Chapter Two: Contact
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“Speech”
‘Thought’
“Telepathic speech”
T.J. looked at the strange creature with an expression on his face that mirrored the one on its own. Standing in the doorway that led to the rest of the house was another Pegasus, but unlike Umbra, her mane and coat were vastly different colors. The mare’s coat was sky blue, while her mane and tail could only be described as ‘rainbow’ colored. The ’pony’, as he had decided to call the small equine, moved her mouth and the sound that he had heard earlier seemed to come from it. Though this time it wasn’t as harsh and sounded almost melodic. “Well isn’t this a surprise, a winged pony that speaks xylophone.” T.J. said with a laugh, gesturing towards the pony, who jumped at the sound. The language of man probably sounded like primal grunting to her. He then took a step towards the rainbow Pegasus, she took two steps back.
“She seems to be afraid of you.” Umbra said telepathically, not wanting to scare the native pony any more, the poor creature looked ready to keel over in fright as it was. “Maybe I should try to convince her that we mean her no harm? After all, I am the same species as her.” She continued, looking up at T.J. She then realized just how tall her friend was. “And you might want to sit down. You’re at least eight feet tall, not counting the horns, and she’s only two foot at the shoulder.” T.J. then began to slowly lower himself to the ground, and that’s when the terrified native charged.
/)W(\
Rainbow Dash didn’t know how the Minotaur was standing on the clouds, but he wasn’t going to be standing on them much longer. She charged the beast as he sat down, knowing that he’d be easier to knock over. The black mare moved to intercept her so she took to the air, easily avoiding the tackle. ‘Is she trying to protect him from me?’ Rainbow thought, just before she was knocked to the ground. She tried to get up only to find that she was pinned down by the mare. “What the hay are you doing? Get off me, I’m trying to help you, you crazy mare!” The mare on her back replied with an inequine hiss, which the Minotaur seemed to understand. He made a strange series of noises and her assailant got off of her with hiss that, judging by tone, meant something along the lines of ‘Well, alright, if you say so.’
As soon as she was free, Rainbow pinned the black mare to the cloud floor, reversing their previous positions. The now pinned mare hissed violently, snapping at her hooves. A forceful tap to the nose put a stop to that. Suddenly Rainbow Dash felt very unsafe, much like she had when Princess Celestia sent the Elements of Harmony to deal with a napping dragon. She looked up to find the Minotaur’s face a mere hoof away from her own. She then, in a perfect imitation of one of her friends, let out a terrified ‘EEP!’ and bolted…face first into an overturned table.
/)W(\
T.J. looked at the now unconscious pony. ‘It would seem that Umbra was right, our native friend is scared of me.’ He thought. Umbra, come over here and check her for a pulse, I figure it’ll be less traumatic if she wakes up with you near her rather than me.”
“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea, we don’t want her to keel over after all.” She said, before placing an ear on the rainbow maned Pegasus’s chest. “She’s alive and, as far as I can tell, she should be OK.” She then stood and then gestured toward the hole with a wing. “We should leave now Tac, before she wakes.”
‘Oh crap, any time she uses more than my initials she means business.’ T.J. thought worriedly. “OK, let’s get out of here before she wakes…” He was interrupted by a somewhat groggy groan. “Damn it, too late.”
/)W(\
‘What the hay, why’s my head hurt so much? I don’t remember going to a Pinkie Pie Party last night.’ Rainbow thought as she waited for her vision to clear. “Huh, why does it look like a twister went through my living room?” She then shot to her hooves, remembering that she had uninvited guests. She turned and saw them trying to sneak out through the hole they'd punched in the wall.
