Jaze watched Dmitri dash down the ramp of the dropship; the smile he had plastered to his face fell away as soon as the younger man vanished. He turned his gaze back to the wall next to him, trying to suffocate the thoughts from that morning. But that proved impossible; Dmitri's questions had torn down the wall he had used to block off the memory of being in the recovery room.

The soldiers all turned back to their conversations, studiously ignoring him with their questioning eyes. But he could still feel them throwing the occasional, curious glance his way. Their chatter swiftly began to wear on him; all he wanted was some quiet. It would have been a simple matter to bark an order at them, to make them stop. But he stopped the words even as they reached his lips, it wouldn't help anyway.

Trixie's last words to him still echoed hollowly in his head. It had been more than a day, and they made him feel sick. His lungs didn't seem able to take in enough air. He had waited as long as possible, waited for the very last dropship, hoping that he would find Trixie so he could at least try and set things straight. The absolute last thing he wanted was to leave things like they were; he hated that she was so angry with him. But he hadn't seen her at all. She must have been avoiding him. He could have always gone to their little home and waited for her there, but something had always stopped him just short.

She must have been so hurt over his leaving that she never wanted to see him again. He grimaced at the wall; if that's what she wanted, then she could have it. Anger began to swell up in his chest; if she refused to see him, he couldn't do a thing to change her mind. And as much as he hated it, that seemed to be her choice. But even as the thought occurred to him, pain shot through his heart. He tried to harden against the pain, but it was in vain. The fury and rage battled for control, the pain eventually choking out the anger and leaving only a void.

A light tingling flowed across his skin. The odd sensation rolled over him in waves and made the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. It was a strangely familiar sensation, one he felt he should know. Heat seemed to radiate from the seat across from him, slowly building until he couldn't ignore it any longer. He brought his gaze to the seat and spotted a slight shimmer just over the hard chair, not unlike heat roiling off desert sands.

The smell of crisped hair filled the small dropship interior, and Trixie appeared amid a bright flash of lavender light. Jaze jumped at the loud pop that echoed through the hull of the ship, and his ears rang softly in protest of further abuse. Shouts rang out as the exhausted soldiers seated around the small craft sprang to their feet. The men and women zeroed in on the azure pony who had appeared in their midst, offering her disapproving glares which went unnoticed by the intended target. Jaze waved them down, and he waited for them to take their seats before looking to the mare who had dropped in for a visit.

The unicorn across from him looked more haggard than he had ever seen. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her coat looked matted in places. As soon as their gazes met, her eyes filled with tears again. He longed to reach across the aisle and brush away the droplets that leaked from the edges of the sad, lavender orbs, but something stayed his hand. Now that she was here, in front of him, he couldn't think of a thing to say.

"Jaze." she croaked, "We really need to talk."

A scathing retort jumped to mind, immediately forgotten as he looked into the bottomless pools. He could see so many different emotions playing across her face; the same he could imagine playing across his own. He leaned back and nodded. "Yeah, I'd say so. But do you think here, now, is the best place for that?"

She looked around, blushing a deep crimson as she seemed to notice the other humans staring at them. Jaze looked at the soldiers and slowly fixed each with a stern glare. His voice was low but easily carried across the small craft as he asked, "Would you all mind taking a short walk? It could be a bit before we take off anyway."

In a blink, every one of the soldiers had disappeared from the ship. The Marines couldn't leave the craft fast enough, practically tripping over themselves in their haste. For a moment, confusion knitted Jaze's brow together. He glanced towards the mare across from him and flinched at the gleam in her eye. She wore a look of such overt danger that he nearly wanted to run away himself, and it wasn't even aimed at him.

As she turned back towards him, the glare slid from her face until she looked near tears. He watched as the unicorn struggled to find the words she was looking for. It was impossible to tear his gaze away from her; his heart swelled in his chest just to have her close again, even if it was under terrible circumstances. She cast her eyes to the ground and took a slow, deep breath, letting it all out in a rush as she brought her head up again.

