//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2- Ponyville 
// Story: Sgt. Equine 
// by hazelstiltskin 
//------------------------------//

	Keroro loped down the dirt path, his gaze skittishly flicking from left to right as he neared the town. He passed many trees and shrubs; he couldn't find a single piece of discarded trash. Oh, great. I landed in some hippy town, didn't I?
You don't even know the half of it.
He stumbled a couple of times along the way as he was still hesitant with how his new pony legs bent. Though similar to that of a dog's, it was backwards. He didn't have fingers but he had a tail. He couldn't walk on his hind legs but he could go faster on four. It was somewhat of a give-take situation that Keroro didn't find all too bad.
Just wait until he sees how long he'll be stuck as one!
Keroro didn't pick up on the narrator's foreshadowing, instead gazing up at the buildings he finally neared. He picked up his pace, galloping over the final rise to view the village. He felt fine; the wind buffeted his fur, his hooves made a jolly clopping noise and the weather was bright and sunny. The Keronian began humming the Kero March, reaching the top of the rise and drawing his gaze down.
He drew to a halt, his hum trailing to a splutter. "W-What?!"
Keroro was absolutely dismayed to see more colorful ponies trotting around. The pallet-ponies held the same jovial note he too had held, interacting with smiles, laughs, and hoof-bumps. They walked to and fro, some ponies stopping to shop with baskets dangling from their maws. Others of the smaller persuasion were chasing each other, their shrill cries of excitement just reaching his ears.
"Where are the Pekoponians?!" Keroro complained, jaw agape. "There are just more of these ponies!"
To make matters worse for the Sergeant, he noticed a few were hovering with wings around the town. Others held objects afloat with the sparkle or glow of a horn. "W-Wings? Horns? What is this, some major acid trip?!"
"That Kululu..." He pouted, "First I'm turned into a pony, and next I don't even get wings or horn?"
What? No mention of the fact you're trapped in a foreign land not even on your planet?
The narrator's remarks once again fell on deaf ears as the Sergeant stomped a hoof. "Well, I suppose I'd better go back and wait again." He wanted no contact with these strange equines unless they were of his own platoon. 
As he turned around, tail flicking in agitation, he broke into a run. A purple object came into view rather suddenly in his lowest field of vision. Keroro made an attempt to not crush whatever the blur could have been, crumpling over himself. He landed in a flail of limbs and hooves a short pace away.
"W-Watch it!" Keroro huffed, picking himself up immediately. Despite his harsh words, he cautiously checked to make sure whatever it had been wasn't smashed to pieces. He'd hate to ruin his low-profile with some record of murder. How would he pay for those fines?!
All current matters became two times as worse as he realized the purple object was a technicolor pony but instead a small purple dragon. Of all of the things I could've nearly trampled, it had to be a dragon, didn't it?!
Keroro and his platoon once faced an enemy that turned them all into dragons. Long story short, he has bad memories when it comes to dragons and is not particularly fond of them. Its kind of like how I am not too fond of frogs after some of my own experiences with them.
The dragon, who'd been pulling a small red wagon filled with some form of what appeared to be scrolls, was also thrown back. It dusted at its knees before looking up in alarm. "Oh, I'm sorry mister! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and kind of got in your way there! Here, let me help you up!" The little dragon reached forward a claw to help the fallen Sergeant to his hooves who now scooted away from the him with fear flashing in his eyes. He doubted he could even logically be helped up by this dragon, seeing as it's height was barely to his chest. 
"S-Stay away, please," He mumbled, "Y-You're a dragon, correct?"
The dragon looked slightly taken aback a moment, then laughed. "Yes, but you shouldn't be scared of me! I'm still young, and I wouldn't harm a pony for anything! You must be new to Ponyville if you didn't know that," He smiled, looking back to check on the cargo he carried. He picked up a stray scroll and placed it back with the others.
