There was a deep, black void everywhere. Pictures began bleeding through the vacuum like acid through paper. They moved. It was like a dream, while watching a black-and-white television distorted by static and no sound to speak of. It died away, then returned to the black emptiness, only to be immediately replaced by color. Rainbows of light dissolve the darkness, eventually forming pictures quite different from what was experienced in the dream.

Ray awoke to find himself laying comfortably in a large bed off to the side of a cheerfully-decorated room. How did I get here? What is this place? What the hell am I doing in someone's house?! His panic died. Oh yes, the pony-things. I was invited by one of them into her home in the woods. But how did I end up here, in bed, asleep? I don't remember-...

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening ahead. From the hall emerges a very shy creature holding a wooden tray of food with her teeth.Fluttershy. I remember this one... her name is Fluttershy.

"Oh good, you're awake!" Fluttershy said excitedly through her busy teeth. Odd how she knew exactly when to come in here... with food, no less. She must know what happened.

"How did I get here?" Ray asked in a soft tone as not to startle her.

She set the tray on the night stand next to the bed so she can speak. "You fainted."

Ray took a moment to process this. It failed. "What?"

"You fainted," she repeated. "Just after you set your belongings next to the door, you collapsed to the floor shaking. I was so worried!"

Ray was mildly surprised, as he finally remembered that it wasn't the first occurrence. He had passed out many times in the past due to both heat-exhaustion and food-deprivation. This was another one of those occurrences. He has not eaten anything in well over a week. The only source of nutrition he has gotten all of this time was his canteen of water constantly being tossed in the back of his El Camino, out of arms' reach, which was his method of rationing until another water source could be found, or at least until he reaches five miles between "checkpoints".

Fluttershy continued. "When you didn't respond to me, I checked your pulse. It became pretty clear you only fainted. So I decided to take you up here, with the help of Rainbow Dash. I cleaned you up and shrew your old clothes away." He caught that last part but remained silent until she finished. You have no idea how hard it was to find a leather jacket with those kind of customizations.Those of which were worn to the core over time and use. "Here, I fixed you something to eat. After all, you need lots of energy." She grabbed the tray and headed closer to the bed. Ray sat up, fixing his legs in a straight position. Fluttershy placed the tray in front of him, carefully adjusting it to his comfort.

Not only an intelligent race, but so unusually considerate to my needs. Such an uncommon thing in the desert. I wish I could've found this place sooner. Ray took a careful look at the food in front of him. It was nothing unusual, in fact it was definitely Earth food; scrambled eggs, pancakes with butter and syrup, and a cup of strawberries, all neatly placed on a clean, white plate. The glass next to it contained an unknown juice. It was clear like water, but colored with a bronze tint. It almost looked like an alcoholic drink, but without the fizzy bubbles. I'll check that stuff out later.

He waisted no time digging in to the most delicious food he had ever ingested.Finally... pancakes with butter and syrup... fresh eggs... and strawberries, oh! I haven't had these since I was six! In only a five-minute timeframe, his entire plate was clean. Now to try that "stuff."Ray picked up the class and held it to his nostrils to take in the scent. It was fruity, and generally very familiar.

"What is this?" Ray finally spoke up.

"Apple juice." Fluttershy replied in a delightfully educational tone.

Apple juice... I've had apples, but never have I had the privelage of drinking the juice of such a fruit. Here goes...Ray took a gulp. It was perfection. By far the smoothest and tastiest liquid he has ever drank. He guzzled the rest until there was nothing left, then sat the glass on the tray with brief gasp of air. And a hardy burp with room-clearing capability.

Fluttershy let out a quiet giggle. "Oh, my. I guess you really liked it."

Ray looked at her with a grin. He was still very hungry, and wasn't shy in grasping the opportunity to acquire more of this amazing food. "This was great. You know what I could really use now?" Fluttershy listened with her usual enthusiastic expression. Ray was expecting a somewhat different reaction. He continued. "Bacon."

The enthusiasm was quickly replaced by confusion. "Bake... on..." She doesn't know what bacon is?"Bake... oh! I'm sorry, do you like your breakfast baked?"

"No, I-..." Don't bother. They probably have a different classification system for their meat products, if they even eat meat at all. Best learn more about them before requesting things normally found in my world."Nothing. The food was good. Thank you."

"Oh, it's no problem at all." She said with that adorable smile forming on her face again.

Finally it hit him. Breakfast. "Wait, how long have I been here? In bed?"

"You slept all through the night. It was about eight PM when we found you." She looked at a clock sitting on the nightstand. "It's nine o' clock in the morning now."

Maybe that's why I feel so good right now. A good night's sleep.To his recollection, it was the longest he has ever slept in his entire life. And as far as a bed goes, this was beyond laying on top or between blankets sprawled across the seats of his El Camino, depending on temperature. However, in Ray's world, actual sleep was a rare luxury. Enemies are everywhere, in the form of scavengers and paramilitary factions. They are on your tail every mile down the road. You never, ever let your guard down for one minute in the desert, or they will get you. This was Ray's biggest mistake yesterday. He let his guard down once, only to cross paths with an unknown rogue faction. It is a miracle he still lives and breathes, and an even bigger miracle these godsends of pony creatures took him in and helped him get back on his feet.

