[???]

Scott laid on the ground, his body ached like something just hit him in the gut at a hundred miles per hour, all in the span of a nanosecond. He quickly got back up to his feet, feeling a jolting sensation coursing through him, like electricity. He looked around, the farm house was in a state of ruin, yet the sweet, and stomach churning scent of candy, iron and decay could still be found in the air, yet it was now accompanied by two new aromas.

Apples. The smell of a crisp, ripe, juicy apple, whether it was eaten as is, baked into a pie, turned into juice, roasted over an open flame, or stuck on a stick and paired with various meats, an apple always tasted much better after a long and hard day's work. Scott couldn't remember the last time he ate an apple, it had been a few years. Scott's mood suddenly began to sour, remembering why he felt such a devastating pain in his stomach, all because of an orange mare with three red apples on her ass. It was an odd thought that came to him, even when he remembered what his job entailed, but he tried to forget about it, for now.

The second smell was all too familiar, it reminded him a lot of Christmas. Cinnamon. A common ingredient in certain recipes, apple pie being a prominent example. It was such a familiar scent, yet it was foreign to him. It was a dry smell, so dry that the air around him began to become warm and arid, all while small flakes of cinnamon began to kick up in the air. Just by breathing it in, he felt as if his throat was on fire. Scott ran away, leaving the destroyed and ruined farm house behind him, only to trip, fumbling to the ground.

He looked around, noticing that the wheat field had suddenly looked flattened, like a stampede of something came on through, trampling everything in its wake and ruining the yield that the crop would've eventually brought. He felt a fire burning inside him, one that truly hated seeing such hard work and effort be ruined in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, something came to him, thoughts of the first Christmas he ever spent without his parents, training extra hard and pushing himself to be better. It was the only time that the academy students had time off, to enjoy the holidays and unwind a bit. Scott though, he remembered everything he did on that day so vividly, to think he had been there for a year, and at the age of ten, he finally broke down.

The look on his face became melancholic, yet so very angry. He woke up, knowing what the day was. He made his bed, took a shower, got dressed and then ate. The instructors stated that today was an off-day, a time to pack up and leave for the holidays, to celebrate with family. Scott wasn't as enthused as everyone else, so he did go back to his room, and looked at the punching bag that hung in the corner. Scott's emotions boiled within him, and he attempted to vent his frustrations, beating on the bag as much as he could. Scott remembered that for the first time since he got to the academy, he cried himself to sleep, spending the holidays alone at the academy.

Scott sighed, sulking as he kept his head near the ground, his expression changed from anger and melancholy, to one of sorrow, acceptance and sadness. The dark stormy clouds had soon disappeared, allowing for a dark, star-littered night sky to shine down. The moon shined bright, almost as if to cast a spotlight on the human, allowing him a chance to speak. Scott got to his knees, a look of longing glimmered poorly in his eyes. A strange feeling of calm and dread washed over him, only for a small pitiable smile to form on his face.

"I guess I got too used to the feeling of loneliness on that day, it would explain why I don't have any friends, but also the need to have at least one. But, it makes sense. Paying my final respects to my folks, that was all I wanted to do for Christmas, every frickin' year, but something always came up and pulled me away, now, I'll never get that chance to pay them properly," Scott slowly got to his feet, staring up at the moon, noticing the image of some kind of unicorn-like figure imprinted into the moon itself. He stared up at the glowing orb, looking visibly more and more upset.

Scott balled his hands into fists, feeling the stinging sensation in his eyes as tears poured down his cheeks. "I'm stranded in a strange world, I got kicked in the stomach by some talking orange pony, just because I was trying to help, and I don't even know what's happening now. I just feel sick, I feel pain, not just the physical stuff, either. I've been assaulted, I died, got assaulted again, my parents were murdered, I can't even go back home, and I think I'm gonna die again! It's like the world is laughing at me, and I'm at my limit! If the world had teeth, I would've punched them all down its throat, spat in its face, then told it to fuck off! Can I get a sign that the universe is ready to spare some mercy for me?!" Scott cried out to the heavens above, the anguish in his voice breaks and echoes across the air, causing the whole place to suddenly go dead silent.

