//------------------------------// // Prologue - Falling From Heaven // Story: My Little Pony: Event Horizons // by IGAF-kun //------------------------------// My Little Pony: Event Horizons Prologue - Falling From Heaven Princess Luna nickered excitedly as she trotted towards the tower of the sun. She moved through the castle without a thought about her destination, allowing her hooves and senses to guide her around every corner. Her ethereal mane fluttered more aggressively than normal and she could feel excess energy literally scorching the smooth stone floor with every clack of her hooves. Tiny arcs of lightning darted across her back and wings, ruffling her feathers and generating a quiet but noticeable crackling sound that echoed through the halls. Every pore of her body, from the beat of her heart to the tip of her horn pulsed with the steady thrum of harmony. Even her Earth Pony magic, as subtle as it could be, had ascended into the visible realm, flooding her muscles and tendons to the point that it leaked out of her body as a sparkling blue haze around her, creating a profile more akin to a spectre than a flesh and blood pony. It had been a long time since she had felt this charged. Not since before her descent into Nightmare Moon had she felt her powers so viscerally. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as she basked in the sensation. It was a strange comfort, she thought. Almost as though Faust herself had reached out and remade her from the inside out. For the first time in a millennia, she felt... whole. Had she not been focusing on her euphoria and had been paying attention to the blind corner she just took, she probably wouldn't have bowled over her niece. Cadence staggered several steps to the side with a loud yelp, nearly knocking over a flower vase atop a small ornate pillar. The avatar of love shook her head for a moment, her senses overwhelmed from the impact and a heavy saturation of residual magic in the air. "I'm so sorry I didn't see you there. I'm looking for the princesses, have you seen th-AHYEEEEEEEEEEAWA!!!" *fwap* Her apology devolved into a long winded shriek of terror as she came face to face with a living wraith in blue mist. Luna regarded her niece flatly. With a resigned sigh, she clamped down on her errant magic, forcing it deep into her reserves. The electric display ceased almost immediately and the miasma slowly dispersed revealing the alicorn form beneath. "Auntie Luna!" Cadence exclaimed, wings still open defensively as she attempted to regain her breathing to a more manageable level. "You scared the life out of me!" "Indeed." Luna said, and resumed her trot, not breaking her stride for even a moment. "I was informed by the castle guard you had already departed for the Crystal Empire." Cadence flushed deeply and folded her wings with a flutter. "By the Sun and Moon I am so sorry! I didn't recognize you for a moment there." "I am well aware." Cadence, realizing she was being left behind, cantered up to match pace with her elder. "I, uh -- got an invitation from Auntie Celestia before Shiny and I boarded the train." She trailed off before asking hesitantly. "Mind if I join you for a moment?" Luna's eyes narrowed imperceptibly, but she motioned with a head nod to follow. "We would be honored for you to join us." The two walked side by side with only the sound of their hoofsteps echoing quietly through the halls. Her face a hard line, Luna ignored her company and kept her focus on maintaining control. Cadence's head and ears drooped slightly, the silence putting her on edge. She was certain she had felt her aunt's exuberance just a few moments prior to their collision. Now all she could feel was annoyance and mild frustration creating a tension between the two that could be cut with a knife. She began to regret asking to come along. After a few more minutes, she couldn't take the stillness any longer and spoke up. "I didn't mean to scream in your face like that." She said quietly, glancing away. "Not to worry. All is forgiven." Despite her statement to the contrary, Luna made no further effort for conversation, causing the statement to permeate in the air. "..." "..." "..." "Soooo...." Cadence almost drawled in an attempt to not sound desperate for conversation, "I noticed that we're heading towards Auntie Celestia's tower. Is something wrong with yours?" Luna's lips twitched upward slightly. "You are keenly observant. Tonight's moonrise will take place at the solar Observatory. Due to recent events, the wards in my Chambers are no longer strong enough to deal with the backlash." The pink alicorn silently cheered at her success before her eyebrows furrowed in thought after processing the response. "I didn't know the wards could be damaged by Twilight and her friends from so far away. I know it was a powerful blast, but its epicenter was just outside of Ponyville." The twitch developed into a smirk. "It is not the protection spells on the tower that have changed." Cadence paused mid-step for a moment, one foreleg still in the air as her eyes widened slightly. "Oh... So you too?" she said somewhat dejectedly. "I didn't really get much of a boost." Luna glanced at her niece, a pang of guilt lancing through her at