"Listen," she spoke up after a moment. "last night, Rainbow Dash and I visited a friend of ours in town and told her about you. She really wants to talk to you."

A friend... in town. A town. My God, there's more of them. "You have a town?"

"Yes, it's called Ponyville."

Name aside, this was a breakthrough find for Ray. Not only was this race of equine capable of independent living and human social nature, but they have advanced so far as to create the rarely-seen permanent and vast colonial settlement known as a "town". He was eager to investigate.

"Well, just let me get dressed and we'll get going." Oh right, she threw my clothes away.

"Okay." she said, removing the food tray and setting it on the nightstand, then trotting over to an open closet. From inside she pulled out a plain white shirt and faded jeans. Human clothing, much to Ray's surprise. She laid them out neatly on the bed, just next to where Ray was laying. "I found these in your... um... "car"... your metal machine thing in the woods."

I had extra clothes in my car? How careless of me to miss that. I'm damn lucky no scavs stole them when they had the chance. Where did I even get them for that matter?He picked up the clothes to get a better look. The shirt was ruined with blotches of stains, from what appears to be axle grease.

"I washed them last night the best I could. I'm sorry, I couldn't get those stains out."

"No problem." Ray put the shirt on to see if it fit. It didn't, though being slightly larger than his normal size was an advantage. More airflow, so to speak. Next were the faded jeans, slightly ripped at the knees and stained with the same material as on the shirt. Fluttershy left the room to give him some privacy.

...

...

...

This was a major breakthrough. But what overshadowed it was a cloud of confusion and insecurity. Ponyville has been visited by an intelligent being from another world, but how and why? Yet a much more troubling question followed. Is it a threat?

Regardless, Twilight Sparkle was a talented young unicorn who leapt at any and all opportunities to research matters as this unexplained phenomenon, whether it be magical in nature, scientific, or otherwise. Danger has always been a lingering setback, but not a primary concern. It is this audaciousness that has won her the acclaim in her work, not to mention the overall enjoyment. This is thanks to years of ambition and desire to learn all that can be learnt by one pony and more, and use it to her advantage with all of her ability, not to impress others, but to express the benefits it could bring to one's life. There was also the confidence built with the help of her daring friend Rainbow Dash, the bravest pony she has ever known.

Twilight remembered when her two friends visited her during the night, when the mysterious being slept soundly at Fluttershy's cottage. Their report on the matter gave her that uncontrollable urge to explore. And she did, alone, in the Everfree Forrest, with foolish dismission of security. She remembered discovering the remains of the odd machine laying waste in the earth, nearby an unidentified river of calmly-flowing water. What in Equestria was that thing? It had wheels and strange seats inside, and what appeared to be controls. It must've been this being's transportation. She remembered it had a rather simple name. "Car". Yes, a car.A form of manually-guided transportation, the likes of which she has never seen before.

Insecurity struck again. Weapons. That's right, Fluttershy spoke of weapons!With this realization, a flood of important questions stood strong in her mind, those of which classified this being's stance in society. Is he a soldier? A hunter? A terrorist? Or an innocent on the run from something of a larger threat?Whichever the possibility, Twilight hoped for the sake of ponykind that it meant them absolutely no harm at all, and its form of defence would be used for just that, and only that. Defence.

Perhaps now isn't the time to ponder these things.The focus as of that moment was the ensure the enjoyment of this being's visit to their world, and their town no less. A warm welcome that will hopefully have an alternate effect to her initial welcome to this lovely place. Even with that exception, Pinkie Pie's parties have always spread joy to any and everypony she has ever met, and none have been failed by her efforts.

Pinkie Pie was Equestria's most uplifting spirit. Her mission was to spread laughter, the simple reaction to joy in its most raw form, wherever she could. The whole world was her friend, and she ensured that it be filled with nothing but fun and pure happiness. This was her talent, and she lived by it every waking moment. Specifically, this party was her method of welcoming and befriending newcomers. She didn't care who this entity was or where he came from. She just wanted him to be her friend, and for him to enjoy his stay.

The entire town knew about this newcomer by the time this party had been set up, thanks to Rainbow Dash, and eventually, Pinkie Pie. Therefore, literally everypony was invited. About 85% of the population was there, in the library where Twilight currently resided and worked. It amazed her at how many ponies this building could accommodate, especially given that it was not technically a building, but a giant tree that has been carefully hollowed-out into a livable dwelling.

"They're coming, they're coming!" Pinkie shouted excitedly as she glanced out one of the windows nearest the front door. This made the entire crowd freeze from their activity, just as Pinkie turned the lights out to conceal them in the shadows. The classic surprise party awaited this newcomer.

