A Monstrous Meeting of the Fourth Kind
“I can't believe I let Rarity talk me into this.” Applejack moaned as both of you sat on the hill watching the crop of trees below. “Should have figured she would try to fix me up with another date.”
The leaves of the apple trees rustled softly in the cool evening breeze.
“To be fair, this wasn't what I had in mind either,” you said. The only reason, you had agreed to this was as a favor. Rarity would make a cute little outfit for your new maid, Irisa for free in exchange for helping Applejack. You thought it would be something plain and simple, not that you would be spending the time with a grumpy mare.
Now there you were, missing your show, out in the cold observing some trees. Irisa had volunteered to come, however seeing as you were doing this in exchange for a gift that you wanted to give her as a surprise later, you managed to “accidentally” make a mess for her to clean up instead. You hoped she would forgive you.
“Did Rarity at least tell ya what's going on?” Applejack asked bringing you back to the present.
“That you were staking out some trees. That somepony was stealing your apples.”
Applejack nodded, “Yep, it's gettin’ frustrating. Ever time the fruit on this particular crop nears maturity, they disappear the next day.”
Now that peaked your interest.
“Is there anything special about this crop of apples?” You asked.
“You're a nosy little author aren't ya,” Applejack groaned, “Rarity told me you liked to write those fancy novels.”
“I do enjoy writing,” you answered, “however, let's try to stay on the topic at hoof. What's so special about this crop?”
Applejack gave you an annoyed look before giving a sigh, “It's sort of an experimental crop. We're trying out some special fertilizer that Twilight Sparkle came up with.”
“Twilight? You mean the princess?”
As a resident of Ponyville, you had seen the princess of friendship from time to time. However, you felt too intimidated to talk to her face to face.
“Yeah, Twilight said it could potentially increase apple production,” Applejack explained, “now that's all I'm sayin’. All I asked fer was for somepony to help me keep an eye on the crop!”
“Fair enough.”
Your watching spot consisted of two lawn chairs and a red ice cooler with a few bottles of apple cider inside.
“I'm sorry,” Applejack said apologetically, “I don't mean to be a crabapple. I was just kind of hoping somepony else would be able to help me with this task.”
“Oh, that's how it is,” you teased, “you would rather have anypony other than me, is that it?”
Applejack chuckled.
“Well, my brother has a trip in the morning so he needs his sleep, Granny's gettin’ old, Apple Bloom is off at camp and apparently all my friends are busy doing other things. Then when Rarity said she knew somepony that could assist me, she didn't tell me it was goin’ to be you.”
“And thus you thought this was a setup.”
“Yep, pretty much.” Applejack said, pulling out a bottle of cider. "Do you want something to drink?"
"That isn't the hard stuff is it?"
From previous experience, you knew that you had a hard time holding your liquor.
"Nah! I wanted to make sure I was completely aware in case something happens."
Applejack passed you a bottle to drink. After uncapping it was your magic, you took a sip of your apple cider. The sweet fluid gliding over your tongue down your throat.
"That's pretty good," you said.
"Of course it is," Applejack replied, "It wouldn't be Apple family cider, if it wasn't."
Both of you laughed at that.
"So who do you think is responsible for the theft?" you asked.
"Well, I had considered that it might be the Flim Flam brothers," Applejack answered, "they always seem to be trying to cause my family trouble. Perhaps they're trying to make another 'tonic' or something."
You could remember the little scam the two brothers had made a while back, claiming to have a tonic that could literally solve anything. Sadly you too had fallen for it, hoping the tonic might help you both with your writing and your social life. It did nothing of the sort.
"So are those your only suspects?"
"Well, it could also be a swarm of parasprites," Applejack answered, "however they aren't usually active at night and often will eat most of the trees too."
"What about vampire fruit bats?" You suggested.
"Nah! There would be some left behind dried fruit in their place," Applejack explained, "however there hasn't been any fruit left behind at all."
"So how do you plan on catching the thief?"
"With this," Applejack pulled out her lasso.
"Well, I guess that could work."
The jovial mood came to an end, when you noticed the trees that you were watching started to rustle. The leaves of the trees moved as if a large beast or a strong wind was moving through them.
Seeing this, both of you stood up from your seats.
"What do you suppose it is?" You asked in a whisper.
"I don't know," Applejack answered, "maybe some creature from the Everfree."