the sight of the somewhat deflated looking pony. "Do not feel ashamed." She said reassuringly, turning away. "Your lack of physical power comes not from any inadequacy on your part, but from the fact that your special talent itself is a physically weak ability." She paused as she processed her own words. "That... came out wrong." To her relief, Cadence simply chuckled good-naturedly, smiling gently. "I know what you meant." She returned to her auntie's side and leaned against her affectionately. "I don't exactly need the power to level a mountain in order to nurture love." her expression shifted and became somewhat wily, "Besides, out of the three of us, you're the one with the title 'Warrior Princess'. So I guess it makes sense." Luna raised an eyebrow, "And where did you learn of this?" "Auntie Celestia." came the terse reply. Luna couldn't help but chuckle herself. "Yes, while that may be true, it was a long time ago. From an age that has long since passed by the wayside." She took a deep breath and sighed while looking upward at nothing in particular. "The olde days of battle for survival are few and far between, as they should be. Similarly, the many wonderful days we now spend with friends and family were once as rare and precious as the most coveted of riches." "Sounds like you miss those days a little." Cadence said. "Perhaps." "But you know," Cadence reassured her, "this could be a great opportunity to talk to Twilight about what happened and see how she's doing. She is, after all, the closest thing Equestria has to a Warrior Princess in modern times." Her words struck a chord with Luna. Her eyes widened in realization and the excitement she had been holding back began leaking through her mask. "It has been over a thousand years since we have last spoken to anyone about the thrill of combat... It's not often that we get to trade war stories with a true veteran of such high caliber." The blue Alicorn suddenly let out a loud "Aha!" causing her niece to yelp from a combination of her sudden declaration and a somewhat significant discharge of magic zapping her side at their point of contact. The said bolt of lightning traveled up her body and departed her crown with a crack, blasting a small hole in the ceiling, leaving behind a frazzled mane of pink and yellow sticking out in all directions. Luna continued oblivious, "Shall I tell her of the battle against the windigo’s and their incarceration in the Frozen North? No, too simple. Mayhaps the war against Sombra and his brainwashed army? She had confronted him at the Crystal Empire before, but did not lay siege to the castle such as we." She paused as a brilliant thought came to mind. "Of course! she had fought Tirek in a retaliatory but head on method in much a similar fashion as we! Dear niece you are a fountain of knowledge!" Cadence replied with a quiet whimper and a cough of blue smoke. "... That's not quite what I meant-" "Good evening your Majesty's." The beep baritone of the head of two Solar guards, one unicorn and one earth pony, bowing in greeting brought their attention back to their surroundings. "Princess Luna," The large earth pony continued as the pair rose to their hooves. "The---" he paused for a moment his eyes met the two and took in the smaller alicorn's appearance. "---uh... the observatory has been prepared for the moonrise. All enchantments are in place and Princess Celestia is waiting inside." The pair glanced up at the golden arch of the tower entrance before them. It had appeared they had finally reached their destination. Princess Luna flared her wings in approval, pelting the Soldiers in a quick but heavy gust of wind, sliding them back a few paces. "Thank you, dear guards. When we depart, please accompany us to the throne room in preparation for the night's festivities." "O-of course, your highness." The Unicorn replied, both bowing again, their helmets slightly kilter from the gust. Luna turned to her niece, who was still rubbing the tiny scorch mark on her right side and attempting to reign in her mane. "Is something wrong?" She asked. Cadence jumped and turned slightly to obscure the mark. "Oh, uh-- I'm fine! Totally fine!" She said with a somewhat nervous giggle. Luna raised an eyebrow. "Shall we continue?" The emotions of the princess of the night washed over Cadence like a wave and her heart skipped a beat at the intensity. It was similar to the feelings she herself felt when her duties would keep her from spending a quiet moment with Shining or Twilight. She closed her eyes before simpering and waving a hoof in front of her dismissively, "I wouldn't want to intrude. Thank you. I'm just happy that I was able to talk to you before the party. You know how these celebrations usually go. Please let Auntie Celestia know that I will see her at the dining hall." Luna beamed with sincere gratitude as she folded her wings and gave her niece a quick nuzzle. She then nodded to the guards and the unicorn's horn lit up in a teal aura. The doors behind them began to glow in a similar manner and slowly creaked open. The princess of the night resumed her trot, not noticing her shoes momentarily sticking in place with a 'tcht'. - - - - - - "Good evening sister," Luna said cheerily upon