The Wake of Sleep

"So you power the mutliple facets and imprint the different signatures and it allows for instant recollection of any teleportation spell that can be accessed by anypony regardless of species?! Princess Celestia, that's amazing, but why do you want me to work on it, I'm just-"

"Twilight, stop saying your just an average pony. Luna and I did some studying, and not even Starswirl was more gifted than you are. I trust you, and I doubt you could fail at teleporting a few places and placing them on a gem. It isn't even a hard task." Celestia reassured her faithful student. "Now, why don't you use the pre-made facet to go home and get some sleep before you start up on this project?"

The lavender unicorn nodded enthusiastically before reaching towards the crystal and teleporting home.

~~~~~~~

"'Ey, you playin' with that pony again, mang? I'm tellin' ya, you're fucked in the head, I don't care if my bitch likes Jersey Shore, but I think it's hella stupid and I sure as hell don't watch it, mang!"

"Shut up Martinez, you don't even have a girl waiting back home for you!"

"That's true mang, I got me a hella sick strip club though hahaha!"

"Martinez, Rook, would you two shut up. Word from command is that there was movement around here last night, and god knows we need you two arguing over Rook's pony addiction and femninity when they open fire."

"Oh yeah Sergeant, everyone pick on the guy with the pony."

"Come on Rook, I ain't got no problem with you watchin' ponies, but I do have a problem with you not watchin' our backs like your spose'd to be doin'. Sides, we all know Martinez is just jealous cause Sergeant Keith is blessed, I'm black, and your a Scot." Greene laughed.

"Yeah, well fuck you too, mang." Martinez shot back.

"Alright guys, lets shut up though, we really should be paying attention." Rook offered as an attempt to get his sqaudmates back on track.

The sqaud settled down and continued its path through the unnusually empty street. It was odd, usually the market was going, kids were running around playing football and livestock was being traded. It was enough to make Rook know something was very wrong.

"Sergeant Keith, am I the only one thinking that the middle of the street is a bad place for us to be right about now?"

"I'm feeling it too Rook. Greene, take Rook up onto the roof and scout out further down the road, Martinez, cover a oh'two hundred and I'll take ten. Move your asses, I don't want to find out we've walked into an ambush by them firing at us!" Keith barked.

Sergeant Keith and Corporal Martinez took their cover on the road side while Greene and Rook cleared tha nearby house and headed up towards the roof.

It was something Rook was good at. He was top marksman in his platoon back in San Diego and after graduation had been offered a place in the Sniper programme but never took it. He'd rather be amongst the other grunts keeping them safe than out on his own. Once he and Greene had made it to the roof he checked down his sight for any hostiles.

"Clear up here Greene. Come on, let's get set up, you just make sure no one comes running up those stair behind me. I'll take the street." explained Rook.

Once Rook saw Greene had his six covered he started to set up his rifle, a M39 Marksmens rifle. After some hassling with the Brass he'd managed to get an ergonomic grip as his replacement stock foregrip. The slanted foregrip he now had allowed him to still use his Harris S-L bipod without trouble. He'd also replaced his standard M8541 SSDS with a second even harder to convince the Brass to let him use PSO-1 optical scope. Russian, not too fancy but with all the features he wanted including the quick release latch that meant is push came to shove and it was time for some CQC he could have the scope off and in a pocket in a heartbeat.

"Sergeant, I'm set on the roof and looking up the lane now. Not a trace of movement, not even a stray dog. I recomend we find an alternate route, because  as sure as the Queen's bloomers are white there's a ambush set up." Rook advised.

"Gotcha loud and clear Lance Corporal. Martinez, that alley way just ahead of you, does it look clear? Roads a no-go."

Martinez looked over the barren foodstand for a moment before standing up and making towards the alley Keith had just mentioned. He was about halfway there when a foot ball rolled out in front of him.

"Looks like a couple'a kids Sarge, other than that it's emptier than the mess hall on meatloaf day, that shits hell nasty." Martinez joked as he stepped forward to kick the ball.

That's when Rook noted movement.

"Martinez, back off from that ball!" the Lance Corporal shouted over the comm. system.

"Chill out mang, just a ball." laughed Martinez as he swung his leg forward and made contact.

