> Equestria: Thin Blue Line
>  by Bobbybrony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1 - A night like no other
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night shifts. The last hurdle of any set that every cop both looks forward to and dreads. On the one hand, it meant that you nearly made it another week in the job and you could finally kick your feet up and relax before diving back into the deep end. On the other hand, it meant that you were more likely to deal with your serious crime. The time of day when your average law abiding citizen will have their heads buried in their pillow as the underbelly of society come out of the woodwork and use the streets as their personal playground.

And to top it all off... it's a full moon.

Now, that may not sound like a bad thing to most people but, to the emergency services, this was the time where things would drastically go south. If you weren't superstitious about a full moon, then you've never had to work during one. For some reason, this is when the train would derail and everything that could go wrong goes wrong.

As the large raindrops crash against the windscreen, I stare absentmindedly towards the radiant orb overhead as it hangs high in the jet black sky, forcing its way through the thick cloud cover to illuminate the world below. I sit in silence as I take the brief pause in the shift to finally catch my breath and relax, the only think snapping me out of my daydreams being the rapidly sweeping windscreen wipers as they fight tirelessly to clear the oversized droplets from the transparent barrier before me.

Before I can nod off, I snap to attention as a series of light knocks taps against the driver's side window. Turning my gaze, I let out a sigh of relief as I find my Sergeant standing outside in the pouring rain holding two cups of coffee. Now, most officer's wouldn't really want to be stuck with their Sergeant of Inspector on a night shift, but our shifts Sergeant was an exception. 

Matthew wasn't some desk jockey who would micromanage you or scrutinize every piece of work you submitted, he was one of the rare few with stripes or pips on his shoulder who would love to get his hands dirty. Matthew was widely respected, having proved his worth by earning a trio of commendations. Anyone in the station would love to have him watching their backs when it came to a fight.

As I roll the window down and extend my arm to take the offered coffee cup, Matthew swiftly pulls it out of my grasp and raises an eyebrow. "Come on, Becky. Out you get."

I stare blankly at him as my exhausted brain fails to process what he wants and why he would be so cruel as to deny me without the vital lifeline that is caffeine. "Out?"

Matthew nods his head. "Yes. Out. You're close to nodding off to sleep and you've been driving all night. We're switching places."

Begrudgingly, I unfasten my seat belt and climb out of the car as the Sergeant opens the door. Quickly snapping up the coffee, Matthew takes my place in the driver's seat as I rush around the car to get into the passenger's seat to avoid getting drenched in the heavy onslaught of rain.

Closing the door as I return to the warmth of the car, I glance towards Matthew with an amused grin as he adjusts the driver's seat after smacking his knees against the underside of the steering wheel. Once he's comfortable, he sinks into his seat as he takes a long-drawn sip of his coffee.

We remain in silence, periodically sipping our hot coffees as we watch the various lightning strikes illuminate the night sky. It wasn't uncommon to be working in poor weather, but something about tonight seemed to sit wrong with me. It seemed that for every trio of lightning strikes, the last of the set would linger much longer than the rest, the shading appearing off as though something in the air was manipulating it.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Matthew pipes up, breaking the awkward silence. "What's the deal between you and George?"

I splutter on my coffee, caught off guard by the question as my cheeks heat up. "What? What do you mean? There is nothing going on."

He turns his head towards me with a smug expression. "You should know by now that nothing stays secret around here. Everyone can see it a mile off."

"There's nothing to see," I remark defensively as my cheeks turn a mild shade of scarlet red. "We're just friends."

"Right... friends..."

"We are," I repeat as I shake my head. 

"Come on, Becky, everyone in the Police hooks up with one another."

"Well, I'm not a sheep that follows the herd," I remark as I place the heated cup in the holder. "Just because most cops get together with others, doesn't mean I will follow along with the rest." My eyes momentarily glance to the golden ring on Matthew's finger as he rests it on the gear stick. "Like you did."

His gaze meets mine, only to quickly follow my line of sight to lock onto his wedding ring. "When you meet the right one, you'd settle down with them."

I release an overexaggerated gag as I shake my head, "Sappy."

"I know it sounds like shit, but it's true. I'll just be happy for this night to come to an end so I get to escape for a couple of weeks with Steph and the kids."

"Barcelona? Wasn't it?"

"That's right," He nods with a slight chuckle. "You know, I've never left the country."

"Really?" I ask sceptically. Being thirty-two with two kids, It's hard to imagine he's never got to explore an entirely new country and culture.

As Matthew opens his mouth to speak, he's abruptly cut off as our earpieces transmit a message from the control room. "Y-K to all officers in the Bridgnorth area, stand by for vehicle observations. Be on the lookout for a grey Range Rover, registration ALPHA-UNIFORM-FIVE-NINE UNIFORM-KILO-ECHO. Call from a member of the public states that the male driver was seen drinking heavily in Bridgnorth before entering the vehicle and driving towards the A442. Vehicle comes back to a Chris Evans to an address in Dawley. Vehicle will be likely travelling along the A442. Repeating observations for a grey Range Rover-"

Realising that the vehicle should likely be heading in our direction, we both put on our seatbelts as Matthew swiftly pulls onto the main road, rapidly picking up speed as he compresses the PTT button on the vehicle's radio as the controller finally finishes transmitting. "Y-K from PAPA-ZULU-FIVE-ONE, show us travelling towards Bridgnorth. We'll see if we can cut it off."

As soon as Matthew finishes transmitting to the control room the airwave is quickly filled as George's voice cuts in. "Y-K from PAPA-XRAY-FIVE-ONE-FIVE show myself and PAPA-XRAY-FIVE-TWO-ZERO travelling."

Matthew lets out a single laugh as he glances to me, "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

I roll my eyes as I lean back into my seat, another bolt of lightning cracking overhead and filling the night sky. "Yeah, and you just heard the reason why nothing will happen with him."

"What do you mean?" Matthew asks as he leans towards the central dashboard and presses the '999' button, activating the light bar overhead to irradiate the surrounding area in a series of flickering blue lights.

"He's travelling out with Meghan," I state bluntly as I keep my eyes on the road. "Everyone knows that they're both fucking one another."

"...No," Matthew exclaims with an immense level of sarcasm in his voice. "They're fucking? Now, that's a surprise."

"They can hardly keep their hands off one another when they're outside of work."

"Or in work." Matthew turns his gaze briefly towards me with a deadpan expression. "Why do you think I rarely pair them together on nights? They'd never work and would just be fucking in the office or something."

"PAPA-ZULU-FIVE-ONE from Y-K, Further," The control room operator cuts back in. "PNC is showing that Chris Evans is showing as a disqualified driver as of February, last year. He is also showing outstanding, WHISKEY-MIKE for a domestic assault from the Second of March. He has warning markers for violence and possesses weapons, assaulting Police upon arrest by biting and keeps a knife in the driver's side door." 

Before the Sergeant can respond, I compress the PTT button on my own personal radio, "Received. Can you run it through top desk for Taser authority?"

"Stand by. Top desk is reviewing it now." As comms finish transmitting, I look down at my stab vest and adjust the Taser that's fitted to the front of my armour. Being one of the few Taser officers on the shift, I was routinely sought after when it came to arresting a violent offender. I may not be the greatest in the fight, but nothing stops a towering bulk of muscle like 50,000 volts running through their body.

When I finally flick my eyes back towards the road, It takes me a few moments to process where we are having travelled a large distance in such a short period of time. Matthew was renowned for many things, but perhaps his greatest boasting point was his driving ability. Matthew was one of the few officers outside Road Policing to be TPAC trained, meaning he could engage in high-speed pursuits and carry out various manoeuvres to bring a dangerous driver to a halt.

"PAPA-ZULU-FIVE-ONE, Taser has been authorized." That was the news we wanted to hear. There was no better deterrent for most violent criminals than a Taser, the only exception being an overly aggressive dog which would lunge towards anyone who stupidly got too close.

Rushing through the outskirts of town, we soon found ourselves entering the narrow and winding roads over the various ravines which overhang the river below. The poor road conditions would usually make this journey dangerous at the speeds we're driving, but Matthew is one of the few I trust entirely when it comes to driving in these conditions.

Where most officers would be struggling to keep control and stick to the road, Matthew seems to glide effortlessly around the corners with ease while maintaining a constant speed. He may be behind the wheel of a fairly mediocre Vauxhall Astra, but when Matthew is at the helm and in control, it's as if he is driving the most luxurious and high-end sports car that money could buy.

Despite feeling at ease, the peculiar thunderstorm overhead seems to keep pushing any confidence I have to the side and forces itself to the front of my mind. We were told that there would be a storm through the night, but it seems almost crazy that one of this magnitude would be classified as a 'mild storm'. The intensity of the gale force winds and the uncharacteristic frequency of the lightning bolts sends shivers down my spine.

Without warning, a bolt lashes through the sky directly in front of us, impacting with the road before us and sparking off in every direction. Matthew and I seem to stare wide-eyed at the anomaly before us, the alien looking event throwing us entirely off guard as the unthinkable happens. The electrics to the car suddenly shut off.

All of the lights being emitted from the vehicle abruptly cut off, cascading our surroundings in pure darkness as any resemblance of the road fades in an instance. With a sense of urgency, Matthew begins flicking the headlights back and forth from automatic to manual in an attempt to get them switched back on as he attempts to apply the brakes to bring the car to a halt.

Flicking his head back and forth, Matthew's bodily fully tenses as a look of pure horror plasters itself on his face. "Shit!"

Following his gaze, I immediately slap my hands against the dashboard and brace as the headlights of the Range Rover we've been looking for fill our view as we find ourselves in the oncoming lane. Acting on instinct, Matthew swerves the vehicle to the left, away from the edge of the ravine, as he anchors on the brakes.

The cars avoid one another by a fraction of a hair as our car loses its grip on the road and heads into the dirt verge. Fear rushes through my body as the car begins to roll to the right as we find ourselves driving along the incline of the dirt mounds which lines the road boundary, my body sliding from the seat and hanging over the gear stick and handbrake as Matthew attempts to regain control and level the car.