entering, her trot becoming much more prancy after the doors closed. The mare in question looked up from her musings from the center of the room. A small scroll floated in front of her muzzle, a bright golden aura surrounding it. Upon hearing the greeting, Celestia's eyes shifted to her counterpart, and her expression from contemplative to delighted. She gently rolled the paper and tucked it away on the desk in the far corner. Luna trotted over to the larger white mare and draped her head over her sister's neck in a hug. Celestia returned the hug and added a wing for good measure. "And good morning to you," she said warmly. The pair held the hug for several moments longer than necessary, but neither seemed eager to separate. When they did, Luna took a deep breath and flexed her magic. Flames of blue erupted to life around her and the walls of the room lit up in fiery golden runes, the air shimmering as though everything was underwater. Despite the close proximity, Celestia's mane continued to flow lazily in a direction contrary to the output of her little sister. The magical wards that were put in place, however, creaked and groaned under the strain, but they did not falter. Luna arched her back --not unlike a cat-- and stretched her wings, the tips shuddering from her exertion. "Urohhgh. That hits the spot." She said as she allowed the energy to dissipate. Unable to hide the laughter in her voice, Celestia circled around her sister, falling back into old traditions long forgotten by the modern pony, nipping her affectionately behind the ear as the two begin to slowly walk towards the balcony side by side. "You seem energetic." She said, her voice jingling with amusement. "As is everypony in the Kingdom. And for good reason." Luna returned the nip in kind. "The rebound effect from Tirek's assault has empowered everypony in Equestria far more then we ever could have imagined. Though it is no small surprise, with Tirek’s assault and Discord’s betrayal off balancing the world's magic such as they had done." She gave her sister a sidelong glance. "Then again, t'would not be surprising if you did see this outcome in one of your visions." "You give me too much credit. You know better than anypony that I only see into an ocean of possibilities." Celestia's serine smile never changed, "But in light of this event it might be prudent to inform our citizens that they may be a little overcharged over the next few moons. I recently received a letter from Twilight informing me that Applejack's little sister nearly uprooted a tree while working the field today." “I concur.” Luna nodded. "I would also recommend that we declare a day of celebration throughout the kingdom for the Elements' latest victory. It is not often that one survives an encounter with the Lord of Darkness, let alone a direct confrontation." "Our newest princess is certainly full of surprises." Celestia agreed. "Which reminds me, I encountered young Cadence on my journey here." Luna began, eyeing her somewhat suspiciously, "She seems to have been made privy to a certain title of mine to which she claims came from you." "Oh? And what title would that be?" Celestia asked. "Warrior Princess." Luna replied. "Which I believe is a far too simplified interpretation of the name bestowed by the Old Ones during the first war. The Blood Splattered Immortal." Celestia humorously rested her head atop her sister's. "What can I say? It's been a long time since I've had the opportunity to brag about your accomplishments." Luna gave a snort of mock irritation and shook her head to dislodge her sister. "And did you mention to her any of your accomplishments oh great Flame of Annihilation? And how in-depth did you delve into your story? Should I be worried?" "No more in depth than normal. Besides, you were the topic of conversation, not me. Cadence was desperate to find a way to connect with you after your return and didn't know where to begin." Celestia paused a moment and raised her hoof to her muzzle in thought, smoothly redirecting the conversation to a less --sensitive-- subject. "Which, begs the question; Where is Cadence? I invited her to join us for sunset." "She has decided to meet us in the Great Hall. Perhaps she wishes to see Twilight before the feast takes place. Once the celebration begins, it is unlikely she will have much time to spend with her once the guests arrive." "True. And Twilight would appreciate the support. She still hasn't quite gotten used to being a savior of Equestria, let alone one of its princesses. I don't believe she would be comfortable being fawned over again without somepony to back her. You remember the celebration after Discord's second Sealing?" Luna let out a single haughty laugh. "Let the nobles come! Their pathetic courting rituals to young Twilight amuse me." She glanced at her sister. "Please don't tell her I said that." Celestia merely chuckled in response. The moment both alicorns stepped on to the balcony Celestia immediately set to work by grasping the ethereal ley-lines that connected her to the sun in a firm magical grip. The massive tethers visible only to gods snapped taut, and what could constitute only as a heavy growl reverberated through the connection. While her visage never