//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Gas for Dadab? // Story: An Alien in Need, is a Friend Indeed // by Word Worthy //------------------------------// Quite unlike his ‘boss’, Dadab had no reservations or inhibitions about meeting with what seemed to be a strange but peaceful new species. What irked him though, was how his companion had forced him to meet with the locals by himself. He may be smart, but the Unggoy was no diplomat, nor a true politician. That was the Prophets’ jobs. Just before he entered the town to announce his presence, he looked back behind him at the road. Chur was still standing there, eagerly waiting and watching what was to transpire. Dadab approached a stream spanned by a medium bridge of solid wood and stone construction. He poked at it with his hoof-like foot. It seemed of the sturdy enough sort. With a few tentative steps, the grunt crossed the bridge into town. “Why do Grunts always go first?” He mused. Fluttershy was perusing around the Ponyville market, was on the look out for a cherry stand. The last one she tried had attempted to sucker her out of a few extra bits; bits she couldn't afford to spend. She may be timid, but Fluttershy would not allow herself to become a pushover for mean ponies who care only about making tidy profits off of others. Seeing a sign depicting stylized freshly picked cherries, Fluttershy set off for the other stand’s location. As she trotted, she closed her eyes and hummed a pleasant melody. Because of this, she didn’t notice some of the strange expressions on many of the ponies' faces around her. A few looked shocked, others confused, and some curious. Without warning, somepony nudged her in the side, breaking Fluttershy out of her peaceful melody. Her eyes opened quickly in alarm. Immediately afterwards, a comically high-pitched voice, too high to belong to a pony, asked her a question. “Excuse me friend, do you have any gas for Dadab?” Not looking to see who had just asked her the question, she let out a loud squeak and jumped behind a pile of apple cider barrels. Shaking, she peeked ever so slightly over them. “Who...who said that?” She chirped, barely above a whisper. The source of the question appeared in front of the barrels, bringing himself to Fluttershy’s attention. He was a short, stocky little biped. His arms were big, and his feet vaguely resembled hooves, were it not for the three big toes that jutted out of them. Where Fluttershy assumed the creature’s mouth was, he had equipped a mask, possibly for breathing. He was wearing light orange armor and had what appeared to be some kind of backpack on. They both just stared at each other, before the alien finally said, “Gas, methane? You understanding me?” in a hopeful voice. Fluttershy was unsure of how to respond. “What? You... you want methane gas? I..I wouldn't know anything about that, you should talk to my friend Twilight about that, she knows everything...um, if you want to, that is.” Dadab pawed at the dirt uncertainly with his fingers. “Where do I find this ‘Twilight’? Middle of town? By the way, where am I?” Slightly losing her fright over the alien, Fluttershy got up from behind the barrels, allowing Dadab to get a good look at her. She was like the large creature he had seen in the sky earlier, except her color was yellow, the other had a coat the sky-blue color of methane, the color of which any self-respecting grunt would know. “You’re in Ponyville. And yes, in the...the tree house over there, it’s the town library, but she also lives there. She should know where you can find some umm... gas. Like I said, Twilight...Twilight is the one who knows everything around here.” Fluttershy whispered rapidly. Dadab could relate, being the smartest of his massive family back on Balaho. Unfortunately, most Unggoy take little stock in brain power, so his high grunt IQ didn’t merit him many accommodations outside of the Covenant, except when one time he devised a more effective method of hunting scrub grub pests, a popular pass time. Fluttershy pointed a hoof in the Library’s direction. “Last I checked, Twilight should still be home, studying. Umm... good luck mister..” The grunt jumped up and down casually. “You can call me Dadab. You seem nice, me like you. I go now to get gas so I don’t die. Bye-bye nice lady.” “Oh my! Um...nice meeting you too, mister... Dadab.” Fluttershy whispered back. She made a mental note to tell the rest of her friends about the creature named Dadab as soon as possible. At least he didn't seem like a threat, although Fluttershy did notice what consciously looked like a weapon on the alien’s belt. Dadab made his way towards the Golden Oaks