The moon was high in the clear night sky when the train arrived in Ponyville. Twilight's parents got off in Canterlot so it was just me, Twilight and her friends left in the train car. Everypony was taking a nap except for me, I didn't need much sleep and was already awake when the train rolled into the station. I looked around the cabin and saw that everypony else was still out. I looked down at Twilight who was still curled up next to me and I placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her a bit to wake her up.

"Wake up, everyone. We're here." I said out loud. They all slowly began to wake up and stretch their limbs as they gathered their luggage. Well, everypony except Rainbow Dash and Spike. Twilight levitated Spike onto her back and Applejack was getting into position to give the rainbow pegasus another one of her wake up kicks.

I motioned for her to stop and said "I can get her this time." as I walked up to her.

Applejack raised a curious eyebrow and replied: "Have at it." Wondering how I was going to wake up her friend.

I looked down at the sleeping pegasus who was snoring softly on her seat. Instead of giving her a little shake like I did with Twilight, I decided to have a little fun and plugged Rainbow's nose shut with my hand. Rainbow Dash stopped snoring and was quiet for a few seconds before she started to shift around in her sleep. She suddenly flew up gasping for air but forgot that she was on a train and smacked her head on the roof of the train car. This caused most of the group to bust out in laughter before trying to stifle it as best they could. Rainbow Dash hovered down to my eye level and got face to face with me.

My face was turning red from holding back my laughter, and I could only look the angry pegasus in the eye for a second before I would lose control of my laughter. I got a grip on myself after a bit and regained enough composure to make eye contact with Rainbow Dash and keep my cool. Rainbow Dash was stilled giving me a pissed off look and was waiting for me to apologize.

"Alright alright, enough with the stink eye. I'm sorry." I said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. Rainbow Dash continued to stare me down for a few seconds before smacking me upside the head with her hoof. I continued to snicker as I rubbed the back of my head as we all got off the train and onto the station platform. We all said our goodbyes to each other and split off into the directions of our homes. I followed Starlight and Twilight back to the castle, even though I would have found my way easily enough since it towered above all the other buildings in Ponyville.

While we were walking I would catch small movements out of the corner of my eyes moving in the alleys we passed by. Either Ponyville had a number of stray animals, or we were being watched. Judging from how I was easily able to spot them, they had to have been amateurs. I ignored them for now, thinking they were probably nothing more than hoodlums looking to rob anyone passing by but if they had any sense they wouldn't mess with royalty.

Shortly enough we arrived at the castle and Twilight opened the doors with her magic. I looked behind us once more before going inside and I saw the familiar shadows running away, knocking over a trash can as they did. 'Amateurs.' I chuckled to myself as I walked inside.

"*yawn* I think I'm gonna go straight to bed. I'll see you all in the morning. Twilight, I'm assuming I'll be staying in the same room I was in before?" I asked the princess.

"Sure, consider that room all to yourself. All of your things should be in there waiting for you. I'm gonna get Spike here into bed and do the same. Goodnight." Twilight said as she walked off to her room at the top of the castle and I walked with Starlight towards the guest wing. After a few moments of silence I decided to break the tension.

"So, you and Sunburst are a thing now, huh?" I asked Starlight, whose face immediately turned red.

"W-well, I don't know if uh, we're actually a 'thing' but...I don't know if Sunburst wants that type of relationship. After all, we've been so far apart for so long and I'm certain he has all kinds of mares chasing after him. You know with him being a big important wizard, crystaller and all..." Starlight stuttered out in embarrassment and avoided eye contact by looking around.

"Yeah, you're probably right. After all, how often does a friendship between two people turn romantic?" I asked sarcastically.

Starlight only shook her head at me and stopped in front of her door. "Okay, well this is my room. Yours should be just a few more doors down. Have a good night, Curtis." Starlight said to me as she walked into her room and closed the door. I waved back to her and made my way to my room, anxious to have my weapons in my hands after what felt like ages being apart from them.

