Dean gazed down upon the sleeping Alicorn. Her head rested on her hooves as her torso moved up and down in sync with the beeps of his heart monitor. He smiled at the pure cuteness before him and moved his other hand in order to pet the little pony. His arm felt sluggish as he moved it.

Twilight gave a little hum and slowly opened her eyes as his hand gently stroked against her side. She blinked owlishly for a second before she noticed just who she was staring at.

With a yelp, she jumped into the air and wrapped her hooves around Deans neck, trying to squeeze the life out of him. Her wings fanned out across his body as her horn waved dangerously close to his eyes. Dean chuckled and hugged the little pony back. The scent of lavender filled his senses as she nuzzled into his neck with a smile.

"How long was I out?" Her head tilted to face him at the sound of his voice. Dean saw some tears threatening break free of her eyes and decided to try and lighten the mood.

"It will take a lot more than some simple poison to kill me y'know." He scratched behind her ear, causing it to flick slightly. Dean saw her squirm slightly so as to not fall off the bed; not like she would with the death grip she had on him.

"W-we thought we had lost you. By the time the medics arrived, they discovered that the poison had already moved through most of your body! With your strange armour, they wouldn't be able to get a proper read and treat you in time. It wasn't until a day ago that your body countered the poison entirely, a-and all I c-could do w-was watch and pray!" She sniffled and buried her head further into his neck. He smiled softly and continued to scratch her behind the ears, even giving the occasional back rub.

"I'm not going anywhere. If the mission isn't complete, then I'm not allowed to die. Right now, you, and your people are my mission." He heard Twilight give a content sigh before slightly loosening her grip around him; her sadness seemed to have disappeared. Dean looked down at Twilight once more, but upon looking up, he saw what appeared to be an outline of a young women. He squinted his eyes as more features were made out. She had long brown hair, a skinny but well built frame. Her curves accented her form perfectly. Dean found himself staring at his wife, her ghostly smile causing all matter of functions to stop working within him. Her lips were moving, and her expression was sad, but he could not understand what she was saying. Her image seemed to shimmer in the Artificial light.

'How is she here? She looks like a ghost!'

A thump of pain suddenly slammed into his head, causing him to wince. Upon looking back, all he saw was the blank wall of the room he occupied. His wife was gone.

"Thanks Dean, thanks for everything." He looked down with a start, temporarily forgetting where he was.

"Y-you're welcome." He felt a sudden fatigue pass over himself, causing his eyes to droop. The places where Twilights fur touched bare skin was warm and soft, her embrace gave off a comfort that Dean had not felt in quite some time.

"Uh, am I interrupting something?"

Dean's eyes snapped open as a certain Princess rocketed into the air for the second time in five minutes, his brain failing to process what had happened. His disorientation proved to be his downfall as Twilight landed on his stomach with her full weight, knocking the wind out of him as he lurched in the bed.

"SPIKE!" Twilight grinned impossibly wide as she sat on top of Dean, who was huffing and puffing. The little dragon was standing several feet away from the bed with his hands behind his back, a knowing smirk stretched across his mouth. Dean looked over the edge of the bed and moved into a sitting position, causing Twilight to stumble, flare her wings and promptly smack Dean in the face.

Spluttering, the Sergeant reached forward and grabbed the princess around the torso before hauling her onto his lap. Her face lit up as red as a tomato while she tried to wiggle free, but it was to no avail. Spikes quiet laughter only made her embarrassment worse.

"Dean, Put me down!" She tried to wiggle free one last time, but Dean's hand suddenly found it's way behind her ear once more, causing her to melt into his embrace. He chuckled at her antics and turned to face the young dragon.

"What can I do for you, Spike?" He noticed Twilights wings were slightly extended to the sides, but thought nothing of it. It was probably just her attempt to stay balanced while he playfully messed around. He saw the dragon trying to hold his laughter once more, causing him to smile deviously.

He slowly lowered his head so that his mouth was close to the little Princesses ear and whispered just loud enough for Spike to hear:

"Sorry Sparklebutt, looks like we are gonna have to put this little lecture session on hold."

"Deaaan!" Twilight whined and began her squirming once more. Dean decided that he had had enough fun for now and carefully lifted her under the belly before placing her on the floor. Her face facial fur was beet red and her ears were angled down in annoyance.

Spikes laughter intensified, causing him to double over in a fit of laughter. Tears were pouring down his face as he rolled around on the floor.

Crossing her hooves, Twilight sat on her back legs and stuck her nose in the air. Dean nearly had a heart attack at how cute she looked.

"Not funny." The purple Princess mumbled to herself. But as soon as Dean looked away, she couldn't help but let a little smile creep across her muzzle.

Dean for his part was trying sit upright in the bed, but his head began to swim and his thigh began to throb. Usually he would tough it out and ignore the pain, but seeing as there was no danger, he figured he should listen to his brain heal up. Twilight must have noticed his failed attempt and jumped to her hooves.

"I'll go get the doctor, they have the diagnosis on your full condition." Twilight raced out of the room, leaving Spike behind with the Human. Silence ensued, both parties looking around awkwardly. Spike decided to try a conversation.