Suddenly a series of bright blue lights appeared overhead, illuminating the crop of trees and much of the surrounding area. Looking up, you thought you saw a large insectile shape contrasting with Luna's evening sky. From the obscure form, beams of blue light reached down to the trees pulling the fruit up into the sky.
You recalled reading a few stories about the strange flying objects, claiming they were vessels piloted by extraterrestrial beings, however most seemed to be the bizarre fantasies of lonely stallions living in their basements watching cartoons. Even all the theories of alien contact linked back to Diamond Dog and Zebra artifacts seemed to be rather phony. Yet here was one, flying over head.
Both Applejack and you were dumbfounded by the sight, that was until you saw the object moving closer and one of it's beams drew near.
"I think we need to run!" You declared. Applejack simply nodded as both of you turned to run.
You managed to run maybe ten feet when you heard Applejack holler. As you turned your head to glance back over your shoulder, another light illuminated your form through one of the trees. A couple seconds passed before you realized your hooves were no longer touching the ground.
As you were pulled upward into the sky, your body came in contact with a tree branch. The sharp wood pierced your flesh, cutting a gash into your side. The pain was excruciating and your could feel your mind turning fuzzy as your vision was replaced with the harsh glow of that blue light.
When you came to, the sound of something humming filled your ears. Opening your eyes, the room seemed dark with only a few blue lights illuminating some of the surfaces. You tried to move but found that you were strapped down to some smooth, leather padded table. As you struggled against your bonds, you felt a sharp pain in your side. It was with that painful reminder that you remembered that your were not the only pony who had been touched by the light.
"Applejack are you here?" You grunted.
"Yah, I'm here." Applejack's familiar voice answered, somewhere off to your left.
Gradually you eyes adjusted to the darkness. There was a dark reflective wall just across from you. Turning to your left, you saw Applejack strapped to a similar table. The platforms seemed to be hovering in place.
The room appeared to be made of a smooth metallic substance with incremental supports resembling spinal vertebrae. From what you could tell this room possessed five of the seats that both you and Applejack were bound to. However from what you could tell, the two of you were the only ones occupying the chamber.
"What do ya think they're goin' to do with us?" Applejack asked.
You could remember a few stories you had heard, involving aliens and most of them revolved around gruesome experiments and examinations of both a disturbing and invasive nature. However, you weren't sure how Applejack might react to those rumors, so you decided to feign ignorance.
"I'm not sure."
"Do ya think they're goin' to probe us?"
Then again, she might already have a few ideas as to what horrors might await you both.
"I hope not."
As you said those words, you thought you saw something move behind the black, reflective wall. You weren't able to make out the form behind that surface before the room was suddenly illuminated by a bright blue light, immediately blinding you.
"Oh, horse apples!"
And apparently Applejack as well.
While you squinted your eyes to adjust to the new lighting, a strange sound reached your ears. It was like the sound of a hissing cockroach and a bird chirping somehow combined into a single noise.
You could now see that the reflective surface you had seen was actually a large glass panel, separating the room that you and Applejack were in, from the being on the other side. Now that your eyes had adjusted, you were able to see the creature on the other side. At first you thought it was a pony wearing a gray skin tight suit with black panels and a black reflective helmet. However, after further examination you noticed that they possessed antenna on their helmet, that would move and twitch. The "ears" seemed awfully long. Also attached to the being's hind was an insectile abdomen like an ant or wasp.
There was a holographic image in front of the creature which seemed to flicker and shift as the creature spoke. Then after a beeping sound resonated through the speakers, the hissing sound turned into a feminine voice.
"Ifmmp? Dbo zpv voefstubof nf?"
You looked over at Applejack who gave you a puzzled expression.
"What do you think it's sayin'?" Applejack asked, looking concerned.
"I'm not sure."
The panel lit up and a few more symbols and icons flickered.
"Gdkkn? Bzm xnt tmcdqrsxmc ld?"
Again you and Applejack exchanged confused looks. After a few more blinking panels the female voice returned.
"Hello? Can you understand me?"
"Uh, yes." You answered.
"Yeah, we can understand ya." Applejack replied.
The alien turned to look at a few more flickering panels.
"Where are we?" Applejack inquired.
"Hold on," the creature said, raising an armored hoof, "I am saving these changes to my translation program."