changed, her horn pulsed in raw power sending bolts of pure arcane energy rippling across her body shooting out in every direction. The tower wards flared to life again, attracting the errant magic like a lightning rod, breaking down the magic at its base level, allowing each bolt to dissipate harmlessly into the air. The sun eventually gave up and slowly drifted below the horizon with no fanfare. Just a single light fading beneath the landscape, darkening the sky to a lackluster black. "Such a brute." Luna tisked as Celestia finished, stepping forward and establishing her own connection to the currently out of sight moon, allowing its full 'weight' to settle on her 'shoulders'. "It is no wonder the sun always tries to wiggle its way out of your grip." The air grew cold and heavy around the balcony and her starry mane expanded outward, flickering wildly like a flag in a windstorm. "It takes a more delicate touch to coax out the night." Luna closed her eyes and relaxed, almost releasing her 'grip' entirely in the process, even going so far as to pull a sizable portion of the residual magic away from its base before releasing it like a rubber band. If Celestia's session was akin to a heavy pull, Luna's could only be described as a hearty slap. A few moments later, the blue-white of Luna's charge rose into the sky, a visible ripple of energy flowing across the surface from bottom to top. She released her hold with a flourish. "And voila! With nothing more than a lover's caress." "You caress like a battering ram. Keep doing that and you'll flatten the bottom." Celestia chided as she stepped back into the observatory, playfully bumping her flank against her sister's on the way. "And the Sun doesn't 'wiggle'. It's simply stubborn, which is probably one reason why you two don't get along." Luna harrumphed, her head raised haughtily in the air, "Jealousy will get you nowhere." "You also set the floor on fire." "Indeed I di-wait what?" Luna glanced down. "Well... that's new." She said smartly, stepping backwards out of the small pools of molten rock with a 'tcht'. "I take it the wards didn't cover the ground?" Celestia grabbed a nearby vase in her magic, removed the flowers and poured the remaining contents on the floor. The water hissed upon contact, quickly cooling the rock to an uneven charred mess. "Not not quite to the extent of the balcony." She quipped, stating the obvious. Luna meanwhile was inspecting her shoes for damage. "I certainly hope that didn't happen anywhere else." --- Cadence and the two guards continued staring at the place the lunar diarch once stood. For a full two minutes nothing was heard except for the quiet crackling of the four small fires burning merrily on the floor in front of them where the Princess of the Night once stood. Finally, the Earth Pony guard spoke up. "So... You going to put that out?" He asked his horned companion. "In a minute. It doesn't seem to be spreading." Came the terse reply. He gave his colleague a half-lidded glare, "Is your pyromania setting in again? "What? I've never seen marble burn before." Cadence simply shook her head in disbelief. --- "I doubt it." Celestia said. "Oh and don't forget the stars. Feel free to finish at anytime. Just don't burn down the tower." Luna eloquently blew her sister a raspberry before both alicorns erupted into foalish laughter. The telltale jingle of magic later and a multitude of pinpricks of light began to decorate the sky. Luna sighed. "We haven't had banter like that in ages." "Over five thousand seasons I believe." Celestia replied. "Not since we shared a single observatory. If-- you're not opposed to the idea, I would love to continue these--" An icy cold feeling swept across the two and a pulse of blue and gold magic involuntarily flared to life on their respective horns. It took a millennia of discipline to keep Luna from releasing a massive shudder. A slight widening of her eyes and tensing of her jaw were the only indicators that something was wrong. A glance at her sister showed that she was faring no better. A dead calm had settled on Celestia's face. She was looking up at the sky towards one of the brighter stars closest to the moon. "Something has arrived." She said. Luna settled alongside her sister mirroring her expression. "Another of them I presume?" Celestia shook her head, "I'm not certain. The feeling is distorted. Almost like an echo. They might be too close to the moon for me to see." "Then leave it to me." Needing no more encouragement, Luna set to work. She closed her eyes and opened her senses, tapping deep into her connection with her namesake. Immediately her mind lit up with screams and voices in a language she'd never heard before. --- "--It's no good! The engines are trashed, and even if they were, power is at 2% efficiency! Escape pods are offline and I can't-- "-- God. Doc P you've got to get out of there!The hull's about to breach in cabin 2! We gotta evac--!" "-- let us secure the data! We can't lose this information! The human race needs to know--!" "Are you crazy! This ain't worth yer life!" "Get out of there now! It's gonna--!" A massive explosion ripped through the area and the voices devolved into a cacophony of screams before being drowned out by a