Library, occasionally glancing at the locals. Everyone was unsure of how to approach or deal with the strange creature in their streets. Not wanting to take chances with such an exotic looking biped, many elected to just keep their distance, and looked at him with curiosity, creating at least a little awkwardness in the process. Their glances creeped the grunt out a bit. “At least me know one of them is nice, what if some of the others want to eat Dadab? At least there no humans around, me no like alien meanies.” Dadab muttered to himself. He drew his pistol and thumped his head with it, trying to shake out such morbid thoughts and remain optimistic. After what seemed to be an eternity of creepy stares, Dadab finally reached the front door of the tree house. The Unggoy propped himself near a window, and peered inside. The mare Fluttershy had been right, it was a library. He saw rows and rows of bookshelves, and sure enough, in the middle of the room, was somepony Dadab assumed to be Twilight. The creature had her horn in the air, and was levitating books in various directions, evidently re-shelving them. The sight of magic intrigued Dadab, who was always the most curious one of any group. The floating books also reminded him slightly of his Huragok friend, and he felt of small pang of sadness. Dadab filed the emotion away for later, more appropriate times. He approached the door, and knocked on the wood enthusiastically, awaiting the owner’s response. Far off back on the road, Chur’R Yar had made note that no plasma fire or yelling had broken out. That must mean Dadab’s meeting with the locals has gone smoothly. With her keen Kig-Yar vision, she was able to see that Dadab had engaged in conversation with one of the winged creatures, who pointed in the direction of the tree house Yar had first noticed. The little grunt was now making his way there. She decided that if it was safe for him, it must be safer for her to enter as well. As the jackal entered Ponyville, Chur kept her needler close at hand. She wasn’t taking chances with these strange quadrupeds, even if they did look innocent and non-threatening at a first glance. Seeing not one, but two alien-looking creatures in the same day, some of the ponies were starting to think they were hallucinating. With this conclusion, many of the townsfolk ignored the bird-like alien and went along with their business. Although at least a few gave her the weird stare they had given her grunt counterpart. The feeling of being watched as she walked made Chur’s feathers stand on end. She ignited her shield a second time, and started walking at a faster pace, intent on reaching the tree structure near the town’s center. In her haste, she accidentally bumped the width of her shield into one of the locals who happened across her path. “I say, please watch where you’re going, you ruffian! You could have ruined my gorgeous mane. I spent nearly all morning getting it ready.” The native said with a classy, refined voice. Chur chattered something in annoyance and raised her needler at the creature. Not knowing at all that the device was a weapon of war, the local gave the needler an enthused examination. “Ooh...my, my, those are some fine jewels, are they amethysts? If you don’t mind me asking, where per chance, did you acquire them? And uh, what are you?” Before responding, the Shipmistress got a good look at the local. It appeared she was of the type with the horns on their head, which gave Chur, who assumed them to be for fighting, increased apprehension. The creature also had an elegant looking violet-purple mane and a white coat of fur. Chur couldn't shake the strange feeling that the local’s facial structure vaguely resembled the humans’ whom Chur’s allies were likely now fighting. Their languages sounded identical to humans' as well, of which Chur'R-Yar was only partially fluent. None of these details really helped to calm down the Kig-Yar’s growing feeling of paranoia. If she didn't get to the tree house dwelling quickly, trouble would surely follow. Summoning the best speaking voice for a non-Kig-Yar language a jackal could muster, Chur finally spoke words to the local. “I... am... of the race known as the Kig-Yar.” Despite her avian bird-like body structure, her voice had a distinctively feline-like purr to it. “We hail from the ocean planet of Eayn. I am Shipmistress Chur’R Yar.” Her tongue made a purring noise in the ‘l’ on hail, and the ‘n’ part of Eayn. “What are your people called here? What shall I refer to you as, hmm?” “You, may call me, Rarity.” The local said with dramatic flare. “I take from your appearance and foreign looking equipment, you must be, an