Sliding down the incline, the mixture of wet mud clinging to the tyres and the heavy rain canvasing the road causes any resemblance of grip to be lost as Matthew loses control of the vehicle. Powerless to do anything, we find ourselves at the mercy of gravity as we find ourselves nose-diving over the edge of the ravine, heading directly towards the overhanging trees which cling to the rapid descent and the overflowing river below.

Closing my eyes, I braced for what was next to come. Free falling down to a depth deep below, I had no expectation that I will come out of this unscathed, with the possibility that I may die being a strong possibility. I had gone through life always trying to be in control, not wanting to step out of my comfort zone and fall victim to the world as it inevitably tries to fuck me over. Expecting the world to fade into a pit of darkness, I find that there is nothing to do but accept my fate as the heavens overhead roar chaotically as piercing white flashes fill my head.


--------------------


Consciousness slowly comes back to me as the tell-tale sound of thunder slowly rolls away from me. I begrudgingly open my eyes to find myself slumped forward in my seat, the only thing having kept me in place is the seatbelt still securely locked and fixed into the locking device.

A sudden wave of hysterical laughter comes over me as the realisation finally sets in. I am alive! Somehow, we survived a nose dive over a steep ravine into a twenty-metre drop down below. As my sense of relief slowly washes away, I finally process that I have still been injured in the crash as a large patch of fresh blood rests on my right thigh, soaking into the fabric of my trousers as droplets of blood trickle over my eyes.

Lifting my head, I turn my gaze towards Matthew as he remains motionless in the driver's seat, blood seeping over his body from the front of his head. With the electrics on the car playing up, it seems that it failed to activate the airbags in the crash, causing Matthew to hit his head on the steering wheel.

"Matthew?" I lean towards him as I lift his head, resting my fingers against his neck to try and feel for a pulse. "Matt? Come on! Wake up!"

Moving my fingers around, I finally let out a sigh of relief as I find a steady pulse. Safe in the knowledge that he is still breathing and doesn't appear to be in any risk of choking, I turn my attention back to myself as I adjust the mirror on the heavily cracked windscreen and turn it to myself.

A five-centimetre wide gash rests above my right eye, allowing blood to run down over my blue eyes and trickling down the side of my face, painting my tanned skin. Thankfully, it seems that the bleeding has managed to slow itself down over time, only releasing a slow and steady stream of blood. Lifting my free hand, I brush aside a matted mass of black hair which has clumped to my face after being coated in blood.

Looking out the cracked windows to see where we are, I immediately recoil to find that our car has managed to become wedged in the top of a tree, partially destroying our impromptu safety net as surrounding branches cling to the feature.

I turn my focus to my personal radio, hoping to get a message out to control to request for help. "Y-K from PAPA-ZULU-FIVE-ONE. Are you receiving?"

Silence. I fail to get any reply or to hear any sort of transmissions. Uncertain as to whether my earpiece has been damaged, I unclasp the radio from my stab vest and examine the screen. No signal. My heart sinks at the realisation that without any signal, I will be unable to call for any help and the control room will be unable to use the built-in GPS to track my location. Glancing at the car's radio proves futile as it seems to have cut off entirely alongside the electrics of the car.

Out of desperation, I press the small orange button that sits on the top of the radio, the emergency call button. Even without a signal, this will alert every single officer on the comms channel that I have activated my distress button. This means that every officer would be sent to our last area, and hopefully will find us.

I'm snapped out of my trance of self-loathing as Matthew releases a shallow groan. Lifting his head, he blinks slowly as he turns towards me. "B-Becky, are you okay?"

I shakily nod my head, the sudden movement causing my brain to pulsate as a wave of discomfort rushes through me. "Yeah... I'm fine. I tried radioing for help, but we've got no signal."

Coughing violently, he tries to push open the driver's door of the car, only for it to become caught against the various branches holding the car in place. "I don't know about you... but I'd say this was good parking on my part," Matthew jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood before entering another coughing fit.

"We can't exactly sit in this tree all night. Who knows when it will fall."

"Did you use the emergency button?" Matthew asks as he reaches into his first aid pouch on his utility belt, grabbing a bandage and securing it around his head. I nod in response as I lean over and help him secure the dressing. "Good. Then we should get out of here and try to get back up to the road so the others can find us."

Unfastening my seat belt, I'm able to force my door open wide enough to provide a gap for myself to squeeze through. Using all of my strength, I pull myself through the narrow passage so that I'm leaning against the frame of the car as I timidly rest my foot on the largest branch underneath me, the movement causing the tree and the metal frame of the car to creak eerily.

As I look back to Matthew, he seems less capable of moving as he struggles to climb out of his own seat. "Maybe you should stay here," I suggest as I watch him with concern. "I can bring help."

He pauses, once again coughing violently before closing his eyes. "I'm not sitting in the tree to be rescued by the water fairies like some cat stuck in a tree. We'll never hear the end of it."

I scoff as I try to find the best route to descend from the tree. "Even now, you can't help but jab at the fire service."

"They're all tucked up in bed," He mocks as he finally climbs towards the opening. "I can get out. Just...find us the best route."

Once I gain a secure footing, I finally examine the car and the tree overhead before realising just how lucky we were. The car had managed to crash through various weaker branches which acted as a buffer between us and the main trunk, slowing us down just enough as to not severely damage the car or ourselves. The windscreen has been entirely shattered with both wing mirrors being ripped off and lying on the ground before us. Amazingly, the main vehicle appears to be intact, apart from the Police Battenburg markings livery being torn to hell and various dents and scratches marking the various panels.

Cautiously, I begin the descent from the tree, making sure I get a secure footing and grip out of fear of having another fall so shortly after the last. Despite my trepidation, myself and the Sergeant are able to reach the safety of the ground, finding the remnants of the wing mirrors with numerous shattered sections from the tree overhead. 

Idly kicking the mirror to the side, Matthew begins to pivot as he gazes upwards in confusion. "Becky, we came over the edge and fell down the ravine, right?"

I watch Matthew in confusion, uncertain as to where he is going with this line of questioning. "Yeah?"

"Then where the fuck is the road?"

"What do you-" Following his gaze, I come to an abrupt stop as I look towards the route our car took over the ledge, only to find that there is no slope behind us. Any remnants of the road overhead or the tall passage has all but disappeared. Where a sharp incline should be, there is a large cluster of trees which seem to expand far beyond the eye can see. It's only then that I realise that we should have landed above the river, yet there are no signs of it anywhere around us.

"This is fucking weird," Matthew exclaims as he leans against the tree. "It makes no sense." Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his mobile phone to release a deep groan, "I've got no phone signal. We've got no way of contacting anyone from here"

I slump down to the ground, sitting back as I stare at the sky overhead. The remnants of the storm finally seems to have passed as the sky overhead remains clear along with the claps of distant and more intermittent thunder claps. The moon beginning to gradually slink away for the night to soon be replaced with the early morning sun.

A quick glance at Matthew shows his lack of patience for the situation. He never was the one kind of person who would just sit back, he always had to be doing something. Wandering aimlessly around, he peers through any opening in the tree line he can. Without warning, he seems to take off as he walks through a small gap and disappears out of sight.

"Matthew?" I call out after him as I unsteadily rise to my feet. "Where are you going?" Not wanting to be left behind, I rush to catch up to him, rapidly diving into the same passage as him to find him stood on a makeshift dirt path which appears to break away in two directions at an end of a fork. Obscured from my vision is what appears to be a fairly basic wooden signpost which Matthew stares at intently. "Any idea where we are?"

"I-I've got no clue," Matthew chuckles in disbelief. "Have you ever heard of White Tail Woods? 'Cause I sure ain't."

"White Tail Woods?" I repeat as I join alongside him, matching his confused expression as my eyes lock on the various arrows pointing in both directions. Scoffing, I rub my tired eyes. "I've never heard of any of these places. Canterlot? Shouldn't that be Camelot?"

Matthew looks at me with a puzzled expression, "No. Even Camelot doesn't exist. Just like... Ponyville? What the fuck?"

"Well, this certainly doesn't help. in fact, it makes things about ten times worse!" Matthew exclaims in irritation. "I prefered thinking that we were lost on the road near Bridgnorth. Now, I have no fucking clue where we are supposed to be." 

Agitated, I begin to pace back and forth Matthew remains motionless. "Maybe we should head towards one of these towns? It's not like sitting here will prove useful. besides, we should both get to a hospital as soon as we can. The car will be fine here, it's not like it's gonna go anywhere."

I watch Matthew expectantly as he stays glued to his spot, his eyes flicking back and forth over the sign before him. Slowly pacing up to him, I lightly rest my hand on his shoulder, acting as a way to break him out of his trance as he slowly turns his head to focus on me.

As he opens his mouth to speak, a gruff masculine voice can be heard further down the path and out of sight as the trail bends behind a small rock formation. "I'm telling you, I heard something. It came from over here."

Matthew and I keep our eyes fixated on the footpath as we wait for the owner of the voice to step into view. Neither of us moves or even so much as fidgets as we wait in trepidation, the sound of various people walking in a group echoing off the surrounding trees and rocks. 

We wait. Uncertain as to who will come around the corner.
> Chapter 2 - POL 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Turning to face me, Matthew obstructs my view of the pathway as he rubs the side of his head. "First thing we need to do is get in touch with the control room, let them know we're okay. Then we'll head straight to the hospital and get treated. We can't exactly keep working like this."

I shrug my shoulders as I rest my hand against the scabbard of my ASP. "Sounds like the only good plan we have. The car battery died so I couldn't even use the radio to call for help." Although personal radios were as effective as those fitted in our vehicles, the benefit of using a radio in the car was that it has a signal booster which would make our signals readable even in areas where our personal devices are unable to transmit. All Police vehicles were also fitted with a tracking device so that the control room could pinpoint our location at any time.

"I still don't understand why the car battery died on us," Matthew states as he blinks slowly, his posture wavering slightly as he begins to slouch. 

"Maybe it was because of the storm?" I offer weakly. "We only just avoided a lightning strike. Perhaps the electric charge arched and came into contact with the roof's aerial and fried all the electronics it came into contact with?"

Matthew slowly nods his head, contemplating the theory. "It's possible... I guess. It could explain why our personal electronics are still working. We weren't in contact with any conductors so the charge won't have come into contact with us."

