The 88 miles of ...

Celestia was relaxing from her everyday duties as the ruler of Equestria. Her days were as warm and comforting as the sun itself, and like most days, nothing was out of the ordinary. Ponies were going about their daily routines, enjoying their Princess' beautiful and welcoming day.

“Your Highness.”

A deep muscular like voice called in an almost overly used polite way, one of her dear ponies. Celestia let out a silent sigh and lowered her tea, one was enjoying while it was still hot for her as she got ready to address a next request. She nodded, motioning the colt to speak his request. The colt took a small breath to steady himself.  “ Is it true that there might be a new war on its way?”

Celestia let out another sigh, one that was silent as well but this time being slightly noticeable to the ones in her sight. The question could be heard bouncing off the marble floors and its red fabric covered walls of the room, for so many times the question repeated over the previous couple of days. Putting back on an reassuring smile, she answered.

"There is no need for concern, my dear citizen. Those rumors about the Fox Army invading our lands are simply untrue."

“But what about the large groups being seen at the Eastern border?” the colt asked fidgeting in place.

Celestia let a moment of silence linger as she took a calm. collective sip of her tea. Taking in its flavor and texture, she lowered the cup and allowed it to rest on an nearby table. Where it has been waiting for her during her duties, she replied.

“Those sightings have been proven to be false, dear citizen. Still, I am grateful for your concern and let me assure you. That there is no need to be concerned with this matter, and if such an event should unfold in the future. That The Royal Guards is more than capable of protecting all the ponies.”

The colt considered to express his worries more on the matter, but then firmly nodded, keeping silent. The colt trusting one of the rulers' judgment over his own .

“Thank you very much, Highness.”

“No harm is done, I enjoy helping my citizens when in need.”

The colt bowed to the princess of the sun before he walked towards the exit, which Celestia bowed in return. The Guards standing next to the dark wooden doors opened the exit, only to close them again once the colt had passed.

A heavy sigh escaped Celestia’s lips once the colt was out of sight.

“Your ponies still seem to be very concerned by the increased numbers of fox soldiers.”   A female voice strongly stated.

“I just hope it does not turn into full blown Hysteria, like when the Changelings tried their attempt of taking over your lands.”

The mare firmly stomped her hoof into the carpet making a muffled clank sound as her armor transferred it momentum.

“There is no need for such rash behavior, Commander Thunder Struck.” Celestia voiced with a hint of dislike.

The commander bowed, cringing for letting her anger get to her again.

“My apologies, Princess.”

“But you are right Commander, the Changeling invasion did came with quite a toll, one that my citizens will not forget so easily.”

Both their expressions turned bitter at being reminded those past events. And while her armor and its enchantments that it possessed didn’t show it, the commander had the scars covering her normally deep wine-red coat. Her scars a painful reminder of the horrible events and losses that happened during those events. Their brief moment of sourness didn’t last, for as another guard quickly trotted towards their direction.

“Princess, your presence is needed at once”  The guard was heavily panting as he nearly stumbled over his own hooves, attempting to salute while he rushed.

Slightly caught off guard, the Princess quickly pushed the past memories aside.

“What seems the situation?”  She asked.

“Some…some… thing has entered the castle  courtyard.  It has been attacking every pony who attempts to get close!”

The guard uttered as he was still gasping for air.

The sound echoed throughout the room as the Princess and commander were already well on their way to said location, with the other guard following behind.

“Keep your distance!”  The screams of an officer drowned through the halls. As well as the sound of clattering armor and crumbling against the stone floors.

Loud intimidating growls got more pronounced as the Princess and Commander Thunder Struck got closer to the courtyard. They passed through the final set of doors before laying eyes on the situation.

“Watch out!”  Another guard yelled out in horror as a strange  thing  lunged at a stone wall, roaring loudly and smashing it to pieces making a couple Guards scramble away from the area like roaches.

Then even more quickly than it had attacked, the thing had stopped. A few moments later, it backed away before freezing in place. The menacing sound it was continuously making faded away, which left courtyard eerily silence.

“For what in Tartarus is this foul beast?”  the severely confused Commander Struck eventually broke the silence with her question.

The strange creature not moving an hoof since it has calmed.

“I do not know.”

Celestia closed her eyes as her horn emitted a soft glow to examine the creature, but to no result.

“I have to be closer to know what it is” she announced as she leaned forward to make her way to the creature.

Thunder Struck jumped at this, immediately into action.

“Princess, I cannot allow that! It is too dangerous and we do not know if it will attack again, it may harm you!”  she declared as she placed herself in between her and the possible threat.

While the commander had a point the princess still needed to know what the strange creature was, which she needed to get closer for.

“Who says it means harm to any of us. It might just be lost.”  She countered.

“I understand that your concern for my safety comes first, but that doesn’t mean we have to take assumptions based on a possible misunderstanding. For all we it has came here for a reason. From the lack of panic from the city, it has concealed itself and has not harmed anypony on its way here, otherwise ponies would have already noticed such a beast. And it looks like no guards were actually harmed, it must have used intimidation to protect itself. So I don’t think that violence is its motivator.” she added to put the commander at ease.

Celestia might be one of the princess siblings, but that doesn’t mean that she saw herswelf above anypony else. And she knew Commander Struck well enough that she would not take a simple no for an answer, especially when somepony’s life might be on the line. The look in the guarding mare’s eyes still remained strong as she held firm.