I walked into my room that was illuminated by the moonlight shining in through the windows. My bag was sitting on the bed and I opened it up to reveal all of my belongings still in there, untouched as promised. I smiled as I held the M16A4 in my hands, running them along the rifle, admiring the way it looked in the silver moonlight. I stood the rifle against the side of the bed and held the two M9s in each hand, feeling their weight. I admired them the for a few seconds before I placed one on the nightstand and one underneath the pillow, just in case. I looked inside the bag and saw all that was left apart from the gems were the ammo boxes, gas mask, suppressors, the cleaning kit, canteen and one ration. Feeling hungry from the long train ride, I tore open the ration and ate the tasteless food inside. I disposed of the ration bag into the trash can and put the duffel bag inside the closet where my flak jacket and kevlar helmet were hung up along with the balaclava.

The ration filled up my stomach and I let out a yawn as I stretched and stood up from the desk. Feeling the fatigue of the day wearing on me, I stripped down to my underwear and shirt and got into bed. It was by far the most comfortable bed I ever been in and felt the cold metal of the M9 in my hand underneath the pillow. Ready to get some real sleep I closed my eyes and drifted off into another dreamless sleep.

*****SCP Foundation site No. [REDACTED]*****

Sunset was sitting inside the interrogation room, waiting for Dr. Chase to come in. She had the same gloom look on her that she had ever since she was first taken by the foundation, and for every day that goes by, she missed her friends from Canterlot High more and more. The staff treated her nice enough, nobody was flat out rude or mean, but she couldn't help but feel like another one of the prisoners kept here. In reality, that's all she was, a prisoner. It didn't matter that she was given a nice dorm to live in, time to go outside and stretch her legs, all the tv shows, movies, and books she could ask for, none of it could replace her friends.

On the other side of the observation glass, Dr. Chase was observing Sunset as he talked with Dr. Maynard, who has become much more involved personally with this project than any of his previous ones. Dr. Maynard, an older man with grey hair and a short beard of the same color, was observing Sunset as well.

"So this is the girl you were talking about?" Dr. Maynard asked.

"Yes, that is her. So far we haven't heard much from our agents on the other end, only that they have found the D-class we sent through and he did escape as we planned." Dr. Chase explained.

"Really? Is that all?" Dr. Maynard asked unbelievingly that was all they have learned so far.

"Well, there is more but..." Dr. Chase hesitated.

"But what?" Dr. Maynard pressed, slightly agitated by Chase's hesitation.

"It didn't exactly go down as we thought it would. It seems that one of their leaders, a princess by the name of Twilight Sparkle, has convinced the man to surrender peacefully the day after he escaped. Not only that, but he has also managed to kill a fully grown dragon. If the dragons of their world are like the ones from myths and legends, that has to be quite the feat." Dr. Chase explained. Dr. Maynard bit his bottom lip upon hearing this, slightly perplexed by the information Chase has given him.

"Well, it may not be the result we were expecting, but it doesn't matter. The rest of the operation is still on schedule and is going smoothly. We will still be able to hit them where we need to. Anyways, I am here to witness the interrogation process, I am aware that the book is doing what it was before and that means that someone on the other end has written a message, correct?" Dr. Maynard asked.

"Correct sir. Sunset has been compliant thus far and has agreed to serve as a translator for us." Dr. Chase said.

"Excellent. Go ahead and begin the interrogation, doctor. I'll be watching in case you need any assistance." Dr. Maynard said and Dr. Chase entered the interrogation room.

"Good morning, miss Shimmer, how have you been since the last time we've talked?" Dr. Chase asked as he entered the room and sat across from Sunset.

"I'm fine." Sunset lied, but she was certain that Dr. Chase wasn't actually concerned about her well being.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. The reason we're here today is that I need your services again." Dr. Chase said as he laid Sunset's book on the table. It was giving off that same glow and vibration that it did last time and Sunset's eyes lit up upon seeing it. She anxiously opened it to the page with the writing on it and read the message from Twilight:

