The Most Cliche Arrival Ever
It all happened so fast.
One minute, the sky over Ponyville was completely clear and cloudless, the star’s shining brightly alongside the full moon, providing a dim luminescent glow where the light of the street lamps fail to reach. Then the next, a blinding light could be seen passing over the small town, before what looked like a flaming orb began plummeting towards the ground near the outskirts of Ponyville and deep into the Everfree, the earth tremoring as whatever it was hit the ground.
News of the so-called meteorite traveled fast, and it was not long at all before both Celestia and Luna were alerted of what had happened. It was definitely a strange occurance, since a meteor shower only happens once every two hundred years, and the chances of one actually landing so close was slim to none. As quickly as they had gotten the news, Celestial and Lunar guards were dispatched to Ponyville to investigate and retrieve whatever they find, while also making sure the citizens of the small town were still safe from harm.
No one at all was injured from the phenomenon, and everyone who had seen it reported the exact same thing: a flaming object that had landed rather deep into the Everfree. Those who did not see it have definitely been awaken from sleep once the tremors hit. Half of the guards hoarded all the worried, dreary ponies back to their homes, while the remaining disappeared into the nearly pitch-black forest to see just what exactly had landed. It took nearly an hour of trekking through the thick foliage of the dense forest before the scent of burning wood and leaves reached them, along with a thin layer of smoke. After that, it was not much of a challenge to find the spot they were looking for. An entire mass of trees and dirt had been completely cleared out from the massive impact, with the earth around the deep crater charred to black, small flames dotting around the perimeter. The smoke had cleared up just enough for the entourage to see what lay in the center, and what they found left them completely speechless.
Lying in the center was not a meteorite, rock, or some kind of mineral the likes of which had been expected, but rather a creature the likes of which had never been seen before. No, instead there was a creature whose physical structure was humanoid in nature, curled up into the fetal position. He had no fur, aside from the brown patch on the top of his head, which laid out in the dirt in all different directions. He wore a simple shirt and jeans, which were tattered, torn, and charred in most places, revealing burned or scratched skin beneath. Near him were a pair of spectacles, which were bent and broken way beyond repair.
The group of soldiers stood and gawked for a long moment, before one of them delivered a message to Celestia, notifying her of their findings. The reply was swift, and the instructions were simple; Gather him up and bring him to Ponyville Hospital and wait for the Princesses to arrive, allow no one but medical staff near him. The guards were quick, if a bit hesitant to comply, despite the thirty-minute wait for the ground to cool down enough to walk on. Heaved onto the back of one of the guards, they transported him as quickly as possible to Ponyville Hospital, wading through the gazes of curious ponies and ordering the appalled staff to have the creature receive the best treatment available. Once all was said and done, they hauled the human off to the operating room, while the guards waited patiently for the arrival of Celestia and Luna.
***
“He was in critical condition when he first arrived, but he seems stable now.” Nurse Redheart stated to Celestia and Luna. “He’s unlike anything I had ever seen. And it was difficult to diagnose his injuries, since his structure is much different than that of a pony’s. Luckily we were able to figure everything out in time, otherwise he might not have survived.”
“Is he awake now?” Luna asked.
“He will be soon, however it is imperative that he gets as much rest as possible, and that we try not to stress him out too much.” Redheart replied.
“How bad is he?” Celestia asked.
“Most of his ribs are cracked along with his collar bone and right arm, a few second-degree burns, and a deep laceration on his left wrist, which would have done him in if he had gotten to us any later. The rest were minor cuts and bruises that have been disinfected and bandaged. We estimate that it will be a few months before he is fully healed, but only about a week before he can leave the hospital. Until then, he needs medication and rest.”
“Very well. We won’t be long, then.” Celestia replied, before Nurse Redheart gently opened the door and quietly ushered them in the room. The human lay quietly upon the soft hospital bed, the bed sheets covering him from the waist down while a white splint covered a majority of his torso and shoulders. The dirt on his face had been cleaned, revealing minor scratches that had been carefully bandaged. His right arm was wrapped expertly in a beige colored splint, while his lift wrist was also bandaged, obviously covering the laceration Redheart mentioned before.
“He looks… strange. Not in a bad way, but not in a good way either.” Luna whispered.
“Indeed.” Celestia said softly. “Let’s not make this seem like an interrogation. We’re only going to ask who he is, where he’s from, and whether or not he means us any harm.”
“Sister, I can hardly believe that last bit. At least, he doesn’t look very threatening.” Luna stated.
