Author's Note
Well, surprise!
I had two hundred words in this since 2015. Yesterday, thanks to my sister I decided to at least finish the first chapter and upload it, because why not?. So here it is! I have no idea where I was going, and no idea if I ever will continue this (and no idea that reaching a thousand words was so hard). For now, someone somewhere might like it, so cheers to you!
Edit: minor grammar and punctuation fixes. (thanks for the heads up, Sis!)
1 Just passing by
A Stroll through the dark
It was a beautiful night, there was no denying it. A pony wandered around, basking in the kind moonlight, its shine dimly lighting the gravel path surrounding the town of Ponyville. Up high, a thousand of little dots gleamed, painting the sky with constellations and catching this lone pony's gaze.
A slight breeze shook her mane, but couldn't break her amazement at the amazing work of art. While walking closer to the whitetail woods, a nearby rustle in the treeline instantly broke her gaze from the stars, and brought her attention to the offending shrubbery.
"Is anypony there?"
Her trembling voice broke the silence of the night, and shortly after, a mysterious figure emerged from the bushes. His long legs making the biped tower over her, two thin arms crossed behind his back and his face hidden by the shadows.
"Well hello, dear! Don't mind me, I am just admiring the scenery. Beautiful work you did out here, if you ask me"
The mare shrank a bit at his imposing appearance and stepped back, but curiosity kept her from running away. "W-who are you? And what do you mean by 'work'?"
He looked at her and chuckled a bit, before lowering himself and sitting cross-legged on the grass a few meters away. Getting level with her but curiously keeping his face hidden somehow, as if the night itself wanted to keep him...
"Come on, no need to be shy! I don't bite on the first date dear, and you can call me Lucius. As for work, well, isn't this beautiful night your doing?"
Whatever fear the lone pony might had vanished in front of that statement, to be replaced by embarrassment and furious hoof waving. "No no no no, that wasn't me! The night sky is arranged by princess Luna, I was just stargazing!" A furious blush started to appear in her cheeks. "A- and what do mean by date?"
"So, a joint effort?" Lucius asked, leaning backwards a bit to admire the stars and ignoring her flustered reactions. His hands on the grass behind him providing support. "A fine work, she does. Did you make the town, then? Or maybe the trees?"
The mare's nervousness stopped to make way to bemusement. Was this beings mind as alien as its looked, or was something else going on? Looking behind her, the town started to blur as bemusement started to turn into slight panic. Why was the town behind her so quiet, and what was she doing all on her own next to an unknown and maybe crazy alien?
Lucius tore his eyes from the sky and caught hers in a mesmerizing stare, his small eyes ("A predator's" her mind told her) widening a bit when seeing her growing panic.
"Now, now, take it easy. You wouldn't want to interrupt our date so fast, would you? And we were doing so well."
The mare, now paralyzed by his eyes, didn't answer and started hyperventilating.
While Lucius tried and failed to calm his host for tonight, somepony far away felt the mare's growing panic and decided to make an entrance.
Up in the sky, the moon started to shine brighter and brighter, until it exploded. A majestic mare with mane like the night itself flew down from the shattered skies and landed between them. The panicked mare saw a cloud of starlight surround her, and powerful wings extended before her, as to protect her from the world itself. Princess Luna had arrived. "At ease, my little pony, No harm shall befall you on our realm"
The realization hit her like lightning, and Luna's next words went unheard as the world fell apart. The last thing she saw was Lucius cheerfully waving her goodbye as Luna's wary gaze fell upon him and then everything vanished.
Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville librarian woke up on the floor. Her face smooshed against the polished wood and her legs tangled on her own blanket. Outside, the first lights of dawn started to enter the room, rousing her loyal assistant from his own slumber.
"Twilight, are you alright? how late did you go to sleep last night?" Spike the Dragon, loyal assistant and pretty much her little brother helped her get up on her hooves again and accompanied her to the kitchen for an early breakfast.
"I- I had a weird dream but now... now I can't seem to remember" Twilight sat on the table as Spike started to prepare some toast and coffee. "I remember stars, and- and a monster"
"A monster? like a timberwolf?"
"Not really, I can't really say, but..." Spike gave her her coffee and sat with her, curious. "...it felt... Alien."
"Well, maybe Princess Luna was way too busy today, but maybe this is another thing saying that you might want to lay off the sweets before bed"
"SPIKE!" A giggling dragon ran away from the kitchen, an angry unicorn chasing him while wielding a dangerous looking loaf of bread in her magic. The sun rose in the sky, banishing all thoughts of dreams or nightly visitors in them.
---------------------O-------------------
In the Space between realities, Princess Luna watched the fragments of a dream vanish completely. The Sun was starting to pull on her consciousness, warning her of the night's end.
