Part 19 A Little R&R
 
>You find yourself in an open black are-
>Oh fuck, this place again
Hey, get to the point.
>That voice starts to speak
>"Impatient, aren't you?"
I do enjoy my sleep. So yeah.
>"You enjoy your nightmares?"
Well...er...I enjoy sleeping.
>"What if I were to tell you that I could get rid of the nightmares?"
What guarantee do I have that this isn't just another nightmare?
>"How thoughtful you are, airman."
>That slightly perturbs you
Excuse me, but I'm a captain
>"Oh? Of what? Celestia's army?"
No. Of the Unit-
>"ed States Air Force."
>You both spoke in unison
The princess has allowed my commission into her royal guard, but you should know that.
>"How would I know? Tell me..."
I presume you are a part of my subconscious. You seem to never be surprised by anything I do, and logically speaking, what else could you be?
>"A very interesting concept, if true. However, I must ask you one question; why would you join her guard knowing that she doesn't trust you."
No, she trusts me, otherwise I would be in jail.
>"Really? Would you trust someone who stole drugs and tortured others?"
Personally... I judge motives, not actions. Actions are meaningless without a reason.
>"Uh uh uh! CAPtain. You never answered my question!"
I can't, unless I know why he did such things. In the case another did exactly as I did, I would trust him. He knows what he's doing.
>"Interesting. What about Celestia? Do you think after you showed what you're capable of that she's not planning your annihilation?"
No. She's fine with it, because I've demonstrated my loyalty to her.
>You expect the voice to be getting angry, but it laughs. It really finds you funny.
>"Don't say I didn't warn you Anon. HAHAHAHAHAHA"
 
>You wake up
>Damn that voice was getting annoying
>But at least it's Friday
>Wasn't there a terrible song about that?
>You try to get up...and succeed
>Wow. You're still feeling a little weak, but overall you're feeling a lot better than you'd been feeling since the failed Virtuous Mission
>Time check
>0800
>Leaving your hospital room, you find two guards posted outside
>"Good morning sir!"
Good morning. Did the captain have a message for me?
>"Yes sir. He wanted you to have a good weekend."
How kind of him. I have a couple of questions.
>"Yes, sir?"
How much trouble would it be to take a chariot to Ponyville, and one back on Sunday morning?
>"For you sir, no trouble at all. We can have you there in less than an hour, and will return at the hour of your request."
Good, good. And the other thing; would it be possible to construct a hangar for my jet?
>"A..hangar, sir?"
>Ah, yeah, that's right. Airplanes and hangars are foreign to Equestria
>Damn these ponies
I mean to say a garage for my jet. Just something with a roof over its head.
>"We can build that and be done before your return, sir."
Ah, good. Make it so.
>"Yes sir!"
>You had always wanted to say that.
>You went back to your room to pack up everything, took out your SERE beret, and decided that you'd earned the right to wear it when you survived those 25 horrible...
>...
>Ten minutes later, you were riding a chariot back to Ponyville with all your gear
>Giving guards instructions on how the hangar should be wasn't so difficult
>You sort of wanted to take the jet back, but you didn't know how famous you were and didn't want to take the chance of attracting attention
>You loved to fly, but really only as a pilot. As a passenger, you did care for it because everything was out of your control
>The pegasi stay silent as they fly you to Ponyville. Silence suits you, as you have to figure out how you're going to enact your plan
>As you land, you see that every pony in eyesight is running to you
>Well, so far for not attracting attention
>Over the noise of the crowd, you hear one of the guards talking. "Sir, What time should we be here on Sunday?"
Be here at 0500 Sunday
>"Yes sir!" After you take your gear off the chariot, they take off and fly back to Canterlot
>Ah, Ponyville
>It's a lovely place to live
>Now that you think about it, you've spent most of your time away from Ponyville
>But you still loved it here...when there weren't ponies all around you
Hey everyone, how's it going?
>Cheers erupt from the crowd
Listen, I'm just a soldier doing his job. Please go on about your day like normal
>You smile, hoping they'll listen to you
>Nope
>They're still around you, some asking for a picture, some asking if you want a drink
>One in particular wants an interview
>Oh, this one's with the newspaper. Ok, that's cool
Maybe tomorrow. I need to find my friends and take a day to relax.
>The crowd, hearing this, all sigh
Come on, I'm really not that big of a deal. I'm just doing my duty.