“Oh no you don’t, you ain't getting away that easily!” She said, launching herself at the Minotaur. Just before impact the beast sidestepped out of her path, grabbing her tail as she flew past. She yelped in pain and surprise when he suddenly yanked her back. He then twirled her over his head a few times before throwing her out of her house. She spun through the air for several meters before landing on the clouds in a tangled heap. Once she had stood and gotten her bearings she dashed back to her house, intent on returning the favor, this time she wasn't going to hold back. She literally stormed through the hole, ready to kick flank and get answers, only to find her home vacant. Her shrieks of rage and annoyance were heard in Canterlot.
/)W(\
Four weeks later
Apple Jack stood beside her cart in the Ponyville market watching the townsponies as they shopped. Lyra was sitting in her usual fashion on a nearby park bench playing her lyre, Derpy was blundering trough her mail route, and Carrot Top was attempting to conceal a pitchfork in her cart, which she had used to fend off the horde of rabbits. “Well, it’s gettin bout that time a day.” She said to herself, noting the angle of the sun. She then began to pack up her wares when she heard somepony galloping towards her. She turned to see one of her more unusual customers skidding to a stop a meter or so away.
This one in particular was very odd. The mare, who A.J. assumed to be an Earth pony, wore a strange hooded gray-green cloak that bore a random pattern of green and brown splotches and had yet to say word to anypony in the three weeks since she had started coming into town. Even stranger was the fact that either Pinkie hadn’t thrown a party for her yet or A.J. had somehow missed it. In fact, it was as if the newcomer could completely avoid the party-crazed mare at will. “Cuttin it a might close, ain’t we.” A.J. said with a bemused look on her face.
“Sorry Miss Apple, there was a line outside Sugar Cube Corner that completely blocked the street, so I had to take a detour. I’d like ten of your best apples please.” The cloaked mare said in a Trottingham accent.
Applejack did a double take. “Uh, pardon me Miss but, did ya just talk? Ah thought ya ’all was a mute, considerin ah hadn’t heard ya say anythin’ ta anypony.”
“No, I’m just a mare of few words. By the way, my name is Umbra.” The mare said, extending a hoof which A.J. grabbed for one of her usual ‘death grip’ hoofshakes.
She was pleasantly surprised when Umbra wasn’t even fazed by the strength of her grip. “Ten apples ya say, that’ll be twenty bits. Ain’t ya ’all hot under that there cloak? Ah reckon ya must be roastin’ in that thing.”
“Oh no, I’m fine. It’s made of a very light cloth. That and I don’t like to have stallions staring at my flank all day.” Umbra replied, before pulling the required money from a strangely decorated wallet.
“That’s mighty fancy wallet ya got there. Ah don’t reckon Ah’ve ever seen one like it.” A.J. remarked setting out the apples.
“Yea, it’s one of kind. My partner picked it up during one of his earlier journeys.” Umbra said, putting the apples into her saddlebag.
“His, ya say? So ya got yer self a stallion.” A.J. said with a smirk.
Umbra recoiled and her cheeks visibly reddened. “What? No, he’s like a brother to me. He’s taken care of me since I was little, he practically raised me.”
“Well, Ah need to get home. Ah guess Ah’ll see ya tomorrow.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.” Umbra replied. She then turned to leave when somepony yelled so loudly that Princess Luna herself would have covered her ears.
“STOP HER, APPLEJACK!! DON’T LET HER GET AWAY!!!”
A.J. turned and saw a pink blur streaking towards her at a speed that would have impressed Rainbow Dash. The pink missile came to an abrupt stop, and in its place stood a certain baker.
“Aw, why’d ya let her get away A.J.? I haven’t given her a welcoming party yet. How does she do that?” Pinkie Pie said.
“What are ya going on about Pinkie, she’s right…” A.J. said, pointing at the empty space recently occupied by Umbra “Well Ah’ll be she must a slipped away somehow.”
“Why didn’t ya grab her, or stall her A.J.?”
“OK. First off Pinks, Ah ain’t grabbing nopony without a good reason. Second; Ah need to pack up shop so Ah go home, Ah would like to get back to the farm before dark after all.”