"I…" Trixie's voice faltered, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She lunged across the aisle and threw her forelegs around his neck. The strong limbs held him tightly, while the pony buried her face into the top of his shoulder. Sobs jerked through her body, and he could feel tears beginning to soak through his shirt.

Wetness touched his own cheeks as he wrapped her in a warm embrace. Her cries resonated through him, forcing even more tears down his cheeks. He leaned his head down to rest on top of hers. The light scent of roses filled his head with a pleasant haze. Time held no meaning for him anymore. It was just good to be able to have her in his arms again. It felt so right to be holding her like this; he wished it would last forever.

Trixie finally pulled away just enough to fix him with a watery stare, though her forelegs stayed tightly wrapped around his neck. "I am so sorry; I do not want to leave it like that. I don't want to risk that being your last memory of me, or mine of you."

He brought up a hand and brushed away her tears with the tips of his fingers. "You've got no reason to apologize, none at all. If anything I should be apologizing to you. For leaving you, just so I could go gallivanting around the galaxy. I just hoped that you wouldn't hate me for it."

The mare giggled in spite of herself, the sound ringing in his ears. "I could never hate you, you stupid space-colt. I understand not having a choice, even if I don't exactly like it."

A glint over the hollow at the base of her neck caught his eye. Laying against her azure coat was a golden band set with a large diamond, hanging from a silver chain. He reached out with trembling hands and took the ring gently between his thumb and forefinger, turning it this way and that to catch the sunlight filtering in from the open backend of the craft. His breath caught in his throat, unable to move past the sudden lump in his throat.

"You're still wearing this?"

She nodded. "I never take it off."

"I'm glad." His hand traveled back up the side of her neck and cupped the corner of her jaw. The warmth of her face poured into him through the contact, and he could help a contented sigh. "It's good to see you again. I wish I didn't have to go."

"Maybe…" She paused, her eyes darting around the room. Hope shined in the deep lavender pools dominating her features. "Maybe you could stay. I've seen a few humans still here, staying with what remains of the camp. Maybe you could get posted here?"

A harsh twinge of sadness twisted through him as his face contorted into a frown. "Gaston says he already has a mission selected for me, something important. I don't think he'd put it off, and I owe him so much already. This is something I have to do."

The hope faded from her eyes, sending another stab through his heart. "Oh. I see…"

She stared at the wall behind him, close to tears. His arms wrapped around her neck, and a hand to the back of her head pulled her tight against him once more. "Don't worry; it will only be a few months, tops. This one mission and I'll put in for leave. I swear I'll be back as soon as I can."

Trixie nodded against his shoulder, and let out a quick, shuddering breath. "Just try and stay safe okay? I don't think I could take it if you got your stupid self killed."

"Don't worry, I'll be safe."

Her head rose, and her lips lightly touched his cheek. "Then go get whatever you need to done, and hurry back. But expect to never be allowed out of my sight again, understood?"

"Yes ma'am!"

The azure mare pulled out of his grasp and quickly left the dropship. Jaze felt oddly light, and a tingle spread from the place her lips had touched. The seat he rested on had suddenly turned into the most comfortable chair it had been his pleasure to occupy. A smile turned up the corners of his lips. At least there was still hope.

Stars shone beyond the large pane of thick glass that made up the outside wall of the observation room. Benches were set up in rows in front of the glass wall with potted plants dotting some of the space between the seats. Every so often a breeze ruffled the plants' leaves as the climate control kept the room at a constant, comfortable temperature. It was one of the view areas of the ship not dedicated to bringing war, but it still bore the mark of a warship in the large armor plates that could just be seen at the edge of the viewing area, ready to be dropped over the weak-point in case of attack.

Jaze leaned against the glass with his cheek touching the wall. His breathing fogged the cool glass, only for the condensation to swiftly vanish before he let out another breath. From where he was, he could just see Gaia hanging amid the bejeweled blackness of space. The beautiful green and blue marble of a planet kept his gaze riveted to its vibrant surface.