"Interesting," A quizzical female voice echoed around him. He couldn't see anyone, or anything, just the remains of the farm house in the distance, and the trampled wheat field that spanned as far as the eye could see. "I've never seen a creature such as you before, but it would appear my powers of traversing dreams can still be of use, even on the dreams of... whatever it is you are, biped." The voice echoed.

Scott couldn't tell where the voice was coming from, but soon, the moon began to shine even brighter, the light was almost as blinding as the sun on a summer's day without a cloud in the sky. A blackened silhouette appeared in the middle of the moon's blinding light. Scott rubbed his eyes, noticing that the light was finally beginning to dim substantially. He looked at the silhouette, only to be incredibly surprised, and thoroughly confused.

The silhouette was shaped like an equine, only much taller and thinner than the mare he had met previously. She had a dark purple coat, with a black splotch and smaller black dots on her flank, with a red crescent moon in the middle of said splotch. She had a bit of tuft to their coat, making it look puffier. She had a dark blue mane and tail, colored with a darker and lighter shade of blue, allowing what looked like very bright light blue stars to shine in her mane and tail. He had a bat-like accessory adorned on her head, with a small white crescent moon on her forehead. Her coat didn't seem to completely reach over her hooves like the orange mare's did, allowing her uncovered purple hooves to be shown.

Scott raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly was happening, but remembered what he assumed this mare said about dreams. This was all a dream? No, it couldn't be, despite how bizarre the environment was, how everything felt so ethereal, it felt so real. The smells, the sights, the memories he put aside that came back to him, all of it felt real.

Scott fell back, sitting on the ground as he met the pony's gaze, her dark teal eyes shining bright within she shadow she cast, seeing her look down at him with a smile. "Greetings, you must be the foreigner that fell through that strange rift, aren't you?" She asked. Scott was at a loss for words, unsure of if this was a real interaction. Scott slowly nodded his head in an approving motion, and the mare got closer. "Fantastic, and rather fascinating, too. I never thought I'd be the first to witness a lifeform not native to our world. You look like you came from another planet, or someplace else further out. Pray tell, creature, dost thou have a name, and what all have you experienced thus far of our world?" The mare inquired.

Scott was truly at a loss for words, but this was the second polite interaction he's had with the natives of this world, and he intended to make it last as long as he could. If this was a dream, and this mare was somehow communicating with him through his mind, then he was gonna make this conversation last till he wakes up. Scott scrambled to his feet, dusting the dirt, dust and wheat off his clothes. "I am Scott Baristo, I'm an agent of the Plumbers, and no, not the ones that specialize in plumbing or fixing toiletries. We are an intergalactic force that defends the galaxy from extraterrestrial and supernatural threats and forces. My rank is Cadet, a rank I've upheld for a whole year, and it may not mean much if I've been rendered unable of venturing back home. If you're to refer to me, then you may refer to me simply as 'Scott', if that's what you so wish, mysterious dream-invading mare." Scott introduced, knowing fully well how insane he must've sounded.

A concerned and uncertain expression formed on his face, to which the mare stifled a chuckle. The mare looked quite impressed, though she did seem pretty tickled by the human's explanation. "Quite the explanation, and quite the resume. From the sounds of it, you seem like a military-bound individual, am I right?" The mare inquired.

'I suppose that's one way of looking at it, the Plumbers are kind of a more space military type of group, with all that crazy alien gear they got, rather than being space cops. What kind of cop would roll up to the scene of a crime in a tank!?' Scott thought, dusting himself off as he looked the mare up and down, unsure of what to refer to them as. "Forgive me if it's a bit impolite of me to ask, but what's your name, if you don't mind me asking?" Scott asked.

The mare looked a bit surprised, her cheeks becoming a light shade of lavender as she laughed. "Oh, my apologies! I completely forgot about my introduction! What a silly mare, I am!" The mare cleared her throat, then made her eyes glow white, any trace of her pupils or the dark teal color was replaced by a blinding white void. "I am Luna! One of the princesses of Equestria, princess of the night and savior of dreams!" Luna proclaimed, her voice booming loud and stunning the young man effectively. "If you so choose, refer to me as Luna, or Princess, if you prefer formal interactions. Just not Lulu, that nickname is tied to embarrassing memories." Luna stated.

