They had never seen anything like it, sure, Equestria had had it’s fair share of bright mega lights before, but those usually heralded mass explosions, invading creatures, or Celestia on a really bad hair day.

This time, however, there were no explosions, no death rays and no destruction. Instead, ponies lined the shores just outside Baltimare to watch them. Huge steel beasts with long bodies and a blocky head stood floating in the water, their claws arranged in strange metal boxes. They were unlike any creature seen yet, and everyone wanted to see them while they were still “inert”.

Word had traveled quickly to Canterlot and while Celestia made ready to clear her schedule for a visit to Baltimare to hopefully establish friendly relations with, well whatever they were, she sent a small detachment of royal guard under a rookie captain to make first contact for her. She had also dispatched a letter via dragon breath to Twilight so that her and her friends would be available in case things went south. And things were definitely happening down south.

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The storm King smiled as he gazed upon the map sprawled haphazardly on his desk, just like everything else in the room. He gave a hearty chuckle as he blanked Abbyssynia off the map. “One more to go, he thought. Those naive peace loving Ponies are going to bend to my will wether they like it or not!”

“That’s great sir, wonderful even, but I’m afraid we don’t have the capacity for another invasion” The Storm King nearly fell out of his rear facing recliner before he shot back up and turned to the speaker who had entered his cabin. Tempest Shadow, his chief General and champion, oddly enough, a pony herself.

“And why would that be? I’ve just taken the largest trading nation in the world! What can stop us now?” He half laughed, half yelled.

“That” Tempest deadpanned while sticking an armor clad hoof out at the map that was now sprawled on the floor.

Moving around his desk to get a better view, the Storm King saw what was “impeding” his great plans. The South Shoal Sea, a dog bone shaped body of rocky water that had seperated his island, and his conquests, from Equestria.

“So? We just sail through it and over it, our ships have plenty of range.” He asked, expecting to be proven right, he was always right, right?

“Because of your... reckless attack on the Capital, we lost a large amount of our air fleet and the trap in the harbor has left our naval forces in dire need of reconstitution” Tempest flatly spoke as she stood upright facing the much larger storm creature.

“Yeah, yeah, big deal, just get the docks back up and running. 400 new ships should do I think. So get ON IT” He shouted. Tempest simply nodded and turned around, closing the door on her way out.

“Geez, one would think taking over the world would be easy right?” The Storm King muttered to himself as he flicked a pony miniature off his desk.

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Ivory glider had lead his detachment of royal guard to investigate the new beasts that had appeared outside of Baltimare. He had first moved on the smaller one, hoping it would be more susceptible to attack if necessary. He had found instead while peering through the ‘head’ several ape like creatures unconscious on the ground and one that looked him right in the eye before collapsing. They were strange things with two legs and two arms, which ended not in hooves or claws but a strange 5 piece appendage, they had no hair, save for the top of their head and some on their faces, they also all appeared to wear clothes of some kind.

Still puzzled at the sight, one of Ivory’s men pointed out a moving rectangular mesh on the other beast. Motioning for his guards to follow and circle around it he took off into the air and descended upon the platform on which he saw another one of the ape creatures.

Dragos had no idea what had happened after he saw an explosion or what he thought to be one aboard the Mirgescu, but he did know he wasn’t anywhere near Sevastopol judging by the strange city in the distance. The Regele Ferdinand and Amiral Mirgescu we’re still afloat so he figured the best course of action, as chief radar officer would be to get the radar and radio working. No sooner had he turned the radar on, that 50 flying horses approached the ship.

Flying. Horses. Dragos froze in place as one of them, wearing a different armor piece than the rest landed in front of him. “So they are intelligent” he thought to himself as he noticed their armor and spears.

Ivory Glider had landed on the grated platform not 5 ft in front of the strange ape. After a long period of silence Ivory thought it best to introduce himself and the obviously distraught creature to Equestria.

“Welcome to Equestria! On behalf on the royal sisters we have come to establish a first contact with the beasts you are currently riding, we mean no harm.” He boomed hoping the creature could understand what he had said.

It seemed puzzled for a second before a light bulb seemingly went off in it’s head and motioned for him to follow.

As the creature descended a ladder of sorts, Ivory noticed the distinct lack of magical abilities it seemed to posses. Following it to a blocky metal construct and what appeared to be a door, he ordered his detachment to stand down as the ape knocked on the door three times and said something unintelligible into it. “So it is intelligent” Ivory thought, noting the use of hand gestures and language.

Soon after the door swung open and another one of the apes came out, talking to the first one briefly before it’s eyes fell on him and his surrounding accomplices. Surprised, but not fearful as the others had been, he too gestated for ivory to enter the room which had been assumed was a head.

The second ape turned around and gestured for the first to return to its position. Ivory then spoke again “ we appreciate your courtesy in inviting us into your... room but I am afraid we cannot understand you” he finished hoping at least some of that had stuck.

Much to his surprise, the second ape spoke. “I am aware” it said, before Ivory could say anything more however, it continued.

“Dragos told me he had seen sentient horses speaking to him in an English like language, I didn’t believe him but here we are. I understand you have introduced yourself to him so allow me to introduce myself and my crew, well, what’s awake that is. My name is Captain Donetscu, the man you met earlier is named Dragos, we are members of a species formally known as humans, I understand if all of this is a little confusing to you, please take your time in responding” Donetscu spoke, the words came out formally but on the inside he was shaking from the fear of being in the presence of an alien military detachment. Where was he? What was that city? Who were these alien horses? What was that blinding light? Most importantly, how was he going to get back to Romania? Back to Constanta where his family, no his country needed him. All these questions and more swirled through Donetscu’s mind as he anxiously awaited an answer from the commander he assumed in front of him.

“On behalf of the Royal sisters, we, the Ponies, welcome you to Equestria” It finally said, grinning from ear to ear.

Donetscu couldn’t resist raising a smile of his own and replying “On behalf of the Crown of Romania, welcome aboard the NMS Regele Ferdinand

Cheers rang up and down the bridge.

Author's Note

Thanks to anyone reading my little story here. I’ve been looking for a while on how to get Romania in to MLP and I guess here it is, everything’s is t exactly historical or even show canon, hence the AU tag but I hope you’ll stick around for the ride as captain Donetscu and Petelo fight the forces of the Storm Empire.

This is only my second story so comments and critiques are highly encouraged and greatly appreciated