When I woke up, I was in the ditch that Bitter Sins and Bitter Poison dragged Jet Star into. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust. It was still dark out and it was kind of hard to see, but I saw that my leg was wrapped in a bandage. It was still rather painful. I cringed slightly and rubbed it gently. Eventually I gave up on trying to make it feel better. I rested my head on the rock and began to think.
Who fixed my leg? Who brought me into this hole? Did we at least beat the Dracs? I wanted to go and see if there were any dead Killjoys, but I was almost afraid to. I got over that small fear and pulled myself to a standing position. I took a deep breath as I walked out onto yesterday's battlefield. My eyes scanned the area. Oh thank goodness. I thought. Dead Dracs: 20, dead Killjoys: 0. Killjoys never die!
Then I remembered Jet Star. The horrific images of him being shot played in slow motion in my mind. I had to get back to Zone 6 as soon as possible to see if he was alright. I grabbed my gun from the ditch and began walking. I tried my hardest to ignore my injury as I quickly moved. Pain doesn't really affect me that much anymore, thank goodness. I kept my gun in hand for protection on my mission "home".
"Where do you think you're going so fast?" a familiar voice came from behind me. I turned around to see Show Pony standing with his arms crossed. I smiled in relief. "Well a cheerful hello to you too." I laughed. He unfolded his arms and stomped his foot. "You were just shot in the leg! You can't walk all the way back!" he exclaimed. I turned and continued walking. I laughed lightly at how much he cared for me. "Well how do you suppose I get back then?" I asked rhetorically. Show Pony roller skated around me, emphasizing the fact that he had wheels. "Roller skating still uses your legs, Show Pony. It's just walking on wheels." I informed him. "Not if you let me carry you!" he practically sang.
"Don't be ridiculous! Zone 6 is at least an hour away from here. You can't carry me all that way!" I said. We had a few cars back in our Zone. I don't know why we didn't use them this time. Show Pony sighed. "At least let me accompany you back." he said knowing that I wasn't going to let him win. I smiled lovingly at him. "Okay." I agreed. He blushed a bit and gave me a quick, one armed hug.
We passed time on the long trip back by talking about everything. It went from remembering how life used to be to discussing strategies against BL/ind.
By the time we made it to Zone 5, we were tired and hungry. We found a small, Killjoy-owned diner type thing. We went inside and plopped down into a booth. "So do you know how the battle ended?" Show Pony asked shyly. "Not sure. I know Jet Star was shot in the arm, but the only bodies I saw were those of Dracs. I'm guessing we won." I stated. He didn't reply. He just reached across the table and pulled my mask off of my face. "You don't need to hide from me. You're an amazing Killjoy. That wound on your leg isn't an injury, it's a badge of honor. It shows just how strong you are." he said in a soft, sweet voice.
I blushed terribly as he said that. We quickly ate our food in silence and continued our trip back to Zone 6. We were silent the rest of the way. Both of us were still blushing. But I was glad I had him with me. It helped to keep my mind on him instead of my leg.
Two hours after we first left, we finally reached the Underground. I nervously played with my arm. I was still thinking about what Show Pony had said earlier. "I should probably report back to Dr. D. now." he stated. I looked up at him. He is truly my best friend. If he wasn't there, I would probably be lost in the desert somewhere. And then there were the wonderful words of encouragement that I will remember forever. "...isn't an injury, it's a badge of honor." Those were some of the most uplifting words I've ever heard.
I finally stopped fussing with my arm. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed Show Pony's cheek. Then, I wrapped my arms around his waist, rested my head on his chest, and whispered, "Thank you. For everything. I love you, my best friend." He stroked my hair. "I love you, too, my best friend."