>Looking at the crowd, it was split between mares and stallions, colts and fillies.
>Huh, there's a small group of mares, looking at you dreamily. Well fuck, that's not good.
>Apparently, it's true what Celestia and Shining Armor said. You had achieved some sort of celebrity status with your fancy flying
>And saving the town probably had something to do with it too, as well as all of Equestria
>Still, you were only doing what anyone else would have done, especially after...
>You stop thinking about it. You still have that hellish torture fresh in your head
>As the crowd starts to dissipate, you hear a familiar voice
>"Hey ANON! IT'S BEEN forEVEReverEVER since I've seen you!"
>Oh shit, the chaos known as Pinkie Pie
>Wait, she might be just who you need to see
Hey Pinkie! What's going on?
>Everypony's heard about your action-packed mission! Maybe they'll write books about you! You and Twilight could read them together!
Funny you should mention Twilight, Pinkie. I have a favor to ask
>Having anticipated her excitement, you quickly explain your plan for tonight, and ask her to help
>"Okie Dokie Lokie! That's a GREAT plan Anon! I'll start on it right now!"
>And true to her chaotic nature, she suddenly disappeared in a cloud of dust
>After that, you decide to head over to the library to visit Twilight
>Hell, it's not even lunch time yet, but maybe she'd like to catch up on her research
>As you sneak your way to Twilight's, you can't help but feel a little awkward wearing a beret with your tigerstripe uniform
>As you're distracted, you run into a stallion
>Oh god damnit who-
>"Oh, hello Anon. It's been a while."
Oh, hey Doctor. What's up?
>"Well, that's a rather relative question to ask."
>You give a small laugh
Did your assistant come back yet?
>"Yes, she did. She showed up the next morning, saying something about being led by a bunny to a place called..Alba..something...
Albuquerque?
>"I believe that was the pronunciation."
>Oh God the shenanigans that must have followed!
>This was quite an interesting development
>Perhaps Twilight would enjoy talking to the Doctor
Anyways, I can't stay in one place for long.
>"I understand. It was great to catch up with you."
That's the thing, we've barely talked. Are you doing anything tonight?
>"As a matter of fact, I had nothing planned. Did you have something in mind?"
Yes, actually. Would you mind going to the Bucking Bronco and hanging with me?
>"Who all will be there?"
I don't know. I mean, I plan on going with Twilight Sparkle, but who knows who all will show up?
>He raises a brow. God damnit, can he sense that you have something planned?
>"I will, but with the condition that my assistant comes as well."
Yes, please bring her. I would like to meet her, and I'm sure Twilight would love to talk to her as well.
>"Alright, I'll be there."
Peace, Doctor
>"And to you as well, Anon." He puts a little emphasis on "you"
>You start sneaking again
>As you make your way to the library, Doctor Whooves' farewell stuck with you
>What did he mean by that? If he knew...but how could he? He's smart, but is he that smart?
>Perhaps you're over-analyzing this
>No, he meant something by it. It was the WAY he said it. Did he see war on you?
>Stop
>task manager
>End process for "analyzing.exe"
>Y
>You reach the library with a final thought on the matter
>Peace be with me? If only...
>You knock on the door
>"Just a second!"
>Hearing books being shelved, you assume there was a sizable mess
>Oh Twilight, is there a time when you're not researching?
>The door opens to an out of breath Twilight. Seeing that it's you, her eyes widen
>"Anon! Wha..What are you..?
We did have plans for tonight, right? I didn't just imagine that?
>"Well, no, but I heard how badly injured you were. I didn't think you'd be out of the hospital so soon."
You know me better than that Twilight. I hate hospitals.
>You give her a smile, and she laughs.
>"So, how are-"
>FINE SO FUCKING FINE GOD DAMNIT
I'm doing well right now.
>She's lucky she's a friend, or there would have been blood
>"Great to hear. Have you visited your house yet?"
House?
>"I'm not surprised you don't remember. That was a while ago...Well, during your...absence... construction on your house was completed."
>Oh yeah. The mayor did commission a house for you after you rescued the town from the diamond dogs
Maybe we should check it out
>"Yeah, let's do that."
>She's rather excited to see your house. Much more so than yourself.
Ok, but we have to sneak over there. Apparently, everyone wants to talk to me.
>"Of course, you did save Ponyville and Equestria. Everypony in town is honored that you live here."
Imagine that...
>"What?"
