"God have mercy on those who do such deeds, because I  wont."-Ebony Gryph

Lyra hated the dark. Though bon bon often complained of the light from her room initially, she eventually bought blinds when her pleas for darkness on death ears. Even when she became part of Lero's herd, at night she'd sometimes woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, shivering and sweating in the middle of the dark room. Most times, Lero woke with her, and slowly stroked her sides or mane. Every time he ran over her old scars, she could see the question in his eyes, but he never asked why, and Lyra never volunteered an answer. Sometimes, she had trouble going to a simple restaurant with her lovers, claiming illness. And every time she watched out the window, she hated her gutless self.

Mother... thats where it began. When the teal equine was only a filly, often Mother would shove her in a closet. Those where the worst, those minutes, hours, and a few times days before Mother would drag her daughter out for... Correction. And sometimes mother would disappear, leaving a scared unicorn huddling in a corner of their apartment, praying to whatever kind and loving deity that could be listening that maybe, if Lyra was good, the worst she would get was a beating. But most nights, or after Correction Mother wrapped a her forelegs around her, nibbling her neck, telling her what a sweet filly she was, what a good girl she was, and then she always "Do you love Mama?' And always Lyra would nod. And Mother would kiss her. It would take many sleepless nights talking with old Crackhorn before she was able to heal from Mothers "love", and even when she joined the Guard, she still never really slept with anyone. But, as Master said, we must not look at what was. but look at what is. And what "is" right now was two of the most important beings in her life were upset, and she needed to make some sort of peace with the towns newest member.

And that is where she was at the moment, look down at her hated enemy. The dark. Flicking an ear, she slowly stepped onto the step, and made another, and what seemed and eternity later, she found herself at the bottom step of the basement of the of the town hall. Looking behind her, she saw five concrete steps. Sighing, she lit up the end of her horn, and made her way deeper into the gloom. In the distance, she could see a lantern, a form next to the cot, which after a moment she briskly walked too. As she began through the miles long trek, whispers were in her ears, of how she needed correction. How sweet she was, what a tasty treat she was... Closing her eyes, Lyra cantered forward, heart hammering as Mothers voice told her how much she loved her, and she could feel her Mothers sweat and stench on her again. Finally, she reached Mesa. Looking back, she saw a room not much larger then fifteen feet of shade between her and where Mesa's cot. Shivering at the voices that still lingered in the dark, she turned back to Mesa's sleeping form.

As the gripping fear slowly left her, it was replaced with confusion. He was sleeping on the concrete floor. Slowly, she let her eyes roam over his uncovered upper body. Well built, no doubt, but look at all those scars. And when she saw his face... it was odd. When he slept, he looked so sad. Shaking her head, she raised a hoof to gently shake him.

"I'm awake."

Gasping, she leaped back, and glared at the human.

"Damn it Mesa! Whats wrong with you?"

Slowly, he got into a cross legged posistion. And looking up at Lyra, he shrugged.

"I'm not standing in the middle of your home oggling you while you sleep." Suddenly seeing the fearful look in her features, he added 'You'd probably kill me if I did."

Lyra snorted, and a gave the human a small smile. "Indeed."

Again, Mesa shrugged. "I can think of worse ways to go." Looking up at her again, his expression softened. 'You ok?'

Sighing, she sat on her haunches next to him. "Just tired. I had to stay up all comforting my herd is all.' seeing him start, she added 'Now stop right there. What Lero did was completely inappropriate. I know what you said, but nonetheless....'

Seeing him relax, her horn glowed for a split second, and suddenly Mesa felt a sharp slap on the back, as he looked on the back his head. As he turned to look, Lyra slapped him again. Looking at her, he said '"Wait a second...Ouch... you said..ow fuck..."

She frowned giving him another good whack.

"You and Lero made my lovely Twilight upset.Now, after your patrol, you will go in her library, and you will give your heartfelt and utmost sincere remorse.' She wrapped her magic around her ear, and tugged it. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes damn it, fuck let go!" Smiling brightly, she nodded, and her horn went dim. Rubbing the now sore ear, Mesa said 'Sheesh, woman...' Sighing, he lowered his hand. 'I'm sorry I put you through this Lyra. But... I made a promise...'

Lyra nodded, 'I thought there was more to this story.' She looked down at the ground. "Mesa, why did you let that man go?"

"Lyra... If I tell you, you must swear it never leaves this basement. You cannot tell Lero, Twilight, or your other herdmate whats her name."

Lyra nodded, murmuring, 'Its Rainbow Dash, and you have my word as a member of the Royal Guard, and upon the name of stallion Lero that not one syllable of what you say shall pass this muzzle."

"Well said..." after a brief moment of looking up at the ceiling, he began.

"It was during the war, me and my squad were doing recon on a town. What was done to those people... the enemy was trying to demoralize us I think... but..." sighing, he pinched the light green shirt he had 'See how this t-shirt is cut?' Lyra nodded, and he looked back at her, tears threatening to leak out at his memory 'That's how the cut the skin off the torso of the people in the town."

Lyra started, her mouth spread into an "O" of horror.