As impossible as it was, he kept trying to pick out the small hamlet he had lived in for what felt like years. The mountain that Canterlot was built into stood out amid a sea of greens, and nearby was a patch of dark, vile green. Even from in space the Everfree Forest looked menacing. But for now, it gave him a general area to look for the town. Though he couldn't actually see the buildings, he could imagine each one below.

He let out a sigh as he turned away from the stunning view. It had been almost half an hour since he had arrived on the Vigilance at Gaston's request. As soon as he'd arrived onboard, an ensign had told him to wait in the observation room for the Admiral. What hadn't been told was just how long he was supposed to wait. If the wait dragged on too much longer, he'd leave for the mess hall. Let the old man find him for a change.

Even as the thought crossed his mind, a voice from behind spoke up, "Good, you're still here. Worried ya might've taken off."

Jaze turned to see Gaston standing in the wide doorway set flush near the center of the wall. The Admiral's face was haggard and drawn, more-so than usual, and he looked ready to fall over asleep at any moment. Despite the tired look in his eyes, a smile was firmly on his face. The grin spread across his features, turning back the march of time several years. In his hands was a folder containing a thick stack of papers.

Gaston wove between the benches and plants, picking his way towards the glass wall. Jaze watched the graying Admiral come, trying to keep his face impassive. The scarred soldier pushed away from the wall and snapped a salute. "No sir, I'm still here. As you asked." Under his breath, he added, "But I would have left soon."

The old sailor chuckled as he stepped up in front of Jaze. "I know I'm a bit late; I'm sorry. There's been a lot to coordinate 'fore we jump system." Gaston brought up an eyebrow. "And you can drop the salute boyo, ain't no need for it now."

The ex-assassin let his arm fall. "Might I know why you had me stuck in this room for so long? Or was it just for a chat."

Gaston sighed. "Alright, I suppose you're wanting to hop right to the point. Fair enough I suppose." The Admiral swept his arm out towards one of the nearby benches. "Grab a seat, get comfortable for a bit."

"I would prefer to stand, if that is okay sir." Try as he might, Jaze couldn't stop his voice from coming out taut and formal. His shoulders were stiff and unable to relax. He stared into the other man's eyes, unable to smile.

"Jaze," The graying man's eyes filled with worry as his smile melted away, "is there something wrong?"

"No sir. Just eager to get back to it sir. I want to finish this war."

The grin slowly returned to the Admiral's face, "Good, just what I want to hear."

Gaston opened the folder, thumbing through the loose pages. His brow furrowed as he searched, one eyebrow slowly going up. "First things first: I'm sure it will please you to know you're no longer acting Colonel." His smile grew, and added, "In fact, you're being shuttled into the Special Operations section."

Jaze felt his heart skip a beat, and his eyes narrowed. "Sir, I thought I said that I didn't want…"

"Hang on boy you've got it all wrong." Gaston laughed, and held the folder out. "Here, it might be easier if you just look at it yourself. I think this'll be an assignment you'll be proud to have."

He took the folder with a wary glare, and began ruffling through it. The first few pages were the usual ignorable preamble, and it wasn't until he had sorted through it that he began to read. The papers detailed a plan of sorts, and his part in it. He skimmed through it, grimacing at the cushy job he was placed in, until he flicked to the last page where his post was listed.

His eyes slowly widened as he stared at the words on the page, and he brought his gaze up. "Sir, Gaston, is this for real?"

"Aye; there's a ship waiting to take you to your post right now. Your gear is already loaded onboard, anything else you need can be acquired later. Now get going, you don' want t' miss your flight."

Trixie stood outside the small, comely house, staring at the pastel blue walls. It looked the same as it always had, but it didn't feel like coming home. No lights shone out of any windows. No sounds escaped from within the dark confines of the humble abode. The small cottage seemed hollow, empty, and it wasn't hard to tell why. Even the bright sun and beautiful weather failed to make the place seem as welcoming as it once had.

A tug at her tail made her turn to see Zephyr staring at her with wide eyes and her tail between her lips. The filly released her hold and whined, "Twixie, I hungry. Can we eat now?"