Back home, I'd be a hero, but I wouldn't have quite the reception I've received here.
>"There aren't many conflicts here, Anon. That there have been two invasions is unheard of, and in such short time between the two no less. The last war that Equestria had was more than two hundred years ago, so no living pony has any memory of war."
>That explains it. In your world, there was a new war every few years. Soldiers were still celebrated, but your nation was too accustomed to war. Here in Equestria, war was a rare occurrence and as such, a hero would be appreciated more.
>You could understand that
>But you still were uncomfortable about it.
>The two of you head to your new house, being careful to avoid as many of the other ponies as possible
>Twilight led the way, since she actually knew where it was
>It's only about a four minute walk away from the library
>Wow. It's larger than you expected it to be.
>On the outside, it seems that they went for the typical Ponyville architecture, which you couldn't argue with.
>And it was green. Your favorite color
>You open the door, only to find more space on the inside that seemed possible from the outside
>Fully furnished too...
>Damn, you really did mean a lot to these ponies.
>On one of the end tables, you found a pair of keys and a note
>Our Dearest Anon
>We, the citizens of Ponyville, wish to welcome you to your new home. It is impossible to show all of our appreciation to you, but hope that you understand a fraction of it.
>How nice. There seems to be more, this time from the mayor
>Please come by city hall at your earliest convenience to schedule your ceremony.
Hey Twilight, what's this about a ceremony?
>She walks up to you, smiling wide.
>"You're being awarded the Key to the City."
Well, that's nice and all, but this will probably need to wait for a few weeks. I really need some R&R.
>"That's understandable. I don't think anypony will disagree with you about that."
>You drop off your stuff in the living room and turn back to Twilight.
So, want to get back to your research? I think I owe you some of my time.
>"What? We just got here."
I know, but you must have some questions about human nature that I hadn't gotten around to answering.
>"Well..."
That's settled. Let's go.
>And without waiting for Twilight to give a proper response, you head off towards the library
>As much as you liked your new house, you really didn't want to spend all day there. You couldn't explain it, but you felt a little more comfortable in the library.
>Must be the books. You did enjoy reading
>You returned without incident, got a cup of water, and sat down on the cushion you found yourself on when you were being studied.
>So what if you were a specimen? You really didn't mind answering stuff about yourself, and it gave you something to do
>Twilight enters a few seconds after you, and takes out her notes
>"Alright, so if we're going to continue with researching your culture, I guess now is as good a time as any to start."
Agreed
>She writes something down with her floating quill, then looks up. "I noticed you're wearing a beret now, instead of your regular hats. What has caused you to change your head-wear?"
>She's damn perceptive.
Let me start with what the beret means to my military. Traditionally, it's been a symbol of elite soldiers. Most soldiers in the military wear the cap that you've seen. As such, a beret is an extremely visible way to acknowledge a solider being above the rest. The color that it comes in usually means something as well. In my case, my beret is green. In my Air Force, only SERE specialists wear the green beret.
>You pause, taking a sip of water
Before you ask, SERE is an acronym that stands for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape. It is a grueling training course that is designed to teach soldiers how to survive in the wild on their own and evade enemies. It also teaches us to be ready to sacrifice everything in the name of our nation. We learn how to resist the enemy in the event we get captured, and how to escape from our internment.
>You take another sip of water
To answer your question, I wear it, because I have applied my training to an actual POW situation, and survived. I wear it to honor my fallen comrade's memory as well. I never thought I'd wear a beret, and I would never allow myself to wear one, because it is so distinctive, unless I went through a sample of the hell that our elite soldiers have been through. It's a sobering reason, I know, but that's it.
>Twilight, far from looking at you as if you were an alien like you expected, was furiously writing everything down
>she's a good friend. She doesn't judge you, it appears. She takes all this rather well, considering she's never seen war before you came here.
>And it hits you
>She said that there hadn't been anything like war until you arrived in Equestria
>Had your arrival sparked something, or had these two invasions been building for a while?
>How exactly did you arrive again? There's something strange about falling through a black space and waking up in a land unlike your home on Earth
>Hey, Anon. Correlation does not imply causation
>Ah, yes. This could all be a huge coincidence. A statistical anomaly
>"Anon, please say something!"
What? Oh, sorry.
>Apparently you had been sitting there, unresponsive, thinking.
>"We can stop if you want to."
No, I'm good. Sorry about that. Let's continue.