Scott took a minute, hoping his ears weren't gonna burst, and thankfully he was fine. "I suppose that's fair. I didn't think I'd be speaking to a princess, though. I guess since you're here, maybe you can assist me with the issue of a misunderstanding?" Scott asked.

Luna raised an eyebrow, curious as to what issue could've arisen. "What kind of misunderstanding?" Luna inquired.

Scott took a deep breath and sighed. "Some time this morning, I had finally woken up and found myself in... what was your world called again, Equestria? I found myself here. I don't know how to explain this without sounding crazy, but I'm not your average human. If anything, it's because of the watch that's attached to me, that makes me quite the anomaly. Apparently, much like changelings, I have the ability to transform myself into other creatures, becoming more capable than I am in my normal form, the one you see before you, and able to utilize powers and abilities I once considered to be a fantasy." Scott explained.

Luna was surprised, as well as confused and suspicious, but Scott continued. "Back in my world, I came across a species of creatures resembling horse flies. They had magic, they supposedly could, and proved true to disguise themselves as anything, or anyone. I met three, or if you can believe it, six of them back where I came from, and it wasn't pretty. They called themselves changelings, the three I first met killed my parents, and the other three, were surprisingly understanding," Scott could tell by Luna's face, she was shocked, then appalled, then disgusted, then angered, and then stopped at confused.

Scott couldn't tell which emotion was worse, but he continued. "That orange mare I met previously today, I think her name was Applejack?" Luna's eyes widen, a sense of familiarity came to her. Scott took note of her reaction, but focused on continuing his side of the story. "She seemed to know what changelings were, and seemed pretty irate about them. I guess that explains why I'm unconscious and dreaming, and why she kicked the hell out of me earlier. She assumed I was a changeling, but from how she spoke about them, I tried to reassure her that I wasn't a danger, that she wasn't in any trouble, or in a dangerous situation, but she clearly wasn't having it," Luna was processing the information slowly, seeming almost worried, but she seemed to be in disbelief. Scott watched the mare's body language, and could tell that she seemed familiar with the pony who assaulted him.

'For once, my training is paying off. I've still got a bad feeling about this, though. Better be careful and play it safe with what I say next, lest I somehow end up knocked out again, and end up in a deeper state of unconsciousness. I may never wake again if I say something wrong.' Scott thought cautiously.

He cleared his throat, getting the mare's attention. "Anyhow, I doubt that matters in the now. It wasn't until I felt something small, metallic and blunt knock me on the back of my head, a little bit after Applejack knocked the wind, and a bit of blood out of me. I woke up, seeing that I've been brought back here, memories old and new are coming to me, it's like my life is flashing before my eyes, but only through bits and pieces," Scott was about to say something else, until another storm began to roll in.

Scott sighed, disappointed by the lightning strikes that began to strike the ground, lighting up and setting the wheat ablaze. "Unfortunately, I think this is all the time we have for our chat, Princess, it was a pleasure to meet you... at least, I think we met, still not sure about this dream stuff. As of now, I don't know where my body is currently, but I'm hoping I don't wake up in a cell. It's not a crime to help people, especially when their livelihoods are put at risk, I was trying to help in any way I could, with what little I knew. I'd try looking for that Applejack lady, she might know what happened to me after I got knocked out, though I highly doubt you'll get a solid answer. Said she was going somewhere called Canterlot, so maybe you'll find her there. In case you do, tell her that Scott Baristo, the human she kicked in the gut, hopes she got to her destination alright, and is keeping her family safe." Scott stated.

Luna absorbed the information, clearly unsure of what to make of the situation, but it wasn't long until a lightning strike landed right beside Scott, revealing the man that looked like him, glaring daggers at him. The man grabbed Scott by the throat and held him in place. It was odd at first, but Scott didn't try to fight back. Luna tried though, but to her own surprise, she passed right through the man that held Scott in place, as if he were either a phantom, or an apparition.

Scott closed his eyes, seeing the bright flash of light coming down towards him. He gritted his teeth and braced himself for the hit, and the flash of light struck him.

[Canterlot Dungeon; 1 Month Later...]

Scott snapped his eyes wide open, now awake, and reeling from a sudden pain in his stomach. His throat felt dry, and his stomach was beyond empty. He felt as if he was on his last legs, and he couldn't even feel the ground beneath his feet. He felt cuffs around his wrists, he weakly looked up and noticed his hands were chained, and he was left hanging in place. He noticed several trays full of food that looked like it had gone bad, or spoiled for the last few weeks.

