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Chapter 3 - Comrades

"Hey, Jonah! Jonah!! Don't you die on me!", Ben cried. " Stay with me, Jonah! Help will come soon, you hear?!" He held his remaining hand tightly, tears flowing down his face. His comrade laid on his legs, or, at least, what remained of him. "Jonah!! Don't close your eyes!" Jonah frowned, freed his hand and placed it on Ben's cheek.

"Do you... remember...", he said with a cracked voice, "the time... we... first... met?" He tried to smile.

"Of course I do, you stupid donkey", Ben sobbed. "You were just a foal, freshly ensigned to the military. No one in the Centaur Squad wanted to raise you, so I took you in..." Jonah smiled. "And you were often being bullied by the others and always came back crying." Jonah laughed, then coughed up blood.

"Yeah... I was... such... a cry...baby", he said, coughing.

"Don't push yourself!", Ben said panically.

"Tell me... what... am I... to... you?", Jonah asked.

"You are my one and only friend, my comrade, my family! You are the brother I never had! I can't live without you! So you must stay with me!", Ben cried. Jonah had closed his eyes.

"Sorry... Thanks... for... loving... me...", he said. His hand fell onto the floor. Ben hugged him and helplessly started crying.