"What's your name?" he asked.

"Twilight," she replied. "Twilight Sparkle."

"You're long way from home, young lady."

"I know."

Farikh nodded, he then asked. "Why did you join the military?"

"I'm looking for adventure."

Farikh was surprised as he looked at her for awhile. "This is no place for adventure to be honest, this is a place of conflicts, kill or be killed."

"I know, but this is also a place of relieved."

"What do you mean, 'relieved'?"

"The view nature of Afghanistan, also the people all around us that believe that everything we bring here like, a pen for example, is looks like a gift for them."

Farikh then chuckled, but it was true if something like that happened. After they silent for awhile, Farikh then starts to tell a story to her.

"It was 2 months ago, i was in Helmand Province, in a place called Shorawak. I was heading there to find my parents at their home. When i reached there, there was a big fight between the Talibans and those Americans. My parents house was in the middle of the battlefield. I rushed to get there as those Talibans covered my back and i shoot back at the Americans with my AK. When i nearly reached the house, the house suddenly blown up and i was thrown away from there. When i woke up, i see that my parents died, killed by the Americans with their tank. I was very mad back there and i screamed. I ran to cover and quickly take the RPG on the ground. And then i ran out in the open with haste. The Americans have two tanks back there. I aimed at the tank and take the shot. I blown up a tank with one shot, right at the firing tube. I shot another one with it and the tank broke down. The Americans then fled away from the battle, for their only support are destroyed. After the battle, i just standing in tears as i drop the weapon in my hand to the ground. The Talibans cheered for victory except me, and my brothers there for we lose what we care and we love about. i ran off to Kandahar with my only family, which is my brothers. To find a safe place for us. I regret that i failed to save them, i pray for my parents all day, in or not in battle."

Twilight felt sad hearing his story, she nearly cried. "I'm sorry."

Farikh just silent, he shooks his head and then he keep an eye on the road. They both then silent on the way there.

-----

Farikh quickly drove the humvee through the gate and stopped in the middle of the field. When he steps out from the car, he can see what much damage that Twilight did to every enemy she met, he was felt disbelieve seeing it. Nevertheless, he need to call her to get her back to her allies.

"Twilight!" called Farikh. "Twilight, it's Farikh, where are you?"

"Right here," replied Twilight as she stepped out from inside the command center, soon Farikh saw that her condition is in fatal state.

When she walks toward him, she suddenly fell to the ground and try to get up with the help of her Scar H. Farikh quickly ran to her in worried, after he gets closer to her he checks her body. To his surprise, she's been shot 13 times, 8 bullets left their holes in her wounds.

"Hold on i pick you up," said Farikh in a hurry.

He then lifted her up and quickly put her in the humvee. When Farikh about to get to the driving wheel, Twilight quickly said something to him.

"Wait! my gun..." said Twilight as she coughed.

Farikh looked at her for awhile as he listen her then he quickly ran back to the spot where he did found Twilight. He then found her M9 pistol left laying on the ground, covered with her blood. He took the gun and ran back to the humvee and then entered the humvee as he then gives the gun to Twilight. He closed the car's door then drive out from the destroyed base. As Farikh drive to the nearest US outpost, he looked at Twilight trying to bandage her own wounds to hold the bleeding. She had to use 2 morphine shots to ease the pain.

As she tried to bandage herself around her body, blood bleeding from her mouth, forehead, and her cheek. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and her breath were pacing fast. As she bandaged herself, she coughed twice and her blood spit out from her mouth and her blood are on the dashboard. She was very traumatized after the firefight back there, she had trouble to stay calm as she patched her wound. Farikh then use his right hand and hold her left shoulder, he trying to distract her attention so she can looked at him.

"Hey, hey, look at me," said Farikh, she then looked at him in panicked expression and she was breathing fast.

"Calm down, alright, calm down," said Farikh, her breathing then starts to slow down and her feelings slowly turns to calm. "Stay calm, Twilight, just stay calm, you're okay here."

After Twilight looked at his eyes and listening to him, he let go her shoulder and Twilight continues to patched herself up. She heals herself in calm, even if her hands are still shaking.

