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.

Author's Note

Police Glossary:

• ASP: Extendable Police baton. ASP refers to the make of the baton.
• POL 1: Constant observations on a prisoner who is in custody. This will include having to remain outside their cell while in Police custody (due to risk of self-harm) and accompanying an arrested individual to hospital while they undergo treatment.
• Sepura: Make of Police radio. Doubles as a personal radio and telephone.