The stars above Equestria shined brightly in Luna's sky that night. All across the land, countless ponies, donkeys, zebras, and gryphons rested peacefully under the moon's gentle light. At the same time, while fewer in number, there were those engaged in various nighttime activities, such as one lavender alicorn in Ponyville, who was intently studying the stars form the tallest tower of her castle. Twilight Sparkle gazed into the eyepiece of her magically enhanced telescope, scanning the heavens for any sign of the anomaly that had attracted her attention these past few days. Pulling back, she levitated a quill and parchment over to jot down a few notes.
The object that appeared in the sky four days ago appears to be approaching Equis. Curiously it's current position remains behind what my calculations predict. It is as if the object is slowing down as it moves closer to our planet in complete disregard for Neightownian Physics. However, tonight is when the object will be a it's closest to Equis. according to Princess Luna....
“Twilight, are you still awake?” a sleepy voice called out. Twilight looked over to see her number one assistant, Spike, looking in through the door.
“Oh! Spike, you have to come see this!” Twilight replied, “I've almost got a clear view tonight!”
“I don't really see what the big deal is,” Spike sighed, “It's just some funny star right?”
“Stars don't just appear silly,” Twilight corrected, “This object is like nothing anypony's ever seen. It's highly reflective, more so than any meteor on record, and the lack of a tail means it's not a comet. In fact, it seems to be mostly metallic in composition.”
“Do you think it could be some sort of spaceship?” Spike asked.
“A few days ago I would of called such an idea ridiculous,” Twilight admitted, “but after observing it's movement these past few nights, I'm not so sure anymore. It would certainly explain how it's been slowing down.”
“Well that's cool. Do you think any aliens might be coming for a visit?” Spike pondered, “I mean, it's not like they've done much to hide themselves, it would make a rather clumsy start if it was some sort of invasion.” He began pacing as he spoke, continuing with his train of thought. “Of course maybe that's just what they want us to think and they'll be all 'we come in peace' and then suck everypony's brains out when they least expect it.” Spike's eyes grew wide. “Or maybe their weapons are just so strong that they don't need to bother with stealth! Or maybe-”
“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed, interrupting the young dragon's paranoia driven rant, “Calm down, the likelihood of an invasion of any sort is absurd. By my calculations, the object is only a little larger than Canterlot. It's much too small to hold a force large enough to take over the world, if it even is a spaceship.”
Just then, a streak of light lit up the sky.
“Oh, Hey! Look, a shooting star!” said Spke. His fears forgotten, he ran over to the rail to get a better view of the sky, but the fallen star had already disappeared.
Twilight followed spike over to the edge of the tower. “Did you make a wish?” she asked with a smile. As she watched the sky, another streak flashed in the night, followed by two more.
“It's a meteor shower!” Twilight realized.
Together, Twilight and spike stood at the top of the tower watching the night sky. Soon countless streaks of light filled the heavens. The two friends stood in awe of this private show as the stars continued to fall. As time went on, ponies all around Ponyville, and even all across Equestria awakened to see the meteor shower and appreciate it's beauty. However...
“Hey Twilight, is it just me, or is that star growing bigger?”
“Hm?” twilight hummed, before shaking herself back to reality, “What did you say spike?”
“I said one of the stars is growing.” He pointed to the star in question.”
Twilight dashed back to her telescope to get a better view of the star in question. Sure enough, she was able to identify it as the very object she had been keeping track of. But more than that, Twilight was able to get her first detailed look at exactly what the object truly was.
“Mother of Equestria!” Twilight gasped. There could be no denying what it was she was looking at now. She felt faint, her legs began to tremble, and it was without much warning that Twilight fell over in a daze.
“Twilight!” Spike cried out. He rushed to her side. “Are you all right?”
Twilight was shaking, the shock of what she saw slowly fading. “I think so, spike.” she said, “I just never honestly thought...”
“Twilight?” Spike asked, worry creeping into his voice, “Thought what?”
