Planet Equestria looms in the window as the shuttle draws near. The four astronauts inside are dead quiet. The tensions been raising steadily for the past week, and now it's almost unbearable. January Li was selected as the lead astronaut. Upon her selection, she asked to be accompanied by Lyra Parker. Due to her past military experience, General Washburn approved her application. Along with them, another experienced astronaut and ex- air-force pilot, Andy McAllister, and experienced marine, Kip Martinez were assigned to the historical expedition.
Nobody was very fond of McAllister's often crude behavior, but Kip kept him in check. However, Kip didn't always take orders from January well since she had no real military experience. At the half-way point, January had pretty much blown a cap when Kip didn't listen to her about the use of one of the computers and accidentally broke it. She yelled that she was really the only person who knew what the hell was going on, and unless he wanted to get off before they landed, he had to accept her leadership. He spent the next 14 hours fixing the computer according to January's very precise instruction. Meanwhile, McAllister and Lyra got along pretty well since they were both air-force pilots. No, Lyra's social dysfunction was also with Kip. General Washburn should have put more thought into the social dynamics.
Lyra hangs on to the edges of the window, the shadows fleeting as the do a subtle barrel roll. “How long until entry?”
“Less than hour. We're beginning the sequence.” January announces.
***
The flora was identical to that of Earth. A moon identical to Earth's shown in the early dawn sky. Even the animals, scuttling along the ground were the same.
“Okay, I'm officially freaked out now,” Lyra states as they march.
Lyra and Kip hold sub-machine guns in case the inhabitants turn out to be hostile, while McAllister and January walk empty-handed and in charge of communication.
“So, does this mean they're gonna look human?” McAllister asks with a slight laugh.
Before anybody else can laugh, Lyra puts her finger to her lips and shushes them. They all stop.
“What?” January asks, now out of her forte.
“I heard something... something like hooves,” Lyra states.
McAllister begins to laugh again, “Probably just a deer or something!”
“Shut up!” Kip whispers harshly, and McAllister swallows his short-lived joke.
Peering through the plants, Lyra sees a pink-maned pony with butterflies on her side approaching a tree with a white bunny in tow. The tree has a large door in its side, and as the pony stops before the door, she lifts her hoof and taps the door!
“What is it?” January asks, and Lyra realizes she gasped out loud.
“I don't know yet,” She replies.
January's jaw drops when she looks through the bushes herself, and both the guys quickly follow her example out of curiosity.
A zebra embraced by gold jewelry answers the door with a warm smile. “My dear Fluttershy. How nice of you to stop by!”
Both ponies disappear inside the tree-home, and every human is left speechless.
“They're fucking... ponies,” Kip breaks the silence without shedding his shocked expression.
“This will make the most interesting report of my life,” McAllister adds.
“Well, who wants to say 'hi?'” January asks, changing the mood.
“Guess we gotta,” McAllister sighs.
Andy McAllister and January Li walk up to the door of a not-so-alien alien's home and knock.
The zebra answers the door and from her mouth comes real English words, “Who are you? Something new? Just look at those strange features! What are you strange creatures?”
“Uh...” It takes January a moment to remember that English is her language too. “I am a human from Earth, the planet in the sky.” Still her words seemed uncertain.
“Earth you say? Well, come inside you may,” Uncertain about the Zebra's invitation, the humans hesitate. In that moment, Fluttershy appears in the background and trots up to them.
“Are you the humans we are expecting.”
Resisting the overwhelming urge to use sarcasm, McAllister nods.
“Yes, and is important that we meet your leader,” January adds.
“Take us too your leader,” McAllister says needlessly. When January gives him a weird look, he defends himself, “I've always wanted to say that!”
“Come with me. I'll take you to Princess Celestia.”
***
The four humans stand before a beautiful winged-unicorn. Her mane and tail flow like wavering rainbows. Her expression is perpetually kind, and a sun decorates her sides. Her name is Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria.
Each human introduce themselves in turn to the massive audience that filled the palace halls. Every single one, a pony. The humans have yet to get over their shock.
“So, have you found Equestria to your liking thus far?” A darker pony by the name of Princess Luna asks the humans.
“So far, it has being quite nice,” January announces. “We've actually found this planet to be very, very similar to our own.” The second 'very' was more for herself than anybody or anypony else.
“Really? How so?” The sun-flanked pony asks.
“The plants and animals are all the same. So is the moon,” Lyra points out.
“Hum... I suppose that is strange isn't it,” Celestia says, but her sister steps out in front of her before anything more can be said.
“I think there is a more important question at hand!” The dark princess shouts. “Are we at peace? Tell us of your kind's wars! Should we be weary or welcoming?”
Celestia lets out a visible sigh at her sister's strait-forwardness and social awkwardness.
“Umm...” January thinks. “I do believe we are at peace unless you plan on starting a war. Our kind can be violent, but only when provoked. I think we can be welcoming.”
“Oooohh!!!” Not a second after January had finished her last sentence, a vibrant pink pony hops out of the crowd and starts to bounce around the humans. “Yay! I'm so glad we can all be friends! Do you guys like to smile? I can make sure you all smile!”
The humans let out a little laugh, especially McAllister who took to the fun-loving pony instantly.
However, few notice the chaotic creature lurking like a shadow behind a pillar. On his face a sinister smile forms.