Dear Sunset,

I am happy to inform you that things are going well for us on this end. The man that I told you about is named Curtis, and he is now staying with me in Ponyville. He's a little rough around the edges but seems nice enough. I haven't got a chance to sit down and actually talk to him but that will come tomorrow. I just wanted to give you a little update and thank you again for your help, I don't think we would have been able to do it without you. As it turns out, he came through with some things from the human world, mostly being weapons of some sort. He was able to use these human weapons to take down a fully grown dragon all on his own! I'll be honest, I'm a little nervous about having him around, but I'm certain that with the help of my friends, he will become a functional member of Equestrian society. Who knows, maybe if things go right, this could be the start of our world and the human world making official contact with one another! I'm still curious as to how he was able to just waltz right through the portal with all that stuff and not remember anything not to mention how he somehow avoided changing into a pony, but I'm certain answers will come in time. Anyways, I hope you and the girls are doing well for yourselves and I will let you know if anything else develops.

Sincerely,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

Sunset was feeling mixed emotions from her friend's letter. Part of her was relieved that they were able to come to a peaceful resolution, but at the same time, he has the skill and firepower necessary to take on dragons all on his own. When she was living in Equestria, dragons were one of the most feared predators around, but now it seems that's all starting to change thanks to the efforts of her captors. She wanted to tell Twilight about the danger they were in, warn her about what's really going on, but with Dr. Chase watching her every move that was going to be impossible.

"Well, miss Shimmer? What does your friend have to say this time?" Dr. Chase asked, getting impatient.

"It says that the man you sent through is now currently living with Princess Twilight in her castle. She has also expressed some concern over the circumstances of him coming to Equestria." Sunset explained hesitantly. Dr. Chase rubbed his chin in thought, pondering how best to respond. He needed to come up with something to put the princess at ease but at the same time not give the foundation away. The less those ponies knew about the human world the better. He was about to come up with something until Dr. Maynard entered the room.

"Dr. Chase, will you excuse us for a minute please?" Maynard asked, giving him a look that told Chase that was more of an order than a request.

"As you wish, sir." Dr. Chase said with a hint of aggravation in his voice. He hated it when the higher ups would step on his toes, but this was a delicate operation and was willing to put his pride aside for the time being. Dr. Maynard waited for the door to close behind Chase and turned to face Sunset.

"Hello miss Shimmer. My name is Dr. Maynard. I am the head researcher of this facility and I don't think I need to tell you why my organization has so much interest in you and your uh, origins, shall we say." Dr. Maynard said in a relaxing voice.

"What do you people want from me?" Sunset asked, struggling to maintain her composure.

"It's not exactly what we want from you, my dear. Really, it's about where you are from. This land that you call Equestria. You see, we have been watching you for some time. Long before we took you and that statue into custody. I know you have been through a lot of stress over the past few months, and I think you are probably wanting some answers as to what exactly is going on." Maynard explained.

Sunset didn't say anything, she could only nod her head slightly and fight the lump in her throat.

"The organization I work for, the SCP Foundation, is a group dedicated to the protection of humanity and safeguarding it from threats beyond our understanding. Be it unnatural phenomena, mysterious artifacts or creatures, and even other worlds and dimensions. As well as beings from those other worlds and dimensions that seek to do humanity harm." Maynard continued.

"Then why are you coming after me? After Equestria? We haven't done anything to you!?!" Sunset burst out, unable to fight back the tears.

"On the contrary, Ms. Shimmer. You see, the ruler of your world, the one you identified as 'Princess Celestia' has a nasty habit of sending the unwanted villains and trash of her society into our world, without any regard to what might happen on this side of the portal. Your existence here is proof of that. Because if I remember correctly, you were banished from your world and sent here to ours because you were getting power hungry, weren't you? And then you continued your efforts on our side, and came very close to possessing an entire high school of students into following you back through the portal in your conquest for revenge. But not before you managed to blow an entire wall out of said high school, and blasting another crater just a few feet away from the entrance. All without the use of any weapons or explosives of any kind. This was all accomplished by using a magical crown from your world that turned you into what you described as a raging she-demon." Maynard said firmly. Sunset could only look down in shame at the reminder of her past mistakes.