"So, uh, Dean. You and Twilight huh?" He put on a smile as he watched Dean blanche. The human chuckled softly and turned his head to face the little Dragon.

"Sorry to disappoint kid, you're sister and I are just close friends. Not to mention I'm married and have a kid back home." Dean's face suddenly darkened, like a cloud had passed over the sun.

"That plane never crashed."

Spike didn't hear what the Sergeant had mumbled; he figured it wasn't his business either way. He had more pressing matters to deal with.

"Wait, how did you know I was Twilight's brother?" The little dragon didn't recall ever telling Dean that Twilight was his older sister (adoptive mother?). Dean chuckled and looked back a the ceiling.

"Wasn't too hard to figure out. You said you were looking for someone in Maritime Bay, and when I saw yours and her reaction to seeing each other, it just clicked." Dean waved his hand carelessly in the air. The fatigue was slightly dulled now that he was comfortable, at least he would be if his helmet still wasn't on his head.

With a sigh, Dean reached up and undid the strap for his headgear. He slowly pulled it off his head and let it fall to the floor beside him with a thunk. His greasy hair was slowly starting to grow out, but otherwise remained quite flat to his head. He was never one to get super long or curly hair, and the way he styled it in highschool made him look older than he really was. Right now it was just messy.

'Now that I think about it, I should probably take a shower. I don't think I want to know what I smell like under the armour.'

He looked over at Spike, who had grown quiet for some reason. He saw the little dragon looking towards the floor with a sad expression.

"What's wrong kid? I can see something is troubling you." he patted the side of his bed gently, encouraging the little dragon to move closer. Spike hesitated before slowly moving closer.

"Well, Dean, I never got to thank you for saving me a-and reuniting me with Twilight. She also told me about how you rescued and took care of her. So, uh...yah, thank you. I-I owe you my life in a way." The little dragon was holding his tail between his legs and refused to look at Dean. The Sergeant noticed this and gave a sincere smile.

"Spike, it's my job to help others. It was the least I could do by rescuing you and your sister, and don't even think for a second that I will continue to help you. You don't owe me anything little guy; if you are ever in a tight situation, call for me, and I'll be there." Spike looked up at Dean with a tearful smile. There was a moment's hesitation before the little dragon launched through the air and hugged Dean, catching him by surprise. The human instinctively wrapped his free hand around the Dragons torso, his massive, armoured arm seeming to envelope the little reptile entirely. After a second, Spike let go and slid back to the ground.

"Thanks again, Dean. I think I'll head out for now, I've gotta clean the room Twi and I are staying in. I'll see you around!" The little drake jogged out of the room, his mood lifted by his conversation with the human.

Dean sighed and lay back down. He sat in silence for a solid ten minutes, but not a second later, he began to think.

'Why are all the species on this planet so emotive? My actions would be seen as minor back on Earth, but apparently not here. The only ones here who act similar to humanity are the Dark Elves. No, those guys are closer to the Orith. Or maybe not? All they seem to care about is keeping an iron fist over the equines. Rape seems to be common, and the ponies are deemed as inferior, like they are animals! Maybe they aren't as bad as the Orith, but as an American, it is my duty to fight for freedom and justice. That, and I need to rescue them. My people are counting on me to help finish the war back home, but if I don't stop what is going on here, then the chances of THAT happening are next to zero. I need to devise a plan of attack. Maybe I should attack the source of the problem, the Emperor? Maybe there is a weapon that can wipe out the Elves in one fell swoop? Shit, I'm getting ahead of myself. Heh, nuking the Elves wouldn't be so--'

"In here please, nurse."

Dean was cut from his musings as the door swung open violently. A very familiar yellow Earth pony trotted into the room, followed closely by an even more familiar Princess. The Earth pony walked on three legs and held a clipboard in the fourth. Her eyes darted back and forth across whatever she was reading before slowly looking up towards him.

He watched as her irises seemed to dilate and her ears folded back. The hackles on her back slowly began to rise, and with the soft and longer fur of the ponies, it seemed like she was becoming fuzzier.

"Princess, I was not told that It would be here. The doctor is supposed to be coming soon, s-so I should probably--" The nurse began to back away, but soon found her exit blocked by a rather burly stallion.

The pony in question sported what seemed to be a goatee along with glasses and a lab coat. His horn was alite and Dean watched as a trolley was wheeled through the door by his magic. Twilight stepped closer to the bed and smiled up at Dean.

"This is Dr. Lactose, the lead doctor in the Royal Guard. He and his apprentice here, Yellow Wrap, were the ones who tried to help cure you of the poison." Twilight raised a hoof and pointed to each pony as she said there names, both of whom were silently bickering about Dean.

"He is a patient in need and it is our duty to help him. I don't care if he threw you in some dirty laundry!" The doctors voice was tinged with a french accent; Dean wondered if he spoke the language.

"B-but he has canine teeth! He m-might eat you!" The nurse took a step back as the doctor stomped his hoof on the floor. The impact caused a small crack to appear in the stone.