A circular icon on one of the panels proceeded to rotate and a couple beeping sounds came over the speakers. The image flashed green and disappeared. As the panel vanished, both of the platforms you and Applejack were strapped to were tilted to face the alien who seemed to be looking at both of you in a menacing manner.
"My name is," the creature made a sound like hissing and the cracking of teeth, "however you may refer to me as Haewara. You are aboard my vessel and you will answer my questions as precisely as possible. Is that understood?" the alien asked bluntly.
Both you and Applejack nodded in response.
"This reaction will suffice for now," Haewara answered, "first, let us start with what you were doing during your planet's evening cycle?"
"We were looking for the one responsible for stealin' my apples," Applejack replied, "and if this is your ship then that makes you the culprit!"
"Stealin'?" Judging from the Haewara's reaction, they were confused by Applejack's accent.
"She means stealing." You explained.
Applejack shot you a fowl glare, "That's what I said!"
Haewara nodded, "Stealing... I suppose if you wish to call it that, you may. Next question, where did you acquire this fruit?"
A holographic image of an apple appeared on the glass.
"I grew it myself. Hence why you takin' it, is stealing!"
The alien who had been focused on Applejack for most of this conversation, turned their attention back to you. "Are all females of your species this irritable?"
"Not exactly," you answered, hissing slightly as the pain in your side became more apparent, "you just caught her in a bad mood."
Having had her inquiry answered, Haewara turned her attention back to Applejack, "This fruit contains interdimensional energy known as DQE-76. Under regulations IWA-7,499-3, it is illegal to infuse this type of energy into any form of nutrients as it could potentially bring about the planetary hazard BMI-42. Since your planet is not under the regulation of the United Intergalactic Federation, neither you or your planet are to be held accountable for the violation of the law, I am simply to confiscate and safely destroy all articles containing DQE-76."
"DQE-76? IW... whatever, what does any of that mumbo jumbo even mean?" Applejack growled.
"Quite simply, if a creature on your planet were to eat this fruit," the alien began to explain, "it could eventually result in the mass sterilization and rapid mutation of all life on your planet. This would then result in a mass extinction event, which would warrant the immediate incineration of your planet."
The holographic image of a landscape covered in pulsing red masses and tendrils appeared.
"What?" Applejack's mood changed immediately from one of anger to one of horror.
"Fortunately, the effects of DQE-76 only take place if the fruit has reached a ripened state," Haewara continued, "thus I have been confiscating the fruit before it can reach the critical stage. However, upon noticing the creatures potentially responsible for this violation, I proceeded to take you both in for questioning."
Applejack seemed stunned by the revelation.
"So do you mean us any harm?" You inquired.
"I do not," Haewara replied, "I simply wished to confirm my theory that this was an accidental administration of DQE-76."
Slowly the platforms returned to their reclined state, the straps immediately coming off once they stopped moving.
"Now, for the moment, I need to process the necessary information on this case. In the meantime, feel free to make yourselves comfortable. I am sure that if I word my report properly, both of you should be able to return to your home planet."
As Haewara walked away, you turned your attention back to Applejack.
"Are you okay?"
"No! No, this can't be!" Applejack barked, "She must be lyin' that blasted apple thief is goin' to experiment on us both! I just know it!"
Her yelling caught you by surprise, but you could understand why. Applejack was in an unfamiliar environment and it was possible that something had gone horribly wrong with her crop. Also it was quite possibly that what Haewara said was a ruse.
"Well, don't worry. I'm sure we'll be fine."
In truth, it was a lie. As far as you knew Applejack and you were prisoners aboard this vessel and could potentially never step foot in Equestria ever again. However, you also knew that without hope, both you and Applejack's sanity might be in danger.
There was a brief silence before Applejack spoke up, "How can you be so calm considering the situation we're in."
"Yeah, well when you've seen some of the characters I have, things like this sort of lose their shock value."
You tried to laugh at the statement, but immediately regretted it as a sharp, burning pain ran up your side.
"Are you alright?" Applejack asked.
"No, my side," you grunted, "it was scratched when we were abducted."
Applejack jumped off her platform and walked over. "Let me see that!"
You lifted your leg enough to show the injury and Applejack let out an uncharacteristic gasp.
"Hey uh, sugarcube," Applejack gulped, "that injury don't look normal."
Looking for the first time at the large gash, you shared Applejack's gasp as you saw that the injury wasn't a normal cut. In its place was a mound of pulsing flesh, with glowing red pustules and small tendrils wriggling outwards. It definitely wasn't a normal wound.