"They weren't even soldier. Woman and kids mostly, a few old men who couldn't fight even if the wanted too. We found out later, the town had already surrendered. But that scene... it broke one of us. And there was no punishment I could do to him that compared to the hell he was still in."

Lyra clenched her eyes, and shook her head viciously, her tears scattering. "That's... Thats un... I can't even give a proper response. I mean, gryphons and dragons...' she bared her teeth, and let out a strangled sob. 'How do you do it Mesa? How do you go on after that?"

She opened her, and saw him giving her a grim smile. "It helps that all of us made sure that the bastards who did it never left that town alive." Rising into a crouch, he continued, 'hey Lyra, I gotta wait outside for a bit. There gonna drop off my supplies, and I could use some help bringing them in. Wanna join me?"

Lyra nodded numbly, and as she rose, Mesa said softly. "You know, Lero's brother asked me later if I believed in God. I did then, and I still do. But some people just have no soul."

For a moment, Lyra watched as Mesa went away from her and up the stone steps. Then she walked into the dark, no longer afraid of the monsters there, because they were tame compared to the real beasts walking in the light.

.....

0840 Ponyville, Supply drop

Another human in green military fatigues handed a clipboard and pencil to Mesa, seeming not to notice the teal unicorn glaring at him. Lyra had spent some time reading books of earth, and the variants of humans theres. They angle of the eyes, the skin... this human was one of those monsters. For a moment, she wondered if these ones were used as attack dogs on Lero's world. No, no way humans would be so stupid... such viciousness wouldn't be allowed to live. After signing the form, and the boxes being unloaded by Mesa and the other human onto the ground, the truck pulled away. Folding his pink copy of the requisition order, Mesa put it into his pocket as he turned and frowned at Lyra.

"Hey, whats wrong? Why were you giving that private the stink eye?"

Glaring now at Mesa, she snapped back 'How could you? One of those... chinese, and you not only are almost pleasent, you shake his hand! His variant slaughtered an already pacified town, and you...' she snorted, and looked at the ground disgusted.

Mesa rubbed the back of his neck, now thoroughly confused. "Actually, judging from his name, I'd say he was Japanese." to this Lyra huffed and eye rolled "And in any case, so what? He's an American, one of my countries fellow citizens."

Lyra blinked, and said "So you do use them as attack dogs."

Mesa grunted, clenched his eyes shut, and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, a gesture Lyra had gathered meant the human in question was getting a headache.

"Lyra... look, in the first place, not all Chinese agreed with the actions of their government. Look at the general who stopped them from blowing their own country,' as he talked, he turned an picked up box and a long case.

"Secondly, its very bad form to assume something of any members of any species merely based on the tone of ones skin, or what country they may be from.' He looked down a moment, then added 'And what they did is hardly the first time humans have done such things."

The teal unicorns frown softened, and she let out a sigh. "Your right, of course. I'll try to be more mindful of this in the future." As she spoke, her horn glowed, surround the remain large boxes. As she lifted them easily, Mesa let out a low whistle. Turning around, containers floating close, she continued

"But its still nice to have humans like you and Lero show us ponies what your species is capable off."

As she turned her head back, she couldn't see Mesas face as he whispered "Yeah, all we're capable off."

.....

"One hundred 7.62x39 ammo mags..." Mesa muttered as he stacked the last one on the newly set up locker.

"Check...' Lyra made the mark on the clipboard she had floating, her eyes roaming over the brown plastic packages she stacked on one of the basements shelves,

"That's ninety-six MRE..."

Mesa hmmed as he began to open another box.

"I'm going to have to send a letter. I only eat two of those, sometimes one a day. Don't need that many."

Lyra clucked her tongue as the human began stacking more ammo. 'You know, we do have food here, and your more then welcome to buy. The restaurants are quite nice too.'

Mesa shook his head. "I'm sure its delicious, but way to easy for someone to poison it, and it be to awkward testing the chow in front of others.' Seeing her somewhat insulted look, he shrugged slightly, and resumed stacking the clips. "Hey, when your in our line of work, you gotta worry about this shit. Hell, I've got this fancy little device that tells me of anything someone could have slipped into the MRE's, so don't get sore or take it personal, I'd just like to err on the side of caution."

Coming to the bottom, he said, "And that's fifty 5.7x28mm ammo clips,"

Eyebrows raised, his assistant for the day pursed her lips. "Not 9mm? I thought your infantry used the 1911?"

Grinning, Mesa opened another box. 'Well, in general we do. Another fine weapon the 1911.' As he spoke, he began to stock the shelves again. 'And you are right, we American soldiers are usually stuck with what they give us. But for us in the Corps, we have a wider selection, and greater flexibility in choosing from that selection. Thats twenty boxes of 00 twelve gauge shell' she made the mark on the paper, and Mesa continued 'And five boxes of 2-3/4 rifled slugs."

For a few minutes, there was only silence aside from the slightl clack of something on the bottom shelf. "Thats four 5.56mm ammo boxes."

"Check. How many rounds do those hold anyway?'

Mesa hmmed, 'Well, theses ones are the small ones, so one hundred a box."

