"So cold."
The wideness of space gave about many a blot of darkness to the naked eye save for the few tiny dots illuminating the sky at night on many atmosphere-available planets.
"So empty."
Space was actually filled with all sorts of wonders and colorful things that have yet to be discovered. Is it possible that, perhaps, there are new sources of energy? Or perhaps a fourth, true element aside from the supposed "plasma element"? So many planets, so many wonders that await the most curious and most advanced of species seeking to get into this dark, cold void and discover.
"So...alone..."
It was common occurrence in space to see comets, asteroids, and other small rocks fling themselves through this seemingly dead, three dimensional void, their speed unrestricted by lack of gravity and collisions with airborne particles. These colossal behemoths of mineral had a habit of colliding into other, larger celestial objects and could create terrible catastrophes depending on their size and composition. These flying pebbles could come from all manner of occurrences, such as being leftovers from the formation of a planet, or the destruction of a large celestial body.
"How long has it been? I feel nothing. I see nothing. I smell. Nothing. I can hear...nothing. Am I to drift eternally? Is my destiny after my failure to be but a simple piece of dust that must swim through the black ocean for eternity and more to come? Is retribution out of my reach?"
In one particular spot of the universe, sat a tiny planet wielding two celestial objects within its grasp. One being a star, and the other a captured asteroid. A strange occurrence here would happen commonly, such as the bodies rotating by unnatural phenomenon, or flipping and performing bizarre "tricks" of an almost impossible magnitude. And towards this somewhat colorful planet, a few more rocks were raining down upon, and these could cause damage...if it were not for the moon moving to block them. Its girth alone was enough that its dented exterior meant nothing as the hurdling stones impacted its surface. Only a few managed to escape it, and while many scattered themselves far and wide, one particular fragment shone as it entered the atmosphere.
"Warning! Body entering planetary atmosphere. Friction caused by air particles causing intense elevation of thermal temperatures." spoke a voice with a deep constance mixed with a powerful and proud digital voice."Warning! Trajectory angle incorrect. Possibility of extinguishing within atmosphere ninety-six point four three percent. Rectifying."
The sky within this planet shone brightly, giving way to a beautiful meteor shower. Its power of illumination was enough to drag many out of their homes to see what the sounds of whistling in the sky were. Naturally, many of the inhabitants of this world were marveled at the appearance of such a spectacle, many of the "loving" couples hugging each other closely, allowing the stallions to sort out an excuse that is based on how such beauty reminded them of when they first met. Little did they know that this signifies that the one they love is actually now ugly. VERY ugly depending on the time slate.
"W...warmth? Impossible. How long have I been drifting? It feels like so many thousands of years."
"Trajectory rectified. Calculating
.
.
.
Calculations complete. Trajectory rectified. Collision with solid surface in five minutes, thirty seven seconds. Employing protective breaker."
There was one problem with the meteor shower, and that was the growing wave of fire that continued to chew its way through the atmosphere. The further it went, the bigger it got, only to finally turn into a narrow projectile of burning sparks and imminent destruction. Throughout the locations within the land, blaring sirens emitted their cries across the once sleeping grounds of Equestria. While the smaller rocks impacted the ground released small tremors and threw dust into the air, the cone of fire struck the planet with such strength that the entire world shook with an unbelievable ferocity. The deafening crack echoed all across the plains which it touched as the shockwaves skid across mountain and prairie, breaking the sturdiest of materials but weakening as the distance grew. The earthquake was enough to awaken even the deepest sleepers, and many creatures nearby were either completely obliterated or thrown far enough and high enough into the air that it didn't matter where they landed. Gravity would continue its job.
The tremors and aftershocks caused by this immense celestial object and its smaller cousins rocked Equestria and the nearby ocean for well over two hours. Mass destruction and damages lied in the wake of the disfigured Equestrian plains. The once wide and verdant green soil now turned to a brown, charred block of glass. Night time had never been so bright.
"System scan and repairs complete. Deep scanning reveals no corrupted pockets of data. Databanks and memory drives damage repaired and stored data has been retreived and reconstituted. Backups in process of creation. Mechanical body in perfect contidition. IRM ready for reactivation. Last date of activation: Two thousand and thirty five years, forty-seven weeks, twenty-four days ago."