raging wind. Eventually that wind calmed and all that was left was the silence of the void. --- She forcibly severed her connection with a frantic gasp, a wave of nausea nearly overtaking her. Her legs buckled beneath her, and would have collapsed to the ground if it weren't for her sister catching her tightly in a panicked embrace. "It's okay." Celestia consoled her while running a wing across her back. "Just breathe. Deep breaths." Luna' s breaths came forcefully as she stared straight ahead over her sister's shoulder at nothing in particular. She inhaled deeply through her nose and closed her eyes, finding comfort in her sister's heartbeat. "I'm alright." She said finally. "I was not expecting to touch them as they died..." She slowly pulled herself from Celestia while looking skyward. "Do not worry, I was able to separate myself from them without any issue. There were just so many. It overwhelmed me for a moment." She opened her wings partway, allowing the pellicle of magic that surrounded each wing to reach the visible plane in a white blue aura. Then with a quick flutter, she shed the energy, allowing it to flake off in a sparkling snowfall of pure energy. "See?" The display did little to ease the cold pit in Celestia's breast. She opened her mouth to inquire further, but hesitated. "What did you see?" She asked finally, eyeing her sister with concern. "I saw... A cry for help." Luna started slowly but began rambling at a quicker pace. "This vessel is much larger than the one before. With many more inside... Sister we must do something! I can feel it spiraling towards the moon. Like a wounded Pegasus struck down in a storm." "Can you slow it down?" "From here?" Luna looked at the white mare doubtfully. "Is that wise?" "At this moment, our options are limited." "I... will try." Luna closed her eyes and tentatively skimmed her magic across the skies for the source. It took a few minutes, with each moment that passed bringing further tension to her mind. Finally, relief flooded her veins as she located the object and clamped down, halting its rotation only to feel a section crumple like a fragile bird's nest under the strain. She quickly released it a moment later. "By the Stars, it's a fragile thing! It is too far away. I require a much closer proximity!" Celestia frowned. "Are you sure it's wise? This may be another accident like last time, but it could also be a scout. We don't know enough about them to be certain." But Luna was undeterred. "At this point it doesn't matter. From what I felt, we are the only ones capable of helping them. As you already know, some of their lives have already slipped away." Though calm on the outside, the thought of her sister returning to the Moon added a terrible ache to the cold pit in Celestia's heart. One that she had long since believed was healed. The logical side of her mind reasoned that since there was no seal, there was nothing to prevent her from returning safely. But the memory of the past thousand years clawed at her rationale. No, she reasoned. She would not subject her sister to return to that which had once been her prison. "Try to keep it aloft as best you can. I will go in your place." She began to focus, but was interrupted by a pair of dark blue hooves wrapping around her neck. She eyed her baby sister curiously. "Thank you for caring sister." Luna whispered, squeezing briefly before separating and tossing her a wink. And before her sibling could respond, she dissipated into a cloud of purple mist and shot off into the sky. Celestia found herself standing watch alone under the now imposing moon, rekindling an old habit a thousand years in the making. While it's smooth blue-white surface remained unchanged, her mind's eye saw it very differently. Even after all this time, she found she still had tears to shed for failing her sister. ---- Commander Michaels struggled against the centrifugal force of the spinning ship, pain shooting through his chest and weakening his already precarious grip as he pulled himself towards the cockpit hatch. Alarms blared throughout the corridor and the lights had long since gone out due to the damage sustained. Stars rapidly cycled across the canopy from left to right, the view distorted slightly in the middle from a series of massive cracks along the glass. The high-pitched klaxon echoing through the room tore at his ears, nearly drowning out the the digital feminine voice of Varity, the ship's COVAS. "Thusters offline. Hull integrity at 20%. Life support at 10%. Power plant operating at reduced efficiency. Canopy at 15%..." He panted heavily and his arms trembled from exertion as he slowly pulled himself to the next handhold. "Vincent!" He shouted. "Vincent!" Receiving no response from his co-pilot, he continued his trek to the cockpit. After almost a minute of tortuously slow progression, his left hand finally reached the door frame. Taking a few deep pained breaths, he heaved and threw himself through the entrance-- And was thrown violently to the left, slamming face first into the back panels of the cockpit causing a popping sound that reverberated through his body. He cried out out in agony as both hands grabbed at the right side of his chest where a long metal fragment protruded. The ship continued to spin, pinning him in place. "Vi--ncent!" He called out again, much weaker than before. It was getting harder to breathe. 