I cock a brow at our poor attempts at rationalising the earlier events we've faced. "It doesn't matter. We're not scientists and don't know anything about this sort of stuff. Let's just get out of here and get-"

I come to an abrupt stop as my eyes widen in confusion, uncertain how to process the image before me. Matthew watches my expression in confusion before stepping to the side and pivoting, a mirror expression covering his own face as we stare at the individuals before us.

Blinking rapidly, my jaw hangs low as I stare at the duo at the end of the path. Standing directly before us is a pair of miniature horses, an expression similar to our own as they stare blankly at us. If it wasn't bad enough that we were in front of a group of horses, I find myself unable to process why they're dressed up in golden armour, their helmets styled similar to that of Roman Centurions.

To top it all off, these weren't regular horses, they looked as though they were unicorns. I'm not certain as if these were genuine unicorns or whether somebody was playing an elaborate joke on anyone they come across in these woods, but their protruding horns seemed far too detailed and lifelike to be some prop that a drunken student stuck on a horse.

Underneath their armour, these horses had various coloured coats and eyes which were not any sort of natural colour for an equine. The largest of the two was standing to the left of the duo. He has a copper coloured coat along with faint yellow eyes, I'm guessing that he is a male based on his stature compared to the smaller one standing next to him. Following alongside him, she has an ivory coat with radiant emerald eyes.

Nobody moved, neither ourselves or the horses as our eyes remained locked on one another. Clearing his throat, Matthew takes a step forward. "Becky, we both took a fairly hard knock to the head, right?"

"...Yeah?"

"So, it's safe to say that I'm concussed and that there aren't multicoloured horses standing in front of me. Correct?"

I slowly blink as I rest my hand against my own pulsating head. "Yeah."

"Are you seeing them too?" Matthew turns back to me, his expression showing an immense level of confusion as he tries to rationalise the sight before us. I nod my head. "So, that means we aren't concussed and that we are standing in front of two horned horses."

"There must be an explanation-"

"Minotaurs?" The masculine voice from earlier calls out from behind the horses. Matthew and I quickly turn to the source, only to once again find the pair of horses as the largest one takes a cautious step towards us. "Are you both okay?" The approaching horse asks as his eyes dart back and forth between Matthew and I.

It spoke! That fucking horse just spoke! How the hell is this even possible? As I have my own internal mental breakdown, Matthew laughs hysterically as he turns to me. "If one of them proclaims 'Hail Caesar', then I know for a fact that this is some stupid prank."

"Did... it just talk?" I ask in bewilderment as I back peddle. "How can a horse talk?"

"We're ponies," The copper coloured one states as he eyes me with distrust. "What are you?"

Matthew stumbles as he steps towards the side, pressing his hand against a nearby tree as his body sways. "How can't you know what we are? We're humans. But you... you shouldn't exist. There's no such thing as unicorns."

"We're standing right here." The white mare begins to approach us, her eyes locking onto the sleeve of my t-shirt. "And we've never heard of any humans. Not to mention any other species having their own Police around here."

"What?" The stallion asks as he steps alongside the mare.

"Look at the shirt," She states as I too follow her gaze. Underneath my stab vest is a tight fitting black combat t-shirt. the sleeves embroidered with the text 'Police' in bold white letters. "It says that this human is Police."

The stallion scoffs as he shakes his head, "The only two Police forces around here are in Manehattan and Fillydelphia, and they only recruit ponies. Their uniforms are all wrong," He states as he gestures towards me with a hoof.

Manehattan? Fillydelphia? They have their own communities based on puns of human cities. It would explain the pun on Camelot, and the settlement of Ponyville. The fact that I'm talking to ponies throws my head into a spin as I try to process the information being thrown at me. This must be some overly elaborate prank. Animatronics or something along those lines to make them talk. There is no way, tucked away in the countryside of Shropshire, there are hidden communities of mythological ponies.

I turn my gaze to Matthew as he enters another coughing fit. He begins to gradually slump against the tree trunk, his body slowly sliding down his makeshift support post as he falls to his knees. Rushing over to him, I kneel alongside him as he pulls his hand away from his mouth, a speckling of fresh blood covering his palm.

"Matthew, sit down," I instruct him as I grasp onto his armour and turn him so that his back is pressed against the tree. As he swivels around to sit back against the tree, I begin to remove his armour. Reaching for the zip, I quickly pull it to the bottom and reach underneath for the velcro support straps, keeping the front and rear plate of Kevlar together. Separating the plates, I cautiously lift the armour over his head before dropping it in the grass alongside me.

"What's wrong with him?" The mare asks as she rushes alongside me. It's only when she comes to a stop next to me that I realise that she is armed with a sword as it hangs alongside her hip in its scabbard.

Taking hold of Matthew's shirt, I pull it from within his waistband and expose his abdomen. "We were in a car crash. We've both hit our heads and he has lost a lot of blood." Studying the exposed skin, I wince slightly at the bruising and reddening which has already developed on the side of his abdomen and along his sternum. Reaching towards it I place my left hand over it, feeling the powerful heat emanating from his flesh. "I think he has internal bleeding. We need to get him to a hospital."

Matthew blinks slowly, his skin gradually losing its usual complexion. "Becky... I-"

I lift my hand and rest it on his shoulder, pushing him back slightly in order to lift his head so that he can look at me. "-You'll be okay. We'll get you help." Turning to the mare, I slowly stand as I look between her and the other armoured pony. "Please tell me there is a hospital nearby."

She shifts her focus back to her friend, "Think you can quickly make it back to camp to get the pegasi to bring us a wagon?" She asks with a sense of urgency in her voice.

He returns a determined nod, "Easily." Turning to run back the way he came, he hesitates before looking back at the mare. "Are you going to be okay here by yourself?"

"Just hurry up and get the wagon," She orders before turning her focus back to me as the stallion rushes off and disappears behind the rock formation at the curve on the path. "Once the pegasi get here, we should be able to get him to the hospital in Ponyville in under an hour. It sure beats walking."

Shaking my head, I let out a scoff. "Pegasi? Now there are flying horses?"

"Ponies," She corrects as she unclasps her helmet and rests it gently on the ground by her hooves, allowing her ash grey mane to flow.

"And earlier your... friend thought we were minotaurs? Does that mean they also exist?"

"You don't see many of them in Equestria, apart from the main cities." Lowering her posture, she begins to examine Matthew's wound with more scrutiny as he stares blankly at her.

"E-Equestria?" He asks between breaths as he unbuckles his utility belt, allowing it and his equipment to fall to the floor behind him. "This is ridiculous... We were in Shropshire. England."

Now it was the mare's turn to look at us in confusion. "Never heard of it."

"America? Germany? France? Russia? China?" Matthew inquiries before entering another coughing fit, each breath he takes becoming more laboured as he struggles to maintain his composure.

"Maybe now isn't the best time to be asking questions," She suggests before her eyes lock onto mine. "We can get him to a hospital then we can sort out the finer details as to why you're here and where you came from. Okay?"

I meekly nod my head. Usually, it is myself who takes charge of a situation, giving out orders to everyone else and telling them exactly what to do. Now, it seemed as though the roles had been reversed as I find myself unable to clearly process all of the information being thrown at me.

I'm snapped out of my train of thought as an emerald light illuminates sharply before me. Lifting my eyes, I recoil in astonishment as the unicorn's horn begins to glow. I stare wide-eyed as a translucent form of energy reaches out from the tip of her horn and pierces Matthew's skin as it connects with his stomach. His body gradually begins to relax, his head rocking back as he releases a low sigh.

"W-what are you doing?" I question as I shuffle closer to Matthew, my palm resting against his head. 

"I'm helping him." As our eyes lock together, she recognises my clueless expression as she rolls her eyes. "Magic. I know some basic first aid spells. This will at least ease his pain."

"H-how is that even possible? There's no such thing as magic." 

"Maybe you've never come across it, but it most certainly exists." Rising to her full height, her energy changes target as it switches to me. My muscles immediately relax as a sense of euphoria rushes through my body, my head swimming as I find myself slumping backwards alongside Matthew. 

"I'm sorry," She continues as my eyes begin to drift closed. Every attempt I make to move my body proves futile as I become an uncoordinated mess, aimlessly waving my arms from side to side as they unceremoniously fall to the ground. "This will help you relax. I don't know who either of you are, but I can't take any chances. I'll make sure you're taken to the nearest hospital."

Despite trying to fight the influence that the mare is casting over me, it proves to be in vain as I quickly find myself unable to move. Releasing a lengthy gasp, my eyes drift closed as I feel my body slump to the side and press against Matthew. The world once against drifts into darkness.


***--------------------***
Perspective - Unknown


Fidgeting my aching hooves, I let out a shallow yawn as I tilt my head from side to side. After finding the humans in the woods, the pegasi were able to quickly transport them to the Ponyville General Hospital. If we weren't out in the woods for a training exercise then there is no telling what may have happened to the humans in their condition.

Since I had found them and was able to render them docile, I've been assigned by the Captain to watch over their equipment in the adjacent room while the rest of the guards were set to keep their eyes on the humans. From what I've been told, they're both still unconscious. The larger of the two, the male, is said to be in a serious condition. The doctors said that he had broken his ribs which resulted in a puncture in his lung, along with sustaining internal bleeding and a bleed on the brain. 

Then there was the second one, the female. Her condition was much more promising. It seems that she had only sustained a mild concussion and some bruising. In these conditions, we'd be more than happy to allow a pony to wake up, but these weren't ponies, they were an unknown species. Until we got word that it is deemed safe to do so, they were to remain sedated. That left me in here, standing on guard duty by myself. The two humans were stripped of all of their clothing and equipment once they were brought here. I was now expected to make sure all of their belongings were to remain in this room to await inspection. 

As the door is gradually pushed open, I try my best to stifle a yawn as I quickly come to attention. Expecting an officer to step into view I snap my eyes forward as I await my instruction to stand at ease.