Lyra irked, and gaped at the human as he opened another box. "Sheesh, you could take out a whole platoon with that!'

Mesa chuckled, and began loading more magazines on the next to last shelf. 'Thats what one usually hopes to achieve.' After finishing, he said 'Thats twenty  7.62×51mm magazines. And the rest are spare rounds for when those clips are emptied.' He frowned at the boxes he set beside the locker. 'Except for those ones.'

"Whats in there?"

He looked back at her. "Twenty five clips of .50 caliber, and fifty clips of .45. I don't use anything that needs that kinda round."

He closed the locker, and a small glyph on its doors flashed. Lyra walked over and tilted her head looking at it

. "Is that... a temperature spell... no, there's more to it. what is that?"

Mesa shrugged, walking over to the cases next to his cot.

"Bullets need to be kept under certain conditions. I had a unicorn do that for me."

He bent over, opened the smaller case, and held out the weapon. "This is what I took instead of the 1911." Lyra walked closer, looking over the sleek metal

"This is what the 5.7 pistol ammo's for. Its called the FN FiveseveN. This offers a bit more punch then your standard 9mm, but its not as accurate long range."

He opened another locker and put the pistol in a slot on the door. Frowning, his eyes wandered over the extra spaces made into the storage space. Damn paper jockies. Turning back, he opened another, and Lyras eyes widened as the massive rifle was lifted out.

"This ones the M-249. Its the one those ammo boxes go too.' After placing the into its place, he opened another one, and Lyra nodded. "Ah, a sniper rifle. But this seems different.

"Good eye. The one I used in canterlot at the Bureau was the M40A1 bolt action. This one is the M39 semi auto. Semi's dont have the same range or accuracy, but I figured If I was going to do sniping here, I need more ammo and quicker timing between shots then bolt actions have." As Lyra nodded and made the check on the clipboard, Mesa stored the rifle. Walking back, he opened a third case. Lyra looked over the weapon in his hands.

"A shotgun right?"

"Correct. This is the M-1014 combat shotgun. This uses scattershot as both main ammo and door breaching, and the rifled slugs are usually for hard targets."

He placed the rifle in the locker, then looked back at the two other gun cases. Frowning he opened the smaller one, his eyes widening at what was inside. A telescope baton with a note, and the rest of the case holding a sub machine gun. Picking up the baton, he undid the note as he unfolded the weapon, and after it made its clacking noise as it extended, he read out loud.

"Dear Clarence,' he scowled at this ' I'd imagine that since you've been to town, you've noticed how leery my subjects can be around firearms. So, in leau of this, I've sent you this baton along with the other weapon. I'd also suggest carrying it with instead of your pistol. May you turn to this before you are forced the other. Yours truly, Princess Celestia."

Chuckling, he looked at Lyra. "This lady is good."

Lyra smiled and nodded, then made a surprised sound. "There's something on the back."

Turning it over, Mesa said, 'It a post script. 'Your bet your pretty flank I am. Celestia.'

Lyra pressed a hoof to her muzzle as Mesa muttered darkly 'You dirty old buzzard...'

Giggles suppressed, she nodded towards the weapon still in the case. 'Whats that?'

Bending over, he wrapped his hand around the grip and pulled it from its home 'I guess this is the .45 ammo mags are for. Its called the KRISS vector.' as he walked over to the locker, he explained 'You see, problem with the .45 caliber is that while its powerful, it jerks the old Thompson around, so it was hard to be accurate."

Pointing to the long bit behind where the ammo clip went and the triggers guard and the grip with his baton, he continued.

"See this here? This part houses the part that recoils so that when the weapon is fired, the energy goes down, rather then into my shoulder, so its easier to stay on target,"

Lyra nodded, then as Mesa stored the weapon, she undid the catch on the last case. Frowning at weapon, she could see why this case was so long. 'Uhh, hey Mesa. Don't you already have a sniper rifle."

Turning, he said 'I do, why?' then stopped and stared. 'A M107? What the...' walking over, he noticed the note tied around the barrel. Undoing it, he said out loud "Dear Mesa, I thought you might need this. Never know when a dragon might pop by. Love, Luna."

Lyra paused her exam of the new weapon, and waggled her brows at the human.

"Love luna? Ahh, you dog... a human a royal stud."

Mesa cleared his throat, and stood. "I neiter confirm nor deny any actions I may or may not have performed."

Lyras giggled, and lowered her voice conspiratorially.

"Come on cutie, just between soldiers. Tell me..."

"No comment."

The equine rasberried. "Human statesmanship at its finest."

Mesa rolled his eyes, 'Fine then. I refuse to answer on the grounds I'll be chucked into the sun.' He turned, and sighed 'Look Lyra, seriously. Whether or not anything did happen, the last thing either Diarch needs is a media bloodbath.'

Lyra snorted. "Oh fuck Mesa. I know that! You think I'd do something like that?"

Mesa nodded, and as they walked out of the basement, Lyra muttered, 'So, which sister got the better flank?'

"No comment, and no opinion."

Next Chapter: Chapter four The mate, the mom, and the Mesa Estimated time remaining: 34 Minutes