Minutes passed, and soon, what Twilight had seen became clearly visible in the night sky. It was a massive vessel, comparable to the gondola of an airship in shape. As it entered the planet's atmosphere, a corona of flames wreathed around the titanic ship, lighting up the night as bright as day. Those who were watching could be forgiven for wondering how such a massive vehicle could fly. However, as time passed, something else became apparent.
It could not.
Slowly, piece by piece, the massive ship began to break apart under the strain of it's fall. Wreckage from the vessel spread out, falling over all of Equestria, forcing many to take shelter. Shield spells went up over cities and towns, sparing the residents from the worst of the fallout. Soon, the centerpiece of the ship, a flattened sphere-like construction was all that was left. Those still watching looked on in despair, as it was headed directly for Canterlot mountain. Great jets of flame erupted from either side of the structure as if it were trying to control it's decent, but to no avail. It's course firmly set, there was nothing to be done but wait for impact. With an almighty crash that shook all of Equestria, the pod impacted the base of Canterlot mountain There was a bright flash of light, then...
Silence.
A cloud of dust and smoke hung over the crash site. As it slowly dissipated, the newest addition to the landscape was made visible. The pod sat at a sharp angle in a nest of gigantic blue crystals that seemed to grow out of the mountain itself. Amazingly, both it and the mountain seemed mostly intact. All of Equestria shared a collective sigh of relief upon seeing that the capitol stood unharmed. At the same time, there was an underlying air of tension left in the wake of the calamity. What was that mysterious craft, and why did it break apart? What mysterious beings could have created such a thing, and for what purpose? Were there any survivors of the crash, and would they be friendly, or hostile? What was clear, was that Equestria as it had been known was irreversibly changed that night. As dawn's first light began to creep over the horizon, Ponykind awakened to a new addition to their world, one that would play a part in shaping the future, for better or worse. Only time could tell.
Author's Note
And so it begins. Suggestions and Ideas are welcome, as this is my first attempt at writing fan fiction of any sort. Wish me luck, and I hope you all enjoy. (The two of you that is)
As the friendship Express pulled into the makeshift station, Twilight couldn't help but stare in awe. She had ridden along this very route several times since moving to Ponyville, and had memorized every landmark the train passed, every twist and turn of the tracks that made up the line connecting Ponyville to Canterlot. But now, there was a drastic change to the once-familiar landscape. A great scar in the land marked where the remains of the ship had slid across the ground before impacting the mountainside, smooth streaks of blue crystal were laced into the ground at varying intervals. The railway to Canterlot had been completely severed beyond this point, a mess of tangled tracks was all that was left ahead of the train. The pod itself was imbedded in the mountain's base, tilted at a sharp angle. As Twilight stepped off the train, she was able to get a better look at the structure. A vast metal ring was wrapped around the pod's outer perimeter, while the top side was covered by a blue barrier. The crystal nest surrounded the underside of the pod, holding it firmly within the mountain. Royal Guardsponies patrolled the area, keeping watch for any signs of movement within the structure.
“My word! It's hard to imagine that such a thing flew right over our heads just last night!”
Twilight turned to see her friend, Rarity, disembark from the train. The fashion pony had chosen to forgo her usual attire for a trip to Canterlot, opting to wear just a simple sunhat for the trip.
“Yeah! How Awesome was it?” Rainbow Dash replied, flying out of the train behind Rarity, “I mean, aside from the whole crashing thing, but can you imagine how cool it must have looked before then?”
“Oh, I do hope, that they're all right, whatever they are.” Dear Fluttershy, her kind heart always reaching out to others in need, had not hesitated to come along. Not even the possibility of danger could dissuade her from trying to lend aid in any way she could.
“Oo! Oo! Me too! How else could I throw them a 'Welcome to Equestria' party if they weren't feeling well?” said Pinkie Pie, as she hopped out of the train. “I wonder what they're like?” the pink pony wondered, “Oo! Maybe they're like kickplot rebels who trow reason to the curb, fighting against an oppressive intergalactic regime that wants to stomp out any race that tries to pierce the heavens! Or maybe they're all giant robots that can transform into cool vehicles, fleeing their war-torn planet for calmer space, only to be chased here by another faction of giant transforming robots! Or MAYBE, they're all normal sized robots built so well that you couldn't tell them apart from a living thing, but they were originally flesh and blood before robotifying themselves and now they're dealing with a species wide identity crisis of what constitutes as a living thing!”
