The world gradually began to fade in. He blinked away his blurry vision and took in the setting around him.
It was not Equestria. It was similar, but definitely not Equestria. The sun was in the sky, but it would not give light the way it did in Equestria. It looked like a cloudy day and that's what it would always be. The buildings were all run-down and built as if the builders were in a rush. The castle looked like the one in Everfree Forest, but it was completely built and not a single part was chipped away or destroyed. Some vines looked as if they strangled the sides of the stone castle, but it stood on its own, firm and sturdy.
"I must be in the alternate universe," Soarin said to himself.
Then, he looked beside him and his heart sank. It was the rose. It had all its petals for now and glowed with a faint light, but it would be losing its petals soon one by one telling Soarin when he was running out of time. He grabbed the rose and put it in his Wonderbolts saddlebags.
"This must be Ponyville," Soarin said, walking into the unfamiliar but recognizable town.
He walked through, passing many ponies he knew but they were different. Nopony smiled or trotted happily along. Nopony even talked to each other unless discussing plans for vital reasons. Soarin began to feel scared. All the ponies he knew at least a little weren't the ones he knew back home.
"Did you do the background check?" a voice asked.
Soarin turned to see Twilight, dressed in a black jumpsuit with some tears in it. She was levitating a book and Soarin felt sick to his stomach when he realized Twilight wasn't an alicorn. She was a unicorn, the way she had been before earning her princess title.
"What background check?" Soarin replied, nervously.
"You know the rules," Twilight said, firmly. "All ponies must do a background check to make sure they are not any enemies trying to sneak into our town."
"I'm not an enemy trying to sneak into your town, Twilight," Soarin said. "I mean... pony I've never seen in my entire life."
"How do you know my name?" Twilight asked, surprised.
"Er... lucky guess?" Soarin said, hopefully.
Twilight shrugged it off and immediately began lifting his hooves and checking areas around his mane and tail.
"What are you doing?" Soarin asked.
"Background checks," Twilight said. "I want to make sure you're not an enemy invading our town."
"I'm not," Soarin said, firmly.
Twilight stood up. "You're right. You're normal."
Twilight levitated the book and began to read.
"What are you reading?" Soarin asked her.
"My favorite story. 'When Hope Was Alive'. It reminds me of what happened in Sciros."
"What's Sciros?"
"Uh... the name of our land of course," Twilight replied. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, I knew that," Soarin lied. "This place is Sciros."
"I have no time for this," Twilight said. "Making friends is kind of a waste of my reading time."
"Wait, wait!" Soarin exclaimed. "But, your friends... Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy..."
"Stop knowing so much," Twilight said, obviously starting to get intimidated by him. "I tried to make friends with those ponies one day when Celestia asked me to. And I failed."
Soarin was shocked. "What? But... why not?"
"Serves me right for that ridiculous friend making!" Twilight exclaimed.
Then, she trotted away without another word. Soarin looked after her, confused and saddened.
"Hello?" Soarin asked. "Is anypony else there?"
"I'm here," another voice said.
Soarin turned to see another recognizable face. It was Fluttershy.
"Fluttershy?" Soarin asked, in surprise.
She looked different. She wore a jumpsuit, covered with some leaves and vines. Her hair was in a messy braid and she carried a spear with her, but it was tucked in a little belt she wore in the middle of the jumpsuit. Despite being fragile and timid back in Equestria, she looked graceful and strong here.
"Oh, so you know my name," she said. "Makes things easier for me."
"What are you doing here?" Soarin asked.
"The question is: What are you doing here?" Fluttershy shot back. "I've never seen you around here before."
Her voice was no longer quiet and timid. It was quite firm. It kind of scared him.
"Uh... I'm looking for Rainbow Dash," Soarin said.
"Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said. "Interesting. I know where she lives."
"You do?" Soarin asked. "Can you take me to her?"
"I guess so, as long as its quick," Fluttershy said, reluctantly. "Everypony in Ponyville is kind of on a tight schedule here."
Fluttershy began to trot after Rainbow Dash's house and Soarin followed.
Fluttershy knocked on the door and Soarin stood, ready to see what Rainbow Dash was like.
Fluttershy actually looked nervous and Soarin got to see a familiar facial expression on Fluttershy again. Why was she so nervous?
"Please, Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked. "There's somepony who wants to see you."
"I'm busy," Rainbow Dash said, firmly. "Come back later."
"I know you're not busy," Fluttershy replied. "Please, quit stalling and come out here to meet the stallion who would like to see you."
Soarin heard Rainbow Dash sigh and walk over to the door. She opened it.
Rainbow Dash wore a blue and yellow jumpsuit and her mane was messy, but overall, like the one she had back home. Her wings were broad and her gaze was piercing.
"What is it you wanted?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I'm Soarin, co-captain of the Wonderbolts," Soarin said, as if he was a hero coming to save all of Equestria.
Rainbow Dash snickered. "You say you're the co-captain of the Wonderbolts? That group went out years ago to stop a Bataling attack and never came back. Their co-captain was Misty Fly, not Soarin."
Soarin once again remembered he never existed here and sighed.
"Wait, what's a Bataling?!" Soarin exclaimed, heart beginning to beat in fear.
"A Bataling is a bat-like creature that looks sort of like a pony," Fluttershy said. "They can fly at 60 miles per hour, their shrieks are deafening, and they're one of the many types of creatures that love to target Sciros."
"There's also Silvertongues, Plunderseeds, Darklings, Hydras, and many more," Rainbow Dash added. "Sciros is a very popular attack area."
Soarin frowned.
"So, what did you come for anyways?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I... I wanted to get to know you, I guess," Soarin said.
"Am I that famous?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Wow, my ability must be paying off." She eyed Soarin's saddlebags. "What's in there?"
Soarin felt himself panic. He didn't want anypony, but him to know of the rose. "It's nothing anyone needs to know!"
"O...kay," Rainbow Dash said.
"Follow me," Soarin beckoned. "I'm going to find everypony else I need. Let's hope we don't get attacked by any bat thingies."
"Batalings?" Fluttershy corrected.
"Yes," Soarin said.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy followed Soarin as he went off to find the rest of Rainbow Dash's friends.