It was around nine a.m. The sun was still trying to wake up, but like any other creature, wanted to go back to sleep as it lazily rose into the sky, its brightness not quite at full capacity. The massive crater in the plains still sat there, and little particles soon returned to their birthplace, gently levitating into a comfortable spot amongst the sand and mounds. Around this hole stood a few dozen canine-esque creatures. Their bodies were covered with a grayish-white fur, and their eyes stuck out like snail eyes. Their two rear legs were bent like a half square. These were tumbledogs, and they had a habit of going around to look for rotting flesh to feast upon, so why couldn't they find any here?
Suddenly, without warning, a mound of sand from the middle of the crater began to rise and rise until it easily surpassed the dogs who simply watched the rising pile as all the sand slid off the large body they protected and covered. This being was bipedal, and seemed to be made of several plates of metal. It was mostly gray-blue, but the true blue painted on its body had long since chipped off. The feet seemed to have no toes, but it did have a small, curved extension on the heel. The body itself seemed to have been made from several plates of metal not from Equestria. They overlapped each other like scales on the arms of this frightening creature. As it rose higher from the ashes, its head came into view. This thing has a crevice in three different portions of the face, forming a perfect triangle when crossed with each other. This orbs constantly changed color, signifying a change in the visual spectrum. These orbs had a default color, said color being blue with a black interior. The top and sides of its head also wielded some sort of long bladed extensions, supposedly sensors for the surrounding areas.
This great creature of metal stood proudly on its legs, and observed the surroundings, making sure to let its internal scanners finish their job. As it observed the surroundings, it reached for its back and attempted to grab...nothing. It looked at its hand and began to think.
"Grovash! I lost it! My AMW. Internal scanners, switch to the detection of my Adaptive Molecular Weapon."
"Commencing multi-vector scanning on multiple wavelengths and frequencies. Warning! Biological components in close vicinity. Hostile intent detected within heartbeat and nerve movements. Lethal force advised."
"Lethal? Already that something lives would be quite the astounding discovery. Let's get out of this hole."
The tumbledogs leaned forward to get a better look at this giant, but many curled up into a ball and rolled away to safety as flames came from the invader's boots, boosting it high into the air and landing with a loud thump upon the ground, making it bend a little before regaining its initial composure.
The remaining tiny creatures continued their observations of this strange new being. At first, they carefully approached it and sniffed its legs, letting the colossus chuckle a bit as its sensors showed signs of functioning once again. However, very soon, they sensed how dangerous it was, and started to growl as they turned around it, like a predator about to pounce upon the wounded prey.
"Hm? It seems they want to kill me. Hmph. I may not have my AWM, but my martial prowess has still won me many battles."
The IRM positioned its arms and legs into a strange position as a bit more sand lodged in the joints slipped out. The tumbledogs were confused at first, but one of them jumped for the being's throat, but immediately found its own neck grabbed and slapped aside, the contact between hand and skull bringing about a loud thunderclap. While the other tumbledogs attacked in union, they were all cut down by this entity. Its movements were extremely agile for something that certainly weighed several tons. It hopped on the head of one dog and bent its back to grab another by the neck by using it's ankles. With one swift hip movement, a resonating crack. The dog was dead and its body just flopped onto the ground, limply. The IRM then twisted its hands and hopped off its podium, landing in front of yet another jumping tumbledog. This was a grave mistake, for as the next cracking movement required a second, it only took a fraction for this metal giant to tighten its hands into narrow, joined fingers and strike the canine several times in several vital points, then to hop off to the next beast and crush it with a leg lifted all the way to the biped's head.
In only half a minute, the majority of the dogs were dead, and this giant simply stood back up, stretched its joints a bit, small sparks erupting as they left their trapped spaces. The few remaining tumbledogs rolled up and tumbled away, screaming in fear as they did so. The metallic being played with its hands, stretching and twisting them to ensure their full functioning.
"Hm. It seems I landed on a lively world. Impressive. I didn't believe that I would meet any other forms of life, albeit savage ones. Have any other sentient life forms been detected? Preferably, those with a sentient form of civilized intelligence?"
"Affirmative. Detected within outer reaches of the forest. Subject is puny and on the verge of death. Needs to aid insignificant. Recommend search for AWM as top priority."