"Oh, dear."
Catching movement out of the corner of your eye, you looked back to the window to see Haewara stepping back into the room. Her mood immediately changed as she noticed the abnormality on your side. Suddenly the lights on your side of the room turned a bright red.
"Stay away from him!" Haewara called out as more holographic panels sprung into existence.
Suddenly you felt yourself being pulled back into the cushioned platform as the straps shot outward and held you down. Mechanical tubing with metallic claws lowered from the ceiling, one held some sort of mask, which it immediately thrust over your face.
"What are ya doing?" Applejack yelled running over to the window.
The world slowly began to grow blurry and you realized that whatever you were currently breathing was no longer pure oxygen. You were unable to hear if the alien answered Applejack's question or not, as everything around you went black and you lost consciousness.
The world around you felt warm and wet, like you were inside a bowl of gelatin. Despite the fluid inside your lungs you were able to breathe just fine. You tried stretching your legs and found yourself pushing against some sort of flexible wall. It was like your were inside a jello filled bag or a womb.
Your side still hurt and the images of what you had seen burnt into your mind, but there was something different about the sensation this time.
Opening your eyes, your vision was obscured by the gelatinous structure you were inside, a dull green light filling your view. Your heart nearly froze as a shape outside of this little world obscured the light, when something touched the barrier causing the fluid inside to ripple.
Even as you began to panic in your new surroundings a soft melody passed through the liquid. The tune was like a lullaby and while you couldn't understand the words you felt soothed by them.
The shape disappeared and you soon found yourself drifting back to sleep inside your gelatinous cocoon.
Occasionally during your slumber you would dream, strange visions of needles, tentacles, carapace and numerous tubes, however these painful dreams were gradually washed away by the melody that played softly outside your watery abode. You weren't sure how long you slept, however you did recall how suddenly the peace of your sanctuary came to an end. You were about to fall asleep once more when suddenly the membrane in front of you split open.
As the pod burst you could feel whatever it was that was supplying you oxygen in the fluid ceased. You coughed, expelling the liquid from your lungs. As more and more of the substance left your body, you could feel oxygen rich air entering you. Whipping the slime from your eyes, you were able to observe your surroundings.
You found yourself, resting on some sort of artificial lily pad, floating on the surface of a glowing green pool. You were in a dark chamber, illuminated by the pool and a few green lights spaced along the ceiling. A series of steps at the edge of the pool, lead up into the rest of the chamber, filled with dark shapes that you believed belong to some alien furniture. Before you could climb off the pad a familiar voice echoed over the speakers.
“Please stay where you are.” Haewara's voice called out.
Obeying the alien’s request you stayed where you were. “Where am I?”
“You are in my personal quarters,” Haewara answered, “after I addressed your injuries, I wanted to tend to you personally.”
Stepping around a corner, was a dark shape, two yellow eyes looking back at you. Something about the lights was soothing, it would have filled you with a warm feeling if it wasn't for the reminder of your wound. Looking down you were relieved to no longer see gross, mutated flesh, with only a faint scar in its place.
“The ship's medical protocols were able to remove all the mutated tissue and was able to filter your system of any contaminated cells, while you were in the healing pod.”
“T-thank you.”
“I am very sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
A pair of trays were lowered into the fluid, each possessed a few metallic containers. As she spoke, Haewara made her way to the pool.
“I am sorry that I did not notice your injury,” Haewara answered, “I would have addressed it earlier but I was so focused on my protocol that I did not see it.”
As she stepped into the pool, Haewara's antenna began to glow yellow as a bright yellow sphere materialized just over her head. The warm light illuminated her natural form, letting you see her without her strange suit. Her body was similar to a pony with slender features and exaggerated curves, however her alien features were prominent as well. In addition to the two antenna on her head, what you had thought to be long ears were actually some sort of insectile appendage. Her entire neck was covered with a pink furry collar, like that of a moth.
Having descended into the water, Haewara began to swim over to the pad you were sitting on, both of the trays and the light following her as she moved toward you.
As she drew closer more of her physical features became apparent. The pupils and iris of her eyes glowed yellow, while her sclera was black. Along her spine were some dark gray scales that were periodically spaced out.
Putting her hooves onto the pad, you noticed that her hooves had a nail similar to her scales. Pulling herself from the pool, green slime dripped from her body. As Haewara sat down next to you, the trays circled the platform. The sphere of light that she had summoned hovered above, illuminating the whole platform.