“Land's sakes Pinkie, If any a that were true, ah'll eat my hat!” Said Applejack as she followed Pinkie out. “You've been watching too many of those Neighpon cartoons with Fluttershy.”
As the six friends set hoof on solid ground, a group of royal guards trotted over to meet them. Leading the formation was a familiar alabaster unicorn stallion.
“BBBFF!” Cried Twilight, as she set off in a gallop to meet her brother.
“Twiley!” Shining Armor replied as he caught his sister in a hug. “I'm so relieved you're all right!”
Twilight broke the hug before replying, “Me, too Bbbff. For a while there it seemed like the sky itself was falling.” The group began walking to join the rest of the assembled ponies at the structure.
“Indeed,” Shining nodded in understanding. “Cadence and I were able to keep the Crystal Empire shielded, but other cities weren't as fortunate. Apparently Manehattian lost the Statue of Friendship, and everypony's heard what's happened to Canterlot Mountain by now.” He turned to look at the crashed pod. “All sings point to this being the largest surviving piece if the object. Nopony's been able to find an opening, though I imagine that most of them aren't very eager to look either.”
“Has any unicorn been able to detect any sign of life?” Twilight asked?
“Not yet, but no pony's been able to examine any further than a few dozen hooves inside”
“Of course, with something this massive, trying to analyze it with magic would be no small task” Twilight nodded in understanding. “I can't even begin to imagine how it must have even been constructed.”
As the conversation continued, the group eventually reached a series of tents that had been erected adjacent to the outermost edge of the pod. Shining Armor lead everypony to the largest tent. “The other princesses are in here,” He said as he opened the tent with his magic.
Twilight entered the tent to see Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadence, as well as a few high-ranking members of the royal guard, gathered around a table that had been placed in the center of the tent. The table displayed a hastilly drawn map of the crash site, Canterlot Mountain, and the surrounding countryside. As the rest of Twilight's friends entered the tent, Celestia looked up from the map, relief evident in her features.
“Twilight Sparkle, It is good to see that you and your friends have made it here unharmed,” she said, “One can't be too sure what dangers may have arisen in the wake of this calamity.”
“There were no difficulties along the way here,” Twilight clarified. “I'm just relieved that Canterlot is still in one piece.”
Applejack stepped forward, “Ah've been wondering about that, princess,” the apple pony stated, “It seemed like that thing was gonna bowl over the whole mountain, but it just jammed itself in the base like it belonged there.”
“I believe I can answer that,” Cadence offered, “The Crystals that appeared after the crash are not of equestrian origin, and likely originated from the craft itself. When Unicorns from the university came to collect samples, they discovered that these crystals are highly resistant to damage, and have the ability to absorb tremendous amounts of kinetic force. One pony tested the material with a rubber ball. No matter how hard the ball was thrown, it would not bounce against the crystal.”
Shining armor nodded. “It's likely that these crystals also extend deep into the heart of Canterlot Mountain, and are now holding it together,” He explained. “The craft may have created them to save both itself and Canterlot from Destruction.”
“Well that's good to hear,” said Rainbow Dash, “It's not like the aliens are here to invade us or anything, Right?”
“That's right!” Pinkie agreed, “The whole ship going to pieces and burning up seems about as effective as ramming face first into a shield spell over and over,”
“Uh, isn't that how the changelings nearly took Canterlot?” Applejack noted.
“Ahem, moving on,” said Twilight, in order to move away from that awkward train of thought. “Has there been any activity from the craft?”
“None since last night,” Luna confirmed. “It appears that this vessel is unlikely to leave it's current berth, nor is there any likelihood of there being an entrance found in the foreseeable future.”
Suddenly, cutting into the meeting, a shout of alarm overtook the camp.
“Fire!”
Everypony dashed out of the tents to see where the call had come from, those with wings took to the air to get a better view.