“True, he doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be cautious. If this creature is out to threaten my kingdom, I want to know as soon as possible.” Celestia replied, looking over the human carefully. She couldn’t help but feel a bit sympathetic, studying his battered and broken form, similar to the feeling one would get if they were to spot an injured puppy. After all, he had survived something that should have killed him, and would have to live with the scars for many years.
Suddenly, the human began stirring, before opening his eyes and immediately wincing. “Nggh… hurts… hurts to breath…” He groaned, his voice hoarse.
The princesses, along with Nurse Redheart took a coutious step back. At least now they knew he would be able to understand their language, which was a bit of a relief.
“Sir, try to keep still and relax. You did take quite a fall.” Nurse Redheart replied, approaching the side of the hospital bed.
The human turned his head to the source of the voice, squinting his eyes a little before visibly tensing up. However, he immediately regretted that decision, and vocalized it through another pained moan. “W-what…? Where am I?” He asked, confusion thick in his expression.
“You’re in Equestria. A land that my sister, Luna, and I rule over.” Celestia replied, stepping forward. “Now tell me, who are you? What has brought you here?”
The young man blinked in response, before rubbing his eyes with his left hand. “Equest…. What? I… I don’t understand.” He said, shaking his head. “I don’t know…”
“Hm… alright.” Celestia replied. It was obvious that the man was still dazed and confused. “Can you tell me your name?”
“M-my name…?” He said, before rubbing his head deep in thought, squeezing his eyes shut. “I… I can’t…”
“You can’t tell me, or do you not have one?”
“I don’t know!” The human suddenly shouted, clenching his fists. Nurse Redheart took a step back, but Celestia stood where she was, her expression softening a bit. Seeing this, the young man sighed and relaxed a little. “I’m sorry… I just…”
“You don’t remember anything, do you?” Luna suddenly asked.
“No.” He replied. “S-sorry…”
“It’s all right. At least now we can say that you don’t mean us any harm. Unless we’re mistaken?” Celestia inquired.
“I don’t.” The human said softly, looking down.
“Good enough.” Celestia replied. Although, he could have very well been lying, but the sincerity in his voice seemed real enough. “Well, young man, it seems you’ve caused quite a stir in your arrival, so there’s no use in keeping you a secret from the public. I’ll spare you those details for now, and let you rest up. The next time we meet, my sister and I will have figured out what to do with you. Obviously, we can’t send you back from whence you came, considering we don’t know where you came from.”
“That’s fair.” The human replied, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to keep himself relaxed, giving a slight groan as his injured ribs screamed at him.
“I’m glad you think so. Now, get some rest.” Celestia replied before she, Luna, and Nurse Redheart trotted out of the room, the door gently closing behind them. Celestia gave a gentle sigh, glancing at the door for a moment. “I suppose you were right, Luna. He’s not a threat, as far as we can tell. I can’t help but feel sorry for the poor thing.”
“Same.” Luna replied. “But what exactly are we going to do with him? Like you said, we can’t send him back to his own world, and we certainly can’t just leave him out on the streets.”
“I believe I have an idea.” Celestia replied, walking with her to the exit. “We’ll have someone take care of him for the time being, and I believe I have just the pony in mind. She’ll definitely enjoy studying him. That is, if he doesn’t mind being bombarded with questions or being stared at carefully while having everything he does being written down on a sheet of paper.” She chuckled, making her way out of the hospital.
Author's Note
My vocabulary has dwindled into nothingness since I graduated high school, so forgive me for that. I'm open to constructive criticism, pointers, or any advice. If you guys enjoyed, then let me know! :)
Comet the Meteor-Alien-Creature-Thing
“Are you sure you don’t need anything else?” Nurse Redheart asked, smiling politely as she stood in the doorway of the private room.
“I’m fine, thank you.” The human replied, smiling back. He was certainly looking more lively than when he had first arrived at Ponyville Hospital. Most of the bruises had cleared up along with a few of the smaller cuts, and most of the swelling in his arm had gone down. Throughout the week, he has been able to get out of bed and walk for only a few minutes at a time, albeit with a few nurses hovering over him. Luna herself had even gone through the liberty of having a new pair of glasses made for him, specifically designed to fit his face rather than a pony’s. Most of his days were spent either reading, sleeping, or simply staring out at the small town of Ponyville from his window at the second floor of the hospital. From what he gathered, he had… “arrived” in a land full of talking technicolor ponies who normally reached only up to his neck. These ponies were obviously sentient and intelligent, with a rather impressive grasp on technology. It ran through the young man’s mind that this probably was not normal… then again, he had no idea what was, considering he still couldn’t remember anything about where he came from or who he was.