"Please sit still," Haewara said, "I will be tending to your injury."
As she talked you noticed that her lips didn't move, instead a few lights on a circular device attached to her neck flashed. You guessed the contraption probably served as a translator.
However you were less concerned about that when the alien opened her mouth and her tongue emerged. It was almost like the tongue of a frog, except with four digits at the end, like fingers.
"Whoa! What is that?" You said a little panicked by the bizarre appendage.
"This is my tongue." As Haewara answered, she used her tongue to take one of the canisters off a floating tray and opened it, pouring a pink pudding like substance into a metallic bowl. "Like I said, I will be tending to your wound personally."
"With your tongue?"
"For my species our tongue serves as a prehensile organ," Haewara explained, "it used to be very common in our society until we developed Telekin technology and became members of the U.I.F. Do ponies not use their hooves to apply medicine or lotion?"
Even with her tongue hanging from her mouth, Haewara's voice continued to pass through the speakers. Perhaps the device received vibrations from her vocal cords and conveyed them through the system.
"Uh... Yes."
Haewara dipped her tongue into the bowl, the four digits kneading the pink substance.
"Then think of this as a variation of that."
As Haewara's tongue withdrew from the bowl, she placed it against your side along the scar. Your injury still stung even as Haewara rubbed the lotion into you flesh. The touch of her tongue wasn't necessarily a bad feeling, however you did think it might be wise to change the subject. While you were sure that this custom was probably normal among Haewara's species, there was something about this that just felt suggestive to you.
"Would you mind if I asked you some questions?" You asked.
"You can," Haewara replied, "so long as I may make some inquiries as well. It would be nice to learn more about ponykind from a reliable source."
Haewara's tongue continued to rub the ointment into your skin.
"Is Applejack alright?" You asked, concerned for the mare that had been abducted along with you.
"She is fine," Haewara answered, "I had her reexamined for any genetic corruption before placing her in a private chamber."
You let out a sigh, relieved to know that Applejack was safe. The sensation of somepony licking you, brought you back to the moment. You decided to use this opportunity to ask her some questions.
"What is your species called?"
"Well our language it would be difficult for you to understand, as our speech consists of chirps and other sounds" Haewara answered, "however most other species in the U.I.F. refer to us as Shirlectas. Now I have a question about your species."
"Okay, what is it?"
"From the observations of our surveillance units, it would seem that your species consist of multiple genetic offshoots."
"Yes, there are three tribes of pony," you answered, "there are unicorns who can wield magic, earth ponies that have a strong connection to the earth and pegasi who soar through the sky. There is also a type of pony that is a combination of all three tribes known as Alicorns."
"Really that is all?" Haewara inquired, "we have noticed a few other variations in your species as well."
"Well, there are some abnormalities. There are some ponies that have been altered by magic, monstrous breeding or mutation. Such ponies are referred to as monster ponies. Unfortunately, they usually tend to keep to themselves."
Haewara pulled her tongue from the injury and applied some more of the ointment to the appendage.
"Fascinating, my species does not have as much variation. There are a few unique traits linking back to ancient matriarchs but aside from that, we are very similar."
"Does the term matriarchs mean that your species possess some form of hierarchy?" You asked.
"In a manner of speaking," Haewara replied, "for a while our species functioned like a hive, with the queens being the only members to possess freewill. Eventually one of our queens decided to change this and allowed her offspring to live as they would choose. Her sister however refused, stating that the lower members of the hive would abandon their leaders. This would result in a mass civil war on our planet that would last for nearly three centuries. A war of freedom versus absolute servitude."
"That's rather fascinating."
"Now how about you tell me about your moon," Haewara interjected.
"Our moon?"
Haewara set the bowl aside and after pulling out a new one to replace it, she opened another container and poured a blue liquid with white particles into it. Kneading the substance, Haewara applied the new chemical to your side.
"Yes, it has a rather unusual movement pattern," Haewara explained, "most moons usually follow the gravitational path caused by its orbit around the planet. However yours is slightly different."
Well, you did know that both of the princesses controlled the sun and moon respectively, though apparently it hadn't always been that way. Maybe that's what she was talking about.
"That might be because it is controlled magically," you explained, "one of our princesses uses her magic to guide the moon's movements."
