//------------------------------//
// Ground 
// Story: Titanfall: New Horizons 
// by Necrogen Lord 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight and her friends were quietly enjoying the nice picnic that Pinkie had suggested. She had to admit, it was pretty laid-back for the expert party-mare, but that doesn’t mean she was going to complain about it. It was times like this that she appreciated the fact that her friends were all here.

Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy, all here with her. The reason she was now one of the most powerful beings in Equestria. It was moments like this that she appreciated the calm. 

What, with her sister visiting only a few months ago, Pinkie seems to have calmed down exceptionally, especially considering who she was.

Applejack had finished up her chores and harvesting early, so she and Big Mac were able to take some time off and spend the day with their friends, thankfully. 

Rarity had filled out a large order that she had helped out with, along with the rest of their friends, and had brought it to Canterlot. 

Fluttershy had been caring for her animals as usual, nothing interesting since the Breezies, really. And that was months ago.

And Rainbow Dash had just kept up with her flying and such, along with weather patrol and the new Sky Watch that came with the threat of war from the Griffons.

Yes, sadly, there was now the threat of imminent war with one of the other species that bordered Equestria. The war-ridden ranks of the Griffons, no less. Brutal and quick as they were, Twilight hoped they would still see that there wouldn't be any point to war or expansion other than to just cause bloodshed. But, aside from that, Twilight knew that even if they tried anything, Celestia and her Royal Guard would be able to stop them from causing too much damage to anypony. Hopefully, though, it wouldn't have to come to that.

She wanted to just sit here in the grass by Fluttershy's cottage and embrace the company of her friends forever. 

Until her friends began to panic at the sound of a loud boom.

"What in the hay was that?" asked Applejack, holding her Stetson as she looked to the sky.

Twilight quickly stood and looked up to the sky, trying to locate the now screeching object.

"Is it a d-d-dragon!?" panicked Fluttershy, as she began to shake in place.

"No, it can't be," began the alicorn, "it was too high-pitched to be a dragon screech, even a small one."

"Then what was it?" asked Rainbow Dash.

Before a reply could leave Twilight's mouth, a metal creature soared over the edge of the Everfree Forest, and began to descend slowly over a gap in the trees. 

The mares all watched slack-jawed as the strange new being shot out several ropes into the ground, allowing for smaller creatures to pour out of it, sliding down the ropes. Then, the back of it opened up and out came another one of the smaller creatures. Instead of it's fellows, it just jumped. Straight to the ground.	The strange thing lifted into the air and closed up, shooting straight up into the sky, not even beginning to turn, as it disappeared into the atmosphere.

\\\\\\//////

Joshua felt the blood rush through every inch of his body as his boots hit the ground, arriving on an alien world near the edge of one of the smallest towns on the planet. Inside the Forest, things looked like some kind of cartoon. To be fair, though, the closer observations did indeed pick up images of the local inhabitants showed some pretty fucked-up shit. The main inhabitants of this main body of land were quadrupeds, equine in nature, although they looked like a child had colored every single one of them, and had larger eyes, wings, and horns as well. Other scans showed bird-like quadrupeds that also had wings, but were apparently built like lions. Other scans showed bug-like creatures, bipeds with horns, and even fucking dragons. Fucking Dragons. Mythical creatures that inhabited a planet with a massive anomaly of a system and no trace of Frontier or IMC research stations, which meant no fuel. Great. Just the perfect mission for the new captain of the Horizon. So, fuck it.

He adjusted his jump-gear, and analyzed if he was good to do any tree-running or jumping around. All good. He decided it was time to get to work.

"Troopers! We are here to look for something edible on this planet, so we're going to start- oh God, what now, Phil?" 

"What about the small town we passed by? Can't we just ask them?"

To which the Grunt then received a slap to the back of his head by the closest troop, Sanchez.

"Moron, we don't know if they can speak! Besides, how would you react to a bunch of aliens with guns and glowing masks all came from the sky and asked if they could get something to eat?"

To which the Pilot nodded towards and began again.

"Right. So that means we are on First-Contact protocols here. Do not attack unless attacked first. Do not assume hostilities in any way, and be ready for anything. Some of these folk may very well live inside this forest, but that is yet to be seen. Move out!"

With that, the technicians began to scan the local fauna and spread out, until they heard a womanly group of screams come from the edge of the tree-line, accompanied by the roar of a larger creature.

Joshua pulled out his RE-45 Auto Pistol and called out to Alpha Squad.

"Alpha, with me! Everyone else, watch for hostiles and civilians! Civies are four-legged and colorful. Anything else, permission to engage if needed. Let's move!"

With that, the Pilot broke out into a sprint and jumped with the added power of the Jump-Gear, and bolted from tree-to-tree, followed by a squad of 8 soldiers, headed for the roars of an unknown beast.