Scott gritted his teeth and mentally cursed himself. 'I woke up in a cell, and by the looks of it, they left food here for me, and knew I wouldn't be able to get any of it. They starved me while I was unconscious, go figure. The colorful ponies are more psychotic than they look.' Scott thought to himself.

"LET US OUT, NOW!! WE'VE BEEN DOWN HERE FOR TOO LONG, THIS IS BARBARIC! TECHNORG WILL NOT BE PUT IN ANOTHER PRISON FOR SOMEONE'S ENTERTAINMENT, NOR WILL THE HUMAN!! A HUMAN SAVED TECHNORG'S LIFE FROM ETERNAL SERVITUDE, AND GAVE TECHNORG A SECOND CHANCE!! IT WILL NOT GO SQUANDERED IN A PUNY CELL!!" A loud thundering voice roared out.

In one cell, a very muscular dark orange-skinned humanoid creature with two horns growing out of his chin, apparently named Technorg, was yelling at a white stallion, who seemed to not be intimidated. Technorg had yellow eyes, sharp teeth-like lips, a strap around his torso, grey metallic pants with black lower legs, and a large broken metal stump in place of his left hand. He was also equipped with a cybernetic implant covering his left shoulder and pectoral.

The stallion readied his golden staff, ready to stab the hulking orange behemoth, until another creature began to get aggressive. The other one looked like a thin, withering black blob, with dull violet patterns on its body. It looked very effeminate in its body shape, but it was clearly another creature, angry for its imprisonment.

The blob seemed to sneer at the guard. "One of these days, these foul equine creatures will know pain and destruction unlike any other! Once I get my hands on some technology from this world, you equines will beg for my mercy!" The entity remarked, his voice sounded venomous, yet synthetic as it warped with every syllable.

The stallion was about to get ready for an attack, until suddenly, the sound of two individuals descending the stairs echoed out. The prisoners flinched and straightened themselves up, as did the guard, a bead of sweat moving at agonizing slow speeds down his face as he stood at attention. The stallion turned to the staircase, and upon seeing who it was, the guard was mortified, but also relieved as he gave a salute.

Two ponies towered above the guard. One was Princess Luna, the other, her eldest, and more strict sister. Princess Celestia.

Celestia's coat shined like a white fire, her pink and sky blue mane was short and curled at the front, the patterns burning like a calm and controlled flame. Her tail looked like a cascading and luscious show of fire, pink and sky blue like her mane, styled and tying together to look like a tail. Her horn was long and slender, and her frame, bigger and a bit wider than Luna's. She wore some kind or ornamental black head piece, similar to Luna's bat accessory, only it more resembles blackened horns with golden stripes. She also had a black neck piece with bronze crests and a golden diamond in the center.

The guard was shuddering in place, terrified to meet Celestia's gaze. "I assume this is the room the foreigner has been held within, the foreigner my sister has informed me of?" Celestia asked, an emotionless scowl forming across her face, causing the guard to heave.

The guard nodded. "I assume you also treated him like a normal prisoner, making sure he was dealt with whenever?" Celestia asked, clearly expecting an answer from the mortified guard.

The guard did not answer, and seemed as if he was hiding something. Celestia leaned down and stared the guard in his eyes, the stallion was close to tears, his lip quivering, he knew the answer to her question, but dared not answer out of fear.

Celestia closed her eyes and moved her head back up, then looked at Luna. "Check the foreigner. If he's as you described, then he has a side of the story we did not get from the guards who brought him here, or the daughter of Bright Mac that claimed numerous times that it was all a misunderstanding. You have an hour to figure out if he's truly what he claims to be, and to figure out why he's here. If the information is satisfactory, he shall be set free and given the royal pardon. If not, he will rot in that cell till he provides information." Celestia ordered.

Luna was taken aback, but she quickly made her way to the door, to which the guard unlocked, and Luna slipped inside as the door shut behind her.

***

Within the darkness, Scott's body, now thinner and deprived of proper nutrients, vitamins and proteins, surrounded by untouched spoiled food that had been sitting out for weeks. Luna gulped and noticed Scott's gaze was fixated on her, it was like he was staring at something from a dream.