“Okie dokie lokie, I gotta get back to the Corner, its Mega Muffin Monday and the pre-closing rush will be starting soon, see ya ‘round A.J.”
/)W(\
Two ponies walked though Whitetail Woods, the one in front stopping occasionally to wave around a stick, the second one complaining all the while.
“I’m tired. I want to go home. It’s getting dark. What are we even doing out here?”
“I already told you, my faithful assistant. There’s alien tech somewhere out here. We are going to find it and, more importantly, whoever is using it.”
“But Doctor, its Mega Muff…”
“Quiet, do you hear that, Miss Do?”
“You mean that singing?”
“Yes, the signal is strongest in that direction, allons-y!” The Doctor exclaimed, before galloping off towards the sound.
Ditzy took off after him. After all, it was her job to keep him out of trouble. She found him at the edge of a clearing, which seemed to be some sort of construction site. A strange squat building, which was nearly completed, stood in the center of the clearing. The only obvious source of the singing, which had stopped, was a lightly built green Minotaur, who was surrounded by dozens of flying tools and objects that Ditzy could only classify as ‘other’. All of which seemed to obey his will, a hammer going one way, and an obscenely large wrench another.
Ditzy nearly jumped when a large, cylindrical object began rolling across the clearing, coming to a stop next to the Minotaur, who lowered it into a hole in the ground. A trio of shovels peeled off of the maelstrom of construction implements and filled in the hole. He then directed the tools towards a bag sitting near the edifice, which they all flew into, somehow fitting. He began to sing again while walking around the structure, opening various panels.
Watch as I work my Wand'rer’s magic,
Tesseract construction means more space.
Oh so many toggles, the mind they boggle.
Soon, I’ll be at home in this place.
“There you are, you naughty little switch. I really should label these things.” The Minotaur said, flipping a switch on the side of the building. An unusual droning sound filled the air and the odd structure took on the appearance of a grassy hill with windows, a chimney, and a round door.
“There, a hobbit hole fit for a king.” The Minotaur said, picking up the bag before entering the house.
“Well, that was unexpected. Let’s have a look around, see what we can find out about this guy.” The Doctor said, stepping into the clearing.
“Uh, I’m not so sure that’s a good id…” Ditzy started, before a loud alarm sounded.
“Unregistered sentient beings detected, dispatching security personnel.” An uninterested voice said, seeming to come from the hill.
“Um, Doctor, shouldn’t we leave before the guards show up?” Ditzy said while backing up.
“No Ditzy, we’re staying. I’m starting to think this fellow may be an off-worlder. He has highly advanced technology, stuff this planet shouldn’t have for another thousand years at least. And if he has guards, then he has something to hide.”
Ditzy watched as The Doctor went farther into the clearing. He stopped suddenly, his ears swiveling to pick up some sound that she couldn’t hear.
“Oh no…” The Doctor said, backing away from the building. A strange creature came into view; it’s one glowing, blue eye
locking onto The Doctor
“INTRUDERS SIGHTED, YOU WILL IDENTIFY.” yelled the creature, the two small lights on its domed head flashing.
“Ditzy, run, I’ll try to hold it off!” The Doctor yelled, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and pointing it at the metallic beast.
But she couldn’t move; her body had locked up with sheer terror. For as long as she had known him, The Doctor had been fearless, staring down horrifying beasts, literally laughing in the face of death. But now, the fear was apparent in his voice. And if he was scared of this thing, then what kind of creature was it?
“HOSTILTITY DETECTED. INCPACITATE, IN-CA-PAC-I-TATE!!” The thing screamed, seemingly incapable of speaking at any other volume, before firing a beam from one of its two arms.
Ditzy watched as the energy bolt raced towards her. When it impacted, she felt strangely relaxed, as if there were nothing wrong in the world. The last thing saw before the darkness overtook her was The Doctor being taken down by a similar beam, a look of abject horror on his face.