Canterlot: The First Days

by AZFlashfire

Chp. 5: Private Qimayat: "Friendship Unbound"

From his position in the bar, Qimayat had a nice view of the mare next to him. She was currently spun around in her stool, talking to the bartender, who was all the way down the counter, about martinis. He would start a conversation, but he didn't know what to say. Equestria was a lot different. No arranged marriages, like in Saddle Arabia, or Camelu, as it was called there. He racked his brain for something to say, and found it, but something completely different came from his mouth.
"...flank.."
He'd said what he was thinking..again. He had been looking down most of the time and noticed she had a round and rather large flank, which was quickly replaced by her left thigh as she spun around and looked at him intently.
"What was that?" She had a foreign accent, nothing like his but somewhat like the standard Equestrian.
"Uh..nothing..sorry.." he tried to deny it, but she knew better.
"Did you say something about my flank?"
"Yes..again, sorry.."
"It's okay, don't be sad. I see I was...kind of enticing you?" Qimayat looked up after she said that. She was wearing the clothes of an operator, with pouches all across the front. There was also a small pistol strapped to her thigh.
"Um...I guess.."
"What's your name?"
"Qimayat...yours?"
"Clandestine."
"I-I was going to talk to you b-but then I started looking at it." He sighed and looked up at her. Her yellow coat made her green and blue mane stand out, but not much. She was noticeable, but could blend in with other ponies as well.
"It's fine. Listen, you seem okay, in an awkward sort of way. Did you just move?"
"Yeah, a-and I got almost immediately drafted...is that how they treat immigrants here?" He sighed again, as his right hoof ran over left sleeve, over the rank insignia and the slightly raised and lowered surface which made up the camouflage.
"No..it was just a bad time. That's why we're down here. To protect ourselves from the things going on up there." She pointed at the ceiling. They were in Canterlot's underground shelter, much safer than being above ground. They had made a few modifications to the blast door. Changeling-proof, they told him and almost everypony else. They were right so far.

They talked for a little more, and left the bar after a few drinks, walking down the hallway. The security wing was behind them and to the left, while the research, engineering and medical wings were down the hall. There was a small thud and a scream. Clandestine started to move forward, but Qimayat had already turned around and ran to the security, running through it, swiping his card quickly and banging on the door as he waited for it to open. The security officers gathered round, and he quickly spewed out what was happening, in one word he was able to sum it up.
"Changelings!"
The door opened promptly, and he took his weapon, a large automatic shotgun, then running back down the hall, straight into the fray, with several officers following him. He stopped, raised his rifle at them and was about to fire, when he heard a clink-clink.
Grenade.
Qimayat fell on his rear and backed away, looking at it. Not a fragmentation grenade, but some kind of flash. He was hit as it exploded, and blacked out, his eyes open long enough to see himself being dragged away.

The light above him was dim, and the expected rat-tat-tat of gunfire was not audible. He sat up, and felt his thigh being lightly impacted by a note as it fell off of him. It had fallen upright, enabling him to read it without picking it up.
"Qimyat, went out to get water. Shall return shortly. Clandestine."
Mm, how nice, she had thought about him, but had spelled his name wrong. No matter. He was alive, and not torn to pieces by changelings. A metallic clanging rung through him, and he tapped the floor. Metallic. Suddenly, the whole room began to move.
His heart jumped and he backed against the wall, breathing fast. The light in the ceiling swung a little, and Clandestine came down with a large jug of water on her back.
"What's wrong?" She asked him, as if the room wasn't moving.
"What is this?" he asked, looking at her
"You're in an APC, calm down."
Oh, yes, an APC. Of course.
"I thought I was dead.." he said, relaxing off the wall.
"I left you a note..Qimayat, drink some water."
She turned him around, and he let her. She filled his pack's water supply, and his canteen to the max, and he began to drink, getting another fill afterwards and looking back at her.
"There's another soldier driving the APC. I think we should be fine." As she said this to him, she pulled back the slide on her pistol, ejecting a round. She did this repeatedly, six more times, then pressing a buttom, which made the magazine slide out onto the floor. "Got into a bit of a jam with a changeling coming back with the water. I should be fine."
Without warning, Qimayat hugged Clandestine, making her drop her weapon. She resisted for less than a second, relaxing into the hug and hugging him back.
"Thanks for saving me.." he said in almost a whisper.
"I wanted to, you seemed like someone who would regret dying."
He chuckled a little, and pulled away from the hug, trying to not be awkward.
That could prove difficult, but he would definitely try.

Author's Note:

Clandestine has a British accent, incase you were wondering. Didn't know how to say it with MLP terms.
Qimayat is Arabic.