~~~~~~~

Celestia was up later than usual. Her newest discovery with the crystals had her mind all a-buzz with excitement, and she was eager to see what Twilight would manage to do with it. Sure the mare had left little over thirty minutes ago but Celestia was excited and giddy nontheless. She rarely let on, but she loved Twilight like a daughter, and while she easily could have made the adjustments with the crystal herself, wanted to share it with the little mare she'd grown so fond of.

It was then that she got a letter. It's edges were burnt, and there were what appeared to be tear stains on it.

Princess Celestia;

We need you as soon as possible in Ponyville, there has been an accident. You should bring Luna too.

Immediately worried the Alicorn collected her sister and the pair sped off towards Ponyville.

~~~~~~~

BOOM

Being furthest from the blast and knowing what was about to happen, granted not emotionally feeling any better about it, Rook recouped from the blst that Corporal Martinez had just set off the fastest. Imediately after the explosion had sounded two more rpgs had been fired, one striking five metres out from Sgt. Keith while the other slammed into the wall of the building Rook and Greene were in. Right after that insurgents started pouring out onto the street firing their AK's at Keith. Setting to work emptying his first 20 rounds, Rook waited until he had the last round in the chamber before his reload so there would be no wasted time.

"Sergeant, are you hit down there!?" Rook yelled through his comm.

"I'm fine Rook, just keep putting these fuckers down and don't think about anything else til they're all dead!" the Sergeant yelled back, "And get Greene down here to help me suppress these guys!"

Rook replied his understanding of the plan, dropped another three insurgents with his 38th, 39th, and fourtieth rounds fired and began to reload while he turned to speak to the Private First Class that had been watching his back only to realize that Greene, the roof, and the stairs behind him were gone, crumbled and destroyed by the impact of the rocket proppeled grenade. Putting down the closest four hostiles to Keith, Rook then turned and looked into the hole.

"Greene, you down there? Greene!"

With no response and even more hostiles pouring into the street towards Keith, Rook turned his attention back to the Sergeant's twelve'o'clock and emptied his next 16 rounds. It was about this time that Rook realized he'd gone through three mags, had three left with the addition of the one round in the chamber and that the insurgents kept coming. They'd obviously been planning on taking the group alive. Slamming in his fourth magazine the Lance Corporal hailed his Sergeant.

"I've got sixty one rounds left for about fifty hostiles and Greene is down, possibly dead. Sergeant, we need to fall back-"

~~~~~~~

-In a flash-

~~~~~~~

Celestia and Luna had made it to Ponyville to find that Twilight's house was a brunt out smouldering wreck. Outside it was Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie(with abnormally straight hair) and Rarity who has comforting a sobbing Spike.

Almost scared to ask for fear of the answer Celestia probed for details on what had happened. It was Appljack who was still composed enough to answer.

"Princess, we'd all known from Twilight she was getting a special job from ya, and we were all going to comeover and congradualate her, but as we neared the library it exploded....Spike was at Rare's, and nopony could get in...I tried to go inside once the fire died out...but...I" the orange mare couldn't say anymore before she fell to the ground sobbing.

Solemnly Celestia and Luna strode forward into the burnt out library and almost immediately saw what had affected Applejack so badly. Under a blackened bookcase protrudded a burnt and bloodied stump of a limb. Celestia, for all her power and glory, fell to the ground, body wracked by heavy sobs for the loss of her beloved student...no her beloved daughter.

Luna, tears sliding down her cheeks, moved forward to collect what remained of Twilight Sparkle, the brave and kind mare that had been her first true friend since her return. Lifting the bookcase Luna let out a gasp at what she revealed. The corspe was blackened and charred and nearly set the Alicorn of the night over the edge, but it also relieved her of a great deal of stress.

The body was of a bipedal creature, not a pony!