"So, we missed thee again. But we art getting closer"
In the real world, Luna opened her eyes and walked to the balcony. The moon answered her call and went down on the horizon, leaving the sky for her sister's Sun.
"Maybe we should write Twilight, ask her if she can tell us something new about this visitor"
The sun rose in the sky, illuminating Equestria and waking up the city.
"But for now, we shall try to find him again tonight..." Princess Luna went into her room again and started her path towards her last meal before bed. "Or you might visit our own dreams for a chat this time... Lucius"
Outside the castle, Canterlot welcomed a brand new day.
Not Ripe Enough
A dull thud echoed between the trees.
Harvest season had arrived, as it usually did, and all the trees where filled to the brim with big, red, delicious looking fruit. The aptly named Sweet Apple Acres was situated a short trot from Ponyville, and this early in the morning was one of the only sources of movement in miles.
A second thud preceded a short fruit downpour.
One of the most respected ponies in Ponyville, even before all that weird business with elements, eternal nights, chaos and whatnot, was working as usual. Her cowpony hat easily recognizable from a distance, as her high qualifications for the apple harvest of the percussive kind.
A wagon creaked under the weight of a basket full of apples.
Element of honesty as she was recently named (endowed? knighted? gifted? Magic was weird) she had an extremely developed sixth sense for detecting lies, Liars, lawyers and Layabouts. This sense, while not as versatile as the more pink variety, nevertheless was pretty accurate. And now it was accurately pointing her at a high branch on a nearby tree.
A quick brush under a tree, removing any pointy stones in the area and a quiet chuckle, born of amusement and an almost daily routine.
After a few instinctive calculations easily managed thanks to a close relation with her own trees, her earth pony magic and untold amounts of practice, a quick turn saw her hindlegs tense with an impressive amount of power and hit the tree with strength and confidence.
The sound of a hoof hitting a tree, and then silence.
The alarming absence of a pegasus impacting the ground in a flurry of curses and blue feathers was completely unexpected. A quick glance upwards was even more surprising. Instead of a lazy pegasus snoozing the morning away in a tree branch, a long and furless creature rested in one of the branches, dressed like one of Rarity's fancy ponnequins. Undisturbed by her efforts, its minotaur-like arms crossed behind its head, an easy smile showing its disdain for bucking-induced gravity.
"What in tarnation?"
What her trusty hooves couldn't manage, her surprised exclamation did. At least a little. The creature opened a single eye, and lazily stared at her. A slight smile appeared in its face as the other eye followed suit. Then it spoke.
"Well, nice to see you too. Do you come here often?"
That... was not what she expected to hear. His voice (because that was a stallion's voice no doubt about it) was smooth and almost playful. Even then, the strange situation was not enough to stop the automatic response to such a ridiculous question. In a tone so flat it could have ponies living inside it, she answered:
"I work here. who are you and what are you doing on my tree?"
"Oh, Applejack, right? I'm Lucius. I was just enjoying the shade. Now, instead, I am enjoying the view."
An eyebrow went up. This pony was not amused.
"Enjoying the view?"
A smile grew bigger. This... alien... Was absolutely enjoying himself.
His right arm reached up and lightly tapped a branch. An apple fell into his hand. Her surprise at this was left aside when his eyes focused straight on her, and he cheerfully replied.
"Of course. I can't help but enjoy seeing the most beautiful apple in this lands, Can't I?"
Applejack tugged down her hat, covering her face. In this moment her brother was not the only red apple in the family.
"N- Now, you listen here! I am supposed to harvest the entire east field before the sunset, and I can't do that with some weird... creature staring at me!"
Teasing successful, Lucius took a bite of his apple and relaxed. A breeze rustled his tree, slightly rocking him in is branch.
"Still, it's way too early to be working, You should be relaxing at this time. The sun isn't even out yet!"
Applejack paused for a moment. She was pretty sure that the glowing ball of fire slowly moving across the sky behind her was the sun, but her sixth sense told her that this 'Lucius' was only lying in the most horizontal of meanings. Turning around and looking to the sky, a full moon welcomed her. was Discord messing around with the heavens again?
Applejack heard Lucius softly hit the ground and walk over to her. She saw him walk past her towards the gravel path leading into town and stop for a moment, his eyes on the sky. Turning around, he waved her goodbye.
"Gotta go now, Applejack. Hope to see this sweet apple next time I pass by the acres!"
"Wait!" Applejack, embarrassed, took a step towards him. Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by the sun peeking from the horizon. Its glare forcing her eyes closed. She heard Lucius whisper three words:
"Good morning, Jackie"
----------------0------------------
When Applejack opened her eyes again, she was in her bed, the sun welcoming the new day from outside her window.
Author's Note
Unexpected chapter is unexpected
It's a bit easier to write when you are not forced to reach a predetermined length.
Just a bit
