Chapter 49: Acceptance

Three stallions and a human stood in front of their burned house. The Firefighters had said that the blaze was started in the kitchen with some kind of accelerant. They told them that from what they could tell, it might have been some kind of grain alcohol. Fortunately, the flames had not spread very far by the time the Fire Department had arrived. Unfortunately, both the kitchen and bathroom, along with a section of the living room. Plus, all their rooms now smelt like charred wood.

"Well, looks like we're shittin' in the woods for a while." James said with a downcast tone.

"Hell, we'll be grillin' out back too." Flash added.

"Ugh... grilled vegetables. Never did like them cooked that way."

"Sparks, they're vegetables, you don't have to cook them." Feather pointed out.

"Oh yeah. Well, Myst still has utilities, I think I'll go stay with her anyway."

"As long as you two keep it down, the walls there aren't too thick." Feather told his unicorn friend.

"Wait, you heard us?"

"Almost the same time every week. You engineers like to stick to a schedule, huh?" The earth pony teased.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Ok, sorry..."

"Everypony calm down, I got something to lighten the mood." Flash trotted into the burned house, returning a few moments later with a bottle of rum. "Emergency stash. Escaped the heat."

"Thank goodness, let's have a drink." James said gratefully.

Together, they all took seats on the porch, which had been largely undamaged by the fire, and passed the bottle around, taking swigs.

"So," Feather started to ask, "you catch the guys responsible?"

James looked at the three of them, "Yes."

"What you do with them?" Flash asked him.

"Well, just between us, they won't be starting any more fires. Ever." James took and extra large gulp of the rum.

"Shit, you kill 'em?"

"Didn't even bury them." The human's eyes were fixed to the floorboards of the porch as he spoke.

All of them sat in silence for a moment, taking in what James had just said.

"Where are they?" Sparks inquired of him.

James thought for a second, "Go into the forest at our HQ, hike for a few hours to the southeast. Look for the buzzards." He took another swig of rum.

"Hey, slow down there buddy." Flash said, taking the bottle from James.

"Sorry, didn't mean to hog it."

"What do you want to do now?" Sparks asked James.

"Well, first thing's first. The bathroom's destroyed, so we need to make a temporary one. If you can get me a colander, a hose, a valve and a big metal container I could construct a makeshift shower out back. As for the toilet, we'd better start digging a sizable hole in the woods back there."

"At least the weather's warm..." Flash said with a gray mood.

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A few days later, they had made a nice little shower in the stand of trees behind the house with a wooden platform to stand on and a wrap around plastic sheet for privacy. Sparks had even ran some pipes from the hous's plumbing into a large metal container strapped to a tree high up where the sun could warm it. For a toilet, an outhouse had been built further into the woods. It wasn't very luxurious, but it would do while sections of the house were being gutted and rebuilt.

Garth's situation wasn't so bad. He had been burned over most of his body in addition to all the cuts he had received. Before anyone could do anything else, Fluttershy had him wrapped up like a mummy and carted him off to her house. They couldn't take him to the hospital without causing a panic and her house was closer anyway. James made a mental note to go check up on him later, for now he was just trying clean up in the shower after a long day of clearing out the lower floor of his house of debris from the fire with the rest of his teammates. He was in the middle of rinsing himself down when he heard the soft sound of hooves on grass approaching.

"Hold on dude, I'm almost finished." He said, thinking it might be Flash or Feather.

The hoof steps kept coming, so James turned around and parted the plastic partition to tell who ever it was off.

"I said--"

"Hey there stud!" Dash shouted at him with a smirk.

"Oh shi--!"

James stumbled backwards, arms flailing, hands grasping for something to grab. Unfortunately for him, the only thing there was to grab was the loosely secured shower curtain. As soon as his hands closed around it, it tore from the rope that was holding it up, sending him painfully into the ground, the curtain falling on top of him in a heap while the water continued to shower down on him.