 
>Hours later, and it was starting to get dark
>Twilight had avoided asking you questions related to war. She instead decided to ask about your friends, and nice little subjects like that.
>You told her as much as you could remember, which still wasn't too much.
Hey Twi, it's getting late.
>"Oh, you're right. Want to call it a night?"
For your research, yes. You still game to go out tonight?
>Her face flushes red
>"Yeah...sure."
Hey, Spike. We're going out tonight.
>Spike looks up from his book, and says "Finally!"
>Hmmm...what does he have planned?
Stay out of trouble while Twilight's gone.
>"Can do. Stay out of trouble yourself, Anon."
>God damnit. What the hell is that supposed to mean?
>In a way, you appreciated his lack of fucks to give. He was one of the few in Ponyville who hadn't gotten in your grill about being a hero.
>As you left, you notice a nervous Twilight walking next to you
>She must remember the last time you got drunk...
Hey, Twi?
>"Yes?"
Relax, please. We're just getting a couple of drinks. I'm not going to overdo it like last time.
>"Oh, ok."
>God damnit, she's not relaxed. Whatever, a couple of drinks will loosen her up
>As you arrive at the Bucking Bronco, you hear it's a bit more lively than the last time you were there.
>The two of you entered, and at once you noticed Doctor Whooves, and the pegasus that must be his assistant
>She had a grey coat, a blond mane, and...bubbles as a cutie mark?
>Whatever that could mean as a special talent
Hey Doctor!
>He looks in your direction. "Well hello yourself!"
>You approach him with Twilight and OHGODWHAT'SWITHTHOSEEYES?
>Stay calm
>"Hello Mr. Anonymous! I'm Derpy Hooves, the Doctor's assistant.
A pleasure to meet you.
>Jesus, you had seen some shit, but this ain't right man.
>The bar had a good amount of ponies inside, but they all seemed to be minding their business, although you swear all of them had gotten a look at you
>Thank Celestia for alcohol and its effects
>You ordered shots of vodka for the four of you
>The bartender smiles and nods at you as he gets your group the drinks
>Each of you raise a glass
To Friendship
>You all down your shots
>Twilight seems to have relaxed a little. "So, Doctor Whooves, I've seen you around town, but I've never seen you practicing medicine. What do you do?"
>"Ah, such an interesting question. Are you aware of time travel?"
>"Only what I've read in my books."
>"Well, you see-"
>"Hey Twilight!"
>Good! The other five arrived, just as planned
>"Hey, everypony." She has a weird kind of smile on her face
>You quickly order a shot and down it, remembering your secret drink word "pony"
Glad to see you all could come!
>"Of course we would be here, darling. Nothing can keep us away from our friends."
>"Yeah Anon! You expect me to walk away from a drinking challenge?"
>Secretly, you hoped that it wouldn't come down to that, but you were ready for it, should shit come down
Thanks Pinkie, for helping me out
>"I just KNEW it would be funfunfun to Par-TAY at the Bucking Bronco!
>"Ah wouldn't miss a get together like this for ahnythin' in the world, Ah-non."
>"Umm...I thought it would be..nice..to spend a night with my friends..."
That's the spirit Fluttershy
>Twilight looks at you. "So, everypony's here...You invited them?"
Yeah. I thought you might like a night of drinking with friends.
>She gives  you a confused look.
>"GAAH!"
>And she walks out the door
>You take another shot, god damn that secret word
Twilight!
>Rarity comes up to you. "You don't know much about ladies, do you?"
Nope. Not at all. Why?
>She sighs. "Well, I'll tend to her needs."
>"Ah'm comin' too"
>"And me too...if that's alright"
>"ME TOO! The Party's moving along!"
>"Not me! I'm going to outdrink Anon tonight!"
>The others give her a glare
>"On second thought, that can wait.
Should I come along?
>"No, Anon, you should stay here. Twilight needs to spend time with the girls."
Fair enough.
>They leave, and you turn to Doctor Whooves and Derpy
What just happened?
>Derpy replies "I don't know. I don't see the problem here."
>The Doctor rubbed his eyes. "Anon, you've made a jackass of yourself."
I don't follow, Doctor.
>"She thought she was going to be drinking with you."
Yeah
>"Just you."
Oh. Why would she be upset about that though?
>He sighs. "How about I tell you tomorrow morning?"
Sure.
>You, Derpy, and the Doctor return to drinking and talking about spacetime