That's when I see them come into my field of vision. The Princesses. I've only had the honour of being in the presence of Princess Celestia and Luna last year during a session of the Royal Court, since then I've not even been able to so much as catch a glimpse of them. It was very rare that my unit ever got rotated onto guard duty at Canterlot Castle and I've only ever been posted there a week in the past.

As Princess Celestia and Luna enter the room, they're quickly followed by Princess Twilight before the door draws to a close behind them. Turning her focus to me, Princess Celestia offers me a compassionate smile before she bows her head to me. Fighting the urge to return the smile, I instead return Celestia's bow by lowering my head before once again coming to attention.

"Sergeant Starfall, isn't it?" Princess Celestia asks as she looks at me expectantly.

Holy crap, she knows my name! I quickly suppress my foalish squees as I give her a crisp nod. "Yes, your majesty."

"Your Captain informed us that it was yourself who found these humans in White Tail Woods. Is that correct?"

"It is, your majesty. They were on the dirt path and were injured when we came across them."

"Did they say where they were from?" Princess Luna asks as she passes her sister and moves towards the central table which holds all of their equipment. The table has been littered with various items, some of which we have been unable to identify. Whilst some are different adaptations of equipment used in Equestria, such as hoof cuffs, the rest appear completely alien to us. 

"I believe they said they were from England," I state with uncertainty, recalling the various names they told me. "They said a few names and I can't quite recall which one they told me they were from. I can only apologise, your-"

"There is no need for apologies, Sergeant," Celestia remarks as she waves her hoof dismissively.

"I've never found any reference to England in any of my books," Twilight adds as she looks towards Celestia with uncertainty. "Nor did I find any reference to humans. There seems to be no record of them."

"That is not entirely true," Luna remarks as she turns back towards Twilight. "These aren't the first humans to find their way to Equestria."

"What?" Twilight asks in disbelief and intrigue as she quickly closes the distance with Luna. "Then why is there no record of them in the library at the castle?"

"Because their existence has been lost to time," Luna replies cryptically. "The last and only human which was encountered was around two-thousand years ago. He was only known to a select few. After his death, the knowledge of his species gradually turned to mythology and was then lost to that of legends as generations passed. The recording we had of them were locked away and are still held in the most secure wing of the Canterlot Archives."

"What happened to him?" Twilight questions as her eyes flick between both Celestia and Luna.

"He passed away shortly after his arrival," Celestia adds as she lowers his gaze. "We believe he was severely injured whilst in his own world and unfortunately died shortly after his arrival. We weren't able to learn much about his species or his culture. He didn't speak any Equis and we had no way of translating. Believe it or not, despite his short time here, he partially contributed towards Equestrian society. You can see his influence at the Canterlot Castle every time you walk the halls."

"The armour of the guards," Luna finishes as she gestures towards myself and my armour. "He wore a set similar to it and we quickly adopted it for our own Royal Guards. It proved far more effective than what we had at the time. Only one pony truly knew where he came from and how he came to be in Equestria. But he, along with most of his knowledge has been lost to time. Starswirl."

Twilight begins to contemplate all of the new information which is being fed to her as both Celestia and Luna begin to examine all of the equipment on the central table. "Is this everything that belonged to the humans?" Celestia asks as she gestures for me to join alongside them.

"Everything they had on them. They had some more items which were in some sort of carriage, but that is still in the woods."

"And why is that?"

"It's... stuck in a tree," I answer as I step alongside the Princesses. "It had far too much weight for us to get it down. We'd need more unicorns in order to lift the weight. The pegasi did notice some bags and various items in the rear storage compartment through a window, but couldn't figure out how to get it open without causing damage."

"They got their carriage stuck in a tree?" Luna shakes her head in disbelief before turning her focus to the various items on the table. "Was there anything of interest on this carriage?"

"I couldn't see what contents lay within as they were mostly secured within boxes and bags. The carriage didn't look as though it was being towed by any sort of creature. It also had an insignia of 'West Mercia Police' on display on both sides of the frame." Lifting my hoof, I gesture towards the vests and clothing that came from the humans, "It also states on their clothing that they are Police."

Lifting up one of the black vests in her magic, Princess Luna rotates it to show a large reflective blue and white badge on the rear displaying Police. Rotating it to face towards us, it contained a smaller blue Police badge, along with a series of small blue and white reflective squares travelling along a strip at the very top of the armour. Attached to the front were two large pockets on either side of a central zip along with four plastic clips which were fixed to the main fabric of the vest.

"It certainly seems to be some form of new armour," Luna points out as she passes it to Twilight to study. "Albeit a different material, it has all the telltale marks. But fabric instead of metal?"

"Perhaps it has a different purpose than traditional armour?" Twilight suggests before lowering the zip and examining the interior, finding a small cloth label on the inside of the rear plate. "Slash resistant vest? It seems as though this was designed to protect the wearer from swords." 

As Twilight places down the armour on the table, Princess Celestia takes hold of a small canister. Holding it close, she slowly begins to twist it in her magic as she reads the text. "PAVA irritant spray." Placing it back down, she then idly lifts a set of hoofcuffs and the key before looking back to her sister. "It seems as though these two humans certainly were members of law enforcement."

"It would appear so," Luna comments as she lifts up a small rectangular device with a series of small numbers spread evenly out on it, a small glass partition positioned towards the top alongside a rubber stalk. "Sepura?" She turns her gaze to her sister in confusion. "I don't know what purpose this could have."

"It would have to be something we'll have to ask the humans about," Celestia confirms as she turns her focus to a small rectangular black wallet. "We'll have to inquire with them as to the purpose of most of their possessions. Only a few seem familiar." Opening the black wallet, I'm able to catch a glimpse of a star-shaped metal badge on the one part along with a card being attached to the opposite side as Celestia begins to read the text.

"What does it say?" Twilight asks as she tries to read the small text on the card that is positioned below a picture of the female human.

"It's an identification card. It says the female's name is Becky Fern." Placing the ID card down, Celestia then picks up an identical holder and opens it up. "And the other human's name is Matthew Curtis."

"At least we know their names," Luna announces as she idly twists one of the weighty metal tubes in her magic. "I'm not certain as to the purpose of-" As Luna suddenly flicks it downward, the tubing rapidly expands to triple in length.

"I think that is supposed to be some sort of weapon, your highness," I offer as I look to Princess Luna. "I believe it is a club of some sort."

"I see." Taking a hold of the now extended club, Luna tries to push against the end which had extended in an attempt to close it. After a few seconds, she decides to instead place it back onto the table. "I think it would be best if we didn't interfere with anything else we're unfamiliar with. We have no way of identifying what they're for."

Celestia's eyes slowly drift from the newly exposed club, "Did either of the humans try using any of their equipment in front of you?" Celestia asks. 

"The female, Becky, only took a hold of the club. She didn't attempt to unsheathe it or use anything else," I answer as I point to it with my hoof. "I didn't take the time to pry for any information from them due to their state of shock."

Celestia quickly returns her focus to her sister, stepping away from the equipment as she steps towards the connecting window that provides a view into the small ward where the two humans are being treated. "The question remains as to how they found themselves to be in Equestria."

"It may prove difficult to learn how they came to be here." Luna joins her sister at the window, her eyes switching between the two humans who have been placed in beds opposite one another with a series of guards spaced throughout the room. Whereas Becky only had a minor dressing wrapped around her head, Matthew was cocooned in comparison. Bandages are secured tightly around his main body with breathing apparatus fixed over his face.

"Maybe I could find out," Twilight suggests as the larger alicorns turn to face her. "If Starswirl's records are still legible, perhaps it could offer some information as to how the first human came to be in Equestria. From that, perhaps I could determine what brought them here."

Luna's muzzle scrunches slightly as she shakes her head. "I see no harm in it. However, many of his original notes have been highly damaged and may not be of much use. Most of his studies which weren't officially documented or published were lost when our former castle was lost almost a millennia ago."

"We must try," Twilight insists with determination evident in her tone of voice. "They may be lost here and we should do what we can to help them. They deserve a chance to at least learn as to how they may return."

"Of course we will do all that we can to assist them," Celestia reassures Twilight as she offers a comforting smile. "If there is anypony who can help them, it is most certainly yourself. I will request the guards in Canterlot retrieve Starswirls findings and bring them to you for study. I must ask that you are cautious, much of his work is extremely valuable, not just with the knowledge it shares, but it holds... sentimental value to my sister and I. Starswirl was a close friend of ours, but I know he wouldn't want his work to go to waste when it could help others."

"Of course, Princess," Twilight bows her head respectively.


***--------------------***
Perspective - Becky Fern


The world around me slowly returns as I begrudgingly open my eyes. My head continues to pound as my eyes slowly adjust to the blinding light overhead. It doesn't take long for my vision to gradually return as my surroundings come into focus. Nausea quickly overwhelms me as I roll my head to the side, finding a small bedside table with various medical examination tools and an IV stand standing alongside my bed.

Closing my eyes, I release a soft chuckle before releasing a sigh of relief. It must have all been some crazy dream brought on by the crash.

Sitting myself up in bed, I grasp onto the sheets as I open my eyes once again. The sight around me quickly cause me to recoil, my eyes widening as they remain locked open as they come across the forms which are scattered around the room. A group of five armoured ponies are scattered around the room, three unicorns and two pegasi. They're spread out with a unicorn and pegasus alongside my bed with a matching pair across the room standing alongside the opposite bed. The last unicorn is positioned to the far right, across from the main doorway and in front of a large mirror so that he surveys the entire room, his eyes fixated on me as I move around in bed.

Turning my attention to the opposite bed, I find Matthew laid out with numerous bandages wrapped across his body and head. An ECG machine is positioned close to the bed with cables linking directly to his chest along with breathing apparatus connecting to an ill-fitted respiratory mask. It looks as though his injuries were much worse than they initially appeared as the adrenaline that must have been running through his body after the crash likely worked to mask the severity of the injury.

Pulling the sheets away from my chest, I begin to swing my legs over the side until I realise that all of the guards quickly turn their focus to me. It isn't the fact that they're staring me down which causes concern, but the rapid movement of their eyes as they seem to flick between my face and my body.