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHA, NO WAY!" Dash fell backwards laughing.

"Dammit." He muttered under his breath before picking himself up, "Ha ha, very funny," He stood up, wrapping the shower curtain around his body, "you come out here for a show?"

"Ha ha, *gasp* ha ha ha," it took her a minute to catch her breath, "Oh, that was awesome... Aren't you supposed to not be surprised by stuff like that, 'highly trained soldier' and all?" She taunted him.

"Well, I didn't expect some lady to come play peeping tom while I was showering naked! You get a good look?" He countered, striking a suggestive pose.

Dash began to blush, her wings popping out with a *POMF*.

"Hey! There's that wing thing again!" James pointed out.

"Why, you!" Dash took a stance, like a bull about to charge.

"Uh oh."

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Flash was serenely trotting back to his house, two saddle bags of groceries slung over his back. Is was late in the day, the sun nearing the horizon, the weather warm and he couldn't wait to unload his cargo into the ice chest James and Sparks had dug into the back yard. Humming a happy tune, he rounded a corner on his way to the backside of the house when he was suddenly bowled over by a sprinting human garbed in nothing but the opaque plastic shower curtain they had put up only a few days before. As Flash hit the ground, vegetables and bricks of oats and hay were loosened from his bags and scattered across the ground. A split second later, the human was followed by a sky blue pegasus, her speed hampered by her still outstretched wings.

"Luna dammit. The hell is he doing now?" The pegasus stallion muttered as he picked up the food from where it had fallen.

James ran into the house, Dash hot on his heels. Flash put the last food item back in his bags and continued around the side of the house to the back where there was a spigot he could use to rinse it all off. He was calmly walking past the spot where the large window of the living room had been when the wooden boards covering the opening exploded outward and a heavy body slammed into his side.

"Ah! What the hay!" Flash shouted as James scrambled to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Sorry brother, turns out RD is a little sensitive about her wings."

"Her wings? Why would she..."

"HEY! What are you telling him!?" A wrathful Rainbow Dash appeared in the hole James had just created, wings still hampering her movement.

"Oh snap, gotta run!" James took off at a sprint, shower curtain flapping in the breeze. Dash was not far behind.

All at once, Flash realized what exactly was happening and began to chuckle as he got up from the ground.

Taking in a large lung full of air, the soot colored pegasus yelled to his teammate, "When she catches you, rub the spot between her wings!" Laughing to himself at James' predicament, Flash returned to what he was doing.

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James tried to read the letter Dash had been there to deliver in the dying light of the sun as he walked his way to Fluttershy's house. What he read both intrigued and saddened him. It intrigued him because of what Celestia had decided to do with some of his forces. It saddened him because he would also have to leave home again soon.

Commander Kaughn,

In response to the information you have provided me with I have decided grant Admiral Darkwing's request to train some of his units in the way you have trained ours. I have allotted two of your teams for this task. Admiral Darkwing has also requested that you personally oversee the training at the colony of High Tower in the Foal Mountains. In addition to this, I need you to scout the western coast of Equestria with Captain Armor for points of interest and defense as your experience in this matter is invaluable. The summer months are almost upon us and I would like us to be as prepared as possible when the time comes.

--Princess Celestia

He folded up the paper and put it back in his pocket as he started to climb up the small road that led to the door of Fluttershy's cottage. The letter had put a damper on his mood and a scowl on his face, he was really hoping to get a little more time in Ponyville with Dash and the rest of his friends, but duty called and he would answer. The prospect of getting to visit a griffon colony did interest him though. James put these thoughts briefly aside and walked up to Fluttershy's door, gently rapping the wood with his knuckles. After a moment, the door swung open, a worried looking pink maned pegasus on the other side.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're here." She stepped outside and closed the door quietly behind her. "I'm afraid Garth has been having some problems," her voice lowered to a whisper, James bending down to hear better, "he keeps trying to hurt himself."