'I think I just punctured my lung.' He thought with ire. 'If that's the case, I've only got 30 minutes. An hour at most.' He swore to himself and through sheer willpower alone pulled himself to a semi upright position and continued to drag himself along. When he finally reach the pilot seat, he swore again. "Dammit Vincent. Not you too." He begrudgingly released the locks on the seat allowing his copilot's body to be slung away. He then hoisted himself into place, the locks automatically engaging on the back of his RemLok suit as he slammed his fist on to the internal comms button. "CMDR Michaels to All Hands! I need an all call! I say again I need an all call!" He said breathlessly. A moment later a young man's voice sputtered back. "--This is Klein! Space dive crew is trapped in the cargo hold! We were able to finish securing the cargo hatch door, but I don't know how long it'll last! Currently working on getting out of this death trap and into cabin 3!" "What's the status of your crew?!" "Severly injur-*kshhhh*-or dead! Whatever the hell happened turned most of the guys and gals in here into wet smears on the walls!" Michaels took in a shaky breath. "How many are left?" He coughed. "I don't know, maybe seven?" A pause. "Yeah, seven!" Michaels was not typically what type of person to swear like a sailor, but he found himself letting loose a string of expletives that would have made his Navy flight instructor proud. Luckily, the armrests were sturdy enough to take the beating that accompanied it. "Okay..." he said after a moment. "Get the injured to the Escape pods and see if you can get those thrusters back online! There should be a few in the cargo hold." "*kshhhh*-t's no good! The engines are trashed, and even if they were, power is at 2% efficiency! Escape pods are offline and I can't launch them manually without gett-*kshhhh*-gh this damn door! The few of us that are still capable are trying to get through the cargo door--" "Commander!" A new voice cut in, her thick Imperial accent a dead giveaway to her identity. Michaels sighed in relief. "For once it's good to hear from you, Dr Patterson! What's your crew status?!" "Two scientists *kssshh*-side from myself! Main research lab!" Before Michael's could respond, Klein gasped. "Oh God. Doc P you've got to get out of there!The hull's about to bre-*kshhhh*-bin 2! We gotta evac to cabin 3 immediately!" "First let us secure the data! We can't lose this information! The human race needs to know what we found!" "Are you crazy! This ain't worth yer life!" A third voice entered the fray, this one not on the comms line. "Warning, Cargo hatch malfunction. Warning, Hull breach detected." Michaels' eyes went wide. "Get out of there now! It's gonna--!" Two successive explosions rocked the ship, throwing the commander forward slightly and adding a downward tilt to its uncontrolled spin. The rush of wind and screams of his crew echoed along the metal walls before fading out into a steady hum of static. Michaels instinctively latched onto the throttle and joystick. The pain in his chest intensified and he could feel himself beginning to struggle to breathe. "Klein! Dr Patterson! Comms check!" *stshshshshshttt* Quickly, He checked the internal comms to see if they were working on his end and tried again. "Klein! Dr P! Do you copy?! Anybody?!" *kshhstshshshshshttt* For another minute, he tried in vain to raise anyone onboard with only the sound of static as a response. Eventually he hunched forward, tears streaming across his face to the side of his helmet. 'I guess this is it.' he thought tiredly, a resigned sigh escaping his lips. His head dropped back against against the headrest and his right hand lethargically drifted to the control panel. A few inputs later, the cockpit lights dimmed before disappearing completely. The alarms stopped and the unsteady hum of the crippled vessel faded, leaving an eerie but welcome silence. Michaels closed his eyes and took as deep a breath as he could. 'Not the worst way to go. Could've done without the spinning... and some company would have been nice. At least I'm not flying headfirst into a star or planet.' Unbeknownst to him, a dark blue aura began to surround the ship, tinting the view of the stars a cyan hue. A moment later the ship jolted again, its momentum suddenly slowed drastically and the entire hull began to screech and warp around him as though it was being crushed by an unknown force. "What the hell!?" Michaels shouted. He threw his hands in front of his face as Vincent's form whipped past him and crashed heavily into the canopy, cracking it further. The dark red of his co-pilots flight suit contrasted eerily against the gray backdrop of the rocky surface below. It was at this moment he realized that whatever hit them not only arrested the ship's rotation, but it was now redirected towards the surface of a rocky planet in a head-on collision. "Oh come on!" --- As soon as Luna arrived above the surface of the moon, a wave of nostalgia washed over her. One that was not entirely welcome. Her eyes skimmed the desolate landscape forlornly, with each terrain feature bringing back old memories of when she was less --or maybe more-- herself. She shook her head, dismissing the thoughts as unnecessary and brought her attention skyward, hoping to spot the object. Endless black was all that greeted her, illuminated only by the reflected light below. 