"But that was only one example. We are also aware that a group of three girls, roughly about your age by human standards, that turned out to be ancient beings from your world called sirens, that feed off of the energy of those around them, causing their victims to become rather hostile in nature. Again, they were sent here to planet Earth, by this Princess Celestia. They as well nearly accomplished something similar to your goals, except they were going after humanity instead of Equestria." Maynard said.

"And a third occurrence is when the magic from your world was actually leaking into ours, ripped holes in time and space, and threatened to merge our two dimensions into one. The disastrous effects of such an event would be catastrophic at the least, possibly ending both our worlds at the same time. Is anything of what I said not true?" Maynard asked in a calm yet demanding tone.

"Everything you said is true, but you don't have all the facts." Sunset said, wiping away her tears.

"By all means, enlighten me." Maynard said.

"Princess Celestia sent Twilight to stop both me and the sirens. Without her help, I would still be a raging she-demon and all of humanity would be under control of the sirens. My friends and I were able to take care of the third incident." Sunset said, defending her former mentor and friend. Dr. Maynard sat in silence for a bit, taking in what Sunset told him.

"I see, so let's assume what you told me is true, and that maybe Princess Celestia has realized the error of her ways. It doesn't change the fact that she put humanity in grave danger on at least two separate occasions. Not only that, but the fact that this was all done by the use of magic, a force that only individuals from your world are able to naturally control. Can you see why this would cause much concern to me, the foundation, and humanity as a whole?" Maynard pointed out.

Sunset tried to think of an argument, but everything the doctor said was true. Equestria's magic and those who abuse it would wreak havoc on this world if given the chance. But why take her? Why couldn't they just take the wondercolts statue and leave her with her friends?

"You are right. But why take me?" Sunset asked with pleading eyes. Maynard couldn't help but feel a little remorse for the girl, sure she may have been less than good in the past but she appeared to be heading on the right path before they took her into custody.

"Because we need your help. I... need your help. You see, just like there are those in your world that would seek to do humanity harm, there are those who would seek to do the same to Equestria. It is the goal of the foundation to prevent all of that from happening, and our two worlds can continue on existing without posing a constant threat to each other. That is a goal that requires mutual cooperation. We sent that man through to see how your society would react to a human living among them. We needed to know exactly how well our two worlds can live with each other if we are to cooperate with one another. Do you see what I'm getting at here? Help us to help you, and I give you my word you will be free to go as soon as possible." Maynard pleaded with Sunset.

Sunset was thinking about what the doctor said, and he was making a convincing argument. Every incident that has occurred involving Equestrian magic has only gotten worse and worse. How long would it be until it gets out of control? She still didn't fully trust Dr. Maynard, or the foundation for that matter, but it seems that they may need to rely on each other if they are to accomplish what the doctor claims to be his goals. Sunset calmed down for the most part and wiped away the last of her tears as she regained her composure.

"Alright doctor, tell me how I can help, and I will do my best." Sunset said, an offer that made Dr. Maynard smile.

"I am glad to hear that. I assure you, with our combined efforts, we will accomplish our goals. When we do, I am certain I could pull a few strings to get you back to your friends in Canterlot high. It's the least I could do." Dr. Maynard said.

As distraught as Sunset was, the thought of seeing her friends again made her smile, and a new feeling of hope began to rise inside her. She had to do this, for both her friends and Equestria.

"Well, that concludes the end of this session. You are free to head back to your room. I'm going to have a chat with Dr. Chase about a few things. I look forward to your cooperation, Ms. Shimmer." Dr. Maynard said as he got up from his seat and exited the room, holding the door open for Sunset who followed right behind him. The door to the interrogation room opened up into a hallway that stretched along to the left and right. Dr. Chase was waiting for Dr. Maynard around the corner and the two walked down the right hallway to the section of the facility that was meant for personnel only. Sunset's own personal guard, a young lieutenant by the name of Kyle Orowitz. He was a few years younger compared to the other guards, but made up for his lack of experience in skill and wit. Although most of the staff treated Sunset as either a prisoner or another experiment, Kyle was really the only one who treated her like a person.

"Hey Sunset, how'd it go?" Kyle asked as he stood up from the wall to greet her.

"It went alright, I'm actually gonna start helping out with the research around here." Sunset admitted.