~~~~~~~

Rook took the interlude to cuss loudly and tell just about every god he could think of, including Celestia and Luna, to go fuck themselves. Both Greene and Martinez were dead, Sergeant Keith was minus a thumb, index and middle finger on his left hand and Rook's bag had been torn to shreds when a pair of insurgents realized that it would be more prudent to shoot the guy killing them rather than at the wall the other guy was hiding behind.

"Keith, I'm trying to find a way off this roof, keep your hand wrapped, I'll be down shortly." Rook reassured as he started checking each of the building sides.

After some examining Rook figured the best way down was the 10 foot down, four foot out jump to the adjacent roof. His only worry was the building had a hole in the wall from the explosive laced football that Martinez had kicked. Hoping for the best Rook wrapped his rifle in the remains of his pack for cushioning and tossed it down to the other roof before making the jump himself. Rook hit the roof and rolled, coming up easy. Grabbing his wrapped rifle he couldn't help but remark to himself how easy the jump had been, just as the roof caved.

~~~~~~~

Twilight's poor heart was pounding a mile a minute and the mare was practically sweating bullets. She had a headache to beat the band and no clue where she was. What she did know was that for what seemed like eons there had been these loud sharp retorts and she'd even picked up on some screaming that was obviously due to pain. That and the acrid smell of smoke and what she would have sworn was blood filled her nostrils and made her nearly gag everytime she took a breath.

It had stopped though, and the mare was slowly making it out from the corner of the hut she'd been hiding in. She was about to stick her head out of the substantial hole in the wal when the roof caved in front of her and something came tumbling down with it.

~~~~~~~

Rook was pretty set on listing this day as the shittiest day in the world so far. Both Martinez and Greene were gone, and it had been both of their first missions with Keith and Rook. On that note they'd walked straight into and ambush, he already knew for a fact that Keith would be a medical honourable and get sent home too, and Keith was the only guy that had lasted more than a month around Rook. Oh, and that meant another round of 'Tell me how that makes you feel' with the head shrinks.

"Shit-Sonuvabitch could this get any more fucking complicated? God-fucking-damnit!"

*Squeek*

Rifle unwrapped already Rook spun about and damn near leveled it at the form he found behind him but halted near instantly.

"Well, damn, I guess that was two sqaud mates too many...Hey Sergeant, I'm on my way out, but I'm pretty sure I've lost it finally." Rook sighed. He was about to walk out of the building when the mare he recognized as Twilight Sparkle shifted uncomfortably like she wanted to say something. It was enough to make Rook stop and look and the pony appraisingly, almost like he wanted to see what wild crap his mind had dreamed up.

Twilight, for her part, was both scared and curious. She wanted to ask this strange creature to help her, but while she didn't recognize exactly what had been said did recognize the thing was most definitely cussing. She kept her mouth shut until the beast turned around to leave and she noticed a figurine hanging from its waist. It appeared to be a crystalline form of Rainbow Dash! Just as she noticed this she also realized that the beast was staring at her as if waiting for her to do or say something.

"I..uhm...is that R..Rai..Rainbow....Dash?"

Rook blinked at the realization that the little Twilight before him who was only about three and a half feet tall had just asked him about his crystal pony Rainbow Dash keychain.

Rook laughed "Well shit, I guess I have lost my mind. Took long enough. Well little figment of my imagination, follow me if you want, I have to go help my friend."