"Gravitational magic, impressive. While they are rare, there are a few planets that possess beings with such abilities."
In an effort to distract yourself from Haewara's tongue, you looked around the room and noticed the glowing sphere floating above the alien's head.
"Does your species have access to magic?" You asked.
"Not as well as the unicorns of your race," Haewara answered, "we Shirlectas simply possess the ability to create magical orbs of light. Prior to our incorporation into the U.I.F., we would use this light to guide Hreez so they would pollinate the Juavi plants."
"Juavi plants?"
"Yes, it is a large plant native to my species originating planet. It produces a nutritious fruit that can also be used in medicine. This paste is actually made mostly with Juavi fruit."
"And a Hreez is?"
"Hreez are a species of large beastial insect with plooms of orange feathers. Some hive queens possess royal garments made from Hreez feathers."
Withdrawing her tongue from your side, Haewara dripped it into the pool and rinsed off the paste. Once her tongue was clean, Haewara pulled it back into her mouth.
Her discussion with you about her native plant reminded you about what she had said about the tainted apples and the disgusting growths that had once covered your side.
"You said that the fruit Applejack was making could cause mutations and infertility," you inquired, "does this mean I am... Well..."
"Sterile?"
"Yes."
Haewara looked downward, "My computer system has lead me to believe that you should be fine as we were able to address the contamination early on. However it does seem that I will have to destroy that particular crop to insure others don't receive this ailment."
You let out a sigh of relief, "That's a relief."
"Is she your mate?"
The question caught you by surprise. Haewara looked at you quizzically.
"What?" You sputtered.
Haewara tilted her head, "The female that I brought on board with you, is she your breeding partner?"
"Oh, no not all. Applejack and I are just acquaintances, nothing more."
"I see."
You took a deep breath, thankful that that particular line of discussion was over.
"So do you have a mate?"
Then again, maybe not. Judging from the heat your cheeks were radiating your face must have been bright red. The atmosphere of the room and the fact that this alien creature had previously been tending to your injury with her tongue, wasn't helping either.
"I... Uh, well... No." You confessed.
"That is a shame."
Haewara looked you over, her scrutiny made you feel uneasy.
"Well, what about you," you inquired. "Do you have a mate?"
The alien looked down, her antenna and the appendages on the back of her head drooped in a sullen manner.
"I too am lacking."
"Oh, sorry."
"Sadly, most of the males of my species do not find me very attractive," Haewara continued, "most of them say my fur is not bright enough for their tastes. That and my work with other lifeforms has also altered my natural scent to something that male Shirlectas find less… appealing. It is unfortunate."
Haewara motioned to the fluffy fuzz around her neck. Looking at the fur, you didn't think it was all that bad. While you certainly didn't have anything to compare it to, you felt the collar complemented Haewara rather well. As for her scent, you didn’t detect any odd odor, perhaps it was something that only her species could smell.
"Honestly, I think you're quite attractive."
"You really think so?" Haewara's cheeks turned pink. The appendages on the back of her head straightening.
"I certainly do."
Of course, most ponies might consider your tastes of beauty to be a bit off. After all you had managed to make friends with a chimera hybrid, a shark mare, a diamond dog and a mare whose body was covered with eyes. The fact that you were so accepting of such individuals was odd when compared to most ponies.
Haewara looked up, her eyes piercing yours.
"While you were in the pod, I discovered something quite interesting," Haewara said, "it would seem the ponies and Shirlectas share ninety two percent genetic similarity and are reproductively compatible."
Haewara moved closer, that uncomfortable feeling growing stronger. She adjusted her head and neck as if trying to make herself more appealing, before an alien hoof was placed on your shoulder.
"I must confess that I am curious how such union would work. What do you think?"
You gazed upon the alien beauty next to you, her antenna twitching as you examined her. While Haewara was indeed beautiful, you knew it wouldn't be appropriate to pursue this type of long distance relationship, at least not at this time.
None the less, there was indeed a small part of you that also shared Haewara's curiosity.
"As curious as I am on the matter," you sputtered, "I don't think it would be right for us to follow this train of thought under the circumstances."
Those alien eyes blinked before Haewara gave a nod, her lips turning into a soft smile.
"I suppose you are right. It would be unprofessional for me to have relations with someone I have detained. That, and I have not gone through the necessary cleansing rituals, so doing so would be considered incongruous with the customs of my species."