Luna cleared her throat and approached the human, who dangled in place. "Greetings, are you Scott Baristo?" Luna inquired.

Scott nodded his head in approval, albeit it was with very little strength. Luna winced, noticing just how frail he looked. In the mind, Scott looked fine a month ago, but being unconscious, asleep for a whole month, in a world he wasn't familiar with, he was essentially not sure himself if he could eat or consume anything they brought him.

Luna slowly got closer, getting a closer look at Scott himself. From under his right cuff, the Altnetrix was attached, and Luna decided to ask another question. "You claimed you could transform, and you say you aren't a changeling. Is that device truly responsible for your capability to transform?" Luna asked.

Scott nodded yes, though he clearly looked as if he was about to collapse back into unconsciousness once more. Luna's hooves were tied, and clearly something had to be done. "Sister! Set him free for the time being, he needs nourishment! He looks as if he hasn't eaten in weeks! There's untouched spoiled food littered around, how is someone supposed to eat if their hands are restrained, and they are dangling in the middle of the air?!" Luna exclaimed, her voice ricocheting off the walls.

Scott felt himself wake up a fair bit, just hearing princess Luna yelling. Scott weakly tried to pull his hands out of the cuffs, but while his hands and wrists were incredibly slippery, due to sweat, he still couldn't slip free. Scott was practically drenched in sweat, and he had no real way of knowing how to get out. He could've transformed if he could free the Altnetrix from the cuff, but he had an odd feeling that trying to brute force an escape, would most likely land him in much hotter waters than he was already submerged in.

Before he could keep thinking on that, the light to the hallway soon shined bright. Scott was already weakened and weary, and he felt as if he's not eaten in decades. Celestia and the guard stepped in, the guard looked more scared of Celestia than of Scott's current condition, and Celestia was just surprised, not a single word came to mind when she saw the human's visage in front of her eyes. "Please... so hungry..." Scott muttered quietly, his voice dry and raspy.

A set of keys were levitated to the cuffs, unlocking them in slow succession. His body fell with a hollow thump, and he groaned. Luna quickly moved forward, moving the human onto her back. Scott felt several kinds of weak, and while it did bother him, he knew it was because he was human. Sure, a human could go for a month or two without eating, but factoring in the lack of water and hydration, it was a miracle that Scott wasn't dead again. Luna quickly moved the human onto her back, and ran out of the room and back up the flight of stairs.

Celestia seemed to approve of these actions, but she definitely didn't like the looks of that human. Not because he was different, far from it, but if the claim that he can transform himself is true, and he's not one of the changelings, something might have to be done, whether her sister approves of it or not. "I fear that change is coming, much sooner than anticipated. While my sister tends to that... human, I'll once again be handling my royal duties." Celestia stated.

In a flash of magical light, Celestia had vanished without a trace. The guard took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves, but it was all too clear to him, that he was gonna be in some serious trouble later.

[Several Hours Later...]

[Royal Guestroom]

Scott laid in a neatly-made bed, unconscious and unmoving. He felt brittle, he felt as if he was devouring himself without doing anything, like his own body was trying to drain moisture from the blood in his body, or from his brain just to sustain itself. Before Scott could accept that he was going to die again, he suddenly felt a freezing cold liquid pour into his mouth. Tasted like mint, but it burned his mouth like fire, not that he had the strength to do anything about it, anyway.

Before Scott knew what happened, another liquid had been poured into his mouth. It tasted like sour grapes, but went down smooth, like a spoonful of honey. He felt a tingling sensation throughout his body, and while he was still weak, he began to feel the weakness in his body less and less. Scott's eyes slowly fluttered open, and instead of the small, dark and disgusting dungeon he initially woke up in, he found himself within a large, but still fairly small room. The bed he was in, it looked lavish, and pretty expensive.

Scott sighed. 'I think I've either died and ended up in rich people heaven, this is Hell's waiting room, or I'm inside a very big castle... The first and last options are very likely to be true, but I'd be pretty surprised if the second option held any water.' Scott let a small smile form on his face as he sat up, noticing a slight chill run up his spine. He hugged himself, keeping the purple blanket on him as he shuddered. 'Oohh! It's cold in here, even with my... w-with my... wait, where's my--' Scott looked under the blanket, his eyes going wide as he noticed himself.

