"Luna?" Twilight asked, a look of confusion on her face. The Rookie nodded. "I suppose she could have visited you in-"
Nova suddenly appeared next to them. "Miss Sparkle, would you like to learn what that is?" She asked, pointing to their drone. Twilight's eyes widened, and her attention turned to Nova fully. "Do I?" She asked, excitement in her voice.
Feeling a subtle uneasiness, Rookie seized the distraction Nova provided. Silently slipping away, he ventured out into the town. The streets, once vacant in response to his presence, now hosted people who had seemingly grown accustomed to his arrival. Their watchful gazes followed him, perhaps influenced by Twilight's trust, or maybe the occasional arrival of strangers. Rookie chose to ignore the silent scrutiny and redirected his steps towards the northern outskirts. A gentle stream or river near the town's edge caught his eye, flowing peacefully under the daylight.
The Rookie approached the riverbank, his focus drawn downward. He was aware that Nova was still watching him, she was still in his helmet. He wasn't sure how she managed to make a hologram, he'd have to ask later.
As he peered into the reflective surface of the river, a familiar yet distant figure stared back at him. The dark visor concealed the majority of his face, revealing only scant traces of his skin. Choosing a sense of liberation, he had shed many of the underlying layers of armor before venturing into the town. Clad in nothing but his standard-issue blouse and pants, with the armored vest, gloves, kneepads, and elbow pads, and of course, his visored helmet. Any additional layers would have burdened him with extra heat and weight.
The Rookie let out a sigh, turning his gaze away from the reflective river to the surreal town that lay behind him. The situation was beyond strange. Struggling to recollect his past and memories, he now found himself in a place inhabited by talking horses—some capable of flight, others wielding mystical powers. His fists, previously loose, tightened with frustration. The overwhelming sense of helplessness consumed him, even so, an unfamiliar tranquility washed over him, an unnatural calm.
The Rookie's eyes continued scanning the town, where pony inhabitants engaged in their daily activities. Conversations, laughter, scolding, and bartering created a peculiar backdrop against the surreal sight of ponies mirroring human behavior. Though not human, they bore a striking resemblance to his kind. Amidst the ordinary scenes, he spotted an odd creature in his peripheral vision, observing him. Struggling to focus on the distant figure, he raised a hand to his visor, clicking its side to adjust the vision. The creature, reminiscent of the aliens from the day before, revealed themselves with bug-like eyes that seemed to lock onto him ominously, even from a distance.
"Nova," he whispered, hand instinctively reaching for his sidearm—the pistol. Moving with a sense of urgency, he adjusted the magnification on his visor and strategically maneuvered around a building, positioning himself to get a better look at the creature. His pistol remained at a low-ready, his stance poised for immediate action. The unease in the air hinted at potential danger, and the Rookie was prepared for whatever might come next.
"Rookie?" Nova inquired after a brief silence. "Did you see something? I found it strange that you left. Leaving me with a whole bunch of crazies is awful. The purple one - Twilight, she won't stop asking me questions, the pink one won't stop bugging me, and the-"
"Nova," the Rookie interrupted, his voice carrying a tone of command. He needed her attention. She fell silent, and he could almost sense her frowning through her holographic form. In just two days, he had gotten used to her personality.
"There's a bug here, like the ones from yesterday." He peered cautiously from the side of the building, scanning the area where he suspected the creature might be. He had strategically moved to force it into the open, but there was nothing there. His eyes darted around, further into the town. All that met his gaze were the townsfolk, going about their usual activities. Nothing seemed amiss, nothing appeared different.
The Rookie clicked his tongue, straightening his stance as he gave a final glance around. "It's gone," he whispered. "I'll keep looki-"
A sudden force tackled him from behind. It was weak but undeniably a threat. The Rookie lunged forward, landing on his stomach. In a swift move, he turned around, a testament to his combat experience, and raised his pistol at his attacker—a small pony. She was orange, her mane a vibrant purple, and she was grinning mischievously. Behind her, two more ponies appeared. A sense of confusion washed over the Rookie; he hesitated for just a moment before holstering his gun. These were children, not enemies.