Following their gaze, I quickly turn a bright shade of red as I frantically grab the sheets once again and pull them over myself as I find that the ponies that brought me here must have stripped me down until I was in nothing but my birthday suit. Attempting to regain my composure I quickly stand up as the guards exchange glances with one another, almost as though they seem uncertain as to how to react.

"Stay where you are," The closest guard instructs as his stance changes. The other guards quickly follow his example, adopting a defensive stance as they lock their eyes on me.

Rubbing my head as I cling the sheets to my head, I slowly blink as I take a shaky step closer towards the cluster of guards as they all move to stand between my bed and Matthew's. "I-I need to make sure he's okay."

"Stay where you are and return to your bed!" He barks once again as the tip of his horn begins to glow. 

I promptly do I'm instructed, recalling how I was easily subdued and rendered unconscious with the flash of a horn. As I sit on the bed, the stance of all five guards gradually relax as they slowly return to their posts.

"Why am I being held here?" I ask as I turn my focus between all of the guards, hoping that one of them would answer. Realising that I'm in a familiar circumstance from work back home, I quickly come to a realisation that I've likely been detained and will be held here for the near future. Although I was used to performing a POL-1 from their position, it certainly felt different being the subject of one.

Before the guards standing closest to me can reply, the main doors into the room are opened by the pair of ponies who I originally encountered after the crash. They remain stoic as they hold the doors open, waiting for three larger figures to enter into the room.

Gracefully, a large white pony enters the room. Not only does she have a horn, but she also has a set of wings fixed to her body. Her coat is that of the purest snow, reflecting the light which shines upon it to give her a natural gleam. Her mane unnaturally flows as she moves, swaying back and forth with a mixture of pink, purple, blue and green. A golden tiara with a purple gem sits securely atop her head along with a matching necklace, acting as a symbol of her potential authority over the others. As she passes the guards, her difference in height becomes easily noticeable as she stands at just over 6 feet tall, her long protruding horn working to add a few extra inches to her height.

She is immediately followed in by a midnight blue pony who once again has wings and a horn, her stature making her taller than most yet below that of her white counterpart, standing at roughly 5 foot and 6 inches. Her mane once again flows, acting as a portal to the night sky as it resembles the stars hanging overhead over a clear night sky. She also has a tiara, but it is instead a jet black and of a different design, along with a chest piece of sorts which shows a symbol of a crescent of the moon.

The last of the ponies to enter is of the same species as the other two, however, her height is more equal to that of the other ponies around her, standing at just over 4 feet tall. Her coat is a shade of lavender with a mane which does not flow like that of the other two, her mane is a dark purple with a lighter streak running through it. Unlike the other two winged unicorns, she doesn't have any sort of jewellery of or tiara upon her head.

As the trio come to a stop at the foot of my bed, I quickly catch of glimpse of a marking which rests above their hind legs. The purple pony has a mark which appears to be a six-pronged magenta star with five smaller white stars spread around it. The midnight blue pony has a mark which is identical to the mark on her chest plate, a moon crescent against a black backdrop. Finally, the white pony's mark is that of a shining sun.

I look between the three ponies standing before me, the trio clearly holding a level of power over the situation. As my eyes flick back and forth, I am left with a feeling of uncertainty as to what will happen next. This is not a situation I thought I'd ever find myself in, Waking up in an unknown location surrounded by beings of a different species than my own. I can only sit helplessly as I wait for whatever fate will throw at me.
> Chapter 3 - POLAC
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I remain locked in a state of silence as I stare wide-eyed at the three winged unicorns before me, my eyes flicking back and forth between them as they seem to look at me with uncertainty. Waking up with a hospital is usually the point where someone realises that everything is alright, that they're no longer in any danger or will hopefully returning back to their normal life in no time. Although that is usually the case, waking up in a hospital surrounded by ponies will throw a spanner in the works.

"Becky, isn't it?" The towering white pony asks as her eyes glance over my bandage. "I wish that this meeting could have taken place under better circumstances. How are you feeling?"

I cock a brow in confusion as I sit up and lean back against the headrest of the bed, clinging onto the bed sheets which shrouds my body and holding it tight to my flesh. "I'm okay?" I respond with uncertainty. The fact that I'm speaking to a pony makes me question if my response is true or if something is seriously wrong with my head. "How do you know my name?"

"We found a card with your name on it, along with your badge." The smaller framed purple pony responds. "All of your things are in the next room, along with your friend's."

My eyes slowly drift from side to side as I scan the three forms in front of me. "I'm sorry, but who are you all?"

"I am Princess Celestia," The tallest responds with such a gracious tone, akin more to a caring mother than a figure in a high position of power. Celestia tilts her head to her left, pointing towards the midnight blue pony who has yet to say a single word, "This is my sister, Princess Luna." Finally, she turns her gaze to the purple pony to her right, "And this is Princess Twilight."

"But why am I here? Where am I?"

"You are in Equestria," Luna answers as she looks down at me. "It is unclear as to why you are here or how you came to be. Tell me, what do you recall before finding yourself in Equestria."

I close my eyes, lowering my head as I recall the moments leading up to the crash. "I was at work with Matthew. We were responding to a call during a storm... and I think a strange lightning bolt either hit us or hit close enough to our car that it affected us in some way. Our car went over the side of the road and... that is all I can remember."

"Car?" Twilight asks as she steps to the side of my bed. "Do you mean the carriage that was found in the woods?"

"The one in the top of the tree. Yeah." My eyes drift over to Matthew in the opposite bed as I let out a shallow sigh. "Not his best piece of driving."

"We will have to try and determine the nature of this storm which brought you to Equestria," Celestia states as she moves towards the mare who was the first to find me in the woods. "Once we ascertain its source, we may be able to find a way to send you home?"

Scoffing, I swing my legs over the side of the bed as I keep my body covered. "How hard can it be? Just give me a map and help me get to my car. Failing that, I just need a phone."

The three royals exchange glances. "Just where do you believe Equestria is?" Luna asks. "Where is it you are from?"

"I have never heard of Equestria. Never even knew it existed," I respond. "And I'm from Shropshire." I find my hopes rapidly sinking as the Princesses fail to respond and instead look at me with blank expressions. "England? Island just off of mainland Europe? Fish and chips, cups of tea, castles?"

"...There is no Shropshire, England or Europe in the known world."

My heart sinks as I stare at the expressions of the ponies around me. "How can that be? This can't be possible."

"I'm afraid that it is a mystery. We can endeavour to assist you in attempting to discover how it is you came to be here," Luna assures me as she joins her sister. "Efforts will be made to try to find a way to send you and your friend home, once he fully recovers. For now, we shall make arrangements to ensure that you aren't left stranded in Equestria without anywhere to stay."

"You're welcome to stay with me here in town," Twilight chirps with a sheepish smile. "My home is not too far from the hospital, so you won't be too far from your friend at any time. It also makes sense that you're nearby while I try to learn how to send to home."

"I... thank you," I lower my head respectfully to the Princesses, uncertain as to how I'm supposed to act in front of royalty. 

"When you're feeling ready, we can return to the woods to retrieve your car. We'll be able to store it somewhere secure."

I turn my head towards Matthew as I slowly climb to my feet, my hands clinging the bed sheets close to the body. "Can I please have some time with Matthew before we leave? I want to make sure he's okay."

"Of course," Celestia replies with a respectful bow. "Take as much time as you need with your friend. You're more than welcome to come and go as you please to visit him. Please don't hesitate to come to us if you have any concerns or worries."

With a nod of her head, the guards who were posted around the room quickly leave their posts and exit the room before being followed by the three Princesses. I remain stationary as my eyes drift towards Matthew, the occasional sounds of the suction and pumps of his ventilator filling an otherwise silent room. Timidly, I step across the cold floor and come to a stop alongside his bed. Sorrow soon begins to overwhelm me as I look down at him, my eyes beginning to tear up as I perch myself cautiously on the edge of the bed. 

Matthew has always acted as a mentor through my career in the Police, guiding me throughout my integration with the team and the choices I've been forced to make. He's been there to back me up when shit has hit the fan, physically putting himself in harm's way to keep me and the others under his supervision safe. Our shift has always been a large family, and it is safe to say that Matthew was at the head of the table. He was always there for us, to be our guides and to help us in both our professional role and personal lives.

Extending my arm, I reach out and delicately place my hand on his, my thumb gliding back and forth over the back of his hand. In a situation like this, he would have undoubtedly stepped forward and taken the lead. He'd be the one to guide us while I'd likely be the one slinking away and unable to cope. Yet here we are. I'm going to have to step up and make sure that we're safe and try to find a way to get back home or to at least send a message. I need to stay strong, for both of us.


--------------------


After having stayed with Matthew for some time, I was finally able to muster the motivation to leave the room and to try and recover our vehicle to see if I could get it working again. Matthew would have been more suitable for the job of trying to get the car running again; I never had much of an interest in figuring out how they worked apart from physically driving them. I gathered up my freshly cleaned uniform and got dressed back into my full uniform. Although I should be safe, I felt uneasy leaving all of my equipment unsupervised, particularly those which could be dangerous such as my taser and PAVA.

I joined up with Twilight at the entrance of the hospital and soon left to go back to the woods where I was found by the guard. We were joined by the guard, Sergeant Starfall, since I was uncertain as to where we were going. Thankfully for me, the hospital was located on the outskirts of the nearby settlement so that we could divert around the town so that I wouldn't have every pony staring and pointing at the alien.

It didn't take us too long to reach the entrance to the woods and with our armoured guide, we were quickly led down a series of side paths through the towering trees. I mainly walked in silence as we continued our journey as I didn't want to demoralize myself further by asking questions to make me realise how royally fucked my situation may be. My ears picked up the conversation between Twilight and Starfall ahead of me as the Princess seemed eager to ask any question that popped into her head.

Not wanting to be heavily interrogated shortly after getting back on my feet, I figure the best thing to do is to go on the offensive and ask some questions of my own. "Princess, what exactly are you? I've never heard of a unicorn mixed with a pegasus."

Twilight looks back to me, slowing her pace to match mine. "I'm an alicorn. Alicorn's possess the traits of the three races of ponies. Earth pony strength, the magical ability of a unicorn and the capability of flight that pegasi possess. And, please, call me Twilight. You don't have to address me formally."