Aside from still being in a pair of black boxers, he might as well have been buck-naked. Scott uncovered himself, noticing his upper body, and his slightly thinner physique. Scott wasn't a beefy dude to begin with, but he was pretty average, even with his extensive work out routine, but he didn't think he'd end up thinner than he already was. His legs had gotten a bit thinner as well, but still had some muscle to them. Scott scrambled out of bed and looked around frantically, trying to find his clothes. As he was looking, he didn't notice the door opening as someone walked inside.

Scott was trying hard to not panic, especially since his training hasn't prepared him for something like this. Even if it had, he'd find it oddly specific to begin with. Scott looked down at his wrist, noticing the Altnetrix was still on his wrist. "Ok, so this watch is still with me... this hasn't been me hallucinating in post-mortem, and I'm not sure if that's better or worse. Safe to say, this whole world, and its native species, have caught me off-guard, and I need to get out of here, but I need my clothes back, this is indecent. Do these ponies have spaceships? I can only hope, because--"

"Um... excuse me?" A courteous voice interrupted him. Scott froze as he slowly turned around, seeing a bright gray mare with a unicorn horn, a faded velvet mane, and was dressed in a maid's outfit. "Is this a bad time, monsieur?" The mare asked, trying to avert her gaze.

Scott was in disbelief, and was still very much confused. 'This is officially one of the strangest days, if not the worst day of my life.' Scott thought, a look of embarrassment forming on his face. His face was getting red, and he really needed a moment to figure this out. But, he still needed his clothes. He focused his attention on the mare, who seemed equally as embarrassed as he was. "Question, was I wearing my clothes when I ended up here, or did I lose them and I've just been in denial?" Scott asked.

The mare cleared her throat, using her magic as she set some familiar looking folded clothes on the bedside. "My apologies for barging in, I assumed you'd still be asleep. The princess of the night has taken quite a liking to something like you, usually she stays in her room, or is kept by her sister's side at all times. Once she told the staff of your condition, she had us working around the clock to ensure you were nursed back to your prime." The mare explained.

Scott quickly grabbed the clothes and immediately put them on, covering up his near-nude physique in the only clothes he had. The mare looked at the device on the human's wrist. "I'd also like to apologize if your device wasn't removed. We initially wanted to make sure that everything was off so we could come to a better estimate, but princess Luna instructed us that the device stays on, lest we increase risk of failure to your recovery." The mare explained.

Scott looked down at the mare, smiling. "I guess it's a good thing you listened to your princess. This thing saved me from death once before, and I didn't want to find out if it could do that again, but since I'm alive, and you didn't see anything weird happening to me, I'll assume I'm safe from the clutches of death... for now," Scott was about ready to leave, but he still felt the smooth cold marble on the palms of his feet. "Oh! Shoot, I almost forgot! I need my shoes!" Scott remarked.

The mare looked sheepish, showing Scott his shoes, only to reveal that they were mangled and broken beyond repair. Scott was surprised, confused, and oddly concerned. "So sorry, monsieur, but we tried everything to clean your footwear, but they did not survive the cleaning process. The clothes you wear, however, they survived just barely. They were torn a fair bit, but with some magical assistance, your clothes have been mended with a thread of golden silk, and thoroughly stitched and repaired with a crystal needle. 'Only the best' as our former ruler used to say." The mare stated.

Scott looked at his shirt and pants, but he noticed no stitch marks, let alone any golden thread sticking out amongst the dark colors. It had to be magic, but he then got to wondering if they used magic on the Altnetrix. Considering he heard a rumor a couple years back, that the original Omnitrix didn't react well to magic, he was gonna have to be extra cautious.

Scott cleared his throat and began to walk towards the door again. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I need to find a way back home. I have a job to do, and while it's evidently clear that aliens are also in this world, I'm not too confident in my chances of survival, even with royal intervention on my side. So, I bid you, adieu, little maid pony! Thanks for fixing my threads, though! Once I figure out your currency, I'll be back to pay you substantially!" Scott remarked.

Scott opened the door, and before he could walk out, he felt a hoof collide with his face, sending him flying back into the room, and crashing into a wall. Scott slid down to the ground and groaned out in pain, as well as irritation. "Why!? Why does a random act of kindness just equate to getting smacked around every time?! What the hell is seriously wrong with this place!?" Scott exclaimed, holding a hand over his face.