The two beside her, a white one and a yellow one, threw what he could only make out to be nets on him. They were of lesser quality, and a simple movement of his hand brushed most of it off his helmet. There wasn't even enough of it to cover half of his body.
"Did we get 'em?!" The yellow one asked, looking at the other two.
"Yeah, we got him! Alien-catchers! We're going to be alien catchers!" The one that tackled him cheered.
"I dunno, it kind of looks like he got out," the third one said, pointing at Rookie, the other two quickly looking over. Rookie had brushed the rest of the netting away and looked back at the three. He wasn't sure what they were doing, but it was childish, a little dorky, but funny. He raised his hands in mock surrender.
The children collectively recoiled and took a step back. Their widened eyes didn't focus on the Rookie; rather, it was someone behind him. Sensing the tension, he rotated his body to see what or who was there. A feeling of unease gripped him. Was it the bug?
Standing behind him was one of the mares he had met earlier, the orange one. Her gaze was fixed on the children, a clear glare in her eyes.
"Run!" came a call from behind. The sound of hooves scattering echoed, and Applejack sighed audibly.
"Ahm sorry. Those girls like to play and all, but sometimes they take it too far. I'll talk to Apple Bloom later, make sure she don't do that again." Applejack extended a hoof towards him, accompanied by a warm smile. "Ahm Apple Jack."
The Rookie sat up, the last bit of webbing falling from his upper body. He observed Applejack for a moment before reaching his hand over for a handshake. The grip was surprisingly firm, in a way he couldn't quite describe. "Rookie," he calmly stated, releasing the unusual handshake rather quickly. It felt odd.
"I saw you leave earlier, and I wanted to make sure you weren't up to anything funny, I'll be honest. I'm a little suspicious of you, being... strange and all. Now I feel a lil' bad, since my sister and her friends attacked ya." Applejack chuckled sheepishly, looking off to the side. The Rookie looked up at her, studying her face. It was strange how they spoke the same language he did, and her mannerisms were almost exactly like a human's – all of their mannerisms were like that.
"They're just kids," he replied. The comment seemed to soothe Applejack somewhat, and she gave him a smile.
"You don't talk too much, do ya?" she laughed. He stared for a few moments again before shaking his head. He grunted and stood up with some effort. He looked at Applejack and then just beyond her. The rainbow-colored one, the one that had been somewhat aggressive with him earlier, was looking at him from the corner of the building. How long had she been there? Applejack turned to face her, following the gaze of the Rookie's visor.
"What are you doin' Rainbow? Come over here, and say sorry for being such a hard-head!" she yelled out to her. Rainbow Dash gave her a glare before hovering over.
"Fine, but not because you told me to!" she huffed, eventually landing right beside her. She looked up at the Rookie, squinting her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry for being rude to you earlier," the apology sounded somewhat forced, perhaps her other friends had mentioned something too, "I just had to make sure you knew who's boss around here, and that you aren't going to hurt my friends, or anypony else!"
"I won't," he replied dryly. Rainbow Dash seemed uneasy, perhaps unnerved by his short response, but somewhat satisfied by it.
"I think we should get back; Twilight had some questions for ya. Your ghost friend isn't saying much about who you are or where you're from, and it's getting a little annoyin' hearing those two eggheads talk about... wires and technology," she sighed. The Rookie nodded, and soon, the three were on their way.
Soon, they reached the inside of Twilight's home again. Twilight and Nova were talking, Twilight somewhat more frantically, as they looked over the drone. The others, who hadn't gotten a name for yet, were crowded around the two. The white one was taking a measuring tape to Nova's body, while the yellow one seemed to be having fun just watching the others. He wasn't sure where the little purple gremlin or the pink one had gone; they weren't in this room.
"You're back! I had so many questions for you; I was hoping you'd be back soon!" Twilight remarked as she spotted him, a twinge of excitement in her voice. Nova glanced over at him, giving him a smile. The Rookie gave her a nod and approached the table they were huddled around, sitting on a stool. It was rather short, but he made it work, somewhat awkwardly.