“Fire! there's fire coming from the vessel!” a pegasus guard called out once more, his hoof pointing out where. Sure enough, from the south edge of the pod, furthest from the mountain, a protrusion in the structure was emitting bright orange flames downward.
Looking at the fire, Twilight realized something, “Princess Celestia, I don't think this is an ordinary fire,” she noted. “It seems controlled.”
“My thought as well Twilight,” Celestia agreed, observing the inferno. “It's growing fiercer.” With a deep breath, she switched to the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Everypony, stay back!” Celestia ordered. Those who had been dashing towards the pod, some with clouds and buckets of water, froze in their tracks.
The flames gradually brightened from orange to a searing blue, the crystals immediately below quickly melting from the heat of the flames. It's job done, the fire began to dim just as suddenly as it had started, before vanishing completely. Following this, a jet of white cloud was expelled over the superheated terrain, obscuring the site from view. All was still for a moment as the fog slowly cleared, revealing what had been uncovered by the flames. Just underneath the structure that had produced the fire, a large gateway was visible. Wordlessly, the assembled ponies began to approach the site with caution.
Nearing the gateway, Twilight was able to get an estimate of how large it was. The passage looked as if two fully grown dragons could easily walk through, side by side. Barring entry was a large metal door. No obvious means of opening it were visible, however somewhere just inside, the sounds of hidden mechanisms could be heard. With the hiss of escaping air, and the groaning of metal, the door slowly began to swing downwards. The assembled ponies, with the four Princesses standing at the front, watched in awe as the massive gate slowly lowered into place. Beyond the opening, a black tunnel lead into the unknown depths of the pod. One by one, lights flickered on, revealing a series of strange figures slowly approaching from within.
As the Figures approached, their features became more distinct. They were bipedal, like a Minotaur, but more slenderly built. Some wore what appeared to be heavy armor, in a range of colors, while others wore lighter clothing. Their faces were apelike, but smoother, softer. It didn't take long for twilight to recognize what they were. Humans? Here in Equestria? But how is this possible? Indeed, the parallels to the world through Starswirl's magic mirror were uncanny. Advanced technology, wearing clothing all day long, even their appearances matched up with what Twilight remembered, aside from the much lower variety in skin tone.
Taking a closer look, Twilight noticed that many of the humans showed signs of recent injury. Splints and bandages were common, and many of the humans walked with a noticeable limp. Several could be seen supporting their comrades, and to the rear of the formation, multiple stretchers were visible, with some of the occupants unsettlingly still. Seeing this, Fluttershy let out an empathetic whimper. Twilight extended a wing out in response, giving the yellow pegasus a supportive hug.
One of the humans, a woman, was leading the group. The woman had jet black, shoulder length hair, and gray eyes. She was wearing a simple red and gray uniform, comparable to what the captain of a ship would wear. As she stepped out into the sunlight, her eyes settled on the four Princesses. Wordlessly, she held up her hand. The procession came to a stop at her command. A moment passed, a deafening silence having taken hold of the area. The tension in the air was almost tangible. As if by some unseen cue, both the princesses, and the human woman, separated from their followers, and approached one another, meeting halfway between the two races.
Now that they were standing next to each other, Twilight saw that the woman was slightly taller than Celestia. Twilight shuddered slightly, she couldn't help it. Humans seemed much larger now that she was seeing one from a pony's point of view.
The woman and Princess Celestia Examined each other wordlessly. Both their faces were unreadable, their thoughts only known to themselves. The woman was the first to make a move. Slowly, with great deliberation, she bent down on one knee, and bowed to Princess Celestia. Wordlessly, Celestia returned the gesture. The two leaders rose in sync, and returned to silently regarding one another.
Countless questions raced through Twilight's mind. How could there be humans in Equestria? Where did they come from? Now that first contact had been made, the next few hours would be crucial to building up relations with Canterlot's newest neighbors. How would Ponies react to this strange new race that had fallen from the sky?
Author's Note
Pinkie's little tirade contains references to three famous anime shows. A cookie to anyone who can guess them.