"I-It's not that," Keroro hesitantly started, "I've, I've just had a bad history with dragons,"
The dragon shrugged and smiled. "That can't be helped, but I assure you I'm friendly! My name is Spike. I'm the personal assistant of Twilight Sparkle!" He stuck out his chest as though boasting something. Keroro casually glanced around, quite unsure of who this Twilight Sparkle fellow was.
"What, you don't know who Twilight Sparkle is?!" He gasped, "Why, she's Princess Celestia's very student! And she's saved Ponyville many times from destruction! How do you not know?" He then laughed again.
Hmm, it would seem as though she is quite powerful... Keroro reflected, but turned back to the matter at hand. "So, umm, Spike, do you happen to know where the portal back to Pekopon is?" He was somewhat annoyed at how Spike was laughing about something that seemed so trivial, though supposed as he'd nearly trampled the life out of him he should try and remain on his good side.
He finally allowed Spike help him up, promptly shaking out his fur as if being touched by the dragon could turn him into one once more. Spike then rose a brow to accompany his reply.
"Pekopon? What's that? It sounds like it would be near Manehattan," He stated. "And plus, that hat... Thing... Reminds me of something they'd make. Are you from Manehattan?" 
Keroro let out a flat laugh. "I get it, Manehattan, Manhattan. Kero kero kero, that's pretty funny! You're good,"
Spike gave him a bewildered and blank look, and Keroro realized it must be an actual place. He shuffled on his hooves and stated, "N-No, where I came from was a place near the Nishizawa Tower, which is really big, and has a peach sign on the side. Ring any bells?"
Spike still looked a bit confused, and Keroro let out an impatient sigh. "Nevermind, just tell me the nearest place I can buy Gundam models or some manga or something."
After a thick silence, Spike finally spoke up. "Umm, mister, you speak sort of... Different. N-Not that it's bad, but I can tell you aren't from here. And probably not Manehattan either. Are you lost?" Spike tilted his head as he spoke.
Keroro let out another sigh, head drooping and tail twitching. "I guess I am." He perked up. "Oh, and my Platoon! Oh the poor things, they must be so lost and confused without their wonderful Sergeant to lead them through a crisis!"
"Your... Platoon? S-Sergeant?" Spike repeated hesitantly.
"Of course! Together we are the A.R.M.P.I.T. Platoon! I need to find them, quickly!"
Spike gave him such a look that made Keroro wonder if he himself was crazy. "Anyways, I'm lost and need some sort of map. Do you have one?"
Spike blinked, and after a moment of thinking opened his mouth. "I don't, but I think Twilight does! She'll help you get where you need to go, uhhm..."
Keroro let the silence drag on a moment before realizing it was a cue. "Oh, Sergeant Keroro!"
"Sergeant... Keroro," His brow furrowed. "What does that mean? Is it a name from where you're from?"
"I already told you, I came here through Pekopon, but since you mention it I come from planet Keron! The 58th planet of the Gamma System!" Keroro didn't want to go into that for now, nor lose the dragon in the flood of information, so he added, "Can you take me to this Twilight Sparkle then?"
Spike nodded. "I was heading back into Ponyville anyways to give these spell scrolls to her. And because I live with her. She wants to study more magic," He informed, beginning to lead the way to the village. 
Keroro hesitated a moment then followed, receiving a curious glance from Spike as he stumbled, forgetting to bend his forelegs forward instead of back like normal arms. He let out a curse under his breath.
"Magic? Does magic have anything to do with Horse power?" Keroro asked after regaining composure.
"Umm... I'm not sure what that means, but I guess so." Spike replied.
"Kero kero kero..." Keroro laughed with a dark mirth.
As Spike led the Sergeant through what Keroro had distinguished as Ponyville, he felt quite taciturn as other ponies and unicorns or pegasuses cast him curious or warm smiles.
"Why is everyone so friendly here..." He grumbled, "Not that it's bad avoiding getting pounded by Natsumi, but this is pretty strange behavior compared to Pekoponians..."
Spike either pretended not to hear him or didn't want to bother himself with his confusing words as he continued ahead without comment.