"Je m'en fiche! It does not matter! Griffon's eat meat, and you and I have treated them just the same as a pony! je s'en fout ci, Sergeant Dean est un carnivore, he is still a living, breathing, est thinking personne!" Dean's eyes widened in surprise as the stallions words slipped between French and English. He looked over at Twilight, who was analyzing the bickering with a tilted head. Dean could tell that she didn't understand some of the words. He decided to try and reassure the two before things became more heated.

"Je ne mange pas de chevaux, si vous vous demandiez." All three heads turned to him in surprise and shock. Twilights look of utter disbelief was priceless, causing him to crack a small smile. The nurse was looking at him with confusion and fear, while the Doctor seemed to simply be bewildered. After a moment of silence the doctor gave a hearty laugh.

"The Human has more intellect than I imagined! Pray tell, how do you know the langue de mes forefathers?" The stallion trotted up to Dean, the nurse long forgotten.

"I studied the language in school, my people call it French. Je suis Sergente Dean Forester." Dean sat up and held up his hand, to witch the stallion eagerly shook in both hooves.

"Dans Equestria, my language is called 'Prench.' Tres coïncidence, non? Je suis Docteur Lactose, but you can call me Lactose or doctor!" The doctor then turned to his assistant who hadn't moved. "Don't you see? Le Sergente is quite friendly. Stop being a chicken and help me get set up. Dean," his head swiveled back to Dean, "we will be running a few tests to ensure that you are healthy. We will also be giving a full diagnosis on your condition. Is this okay with you?"

Dean nodded and waved a hand. "Sure thing doc." He sat back against his pillow while the doctor went about helping his assistant. He realized there was something missing and promptly looked down...

...only to find Twilights bloodshot eyes several centimeters from his own.

"Gah! Twilight, don't do that!" Dean jumped, causing the bed to shake. His outburst went unheeded as the little Alicorn slowly raised herself on her back legs before placing her front ones on the edge of the bed. A feral grin was working its way onto her muzzle.

"What else did these schools teach you?" Her words were slow and methodical, as if she had rehearsed the phrase countless times before. Dean was a bit dumbfounded and could only stare the the Princess.

"Well, that depends on what grade. If you are talking about when I learned french, that was in a time when we were learning basic math, english, economics, and other various courses." Dean leaned back as she suddenly grew closer.

"Can you show me the things you have learned? Being from a different world would mean that you posses different knowledge. Is there a way you can teach me?" Her expression turned from aggressive to pleading, but that to soon morphed into realization. Twilight quickly hopped down and looked around nervously. The doctor was still setting up and his assistant was occupied with the sink. Her cheeks tinged red as she looked down shamefully.

"I'm sorry Dean, I-I got carried away when you started speaking another language. It's just... since you possessed such advanced technologies, I thought that you also must have advanced knowledge beyond pony intellect. I-I'll leave the room now so the doctor can talk to you." She made to turn, but Dean quickly called out to her:

"Twilight, do you remember what I promised you when we were walking back to the cave?" She stopped and turned to look at him, her ears perking up to attention.

"Not really no, that all went by in a blur if I am to be honest." She saw Dean reach for something and took a step closer.

A sudden noise sounding like an electronic beep emitted from beside Dean. The pitch caused her ears to flick slightly in agitation. After a second, a metallic hiss emanated from the side; now she was really curious.

"What is that?!" She watched as he balanced a rectangular mirror in his one hand. The mirror had a strap attached to it, likely for being placed on an arm. But what would Dean need a mirror for? He was a soldier!

"This is a tacpad. It holds quite a load of data as well as a few personal additions that I put in. I had told you that you could read one of the human books that I had downloaded onto its hardware." Dean pressed the mirror, causing it to suddenly light up in a brilliant display. Twilight 'ooh'd' as his finger caused various things to move across the surface. Never before had she seen such advanced technology.

"Here we go, Lord of the Rings." Dean clicked on the icon, causing the book in question to appear before him. He then proceeded to hand the device to Twilight, who accepted it very carefully in her hooves.

"This is a piece of human literature!?" Twilight stared in amazement at the little screen before her. Her eyes were already dancing across the lines of writing.

"It is. Be careful with that thing, and if you want to flip to the next page, tap the screen and it should respond. Since it is detached from my armour, it's battery life will only remain on for two hours. Should be plenty of time while the doctor checks on me."

That seemed to be a cue, for the doctor suddenly appeared beside the bed.

"Dean, if you would like to stand up, we will start with a quick physical examination." The doctor glanced at Twilight before looking back to Dean. The human tapped Twilight on the shoulder lightly, for her focus was no entirely on the tacpad.

"Oh, yes! I'll be super careful Dean. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" And then Deans heart nearly stopped when the purple alicorn flapped her wings and planted a little kiss on his cheek. His eyes went wide as Twilight proceeded to saunter out of the room, the tacpad in hoof.

Dean looked at doctor lactose, who sported a devious smirk. Dean simply scowled and waved towards him.

"Let's get this over with."