"Hurt himself?" James replied at a matching volume, "Like what?

"Like last night, I caught him with one of my cooking knives pressed against his throat..." She finished with a tiny squeak, distress apparent in her eyes.

"Alright, I'll talk to him, see what's going on."

At that moment, a crash and a clash could be heard coming from inside the quaint little cottage. With a gasp, Fluttershy turned around and burst back into her home. James quickly followed, expecting the worst. What he witnessed certainly surprised him. As he ran up a set of stairs after the blue eyed mare, he barged into the room she had galloped into to see a baffling sight. Garth was slowly retreating backwards to a bed he had apparently just removed himself from, the timid pegasus was staring him down the whole time until the large warrior humbly sat down on the mattress obediently.

"That's better! Now you stay there until your wounds properly heal, I'll have your supper up in just a moment." She ordered sternly.

James was mystified at the sudden change in her demeanor, wondering where this other Fluttershy had come from. However, as she trotted past him on her way down to the kitchen, she was right back to the Fluttershy he had just been speaking to outside.

"He's been like this all day. Please see what's the matter with him while I go fix his meal." She said diffidently, yet with a hint of authority.

"Uh, yes ma'am."

While Fluttershy lightly descended down the stairs, James casually walked over to Garth, grabbing a nearby stool to sit on, and placed himself in front of the injured fighter. The large Lotkin was sitting with his head down, rough leathery hands resting on his knees. At the sound of James sitting down, Garth lifted his head. On the left side of the warrior's face, just above his left eye, was a cruel and twisted mark carved into his flesh. The surrounding skin was purple-ish and swollen. The fact that it somehow wasn't infected, James accredited to Fluttershy's timely ministrations.

James picked his words carefully before speaking, "hey there bud, how are you doing? Your wounds look like they're healing nicely, but Fluttershy's telling me you're still not doing to well. What's wrong?"

Garth turned his head to a mirror that was sitting on a desk a few feet away. James followed his gaze and saw that the large warrior was staring at the mark upon his brow, an expression of contempt briefly flashed across his face.

"What's that symbol mean?" James asked him.

Garth took a minute before answering, "It is the Mark of Shame. The greatest insult one can bestow among my kind."

"Why's that?"

"All my kind will shun me. They will not even acknowledge my being. in tests of skill and strength, should I fail, they will not allow me the honor of the final journey, but instead leave me crippled and unwanted. Not even mine own clan shall accept me now."

"Alright brother, that's pretty heavy. But it's not so bad."

"I do not understand."

"Well, you still have us. And Fluttershy I think considers you a friend. I don't think she would have let you in her house otherwise."

"Fluttershy, is the flying yellow pony?"

"Yes, and she's been taking care of you since the fire."

"Then I owe my life to two." Garth said solemnly.

"Honestly Garth, you don't owe your life to anyone. You may have lost your old clan, but you can consider us your new clan. How's that?" James offered.

"You would accept the Shamed?" Garth asked in wonderment.

"As far as I'm concerned, you've got nothing to be ashamed about. You're just another one of us, nothing more, nothing less."

"But, anyone that accepts the Shamed are themselves Shamed! It is an abomination, the clans will not rest until you are captured and punished for your crime!"

"You know what? Fuck 'em. Brother, we're not just anyone here. This is a family and we've all been taking a liking to you. You may be a little gruff, but I like that, no bullshittin' with you. And I'm sure everyone else around town will get to like you too. Once they get past the fear of strange things, like you and myself, they're all pretty understanding. So, what do you say?"

Garth stared at the human like he was the craziest being in the universe. James just sat there and extended a hand. Tentatively, Garth eventually extended his own and they shook.

"I shall wear this mark with honor! All shall know the greatness of our clan!"

"Glad to hear it brother. When you're all healed up, I'll have Rarity come take your measurements. I think you'd look good in our uniform. Welcome to the Fixers my friend."