I pulled my knife out of the changeling's head, it fell to the floor in a lifeless heap. I looked down at Rarity, who looked disgusted at what I had just done. "Rarity I need to get out of here." I glanced back at the confused and terrified ponies who stared at me. They didn't know whether I was good or bad. I didn't care. I just had to get out before they saw my face. "Rarity please."

Rarity looked up at me. "Follow me." She led me down a hallway to an exit in the back, we made our way into the forest and hid in a bush. Rarity was sitting in my lap, clutching my chest. Ponies came out to find us

"Look over there." Said one, pointing away from us. "We have to find out where that monster is." I guess that answered my question of whether they thought I was good or not. They ran past us.

When the coast was clear, I stood up and saw that Rarity was still clutching my chest. "Uh... Rarity?" She looked up at me. "They're gone." She let go and fell to her hooves.

"Sorry Darling." She rubbed the back of her head, before regaining her composure. "Follow me." She led me out of the forest and we turned up at her boutique. "Here we are." She looked tired.

I hugged her. "Thank you for getting me out of there." I let go and turned to leave. "I need to get back to the cottage."

Rarity stopped me. "You can stay here tonight if you want." She coughed. "It must be lonely with Fluttershy visiting family in Cloudsdale." So that's where she was. I started to feel chilly. That potion I was given was starting to wear off and I never told Rarity to make me winter clothes.

Shivering, I responded. "I probably should stay here tonight."

Rarity smiled. "Come on in, Daniel." She motioned me to come inside. I walked in and was greeted by warmth. I leaned my Rifle against the wall and realized that, in our escape, I had forgotten my M9. I'm sure an object like that would just be sent to Canterlot for inspection. I shrugged it off and undid the straps for my helmet and pulled it off, setting it down on one of the tables.

"Thank you Rarity." Looking down at her, I smiled. I undid the straps on my chest and pants and pulled the armor off. I stood there in just my shorts. Rarity gasped and looked at the floor, blushing. "Sorry." I knelt down and grabbed one of the uniforms out of my pack, quickly putting it on.

"Would you like to sit down?" She motioned over to a couch near the wall. I approached it and sat down, leaning back and finally relaxing.

"Thanks Rarity."

"Um, can I ask you something?" Said Rarity sitting down on the chair next to me. I nodded, looking at her. "How did you get here to Equestria?"

"It's a long story, one filled with loss and heartbreak." I looked down. She came over and sat down next to me, putting a hoof on my hand.

"It's alright, I'm here for you." She gave me a sympathetic look. I figured I could pass the time around so I told her.

"Well it all started about about 12 years ago, when my wife and I had a child.

"You had a child?" She asked. "What was her name?"

"Kate..."

"If you had a daughter, than why did you join the military?"

"I joined because of an event that happened in my own country." I looked at the American Flag patch on my pack and picked it up. "9/11, A day when terrorists destroyed one of the biggest landmarks in America, thousands of people died within hours." I looked up to Rarity. "I joined because I wanted to protect my wife and daughter." I leaned down and grabbed a picture of my daughter and showed it to her. She used her magic and grabbed it from me and looked at it, a tear streaming down her face. "I joined because I didn't want my daughter to grow up in a world where she would have to live her life in fear." I looked at the picture of my daughter. "I guess it doesn't really matter now anyways." Rarity gave me a look of confusion. "Well, I got out of the Military, I wanted to see my daughter grow up, to walk her down the aisle at her wedding. I was out for about a year and a half before the accident..."

"Accident?"

"Yeah, Kate had a tough day at school and I decided that I would take her to get some Ice cream to cheer her up. It started raining and we went over this bad bridge. A truck flew into our lane and I swerved out of the way but lost control and hit the guard rail." Rarity winced. "We were hanging off the side and it was pouring. Her door flew open, and she started falling, I grabbed her by the wrist and tried pulling her up. She started slipping through and grabbed onto the glove box and it flew open, causing her to fall and her hand getting yanked from mine. I saw her fall into the rushing water below before I blacked out." Another tear was falling down Rarity's face. "I woke up in the hospital and was notified that she didn't make it."

Rarity hugged me, crying into my shoulder. "I'm so sorry Daniel."

"That was five years ago."

Rarity looked up at me. "How did you get through it?"

"I didn't. My wife left me and I turned to Alcohol. I was asked by my best friend, Michael, to rejoin the USMC. I decided I would rather stare through the sight of a gun then stare at the bottom of a bottle. I rejoined and used my daughter's death as fuel to rank up. I eventually was asked to come on the mission that eventually got me here." I decided to spare her the part where Michael died.

"What did Princess Celestia do with you when she found you?" She wiped a tear from her face.

"She sent me on missions to seek and destroy these groups known as the KKEP and the KKU." She gave me a look of confusion. "They were threatening her and Canterlot."

"How could Celestia do that, why would she send you instead of us?"

"Because she wanted them dead." Rarity's ears fell back. she gave me a terrified look. "Every government has their own terrible little secrets, even mine." I pointed to the American Flag patch in my hand. "I did it because she told me it was the only way she would help me find a way home." I got up and knelt down so that I was eye level to Rarity. "But I now realize that I don't want to go home."

"Why don't you want to go home?" She looked into my eyes.

I leaned in and kissed her. Breaking the kiss. "I'm not going back because you wouldn't be there." She looked at me wide eyed. "I love you Rarity."

She kissed me back. "I love you too, Daniel."

"I knew you two were together." Sweetie Belle came out from under the couch where I had just been sitting. Rarity pulled back, falling off the couch and onto the floor.

"Sweetie Belle! What have I told you about listening in on my conversations?" Rarity Scolded Sweetie Belle.

I stood up raising a fist and coughing into it. "I...uh...ahem." I looked down at Rarity, who was now using her magic to pick up Sweetie Belle and move her to her room.

"I thought I told you to go to bed!" Sweetie Belle's laughter could be heard all the way up the stairs. I sat down on the couch and looked at Rarity, who looked a bit flustered. She calmed down, brushing her mane with her hoof. "I suppose I should go to bed, I will see you tomorrow morning."

"Alright, Goodnight Rarity." I hugged her. "I love you."

She hugged me back. "I love you too, goodnight." I watched as she walked up the stairs to her bedroom. I gathered my bags and laid down on the couch. I had the feeling that everything was going to be just fine.

I grabbed a journal out of my pack and began writing. When I was done, I put the journal back in my pack and went to bed. I was finally happy.

Author's Note

Shout out to my friend Thatguywiththeface for helping me find a name for this chapter.

Check him out here: https://www.fimfiction.net/user/296071/Thatguywiththeface