Haewara stood up before diving off the pad into the glowing pool, her magical sphere following her movements, gliding over the water as she swam to the edge of the pool. Pulling herself out of the pool, Haewara shook off the slime like a wet dog.
"Please clean yourself," Haewara said, "once you are ready, I will escort you back to your companion."
Walking through the alien vessel, the walls were similar to those you had seen when you woke up the first time on this ship. Next to you was Haewara wearing her suit like before.
As you walked through the halls you noticed a faint hum resonating from the vessel.
"Here we are." Haewara said as she approached a space in the wall with a glass panel. Icons blinked in and out of existence on the panel, as the last image flickered a beeping sound resonated from the contraption. The door slid open like a reptilian eye, revealing a warmly lit room inside.
It was a small circular room with orange lighting with a seat like cushion stretched along the edges of the room along with a few gray pillows. In the center of the room was a table like platform holding two silver bowls, one of which contained some alien fruit. Above the platform was a holographic image, like a chandelier made of numerous orange hexagons.
Sitting on the cushion was Applejack who was about to take a bite out of a round green fruit until she saw the door opening, to which she hurriedly dropped the fruit and took on an annoyed expression. Haewara didn't seem to notice.
"Please stay here," Haewara encouraged, "there are a few matters I have to attend to. I shall return shortly."
You stepped inside the room and shortly after the door sealed behind you.
"I can see ya took your time!" Applejack stated, stretching down to pick up the fruit she had dropped.
Sitting down, you fetched a piece of fruit from the bowl, with your magic and took a bite. The flavor was like the combination of a kiwi and a peach.
"How long was I gone?" You asked.
"I can't tell," Applejack growled, "but it felt like hours!"
Looking around you saw a screen that probably served as a clock, however it didn't help that all the symbols were in an alien language.
You took another bite of the fruit, revealing a black seed pit in the center.
"How are you feelin'?" Applejack asked, pointing a hoof toward your side.
"Umm... Actually I'm feeling much better now that I don't have a bunch of tentacles wiggling out of my side."
"I'm glad."
You managed to eat your fruit in silence, placing the fruit's seed pit into a bowl next to the one you pulled the fruit from. Looking into the bowl, you noticed a few other seeds residing in the container.
Gazing upward you examined the holographic shape above. Upon closer inspection you noticed various star patterns shifting along the edges of the hexagons.
"Caught yer eye too," Applejack said, "that right there was the only thing keeping me from dyin' of boredom this whole time."
"Yes, it is a little enticing," you said, "aside from boredom, were you treated well?"
"Eeyup, no harm done. Just me sittin' in here eating fruit and worrying about the fate of our planet."
Indeed, it would seem that there was something horribly wrong with this particular crop of apple trees. While the fruit hadn't been mature enough to cause problems, that sap just might.
"Applejack, what kind of experiment we're you performing on that crop?"
Annoyed Applejack looked over at you, her expression becoming sullen for a moment. "They had been infused with magic from a parallel world.”
“A parallel world?”
“Yeah, apparently Twilight's traveled there a few times,” Applejack explained, “according to her, magic from our world was leaking into that world. Then recently, Starlight had managed to find a way to pull the magic back into our world. I didn't know it would have that kind of effect!”
"Okay, well, no harm done. Now you just need to inform both Twilight and Starlight of the issue, and there will be nothing to worry about."
"Nothing to worry about!" Applejack barked, "all of ponykind could have been destroyed by this. What if Apple Bloom ate some? Or what if she scratched herself on a branch? You saw what happened to your side!"
"You already told me that Apple Bloom is at camp with her friends," you answered, "if she had been scratched she would have shown symptoms long before you sent her off to camp. I'm sure she will be fine. And thanks to Haewara I'm okay as well. You don't need to worry so much."
Applejack didn't seem encouraged by this. You decided to say something to lighten the mood; a small distraction from the current discussion.
"So what if Rarity had set us up on a date," you pondered, "do you think it would have worked out?"
"Nah, probably not," Applejack replied, "please don't be offended by this, but while you are a really nice guy, you really aren't my type."
"I'm not?"
"Nah," Applejack said with a smile, "I really want a stallion that's both sensitive but can also carry me on his back out of a burning barn with ease."
"Fair enough."
You were about to fetch another piece of fruit when the door to the room opened and Haewara stepped in.
"I have spoken with my superiors," Haewara stated, "and after analyzing your case and much discussion they have agreed that both of you may return to your home planet."