The mare winced as she looked to the door. The mare that walked through was a dark magenta mare with yellow eyes and slit pupils. They were clad in armor, colored in black, white, and red. They had dark purple bat-like wings on their side, and their mane and tail were colored in the same manner. The mare bared what looked like fangs, and immediately tried to lunge at Scott. Before he could fight back, the maid smacked the armor-clad mare, which in-turn got their attention.

The armor clad bat mare hissed and leered at the maid, who didn't seem very happy with the situation. "You blasted Chiropthestrian, what is wrong with you!? Do you seek death, or are you just naturally thick-skulled?!" The mare chastised.

The bat mare hissed. "How dare you interfere! I was told that we had a strange creature in one of the guest rooms. I came to save your Faust-damn life, and you dare call me thick-skulled!? That is a monster, not a wayward soul in need of pity." The bat mare hissed.

The maid smacked her hoof against the bat mare's head numerous times. "The princess wanted us to make sure he was alive and had proper nourishment, and you're about to make the last few hours of hard work seem like they're all for naught! The princesses would have your helmet, and your head for such a blatant attack!" The maid continued to chastise.

"You both are half-right, and half-wrong," Scott interjected. Scott rubbed his face and gritted his teeth as he activated the Altnetrix, selecting the icon of an amorphous goo-like creature. "I may be a different species from you, but I'm no monster. I can just change into them, get your facts straight," The bat mare did not like that response and got into a stance. "But, you are right on one thing... I'm not the one who's gonna need pity in the next few minutes. We can do this the easy and negotiable way, or we can do this hard, stupid and violent way. You sure you wanna solve this with violence, batsy?" Scott remarked with a smug grin, priming the Altnetrix for transformation.

The bat mare hissed as they charged at the human. Scott was about to push the core down, until the bat mare was enveloped in a magical red aura. Scott looked around the bat mare, which was inches away from his face, and saw Celestia. The bat mare was turned around, and she was now the one at someone's mercy. Celestia looked at the human, who seemed to be back on his feet, which was a promising turn for progress. His side of the story might just be acquirable after all.

Celestia glared at the bat mare, seeing the fear in her eyes. "I'd appreciate it, if you didn't attack them and put them under again. I'm telling you this once, and only once. That's your first, and final warning, Nocturned. Do I make myself clear?" Celestia asked, her tone of voice low, but spine-chilling, especially with that glare. Scott knew it wasn't directed at him, but already he felt a shuddering chill go down his spine.

The bat mare nodded her head, and was soon released from her magical grasp. "Now, apologize and escort him to the throne room ASAP. My sister, him and I have important things to discuss, regarding his sudden appearance, and the apparent assault and acts of wrongful imprisonment that must be acknowledged, and dealt with accordingly." Celestia stated.

Before Scott could ask a question of any kind, Celestia had left the room. Scott frowned at this, but soon saw the bat mare, what he assumed was the horse equivalent of kneeling before someone. "My humblest apologies, creature. I assure you, this won't happen again. Please, accept my apology." The mare apologized.

'This place is crazy, but I guess it's better than being invaded by the Incurseans, crazy war-hungry frog bastards...' Scott thought. He looked down and kneeled before the mare. "I, Scott Baristo, formally accept your apology, miss Nocturned, I presume that's your name, am I wrong?" Scott inquired.

"I am Nocturned, yes, captain of the Night Guard," Nocturned introduced. "Come, the princesses obviously request an audience with you, which is quite rare... the princesses haven't requested the audience of anyone, pony or not, for the last three-to-five centuries. You must be a special case, if princess Luna stuck her neck out for you." Nocturned stated.

'Special is definitely one way to put it, but it's not the word I'd use. Here's to hoping I can finally get answers, and maybe find a way to get back home.' Scott thought to himself, following Nocturned out the door. 'I wonder, though... what's been going on back in my world?' He solemnly thought.

[Ben 10 Dimension]

[Four Months after Scott's supposed demise...]