This was a topic that resulted in more than one sleepless night. Whenever he wasn’t focused on healing, then he was focused on trying to remember anything from his past. The results proved fruitless, however. He could not remember anything at all prior to waking up in the hospital one week ago, and it had been causing a bit of anxiety. One thing that had been bothering him was the possibility that he came with intentions that were a bit less than noble, which would be disappointing, considering how nicely he was being treated so far. The only thing he could do for now was rest and hope that soon he would be able to finally remember just what his purpose is.
With a pained groan, he turned over in his bed to gaze out at the window, being careful not to put any weight or strain on his body in this new position. For a long while, he stared off into the sky, admiring the white clouds casually drifting about and casting cool shadows over the town wherever they went. Every once in awhile, a Pegasus or two would fly past his window. Most of the time, they would be too far away for his impaired vision to make out their facial expressions, but he could still practically feel their eyes on him. To make up for his lack of any other way to respond, he simply put on a polite smile and waved as they passed by. One of them even waved back, which strangely seemed to lift the young man’s spirits. From what he had gathered, today was supposed to be the day he should be allowed to leave the hospital. As relieved as he was to finally be rid of the cramped hospital room, he couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit of apprehensiveness at the thought of just who he would be staying with for the time being…
***
Twilight gulped as she followed Nurse Redheart through the illuminated hallways of the hospital, a million questions running through her mind. “So… this is supposed to be a creature who is from a completely different world, as far as we know?” She asked. “I have to say, I’m confused as to why Princess Celestia didn’t decide to take care of this herself, instead of having me look after him.”
“What if he’s dangerous?” Spike, Twilight’s faithful assistant replied from where he sat on her back. “What if he’s some kind of alien being sent from another planet on a secret mission to take over Equestria?!”
Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle. “Spike, if he were dangerous, then I’m sure Princess Celestia would have done something herself, rather than ask me to look after him. After all, she said in her letter that he’s suffering from amnesia, and has no recollection of who he is or where he’s from.” She replied.
“Hmph. As far as you know. He could just be trying to conceal his identity.” Spike mumbled, crossing his arms.
“Look, I’m sure everything is going to be fine.” Twilight replied as they approached their destination. “Besides, this may be the perfect chance to study a brand new species! So, how is he, Nurse?” She asked.
“He’s doing quite well.” Nurse Redheart replied. “He seems to be making a steady recovery. It should be a few months before he is fully healed.” She glanced at the door for a second, before turning back to Twilight. “Also, I… couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. If you ask me, I don’t find anything threatening about him at all.”
“Really?” Twilight inquired.
“Not in the slightest.” The Nurse replied. “In fact, he’s actually quite polite for the most part. And he hasn’t given us even the slightest bit of trouble.”
“Hear that, Spike? Polite, and no trouble.” Twilight said, before walking into the room. “I doubt we’re going to have very many… oh…” She stopped in her tracks at the sight of the injured humanoid lying practically limp on the bed, her jaw dropping for a second. Even Spike seemed to be rather amazed at the creature’s appearance.
The human in question shifted his gaze to the purple Alicorn, squinting his eyes in an attempt to make out her features. “Um… hello?” He said in an unsure tone, wondering who this new pony was.
For a few seconds longer, Twilight was stuck in a confused daze, staring the human down. Suddenly, she cleared her throat and stepped forward. “Hello. My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle. I was informed by Princess Celestia that you are to be staying with me for a while, at least until they figure out what to do with you.”
“Really?” The young man replied, shifting slightly. “Well, I thank you for providing me a place to stay, Princess.” He tried to keep his tone as polite as possible, while maintaining eye contact.
All right, so he at least sounds polite… Twilight thought as she allowed a warm smile to cross her lips. “Whenever you’re ready, we’ll get you to the castle. I already have your room made up.”
“Yeah, right next to mine…” Spike mumbled under his breath.
“Well, thank you again.” The young man replied.
A second later, another nurse trotted in, pushing a wheelchair next to the hospital bed. “It would be best if you left in this.” The light pink mare stated. With that, her and Nurse Redheart gently helped the young man out of the bed. He winced and gasped a few times as his injuries complained from the sudden movements, before letting out a deep and rather drawn-out sigh as he carefully settled in the wheelchair. Without saying much, Twilight left the room and made her way to the front entrance, Nurse Redheart pushing the wheelchair close behind.
“My friends can be a little… excited at times. So I ask that you please forgive them.” Twilight said as they neared the front entrance. Right outside the glass doors, a small crowd seemed to have formed, peering curiously inside.
