Hendricks threw another piece of wood onto the fire then sat down across from the Doctor.
“This tastes horrible” she said as she took another bite
“It’s not so bad” Hendricks finished off his meal
“Not so bad… it’s green.” She poked the food that was contained in a silver pack
“I’m sorry let me jump in the ship and get something…oh wait that’s right you crashed my ship”
“That’s not my fault!”
Hendricks began in a high pitched voice “Hendricks come press this button of doom. Trust me nothing can go wrong”
“Well how was I supposed to know it would do that?”
“For being so smart you would think you wouldn’t go around pressing strange buttons.”
“I’m a scientist we learn through testing.”
“That’s not science that’s just stupid!”
“At least I’m not some whiney space jockey!”
“Me you’re the one complaining about the food!” Hendricks now on his feet yelling
“I don’t have to put up with this.” Dr. Hood stormed off into the woods
Hendricks sighed “Wait…its already dark don’t go wandering off.” He followed her into the woods where she turned and made a gesture to him with her hand “Oh real mature!” Hendricks went back the makeshift camp. He sat down beside the fire and poked it with a stick. He picked up the doctor’s ration and smelt it then looked at the package “Expired” he laughed to himself.
“Stupid…whiney…” Dr. Hood fumed as she made her way through the woods. She stopped at a small creek that ran through the forest. She knelt down and tossed a small pebble into the water. “What if we’re stuck here” She looked up at the stars “They are familiar but everything is off the constellations look as if we are on Earth but they are all in the wrong places.”
“You noticed that too” Hendricks said she jumped when he spoke.
“Yeah” Dr. Hood said weakly as he sat down beside her.
“If we find the ship maybe we can get it going and go back through the ring.”
“Who knows where that is or if we even can go back.”
“Come on let’s get back to the fire we can head out in the morning.”
Hendricks stood her up and led her back to the campsite. On the way back Hendricks heard movement ahead of them.
“Shhh” Hendricks pulled her to the ground
“What …”
He put his finger to his lips. “Wait here” Hendricks disappeared behind some bushes heading to the other side of the campsite. Dr. Hood crept forward to get a better view of the camp. She could only see the outline of a four legged creature walking around their camp it stopped occasionally looking at objects on the ground. It walked to the escape pod and peered in. Hendricks crept from the bushes behind it carrying a large piece of wreckage lying around the crash site. As he slowly made his way forward he broke a twig causing the creature to turn around. He quickly drew his arm back ready to hit it but was suddenly knocked of his feet by an unseen force and slammed hard into the trunk of a nearby tree.
Dr. Hood was terrified as the creature made its way toward the unconscious pilot. Her mind was racing “Should I run, try to help. Oh no it’s getting closer.” She quickly jumped out of the bushes and yelled at the creature “Stop don’t hurt him!” the creature stopped and stared at her “What have I done?” she thought
The sun was already going down by the time Lyra reached the forest edge. “Okay it’s just a forest” she told herself “Nothing to be afraid of except manticores, cockatrices, wolves, and whatever crashed here. Hours passed Lyra was using her horn as light so she could see. She stopped to rest at a fallen tree. “Maybe I should just go back. Bon-Bon was right it’s just silly.” She sighed “Wish I could have at least found what it was”
“Oh real mature!” a voice echoed off the trees
“What was that” Lyra jumped up looking around “Who’s there?” She began to back up looking around her and slid down a hill. “Ow! That hurt.” Lyra rubbed her head and looked around to find herself in a deep trench. She followed the trench at the end she saw a light and a large metal object. As she got closer she saw a camp site with strange objects scattered around. She knelt down and smelled a silver container that held what looked like a green candy bar. She quickly stood up wrinkling her muzzle. She also found a black round object that had glass on it. It resembled a helmet but was far too large for a pony. “Large heads” she said thinking back to what the crazy pony had said
She made her way to the large metallic object that was at the end of the trench. Inside were two large seats one had a white helmet similar to the one outside. Lyra heard a noise behind her and turned to see a black two legged beast towering over her. It reared back as to strike her. Out of reflex she closed her eyes and her horn glowed sending the thing flying. She opened her eyes to see it slumped against a tree. Lyra slowly walked toward it she whispered softly “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Stop don’t hurt him!” a voice called out
Lyra turned to see a smaller white two legged creature standing in the bushes. It ran toward the black one slumped against the tree. She watched as it looked at the bigger ones head.
“I’m…I’m sorry but I was scared and...” Lyra stammered
“You can talk?” the creature asked
“Well yeah” Lyra said slightly offended
The larger one began to wake as Lyra stepped back.
“What happened?” he said as he stood up rubbing the back of his head
“That was me” Lyra said sheepishly
“Doc please tell me you can hear and see that little green horse talking”
“I’m a pony and what’s the big deal about me talking?”