"Almost there," The dragon informed a bit later as they passed a big building that was decorated like some form of pastry. Keroro sniffed the air, and could smell baked goods, and cakes or breads were lined in the windows. He realized horses could smell better than Keronians. Or ponies. Whatever difference it really made right now.
Keroro followed in silence as they neared and steadily approached a large tree with a door and widows lining it. A balcony was perched aside from the foliage, with a telescope pointed at nothing. Maybe if Keroro looked at night time, he could see Keron, or Pekopon at least.
Spike approached the door, gave it a knock and opened it, calling, "Twilight, I'm back and I brought somepony!"
Keroro listened as a female's voice replied, "All right, Spike! I'll be down in a moment," and sure enough a purple pony came galloping down the stairs, her darker purple mane lined with pink stripes. Keroro observed the sparkle-like marking on her flank and decided she must be Twilight Sparkle, the pony Spike had mentioned as the frequent savior of Ponyville. And the one who possessed a map.
Spike closed the door once they both were within the hospitable and hollowed tree, and the purple pony approached Keroro.
"Oh, hello! Are you new to Ponyville? My name is Twilight Sparkle!" She seemed very affable.
Keroro rose a hoof, but quickly realized he couldn't salute for the same reason he kept stumbling. He nervously returned it to the ground as they both shot him wary glances. 
"I'm Sergeant Keroro of the A.R.M.P.I.T. Platoon!"
"Nice to meet you, Keroro," Twilight's eyes flashed with confusion, and it looked like it pained her to ask, "What is the A.R.M.P.I.T. Platoon?"
"That's my Platoon of carefully chosen Keronians sent to inv-" He froze, and though Keroro wasn't very smart he had enough common sense to not mention invasion in such a friendly place, especially since he was looking for help. "S-Sent to Pekopon."
Twilight swallowed nervously. "Oh, umm, that's nice, Keroro. And what are Keronians and Pekopons?"
Keroro huffed, stomping a hoof. "It's not 'Pekopons', it's Pekopon. A place. And Keronians? I am a Keronian!"
Twilight inclined her head to look him over. "No, I'm pretty sure you're just an Earth Pony. Not a Keronian."
Keroro shut his mouth to not reply in the case she asked another question afterwards, letting out a sigh. 
"Don't worry, I'm just as confused as you," Keroro heard Spike whisper to Twilight, who nudged him roughly with a hoof. "Be polite," She murmured back, and turned to smile at Keroro. 
"So what brings you to Ponyville?"
"Spike brought me to Ponyville!" He replied.
Twilight chuckled as if that was a joke, but Keroro had meant that with all seriousness. Well, as serious as the procrastinating, lazy and childish Keroro could get.
Finally she added slowly, as if speaking to a small child, "Why are you at my house?"
Keroro blinked. "Oh! Well, Spike here told me you have a map I can borrow," He said with a flail of a hoof in the dragon's direction. "May I take a look at one?"
Twilight nodded. "O-Of course," And trot into another room. "Excuse me while I get it," Spike grabbed the wagon handle and followed. 
That left Keroro alone for the moment.
He took the chance to better observe the room. "Kero kero kero," He murmured to himself, "If this Twilight Sparkle really saved Ponyville as much as Spike said, surely she has Horse power... Maybe there's a book about it," He murmured, "And I can read the summary on the back."
Keroro wouldn't dare waste his time on a book. Unless it was manga. 
He found himself instead looking for said manga. He wandered around until he found some 'C' titles. Canterlot, Celestia, Celestial Formations, ... Keroro couldn't descry any Captain Geroro manga, nor did he find any other manga titles. 
Keroro let out yet another huff, stomping a hoof with impatience. If there was no manga, was there even any Gundam? 
"I need to find my Platoon as quickly as possible so we can finish this mission and get back to the Hinata house," He grumbled to himself. But this was Sergeant Keroro doing all of the grumbling. What were the chances something he said would go as planned?