The human swallowed nervously, obviously a little uncomfortable with how much attention he seemed to be drawing. He could already hear himself being bombarded with many questions… most of which he will most likely not be able to answer. He just hoped that he would be able to put on an acceptable first impression…
As they reached the front doors, Twilight’s horn began to illuminate with a sort of purple-hued energy, and the doors opened as if responding to a direct command. This intrigued the young man for a moment… before the summer heat came in contact with his skin as Nurse Redheart wheeled him through the doors. The second nurse carried a plastic bag with what looked like a pill bottle on the inside within her teeth, allowing Twilight to once again use that strange magic spell to keep it suspended in the air. “This is his medication. He must take it twice a day - one in the morning, and one in the evening - over the next few months. Should he ever run out, just stop by the hospital and--”
She was interrupted by the sound of a loud and rather exaggerated gasp, and before another word could be said, a pink-colored pony stood less than a foot away from the human, bouncing up and down.
“Is this him? Is this the meteor creature?! Well, it has to be! He doesn’t look like he’s from around here! I’ve never seen him before, and I know everybody!” The pink pony stated excitedly.
“Um…” Was all the human in the wheelchair managed to say, before the pony let out another gasp and began bouncing in circles around him.
“Hey! That means you don’t have any friends! I have an idea… why don’t I throw you the biggest ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party ever! Then you’re sure to make some, because everyone deserves friends!”
“I…” The young man blinked, fumbling through his mind for a polite response. He looked away from the pink pony for a moment to find four others approaching.
“Well I’ll be! You’re right about one thing, Pinkie. He ain’t from ‘round here!” A pony with a light orange complexion stated. “What’s your name, partner?”
“Well…” The human began, looking down into his lap to avoid eye contact.
“Those nurses didn’t do a very good job at getting him any clothes actually worth wearing, that’s for sure!” Another mare stated, this one with a pure white coat and a flowing purple mane. She was obviously regarding the young man’s torn and charred grey shirt and trousers… which the young man had to continue wearing since he did not yet have access to any sort of clothing that would fit for his particular anatomy.
Before the could respond, his eyes caught on a yellow Pegasus standing a bit further away from him than the others, shyly casting glances at him through a small gap in her long, pink mane. As grateful as he was that she didn’t seem as hyperactive as the others, a part of him felt a bit sorry for her. He almost wanted to try and talk to the yellow mare to try and coax her from that isolated shell of silence that seemed to surround her.
Suddenly, his view of her was blocked off by another Pegasus mare, one with a cyan pelt and a rather unique rainbow-colored mane. The mare stared at him accusingly, hovering in the air a few feet away from him. “We have an alien here in Ponyville who could be plotting to destroy us, and you’re worried about his clothes?!” She demanded.
“That’s what I’m saying!” Spike piped up.
The cyan mare continued to assault the young man with an accusing stare. “So where are you from, huh? What dastardly deeds do you have planned for Equestria?”
“I-I… um…” Was all the human could manage to stammer out, before glancing at Twilight with an expression that practically screamed for help. If no one knew he was nervous, then the drop of sweat trailing down his temple would surely give it away.
“Girls, calm down. Give him some room.” Twilight stated in a gentle, yet firm tone. The nurses had already made their way back into the hospital, leaving her and the human alone with the five mares. She stepped forward, standing next to the wheelchair. “He’s not here to threaten anyone, or to take over Equestria. That I can assure you.”
“Then what is he here for?” The cyan Pegasus asked.
“That’s the thing. We don’t know.” Twilight replied. “He’s suffering from amnesia, and he can’t remember where he came from, why he’s here, or even what his name is.”
The human stayed silent as Twilight spoke to what he assumed were her friends, only giving a simple nod in response. The purple Alicorn definitely wasn’t joking when she said her friends were a bit excited… in fact, he was quite sure that “excited” would be a major understatement.
“W-well, if Twilight trusts him, then I guess there’s no harm in making him feel at least a little bit welcome…” The yellow Pegasus said, her voice soft and just above a whisper. “I mean… if you girls are okay with that…”
“Got that right, sugarcube.” The orange mare stated. “He don’t look all that threatenin’ if ya ask me.”
“And what way to make someone feel welcome than a party!” The pink pony exclaimed, continuing to bounce up and down.
“I think he’s had enough excitement for one day.” Twilight said, before realization dawned on her face. “Oh! I almost forgot!” She said, before smiling at the young man. “These are my friends. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy.” She pointed her hoof to each mare as she named them off.