"And there are three Princesses? I don't understand why I was met by the Princesses of Equestria."

"There are in fact four Princesses," Twilight corrects me. "Princess Cadence is currently in the Crystal Empire. As for why you were met by the Princesses, Luna and Celestia are the heads of the Equestrian Government and have been for their rule over the last two thousand years."

"Well, Luna was a one thousand year rule, followed by an equally long 'break' before returning," Starfall remarks in a joking tone of voice.

Scoffing, I shake my head as I step over an outstretched tree root. "They have been alive for over two thousand years?"

"They have been at the head of the Equestrian government since the founding of Equestria," Twilight states enthusiastically. "Equestria was founded following the migration of the three pony tribes to find a new home to avoid the deteriorating conditions in their own nations. Earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns came to Equestria and learned to maintain friendship and cooperation amongst one another to found the basis for Equestria. Early into its founding, it was agreed that the two alicorn sisters, Celestia and Luna should be at the head of the government."

"Yet there are four Princesses. Are you one of their children?"

Laughing nervously, Twilight quickly corrects me. "No. Neither of them have any children of their own. I have my own parents. Though, Celestia has been a mentor to me through most of my life."

Raising my hand, I point towards the markings on Twilight's flank. "What about those? What are they and why does everyone have them?"

"They're our cutie marks. They develop on a pony as they learn their special talent and is unique to them."

"I'm surprised you don't know about them," Starfall says as she briefly lifts a hoof to my right hip. "You've got one of your own... though Matthew didn't have one."

"I've been wanting to ask you about that," Twilight continues. "Is it genetic amongst humans? Do only females develop their cutie marks?" 

Self-consciously, I press the palm of my hand over the side of my hip as my cheeks heat up. "I'm more concerned about the fact that you've seen me naked. And it's not a 'cutie mark'. It's a tattoo. I got it while I was at university. Matthew doesn't have one because he obviously didn't want a tattoo. That's it. There is no genetics at play."

"Oh..." Starfall remarks sheepishly as she smiles weakly. "Well, it's a pretty tattoo." 

"...I'm just gonna pretend that a group of ponies haven't seen me naked." Peeling my hand away from the tattoo in question, I try to avoid eye contact as I look straight ahead as I recall getting my tattoo. It was a red rose in full bloom surrounded by a series of black tribal markings, making out the outline of a dragon which was styled in such a way that it was guarding the rose. I got the tattoo while I was studying my degree in university after my grandmother died. She always used to say that I was 'as sweet as a rose and as fierce as a dragon.'

"Then may I ask you about your equipment?" Twilight enquires as her eyes drift between my stab vest and utility belt, likely in an attempt to move the conversation away from awkward territory.

"I guess," I respond with a weak shrug. "What do you want to know?"

"I suppose the best place to start is simply what you have and its purpose."

"Most of it is fairly basic. Baton, handcuffs, first aid pouch, PAVA, radio-"

"-PAVA?" Starfall interrupts.

I tap my right hand on the small canister in question which sits along my right hip. "It's an incapacitant spray, designed to disorientate the target. I can't remember the science behind it, but I remember that it attacks the receptors in the eyes. It causes it to feel as though it's burning and it stings like a bitch." 

I think back to my initial training when I was exposed to a weakened concentration of the spray. I was made to inhale sharply from a sealed container which held a rag soaked with PAVA. What followed immediately was a heavy coughing fit as my eyes quickly began to burn and water. The sensation felt as though I had taken a handful of chilli peppers, ground them up and shoved them straight up my nose.

"And your radio?" Starfall asks once again. "How can you carry one? They're oversized and aren't that effective."

"You have radios?" I question as I glance between the pair. 

"They're still in their infancy," Twilight answers. "As Starfall said, they're usually rather cumbersome and the likelihood of getting a signal anywhere in Equestria other than a major city with the relevant equipment is minimal at best. They were designed in the Griffin Empire and have only been within the civilian market in Equestria in the last couple of years."

Bringing my hand up, I tap the Sepura radio which is affixed to the left side of my chest. "Well, this is my radio. It's digitally encrypted so you can only get access to the channels with one of the radios from the emergency services. There is also another one in the car which gets a better signal. I imagine there would be no way to get a signal on your comm channels and I won't have any signal to any of mine. So it seems that I'm lugging around technology which is fairly useless at this stage."

"And what is that?" Twilight asks as she points her horn towards the yellow taser affixed to my armour. "I have never seen anything like it before. What is its purpose?"

"It's my taser. It's a weapon designed to incapacitate the target by firing two metal prongs into the body. It then delivers a 50,000-volt shock directly into the body which causes the muscles to spasm and for you to lose control of the body. It can also 'dry stun' which means I can press it against someone and deliver a slightly weaker charge while it's in contact with them without firing."

"That seems fairly sophisticated."

"Yeah, and I've only got two shots," I reply with a scoff. "Then I also need to keep it charged which may prove difficult here. So, I'm not exactly keen on using it. I've only ever had to actually fire it once."

"You make your job sound interesting," Starfall remarks with a slight grin. "It sure beats guard duty in the quiet towns."

"It has its moments where things are dull, though those are few and far in between. Usually, it's hectic." Bringing my hand up, I adjust my vest as it clings tightly to my body. "I'll often be sent from job to job in emergencies and rarely get a moment to relax. With the taser, I'm guaranteed to get sent to the more... lively of incidents."

"Can you elaborate?" Twilight questions in an attempt to steer me to continue.

"...I don't particularly want to talk too much about work. Maybe in time, I'll happily share some stories with you. Lord knows I've got plenty of them." Rubbing my head, I glance towards Starfall. "How far away are we?"

Starfall increases her speed, moving ahead of me as we advance through an opening in the trees. "It's just through here. Hopefully, the others will have gotten it out of the tree by now." 

"I never would have thought we'd get ourselves in a Jurassic Park moment; stuck up a tree," I mutter under my breath.

As we step through the clearing, we quickly step over the dirt path where I was found by the ponies. Moving amongst the natural foliage, I come to a stop in an open section of woodland to find that the car has already been lowered from the tree as a group on ten unicorn guards stand around it and begin to examine the alien machinery in front of them. A quick glance to my side reveals Twilight who seems to be staring at it in awe and excitement, as though she had just come across the worlds greatest discovery.

Clearing my throat to get the attention of the guards, they all pivot on the spot to face me before stepping away from the damaged vehicle and giving me a clear passage to it. Stepping past them, I come to a stop alongside the driver side door and look over the damaged bodywork. In the light of day, the damage to the bodywork becomes more clear as the reflective strips and paint have been scratched and peeled away in various places.

Reaching into the pocket of my stab vest, I take out the car keys which were amongst Matthew's property and enter through the unlocked door into the driver's seat. Looking around the interior, I take the vehicle out of gear and put it in neutral before applying the handbrake which has been left off, likely on account of it not being necessary with the car lodged in a tree.

As Twilight steps alongside the open door, I place the key into the ignition and compress the clutch before trying to start the engine. Much to my irritation, my efforts are in vain as the car makes no attempt to start and remains in total silence, indicating that the battery to the engine is dead. Just to make sure, I lean over the central console and try activating the various lights on the car's light bar, only to be met with further disappointment as they fail to function, confirming that the battery is flat.

Rocking my head back, I smack it against the headrest of the seat as I hiss under my breath. "Just my fucking luck." Pinching the bridge of my nose, I release a shallow groan before reaching into the footwell and reaching for the bonnet release catch. "I think the battery has gone."

"The battery?" Twilight and Starfall ask in unison.

"Yeah. The battery," I repeat as I exit the vehicle and move towards the front. Reaching under the bonnet, my hand shuffles from side to side until I find the locking catch and release the bonnet fully and raise it over the engine. Locking it open, I play the role of every movie cliche and stare at the engine block, not actually knowing what I'm looking for. "If you have no juice in the battery then it'll fail to start."

"Any chance you've got another?" Starfall questions as she moves towards the boot and peers through the rear window into the boot.

"We don't carry spares. I doubt that this world has car batteries so I think I may be fucked on that end." Following the unicorn, I join her at the boot and open it up to examine the contents which have been thrown around. 

The first thing I grab is the two black kit bags which belong to myself and Matthew, each carrying our own personal items, paperwork, hi-vis coats, headwear and anything else of our own we thought would be useful. Next, I pull out a weighty black case which closely resembles a suitcase, an emblem engraved onto the centre of a scorpion to illustrate that the box contains a stinger kit.

Digging further through the various pieces of equipment which have been catapulted around, I dig out a basic first aid kit and the fire extinguisher before placing them on the ground by my feet. Next, are the fairly basic and sub-par traffic cones and road closure signs which serve little to no purpose. Once they're moved out of the way, I rest my hand on a bright red handheld metal ram with two protruding handles positioned at the centre and towards the rear: the 'big red key'.

Finally, is a large open crate which contains various miscellaneous items which have a more practical use. Digging through the contents, I pull free a sealed cardboard box which holds an E.E.K. Next comes various assorted paper and plastic evidence bags, followed by Police tape, latex gloves, scene logs, lights for the traffic cones, a crowbar and a tape measure. 

With all of the kit now resting on the floor behind the car. I sit in the opening and rub my eyes. "What the hell am I gonna do with all of this? It's practically got no use here, especially when the car won't work to take it anywhere. The only thing that may be of use to me is the first aid kit."

Looking at the equipment, my eyes widen as I watch a magenta aura quickly envelops everything I had laid out. Rapidly moving out of the way of the boot, I watch as everything is effortless places back inside in an organised fashion, positioning the larger items towards the rear while leaving the smaller and easier carried items closer to the opening. As everything is carefully placed, I glance towards Twilight as the identical glow which canvasses her own horn quickly disappears.

"Perhaps there is a way to provide a charge to the battery," Twilight suggests as her magic reaches out and closes the boot. "If it requires electricity then all we need to do is determine the storage capacity it can withstand in order to provide sufficient current."