Twilight was at a loss. She wanted to stay near whatever the creature was because it obviously didn't want to kill her, but it also obviously was fairly certain it had lost its mind. The main thing she latched onto, though, was that it was going to help its friend. Scared and without any other good options Twilight followed the odd creature outside.

~~~~~~~

Rook stepped out from the building and darted across the street to Keith's side in an instant to tend to his friend's hand. He could hear the figment Twilight retching behind him, probably due to the bodies everywhere.

"You ok Rook? I saw and heard you go through that roof." Keith grimaced.

Rook just shrugged. "I'm fine Keith. Damn, I thought I'd dropped the bastard, didn't realize he was still kicking until he fired of that round."

"Don't worry about it Rook, I thought he was dead too."

At this point Twilight had finished cleansing her stomach of her dinner and had turned to face the creature she'd followed out to see him wrapping up another creatuers claw.

"Rook, where's your bag, you had the quickclot and I'm bleeding badly." Keith asked.

Rook cursed loudly and punched the wall he was next too. "Shredded, my bag took about two whole AK magazines through it. Damn it how am I going to cauterize this now?!"

Listening intently Twilight realized that the first creature she'd met was trying to help save the other one and they need to stop the second creature from bleeding.

"Uhm...I...I think that, uh, I might be able to help...if you'll let me anyway..."

Twilight imediately shrank closer to the ground when the creatures turned and regarded her.

"Rook, I'm in shock, cause I fucking swear one of your ponies is talking to me." Keith moaned.

Rook regarded Twilight, then Keith, then Twilight, then Keith, then Twilight, then Keith again. "Sergeant, you see her too?"

Keith just gritted his teeth in pain and nodded.

Realizing how frightened the mare looked and what Equestria tended to be like from his own knowledge Rook immediately removed his helmet and headwrap while slinging his rifle over his shoulder and and giving Twilight a warm smile. "I'ts ok Twilight, uhm, do you think you can possibly numb my friends hand and stop him from bleeding, then we can try and figure out some way to get you back home?"

Twilight nodded meekly before stepping forward timidly and casting a healing spell on the second creatures hand causing skin to grow over the torn and bleeding stumps where his fingers and thumb had been.

"Is that any better...I did my best, but I'm not the best with healing magic."

Both Rook and Keith regarded Keith's fully healed, pain free hand in awe.

"This is amazing, er, miss. Thank you...ok Rook, talking to the pony is weird!" Keith grumbled, still debating whether or not he was in shock.

Rook just shook his head and put his helmet and face wrap back on. "That's all fine and great Sergeant, but the insurgents will be back any second now and we can't hold them off. That and we have a civilian with us now. Christ, of all the god awful places you could have gone Twilight, you sure know how to pick them. Alright, here's what's going on. You need to follow Keith and I. The people we are fighting are not nice and have a habit of torturing and executing anyone who doesn't belkieve what they do. We will be going back to our base of operations where I will then do everything I can to get you home, ok?"

Twilight, despite looking a litle green at the explanation of the insurgents, nodded and fell into place behind the first creature while the second took the rear.

~~~~~~~

Twilgiht had no clue how long the two creatures and herself had been walking, but she figured hazarding a guess at about two hours worked fine. She noted that they had been using back alleys alot and the creatures constantly seemed on edge like they were waiting for something to happen. The first creature suddenly stopped and raised a hand up in a balled-up sort of way. It must have been a non-verbal signal because the second creature dropped to a knee behind her.

"Sergeant, do we have connection with or comms. yet?" Rook asked.

Keith fiddled with his radio short wave radio system for a minute before he managed to hail the base. After a few minutes of explaining the ambush Keith cleared that he would be returning with Lance Corporal Rook and a mission critical civilian while securing a Black Hawk evac..

"And that, Rook, is why I usually keep the long range crap on my own person. Poor Greene is probably burried with it now."

Twilight had stayed mostly quiet during all this and was about to ask something when Rook stood ane motioned for Keith to follow.

"Sergeant, we should secure the building and set up on the roof while we wait. It would probably be our best defensive position."

"Agreed. What about the pony?"

"Twilight, stay behind us and outside the building until we call for you. We have to make sure it is clear of hostiles, ok?"

Twilight nodded hesitantly while the two beast, the first with a long matallic weapon in both claws and the second with a smaller metallic weapon in his right claw enterred the building. It got really quite, then there was a sudden bang that caused Twilight to start slightly, then it got really quiet again. Twilight began to get really nervous when the first creature stepped back out and motioned for her to follow him. He led her up to the roof where the second creature was already waiting. It was then that the two creatures settled a bit and the second drew a canteen and odd looking packs out of his bag.

