//------------------------------// // Surprise Guests // Story: Mister Jones // by Patient X //------------------------------// "Yeah, we heard you sing...it wasn't too bad!" Rochester laughs over the microphone. "Oh...now, why didn't you tell me that this thing wasn't completely off?" Stan breathes out. "We wanted to maintain a line of visual and audio contact with you at all times, so we didn't include a power button on the ear-piece." Alman recites, making Stan a little angry as he paces around the desk with the two curious ponies. "So, you just kept quiet for two hours while I explore some alternate dimension with potentially dangerous magic?" Stan angrily asks through to the recipient of his message. "All in the name of science, I suppose." Stan could almost see Rochester shrugging in his head as he said that. "Alright..." Stan sighs and looks at the two ponies at the table. "Would you like to introduce yourselves to my new acquaintances here?" "I would love to!" Alman, giddy of Stan's offer, nearly shouts through the earpiece. Stan pulls the earpiece from his pinna and carefully rests it inside Twilight's ear as it digs its speaker into the base of her auditory meadus. "Now, I'll press the button and you can talk to the doctor on the other end." Stan states as he presses his gloved finger onto the send button, letting Twilight talk to his supervisor as she visibly contemplated what to say. After a short pause, Twilight finally had found the right thing to say to Earth. "Hello?" She began, her ear twitching as static roared. "H-hello? Who am I talking to? Stanley took the earpiece off and we can't see what he's doing." Alman could be heard along with the hum of computing machinery. "My name is Twilight Sparkle. Stan just placed it over my ear and pressing something down on it" Twilight spoke clearly, yet obviously nervous. "Hello, Miss Sparkle. My name is General Rochester, and the man you just spoke to is Doctor Alman." Rochester's gruff voice booms through the earpiece. Colgate cocks her head in confusion at the door as a random knock is heard. "I'll go get it." She mouths to Twilight, who nods slightly. "Hello, General. How did you humans get to Equestria? Some sort of space-travel spell?" The lavender alicorn asks as Colgate opens the door to let somebody, or somepony inside. Stan doesn't look at the door, he only concentrates on Twilight. "Well, not exactly. You see, Alman here, and his team of scientists, made this...particle accelerator thing, or whatever it's called, which makes a portal to your...dimension." Rochester explains, trying to not be too stern on the curious pony. "Ooh neat! I've always wondered how aliens got around!" Twilight, seeming authentically giddy and clapping her hooves. "Well, this was kind of a test run...and at least Stanley came out alright, as far as we can tell from his vital signs." Alman is barely heard, shouting in the background. Multiple sets of hoof-steps are heard behind Stan, who just assumes they're from Applejack. "How can you tell if he's uninjured or unharmed?" Twilight asks, eye-ing Stanley's armor. "You see that vest on him? The equipment on there'll show us how healthy he is." Rochester points out to the alicorn, who notices Stan unbuttoning his sweaty camouflage jacket, revealing the Kevlar vest sitting on top of a white tee-shirt. Stan turns around, thinking he's about to see Colgate and Applejack... He drops his hand from the earpiece and gazes in awe at the ponies before him. Several white unicorns donning golden armor atop their heads and bodies stand in formation, spears pointing in the air as they face each other in a corridor leading from the door. The pony they're protecting is much taller than the other ones, as Stan's head and the pony's head are at equal height, rather than just at Stan's sternum. The pony is a dark blue mare, with a sparkly blue mane complete with a pitch black tiara and very long horn. On her back flutters a pair of wings, and her flank is black and splotchy, depicting a crescent moon. Beside her stands a visibly nervous Colgate and a smug looking Applejack. Twilight turns her head and drops her jaw, levitating the ear-piece from her head into Stan's hand and walking towards the guarded pony. "Princess Luna!" Twilight happily greets the monarch as Stan places the ear-bud back in his ear, giving the princess a once-over. In lieu of bowing, he simply stands at attention, like a soldier, and salutes. The princess smiles calmly and walks over to the human. "You are the alien that Ponyville has