"And how do we do that?" I ask sceptically. "I doubt you have a jump start kit and some jumper cables..." I stop in my train of thought as I look over the car. As I look at the car, the memory of having to bump start a car in the past comes into mind. In theory, a car with a flat battery can be started while left in gear and pushed with the clutch pressed in, gradually releasing the clutch can allow the engine to restart. It may not be a permanent solution if there is further damage to the battery itself, but it is an immediate fix to the problem.

Quickly moving towards the open driver's door, I tap the roof of the car as I look back towards the gathered guards. "Fancy giving me a push?"

All of the guards look amongst themselves with confused expressions before one from the crowd speaks out, "A push?"

"Yeah. I can bump start it. If you all can push me from behind, I can steer it away from any trees and try to get it started." I move into the driver's seat as I leave the door open, adjusting the rear view mirror so that I can see through the rear window to the group of ponies behind me. As they seem to begrudgingly move behind the car, I compress the clutch and put the car into second gear as I stick the key into the 'on' position. Releasing the handbrake, I lean out of the door towards the ponies. "When you're ready."

Instead of pushing it the conventional way which I was expecting, the entire body of the car is wrapped in a variety of colours as their magical energy fully covers the exterior of the car. To my surprise, the car begins quickly pushed along to travel at a steady 10mph as it bumps over the uneven surface of the woodland. 

I find myself having to use a considerable amount of strength to adjust the steering wheel without the power steering in order to avoid natural obstructions such as trees, potholes and small rocks. Once the vehicle has been rolling for a short while, I begin to ease the clutch up in order to try and complete the bumps start.

The car suddenly jolts as the engine comes to life, my foot simultaneously pressing the clutch all of the way in as I put the car into neutral. "That's it!" I shout out of the open door as their magic quickly dissipates. The car comes to a stop as I press my foot on the accelerator in quick succession, revving the engine in order to help charge the battery further.

Clapping my hands against the steering wheel a number of times, I find myself unable to refrain from laughing as relief runs over me at the fact that I've finally had some luck with the car starting once again. Applying the handbrake, I turn on my seat so that the legs are out of the car as Twilight and Starfall approach me. "She lives!" I exclaim in excitement. "Thank god the battery wasn't fried. It must have just drained all of the power."

"So... what exactly is it?" Starfall asks as she paces around the vehicle.

"It's a car. It uses fuel in order to power a combustion engine. I don't know the technical sides of cars, short of checking the oil and topping up the fluid levels." Stepping out of the car, I slap the room as I look to Twilight. "This particular car is a Vauxhall Astra. It's not the greatest car in the world, but it gets you around quick enough. That's all I really need in a car. If it gets me from A to B, then I'm happy."

"What fuel does it use?"

"Diesel." I quickly notice Twilight's confused expression. "You don't have diesel?"

"No. I have never heard of diesel, nor have I seen any reference to it in any of my books."

"So that means I've only got whatever is left in the tank," I say with a shallow sigh. "Great... just my luck."

"Would you be able to provide me with a sample of diesel?" I look at Twilight with a confused expression plastered on my face. "Though we may not have your conventional diesel, there could be an alternative chemical substance in Equestria which uses the same chemical properties."

"So you could have a substitute?"

"In theory." Twilight smiles at me as she steps around the car, "We can't expect everything in our worlds to have the same names. Just because we don't have something by that name, doesn't mean that it has not already been manufactured in another name."

As I climb back inside, I lean over the centre and open the passenger door. "Where are going? I'll need one of you to give me directions once we get out of these woods."

At Twilight and Starfall exchange concerned looks with one another, they begin to cautiously step towards the open door. "Are you sure that it is safe to operate?" Twilight asks. "Especially given the circumstances we found it in-"

"-Literally stuck in a tree," Starfall finishes.

"If you wanna walk back then go ahead," I say as I close the driver door. "But I'm gonna be driving this back into town, one way or another. I ain't leaving this in the middle of the woods. You'll have to pull on the handle on the back door to get it open. I can't do it from inside. Now, where am I going?"

Sceptically, the pair decide to take me up on my offer of a lift with Twilight getting into the front and Starfall in the rear seat. Not being able to use the seats as they were designed to, I find myself chuckling as the way they're sitting closely resemble that of a dog. Putting on my own seatbelt they quickly mirror my actions as they secure their own.

With the car back and all of the equipment recovered, I at least have everything back in my control. The next priority would be to give Twilight samples of diesel so I can hopefully find this worlds equivalent in order to gain access to more fuel in the near future. I'll also try to help Twilight as much as I can in order to figure out how to get Matthew and me home. For now, I just want to get my head down and keep out of the way. No doubt driving through town will freak the locals out.
> Chapter 4 - Temporary accommodations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The drive back to 'Ponyville' was not as smooth as I had expected and took some time to exit the woods as the dirt roads weren't suitable for the Astra. I was forced to keep to a low speed and weave from side to side to avoid expanding tree roots and the uneven surface. If there was one thing the Astra was almost completely useless for, it was dirt roads and off-road driving. I never was too keen on using any of the off-road cars available to me, but being in this environment was really making me wish I had either the BMW X5 or Range Rover.

The slow and careful drive through town was fairly uneventful, apart from all of the locals looking to the car with caution and distrust as they likely had no frame of reference. The small town was positioned in the centre of a series of rolling hills and alongside the bend of a narrow river. Many of the houses within resembled that of old Tudor style houses, the whitewashed walls being replaced with a pale yellow hue and the slate roofing being constructed from straw.

The main landmark of the town seemed to be a large rotunda building with various support beams outlining the exterior and providing an outstretched roof to those below which was positioned in the centre of the settlement. on the outskirts of the town was a large farm with many trees stretching out into the joined fields and seem to extend over the horizons of the hills. During the drive, Twilight made sure to point out the route to the hospital for me so that I could visit Matt.

Hanging high over the town far in the distance sits a large city which clings to the mountains resembling something akin to a set from Lord of the Rings. A small collection of large spires stand tall over the distant settlement connected to the main caste. I was told that the city was called 'Canterlot' and it was the capital of Equestria, housing Princess Celestia and Luna, along with the rest of the Equestrian Government.

The final stop on my brief tour was where I would be staying during my time here, Twilight’s castle. The main structure resembled a tree which was seemingly constructed from large crystal stones, reflecting the natural sunlight to illuminate the grounds around it. A large set of golden double doors and stairs provided entrance into the structure while the upper levels seemed to be shaped in a more conventional styled castle, even if it was coloured purple with golden roof tiles. To me, the building was a giant eyesore when compared to the rest of the quaint town.

As soon as we arrived, Twilight took me inside and showed me to the room. The interior of the castle seemed to reach out much further compared to the exterior let on. A large throne room and function room was set to the left side of a great hallway which stretched out the entire distance connecting to a grand staircase which led to the upper floors. The right side of the hall led to an oversized study which must have contained thousands upon thousands of texts, whereas a kitchen and dining space was lined behind the staircase.

My bedroom was at the top of the stairs and at the far right side of the castle, the view from the window allowed me to look out over the edge of the town below and toward the city of Canterlot which was seated on the overhead mountains. The bedroom itself was thankfully not as bright compared to the rest of the castle and didn't attack my senses. 

Situated against the rear central room was a double bed, though it clearly wasn't designed for humans as my feet would hand over the edge. On either side were small bedside tables and drawers allowing me to store some of my items, with an additional wardrobe and desk sat against the left wall. To the right was a large window giving me the view on the outside wall. The room itself was fairly barren, obviously only being intended for someone staying for a short period, but it meant that I could eventually decorate it to my own tastes to make it feel a bit more like home.

When the tour of the castle was finished I took all of mine and Matt's personal begs into my new room and quickly unpacked my own items into the drawers and wardrobe I had. It was safe to say that my lack of items left much of the storage capacity unused. I was thankful to find that everything I had was undamaged in the crash, particularly my Samsung tablet and charging cables so that I could at least have access to the collection of films and TV shows I downloaded in order to keep me entertained.

Most of the items I had with me were all work-related, mostly clothing and various paperwork such as hi-vis coats, leather gloves and blank MG11's. I at least had an extra set of clothing which I didn't have an opportunity to change from my bag into my locker at the start of the shift, giving me access to my sports kit. Wanting to get my head down for the night, I changed out of my uniform and into the black tank top before trying to get some rest.


--------------------


I couldn't sleep. No matter what technique I tried I found myself failing at every attempt to drift off to sleep. My mind was still racing from everything I had been told through the day, still trying to process all of the new information and trying to comprehend the situation. I was in a new world, that was clear, but my brain was doing everything to say otherwise. This clearly isn't my own world... but how can one be in a new world?

Throwing the covers from over my body, I climb out of bed and idly pace towards the open window. "This just doesn't make sense," I mutter to myself under my breath. "This has got to be a dream, right? I took a bump to the head and I'm imagining all of this." Twisting my watch, I look at the time to find that it's just gone midnight. "I don't know what all of this is."

"Talking ponies?" I chuckled nervously as I rub my hands. "Only my head could come up with something as absurd as that."

But it isn't the case. As much as I want to believe that this is all some figment of my imagination, this all seems too real. All the smells, tastes, sights and sounds of this world are far too real to be some messed up dream. But it begs the question as to how all of this happened. How did I get here? What do I do now that I am here? How do I get home? Can I get home?

Sitting on the window frame, I hang my leg over the edge in order to feel the cool breeze against my leg. Taking in the view, I tilt my head back and stare at the array of stars overhead. The cluster overhead illuminates the natural landscape below, lighting up the town and painting it in a radiant glow. I remain fixed in place as I admire the beauty of the town. Ponyville is unlike anything I've ever seen. This small town appears so tranquil and beautiful in the glow of the night, especially compared to my hometown.

As time passes, I climb from the windowsill and approach the dresser where I grab hold of the three-quarter length leggings and white trainers which were also within my sports kit. Getting dressed I slowly exit my bedroom and step into the towering hallway. The ceiling overhead stretched high up into the structure, allowing the numerous tapestries which shroud the walls to hang and flow smoothly within the natural breeze.

It takes me a few minutes to navigate the seemingly endless halls until I finally get my bearing as I come to the top of the central staircase. I peer into the grand hall below, the lights from overhead reflecting off the walls to illuminate the almost unnatural structure. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice that the door to the study is slightly ajar as a beam of light peers through the opening and hushed voices can be heard from within.