"I get you to the nearest US outpost," said Farikh as he drive.

Twilight then felt hesitant for a moment. "No," said Twilight as she shakes her head.

"What do you mean no?" asked Farikh in surprise.

Twilight silent for a moment before she speaks. "get me to COP Emerald, i'm not eager to go to the nearest outpost."

"Are you mad?! You won't survive!" exclaimed Farikh in surprise.

"Just get me there," said Twilight as she finished patching herself up and shakes her head. "Don't worry, i'll be fine."

For her struggle to hold her pain, she lay back to the seat to comfort herself as she holds her wound. She then coughed as her blood coming out from her mouth and cleaned it with her hand. Farikh looked at her with worry and discomfort, therefore he rushed the car quickly to that COP as fast as possible.

-----

Farikh and Twilight nearly reached COP Emerald. Farikh then looked at Twilight, her condition is getting much worse. Her blood is coming out from her bandaged wound. As the situation is getting intense, Twilight then started to say something.

"Farikh..." she called in low and weak voice.

Farikh quickly looked at her as he drive.

"I'm... gonna get some rest now..." said Twilight, she then slowly closed her eyes and turned her head right.

"Hey, hey! Don't die now!" cried Farikh as he shakes Twilight's shoulder, she didn't wake up but she's still breathing but her breathing is starting to get weak.

Farikh then quickly gassed the car to its maximum speed. As he drive he looked at her, the blood has already changed the color of her kevlar vest and her uniform, blood dripping to the seat.

"Don't you give up on me, young lady.."

-----

"Dropped your weapon!" shouted Colonel.

"Hands in the air now!" Shouted Ramirez.

"Wait! Don't shoot!" shouted Farikh, as he throw away his weapon to the left and lift his both hands in the air quickly.

"Not until you kneel on the ground!" shouted Yorker.
Every soldiers quickkly ran out from the barracks, garage and cafe hearing those loud noises. Turns out there was a Taliban right in front of the gate. They all also aimed their weapons at him.

"Listen!" shouted Farikh. "This soldier needs help!"

"We're not helping your soldiers!" shouted Rendor.

"This soldier is from yours not ours," shouted Farikh as he pointed the girl inside the humvee. "She needs help, she's going to die!"

"What she-?!" asked Colonel, startled. "Laner, check the car!"

"Yes, sir!" said Laner, he quickly ran into the humvee that Farikh brought, but then he was shocked who was in the humvee. "Fucking hell, IT'S TWILIGHT!"

"What!?" asked Foley loudly.

Marshall, Foley, and Rendor quickly ran to the humvee and looked inside. Twilight was suffering serious wounds, Marshall quickly touch her neck and he can feel that she's still breathing, she was unconcious.

"She's still alive! We need medic, NOW!" shouted Colonel in worried.

The medics quickly come to them and sees her condition.

"Damn, this is worse than i though," said a medic after putting her on the stretcher.

-----

"Where the hell you found her?" he asked quickly.

"No, she did found me in Jaldak, she asked me to escorted her to Mohud's hideout so i bring her there," said Farikh quickly. "After she fought the Talibans mercilessly, she was already in this condition when i about to get out from there."

"What!?" asked Colonel in disbelieve. "You didn't even helped her."

"She's the one who decided to this by herself," said Farikh. "She don't want me to get involved with this!"

Twilight did opened her eyes a little. Her sense of hearing was fading. She can heard the soldiers who carrying her said that she will be alright. Once reaching the health center, everyone quickly get the equipments for surgery. And, Twilight closed her eyes at last, she's near death.

"She's going to die! She's going to die" shouted Rendor, after he noticed she closed her eyes for the last time.

"Get defribilator, now!" shouted a medic as he pointed the thing he needed.

The health monitor started to change its tone.

"Twilight! Twilight!" called Farikh, Twilight heard it until the sounds she heard quickly faded.

"Twilight!"