Trixie didn't feel the least bit of an appetite, but she swallowed the thought. "Sure sweetie, let's just get inside and I will find you something."

She stepped up onto the porch and through the door. With a flick of magic, the lights set into the ceiling came on. Everything was exactly as they had left it seemingly so long ago. The house still felt wrong, but she had to force it to the back of her mind. It wouldn't do to think too much at the moment. Another tug at her tail brought a tight, sad smile to her lips. Besides, she had things to take care of.

Moving into the kitchen, her horn ignited with a pale lavender glow. A similar glow encircled the handle on the refrigerator door. The fridge swung open to reveal shelves piled with food. The tempting morsels sent a rumble through her stomach, forcing her to reconsider her lack of appetite. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten.

She floated some bread and an assortment of vegetables out of the cold box, and quickly assembled a couple sandwiches in the air in front of the amazed young pony. Offering one with a smile, she sweetly said, "Eat this little one, and I will put something better one to cook for later. But you need to sit up at the table to eat it, okay?"

"Ah-kay!" Zephyr bit down on the packed sandwich and skipped to the dining table to tuck into the snack.

Trixie kept the other sandwich suspended in a field of magic in front of her lips. She searched through the fridge for something easy to throw on; taking small bites of the strangely tasteless food a she looked. Unfortunately everything would need more work than she wanted to put in, so she opened the freezer, hoping there was at least something ready-made.

The freezer was mostly empty, save for a foil-wrapped baking dish on the ice covered floor. She froze mid-bite, staring into the foggy compartment. Seeing the dish sent a numbing wave through her. She had made it up days ago, a simple casserole dish, and a welcome back meal after they had forced back the invaders of her world. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill out onto her cheeks at any moment.

"Trixie, I still hungry." whined a small voice from behind. She twisted her head back and saw the brown-maned filly eyeing the half-eaten sandwich still floated just in front of her lips.

Trixie bit her lip, fighting back the tears, and placed the half-eaten sandwich in front of the youngster. "Here, finish this. I am just not too hungry I guess, huh?"

Worry filled young, ice blue eyes as she looked from the food back to the mare. "Is you sick?"

"No sweetie, just tired."

"Den is nap time?"

Trixie gave a tight-lipped grin that couldn't quite make it to her eyes. "Yes, after I put this in the oven and you finish your food."

She wreathed the dish in the freezer with magic, pulling it out and shutting the freezer door with slightly more force than necessary. Another quick magical flick brought the oven on and opened its door to let her slide the frozen dish into the already warm box. She turned back to the table, and saw no sign of the sandwich beyond a few, stray crumbs.

Zephyr let out a head-splitting yawn and rubbed her eyes with the backs of her forehooves. Her head drooped toward the table as her eyelids followed suit. Trixie's smile came a little easier to her face as she scooped up the youngling in one foreleg and carried her down the dim hallway to the bedrooms. She glanced toward the door to her room for only a moment before continuing down the hall.

The door was still shut, just as it had been so long ago. He had been the last one to be in that room, and it had been the first time they had shared a bed together. The memory of being held, of the gentle breeze of his breathing caressing her face, of the warmth of his skin; it washed over her in a way that threatened to halt her breath. Her horn glowed, and the doorknob twisted in her magic aura.

A blast of cool air burst from the dark room. Trixie carried the drowsy filly in her grasp to the bed and pulled back the bedspread. She placed the youngster on the sheets and tucked the covers around her. The little filly curled her neck and tail around her body and was asleep almost before Trixie had finished pulling up the blankets. She crawled on top of the bedspread next to the filly, lying on her back.

The soft pillows cradled her head, making her drowsy. She stared up at the ceiling; minutes ticked by as she waited for sleep to let her into the peaceful oblivion. But it never came. Her mind refused to shut down, to allow her to rest. The soft sounds of Zephyr's breathing were unusually deafening, and the coolness of the bed felt wrong. The last time she had been here, it had been warm. She rolled over and pulled the young pegasus closer.