'Now where did you go little one?' She wondered as she continued searching, spinning left and right, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. It quickly became apparent she would require a more... direct approach. Luna raised her hooves high into the air, stretching her body to a nearly vertical position. 'I must admit,' she thought to herself with no small measure of anticipation, 'I've been itching to do this all day.' A moment later, she simply let go. Her mane flickered almost imperceptibly, before suddenly exploding outward in a massive tidal wave of energy, blasting outwards towards the sky. It's movement alone tore through the surrounding magic field with such force it created a massive vortex that ravaged the surface in a maelstrom of debris without the aid of an atmosphere. Her mane continued its upward ascent until it reached a distance of roughly three times the height of the Canterlot mountain. It then split outwards in all directions as though it struck an invisible ceiling, creating a veil of sorts that stretched out over a good portion of the lunar sky. It didn't take long before she located the vessel again. It was a little lower than she was expecting, most likely due to it falling at a speed much faster than the moon could possibly pull. And it was close. Very close. In fact--- It was right on top of her. The hulking mass tore through her mane like a rock through water, the main body on a direct collision course with her. Under normal circumstances this would be of little concern and she had a variety of counter options available to her. Luna chose the simplest and lazily flapped her wings to glide out of the way. And instead of gliding to safety, she only succeeded in flailing awkwardly in place. Turns out that flying through the eye of a tornado --whether it was wind or magic-- was not always the best idea. Her heart leapt in her barrel and she barely had enough time to redirect her efforts into throwing up a shield. The veil cut an almost 180° turn, shooting back towards its master at more than twice the speed of its ascent. The moment it returned to her, she hastily wrapped herself in a bubble of dark blue. The main body rushed past her, passing closely enough for her to touch, until she collided head-first with the left of two fins on the top of the vessel. While the shield held without any difficulty, she was effectively struck with the weight of a full-grown dragon moving at twice the speed of sound, causing her to rebound off the metal protrusion in an out-of-control spiral. Luna shook her head as she eventually righted herself with a flap of her wings against the frazzled magical currents, more than a little dizzy. Her horn throbbed from the impact. By the time she found her balance, her inadvertent storm had finally ceased and the craft was far too close to the ground for her liking. She quickly reacquired her 'grip' on the vessel, hoping the shortened distance would prevent her from crushing it-- Only to have the canopy explode outward under the stress of the slowdown, jettisoning two creatures into space. Luna's cheeks puffed outward in a pout, and she would have sighed if there was any air to breathe. ---- Michaels spiraled head over heel wildly as he plummeted towards the rocky lunar surface. His body spasmed at the combination of his many injuries and the vacuum exposure from the puncture in his suit. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the limp body of Vincent rag-dolling with him just out of reach. His stomach turned and he retched several times, though nothing came out, thankfully. Throughout this, his mind was still trying to process what had just happened. One moment, he was pulling the body of his friend off the canopy, and then the next he felt the ship slow, throwing the both of them against the already compromised glass, shattering it and jettisoning them into the void. Though it mattered little at this point. At the speed he was falling and the damage sustained to his suit, there was no way he would be able to slow his descent enough survive the impact. Even if he did, with his luck the ship would just end up crashing right on top of him. Suddenly, a ring of pulsing white light appeared below them just above the surface. On each pulse, the top portion would break away and rise into the air, passing around him, giving the sensation of a heavy wind pushing against his body. At each pass, he could feel his descent slowing. Each ring that passed continued slowing him until he drifted to the ground lightly, kicking up a small cloud of lunar dust. Michaels struggled to get to his feet only to collapse face first into the dust. ---- Luna observed as she lowered herself down towards the aliens taking in their appearances. The one on the left struggled weakly in an attempt to bring itself upright, while the other never moved, its head and neck at an unnatural angle. As the survivor eventually stood up on two legs, Luna found herself impressed by his strength and tenacity. 