*beep* *beep* *beep* *beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*

Twilight quickly woke up and gasped upon the end of her 'death dream', lifting her leaning head on the window back straight on the seat as she patted her blue jacket. Twilight was heading to the pawn shop of The Flim Flam Brothers, called Everything Under The Sun Emporium, with her 6 friends. They were on Applejack's truck to go there, Applejack drive the truck and Twilight took a seat on the front seat, Rarity, Sunset, and Pinkie on the passenger seat, and Rainbow and Fluttershy on the back of the truck. The reason why are they heading there is because Granny Smith has accidentally sold Applejack's guitar bass to the Flim and Flam Brothers, again, but this time for 5 dollars. Granny Smith really did though AJ doesn't need it anymore like that one time before, though, after that time fighting the Dazzlings, AJ didn't even play it for days.

"Ah' can't believe Granny sold my bass again!" shouted Applejack in indignant.

"Yeah, but you didn't even play it again after fighting against those Dazzlings," commented Rarity, firmly.

"Eeyup! Like you had enough playing that," added Pinkie.

"Even if i don't play it, it's also my valuable thing for me!" replied back AJ as she looks at those both behind her, when turned her head forward she nearly crashed a pole, even though in slow-moderate speed, they able to avoid that and straighten the truck on the road. Everyone got shaken of that near-accident experience until Rainbow shouted, showing off to AJ.

"Ha ha, you nearly crashed!"

"At least ya' got crashed before," shouted back Applejack with an insult and smirked.

"Hey, that was one time!" shouted back Rainbow, protest.

"We know, Dash, but you're driving like, crazy," added Fluttershy in anxious.

"I agree with that, Shy," said Twilight with a smirk.

"Aaawww, Twiliight! You made it sounds not fun," said Dash, abruptly felt offended.

"Dash, you should really learn how to drive properly," said Sunset.

"Oh come one, i know how to drive!" protest Dash in mischievous.

"Oh, really? Ah' like to see ya' drive again, until the police comes," said back Applejack.

Rainbow can't say anything again except she just glared at the front seat and then she just sat back on her place and muttering. Applejack still continue driving the car while the others talked about something else to each other, except for Twilight, who was staying silent and watched out the window, not even listening her friends behind her talking. Applejack took a glance at Twilight, noticed she doesn't want to talk anything but to watch through the window, staring at the sidewalks. Her arm is on the car door and her clenched hand on her cheek. Applejack can't describe her expression except for three, cold, nonchalant, and lonely.

"Ya' seems to quiet, Twilight, is there something bothering ya'?" asked Applejack.

"Huh, what?" asked Twilight as she turned her head at Applejack, wasn't really paying attention to her question.

"is there something bothering ya'?" asked AJ again, slowly.

"Oh, well, nothing,"Twilight then turned her head again on the window. "I just miss someone."

"Ooh, someone from Las Vegas?" said Pinkie, excited. "I wanna see your friend!"

"Whoa, wait, who's your friend back in Las Vegas?" asked Sunset.

"Well, he..." Twilight quickly cut off by Sunset.

"He?! Did you got a new boyfriend?" asked Sunset in touched and surprised. "Aren't you worried about how Timber will react?"

"No, it's-" Twilight then got cut off by Rarity, she starting to felt sore about she being cut off by someone not letting her to finish her talk.

"Darling! Why are you won't worried about that?!" asked Rarity in disgusted and joking. "Do you even know you're cheating on him?"

"Look, it's not li-" Twilight once again, cut off, by Pinkie.

"Oooh, you got a crush on someone you met, huh?" Pinkie then leaned forward between the front seat and looked at Twilight with a smile. "You are in trouble, Twilight....."

Rainbow who heard the conversation starts to shout wildly. "Twillight got a new boyfriend! Twillight got a new boyfriend!"

Pinkie then sit back to her sit and smirked of her crush. They all then started to talk at Twilight about the 'crush' stuff, except for Fluttershy. They won't let her talk.

Twilight can't hold anger with that, until she looked at behind her and shouted. "Can you just give me a minute to talk for fuck sake!"

The atmosphere gone quiet after she shouted in harsh words and quickly back off a little from her.