“As you wish, Princess”

Thunder Struck eventually gave in, stepping aside but keeping her guard up.  She accepted her defeat but kept eye contact at the creature, ready to take action if anything was out of the ordinary. Giving the notion all other guards to do the same.

The princess knew that was as good as she was going to get from her, but proceeded to the silent creature who had backed itself against a wall and hadn’t moved since it stopped it’s attack. With gentle steps she made her way down the stairs into the courtyard. An unnerving silence was only broken by the sound of Pegasus wings flapping in the wind to keep themselves airborne and the hoof steps of a royalty tapping against the stone pathway, as she made her way towards the being. Guards watched every movement that Celestia made and the lack of movement by the being, ready to take action along with the commander when things got out of hoof.

As she closed in on the watching guest, she quickly realized it didn’t had any hooves, claws, or even feet. It just had…

Wheels.

Wheels that looked like to be made of some kind of rubbery material. It’s body also seemed to be made of an mix of exotic metals and materials of which she has never seen. Having an transparent glass like surface on its back as well.

Now being about fifteen meters away, it's size became quite apparent. The creature was slightly unnerving to her that it allowed her so close while the ponies it assaulted were far further away than she was now.

Ten meters and still no sign of aggression nor movement. She carefully continued on, noticing that what she assumed were eyes started to focus on her instead of being aimed straight ahead. She suddenly had to flare one of her wings to shield her eyes from a soft jet of light straightly aimed at her, one that the creature was now producing.

All the surrounding guards tensed even more, being a pin drop away from launching into action. Quite literally, any noise would have set them off to protect as of now. The Regal sister was about to turn around and motion them to stand back, but the creature had beaten her to the punch as the light disappeared and the red haze it was producing behind it faded shortly after. It’s eyes that apparently could emit light went from corner to corner frantically looking for an escape route. Celestia noticed as she saw one its eyes had adjusted once again as it checked the surrounding courtyard. Celestia noted that it was cornered with the only way out was through her, a multiple of hedges, statues, benches and other ponies.

“What does it seek here?”  She wondered to herself.

While its metallic face didn’t seemed to convey emotions, but still those trembling ‘eyes’ gave her a feeling that it was lost. There was also another feeling going through her, one of having seen it before but she couldn’t remember where. She took those thoughts in consideration as she next tried to communicate with the creature.

“Welcome, My name is Celestia. I am one of the rulers of Equestria. May I ask what brings you here?”. She worded giving a slight bow.

When she said her own name the creature’s dark spots that look like pupils enlarged noticeably. Yet it gave no verbal response. An brief silence fell.

The situation was becoming more uncomfortable with the passing minutes, for both the princess and everypony involved as the creature stayed silent. As the sound of shuffling armor became audible which it appeared to be picking up on,  its ‘eyes’ moved from side to side again more in a searching motion this time. After which it suddenly produced a single ‘honk’ sound taking some ponies off guard as the flinched, one of which, who was leaning far forward to get a view down on the situation fell face first.

As the metal wrapped colt landed right next to the creature, making a loud clanking sound as pieces of his armor hit together. The now startled being roared into life lounging forward to just stop inches in front of the princess with an intense squealing sound. After which it moved around and behind Celestia, putting her in between it and the noisy guard. Who, not knowing how to react just laid motionless looking at both Celestia and the being that was still clearly visible behind her, holding his hooves on top of his head.

Celestia herself needed a moment to recollect what had just happened.  A creature was hiding behind her from a pony that it dwarfed in size. Furthermore it was remarkably agile for its size as it threw its rear around itself to face the princess. While wearing a hint of disapproval on her façade she looked back at the guard.

“Are you alright?”  She questioned.

A shaky  “Y-yes ma’am”  was all she got before the drop-in got up and scrambled away taking a wide arc around her and the creature. One might wonder who the guard feared most in that moment: the unknown creature, or the princess.  Her eyes watched the guard running up the stairs leading to the grand entrance of the castle which quickly opened and closed, breaking the line of sight she had on the guard.

As the rest of the guards started to regain their composure, she turned around to face the previous state of affairs, the creature. She almost immediately bumped into something quiet solid and immovable causing a small shutter to run down her hind leg at contact. Looking slightly behind of her she saw the solid, immovable object: ‘The Creature’, as she could hear different guards whisper in the background. After having moved back a bit, The Creature slowly inched closer coming to a halt about a few centimeter away from her.

Was the being trusting her or was it playing along to be able to strike when they let their guard down?

She only knew that ‘The Creature’ was like nothing ever witnessed before in Equestria, yet that she could have sworn she had seen before.

She needed to know for certain.

Raising her hoof, she bumped against the creature which made her wince slightly. The creature grumbled in response as it immediately backed away. A slight ‘honk’ came from it as it stopped, being still within her reach. The sound itself wasn’t as loud and energetic as before, more close to the sound of a soft whimper. Celestia raised her hoof again this time not hitting the creature in the process. To her surprise the creature softly moved forward until her hoof touched it’s strange ‘skin’.

She noted how hard, cold, and trembling the metallic looking skin felt. The trembling then stopped, as well as the grumbling sound. Taking it as a sign of trust, a soft yellow glow emitted for her horn as she starts sensing what for creature this was.