"That's great! I'm sure it will beat the hell out of sitting inside your room all day. Speaking of which, I was able to convince my captain to give you some extra time outside." Kyle told her. Sunset was excited to hear this. Being stuck in an underground facility made being outside so much more enjoyable, even though it would only usually be for an hour.

"Really!?! How did you do that?" Sunset asked.

"I offered to take on a few extra duties this month in exchange for some extra off time. But I'm willing to use it so you can spend a few extra hours outdoors. After all, I know how much you enjoy the sunset." Kyle nudged her at that last part, mocking her name. It was true, watching the setting sun was one of her most favorite things to do. For some reason she could always think more clearly and feel at peace whenever she did.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that for me." Sunset said with a smile.

"Ah, don't worry about it. It's nothing, really." Kyle replied. There was a moment of silence between the two before Kyle spoke up again.

"Come on, we only have a few minutes before sunset, and I don't want my extra effort to go to waste." Kyle said as the two made their way to the facility's courtyard on the surface.

The elevator came to a halt and the doors opened up to the room that served as the security checkpoint for those entering and leaving the courtyard. After a quick search from security Kyle and Sunset made their way to the wide courtyard and the sun was just beginning to glow orange over the horizon. The facility's location was a closely kept secret, not even Kyle knew exactly where the facility was located. They could tell by the cold winds and surrounding mountains that they were located in a mountain range, but not much else. Not that it mattered for now. The only thing Sunset was worried about was how beautiful everything looked in the sun's late evening glow.

Everything from the clouds to the guard towers seemed so much more peaceful at this time of day to her and she was already feeling better about her situation. She may be a long ways away from home and her friends, but today seemed like a step in the right direction. While Sunset was admiring everything around her as she slowly wandered around, Kyle stayed back near the entrance and watched her with the same fascination. Normally he wouldn't develop crushes on high school girls, but Sunset told him about how she was really from Equestria and over there she would be closer to her late twenties. That came as a relief to him because it helped him feel like less of a pedophile. He continued to watch her bask in the sun's orange light, and how she seemed to just naturally glow.

Sunset saw out of the corner of her eye that Kyle was staying back and watching her and she waved over to him. Embarrassed that Sunset may have just caught him ogling her, he walked over to her while discreetly trying to hide his face.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Sunset asked Kyle while looking at the setting sun.

"Yeah...it sure is." Kyle replied, knowing they were talking about two different things. Sunset looked Kyle in the eyes for a moment before she threw her arms around him to give him a hug.

"Thank you Kyle, really. You have no idea how much this means to me." Sunset said as she could feel Kyle return the hug. After hugging for a few seconds longer than normal they let go of each other and sat beneath one of the trees growing in the courtyard to watch the sun go down. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Kyle spoke up.

"So, have you ever thought about what it would be like to go back to your home world?" he asked.

"I've thought about it from time to time, wondering how different things were since the last time I left. But then again, I've been human for so long now I've nearly forgotten what it feels like to be a pony." Sunset replied. "Why do you ask?" She asked curiously.

"I don't know. Just wondering what it would be like in your world. It all just seems so weird." Kyle explained.

"What do you mean 'weird?'"

"Oh, you know, walking around on four legs instead of two. Eating nothing but hay and flowers. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and grow a horn like you did." Kyle joked. Sunset laughed a little at his mocking and punched him in the shoulder.

Things weren't the best, but it could certainly be a lot worse. Her old friends may not be around to help her but at least she still had one friend and that was better than none. Their moment of peace didn't last forever though, for the siren indicating that the courtyard was closing sounded off and it was time to go back down to her room. Kyle stood up first and helped Sunset to her feet. Soon enough they were back down in the facility and Sunset was in bed, ready to sleep after an exciting day.

Author's Note

Sorry I took so long to update, I've been really busy getting ready for deployment and finding the time and motivation to continue writing is getting hard. I won't let this fic die though, I don't care how long it takes or how unpopular it is. Writing this has helped a lot with my stress and seeing all the people who comment or like my story makes it feel even more worth the effort. Thank you all for your support.