"Twilight, wat-!" said Rarity in rebuke but then cut off by Twilight.

"Shut up!" Shouted Twilight at them. "Just shut up will ya'?! Before i made this truck crash onto something!"

Everyone lost their voice, Twilight just kept breathing heavily in anger. But then, slowly, she's starting to calm down, she turned her head back forward at the road and leaned her back at her seat. She then tilted her head against the seat and looked down. Applejack not to dare to looked at her when Twilight is still mad instead Applejack just keep watched on the road up ahead, and eventually stopped at the red light. The three on the passenger seats were stay silent as they darting their eyes on the left seat in front of them, where Twilight is. While the other two in the back looked at Twilight on the front seat in a dull look.

Twilight paused for a moment to think of words, and then she answered it, calmly. "I much more consider him as a brother than a boyfriend."

Brother? though Sunset, she never heard she called that to someone in the school before, but of course except for her elder brother. Things are starting go off bit by bit.

They reached the Flim Flam Brothers shop. Applejack parked the pick-up truck near it and walked in the pawn shop. Once they entered, they looked around the shop for Applejack's guitar, but Twilight much more pay attention to her surroundings than that. There were knick-knacks on the storefront, couple of instruments on the wall or on the floor, and there were a couple of bookshelves on the left side from the door, which is new for the shop. After a while, those brothers quickly showed up in front of them and greeted. While Twilight distracted herself at the bookshelves and looked at some books.

"Welcome to the Flim Flam Brothers' Everything Under the Sun Emporium!" greeted Flim, cheerily

"If you want it..." added Flam.

"...We've got it!" said both of them.

"Need a golf stick?" said Flim.

"A vase?" said Flam.

"A teddy bear?" said Flim.

"Whatever this is?" added Flam.

"ah' only need my guitar back, again" answered Applejack as she pointed at the guitar at the storefront.

"Oh," Flam then took the guitar on the storefront and bring it to them. "This one?"

"Yes, ah' need it back, Granny should've not sell it to you, again," Applejack felt irritated if this had to happen twice, the girls nodded in agreement with AJ, except for Twilight who is still at the bookshelves.

"You sure? Because Granny said you don't even play it like you don't even care it anymore," said Flam, convincing her not to buy it.

"Yes, ah' sure about it, just give me back my guitar," answered Applejack in a bitter tone.

"But it cost you," said Flim, there was a suspicious tone in his word.

"How much?" asked Sunset in suspicion.

"500 dollars," replied both of them.

"What!?" asked Rainbow in resentful. "For why?"

"Overhead cost," replied both of them.

"Well, at least not 1.000 dollars," said Applejack, but then she upset. "But we don't have that much."

"Then you had buy another guitar for yourself if you can't afford it," said Flim, but then he quickly noticed the purple skinned girl reading a book near the bookshelves. "That book cost 30 dollars young lady."

Twilight suddenly startled and dropped the book to the ground, she then turned her head at the brothers in awkward. "Pardon me?"

"That cost 30 dollars."

"Oh, okay," she then crouched down to take the book she dropped on the floor.

When she nearly grabbed the book, someone else already grabbed the book in front of her. She lifted her head to see who's in front of her, there was she saw black-brown beard and mustache and it much more like an arabian, iraqi, or Pashtun person. Then she looked at his face, he was someone she knew.

"Farikh?" asked Twilight in surprised.

"Twilight?" asked back Farikh also in surprised.

The Flim Flam and the girls looked at both of Farikh and Twilight, seemingly recognized each other. They were all amazed that Twilight recognized the 25 year-old above men. Farikh and Twilight slowly stand up and shook their hands together as they looked at each other in dumbfounded.

"It's good to see you again, brother."

"It's good to see you too, sister."

"Wait, you both know each other?" asked Rarity in weird feelings, made Farikh and Twilight looked at them for a while.

They both then looked back at each other and Farikh asked her quietly, very enough for Twilight to hear it except for the others. "You didn't tell your secrets?"

"I didn't tell them," replied Twilight with a shook of anxious.

"Is that the brother you mentioned about?" asked Pinkie in doubt.