"The pony is a herbivore, right Rook?"

"Yeah Keith, and 'The Pony' has a name too. In fact, why don't we do introductions? I am Lance Corporal Layne Graham of the United States Marine Corp., everyone calls me Rook though." Rook smiled encouragingly towards the lavender unicorn.

Sergeant Keith rolled his eyes but went along with it. "Also of the Marine Corp., I'm Sergeant Thomas Keith, so call me Sergeant, Keith, or Sergeant Keith."

Twilight looked back and forth between the two creatures, now known as Rook and Sergeant Keith. She wasn't sure what to say at first but decided to give her formal title. "Uhm, I'm Lady Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia and Lady of the court...and...and I just want to go home." the mare finished, eyes tearing up and moisture spilling onto her cheeks.

Rook reached into one of his vest pockets after patting about to find the right one and pulled out a partially melted Crunchie. "Here Twilight, this is chocolate, you can eat that right? Don't start crying please, cause then I'll get sad. I'm weird and tune to peoples emotions like that. Besides, I told you I'd get you home."

Twilight nodded weakly and took the proffered candy bar. Besides, from what she'd gathered Rook had lost two friends earlier and it seemed like even more before them. Biting into the candy Twilight quickly set aside her sad thoughts in place of the near sensory overload. She could taste rich milk chocolate and a hint of caramel. The texture of the treat was amazing and Twilight had never had anything quite as good as what she was eating now. It was only inturrupted by a thumping noise she could only slightly make out.

"Do you two hear that?"

Keith immediately reached for his sidearm while Rook readied his rifle.

"What's up Twilight?" asked Rook.

The mare thought for a second about how to explain what she was hearing. "It sounds like sompony is hitting a pillow over and over. Like a 'thumpf thumpf thumpf thumpf' noise."

Rook simply grinned. "You have pegasi that pull sky chariots, we have vehicles that use rotary propulsion to stay aloft in the air. What you're hearing is a helicopter. Oh, if you hear that good you might want to put this on. It will muffle the sound, but that will be a good thing for you, because helicopters get loud." Rook explained as he removed his helmet and strapped it onto Twilight's head, positioning it carefully around her horn. All in all it actually looked almost comical.

"Alright Rook, toss smoke into the plaza, it's the only spot the birds can land in." Keith ordered.

Nodding Rook pulled a red smoke flare from the Sergeant's bag and threw it towards the middle of the plaza before readying his rifle.

Rook stopped for a moment and looked Twilight straight in the eyes. "Alright Twilight, you remember how we were when we walked here? We're going to do that again. Now listen, no matter what happens run for the helicopter. The insurgents from earlier will most likely try to stop us, but you need to make sure that even if Keith or myself die, you keep running and do not stop, do you understand?"

Nodding fearfully at the sudden seriousness that Rook had taken the mare followed him downstairs with Keith right behind her.