"...No. Also, deactivate your voice module. I wish to have some internal peace. Now then. A little trip to that forest in front of me seems like the best area to start searching. I almost missed the cold breeze of weather."
The mountain city of Araiy dug into the side of the mountain upon which it sat was in dire trouble. Its foundations were damaged, threatening to drop the entirety of the portion still outside of the mountain. Smoke was bleeding from its every corner, and pegasi were going high and low to fly about this enormous city with extremely tall buildings. Near the middle of this already walled city sat a gigantic castle, literally towering over even the tallest building in Araiy which easily reached at least four-hundred feet. This place held its own wall, and it was less damaged than the rest of the royal city, mainly thanks to the mages that protected its structural integrity. Many of them were sent out to aid in the repairs of this once majestic capital.
Several statues showing two alicorns standing side by side ornating the entrances to this caste would suggest egocentricity, but this was only something that the inhabitants created to thank their rulers, the controllers of the sun and moon. Within the castle grounds spread immense gardens with many more statues depicting heroes of the Equestrian history, as well as some showing scenes. These ones required expert craftsponyship for details and many more. The grass was greener than the word, and the trails across the castle grounds were divided from the common dirt by carved bricks of a half-circle shape, the paths themselves ornate with white rocks, all hoof and hand polished. The main doorway for the castle was made in a well polished, dark brown wood lined by golden ornaments. The white marble used to construct this immense fortress was tough enough in itself that that stone was nearly impossible to find, but the eccentricities used here are certainly signs of full pockets. Too full, even.
The interior of the castle was beautiful as well. It was a well known fact that every day, the workers would change the smell by using diverse forms of perfume. Today, it was the smell of peaches and lemons. All across this immensely bright place were tapestries which were adorned with either the symbol of Equestria, that being two ponies' head opposite of each other and holding a hoof out to the sky, or other interesting things, such as the old rulers or characters of high importance and standing. Plants and armor decorated the walls while lamps were strewn high above to avoid hindering anypony. This palace easily had over fifty floors, and each was massive as well as massively decorated. On the same first floor, if one entered the main doorway to reach the lobby, besides the little balcony used to reach the higher floors, there were two enormous doors that easily reached ones eyes without any effort. The door on the right was lined with pastel colors while the main portion was covered in a bright, white paint. All of this was put together by the symbol of a sun placed in the middle of this color company. Said sun possesses six wavy arms. The door's main body was a hue of dark blue while its lining was a silvery color. This one possessed a simple crescent moon, and wasn't very enamorous, but it didn't need to be. Just the moon was enough for anypony to recognize who it belonged to.
As the expert craftsponyship creaked open to welcome a new visitor, two royal guards wearing silver colored armor were seen holding the doors open. A red rug led all the way to the two thrones at the end of the throne room. Said room was unimaginably enormous, with banners hanging from the high ceiling, and which obviously depicted the same symbols as those on the doors. If one were to put a hundred ponies on each other's backs, it would still be insufficient to reach the white ceiling. Many pillars were bult within the walls, and arches were created to provided support to the higher portions of this room. Many ponies wearing thin clothing and others just showing off their newly refurbished appearance were locked onto the sides of the pathway by more of the royal guards, each more different in coloration and mass than the next. A loud cacophony ripped through the air and gave quite the ambience to this room as well.
A single stallion wearing a tuxedo vest and with a well-coiffed black mane, ran towards the thrones of the castle as fast as he could, making sure to keep his monocle in place as it bounced. He was in an immense panic. Finally, with a skidding on the red carpet, he bowed before his rulers. A deep yet serene stallion voice boomed upon his unworthy ears:
"Yes, Costo. What do you require?"
"It is about the celestial object that the moon failed to block, and which caused considerable damage to your kingdom as it struck the soil, King Sol Invictus."
Sitting upon his sun-shaped throne sat a very tall white stallion. He was an alicorn, to be precise. His white coat shone with the brightness of the sun. His pastel mane and tail were both of short lengths but just long enough that they could flow freely in the wind. His pink eyes depicted both strength and serenity.
"What is this all about? I thought there was nothing more to report!" a hoof slammed violently on a foreleg hold.