"Correct," replied Twilight as she turned around at them along with Farikh.

"How you both met?" asked Fluttershy in soft voice.

"Well, it's a long story," replied Farikh as he rubbed his neck.

"Your name was Farikh, sounds peculiar for someone around here," commented Dash. "Unless, you're not around here?"

"Yes, i'm not from here," replied Farikh with a slow but honest nod. "I'm... from Shorawak, Helmand Province, uhh... Afghanistan."

"Ya'h... what?" Applejack and the others felt stupefied of that comment. "That's..... a rough place to live, how did you managed to get here?"

"That's...." Farikh then lost of words from there. "I don't know where to start."

"mmh, mmh," Flam distracted everyone to their attention since they still holding AJ's guitar.

Twilight then decide to help out Applejack about it. "Mr. Flam, how much the cost again?"

"500 Dollars, young lady," answered Flam. "You still cannot afford that much, right?"

Twilight just chuckled and smirked when he said that, everyone raised their eyebrow on why she's acting like that. She stepped forward at Flim and Flam whilst pulling out her wallet from her purple skirt pocket. She opens her wallet and take a look on how much money she got in it. She then pulled out the money and give it to them as the girls were pretty doubt if she's really giving them the real money with the exact amount or she was crazy to do it. After Flim received the money, he was surprised with the amount of the money.

"Whoa, this is REALLY $500!" exclaimed Flim. "How did you get that much?"

Twilight calmly lifted her shoulder and said. "Work."

Everyone stared at her with their skeptical look. "Riiight," said Fluttershy, who is also feeling skeptical about it.

Work, huh? I never see her work on something these days. Though Sunset, distrust Twilight's statement.

"Uhm, do you mind?" asked Twilight in nervous. "I want to have a private talk with Farikh."

"Sure, we don't mind at all," replied Applejack with a slow nod.

Twilight nodded back at her and then walked backwards a few steps before turning around and walk over Farikh. Twilight let out a sighed before she talks to Farikh.

"May we talk outside?" asked Twilight to Farikh.

"Sure, come on," Farikh and Twilight both head to the door and walked out the shop, leaving the rest still inside.

"Okay, they're gone now," commented Sunset in leery. "Ok, where were we at?"

After they both walked out the shop, they stopped at the wall next to the pawn shop window and Twilight leaned her left shoulder on the wall whilst folding her arms as she looks at Farikh. While Farikh only stand on where he is, looking around him for a while and his hands still on his sides. There were only a few people around the road, there are some walked around the sidewalk with their roller skates on, and some were jogging. After a while of pause, Twilight then looked at his eyes with a little smile.

"So, you live here?" asked Twilight in curious.

"Yes, Twilight," replied Farikh with glad. "This place is much more suitable for me than the others."

"Your brothers, are still with you right?" asked Twilight for confirmation.

"Yes, they're still with me," replied Farikh, there was something in his words sounded trailing off.

"Uuh, are your brothers having a problem?" asked Twilight as she turned her head to the right a little while her eyes still darting on him.

"Well, they are still.... what was that word?" Farikh struggles to remembered what was that word he want to mention.

"Adapting?" asked Twilight with an answer as she turned her head again vice versa while her eyes still darting on him.

"Yes! Adapting," cried Farikh. "Everything around here is... much more different than Afghanistan."

"Uh huh," nodded Twilight.

"Plus, they still can't speak english," added Farikh in disbelieve. "Can't believe i'll be their interpreter."

Twilight laugh a little and smirked as she shooks her head. "I see, i see. Well at least your brothers wiil get used to their new surroundings sooner or later."

"That's true, well, at least i'm helping them about it because already adapted to it, and i might need an English tutor," complained Farikh. "That said, we got a good life here than in Afghanisthan."

"So, how you're holding up?" asked Twilight. "Mainly about getting some moneys."

"We have our new shop opened at the mall, called 'Farikh's Shop Of Welfare And Fortune'," said Farikh.

"That's sound good, like you believe God will give anyone those things," complemented Twilight. "With you as His intermediator."