Tiptoeing down the staircase, I carefully move towards the door where I peer through the crack. Inside sat at a low table is Twilight with a large book in front of her. Although her main focus seems to be on the large text before her, her magic seems to effortlessly levitate a series of papers around her in a fluid motion as a quill jots down notes as they pass.

Pushing the door open, I step inside the room as another book lands alongside Twilight on the table, this time in a light turquoise aura that I don't recognise. Following the sound of ruffling books, I clock another mare who is stood at the bottom of one of the towering bookshelves. This mare has a coat of pale pink with a purple mane which contains an aquamarine highlight as the mane curls at the end.

Their sensitive hearing swiftly pick me up as their ears flick at the slightest noise underneath my feet. "Becky," Twilight states as she swivels on her cushion, "I thought you went to bed."

"I couldn't sleep." Pushing the door behind closed behind me I move towards Twilight and sit at the opposite end of the table, lowering myself carefully to the floor to sit on the available cushion. "I've got too much on my mind. What are you working on?"

"I'm looking over some of Starswirls old notes which the Princesses sent from the Canterlot archives." Twilight seems to practically bounce in her seat as her eyes flick back and forth over her notes. "They haven't been able to send over everything from the archives, but what they have sent me so far is a fountain of information. I’m learning so much!"

"You'll have to forgive Twilight," The other pony whispers as she steps alongside me. "She can get a little eccentric around her work." As she steps towards another series of shelves, she glances back towards me as she effortlessly begins to pluck numerous texts from the higher shelves. "I'm Starlight Glimmer, by the way."

"Why did these texts have to come from the capital?" I ask as I focus on Twilight. "Why doesn't anyone here know about humans?"

"The knowledge has just been lost to time," Twilight answers as she places some of the old documents before me. "Not many ponies knew about the last human who came here, so the information remained amongst a select few. Documents we recorded at the time and kept amongst the archives for those to study as they wished, but nopony really knew about them and the knowledge never left the groups who encountered the human. It became more of a legend amongst a few small communities until it finally faded away. Most of the original documents were lost a millennia ago when the Castle of the Two Sisters was destroyed and abandoned."

I quickly scan over the documents laid out before me. Most of them are old and appear to have deteriorated with time, the ink scrawled on the parchment. It's initially difficult to make out the cursive writing scratched onto the aged paper. I'm able to quickly make out a series of small sketches and diagrams of a male human. The armour portrayed resembles that of the guards within Equestrian and the ancient Roman Centurions.

"He was a Roman?" I say aloud as I delicately trace my finger over doodle. 

"Wait. You know more about him?" Twilight beams with excitement as she practically leaps out of her seat, rushing to my side as she looks to me expectantly.

"N-not about him. No. I just recognise the armour. He's a Roman. I learnt about them back in primary school." I pass the documents back to Twilight. "One of the largest Empires at their height of power, around two-thousand years ago, controlling most of Europe, along with the northern coast of Africa. It's one of the periods in history we were all taught in school. The only things that ever stuck with me was their armour, which was iconic. The one in the picture is a Centurion, an officer in the army. It's very similar to the armour the guards were wearing."

"From what I was told by the Princesses, our armour was moulded off that which the human was wearing. At the time, Equestria had potential threats off of its borders," Twilight answers as she shuffles around some of the papers. "Equestria was a relatively young nation and was only securing its own borders. Tribes which historically failed to cooperate had finally come together under the rule of Celestia and Luna. Outside of Equestria, the main threat we faced was King Sombra from the north. That's when the armour of this 'Roman' was adopted. Since then, Equestria hasn't known war, so it seems that the Royal Guard remained content with the armour design they had."

"Must have been nice not having to worry about conflicts," I scoff as I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Things aren't like that back home. There is always a fight going on in some corner of the world."

"Things haven't always remained calm around here," Twilight responds as she sits on her haunches alongside me. "In recent years, some old threats have surfaced against Equestria."

"A lot has happened in the last few years," Starlight remarks as she takes Twilight's old seat. "Princess Luna's return. Discord escaping his imprisonment and reforming. Tirek trying to steal Equestria's magic-"

"-Wait, Princess Luna's return?" I ask in confusion. "You said they ruled the country when it was 'young', yet I've met and spoke to both of them. Just how is that possible? Or are we talking the royalty tradition of monarchs having the same name as relatives, and this Celestia I met is the fourth Celestia in the royal family?"

"Well, alicorns are immortal," Twilight replies softly as she delicately flutters her wings. "At the very least, alicorns don’t age in the traditional sense as other creatures do. Princess Celestia and Luna have been ruling Equestria side by side throughout its history as a diarchy. Princess Luna was... banished to the moon where she remained for a thousand years before her return."

I blink slowly, mentally replaying what I'd just hear in my head to make sure that I heard the purple alicorn correctly. "Banished... to the moon? How is that even possible? There is no oxygen on the moon. It's not like the old stories where people say the moon is made of cheese. There's no food up there."

Before Twilight can likely go into a lecture, Starlight quickly takes the opportunity to interrupt her. "It's a long story which I'm sure you won't want to be worrying about just yet. You need some time to adjust before you try learning all there is about Equestria. Besides, no doubt that Twilight will pounce at the opportunity to tutor you."

Twilight smiles sheepishly with a lightly tinted blush on her cheeks, "It's important for one to understand the history and culture of where they are visiting. But, you are right, Starlight. There will be time for all of that." Twilight slowly turns her head back to me as she clears her throat, "If you wouldn't mind, I have a few basic questions I'd like to ask. If that is okay with you?"

I take a moment to consider Twilight's request. I'm not really wanting to go into any detail about home out of worry it could make me plunge further into the helplessness that I'm feeling in this new world, but a few basic questions could likely help distract me. I slowly nod my head, "I suppose that's okay."

"Great!" Twilight practically beams as she effortlessly levitates a blank scroll before her, along with an inkpot and quill which she rests on the desk. "What other species are there on your world which have created civilizations? Are there griffins, minotaurs, yaks, kirin, caribou?"

I cock a brow as I look at Twilight, trying to gauge if she is being serious. Quicky recalling that the guard who found myself and Matthew thought that we could be minotaurs, I soon realise that Twilight is genuinely curious as other sentient species seem to live on this world. "It's only humans. There are a few different races, but we are the only species."

Twilight quickly scribbles down my answer, her eyes maintaining firmly fixed on me as she asks the next question. "And how many humans are there?"

"I don't know exactly... but the global population has exceeded seven billion."

"Seven billion?" Both of the ponies ask in unison as they look at me in surprise. 

"Yeah. Improvements in modern medicine, technology and quality of living led to an enormous population growth in the last century."

"How old are you?" Starlight asks as she leans forward over the desk. "We don't exactly have a frame of reference to guess your age based on appearances and physical characteristics."

"I'm twenty-eight. I was in school until I was sixteen, then spent two years at college followed by three at university where I studied criminal law. I joined the Police at twenty-two."

"Criminal law? So you have an in-depth knowledge of your criminal justice system?" Twilight questions, her eyes seemingly sparkling with joy at the prospect of finding someone with a high level of expertise on a particular topic from a new and undiscovered culture."

Holding my hand out, I twist it from side to side. "A bit. To be honest, I kind of forgot most of it since leaving university. The main thing to me was learning the laws and legislation in order to help me with joining the Police once I got my degree."

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to pick your brain further on the topic in the near future. It would be incredible to compare our two systems, to get your interpretation on Equestrian law and how it contrasted to your own society. Maybe there is an opportunity to learn from one another to improve our own systems."

"I guess," I respond with a shrug of my shoulders. "But, not tonight. I'm not really wanting to talk in-depth about the law."

"Of course," Twilight reassures me with a soft smile.

"You'd better be careful," Starlight chuckles. "Twilight will end up writing an entire dissertation on you at this rate," She jokes with a playful smile.

As the night continues, Twilight would proceed to ask me further questions about my life and upbringing. I made sure to try and answer all of her questions as best as I could, but I feared that my responses would have been fairly mundane. I wouldn't have considered my life outside of work to be interesting. As my childhood went, I'd say it was fairly average.

I grew up with with my mum and dad, a teacher and a doctor, along with my younger brother who was routinely on an operation overseas with the Royal Navy in recent years. I spent my entire life in Telford, only leaving the growing town for my university studies where I spent three years at Keele University in Newcastle-under-Lyme. I told Twilight how I had my own house in the village of Lilleshall where I lived by myself. I didn't have a life of luxury, but it was safe to say that I still got to enjoy some of the finer things in life. 

I was able to tell Twilight a bit about the other countries and cities of the world from when I would routinely travel the world with my friends for our annual holidays. I told her all about the lights of Broadway in New York, the golden beaches of Rio de Janeiro and the raging nightlife of Ibiza.

I'm certain that the more interesting aspects of my life which would be more beneficial would be my many stories within the Police and the practical application of the law. Explaining how I'd go about my duties, the various laws and legislation in place, national guidelines and policies, along with how the incidents I investigated would progress before the court. But, for now, I was not wanting to divulge too far into my work. I'm more than certain that would come out on another day.

Despite not giving too much detail in my answers to the enthusiastic Princess, she was still able to complete scroll after scroll of notes, rapidly expanding on all of the points I gave her. I'm more than certain that most of her notes would be further questions to expand upon my answers in the future, but that would be an issue for another day. With the hours ticking by, I excused myself as I returned back to my room to try and get some sleep.

I soon retiered back to my room, getting my head down in an attempt to finally drift off to sleep. Despite feeling drained, I initially struggled to let sleep take me. I was still worried about Matthew in hospital and the uncertainty as to how long he would remain there for. Despite being seen by doctors, I was still filled with worry as the main point that kept forcing its way to the forefront of my thinking was that 'they have never treated a human before.'

Finally, I found myself unable to keep my eyes open any longer. I eventually gave in to the cries of my body, letting the exhaustion beat my concerns as I finally nodded off to sleep. My final thoughts were that of my family and friends back home. How would they know what happened? Have Matthew and I disappeared without a trace back home? 

No doubt, these worries and thoughts would plague my mind for the days to come.