erm, foreigner” Chur nodded slowly. “Why, isn't that...exotic? It’s a pleasure to meet you, erm..” Rarity was unsure of how to pronounce the Kig-Yar’s name. She smiled at the alien apologetically. “May I call you just Chur, or Yar perhaps, for short?” Chur merely shrugged. “If that is how one wishes to address me, then so be it. You have my apologies for colliding with you in the street. The unfamiliar sights of this place leave me most uneasy.” The unicorn waved it off with a hoof. “Oh, it’s nothing dear. No harm done, no hard feelings. And you have my apologies for being so rude in return, darling, some mornings are just so hectic. Now, I simply must ask again, where did you acquire such dazzling gem work on that apparatus?” Chur looked at the needler in her hand incredulously. “I am not sure where the military makes them, all I know is that they get the job done when someone is stealing my valuables.” Rarity turned her attention to Chur'R-Yar's energy shield. “What is that for? I must say it is quite dazzling.” Chur turned the device off and raised her left wrist, showing it to Rarity. Her wrist had a large bracelet looking device on it. “This is called a point defense gauntlet. If one finds themselves in battle, one could just simply activate it, like so...” Ria flicked her wrist, and the shield ignited to life. “And one is ready to defend themselves, and what they own, of course.” Turning to face a building’s blank wall, Chur raised her needler to the shield’s grooved opening, aimed, and fired a single crystal round. The projectile hit the side of the shop, embedding itself in the wood, before shattering. At that, Chur powered down the shield and holstered her needler at the hip. Now realizing that in fact a weapon had just been pointed at her, Rarity understandably was no longer as cheerful towards the jackal. “So then, you do use those elegant things for fighting? Why, that is simply the most uncouth thing I’ve ever heard of!” She raised her muzzle in the air, closing her eyes. “But elegant-looking nevertheless,” Rarity concluded with a sigh. She then gave Chur an appraising look, abandoning her earlier revulsion at the weapon. “Such gorgeous feathers you have as well, say.. I have an idea!” Without warning, Rarity grabbed Chur with her horn’s telekinesis. “You simply must come with me back to Carousel Boutique, I have a few things that would look positively divine with those elegant feathers of yours!” Chur struggled in protest, but the unicorn’s magic was too strong for her. “Actually, I was heading for... I have someone I have to...” “No, no. I must insist. Fashion potential such as yourself can’t be allowed to slip from my grasp,” The fashionista proclaimed. "You shan't be disappointed!" Chur stopped struggling with a drawn out sigh. She chattered quietly in annoyance to herself. Bystanders who had seen the pair’s conversation were dumbstruck at what they had just witnessed. All in all, it was cutting out to be one strange day for everyone who happened to be on the streets.. Elsewhere, Twilight Sparkle, finally hearing the insistent knocking at the front door, got up from her previous activity of sorting some books. “Spike, could you get that, please?” “Can’t you do it?” The little dragon replied with a lazy yawn. “I’m a little busy here at the moment, If you can’t tell by all the books floating around above your head!” Twilight shot back, annoyed. Spike was very much an all-round dependable, competent, and loyal assistant, but he could be a major head case from time to time. “Alright, but whoever it is, it better be important. I was hoping to sleep in a bit," Spike replied. A few moments passed as he headed to the door, whilst Twilight continued to work with sorting the books. “Let’s see, A.K. Yearling's Modern Equestrian History: Volume One, goes there. Treatise on Extraterrestrial Life Forms? What is that doing here? I thought that was in the theoretical magics and sciences section where it belongs. Hmm, Spike must have improperly filed it under general history just to irritate me,” Twilight mused as she sorted more of the tomes. While she continued her routine ministrations with the shelves, Spike’s voice issued from the front door. “Umm, Twilight? Someone’s here. They say they’re an alien from space, apparently. They also say they’re wondering if you have any methane gas they could have.” “Ha ha Spike, very funny. Like an extraterrestrial being would just show up on our front door at random asking for methane, of all things! Stop joking and come on in, Pinkie Pie. We know you’re not an alien.” Twilight replied, not at all amused. “Who’s 'Pinkie Pie'?” a funny high pitched-voice asked from the doorway.