The waiting shook Pinkie with anticipation, but it made Twilight rather uncomfortable. It felt like an entire sixty-seconds had gone by before she heard the twist of a doorknob. She watched as the front door opened slowly as Fluttershy led Ray into the room. He was so tall that he had to hunch down to fit under the archway of the door. However, he looked far less intimidating then what Twilight had imagined. He looked lost. She began to actually feel sorry for him at just that moment. Suddenly, Fluttershy dived to the floor, covering her ears and eyes.

"Surprise!" The entire room lit up, exploding with life and flying confetti. What happened next was a complete backfire. In response to this startling display, Ray dove to the floor next to Fluttershy, unslinging what appeared to be one of the weapons she had spoken to Twilight about. He rolled into a crouching position behind one of the nearby desks, aiming his weapon dauntingly at the lively crowd, who at that point began dying down into a cluster of shocked onlookers.

"Are-are the loud noises gone?" Fluttershy said as she stood back up. She noticed the unusually stunned crowd around her and decided to look behind her for Ray. She gasped and backed away into the rest of the onlookers as she watched his threatening display before them all.

"Ray!" Twilight shouted. Ray's attention focused on her, as did the barrel of his weapon. Play it cool, but be stern and to the point. He's not stupid, and could be acting on instinct. But... he could also be mad."Please, put it down." Ray didn't move. "Please. We just wanted to welcome you here." Ray began trembling. His aim was off. Twilight took this opportunity to edge closer. "It's okay. Don't be frightened." Ray shook more. The weapon slipped from his trembling hands and crashed to the floor. He broke down in a sobbing mess behind the desk. "I'm sorry..." He said.

He was acting on instinct. Look at him, he's actually apologising. Twilight walked up to him and gave him a hug. The crowd let out a huge gasp and edged closer themselves. Pinkie Pie joined them in the hug as well. My goodness, what has this being been through?

...

...

...

The Everfree Forest was beautiful this time of day. The treetops were so lush and dwelled with all kinds of life. Birds sung their beautiful songs and flew with glee through the radiantly blue sky. But something has disrupted their harmony, as they dive to cover within the trees.

From behind the dense wall of green rose massive helicopter blades, slicing the air like like giant razors, the engines roaring like a stampede of a million buffalo. The trees swayed and shook under the powerful downwash the rotating wings exerted upon them, forcing perfectly healthy leaves to be ripped away from the branches. Tolwin's Chinook has been refuelled, and was now ready for action.

Until their exact position has been confirmed, Tolwin's own mission was to locate the wreckage of the mysterious driver's vehicle. He knew it had to be somewhere along the river they came here from, so he decided to backtrack. We might even find our route back to the road.

So far their search had been uneventful. They have yet to find the wreckage, and there was still no sign of the desert. "What kind of insanity is this?" Tolwin thought out loud to his co-pilot.

Riggs was his name. He joined the faction when he was 17, then already an expert fixed-wing pilot when he flew with his father in the rare Transavia PL-12 "Airtruk", the only example of this aircraft ever exported to the former United States. They were both shot down somewhere over the desert and rescued by Tolwin's faction upon engaging the unknown enemy at fault. Riggs' father was unfortunately killed on impact, but Riggs survived with minor injury, and was able to assist the lone pilot Tolwin in his monster Chinook against the opposing threats. To this day he suffers from depression as a result of his loss, but he masks his pain around Tolwin with a witty and sharp attitude.

"Sir, I'll bet you two packs of cigarettes he's camoflaging his car from us." Riggs said as he scanned the forrest floor with his binoculars.

"Can't rule it out. He had enough time when we refueled." Tolwin had a second thought. "Wait a minute, that's contradictory as to why he was out in the open back on the road. No, he's down there waiting for us and we're just not seeing him yet."

Riggs rolled his eyes. "Maybe we just caught him by surprise back there, sir."

Tolwin rubbed his eyes with a groan. "God, I've got a headache." Ah, yes, the scouts. I wonder if they've come across anything while setting up the trackers."Jonesy, any progress?"

He was referring to the young technician situated in the crane-controller box behind them. Jones was the operator of the on-board relay device for their local GPS. He was also very skilled with computers, which was highly unusual in their world where computers were rarely used due to a lack of reliable power supplies. Unlike the well-equipped "Phantom Raiders", however. This was where he was allowed to use his skill to its fullest potential.

"My screen's still blank!" He replied to Tolwin. "Shilka!" This time he was calling Marchetti's command vehicle back at the basecamp. "This is DA. Any word from Faust's unit yet?"

Marchetti's voice crackled on the radio. "Yeah, they just set up the first tracker a minute ago! Nothing else to report."

"Sir," Jones called out.

"I heard." Tolwin replied. This is no use. It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. The desert and the road are a whole different ball game."That's it, I'm done. We're heading back."

"Checking off second pointless flight." Riggs muttered, covering his radio.