"It is nothing, Queen Lisis." Costo spoke, slowly moving away as he hesitated to look at the enraged mare alicorn.
This alicorn had a rather violent tone to herself, her appearance being more similar to that of a tomboy. Although her starry mane and tail were fairly long, they were tied up into ponytail fashion. Her deep blue eyes represented the universe in its whole as she stared at the frightened stallion, his eyes trying to flee the queen's night blue coat. Even if she was, by external appearances, violent, she was known to be a softy deep inside.
"Lisis, stop yelling." Sol rolled his eyes.
"I am not yelling!"
"Yes you are."
"I..."
"Hm." Sol Invictus nodded in approval."Now then. What about this incident? I've...No. WE'VE already sent aid and rescue parties everywhere. What more is there to do?"
"I...There was something in the crater."
The cacophony suddenly ended, and everypony but the king and queen stared at the frightened stallion.
"Surely a beast that slipped within." the king laughed with his wife as they exchanged sights.
"No. My king, this is bigger than anything we've ever discovered."
"Why?" Sol asked, caution slowly rising in his voice.
"The thing in the crater blasted out with some sort of flame spell, then landed back on the soil, scaring away some Tumbledogs."
"Tumbledogs? It must have perished afterwards."
"That's the thing. It just looked in my research team's direction and chuckled as the dogs sniffed it. They then pounced on the thing, and at least twenty of them were killed instantly!"
"What?!"
"W-WE DIDN'T EVEN SEE WHAT HAPPENED!" Costo was sweating profusively and found himself watering the ground.
"That's impossible. Tumbledogs are so well organized that it is nigh impossible to kill them! When one is attacked--"
"The others replace it." Lisis finished.
"This is...what did it look like?"
"Like nothing we had ever seen before. Either it was in the asteroid when it struck...or it was the asteroid."
A dark atmosphere settled upon the room. It was not chilling. In fact, it was burning everypony up from stress. What was this thing? How did it come from an asteroid that Lisis' moon missed? So many questions, so little time.
"GUARDS! I want everypony assembled. We must find that creature and bring it in for questioning. I prefer a quick and clean capture. If it resists, you have my permission to use lethal force."
"You will be given a regiment of my Moon Mages. They are of the utmost importance and strength, so keep them safe."
"Yes. Your majesties!" the guards slammed their chests with their hoofs and galloped out of the throne room with utmost haste.
"I only hope this is just some farce." Lisis frowned as she thought of the possible consequences.
"I forgot how much I hated trees and foliage."
The mechanical being used its arms and hands to push aside branch and bush in his path. The forest wasn't very thick, but it was still more similar to a jungle than a forest, what with enormous roots erupting from the ground as well as vines and bugs pretty much invading everything. Some smaller yet insignificant creatures would spot the metal monstrosity from under their position, but would quickly scurry away when it twisted its sights to them.
The biped had been wandering around the forest for at least fifteen minutes. It was annoying it, and it wanted to leave as quickly as possible, but it could not. It had a mission to fulfill.
"Grovash! This is irritating m--"
"AHHH!" yelled a very high pitched voice.
The being quickly ran to the source of the noise, but as it neared the location, it quickly hid behind the two very large rocks the smaller creature was leaned against. Two creatures had blocked it. Both had the most bizarre appearance the alien had ever seen. They both possessed large blue beetle shells that were wide open in order to show their thin wings. Their black bodies twitched with each step placed by feet possessing to forward-swept toes and one rear-placed. Their "hands" were actually claws possessing three fingers in the dead center of these enormous crushers. Their heads were rather narrow, but they still had one large blue eye looking at their new prey, constantly twisting their faces and twitching their mandibles. Occasionally, they would push each other aside and shriek, but would quickly get back into line to slowly inch towards the food.
"Eh! Go away! How DARE you go against the queen of changelings!"
"Queen? That tiny thing?"
The beasts hissed again.
"AHHH!"
"Time to intervene."
As the beasts were just a step away from the "queen", the two rocks behind her began to shake and tremble, letting smaller shards drop down. All three watched the two gigantic boulders get lifted into the air by a single creature of a metallic hue. It stared down the two creatures who began to cower at the display of strength.
"Wh-who are you?" the little queen asked.
"I. Am. Eternal." the biped replied with a deafening, metallic voice.