“It’s… nice to meet you all.” He said, trying to keep his tone as polite as possible, but it was still clear he was just a bit nervous. Being greeted by five other ponies at once was just a bit overwhelming. Suddenly, he remembered the small crowd of residents around them, but still maintaining a safe distance away. His heart sank as he realized that he would stick out like a proverbial sore thumb during the time he would spend here…
“Hey! If he doesn’t remember his name, then how are we going to address him?” Pinkie asked, before giving yet another over exaggerated gasp. “Let’s give him one! I vote… um… Meteor Bob!”
The human only blinked in response, before Twilight interrupted. “Pinkie, I don’t think that’s going to work.” She thought for a moment. “But you’re right. We do need to come up with a name…”
“Meteor Steve?” Pinkie squeaked.
“No…” Twilight said.
“Pinkie, I think it’s better if we consult him first before we just give him a name. It is his name, after all.” Applejack said, before turning back to the human. “Whatcha think?”
The young man only shook his head in response. He felt almost like someone’s brand-new pet, throwing out random names. On the bright side, they were giving him a say in the matter.
“Hey, how about Starfall?” Twilight chimed in. “He landed sort of like a meteor, and in some traditions, ponies believed a meteor shower meant that the stars were falling. What do you think?”
This time, the young man thought it over for a long moment, before shaking his head. “As cool as it sounds, it… stands out too much.” He admitted. “I’d rather have something simple, but not too generic.”
“If you say so…” Twilight said.
“I liked it…” Rainbow Dash muttered.
“Oh! How about something like… Comet?” Rarity said. “It would fit, seeing as how he lit up the night sky when he arrived, wouldn’t you agree?”
The human thought about it for a moment. It didn’t seem too flashy in his opinion, and it definitely didn’t seem generic. “I… like it.” He admitted.
“You… like it?” Rarity inquired, noticing a bit of hesitance in his voice. “Darling, if there’s something wrong, then all you have to do is say so.”
“No, really.” The human said. “It’s fine.” Truth be told, he just wanted to settle on the first thing that appealed to him to speed things along. He was fairly tired from all the excitement. “I… think I’d better get some rest.” He added, trying to put it as politely as possible.
“Good idea. Let’s get you to the Castle of Friendship, then. I’ll see you girls later!” Twilight said, before nearly startling the young man half to death by using her magic to push the wheelchair down the walkway, past the five ponies. The small crowd of residents backed away and cleared a path, continuing to cast curious glances.
“Well… they seem nice.” The human - or Comet, as he should get used to calling himself - stated with a slight glance over his shoulder.
“Trust me, they’ll grow on you. And so should everypony else.” Twilight said, before they made their way to the crystalline tree-castle, the sight of it making Comet blink in surprise. However, he remained silent even as Twilight wheeled him through the front doors, and the human gazed in awe at the massive interior. The place was larger on the inside than it seemed on the outside, and Comet gulped nervously at the thought of getting lost during his future treks through the place.
Twilight continued leading him through the castle, until they reached a rather long corridor. Halfway down, she opened one of the doors on the left, revealing a sizeable room complete with a bed, a nightstand, and even a desk with books, paper, and quills. Overall, it had a bit of a homey feel to it… if the young man could even remember what home felt like.
Twilight gently pushed him inside, placing the wheelchair as close to the bed as possible. “Now, I guess I should leave you to it. You can stand, right?”
“For a few minutes at the very most, but the doctors say it’s recommended that I stay off my feet as much as possible.” Comet replied, before taking a deep breath and slowly standing up from the wheelchair, and sitting down on the bed.
“Good. If you need anything at all, then don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll check in on you regularly.” She said, walking towards the door.
“Thank you, Princess.”
“Please, just call me Twilight.” The purple Alicorn replied with a smile, before closing the door behind her. On her back, Spike glared at him, before making the “I have my eyes on you” gesture. However, the display seemed more funny and even a bit adorable than threatening.
With a deep sigh, the young man laid back onto the bed… and dear sweet Celestia, it was by far the most comfortable thing his mind could ever recall laying on. The hospital bed was nice, but this one had to be at least ten times better. As he began to relax, his mind drifted to Twilight’s friends, and how they acted towards him. Sure they seemed a bit odd, but they were rather nice overall. Even Rainbow Dash, who was just as suspicious as Spike, seemed to warm up to him. He decided that it may be a good idea to try and spend some one-on-one time with each of them to try and get to know them better. After all, he was in a strange world with strange creatures. He would need all the friends he could get, and hopefully make as little enemies as possible. With this hopeful ambition resting heavily in his mind, the young man closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Author's Note
And there it is, the second chapter finished. I know that it's a bit confusing, given how Comet has fallen from seemingly space, and able to survive albiet with some injuries, but this will all be explained in later chapters. Let me know what you guys think!