"Wait that's it?" Applejack interjected.
"What do you mean?" Haewara asked, her antenna twitching.
"You're not going to stick like little machines inside us, replace us with robots or wipe us of our memories?"
"No, why would I do that?"
"Isn't that... You know," Applejack continued to inquire, "somethin' aliens do?"
"No, under statute 479-3, doing so to another sapient species would be considered a breach of conduct punishable by our strictest method of legal discipline," Haewara explained, "as for wiping your memories, going off of previous data there is approximately a ninety six percent chance that most of your kind will be skeptical of any information you reveal in regards to this matter. So there is no need."
Well, it did make sense. Before today if somepony ran up to you claiming they had been abducted by aliens, you would think they were crazy too.
"Now please, follow me."
Applejack and you were lead back out into the hallway. The ship's hum became audible once more.
Moving down the hallway, Haewara came up to another door, opening it to reveal another room.
This chamber was lit with a blue light. On the far side of the room was a circular platform with six hexagon shaped crystals along the back, forming a semi-circular barrier. On the bottom of the platform were three hexagons, a blue light pulsing along the edges. In front of the platform was a podium where Haewara took up her position.
"Please step onto the teleportation platform." Haewara instructed, motioning with her hoof.
"Uh... Is this suppose to function like one of Twilight's spells?"
Haewara tilted her head, probably not sure what Applejack meant.
"Yes, I believe so." You answered.
"And this is goin' to take us home?" Applejack asked with a concerned expression.
Haewara gave a nod and a smile.
"Well in that case." Applejack ran over to the platform. "Beam me down, Buggy!"
The comment elicited one of Haewara's eyebrows to raise. Applejack cleared her throat.
"I mean, do your thing."
Placing a hoof on the pedestal, Haewara pushed a series of buttons, eliciting a beep. There was a flash of blue light and in the next moment, Applejack was gone.
"Now it is your turn."
"Uh, yes, thank you."
You stepped into the platform and waited for Haewara to enter in the command to teleport you back to Equestria. Looking over at the alien you noticed a look of contemplation on her face.
"Before you go, I have a proposal for you," Haewara said, "if you are interested."
"I'm listening."
Haewara's cheeks turned a shade of red, bearing a slight blush.
"Well, I was just going to say, if perhaps you are not able to find a mate among your kind, or I mine, I would be willing to try out the experiment we discussed in the future. If you are still interested."
At first you considered dismissing the thought. Both of you were from different worlds and from personal experience you knew that long distance relationships hadn't really worked out for you before. On the other hoof, Haewara did seem interested in you and perhaps such a union could work out.
"I think there's no harm in keeping our options open," you answered, "if we meet again and you still find me intriguing then perhaps we will give it a shot."
Haewara smiled, her head appendages wiggling in a happy motion, "Then it is goodbye for now."
A few buttons were pushed and as you heard the beep, a blue light filled your vision.
In a flash you found yourself back on Alicris's green earth. You were so relieved that you had even considered the thought of kissing the ground.
Even as you rejoiced to be back on solid soil, the smell of something burning filled your nostrils. Looking around you could see the crop Applejack and you had been watching before, now a patch of smoldering black earth. Small spouts of teal green flame mingled with the gray ash.
Turning around you saw Applejack, however her attention wasn't on the list crop, but up into the sky. Following her gaze you saw the alien vessel overhead, it's lights pulsed slightly before the ship began to ascend through the atmosphere. Then with a brief flash it was gone.
Even though the ship had disappeared, you and Applejack continued to gaze up at the stars.
“You were gone fer a long while.” Applejack said, breaking the silence.
“Yep.” You answered.
“Do you want to talk about it.”
“Nah. Not really.”
There was a slight pause.
“She probbed you didn't she?”
You pondered what had occurred to you in Haewara's sleeping quarters.
“In a manner of speaking.”
Author's Note
Haewara is a character I have had for a while now, however there story I had originally intended for her to be in never came to be. I had even considered creating a world/series for her after the MLP series came to an end. Now here we are with the end nearing closer to the horizon.
While I still intend to write MLP fanfiction (especially with monster mares) even after Gen4 goes away and Gen5 steps into the light, I may still follow those lines of equine aliens in the future. We will have to wait and see.
However, now we officially have an alien monster mare. I hope that makes you all happy. 