Several individuals stand on the side walk. Five of them are Ben Tennyson and his allies, along with several other human, humanoid-shaped, or straight up aliens in plumber uniforms are looking down at a memorial. A picture of Scott is framed and set up on a stand, along with several assortments of white, green and blue flowers. The mood was grim, silent, like the whole place lost its voice.

Ben stepped forward, placing a faded gold sumo slammer card right next to the frame, as well as an outdated plumber's badge, one that resembled the Omnitrix's appearance when Ben became an alien. Kevin stepped forward, setting an unopened can of soda, as well as a car key on the other side of said frame. There was something written on Scott's picture.

"Let me spell it out for ya, pally. Okay? Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines, and brotha, do you know what I do? I do my best, like everyone else. Haven't had a break yet, and knowing my luck, I hope I never do. Someone has to answer the call, even in trying times, you gotta move on." -Scott Baristo

A man stepped forward, standing aside the memorial.

It was Magister Prior Gilhil, readying a speech written on a piece of paper. "This quote, Scott Baristo would tell that to himself every time he woke up in the academy, it bugged the hell out of everyone who bunked near him. Scott Baristo, what could any of us say about him? He wasn't close with anybody, he greatly admired the work of our own Ben Tennyson, and usually showed up to work, not happy, but determined," Gilhil sighed. "Scott Baristo, orphaned at the age of nine, was always pushing himself to do his best, even on his worst days. As a child, he was hot-headed, motivated to keep moving, as to not end up like his late parental figures. As a teenager, he was just as reckless, and it's a crying shame he never got further in his life, but what I believe, is that he went out on his own terms. He went out like a hero, doing all that he could."

The numerous individuals, they stayed silent, as did Ben Tennyson and his team. Ben held his head down low, much lower than everyone else's, a twinge of shame forming on the hero's face at that last statement.

"He went out doing what was right, standing against Vilgax. Not many can make such a claim, or achieve such a feat of bravery, it's a shame he's not around, he has deserved a bit of time off the force for such an act. You can argue that he died with an unfulfilled life, or a life that ended too soon, but to me, I think he got the break he's been wanting for a long time. I don't say these things without meaning, folks, I was there to pick that boy up when he had fallen down. I asked him once, what he wanted to be, or who he wanted to be more like, when he was older, and more capable of handling himself. At the time, he was silent, most likely processing everything that occurred during the end of his parents' lives. I believe, at the time, he had an answer, an unorthodox and rather silly answer, but a selfless and inspiring answer all the same."

Gilhil went silent for a moment, everyone stayed silent, though Ben Tennyson had vanished amongst the ever-expanding crowd, his head held lower than ever before.

"He wanted to be a hero, to save lives, no matter what had to be done to do it. Specifically I never condoned the idea of heroes, at the time back then, Ben Tennyson's secret was just revealed to the public, and the kid must've seen the news broadcast the night before everything changed. He wanted to be like Ben Tennyson, to do what's right, to keep fighting, even when the odds were against you. I hope you realize you did good kid, just wish you didn't have to die so young." Gilhil folded the paper, tucking it into one of his utility pockets and walks back to his spot, standing in silence.

Soon enough, the crowd began to disperse, and only then, did a flash of green light shine out, revealing a bipedal red manta ray with a white harness on its chest, and black shorts. This transformation, was what Ben called Jetray. Jetray, before anyone could get his attention, had launched himself into the air at blistering speeds, causing a sonic boom to ring out.

Before anyone had time to register what happened, Jetray had already exited Earth's atmosphere, and was flying through the vacuum of space. 'I'll find you, one way, or another. I failed you once, kid, I won't do it again. You're out there, somewhere, and sooner or later, I'll find ya, and I'll get you back home.' Jetray thought.

Author's Note

Well, at least he didn't get knocked out again this time, for now at least.

I'm well aware that this story is moving quite slow, but it takes me a bit of time to make sure every detail is as I want it to be, sometimes that means stories come to a halt at times.

Also, big props to AstralFlare42 for the idea of including aliens that exist in Equestria, like an Undertown situation. I kinda took it in another direction, for now, but I do like how I structured certain parts together, and planting the seeds of what's to come.

I'm also enjoying this B-Plot I'm doing for Ben, I was initially gonna stop it, but I actually kinda like the direction I'm going with it.

Part 3 will be on its way soon, it's just a matter of figuring things out and how events will correlate.