"That's what i was thinking," replied Farikh, pointing his finger to the sky. "I hope those things ever happened in my hometown."

Twilight then frowned and sad, she was reminded of Farikh's story back in Afghan. "Me too."

"Well, at least we found peace around here," said Farikh, smiling.

"And hope it will be last forever."

They paused for awhile, until Twilight remembered something. "I guess i owe you one."

Farikh was confused of what she meant. "What do you mean?"

"You saved my life and bring back to my brothers in the COP, i thank you and owe you one for that," Twilight pointed her finger at him with a smile.

"Oh..." Farikh remembered it now. "I see, well yeah you owe me one."

Twilight then noticed Farikh's expression, he was frowning in gloomy. "Is there something wrong?"

"I really regretted that i lost something precious," replied Farikh. "Something, that is in my inheritance."

"What is it?" asked Twilight, curious, hopefully she can help him.

"It's a kukri," replied Farikh. "You know, that small curved knife?"

Twilight nodded in understood.

"I lost it somewhere in Kandahar, i don't really remember where i lost it, but i'm sure it was around Kandahar."

"Is there something special with your Kruki?" asked Twilight, wanting a clear image.

"The blade was made of gold, and it has a carve of my name," explained Farikh. "The kukri handle was purely made of durable wood of a tree called Deodara tree, that was later repainted in black. It has two yellow sun marks in both sides and a white circle spot on the end part of the handle."

Twilight remembered about the knife that Farikh described. Coincidentally, she's been bringing a kukri hidden in her jacket, she pulled it out from her jacket and showed it to Farikh. "Is it this one?"

Farikh was glared in astonished, Twilight have brought in the Kukri that matches his description. "Yes! It's the one of my heritage! How did you found it?!"

"I got it in Operation Black Sunday," replied Twilight as she gave him his Kukri. "I found it in one of those dead militias, i though that this knife must be something special so, i just kept it hidden in stash."

Twilight shot the dying enemy who is still laying down on the ground and tried to kill her, he died by getting shot on the chest and his arms fell off to the ground with the rifle along with his head as well. The dying Taliban did took a shot on her but missed, the bullet flying next to her right chest. It was a good thing Laner warned her before she got shot.

"Thanks for the warning, Laner," said Twilight, in tense.

"Your welcome."

Twilight then approached the dead Taliban she shot before while the rest of the soldiers watching the perimeter. She noticed there was something shiny, fell of from inside his coat. She gets closer to his corpse and searched his body, to her amazement it was a kukri. There was a pashtun writing carved on the kukri's golden blade and some marks of yellow sun on the sides of the handle and a white spot on the end of the handle. Twilight felt that the kukri must be very valuable, so she decided to hide it in her backpack for she hid it in her stash back in the COP. After that, she left the corpse and catched up with the other soldiers who were starting to move on to the next location.

"Thank you, sister," Farikh then holstered his knife onto the special holster of that knife and put it back inside his messenger bag. "I've been looking for it for a long time."

"I guess we are now even," she said as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Sure, we're even," agreed Farikh.

Both of them smiling in relieved and thanking. Moments later Twilight's friends came out from the store in happy, having AJ's guitar back. Twilight and Farikh looked at them after they heard the doors sounded with bell rings. Everyone then mounted up in AJ's truck. Applejack nearly get inside the truck after she remembered about Twilight. She looked around and looked at Twilight.

"Ya' coming, Twilight?" asked Applejack as she pointed her mother finger to her truck.

"Yeah, i'm coming," Twilight then turned at Farikh. "I should go now, goodbye, brother."

"Goodbye, sister," replied Farikh. "May Allah be with you."

Twilight then walked towards the truck and get inside as Applejack gets inside the truck too. Applejack turned the key ignition to the right and the truck turned on. She then drove the truck, moving away from the pawn shop as Farikh waved his hand at them. As Applejack drove, Twilight was smiling with her back and her head leaning to her seat while the others were talking something else unimportant for Twilight. Sunset however though of something about Twilight since she decided to be quiet, thinking of Twilight's motives.

I need to ask Princess Twilight about this