"Nova says that you're both not from Equestria, so I want to learn more. I have to send a report to the princess, after all. She's going to want to know a lot more about you," she said, pulling a pen and paper from seemingly nowhere, enveloped by her purple magic, bringing it beside her face. She scribbled for a few moments before looking right at him. "We'll start by where you're from, since we already know your names!"
A deep exhale escaped the Rookie, his eyes shifting briefly to Nova. She, in turn, was engrossed in a discussion about outfits with Rarity, the white mare. The two newcomers, Rarity and Fluttershy, who's names had been conveniently marked above their heads by Nova, had joined the conversation, adding a layer of complexity to the already perplexing situation. It seemed that answers wouldn't come easily, and he felt a twinge of frustration.
"I'm from Luna," he stated, his words hanging in the air. Confusion creased Twilight's brow, a sentiment mirrored by a mix of curiosity and concern. The Rookie could empathize; the concept of Luna being a celestial body, not a princess, was proving difficult to convey.
"Princess Luna?"
"The moon Luna. I don't know who Princess Luna is," he clarified. Twilight scribbled on the paper before squinting at him, attempting to unravel the enigma.
"You're from a place called Luna? There's nowhere in Equestria called Luna. I suppose I don't know the name of every city in other continents, but I'm sure I would've heard of your people at least!" she mused, her words echoing the collective bewilderment in the room.
"I'm not from here," the Rookie sighed, feeling the weight of his words. Uncertain of how Twilight would react, he continued, "I'm from another place, another planet, another... reality?" His voice trailed off into a whisper, reflecting the uncertainty of his own existence in this strange reality.
Twilight set her notepad down, her expression shifting to a frown. She opened her mouth to pose another question, but a sudden onslaught of pain besieged the Rookie. Grasping at his helmet, he winced against the invisible assault on his temple. It made him want to peel the helmet off, but he managed to restrain his urges. The others, previously engrossed in their conversation, turned their attention toward him, concern etching their faces.
"I'd rather not answer any more questions," he whispered, his breath heavy. The pain gradually receded, and Twilight nodded in understanding.
"I think he's a little tired. This situation is stressful. I'll try to explain. Rookie's a human, a soldier," Nova interjected, eliciting a tense atmosphere. "Marine," the Rookie corrected in a hushed voice. Nova offered a sheepish smile. "Right. Marine. We're from a democratic group of nations—the United Nations. Rookie is from the moon Luna." The revelation hung in the air, a complex tapestry of disbelief and curiosity woven into the expressions of Twilight and her friends.
"Moon?" Twilight asked, her expression filled with bewilderment as she glanced at Nova.
Nova nodded, adjusting her circular glasses with a hoof. "Moon."
"We have technology that allows us to travel between planets, even between stars," Nova explained, her calm demeanor in stark contrast to the evident confusion and disbelief on Twilight and her friends' faces. Before Twilight could interject, Nova continued, "Rookie here suddenly woke up in this world, in the forest to the East. He woke up in our plane, which just so happened to house me in it. We've been here a few days, and you weren't the first encounter we've had. Rookie was attacked by wooden wolves and others who looked like you but were... buggish. And since we're alone, he decided to come here."
"Changelings?" Twilight asked urgently, a word that sparked commotion within the group. It became apparent they had encountered these creatures before. "What did they look like? Where was this? How many of them were there?" She bombarded them with questions, her sense of urgency evident as she swiftly retrieved her notepad and quill.
Nova suddenly disappeared, leaving the group of ponies blinking in surprise as she was replaced by a screen. It displayed a scene from Rookie's perspective, capturing the image of the changelings he had encountered just the other day. Nova had thankfully excluded the part where he had shot one of them, cutting the video right before his attack.
"Oh no! They're back, again, and so close to Ponyville. I have to let Celestia know; they're bound to attack again. They-"
The room fell into a sudden silence as the front door was opened with a forceful smack. All eyes turned to the entrance, including Rookie's. A palpable tension filled the air as a dark mare walked in, as dark as the night. Behind her, a cohort of guards with a similar celestial color approached. Her mane flowed with the celestial beauty of the cosmos, and her eyes scanned the room before settling on Nova and then on Rookie.
"We meet thee at last." The regal voice echoed through the room. Silence followed.
"We meet a friend."