She stroked the filly's voluminous, brown mane, letting her lips twist at the corners just a bit. The warmth emanating from the filly was little comfort. The smell coming from the bed itself wormed into her mind. It was his scent, tantalizing her with memories of happier times. Tears again welled in her eyes; everything had been going so well. She buried her face against the warm bundle held against her chest, forcing down the sobs that filled her chest with pain.

The filly stirred, and asked groggily, "Twixie, where Jazer go?"

She tried to smile, but it hardly registered as a grimace. "He went to make sure everything is safe."

"Jazer went to beat up da munsters?"

"Yes dear one." whispered Trixie. She found herself biting her lip to hold back tears. "He went to make sure that those monsters can never hurt anyone again."

Zephyr yawned, and her voice managed to drop even lower. "He comin' back?"

Trixie couldn't bring herself to tell the youngster that he may not return. It was entirely likely that Jaze could die. And Zephyr had already lost so much to the war, more than anypony should have to. Why couldn't she just let the little one have this at least?

"Yes sweetie." She choked out the words, trying to bury the emotions swirling in her breast. "Someday, he will be back. Someday really soon, I bet. Until then, the only thing we can do is wait."

"Ah-kay." murmured the filly. Zephyr rolled over and nuzzled into Trixie's stomach. "Is good dat Jazer's not gonna wet da munsters hurt anypony ewse. Dey's reawwy scary. I don' wike da munsters."

"Nopony does little one." Trixie climbed under the blankets and wrapped the filly in her forelegs, holding her close. She stroked along the youngster's back as she dipped her head to plant a kiss atop the young pony's head. "Now why don't you take a nap? Jaze said he will be back in a few months."

"Maybe even before then."

Trixie froze. The owner of that voice couldn't be here. She had watched him leave. Both ponies turned towards the door as one. Trixie stared at the human standing in the frame, a wide smile on his scarred face. Her mouth fell open as she tried to make sense of the figure standing where he couldn't possibly be. In one hand, he held a large folder. Her breath was caught in her throat. He wavered in her sight, almost like he was underwater, and wetness brushed her cheeks.

As ever, Zephyr was the first to react. With a happy squeal, the filly ran and dove off the end of the bed into his arms. "Jazer! You hewe!"

The stupid grin on Jaze's face widened. He caught the youngster and wrapped her in a tight hug. "Am I really? Let's see." He reached up with one hand and pinched his cheek between a thumb and forefinger, stretching the skin. His voice distorted, he chuckled and said, "Yea, sheems I am here."

He released the skin with a thoughtful look. "But maybe you're the fake one!" His fingers pinched her cheek lightly, drawing a loud giggle as he released it. "Nope, everyone's here."

His gaze met hers, and it felt like a switch had been thrown. Trixie found that her muscles suddenly worked again. She rolled off the bed and slowly, cautiously, walked across the room to the human's side. Looking up, she watched his smile change. It lost the silliness, and shrank a faction. She worked her jaw, trying to find the words.

"H… how Jaze?" she forced out. "I saw you leave." Her eyes widened. "Wait, you aren't in trouble are you? You were supposed to go, and you said if you didn't…"

His free hand came up and put a finger to her lips. "Hang on a moment, don't worry about that. Take a look at this." He held out the folder. Inside, she could just see a stack of papers.

She yanked the folder from his hand, noting his grin coming back. She opened it, skimming through. For a time, it seemed to be mostly unimportant. Finally, something caught her eye, and she read aloud, "Major Jaze Armand, under the title of Special Operative, is hereby ordered to assume command of clean-up and recovery operations, as well as the fostering of goodwill between the general public and the Earth Coalition government.

"In addition, SO Armand is to head efforts to recover any intelligence or operable technology from the Cye. As of today, SO Armand is to be stationed on the planet of Gaia under the supervision of the rulers of Equestria, Princesses Celestia and Luna…"

Her voice petered out as the words ran through her mind over and over again. She looked up to see a smile on the scarred soldier's face. Glancing back down at the papers, she croaked, "Jaze… This… Does this mean…?"