“It’s ok Hendricks”
They all sat around the camp fire. Dr. Hood was placing a bandage on the back of Hendricks’ head.
“So how did you knock me back no offense but you’re rather small?” Hendricks grimaced as Dr. Hood put pressure on his head.
“My magic” Lyra gestured to her horn
“Magic?” both the Doctor and Hendricks said
“Yeah see” she levitated Hendricks’ helmet in the air “I’ve never done anything like that before you scared me good.”
“Can all of your kind do that…magic I mean” Doctor Hood asked excitedly
“Nope my friend Bon-Bon is an earth pony, but she’s really strong and another friend of mine is a Pegasus they can fly.”
“Fascinating” Dr. Hood was sitting beside Lyra looking her over.
Lyra slightly uncomfortable under the doctors gaze “My names Lyra by the way”
“Oh we forgot to introduce ourselves I’m Doctor Hood and you’ve already met Hendricks” she pointed to the pilot who was attempting to finish bandaging his head.
“Are you both really from space?”
“No we were just kind of passing through”
“Call it an unexpected stop” Hendricks was trying to see the back of his head in the reflection of his helmet. “God this hurts!”
“So that fireball in the sky…that was you?” Lyra asked
“Heh not one of my best landings”
“Yes Lyra, that was us…our ship it ran into some problems and we crashed here.” Dr Hood explained
“More like you led us into problems” Hendricks said
“Oh shut up” She glared at him then turned and smiled at Lyra
“I knew there had to be something else out there” Lyra stood up excitedly “I can’t wait to take you back to Ponyville and have you meet all my friends!”
“I would enjoy that Lyra” she grinned at the little pony as she paced around the campsite
“Then we can go to Canterlot and you can meet the Princess and you can tell her all about your space fireball thingy!” Lyra continued
Hendricks was looking slightly uneasy “Doc can I talk you a minute?”
“Sure” Doctor Hood walked over to Hendricks by the escape pod while Lyra was still planning their trip to Ponyville. “What’s wrong?”
“We can’t go with her” he said sternly
“What why?”
“Think about it what would you do if two aliens just landed in your backyard?”
Dr. Hood thought for a second “Send them away to some lab and study their technology…”
“Exactly and if we lose or ship we are defiantly stuck here plus she knocked me off my feet without thinking. She could have easily torn me in half if she wanted too.” He glanced at the pony who waved at him with her hoof “ok maybe not her, but still some of them might”
“I…I understand but we are completely lost on this planet though we need help if we are going to find the ship.”
“I know where it is” Lyra said
“You do?”
“Yup, I saw it land in the mountains north of Ponyville”
Hendricks walked toward the pony and sat on a log in front of her. He looked at her in the eyes with a serious look. “Lyra…you can’t tell anybody that you saw us. You must keep us a secret.”
“What…but I want you to meet Bon-Bon and...”
Hendricks interrupted “Lyra please promise me you won’t say a word”
“O…ok” Lyra said sadly
“Now tell me the best way to get to those mountains and we can be on our way. You’ll never see us again.” Hendricks said as he headed to the escape pod and pulled two large packs from the inside. Lyra drew rough directions on a piece of paper that showed the two humans the easiest way to get to the mountain. Hendricks looked over the paper “looks easy enough.”
Dr Hood approached the little pony “Thank you Lyra” Hendricks was looking at a panel on the side of the escape pod. After pressing a few buttons he put on his pack and walked over to Lyra and the doctor. “Alright it’s set to blow when we’re clear. No trace of us being here.”
“I still don’t see what the problem is” Lyra looked up at the male human. Hendricks looked down at her then at the doctor “Come on doc lets go before the sun comes up” he began to walk away from the campsite in the direction Lyra had showed them. Dr Hood crouched down to be eye level with Lyra “I’m sorry I really wanted to meet your friends” she hugged the little pony then stood up and ran in the direction Hendricks went.
Lyra watched them disappear out of sight then she headed back toward Ponyville. As she made her way out of the forest a loud explosion ripped through the forest shaking the branches in the trees and sending a large plume of smoke up from where the campsite had been.
The sun was beginning to rise when she entered Ponyville “Ugh so sleepy” she yawned. The town square was vacant this time of the morning. Lyra stopped and sat on a bench and watched the sun rise. "I'll just rest here" She began to doze until a familiar voice jostled her awake
“Find anything!!” it shouted
Lyra opened her eyes wide and saw the strange colt from yesterday staring at her. She wanted to tell him all she saw but remembered she promised not to say a word.
“No”
“Humph, I knew I couldn’t count on you to…FIND THE SPACE PONIES!” he pointed his hooves to the sky.
“Hey at least I went looking!” Lyra stormed off leaving the colt alone in the square
Neither of them noticed two ponies wearing black suit coats and sunglasses watching them from a distance. The two ponies looked at each other and nodded as they disappeared into a dark alley.