'Oh yes, I forgot. They're bipeds.' She thought. Even in a hunched position, it was almost twice the height of the average pony, dressed all in black in a skin-tight suit. Varying lines of light grey littered the suit, tracing what could only be the musculature of the creature. Upon closer examination she noticed a long metal bar protruding from its chest. A steady stream of gas and moisture could be seen escaping from the puncture site. As Luna continued to descend, her shadow passed over the creature. It looked up and staggered back, falling to its rear. A dome of reflective glass obscured its face. Luna could feel the creatures fear and tried to put him at ease. She spoke into the airless landscape and collected her words before sending it to his mind, though careful not to read any thoughts without his permission. "Do not be afraid traveler. Though you come from beyond our world, my sister and I have come to render aid. We will take you and your friends to our kingdom for treatment." The creature fell to its knees. ---- Michaels stayed there on the lunar surface for a moment, his exhausted mind reeling over recent events. He slowly brought his legs under himself and stood trembling, every move wracking his body in agony. The blood from his wound pooled in his suit's lower extremities, resulting in a nauseating thick sloshing as he moved. A dark shadow passed over him. "Ohshitshitshitshitshit!" He tried to scramble out of the way only to have his senses fade for a moment. The grey landscape tilted and he collapsed in a plume of dust. He scraped and clawed to get to his feet, only to succeed in scuttling backwards on his butt as he looked up with trepidation and blanched. Instead of 280 tons of broken death about to turn him into space pizza, there floating elegantly in front of him, silhouetted by the closest star was an angel. The light from the star obscured its features in a shroud of shadow but it's outline was nothing less than that of a divine being. A cloud of sparkling translucent blue floated around its head in a billowing halo, a slender pointed crown affixed atop its brow. Long flowing wings could be seen behind it, flapping lazily, as though their movement was not a necessity, but an afterthought. Finally, an expansive beautiful sparkling gown or robe, similar in appearance to the halo, stretched down fanning out beneath it, flowing as though from an unknown breeze. And deep within the recesses of his mind he heard a woman's voice. "Fear thee not thine visitor of worlds beyond. Salvation cometh to thee from heaven and moon. Thy sibling god of star and I of sky shall take you to thine final rest!" Michaels collapsed to his knees, unable to stand at the overwhelming presence before him. Was what she said true? He spent his whole life exploring the galaxy and never once thought that the ancient religions of humanity could possibly hold any truth in them. But here he was with proof staring him in the face. He looked up in terrified wonder and opened his mouth. ---- "Aruruba bugub?" Luna raised an eyebrow. 'Perhaps the translation spell was a bit off...' She thought as she lowered herself to the ground. 'Well there's also the possibility of brain damage.' --- The deity paused a moment after his inquiry before descending. The moment the robes touched the ground, her form wilted and collapsed to all fours. The image of divinity disappeared and Michaels tilted his head to the side, slowly making his way back to his feet. 'I have discovered God, and he's a she.' He thought blearily. His vision swam as darkness began to creep in. 'And she's a horse. Didn't see that one coming.' ---- The moment her front hooves touched the ground, the alien cocked its head to the side and slowly made its way back to its feet. Luna just as slowly closed the distance between the two until there was only a pony length between them. She tilted her head to the left mimicking it. Tilt right. Luna copied. The alien took a step forward, reaching out with its right hand towards her face. It's left arm hung uselessly by its side. Suddenly it leaned forward and clutched its chest in a convulsion and slumped. She reared up and caught it before it completely tipped over, wrapping her forehooves around its back. It was a bit heavier than she anticipated, but it did little to offset her balance. She gently lowered it to the ground, laying her head against its chest. Its heartbeat was weak and there was a distinct imbalance in its breathing, with only one side rising and lowering. Princess Luna magically transferred the unconscious alien to her back, careful not to aggravate its wound. She then walked over to the second alien and straddled the body, her forehooves just under the armpits and her rear hooves at the hips. She gently shifted the lunar dust, cradling him in a firm grip and ever so gently lifted him off the ground. Flapping her wings twice, she brought herself and both aliens with her soaring towards the floating monolith above them. Once Luna's hooves touched the surface of the alien ship, she focused her magic one last time. Both alicorn and craft disappeared from the moon in a flash of blue light.