"It does." She could see tears filling his eyes, "I'm here to stay, for good."

Words again failed her. She stood and wrapped her forelimbs are his neck, trapping the young filly against his chest. Trixie buried her face in his shoulder as his free, black-gloved hand pressed into her back. The metal digits pressed painfully into her back, but she ignored the discomfort as best she could. It just felt so wonderful to have his arm around her; she didn't want to risk him taking it away. Tears of happiness flowed down her features as she cried in the warm protection of his embrace, not even a moment ago she would have thought this impossible.

His hand moved, trailing up her back, along her neck, to her chin. She shuddered at the caress; the feeling of him being so close was intoxicating. He used two fingers under her chin to bring her head up to meet his smile. Blue-silver eyes peered at her, pools she could lose herself in forever. At the corners of his eyes, she could see tears beginning to form. Her smile matched his as she tried to get her sobs under control. They were so close; his warm breath broke against her features.

Without warning, he tilted his head down the last, scant distance and pressed his lips against hers. A light sound escaped her throat as she relaxed into the kiss. Tingling waves roiled through her stomach. Her eyes slid closed as the room around her seemed to spin; it was nearly impossible to keep her hooves steady on the floor. The back of his gloved fingers brushed against her cheek, wiping the last remnants of wetness from her coat. Something squirmed against them, but she couldn't spare the thought to investigate.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew! Gwoooooooooooooss!" whined a high-pitched voice Trixie recognized. The voice seem to come from far away, and behind a wall, "Pu' me down!"

Jaze pulled away, eliciting a groan of protest from her throat. His cheeks were stained crimson, and he looked to the filly he still held in the crook of his arm. Zephyr stared at him accusatorily, pouting. Trixie had to turn away to hide her red face, using a hoof to unsuccessfully stifle her giggles. The human looked to her with a wide, apologizing gaze before setting down the tiny pony in his arms. Zephyr scampered back to the bed, safe from anymore displays of affection. She scrunched her face at them and burrowed back into the covers.

Trixie giggled again at the sight, and at having the human back. She couldn't stop smiling whenever she looked at him, and could see a similar grin turn up the corners of his mouth. The man held a hand to his face, stifling a laugh at the young pegasus' plight. She could feel laughter beginning to rise in her chest, and she stood on two legs again to wrap her forelimbs around his neck once more.

"I'm sorry Zephyr." Trixie said to the filly hiding on the bed. "We didn't mean to upset you."

"Why gwown-ups so gwoss?!" screeched a muffled voice from under the bedspread.

Jaze chuckled, and turned toward the bed. "I'm sorry little one, but I can't promise we won't be gross anymore." His silvery eyes turned back to hers, taking her breath away. His smile was tight-lipped and sincere as he whispered, "And I apologize to you too, for not doing this earlier."

His strong arms locked tight around her, one at her hips, and the other around the back of her neck. She gasped as he pulled her tight against him, gently pulling with the arm around her neck to bring her lips to his. A hand rubbed small circles at her lower back, forcing a coo out of her throat that was quickly lost in the passion of his embrace. His warmth rolled through her as her heart punched her ribs. Her breath came from him, breathing in his essence as she pushed forward into his kiss. Her mind swam deliciously, and her body had gone numb. But that was more than okay with her; she didn't need it anyway. The arm around her neck was gone she realized, and she felt the smooth fabric of his gloved hand stroke her cheek. Another soft sound escaped Trixie as she firmly squeezed his neck.

Jaze broke the kiss, pulling away with a smile. She allowed it with great reluctance; the only thing stopping her was knowing he was hers. Her chest heaved, and she suddenly realized she was out of breath. It was impossible to focus on anything, though the scarred soldier's face remained clear. She could feel his chest rising and falling against hers, an mesmerizing sensation she never wanted to end.

Giving the human a wide, dazed smile, she panted, "That… is an apology… you need to repeat… everyday… for the next year."

"Every day, several times a day." Jaze agreed.

Her smile somehow managed to widen even further. "Then let me say: welcome home Jaze."