bumps.

“I-“ Granny cut me off with a hoof set on my shoulder.

“Yer alive, you protected us, again. Ah ain’t happy about how these things went down, and ya best believe you’n me’re gunna have us a talk. Fer now, you just rest and know yer with family, Shane.”

About half way back to the farm, Apple Bloom spoke up. “Shane, nopony will tell us what happened,” her ears were laying back. I’d never seen her act meek before and it was cute, in a manipulating way.

I grumbled then glanced to see Granny Smith looking at me. She gave me a nod to tell me it was okay to explain to the young filly. I felt like she was punishing me and I think, right then, I would rather go three rounds with a pissed off Big Mac than have to look that filly in the eye and explain things.

“AB,” she perked up and looked at me, ears up and eyes watching, waiting to hear the story. Jackie was laying next to me, pressed up to my side with her head on my shoulder, but staying quiet.

I looked down into the filly’s eyes. “I was a fool, and I let my mouth start a fight. An argument that escalated to a dual. Do you know what a duel is?”

She nodded her head. “Miss Cheerilee explained it, we were reading a chapter on politics in Equestria.”

I was pleased to not have to describe everything to her, so I continued while keeping my hat in my lap and my eyes low, but glancing at her. I noted that Jackie was pressing a little closer to me and Granny had slid back from the seat up front to put her leg around Applebloom.

“Well, we fought... over my stupid pride. I let my pride and temper get in the way of my good thinking and took the bait.”

She pondered for a bit, then looked at me. “The other pony was he in the hospital too, after the dual?”

I fought the lump in my throat. No I was not all that upset that he was dead. However having to tell a little gal; that had me worked up.

WIth all the quiet and seriousness I could muster. I looked back over at her eyes. “No AppleBloom, he wasn’t.”

She tilted her head. “So he didn’t get hurt at all?”

Once more I almost wish I had ears as expressive as a pony’s. I looked away from her, to the hay I was sitting on. I shook my head very softly and was suddenly caught in a powerful hug. Little off yellow legs wrapped around me best they could and her bow was in my face as she started to sob. I guess she understood more than I gave her credit for, so I brought my arms around her.

Jackie leaned over and added to the hug and Granny followed, pressing to AB as the filly cried into my shoulder. I got why she was upset. Life was precious, and to the ponies of Equestria it was just as much, if not moreso.

I kissed her forehead and whispered softly, “I am sorry, Bloom. I am so sorry all this happened.”

I glanced over the big bow at Granny. She looked up to meet my eyes and nodded. I got it, this was my punishment by her, the worst of all. Not to be yelled at, but something far, far worse. I had to tell her I killed another pony, only over my ego and not out of danger. For that moment I hated that old mare... just bit.

---

Jackie had surprised me by moving into the barn room with me. I could tell it kind of irked Big Mac, but I suspect Granny Smith had told him to cool it with the big brother schtick.

Granny and I had our talk a few days after I got back. I listened to her, she was upset, really mad at what’d happened, but also at why it happened. I heard it in her tone that she was more upset that I could have been the one that ended up in a grave, not the other pony. It was the way nobles did things so it wasn’t a secret, she made it pretty clear she was not happy about how I was roped into their game.

She listened to me, too; about how, for the last few weeks at the hospital, I had been talking to a mare. Her name was Emerald Glow, a crystal earth pony. She’s the one who Cadence had sent to help me through therapy. Granny seemed to approve of that and told me she expected me to do my best and to remember that I carry the Apple name in everything I do.

The truth of it was the first few days talking to Emerald had been rough for me. I didn’t like opening up about things, so she opened up to me. Talked about the reign of Sombra, how they were treated like cattle then forced into control helmets and shoved into battle like so much fodder, just to soak up damage and die.

Her story gave me some perspective on things and on day three we started to talk for real. Now, though, we were taking a break while she moved to Ponyville for the next few years. Not just to work with me, but to open her own practice here. Something Twilight approved of quite a bit as Ponyville didn’t have a therapist and desperately needed one sometimes.

---

Today was the opening of the new Canterlot Rangers substation here in Ponyville. Finally I was gonna have a real office and we would have real holding cells. No more basements or improvising for us.

I was still pulling a desk, so Cort had been working with Lightning Dust a lot more. Even Captain Shield was out in the field with his own deputy now. Nice enough mare named Dark Shimmer. Unicorn gal, young and well trained by the guard, however she was far too serious for someone her age in my opinion.

So, here I was; standing in the crowd near the front and listening to Twilight speak about the new Ranger station. Cross was standing beside Celestia and the other princesses behind Twilight as she gave her speech. I was leaning on a cane; that was something I graduated to just yesterday.

Cort had taken up a spot on my left side and I noticed Dust on the roof of the town hall watching. Nothing felt off, but why leave things to chance. Not that we expected anything to happen, but there had been threats after the events at the Gala.

The other five girls were on the stage to the side and I caught AJ’s eye, giving her a smile and getting one in return. She, in turn, got a nudge from Rarity that made her blush.

Then, out of the corner of my eye I caught something. A kind of waver in the air, like when you see the heat rising up off the ground in the distance. It was almost like that old movie with the monster that could cloak itself, Predator. Turning and glancing that way I spotted it again, something in the shape of a pony was standing near the corner of the new station, behind the stage.

Before I could say anything, cort spoke up. “That would be Shimmer, her special magic is ta bend light ‘round herself.”