'They've kept you safe so far Twilight, so just stick with them now.'

~~~~~~~

Rook had point and Keith had flank. Twilight was sprinting to keep up with the two as they ran towards the intimidating black machine called a helicopter. In addition to the 'thumpf' of the helicopter the sharp retorts from earlier suddenly sounded out and Keith and Rook pulled her behind a low wall.

"What is happening! I just want to go home!"

"Keith, top floor, eleven o clock!"

"Got it Rook, shit, sniper second story windo at two!"

"Tango down! Keith, take Twilight and move for the chopper! I'll cover!"

Twilight suddenly found herself sprinting wildly after Keith, the retorts now drowned out fby the shrill whine of a large machine that was firing from the side of the helicopter. They were halfway there when Keith suddenly jerked funny and fell face down. Twilight rolled him over to check on him but screamed and began to dry heave as she found that half of the man's skull was gone. She started to have a panick attack when Rook showed up next to her.

"Come on Twilight, we can't stay here!"

Rook urged her forward and Twilight started to move towards the helicopter again when a whistleing noise joined the fray. A ball of fire erupted from the side of the helicopter and the whole thing exploded, throwing both Rook and Twilight flying and sending a chunk of shrapnel into the poor mares legs, causing her to scream hysterically as pain overrode her normal brain functions.

Rook got up and immediately started putting out rounds after round at the insurgents. The man was actually starting to feel the heat of his M39's overworked barrel as he put round upon round upon round out. Rook just kept firing and reloading until he was down to his last round. Taking aim at the furthest insurgent, as there were only about eight still alive at this point, Rook put his last 7.62 into him before pulling his M9 and unloaading rounds, accurate and deadly, into the final seven. It wasn't until that last insurgent dropped that Rook felt the pain. Looking down he founds three punctures in his kevlar vest that were slowly darkening. In his fading senses as he fell onto his back he could still hear Twilight.

"I want to go home, I want to go home!"

Carefully Rook pulled the mare onto his chest and hugged her comfortingly as his eyes began to close, not even realizing the mares were doing the same.

~~~~~~~

Rook's eyes shot open suddenly. He stared in front of him into the wooden ceiling for some time before fully waking up. On his chest, wrapped in his hooves, lay Twilight Sparkle, the most beautiful mare he'd ever laid eyes on. How he'd wound up with her in the first place, he was just a lowly pegasi with a knack for chess after all. Twilight shifted on his chest for a moment and looked up at him.

"Morning Rook, have a good sleep?"

"Pretty good, had the weirdest dream though. What about you?"

"I had a bit of an odd dream as well." Twilight responded before stretching up and kissing Rook. "Do we have plans today?"

"None that I can think of Twi."

"Let's go back to bed then..."

The pair snuggled closer and closed their eyes.

~~~~~~~

Rook opened his eyes to stare at a droning flourescent light. He stayed like that for a while before his body picked up on anything else, specifically two heart monitors. On his chest was gauze wrapped carefully with his hands laying on it. How he'd wound up there, he couldn't remember, all he knew was he was an infantryman with a knack for marksmanship. He shifted his hands for a moment when a familiar voice spoke to him.

"Morning Rook, sleep good?"

"Feel like I've been hit by a truck. Had the weirdest dream too."

"I've had a few weird dreams myself, pretty sure I'm awake now though." the familiar voice responded as something rubbed Rook's shoulder soothingly. "We've both got plans for today by the way."

"Don't want to have plans, feel like shit."

"Well, then how about we get to know each other better?"

Rook turned to face the voice to see a lavender mare on a hospital bed next to his own. Then his eyes closed.

~~~~~~~

Rook awoke to find himself alone. Nopony was in his hooves....wait, nobody was in his room...he was alone, just a lone marksman...but wasn't he a pegasi?

He didn't know, he had no way of knowing.

He was floating, no body, just a conciousness in the darkness.

What was he, who was he?

"WHERE AM I?!"

"You are here, of course...But you are also there and there."

"What?!"

"You were, but now you aren't...You must choose your dream and choose your reality."

"I don't-"

"One of these is true, and one of these is false, which one is which, what to do?"

"This doesn't make sense!"

"Rook...You are Rook...He is Rook and that is Rook too." the voice replied.

Two forms suddenly appeared for Rook's conciousness. One was that of an M39 EMR with an ergonomical forefrip, PSO-1 scope and Harris S-L bipod. The other form was that or a castle peice from a chess board.

Putting two and two together, Rook realized that this was a life altering choice. Closing his eyes, Rook reached.

~~~~~~~

Rook opened his eyes...

~~~~~~~

Two yellow eyes gleamed merrily...

A.N.~ Don't ask me what I was on when I wrote this. It was just some weird ass idea I came up with at three in the morning and was written in the past 56 minutes.

Leave comments to tell me what you think, I'm kind of doing one of those, "Here's my general direction, but lets see what the audience will say that might give me more ideas!" thing.