been contacting us about, yes?" She asks in a regal, yet attractive voice. "Yes, your highness." Stan tries to spit out the 'your highness' part without sounding like it was foreign for him to say it. "You are an ambassador, no?" She asks as the trio of mares Stan's already met stand next to them. "I was originally sent here to...preform scientific studies and collect plants and samples from this dimension, but yeah, you can call me an ambassador as well." Stan enunciates slowly, looking for the right words and trying too hard to sound official. "Well, during your scientific studies, I've heard rumors that you've successfully plucked a Poison Joke from the ground without getting infected? How is that possible?" The monarch asks. Poison Joke? Oh! The blue flower! Stan kneels down and opens his backpack, sifting through the contents to find the pair of tongs and the plastic baggie with the writhing, blue plant still inside. "Ah, extensions." Luna muses. "I hope there isn't a problem, ma'am." Stan places the things back in his rucksack and stands back up, leaving it on the floor. "On the contrary. After hearing about your...non-malicious behavior, my sister and I have agreed to allow you to stay in Equestria for the remainder of your studies, as long as an escort of our finest warriors to protect you and others around you." Luna is quite upfront with the information. Stan slowly brings his hand up to his earpiece and presses the send button. "Are you guys getting all of this?" He asks, Luna's head cocks as she raises and eyebrow. "Take the offer! We need more information on this stunning new dimension!" Alman almost screams with excitement through the earpiece. "I...I don't know what to say." Stan says to Luna as he lowers his hand. "How so?" The taller alicorn asks, slowly pacing around the alien in the library. "I just didn't expect such...hospitality." Stan tries to sound genuinely thankful, which he is. "Take it as our gift to you. As long as you do not cause any trouble, you are welcome to continue your people's studies." Luna smiles. Stan's stomach is full of happiness butterflies. "T-thank you, your highness." Stan bows at the waist as Luna's smile grows a bit. Luna and exits the library slowly, as all but one of her armed escort slowly march their way out behind her, leaving Stan with the three mares and one stallion. The four ponies approach the human, and the royal guard speaks. "I am Regal Charmer. My duty is to be your armed escort as you continue your studies." The unicorn guard stands at attention and salutes the human with a voice slightly more gruff than Rochester. "Alright. Can I call you RC for short?" Stan asks, politely. "Go for it." The guard's voice softens and becomes more relaxed as his posture is loosened; he goes to the table in the middle of the library and takes a seat, sighing and taking his helmet off to show a stubble of an orange mane. "So...I think I just might get an inn room or something for the time that I'll stay Equestria." Stan turns to the three mares and says this to them. "How about you stay here? I'd love to study your culture, your history, your everything." Twilight offers, showing her own curiosity towards the alien. Stan thinks for a moment as his inner Brony is howling at him to take the offer. This is almost too much excitement for the human to mentally handle as his voice slightly shakes. "Couldn't hurt." Stan agrees and smiles as Twilight casts a spell to suddenly materialize a massive pile of papers and ink vials about 7 feet tall behind her. "Well...I've gotta head home and cook dinner. You mind if I come and visit, Twilight?" Colgate asks. Twilight quickly nods as she prances about, giddy with a new specimen. Applejack looks slightly bemused. "Stanley, could I talk to you for a second?" She sounds annoyed with the human as he nods and follows her to the tree's kitchen. The kitchen is carved into the tree with a shiny linoleum floor, an early 1900's ice-box, a stove, and a quaint breakfast nook with a small window to stare out of. "What's up--?" He's cut off by a hoof in his nose. "Listen here. If you so much as look at Twilight or Colgate or anypony wrong, I will personally haul your broken bones all the way to the gates of Tartarus, you understand me?? Applejack accusingly, yet quietly snarls at Stan as her eyes shoot a malicious glare at the human. Stanley simply raises his hands as his features soften. "Sure. Fine." He quietly backs off. "Good." AJ trots out of the kitchen and heads out of the library door with Colgate.