\\\\\\//////

*3 minutes prior*

As the mares began to file about through the small opening of the Everfree Forest to try and find the strange beings and hopefully get some answers. All the while they began to exchange thoughts about what they saw. Mainly with the animal expert, Fluttershy.

"What do you mean you've never seen those before?" Rainbow asked.

"Um, well, I've never seen or heard of a large flying creature, that wasn't a dragon, that also carried around smaller critters in it's belly, without eating them. I'm just as lost as the rest of you to be honest. Oh, uh... sorry." she explained.

"Well," Rarity started, "I just wanted to know, what will we do when we find those... things?"

Twilight began to address the group at this.

"Well, first, we see if they can understand us, or if Fluttershy can get some answers from them. I have a strange feeling that they may be more than just some random creatures, though."

Rainbow Dash flew up to Twilight, clearly confused and mad at the same time.

"What do you mean? It's not like they can hurt us or anything. I doubt that anything can make it past good-old lefty and righty!" she exclaimed as she waved her forehooves in the air in front of her. 

Twilight stifled a laugh as they trotted along, but then stopped when they heard a low growl emanate from the large gathering of taller trees and rock formations next to them. From the darkness, they saw five pairs of eyes meet their collective gaze, and retreated as soon as Applejack named said disturbance.

"HYDRA!!!"

At that, the five headed beast rose from the ground and roared at the ponies in unison, causing them all to scream and try to escape. However, they were not ready for when the Hydra revealed to have twisted it's necks around the foliage in order to trap them between the path and the rock pillars and trees of the deeper forest.

Fluttershy took in a deep breath and slowly approached the Hydra and cleared her throat as she addressed it.

"Um, e-excuse me, Mr. Hydra. We were wondering if you could, maybe, be so kind as to let us through? If, that's okay with you?" she asked timidly. However, instead of being persuaded by her usual charm, this animal just eyed them with hunger as it roared yet again. At this, Rainbow Dash clopped her hooves together and stared at the beast.

"Alright, let's do this."

She flew up at the beast, but was quickly countered by the sudden attack from one of the further heads, as she was bitten at the base of her wings.

"RAINBOW!" her friends all cried out at once, all shocked at the horror of one of their beloved friends being stopped by this terrible creature in such a short amount of time. 

The Hydra threw back the head with the cyan pegasus and used momentum to sling her at the group, trying to incapacitate them for an easier meal. Twilight caught Dash with a levitation spell, but faltered when the beast charged at them. 

Before they could respond, however, a small creature burst from the tree canopies and jumped to the closest head. Upon landing, several sharp cracks came from it, and the head it was on began to explode out of the other end. The Hydra roared in pain and jumped for the strange new predator, but ended up having another head boarded and discharged at as well. While the two heads fell, several more creatures like it began to file out from the bushes and ran for them. They could be heard shouting in Equestrian, "Out of the way! Move!" To which the mares did not try to question, seeing the direness of the situation. They heard several more loud cracks from the creatures as they ran to a nearby formation of collapsed rocks. They took cover as the new creatures began to fight against the Hydra.

The ones on the ground rolled out of the way from it's vicious claws, using their strange devices to continue making cracking sounds at it. Then, they looked up and saw that there were only two heads left alive on the Hydra, with the jumping one on top yet again. It began to simulate thunder yet again, and jumped to the last head. This time, though, it proceeded to bring down one of it's legs onto the last head repeatedly, until the Hydra began to limp from the force. A sickening snap was heard from the head as the neck and body went limp and fell to the floor.

The six were now free from the threat of being eaten by a five-headed Hydra.

Now they were going to be eaten by nine unknown creatures.

\\\\\\//////

Joshua breathed heavily as he jumped back to the ground, placing in a new magazine for his AutoPistol, counting a total loss of 40 rounds against that thing. Whatever it was, it wasn't bulletproof, and that was a massive relief to the Pilot. He looked to his men to check for casualties or fatalities. Thankfully, none. He went over to a pair of Grunts that were peering into a gap in the rocks and addressed them.

"Juarez, Smith, report."

They both turned and saluted at once, and then Juarez spoke up.

"Sir, we've identified four-legged creatures that are indeed colorful, as your description of the civies on the world. They're in there, waiting."

"For what?"

"Probably someone to talk to, sir."

"Fine. Weapons ready, though. Can't take chances."

Smith chuckled a bit and slowly shook his head.

"Sir, with all due respect, look at them. They probably couldn't hurt a fly."

"That's what they said about the first Pilots, Smith. Watch the tone."

Joshua lowered himself to peer into the crevice, getting a glimpse of the alien life-forms for the first time. There was one with a horn that was white as snow with purple hair, an orange one with a cowboy hat, a blue one with rainbow hair and wings, thought there was a noticeable amount of bleeding, a yellow one with pink hair and wings, a full-on pink one, and a purple one with wings and a horn. They all stared at him in disbelief until he broke the silence.

"It's safe now. Come on out."