The New "Roomie" (Mr. J)

"My name's Quick Stitch, but everyone calls me Quick. You're mane's really pretty, what's your name?" Quick asked, smiling a little bashfully now that the stranger was talking to him one on one.

"My name..." His voice was quiet and deep, and he spoke as though he were trying to recall something from long ago. In the same voice, he slowly spoke again "My name....my name is...is Just Heart..." As a thousand memories played out before his eyes Revenant...Just Heart had to stop. He could barely process what was happening

Bella looked back at him and started to slow down when he said his name, confused. Why was he calling himself Just Heart? "Sweetheart?" She asked him softly, walking over to him.

"I remember...I remember what happened before the war...I remember my name, and who I was..." He blinked a few times, looking over at Bella. His eyes were different, the green was more faded and there was a blue tinge to his red irises.

"Quick, why don't you go see your dad," Bella said, lowering her nephew to the ground and watching him run off to Wind Sprint before turning back to Revenant or Just Heart. "Are you alright? Do we need to go back home?" She asked him, worried and unsure if this was good or bad.

"No, no. It's just...why now? I...I promise to tell you everything tonight. For now, let's keep going." He smiled "Though, I dare say Just Heart sounds more knightly than Revenant." He gently nuzzled her

"Maybe it's because you're happy or feel safe, even loved," Bella said, smiling and kissing his cheek. "And is that what I should call you now?"

"Yes, please. I'm... I'm not Revenant anymore. I haven't been for a long time." He started to move again "Quick seems like an excitable fellow, he'd make a fine guard one day."

"Just Heart it is then, truth be told, I like it better than Revenant," She said with a small giggle and walked alongside him. "I'm afraid Quick's interests are far from that of becoming a guard. He likes the armor because it's pretty."

"Ha, good. Being a guard is dangerous, and he seems a bit too creative for grunt work." He smiled happily "And I can understand that. Armour is one of the few things, fashion wise, at never really leaves."

"Creative indeed, he's told me he wants to learn to sew and make clothes," Bella said, looking up as they reached the cafe. "Here we are, I'm starving!"

"Well, it wasn't my idea to skip dinner last night." He chuckled a little, and held the door open for everyone. He then joined them at the table, taking a seat next to Bella.

"I didn't hear you complaining, oh honorable knight," Bella teased, walking in by him and flicking her tail into his nose.

"Can we not talk about the bedroom while young ears or my ear for that matter are around?" Sprint asked flatly, getting Quick a booster seat before sitting down.

"Sorry Windy," Bella giggled, looking over the menu.

Heart smiled, and looked over the menu before ordering some sausage from Griffon Stone. He looked away, knowing he had actually ordered real meat, and was a bit embarrassed by it. "So Sprint, what was your position in the REG?"

Bella ordered some oatmeal and toast and helped Quick pick out a hash while Sprint ordered several things from the menu, even indulging in some sausage himself. "I was a captain, technically I could go back at anytime if I wanted," Sprint said. "And you?"

"I commanded the entirety of the Crystal Guard, and all of its branches.It was hectic to say the least." He began cutting his sausage "Did you see any combat? I know the REG usually doesn't have to do that kind of thing with Equestria being so peaceful and all, but you never know." He smiled politely, eating a few bits of sausage

"A few times when I first joined but I mostly handled assignments in Canterlot, especially after Quick Stitch was born," Sprint said, digging into his food.

"Oh joy, military talk, Maybe I should just leave you two here after breakfast and I can go to the spa with Quick," Bella said with a smile.

Heart rolled his eyes, but smiled. "I have a few errands to run, so I will be departing soon." He said after finishing off his food. He wasn't sure what to think of Sprintnyet, but Quick seemed like a good fellow.

"Alright, I'll see you later at home," Bella said, kissing his cheek and finished her food then looked to her nephew when he was done. "Wanna go get pampered?"

"Yes! Can I get my hooves painted?" Quick asked, scrambling out of his chair.

"Of course you can," Bella said, paying the bill and then leaving with Quick following close behind her.

A few hours later Heart was walking through an alleyway breathing heavily, Bella would have his hide if she knew he had taken another job in this state. The new armour had more than done its job though and his only new injury was a cut on his cheek, but he'd reopened a couple of the deeps cuts on his sides. He stopped, his ears twitching. He heard something, maybe a guard, maybe that crazy pink pony he'd been hiding from, maybe some foals playing. He wasn't sure what it was, so he followed the noise.

The sound he had heard was actually Wind Sprint cornered by a couple of stallions a bit shorter than him, giving him a hard time and just being aggressive. Sprint's patience was beginning to wear thin and he was very thankful that Prima had taken Quick so he didn't have to see this if things got out of hand.

"This is your only warning, leave and you won't get hurt," Sprint said with a growl.

Just Heart was already in a bad mood and figured he'd a good vent. He barreled forward, body slamming one of the two stallions, while he kicked the other. He then spun, and faster then they could blink Just had unsheathed his sword and leveled it at two two stallions. The blade was made of black crystal the seemed to be overflowing with dark magic. "What seems to be the problem here?" His voice was calm and cold, and hld an edge that could cut diamond.

"Put it away Just Heart, it's a couple of idiots who think they want to be tough," Sprint said, walking up beside him. Really, he didn't want these two seeing the blade's magic and then decide to report Just Heart for it.

"Besides, you don't really need it with your hoof-to-hoof skills. They haven't even seen mine yet," Sprint said darkly and giving the stallions a deathly glare, watching as they ran off yelling curses. "Thank you."

He quickly returned his sword to it's scabbard. "Just standing up for a fellow guard." He smiled at Sprint "Besides, I didn't want them to get hurt too bad."

"Thanks again, but it looks like someone got to you first. Better hope Prima doesn't notice," Sprint said with a chuckle and nodded to the cut on his cheek