I glanced down at him then back up to where she was. “That could be quite handy in the field. I see why Cross picked her.”

He gave a nod back. “Ain’t nothing gonna happen to ya, Shane.”

It was my turn to frown as I looked down at him again. “Cort, I don’t need you acting like my caretaker. I am a grown man and I can watch out for myself.”

There it was, in his eyes, a worry I had not seen before from him. “Like ya did at th’ gala?”

Fuck, I did not need Cort second guessing me at every turn. Yes I was touched by his worry, but it had to have a limit.

“Cort, buddy,” placing my hand on his neck lightly as we watched the princess prattle on. “God knows I love you like a brother, but don’t go trying to play mother hen with me ok?”

He snorted then dug his hoof edge into the ground. “Ah told you once, Ah ain’t gonna lose another friend”

Stupid lump in my throat... I paused to swallow it down. “I ain’t going anywhere, Applebrain.”

He just gave a snort and went back to listening. Soon the speeches were over, Crossed had cut the ribbon, and now ponies and such were walking through the new substation as we Rangers showed them around.

The place was nice and set up just for us, rather than adapted to what we needed. They had decided to level the old building here and build fresh. It was rather surprising how quickly things moved along once they got started.

The building was just one story with a large basement. When you walked in, you were greeted at a long hardwood desk, pony height. Behind it was what I had explained when designing it all, the bullpen. We had room for eight desks and a receptionist.

Around the bullpen was six doors; three of them were all tempered glass and had name plates on them. The one dead center was my office, the one to the right was Cort’s -that he would eventually share with another duty sergeant- if we grew that big. Inside his office was another door, one of solid metal, a safe door in fact. Behind it was a concrete vault, reinforced with steel plate. This served as both our evidence locker and the armory. It wasn’t that big but it would serve our needs.

The last glass doored office to the right of his was Golden’s office, set up for communication. It even had a telegram station in it. This way she didn’t need to run down to the train station to send a message; she could just jump right onto the dedicated line to Canterlot.

Of the remaining doors, one was a break room that held a small cot for ponies to catch a nap. That idea came from Rainbow Dash as things were being designed. There had been jokes made about that before she pointed out that a room that some of the messenger ponies who might be tired and worn out could rest in. What better place to get a little food and catch a nap before having to fly out again?

In retrospect it was a sound idea, enough of one that Cross had decided Canterlot headquarters would sacrifice one of its rooms as a rest station too.

The door near the last door was a interrogation room, set up that there was a one way window from my office looking into that room with a shield that could close it off so I wasn’t distracted. The inside of the room was a bolted down metal table, four chairs, two with cuffs, and that was basically it.

The last hardwood door was to a set of stairs. Closed, the door hid a sliding iron metal cell type door. Down the stairs at the bottom was another slide type bar door and it became apparent as to why.

Five walled cells were set up with an open center, all controlled by pull rods so no one had to walk in to unlock or lock a cell door. The walls were all steel reinforced brick and concrete with a very cool little invention added in.

Celestia had introduced our architect to a pony named Bright Tube. His little invention used a polished metal tube with a clear crystal at each end to let in sunlight. It meant that even in winter the cells would be warm, bright, and secure.

Speaking of the cells, each were done quite like cells I had seen before. The beds bolted to the wall were big enough for even me to lay down on. Each had a typical equestrian squat style toilet, a sink of metal, bright warm colored sheets and blankets on the beds, and a few small murals painted on the wall by local kids. Lastly, there was a shelf in each that held a few books, a tea cup, and a small enchanted water cup that heated up its contents when you wanted it to.

It was all very like the jails and cells back home, but this was pony land so I had expected something to be surprising, not so familiar.

I was glad when the day finally wrapped up and I was able to get off my feet. My hip was killing me so I had taken to relaxing in my new office. I had my legs up on the rather ornate wood desk, with my eyes closed and my hat pulled down over my eyes. I knew it was late, I should be getting home soon, but I needed to let my muscles relax.

I had sent the others home; of course Cort had bitched about that. I had been unfair and told Golden that Cort looked tired and needed a nap. Yea, I know, I know; bad game. But, it worked.

I heard the door to my office start to open and I glanced out from under my hat to see my orange mare with yellow mane and the greenest eyes you have ever seen standing in the doorway with a smile.

“Pardon me ma’am, we don’t allow civilians behind the front counter. Can I help you?”

Her smile made me pause and my breath catch. You know, few people are ever lucky enough to find love that does that to them in their lifetime. And here I was, not only had I had it once and had it yanked from me, but I found it a second time!

“Ah figure ya would be hurt’n, so I brought the wagon.”

I thought about arguing with her, but the look she gave me just told me not to bother. “Cort?”

She gave a nod. “Yep”

I slid my feet off the desk and fixed my hat while I took the Winchester off the wall. “I figured he would get me back. Fair enough, but if I get too heavy…”

She snorted. “Shane, you just hush up and save your strength,” she smirked. “Cause come next week when the doc says you can fool around again, yer mine,” the look she gave me was devious enough to get my mind racing. “Ah’ve been a good filly and Ah’m tired of not being able ta show mah special somepony how Ah feel.”

I cleared my throat and muttered as she grinned, “Well… yippy ki yi yay,” with a smile that matched hers. Truth was, I was about as keyed up as she looked. I really was like a damn kid again around her, with teenage urges.